May 28 through May 31: Confusion

[fred]

Reports were moving in and out of commands in an otherwise static few days. The dispatches were significant, but caused confusion and not a little head-scratching? Why the confusion, why were there so many contradictions? Why couldn't these experienced, long-serving officers get things right and why so much confusion?

[fred]

May 28: A day building bridges and roads. 80 degrees, though much hotter within the walls of the badlands canyons. Camp, just after noon. 7 miles.

May 29: 3 a.m. reveille, 9 a.m. camp. 6.4 miles.

May 30: remained in camp. Heavy thunderstorm at night.

May 31: Misty; heavy, dark threatening clouds. 58 to 65 degrees. Tortuous gullies, ravines, and canyons, until finally... they climbed up to a butte. To make things worse, the column gets lost. 10 to 12 miles of tough travel. The command is now 175 miles from Fort Lincoln.

[fred]

May 28, 1876—Sunday-- Dakota Column—4:25am—Broke camp. Both Terry and Custer, knowing of the reports of hostiles in the region of the Little Missouri, figured they might start seeing signs of the Indians fairly soon. Godfrey’s K Company brought up the rear this day.

5am—Began building the first of 8 bridges that day, within the Davis Creek valley of the
Little Missouri badlands. Hardest day—in terms of work—of the entire expedition.

12:30pm—Went into bivouac. Davis Creek Camp, #12. 7 miles traveled; 158 miles from FAL. The camp was about mid-way down the canyon. Good grass and wood; water was too alkaline to drink.

Afternoon—LT Maguire, along with Companies G (McIntosh), K (Godfrey), and M (French) go out and build 2 more bridges to facilitate the next day’s march.

Montana Column—Gibbon receives Terry’s dispatch (dated 14May at FAL) ordering him to march for the stockade (Stanley’s) above Glendive Creek, cross the Yellowstone, and move east to meet him. It is in this note that Terry tells Gibbon he expects to fight Sitting Bull on the Little Missouri: “the hostiles were concentrated on the Little Missouri, and between the Missouri River and the Yellowstone… [March your column]… at once to a point on the Yellowstone opposite Stanley’s Stockade.” [Willert, LBH Diary, p. 62] Stanley’s Stockade was located about 130 miles downriver from where Gibbon was presently camped. Gibbon read Terry’s note and wondered, if the Sioux were where Terry said—some 200 miles eastward—then why was Gibbon’s column seeing so many Indians a mere 18 to 20 miles away and on the Rosebud? Terry’s note was 2 weeks old.

“‘It is exceedingly unlikely that such a concentration is taking place, for the village opposite us is apparently working the other way, having already crossed from the Tongue to the Rosebud.’” [Willert/LT Bradley, LBH Diary, p. 62]

* Gibbon’s dilemma is simple: he has orders to move some 130 miles in the opposite direction from where he knows are Indians and other than the messengers he sent, has no way of informing Terry. Obviously, he is concerned that the Indians will simply move farther away and then scatter. His solution is a short delay, hoping, in the interim, that he would receive a note from Terry telling him to stay put. He decides to send Sanno (K/7I) and Roe (F/2C) with some wagons, back up the Yellowstone to speed along the “Diamond R” wagons (with LT Kendrick’s detachment). That will buy him some time. LT Kendrick (H/7I) and the Diamond R train meet LT English (I/7I), 6 miles below Baker’s battleground.

Best wishes,
Fred.

[fred]

May 29, 1876-- Dakota Column—3am—Reveille.

4:45am—Troops break camp.
6:20am—Terry/Custer reach the Little Missouri (near what is now, Medora, ND), still in the badlands, choosing a campsite. Banks of the river were lined with groves of cottonwood, elm, and pine. The Sioux called it “Thick Timber River.” Stewart claims this camp was not reached until May 30. [Custer’s Luck, p. 217]
9am—Wagons and troops begin arriving at campsite. Little Missouri Camp, #13. This would be a 2-day camp. Troops traveled 6.4 miles, for a total of 165.87 miles from FAL.
Evening— Terry and Custer agree Custer should reconnoiter southwards, through the badlands, to see if he can pick up some sign of the Indians.

Montana Column—Morning—Gibbon sends CPT Sanno (K/7I) and Roe, along with LT Jacobs, RQM, and all the wagons (24)—empty—back to lighten the contract-train and hurry it along [Gray]. Note: Gibbon’s after-action report says Sanno and Roe were sent on the 28th, but a number of his dates appear to be off. Ball/Thompson scout returns from Tongue River, having seen no hostiles. The 3 couriers sent by Gibbon arrive at Stanley’s Stockade, but not finding Terry, proceed downriver where they encountered the “Far West.” They rode that back to the supply camp.

Evening—Dr. Paulding reported a “squabble” among the officers in which Bradley called anyone who claimed he had not seen the Sioux village, a “liar.” (“Since he had accomplished more than all the others put together, he had a right to be miffed.”) [Gray, Custer’s Last Campaign, p. 160]

Best wishes,
Fred.

[fred]

May 30, 1876—Tuesday—Dakota Column-- Most of the troops remained in Little Missouri Camp, #13, while Custer and 4 companies of cavalry went on a scout.

3:30am—Reveille for companies going out on the recon.
4am—Breakfast.
5am—Custer reconnaissance up the Little Missouri (south) begins. Taylor [With Custer On the Little Bighorn] claims 50 miles, round-trip. The valley itself is about 1 mile wide, with badlands on both sides. The river meanders all over and the troops had to cross it some 34 times.
* Took companies C, D, F, and M.
* LT Varnum and 12 Ree scouts. Was Fred Gerard with them?
* Tom Custer (had been riding with the staff), Autie Reed, and Dr. DeWolf.
* 5 pack mules with forage.
* Ordered to return by 7 a.m. the following morning.

Terry’s plan, as outlined to his sister, Fanchon (“Fanny”), in a letter begun 23May76: He expected to move on the next day, head west, “go two or three marches west, halt and send out reconnaissance, right, left, and south hoping to find some trail leading to an Indian camp. If I do not, I shall move to the Yellowstone… [Spelling corrected] I had reason to hope that we should find the Indians here in force prepared to fight but now I fear that they have scattered…” [Willert, LBH Diary, p. 70]

Afternoon—Ree scouts arrive from FAL bringing mail and dispatches.
6pm—Custer returns, ahead of schedule: had traveled about 55 miles. No sign of Indians. He conferred with Terry and they decided to move on to the Powder River country where the Indians had been in Mar76.
Night—Heavy thunderstorm.

Montana Column—2am—Gibbon, still worried about the proximity of the Sioux, wakes his command. Two Crows cross Yellowstone to again try to steal Sioux ponies. Quickly return after running into a war party of about 30.

3pm—Williamson, Evans, and Stewart reach Glendive depot (Stanley’s Stockade), but find only MAJ Moore and his battalion of 6th Inf.

Best wishes,
Fred.

[fred]

May 31, 1876—Wednesday—Dakota Column-- 8am—Broke camp. The river bottom was firm, hard gravel, but the banks were soft and it took almost an hour to get all the wagons across. Almost immediately, Custer headed out on a “lark” with his entourage. Traveled through badlands: torturous gullies, ravines, canyons and finally onto a butte. The column got lost and had to backtrack, infuriating Terry, especially since Custer was nowhere to be found.

9am—Custer picks a bivouac site.
2pm—Camped 8 miles southeast of Sentinel Buttes (ND), straddling a small branch of
Andrews Creek. Andrews Creek-Snow Camp, #14. Traveled between 10-12 miles, 175 miles from FAL.
7pm—Heavy, cold, freezing rain began; turned to sleet.
Midnight—Began snowing.

Montana Column—CPT Wheelan’s G/2C made another scout, 16 miles upriver and back with LeForgé and 5 Crows, but found nothing.

5pm—Wheelan arrives back in camp.

Best wishes,
Fred.

[tubman13]

The dates coincide with this weekend. I wonder if any changes in thought over the last 8 years.

Regards,
Tom

[Beth]

Why did they take the route they took through North Dakota? Did they have scouts and guides that were leading them through the best route or were they just feeling their way through?

[welshofficer]

May 31, 2015 16:18:23 GMT -6 Beth said:

Why did they take the route they took through North Dakota? Did they have scouts and guides that were leading them through the best route or were they just feeling their way through?

Beth,

It's just a westwards sweep, south of the Yellowstone?

WO