Saturday, November 20, 1875. Winking at collision in the Black Hills and the Las Cuevas War.

Commanding General of the U.S. Army William Tecumseh Sherman wrote to Lt. Gen. Philip Sheridan :

I know that the matter of the Black Hills was settled in all events for this year. In the spring it may result in collision and trouble.. . . I understand that the president and the Interior Department will wink at it.

Cpt. McNelly.

Texas Ranger Captain Leander McNelly and his men crossed into Mexico to retrieve more than 200 stolen cattle.  He was backed by troops of the U.S. Army, but they did not cross.  The Rangers advanced on the stronghold of Juan Flores Salinas, local leader of the rural guard at the Rincon de Cucharras outpost of the Las Cuevas ranch and a  battle ensued in which about 80 Mexican militiamen were killed, and McNelly ordered a retreat back across the river.  The Army covered his retreat across the river with a Gatling Gun.

At that point, Major A. J. Alexander from Fort Ringgold arrived with a message from Colonel Potter at Fort Brown, which read:

Advise Captain McNelly to return at once to this side of the river. Inform him that you are directed not to support him in any way while he remains on Mexican territory. If McNelly is attacked by Mexican forces on Mexican soil, do not render him any assistance. Let me know if McNelly acts on this advice.

McNelly advised the Army that he would not comply.

At sundown, another message arrived:

Major Alexander, commanding: Secretary of War Belknap orders you to demand McNelly return at once to Texas. Do not support him in any manner. Inform the Secretary if McNelly acts on these orders and returns to Texas. Signed, Colonel Potter.

McNelly issued the reply, which was:

In less than a minute, Captain McNelly penned his now famous reply:

Near Las Cuevas, Mexico, Nov. 20 1875. I shall remain in Mexico with my rangers and cross back at my discretion. Give my compliments to the Secretary of War and tell him and his United States soldiers to go to hell. Signed, Lee H. McNelly, commanding.

Over the Rio Grande his force encountered resistance.  Up to 80 Mexicans were killed in the battle before he retreated.  A smaller force of Rangers would cross the border the following day and recover over 400 stolen cattle.

McNelly's troops crossed again on the 21st and proceeded to a customs house where the cattle had been moved to, and which were now promised to be returned.  The Mexican officer in charge refused to treat with him on a Sunday, which it now was and was taken prisoner. The prisoner was threatened with death and around 400 cattle were crossed into Texas.

McNelly died of tuberculosis in 1877 at age 33.  A liberty ship was named after him during World War Two.

Last edition:

Friday, November 12, 1875. Tacoma, Washington, incorporated.

Labels: 1870s, 1875, Washington, Washington (Tacoma)

Tuesday, November 9, 1875. Indian troubles?

Indian Inspector E. C. Watkins issued a report to the Secretary of the Interior which would end up helping to bring about Gen. Terry's campaign of 1876.  Indeed, on the same day, Gen. Sheridan issued a confidential letter to Terry informing him that he had met with President Grant, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of War, and that the Grant had decided that the military should no longer try to keep miners from occupying the Black Hills: "it being his belief that such resistance only increased their desire and complicated the troubles." 

Watkins was a lawyer and businessman by profession who has served in the Civil War, where he obtained the rank of Major.  He'd been appointed Inspector of Indian Affairs in in 1875 and occupied that position for four years before returning to private life

Philip Sheridan was in command of the Military District of Missouri at the time.  Interestingly, he had only been  married, at age 44, for a few months, to Irene Rucker, who was 22.

Last edition:

Thursday, November 4, 1875. A Proclamation of Thanksgiving.

Labels: 1870s, 1873, 1875, John Allen Campbell, Personalities, Republican Party, Thanksgiving, U.S. Grant, Wyoming, Wyoming (Campbell County)

Tuesday, November 18, 1924. Adding to the public domain.

WHEREAS, it appears that the public good will be promoted by adding certain land in South Dakota to the Harney National Forest;

Now, therefore, I, CALVIN COOLIDGE, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the power in me vested by the act of Congress approved March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-one (26 Stat., 1095), entitled, “An Act To repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes,” and also by the act of Congress approved June fourth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven (30 Stat., 11 at 34 and 36 ), entitled, “An Act Making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, and for other purposes, “do proclaim that the boundaries of the Harney National Forest are hereby changed to include the N1/2 and SE1/4, Section 27, Township 5 South, Range 2 East, Black Hills Meridian, South Dakota.

The withdrawal made by this proclamation shall, as to all lands which are at this date legally appropriated under the public land laws or reserved for any public purpose, be subject to and shall not interfere with or defeat legal rights under such appropriation, nor prevent the use for such public purpose of lands so reserved, so long as such appropriation is legally maintained or such reservation remains in force.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this 18th day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and forty-ninth.

When Presidents realized that adding to the public domain was a good thing.

In 1954 the Harney National Forest was added to the Black Hills, so it is no longer a separate administrative unit.

Brig. Gen. R.E. Noble, Librarian of Army Medical Library, 11/18/24

Dr. Noble was a career military physician.

Last edition:

Sunday, November 16, 1924. French evacuations, Imperial Russian dreams.

Labels: 1920s, 1924, French Occupation of the Ruhr, Russian All-Military Union

Thursday, July 23, 1874. Custer on Inyan Kara.

Today In Wyoming's History: July 23:1874  George Custer climbs Inyan Kara Mountain in the Black Hills of Wyoming and carves his name there.

Last edition:

Wednesday, July 22, 1874. Custer at what would become Custer.

Labels: 1870s, 1874, Black Hills, cavalry, George A. Custer, South Dakota (Custer), The Black Hills Expedition

Wednesday, July 22, 1874. Custer at what would become Custer.

The Black Hills Expedition set up camp at would later become Custer, South Dakota.

Last edition:  

Monday, July 20, 1874. Custer enters Wyoming.

Labels: 1870s, 1874, Army, cavalry, Frontier Wyoming, George A. Custer, Montana, The Black Hills Expedition, The Frontier West, Wyoming

Thursday, July 2, 1874. The Black Hills Expedition Departs

Today In Wyoming's History: July 2:  1874  7th Cavalry left Ft. Abraham Lincoln to scout the Black Hills.

The 7th Cavalry, with a number of native scouts, left Ft. Abraham Lincoln bound for the Black Hills in what is recalled as the Black Hills Expedition.

The expedition was economic in part, in that it was to look for gold in the Black Hills, and military in part, in that it was to look for suitable fort locations.  Its organization was as follows:

The table of organization for the 7th Cavalry for the Black Hills Expedition of 1874 was as follows.[15]

Field and staff officers:

Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer, 7th Cavalry.

Lt. Colonel Frederick D. Grant, 4th Cavalry and acting aide

Major George A. Forsyth, 9th Cavalry commander

First Lieutenant James Calhoun, 7th Cavalry adjutant

First Lieutenant Algernon E. Smith, quartermaster

Second Lieutenant George D. Wallace, commander of Indian scouts

Cavalry companies

Company A - Captain Myles Moylan and Second Lieutenant Charles Varnum

Company B - First Lieutenant Benjamin H. Hodgson

Company C - Captain Verling Hart and Second Lieutenant Henry M. Harrington

Company E - First Lieutenant Thomas M. McDougall

Company F - Captain George W. Yates

Company G - First Lieutenant Donald McIntosh

Company H - Captain Frederick W. Benteen and First Lieutenant Francis M. Gibson

Company K - Captain Owen Hale and First Lieutenant Edward S. Godfrey

Company L - First Lieutenant Thomas W. Custer

Company M - Captain Thomas French and First Lieutenant Edward Gustave Mathey

Medical staff

Dr. John W. Williams, chief medical officer

Dr. S. J. Allen, Jr. assistant surgeon

Dr. A. C. Bergen, assistant surgeon

Engineering

Captain William Ludlow, chief engineer

W. H. Wood, civilian assistant

Mining detachment

Horatio Nelson Ross

William McKay

Scientist

George Bird Grinnell

Newton Horace Winchell

A. B. Donaldson

Luther North

Photographer

William H. Illingworth

Correspondents

William E. Curtis, Chicago Inter-Ocean

Samuel J. Barrows, New York Tribune

Sygurd Wiśniowski, New Ulm Herald

Nathan H. Knappen, Bismarck Tribune

Last edition:

Saturday, June 27, 1874. The Second Battle of Adobe Walls

Labels: 1870s, 1874, Buffalo Hunting, Comanche, hunting, Indian Wars, Market hunting, Red River War, Second Battle of Adobe Walls, Texas