Civilian QM Employees Part The Last

[rch]

116. Maxwell, Harry - 4-15-76
117. Mason, Frank - 4-3-76
118. Martel, Anderson - 4-1-76
119. Mooney, Thomas - 5-1-76
120. McGovern, A. - 5-12-76
121. Myers, George - 5-12-76
122. Miller, John - 5-15-76
123. Noyes, Wilber - 4-11-76
124. Niering, Robert - 4-22-76
125. Pearson, Isaac - 4-1-76
126. Page, Runn - 3-11-76
127. Parens, Fred - 3-13-76
128. Phups, I. - 4-8-76
129. Roberts, Robert - 5-11-76
130. Richardson, D. - 4-1-76
131. Riley, John (1st) - 9-29-74
132. Ryan, Thomas - 4-15-76
133. Reese, William - 4-24-76
134. Riley, John (2nd) - 4-1-76
135. Rounnsavelle, Frank - 3-11-76
136. Ryland, Henry - 4-21-76
137. Rosengreem, Olez - 5/1/76
138. Riley, James - 5/14/76
139. Smith, Charles - 4-1-76
140. Smith, D. L. - 6-19-75
141. Smullins, Pat. - 11-10-75
142. Sinks, Oscar - 2-5-76
143. Stoning, E. C. - 3-12-76
144. Slew, W. C. - 3-12-76
145. Shields, William - 3-15-76
146. Stone, James - 3-27-76
147. Sevins, Oliver - 4-1-76
148. Smith, David - 4-9-76
149. Sullivan, Henry - 5-1-76
150. Tomarto, H. R. - 4-8-76
151. Thomas, Joseph - 4-9-76
152. Victory, James - 4-15-76
153. York, Peter - 4-1-76
154. Yuba, Charles - 4-22-76
155. Young, Francis - 5-9-76
156. Warren, William - 4-8-76
157. Warren, Henry - 4-8-76
158. Walker, William - 5-8-76
159. Whipple, William - 5-14-76
160. Willis. Gilbert - 5-14-76
161. Jones, John - 5-17-76
Scout (Job) $100.00
162. Herendeen, George B. - 6-25-76

The list was apparently entered on a multiple pages of a standard form.

After #45 Luce noted that the following apeared at the bottom of the form:

Amount of rent and hire during the month - $20 248.00
Total amount due and remaining unpaid - 4,265.81

After #162 Luce noted "other pertinent information on the payroll forms."

26 - 2-Horse Teams and wagons hauling supplies at $4.95 per day
10 - 2-Horse Teams and wagons hauling supplies at $5.00 per day

John A. McLean - $3,861.00 for hauling supplies for Expedition, June 1 to 30, 1876.
N. P. Clark - $1.500 for hauling supplies for Expedition, June 1 to 30, 1876.
Total for rental of teams and wagons and teamsters for June 1 to 30, 1876 $11,003.48
Total from April 1 to June 20, 1876, due and remaining unpaid for Expedition, $21,476.31.

I haven't read Godfrey's famous article in quite some time. Since it was printed in the regimental history, I took a look at it.

According to Godfrey, the wagon train had 150 wheeled vehicles. There was one wagon for each company which carried 5 days supplies and baggage. The rest of the wagons carried 30 days of supplies and 200 rounds of ammo per man. The 2-horse wagons were rented and carried about 1500-2000 pounds. The 6 mule wagons were government wagons and carried 3-5000 pounds based on the condition of the mules. There were 2 light wagons carring pioneer tools and bridging material. He didn't say haw many wagons were allotted to the Regt HQ or Terry's HQ or the Scout Detachment.

rch

[elisabeth]

Wonder if Godfrey might be slightly adrift on his figures? Not surprisingly, if he's going from memory. Richard Roberts doubled as herder and correspondent for the New York Sun, writing his first dispatch from the Heart River camp on May 17th (published in the paper May 27th). He says, in his Reminiscences, that "the statements made and the figures given are from official sources, having been obtained directly from General Terry and Custer, and by a confirming count made by myself". Re the wagons, he wrote in his newspaper piece:

"The wagon train carrying the supplies was quite large, consisting of a total of one hundred sixry wagons. Want of sufficient transportation has been the principal cause of delay, citizens' teams finally being hired which permitted the start today." That'll be the McClean and Clark outfits, perhaps?

He also adds: "Accompanying the expedition is the cattle herd of one hundred ten fine Texas steers, these will be killed on the march, thus affording fresh meat for the troops, the grass along the line of march affording them sufficient nourishment. Forty-five pack mules also accompany the train, and will be used when wagon travel is an impossibility." Which is kind of interesting ... Looks possibly as if some known-to-be-experienced packers were hired, but were carried on the books as teamsters until the need for packers arose?

[rch]

Elisabeth,

I don't think Godfrey meant his numbers as anything more than an approximation.

The 45 pack mules is interesting, because that at least gave the packers something to do on the march. Do you know how many mules each packer was supposed to oversee once they were packed?

Gibbon also left his wagons behind and had a pack train. Kenneth Hammer in an article in the newsletter suggested that the packers were divided evenly between the 2 columns. But Custer must have had as many as 50 more mules and would have needed supplies for about 150-200 more men and 350-400 more horses than Gibbon had. Gibbon could also be resupplied more easilily from the Far West. The packers could have been divided divided 7 and 5 or 8 and 4. Gibbon's wagon train might have been culled for some packers.

rch

[elisabeth]

It sounds from Roberts rather as if the pack mules weren't being worked until needed -- possibly driven along with whatever remuda they had. Hence (maybe) employing the potential packers as teamsters until the time came for their special skills to be called for?

Not sure how many mules each packer handled. Somewhere, I've got a copy of Hardorff's Packs, Packers and Pack Details article, but it's not in the file I thought it was in (I'm rubbish at organisation) so I'll have to hunt for it. He may give that info. Meanwhile, I've a vague memory of 6 per packer -- but that may be entirely wrong. Will hunt.



Who was Gibbon's QM? Jacobs, wasn't it? Maybe his records are also on file somewhere.