The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-07

Indians Melted Away Before Forty Wen
Whom They Knew to BE scalp Takers

Indians Melted Away Before Forty men
Whom They Knew to BE scalp Takers
In the pioneer days to reach Montana
from Cheyenne, in Wyoming, required a
roundabout journey that involved dou-
BILE crossing OF the Rocky Mountains,
with a 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 curvilinear form. which
avoided the heights of the Rockies. To
protect this route from maurauding In
dams three forts were built-Reno, PM
Kearnv. and c. +. Smith. These were
garrisoned by United States troops
In 1850 the murderous Sioux from the
Yellowstone Valley pursued n sanguinary
course up through the Gallatin Valley and
into Montana. II was marked by rapine
and plunder. They besieged Fort Reno
and Killed many of its garrison, including
a brother Of A. X Mcclure. They en-
vironed Fort Phil Kearny, and wiped
from the face OF the earth every human
being whose walls II failed 10 protect.
Then they surrounded Fort c. +. Smith.
where 200 Union soldiers found themselves
surrounded by more than loco death-seek-
ing Indians. Escape seemed Impossible.
affairs TO Gen. Hancock. who was then
stationed at St Paul. and he sent mes
senger 10 the Governor of Montana at
Bozeman. calling upon him 10 relieve the
hasicgeG garrison. The Chief Executive
of the Territory OF Montana at that time
was Green clay Smith. who. by the way.
recently died IN Washington. a Baptist
clergyman. He had been member or
Congress from Kentucky. but President
Lincoln made him Territorial Governor or
Montana. lie was seated on the porch or
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 I'm the name Of heaven can
do2 Fort G. T. Smith Is go miles away.
The country between here and there Is
filed with Sioux Indians our militia
force consists OF exactly i21 men. Not a
man of them could reach Fort c. +. Smith
alive. 7 am absolutely powerless. How-
/ ever I will send for Col Howie"
At that time Col Neil HOWE was United
States Marshal for the Territory Of Mon
tana. He was a typical frontiersman
/ He commanded the Montana volunteers
and n has been said OF him that Gen.
/ sherman might have been nj Bozeman
| oitv with 5000 troops and the people or
| Gallatin could not have escaped the scalp
ping knife OF the savage hut col. towie'
/ with less than 400 men protected 100 mics
| OF exposed frontier hut little distance
/ from the hostile tribes.
/ II was TO this man that Gov smith
{ adds essed himself. handing him Gen. han
/ cocks dispatch and saying: Colonel we
/ can't do anything for those poor deViis
/ I'm Fort c. +. Smith. We haven't enough
/ men. and those We have couldn't get
/ there Am I not right?'
/ No" said Col Howie. quietly. without
any exhibition of excitement and with the
gentle voice OF a woman. There is no
trouble about that, Governor. We can ar
range that matter and still leave the
Montana frontier protected. | Will need
some picked men and a good leader for
them. think Capt. McCabe is best fitted
/ for this undertaking. | will go out ana
/ find him"
McCabe was another gentle-voiced man
with blue eyes He didn't make much
noise He acted He said to the Cover
nor. ooh. yes: it is easy enough. But
| III need forty Of the best men i can
select You can keep the rest OF your
volunteer force here" Gov Smith looked
at him I'm amazement. So did the visitor
| from the fort They both thought he was
! either insane or braggart Gov. smith
said to him: How In the name or heaven
do YOU expect to raise the siege OF Fort
/ c. +. Smith with forty men when you
! know that il Is surrounded by more than
600 bloodthirsty Indians, and that the
country between here and there Is cover
ed with thousands more OF murderous
| Sioux"
Said McCabe quietly: why, Governor
| II is easy enough The Indians know us
/ and know that we know them better thar
they know themselves. You folks IRON
! the Ear. have an idea that what you cal
| Indian atrocities are simply unmeanina
| exhibitions Of brutality. that scalping, fol
| instance IS simply a form OF torture III
| that YOU are mistaken. The lhdlah De
lleves that no man can go to the happy
hunting ground-heaven we call it-whC
/ has been deprived Of his hair. Their mo-
tive I'm scalping victim is 70 carry on
dendish hatred 10 its utmost by prevent
ing him from having a happL hefOfter
| Therefore 10 deprive an Indian OF III
scalp Is TO rob him OF his hope OF happ,
hereafter Ny men never kill an lndiar
without scalping him, and the Indians
know that The forty men ] viii selec
for this expedition are unerring IN thei
aim with the rifle They can shoot six
teen shots In sixteen seconds. and ever,
ball means a dead Indian, and every dea'
Indian means a scalp. and every scali
means a warrior deprived eternaliy of {
chance Of ever reaching the happy hunt
ing ground My forty men will yall
from here to Fort G. F. Smith withou
firing a shot"
Incredible" said Gov Smith
True" said Capt McCabe.
What was The RESULT
Forty men walked the go miles from
Bozeman TO Fort G. +. Smith, Indian
watched them on every side. BY day
their progress was signalled by circlin
| columns Of smoke and by night by fir
from mountain tops. But rot shot wa
fired. When they got within sight o
Fort C. F. Smith the 1000 whoopng Siou'
who held the garrison I'm siege fed, ant
the forty frontiersman from Bozcmal
marched i'm and escorted the 200 Unio
soldiers back 10 the territorial capita
without tho loss OF a life. Not "A sho
had been fired. Not a scalp had bee
lifted. Philadelphia Times