The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-01-30
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 We're
Dead Shots and Also Scalp Takers.

Knew the Captain and His Men We're
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 a trail through the Gallatin
valley along the course of the Gunpowder
river, reaching around the base of the
mountains IN "a curYilinear form, which
avoided the heights of the Rockies. To
protect this route from marauding In
dians three forts were built-Reno, Phil
Kearny and G. f. Smith. These were
garrisoned by United States troops
In 1868 the murderous Sioux from the
Yellowstone valley pursued 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 a brother of A. K. 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 c.
| 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 Cen
eral Hancock, who was then stationed
at st. Paul, and he sent a 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, IA Baptist
clergyman. He had been 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
cock 5 message was handed to him. To
a 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 I
do? Fort G. F. 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 a typical frontiers
| man.
1t was to this man that Governor
Smith addressed himself, handing him
General Hancock $ dispatch and saying
Colonel, we can't do anything for
those poor devils in Fort G. f. 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. | think Captain Nc
Cabe is best fitted for this undertaking
/ will go ont 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; 1t is easy enough.
But I'll need 40 Of the best men | can
select. You can keep the rest of your
volunteer force here. y
Governor Smith looked at him in
amazement. So did the visitor from the
fort They both thought he was either
insane or "A braggait. Governor Smith
said to him, How i'll the name Of heay-
Ell do you expect to raise the siege of
Fort G. +. Smith with 40 men when
you know that it is surrounded ny more
than 200 bloodthirsty Indians, and
that the country between here and there
is covered with thousands more of muir
derous Sioux"
Said McCabe quietly "Why, govern
or, it is easy enough The Indians know
u.s. 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 I'M
meaning exhibitions of brutality; that
scalping, for instance, is simply "A form
of torture. In that you are mistaken.
The Indian believes that no man can go
to the happy hunting ground-heayen
we call it-who has beea deprived of his
hair. Their motive in sGalping 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
er kill an Indian without scalping him,
and the Indians know that The 40 men
| will select for this expedition are un-
erring i'll their aim with the rifle They
can shoot I6 shots i'll f6 seconds, and
every ball means a dead Indian and ev-
cry dead Indian means Il scalp, and ey-
cry scalp means a warrior deprived eter-
nally of chance of ever reaching the
happy hunting ground. My 40 men will
walk from here to Fort G. F. Smith
without firing a shot -
Incredible. ~ said Governor Smith
True, said Captain McCabe
What was the result?
Forty men walked the 800 miles from
Bozeman to Fort c. F. Smith. Indians
watched 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