b'McCaskey noted how surprised he was to have gotten on so wellwith Custer, whose dashing, occasionally self-centered, occasionally sufferingno fools gladly reputation had preceded him.Cavalry L Company commander Lieutenant JamesCuster crossed swords with when he was selling to "Jimmi" Calhoun, whose company McCaskey\'sthe 7th Cavalry shoddy products at exorbitant prices subordinate Lt. Crittenden was, at that very time, in theand refusing to allow the officers and soldiers to buy process of transferring to). Quite a Custer gathering.superior products at lower costs, which was why Custer The band of 7th Cav, serenaded Gen. T(erry) last nighthad been in the East as the expedition began to form and is now playing this evening. I recognize the oldup. Custer\'s testimony at Congressional hearings that band leader of the 22nd (Infantry) and one man thatspring strongly implied that Seip and Secretary of was in the 20th (Infantry) band at (Fort Snelling). War William Belknap were receiving kickbacks - an accusation that had substantiation but also aroused We have had an amount of wind lately, and it has beenPresident Grant\'s ire towards Custer, because by anything but agreeable. I keep well and sleep well. Ourimplicating Belknap, he was also implicating Grant\'s messing arrangements are good, and all in all, we mightbrother, Orvil, also both a crony of Belknap\'s and a be much worse off. They are constantly getting up somePost Sutler. Custer would be proven right, but at a great Indian scare, and I presume the whole summer will beultimate cost to him - he was almost removed from full of that. I can give no idea of the probable lengthcommand by a very irate Grant, and with this dark of the expedition yet but will try and get an inklingcloud hovering over his shadow he may have chosen to (Farioli & Nichols, pp. 61-62). make rash decisions that led to his ultimate demise).When Custer and the almost 700 man-contingentAll well here. No signs of Indians. Prospects of a fight of the 7th rode out of Fort Abraham Lincoln on thaton extensive scale each day diminishing. Please apply foggy, still cool North Dakota morning of May 17th,a little discipline to Pvt.Woodruff (a soldier accused 1876, it was McCaskey and the infantry of the 20thof excessive alcoholism on duty) and Conaly. (?) Yours who were left to protect and defend the dependentsTruly, G.A. Custer (Ibid., p.62)left behind in the fort. It is known that McCaskey DID keep up a correspondence with his superior officerMcCaskey would later note that the above letter was Custer - and that Custer DID send McCaskey at leastthe last message he would ever receive from his friend one cordial response as noted below.the doomed 7th Cavalry commander. There are strong indications that likely Custer and McCaskey My dear Captain, The scouts that carry the mail toDID exchange additional correspondence, but for his Lincoln can return to us after resting their ponies a fewpart, McCaskey burned all of his communications days unless there is a steamer coming from Lincoln towith Custer immediately following the Little Big Horn the stockade on the Yellowstone, in which event thedisaster for probable reasons stated by this writer later mail and the scouts can arrive to us by steamer. Pleasein this article.send me the latest St. Paul and Bismark papers.At this point, apparently so early in the expedition,McCaskey would rise through the ranks Also say to Captain (William R.) Harmon in replyCuster may not have seen much Indian activity, butto eventually retire as a major general to his letter to me that so far as I am concerned ICaptain McCaskey, back at Fort Lincoln not onlycommanding the Southern District heartily approve of his proposition to build a traderswitnessed the movement of reservation Sioux andduring the notorious Brownsville Riots.store somewhere nearly opposite the present storeCheyenne northwards to join Sitting Bull and Crazy and on a line with the officer\'s quarters at CavalryHorse, but he was also privy to some ominous news barracks. I suggested this to Mr. Seip* when he firstthat Custer was unaware of, if one of the two letters he came to Lincoln. (*Seip was the same Post Sutler thatwrote on June 26th to Nellie (AFTER THE LITTLEtoo much for our comfort. Mrs. Custer has also two BIG HORN DEBACLE OF WHICH HE WAS THENcanaries - or had. I never see them out and don\'t know UNKNOWING), and a subsequent dispatch that he sentwhether they are alive or not. We have rumors that to the (Army Department of Dakota) are any indication: General Crook has had a fight and was whipped. I hope the latter part isn\'t true (Ibid., p.63).We have been having an exceedingly pleasant day, but last night the mosquitoes were annoying, terribly so,As mentioned Captain McCaskey also reported to at least they never bothered me so much before thishigher command on June 27th witnessing (on June 25th summer. After office hours I generally write a note to- the very day of Custer\'s demise) a movement of Sioux you before going home and then in the afternoon Iand/or Cheyenne past the outskirts of Fort Lincoln, sometimes take a ride. I generally find Dr. (Johnson, VD)going northwest towards the camps of Sitting Bull and Middleton & Captain (Charles O.) Bradley at home onCrazy Horse. He put the now approximately 200 man the porch and we have a pleasant chat until near dinner.garrison on full alert and awaiting developments (they In the evening between 5 and 7 or 8 I generally go outwould not be long in coming):and see the men practice target. My company is doing splendidly - so is Capt. B(radley)\'s . . .Scouts go out to theI have the honor to report that a party of indians (sic) expedition tonight with important dispatches to Generalsupposed to be a "war party" made their appearance Terry. I hope that they will get through all right and notin front of the line at this post on the morning of by picked up by traveling war parties now out. 25th - instant - the number of indians (sic) variously estimated from 12 to 40, a few shells were thrown at Flowers are all disappearing - and the grasses are beingthem when they disapproved (disappeared). Scouts parched(the cool and breezy May weather was rapidlyfollowed them to Heart River, but nothing has been giving way to a very hot late June Dakota heatwave).seen or heard of the hostile party - the Scouts report We have several mocking birds here - Mrs. Porter (thewere unable to trail them (Ibid.,p.64).soon to be widowed wife of Lieutenant James Ezekiel Porter - Captain Myles Keogh\'s I company subordinate)McCaskey must have wondered what had become of & Mrs. Godfrey(the wife of Lieutenant Edwardthe 7th Cavalry. And then, less than ten days laterGodfrey who survived Little Big Horn - he was withMcCaskey knew. Lieutenant John Jordan Crittenden Benteen\'s column - to later become a major general) & Mrs. Custer. They sing continuously - in fact they singPick up our June issue for Part 3.ArizonaRealCountry.com May 2022 45'