Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-02-01

chief engineer of the Northern Paci-
fic at that time, and one who under
stood his business and was we'll liked
by everyone.
"The country west of the Mis-.
souri, river was wild and travelling
dangerous through the Sioux hunting
grounds and it was necessary to have
an escort of soldiers and govern
ment troops. General Stanley was
in command at Fort Standing Rock,
with 600 troops under his immedi-
ate command and equipped with 40
re-scouts, with Louis Agard, one Of
the most notable guides of the west,
who knew the country thoroughly,
was we'll posted in the route to be
taken and had charge.
"The engineering party started
from Fort Abraham Lincoln, while
the command under General STAN
ley started from Fort Standing Rock.
Two days march brought the COL
umns together. Fort Lincoln was
being built at that time. The Sioux
tribe was troublesome. In our line
of march we were detailed in four
columns. There were 81 government
wagons, 100 two-mule wagons, which
were in the employ of the govern
ment and the engineering depart
ment had 20 four-horse wagons
which hauled supplies, camp and
baggage. There were two survey
ing parties of 20 men each surveying
two preliminary lines and guard
of company of soldiers with each.
GIN our line Of march the re-scouts
were in the lead securing the coun-
try, watching for the Sioux tribe.
We proceeded west till we struck
the Bad Lands, which was once
vast coal field and had been burning
for years. Fires were burning when
we reached the Bad Lands, which
are 20 miles wide and extend from
the Black Hills on the southwest to
the Missouri river on the northwest.
The Little Missouri river traversed
the whole length of the Bad Lands
"In passing through the Bad
Lands we followed what was called
Davis creek. We did not meet any
Indians until we got to the Bad
Lands, where we began to see signs
of the reds. The re-scouts would
bring in reports of Indians ahead
and Indians behind us, pulling up
the stakes the engineers had driven
in the ground and throwing them
away, thinking by that we would lose
our survey.
ARRIVING at the Little Missouri
river we had to camp there week
on account of high water. In going
through the Bad Lands we had a
skirmish line out on each side of the
train to protect us, and from that
time on we kept a skirmish line out
as the Indians were beginning to be
troublesome.
eve were attacked one night and
had to call out the troops. Shots
were fired back and forth but no
damage was done, no one was killed.
ARRIVING at the head of O'Fal-
Ion creek, in valley three quarters
of a mile wide with bluffs on each
side, the Indians attacked us again,
riding up on top of the ridges and
shooting down at the party. The
skirmish line on each side of the
train climbed the mountains and
drove the Indians off. There were
$50 reds in the party as near as we
could learn. Louis Agard, our
guide, was known to many of the
Indians and he rode out to the camp
and talked to them. They notified
him that they were going to kill us,
as we were going through their
hunting grounds and that was what
they did not like.
1.-THE night of the attack on ORAL
lon creek five of the re-scouts were
The next morning at day.
light they came into camp, their