Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-06-27

In October. 1873. I received an order
ferring me from Fort Yates. Dakota
territory, to Fort Custer, Mont. II
reached the last named post and re-
ported to General Dawson, post COM
1nander. on December 1. Immediately
preparations were made for a trip into
Judith Basin. Mont, about 1870 miles |
north and west OF Fort Custer. Eighty |
Ave families OF Red River half breeds
.Of the north had temporarily located OF
Warm Spring creek, In Judith Basin,
having received authority from Cen
'eral Terry. department commander. to
winter quarters there. A band
OF horse thieves. II in number, had
built q. small fortress on Judith river
near the mouth OF Warm Spring creek,
and were stealing horses indiscrinli-
nately from the ranchers. %trappers,
hunters. miners and Indians. Word
had reached the department, and 1 WAS
ordered to make Il trip into Judith
Basin with Lieut.. Fred r. kisslingbury,
h officer who two years later persisted
while on the Greeley polar expedition.
Our mission was to ascertain, ii pos
Sible. who were members of the band of
horse thieves, and II possible to break
up the gang. We started with 10 shave
tail pack mules, two white men for
packers, 10 Crow Indian scouts, Lieu
tenant kisslingbury and myself. Lieu
tenant KisslinYburS was Il br"tlierin-
law OF Seth Bullock, now OF Deadw"od,
s.. d.. United States marshal and per
sonal friend OF Roosevelt. and Was as
brave a man and as careful ut human
life as any officer it was ever my lot
to be associated With. We had "A time
when we started out. Some of the
sShave-tail mules were unaccustomed to
the work required of them. and when
loaded up began to buck and run. with
the result that forage for the animals,
provisions for the men and camp and
garrison equipage were scattered for
abou three miles out at the beginning
of our expedition. which necessitated Il
delay of "a hours in gathering ny thu
scattered property and repacking the"
mules. We finally got started. how
ever. and reached the Yellowstone river
40 miles from Fort Custer, where We
stayed over night at Il road house kept
by Hoskins 4 McGurl. This ranch Mas
an outf1tting point for hunters. trap
pers and traders.
Enter the Outlaw.
While we We're preparing for the
Journey north towards the Bull noun
tains, Tom Herald. a noted Texas drs-
peradO, came to mo and, calling me 10
one side. asked me where we We're GO
ing. | told him W" We're going over
Into Judith Basin ON government bust
ness. He answered.:
Well. I'm going that way too. and
"a couple of partners of mine. We ar"
loading Il Wagon with whisky which W"
intend To take To the Belt mountains
mines. where we intend TO sell it to the
miners; and. By God, we don't anybody
to interfere with us-governnent Off
GERS or anybody else. Now don't for
get that"
1 answered him thai l didn't care Il
continental what he was doing. OF what
he was going to do-that it was nom,
of my business. That J had received
orders from the department To perform
certain duties. and these duties J
should perform, and that ! had nothing
to do with whisky peddiers. so he coula
expect no interference from me.
We continued nnrthward. reaching the
base of the Bull mountains in one day.
the distance being only about 30 miles.
The snow was deep and tn. weather
.cOfd, but we found plenty of pine knots
and down timber at the base of the
mountains, SO We built ii big hire. We
carried with us TWO Indian tep-es. the
scouts occupying n and lieutenant
Kisslingbury. the two packers and my
crossed the Bull mountains and went
down into the Musselsllell valley. Here
we found a very large camp of In
.dians consisting ot Grows. Shoshones.
Flat Heads. Black Feet. Piegans and
five lodges Of NeZ Perces. all friendly
WITH each OlIlcf dIli w aisAi
there being large numbers of these
animals wintering in that valley. We
camped with the Indians that night.
and our scouts. being Crow Indians.
participated in the Indian WAL dances
held in honor OF their presence in the
amp
Scouts Lose Nerve.
The next day we reached the base OF
Big Snowy mountains. north OF the
Musselshell, and encamped there for
h night. 1t was after midnight when
1 heard unusual noises. and on looking
gu of the door of the tepee. ! found
the Indian scouts with their tepee and
belongings all packed. and ALREADY i'm
the saddle moving on the back trail.
/ called to them and asked them what
they were DIN and where they were
going? They answered that there were
Sioux on the other side of the noun
tains, and they would go no further.
Nothing l could say would induce them
to continue the trip. as they We're
AI -, a. N:-.,. lt, 80