Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-03-17
Old Boatman Tells of
Journey Of, Far West"
Good Description of Captain Marshs Spectacular and Daring
Flight Down River With Precious Freight.

Saltwater, Mimi, March l5.-Edltol
Post: The great Sioux Indian war o
1876 was caused by the determination
of the government to compel this am
all other Indian tribes to go upon re
servations and live there. The Sioul
under Chief Sitting Bull, we're the
leaders in this rebellion against the
governments orders, and the effort tc
subdue them was the occasion of the
last and greatest Indian war fought on
this continent. The war was carried
on, under the general direction of Mel.
son A, Miles, the commander-in-chiet
OF the regular army. Under him, and
at the head Of the somewhat meagre
forces of cavalry were Generals Gus
ter, Gibbon, Merfett, Terry and Capt.
Moylan, Capt. Godfrey, Major Reno.
Lieut.. A. e. Smith and others. The
warlike Northern C%heyennes were al
lied with the Sioux and the whole OF
the then new and sparsely settled
Northwest was ablaze with war. The
scene of these sanguinary disturb
ances included the then territories OF
Wyoming, Montana, Dakota, COLORADO
and Northern Nebraska and Western
Minnesota. The people of today can
have little conception Of the awful con.
ditions prevailing in the valley of the
Upper Missouri river and it's tributar'
ies--the Yellowstone and the Big Horn
in the year 1876. 1t required all OF
the power of the government to. put
down the big Indian rebellion, and this
was not accomplished until long after
the death of General Custer and his
devoted band.
Conditions Along River.
i have written the above prelimi.
nary to give my readers some idea OF
the conditions then prevailing along
the navigahle Missouri river from the
frontier forts along that stream in Da'
kota all the way up to the head OF nav.
igation at Fort Benton, and also up the
Yellowstone and Big Horn. Scouting
parties we're out all the time roaming
around in search of hostiles, and these
attachments suffered severely at the
hands OF the Indians. Among the real
ly astute Indian leaders were Sitting
Bull, Crazy Horse and Rain.in-the-
Face. The Battle of the Rosebud had
been fought. on the 18th Of June, 1876,
under the eye of Gen. Miles. Gen.
Custer had left Fort A. Lincoln. at
Bismarck, Dakota, with his troop OF
rough riders on the 18th of May, 1876.
His command was the famous Seventh
cavalry. On the 25th Of June Custer
found the Sioux Nation in arms on the
Littye Big Horn, with results that end.
ed in the death of himself and 25O OF
his men-all who were with him at
the time. There were no wounded 10
be cared for after. lhe Custer slaught'
but there was much other fighting
IN the same n%eighborhood both before
and Immediately after. by other de-
tachments, under the leaders have
mentioned, audit was to supply these
various detachments with ammunition.
food, ETC., that the steamer
'Far West" had been loaded and sent
a Thousand miles up the Missouri.
and Big Horn, clear up 70
the mouth Of the Little Big Horn-far.
Their up than any steamboat ever nad
been before. and to within a few miles
Of the active hostilities. Capt. Grant
Marsh was in command of the Far
Vest and the boat was in great Ian.
ger from the Indians. as the river was
SO narrow that the boat hard
could be turned in it. Moreover
The freshet which had enabled them
to ascend the Big Horn, was rapidly
out. Every day was precious
and the anxiety Of all was very great:
Meanwhile the wounded and, crippled
soldiers were coming in each day, IN
ii the boat was a floating hospital.
rhe following narrative of Capt. Grant
Marsh's spectacular and daring flight