Iron Riders, The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, Part III

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, retired senior archivist from the National Archives at College Park.

This is the third post in a series about the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps and their missions to test the effectiveness of bicycles for military use.

As noted previously, the Secretary of War on May 4 approved the long distance bicycle trip by the 25th Infantry Regiment. The following day, May 5, General Miles left Washington, D.C. on April 23 orders from Secretary of War, granting him permission to travel to Europe, primarily to observe the war between Greece and Turkey and to visit the armies of other European countries.[1]

By mid-May, news of Moss’s bicycle corps’ contemplated trip from Fort Missoula to St. Louis made the press.[2] 

Back at Fort Missoula, Moss was assigned on June 1, to detached service in command of 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps. [3] While awaiting the shipment of the bicycles from the Spalding Company, Moss began selecting among 40 volunteers, the 20 who would make the trip. The men selected, with the exception of five or six, were cyclists of more or less experience. Five were veterans of the trip to Yellowstone Park the year before.  In selecting them their reliability, general physical condition and knowledge of cycling were considered.  The heaviest soldier weighed 177 pounds and the lightest 125 ½ pounds, the average weight being 148 ½ lbs. The oldest man was 39 years of age and the youngest 24; average age 27. [4] 

list of names with relevant ppl outlined in red
Returns of the 25th Regiment, June 1897, highlighted soldiers of the Bicycle Detachment listed on duty as “in route to St. Louis, Mo.” (NAID 168886013)

The corps, consisting of men from Companies B, F, G, and H, was divided into two squads, headed by Lance Corporals William Haynes and Abram Martin. Sergeant Mingo Sanders was acting first sergeant of the detachment.  The remaining enlisted men were musician Elias Johnson, privates John Findley, George Scott, Hiram L. B. Dingman, Travis Bridges, John Cook, Frank L. Johnson, William Proctor, Elwood Forman, Richard Rout, Eugene Jones, Sam Johnson, William Williamson, Sam Williamson, John H. Wilson, Samuel Reid, and Francis Button. [5]  Moss described the corps as “bubbling over with enthusiasm . . . about as fine a looking and well-disciplined a lot as could be found anywhere in the United States Army.”[6]

The travel route Moss laid out called for the corps to ride easterly along the Northern Pacific Railroad to Billings, Montana. At this point they would veer southward somewhat and follow the Burlington Railroad through Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska into Missouri and to their destination of St. Louis. Moss claimed that this route would permit a thorough test of the durability and practicality of the bicycle as a means of transportation for troops. [7]  Moss reported that the railroad distance to St. Louis was 1,688 miles (2716 km) and the wagon road distance being 14 per cent greater.[8] As things turned out, the bicycle corps would travel a lot longer.

drawn map showing bike route going through MT, WY, SD, NE, IL, MO with terrain markings
Lt. Moss’ Map showing the Route the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps took from Missoula, MT to St. Louis, MO (Mike Higgins)

On June 4, the Spalding military bicycles specially equipped according to Moss’ instructions arrived at Fort Missoula. They were furnished with:

  • steel rims
  • tandem spokes in order to reduce load on each spoke
  • extra heavy side forks and crowns
  • gear cases to protect the chains from dirt, mud, rocks, and accidental loss
  • luggage carriers
  • frame cases which fitted into the diamond of the bicycle
  • brakes
  • and Christy saddles.

They weighed 32 pounds. The average weight of the packed bicycles was about 59 pounds. [9]  

From the time the bicycles were received to the time they left for St. Louis, the bicycle corps in the morning and in the afternoon, took walking exercises of an hour or more and made practice rides, gradually increasing the distance from day to day. They started out nearer noon each succeeding day, in order to get accustomed to the heat. Some of the soldiers were poor riders, one of them having learned to ride about a week before they started for St. Louis. A number of lectures were given on the construction of bicycles, their care, the functions of the various parts and their nomenclature. [10]

Added to Moss’s command was 1st Lt. James M. Kennedy, Assistant Surgeon, who shared Moss’ interest in cycling. Kennedy was relatively new to the Army, having joined in May 1893. [11] 

Moss and others believed that the trip to St. Louis would be a historic trip. With this in mind Moss decided to add another member to the corps, an official reporter and photographer. He chose Edward H. Boos, who shared Moss’ interest in cycling, and like Moss was a member of the League of American Wheelman. Boos was a reporter for his father’s newspaper, the Daily Missoulian. Plans called for Boos to send regular reports on the corps’ progress to leading newspapers across the nation.[12] 

On June 5, The United States Army and Navy Journal reported that Moss, “who has made a number of experimental bicycle runs attended with the greatest success, under orders from Gen. Miles, will proceed overland from Fort Missoula to St. Louis with a command of twenty negro soldiers…”  It stated that Moss was commanded “to report in full the experiences of the tour and to ascertain whether the bicycle can be made an efficient addition to the equipment of an army in the field.”  “Each day,” the article continued, “he will make a full and exhaustive report of the progress of the expedition from the time it starts at the Montana post until it arrives in St. Louis. The speed, the hardships the expenses, the character of the country traversed, the altitudes attained, the grade of ascent and declivity, causes of delay, sickness, and the relative condition of the men at the start and at the finish will be some of the points to be scientifically noted and reported in every detail to the War Department.”  “Bicyclists as well as Army men,” it added, “will be deeply interested in the outcome of the attempt about to be made by Lieut. Moss and his twenty men.” [13]

Before starting on their trip the bicycle corps had to be equipped and supplied.  Their cooking utensils consisted of three telescopic frame cases made of light sheet-iron and two tin coffee pots. By means of thumbscrews the frame cases were secured in the diamond of the bicycle and used as ration carriers. When in camp and the rations taken out, each case was made to come apart in two separate parts and turned into frying and baking pans.  They would thus have six frying and baking pans. The coffee pots were cylindrical in shape, measuring 18 inches in length and 9 inches in diameter. They were fastened to the handle bars on the front of the bicycles and a blanket roll carried in each. Every soldier carried one blanket, one shelter tent half and poles, one yard mosquito netting, one bicycle wiping cloth, one handkerchief, one pair drawers, one undershirt, two pairs socks, one knife, one fork, one spoon, one cup, tin plate, toilet paper, and toothbrush and powder, and a canteen. Every other man carried one towel, and one cake of soap. Each chief of squad carried one comb, one brush and one box matches. Every soldier, except one, who had a shotgun, carried a ten-pound Krag-Jorgenson rifle, a cartridge belt with 50 rounds, and a bayonet. Moss carried a Colt revolver and a 20-round cartridge belt. The rifles were slung across their back. The uniform consisted of knickerbocker canvas trousers of a dead grass color, blue gingham shirts, and the regulation blouse, campaign hat, leggings, and shoes. Their ration consisted of field and travel rations of which the following were the components: the field ration – salt, pepper (black), baking powder, flour, dry beans, coffee (ground), sugar, bacon, and, soap. The travel ration consisted of hard bread, canned beef, baked beans, ground coffee, and sugar. The blanket roll was carried on a luggage carrier on front of the handle bars, and weighed about ten pounds. The bacon was cut into small chunks and wrapped in cloth. The coffee, sugar and flour were carried in rubber cloth bags, about 18 inches by 5 inches. All the rations, together with the knife, fork, spoon, and tin plate, were carried in the frame cases. The tin cup was fastened either under the seat of the saddle or on top the blanket roll. [14]   

Moss arranged with the Quartermasters Department to send rations to points along the road which were about one hundred miles (160 km) apart. This meant that the corps carried only a two- day supply of food. Although this was an incentive to travel the planned fifty miles per day, it also meant that with difficult travel conditions the men might have to travel on empty stomachs. [15]  Indeed this would be the case.

Voyage to St. Louis (1st Leg), June 14-July 16, 2000+ miles (3218 km)

With everything set, the bicycle corps left Fort Missoula for St. Louis, at 5:30 am, on Monday, June 14, 1897.  That day the Daily Missoulian ran the headline: “Off for St. Louis: Twenty-fifth Infantry Bi-Cycle Corps Takes Up Its Long March.” The article called it “one of the most important journeys ever taken out of Missoula.”  When the bicycle corps reached Missoula they rode through town in an impressive, double-file formation as people lined the streets to cheer them on their way. [16] 

“The first day of the trip was a hard one. At 11:35am they stopped for lunch at a ranch 28 miles from the Fort, intending to resume their ride about 5 pm. About 2:30 pm dark, threatening clouds began to gather in the west, and in a short time a heavy rain, accompanied with thunder, lightning, and wind, was upon them. It was, however, of but short duration and when it ceased, they immediately packed their bicycles and rode on as rapidly as possible. For a while they fairly flew through the woods, but the rain was soon upon us again, and for several miles they plodded along in this vicious gumbo mud. Wet and slushy, they rolled their bicycles through weeds and underbrush on the roadside in order to avoid the mud, and then would carry them a few paces and stop for a second wind… Occasionally they would stop and scrape the mud off the tires with their meat knives, or flat pieces of wood. About 3 pm the weather began to clear away, and they stopped for an hour’s rest, after which the ride, or rather the march, was resumed over the muddy, hilly roads. They passed Clear Water Post Office about dusk and at 8 p. m. pitched camp 54 ½ miles from Fort Missoula.”[17]

Bicycle Corps walking bicycles along a railroad track. Rolling grassy hills extend in the distance, 1897 (Montana Memory Project)

On the night of June 14, it rained in torrents and the following morning, June 15, it was still raining and threatening so that they waited in camp until 10:35 am, hoping that the weather would clear up. The command then started out in a drizzle and rolled their bicycles about 7 miles on the Northern Pacific tracks, as the wagon road was almost impassable. At 1 pm, muddy and drenched, the corps went into camp at Elliston, having traveled 9 1/2 miles. Their rations being about to give out,  they started out again at 10 am the next morning, June 16, in mud and water for Fort William Henry Harrison, the next ration station. Three miles east of Elliston, leaving the Northern Pacific railroad to the left, they took the old Mullan Stage Road, which was then little more than a mere trail full of ruts, stones and dilapidated corduroy bridges. Pushing their bicycles up this muddy, slippery grade for several miles, was hard work. About noon the corps reached the summit of the Main Divide of the Rocky Mountains, in an awful sleet storm, with two inches of snow on the ground. So cold was it that they would stop every now and then to strike their hands and rub their ears. The descent on the Atlantic slope was as difficult as the up-grade work on the Pacific side, as the slope was very steep and great exertion was necessary to prevent their bicycles from running away. The stage road was then virtually a “dry creek.” which flowed quite freely in rainy weather. The snow and sleet were thawing rapidly, and for several miles they puddled along in the water and slush up to their ankles. They reached Fort William Henry Harrison at 4:30 pm. [18]  

The night of June 19 was spent at Recap, a construction camp between the Northern Pacific railroad track and the Gallatin River. Early the next morning, June 20, they broke camp, and on account of a high bluff on one side and the river on the other, and where the road was too rough even for walking the bicycles, were compelled to follow the track for many miles. New crossties had just been put in and the spaces between them had not yet been filled in. On either side, at the very ends of the crossties, earth, rocks, and old ties were piled up. The constant jar of rolling on bicycles over this torn-up track, benumbed their hands and gave them pains in the shoulders. This part of the journey was extremely slow and tiresome. Before reaching Gallatin (five miles from Recap) Moss had been informed they would strike a good, smooth road, at that point. The road referred to they found to be a blind trail which led them through an old marshy field, where there were myriads of vicious mosquitoes, and thence into the foothills beyond. Following this trail for two hours or more they struck the railroad bridge just west of Logan, and entered the town a few minutes later. As was the case, as Dr. Dollar observed, when Moss and his men were a mile or so from a town they would stop and wait for stragglers before regrouping in formation and riding into town. Even with their tattered uniforms and dirty bicycles the men made an excellent impression when local wheelmen greeted them and escorted them into town. Usually they stayed long enough to inquire about local road conditions or to pick up rations and bicycle parts. Invariably the townspeople would question the men closely and inspect their bicycles with great interest. Bozeman, the metropolis of the Gallatin Valley, some 26 miles southeast of Logan, was made by 5:45 pm and two hours later, 50 miles to their credit, finished the day’s work. [19]  

The next major stopping point was Billings, some 140 miles to the east. Moss stated “The Corps attracted a great deal of attention as we rode through these rural mountain districts. Horses and cows ran from us, and the inhabitants would stop their work and gaze at us in astonishment.” Local people were usually friendly and helpful, often giving the soldiers meals and places to stay. In a tavern in Big Timber, one old Civil War veteran bought drinks for the entire company. Another time, an elderly German couple gave them milk, bread, and cakes. [20] The bicycle corps was hospitably treated on its way through Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Frequently the meager fare of military rations was supplemented by purchases of eggs and milk from farmers. Occasionally flour was traded for freshly baked bread. One night the corps enjoyed a “grand supper” of fried rabbit, shot earlier in the day, boiled eggs purchased from a farmer, and the usual rations.[21] 

bicycle corps members on a main street in town, one leans on his bike looking into the camera, others stand in background. bikes are packed with frame and handlebar gear, rifles slung on backs
Members of the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps pictured on Main Street, Livingston, Montana. ca. 1897 (Montana Memory Project)

On June 23, by 9:55 am, the bicycle corps had arrived  Billings, having already traveled 37 miles that day. After getting their rations at the railroad depot, the corps continued its journey a mile or so further, and then stopped for lunch on the banks of the Yellowstone River, just east of Billings. At 5:15 pm they started across the Crow Indian Reservation, with a head wind and up a stiff grade. About half an hour later, as they were leaving the Valley of the Yellowstone and entering the mountains, it began to rain, and continued almost incessantly until the next morning (June 24). The soil was a kind of clay-gumbo, and they had an extremely hard time pushing and carrying their bicycles up and down those muddy, sticky mountain sides. Mile after mile they jogged along as best they could over sinuous, hilly trails, stopping again and again to scrape off the caked mud from the choked wheels. About 8:15 pm Pryor Creek was forded, and a little later, they came upon a deserted Indian cabin, in which the night was spent.[22]

Crossing into Wyoming, late June

Their supply of rations being about exhausted, breakfast the next morning, June 25, consisted of a cup of weak coffee, partially sweetened, and a small piece of burnt bread. Boos wrote, “We were wet, cold and hungry, and a more jaded set of men never existed.” At 6:40 am the corps started for Fort Custer, 42 miles away.  On account of the gumbo mud, it took about three hours to cover the first six miles. Then, they struck good roads. Although the grades were many and the wind against them at 3:30 pm that afternoon the corps arrived at Fort Custer, located on the bluff above the confluence of the Big Horn and Little Big Horn rivers. The country traveled over during the day, was dreary, hilly, and uninteresting, with scarcely a sign of civilization.[23]

On the evening of June 25, the expedition reached the site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, some 20 miles south of Fort Custer. Boos reported. The men “visited the celebrated battlefield and viewed the site of the massacre with interest. The writer went over Custer’s very line of march on his bicycle under the direction of… the custodian of the Custer National Cemetery.”[24]

The ride from Fort Custer to Sheridan, Wyoming was about 90 miles. It. was one of the hardest of the whole trip. The greater part of the time the roads were very rough and hilly and they had to ford the Little Big Horn a number of times.[25]  From Sheridan, as the men traveled through Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska, water became a critical problem. The only potable supply came from railroad tanks, along the tracks and if they were too far from the railroad, they had no choice but to drink water that was often alkali-tainted, causing sickness throughout the corps. [26]

The United States Army and Navy Journal on June 19 and again on June 26, reported on the bicycle corps leaving Fort Missoula, and the progress it was making. [27]

On June 29, after having ridden somewhat over twenty miles up an almost continuous grade, under a broiling sun, they stopped at about 2 pm at Gillette, Wyoming for lunch.[28]  Many of the men were so tired that they fell asleep while eating.[29] A dispatch from Gillette stated, “Tired and muddy, the 25th Infantry bicycle corps, Lieut. Moss commanding, arrived June 29 en route to St. Louis.  Wild Horse Creek, near Arvada, was a mass of mud. Hailstones which fell Sunday were drifted seven or eight feet high. The weather was very hot and no good water could be obtained. The corps is making a forced ride to get out of the Bad Lands. The road from here on will be a gradual downhill. Over one-third of the trip has been accomplished in the fifteen days out. On thirteen of these, rainy weather was experienced.”[30]

The next point along the route where water could be obtained was Moorcroft, 30 miles away. Being told at Gillette that the road to Moorcroft was very good and slightly down grade, Moss thought the run could be made easily in four hours. At 4 pm they left Gillette. By 7 pm they had covered about sixteen miles, when all at once the clouds begun to gather thick and fast, and almost immediately darkness was upon them. The road being entirely unknown, they were compelled to decrease speed considerably, and a few minutes later, one of the soldiers broke his front axle. As they had no extra ones he had to roll his bicycle the whole way to Moorcroft. Moss then turned the corps over to the Acting 1st Sergeant Mingo Sanders and taking with him one cook and two soldiers who had flour, bacon, and coffee in their luggage cases, they started out ahead, intending to reach Moorcroft an hour or more before the command and have supper ready as soon as they arrived. They had not however, ridden more than four miles before the intense darkness and the condition of the road forced them to dismount and roll their bicycles along. While almost feeling their way along a road, wet and muddy from a rain of the previous day, they walked and walked and walked, pushing their bicycle before them. About midnight, they struck the Burlington & Missouri railroad track. The night air was damp, chilly, and penetrating and they were cold, hungry and tired. The soldiers tried to make a fire, but could find no wood, and they then stopped for a rest. About half an hour later, the report of a rifle was heard; Moss had one of the soldiers discharge his piece in reply, and shortly afterwards three soldiers, who had pushed on ahead of the command and lost their way in the darkness came up. They then resumed the march for Moorcroft. It was then about 1 am. “Almost exhausted from fatigue, they wearily walked along a mile or two further, when a soldier a few yards behind me exclaimed, ‘My God, I can’t go any further’ and stopped.” The rest of the party continuing. It now began to grow lighter. Moss felt he was sleeping on his feet. About 2 am Moss was completely overcome from sheer exhaustion, and lay down on the wet mountain side, with a shelter tent half under him, and a blanket over him. He woke up about 4 am and beheld about a mile off, Moorcroft. His body had made an impression in the soft, muddy mountain side, and the shelter tent half was saturated with moisture. It took them almost an hour to travel this mile, through gumbo mud and water. The corps laid over at Moorcroft until 2:15 that afternoon. [31]

Returns Report for Commissioned Officers, July 1897
detail showing Lt. Moss on detached service on trip to St. Louis (NAID 168886013)

On July 3, The United States Army and Navy Journal reported the War Department had received no official news from the cyclists since their departure from Fort Missoula, but it was estimated that they must have made in the neighborhood of 750 miles. The line of march the journal reported was through Southern Montana, the Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, Nebraska and Missouri.  The journal further reported that “the military bicycle corps is an auxiliary of recognized and growing importance to the modern army.” It discussed the military use in foreign countries and  observed that “in the United States several of the National Guards have bicycle corps, while in the Regular Army the most effective use of the wheel for military purposes has been made by a detachment of the 25th Infantry, under 2d Lieut. James A. Moss, who, during last August and September, executed elaborate maneuvers and traversed considerable country in Montana and Wyoming.” It added:

“A picked detachment of the 25th Infantry under Lieut. Moss is now engaged in the most ambitious practice wheeling yet undertaken in the United States’ service… The march is intended not so much to be a test of the feasibility of moving bodies of troops on wheels—though this feature will not he ignored—as to develop the adaptability of the bicycle for extended services in courier and patrol duty and reconnoitering.” “The present expedition, as well as the use of the bicycle by the Army from the beginning has,” the journal reported, “been warmly advocated and encouraged by Maj. Gen. Miles.”[32]

Into South Dakota and Nebraska, July

The soldiers regrouped at Moorcroft, and continued southeast through the rest of Wyoming. Many hardships arose from lack of good water. [33]   They crossed the southwestern corner of South Dakota, traveling 48.2 miles, in two days. The sandy roads were awful. A stretch of good but hilly road was struck after leaving Edgemont, South Dakota, and the run from that point to the Nebraska line was made in short order. They had now traveled some 820 miles since leaving Fort Missoula.[34]

They arrived in Crawford, Nebraska, on Saturday afternoon July 3, as the town’s residents were enjoying an early Independence Day celebration, Boos reported that “The Fourth of July celebration was at its height when the 25th U.S. Infantry Bicycle Corps arrived at Crawford. The entire town was full of people and the corps was given a hearty welcome….” [35] The Crawford Nebraska Journal described the scene: “It was nearly 4 o’clock when the corps started down Second Street at a lively gait. Professor Gungl’s Ninth cavalry[36]  band greeted them with the strains of Annie Laurie as only that band can play that piece, while thousands of spectators who lined the sidewalks on either side of the street rent the air with the wildest cheers to speed them on their journey.”[37] 

scene of boys in cracker jack hats gathered around bicycle corps member, inspecting the bike
People gather around members of the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, unknown location, ca. 1897 (Montana Memory Project)

On July 3 and 4, as the men continued east over the Nebraska plains in extreme heat, water problems intensified. In one instance they rode 50 miles (80 km) without water, their lips parched and tongues swollen. Daytime temperatures were so high that the men began their trek at daybreak and rode until mid-morning. They rested through the hottest hours of the day and continued on in the late afternoon. If road conditions were good, the corps frequently pedaled by moonlight. [38]

Between 6 and 7 am of July 5, they struck the sand hills of Nebraska. An hour or two later, when they were about 9 miles from Alliance, Moss was overcome from the effects of alkali water, and taken back to town. He remained in Alliance to recover; then rejoined the riders by train. [39]

 For the next four days the corps was in command of Asst. Surg. J. Kennedy. According to Moss, “This part of the trip was a real nightmare. It was impossible to make any headway by following the wagon road in loose sand ankle deep, and the corps thereafter followed the railroad track for 170 miles, before they got out of the sand. By almost superhuman efforts this distance was covered in 4 ½ days, averaging 37.7 miles per day. The alkali water was abominable and the heat terrific.” On July 7 the thermometer registered 110 degrees in the shade, and over half of the corps were sick, two soldiers having their feet badly blistered from the burning sand.[40]

After leaving Alliance for Broken Bow, Nebraska, nearly 200 miles, the sand in the road was eight and ten inches deep.  The road was given up and the railroad was used, the men riding as much as possible, but walking the greater part of the time. While in this desolate country there was no good water to drink, and a number of the men were taken ill.[41]

After four days of suffering the sand bills were passed.  As a whole, the roads through Nebraska were good, but far from being level, as short, steep hills were continually encountered.  The corps passed through Grand Island, Lincoln, and Table Rock  At one spot in Nebraska, when the corps stopped at a farm house for water, the farmer and his wife were so delighted to see them that they insisted the men should stop long enough to have bread and milk. When the bread was gone all of the cakes and cookies in the house were also served. Such farm houses and farm families were few and far between.  When the corps stopped in Lincoln, in the middle of the day for their usual lunch and rest period, they were surrounded by so many people, especially cyclists inquiring about details of the trip that rest was out of the question. [42]    

After leaving Table Rock, Nebraska, the bicycle corps needed to travel some 40 miles to reach Rubo, Nebraska (at the Missouri River) the boundary between Nebraska and Missouri. Heavy rains had made the roads well-nigh impassable. During one day only nine miles were covered. But finally, on July 16, the bicycle corps reached Rubo, and took a ferry across the Missouri River and into Missouri. They were now some 45 miles away of St. Joseph, and some 340 miles to St. Louis. [43]  

It was at this point, that Moss decided to deal with one of the troublesome soldiers. In his report, he wrote: “Pvt. Eugene Jones, who claimed to be ill and unable to ride was sent back to Fort Missoula from St. Joe, Mo. I have every reason to believe this soldier was merely feigning illness, thinking I would send him the rest of the way to St. Louis by rail. As he had given me trouble on several occasions, I thought it would be best for the public service to send him back to his station.” [44]

By the time the bicycle corps reached Missouri, many stories about it were being carried by newspapers around the country. The public began to follow the progress of “Uncle Sam’s Riders” with increasing interest and excitement. [45] The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps was now close to its St. Louis destination, 433 miles away.

Next: Part IV, conclusion


This year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has chosen Black Health and Wellness as the theme. We hope you enjoy blogs that reveal stories of Black health and wellness from the records of the National Archives.


[1] Report of Major General Nelson A. Miles, Commanding U.S. Army, of his Tour of Observation in Europe May 5 to October 10, 1897, Adjutant General Office, M.I.D., War Department Document No. 96 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1899), p. 1..

[2] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, May 15, 1897, p. 682.

[3] George W. Cullum, Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. military academy at West Point, N.Y., from its establishment, in 1802, to 1890; with the early history of the United States military academy, Supplement, vol. IV. 1890-1900, edited by Edward S. Holden (Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1901), p. 582..

[4] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71; Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 13.

[5] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, August 7, 1897, p. 903; Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), pp. 13, 23, n. 19;  Moore, The Great Bicycle Experiment: The Army’s Historic Black Bicycle Corps, 1896-97, p. 40 http://bicyclecorpsriders.blogspot.com/2009/01/ contains excellent biographies of the members of the bicycle corps.

[6] Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, “The Wheels of War,” American History, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (April 1999), p. 29.

[7] Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 14.

[8] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.

[9] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71; Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 13.

[10] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.

[11] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, August 7, 1897, p. 903; House of Representatives, 54th Congress, 2nd Session, Document No. 149, Official Army Register for 1897, Published by Order of the Secretary of War, In Compliance with Law, Adjutant-General’s Office, Washington, December 1, 1896,  p. 29; Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 13.

[12] Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), pp. 14-16, 18;  The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, July 31, 1897, p. 887; Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, “The Wheels of War,” American History, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (April 1999), p. 29. Boos was born in Kentucky on April 1, 1877. His family moved to Helena, Montana, while he was in grade school. He attended the University of Montana at Missoula in 1896 but did not complete a degree. In that same year Boos began working as a freelance correspondent for several newspapers in the Missoula area. During the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps expedition during the summer of 1897, Boos submitted accounts of the expedition as they traveled. His accounts were prepared for the Daily Missoulian, but some were also published by newspapers along the route and a few were subsequently reprinted by national and international newspapers.

http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv33520

[13] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, June 5, 1897, p. 741.

[14] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, August 7, 1897, p. 903.

[15] Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 14; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71

[16] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71; Moore, The Great Bicycle Experiment: The Army’s Historic Black Bicycle Corps, 1896-97, p. 44; Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, “The Wheels of War,” American History, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (April 1999), p. 29.

[17] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.

[18] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.

[19] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71; Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), pp. 16, 18.

[20] Moore, The Great Bicycle Experiment: The Army’s Historic Black Bicycle Corps, 1896-97, p. 49

[21] Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 18.

[22] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.

[23] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71; Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, “The Wheels of War,” American History, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (April 1999), p. 30.

[24] Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, “The Wheels of War,” American History, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (April 1999), p. 30.

[25] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.

[26] Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, “The Wheels of War,” American History, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (April 1999), p. 30; Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 16.

[27] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, June 19, 1897, p. 778; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, June 26, 1897, p. 797.

[28] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.

[29] Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, “The Wheels of War,” American History, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (April 1999), p. 30.

[30] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, July 10, 1897, p. 836.

[31] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.

[32] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, July 3, 1897, p. 814.

[33] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, July 31, 1897, p. 887.

[34] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, July 31, 1897, p. 887.

[35] Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, “The Wheels of War,” American History, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (April 1999), p. 66.

[36] The 9th Cavalry regimental headquarters and band  was stationed at Fort Robinson, four  miles west of Crawford..

[37] Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 19.

[38] Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, “The Wheels of War,” American History, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (April 1999), p. 66.

[39] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71; Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, “The Wheels of War,” American History, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (April 1999), p. 66.

[40] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.

[41] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, July 31, 1897, p. 887.

[42] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, July 31, 1897, p. 887; Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), pp. 18, 19

[43] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, July 31, 1897, p. 887; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, August 7, 1897, p. 903; Moore, The Great Bicycle Experiment: The Army’s Historic Black Bicycle Corps, 1896-97, p. 53.

[44] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.

[45] Moore, The Great Bicycle Experiment: The Army’s Historic Black Bicycle Corps, 1896-97, p. 53.

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