25 



of antelope were seen by all of us during the day, and several were 

 killed. A bear was also killed by one of the packers on the trail over 

 which the rest of the command had just passed. The Gros Ventre River 

 is full of gamy trout of all sizes up to two pounds.. Enough were caught 

 to-day to satisfy the appetites of the entire command. Our camp was 

 on the south bank of the Gros Ventre, in a place which old tepee poles 

 and sweat-house willows mark as a common camping-ground for Indians. 

 The camp is named by General Sheridan Camp Benkard. Tempera- 

 ture at 4 p. m. ? 70°; altitude, 7,650 feet; distance marched. 18 miles. 



August 14, Monday. — Broke camp at G.lo a. m., and marched down 

 the valley of the Gros Ventre, crossing that stream to the north side 

 about 11 miles from camp. Thence the trail lay away from the river, 

 through canons and over the mountains, making considerable elevations, 

 although the grades are not very steep. About W miles from camp 

 we arrived on the crest of a high ridge, where we had a splendid 

 view of the extended plain which lies between the Gros Ventre and 

 Snake Rivers and the majestic Grand Tetons. The altitude of the 

 ridge was 7,300 feet. Thence, descending abruptly, we arrived on 

 abroad plateau above the canon of the Gros Ventre, and went into 

 camp on the bluff above the right bank of the stream. To-day, Mr. 

 Moore, in about two hours' fishing, caught seventy-six magnificent 

 trout. Numerous others were caught, but no one else approached his 

 string. From our camp was also had a fine view of the Grand Tetons* 

 the most splendid, in an artistic sense, of any group of mountains on 

 this contiuent. We were, however, too tired to thoroughly enjoy it or 

 the possibilities of tine catches in fishing the Gros Ventre, and early 

 retired to rest. The Gros Ventre is called by the Shoshone Indians 

 Red Paint River, probably because they obtain near its course the red 

 ochre with which they delight to decorate themselves. .Several ante- 

 lopes were killed to-day by General Strong and Captain Clark. Our 

 camp to night General Sheridan has named Camp Stager, in honor of 

 our genial friend, General Auson Stager, of Chicago. Temperature at 

 G p. m., 68°; altitude, 7,000 feet; distance marched, 19 miles. 



August 15, Tuesday. — The night past was unusually warm, with a 

 strong wind blowing, so that our canvas kept flapping to the utter 

 destruction of sleep. At 5 a. m. the thermometer stood at 54°. At 

 6.15 a. m. we broke camp, and leaving the Gros Ventre marched north- 

 ward along the valley and the foot-hills above Snake River. During the 

 day numerous herds of antelopes were seen and some black- tail deer. 

 Three antelopes were killed. We witnessed a curious encounter between 

 a buck antelope and one of Shoshone Dick's bear-dogs. These two 

 dogs are natural bob- tails and crossed-breeds of Newfoundland and St. 



Bernard. They have been trained by Dick to attack bears and to hold 

 them at bay until he can secure the game. On this occasion the oldest 

 dog held the antelope at bay for fully fifteen minutes, until a soldier got 

 near enough to shoot and kill him. We went into camp on the east 



