The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-05-10

four horses. It was in December. The
weather conditions were severe. The
country was absolutely unknown to any
white man. The snow was two feet
deep. Under the most favorable cir
cumstances he said he could not hope
to find supplies in less than five days.
The night preceding the march, the
obstacles to be met and overcome, the
horrible fate that might overtake his
command on that perilous journey and
other elements were considered which
wildly haunted Baldwin.
When he was given the command of
the battalion opposite the mouth of
Squaw creek, Miles taking command Of
a less number of soldiers, it was a
question as to which would find the
hostiles first. Only one suggestion, or
implied order, was given by Miles to
Baldwin.
. "NoW Baldwin, do the best you can.
I am responsible for disaster, success
will be to your credit; you know what
my plans are and what we are here
for" said Miles in the earnest man.
ner which was characteristic of him.
Baldwin says, however, that he fully
realized that he alone could be held
individually responsible for disaster,
and having located beyond a doubt Sit
ting Bulls camp, he was bound to make
the effort to strike him, trusting to the
indomitable will and intelligent in
genuity of the American soldier for
success. Not once on that march, ever
memorable to Baldwin, did he hear a
soldier complain.
yr0c IN fIn r1orroSpr Nf ToNn~aLoy
ID, that Baldwin discovered the Indian
camp at the head of the Red Water.
While many of his men were sick and
worn out, not one failed to join in the
attack. Sufficient supplies to satisfy
the hunger of every nan in his COM
mand were secured, as well as an as
sured ration for the following day or
two.
II have often been asked" writes
Baldwin further to his friend, "how ]
used by men in an encounter with the
Indians. My answer has been, AL
ways ready; never send a few men in at
a time; if the enemy show fight, get all
of my men and material into position,
sound the forward, never the retreat
so long as the enemy is in sight, In
this. engagement, as at Mcclellan
creek on the eighth of November, 1874,
my wagon train charged in just in rear
of the front line, a small guard pro-
tecting its rear"
Baldwin considered the trip under
the circumstances the most hazardous
and responsible undertaking of his life.
mo- only was I sure of e%ncountering
an enemy (who was the least cause. of
anxiety, but in a most treacherous
season, across an unknown country,
with q m lily clothed even for
a campaign under the most favorable
auspices. You can we'll imagine that
my time-either day or night-was not
spent in sleep. There was not a night
that I did not visit my pickets and men
in their tents at least once every two
hours, fearing that they might freeze
to death. Duty and loyalty to my
country and commanding officer were
my incentives. From the day I left the
Missouri river about the only subsist-
ence my animals had consisted of COT
tonwood limbs, which were gathered
and placed before them after arriving
in camp. The night preceding the day
the general left me at the mouth of
Squaw creek we did not sleep for a
moment all night long, but lay awake
considering the new movement"
A blizzard enveloped the command
in following the trail of Sitting Bull
A blizzard is described as snow blind
ing in every direction at the same
moment Of time" Such a storm on q
high divide, upon an open prairie coun-
try, under what the Indians called the
cold moon," or December, of the lat
itude in which Montana is, is almost
humanity unbearable. It was impossible
for the soldiers to see any object more
than 20 or 80 feet away at midday, vel
the troops marched one whole day un-
der such circumstances, not on a trail
but in the direction in which they be-
lieved the Indians to have moved, OF
where they were located. The compass
was used to guide them.
Lieut.. Frank D. Baldwin was a man
who possessed strong soldierly in
stincts. OF the highest and noblcst
character were his individual qualities
Accepting the command of the bat
talon, he bravely shouldered all the
responsibilities that went with it. His
good fortune in striking the trail and
contracting the camp of Sitting Bull
was but an opportunity for him to dem
onstrate his qualifications as a soldier.
The Indian camp was demoralized
Sitting Bull, quickly appraising his
position, rallied his people and conduct
ed a mastery retreat under weather
conditions that marked him as an adept
in that line of military tactics. He
moved out of range of the guns of the
white soldiers, leaving behind much Of
the food supplies he had gathered or
his buffalo hunting expeditions, ano
many ponies. Eventually, Sitting Bul.
reached the northern border when LIE
crossed into Canada. During the nearly
two years of his self reinforced exile
eastern Montana was being rapidly set