Distinctly Montana Magazine

17 w w w. d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m O NE OF THE MORE CURIOUS EPISODES in Fort Missoula's 70-year history involved the 25th Infantry Regiment, who were transferred there in 1888. The 25th was one of two all-black infantry regiments at the time. Given the name "Buffalo Sol- diers" by the Native Americans who fought against them in the late nineteenth century, they readily distinguished themselves both through their courage on the battlefield, and their exem- plary behavior in the community. For the most part, Missoulians welcomed the black regiment, even regularly riding out to the fort for their lively, entertaining summer Sunday open air con- certs on the parade grounds. Enter Second Lieutenant James Alfred Moss. Fresh out of the 1894 West Point graduating class, he was assigned to the 25th Infantry Regiment in Missoula. He arrived at the fort in Septem- ber, 1894. As the saying goes, it is best not to judge a book by its cover. Despite only just squeaking through West Point, and giv- en what must have seemed like a very lowly assignment, Moss was destined to make an impact. By the 1890s the bicycle was really gaining in popularity. It was often referred to as "The Wheel," and those who rode them as "Wheelmen." Moss was an avid wheelman and he must have been buoyed in his new assignment to find half the fort had bicycles and many of the towns people, too. Moss felt they could be superior to horses in many instances—not needing feed and water, and being able to travel more stealthily. He advocated for an opportunity to conduct demonstrations to show their military feasibility. He found a sympathetic ear in Major General Miles, of the Nez Perce War fame, who approved a limited test in April, 1896. The demonstration consisted of three organized rides—two in 1896 and a much longer one in 1897. Moss chose bicycles sup- plied for free by the Spalding Bicycle Company [photo]. After some initial training, they first ventured 126 miles north to Lake McDonald on August 6th. Right off the bat they encountered problems—steep grades, terrible roads, heavy rains, choking mud, multiple stream crossings and many flat tires. Despite these obstacles, the made the trip in four days. The second, longer trip was a roundtrip to Yellowstone Na- tional Park. Supposedly they now had "puncture-proof" tires. In addition to the necessary provisions, each rider carried either a 10-pound rifle or a revolver and each had a 30-round cartridge belt and half of a tent. Supplies also included extra repair kits and parts, pushing the weight of each bicycle to an average of 80 pounds. By August 15th they were on their way again. Their route followed the railroad over to Fort Harrison by Hel- ena, then down to Bozeman and over Fort Yellowstone (Mam- moth Hot Springs). It was a brutal ride, once again with heavy rains that turned the dirt roads into a sea of mud several inches deep, and always a stiff wind in their faces. After slogging their way up the pass near present-day McDonald Pass, they had to walk their bikes down the other side as they were now too THE 25TH INFANTRY REGIMENT OF FORT MISSOULA "Buffalo Soldier Wheelmen" by DOUG STEVENS

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