The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-01-22
DIDN'T FIRE A SHOT.
WHY THOUSANDS OF INDIANS MELT
ED AWAY BEFORE FORTY MEN.


Captain McCabe Knew the Sioux Better
Than They Knew Themselves, and They
Knew the Captain and His Men Were
Dead Shots and Also Scalp Takers.
In the pioneer days, to reach Montana
from Cheyenne, in Wyoming, required
a roundabout journey that involved a
double crossing Of the Rocky mountains,
with change of base at Salt Lake City.
The United States government brought
about better condition of travel by
constructing trail through the Gallatin
valley along the course of the Gunpowder
river, reaching around the base of the
mountains in curvilinear form, which
avoided the heights of the Rockies. To
protect this route from marauding In
dians three forts were built-Reno, Phil
Kearny and Q. f. Smith. These were
garrisoned by United States troops
In 1866 the murderous Sioux from the
Yellowstone valley pursued a sanguinary
course up through the Gallatin valley
and into Montana. 1t was marked by
rapine and plumber. They besieged Fort
Reno and killed many of its garrison,
including brother Of A. X. Mcclure.
They environed Fort Phil Kearny, and
wiped from the face Of the earth every
human being whose walls it failed to
protect. Then they surrounded Fort @.
f. Smith, where 200 Union soldiers
found themselves surrounded by more
than ], 900 death seeking Indians. Es-
cape seemed impossible. A courier got
word of this condition Of affairs to Gen
eral Hancock, who was then stationed
at st. Paul, and he sent messenger to
the governor of Montana at Bozeman,
calling upon him to relieve the besieged
garrison. The chief executive of the ter
ritory of Montana at that time was
Green Clay Smith, who, by the way, re-
Gently died in Washington, Baptist
clergyman. He had been n member of
congress from Kentucky, but President
Lincoln made him territorial governor
Of Montana He was seated ON the porch
of his residence in Bozeman when Han
cocks message was handed to him. To
visitor from the east, who was seated
by his side, and who is authority for
this narrative, he said:
"What in the name Of heaven can
do? Fort G. +. Smith is $50 miles
away. The country between here and
there is filled with Sioux Indians. Our
militia force consists Of exactly 427
men. Not man of them could reach
Fort G. f. Smith alive. / am absolutely
powerless However, will send for
Colonel Howie.
At that time Colonel Neil HOWE was
United States marshal for the territory
of Montana. He was typical frontiers
man.
1t was to this man that Governor
Smith addressed himself, handing him
General Hancock s dispatch and saying
Colonel, we can't do anything for
those poor devils in Fort O. +. Smith.
We haven't enough men, and those we
have couldn't get there. Am / not
right"
No said Colonel Howie quietly,
without any exhibition of excitement
and with the gentle voice of woman.
There is no trouble about that, govern
or. We can arrange that matter and still
leave the Montana frontier protected.
will need some picked men and good
leader for them. I think Captain Nc
Cabe is best fitted for this undertaking.
will go out and find him.
McCabe was another gentle voiced
man with blue eyes. He didn't make
much noise He acted He said to the
governor: "Oh, yes; it is easy enough.
But I'll need 40 of the best men can
select. You can keep the rest Of your
volunteer force here.
Governor Smith looked at him in
amazement. So did the visitor from the
fort. They both thought he was either
insane or braggart. Governor Smith
said to him, How in the name of heav-
en- do you expect to raise the siege of
Fort c. Il. Smith with 40 men when
you know that it is surrounded by more
than 1000 bloodthirsty Indians, and
that the country between here and there
is covered with thousands more Of muir
derous Sioux?"
Said MoCabe quietly: "Why, govern
or, it is easy enough. The Indians know
us, and know that we know them better
than they know themselves. You folks
from the east have an idea that what
you call Indian atrocities are simply un-
meaning exhibitions of brutality; that
scalping, for instance, is simply form
of torture. In that you are mistaken.
The Indian believes that no man can go
to the happy hunting ground-heaven
we call it-who has been deprived of his
hair Their motive in scalping victim is
to carry out fiendish hatred to its utmost |
by preventing him from having happy
hereafter. Therefore to deprive an In
dian of his scalp is to rob him of his
hope of a happy hereafter. My men new
Or kill an Indian without scalping him,
and the Indians know that. The 40 men
will select for this expedition are I'M
srring in their aim with the rife. They
IAN shoot 10 shots in 10 seconds, and
svery ball means a dead Indian, and ev-
cry dead Indian means scalp, and ev-
cry scalp means warrior deprived eter-
nally of a chance Of ever reaching the
happy hunting ground. My 40 men will
walk from here to Fort @. f. Smith
without firing shot. ="
Incredible" said Governor Smith.
True, said Captain McCabe
What was the result?
Forty men walked the $50 miles from
Bozeman to Fort O. F. Smith. Indians
them on every side. By days
their progress was signaled by circling
columns of smoke and by night by fire
from mountain tops. But not shot was
fred. When they got within sight of
Fort G. F. Smith, the 1000 whooping
Sioux who held the garrison in siege
He'd, and the 40 frontiersmen from Boze-
man marched in and escorted the 200
Union soldiers back to the territorial
capital without the loss of life. Not
shot had been fred. Not scalp had
been lifted. Philadelphia Times