Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-08-15
DID NOT FIRE A SHOT
Why Thousands of Indians Melt.
ed Away Before Forty Men.
A STORY OF PIONEER DAYS.

In the pioneer days to reach Mon
tana from Cheyenne. in Wyoming. re-
luired roundabout journey that in
vOlved double crossing of the Rocky
mountains. with change of base ut
Salt Lake City. The United States
government brought about n better
condition of travel by constructing a
trail through the Gallatin valley along
the course of the Gunpowder river.
reaching around the base of the noun
tains in 4 curvlinear form. which
avoided the heights of the Rockies. To
protect this route from marauding In
dams three forts were built-Rcno.
Phil Kearny and c. F. Smith.
IN 1866 the murderous Sioux from
the Yellowstone valley pursued Il san
culinary course up through the Gallatin
valley and into Montana 1t WAS
marked by rapinc and plumber. They
beseged Fort Reno and killed many
of its garrison. They environed Fort
Phil Kearny and wiped from the face
of the earth every human being whose
walls It failed to protect. Then they
surrounded Fort c. f. Smith. where
200 soldiers found themselves sur
rounded by more than thousand
death seeking Indians. Escape seemed
impossible A courier got word of this
condition of affairs to General Han
cock. who was then stationed ut st.
Paul. and he sent messenger to the
governor of Montana ut Bozcman.
The chief executive of the territory
of Montana ut that time was Green
Clay Smith. He had been a member
Of congress from Kentucky. but Pres
dcnt Lincoln made him territorial gov
ornor of Montana. He was seated on
the porch of his residence in Bozeman
when Hancock's message was handed
to him. To visitor he said:
What in the name of heaven can |
do? Fort C. F. Smith is $50 miles
away. The country between here and
there is filled with Sioux Indians. Our
militia force consists Of exactly 427
men Not man of them could reach
Fort c. +. Smith alive. am absolute
ly powerless. However. l will send
for Colonel Howic."
At that time Colonel Neil HOWE was
United States marshal for the territory
of Montana.
1t was to this man that Governor
Smith addressed himself, handing him
General IIancock's dispatch and say
ing: "Colonel. we can't do anything for
those poor devils in Fort c. F. Smith.
Am | not right
NO" said Colonel HOWE quietly,
and with the gentle voice of n woman.
There is no trouble about that. gov
ernOr We can arrange that matter
and still leave the Montana frontier
protected. | will need some picked
men and good leader for them.
thnk Captain McCabe is best fitted for
this undertaking. | will find him."
McCabe was another gentle voiced
man. with blue eyes He didn't make
much noise. He acted. He said to
the governors "Oh. yes; it is easy
enough. But I'll need forty of the best
men I can select. You can keep the
rest of your volunteer force here"
Governor Smith looked at him in
amaZement. SO did the visitor from
!
either insane or a braggart Governor
Smith said to him. "How in the name
of heaven do YOU expect to raise the
siege of Fort G. +. Smith with forty
pen when you know that il is STR
rounded by more than 1000 blood
thirsty Indians and that the country
between here and there Is covered with
thousands more Of murGerouS Siouy ?"
Said McCabe quietly: "N'hv. ypv-
ernor, il is easy enough. The In1i2ns
know us and know that we E"ow
them better than they know thcm-
selves. You folks from the cast l. We
an idea that what Won call u,inn
atrocities are simply unmeaninG chi
billions Of brutality; that scalping. for
Instance. Is simply form of torture.
In that you are mistaken. The Indian
believes that no man can go to ne
happy hunting ground-heaven we call
it-who has been deprived of his hair.
Their motive in scalping victim is to
carry out fiendish hatred to its utmost
by preventing him from having a hap
by hereafter. Therefore to deprive an
Indian Of his scalp is to rob him of his
hope of n happy hereafter. Ny men
never kill an Indian without scalping
him. and the Indians know that. The
forty men l will select for this eXpedi-
ton are unerrng in their aim with
the rifle. They can shoot sixteen shots
in sixteen seconds, and every hall
means n dead Indian. and every dead
Indian means Il scalp. and every scalp
means a warrior deprived eternally of
a chance of ever reaching the happy
hunting ground. My forty men will
walk from here to Fort c. F. Smith
without firing shot"
'Incredibe." said Governor Smith.
True" said Captain McCabe.
What was the result?
Forty men walked the $50 miles from
BoZeman to Fort c. F. Smith. Indians
watched them on every side. BY days
their progress was signNlcd hv circ'inc
columns of smoke and by night by fir"
from mountHin tops. But not 4 eNo-
was fired. When they got within eitht
of Fort c. F. Smith the thouS"nf
whooping Sioux who held the "a,w or
in siege fed. and the forty frontiers
men from Foreman m "ched In Hn
escorted the 200 soldiers back t0 IL"