Fergus County argus., 1902-07-23
IN AN UNMARKED GRAVE.
Gen. Miles Makes Inquiry Concerning
Nineteen Fallen Comrades.

the white man struggled with his red
skinned brother. unmarked save by a
few rude boulders, is the resting place
that marks the long earthly tenement
OF nineteen brave men who laid down
their lives before the warfare OF saw.
agery.
Within 80 miles of Havre is the
grave OF the men who died in the final
battle with the Nez Perces Indians
just twenty-five years ago. Winter
storms and summer showers have
beat down upon the trench where the
soldiers OF the Seventh cavalry. in
command OF General Miles, then col.
onel, fell in a stand against the recall.
citrant Chief Joseph.
Since that memorable engagement
IL has been supposed. both by the war
department and those directly asso.
ciated with the campaign against the
Nez Perces Indians. that the remains
OF the valiant members Of the Seventh
had been re-interred and placed in the
cemetery at Fort Shaw. Two weeks
ago General Miles wrote Major Hunt,
in command at the post. to make an
investigation and determine the loca-
tion of the bodies. Adjutant Moffett.
in company with Wagonmaster Hen
son. one OF the few survivors of the
campaign, visited the scene OF the
battle on Snake creek. Here they
found trench fifty feet in length by
four feet wide, surrounded by a circle
oil rocks several feet high. as a prim-
itive monument thrown up by the SOL
diers after the capture OF Chief Jos.
eph at the close of three days engage
ment, says the Plaindealer. The earth
was opened and the bodies of the men
found just as they hau been laid after
the carnage of that October day 25
years ago. After satisfying himself
that the bodies were those of the
United States soldiers and not those
of the Indians who fell in the battle.
Lieutenant Moffett returned to ASSN
niboine and made his report to Major
Hunt, which Is now on Its way to
General Miles.
An investigation made by the offi-
GERS at Assinniboine was not request
ed in an official way by General Miles,
but in an unofficial communication.
II was In the battle of the Bear Paws
that General Miles first came before
the public eye prominently as an In
dian fighter. although previous to that
he had been breveted for conspicuous
service in the frontier campaigns
against the various tribes of hostile
Indians. II was. perhaps. for this rea-
son that the present commander.in-
chief of the nations army. took the
matter up to satisfy himself OF the
resting place of his brave comrades
and secure. II necessary. a fitting trib.
ute to the memory of the men who
brought the campaign Of II to close.
Several years after the battle. In the
early SOS, plans were made by the
war department for the re-interment
OF the bodies in the military cemetery
at Fort Shaw. For some unexplained
reason these plans never materializ.
eu and the grave remained unmark.
ed for nearly three decades. A monu'
ment was erected a number OF years
ago at Fort Keogh to the memory OF
all who fell in the campaign OF the
Yellowstone. Upon this monument is
the names of the men who were killed
in the battle of the Bear Paws. includ'
ing Captain Hale, of the Second Caval.
ry. and Lieutenant Beadle, OF the
Seventh cavalry. The supposition. up
to the time General Miles investigat.
ed the matter, was that the bodies
were inferred at Keogh, or at Fort
Shaw. as the names OF those killed
in the battle of the Bear Paws were
inscribed on the monument at Keogh.
Until Lieutenant Moffett's report is
acted upon by General Miles. it will
not be known what disposition will be
made of the matter by the war depart
ment. In the ordinary course Of events
the bodies would probably be exhumed
and re-interred In the national bury
ing grounds at Fort Custer. As the
matter is one that personally interests
General Miles, it Is possible that the
bodies may be left where they are
and a fitting monument erected TO
mark the spot where they made their
last valiant stand. From sentimen-
tai point of view that would be the
more appropriate thing to do. Even
though congress refused to make an
appropriation for monument. the
people OF Montana would, with their
usual public enthusiasm. contribute
toward building monument that
would to future generations be les
son of sacrifice and patriotism and
an echo of the early days OF state
whose cities were built from a wild.
erness by those hardy trail blazers
who are now rapidly passing to their
reward.
The battle of the Bear Paws was
notable engagement. because II
marked the close of the Nez Perces
war and resulted In the capture OF
Chief Joseph. who surrendered to Gen.
eral Miles. The campaign opened In
the spring of 1877. Unsatisfied with
treaty made by the government, part
of the Nez Perces nation. under the
leadership Of Chief Joseph. rebelled
and started to leave the reservation
assigned to them by the government
in Idaho. 1t was the intention OF the
Indian chief to leave the country. get
over into the British possessions and
thus elude the supervision OF Uncle
Sam. The race for the boundary with
the soldiers on their trail was one OF
the fastest marches In the annals OF
modern military warfare. The Indl-
ans fought their way north as far as
the Missouri river nj the base of the
Little Rockies. General Howard and
Colonel Miles were on the trail. A
detachment of the Seventh cavalry
numbering perhaps $50 men. in com
mand OF Captain Hale, overlook the
Indians while they were encamped
in a basin on Snake creek. Captain
Hale had asked for the command OF
the detachment that he might avenge
the death of number OF his fellow
officers who fell earlier In the Nez