Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-09-05
did NOT FIRE A SHOT
Why Thousands of Indians Melt
ed Away Before Forty Men.
A STORY OF PIONEER DAYS.
Captain Mccabe Knew the Sioux Bet
or Than They Knew Themselves, and
the indians Knew the Captains Men
Were Dead Shots and Scalp Takers.

or nan IHey NneW themselves, ana
the Indians Knew the Captains Men
Were Dead Shots and Scalp Takers.
In the pioneer days to reach Mon
tana from Cheyenne. in Wyoming, re-
quired roundabout journey that in
VOWED double crossing of the Rocky
mountains, with u change of base at
Salt Lake City. The United States
government brought about 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 q curvilinear form, which
avoided the heights of the Rockies To
protect this route from marauding In
dams three forts were built Reno,
Phil Kearny and G. F. Smith.
In 1866 the murderous Sioux from
the Yellowstone valley pursued san
culinary course up through the Gallatin
valley and into Montana 1t was
marked by rapine and plumber. They
besieged Fort Reno and killed many
"
Phil Kearny and wiped from the face
of the earth every human being whose
walls it failed to protect. Then they
surrounded Fort G. f. Smith, where
200 soldiers found themselves sur
rounded 10y 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 at ST.
Paul. and he sent n messenger to the
governor of Montana at Bohemian.
The chief executive of the territory
of Montana at that time was Green
Clay Smith. He had been a member
ident Lincoln made him territorial gov
ernor 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 G. f. Smith is $50 miles
away. The country between here and
there is filed with Sioux Indians. Our
militia force consists of exactly 427
men. Not a man of them could reach
Fort C. f. Smith alive. / am absolute
ly poweriess. However, / will send
for Colonel HOWE"
At that time Colonel Neil HOWE was
of Montana.
1t was to this man that Governor
Smith addressed himself, handing him
General Hancock's dispatch and say
ing: Colonel. we can't do anything for
those poor devils in Fort C. F. Smith
Am i not right"
NO" said Colonel HOWE quietly,
and with the gentle voice of a 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.
think 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 governor: "Oh yes; it is easy
enough. But I'll need forty Of the best
men / can select You can keep the
rest Of your volunteer force here"
Governor Smith looked at him In
amazement So did the visitor from
the fort They both thought he was
either insane or braggart Governor
Smith said to him, How in the name
of heaven do You expect to raise the
siege of Fort c. F. Smith with forty
men when you know that it is sur
rounded by more than 1000 blood
thirsty Indians and that the country
between here and there is covered with
thousands more of murderous Sioux?
Said McCabe quietly: "Why, gov
ernor, it is easy enough. The Indians
know us and know that we know
them better than they know them
selves. You folks from the east have
an idea that what you call Indian
atrocities are simply unmeaning exhi
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 the
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 hap
by hereafter. Therefore to deprive an
Indian of his scalp is to rob him of his
hope of n happy hereafter. My men
never kill an Indian without scalping
him, and the Indians know that. The
forty men I will select for this expedi-
ton are unerring in their aim with
the rife. They can shoot sixteen shots
I'm sixteen seconds, and every ball
means a dead Indian, and every dead
Indian means scalp, and every scalp
means warrior deprived eternally OF
chance of ever reaching the happy
hunting ground. My forty men Will
walk from here to Fort G. F. Smith
without firing shot"
Incredible" said Governor Smith.
'True," said Captain McCabe.
What was the result?
Forty men walked the go miles from
Bozeman to Fort G. F. Smith. Indians
watched them on every side. BY days
their progress was signaled by circling
columns of smoke and by night by fire
from mountain tops. But not shot
was fired When they got within sight
of Fort G.. Il. Smith the thousand
whoonino Stony who held the garrison