Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-09-05
Touring In Wyoming, Where He
Travelled BY Ok Team Long
~, Ago.
F." TALE of bloody encounters
"a with Indians, treacherous
- attacks. exciting moments.

OduhS VI IlNcIS Is IOlu ny "A. NA.
Holman, pioneer resident of Ser
geant Bluff, la. The story con
Germs the famous Sawyer expedi-
ton to the Sheridan country in
Wyoming in the summer Of 1865.
Mr.. Holman, who was - years
of age at the time, was a member
Of the party, being employed as
q driver of one of the teams of
oxen. He received $40 a month
and board.
Mr.. Holman is now making a
trip through the Sheridan country,
going over the trail followed dur
ing the bloody days. He probably
will remain in the western coun-
try during the winter.
Recently Mr.. Holman told of his
experiences in q lecture given in
the public library at Sheridan,
Wyo., under the auspices of the
Sheridan Woman's club. The
lecture was as follows:
II n 1864 the government appropriat-
ed 10000 for the purpose of finding
. shorter route to Virginia City, and
to establish an emigrant o connect
ing Sioux City with Virginia City. j.
"A. Sawyer was appointed commander
crossed the Missouri at Sioux City
neal Yankton and made the Ana de-
tails Of the trip. Included in the over
land train was 15 wagon with three
yoke OF oxen apiece; 18 double wagons
with six yoke apiece and five emigrant
wagons with three yoke each. The ex-
petition was finally on its way on June
~. From the initial starting point
It was on the road for six months, ar
irving at its destination October IA,
1865.
"As very little Of interest of the ex-
petition up to the time OF arriving Al
this country occurred, / will start in
with the story after arriving on the
Cheyenne. We followed up h north
fork of h Cheyenne river to the Bell
der river. In h Powder river breaks
we were first harassed by Indians.
Two thousand OF the red devils
owooped down on US and succeeded in
killing three men of the expedition.
We were annoyed by them for Ave
days and finally a peace conference
was called. We bought them OF by
making them a present Of a wagon
load Of food.
To Fort Common.
I'VE found our way out of the bad
lands there through Pumpkin Buttes
and proceeded to Fort Conner on Pow
der river, afterward caller Fort Reno. !
This location is about 20 miles south
of Kaycee. We found that General
Conner had left q week before
for q stockade on the Big Horn and 1t
was there that we learned from Cap |
why the Indians on Powder river had
desisted in their attack and were
20 ready to make peace. They were
being followed by General Conner
and his troops and were driven down
the Powder river when they ran onto
each other by means of signal smokes,
and several nights before the peace
conference we saw h skies llum-
mated by the fires and in the daytime
by smoke. Their purpose. Of course.
VS. ftsrr mysti sy%n's,1 to y, w, mt, .be We m ws5e
Cd Of communication. They were
kept Informed Of h approach Of the
soldiers and when their proximity was
too close for comfort they hastily de-
clared peace with our expedition and
departed. Sawyer know Of y COM
tdng Into the country when he left Fort
Laramie but we didn't know Of his
presence. At Fort Conner we made |
ARRANGEMENTS with Captain Kidd for
an escort of cavalry and parts Of two
;were'detailed to ". consisting Of about
10 men. They were all fresh from the
civil war and had Seen active service |
OF three years on the battlefield. Their
enllDtments had begun to expire and |
they dlsliked the idea Of further service
accompanied us. They were Of little
u.s. 70 they persisted In hunting along
{ rou and 1t nights would camp
by themselves.