Head Quarters, Mountain District
Department Platte
Fort Philip Kearney, D.T.
September 10th, 1866.
Henry B. Carrington
Col. 18th U.S. Infy.
Comd'g District
Head Quarters Mountain District
Department Platte
Fort Philip Kearney D.T.
September 17th, 1866.
1st | The Indians are well armed, with revolvers as well as rifles. |
2nd | Red Cloud is known to command the parties now immediately engaged. White flags were used as signals between the different bands, thus covering a line of at least seven miles. |
3rd | There are men with them who dress and appear to be white men, and swear and talk in good English. |
4th | They are determined to burn the country, cut off supplies, and hamper every movement. |
Henry B. Carrington
Col. 18th U.S. Infantry
Comd'g. District
Head Quarters Mountain District
Department Platte
Fort Philip Kearney
September 17th, 1866.
Henry B. Carrington
Col. 18th U.S. Infantry
Comd'g Mountain District
Head Quarters Mountain District
Department of the Platte
Fort Philip Kearney D.T.
September 25th, 1866.
Henry B. Carrington
Colonel 18th Infantry
Comd'g. Dist.
Head Quarters Mountain District
Department Platte
Fort Philip Kearney D.T.
September 26th, 1866.
1st | The northern range of the Big Horn Mountains, five miles north from this post, is cut by many gorges, through which flow the many streams that irrigate the grass region, as far westward as the Yellow Stone and Clark's Pass. Crazy Woman's Fork is eastward of this line, is a muddy stream and is of the same class with Powder river, and is not a true flow from Big Horn Mountains. It will be seen by reference to the map, that the Big Horn Mountains terminate nearly south from the stream mentioned, and that Clear Fork is the first genuine mountain stream of the northern slope. Behind this northern slope, southward, is a tract varying from eighteen to twenty five miles (now difficult of access) but luxuriant in vegetation. The valleys of all the small streams are equally luxuriant, as they follow the mountain currents, northward and eastward to the many tributaries of the Missouri. Between these valleys, and bearing from fifteen to twenty miles northward, from the abrupt or northern range of the Big Horn Mountains, are back bone ridges, hills, and rolling lands, which also afford good grass. The soil of these upland ridges would however indicate that in an extremely dry season, the crop would be meagre [sic]. This season all have furnished a fair feed for stock. But the valleys, mountains narrowed to a fine belt, and then spreading out, from one to five miles, retain their prolific yield. Goose Creek, Peno Creek, the larger Piney and Tongue river, are of this character, the valley of the last named being more than twenty miles wide and of great fertility. Big Horn and Little Big Horn valleys furnish fine grass, and mild cereals inferior to none. Moving still northward of the series of hills referred to, and extending a great distance, are the Mauvais Terres, or barren, red buttes, impassable except by tedious detours, crossed and slashed by gulches and ravines, impassable for cavalry, (absolutely), and hardly attempted by buffalo. And yet, event there, the rivers crossing to the Missouri, feed small and rich bottoms, so that the country is not lost when intelligent civilization shall bring its mineral resources into use. |
2nd | Irrigation of this grass region is most ample. Late in the season as it now is, while the cottonwood is yellow from frost, the hills and slopes bear innumerable patches of green shrubs, marking the work of the last lingering snows of spring, and the abounding springs which are every where formed. Westward from this post as far as Big Horn, running water can be found, at distances of from three to five miles, and there is no half days march without it. This peculiarity of grass and this supply of water, begins near Clear Creek, and even six miles westward of Crazy Woman's Fork, so soon as the true northern slope of the Big Horn Mountain is reached. The change is so marked that the traveller seems to have been transferred to a different land. The water of these streams is either snow derived or flows from aggregated Springs, and while in some cases, at a low state, it is slightly affected by the disintegrated coal beds it washes, it is pure and wholesome. The following fruits abound, viz.: - wild plums, cherries, strawberries, raspberries and grapes, the last named bearing close affinity to the Fox-grape, so called and proving very gratefull [sic] to the taste, and an excellent scorbutic. Wild hops, as fine as ever grew, climb the cottonwood and gro [sic] in profusion. The following timber, additional to exhaustless supplies of evergreen varieties, is found upon various creeks and Mountain slopes, viz.: - ash, box-elder, willow and cottonwood in all its forms. The pine timber has furnished novel results, the trees of one mountain have been girdled by fire, apparently two years since. The boards from these take the plane, and polish equal to No. 1 merchantable seasoned pine timber. The pitch has dried out, the grain is close and the material is sound. Shingles that are rived from it furnish bolts three feet in diameter and of the best quality. |
Henry B. Carrington
Col. 18th U.S. Infantry
Comd'g. District.
Head Quarters Mountain District
Department Platte
Fort Philip Kearney D.T.
September 13th
1866.
1. | Owing to recent depredations of Indians near Fort Philip Kearney D.T. the Post Commander will issue such regulations, and at once provide such additional escorts for wood trains, guard for stock and hay and the steam saw mill, as the Chief Quartermaster may deem essential: He will also give |
2. | Instructions so that upon an Indian alarm, no troops leave the post without an officer, or under the antecedent direction of an officer, and the garrison will be so organized that it may at all times be available and disposable for exterior duty or interior defence. |
3. | On relief of the guard will promptly support any picket threatened at night, and the detail on posts should be visited hourly, by a non commissioned officer of the guard, between the hours of posting successive reliefs. |
4. | Stringent regulations are enjoined to prevent camp rumors and false reports, and any picket or soldier bringing reports of Indian sign or hostilities must be required to report to the Post Commander or Officer of the day, or to the nearest commissioned officer, in cases of urgent import. |
5. | Owing to the non arrival of corn for the post, and the present reduced condition of the public stock, the Quartermaster is authorized, upon the approval of the Post Commander, to purchase sufficient corn for moderate issues, to last until a supply, already due, shall arrive, but the issue will be governed by the condition of the stock, and will only be issued to horses, unless the same, in half ration, shall be necessary for such mules as are daily in use, and cannot graze or be furnished with hay. |
6. | Reports will be made of all Indian depredations, with the result, in order that a proper summary may be sent to Department Head Quarters. |
7. | Soldiers while on duty, in the timber or elsewhere, are forbidden to waste ammunition in hunting, every hour of their time being indispensable in preparing for their own comfort and the well being of the garrison during the approaching winter. |
Henry B. Carrington
Col. 18th U.S. Infantry
Comd'g. District
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