The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-01-04
AN AMBULANCE TRAIN AND ARMED
ESCORT.

"When the news ofthe Big Hole fight given
in to-day's paper reached own last Saturday
and it became known that so many of our
gallant soldiers lay wounded on the battle
field, a meeting was called as soon as those
engaged at work in the neighboring mines
could be collected together and the following
taken to send relief to our men. A
committee of three, composed of Jno. Downs,
Marcus DAILY and Lee W. Foster, was ap-
pointed to solicit funds to defray necessary
expenses and the enrolment books were i'm
mediately opened to receive the names of all
wishing to accompany the ambulance wagons
as an armed escort, and able to furnish their
own horses.
eth vehicles for the transportation of sup
plies were five in number and furnished gra-
tbs, as follows: Charles Swan, Concord wag-
on; Cohen & Bro, ambulance; H. G. Stoner
and Peter Sherr, mules and light wagon
VIM. Owsley, Concord wagon; Ed. King,
Concord wagon. These wagons were loaded
with a full supply of commissary stores for
twenty days and the following hospital stores:
Four gals. bran' two gals. whiskey, so yds.
bleached muslin II bandages and some lint,
two cases surgical instruments, $75 worth of
medicine, one case each of strawberries,
peaches, oysters and sardines.
The amount collected by the committee
appointed to raise funds was $412. The
small number volunteering to the
ambulances was due to the belief generally
entertained, and since shown to be correct,
that Howard would form a junction with Glib
bon before the latter could be reached by
forces from Butte and consequently that
nothing further would be required from Butte
than a sufficient number to care properly for
the wounded. Our account of the proceed
ings has of necessity been very brief. The
ambulance train and escort did not leave
town until 8 o'clock Sunday morning (the 12)
for the requisite number of horses could not
sooner be procured. One hundred more
men are ready to start out if woro comes that
there is need of there services"
There is vastly more material which is of
great interest, but which for want of space
must be omitted. 1t should be transferred to
Tie CUSTODY Ol tllc IlStoIlCdl COClcGy VI Null
tana and in time be published in full.
The Butte relief corps met Gibbon - miles
this side of the battlefield and turned over
all the ambulances. With these his wounded
were conveyed to Deer Lodge. Here they
met a company from Deer Lodge under
Captain Thos. Stuart, which had also been
sent out to Gibbons relief. The Butte and
Deer Lodge companies resolved under the
advice of Gen. Gibbon, to push forward to
Towards command, which it was supposed
would overtake and engage the Indians on
Horse Prairie. By forced marches Gen,
Howard was reached the second iday, at the
crossing of Horse Prairie Creek, IL miles
from Bannack, Clark having 43 and Stuart
rs men. A courier coming in from Lemh
with the intelligence hat the hostiles had
fed towards Snake river, Towards com
mand left the following morning on the
stage road towards Pleasant Valley. The
volunteers believing that the prospect O.
Howard overtaking the Indians was hopeless
started out on the old Mormon road leading
directly to Snake river, resolving to give thu
Nez Perces a little game themselves: Wher
- miles from camp they were overtaken b!
Lieut.. Wood, staff officer Of Gen. Howard
with positive orders that the volunteers SHOULD
either fall into Towards column or return
home, saying that the plans of his campaign
would be disconnected, etc. Not caring t.
follow the slow movements of Gen. Howard
in what they believed and which atterwart
proved to be a ~fruitless chase, Clark ant
Stuart concluded to return, which was accord
ingly done and their respective companie
disbanded. Thus ended the part the citizen
of Deer Lodge county took in the compaign
Never in the history of Indian warfare
did men spring swifter to the defense Of thei
neighbors and their homes, sacrificing al
business interests and paying their own eH
penses, without certainty of repayment from
any source. The farmer and his men, tn
miner and prospector, the merchant and hi
clerks, the freighter with his teams, tn
banker and his book-keeper, and all men o
every class and condition, sprung forth, NOV
ed by one impulse of determination to pro
tect the defenseless and to punish their invad
ers. 1t was no fault of theirs if they did no
punish them fearfully. They showed thei
willingness to fight and die if necessary
But Towards tactics would give them N
opportunity. So when the war cloud role
away from their borders they returned home
feeling that they had done their whole duty
and received, as they deserved, the thanks
the women and children, whom they ha
left alone while absent in their defense, a
we'll as the plaudits Of all men.
1t is not necessary to recite the subsequen
events of the so-called war, in which Howar