Post by herosrest on Jun 21, 2021 14:00:15 GMT -6
Ducemus
All markers placed by Sweet's mission, were located on Marshall's map besides him indicating the 'marker' for Marc Kellog was on battle Ridge east side, nearest the monument with two soldier markers and verified by Brisbin, who was commanding Ft. Custer.
Markers have been and are added over time and there will be record of this.
National Register of Historic Places
Registration Form - Undated
Excerpt - In 1926, Congress authorized the construction of the Reno-Benteen Memorial, and in 1929, the War Department constructed it approximately thirty meters to the southeast of its present location. Presumably in 1930 (along with the fencing of the Last Stand Hill markers), the cemetery superintendent placed an iron fence around the memorial to prevent relic-hunters from chipping off pieces of it as they had the 1881 Seventh Cavalry Memorial. During the 1965 re-construction of the parking lot, park staff moved the memorial to its present location. They also constructed a series of sidewalks around the parking area and the monument and added an interpretive sign, several benches, and a concrete patio to the southeast of the memorial.
Seventh Cavalry Markers
These resources fall under the War Department Era Monuments and Markers Property Type, specifically the Seventh Cavalry Markers Sub-Type. Six markers lie within the boundaries of the district. At stops 8 and 17 along the interpretive trail, two markers appear to represent locations where Seventh Cavalry troopers fell. Stop 8 represents one of the few markers with a named fallen trooper (Pvt. Julian Jones), likely indicating that the marker was placed after 1890 when the War Department situated the first, un-named markers. One marker indicates the approximate location of the Field Hospital. At stop 1, three markers represent Crow Indian Scouts killed in the valley fight. The markers are inexact in number and location as Reno’s and Benteen’s companies lost a total of 53 killed (6 of these are represented outside the district boundaries). It is also not clear when the War Department placed these markers, although it seems likely that it established them after the War Department’s acquisition of the area in 1930. The markers are generally in good condition having been restored and reset periodically by both the War Department and the National Park Service.
Marshall's map
Capt. Sweet's Orders
Captain Sweet’s Battle Report, May 15, 1890
Marshall audit - clusters count.
US Army mapped the valley and battlefield in August 1879, Sgt. (later Lt.) James E. Wilson, Topographical Engineer, Corps of Engineers, under orders from St. Paul in laying out military boundaries. It's the best map there is of 1876ish terrain and river flow. link A little referenced and incredibly helpful work. Note river flow below west downriver of Deep Ravine.
Appendix S S - Maguire - EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DAKOTA.
Report of Lieutenant Edward Maguire, corps of engineers, for the fiscal tear ending june 30, 1880.
Headquarters Department of Dakota, Chief Engineer's Office, Saint Paul, Minn., July 1, 1881.
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Excerpted starting p2530, from: Annual report of the Chief of Engineers to the Secretary ... v.3 (1880). Source
Headquarters Department of Dakota,
Chief Engineer's Office.
Saint Paul, Minn., April 7, 1880.
Sir : I have the honor to submit the following report, showing the duties performed by me during the past summer. Results of observations for meridian, altitude, and latitude, and such other information as I considered would prove useful to the Engineer Department, are respectfully appended.
Paragraph 2, Special Orders, No. 58, Headquarters Department of Dakota. Saint Paul, Minn., dated June 2, 1879, a copy of which is hereunto appended, directed me to proceed to Fort Custer, Mont., and make a survey of the proposed military reservation of that post, and written instructions from the chief engineer of the department directed me on the completion of that duty to make a survey of Custer's battleground and Fort C. F. Smith, Mont., with a view of reserving certain lands as a national cemetery and limestone reservation, respectively. A plan of the post of Fort Custer was also directed to be made.
Paragraph 2, Special Ordcrs No. 58, directed First-class Private Thomas Culligan, Company A, Battalion of Engineers, to proceed with me, and the chief engineer of the department assigned him to duty as my assistant, in which capacity he rendered faithful and efficient service.
Leaving Saint Paul, Minn., June 2,1879. we traveled without any delay to Big Horn Depot, Mont., arriving there June 19. This cantonment was occupied at that time by Company F, Eleventh Infantry, under command of Capt. Ogden B. Read. There being no transportation available, Captain Read telegraphed to Fort Custer, and the commanding officer of that post, Lieut. Col. A. G. Brackett, Second Cavalry, sent an ambulance to transport us and the instruments to Fort Custer, where we arrived June 23.
Active preparations for a campaign were being made at the time of our arrival, ...
... Upon the arrival of the wagons, a detail of one non-commissioned officer and nine privates reported to me by order of Capt. G. K. Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry, then the post-commander. The following day, August 2, everything being in readiness, the survey of the proposed reservation was commenced.
General Orders, No. 1, Headquarters Big Horn Post, Mout., dated July 4, 1877, governed the survey, and reads as follows :
[General Orders, No. 1.]
Headquarters Big Horn Post, Mont.,
July 4, 1877.
2. Until the post be named officially, in orders from higher authority, it will be known as Big Horn Post, and the military reservation pertaining to it is hereby declared as 20 miles square, the center of which will be the flag-staff, the sides running north, east, south, and west.
Geo. P. Buell, Lieutenant-Colonel Eleventh Infantry, Commanding Post.
...
...
p2536, CUSTER'S BATTLE GROUND.
The verbal instructions of the chief engineer of the department regarding the survey of Custer's battle ground were as follows:
1st. To ascertain the general direction of that portion of the Little Big Horn River flowing through the proposed reserve.
2nd. The reserve to be rectangular, with the eastern and western boundaries parallel, or nearly so, to the general direction of the river.
3d. The northern boundary to pass one mile distant and the eastern boundary one mile distant from Custer's Hill, the western boundary to include the low hills on the west side of the Little Big Horn, aud the southern boundary to include Reno's position.
After surveying the river and platting the work the following boundaries were adopted, viz:
From a point (N.35°W., and one mile distant from the center of Custer's monument) marked "I.P." the boundaries are as follows: N.55°E., 1 mile; thence S.35°E., 6 miles; thence S.55° W., 3 miles; thence N.35°W., 6 miles; thence N.55°E., 2 miles, to the place of beginning.
The variation of the needle at Custer's battle ground is 18° 20' east.
Custer's monument is a pyramidal pile about 10 feet high, composed of bones, and inclosed with logs. It stands on the elevation known as "Custer's Hill." The initial point, 1 mile N.35°W., is marked by a circular stake, 4.5 feet in length and 9 inches in diameter, sunk 2.5 feet, with earth and stone packed up to a height of 1 foot. The stake is marked "1. P., U. S. N. C." on the top.
The posts marking the corners of the proposed national cemetery were made especially for the purpose by tho post-quartermaster at Fort Custer; painted blue, with black crosses mounted on the top; measuring 12 inches along the stall', and 9 inches beam. The posts, 8 feet long and 8 inches square at the end, were made of pine.
From the monument to the I. P. the line passes down the ridge, rolling and sloping gradually downwards. From the I. P. to the northeast corner the line leads down the eastern slope of the ridge, crosses Yates Creek, and ascends a gentle slope to the corner. The grass is nearlv knee deep on this incline.
The corner is marked " U. S. N. C, NE. Cor., 1879. The Custer Battle-Field Nat'l Cem'y."
The eastern boundary, after crossing Yates Creek, ascends a sharp rocky ridge; thence over a rough valley to the high land, reaching it at 9,05S feet from the northeast corner; thence, over a deep chasm with a little running water, to an elevation beyond which is the highest in that section; thence, over a rough, fertile country, to the valley of Reno's Creek, and on to the low divide between Reno's and Benteen's Creeks.
The southeast corner is situated immediately in a ravine. The post marking the position of the corner is situated 316 feet from the corner on the southern boundary, and marked as follows: "U. S. N. C, 1879, SE. Cor., 316 feet N. 55 E. in ravine" (with an indicator pointing in the direction). "The Custer Battle-Field Nat'l Cem'y."
The southern boundary to the Little Big Horn passes over a slope draining into.....
p2537... From Custer Monument, which stands on the highest elevation of the ridge, the ground towards the river rolls and slopes to the bank, which is from 6 to 12 feet in height.
The southern boundary of the proposed military reservation intersects the northern boundary of the proposed national cemetery at a point 6,900 feet from the, northeast, corner, and again at 4,850 feet the eastern boundary of the national cemetery is crossed, thus iuclosing 3844 acres, or J of a square mile, in both reservations.
Returning to Fort Custer the Little Big Horn River was meandered to its junction with the Big Horn River, aud the work incorporated on the map of the proposed military reservation. The company and post gardens, also Dana's garden, on the left bank of the Little Big Horn River, give ample proof of the fertility of the valley of that river.
p2539 - The party reached Fort Custer September 14 and Fort Keogh September 22, when the duty ordered by the chief engineer of the department in letter dated "Steamer Butte, August 26, 1879," was completed and the results furnished the commanding officer of the post in obedience to telegraphic instructions from the department com mander.
Reached Fort Buford October 22 and arrived in Saint Paul October 29.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
James E. Wilson,
Topographical Assistant.
We can see from Wilson's diligent work that in 1879, and threrfore 1876, no creek existed to the southeast og the Garryowen riverloop, given by more modern battle students as Otter Creek which bought Maj. Reno's advance to a halt considerably short of Garryowen in clouds of dust and Indians sprouting behind every blade of grass. Unfortunately the valley floor was covered in a broad lodgepole trail and the bared soil eaten clean by ponies and pounded into an ash bed. Otter Creek is the result of irrigation work in the valley undertaken by Walter H. Graves.
Map of Walter H. Graves - Irrigation Engineer - Crow Indian Reservation - Source
Link to U.S. Geo 1 - Little Bighorn valley Custer Battlefield. Bottom left of document details the data sources drawn upon in completing the map. W.H. Graves provided the river meanders data.
The Graves sketch map does not include the C.B.& Q railway line and therefore predates 1894. Graves took up post in 1891.
In May last, Walter H. Graves, of Denver, Colo,, was appointed Sperintendent og Irrigation for this reservation and soon after entered upon the discharge of his duties. He has been given full authority for the employment of the assistants necessary a careful and thorough examination of the work necessary to be done, in order to furnish as complete a system of irrigation as can be constructed within the limit of the funds set apart for that purpose. He has as yet submitted no reports showing what progress he has made.
Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior, Volume 1
Bureau of Indian Affairs U.S. Government Printing Office, 1891 link
On the Crow Reservation, in Montana, a very extensive system (irrigation) was being constructed under Department supervision. This system was then well advanced with 12 miles of canal finished and the head gate well under way.
The Indian appropriation act for the fiscal year 1899. approved July 1, 1898, provided for the appointment of an Indian inspector, who "shall be an engineer competent in the location, construction, and maintenance of irrigation works."
Walter H. Graves, an engineer, who had for several years been in charge of the construction and operation of irrigation works on the Crow Reservation, Mont., above mentioned, was appointed to the position of engineer inspector, as provided for in said act, and all the irrigation work on the various reservations was, during the year 1899, carried on under his supervision and advice.
During this year (1899) the Crow Indians made an agreement with Inspecor W.H. Graves, by which the sum of $100,000 of teir grazing funds was set aside for the completion of their irrigation system. Walter B. Hill, of New Hampshire, was appointed to superintend the work. The appropriation of $40,000 for the year 1900 was the same as for the year 1899.
Work continued on the Big Horn ditch on the Crow Reservation, and the results were very satisfactory, the head gate having been finished and the work on the ditch having progressed so far as to make practically 18 miles of the Big Horn valley irrigable therefrom.
Unfortunately, during the latter part of this fiscal year (1904), the investigation of existing systems and the extension of the work on the other reservations were seriously hindered by reason of the illness and subsequent resignation of Irrigation Inspector W.H Graves. Several important projects therefore had to be suspended until a new inspector could be appointed and enter upon duty. Mr. W.H. Code was appointed, but did not begin work until after the close of the fiscal year.
The Abridgment: Containing Messages of the President of the United States to the Two Houses of Congress with Reports of Departments and Selections from Accompanying Papers, Volume 2 link
Mystery - Who held the Ranche, in Little Bighorn valley, shown opposite the mouth of Deep Ravine, in Summer 1879? Who could that possibly have been?
Land mine!