The Republican 5-31-1889

Connecting with History

The Bugle Notes from the Fort column was written by soldiers living at Fort Niobrara along what is now the Niobrara National Scenic River in the 1880's and 1890's in "The Republican" newspaper published in Valentine, Nebraska. Fort Niobrara became a National Wildlife Refuge in 1912 when troops were moved elsewhere in the United States. Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge protects and conserves the wildlife, plants, and habitats of the Nebraska Sandhills and Niobrara River Valley. Visitors can explore the land that the soldiers trod many years ago now protected as the Niobrara National Scenic River and the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge.

Microfilm 1 of 2 of The Republican 5-31-1889, Bugle Notes from the Fort Column.

City of Valentine, Public Library.

The Republican 5-31-1889
Valentine, NE

Bugle Notes from the Fort
Editor The Republican

The troups were mustered today, Friday.

Lieut. Staffford has been promoted to the rank of 1^st Lieut.

Decoration Day was observed as a legal holiday in the fort

Lieut.-Col. Smith, formerly company commander of company A 8^th Infantry, has returned to his old regiment as successor to Col. Bryant.

Saturday’s entertainment was a success. The hall was crowded. The different characters in “Tom Cobb”were fairly well sustained, calling forth repeated applause. Our local actors are certainly improving with every new attempt.

The first accident in connection with this season’s shooting occurred on Monday, but we are happy to say that it was a slight one. While Private Bloom of Co. B was in the act of pulling the trigger of his gun, the explosion of the cartridge broke off the thumb latch, which cut his finger, and went whizzing past his head with the swiftness of something in a hurry. The cartridge was over-charged.

We were certainly deceived this week. Some one brought news from the range of extraordinary shooting that was going on there, and the 8^th Infantry believed itself possessed of a man who had made fifteen consecutive bull’s eye shots. On investigation the story was found to be a hoax. The man who started the report should be made to spend the rest of his days in a whiskey distillery with a gag on his mouth.

The new commissary and quarter-master buildings will soon be commenced. Fatigue parties are busy cutting the foundation. Lieut. Richardson has been appointed provost officer. We believe that J.M. Thasher has secured the contract for one of the buildings and the others have been given to an Omaha gentleman. A boarding-house keeper has arrived on the ground already and is now engaged in putting up eating and sleeping accommodation for the forty or fifty tradesmen, which the operation will bring to the post.

A little colony of settlers came flocking to the fort on Monday night and Tuesday morning, stating that they had left their farms for fear of the Indians who had threatened to exterminate them if they did not clear out. It appears that several boomers or land grabbers, in anticipation of the Sioux reservation being opened up soon, have pitched their camps in many places where they ought not to be, and are plowing up ground belonging to the Red Skin, who naturally objects to their doing so. If there is any truth in the rumor, and if it should necessitate the sending of troops, we believe that most of the soldiers would welcome the change in hopes of having a few months excitement,

TAM O’SHANTER

Textual Note:

"Bugle Notes from the Fort" articles were transcribed to reflect the original text in grammar, spelling, and formatting. Errors are true to the original text and reflect the historic context of their authorship.