EXPEDITION OF 1884 



This was the only one of all the Western trips made by Hatcher, 

 Sinclair or myself that was a complete failure from the collector's point 

 of view; we obtained practically nothing. Nevertheless, the trip was an 

 extraordinarily interesting one and there were many compensations. 



My Brother, H. Lenox Scott, then a First Lieutenant in K Troop, 7th 

 U.S. Cavalry, accompanied me on my journey to Fort Keogh, Mont., 

 stopping in St. Paul long enough to visit Fort SnelUng, Headquarters 

 of the Department of Dakota. General Terry, then in command of the 

 Department, was so kind as to order my Brother to escort our party with 

 a detachment of his troop and to remain with us in the field as long as 

 they might be needed. The General explained that this was no particular 

 favour to us, but the policy of the Army was to encourage such field-trips 

 for the junior officers, as giving excellent practice at small expense. 



From Fort Keogh, we travelled up the Yellowstone River, keeping 

 close to the south bank, to the confluence of the Big Horn, up which 

 we turned to Fort Custer. So well were our movements timed, that my 

 brother reached Custer only twenty-four hours after I did. He had no 

 wagons and, using only a packtrain of mules, was quite independent 

 of roads. We remained at the post for some days, to refit and rest our 

 stock, have them shod and get a fresh supply of provisions. While we 

 were at Custer, the ladies of the garrison had a picnic for us, driving 

 in ambulances up the Little Big Horn to the Custer battlefield, where 

 the 7th Cavalry was so nearly wiped out in 1876. Lenox had had the 

 sorrowful duty of burying the dead on the battlefield and so could 

 explain the action. The ground was still covered with the bleaching 

 bones of the slain horses. 



The Crow Indian Agency was near Fort Custer (I say was, for Custer 

 has vanished from the earth) and there we got White Bear, a Crow 

 and an enlisted scout of the 2nd Cavalry, who was ordered to join us 

 for the summer. He was especially recommended to us by the in- 

 terpreter at the agency, because he knew "a right smart of English." 

 This was a superfluous accompHshment, for my brother conversed 

 fluently with him in the sign language, at which he was more proficient 

 than any Indian. We all came to like White Bear extremely; he was a 

 useful guide and when we got into country that was unfamiUar to him, 

 he did not hesitate to say so. A white man, on the contrary, would have 

 felt compelled to "put up a bluff" of knowing all about it. White Bear 

 could not read, but he could make very good use of a map; if given a 

 starting point, and could draw fair maps of his own. 



