Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-08
PASSING OF FORT NIOBRARA
Army Post of Prominence in Frontier His
tory to Be Abandoned.
TWcNTY-Slx YEARS OF USEFULNESS
Scene of Much Activity in Peace and
War Times IL Now to ne
Given over by the
Army.
TWlNTY-SX YEARS OF USEFULNESS

FORT NIOBRARA, Neb., July 7.-(Spe-
cial. with the abandonment of Fort Mo
brara on July 81, one OF the largest of our
military reservations ceases to be Of use
to the government Since it's establishment
In 1880 by Major j. ]. Upham, Fifth cav
airy, who was in command of a battalion
made up of the Ninth infantry and the
Fifth cavalry, to the present time, 1t has
been a pleasure to many officers to be
stationed at this post.
The first troops to reach the site Of the
present post marched 1876 miles from Grand
Island, Neb., and pitched camp on the
south and east banks of the Niobrara river,
at the mouth of the Minnechaduza creek,
in April, 1880. These troops were set at
work Immediately constructing buildings
and by November of the same year the
storehouses were completed and several
other buildings, though not finished, were
suitable for occupancy.
John MarshaIrs Service.
At this time the Indians roamed over
this part of the state and frequently there
were robberies. so 1t became necessary for
the commanding officer to have a guide
and an interpreter. Upon the request of
Major Upham the War department sent
John Marshall, a colored squaw man. who
ndu DSen IN Inc clhplOy VI bilS bONSAhAAOi
for several years, to act as Indian scout
and Interpreter Since that time this man
has been a character and landmark at
Fort Niobrara and Valentine. Everyone
who has been in this part of the country
knows John Marshall. In the early days
he was a good servant OF the government.
| He kept informed of the movements of the
| Indians and conducted successfully many
| an expedition which had been sent out FOR
outlaws. During the Sioux trouble in 1888
he was conducting General Stanton with
| an escort, from one post to another to pay
| the troops, when they were set upon by
/ a band of robbers. At the first alarm
Marshall hid the paymasters money in a
| gunny sack and when the robbers had
reached the paymaster's coach Marshall in
| formed the leader OF the band that they
were hunting party and not the paymas'
ter as was expected. The robbers be-
lieved his story and left without searching
the wagons. BY this act John Marshall
gained a grateful and staunch friend ir
General Stanton, and through his innuenc,
was retained in the service long time
after he was of no further use to the gov
eminent He served as a scout for more
than twenty years
whence Comes Cherry County.
During this period OF the posts existenc'
a great deal OF government property wa
missed and some outlaws fell under sus
picion In May, 1881, Marshall reported
that a number OF these outlaws were en-
camped few miles east of the post. Tn
commanding officer Immediately sent a de
tachment, under Lieutenants Cherry ant
McComb, in pursuit of them. Lieutenan
lMcComb returned the first night, but Cherr!
continued the chase for several days with
out success. The party were about to re
turn to the post, when an unforeseen TRACED
occurred. Lieutenant Cherry was shot b,
his striker" Private Thomas Locke, Troo
IF" Fifth cavalry The man was evidentl
crazed by liquor and the heat. No othe
motive could be assigned for such an act
Locke was sent 20 prison for a term o