The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-27

AuOW u1mS WE'LL ne one OK tuo uo1SAcSu
colored men I ever saw. He went all
through the war as soldier, and am glad
he has got his money. I'll tell you about
an expedition he and were in down in the
Yellowstone country. It was in IA. and
don't think there was ever march made
into the heart of hostile Indian country
that ever equalled it. The country was
alive with Sioux Indians and yet we made
that march losing only one man ont of l46.
Wewere in search of gold. In one fight we had
the best warriors of the Sioux nation pitted
against us.
In the first place, it had been stated by g
man bv the name Of Vernon that he had
found gold in paying quantities in the
Wolf mountains, and by the efforts of citi-
Gems of Bozeman and the prospecting ele-
ment that got excited about the report that
rich placer diggings had been discovered,
company of LAG men were got together
about three miles below where the Boze-
man tunnel is now located, on Trail creek.
The outfit consisted of about twenty wag-
ons and I should judge about 100 pack
horses, and almost everyone in the party
had saddle-horse. The company was or
ganized about the middle of February, 1874,
Grounds as captain, an old Texan, who had
also seen service in California in the early
days in the Rogue river war.
Grounds was born commander.
Not a man in the party
ever questioned his authority, I think it is
probable that no man ever lived who ex-
celled him in the qualities which he pos
sessed as a leader Of men; his every action
showed his absolute control over every man.
No matter how difficult the duty that was to
be done, when Grounds gave the order, the
work was done without fiinching and done
cheerfully. In several instances it seemed
to be inevitable death for those who were
men never hesitated, simply going ahead as
ordered. Grounds afterwards died in the
Black Hills in the fall of 1877. The outfit
over which he had charge was composed OF
ranchmen from the Gallatin valley, citizens
of Bohemian, hunters and trappers from the
from various portions Of the territory.
There were twenty five or thirty quite young
men who had never seen any Indian fight
ing, and after the first two fights we had lots
Of trouble to keep them from charging on
the Indians at all times. In fact, they had
no more fear of band of Indians than OF q
band of antelope; they didn't seem to know
There was also about fifty or sixty men
who could fight Indians; men who knew In
dams and all their methods, and who even
knew their habits of thought.
The prime object of the movement was to
open up the Wolf creek country, where, az
be found. About the time the expedition
commenced to move the weather got to be
intensely cold and we had good deal OF
trouble in keeping our herd together. We
made the Sweet Grass all right, but the
first night we were there We kept the cattle
freeze to death. This was done al
the expense of having several mer
frozen. From this camp we moved on I'M
til We got to the Yellowstone, opposite the
mouth of the Porcupine. The most trouble
we had on the way down was caused by
to shovel our way, and occasionally We
struck hard steep hills where it would take
about fifty men with ropes attached to the
wagons to help pull the wagons and teams
up the hills.
About the first of April the party crossed
day trouble commenced. Two of our party
had got quite distance ahead of the ad-
vance guard, when party of about dozen
Indians, in Indian fashion, stripped, and
made dash to cut off our two men. It
happened that the advance of our
right fankers discovered the move
ment of the Indians and made dash
for the Indian robes, blankets and outfit,
which they captured and then turned their
attention to the Indians, with what success
We could not tell, but some of them were
probably wounded, and they were left
naked on their horses. For an outfit like
ours, and with no better knowledge of the
country than we possessed, for two or three
days We had a hard, difficult country to
protect ourselves in. On the road we had
to make camp in the bottom of a deep
gulch. We camped early and made such
disposition as we could for defense. It was
here that four or five of the party, on going
ahead to look out the road for the next
day, were attacked by another party of In
|dians from low ridge in front of them,
and probably saved themselves by charging
the Indians, instead of running from them.
It was here that one Of the party, who
was more anxious to secure horses than
prudent in his method, rode up to get a
horse tia that had been PIT out for dec. deooy and
led him they opened fire on him and wound
ed him in several places. Then riding up
lon him commenced circling around him and
beat him with their whips, but the plot was
discovered in time by some of the pickets,
who got close enough to get in some good
shooting at tho Indians and drove them off
land prevented the Indians getting either
the horse or the man, who afterwards got
we'll. That night they attempted to surprise
|our pickets, but failed, our men getting in
the first fire. and although we did not get
|any Indians we got blood. Ono more hard
days travel and we crossed the Rosebud
|river. On the river bottom we crossed q
fresh Indian trail of 400 or 500 lodges of In
|dians who had passed up the river that day.
| Then the music commenced, and q great
many were pulling their hair and wonder
ing what they were doing in that country.
I'VE made our camp on bench about 500
wards from the Rosebud, on the east side,
dug breastworks and arranged for the freest
POSSIBLE use of the two guns We had-one a
howitzer and the other a
Napoleon. Unfortunately,
however, we had but little ammunition
(which could be used in the Napoleon. We
had two picket posts in holes dug for that
|purpoee, two men in each hole, to cover the
coufee below us. The coulee was about
thirty feet from the breastworks. Another
picket post was put out for protection from
the river bottom, at the point OF the bench we
were camped on, and near the mouth OF the
coulee our earthworks ran along.
About O'Clock in the morning the pick
cts from both holes were driven in and the
coulee occupied by 300 OF 400 Indians with
other Indians at points in two or three di-
rections, who probably intended to cut us
pa IN case We made an attempt to run.
Shortly after getting into the coulee they
commenced firing on us, Kidding our wagon
Sheets, tents and lodges. A party of them
occupied the picket hole near the mouth of
the coulee, and from that point they had a
very good chance to shoot into the mouth
of our corral. which couldn't be better pro-
teCted on account of the formation of the
country. They killed twenty-one of our
horses during the night. We might have
held them down by continuous shooting,
but only fred every time we saw the fash
Of gun, as we didn't want to waste any
and thouoht ma could baftar