Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-07-28
GOLD SEEKERS
FOUND INDIANS
Thrilling Experience Of Those Who
Were in the Rosebud Expedition
Over Thirty Years Ago.
Final Result, However, Was to Set
tie Indian Troubles in North.
west Forever.

Thlrty-one years ago the Rosebud
expedition, on it's search for gold. re.
puted to have been found in plenty
on Rosebud creek, crossed the Yellow.
stone on the ice four miles below the
mouth of Porcupine creek and went
into camp for five days, while a party
OF dozen prospectors made a pros
pecting trip up the Porcupine. While
the expedition was failure in one
respect, 1t was lone of the motors to
bring on the Sioux war of '76 and ~.
which, though costing many lives, has
settled the Indian question in the
northwest forever
The expedition had it's inception in
a story told in Bozeman, in the fall
of 1873, by ]. L. Vernon, who had
been with General Stanley in his trip
up the Yellowstone during the sum-
mer OF that year, and who claimed
that he had found gold in paying guam.
titles on Rosebud creek, says the Gal.
latin Republican. Two parties were
formed to accompany Vernon on the
expedition in the spring, and on the
11th of February the parties met at
Ed. Quinn's cabin, decided to Join
forces and elected Frank Grounds cap
tain, William Wright lieutenant and
E. B. Way adjutant.
The story of the movements of the
expedition, of it's fights with the In.
dians, of almost daily occurrence, and
of its final abandonment for fear of
annihilation at the hands of the vast.
ly larger force of red skins, is told in
chronicles of the Yellowstone" a
volume issued in 1883 by E. S. Top
ping, who dedicated the work to the
living and dead pioneers of eastern
Montana, who, always on the from
tier, stood as a living wall between
a savage race and the young settle
ments of the territory, and who suf-
fered toll, privations and some times
death, and made it possible for the
present prosperity to come"
The expedition numbered, all told,
149 men, including many old Indian
fighters and trappers from the Vel.
lowstone and Bozeman and adventur-
GUS miners from all parts of the ter
ritory. Two pieces of artillery were
carried by the party (the old Big Horn
gun and a 12-pound howitzer from
Fort Ellis), and baggage and provis-
ions we're carried in a train made
up of % wagons. Vernon, the man
who told the story that was RESPONSE
BILE for the expedition, accompanied
the party until near Pompey's pillar.
Here he and a companion, Rookie
fellow, went to the Missouri and down
the river in boat. A dispute arose
between the two and Rockefellow was
stabbed and seriously wounded by
Vernon when near Fort Buford. Yer
non left his companion and was never
heard of again.
Trouble with the Indians developed
about the 25th of March, when the
expedition struck across the country
on an Indian trail to the Rosebud.
Bill Hineman and Charles Dryden,
who were scouting ahead OF the train,
were chased back to their comrades
by II Indians. who were on the war
path. Every day and night brought
some harrassment from bands Of war
riors, and several times the forces
came to battle. The author tells this
story in connection with one of these:
Running with the long way Of the
corral, and about so yards distant
from it, was a little coulee which had
served as a shelter for Indians all
night. Quite a steady firing was kept
up from this and some of the stock
was being hit, and something had to
be done, SO a charging party was or
ganized to advance in three columns; /;
one to the mouth of the coulee, one
from the upper end of the corral, to
strike the same coulee above the In
dians, and the other. the stronger.
to go straight across and leap right
among the Sioux. When the chargers
we're ready to advance the big guns
were fred, and all of the men on the
coulee side of the corral fired rapidly
to keep the Indians heads down.
"As the party started all firing ceas'
ed. In a few seconds the center party
was over the hill and dealing death
to the almost paralyzed Sioux, who,
dropping guns and everything, fed for
their lives. Exactly how many In.
dams were killed in this charge is
not known, but nine were left in the
coulee. These we're scalped, and %
horses. eight guns. a quantity of buf-
falo robes. blankets, mOccasins and
several packages of dried meat and
pemmican were captured. The Indian
stock came in good play, for 81 Of the
horses belonging to the expedition
were killed in the corral.
"Just after the charge on the cOu
lee a small party dashed into the bluffs
on the other side of the corral. They
succeeded in killing two crippled In
dians and driving the others on. Soon
after this, an Indian, mounted on a
handsome horse, and wearing a fine
war bonnet, came out to make a brave
ride. His course lay across the bench
and he was about 500 yards away
when 13 of the boys fired volley al
him. His horse dropped dead ant
the warrior staggered to coulee ant
out of sight. When examined late
the horse was found to have beer
struck by nine bullets.
AT another point on the route il
a skirmish with the Indians, one o
them was killed by Jack Bean. ,
member of the expedition. A smal
party went out to scalp the Indian