Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-17

guides of that period who are
still living, is yellowstone"
Kelly, as his name appears on
the records of the war depart
ment. AT Paradise, Calf, on
a little farm that he bought
some years ago, Kelly is spend
ing the declining years of his
life in peaceful contrast to the
stirring times that he lived
through half a century ago.
At the age of 70 he is still &C
tive and vigorous.
yellowstone" Kelly was the
perfect type of plainsman,
combining the picturesque ap-
pearance of the early day trap
per and hunter with the re-
served manner and quality of
cool daring that marked the
best type of frontiersman. He
began his adventurous career
at the age of IA, when, despite
his youth he contrived to enlist
in the Union army and fought
through the last year of the
war, marching with his regi-
ment in the grand parade in
Washington in 1865. After
that his battalion was ordered
to Minnesota, and in 1866 re-
lieved the garrison of Mime
sofa volunteers at Fort Wads-
worth, Dakota. He then was
honorably discharged from the
service, and after visiting the
Hudson Bay post, Fort Garry,
on the Red River of the North,
he rode alone through the will
derness to the Missouri river,
encountering numerous adven-
lures. One of these was a meet
ing with Sitting Bull, who then
was becoming of prominence
among the Sioux as a medicine
man.
Arriving at Fort Buford on
the Missouri, situated on the
present North Dakota Montana
boundary line, his appearance
caused something of a sensa-
ton, for although he was now
II, Kelly appeared much
younger. In fact he could not
make the post trader believe
that he was older than IA or
Is years. The trappers at the
post spent a good deal of their
time playing practical jokes on
him, all of which he took in
good part. He was quiet and
retiring, and might easily have
been mistaken for a timid boy
who was very much out Of
place in a wild country where
danger lurked on every side.
Sioux Nation Powerful
The Sioux nation, flushed
with it's success in Kidding the
country surrounding Fort Phil
Kearney, Wyoming, from
whites and forcing the aban-
donment of that post, was at
this time arrogant and ex-
tremely hostile to whites. The
country about Fort Buford was
infested with these Indians,
who made war on every occas-
ion on the American trappers
and traders along the river, as
well as upon their hereditary
enemies, the eros Ventres and
Arickarees. So dangerous was
the passage of the trail be-
tween Fort Buford and the next
army post down the river, Fort
Stevenson, that mail between
the forts had to be accompan-
led always by an escort of
cavalry.
One day, not long after Kel-
ly's arrival at the fort, the
mail carriers from down the
river had become considerably
overdue and the post COM
mander gave them up as lost.
There was important mail to
be carried to Fort Stevenson,
but every soldier at the post
was needed for other duties
and there was none to spare
for guarding the mail. 1t was
then that Kelly, looking path
etically youthful, went 70 the
officer in charge and volunteer
ed to carry the mail to Steven
son alone. A group standing
nearby heard the offer and q
shout of laughter went up.
Kelly was refused permission.
He announced calmly that he
was going to make the journey
in any event, and was so per-
sistent that the post COM
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