Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-03-26


was near 1t anywhere. This is where
the elk went to shed their horns,
which gave II the name of Elkhorn
prairie. Steamboats, would stop there
on the way down and gather horns
to take to their friends in the states.
Since then saw an article in a mag
azine that stated when 1 was on the
Steamboat Josephine, I had to stop
to let the buffalo cross the river. But
it was a mistake. It was on his trip
that we had to stop just above Elk
horn Prairie to let the buffalo cross,
as they were packed in the river so
thick that is was impossible to get
through them. The name of our
boat was the Ida Stockdale, sunk
afterwards at the Bismarck landing,
by the ice. The men on the boat, who
are now living were as follows: Gen.
c. B. Comstock, retired officer of the
engineering corps Of the U. s. army;
Capt. T. s. Calhoun, now captain of
the packet Virginia on the Pittsburg
and Cincinnati line; my brother Mon
roe, who was engineer of the boat and
myself.
We arrived at Fl. Benton in good
time where all the officers left us,
except Gen. Holibird who returned to
Sioux City with us. On our return
trip we landed at TT. Stevenson where
we found that material had been land
ed by boats while we were gone, and
they were busy building quarters for
the winter.
The day we arrived, the Sioux
Indians made an attack on the garri-
son, killed number of soldiers and
captured a number of horses and
mules. - go.
We made short trip and went on
when at a point, which Is now called
plenty coal bluff, 20 miles below
TT. Stevenson, five miles below Man.
haven and 81 miles north of Wash
burn. there was a large island which
all old pilots remember, but all gone
now except a small willow bar. This
was a customary place for the Indians
to cross the river as at this point the
channel was narrow on both sides Of
| the island. When we arrived there
we found the Indians crossing to the
south side of the river with the stolen
stock. They would swim to the
island, cross to the opposite side, and
then swim to the south side OF the
river. The channel was also down
past the bluff, which was almost per-
pendicular, so that the Indians who
were where the boat would pass,
would be nearly over the boat. When
we arrived at a point two miles below
where Mr.. T. S. Calhoun now lives, we
soon found that the Indians had not
all crossed, as they began firing at
US from the timber and riddled the
boat. AS no one but Gen. Holibird
and Capt Calhoun we're in the pilot
house, and myself-at the wheel-we
soon got out of range of thei. guns,
but did not know how to escape those
on the bluff; not being acquainted
with the channel on the left side of
the island, we dared not venture there
for fear of sand bars. We stopped
the boat and held a council of ws!r.
We knew well If we went down past
the bluff, we would surely have
trouble as the Indians could shoot
almost straight down upon us, and the
boiler iron, which all boats carried to
protect their pilots, would be of little
use TO us on account Of the Indians
position. Should we. go down on the
Eleft Of the island and not get through,
we would surely have serious trouble,
but decided to make an attempt.
We started on our dangerous trip
lodged among the sandbars and
scratched through. I consider it the
most lucky event OF my life in get.
ting through at the left Of the island,
i Had | got aground, the Indians would
IhaYe kept us there. They could reach
us from the islanl and main shore
land would have shot every man that
showed himself. The boat was owned
lin Pittsburg, where Capt. Calhoun
lived We made the best trip that
was ever made by steamboat and
when all expenses were paid Capt
II Calhoun carried home $40 1854. ms
salary was I'll 200 per month and
II paid steersman out OF that $3.50 q
month, which left me $3.50 We were
gone from ST, Louis Six months and
item days, On this trip the buffalo
were So thick that II was impossible
/ Ito get through them. AIT Elkhorr
4 Prairie the whole prairie was blach
i with buffalo as far as the eye couli
4 reach. This was Ii September and
they were crossing the river On theil
Isouthward migration.