The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-03-27
IS A WESTERN FORT.
The Experience Mt Fort Prnsr where
Forty Men have Spent Months Fighting
the Indians,

The Experience Mt Fort PeRsc "hcr'
Forty Men have Spent Months Rightlni
the Indians,
Fort Peasr, tho garrison which ha
been relieved by the troops, is on th'
west side OF the Yellowstone river, 81,
miles below the mouth Of the Big Hcrl
river, and is n strong fort. 1t was gar
risoned originally by ono company o
forty men.
From the very first day OF the occu
pancy OF tho fort, the Indians have beer
around it, and have amused themselve
by shooting at tho inhabitants. Th'
colonists hadAn oldiron twelve.pounder
and when their guns would not reacl
their annoying enemies tho border mel
threw bolt OF iron Mt tho savagcs, ant
laughed to see them run rs tho missile
went kissing and whistling through the
mir. When the sayagos crowded ant
came closer, stones, old boots, shoes nnt
pieces OF wood wero fired, and kegs o
tenpenny nails were made to answer the
place OF grape aud canister. The ole
iron gun did not seem to be ut all par
ticularabout what it WAS loaded with, ant
was most accommodating in hurling al
sorts Of projoctiles, to tho evident dis
comfort and annoyance OF the enemy.
How tho Indians came to allow tho
colonists to establish Fort Peaso and tht
colony is explained blythe fact that they
wcro away at the time the fort was built
and it was some time before Sitting Bul!
heard OF it. Then he came over in great
wrath and ordered the fort to be pulled
down, but the colonists threw bolt Of
iron ut his head from the old twelve
FOUNDER, and he retired to think about
it. Since that day Fort Poasc has bcOr
the grief OF Sitting Bulls heart, and he
could not even get close enough to have
a good look at it for that old gun which
threw cord wood, stones, spikes, boots,
shoes, nails and everything ut him.
Tho forty men of Fort Peaso have,
perhaps, had as rough an experience rs
ever fell to tho lot OF any settlers Of n
new country. Almost constantly since
June last they haze been in state Of
war. At times they were entirely shut
up, but occasionally rallying, they
would sally out Lud attempt to drive Of
their assailants. In these battles they
lost six killed and nine wounded out o.
their little band OF forty souls. The
battles Of these men would fill volume
The last man from the fort was Mr.,
Hubbell, who came with letters to the
commander of Fort Ellis, from the mcr
OF Pease, asking him to come and get
them ont of the country. Tho garrison
divided; thirteen men coming out with
Mr.. Hubbell and fourteen remaining. II
was not known if any party could gel
through the Indian lines, but it was con-
sidered prudent to risk only half the
garrison in attempting to communicate
with the settlements and military posts.
a few days before Hubbell came ont Mr..
Mccormack started to como out and
brought nine men with him to guard a
wagon. They waited week for n storm
and started in tie night in the midst oi
binding suOwstorm. The nine men
came forty miles with Mccormack, when
he told them to lay by until night and
then 20 back to tho fort. They started
for tho fort but have not been heard
from since, and it is believed they were
surrounded by Indians and oil killed.
Mr.. Mccormick and the man with him
got through to Bozeman with the wagon,
laying by in the daytime and travelling
by night.
When the nine men who went OFT
with Mccormack did not return the men
at the garrison became uneasy and be-
lieved they had all been killed. Mr..
Hubbell was surprised to lind McCor-
mack and the other man had got
through, aud no now thinks tho nine
men may have abandoned the idea OF
going back to the fort and gone into the
settlements at some other point.
IIubbell reports that after Mccormack
left the Indians became very bold,
pushing up quite close TO the walls Of
the fort and conining the men entirely
within the stockadc. Tho ammunition
for the twelve FOUNDER Ind given ont,
and tho besieged could drive tho savages
oil but u short distance with their rifles,
One man, jesse, who saw two indians
warming ut fire, and evidently watch
ing tue fort, was so cnraged that he
crawled out OF tho fort, and, creeping
up, shot one Of the Indians dead and
wounded another, but his tenerity cost
him his life, for before he could gel
back into the stockadc he was headed of
by other Indians, driven into some tim
Der, and there killed and scalped. The
Indians next morning called to the men
in the fort and said they had killed
jesse and tho body was lying over in the
timber.