personal memoirs-2-第55章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



passed　us　at　a　rapid　gait。　　Suspecting　that　he　had　despatches　for　me；

I　directed　my　outrider　to　overtake　him　and　find　out。　　The　courier

soon　turned　back；　and　riding　up　to　my　ambulance　handed　me　a　telegram

notifying　me　that　General　Grant；　on　the　day　of　his　inauguration；

March　4；　1869；　had　appointed　me　Lieutenant…General　of　the　Army。　　When

I　reported　in　Washington；　the　President　desired　me　to　return　to　New

Orleans　and　resume　command　of　the　Fifth　Military　District；　but　this

was　not　at　all　to　my　liking；　so　I　begged　off；　and　was　assigned　to

take　charge　of　the　Division　of　the　Missouri；　succeeding　General

Sherman；　who　had　just　been　ordered　to　assume　command　of　the　Army。









CHAPTER　XV。



INSPECTING　MILITARY　POSTS　IN　UTAH　AND　MONTANADESIRE　TO　WITNESS　THE

FRANCO…GERMAN　WARON　A　SAND…BAR　IN　THE　MISSOURIA　BEAR　HUNTAN

INDIAN　SCAREMYRIADS　OF　MOSQUITOESPERMISSION　GIVEN　TO　VISIT

EUROPECALLING　ON　PRESIDENT　GRANTSAILING　FOR　LIVERPOOLARRIVAL　IN

BERLIN。



After　I　had　for　a　year　been　commanding　the　Division　of　the　Missouri；

which　embraced　the　entire　Rocky　Mountain　region；　I　found　it　necessary

to　make　an　inspection　of　the　military　posts　in　northern　Utah　and

Montana；　in　order　by　personal　observation　to　inform　myself　of　their

location　and　needs；　and　at　the　same　time　become　acquainted　with　the

salient　geographical　and　topographical　features　of　that　section　of　my

division。　　Therefore　in　May；　1870；　I　started　west　by　the　Union…

Pacific　railroad；　and　on　arriving　at　Corinne'　Station；　the　next

beyond　Ogden；　took　passage　by　stage…coach　for　Helena；　the　capital　of

Montana　Territory。　　Helena　is　nearly　five　hundred　miles　north　of

Corinne；　and　under　ordinary　conditions　the　journey　was；　in　those

days；　a　most　tiresome　one。　　As　the　stage　kept　jogging　on　day　and

night；　there　was　little　chance　for　sleep；　and　there　being　with　me　a

sufficient　number　of　staff…officers　to　justify　the　proceeding；　we

chartered　the　〃outfit；〃　stipulating　that　we　were　to　stop　over　one

night　on　the　road　to　get　some　rest。　　This　rendered　the　journey　more

tolerable；　and　we　arrived　at　Helena　without　extraordinary　fatigue。



Before　I　left　Chicago　the　newspapers　were　filled　with　rumors　of

impending　war　between　Germany　and　France。　　I　was　anxious　to　observe

the　conflict；　if　it　was　to　occur；　but　reports　made　one　day　concerning

the　beginning　of　hostilities　would　be　contradicted　the　next；　and　it

was　not　till　I　reached　Helena　that　the　despatches　lost　their　doubtful

character；　and　later　became　of　so　positive　a　nature　as　to　make　it

certain　that　the　two　nations　would　fight。　　I　therefore　decided　to　cut

short　my　tour　of　inspection；　so　that　I　could　go　abroad　to　witness　the

war；　if　the　President　would　approve。　　This　resolution　limited　my　stay

in　Helena　to　a　couple　of　days；　which　were　devoted　to　arranging　for　an

exploration　of　what　are　now　known　as　the　Upper　and　the　Lower　Geyser

Basins　of　the　Yellowstone　Park。　　While　journeying　between　Corinne　and

Helena　I　had　gained　some　vague　knowledge　of　these　geysers　from　an　old

mountaineer　named　Atkinson；　but　his　information　was　very　indefinite；

mostly　second…hand；　and　there　was　such　general　uncertainty　as　to　the

character　of　this　wonderland　that　I　authorized　an　escort　of　soldiers

to　go　that　season　from　Fort　Ellis　with　a　small　party；　to　make　such

superficial　explorations　as　to　justify　my　sending　an　engineer　officer

with　a　well…equipped　expedition　there　next　summer　to　scientifically

examine　and　report　upon　the　strange　country。　　When　the　arrangements

for　this　preliminary　expedition　were　completed　I　started　for　Fort

Benton；　the　head　of　navigation　on　the　Missouri　River；　on　the　way

passing　through　Fort　Shaw；　on　Sun　River。　　I　expected　to　take　at

Benton　a　steamboat　to　Fort　Stevenson；　a　military　post　which　had　been

established　about　eighty　miles　south　of　Fort　Buford；　near　a

settlement　of　friendly　Mandan　and　Arickaree　Indians；　to　protect　them

from　the　hosiile　Sioux。　　From　there　I　was　to　make　my　way　overland；

first　to　Fort　Totten　near　Devil's　lake　in　Dakota；　and　thence　by　way

of　Fort　Abercrombie　to　Saint　Cloud；　Minnesota；　the　terminus　of　the

rallroad。



Luckily　I　met　with　no　delay　in　getting　a　boat　at　Benton；　and　though

the　water　was　extremely　low；　we　steamed　down　the　channel　of　the

Missouri　with　but　slight　detention　till　we　got　within　fifty　miles　of

Fort　Buford。　　Here　we　struck　on　a　sandbar　with　such　force　of　steam

and　current　as　to　land　us　almost　out　of　the　water　from　stem　to

midships。　　This　bad　luck　was　tantalizing；　for　to　land　on　a　bar　when

your　boat　is　under　full　headway　down…stream　in　the　Missouri　River　is

no　trifling　matter；　especially　if　you　want　to　make　time；　for　the

rapid　and　turbid　stream　quickly　depositing　sand　under　the　hull；　makes

it　commonly　a　task　of　several　days　to　get　your　boat　off　again。　　As

from　our　mishap　the　loss　of　much　time　was　inevitable；　I　sent　a

messenger　to　Fort　Buford　for　a　small　escort；　and　for　horses　to　take

my　party　in　to　the　post。　　Colonel　Morrow；　the　commandant；　came

himself　to　meet　us；　bringing　a　strong　party　of　soldiers　and　some

friendly　Indian　scouts；　because；　he　said；　there　were　then　in　the

region　around　Buford　so　many　treacherous　band　of　Sioux　as　to　make

things　exceedingly　unsafe。



Desiring　to　reach　the　post　without　spending　more　than　one　night　on

the　way；　we　abandoned　our　steamer　that　evening；　and　set　off　at　an

early　hour　the　next　morning。　　We　made　camp　at　the　end　of　the　day's

march　within　ten　miles　of　Buford；　and　arrived　at　the　post　without

having　had　any　incident　of　moment；　unless　we　may　dignify　as　one　a

battle　with　three　grizzly　bears；　discovered　by　our　friendly　Indians

the　morning　of　our　second　day's　journey。　　While　eating　our　breakfast…

…a　rather　slim　one；　by　the　wayspread　on　a　piece　of　canvas；　the

Indians；　whose　bivouac　was　some　distance　off；　began　shouting

excitedly；　〃Bear！　bear！〃　and　started　us　all　up　in　time　to　see；　out　on

the　plain　some　hundreds　of　yards　away；　an　enormous　grizzly　and　two

almost　full…grown　cubs。　　Chances　like　this　for　a　bear　hunt　seldom

offered；　so　there　was　hurried　mountingthe　horses　being　already

saddledand　a　quick　advance　made　on　the　game　from　many　directions；

Lieutenant　Townsend；　of　the　escort；　and　five　or　six　of　the　Indians

going　with　me。　　Alarmed　by　the　commotion；　bruin　and　her　cubs　turned

about；　and　with　an　awkward　yet　rapid　gait　headed　for　a　deep　ravine；

in　which　there　was　brushwood　shelter。



My　party　rode　directly　across　the　prairie　and　struck　the　trail　not

far　behind　the　game。　　Then　for　a　mile　or　more　the　chase　was　kept　up；

but　with　such　poor　shooting　because　of　the　〃buck　fever〃　which　had

seized　most　of　us；　that　we　failed　to　bring　down　any　of　the　grizzlies；

though　the　cubs　grew　so　tired　that　the　mother　was　often　obliged　to

halt　for　their　defense；　meanwhile　urging　them　on　before　her。　　When

the　ravine　was　gained　she　hid　the　cubs　away　in　the　thick　brushwood；

and　then　coming　out　where　we　could　plainly　see　her；　stood　on　the

defense　just　within　the　edge　of　the　thicket；　beyond　the　range　of　our

rifles　though；　unless　we　went　down　into　the　canyon；　which　we　would

have　to　do　on　foot；　since　the　precipitous　wall　precluded　going　on

horseback。　　For　an　adventure　like　this　I　confess　I　had　little

inclination；　and　on　holding　a　council　of　war；　I　found　that　the

Indians　had　still　less；　but　Lieutenant　Townsend；　who　was　a　fine　shot；

and　had　refrained　from　firing　hitherto　in　the　hope　that　I　might　bag

the　game；　relieved　the　embarrassing　situation　and　saved　the　credit　of

the　party　by　going　down　alone　to　attack　the　enemy。　　Meanwhile　I

magnanimously　held　his　horse；　and　the　Sioux　braves　did　a　deal　of

shouting；　which　they　seemed　to　think　of　great　assistance。



Townsend；　having　descended　to　the　bottom　of　the　ravine；　approached

within　range；　when　the　old　bear　struck　out；　dashing　into　and　out　of

the　bushes　so　rapidly；　however；　that　he　could　not　get　fair　aim　at

her；　but　the　startled　cubs　running　into　full　view；　he　killed　one　at

the　first　shot　and　at　the　second　wounded