Bear Paw Battle Official Report To Col. Samuel D. Sturgis
In compliance with letter of the Colonel, commanding the Regiment of the 14th inst., directing me as senior surviving officer of that portion of the Seventh Cavalry which took part in the action at Bear Paw Mountain, M.T., September 30th, 1877, to submit a report of the operations of the companies of the Seventh Cavalry during that engagement, I have the honor to submit the following: On the morning of September 30th, 1877, the battalion of the Seventh Cavalry, Company "A", C
General John Gibbon -- Biography
General John Gibbon -- At the peak of his career On the night of August 9, 1877, Colonel John Gibbon led a mixed command of soldiers and civilians against Chief Joseph's band of the Nez Perce Indians. Stars were visible in the darkened sky as the column advanced carefully across the rugged slopes surrounding the Indian camp at Big Hole, Montana Territory. Colonel Gibbon paused for a moment in a clearing and turned to his adjutant, Lieutenant Charles A. Woodruff. Pointing to o
Seventh Cavalry Command Structure -- Nez Perce War
Note: This information was provided by John Doerner, Chief Historian, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Col. Samuel D. Sturgis (Commander in the field) Lt. Col. Elmer Otis (sick at Ft. Rice since 07/31/1877) Maj. Joseph G. Tilford (detached cmdg Ft. Lincoln) Maj. Lewis Merril (cmdg battalion in field) Major Marcus A. Reno (undergoing 2 years suspension) 1st Lt. Ernest A. Garlington, Adjutant (field) 1st Lt. Charles A. Varnum, Regt. Quarter Master, (field) Asst. Sur
Historical Review, Part 2: Joseph's Breakout from Yellowstone Park
After his victory over Col. John Gibbon at Big Hole, Joseph through masterful countermoves and deception, continued to elude General Otis. Howard who they called "One Armed Soldier Chief', and headed out of Yellowstone National Park toward Crow Country and a hopeful alliance with their old friends. The Crow's however had served Gibbon and Custer faithfully as U.S. Indian Scouts the summer before and would do so again. Even the Assiniboine and Cheyenne (the later enlisted as U
Historical Review, Part 1
Historical Review, by John Doerner Chief Historian, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument The following is a paper that Mr. Doerner presented in October, 2002 during a conference at Big Hole National Battlefield. The presentation is entitled: "To Intercept or Pursue, And Capture And Destroy Them: The Seventh Cavalry In The 1877 Nez Perce War." When I was asked to present a talk on the Seventh Cavalry during the 1877 Nez Perce Campaign several months ago, I began to sea
