Walker Array - Campaigns of General Custer in the North-west, and the final surrender of Sitting Bull

Brevet-Brigadier-General Thomas H. Buger, Colonel of the 18th United States Infantry, was appointed to the regular army in 1854. He was promoted several times during the war of the Rebellion, and more particularly for gallant and meritorious services in the battles of " Franklin, Tehn., and Gettysburg, Pa." He was at one time commanding officer at West Point. He came to this department in 1878 with his regiment, taking station on Milk Biver, M. T., near the extreme northern boundary line, and has since built the post known as Fort Assinaboine, M. T.* This regiment has

done hard and effective service in the field since it came to this department. The building of Forts Assinaboine, on Milk River, Custer and Keogh, on the Yellowstone, really was unlocking the doors and taking possession of the great Sioux nation. For several years before the " Battle of the Little Big Horn" (1876), Lieutenant-General Sheridan at different times recommended the establishment of these posts, and more especially the two latter, in order that our military might be garrisoned nearer the field of direct operations against Sitting Bull, so as to more effectually cope with his hostile bands and war-parties, then scattered over the entire Northwest, and it was not until after that memorable battle that he succeeded in getting Congress to authorize the sum and make the proper appropriations.

So it will be seen that the military* genius and foresight-edness of our own Field General was, at the proper time, more than equal to that of General Sitting Bull. Sheridan was hampered by Congress, while Sitting Bull could act with a free will of his own, unhampered by any power save the forces that were contending against him. His authority was supreme, and he fully commanded the situation.

To return to the field officers of the 18th Infantry, there is Henry S. Black, the Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment, who entered the regular army in July, 1847, from the Military Academy at West Point, and was promoted at different times during the war for faithful and meritorious services, and at one time was the Colonel of the 6th California Volunteers.

Major John S. Poland, of this regiment, was appointed to the regular army in May, 1861, after his academic course at West Point. He served with distinction during the war of secession, especially in the battles of " Antietam and Shep-ardstown Ford, Md.; Fredericksburg and .Chancellorville, Va."; and has been stationed in Northern Dakota and Montana most of the time since 1872, and for years belonged to the 6th U. S. Infantry that was also stationed in this department for several years. Major Poland has been commanding officer at three several posts in this section of the country, and has always been considered a very cautious and good administrative officer. He is strictly moral and temperate, and a genial officer and gentleman.

Major E. B. Kirk, Assistant-Quartermaster in charge of depot of supplies and army transportation, has been stationed at Bismarck and Fort Buford for the past several years, and has held a very important position, having charge of forwarding supplies to the front by both river, rail and overland trains. He was appointed to the regular army from Ohio, and was promoted during the civil war for faithful and meritorious services in the Q. M. department and in the field. He is an energetic, faithful officer, and at all times has a watchful eye over the affairs in his department.

Among the many distinguished field officers who have done very great and efficient service outside of this military department, which has had a good and wholesome effect upon the Indians all along the frontier to the northern boundary line, is Brevet-Major-General Benjamin H. Grierson, Colonel of the 10th U. S. Cavalry. His operations against the Kiowas, Comanches and, worst of all, the most horrid and filthy wild Apaches, have had a most telling effect upon the various tribes outside of the particular section of country that his operations have principally been confined to. General Grierson entered the volunteer army in 1862, as Major of a regiment of cavalry from the State of Illinois, and for gallant and faithful service during the war he was promoted several times, and in 1867 he was made a Brevet-Major-General for special gallant and meritorious services in the raid through the entire State of Mississippi. Many readers of this volume will well remember the famous cavalry raider that penetrated central Mississippi, crossing the Tallahatchie with his Brigade of Light Horse Cavalry at midnight and marching on to the Balize in a most daring and fearless manner. It was announced at the time that this raid very nearly broke the backbone of the rebellion. His most distinguished services of late have been in operating against Victorio's band of wild Apaches along the Rio Grand river and in old Mexico, of which the country have been advised at various times. He came into the State of Kansas with his regiment in 1868, and has ever since been

in active service subjugating the hostiles and protecting the settlers on the frontier. He is strictly moral and temperate, unpretending, and one of the best of army disciplinarians. The officers of his regiment are faithful, brave and zealous as those of any in the army. They have experienced hard and continuous service in subjugating the hostiles in the southern Indian country, and more especially the wild Apaches, Kiowas and Comanches, and for gallant and meritorious services they are entitled to a vote of thanks.

The reader in carefully studying the first section of this volume, " General Van Couvnor," will be able to form a very-fair conclusion in regard to the various and arduous duties that have been devolved upon General Grierson and the officers of the 10th Cavalry since 1868.

The First Photograph of Sitting Bull, and His Age.

While the writer is making every effort to procure facts and such matter as will be of interest to his readers, he is just at this time in doubts about perfecting his plans to have Sitting Bull sit for his photograph. Never up to this time has he been situated so that one could be taken. It is expected that he will come down from Fort Buford on the steamer " General Sherman," en route to the Standing Rock Agency, where he and most of his tribes will remain for a time. I have arranged with a photographer, at quite a large expense, to go down on the steamer and secure the first photo that has ever been taken of our surrendered red brother.

A river pilot just down from Fort Buford states that the old chief is quite reticent and sullen. He recognized him, however, saying he always had a good and warm heart for river men, and finally wanted a dollar in the way of heap-good-friendship. Soon after this interview, a party of citizens, ladies and gentlemen, called upon the sullen chief at his camp, and he refused to come out for the purpose of making an exhibition of himself, and after exhausting their patience and persuasion and a-heap-o'-good-honey-tongued-coaxing, as the cunning warrior would phrase it, they offered him one dollar apiece if he would come out and talk a few moments, but he stubbornly and very sullenly refused.

Should he continue to be stubborn after arriving at Standing Bock, we of course will fail to get his photo, but we intend to have it, that is if it can be had by any reasonable amount of moral persuasion, as he would say himself, " this side of the happy hunting grounds." We have known war-chiefs to act stubbornly for many months after they had surrendered, and for no other reason only it was, to use their own phrase, " bad medicine, heap bad; no good." They would often say it was " the Great Spirit going to strike them," and there is no doubt as to their entertaining such superstition in real earnestness.

The writer at one time knew of a photographer who went quietly to the camp of a once leading war chief, who had already surrendered, and covering himself and his apparatus with a blanket, set himself to work trying to get his camera in range, when all at once he heard a clicking outside, that, to say the least, sounded not at all agreeable, and at once uncovering, found himself modestly arrayed within short range of the stalwart chief, with a Spencer carbine in hand, cocked and ready for instant action. The cool-headed and persuasive photographer succeeded in becoming master of the situation, by gently persuading the war chief that he meant nothing wrong, and had already taken a score or more of the leading war chiefs, all of whom were well pleased, also, that all of the big officers in the army had their pictures taken, so their wives and children and the great father at Washington, could see them. Upon this statement the old chief walked down to the rooms of the photographer, and sat for his photo, with all his head-gear, galligaskins And other toggery that helped to make up his regalia, in order that his shapely figure might take a position alongside of that of a major-general, saying he wanted the white folks to hang his pictures on the wall in their houses, and that he would take two to Washington, one for the great father, and one for the big white chief; not the big soldier chiefs, meaning Generals Sherman and Sheridan, but the red man's friends, President Hayes and Secretary Shurtz.