9th Infantry Regiment

[Diane Merkel]

From a website visitor:

My Great Grandfather was in the 9th Infantry Regiment during the 1870's. Family oral history puts him in Montana at the time of LBH. Any sources that you know of that would allow verification of this?

[markland]

admin said:

From a website visitor:

My Great Grandfather was in the 9th Infantry Regiment during the 1870's. Family oral history puts him in Montana at the time of LBH. Any sources that you know of that would allow verification of this?

Diane, forward me name, birth place/birth state & approximate dates if the guest has the dates. I definitely need the name though ;D I can look through the regimental returns and once I find him, find him in the enlistment registers.

This excerpt is from the history of the Ninth Infantry written by Capt. E.B. Robertson contained in Rodenbough's Army of the United States (p. 528-529).

Billy

" General Wright was succeeded by Colonel John H. King, Bvt. Major-General, U. S. A., who assumed command of the regiment in December, 1866. During the period from 1866 to 1869, portions of the regiment were at different times in conflict with Indians in Northern California and Oregon and in Southern California. In June, 1869, after more then thirteen years of service on the Pacific Coast, during which time it had taken an active part in all the Indian troubles and had garrisoned nearly every post in that territory, from Sitka, Alaska, to Fort Mohave, Arizona, the regiment was ordered to the Department of the Platte, where upon arrival in July, the both Infantry was consolidated with it. The regiment performed garrison duty at various posts and guard duty on the line of the Union Pacific Railroad until May, 1873, when six companies, A, D, E, F, H and I, were sent to the Department of Dakota for duty with the Yellowstone Expedition, which formed the escort to the engineers locating the Northern Pacific R. R. in that Year, returning to the Department of the Platte after an absence of over four months.

"From the summer of 1874 to May, 1876, the regiment was stationed at posts on or near the Sioux reservation in Nebraska and Wyoming and was almost constantly employed in escort duty to wagon trains. In the summer of 1875 Companies C, E and H, were in the Black Hills, Dakota, as part of the escort to the Jenney exploring party, Company E remaining in the field until November assisting in the ejectment of intruders who had entered this territory prior to the extinguishment of the Indian title.

"In May, 1876, Companies C, G and H became a part of the Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition under command of Brig.-General Crook and were in the field until late in October taking part in the engagement with the Indians at Tongue River, Montana, June 9th, Rosebud River, Montana, June 17th, and Slim Buttes, Dakota, September 9th. Companies G and H also assisted in repelling a night attack by Indians on the infantry camp on Goose Creek, Wyoming, July 9, 1876. In the early part of September the entire command was without rations for a number of days, and subsisted on horse flesh and a small quantity of dried meat and fruit captured at Slim Buttes. In October, 1876, the Powder River Expedition was organized and Companies A, B, D, F, I and K formed a part of it. This command remained in the field until January, 1877, during the most severe part of the winter, and practically brought to a termination the warfare against the whites, that had been carried on for many years by the Sioux Indians and their allies. In July 1877, Companies B, D, F, H, I and K were a part of the force sent to Chicago, Illinois, at the time of the railroad riots. They remained a month performing guard duty over various public and private institutions.

"During the summer and fall of 1878 Companies B, C, H and I were in the field for nearly six months as a part of a force of observation under command of Lieut.-Col. L. P. Bradley, 9th Infantry, on the Little Missouri River, and in the northwestern part of the Black Hills. In October of this year Companies G and K were part of the force in the field in connection with the pursuit of the Cheyenne Indians, who raided across the country from Indian Territory to Red Cloud Agency, Dak. Company G remained in camp at Sidney, Neb., and Company K was mounted and took active part in the pursuit, being at one time over thirty-six hours without water. In October, 1879, Companies E and K went into the field in the Ute count try in northwestern Colorado shortly after the massacre at White River Agency, remaining until July, 1880. In February, 1882, the colonel of the regiment, Brevet Maj.-Gen. John H. King, U. S. A., was retired and succeeded by Col. James Van Voast, formerly a first lieutenant in the regiment. Col. Van Voast never joined, he being retired in April, 1883. He was succeeded by Col. John S. Mason, Brevet Brigadier-General U. S. A. In July, 1885, Companies A, D, E, F and I were part of the force sent to Crisfield, Kas., at the time of the threatened uprising of the Cheyennes and Arapahoes in Indian Territory. After remaining in camp at that point about three weeks they returned to their station in Wyoming. In July, 1886, after serving over seventeen years in the Department of the Platte, the regiment went to the Department of Arizona."

[Diane Merkel]

Thanks, Billy! I was hoping you would help him.