The Lemmon herald. (Lemmon, Perkins County, S.D.) 1912-1917, 1915-08-04
Joseph Goose, Old
Indian Scout, Dead
Joseph Goose, Indian Scout Who
Guided Custer TO the Black
Hills in 1876, is Dead.

\ Joseph Goose, one of the best
known Indians on the Standing
Rock reservation, died Saturday
afternoon at the home of Frank
Wagner north of keldron, aged
79 years. Death was due to ad-
vanced age and exposure incid-
ent to a l20 mile wagon trip
from which he had returned with
Wagner to the Little Missouri
country.
The story of the life of this
old Indian who was known to all
early settlers along the Missouri
river, is a very interesting one.
He served for years as a scout
during the time military posts
were maintained along the Mis-
souri, to protect settlers and trad
ers from the hostile, roaming
Sioux. when that great water
way was the only artery of com
merce in the Northwest.
Goose was attached to Clusters
command and early in 1876 he
guided an expedition headed by
Custer to the Black Hills where
the Indians had previously dis
covered gold. Custer negotiat
ed the treaty by which the Sioux
Nation | ceded the Black Hills,
| but the government failed to live
lup to the treaty by which Gus
ter agreed that $7,0OO,000 was
to be given the Sioux. The var
ious Sioux tribes about three
years ago held a council and took
| steps to file the claim which is
now pending before congress,
In support OF the claim, deposi-
tions of Goose and other old
, Indians who signed the treaty
and were present at the negoti-
atoms were taken and are now
on file. In his deposition Goose
states how Custer became curl
Gus to learn where the Indians
found the gold nuggets which
they were using for personal
, adornment and he finally con-
, sented to guide the expedition
|. From 1891 to 1893 Goose ser
we'd as corporal of | company
: 22nd Infantry stationed at Fort
Yates. This company was made
up wholly of Indians. Before
this time he had also been a mail
carrier between Fort Rice and
Fort Bennet, a distance of 200
miles. A number of years ago
efforts to secure pension for
/
the deserving veteran We're sue
. cessful, and up to the time of
his death he drew $50 per month.
He is said to have been the only
Indian in the country on the
pension roll.
The lure of gold held a spell
of facination over the old man
and he was always talking about
a deposit he found in his young
er days on the banks of the
Little Missouri river below Me-
: dora. For many years he had
: made annual trips there and on
several occasions brought back
outcroppings of rich quartz. On
his last trip which brought on
t his death, Mr.. Wagner who
accompanied him, claims they
, found the lode, and he has a
, number of samples of minerals
: to prove that the quest was sue
; cessful. AS to the location of
course he is reticent, and the
: presence of gold there in suffici-
| ent quantity to warrant devel-
!. opement is a matter of conjec.
ture.
. The body was brought to Fort
s Yates by Mr.. Wagner Sunday
a and inferred Monday in the
, Catholic cemetery, Rev. FIR. Ber.
nard conducting funeral services,
Besides a widow MIR. Goose left
three daughters, Mrs. Louis En-
8 dres, Mrs. Sibley Flye, Mrs
: Frank Bullhead and an ad )ptec