33 



we went, which could possibly be used for more than two months of the 

 year in ordinary seasons. Our camp was pitched beside the Little 

 Rocky Creek just below the canon, where there was plenty of water and 

 grass, but a scarcity of wood. The camp is named Camp Wheelan, in 

 honor of Gapt. J. X. Wheelan, Second Cavalry, who commands our 

 escort. The hunters arrived in camp soon after the command. Cap- 

 tains Rhodes and Clark were the successful ones, and brought in a fine 

 elk, which they had killed. Temperature at 6.30 p. in., (50° ; at 7 p. in., 

 53°; altitude, 5,800 feet j distance marched, 25 miles. 



August 20, Tuesday. — Broke camp at 6.12 a. m. and marched for about 

 8 miles over rolling and stony ground, and about 10 miles through bad 

 lands, when we arrived on the Clarke's Fork bottom. Our camp was 

 in a grove of cotton wood trees, on the west bank of Clarke's Fork. The 

 general course all day was nearly northeast. General Strong killed a 

 white-tailed deer, and Mr. Moore caught 76 trout. Temperature at 8 

 p. m., 54° j altitude, 3,850 feet; distance marched, 21 miles. 



Avfjust 30, Wednesday. — Temperature at 5 a. m., 32°. Broke camp 

 at 6.15 a. m. Forded Clarke's Fork about a half mile above camp, and 

 back again to the west bank about 4 miles down stream. Marched 

 down the valley, all the time in sight of the river, over bottom lands 

 as splendid as any there are in Montana, and were they not on the 



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Crow Indian Reservation they would soon be occupied by settlers. We 

 crossed Rocky Fork, but had to cross back again to the south bank to 

 get a good camp near the water. On the west bank a little above us 

 is quite a large camp of Crow Indians, several of whom met us 7 or 8 

 miles out, and came with the column into camp. A number of them 

 also visited us in the evening. Colonel Sheridan met with a painful 

 and possibly serious accident just upon leaving camp this morning. 

 Before fording the river the first time his horse got into a quicksand, 

 and the colonel in trying to get away from him was in some manner 

 thrown violently against the hard bank of the river, dislocating his 

 arm at the shoulder. Doctor Forwood was fortunately close at hand, 

 and attended to him at once. He however suffered terrible anguish 

 during the long hard march of the day, and was about exhausted when 

 we readied camp. Unfortunately for him this was our longest march 

 of the trip, and the day was very hot. The night of our arrival in 

 camp oil the Little Rocky the general dispatched Campbell to Hillings 

 with instructions to return as far as here and await our arrival. He 

 joined us about 15 miles out on the trail, and reported that Mr. 

 Bishop's cars would beat Billings tonight; that he had forded the 



Yellowstone just above the mouth of Clarke's Fork and found it a good 



"ford, with a gravel'bottom : that Mr. McCullough arrived at Billings 

 Yesterday, and upon hearing that we were to arrive soon enough to 

 fjet him to Saint Paul by the 2d of September had concluded to wait 

 tor us. AlPof this was good news, and put us in good spirits for to- 



