The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-06-30
CAPTAINS FETTERMAN AND BROWN SHOT EACH OTHER TO DEATH
AFTER THEY LED COMMAND OF EIGHTY INTO SIOUX DEATH TRAP

sioux ana cheyenne Warriors let
Custer to disaster and death in June
1875. Exactly the same causes
brought about the second creates
disaster to the American army on the
western frontier ten years before, or
December 21, 1866, when Captain
Fetterman and his command, mum
bering 81 men, we're wiped out al
Fort Phil Kearney, a few miles across
the Montana boundary in Wyoming.
Hundreds of the Sioux and Cheyenne
warriors who later defeated Custer
we're in this fight of a decade before
under the leadership of Red Cloud,
who there won his reputation as a
great war chief of the Sioux.
Fort Phil Kearney was built by
General Henry B. Darlington as a
protection to travellers along the
Bozeman trail from the south to the
Montana gold camps. The Sioux
and Cheyennes bitterly resented the
invasion of their choicest hunting ter
ritory, and determined thai this new
fort should not be allowed to stand.
For two years the post was practi-
cally under siege continuously and
was finally abandoned and burned
by the Indians.
General Carrington's orders were
to avoid a general war with the Sioux
and Cheyennes until the western
army could be reorganized and in
creased. He therefore did nothing
to bring about hostilities, but de-
Tended his fort and his command
stoutly when attacked. Some Of his
officers secretly sneered at the eau
ton of their commander and were
burning for an opportunity to distin-
guish themselves and finally deter
mined to take the first chance for a
fight with the Sioux that offered, or
to make a chance if they could, Capt.
tain Frederick Brown and Captain
Overwhelmingly j. w. Fet-
terman were the leaders of the mall
contents. They stated repeatedly
that one white man, if he was a good
soldier, was good for a dozen Indians
and although there were known to
be between 5000 and 5000 Sioux
and Cheyenne warriors in the vicin-
ity, they were constantly suggesting
expeditions of all sorts with their
5canty force. Fetterman and Brown
offered Will on Dlcu W IluO ulOuSu
The whole Sioux nation.
Only Six Officers on Duty
The total force at the fort, includ-
ng teamsters and other citizen en-
1loyes, was about $50 men - barely
to hold the place if the In
made a massed attack upon its
,tockaded walls. There were only
commissioned officers there in
December, 1866. Ammunition was
'unning low, with only about 40
'ounds per man available at one
ime. Repeated requests and appeals
10Th by letter and telegram, for re-
Inducements and supplies, and espe-
tally for modern and serviceable
yeapons, had met with no response.
officials in the east claimed that the
ioux were peaceful and refused to
ecognize that a state of war existed.
hey even intimated that, if HOSTILE
les took place, they were provoked
Y the officer commanding.
Under these di~scouraging condi-
.ons, General Darlington showed his
God Judgment by taking as few
nances of losing men or expanding
ammunition as possible, but the at
tude of these discontinued officers
id not make matters any easier for
i'm.
On the 21st of December, the
round being free from snow, the
II clear and cold, the lookout On a
point in the foothills signalled I
the fort about IL O'Clock in the
orning that the wood train, which :
as been sent out from the fort the a
ny before to bring in timber for O
instruction work on the buildings, e.
Id been attacked by a large number h
hostiles about a mile and a half b
the fort. General Darlington tt
once ordered out a relief party of in
men from the Eighteenth Infan- Ell
with 27 troopers from the Second az
va1ry, armed chiefly with muskets, L
their carbines had not reached the
TT from Laramie. at
This detail was placed under the al
mmand of Captain James Powell at hi
st, with Lieutenant GrummOnd in a
arge of the cavalry, but just as
ey were about to start, Captain ia
sherman, whose experience among w
dams was limited, begged for COM or
md of the expedition, pleading the ne
ct that he was senior captain as ri
for his request. Gener- tn
Darlington reluctantly consented. ed
could hardly have refused to do a
but he gave him strict and posi- TO
e orders to relieve the wood train CO
d drive back the Indians, but on pc
account to pursue the Indians be- ed
nd Lodge Pole Ridge, an elevation in;
yond the point where the wood
in was standing off the reds who tn,
attacked it. WI
Captain Fetterman's Maneuvers thu
As has been said, Captain Fetter-
had frequently expressed his XIII
tempt for the Indians, and Cen ed
| Darlington, knowing his views, no,
5 particular and specific in his an,
ers. So necessary did he think ow
caution that he repeated it to VIII
utenant Grummond, who, with the ty
airy, was following the infantry fro
of the gate. These orders were no
ivered in a loud voice and we're be
yer
COZ
president, who is a former Stand
Oil man.
he Bowes structure has been wal
upop favorab1v hv several por