Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-22
THE GORDON MASSACRE

Chicago Record: In the spring OF 1871
7 went to Fort Kearney for the purpose
of plotting a train across the plains. just
what time in the month l got there 90
not remember, but it was early in May,
and the train was waiting there for a
guide when I q arrived. I made a contract
with the emigrants that evening to go
with them to the foot of the Sierra New
ada Mountains.
In his outfit Of emigrants was Henry
Gordon, whose home was in Chrlstlan
county, Illinois. I got intimately ac-
! ouainted with him before we got through
, He had his own saddle horse, and very
often he would ride with me for hours
! when I was on duty. He told me ne was
! not going to California to dig gold' pu'
! was looking for a better climate thai ms
home in Illinois, and if the Callfofnla
/ country suited him, he calculated to move
4 his family to the western coast.
Instead of taking his family west at
once. as Gordon had intended to do, he
remained in Christian county until the
fall of 1852, having been elected sheriff OF
! the county. After serving out his term OF
! office, he sold his farm and stock and
persuaded some of his ~neighbors to ac-
him west. About his time a
man of the name of Myers made his APP
pearance in Mr.. GOrdon's nelghbofhooo
! and pretended to fall desperately In love
with Miss Mary Gordon, the oIoes'
daughter. She rejected him from the
start. A day or two before Mr.. Gordon
| GOT ready to start this man Myers calico
on Miss Gordon and insisted that she be-
come his wife. She gave him a point
blank refusal and told him positively thai
she would have nothing to do with him
He then told her he would meet her II
the wilds of the Rocky Mountains, where
she would crawl on her knees ana peg te
become his Wife,
After making all arrangements Mr.
Gordon, his family and friends pulled GU
for California by way of New Mexico
known at that time as the ButterfielC
route. I was in Nevada, working as {
government scout. Our quarters were IL
the southeastern part OF Nevada, ana W.
were camped on the north side of thu
Glover Valley Mountains.
When I returned to QuarterS.eGrlN on
morning Colonel Elliott told me tina
James Davis, my first assistant, had beel
on top of the mountain about 3 o'clocl
that night. and had seen what he sup
posed to be an emigrant train on IRE II
Choke Cherry that he also I'M
agined he had heard a number OF gun
shots,
had Davis call another scout name
Maloney, me it was not long before IN
three of us were in our saddles ana o
our way to Choke Cherry canyon. w
rode along together until daylight. VINE
I halted and gave each man his route I
take, also telling them the road Woul
take.
Before 7 had got to the station wher
we We're all to meet I ran into a band G
Indians having a scalp dance. | dashe
into them and succeeded in getting tW
scales. which I found to have been fresh
ly taken. One scalp was from the hea
of a man, the other from a woman. 500
Davis came to me. He had heard shoe,
ing, and knowing that it was on my rout'
he supposed l had got into trouble.
He said to me: Captain. / nave see
the track of a No. Q boot this mornin:
made by a white man, and he is with
band of Indians who have a barefOote
prisoner with them. The man wearin
the boots is not, . prisoner, though he
white"
myself had crossed and recrossed TIL
same boot track during the morning, br
I had not seen anything of the track
a bare foot. I told Davis that the ma
evidently was some scOundrel assistin
the Indians in their depredations.
eff you come on to this man and he
not a prisoner" I said, treat him as 70
would an Indian; don't ask him to SUI
render but once. and do not allow him
take advantage of you
i We now went on. arriving at the static
a half hour behind time. While wonde'
ing what had become of Maloney, "
heard two pistol shots in the directiC
that Maloney should be coming. We b.
lieved that Maloney was in trouble, ar
we went to his relief as quickly as po'
sible. Maloney had struck the track Of
bare foot, made by a white woman, ar
had dismounted his horse in order to ira
better, when the Indians sprang on nj