Works of Art

During the time he was travelling to the West as an artist-correspondent for Harper’s, Remington’s work was noticed by Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles, a capable and very ambitious U.S. Army commander. Miles frequently opened doors for Remington to be an “official artist” on numerous occasions, allowing him easy access to the officers and troops in the field. In return, Remington supported General Miles’ efforts to be noticed in the press and praised for his exploits, whether deserved or not. The culmination of this was the publication in 1896 of the Personal Recollections and Observations of General Nelson A. Miles, a weighty self-serving tome that was designed to help propel Miles to the presidency of the United States. The volume featured a great many illustrations by Remington, including full-page black and white reproductions taken from paintings. Fourteen of these illustrations were printed in rotogravure for a portfolio issued by the book’s publisher, the Werner Company, in 1898.

After the disastrous defeat of General George A. Custer at the Little Big Horn in July 1876, United States cavalry units under General Miles’ command hounded the Cheyenne and Sioux well into the following winter. In Montana, the soldiers built a rude fort on the Tongue River in order to pursue Sitting Bull and his followers. This print depicts part of a battalion under Captain Frank D. Baldwin which stealthily made its way in below-zero weather and blizzard conditions to attack Sitting Bull’s camp on the morning of December 18, 1876. The surprised Indians were put to flight, leaving their lodges and winter stores behind, which the U.S. troops destroyed so they could not be used.