Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-01-07
CONQUEST OF The NORTHWEST.
An Interesting Event in the His
tory OF the Northwest Before
Railroads Had Crossed the
Missouri North OF
Sioux City.

Joseph Mills Hanson Of Yankton
son of Major r. NJ. Hanson, whom
the writer has known since the
winter of '69-'7O, has written book
covering the Conquest of the North
west. The editor has not seen the
book but from the material Mr.. Han
sou had to build from it must be in
tensely interesting.
The editor of the LEADER has trav-
eled many mile up and down the
Missouri river with Grant Marsh and
Pilot Dave Campbell, and other noted
rivermen, but none of those old veter-
ans who helped to make history
became so famous as Captain Grant
Marsh who brought the first news of
the Custer Massacre to Bismarck
where the tragedy was sent over the
wires to the world by J. M. Carnahan.
who married a Yankton girl, Miss
Flora, daughter OF DR.. Wilson. The
" ritter travelled from Bismark to Yank-
ton with Captain Marsh on the steam
er Nellie Peck after getting the news
at Fort Lincoln that Banker Winter
mute had killed General McCook. We
went up the river on the steamer
Miner and raced all the way to Fort
Lincoln with the Far West where we
stopped to visit Gen. Custer. Grant
Marsh is as square man as ever walk
ed Missouri packet. The following
extract concerning the Custer Massa-
ere and the part Captain Marsh had
in the matter is from the Sioux City
Journal:
The men are few and, of course,
are becoming fewer-whop participated
in the early development Of this great
| northwest, which now furnishes homes
to millions, who are the inheritOrs Of
the courage and skill Of these pioneers
| who broke hole into the frontier and
allowed civilization to crawl through
and capture an empire.
The great artery of this northwest was
the turpid tide of the Missouri, up
whose waters the Lewis and Clark ex-
pedition, planned by President Jeffer-
son, pulled in 1903 on a tour Of dis
covery. Subsequently, there were the
| adven lures OF the fur hunters along
it's upper waters, who made thrilling
! history for themselves and fortunes
| for their promoters, as chronicled by
H. M. Chittenden, once resident of
Sioux City. Now comes new book,
entitled Conquest of the Missouri, -
the hero Of which is Capt. Grant Marsh,
known intimately to all the old timers
of Sioux City as one of greatest among
the many great Steamboaters who for
merly piled the Missouri, and whose
career on the historic stream began
more than half a century ago.
The most thrilling and most awful
event in the conquest Of this great
northwest was the annihilation Of
Clusters command by 5000 Sioux war
riors under Chiefs Crow King, Gall
and Crazy Horse, in the battle OF the
Little Big Horn, June 25, 1876, with
which Capt. Grant Marsh was connec-
West, engaged by the government to
| carry the troops and supplies up the
Missouri, thence up the Yellowstone,
thence up the Big Horn to the mouth
of the Little Big Horn. AT ter the
battle it vas his melancholy mission
to bring to civilization the report
| that the gallant command, number
ing more than 200 officers and men,
had been utterly wiped out. Newso Of
the disaster was brought from the
field to the boat by Curley, Crow In
dian scout, who had been in the SER
| vice Of Custer. The story of his ar
rival is thus told by the book:
From where the boat lay the val
ley of the Little Big Horn was visible
| for several miles extending back
among the hills Along both it's shores
spread dense thickets Of willow brush,
while above it's mouth and over the
island where the boat lay large cotton
wood trees afforded shelter from the
heat. The waters of the Big Horn
teemed with pike, salmon and channel
catfish. A number OF men therefore
cut number of willow poles and,
scattering along the shore Of the
island, devoted themselves with great
success to fishing. A little after 10
o'clock Capt Marsh, Engineer Foulk
and Pilot Campbell, together with
Capt. Baker and Lieut.. Carlin, strolled
out from the boat, and, selecting a
spot little removed from the others,
engaged in the general pastime.
A MESSENGER OF DISASTER.
The smoke columns noticed along
the southern horizon on the two pre-
vious days had disappeared now. and
the general opinion was that Custer
and Terry had met the enemy ano
routed them, so little fear was felt o
an Ind ian surprise. Nevertheless, a.
they sat there, George Foulk noticed
how close they were to the dense vii
lows on the main shore and remarked
to the others that it would be yer.
easy for Indians to creep up and fir,
on them. They were still idly discuss
ing the suggestion when, without th
least warning, the green thickets a