Voices cheered; children pranced. But from Officers’ Row and from Suds Row peered tear-stained faces vainly trying to smile, and from the Ankara village outside welled the mournful chants of doleful squaws.
Nevertheless Ned, riding in line with Captain Benteen’s platoons, trumpet on thigh, revolver at hip, could not but feel sure that such a grand regiment was able to thrash all the Indians of the plains.
The tune by the band changed to “The Girl I Left Behind Me”:
The hope of final victory
Within my bosom burning,
Is mingled with sweet thoughts of thee
And of my fond returning.
But should I ne’er return again,
Still worth thy love thou’lt find me;
Dishonor’s breath shall never stain
The name I’ll leave behind me.
This was sign that the parade was over. Out from the garrison quarters marched the column of platoons; and here was delivered the command to halt, and to dismount.
“Officers and men are permitted to leave the ranks for the purpose of taking farewells of their families. They will rejoin their commands at the sound of ‘Assembly.’”
These were the instructions. However, the general stayed with the column, and so did Captain Calhoun. Their wives were to ride with them, a way, as usual.
Some of the officers and men were suspiciously red-eyed when at “Assembly” they again fell into place. The wagon train could be seen, rolling on, following the plodding infantry. The cavalry moved fast, to pass and take the advance. Mrs. Custer and Mrs. Calhoun rode with the general at the head of the column. He was mounted on Vic. The stag hounds trotted on either flank. They were always included.
Truly, seeing this long column stretching two miles, ranks regular, spurs jingling, infantry guns aslant, guidon and flag gaily afloat, there appeared to be no reason why the white “wives and sweethearts” and those Ree squaws should feel so bad. Here were the twelve troops of the fighting Seventh Cavalry, under Custer himself; here were infantry—two companies of the Sixth Regulars and one of the Seventeenth; here were four gatling guns and a platoon of the Twentieth Infantry to serve them; and forty Arikari or Ree scouts under Chief Bloody Knife; and forage Master “Bos” Custer and young “Autie” Reed, who was appointed a herder for the beef cattle, and “Lonesome” Charley Reynolds the white scout, and Isaiah the squaw-man black scout from Fort Rice; and a great supply train of 114 six-mule wagons, 107 other wagons, and eighty-five pack-mules; altogether, 1,000 men. They had rations and forage for thirty days, and each soldier carried one hundred rifle or carbine cartridges, and fifty revolver cartridges. The Seventh had left their sabres behind and they were glad of it, because the sabres were a bother. They could do better work with their Colt’s revolvers and their Remington carbines. Not even the officers wore swords.