Day 20 - east of Bozeman to north of Townsend, MT

We took the road again at 7 o'clock. The traveling was very good, except in places, until we got a few miles beyond Threek Forks, where we had a long and tedious ride over mountains. For fully three hours we pushed and rode our wheels in the hot sun, over alkali soil, without a sign of tree or water. During the day we crossed several long hills and by 7 o'clock that evening had traveled 72 miles in eight and three-quarter hours. After supper I asked the soldiers if they were very tired. Every one of them answered they were feeling tired, but not half as much as they had often felt after an ordinary 25-mile forced march. It is true we had by this time become pretty well hardened, but such would be the normal condition of soldiers in time of actual warfare. I do not hesitate to make the statement that we could have kept up this rate five days longer, the weather and condition of the roads permitting.

- Military Cycling in the Rocky Mountains, Moss

Sept. 3: Left for Helena 7 A.M.. Reached Manhattan 9:05. Stopped 15 mins. to get meat. Reached Logan 10 o'clock. Stopped 10 mins. to send telegram. Reache Three Forks 11 A.M.. Stopped 10 mins. At 12:05 P.M. delayed 25 mins. on account of Proctor's tire bursting. Replaced it with an M & W. At 12:40 delayed again 10 mins. on account of Proctor's tire. At 1 P.M. delayed 15 mins. fixing Proctor's tire. At 1:30 delayed 10 mins. for Proctor. Hard work crossing mountains after passing Three Forks--alkali country without a sign of grass or water--sun very hot--all very thirsty. At 2:45 reached a small ranch, where we stopped until 4:05 for dinner. Rachman and wife very hospitable--gave us lots of milk and bread--insisted upon our eating in their dining room. Reached Toston 4:40. Stopped 15 mins. Reached Townsend 6:20. Stopped 5 mins. at telegraph office. At 7:10 stopped for the night, cooking supper and sleeping in a vacant school house. Roads during day good as a whole--in some places, however, bad--dried mud, ruts, etc. Distance travelled 72 miles; time of actual travelling 8: 3/4 hours.

- Report from Lt. Moss to Adjutant General, Oct. 10, 1896 [National Archives, R.G. 94 Box 346 46363-46575]