Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1911-01-21
THE BLACK HILLS PIONEERS
A Narrative Of the John Gordon Stock
ade Party in 1874.
CONTRIBUTED TO THE CUSTER CHRONICLE
BY DAVID AIKEN, voNA, COLO.
rCnntinuod from, los

BY DAVID AIKEN, VONA, COLO.
[Continued from last week.
Our partners came out in few day
and We arranged our tent, beds ant
wagon. As we now had an experienced
hand at camping and good cook, ou
few remaining days here passed yer,
pleasantly. When all recruits came il
that we could muster, we found we hac
five messes. Each mess had its owl
wagon and tent, besides there was on,
wagon heavily loaded with -four, bacon
beans, ETC.. owned by man named
Brockett, and was for the purpose o
starting supply store in case the expe
dition should be successful and mining
camp established. Mr.. Brockett did mo-
accompany the outfit but short dis
tance, leaving his stock in care of Joh1
Gordon, with Chas. Cordeiro as driver
Eight Of our party came from the log
ging camps around Eau Claire and Chip
pewa, Wisconsin, and the world has
never produced eight men better fitted
for an undertaking of this kind than
these "noble, sturdy lumbermen"-each
one star in his line of work. Strong,
brave and intelligent, thoroughly accus.
toned to all the hardships and priva.
tions of camp life in winter and thor.
ough knowledge of oxen, made them
"the bulwark of the expedition"
On the morning of the 9th of October,
1874, we hitched up and lined out in a
westerly direction. The party consisted
of 26 men; one woman, Mrs. Tallant
and her little boy, Burt, about 10 or IL
years old; 8 wagons drawn by Is yoke
of oxen; 6 ponies and donkey. On
the lead wagon was printed in large
letters made with charcoal: "O'Neil's
Colony"
The Government had seemingly taken
no notice of our movements so far, but
we felt that it might interfere at any
time, so this expedient was resorted to
as an answer to inquisitive minds. AS
O'NeiPs Colony, located on the Elkhorn
river, in Nebraska, was the last settle
ment on our route, it was very plaus-
ible subterfuge and in fact seemed to
answer all purposes. When l left my
home in Wisconsin to embark in this
expedition, supposed no less than ,OOC
we'll armed men would ever undertake G
such trip. But we had actually started
on our way with 20.
No one seemed to take into considera-
ton the enormity Of the trip. They had
simply made up their minds to 90, let
the consequences be what they would,
unless prevented by the Government.
Of course we were well armed and had
an abundance eofanmunition and provi-
sions calculated to last us for six months,
but it was hundreds of miles from the
most remote outposts of civilization, late
in the fall, with the snail pace of an OK
train to take US, with the possibility OF
snowstorms and billiards.
that would at least destroy our stock, as
they had to depend entirely upon graz.
ing, with an extended scope of country
through which we were bound to pass,
labelled "Bad Lands" on the latest
maps we were able to secure, without
any knowledge of wood or water sup
plies or the thousand other pitfalls to be
encountered on journey of this kind,
at this season of the year and under our
peculiar embarrassing condition.
One thing we did know and that was,
that we were going on forbidden grounds
and that should We succeed in getting
through We would not be met with the
outstretched hand of friends-but to the
with the tomahawk and scalp
Ing-knife. Nevertheless, whether it be
accredited to the sagacity and good COM
mon sense OF the party or to the dull,
Indifferent stupidity, it is a fact that
with but few exceptions, scarcely a
thought was given of tomorrow. After
having canvassed the matter over care
fully and making all preparations pos
sible to meet all known obstacles, we
simply dismissed all thought of danger,
hardships or failure from our minds.
The die was cast-and like the Scotch
Irishman with his mind made up, we
started-and think nothing short of
intervention, would have
turned US back. The roads were dry
and comparatively smooth, the oxen be-
ing we'll rested stepped off. at a good
pace, while the cool air of the morning
lent a bouyancy to the party that mani
tested itself in jest and song and we
could scarcely restrain our steps from
lengthening into strides that would car
ry as much faster than the train was
going. To walk briskly was but little
exertion for me, while a slow plodding
gait was tiresome. Harry owned good
pony, the only one in our mess, and as
no one pretended to ride in the wagons,
it left the most of US on foot. Whit.
occasionally rode short distance when
the roads we're good, as he was about go
years of age and quite fieshy, and at
times became very tired, being on bis
feet all the time; besides, he and John
ny Boyle did the driving. Both were
and fleshy and could accommo-
date their stride to that of the oxen
with very little Inconvenience, while
Harry and I were to the extreme re.
verse. Either of Us could run mile or
two conveniently and with but little ex-
ertion, and we had tacitly arranged our
work accordingly; each taking that part
that he was best fitted for and could
perform with the least exertion.
This we strictly adhered too through
out the trip-and it proved to be of the
most vital imnortan and shnuld he