The Bozeman courier., 1927-10-14
INDIAN FIGHTERS
GET PENSIONS
VETERANS OF NEZ PIERCE CAMPAIGNS
OF 1877 BEING SOUGHT BY
BUTTE SURVIVORS

1t was half century ago when the
sensational alarm came to Butte that
Chief Joseph and his NeZ Perez war
riOrS had entered Montana and were
advancing through the state Staying
men, women and children, and the cry
came for volunteers to aid the regulars
in pursuit of the Indians.
W. A. Clark, commissioned as major,
huTriedly raised a battalion of troops in
Butte, his rallying point being at the
southeast corner Of Main and Broadway,
then occupied by a log cabin, and within
a few hours a handy band Of pioneers
was en- route to Deer Lodge on its way
to aid General Gibbons and his troops,
who had engaged the redskins in the
Big Hole valley. This was in July Of 1877.
Pensions Can Be Had
Congress in March last passed the
LeatherwoOd bill, under the provisions
of which veterans of Indian wars may
secure pensions, and call has gone
forth to any of the veterans of the Mex
Perce campaign from William McDer-
mott 637 North Manhattan place, Los
Angeles Cal, to get in touch with him.
MIR. McDermott, however, fears there may
be no veterans of the Butte battalion
living, except Alex j. Johnston, NJ. john
stone, Simon Hausworth. S. P. Sammy
Alexander, all of Butte, and himself. Mr..
McDermott states that it was reported to
him that Lyman W. Kennear, a veteran
and he was endeavoring to locate him IL
he still were in the land Of the living.
Kennear was a scout with McDermott.
One of Oldest Settlers
Mr.. McDermott is one Of the Oldest
settlers of Butte still living. He came to
Butte from jefferson City, Oct. 18, 1875,
to build the Centennial MILL one of the
first plants of its kind in the camp. This
was one year before the Custer massacre.
There are many Npresent-day residents OF
Butte who still recall the old McDermott
hotel at one time owned by the pioneer
The McDermott hotel gave way to the
Finlen, and later to the New Finlen.
Writes Sammy Alexander
Mr.. McDermott in a letter to Sammy
Alexander states that he is n years old,
| but that he is still ready for fight or
frolic like in the good old days gone by.
He asked Sammy that if he knew Of any
of the veterans still living to advise him.
MIR. McDermott enclosed a copy Of list
/ of the volunteers that Gen. Charles S.
Warren, then adjutant, had in his pos
session in 1897 stating that he had made
a number of corrections, and that he was
| aware that it was not a complete list. He
| enclosed also a list of the volunteers pub
| lished in the Butte Miner 80 years after
| the battle of the Big Hole. The Butte
Miner list follows:
Among the Volunteers
| Officers-W. A. Clark, major Charles
/ w. warren, dQJuJS3QL, James "A. 1alUObs
! captain; l.. w. Lowry, lieutenant.
! Surgeons - James w. WheeIOck and
o. B. Whitford.
| Privates-William McDermOtt, Peter h
! AIcDermott, F. H. Ramsdeu T. A. Rea
4 Rich S. Jones, James Irvine, P. B. Thorn
as, G. w. Mooney, G. H Stoner, Dennis
| Simpson, Brick Van Walter, William
| Woodward, Charles 3. Finn, A. w. Camp
| Sam M Johnstone, j. K. Bradley, David
! Jones, A. j. NOyeS, James B. PrOWSe, John
DOlan, Mason Warren, Peter Sherr, John
| @. Keith, Thomas Mitchell, Frank Rodg-
/ ers, Ed Hickey, Simon Hauswirth, Robert
/ Hauswirth, James Widner, A. J. Grubb,
/ @. S. Harrison, A. w. Bernard, Richard
i Pue, Ben Vernon, Patrick Foley, W. H.
/ Archer, S. Kennear, Robert Simms, Pat
rick p. Alexander, Patrick Talent, l. W.
! Whalen, B. G. Benson, J. c. McLinn,
Henry Suprenat, William SinSel, Addison
Smith, G. E. Humphreys, N. L. Turner
E. w. Lisbee, James Johnson, John c.
Belk. T. Kennedy, j. 7. Argyle, Charles
! Behne, B. T. Porter, ]. T. Burkett, E.
Chevalier, D. N. Upton, James Mulligan
j. K. Clark, John E. FOrbis John Coax
!. ley, j. F.. COughenOur, Dan larger, Theo-
4 dOre Olson. M AGcNamee, Timothy Kelly
A R. Athufwell, Bryan Irvine, Phil Bailey
Charles Freeman, Martin lOBryan, Viii
liam Joy, w B. FoutS, Godfrey Lavelle
, David c. Irvine, B. G. Bennington, c. A. B
IIalvorsen, viii L. StaufferkG P. HlluIph-
Frank Benedict, Ferdinand HesSitS
George White, L. S. Strickland, w. J.
Mcnamara and Joseph Hectman.