Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-04-17

During the same summer, the Tenth
did guard duty along the Northern
Pacific railway during the A. r. U.
strike.
During the summer of 1896, the whole
regiment aided in rounding up Crees
who were off theiI6 reservations in
Canada. Large bands were gathered
in, as many a. two or three hundred
in some, escorted to the border and
turned over to the Canadian forces.
These Indians had caused trouble by
raids on settlers and more especially
on Indians on reservations on the
American side from the time that Sit
ting Bull had escaped to Canada in
1877 and encouraged the Crees to make
common cause with the irreconcilable
Sioux. Many had also fled to this
country after the Riel rebellion in
1885.
Lieutenant John Persning had joined
the regiment at A~ssinniboine in Oc-
tober, 1895, and had been assigned to
company d. In an account of his ex-
perienceS as an officer of the Tenth
as a foreword TO a regimental history,
Pershing recalls that during the sum
mer OF 1896, the troop did some hard
riding to overtake or surprise the Crees.
Some Of those captured were sent to
Canada by rail, but more than 600
were escorted across the border. Dur
ing the summer the troop marched
more than 600 miles.
OF his experiences as a young Of
hcer with the Tenth, Pershing wrote:
The troops required little of the Of
hcers. The ranks were filled with
veterans and the power and prestige
OF the old top sergeant was sufficient
to maintain rigid discipline and man.
age the minor details of administra-
ton. Almost perfect in drill, most of
our interest centered in keen COMPETE
ton on the rifle range and in hunting.
Il recall a visit Of General Nelson A.
Miles, then commanding officer of the
army, which was largely spent in hunt
ing the game which abounded near the
post. AS a result of this visit, l was
soon released from duty with the regi-
ment and assigned to his Office in
Washington.
Il again Joined the Tenth as regi-
mental quartermaster at Chicamaugua
and thence to Tampa. Landing at
Sidney, June %, we were almost i'm
mediately involved in the preliminary
skirmishes of the war with the Rough
Riders. The following days were stren-
uous and exciting, eliminating in the
charge up San Juan hill. Here l re-
joined my old troop d, which had COW
cred itself with glory in the thickest
of the fight"
incidentally, Major General j.. G..
Hartford, another outstanding general
of the World war, succeeded Pershing
after the battle of Santiago as regi-
mental quartermaster.
The last excitement which the Tenth
was called upon to take part in during
its Montana service was in the sum-
mer Of 1897, when three troops under
Major Norvall were sent to arrest sew
eral bad Indians who were causing
trouble on the Cheyenne reservation
on Tongue river. They had killed a
sheepherder and had thrown the set
tiers in that section into a fright by
their threats Of war. Major Norvell
and Captain Read by their skill and
through the respect the Indians bore
for the buffalo soldiers obtained the
arrest Of Whirlwind. Shoulder Blade,
Yellow Hair and Sam Grow, the ring
leaders in the outbreak, and took them
TO the Miles City Jail.
In December, 1897, Fort Custer was