Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-01
THEY NEVER FIRED u SHOT.
How Fort c. +. Smith Was Relic ycd
When B~eleagured by Indians.


lated by the whites under the leadership
of Col. George J.. Shoup. now United
States Senator from Idaho, brings an
inquiry rs to what participation in that
bloody episode was had by the famous
Neil HOWE. He took no part in that
sanguinary encounter, for the simple
reason that he was not there. The
mention Of his name, however, brings
To mind Il story unrecorded III Ameri-
can history and of which it should form
Il part. 1t requires a preface.
In the pioneer days. To reach Non
tana from Cheyenne, in Wyoming. re-
quired Il roundabout journey that in
volved Il double crossing of the Rocky
Mountains. with Il change of base nj
Salt Lake City. The United States Gov
eminent brought about 4 better condi-
ton of travel by constructing Il trail
through the Gallatin Valley along the
course of the Gunpowder River. reach
ing around the base of the mountains
in Il curyilinear form. which avoided
the heights of the Rockies. To protect
this route from marauding Indians
three forts were built-Reno. Phil kcar-
ney and G.. +. Smith. These were gar
risoncd by United States troops.
In 1865 the murderouS Sioux from the
Yellowstone Valley pursued Il s%anguin-
AIRY course up through the Gallatin Val
ley and into Montana. IT was marked
by rapine and plumber. They beseiged
FO:t Reno and killed MANY of lis gar
risOn, including Il brother of y. *. Nc
Clure. They environed Fort Phil Rear
ncy and wiped from the face of the
earth every human being whose walls
IL failed To protect. Then they sur
rounded Fort c. +. Smith, where POO
Union soldiers found themselves sur
rounded by more than loo death
seeking Indians. Escape seemed i'm
possible. \ courier got word Of this
condition of affairs TO Gen. Hancock.
who was then stationed 1t St. Paul.
and he sent Il message to the Governor
Of Montana at BoZeman, calling upon
him TO relieve the beSieged garrison.
The chief executive of the Territory Of
Montana at that time was Green Clay
Smith, who, by the way. recently died
i'll Washington, Il Baptist clergyman.
He had been Il member of Congress
from Kentucky. but President Lincoln
made him Territorial Governor OF Mon
tana. He was seated on the porch of
his residence in BoZeman when Han
cocks message was handed TO him. To
L visitor from the East who was seated
| Inv his Siln anI who - fln antf.r;.-
for this narrative, he said:
What in the name of heaven can /
do: Fort G.. +. Smith is 30 miles
away. The country between here and
there is filled with Sioux Indians. our
militia force consists exactly of 421
men. Not Il MAJ of them could reach
Fort c.. +. Smith alive. am absolutely
powerless. However, | will send for
Col. HOWE"
At that time Col. Neil Howie wa
United States Marshal for the Territory
of Montana. He was Il typical from
tierSman. He commanded the Montana
volunteers and it has been said of him
that Gen. Sherman might have been
at Bozeman City with 5000 troops and
the people of the Gallatin could not
have escaped the scalping knife of the
savag but Col. HOWE, with less than
100 men, protected 100 miles of exposed
frontier but Il little distance from the
hostile tribe"
1t was TO this man that Gov. Smith
addressed himself. handing him Gen.
Iancock's dispatch. and saying: col
onel, we can't do anything for those
poor devils in Fort +. c. Smith. We
haven't enough men and those we have
couldn't get there. Am | right
NO" said Col. Howic. quietly. with
out any exhibition of excitement and
with the gentle voice of Il IN
There is no trouble about that. GOV
ernOr. We can arrange that matter AMI
still leave the Montana frontier protect
ed. | will need ONE picked men and Il
good leader for them. l think Capt.
McCabe is best fitted for this undertak-
ing. l 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 III need forty of the best men l
can select. You can keep the rest Of
your volunteer force here Gov.
Smith looked at him in amaZemcnt. So
did the visitor from the East. They
both thought that he WAS either insane
or Il braggart. Gov. Smith said 10 him:
How in the name of heaven do you
expect to raise the siege of Fort &. L.
Smith with forty men when you know
that it is surrounded by more than
LOCO kloOdthirsty Indians and that the
country between here and there is Gov
cred with thousands more murderous
Sioux
Said McCabe quietly: why, Gov
ernOr, it is easy enough. The indians
know us and know that we know them
better than they kno themselves. You
folks from the East have an idea that
what you call Indian atrocities are sim
ply u%a;neaning exhibitions of brutality;
that scalping. for instance, is simply Il
! form of torture. In that you are mis-
taken. The Indian believes that no man
- - 40 tl,o b,pnx- hnntinv ,r.,pI