Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-09-09
HOW LOVE OF FLOWERS
BROUGHT DEATH TO TWO
(By mon Tana Lou" Grill)

-
is penchant for picking wild aow-
ers and studying the flora OF the
country through which he passed,
unarmed, in 1878 along the course
OF the Yellowstone river in eastern Mon
tana cost DR.. Huntzinger his life. His
companion. a Mr.. Baliran, sutler, met
the same fate at the same time at the
hands of q rowing war party OF Indians.
DR.. Huntzinger. described as a large
man, was attached to the Seventh Cav
airy nder the command OF General
George A. Custer as a Mr..
Baliran, the sutler in the same command.
was the doctors constant companion on
the side trips that the doctor would take
into the country. Flowers were his hop-
by. The bodies of the two men lie SIDE
by side in a lonely grave on the banks
of the Yellowstone River about twenty
five miles west of Miles City, just a short
distance from Calabar. Today the same
primeval wildness prevails that charac-
Jerized the scene when the troopers
ffty-four years ago buried the victims OF
an Indian attack and caused the horses
to trample over the surface to hide any
traces OF the newly-made grave as a pro-
lection against its possible dissertation by
the rowing red men.
Bismarck, Dakota Territory. was the
western terminus of the Northern PACING
railroad. General Custer. in command
of the Seventh Cavalry. was stationed at
Fort Abraham Lincoln across the river
on the west side below the present city
of Mandan. During the course Of his
occupancy of the fort, General custer
had occasion to send his brother Tom,
troop captain, over to q nearby agency
to arrest Rain-in-the-face who had chal-
lenged the white man to come II get
him. The arrest was consummated
Rain-in-the-face was incarcerated in the
Eo,4 ,,rscc,. He VIC farif1rn raCprVanIN
abiding his time when he could escape.
The opportunity came one night when
two other prisoners succeeded in evading
the sentries, and Rain-in-the-face van
ished, swearing vengeance against all
white men. He took the war path.
The Northern Pacific railroad company
officials were interested in extending the
system west from Bismarck on an afnbi-
tious project to reach the west coast.
Surveying parties were sent out to make
an examination of the country. One or
the expeditions that left Bismarck was
placed under the command OF General
David S. Stanley. 1t was known as the
Stanley expedition.
Several troops under the command Of
General Custer were a part OF the expe-
dition. The group Of railroad surveyors
working under the protection OF the mill
tary forces made careful examinations OF
the country through which they passed.
Reaching the mouth Of the Yellowstone
river, where that stream emptles into the
Missouri. the expedition proceeded to
make its way up the course OF the former
stream. The progress was rather slow on
account of the rough terrain through the
Badlands. The expedition arrived at the
mouth OF the Tongue river early in Au-
gust of 1878.
Fording the Yellowstone river at a
point about ten miles west OF the mouth
of the Tongue above where Stagger creek
empties into the larger stream, the troops
moved to the north side. The advance
guard moving ahead OF the main body
marked a course that led past a small
spring in the Paragon hills. The main
body moved up and availed themselves
of a refreshing drink from the cool water
flowing from the spring that is still ex-
tant today.
DR.. Huntzinger and Mr.. Balaran were
enjoying themselves in their quest OF
wild flowers of which there was an bun
dance in the warm days Of early August.
The doctor held to the belief that If he
went unarmed thai he was safe from at
tack by the red men. Mr.. Balaran
shared in that opinion. Warned that
they were taking their lives in their own
hands, the two men separated themselves
from the main body of troops and lin
gered behind in their desire to study the
flora Of the country.
Reaching the Paragon spring they
paused to Stake their thirst. While there
had been signs Of lurking bodies of In
dams OF the warpath, these two men
felt confident there was no danger be-
cause the troops were not far distant. 1t
is evident that the two men paused long
er Than ordinarily because of the delicate
GOODNESS of the spring water and. reluc-
tant to move on, were eating choke cher
ries that grow abundantly in the vicinity
of the spring.
1t was the fourth day Of August. Be-
hind the two men toward the south by
east rises a prominence hat hides the