The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-01-04

had Deen an oversight DuC Cne
note from the governor was evidence assis-
lance was needed and that he desired every
fighting man at Missoula. That was enough.
At once began the most intense excitement
ever witnessed here. 1t surpassed for the
next twepty-four hours anything we witness
ed during the greatest enthusiasm of the wal
times. Men were frantic for guns, horses
and equipments, and as quickly as secured,
they were off for Missoula as fast as they
could 60. Organization was impossible
I'VE will organize at Missoula, or wherever
we strike Indians was the universal re-
spouse. On horseback, IN buggies and in
lumber wagons they sped for the canon from
here, the lower valley and the lower camps,
and by night Deer Lodge seemed ~depopulated.
"But this was only a lull of the storm.
Two days before W. A. Clark, Esq, had
come from Butte and reported for duty. Il
am at command. Only a dozen of our
Butte boys have gone But it is rot apathy.
"A call for service from the governor will
bring every man in the field who can be
armed. 1t will suspend all business, but
Butte can fight as we'll as mine, and l will
bear the message This was no idle proffer.
He knew all it involved to the industries of
the camp and he knew the men of Butte.
The grand hailing sign of distress had been
given; the governor had asked for men and
the hour had come. The following, only in
accurate in unimportant matters, shows how
he kept his word and how the men of Butte
rallied for the fray:
From The independently
"When Gov. Potts proclamation reached
Deer Lodge, on Saturday, and with it the
news of the peril in Missoula county, Mr.. w.
A.. Clark, the banker of Deer Lodge, immedi-
ately jumped into the saddle and headed his
blooded horse for Butte, AZ miles distant, to
carry the news and raise a company of vol
unteers to help defend the Lo Lo trail. 1t
was II o'clock in the forenoon when he left
Deer Lodge and the hour hand had not yet
reached 2 o'clock when he pulled up his
foaming steed in the city of Butte. He i'm
mediately began organizing a company and
fully succeeded-for there are willing and
brave hearts in the Silver City-and started
with his company the same night for Deer
Lodge City. The settlers along the Deer
Lodge, aroused by the steady hoof-beats upon
the hard roads, opened their windows and
gazed with awe and alarm at the midnight
cavalcade g~alloping swiftly down the valley.
The forms of the horses and riders disap-
peared so rapidly in the midnight gloom and
shadows thrown far out from the mountains
that the watchers doubtless thought them a
band of phantom horsemen. Arriving at
Deer Lodge City, they were Immediately
armed and equipped and by 7 o'clock the same
morning Sunday, the Butte volunteers,
ninety-six in number, with Capt. W. A. Clark
at their head, were galloping down the valley
of the Deer Lodge to assist their friends in
Missoula against the threatened Indian raid.
There was not much nonsense about the West
Siders.'
"But this was not all. Instantly on ar
irving at Butte messengers were sent to the
mills and mines on which all work was at
once suspended and every one flocked to town.
A war meeting was called, the facts stated
and volunteers called for. In an hour Co. A
of 70 men was filled and sworn in before it
was full, Co.. B was started in three hours
it was full and before midnight Co. C was
opened, and all were finally filled, every man
taking the oath and being mustered in. As
fast as transportation could be had, and every
thing from a Ten Brook buggy to a hay wag-
on was brought into service, they started for
Deer Lodge and the advance was here before
midnight-full $50 as good fighting men a,
America can produce, under officers whose
names are a guarantee throughout Mtonana,
that whatever patriotism, duty and honor de-
manded, they would do valliantly unto death.
That night and the next morning the hours
were lively in Deer Lodge. The Scott house
and McBurney house, Valiton's stable, the
blacksmith and saddlery shops were down to
their best work, agreeing to take vouchers for
what was furnished, the men were provided
for as well as possible and everybody who
had horses, saddles and equipments to spare,
voluntarily placed them at the disposal of the
quartermaster who, with his aids, stripped
the entire region by early morning. Part of
the command had arms and the only remain
ing breech-loaders, SO in number, were issued
to the companies. This but partially armed
them and 100 muzzle-loaders they had brought
from Butte, although rejected at first, were
urgently in demand and the entire command
armed. As fast as equipped they went forward
and by 8 O'Clock the companies were en- route
to Missoula.
ave have taken occasion to procure as
complete lists as possible of those in the diff
ferent camps of the West Side who started
for Missoula on this call, as we'll as the addi-
tional forces moving to and up Big Hole.
The following is the showing as certified by
officers and leading citizens in the sevar.I