The Anaconda standard., 1895-11-20
FIGHT With INDIANS
An Incident Which Occurred in Mon
tana Twenty-Eight Years Ago.
EMERSON RANDALL KILLED
Buffalo, Deer. Elk and Antelope All
Along the Line-Three Half Pint
Bottles of Whiskey = Com
ment of State Papers.

We are permitted to make the fol-
lowing extracts from letter written
by Matthias Mounts to his brother In
Bozeman City, dated Fort Buford,
(mouth of the Yellowstone) Oct. 4, 1861;
1--WE have just arrived at this place,
having been IL days coming from the
Yellowstone canyon. On the nfth DAY
we run into a village OF Arapahoes,
Just below the mouth of the Big Horn
river. We had a terrible time for a
while. Emerson Randall was killed.
He was shot through the head ana
account of the fight when we get
through. The letter came by Pony ex-
press from Buford to Benton. 1t con-
firms the statement of ID. W. In re-
gard to the Indians waiting TO cap
ture the fleet, and those having frlends
on the fleet will be gratified to learn
that the danger was passed with the
loss of but one person. Mr.. Randaii
was a resident of Bozeman for the past
Is months, and has two brothers IN
Montana. He was possessed or many
excellent qualities. and his death VIII
be mourned by all who knew him.
There were 81 men and two ladies In
the fleet. We may state here, that In
expressing "a different view" from our
correspondent in regard to his anticl-
pations. IL was prompted by desire
to aflay the fearful apprehensions OF
knowing that no aid could reach them.
and the news of the disaster, II II
came, would be bad enough, without
borrowing trouble from expectancy.
We notice by the Denver News receiv.
ed yesterday that the fleet reacned
Omaha safely."-Montana Post, 1857.
The above article was found by X.
Beidier (who is now writing his au,
tobiography) in the files of the old
Montana Post, published in Virginia
City, in the early days OF Montana.
There were several parties living IN
Bozeman who accompanied this fleet
besides myself, namely: Jake Singrey:
Hopkins Taylor, a man lby the name OF
Tuller (then a partner of Charles Rich)
Mr.. and Mrs. Beall and infant child.
The fleet of seven boats started from
the canyon, above where Livingston
now stands, on the 22d of September,
1867. The water being low and boats
large, 12x24 feet, 3-foot rake at each
end with heavy gunwales on each
side, and loaded with 13 passengers,
bedding and provisions, made them
draw considerable water and caused
them to ground frequently each day,
which made progress very slow.
As soon as / saw the Indian village l
knew the Indians were hostile, as the
Crows were all above us, about Pryor
creek | wanted the fleet to land on
the opposite side of the river. and make
would draw US so close to shore, but
the crew, being made up from different
parts of the territory, and knowing
but little about Indians, thought they
were not hostile, and finally concluded
to go ahead in the boats. At the time
the first volley was fired by the In
dians most of the men were standing
in the boats. 1t was great wonder
that only one person was killed. About
this time it was coming on dark, and
we concluded to run in the night, TO
get out of the way of the Indians; but
we made little headway. After swamp
ing several boats, we had to lay over
for the night. We then had a meeting
and very quickly agreed that IL the
Indians followed next day to abandon
the boats and go on foot to Fort Blu
ford, at the mouth of the Yellowstone,
for, as we had much better arms than
the Indians, we knew we could whip
them on land. and we had a show to
take some advantage of the ground
We could have subsisted on game dur
irg the trip, as there were bunalo, elk
deer and antelope in great herds al
along the route. We had, however, nc
further trouble with the Indians dur
ing this trip.
We landed at Fort Buford, and for
the first time met Father +. II. Pease
and the Hon. c. w. Hoffman. who
treated us all very kindly and sold us
three half-pint bottles of whiskey f0I
$3.50. From here Pease accompanied
us as far as Fort Berthold. 10 meet his
people-the River Crows-and drank uI
all the whiskey.
on arriving at Sioux City 1 left the
fleet, having been 80 days on the trip
Part of the fleet then passed down the
river as far as Omaha. NJ. Mounts
Bozeman, Mont.