The Dickinson press., 1912-02-10
DEFFEBAcH
MASSACRE
The Story Of How Indians Killed
Rassy'ss BrotherJohnsin 1879.
Later Reds Were All
Wiped Out.

Later Keds Were All
Wiped Out.
Readers of theiPRESS will be greatly
interested in. the story of the Indian
massacre of John Deffebach, eldest
brother of Erasmus Deffebach of Dickin-
son. The story is told by Perry Davis
and was recently published in the
Range Gazette of Camp Creek, S. D..
There were five brothers in the Dehe-
bach family, Dan Deffebach, now re-
siding at Hettinaer and for many years
a w%ell-known Grand River stock grower,
is the second eldest. Ed Deffebach,
the third brother. is a prominent busi-
ness man in Los Angeles, while Levi
is a macbinist now at Great
Falls, Mont. ".Rassy' Deffebach, the
youngest of the family, has been.
engaged in the live stock busi-
ness all his life and is one of the best
known men in the Dakotas and Montana,
having acted as stock solicitor for the
railroads for many years. Five child.
rem were made fatherless by the John
Deffebach massacre. The three boys are
engaged in the lumber business at Fort
Worth. Texas; the only surviving
daughter resides in South Dakota. A
second daughter was married to o. I.
Hamilton of Haley and died a few years
ado. The surviving brothers believing
that they had a just claim against the
government. brought suit some years
ago and secured q judgment for quite a
sum.
The story of the awful tragedy as
told by Perry Davis, is as follows::
On the south bank of the Belle
Fourche river and two miles above the
town of Belle Fourche is the site of one
of the oldest COW camps Of the northern
range country. 1t is now known as the
WV ranch. and was established by
John and ''Rassy" Deffebach in the
spring of 1878. The country was new.
the paradise of the hunter and cowboy.
and the rendezvous of ~road-agents, in
dian horse thieves and murderers-in
fact, a devils play ground. The nearest
postofice was at Deadwood and the near
est railroad at Sidney. Neb.. 400 miles
away.
The family of John Deffebach lived
in Deadwood. where the brothers made
their headquarters when not occupied
with their ranch work on the Belle
Fourche. The cattle at the Deffebach
ranch numbered about 600 head. and
the men engaged in looking after them
were Rus Wilson and Tom White.
Among those living near the mouth
of Redwater who had lost horses were
Joe Rhode and D. T. Harrison. Skirm-
ishes with the thievine Indians were
frequent, and many Of the pioneers
made a practice of sleeping in sight of
their stock, usually with their blankets
rolled out between a couple of logs.
Most of the Indians that had harassed
the early settlers of the Black Hills
country had been moved to the reserva-
lions. while some had moved to the
buffalo country over toward the Yellow
stone.
Late in the summer of '78 the Deffe-
bachs purchased a bunch of Texas
steers from Tom Boyd of the North
Platte. A much larger herd of mixed
cattle that arrived in December had
been bought of Ed and Dan Deffebach
and trailed from Colorado. Late in the
following January. John Deffebach, Tom
White and Rus Wilson went up neal
old Fort Reno. in Montana. after an.
other herd that had been purchased Of
the Fruin Bros. The route taken wat
by the DEVILS Tower. Pumpkin Buttes
and the burning coal banks near the
head of the Belle Fourche river. A
severe storm struck the outfit near the
coal banks, the stock wal turned loose
in the breaks and the men camped nean
the fires of the burning banks for pro-
lection from the terrible cold. 1t was 6
tough trip. but after a journey of about
$50 miles the cattle were finally turn.
ed loose on the Deffebach range in good
condition.
The writer was q small lad then and
took great interest in watching the mer
cross the cattle on the ice at the ole
John Spaulding place on Redwater,
The cattle were sold in Deadwood t
supply the markets of the northern
Black Hills.
About the month Of April. 1879. John
Deffebach again went to the Frui1
ranch for about 400 head of stock horse.
and another bunch of cattle. Accom-
panyine him were Rus Wilson. Ton
White. Charley Baker and Ed Fenckle
maker: The soft spring weather which
prevailed. gave promise that the home
ward journey would be all that q COW
bows heart could wish for.