The Irish standard., 1902-04-05
GENERAL T. F. MEAGHER.
The Story of His Death by Man In
Montana.

The Story OF His Death by a Man Ii
Montana.
The following article on How Gen
Mcashcr Met His Death" appeared in
the Butte Inter Mountain" of March
IL. from the pen of Col. w. II. San.
dcrs, leading lawyer of Montana
who once represented that state i'm the
United States senate:
EARLY in June, 1867, l lief my home
ut Virginia. City for Fort Benton to
meet my family then OH their way
from the East to Montana via the Mis-
souri, river on the Steamer Altoona.
Remaining some ten days at Fort Ben
ton in daily expectation of their arriy-
al. l accepted the invitation of the
captain Of Pittsburgh boat, the
yorktown" to go down the river to
meet them. Momentarily expecting to
see the boat, l sat Oh the deck for two
days when at Spread Eagle Bar, near
Fort Union, | was transferred to the
returning steamer which was nearly
three weeks thereafter reaching Fort
Benton.
"a little below the mouth of the
Maras, impatient ut the slow progress
of our steamer. in the company of
Walter Trumbull. I stepped ashore
and, walking four or five miles across
bend. boarded the Gallatn. Captain
Sam Howe, Il boat which he had dis
crrl,cd in the distance then doing SER
vice on the upper Missouri and which
was rcputel to be able to navigate Il
light dew.
Having boarded the Gallatin, we
proceeded to the mouth of the Marias,
where Captain Howe discharged Il car
so of mules and we awaited ourselves
Of his offer and had Il muleback ride
to Fort Benton. About II or o'clock
/ dsccrncd upon tho table land
whence the road descended to the
town. Il number of horscmcn in mill
AIRY apparel, and upon their arrival.
we greeted General Thomas Francis
McnGhcr and his military staff. He
advised us he was on his way to
Camp Cooke. after hundred and thir-
ty muslicts which the general govern
mont had profcred to the territorial
authorities for use in the Indian war
in which we were then engaged The
day was intensely hot and tho general
and his staff had made Il swift and
dusty ride from Sun river where
Mcssrs. Carroll and Stull had a camp
and We're founding that tlourishine
town, and near which Major Clinton
was marking out the site of Fort
Shaw, so named in honor Of Col. Rob
crt Shaw of the I'ifty-fourth Mass:,-
chusctts regiment. who at Fort Wag
ncr had been buried with his nigscrs
81 do not recall all tho members OF
the generals staff nor their number
but one of them was Captain William
Boycc, aftcrward resident of Butte
The afternoon was delightfully."- spcn
in social visits through the bushes!
portions of the town and Genera
Meaghcr seemed at his best in Il con
versational way, but he resolutely ant
undeviatingly declined that form o
hospitality with which Fort Benton
then aboundcd.
"As he was my near neighbor a
Virginia City and most genial an,
interesting companion, I spent most o
the afternoon with him, introducin,
him to so many of the citizens and SO
journers in that unique and thrift,
seaport as he had not therctofor
known.
1.-The Fort in that early time wa
only 20 years old and although pas
it's prime it was in very good form
Major 7. II. Eastman had it in charg
for the fur company then carrying O
the trade, then about equally dividc
between the Indians and whites O
this frontier Major Eastman was
most intelligent gentleman and hi
Astounding hospitality well maintaine
the repute of the remote trading post
of the West. His dinners were VERT
able feasts of Lucullus and scarce
day passed that a choice lot Of merr
guests did not surround his hospitabl
board. During the afternoon he il
vited General Meagher to dine wit
him at o'clock, which invitation til
' general accepted.