Saturday Spotting - Snow Storm Affects the Seventh Cavalry

Published on Friday the 18th of April in 1873 in the Sioux City Journal in Sioux City, Iowa

WIND AND SNOW

A Terrific Snow Storm at Yankton

Snow Bound Trains – Suffering of the

Seventh Cavalry – Rumored Loss of

Life, Esc.

From all the facts we have been able

to gather concerning the recent snow

storm that seems to have made Yankton

its center, we conclude the like of it has

never been experienced in the North

est. The storm commenced as a light

rain on the morning of the 13^th inst, but

soon turned into snow, which continued

to fall lightly until about noon, when

the wind changed from the west to the

northwest and finally to the north, and

blew a perfect gale, accompanied by an

avalanche of snow.

The snow did not seem to fall in

flakes, but seemed to come down in a

 body which was separated into particles

 and dashed furiously in every direction.

The air was darkened by the snow, and

persons could not see five feet in any di-

rection.

The Dakota Southern passenger train

which left Sioux City Monday morning,

after worrying through the storm for

some time above Vermillion, finally ran

into a snow drift one mile and a half

above Gayville and stuck fast. The

freight, which was at Yankton, went to

the passengers’ relief, and managed to

get stuck in the same drift, where they

both remained until Wednesday evening.

The Seventh Cavalry fared very badly.

They had not yet completed their camp

arrangements, when the storm burst

upon them. Their tents were blown

down, and drifts of snow formed so

rapidly, and the storm was so furious,

that the men could do nothing to pro-

tect themselves. Men and horses were

buried up in the snow, and general con-

fusion and not a little consternation

prevailed everywhere. The officers

sought shelter and the hotels, and some of

the men followed their example by

seeking the hospitalities of private

houses, indeed, protection from the storm

wherever they could find it. Many of

the soldiers, however, did not fare thus

fortunately. They remained buried in

the snow until relief came to them from

the town. They were dug out of the

snow and hauled to more comfortable

quarters on hand-sleds. Many of them

were exposed for thirty six hours, and

when rescued were weak and exhausted,

and wept like children. It is said that

these poor fellows presented a most

pitiable appearance, which was well

calculated to excite the sympathies of

the most indifferent heart. And many

kind and generous hands responded

promptly to their wants. Up to last

reports quite a number of men were

still unaccounted for, and it is

not known whether they have

perished or have wandered off

in the storm and are still suffering in

some snow drift. What has been said

of the sufferings of the men is reported

true of the horses. Some were removed

to stables by great effort, others re-

mained tied and were drifted under, and

some broke loose and wandered off and

had not been recovered at last accounts

General Custer, who is regarded as

good authority, said in the presence of

our informant, that it was the worst

storm in every particular, excepting in-

tensely Cold, that he ever experienced

in his life. This seems to be the testimony

of everyone who witnessed the storm. In

many places the drifts in and about

Yankton were twenty feet high. They

had to cut down and dig as into a cellar,

to get into some of the stores. To con-

vey some sort of correct idea of the

avalanche of snow that fell it need only

be stated that on the river, in less than

three hours after the real violence of

the storm set in, there were six inches of

snow and slush floating.

The southern limit of the heavy snow

 fall on the Missouri River was about

eighty rods below Vermillion, where the

line was as distinct as a ridge of snow

could make it.

We shall rejoice if the losses which are

 conjectured to have resulted from the

storm prove really less than one can

hardly hope for.

We endeavored to reach Yankton last

evening by telegraph in order to present

 in connection with this report any later

 developments that might have been

made since morning, but could get nothing.

(*above article located on the Genealogy Bank website)