The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-06-13

Bill Heffner with four others started at
once tn their relief The rescuers found
the party at Little Timber. The women
and children were worn entirely out and
could have gone no further. The relief
party had brought plenty of extra riding
horses and provisions and they all arriv-
ed at Bozeman safely and in fair spirits.
CHAPTER VII.
ESTABLISHMENT OF FORTS IN THE BIG HORN
COUNTRY AND THE MASSACRE AT FORT
PHIL KEARNEY.
The Sioux were very troublesome
around the new posts during the fall and
early winter, particularly at Phil Kear-
ney.
French Pete had q Cheyenne squaw
and grown children. He had traded and
lived with the different Sioux tribes for
years, and now had a trading outfit and
was camped on Peno creek, about eight
miles from the fort. Some Ogallalas came
about the first of November to his place
to trade. They asked him for whiskey
and he gave them some, and while under
its influence they killed him and all of
the family but his wife and grown
daughter, who, after much shameful
abuse were liberated and went to the
fort.
Several times during the fall parties Of
Sioux and Cheyennes came to the fort
playing friendly and were always receiv-
ed with open arms by Col. Darlington,
and were given provisions and ammuni-
ton, and the whole force at the post were
once ordered out on dress parade, to
please these treacherous murderers. It
is q singular fact, that the next morning
after each of these visits, the pickets
would be attacked and men killed. Dis
satisfaction was felt by every officer and
man at the fort, at Col. Carrington's man
ner of treating these Indians. This feel
ing grew and was augmented by the in
juries and insults that were continually
being given by the Sioux, till, in every
mans heart came an almost uncontrola-
BILE desire for vengence, which aftsrward
led eighty-one of the best and bravest in
the command to death.
There were four companies at the Big
Horn, building C. F. Smith. Capt. John
w. Smith, (now at Bozeman) was the
post trader at this place, and with him
was Jim Beckwith, mulatto, who had
been sub chief among the Crows many
years before. In quarrel he had killed
another chief and had to leave the tribe.
After several years spent on the Pacific
coast, he came back and had regained
some influence in the tribe. As soon as
the troops came to the Big Horn, Smith
sent him to the mouth of that river to
bring up the Crows who were camped
there. Beckwith was taken sick at the
camp and died while being brought back
in travois. The Crows came to the new
post, and by order Of the commandant
were allowed to trade for large quantities
Of powder and lead. Several times dur
| ing the fall the Crows and Sioux would
make peace for day, during which time
the former tribe would trade this ammu-
milton to the latter, receivingin exchange
five times its value in buffalo robes. Soon
! afterward the Sioux would burn the
powder, but the lead came back to the
whites in the form of bullets.
The buildings at Fort Phil Kearney
were not completed when cold weather
came, and large wagon train with a
small escort of soldiers went every day
to the foothills of the Big Horn range fol-
logs. The Sioux made several dashes on
this, but did little damage till the 10th
Of December, when large force made q
charge and circled around it, firing at
close quarters and succeeded in killing q
civilian, teamster and q soldier. Quite q
large force was sent with the wagons the
next day. About two hours after the
leaving of the train twenty-five Indians
came down on the creek bottom and rode
slowly back and forth at about halt mile
distance from the post. Lieut.. Col. Fet.
terman called for volunteers to 60 after
them and men from all of the companies
rushed for horses and away they went a
struggling line, half mile long. AS the
soldiers came the Indians retreated
slowly over the hill. At the foot q this
hill the pursuers formed quickly in bette,
order, and continuing the chase, disap'
peared from the sight of the watchers at
the post. About fifteen minutes after.
ward, heavy firing was heard in the di'
rection in which they had gone, which
lasted about twenty minutes, and ther
all was still. All eyes in the post were
anxiously looking for sight of blue coats
in line, that never came. As time crept
on a deadly fear came into the hearts O
the watchers. The suspense became un'
bearable and the commandant gathered
and sent out all of his available force
The fear of those in the post were too
we'll justified, for the whole force lay dead.
Three officers, two civilians and seventy
six rank and file all had crossed the great
divide.
An examination of the field showed
that the fleeing Indians had led tht
troops in to a carefully devised trap, fol
a thousand hostiles were lying behind
two sharp ridges, facing each other, be
tween which the soldiers went, and died
not one getting more than six hundred
yards from the scene OF the first volley
The two civilians and five soldiers lef
their horses and ran to some rocks OF
the hill side and were the last to sue
cumb. One of the civilians had a Henry
rifle and at his feet were eighty-twt
shells, and around him were many pool
of blood. and the Sioux said afterwart
that he and a. seargent killed more o
their number, than all the rest of thu
command. Inclusive of this massacre
the hostiles killed this season, at or nea
Port Phil Kearney, five officers, ninety
one soldiers and fifty-eight civilians ant
q captured and killed four hundred ant
Gxty-five horses and mules.
Four young Crow warriors came int
Fort e. F. Smith, about eight o'clock tn,