September, 1880, Companies B and F, Eleventh Infantry, changed station from Fort Custer to Poplar Creek Agency, under orders to establish a cantonment at that point. October 12, 1880, Camp Poplar River, Mont., established, Companies B and F,
Eleventh Infantry, from
Fort Custer, arriving this day and taking station. December 15, 1880, in compliance with telegraphic instructions from department headquarters, dated December 12, 1880, Companies A, B, C, F, and G,
Fifth Infantry, and 6 enlisted Indian scouts, under command of Maj. Guido Ilges, Fifth Infantry, left
Fort Keogh, en route to Camp Poplar River, Mont., to take temporary station there, for the purpose of strengthening the garrison at that post owing to the threatening attitude of hostile Indians in that vicinity; arrived there December 24, 1880. Distance estimated at from 135 to 175 miles. December 23, 1880, Troop A,
Second Cavalry, left Fort Keogh, Mont. and proceeded en route to Camp Poplar River, Mont., as escort, with rations and forage for the latter place. Camped at Ferry Point, Mont., December 31, 1880. Distance marched, about 60 miles. January 1, 1881, Troop A, Second Cavalry, escorting public stores from Fort Keogh to Camp Poplar River, Mont., left camp at Ferry Point and arrived at its destination January 19, 1881. Total distance marched, about 135 miles. January 2, 1881, Maj. Guido Ilges, Fifth Infantry, with Companies A, B, C, F, and G, Fifth Infantry, Troop F,
Seventh Cavalry, and detachment
Seventh Infantry, marched from Camp Poplar River, Mont., against a band of hostile Indians encamped about two miles to the southeast of the latter post, on the south bank of the Missouri River, and after an engagement, in which 8 of the hostiles were killed, compelled their surrender, capturing 303 Indians, about 200 ponies, 69 guns, and burning 60 of their lodges. The infantry battalion, composed of Company F, 11th Infantry, and detachments of Companies A, B and E, 7th Infantry, and one three-inch gun, all under command of Captain Ogden B. Read, 11th Infantry, left the agency at 11.30 A. M., marched three miles, crossed the Missouri River, took and held a point of timber commanding the lower village of the Indians until joined by Major Ilges with the main command. The attack commenced at once, and after an engagement of about one hour, during which Company F was engaged in firing upon and turning back Indians attempting to escape from the artillery fire, resulted in the capturing of three Indian villages and their destruction. 324 prisoners were taken, with about 300 ponies and a large number of arms. No casualties among the troops. On the 6th of January these Indians, together with 102 ponies, were sent from Camp Poplar River under guard (Troop F, Seventh Cavalry) to
Fort Buford, arriving there January 10, 1881. July 28, 1882, telegraph connection was made with Fort Maginnis via Camp Poplar River, Wolf Point, Willow Creek, crossing Missouri River at Hawley Bend, thence to Rocky Point (all on Missouri River), and Fort Maginnis. First Lieut. C. A. Booth, Seventh Infantry, in charge of the construction party working west from Camp Poplar River, built 108 miles of the line; and First Lieut. F. W. Kingsbury, Second Cavalry, in charge of the party working east from Rocky Point, crossing the wire over the Missouri River, built 70 miles. December 21, 1882, Capt. O. B. Read, Eleventh Infantry, with two non commissioned officers and one Indian scout, left Camp Poplar River for Fort Peck Indian Reservation to assist the Indian agent in removing intruders, it having been reported that white hunters, as well as half-breeds and Cree Indians, were hunting in large numbers on the Indian reservation. Seventeen white intruders were found and ordered to leave. No half-breeds or Indians were seen. The party returned to its post, December 31, 1882. Distance marched about 280 miles. January 10, 1883, Capt. O. B. Read, Eleventh Infantry, with a detachment of twenty-three picked men from his command and four Indian scouts, left Camp Poplar River to remove intruders from Fort Peck Indian Reservation. January 14, about 2 miles from Willow Creek, the detachment met two men with a wagon loaded with sixty-one hides, who claimed to have been hired by hunters to haul in their load; the hides were destroyed, their arms and ammunition were seized, and the men were ordered to leave the reservation. A cache of twenty-three hides was found the same day and destroyed. January 18, four white hunters were arrested, their property seized and destroyed. They were examined by a United States commissioner and committed for trial. No half-breeds or Canadian Indians were seen, except two
Uncpapas met by Sergeant Herbert near the line, who were disarmed and allowed to go. The detachment returned to its post January 24. Distance marched about 300 miles. Very severe weather was experienced by the party; the mean temperature for the fourteen days being —12.25 degrees, and the lowest during the time —55 degrees. March 1, 1883, Scout Culbertson, from Camp Poplar River, captured and disarmed nine lodges of Cree Indians, near Timber Creek. The chief of this camp reports they are part of the thirty lodges of Crees ordered away from Big Bend of Milk River about two weeks before by a detachment from Fort Assinniboine. Two bodies of white men, frozen to death, were found 25 miles from Timber Creek. The arms and ponies were returned to the Indians, and they were ordered to cross the line. November 24, 1883, a small band of hostile Sioux Indians (nine men and twenty-four women and children in the party) surrendered to the commanding officer of Camp Poplar River, Mont., and turned in eleven ponies and three guns. They reported fifty lodges still out. January 14, 1884, the commanding officer at Camp Poplar River reported the Indians at Poplar River Agency in want of food and those at Wolf Point still more destitute. March 13, 1884, at Camp Poplar River, one set of officers quarters and one building, used as offices of the commanding officer, the adjutant, and the telegraph operator, were destroyed by fire. June 16, 1884, Companies B and F, Eleventh Infantry, left Camp Poplar River, Mont., for
Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dak., on steamer Helena, arriving June 18. ==15th Infantry==