Sun River sun. [volume] (Sun River, Mont.) 1884-1885, 1884-07-03
An Echo Of exgone Years.
MONTANA'S WARS

WIN ANA y w ~nO
With the indians...How These Wars
Have Retarded the Growth and
Development Of the Territory.
The Ten Years War.
How far the development of Mon
tana was retarded by the circumstan-
ces that, in reversal of tho universal
course of empire, the civilizing i'm.
pulse originally approached it from
tho West, might furnish an interest
ing subject for investigation. As tho
mining communities OF western Mon
tana grew into permanent settlements
the necessity for direct route of com
munication with tho outer eastern
world became manifest. The inter
vening country, however, was occupi-
cd by the Sioux or Dakotas, who, re-
garded their forest ranges in lower
Montana and in Wyoming as thcir IL
nal stronghold against the encroach-
ment OF the whites, claimed the right
to their exclusive occupancy by virtue
of ancient use and old treaties. Rail
roads, however, have always been
found in this country to be
Irresistible civilizers. The con
struction of tho Union Pacific Road
gave tho signal for the contest which
ragged bitterly for eleven years before
the question OF supremacy was decid-
cd, aud the embers Of which are yct
occasionally famed into flame to cast
u lurid effulgence over our northwest
ern border. Tho citizens OF Montan,.
urged upon the attention Of opening
a wagon road from the Platte River
country, on the line OF tho railroad in
Nebraska, around tho Big Horn
Mountains, by tho way of tho upper
Powder, Tongue, and Big Horn
Rivers, to Virginia City, at that time
tho capitol Of the Territory.
THE FETTEEMAN MASSACRE.
In the summer Of 1866 Colonel Car
rington, with the I'd Battalion Of tho
18th Infantry, marched from Fort
kearney to Fort Reno, on the Uppor
Powder river, where he loft u garri-
son, and proceeded northward to Pi-
ney creek, and built Fort Phil kcar-
ney. Capt. Connor was sent to the
Big Horn river, ut the intersection Of
the road, about rs miles further north
where he built Fort &. L. Smith. A
project to build another post on the
upper Yellowstone was abandoned.
An effort was made, in council ut TT.
Laramie, in July, to effect a treaty
with the Wyoming Indians, giving
the right of way through their coun-
try, and permission for the establish
ing the iorts; but they refused their
assent. Rcd Cloud and num-
Der of other warriors, constituting the
passage OF Col. Carrington's force us
a determination on tho part Of tho
government to make the requested
Judgement without waiting tor per-
mission, withdrew from the council
with their forces and began Il vigor-
Gus and relentless warfare against
all whites who intruded on their cher
ishcd hunting grounds. This was
the beginning OF the Sioux wal, which
ten years later brought the Yellow
stone valley into such prominence.
The garrison under Col. Darlington
was incessently harasscd, and on Dec.
2lst, Captain Fetterman, with two Of
ticers and seventy nine soldiers OF
the command, was massacred about
five miles from the post. This mel
ancholy event was followed by the
temporary abandonment Of the Pow
der river line Of posts on tho road to
Montana.
TEN YEARS or WARFARE.
During 1865 the Indians committed
humorous deprcdations calling for
military repression. In 1863 and 20
they were comparatively quiet. In
1871 the Sioux, under Sitting Bull,
made u raid in the Gallatin valley
In 1872 the Yellowstone valley was
explored for tho Northern Pacific
railroad by Col. Stanley, I'D Infant
try, and Maj. u. NJ. Baker, I'd Cayal-
ry. In August, '73, Col. Stanley with
n force Of I,5OO mon, again explored
the Yellowstone country III the inter
est of the railroad. He was preceded
by Lieut.. Col. Custer with eight com
panies Of the 7th Cavalry, VINO, from
August 4th to 18th, had u series of
sharp engagements with the Sioux,
acting under tho counsels of Sitting
Bull, IN which tho later were severly
handled, after which the troops were
not molested. In 1874 the whole
western frontier was rayaged by raid
ing Indians, and on July zlst of that
year tho Interior Department applied
to the War Department for ''force to
punish the hostile Indians wherever
lound,' which WIS followed by the
tribes in Southern Kansas, the Kio-
was, Cheyennes and Conmanches,
bein & defeated with great punishment
by Col. N. A. Miles, 5th Infantry,
with four companies OF that regiment
and eight of the 9TH Cavalry In
1915 tue Indians raided the settle
ments in the Platte region. and ran OFT