The Bozeman courier., 1927-10-14
Ho1U the Scene of Clusters Last Stand Impressed
Frontiersn1a11 Less than Year After the Battle

The story of the Battle of the Little;
Big Horn, or as it is better known, Gus
ter's Last Stand" has always been more
or less shrOuded in mystery. POsterity
has had to rely entirely on the more or
less reluctant accounts given by the In
dians who participated in the battle and
on the story which the Old-time frontiers
men were able to CLEAN from reading the
"signs" imprinted by the actions of horses
and men on the battlefield.
Gen. w. A. Allen of Billings, Mont, au-
thor of the following article, was in COM
mand of the first civilian party of any
size to come on the battlefield after the
battle, he having been member of what
was the last wagon train of any size TO
cross the western plains, which spent
three days on the battlefield in the early
part of June, 1877. little less than q
year after the battle General Aliens
article is not only interesting, but of
historical value.-EditOr.
BY GEN. w. A. ALLEN
In DeadwoOd, Dakota, there was great
excitement when, in 1877, the Fumor
spread that rich gold fields had been dis
covered in the Big Horn mountains OF
Wyoming and Montana. Frenzied mobs
gathered at street corners to discuss the
news, and the secondhand stores were
besieged with demands for picks, shoVels
guns, and the necessities for prospect
ing. Mules, oxen and packhorses were
hurriedly procured and the word car
ried to Whitewood and Fort Sturgess,
both within few miles of DeadwoOd.
1t was not long before a mass Of men
and women was on the way to False
Bottom a little mining camp near Dead
wood. Advance guards poured into our
camp. Other parties were being formed
at GayVille and Fort Sturgess, while
many were arriving daily at the above
points from all parts of the then west
ern section" The report was circulated
that a wagon train was leaving Spear
fish, Dakota, bound for the new gold
fields, and all these different parties,
through no previous arrangement, mo-
bilized at Spearfish.
1 had lust sold my claim at False Bot
tom, receiving a splendid team Of red
Texas lOnghOrns in payment With this
I also got a covered wagon, and I was
ready to 60 west with the rest, provid-
ing adventure was to be found
The Deadwood contingent was headed
by Colonel Beard, who had been an Off
Ger in the Northern army during the
Civil war, and so the wagon train which
moved out of False Bottom on the after
noon Of April 1, 1877, composed Of $50
people, men, women and children-oX
teams, mule teams, horse teams, pack
trains, covered wagons, and jackasses,
were nOminally under Colonel Beard s
command.
This train moved forward with no par
ticular military formation, every man
or individual party Suiting himself as
to his place in the column and the man
ner and pace at which he moved forward.
This was the initial venture of many in
the party, who were nothing more than
tenderfeet from the east; the lure Of
gold had brought them.
Attacked by inGians
cfT T~al~ in A1,a lob
sands, others at the many crossings of
the creek; but most Of them progressed
very well. The train had been on the
march for two hours and as evening
approached it was decided to camp for
the night at the junction of the Dead
wood and False Bottom trails. We had
COrTalled our stock and had started to
cook supper when the sharp bark of a
rifle, followed by a wOman's terrified
cries, reached our ears. Off to our right
and about a quarter Of a mile ahead OF
us wagon came in sight proceeding at
breakneCk speed, pursued by Indians
who fired on them continually. Nearly
so Of our party scrambled to horse and
went to help the unfortunate members
OF the other train. The Indians were
quick and sl1illful and before we could
reach our friends they had been killed
and scalped with incredible swiftness.
We got a small wagon and took the
bodies back to camp in silence. We al
somehow, although common sense tOlC
US that we had done all we could. We
buried them quietly and stood aWkwardly
around wishing that we could avengC
them, but no one made move to leaC
q party against the Indians. went tC
Colonel Beard with a proposition for 60
ing after the fleeing redskins, hut me-
with no encouragement.
Then I saw a group Of old miners
speaking quietly apart from the others
They tingled to follow the Indians ever
if it meant death.
At times like that there is littl
thought of personal safety or of wha
would be WiseSt, but only Of what i
thought of on the spur Of the moment
/ listened in silence as long as 1 could
then I said:
Allen Lead Pursuit
eff 20 armed volunteers will come for
ward, III lead them in a pursuit of tn
murdererS. Well get them or they'll ge
US; but We won't let them go free"
1 rather expected them to refuse, bu
one great bronzed fellow arose and ex
pressed their will to come with me.
Half an hour later We were ridin
silently along in the diffused light @
sunset, our rifles glittering and spur
clanking. With as much speed as pos
sible we followed their trail until W
came to a stream where the Indians ha
ridden in the water to conceal thei
tracks. But in our group were old ira
blazers accustomed to every Subterfug
the Indian employed to escape his enc
mics, and we had no difficulty in find
ing their tracks. Not word was SaiC
locked around me. Every face was sc
and grim. Suddenly felt sorry for thos
we pursued, but only for an instant, be
cause 1 saw again the shocking corpse
Of the white settlers. I set my teet
and rode on.
The Indians had followed the creek u