New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-01-29

l. ~
dtans three forts wese built Reno, Phil
Kearny and g. +. Smith. These were
s1zrisoned By United States troops.
In 1855 tho murdeaons Sioux from the
Yellowstone vallsy pu1susd 4 aanguinary
course mp through tho .Gallskfn valley
and into Montana. Il was marked by
rapine and plumber They bes3eged Fort
Reno and killed many of i'll garrf,on.
including brother Of "A. x. Mcclure.
They enviruned Fort Phil Kearny, and
wiped from the face Of the earth every
human being whoee walls it failed to
protect. Then they surrounded Fort C.
3. Smith, where 200 Union soldiers
found themselves surrounded by more
than 1000 death seeking Indians. E.
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 messenger to
the governor Of Montana at Bohemian,
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, a Baptist
clergyman. He had been q 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 I
do? Fort G. F. Smith is $50 miles
away. The country between here and
there is filed with Sioux Indians. Our
militia force consists of exactly 427
men. Not a man of them could reach
Fort G. F. Smith alive I am absolutely
powerless. However, will send for
Colonel Howie.
At that time Colonel Neil HOWE was
United States marshal for the territory
Of Montana. Hewas a typical frontiers
man.
It was to this man that Governor
Smith addressed himself, handing him
General Hancock IS dispatch and saying
'Colonel, we can't do anything for
those poor devils in Fort G. F. Smith.
We haven It enough men, and those we
have couldn't get there. Am I not
right;''
"No,' said Colonel Howie quietly,
without any exhibition of excitement
and with the gentle voice Of a 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 a good
leader for them. I think Captain Nc
Cabe is best fitted for this undertaking.
I 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 I 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 bragga1t Governor Smith
said to him, How in the name Of heav-
en- do you expect to raise the siege Of
Fort G.. F. 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 McCabe 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 I'M
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 70
to the happy hunting ground-heaven
we call it-who has been deprived Of his
hair. Their motive in soalping victim is
to carry ont fiendiEh hatred to it's 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 q happy hereafter. Ny 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 in their aim with the rife. They
can shoot 16 shots in 16 seconds, and
every ball means 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. Ny 40 men will
walk from here to Fort G. +. Smith
without firing a shot. =
Incredible Z . said Governor Smith.
Trpe. = said Captain McCabe.
| What was the result? n
! Forty men walked the $50 miles from
Bozeman to Fort G. +. 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 8 shot was
fred When they got within sight Of
Fort g. i. Smith. the 1000 whoopine
Sioux who held the garrison IN siege
sdsd, and the 10 frontiersmen from Bose
man marched il and escorted tho 800
Onion soldisrs beck to the terri ~
oapdtal without ths loag 81 : hfa Not I
Hhnl had hssn fired. Not : suaip Ind
! - hltsd ~ tilsdsl III 1ff11sa