HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF DAKOTA,
St. Paul, Minn., June 8,1874.
Special Orders
No. 117
I...In pursuance of instructions from the Headquarters of the Military Division of the Missouri, an expedition will be organized at Fort Abraham Lincoln, D. T., for the pupose of reconnoitering the route from that post to Bear Butte in the Black Hills and exploring the country South-east and South-west of that point. The expedition will consist of the six companies of the 7th Cavalry now stationed at Fort Abraham Lincoln, the four companies of the same regiment now at Fort Rice, Company "I", 20th Infantry, and Company "G", 17th Infantry and such Indian scouts from Fort Abraham Lincoln and Rice as the Commander of the Expedtion shall select.
Lientenant-Colonel G. A. Custer of the 7th Cavalry is assigned to the command.
The expedition will start from Fort Abraham Lincoln as soon after the 20th instant as may be practicable. Lieuteuant-Colonel Custer will proceed by such route as he may find to be most desirable to Bear Butte or some other point on or near the Belle Fourche, and thence will push his explorations in such direction or directions as in his judgment will enable him to obtain the most information in regard to the character of the country and the possible routes of communications through it.
Lieutenant-Colonel Custer will return to Fort Abraham Lincoln, within sixty days from the time of his departure from it. Should, however, any unforseen obstacles render it necessary or advisable for him to return from any point of his contemplated march, even before the Belle Fourche is reached he is authorized to do so.
Captain William Ludlow, Chief Engineer of the Department will report to Lieutenant-Colonel Custer, as Engineer officer of the expedition- he will be accompanied by his Civil Assistant and three enlisted men of the Engineer Battalion.
The Chief Quartermaster of the Department will furnish such number of wagons and ambulances as with those now at Forts Abraham Lincoln and Rice will be sufficient for the expedition.
While the expedition is in process of organization and until it shall have commenced its march, Lieutenant-Colonel Custer is placed in command of Fort Rice as well as of his own post.
II... Acting Assistant Surgeon F. A. Davis, U.S.A., is hereby relieved from duty with the Black Hills Expedition to which he was assigned by paragraph II, Special Orders No. 111; current series from these headquarters and is assigned to duty at Fort Rice, D. T., to which post he will proceed without delay and report to the Commanding Officer, relieving Acting Assistant Surgeon S. J. Allen U.S.A., who is hereby assigned to duty with the Black Hills Expedition. Acting Assistant Surgeon Allen will proceed without delay to Fort Abraham Lincoln and report to Lieuntant-Colonel G. A. Custer, 7th Cavalry for duty.
III...A General Court Martial is hereby appointed to meet at Fort Seward, D.T., on Thursday the18th day of June, 1874, at 10 o'clock a.m., or as soon thereafter as practicable for the trial of Private William Kennedy, Company "A", 20th Infantry and such other persons as may properly he brought before it.

Detail for the Court.
Captain J.H. Patterson, 20th Infantry.
Captain A.A. Harbach,20th Infanty.
2d Lieutenant C. H. Ribbel, 20th Infantry.
2d Lieutenant J. G Gates, 20th Infantry.
2d Leutent J.F. Huston, 20th Infantry, Judge. Advocate.

No other officers than those named can be assembled without manifest injury to the service. Should any of the officers named in the detail be unable to attend, the Court will, nevertheless, proceed to and continue the business before it, provided the number present be not less than the minimum prescribed by law.
IV... So much of the sentence in the case of Private David Farrell, Company "I", 20th Infantry, promulgated in General Orders No. 97, series of1873, from these headquarters as relates to confinement and which remains unexecuted, is hereby remitted.
V... Indian Scouts A kan-kin-a-gin and Ta-can-la-hara-lan, U.S.A., Fort Abercrombie, D. T., now awaiting trial by general court martial for desertion, will be restored to duty without trial subject to the provisions of paragraph 158,160, and 162 Revised Army Regulations 1863.
By Command of Brigadier General, Terry.
O. D. Greene,
Assistant Adjutant General.