Mrs. Adams, wife of the
commanding officer, superintended all of the arrangements and also
assisted in receiving. The supper was simply delicious - as all army
suppers are - and I fancy that she and other ladies of the garrison
were responsible for the perfect salads and cakes.
The orchestra was from Bozeman, so the music was very good. Quite a
party of young people also, many of them friends of ours, came up from
Bozeman, which not only swelled the number of guests, but gave life to
the dance, for in a small garrison like this the number of partners is
limited. The country about here is beautiful now; the snow is melting
on the mountains, and there is such a lovely green every place, I
almost wish that we might have remained until fall, for along the
valleys and through the canons there are grand trails for horseback
riding, while Fort Shaw has nothing of the kind.
FORT SHAW, MONTANA TERRITORY,
July, 1880.
WE are with the commanding officer and his wife for a few days while
our house is being settled. Every room has just been painted and
tinted and looks so clean and bright. The Chinaman, squirrels, and
chickens are there now, and are already very much at home, and Charlie
is delighted that the chickens are so much admired.
The first part of the trip over was simply awful! The morning was
beautiful when we left Ellis - warm and sunny - and everybody came to
see us oft. We started in fine spirits, and all went well for ten or
twelve miles, when we got to the head waters of the Missouri, where
the three small rivers, Gallatin, Jefferson, and Madison join and make
the one big river. The drive through the forest right there is usually
delightful, and although we knew that the water was high in the
Gallatin by Fort Ellis, we were wholly unprepared for the scene that
confronted us when we reached the valley. Not one inch of ground could
be seen - nothing but the trees surrounded; by yellow, muddy water that
showed quite a current.
The regular stage road has been made higher than the ground because of
these July freshets, when the snow is melting on the mountains, but it
was impossible to keep on it, as its many turns could not be seen, and
it would not have helped much either, as the water was deep. The
ambulance was in the lead, of course, so we were in all the excitement
of exploring unseen ground. The driver would urge the mules, and if
the leaders did not go down, very good - we would go on, perhaps a few
yards. If they did go down enough to show that it was dangerous that
way, he would turn them in another direction and try there.
