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Military Road to the Musselshell
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
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This is a trek
describing the Military Supply
Road between Fort CF Smith, to the Musselshell River
crossing, and on to Fort
Benton. This road,
created by General Hazen, crossed the Yellowstone River
north of Worden.
The road constructed
between the two forts (trail ?) was started in August 1866. The route was
identified and plotted on the 1881 Rand, McNally Map shown on the left
[1] .
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A telegram bearing date August 11th 1866 from General
Cooke in person, being confirmed by a copy in writing attested by H.G. Litchfield
Asst. Adjt. General, read as follows.
"Two companies of 2nd Cavalry have been ordered to assist in
the protection of the road. You are hereby authorized to enlist not to exceed
fifty Indian scouts. Pay and allowances of cavalry soldiers. Let them use the
ponies if you cant [sic] do better".
"Be very cautious! Don't undertake unnecessary risky detachments".
Meanwhile I had already advanced its designated garrison to establish the
post on Big Horn River,
the command leaving early on the morning of August 3rd 1866.
My action was judicious, and although afterwards General Cooke authorized the
withdrawal of the garrison, the follow letter of Inspector General Hazen
supported me. In fact with three hundred tons of hay secured at that post,
and a years supply of provisions, the abandonment of that post would have
required destruction of most of the property. And here I remark that General
Hazen, as he passed, took one Officer and twenty six mounted men as escort,
and they were gone with him two months.
Fort Reno
August 20th
1866.
Col. H.B. Carrington
Comd'g. Mount. District
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After General
Hazen (Brevet General W. B. Hazen) returned to Fort Phil Kearney, this route
became a military supply and transport road between the two forts. After Fort Custer
was established on the Big Horn River,
a short cutoff from that fort to this road was created and connected with Billings. [Not
researched to establish construction date for the cutoff.] This road connects
with the Tongue River Road,
and the various branches that lead from the Billings’
area to Fort Custer. The route was also
plotted on the Yellowstone & Missouri Map, prepared by the War Department
issued in 1867 [2] . The road crossed the Yellowstone near where Worden is now located [ferry
presumed to have been added later [3] ],
just west of Arrow Creek. As this effort wasn’t part of an official
expedition or survey, the Corps of Engineers didn’t record their travel
activity; but merely published the route. The record of how the route details
were transmitted to the Corps of Engineers for inclusion into their map
releases is unknown. The route plotted shows they traveled on the east side
of the creek until reaching the bend in Arrow Creek. At that juncture they
crossed the Yellowstone and ascended the low
bluffs and headed for the fork of Pompey’s Pillar Creek. It appears to have
passed through where Clermont Station (old Worden) was later located.
Enlarged copy to show the details of the route.
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This
historic trail, repotted on the topo map, shows the
crossing area. This trail crosses the river in section 17, goes NW to the
section line, and follows it northward, until it veers to cross Pompey’s
Creek’s south fork near the junction where it splits into two forks.
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Fort Philip Kearney D.T.
Via Fort Laramie
August 29th. 1866
By telegram
Litchfield H.G. Major
A.A. Genl.
Omaha
Mail received. Indians were hostile early in the month, but have lost at
least thirty seven men in their operations, and keep more distant. The
aggregate of whites killed does not exceed thirty three. Their demonstrations
upon my post have cost me nothing, but have cost them men and horses.
I send report by mail, and shall communicate weekly if I can keep up horses.
Trains with fifty well armed men who are prudent, are safe. I think Yellowstone post should be established this fall. The
Big Horn post is successfully established. I need cavalry, but they will here
soon. If I had five more companies of infantry it would be well to establish
a sub post of Reno, at south Fork of the Cheyenne, half way to the ferry,
with one company, next to divide a company between Crazy Woman's Fork and Dry
Fork of the Cheyenne, and to place one company on the mouth of Goose Creek on
Tongue river, and two at Yellowstone.
General Hazen leaves tomorrow with
escort I furnish. He will report to you in full. I have a saw mill in full
operation but need a shingle machine very much. Be assured the public need
not fear to follow this line of travel, using proper care and being well
armed.
Very respectfully
Your Obedient Servant
Henry B. Carrington
Col. 18th U.S. Infantry
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Extracted from 2005 Site Link – not maintained:
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~familyinformation/fpk/car_2.html
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[1] Note, that time of publication,
NPR had kept their intended route along the east bank of the Yellowstone
River a secret, and continued to show their track routed on the west side.
This was part of a carefully managed marketing ploy.
[2] Map accompanied a report from
Captain Raynolds to the Bureau of Engineers, for
the year 1867.
[3] As part of the ongoing effort,
the ferry location should be evident by locating one or more support rings on
the banks of the river at the passage location. The military map has an
accuracy of about one second of arc, which equates to a little over one mile
in an east-west directional error. The map shows that the passage took place
between the river islands, and not across them.
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