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HISTORIC BOOK OF ARMY TELEGRAMS RELATING TO THE INDIAN WARS AFTER THE CUSTER MASSACRE

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Other Start Price:25,000.00 USD Estimated At:50,000.00 - 70,000.00 USD
HISTORIC BOOK OF ARMY TELEGRAMS RELATING TO THE INDIAN WARS AFTER THE CUSTER MASSACRE
HISTORIC BOOK OF ARMY TELEGRAMS RELATING TO THE INDIAN WARS AFTER THE CUSTER MASSACRE. Small hard-back bound book 9" tall by 6" wide and 2" thick at the spine. It has cloth covered hard covers with leather spine imprinted "LETTERS". Inside the front cover, in old ink, is written "Property of Lieut. Colonel P.B. Rhodes" and also has what appears to be a museum acquisition number. The contents consist of 233 numbered telegrams (many with multiple pages) on onion-skin message forms bearing the letterhead of the Northwestern Telegraph Company. These telegrams are rubber stamped with the imprint “RECEIVED HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT of DAKOTA” and a date. The Army’s Department of Dakota coordinated the Indian Wars in the northwest. The headquarters of the department were located at St. Paul, Minnesota under the command of General Alfred H. Terry. The messages are all dated in the period of September to December 1876. The telegrams relate to Army matters of all types including the disposition of men and supplies, affairs with friendly and hostile tribes, the pursuit of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, etc. Many of the telegrams are informational and many are in the form of orders - just a short glance through disclosed the names of several famous officers including General Sherman, General Sheridan, Col. Sturgis, Cpt. Benteen, Reno, General Crook and others. These telegrams are very compelling reading, and even a cursory study of them reveals how very turbulent and dangerous those times were. Some of the subjects covered include holding an entire Indian village hostage to compel their chiefs and war parties to surrender, dealing with deserters and insubordinate officers, destroying a village of over 170 lodges, losing a whole herd of horses to distemper, commanders refusing to feed captive Indians out of Army supplies, etc. The book of telegraphs is enclosed in a custom-made brown linen and leather covered slipcase with "DEPT. OF DAKOTA" and "MILITARY TELEGRAMS 1876" impressed in gold on the spine. CONDITION: Worn and fragile, the spine has lost about 30% original finish. It has been repaired on the inside with old paper tape. All of the telegrams are yellowed with some light soil and many of them have side notes with follow up instructions. The slipcase is crisp and clean. These telegrams are an important primary historical resource. A thorough study of them would disclose some important insights into the military situations, conditions and happenings in Dakota Territory (which included North and South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming) in the aftermath of the Battle at Little Bighorn. Ex. Flayderman Coll. 4-53308