The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-10-29

while Wood and 1 squatted in the shade
of Al Gays store.
when Joe returned he informed us
that Bill had told him that Custer, he Of
the long hair, had been wiped out with his
whole command. Bill was a squaw-man-
had an Indian wife and two kids at
Spotted Tail agency. BE had been down 70
take them some supplies and money, and
on his return had met an Indian runner
a relative of Bills squaw-then on his way
to report to Spotted Tail and Red Cloud
Of the Custer disaster in the Little Big
Horn. Three days later the news was con-
firmed by the Cheyenne mail stage.
1--WE fired a shot or two into the quartz
vein, but the ore yielded less b - a
ton on assay. / bought an interest in
Claim No. 10, on Dead wood Greek, and
never saw Joe Miner again. l think ne
left the hills with Gen. Crooks command
in September, 1876, and perhaps went as a
scout on the successful rounding up or
that wonderful fighter, Crazy Horse"
During California Joe's residence in the
Black Hills country, he met and became
quite a pal of Capt. Jack Crawford, known
the country over as the Poet Scout"
Capt. Jack was an intimate friend Of the
writer many years ago, and we correspond
ed quite regularly. At that time he was
on the lecture platform reading his poems
and giving entertainments at Chautauquas
and on Y. NJ. c.. A courses. Capt. Jack
passed away at his home in New YORK
City, February %, 1917, of pneumonia. A
treasured volume in the writer's library is
an autographed copy Of Capt. Jacks POEMS
presented in 1909.
Captain Jack has the following 20 say
about California Joe:
"About the middle of April, 1876, l re-
ceived a note from California Joe, who
then had a fine ranch on Rapid Greek,
| and was trying to induce newcomers 20
settle there and build a town. l was then
at DeadwOOd. JOe's letter was written in
lead pencil, and barring his bad spelling,
"Rapid, April 10, 1876.
"My Dear Jack.
"Tf you can be spared from Custer,
come over and bring julie and Frank
Smith with you. The reds have been raising
merry old hell, and after wOunding our
herder and a miner named Sherwood, got
away with eight head o fstock-my old
Sally with the rest. There are only ten OF
come with the two boys, we can lay Tor
them at the lower falls and gObble them
the next time. Answer. by bearer If you
can't come. And send me fifty ROUNDS OF
cartridges for the Sharps (big 5O(. Hoping
this will find you with your tOp-knot still
~ Your pal,
81 Immediately saw Major WynkOOp,
commanding the Rangers, and got MS per
mission to leave, and arrived at RAPID
Greek the following night, with four com
rades. After two days and nights watch
ing at the lower falls, Jules Seminole, one
of my scouts, Ga Cheyenne) came In at
dusk and informed us that there were
between twenty and thirty Indians en-
camped at Box Elder, about twenty miles
away, n that they were coming from the
direction of the Big Cheyenne, and WOulC
probably move to Rapid during the night
"AbOut three O'Clock next morning JOE
went ND to his cabin and there started
a big log fire also two or three other fires
in other cabins. These cabins were OVel
a mile from where we were in ambush
while our horses were all picketed :
quarter of a mile down the creek, Wh1ct
was narrow at it's point of entrance IRON
the prairie, but widened into a beautltu
river half a mile up.
"Just as day was breaking, one Of thu
Indians was discovered by FRANK Smltl
wading u pthe creek. Frank reported to Jo'
and l, and Joe remarked, Let him go; ~
will soon signal the Others to follow II
fifteen minutes more the shrill bark Of
coyote proved Joe's judgment to be correct
Twenty-three well-armed Indians-al
SiOux-rode up along the willow bank II
Indian file. There were seventeen Of US
bob Swearingen and Ned Baker, two OLE
- miners, having Joined us the night before
We had six men on one side OF the cree
near an opening which we believed Tn
; Indians would break for on receiving GU
fire from the opposite side.
We took aim as best we could in tn
b gray of the morning, and fired nearly TO
gether. Then, before they could recover
n we gave them another volley, and leaVln
d our cover, followed on foot those who di
k not stay with us. We were ,d~isappolnte
i'm their taking the opening, but the boy
n were in fair range and did good wOrl
killing one, wOunding two and unhorsin