Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-16

the scenic Big Horn mount, ms,
far off the common routes. of
travel, which half a century
ago held the same interest for
the nation that the Custer Bat
tlefield does today, and which,
though now practically un-
known and forgotten, deserves
equal recognition with that
other field that lies along the
hills above the Little Big Horn.
It is the site of Fort Phil Kear-
ney, about which, in 1866 and
1867, waged the fiercest and
longest-continued fighting, be-
tween the then powerful allied
Sioux and Cheyenne nations
and American soldiers, that the
annals of our Indian warfare
contain.
Within an area a few miles
square around the place where
the post stood were fought two
battles which in dramatic in
terest rival the Custer tragedy.
In the first of these, on the 21st
of December, 1866, Captain W.
j. Fetterman and his command
of 81 officers and enlisted SOL
diers were wiped out to a man
after rescuing a wagon train
that had been attacked on it's !
way to the fort. The second
was the Wagon-box fight, in
which 80 soldiers and civilians
from the fort withstood the re-
peated onslaughts of 5000
blood-crazed red warriors for
four hours, killing and wound
ing, according to the Indians
own admission, 1877, and thus
avenging the death of Fetter-
man and their comrades who
fell with him.
Continuous Siege for Two Years
Fort Phil Kearney was established
in the summer of 1866 by General
Henry b. Darlington to protect the
Bozelnan trail, by which gold seekers
from the east travelled through Wyo-
ming northward to the newly dlscoy-
cred gold fields of Montana. Although
a stOutly built and pretentious outpost
it was from the first under-garrisoned
and lacked a sufficient supply of arms
and ammunition. AS 0 o as the first
logs were in place, a great force OF
Sioux and Cheyenne warriors sur
rounded the soldiers and civilians, num-
bering $50, and during the two years
of the forts existence kept them under
continuous siege.
The Indians had between 5000 and
1000 braves, well armed and mounted. :
The toll they took from the little garri- {
son was a terrible one. for in the first D.;
six months fighting they killed 15f :
soldiers and civilians. wounding 20 Q
more. ard captured nearly 100 animals =
cattle. mules and horses. There were v
in that time II demonstrations in force 7
in front Of the fort, and every wagon h
train that entered or left the place :
was attacked and had TO fight its way
through. q.
Garrison is Worn Down y
There was much dissatisfaction |
among some of the officers at General t
C~arrington's prudent policy. They had
the idea that one white man, especially n
a soldier, was good for a dozen Indi- a
ans. and although 1900 lodges of In t
dians were known to be encamped on
Powder river, and there were more
than 5000 braves in the vicinity, these
officers were constantly suggesting ex- !;
petitions Of all sorts with their scanty q
force. Captain Frederick Brown aud II
E- - Ch { n
men and ride through the whole Sioux II
nation. Darlington. however, under r
stood the mettle of the Sioux nation :
and his consent to any such excursions /;
was ~sternly refused
The total force available at the fort, u
including prisoners. transfers. citizens =
and employees. was about $50 men Il
barely enough to successfully resist an ;
in force by the Indians should +
one be made. Besides this, details of i
troops were constantly needed to carry n
to deliver the mail. to get !.
supplies. to relieve emigrant and sup Il
ply trains. and for other purposes. The $
was woefully inadequate and the Z
of officers was constantly be :
ing lessened. e
Ammunition was running low. There =
at one time only 40 rounds per {
man available. =
No Help From Wa Department
At the end of six months there were a
only six officers left. and the garrison Fl
had been so reduced that General Car !,
made repeated requests by let F,
ter and dispatches wired from Fort h
for achievements, modern :,
weapons and ammunition. but these H.
met with little consideration. Orders "
we're therefore given the officers re- :,
to take no unnecessary chances ?.
in engagements with the Indians, and :,
10 conserve ammunition. VI
as the winter wore on the activity n,
IF the Indian warriors increased. Four r.
days before Christmas a lookout sig a,
nailed shortly before noon that the ~
wood train had been attacked in force "
q mile and a half from the fort. A
relief party of 40 men from the Eight
zenith infantry, with % troopers from al
he Second cavalry, was ordered out at tn
,nce. These, with Captain Fetterman, W
Brown and Lieutenant Grum- br
nond. the latter leader of the cavalry; on
md two civilian scouts made I'D the hi
command. Captain Fetterman was fiji
definite and repeated orders to te
'elieve the wood train, but on no ac- De
to pursue the Indians beyond of
IN elevation known as Lodge Trail ad