FORT KEOGH, M. T.
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FORT KEOGH, M. T.
In 1876, immediately after the country had been startled by the report of the massacre of five companies of the 7th U. S. A. cavalry, under its Lieut. Colonel, Brevet Brig. Gen. Custer, the 5th infantry under command of Gen Miles, left Fort Leavenworth and other posts in Kansas to endure the hardships of that most inglorious warfare—an Indian war.
After the operations of the summer, and having forced the main part of Sitting Bull's people upon their reservation and himself with a few of the most stubborn of the Indians across into Canada, the 5th Infantry returned for winter quarters to the junction of the Yellowstone and Tongue Rivers, and built a log cantonment.
In 1877 the present post of Fort Keogh was built, in the Yellowstone valley, by some troops, at a distance of about two miles from the cantonment. This post was built to accommodate winter companies. Good roads were built around the post, and through the woods along the rivers, thus affording many pleasant drives. Trees were planted around the parade grounds and along the walks. The officer's quarters and barracks are two story frame buildings, the barracks on two adjacent sides of the parade, and "officer's row" lining the other two sides. Between each set of officers' quarters and the walk is a plot of grass; in this nearly all the officers have planted flower gardens, thus making in the level piece of land a very pleasant relief to the eye.
The country in which this post is situated is what may be called a grazing country, with little water and some timber along the streams. On the east and west at a distance of about five miles are the "Bad Lands,' mountain-like upheavels of earth in which is found the red-clay, iron-clay, white-clay
and petrifications, with no water, save at a great distance, when alkali pools may be found. The earth here is most rugged and sterile, not a blade of grass or shrub growing; the evidences of internal heat are most impressive. These "Bad Lands" are the home of the wolf and the bear and the retreat of the buffalo, deer and antelope, and are therefore the scenes of many hunts and chases with hounds.
The temperature of this part of Montana in winter is very low, reaching 40 degrees below zero, while in summer it is moderate, the extreme heat lasting only for a few days in July. Uncle Sam issues to troops in the winter fur caps, buffalo over-coats, buffalo over-shoes and buffalo gloves, and even then it is a hard job to keep warm. In summer the enterprising mosquito's music hath charms to irritate the savage breast-New Jersey is left behind, in the mosquito line, by portions of Montana.
Since the troops, the true pioneers, have been up in this section, the Northern Pacific R. R. has run through, and has placed here a regular station with switches to the different store-houses, for the loading and unloading of military stores—quite a contrast to the river and mule-team transportation which has been in use here until within the last two or three years.
At the post there are now nine companies with a band and Head Quarters of the Regiment. In camp near the post are also forty Indian scouts, making with the officers and attaches quite a population.
In army life, of course, there is a great deal of routine, but at a frontier post routine is the order of the day, for the possible diversions are very few. The dawn of day is announced by the bugles sounding reveille, when the enlisted men have to "roll out,'' to answer to their names. During the sound-off