Indian Wars:  Record of Engagements with Hostile Indians

Record of the Engagements with Hostile Indians
Department of Missouri, 1868-1892

Headquarters, Military Division of the Missouri
Chicago, Illinois, August 1st, 1882
Lt. Gen. P. H. Sheridan, Commanding
February 9, 1874

February 9, 1874

"Lieut. L. H. Robinson, Fourteenth Infantry, with Corporal Coleman, while in charge of a lumber train returning from the government saw-mill near Laramie Peak, Wyoming, were wantonly murdered by Indians.  This seemed to be the signal for other depredations and for the commencement of great trouble at Red Cloud’s and Spotted Tail’s Agencies, located one hundred and twenty and one hundred and fifty miles respectively, northeast of Fort Laramie.  At the request of the Interior Department, and at great suffering and exposure, troops had to be sent in the dead of winter for the protection of the Indian agents and their employees at these agencies.  Upon the arrival of the troops the hostile bands withdrew from the agencies, leaving the peacefully inclined to remain under the protection of the soldiers, the hostiles fleeing northwest towards the Powder River and Big Horn Valleys, sending out young warriors to steal stock and scalp people, whenever they could get a chance to do so without danger to themselves."


September 9, 1876

(After the capture of "American Horse’s" village, and with Crazy Horse’s village nearby)

"The Indians continued hovering around the command (Gen. Crook’s column) taking positions in ravines from which they had to be dislodged, with much patience and exposure to the troops. In the several fights which occurred, the Fifth Cavalry, under Gen. Carr, lost one enlisted man and one white scout killed, and five enlisted men wounded, the loss inflicted by his force upon the Indians being estimated at seven or eight killed. Major Chambers, Fourth Infantry, with the infantry battalion, consisting of three companies of the Fourth Infantry, three of the Ninth Infantry, and four of the Fourteenth Infantry, drove off from the bluffs parties of Indians who were firing into the camp of the command, one enlisted man of the Ninth Infantry being severely wounded in these operations."

"During the later operations of Gen. Crook’s column, the troops, being without tents, suffered not only from the incessant cold rains prevailing, but were wholly without regular food. Having met with Gen. Terry’s column, the latter had shared its supplies with Gen. Crook, but these became exhausted, and for days Gen. Crook’s troops were obliged to subsist principally upon horse flesh. The animals of the cavalry were so worn out by hard marching, want of forage, and exposure to constant storms, that Gen Crook’s column moved to Custer City and there obtained supplies. (No comment on the state of the infantry was apparently required, Author)"


November 15, 1876

"The troops composing what had been known as the "Big Horn expedition," under General Crook, having been distributed to their stations for the winter, another column, known as the "Powder River expedition" was organized, and left Fort Fetterman November 15 1876. It consisted of Troop K, Second Cavalry, H and K Third Cavalry, B, D, E, F, and M, Fourth Cavalry, and H and L, Fifth Cavalry, the cavalry being all commanded by Col. R. S. Mackenzie, Fourth Cavalry. The infantry and artillery, commanded by Lieut. Col. R. I. Dodge Twenty-third Infantry, consisted of Companies A, B, D, F, I and K, Ninth Infantry, D and G, Fourteenth Infantry, C, G, and I, Twenty-third Infantry, and C, F, H, and K, Fourth Artillery. A cantonment was established near old Fort Reno, Wyo., and the cavalry was sent out, under Col. Mackenzie, to find and strike a large village (on the North Fork of the Powder River) which had been reported."

"The severity of the weather was intense," "Mackenzie rejoined the main column of the expedition which had been following him, all returning to the cantonment near Fort Reno. The thermometer was so far below zero that further active field operations, in such weather, were considered impracticable, and they were, therefore, suspended for the winter."

The 14^th fought along side the following units during those 10 years:

1^st Oregon Cavalry

Oregon Volunteers

1^st Arizona Infantry

9^th US Infantry

32 US infantry

1^st US Cavalry

2^nd US Cavalry

3^rd US Cavalry

5^th US cavalry

8^th US Cavalry

The period from 1866 to 1900 would see something new in the 14^th, officers that spent most or all of their careers with the 14^th. These were indeed the Regulars, those whom led the "50 cents a day" soldiers of the frontier. Nothing speaks more eloquently of the ennui of late 19^th century Army life than the biographies of the men who served the 14^th at this time. The following officers deserve this special mention and memorial:

1. Capt William Goodwin 1876-1898

2. 1lt Joseph Gustin, 1875-1894

3. 1lt Patrick Hasson, 1867-1892

4. 1lt Charles Johnson, 1867-1892

5. 1lt William Kimball, 1876-1894

6. Capt William McCammon 1867-1900

7. Capt Samuel McConihe, 1866-1897 Died in Service

8. Capt John Murphy, 1867-1899

9. Capt George Patterson, 1872-1894 Died in service

10. Capt William Reynolds, 1879-1901

11. Capt Joseph Sladen, 1870-1889*served with 14^th USc Inf in CW.

12. Capt Thomas Tobey, 1865-1892

13. Capt Joseph Van Derslice 1861-1879*Briefly cashiered

14. Capt Richard Yeatman 1872-1900

1876 was a banner year on the frontier. In late June of that year, Lt Col Custer led the 7^th Cavalry into a meeting engagement of the first order, the fallout of that engagement touched the 14^th in a special way. The 14^th was assigned two brands-spanking new graduates of West Point on 15 June 1876. 2lt Horatio Sickle and 2lt Eban Swift barely had time to unpack their trunks when they were both transferred to the cavalry. 2lt Sickle went to the 7^th Cav on 28 July 1876 and 2lt Swift to the 5^th Cav on the same date. One wonders if both of these young "shavetails" lost classmates on the Little Big Horn River that summer, and that is why they chose to be transferred? "A man without a horse, is afoot". (old cavalry colloquialism)

The 14^th had 5 regimental commanders between 1866 and 1900.

Col Charles Lovell 1865-1870

Col John Smith 1870-1881

Col Lewis Hunt 1881-1886, Died in service

Col Thomas Anderson 1886-1899

Col Aaron Daggett 1899-1901

Special mention needs to be made of the following:

Capt Bogardus Eldridge, Killed, Bacoor P.I.(Philippines), 1899

Capt Patrick Hasson, Brevetted and wounded, Willows Ariz., 1867

Pvt., Corpl William W. McCammon Jr., 1898/99, son of Capt McCammon

Capt James Millar, Killed between Ft Yuma and Ft Grant, Ariz 22 March 1866

1lt Levi Robinson, Killed near Laramie Peak Wyo., 9 Feb 1874

2lt Fred Sladen, presumed son of Capt Sladen

Acknowledgements:
Indian Wars:  The Diary of 1Lt Frank Taylor
Copyright © 2012  14th Infantry Regiment Association
Last modified: July 15, 2021