Fred E. Server diary, October 11, 1876-February 2, 1877

Sergeant Fred E. Server was born in May 1855 in Pensylvania to Sarah Symington VanBeck Server and Erastus P. Server. He came to Montana Territory about 1869 and enlisted with the U. S. Army in 1873. He served with Company G, 2nd Calvary at Fort Ellis, Montana Territory. He was married to Christianna W. "Anna" Germeyer Server. He died May 12, 1911, and is buried in the Custer National Cemetery within the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument, Montana.

In October 1876, Lieutenant Gustavus Cheney Doane led five soldiers and a sergeant--Sergeant Fred E. Server--to survey the Snake River from its start near Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park to the Columbia River. The purpose of the expedition was unclear and vaguely defined, with Doane by-passing his chain of command to receive approval. Poorly planned, badly timed, and ill-fated from the start, the group was already struggling by the time they reached Jackson Lake in what is now Grand Teton National Park. Further hardships followed including severe winter weather, near starvation, ill health, and damage and loss of equipment, including the boat used on the river. After reaching Fort Hall, Idaho Territory, in January 1877, the party spent several days recovering before returning to Fort Ellis by stage on the orders of their commanding officer, Captain Bainbridge.