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Chapter 12 • The Soldier's Routine
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231 March 7th. Day Blustering. Remained in Camp all day, busy in writing up notes and making the necessary preparations for our movement. At night, about 7 O’clock, by the light of a very fine three quarters moon, commenced our march, which lay to the West for two miles and then moved towards the North star for the remainder of the distance which summed up thirty-five miles. At first the country had the undulating contour of that near old Fort Reno, already visited, but soon the prairie swells were superseded by bluffs of bolder and bolder character until as we came to the summit of the divide where Clear Fork heads we found ourselves in a region deserving the title mountainous. In the bright light of the moon and stars, our little column of cavalry wound its way up the steep hill-side like an enormous snake whose scales were glittering revolvers and carbines. The view was certainly very exhilarating backed as it was by the majestic landscape of moonlight on the big [sic] Horn Mountains. Cynthia’s silvery beams never lit up a mass of mountain crests more worthy of commemoration upon the artist’s canvas. Above the frozen summit of Cloud Peak, the evening star, cast its declining rays. Chapter 12 ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ The Soldier's Routine 232 THE GREAT SIOUX WAR: 1876–1877 Other prominences rivalling in altitude this one boldly thrust themselves out against the midnight sky. Exclamations of admiration and surprise were entoned from the most stolid as our column made its way rapidly from bluff to bluff, pausing at times long enough to give every one an opportunity to study some of nature’s noble handiwork . Finally, even the gorgeous vistas I have so feebly attempted to portray failed to assuage the cold and pain in our limbs or to drive away the drowsiness Sleep was placing upon our exhausted eyelids . With no small degree of satisfaction we noticed the signal which at five O’clock in the morning bade us make camp on the Clear Fork of Powder River. The site was deary enough; scarcely any timber in sight, plenty of water but frozen solid, and only a bare picking of grass for our tired animals. However, what we most needed was sleep and that we sought as soon as horses had ben unsaddled and mules unpacked. Wrapped up in our heavy overcoats and furs, we threw ourselves on the bleak and frozen ground and were deep in slumber. It will give a faint idea of the climatic vicissitudes to which campaigning exposes a soldier in Northern Wyoming when I say that after going to sleep under the bright, calm and cheerful moonlight of this morning, we were awakened about 8 O’clock by a bitter, pelting storm of snow which blew in our teeth whichever way we turned and almost extinguished the petty fires near which our cooks were trying to arrange our breakfasts, if we can dignify by such a lofty title the frozen bacon, frozen beans and frozen coffee which constituted the repast. It is no part of a soldier’s business to repine, but if there are circumstances to justify complaint, they are the absence of warmth and good food after a wearisome night march and during the prevalence of a cold winter storm. After breakfast, General Crook moved the command down Clear Fork, five or six miles in a North North West direction to a pleasant cove, where we remained all this day. (March 8th, 1876.) Our situation was not enviable; it is true, we experienced nothing we could call privation or hardship, but we had to endure much positive discomfort. The storm continued all day, the wind blowing with keenness and at intervals with much power. As we were without tents, we had nothing to do but grin and bear it; some officers stretched blankets to the branches of trees, [3.85.85.246] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 13:46 GMT) THE SOLDIER'S ROUTINE 233 others found a questionable shelter under the bluffs, one or two constructed non-descript habitations of twigs and grass, while Genl Crook and Col. Stanton seized upon the abandoned den of a family of beavers which sudden change in the bed of the stream had deprived of their home. To obtain water, holes of suitable dimensions were cut in the ice, here found to be eighteen inches thick, clear in color and vitreous in texture. We hugged the fires as...