Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-05-05
URA STOCK AND WOOL INTERESTS OF THE GREAT JUDITH coU
SAFE AT FORT M'KINNEY.
The cattlemen Arrive at Cheyenne Under q
Strong Guard Of Soldiers.
One Of Them Says the Party Would Have
Died Before surrendering.

DENVER, April PA Republican
special from Cheyenne says: Major
Egbert, i'm command OF the Seven
teenth infantry troops which relieved
three companies of the Sixth cavalry
from Fort Mckinney as guards of the
captured stockmen, started from Fort
Fetterman this morning The train
was preceded by pilot engine and a
struction crew and tools to repair
any possible damage to the tracks.
At four O'Clock this afternoon the
train pulled into the Fort Russell
depot. Several hundred people
awaited it's arrival. Two long lines
of soldiers were drawn up at the de-
pot. One was stationed along the
length OF the train, the other a short
distance toward the fort. Major Egg
bert, on arrival here, received orders
to hold the men in charge until further
notice.
The baggage was then unloaded;
then the twenty Texans came forth
upon the platform and stood in a
group, guarded by soldiers and wait
ing orders. They were all young, but
looked very tough, their recent expe-
rience giving them the appearance OF a
hard gang OF citizens. The last to ap-
pear were twenty-five cattlemen, who
looked tired and worn. The Texans
were first marched away, guarded on
every side by soldiers. Several hun.
dred yards behind were the cattlemen
closely guarded. The men were not
disposed to talk much, except about
the Journey. Considering everything
they were in exceedingly good spirits,
| the presence and the words of friends
having good deal to do with their
feelings.
"Would you have surrendered to
the sheriff's posse ?" was asked OF one
of the stockmen.
mo, we would not" was the reply
every man had made up his mind to
die where he was rather than surren-
der, and We would have sold our lives
dearly"
"We only figured on fighting rus
TIERS" said a leader, "and were will.
ing to take all the chances of war with
them. Their ability to enlist aid
4 au1aZcu dIlu US. Dl dCIutt
count their force at the surrender was
800 able bodied and well armed men,
who could be iutelligently and effect.
lively handled by Arapahoe Brown,
who developed into great general.
We did not count upon the fact that
the citizens, without the least sympa.
| thy for the known thieves, resent the
interference of outside force in their
1 ~, ,hol ntx,t tvr
to whip us, and almost did it. We
could have managed very we'll with
out the rescuing cavalry for a week.
We only wanted dark night to make
a break We were in an almost inn.
pregnable POSITION. The rustlers had
a fort on wheels and it was a great
scheme, but they could not get men to
work it on us. A charge by them
would have been a great mistake. We
had a trench from the fort to the
house, and the last stand on our part
would have been a determined one
We saved ammunition for it, and be
lieve would have killed 200 men.
''They were unable to devise any
means to reach ms with fire brands OIL
giant POWDER" continued the cattle
man. "Robert Foote, a merchant
who backs the rustlers, offered 80 ,OO(
for a cannon at Fort Mckinney, anC
they tried to bribe the soldiers tc
steal the Hotchkiss gun from the fort
II they had succeeded in either cas-
but few OF us would have escaped
On the first day OF the siege they fired
900 shots at us, but kept out o
range. We held our fire, only shoot
ing occasionally with the heavies
rifles There were fifteen men in ou
fort, which guarded the only ap
proach. There was keen rivalry to b.
in the fort squad, for We had only
brave men in the party. Wolcott
Tisdale, Cantor, Ford, Irvine, Hesse
, Elliott, the two Clarks, Whitcomb
Capt. Tom Smith, and several Texans
were wonderful men under fire"
Gov. Barbour tonight stated in an
swer to question propounded by ;
large number OF reporters, who visited
him in a body, that he had no knowl
edge whatever of the intention OF th
cattlemen to make their invadin
trip. He also said he had not decides
exactly what would be done with tn
= captured men. For the present the.
will be kept at Fort Russell, an
when the time comes they are to b
turned over to the civil authorities
but he would await further informa
tion which was expected.