The New York herald., 1876-03-08
A Small Settlement of Whites
Hemmed In by Indians
\ HEROIC RESISTANCE.
A Rusty Old Twelve-Pounder
Frightening the Savages.
ESCAPE OF PART OF THE GARRISON

few days ago two men came in here and stated they
we're just from Fort Pease which place they had left
ven days before They came through in the night
Chey said lght had taken place OH the pa of
January between the Sioux Indians under Sitting Bull
and the garrison at Fort Pease which grea. many
Indians killed and wounded SIX Of the garri-
son wounded, two OF whom have since died Fighting
has been gong ut Fort Pease almost every day
the I'd Of January. and at last all the but
fourteen had abandoned the post and these
rounded by Indians and unable TO get away
HISTORY OF PORT PKAsE
In the spring Of 1875 some citizens Of Bozeman be.
ieying that the yellow stone would soon be navgaed
established at what they considered would be the head
Of navigation, colony and fort The fort was called
Pease after the who led the expedition, and the
colony known Peases colony. A town
laid out and named "Big Horn CITY," Some farms
were taken up and planting commenced. Fort Pease
on the west OF the Yellowstone River miles
below the mouth OF the Big Horn River, and is strong
fort
Around square 200 feet In diameter trees six
inches thick and twenty-five feet high, were set in
trench four feet deep and firmly pinned together,
forming strong stockade, protection against bull
let's On the inside of the stockade and two
feet from the wall, the houses
built, connecting with each other Back
OF the houses eight feet from the ground, gangway
Of plank hewed from logs around the sockado on
which could stand nre through the loop holes
The soekade was loophoed above and below the gang
way scanold" rs the frontersmen call it, The
roofs of the houses higher than stockade and
also oopholed All the houses loopholed ON
the inside that if the Indians got the fort they
would be better of than if they outside as
the occupants of the houses could fire them from
all sides All the houses well as the sockade
built of green logs, that they would not burn and
the roofs covered with dirt Heavy gates for ngress
aud egress opposite fort com pcted tho
stronghold OF the little colony.
PASTORAL AND wARLIKE AMUsKNENTs
The rural pleasure of living at Fort Pease could
at any time have been very great, for from the very
nrs day of the planting OF the colony the Indians have
been around H. aud have amused thems elvcs by shoot
ing at the inhabitants The colonsts had old iron
twelye-pounder, and when their guns would reach
their annoying enemies the border men threw bolt
pi iron ut The savages. aud laughed them run
As the missile went kissing and whistng through the
When the savages crowded and came closer,
stones, old bots shoes and pieces OF wood fred
aud Kegs OF tcnpcnny nails were made TO the
place Of grape and canister The old iron gun
did not seem TO be at all particular about what
II loaded with, and accommodating
in hurng alt ;orts of projectiles 10 The evi9 |
dent discomfort and annoyance of the enemy
How the Indians came 10 allow the colonists es
tabsh Fort Pease and the colony is explained by the
TACT that they were away ut the time the tort
built, and 1t was some time before Sitting Bull heard
OF H. Then he came over in great wrath aud ordered
the tort to pulled down, but tho coonlsts threw
bolt OF iron ut his head from the old 12pounder and
he retired TO think about it, Since that day Fort
Peasc has been the grief of Sitting Bulls heart and
he could not even get close enough TO have good
look at tor that internal old gun which threw
wood stones spikes boots Shoes nails andevcrythne
~ hlm.
ExrEcTATIoN
When Fort Pease established IL wascxpeced that
abe Northern Pacific Railroad would be built that
point, aud form connection with the head Of navga
ton ON the felowstoac Ii was also recognized tho
point where the United States would build u large mill
tary post 10 protect the railroad from Indians. Few
people doubted but that town would spring up ut tho
junction OF the railroad with the Yellowstone and the
line country Tor one hundred miles np and down the
river gave hope of large farming community SO
certain some that trade would open up on the
Yellowstone that Ellis Davis mercantile firm do
Ing business In Bozeman sent down 10 Fort Pcasc IA
general stock OF merchandise and opened store other
merchants sent East and contracted Tor hight steamcr
TO be built Tor the purpose OF carrying local trade
along the Yellowstone. The steamer to have
up the aud TO begin her trips ID April or
May, 1915 St Louis parties had also agreed to
heavier To the mouth OF the Yellowstone and
with the Fort Pease line. Wood being
aud ranked on The bank OF the river Tor the OF the
steamers when the Indians appeared shot man
and drove the others into the fort
The iorty men OF Fort Pcase have perhaps, had
rough on experience US ever fell to the lot OF any set
tiers ofa new country Almost constantly since June
last they have been "A state of Al they
were entirely shut up but occasionally rallyIng they
would sally out and attempt drive OF their assal
ants In these battles they lost killed and nine
Nounded out of their little band OF forty souls The
names Of some OF the killed Edwards Mason,
Swccny, Jesse and Mexican joe; the wounded were
Williamson. Hart Taylor Dhvens, Gl,s Grain and
volumc, and for thrilling adventure would surpass
even The adventures ortho days OF Miles standish.
THE LAST MAN PROM THE
Mr.. Hubbcll, who the 10Th, With letters
TO the Commander Of Fort Eis from tho OF Poase
asking him TO come and get them out of the country
Tho garrison divided; thirteen men coming with
Mr. HuoDell and fourteen remaining Ii not known
u any party could get through the Indian lines,
was considered prudent To risk only half the garrison
In attempting TO communicate with the settlements
aud military posts. A few days before Hubbc came
put Mr.. Mccormack started to come out and brought
nine men with him 10 guard a wagon. They waited a
week for storm, and started IN the night in the midst
OF a binding snowstorm. Tho nine came forty
miles with Mccormack when he told thcm To lay by
until night and then 20 back to tho fort They started
Tor the tort but have not been heard from since, and II
~ believed tney surrounded by Indians and all
killed. Mr.. Mccormack and tho man with him got I
through BoLeman with the wagon laying by in the
daytime and travelling at night
When the nine men who went out with Mccormack
did return The the garrison became uneasy
and believed they had all been killed Mr. HubbelI was
surprised 10 nnd Mccormack and the other man had
have abandoned the idea OF going back the and
gone into the settlements at some other point
SHUT Ur ~ Il
Hubbel reports that alter Mccormack lett tho sIn-.
dians became very bold pushing up quite close
walls OF the fort and conunng the entirely whhn
the stoekade The ammunition for twelve poul
had given out and the boseged could drive
OF but a short distance with thcr rides one man.
evidently watching the fort cnrage that
ne erAwled out OF tho tort, ana, creep ns up.
another, but his emerty cost him his lilo or before
he could get back into the slockadc he icadcd of
killed and scalpcd The Indians next Haing called
the in the fort and said they had killed Jesse
and the body was lying IN the timber.
Mr. Hubbell thinks The garrison ut pcaso can hold
until the soldiers reach them, hc stockade IS
very strong and the men had plenty OF sinmunition
There was well OF good pure water within the lort
aud six months provisions 10 thtSstorebouse Tho
animals have nearly al been killed died OF Starvs-
ton there being grain In the postnd the grass all
eaten up There VAS bus one poor old horse within
the sockade and he had received nve7Jas IN hs body
the Indians while trying to yickA few mouthiuls
OF grass OUTSIDE the Stockade. Ne dSguscd and.
would hot 20 out any
A. he learned oi their situa non General Terry
ordered the troops TO 20 the relief OF the
ncn al FeAsc and bring them out OF the Indian
n.y. The distance from FORT Kills pcase is set down
40 miles and last accounts n 10 soldiers were as