Monday, June 5

Today the Dakota Column marched southwest, making about twenty miles. They began to move away from Beaver Creek, with the terrain taking a decidedly more desert-like character. Camp was made along Pennel Creek, with Terry maneuvering his force during the day to avoid the worst of the badlands as he made his way toward Gibbon’s position.

Fort Phil Kearney, with the partially reconstructed modern stockade

On the Yellowstone Gibbon deceided to relax his posture slightly, ordering reveille to be sounded at 0330hrs rather than 0200 as he had for the past several days. Camp was finally broken after two weeks, the column beginning to move eastward along the Yellowstone. The day’s march was nine miles, and the officers and men were in good spirits as they set up camp, enjoying the warm evening and eating fresh bear harvested from the area as they arrived.

The countryside near Fort Phil Kearney

Crook’s column set out today, continuing northwest toward the abandoned Fort Phil Kearney, which they arrived at in the early afternoon after passing Lake de Smet. Camp was made at the ruins of the fort, with the men spreading out and hunting the local fauna to augment their rations, eating well tonight after a march of just over fifteen miles.

1. Dakota Column - CUSTER/TERRY - Pennel Creek

2. Wyoming Column - CROOK - Fort Phil Kearney

3. Montana Column - GIBBON - Yellowstone River

4. Sioux Encampment - SITTING BULL - Rosebud Creek