The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-07-02

dulating foothills, they decided to
build Fort Phil R-earny. Then the
rage of the Sioux over this invasion
of their particular country was I'M
govcrnable and they began HOSTILE
ties.
| Marrying the Soldiers
From the first fatigue party that
escorted the wood train to the pine
woods, seven miles from the site of
the fort, in the foothills, to bring in
timber, to the final one that brought
| in the last load of logs the following
winter, the troops that guarded the
| trains had to be ready to fight their
| way both in and out of the post. The
Sioux had thousands of well-armed
and well-mounted warriors to draw
on, and they lay in ambush at every
available place along the trail be-
tween the pine woods and the post.
At some point, going to, or coming
from, the post, the strong escort sent
out to protect the wagons would
have its work cut out to drive off
the savages who swarmed out of cou-
lees or dashed up through woods to
try to capture the outfit.
In the pine woods, where the
wood choppers worked, small block
houses were built for defence, and
the soldiers cutting down the trees
always kept their rifles at their sides,
while an ample guard, posted we'll
out among the trees, kept watch and
ward to protect them from the con-
tinuous assaults OF the Indians. But
despite all precautions, both in the
woods and along the timber trail,
the soldiers were constantly being
picked off by the bullets of the Sioux. |
The thickening ranks of freshly |
rounded graves that fast filled the |
post graveyard at the foot of Pilot |
hill constantly received new recruits |
to the little army of the dead. But |
Colonel Darlington kept up the spir-
its of his men and they gave the
Sioux as good as they sent. Many a
Sioux warrior bit the dust in these
attacks, and the desperate red men /
grew more and more wary as the |
summer passed
Long Siege Begins
AS the fall came on the soldiers
worked feverishly to complete the
post before winter. The trees fell
thickly in the forest and the loaded
trains passed safely, if slowly,
the woods and over the hills
under heavy guard. All the troops in
the garrison toiled early and late on
the barracks and other buildings, ex-
cepting when repelling an attack or
when they were sent out suddenly to
rescue some quartermaster's supply
train from Fort Laramie that had
been forced to corral for defense. On
October 81 the last log was in place
IN the stockade. The fort was 1,600l
'eet In length, but only 500 feet of
t was contained in the stockade. It's I
was marked by a little s
celebration, garrison flag was
lung to the breezes and a salute of 9
L2-pounders told the hordes of exas-
,erated Sioux that watched the post 8
rom the side of Cloud Peak noun G
ain that Fort Phil Kearny had come t
INTO being.
Now began one of the most re- r
narkable experiences known by any t
american troops in an Indian coun- b
ry since the foundation of the gov d
for almost from the day of t
Is completion until it was finally 8
vacuated nearly two years later in 1
with the ill-considered f.
nd laundering treaty made by the Il
government with the Sioux, this post n
5as constantly surrounded, if not in a
state of actual siege by the enemy. b
line and again the Indians swarm D
d up and around it, only to be p
r1ven back again and again. Nearly T
very supply train that reached 1t a.
rom the east had to fight its way Il
trough. Twice the Sioux and Chey- Of
mes succeeded in capturing the post Ia
erd, grazing under guard within o.
hot OF the stockade. Once they di
and ran off every horse ze
{ one of the best cavalry troops in n
le army, when the captain, who was IL
harding a supply train, incautiously m
lowed his men to unsaddle and ty