72 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. 
West of Fort Keogh the railway follows the river past the small 
villages of Hathaway and Joppa to Rosebud, at the mouth of Rose- 
bud River. (See sheet 12, p.78.) The scenery along 
this part of Yellowstone River is not particularly 
striking, but many interesting views may be obtained, 
especially if the trip is made late in the season, when 
the water is low, for at that time it is generally clear, 
whereas in June the stream, swollen by the melting snow in the 
mountains, becomes a muddy torrent. Streams in this condition 
may be interesting as vehicles for the wil ee of edeed ma- 
terial, but they are certainly not attractive. 
Where the river swings close against the rocky bluffs the traveler 
may obtain through the soft foliage of the willows and cottonwoods 
vistas of deep, quiet pools that reflect all the colors of the clouds and 
sky, or of tumbling rapids where accumulated bowlders — with 
the progress of the stream. These views have for a setti 
side bold and rugged cliffs and on the other the upland Geetchine 
away to the horizon in a monotonous expanse of dry and dusty plain. 
In other places the outlook is over the wide valley bottom, which 
irrigation has made an oasis in the desert of sagebrush hills and 
Rosebud. 
Elevation 2,501 feet. 
Population 370.* 
St. Paul 778 miles. 
broken cliffs. 
the north side of the Yellowstone to the 
mouth of Bighorn River, and there Terry 
and Gibbon were to meet them on the 
steamer Far West and ferry them across the 
river. Gibbon was im to: lead his com- 
Man p > J 
£. +1 pay, + +} 
made his attack on the east and aN 2 
4b +1 + 
Rosebud but was away the next mornin 
on his march up that stream. After fol- 
lowing it for about 70 miles he found the 
great trail that the Indians had made 
across the ridge toward the Little Big- 
horn. He did. not wait fo give Gibbon 
of 8 River but pressed on until 
the Indians were actually sighted i in an 
per end of the camp and sweep down the 
valley, while he scouted along the hills 
on the east, apparently intending to at- 
tack the Sioux from that side simulta- 
neously with Reno’s charge and put them 
to flight. 
Reno failed in his effort to drive the 
Indians down the valley and early in the 
action took to the hills on the east, where 
after considerable fighting he managed to 
secure a position that he held throughout 
the engagement. The whole force of the 
Indians was then directed against Custer, 
and he, as well as his entire command, 
with the exception of an Indian guide, 
wereslain. Reno was besieged in thehills 
until he was rescued by the force under 
Gibbon, which arrived, however, too 
late to take an active part in the battle. 
When Gibbon’s troops arrived the In- 
dians left the valley and after some 
skirmishes with _ soldiers returned to 
their reservatio: 
The soldiers killed i in this battle num- 
bered 265. They are buried in a national 
cemetery on the spot. where they fell, 
with fitting monuments commemorating 
the bravery * their last fight against 
overwhelming numbers. 
