The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-09-01
From the Daily Of Friday.
GIBBONS ~BATTLE-FIEL,D.
Inc Bones Of Heroes Left Bleach.
ing on the Plain.

~~AS00 0S4 y x06SA
ing on the Plain.
Impressions Of a Tourist.
One OF the recent excursionists to
the Big Hole Canyon writes the fol-
lowing interesting account of the
trip. and Impressions Of the famous
battlefield To leave cut the MANY
interesting incidents of such a jour
ney (being nearly 100 miles,, and
taking only general outlines of the
trip, beyond French Gulch there
ere quite a number of small streams
emptying in to the Big Hole, in some
of which the fishing was found to be
very good, but by those familiar with
The country, said to be better earlier
IN the season, as the fish. after spawn
ing, run down into the Big Hole
River about this time of the year.
The party camped with Mr.. Chase
on the night of the 18th, who is a
genial good fellow, has q fine hay
ranch, and EXTENDED to the gang the
inequalities which a ranchman only
gives, without ostentation, aud with
out even expecting any guild pro quo.
W. experienced quite a snow storm
the first night there, and the Their
mOmeter went down to IA deg. above
zero. W. were all strangers to that
part of the Big Hole country, and
ere astOnished to find it's vast ex-
tent. The Big Hole river is formed
by what is known as the South Fork
and the North Fork, which form a
junction some fifteen miles below
Gibbons battlefield, the ba tie hav-
ing taken place on the North Fork
some fifteen miles above. The vast
basin formed around the junction OF
the two forks is a great grass coun-
try and extends some Is miles east
and west, and from north to south,
varying with the course of the two
forks, extends for miles, perhaps
never measured, but apparently over
100 miles. There are quite q mum
Der of ranches already located in the
basin, evidently all hay ranches, and
we are told that the ranchers dispose
of their hay by driving the cattle in
and feeding il on the ground through
the winter. Query? Can stockman
afford to send stock in there to be
taken care of through the winter, at
however small a price, when they
can usually be wintered in this coun-
try without any extra food be-
side what our hills and val
leys afford uncut, and IN a state
of nature. The time will come
however when the grass lands of
Big HOle basin will be worth much
money. and there r thousands of
acres there yet unentered and I'M
touched.
We camped on the night of the Goth
about one mile ABOVE Gibbons bat
tlefeld, on Trail Creek, which is the
north creek forming the north fork
Of the Boulder, there being two
creeks forming this fork at its head,
the south one being Ruby creek.
They join and form the north fork of
the Boulder about a half mile above
Gibbons battle ground.
On the 2lst we visited the battle
ground, and were so fortunate as to
fall in with Ad Wolff, an old pros
pectOr, who could show us the prin-
cipal positions of the ~belligerents;
where this party and that n were
killed; the identical tree the Indian
stood behind who did such great exc
cution with his Shapes rifle; where
the five Bitter Root volunteers were
buried, (since removed;) the grave of
Lieutenant Page, of the Second Cav
airy, and many other incidents con-
nected with the battle. There see ms
to have been two battlefields, which
every one knows who is at all con-
versant with the fight, the first bat
tie having taken place in the bottoms
of the river, where the Indians were
camped and surprised by Gibbons,
and at first routed. The warriors.
when first charged upon, sprang into
the willows, and We're there secretly
furnished with guns, ammunition,
etc., by their s4uaws. after which
they opened fire on Gibbons COM
mand, and compelled them to take a
position in a timbered ravine on the
hill b tween two bald hills. The 20.
sitien was a good one, and General
Gibbons showed his ceOl-headednAsS
and knowledge of Indian warfare in
taking it; but had the Indians stuck
to him, without reinfO cement on his
part, it would have been q second
Custer massacre. He fought all one
day without any water-for even the
wounded-and with only such small
rifle pits as one shovel could dig for
the entire command. With the In
dams in front of them down the hill
in the willows, and flanked by In-
dams in the timber above, they were
in pretty close quarters, and it was a
pod-send that the Indians left that
night, August 3, 1877, doubtless not
really approaching the situation, AID
perhaps fearing reinforcements for
General Gibbons from Howard in The
rear and volunteers in front. The
party found human bones on both
battle. feds, and were struck with
the evident neglect of the
graves of such IS had been buried.
The graves all seem to be very shall
low, with a few logs and brush piled
over them; over some of which were
found sometimes in pencil on a
board, and in other places rudely cut
out. the name of the slain hero, but
in such a rude and badly inscribed
manner that it was almost impossi-
BILE to make it out. Our crowd voted
that the Government had better
spend a part of the money they are
spending on the Gibbon monument
in attending to the bones living scat
tered about the battle field, and In
hunting out the graves of such as are
half buried, and giving them at least
| a decent burial. W. found a trophy
| of the late battle in the corpse Of an
| Indian who had evidently beer
| buried near the bank of the river and
washed out lately. He must have
been q stalwart red skin, somewhat
over six feet high, and "a he Law on
| the bank of the river with his robe
! still wrapped closely around him, nc
one could gainsay but what there
| had been warfare there, and with al
! the surroundings, it must have beer
q struggle for life. ,,
A fierce fire is raging in Ross hole
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