The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-05
Pioneer DakOtan Locates The
Scene of FiSk'S Indian FIGHT
Government Corrals Near Dickinson Pointed Out as the
Point Where Marmarth Band Attempted to Ransom
Mrs. Kelly for Two Loads of Provisions.

Dickinson. y. D., Feb. 5.-Curator
H. c. Fish Of the State Historical So
ciety was in New England about two
weeks ago to attend a mass meeting
OF the teachers of Hettinger county
ana ask their cooperation in locating
the old corral or intrenchment made
by Capt. James L. Fisk. where. With
an immigrant train, he was surround
ed by the Indians for several days. \.
resident and range in this part of the
country. writes from Texas. where he
Is owner OF a hardware store, as fol-
lows:
Dickens, Texas, Jan. %, 1913.
Editor Dickinson Press:
I notice in Your issue of January s
that Curator Fish of the State H.stor-
ical society is DESTROYS Of locating the
old fort, or corrals, out southwest Of
New England.
ANY of the old OK or ~ boys
can direct him to this place. ]. r.
Sehrell (Bones) living near Gladstone
at present. or J. ]. Tomamichel Of
Sidney, Mont, know exactly where
this old fort or sod corral is located.
II is on the Little Missouri river
creeks. about seven or eight miles
from the Little Missouri river, and
about the same distance from Mar
marth, l think, as 1 have been in
formed that Marmarth is located at
the mouth of Bacon creek on the
Little Missouri river.
have often visited these corrals or
rifle pits as We used to call them,
alone and with other cowpunchers.
and we always wondered when and by
whom they could have been built.
l am confident that this is the place
that Mr.. Fish is looking for, as 1 put
in over ten wears or that particular
part Of the range and l am. sure if
any one had driven a horseshoe nail
into the ground anywhere in that part
OF the country, l would have found it.
first visited this place in the fall
Of 'S9 with Fred Lebreche, an old
time buffalo hunter, who said that he
had known Of them for years, but had
never met n n who could give him
information as to their origin.
Hoping this letter may serve to put
Mr.. Fish on the right trail, to finding
this long lost for,
l am yours truly,
A. S. Jackson.
A little history of Capt. Fisk's en-.
counters with the Indians in North
dakota has been CLEANED from collec-
LUIS ny the SLdte Historical society
and will be interesting reading in cor.
nection with the probable location By
A. S. jackson Of this old corral in the
country southwest Of Dickinson.
Killdecr Battle the Greatest,
At that time the government had
five established forts in North Dakota
and were sending out troops Of cav
airy with an effort to subdue the In.
dians and open the country to settle
ment. 1t was then unsafe for immi-
grants on their way to the gold fields
west to traverse the country or for
steamers to g the Missouri river
above Fort Pierre in what Is nov
south Dakota. In this summer of
1864 was fought the battle Of the XII.
deer mountains, the greatest Indian
battle ever fought in Dakota territory.
zen. Sully was at the head of the
white forces and succeeded, after a
hard struggle. in defeating the red
men and driving them back into the
Bad Lands.
About this time Capt. Fisk and fifty
soldiers from. Fort Rice, (1S miles be.
ow the present site of Mandan), was
acting as a body guard for an immt.
grant train from Crookston, Mimi, to
Idaho. The train was composed OF
over so wagons and about $50 men
besides the women and children along
1t was q great venture and Capt. Fisk
Is criticized only that he ATTEMPTED
the trip without more soldiers. He
should have had, at least, 300 men tc
insure the safe journey through the