Sun River sun. [volume] (Sun River, Mont.) 1884-1885, 1884-03-20
A "REMINISCENCES.

/
|
In rs when Gen. Sherman and Bcl.
KNAPP, the then Secretary of War, were
on tour Of inspection through this
country, I was doing duty with com.
pany L, I'd cavalry, on n scout of q
months duration in the Judith coun.
try. We left Fort Shaw on the morn.
ing OF the LIST Of July for Camp Lewis
on Big Spring creek. We were nc.
companied by company I, 7th Infantry,
SO that our little army numbered in
all about hundred and fifty men.
The temporary post ut Camp Lewis
had been attacked by Sioux, and we
were ordered there to assist in driving
them out Of the country, and to pro-
tect travel on the Carroll road. We
crossed the'Missouri ut the mouth OF
Sun River the first day out, and
camped. Some time in the night VIC
were awakened by the cries of n man
in the river. He had evidently tried
to ford the the stream too low down
and had lost his horse in tho deep,
rapid water. After swimming, wading
and tumbling over rocks for half IN
hour or SO ho succeeded in gaining
the shore, looking much like a drowned
rat He proved to be courier from
the Fort with dispatches for General
Gibbon, who was in command. In
the morning his horse was found some
distance below, quitely grazing and
waiting for his rider, who returned to
tho Fort via the ford. This morning
We moved on to Belt creek. Gibbon,
in order to guard against surprise,
had given orders that two advance
guards should be kept ahead and to
tho right and left. This guard was to
consist Of Sergeant and three mon
en- the right and corporal and three
men on the left. Their orders were to
keep about a mile from the column
and half a mile in advance, and to
keep sharp lookout in cvcry direc-
ton, and if any Indians were discov-
cred to report by signs previously
agreed upon. This manner Of guard
ing against surpisc was kept up all
tho way to Camp Lewis. Nothing oc-
Cured until within few mile Of Box
Elder creek, when the "viAetta on
the right discovered some ono pecping
over rise in the ground some dis
tance ahead. They Immediately rode
forward to discover if possible who it
was. But when the point was gained
the person had Disappeared. After
waiting some ten or fifteen minutes it
again appeared some distance ahead
watching Us before. Watching it for
some time the guard once more ad-
vanccd only to find TINT their man
had again vanished. Again he ap-
peared ut some distance. This time
the sergeant thought to out-wit Mr..
Indian by trying to approach him by
n circuitous route through deep
coulec. This plan worked admirably
until the guard was within two hun
drcd yards of the ridge over which he
was looking. Nearer approach with
out discovery being impossible, they
made rush for tho top of the hill,
which they gained just in time to
catch n glimpse Of horscman riding
for dear life up the Box Elder bottom.
Pursuit being useless and not the best
thing to do in case there was many
Indians in the neighborhood, he was
not followed.
We reached Belt creek early in the
afternoon. Towards evening Joe
Cobcll, who thcn lived on Deep creek,
came in with another man and beef
steer for us. Along in the evening
this fellow, whoever he was, told some
of the boys that they had better keep
a good look out during the night, as
he had seen party of Indians that
day on Box Elder. He said that they
must have been war party, rs they
chased him for several miles, and that
it was only by the hardest riding
and his knowledge Of the country that
he made his escape. Joe Cobdl said
that he saw no Indians, but that this
fellow who was off some distance
looking for cattle came to him with
the story that he had been chased by
Indians. Joe said that he kept still
about the soldiers just to hear the fel-
low blow about being chased. It will
be seen by this that Joo Cobell's man
was badly scared while the valiant vi
dette was as badly sold.
Nothing further worthy of note oc-
Cured while on the march to Lewis,