Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-06-27
By D. J. O'MALLEY MN KID


meng AZ Washington to transfer
his regiment from Wyoming to
Montana. Orders were sent by him
70 the various forts and camps In
Wyoming that were garrisOned BY
the Second for the troops to mob
iIixe az Medicine Bow from which
point the march would begin early
In September.
The first troops to arrive at Medicine
Bow we're troops A, b, u and E, along
with the regimental band from Fort
Sanders In a few days other troops
came in from Fort Fred Steele, Camp
Stanebaugh, Fort Laramie and other
stations and by Aug. 26 the entire
regiment with the exception Of two
troops that were already serving In
Montana at Fort Ellis, were at Medi-
cine Bow awaiting orders to begin the
march into the Indian country. There
were q great many children in the camp,
many Of the officers and enlisted men
being married and their families were
travelling with them TO the new coun-
try. To the children the camp was a
scene Of never lending interest.
Immediately after breakfast Sept. q
q trumpeter sounded the call TO break
camp, and everyone sprang into action.
Tents began to fall and were rolled
and tied; camp property was put into
shape and loaded.
ed assembly and the different troops
fell into position. Then came the call
Mount" and they were in the saddle
and the march started.
/ cannot recall the different places
at which we camped, but the first sign
Of habitation was Fort Fetterman on
the Platte river. This fort was siJu-
ated on a high hill close to the river
and commanded view Of the sur
rounding country. Here the command
met It's first trouble. The Platte Is 3
treacherous stream full OF quicksand
and holes. We we're nearly all day
fording 1T.
Two teams were drowned, as was one
Of the soldiers who became entangled IN
the chains and harness Of the drowning
ruules.
we stayed In camp al the next day
and the drowned soldier was buried
at the fort The two wagons were re-
covered from the river and put In
shape again. One six-mule team was
obtained from the quartermaster at
Fetterman. The other wagon was lett
at the fort After leaving Fetterman,
orders were issued that only one move
a day would be made and camp was
usually made around 2 P. M.
AS soon as q place was found suitable
for a camp the picket guard was
placed, two or three soldiers in a place,
on the highest ground within mile
Of the camp. remember one
afternoon about four days out from
Fetterman, all stock had be n
brought in; cavalry horses were tied
to the company picket line; mules were
tied at their wagons. Numerous chill
dren were playing in front Of the tents
when all Of a sudden they heard the
trumpeter at the guard tent sound That
significant call, Boots and Sadoles.
Instantly the camp was a scene OF ex-
element The soldiers sprang from
their tents to their horses. The women
and children were hurried to the CEN
ter of the camp where the heavy wag-
ons were always parked IN hollow
square for their protection. Then as
senbly sounded a troop surrounded
the square where the women and chill
dren were and the rest formed In line
and advanced toward where the picket
had reported a body Of horsemen. We
could see the troop halt and then two
troops advanced in skirmish line.
The skirmish line had gotten about
600 yards In advance Of the main body
Of troops when up on little ridge
where the picket had been stationed
who gave the alarms, rode bunch OF
Is horsemen One Of our guard SAID,
loud enough SO some OF heard MIN,
There they come all right and then 2
guidon. It's soldiers and it was. It
was a detachment of mounted infan-
try from Fetterman who had been sent
after us with some orders for the
colonel of our command. The orders
had been delayed and had not reached
Fetterman until three days after we
departed.
Before the command reached Wind
river, signs of Indians we're noticed and
skirmish lines we're thrown out twice
but no live Indians put in their APP
pearance. Once three dead bodies were
found on scaffolds built in the branches
of cottonwoodS. On investigation 1t was
found they were Sioux and had not been
dead long. Double pickets were put out
and double guards placed at night.
About eight miles from Wind river
we crossed fresh trail which evil
IDENTIFY had been made by large band
Of Indians, who appeared to be trav-
cling in the same direction we were.
The command was ordered into camp
as soon as we reached water and a
troop of cavalry Il think 1t was K
troop was sent to follow the trail and
report any signs of Indians. They fol-
lowed the trail for 10 miles when it
no Indians except dead one in tree.
The scout with the troop said he
thought the trail was at least three
days old We found out after we reached
Fort Keogh that bunch OF about 400
Sioux had made that trail and had
been engaged by troops from Fort Ellis
and captured.
The next camp of any note that
remember was at old Fort Phil Kearny
on the Piney. This fort had been ha-
raised by Red Cloud and his fighting
Sioux about 1867 until it was aban-
doned by the government and the troops
were barely out of sight of the fort
when the Indians had every building
burning. It was at or near Kearny that
Colonel Fetterman and his command
were killed by the Sioux in 1867.
we camped just below the old fort
The cnarred remnants OF a good many
of the old buildings could be plainly
seen. The fort was built Of logs, and
much of the old charred logs were
used by our command for their kitchen
fires. We stayed in the camp two days
as there was plenty OF wood and water