The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-06-25

Miles, on October A, 1877. Duri
that period of border fighting,
names of a number of generals
came famous through their exploit
and the sparse population of Nc
tana came to know quite intimate
such noted army leaders as Mil
Crook, Terry, Custer, Gibbon
others. OF this aggregation of
dian fighters the one to whom Nc
tana owes most, who lived long
within the territory and who was t
most active in military matters
Brigadier-General John Gibbon.
General Gibbon, who had a b.
liant Civil war record, came to Nj
tana in 1870, to take command of I
headquarters of the district of M
tana, which were at Fort Shaw. F.
Shaw had been established in 49,
construction of the post being co
pleted the following year, in t
summer of 1868. The first trot
there in 1867 were four compan
of the Thirteenth United States
fantry, under Major William Clint
At first the post was named F.
Reynolds, but it was changed to F.
Shaw August 1, 1867, in RENE
| brance of Colonel Robert G. Shaw,
the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, voll
teers (colored), who was killed in
Civil war engagement at Fort w
ner in July, 1863. Major Clinton
first lodged his troops in tents,
before winter had quarters for
men built, a hospital and other bui
ings constructed.
Fort Shaw, which was General c
bon's headquarters for the grea
part of his residence of nearly
years in Montana, had a military
ervation about 10 miles up and dc
the Sun river valley. General Re
designed the post, and adobe brio
6x12x4 inches were used in the wa
The reason for the establishm
of Fort Shaw was to protect and k
open the route from Fort Benton
Helena, and to prevent, so far as p
.sible, the incursions of Indians i.
settlements of the south.
Gibbons First Work
General Gibbons first work
to complete the establishment of
Shaw as a permanent military
and to secure thorough knowIeuge
of the various streams and transpor-
tation routes of northern Montana
and he had no trouble of serious
nature with the Indians for more
than year. Shortly afterward, due
to the hostility of the Sioux as a re-
suit of the preliminary work of the
Northern Pacific in making it's sur
veys for a route through the terri
tory, the troubles began which came
al h.
the Little Big Horn.
At this time General w. T. Sher-
man was commandments of the
United States army. In fulfilment
of its agreement with the Northern
Pacific, project that was of national
the government promised
two military escorts for The eastern
and western units of survey and con-
struction. Not only was this ,done,
but the troops in the field throughout
the district spanned by the company's
were ordered to drive
the Indians as far back as possible
from the line.
Fight on the Yellowstone
After General Gibbon had been at
Fort Shaw for nearly two years the
Northern Pacific, which had been
it's eastern surveys, was
'eady to extend its engineering work
over that section of the country from
he base of the Rocky mountains to
Bismarck, on the Missouri river, at
which point Fort Lincoln stood. Two
parties were to operate.
)ne was to commence at the Missouri
ind proceed to the west toward the
The other was to begin
york on the Upper Yellowstone and
ollow that stream till it should meet
he first party at the mouth of Pow
Ter river. The eastern detachment
vas accompanied by detachment
Inder General Gibbon, whose chose
or this duty four companies of the
eventh infantry from Fort Shaw
nd four companies of the Second |
avalry from Fort Ellis.
General Gibbon placed in COM
hand of his detachment Major Eu-
enc Baker, of the Second cavalry, |
Tho, couple of years before, had |
isgraced himself by massacring a |
elpless and unprotected band of |
lackfeet women, children and old |
len that had been segregated on the
[arias river as a smallpox camp, the
'arriors of which were all out in the
hunting. Major Baker at
lat time was supposed to be pursu-
IL a band of Blackfeet marauders
no had the year before murdered
'alcolm Clarke in Prickly Pear val
", but he ran across the smallpox
imp and insisted on its destruction
a time when he was too drunk to
now what he was doing.
Sioux War Starts
After being placed in the field by
eneral Gibbon to protect the Nor
ern Pacific surveying crew, Major
aker and his command ran into a
Ind of from 500 to 1000 hostile
oux, which attacked the white !
oops in the hope OF getting away
it'll the cavalry horses. A prolong- {
skirmish followed and the Sioux {
ere routed, but as Major Baker APP {
ared again to be somewhat under ]
e weather, and changed his mind
often about following them, they I
t away. The manner in which l
lker handled his command so dis t
sted the engineers Of the surveying r
rty that they decided not to con- t
Tue the survey to Powder river '
at summer. It
During the next two years, 1873 G
d 1874, General Gibbou was busy S