September 6, 2012 ~ Thursday

We stopped and toured the site of the Little Big Horn battle field.  It was amazing to see the area and realize how hard it would have been to do battle there.  It made me SAD to think about the white man's sense of entitlement and how they just TOOK what they wanted from the Native American people. 

Just outside Buffalo, MT we saw smoke from a forest fire.  We were afraid it would cover Buffalo but it stayed west of it, thankfully.  It was a small fire, as wildfires go, but they couldn't fight it as the area was too dangerous for the firefighters to go into.  They tried dumping water on it from above but that failed to put the fire out.  Finally, it was down to an area that they could build some fire trails to block the fire.  So far, no structures are in danger and the smoke it staying west of Buffalo.

We stayed at Indian Campground and RV Park in Buffalo, WY for 3 nights.  The second day, we went to see the Fort Phil Kearny Historic Site.

No Mac James, even with a pillow, you STILL can't see over the steering wheel so you can't drive!

They had to go to the far hills to get wood which gave the Native Americans plenty of chances to raid their wood gathering parties.  

 

Those are just "cut-outs" on the hill but give you some perspective of distance from the fort.

 

 

We also FINALLY saw some Magpie birds on the ground in a place where I could pull over and take their photo.  They are SO pretty when they fly.

Black Billed Magpie

 

 We also visited the Fetterman Fight site, also known as "Massacre Hill." 

"On December 21, 1866, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors engaged a military force commanded nby Captain William J. Fetterman.  Ordered to rescue a besieged wagon train, Fetterman's men pursued Crazy Horse and other warriors acting as decoys over Lodge Trail Ridge where over 2000 Indians waited in ambush." (Fetterman was told SEVERAL times NOT TO GO OVER THE RIDGE but chose to ignore his orders).  "The warriors attacked the soldiers, overwhelming the separatged cavalry and infantry units.  All 81 men in Fetterman's command were killed within 30 minutes.  Only the Balle of the Little Big Horn stands as a worse defeat for the United States Army and a greater victory for the Plains Indians."

 

 

 

 

 
We like the RV park we are staying in.  As we were leaving yesterday, we saw a little fawn eating grass in the park.  The owner said the Mama was probably hiding in the trees; he has seen them together a lot.

The girls are reading P-Mail.......

 
My new bracelet...made by a local woman......