The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-10-10
The Chronicles of the Yellowstone
An Accurate Description Of the county its Indians the Early
Settlers Struggles with the Aborigines, and
Interesting "reminiscences Gathered from
The Early Pioneers.

The copyright for the "CHRoNIcLI
for and it will eventually appear in book
CHAPTER XXVIV.-CoNTINUED.
The Bannacks and ShoshOnes at the
Fort Hall reservation, Idaho, had been
dissatisfied for several years with the
| treatment received there. Provisions
and clothing, insufficient in quantity and
poor in quality, had been given them
and the Bannacks, learning nothing by
| the action and fate of the Nez Perces in
their endeavors TO protest, concluded, in
the summer of 1873, to take the war-path.
So about eighty warriors, having with
them few women, left the agency and
went mp Henry's Fork Of Snake river.
They committed a few depredations on
the west side of the mountains, then
came directly TO Henry's Lake. at which
place they took l1tle band Of horses
belonging to Raymond. From thence up
the Madison ways and then across the
Pyramid range to the head of Gardiner
river and down that to the Mammoth
Hot Springs. At the latter place they
stole twelve head of horses, but made no
attack on the people, and then taking the
trail made by the Nez Perces the year
before, went over the mountains and
down to Clarke's Fork.
Gen. Miles with his family and an
escort of two small companies of his
mounted infantry came, on his way from
Keogh to the National Park, to Benson's
Landing. Here he was met by couriers,
bringing dispatches that told him of the
coming of the Bannacks. There were
but two passes in the mountains through
which they would be likely to come to
the prairie. These were at Clarke's Fork
and the Boulder. Lieut.. Bailey with one
company consisting of about thirty men
went to the latter place and taking a
position about mile above the Natural
Bridge, fortified and waited for them.
Gen. Miles sent his family to Ft. Ellis
and with Capt. Bennett and the other
company, started for. Clarks's Fork, via.
the Crow agency on saltwater. Near
the agency there were about twenty
lodges of Crows. All of the warriors
with these (about seventy-five) volun-
teered to 60 with Miles. That general
wanted more ammunition and the trader
at the agency being away, he broke open
the door of the store and helped himself,
then went on.
The command found the Bannacks
camped at the mouth of little stream
that runs into Clarke's Fork few miles
below Pat o Hare creek, and early in the
morning of the 4th ofSeptember attac4ed
them. The fight lasted about three hours
at the end Of which time, about forty
Bannacks came out and surrendered and
the others srleaked off in the brush and
escaped.
Capt. Bennett, Little Rock Ia French
man who had joined with the Crows)
and one Crow warrior was killed on one
side, and Bannack brave and two
squaws on the other. The stream ON
which tee fight occurred, has since borne
I the name of Bennett creek.
Camped on Tongue river about thirty
miles above its mouth were some Red
River halfbreeds and Rec Indians.
About two weeks after this fight the
remainder of the Bannacks came to this
camp, afoot and hungry. Word was sent
to Keogh of their coming and soldiers
were sent out from that post, who took
them in as prisoners.
| From this time the settlers came fast
to the Yellowstone. Every available
spot was located for farm and from the
north and south and east came herds Of
cattle to live and increase and fatten on
the luscious grasses that were as oats.
No more trouble was had with the
Sioux as tribe, but little parties Of them,
| as we'll az Blackfeet and Gros Ventres
would come to the country on hOrst
stealing expeditions, hut with one excep
ton, always respected human life. This
exception occurred at Pompey's Pillar
in the spring of 1879. -~
Two men named Sterns and johnson
owned a ranch near the place named an'
were working one day near their loe
cabin, when they saw six Indians com
ing. They. thought them to be Crows
but to be OH the safe side they went tt
the houseand took down their rifles
Sterns laid his on the bed, but johnson
kept his in.his hand. The Indians came
in and shook hands with "How, how,
and then one laid down on the bed acros
Sterns' rife; another wished to shoe
Johnson's gun at mark. johnson re
! fured and the Indian caught hold of it
at the same time saying something il
Sioux to another of the party, who cam'
near and sent bullet from his revolve
through Johnson's brain. Sterns in
stanly hit this Indian under the ear will
his fist and knocked him down and a
quick as he could strike, served tw'
others the same way and then raj
towards the brush, which was 800 yard
away. As he ran he was fired at by tn
Indians, one of whom mounted a pom.
and dashed after him. AS the mounted
Indian came out firing his revolve
fsterns, though hit in the hand by a bul
let, picked up stick and succeeded ii
knocking his assailant's pistol out of hi
hand; he picked tnis up and found j
empty, then ran through the brush t.
the river and jumping ID laid under tli
bank with just his face out of the waite
and though searched for by the sion
Twas not found. His horses were takel
tile cabin was gutted and the Indian
disappeared.
On the upper river, two old-time'
Though young men) who had had, som
; narrow escapes from Indian bullets an
arrows, gave up their lives to tho yellow
stone, this summer of 1879; one in doirl
his duty and the other in that hight
duty of helping comrade in distress.
l. ~ RN NJ