Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-12-20
POOR GEopY's BONES.
A Good Story Recalling n Tragic Incident
of Modern Warfare

of Modern Warfare
In September, 1876, General Miles
sent four scouts, Sellew, Turner, Smith
and Geddy, down the Yellowstone with
dispatches to Colonel Moor, at Fort
Buford. During the forenoon of the
second day out they saw many Indian
signs, and about four o'clock in the af-
ternoon reached Bad Route creek.
When within one hundred yards or so
of the shallow stream a jack rabbit
hoped out, ran few yards and then
stopped.
Scout Sellew exclaimed: Meat in the
pot" and dismounted TO shoot it He
had no sooner touched the ground than
a volley fired by band of ambushed
Sioux killed Geddy and all four of the
horses. The Sioux continued firing at
the three scouts, who returned the fire
with interest whenever an Indian raised
his ''old gold" face above the sage
brush. The three scouts crouched in
the grass for while, but it becoming
too hot for them they broke and ran for
a ravine well lined with willows, where
it would be hard for the Sioux to rout,
and where they remained until mid
night, the Indians keeping up desul-
tory fire without effect
There was a cliff behind the ravine
where an Indian had ensconsced him
self out of sight. He had picked up
smattering of English at some agency.
and on this occasion he used it, but
without effect. He would frequently
cry out:
"How, John! Come out! Me good
Indian! Me love youl Heldamm
Every time he said this the Indians
would jeer in their devilish way, but
they took good care not to show their
faces to the scouts, who paid no atten-
ton to the sarcastic savage's invitation.
There were about fifty Indians in the
party, and they made several attempts
to rout the determined whites from
their stronghold, but were met with
such a CALLING fire that they desisted in
their attempts.
About midnight the boys crawled, one
after the other, down the ravine un-
heard for about mile and escaped.
After walking about twenty miles they
met Colonel Otis, with the Government
freight train, loaded with supplies,
bound for Tongue river. The scouts
secured horses from the Colonel and
proceeded to Fort Buford without fur
Their molestation.
When Colonel Otis teams and escort
reached Bad Route creek they found
|! Geddy's body stripped, his head crushed
| to jelly, and otherwise mutilated. A
shallow grave was dug, in which poor
Geddy was buried, but not to rest long.
Four days afterward another supply
train passing found that the corpse had
been exhumed and shot full of arrows,
| resembling somewhat horrible human
porcupine. The body was again bur-
led.
The following spring Major Pease.
who now lives at Livingston, and Matt
Black, of Bozeman, had the first mail
contract ever let on the Lower Yellow
stone. They engaged queer charac-
ter named Lem Smith to carry the mail
on horseback. The old trail then led
| around the head of Cedar creek, and
the distance to Fort Ruford was about
IT'S miles, which had to be made in two
days and half.
The first day out Smith came to Bad
Route Creek and visited Geddy's grave
He found that the coyotes had dug up
the remains and gnawed the flesh from
\ the bones, which were scattered all
about At the time Geddy was shot he
wore pair of heavy army shoes, which
the Indians did not remove when they
mutilated the body. About twenty
yards from the grave Smith found one
| of the shoes, in which was a skeleton
foot, the coyotes having been unable to
extricate it. Smith picked up the foot
and tied it to his saddle bow on reaching
Buford. Smith drank too much whisky,
and, having been worsted in a number
of games of billiards, handed to the bar
keeper, Fred Figley, the CHASTITY relic
of Bad Route as payment. 1t was &C
copied, and was for number of years
on exhibition at Figley's saloon.
Some good Samaritan passing the
grave where once had reposed Geddy's
remains, drove a stake in the ground
at the head, and mailing board from a
cracker-box, thereon painted in large
| letters: