Year: 1877

| 4AC 1OllOWluR lcltcT lTOlu U6lleTdl
Sherman, in regard to the new military
of the Little Big Horn, have been re-
ceived by the Secretary of War:


HDoRs ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES,
On THE STEAMBOAT ROSEBUD,
| BIG HORN RIVER, July ~.


Hon. G. w, McCRARY, SECRETERY


OF WAR, WASHINGTON, d. c.:


DEAR SIR: We left the cantonment
at the mouth of the Tongue river on
the evening of July 1s, and reached the
mouth of the Big Horn in three days;
then entering the Big Horn we steamed
hard for three days against powerful
current and reached the new post on
the forks of the Big and Little Horn
yesterday morning early. Many boats
had preceded us, all or nearly all dis
charging parts of their freight on the
west bank, from which the hauling of
the post is comparatively easy. One
boat, which was built specially for the
navigation of this and similar streams,
had to land five miles below the post
about one third of her cargo. The
water is in good stage, SO the reason is
not for want of water, but by reason of
the strong current, which in the bend
must be about eight miles an hour. We
found at the post the United States
steamboat General Sherman, which has
a good hull, good engine, but too
much out-t0o full a cabin for this
boat. She will be kept in the Big Horn
as long as the water lasts. and will be
employed in carrying up to the posts
the freight dropped on the river bank
by the contract boats. The post has
already good supply of all essential
stores, and there is no doubt that long
before the season Closes all invoices
will be on hand and stored. The day
before we reached the post we met Cen
eral Sheridan and party, which had
come across the country from Fort
Stambaugh. We had long conference,
and we agree that the new post is well
located, and that it can be well
supplied, with reasonable economy, in
the future. The new post will be
garrisoned by six companies of the
Eleventh Infantry and four companies
of the Second Cavalry, under command
of Colonel Buell., Eleventh Infantry, an
officer of great energy and by profession
an engineer. He served under me in
regiment, and afterwards as brigade
commander. He has been on the
ground less than month, but has a
steam saw-mill at work, and a large
mass of cotton wood logs rapidly being
sawed up into lumber for the new post.
He has, about two hundred civil
mechanics at work, and six buildings
under progress, besides temporary
helter for his stores and will finish his
posts substantially before winter. The
location of this post is in tho worry heart
of the old Sioux country. With this
post and that at the mouth of the Old
Tongue river occupied by strong enter
prising garrisons these Sioux Indians
can never regain this country, and they
will be forced to remain at their agen-
cies, or take refuge in the British
possessions. AT this moment there are
no Indians here or hereabouts. have
seen or heard of-none. General Sheri-
dan saw none or any traces of any, so
that the principal end aimed at by
the construction of these posts has al
ready been reached, and it is only to
make this end permanent that we
should persevere in their completion.


The Great Tongue river can be
supplied by steamboats,. The one at
the mouth of the Little Big Horn
cannot depend on the river. The cur
rent is too strong to be navigated by
ordinary boats with fair cargo. GEN





at this moment reconnoitering to select
some point near the mouth Of the Big
Horn whereat to establish depot at
which all freight destined for their
post can be hauled up to the fort. We
have on board a company of infantry to
guard this depot, and we are nearly
agreed that the best point would be
place on the Yellowstone proper, three
miles above the mouth of the Big Horn,
whence the hauling will be about thirty
miles by oX-trainS. These can be hired
here and will do the work more surely
and better than steamboats,, for these
have been sometimes two weeks in
working up the Big Horn, and have
left their loads strung along its banks
at points hard to reach by wagons. 1
am convinced that this is the wisest
course, and thus we can maintain a
strong military post in the very heart
of the Sioux country, with only haul
of thirty miles, which is Insignificant
as compared with most of our posts
south Of this. The country west of
this is good country, and will rapidly
fill up with emigrants, and will, in the
next few years, build up community
as strong and capable of self lf-defence as
Colorado. I have a company of the
Second Cavalry Company L, Captain
Norwood,) now camped on the north
bank Of the Yellowstone, opposite the
mouth of the Big Horn, to escort me
up to Ellis. AS soon as we have per-
sonally examined the point of the
Yellowstone three miles above the
mouth of the Big Horn, and have
decided on its merits as the river depot
for the new points, will load and start
for Ellis, leaving General Terry with
the boat (the Rosebud) to return to
Bismarck for a new load. The weather
has been intensely hot, as hot as Texas,
but last night we had thunder squall,
since which time the air has become
perfect. General good health prevails
here, and am impressed with the balm
70 the country on the Upper Yellow
stone. Yours truly,


w. T. SHERMAN, General.