OPENING COMMENTS: Since this issue will come out sometime in Mid December, it’s only proper to beat the rush and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And what a year it’s been! This campaign season has seen our members attending events from Montana to Colorado, Wyoming to Nebraska and Iowa, both CW and IWP events. We worked with some quality groups, and have made solid contact and friendships with other groups who portray members of the 9th US Infantry. This year would have to be logged in the «success and fun» column in our group’s short history and bodes well for the coming year. We have numerous articles to include in this issue so the format will be slightly different than previous issues, so hold onto your seat and here we go!

A WOMAN’S VIEW: Marla Matkin is a living historian living in Kansas who portrays Libbie Custer. I made contact with her at her web site and started writing for about a month or so now. As with most living historians, she is sincere in her historically correct portrayal of Libbie, and is planning on attending an event or two next season with us and members of the 7th US Cavalry out of Colorado. Here is an article she wrote concerning Libbie Custer’s life and activities immediately following George Armstrong’s demise on the Little Big Horn.

It goes without saying that Elizabeth, who was at Fort Lincoln, was devastated upon being informed of the General’s death. Even in her grief she thought of others, as she put on her shawl and went with the officers to inform the other wives on post. She remained on post a little over a month.

General Nelson Miles visited her there and was quite concerned about her health and state of mind. The turning point came when she received a letter from her cousin Rebecca, who encouraged her to pick up the mantle of her fallen husband. She and her sister-in-law Maggie Calhoun went home to Monroe, Michigan. Knowing she had to earn a living she made her way to New York City, and for a time she was the secretary to the Decorative Arts Society. She was then persuaded to begin her writing career. Not sure she was up to the task, she embarked on her first book entitled «Boots and Saddles». She was so gratified by the book’s kind acceptance she completed her trilogy of frontier army life. The books lead to a career on the lecture circuit. Though she enjoyed a full and active life, it was touched with poignancy by the void the General’s death left.

She remained a loving and devoted wife through 57 years of widowhood. Much of the General’s lustre can be attributed to her. She was an intelligent, witty, charming woman whose love knew no measure. I have felt the man couldn’t be all bad to have a woman such as her remain so devoted. Asking her to marry him was one of the best decisions he ever made.

I will leave you with that description of Libbie and we can continue our conversation at a later date. Take care.

Marla Matkin

AFTER ACTION REPORT:
Members of Company A, 5th US Cavalry (reorganized) and Company G, 9th US Infantry, participated in a ceremony in Cheyenne recently. The ceremony was the turning over of the deed to one of the city’s original cornerstones to the city’s Mayor, the Honorable Leo Pando. Even with the small number of spectators who attended, we were proud to be a small part of history for this area, and represent the US Army of the 1870s, who participated heavily in settling the west. The speakers were interesting as they described why «Cheyenne City» was located and positioned the way it was (facing into the winter sun to help heat the homes), and it was good to rub elbows with some of my reenacting pards again as we head into the long prairie winter.

HISTORY LESSON:
Corky Reed, a living historian who lives in California, has recently joined General Crook’s command staff as a Lt Colonel, Assistant Adjutant General, Department of the Platte. He has forwarded an article I thought we would all find interesting concerning the history of one of the most famous songs of the Civil War era, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. As with any contributed material, I will type it word for word as originally written by the author.

Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910), the daughter of a wealthy New York banker and mother of six and reformer. She has several books to her credit even before the Civil War. One night she could not sleep and she kept humming the tune John Brown’s Body but words were coming into her mind which turned out to be Battle Hymn of the Republic. The song first appeared in print in the February 1862 issue of The Atlantic Monthly, for which she was paid $4.00, at the time nearly a week’s pay for a laborer. The song rapidly became one of the most popular, and certainly the most enduring, of all Civil War songs. After the war she wrote several more books and became prominent in the international peace movement. I hope your readers find this informative and interesting. Lt Col Reed, Assistant Adjutant Gen. Department of the Platte.

THE PAMPHLETS ARE HERE!
Through the hard work and dedication of my wife, Betty, our group now has a recruitment pamphlet after more than two years of our group’s existence! I think the pamphlet came out very well and I am happy with the results. I sent out an electronic version of it to numerous people and I’ll be waiting for a response before I get them mass produced. I have to apologize for the length of time it took to download it, and hope none of the recipients had to break out the sleeping bag and package of hard tack while they waited for it to finish. At least now we will have a little extra something to hand out at events to curious or interested perspective recruits and to help explain what we are trying to do while wearing the fancy clothes and toting Long Toms!

SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER: As part of an on-going learning experience into the history of our regiment, I am including excerpts from an overall history, originally written by a Captain E. B. Robertson, 9th US Infantry. Thanks to the effort and research talents of my campaign partner, Lou Janack of the 5th US Cavalry (reorganized), this information is available. It was obtained from the following site address:

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/r&h/r&h-9in.htm

Enjoy!

The regiment first came into existence in January 1799, with Josiah Carville Hall, of Maryland, as Lieutenant Colonel Commandant. It was disbanded in June 15, 1800.

Under the Act of January 11, 1812, it was again organized in March 1812 with Simon Learned as colonel. It was raised in Massachusetts, and took part in the war on the northern border, being present at the battle of Niagra Falls, Lundy’s Lane, and other actions. In March 1815, the regiment was again disbanded. It was re-organized in April 1847, Colonel Trueman B Ransom commanding. Colonel Ransom was killed in the assault on Chapultepec. The regiment rendered efficient service in a series of actions, ending with the capture of Mexico City. It took a distinguished part at Contreras, Churubusco, San Antonio, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec. It was in support of the storming force at Chapultepec, but became part of this force in the assault on the Citadel. Sixteen officers and eleven enlisted men were mentioned for meritorious service in this battle. The regiment was again disbanded in August 1848. It was re-organized in March 1855, Lt Colonel George Wright, commanding. The regiment’s headquarters was established at Fortress Monroe, Virginia. Companies A, F, and G were organized in May. Companies B, H, and I in June, D and K in August, E in September, and company C in November. In December 1855, the regiment was ordered to the Pacific coast. Companies A, B, C, E, F, G, I and K took station at Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, taking the field in a few days against the Indians in that area.

An expedition that included companies A, C, B, F, G, I, and K remained in the field until August and brought about the surrender of 500 hostile Indians. Companies D and H remained in the field nearly all of the year and had several engagements with the Indians.

From 1856-1858, the regiment was engaged in building posts and making roads. Company E formed a part of a force of 159 men sent to make a reconnaissance north of Fort Walla Walla. On May 17th, this force was attacked by over 1,000 Indians with the fighting lasting till dark. The force retired, marching a distance of 75 miles by 10 AM the following morning, losing no men or animals.

In August 1858, Companies B and C formed part of an exhibition against the Spokane Indians, winning engagements at Four Lakes and on Spokane Plains, Washington Territory. Companies C, G and I were in the field in August and September against Indians north of Fort Lincoln, Oregon.

In Autumn 1861, with the exception of Companies A and C, the regiment was ordered to San Francisco, for a transfer to the east. The order was later revoked. The regiment performed provost guard duty till late in 1865 when it was spread to posts from California to Nevada. In July 1865, the regiment lost it’s colonel, George Wright, who was drowned at sea with the wreck of the steamer Brother Johnathan.

From 1866-1869, the regiment was in conflict with Indians in Northern California and Oregon. In June 1869, the regiment was ordered to the Department of the Platte, arriving in July. It performed garrison duty at various posts and guard duty for the Union Pacific RR line. In May 1873, Companies A, D, E, F, H and I went with the Yellowstone Expedition, which escorted engineers locating the Northern Pacific RR, and served for four months.

From the summer of 1874 to May 1876, the regiment was stationed at posts on or near the Sioux reservation in Nebraska and Wyoming, and escorted wagon trains. Companies C, E and H were escorting the Jenney exploring party in the Black Hills in the summer of 1875.

In May 1876, Companies C, G, and H were part of the Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition under General Crook and were in the field till late October. The engagements during this campaign included Tongue River Montana, (June 9th), the Rosebud River Montana (June 17th), and Slim Buttes Dakota (September 9th). Companies G and H also assisted in repelling a night attack on the infantry camp at Goose Creek Wyoming (July 9th).

NOTE:
For more information concerning the regiment past the year 1876, please take a look at the web site at the address mentioned above.

IN CLOSING:
I would like to thank everyone who has helped make our group more enjoyable and more active this past year. I believe we have all benefited from the various events we’ve attended, whether they be Civil War or Indian Wars events, and for the on-going flow of information about them. As we move on to the new year, we will be saying a fond but sad farewell to two of our members – Les and Robyn Dumm. They will be moving to Kentucky in January where Les will be working with an equestrian program. We wish them all the best! I would also like to thank the living historians who have contributed articles to this issue. Namely Marla Matkin (Libbie Custer) and Lt Col Charles Reed. The articles were well thought out and informative.

Betty, Bonnie, Megan and I would like to extend the warmest wishes for this holiday season. We hope you have an enjoyable holiday with a warm hearth, and find prosperity in the new year. Thank you all again for being a part of our lives, and giving this humble document a life of it’s own.

As always, take care, keep your hair, and keep up the fire!

Your ob’d servant,
Roy D. Varga, Corporal
Newsletter editor and publisher
bvarga1@juno.com