The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-03-01
DAVID wEAvEH'S STORY OF A BATTLE BETWEEN THE SIOUX
INDIANS AND CAPT. T0vwMSEND'S TRAIN ON BOHEMIAN TRA1l

or prospectors and shoot them down
In the open plain along the Boze-
man trail. Orders were at once
given to re-corral and the wagons
were put in defensive formation, en-
closing the cattle right at the river
bank. This corral was at the spot
referred to above at the west end
of the flat just above the junction
of the South Fork. 1t thus became
known to the Indians that they had
been discovered. Gibboney states
that with the aid of field glasses some
of the men then observed that the
Indians had concealed their ponies
in the pine growth on the side of the
foothills along the %northerly ledge
of the river bank and the Indians
were now to be seen returning to
their ponies and ~remounting; and
they were of the impression hat the
Indians had hidden their ponies in
the pines while they themselves went
in ambush in the ravine through
which the Bozeman trail passed, as
above mentioned. This was probably
the case, for the Indians did not usu-
ally leave their horses and fight dis
mounted except to fight from am
bush.
Captain Townsend had with him
a couple of experienced guides, Bou-
lier and Richards, and he sent them
forward to parley with the Indians.
They returned and reported that the
Indians wanted something to eat, and
advised that they be given food,
which was done. The Indians then
suggested that the wagon train
should proceed; the guides protested
against this, however, stating that it
was probably the intention of the
Indians to try to get the wagon train
in position to stampede the cattle
and thus render the train helpless
to proceed. Subsequent events show
ed that the guides were right in their
Judgment. Townsend refused to
advance, but instead made a display
of strength, ordering out all his men,,
about three hundred in number
(there were about 150 wagons in his
train. He also directed that those
of his men who were mounted on
horses should go back and look for
the mar who had gone out for the
strayed COW. But when the mounted
men made the sortie towards the rear
the Indians advanced, commenced
firing upon the riders, and the battle
was on. The scalp found by our
party in a tree top a few days later
was mute evidence that the attempt
to rescue the man who had gone back
for his COW had not succeeded. Whe-
Their he had been murdered by the
savages before or after this attack
is, Of course, not definitely known.
From the fact that the scalp. was
left on the tree, however, / surmise
that what took place was this: The
Indians, watching every movement
around the train from their places
of eoncealment, had followed him to
the rear, crept upon him, shot him
down with their arrows, and scalped
him. These Indians then probably
to crawl as close as pos
sible to the real of the camp. When
mounted men started to
ride towards the rear, they would
upon the unmounted Indians;
and the latter hastily concealed the
scalp in the tree top in order not to
be discovered with the scalp in their
possession; this being before HOSTILE
ties began, these roaming Indians
not knowing then that their band
would make an open attack. This
account for the abandonment
Of the scalp.
This situation may also explain
why the Indians were so prompt in
attacking the mounted men. Accord
ng to usual Indian tactics, they
would have been expected to wait I'M
Ii the mounted men were some dis
from the corral and would have
hen ~endeavored to cut them off from
he camp. The fact that they at
acked at once suggests that this may
been intended as a diversion
N their part in order to afford the
amounted Indians lurking to the
asst of the camp an opportunity to
Or If, as is possible, the man
Who had gone back towards the rear,
already been murdered by them,
hey may have assumed that the
rain had in some manner learned of
is murder, and that the mounted
len we're setting out to punish his
1urderers, and they planned to at
ack before the latter were over
AIKEN.
The Indians possessed some fire.
rms, but many Of them were equip
ed with bows and arrows, and the
)catiOn of the first attack on the
men was probably about
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