The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-07-03

restrained from going in a body to
get the gold. It took a show of arms
to hold them and several of the SOL
diers who had had experience in placer
mining, convinced the gold-eager men
that the stuff was mica, OF IS it was
commonly called, Fools Gold," and
was not worth a dollar a ton.
A few days after the command had
left Kearny more excitement was
myself being one of them, the other a
boy named Will Aughey, whose father
was in Troop B. The command was max
ing noon camp on Cherry creek. Choke
cherries were abundant around camp
and women and children were busy
picking them, Aughey- and I among
them. We noticed a clump of cherry
We had not gathered many before
other patch, where, the fruit. seemed
still larger than what VT were picking,
and as we were out of sight of the
guard, it was not hard to get to this
patch. By this time We had forgotten
about camp lines, Indians, or any
thing else except big cherries and we
kept on discovering better Gin our es-
patch being a little bit farther from
camp. Suddenly Will said, Wasn't that
a bugle call? Maybe camp is going to
move and we had better get back
quick" We started to return and real
lied that camp was not in sight any
where.
We didn't really know which way to
go but, by good luck, we started down
the branch which we thought was the
thought was at least 10 miles, we found
'our creek emptying into another one
and We stopped. We could. not remem-
Der having seen this creek before. We
were at a loss as to which way to re-
turn, when we saw a line of horsemen
come in sight along a little ridge to
right and We recognized them as
to show up a mile long. Then we
showed ourselves and the trumpet
sounded rally. It was Troop B in a
skirmish line looking for us. When we
were missed at camp u absence was
reported at once and Boots and sad
dies" was sounded. That was the call
that Will had heard that brought us
to realization that We were lost.
A few days after the cherry episode,
here occurred the second fatality of the
trip. It was found that there was plenty
of fish in Goose creek and permission
was given the troops to catch some.
One party of soldiers made q make
shift seine out of gunny sacks and was
meeting with fair success. While they
were dragging the Seine in a bend Of
of the soldiers stepped into a deep
hole and went out of sight. He failed
to come to the surface and the others
attempted to find him. He was found in
10 minutes, about Is feet below where
he had disappeared and was caught in
the roots of some old drift logs beneath
the surface. He was dead. I do not
was a trooper of K troop. This cast a
gloom over the camp.
From Goose creek we moved to
Prairie Dog creek and went into camp
for a couple of days and we could see
that some new arrangements were be-
ing made and it vas found that the
command would move in two parts
when we left. Part Of the troops and
transportation were to go to Fort Gus
ter and part to Keogh. A. B. E and I
troops were the ones to be stationed at
Fort Keogh. The balance of the regi-
ment with the band, went to Fort Gus
ter, which was to be the headquarters
of the Second cavalry, Fort Keogh
being the headquarters Of the 5th In
fantry.
The troops for Custer began their
journey the third morning after we
had pitched camp on Prairie Dog and
the Keogh contingent we're to leave the
following morning. That night it was
found that the wife OF a trumpeter OF
Troop E was in no condition to move
for possibly a week and a new problem
faced our commanding officer. It was
decided to leave u doctor and a de-
tachment Of soldiers at that camp while
the command went to Keogh from
where an ambulance and other trans
portation were to be sent back for
them. The commanding officer called
for a volunteer from among the women
to stay with the sick woman and
though there were about Is married
women In our camp, my mother was
the only one who volunteered to stay.
A detachment Of Is men under CONF