Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-02-28
ROOSEVELT WAS
DEPUTY SHERIFF
OF DUNN COUNTY
Captured Thieves Who Stole
His Boat---An Historic
Battle Ground.

Lennon, S. D., Feb. 2o.-If President
Roosevelt were to visit his former
stamping grounds directly north OF
here, he would scarcely recognize the
region, so wonderful has been the
change the past year or two.
The steam pillow, the buildings of the
settlers, their titled fields and rural
s~choolhouses have taken the place of
the bucking bronchos and the immense
herds OF cattle of the Roosevelt days.
The territory now is included within
the limits OF Dunn county, North Da-
kota, which was recently organized.
1t was while President Roosevelt was
ranching in what now is Dunn county
that sneak thieves stole his boa n
went down the Little Missouri river.
The president at that time was a dep
uty sheriff, and he started in hot pur-
suit of the thieves, overtaking them not
far from kildeer and placing them I'M
der arrest.
II was In Dunn county that General
Sully in 1864 fought a decisive battle
with the Sioux Indians who were re-
sponSible for the Minnesota massacre.
The expedition started from st. Paul
in the spring of that year n proceeded
into h is now North Dakota, estab-
fishing Fort Rice on the Missouri river.
AT Kildeer mountain In July of that
year was fought the principal battle Of
the campaign.
Early Morning Attack.
After marching all night, Sully's men,
In the early morning came in from the
east and took by surprise the big In
dian village on the south slope OF Kill
deer mountain. The Indians fled pre-
cipitately to the northward, leaving be-
hind all their camp paraphernalia.
Sully lost six men in the battle, M
they were buried at kildeer noun
tain.
In the eighties when a rach was es-
tapllshed on the site of the Indian camp
ana battle-ground, uneXploded shells
ana solid shot were found in the bank,
ana tepee poles, arrowheads and cook
ing utensils were StreWn around.
Among the latter were brass kettles
which the Indians had stolen from set
tiers in their raids in Minnesota. Sully
II his men, led by a Blackfoot In
.diaE guide, were the first white men
10 travese the famous Bad Lands Of
western North Dakota. That fall the
troops, having accomplished their work.
returned TO st. Paul.
Up to 1882 and 1883 Dunn county was
known to the white settlers of eastern
Dakota only as a good buffalo hunting
ground. Deer and elk also were numer-
Gus. The frontier town of Dickinson
became in 1883 a great center for the
hunters and a shipping point for hides,
Ihorns and a little later. bones. In the
frontier newspapers of that year is told
the pathetic story oe the wanton
slaughter of the buffalo.
A Bozeman man contracted for 10000
buffalo hides 10 be delivered at Dickin
son. on June ?. 5000 hides were
brought in; on June 9. thirty-one OK
teams brought in hides. the weeks rec
ord being 1000. The teams of one firm
In July brought in /, 900 hides. And so
the work of determination went on. In
the fall of the same year reports came
from kildeer that hunters were slaugh-
terIng deer for the F'des alone, leaving
the carcasses on the prairie.
Unon a hill northwest of the new
town of Manning, Dunn county, are the
graves of four of General Sully's pick
cts who were surprised ard murdered
by the Indians