The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-07-16
MEMORABLE POWDER
RIVER EXPEDITION

The following. dealing with the
Powder River expedition OF 1856.
was prepared by Miss Florence Johl.
ston. > years old and a member @
the late Sophomore class III the Shel
idan hich school. and daughter o
Mr. and Mrs. l.. F. Johnston, Whitl
was submitted as part of her clas
work:
Powder River Expedition
The Powder River expedition was
undertaken to clear of Indians the
section OF country from the yellow
stone river to the Big Horn noun
tains. The territory was in the na-
ture OF q quadrangle With Powder
river on the south, IeIlowatone river
on the east, Big Horn river on the
north. and the Big Horn lnouataias
on the west. Captain palaler OF the
expedition wrote:
This country is perfectly charm
ing; the hills all covered with 4. figa
growth OF grass ard IN every vu.le,s
there j. either I. rushing stream or
hahbling brook OF pure, clear,
snow water filed with trout. The
banks are lined with trees, villa cher
ry. auakiag ash, willow and cotton
wood. No country in America Is more
picturesque than the eastern sla.e OF
the Big Horn mountains. =
Famous Hunting Ground
This section was a famous hunt
ing ground. highly priced by the In
t!iaus. Buffalo roamcd at iaYGe. also
antelope and deer, for grass Was
plentiful and water was 10 be had at
all times Of the year. The Indian
regarded this as his last hantingI
ground, all others having been taken
by the VII te men and Tor IAis ,taSon
resolved to resist all immigration and
settlement III this part OF the coan-|
try.
Very little data is now IL lie found
on the Powder River expedition. Cen
eral Conner made no Official rg port
70 Washington. His papers arr said
10 nave been burned. Captain Pal
Mer, acting quartermaster general
FOR General Conner. Kept a dairy OF
the expedition which was afterwards
published, in which he euio-tzes CoG-
ner's management. This is the only
written account and doe, not include
any Of the detail! ol the part taken
ny Colonels Cole and Walker III the
expedition. tor the reason that he
accompanied Conner.
tHnner> Command
Canner's com mand Of Gee let Fort
Laramie the goth day Of Jaly, 1865,
eAroute for the Powder river coun-
try. He was to meet Colonel cole
and Colonel Walker on September ! -,
1865, at the lowest point Of tAe Pan
lher mountains. nov called the WOLF
mountains. from where With these
combined forces they would drive
the Indian tribes out OF tai~ section
and protect the lives OF settlers and
Immigrants here.r
He crossed the Platte river after
some difficulty and proceeded toward
the Big Horn mountains. tie first
view OF which was obtained at a dis
tanCe Of 50 miles northwest On the
18th OF July they reached the long
looked for Powder river, where taey
remained till the 23rd OF JUly. " lile
here Fort Conner was built + It was
later renamed Fort RenoD
Troops Move to Crazy Woman
On the 25rd OF July tue part! left
the stockade and Travelled to the
Cray Woman creek. Il fork Of the
Powder river. The creek VAS SO
named because some l. years "etore
a poor, demented squaW lived near
this stream and finally died there. 1t
was an Indian custom to isolate their
craZed people along this stream in
this manner. Food and Clothing
would be brought to them from time
to time from the camp. On the 23rd
OF July the Bozeman trail was reach
led and followed in general way
for some distance along the base of
the mountains.
The route taken was past Lake
De Smet. about seven miles north of
the present town OF Buffalo. The
lake water is very alkali and Palmer
in his diary naantionS q conl yain IN !.