The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-05-20

Benton as the head OF
navigation on the Mis-
souri,. Here also, once stood old FORT
Sheridan continued as 6 trading post by
Colonel George C~lendennin after Mussei-
she'll CITY had passed into history until
1874.
Time and the encroaching waters OF
the Missouri have obiiterated all signs OF
the buildings and other marks lett by
the enthusiasts who in the late sixties
had hoped to develop Montana's great
metropolis at this point. Yet, there are
few spots in Montana which are sur
rounded with so sinister an atmosphere
of by-gone tragedy; of bloody acts OF
VENGEANCE by both the redman ana
white. If in spirit life, the dead ever
revisit the scenes Of their ending on thls
earth, the mouth of the MusSelsheu must
often be haunted by h spectral forms
of white men whose life blood Moved as
a sacrifice to the hatred OF the hostlIe
Sioux; and by the scores OF INDIANS
whose lives were cut short by faSt-traVel-
ing bullets from Henry rifles in the hands
of white Adventures who sought TO gam
a foothOld in the domain OF the naClVe.
Today the men who played a part In
the tragic drama of the late sixties and
the early seventies at the mouth OF the
Musselshell have passed on. But their
story has been preserved IN the remln-
iscences of Colonel George C~lendennln, a
we'll known fur trader who was a witness
to most of the events, and
these "reminiscences form a part OF the
Journals of Lieutenant James H. Bradley,
a contribution to the Montana Historical
library.
Advantageous Location
The advantages presented by h
mouth of the Musselshel for the loca-
ton of a town attracted attention almost
as early in the history of Montana as
the discovery of gold, which attracted
the vast hordes of argonauts in the early
sixties. Since 1846, Fort Benton, above
the mouth of the Marias had been the
head of navigation on the Missouri river.
However. the Missouri above the mouth
of the Musselshell presented difficulties
which made navigation Tor that porJlon
OF the Journey an arduOuS n danger
Jus undertaking for even the most ex-
perienced pilots. The current was SWl1C;
there were numerous rapids; and, owing
to the fact that late in July and August
the flow became too shallow to admit OF
navigation, the season was short Tor the
heavier boats of deeper draught. On Che
other hand. at and below the mouth Of
the Musselshell, until late In OcUooer,
conditions were always favorable Tor river
traffic. The broad and beautiful valley
created by the receding bIu1s at IhaC
point. together with the abundant tim
Der in the vicinity, we're additional ar
guments in favor Of the selection OF this
spot.
At the mouth of the Musselshell the
missouri describes q W1NlC CA4NAC W SAS
northwest, while a practical and route
existed by a short arc drawn to the gold
camps Of Alder and Last Chance gulches
and the other settlements to the south
west. Regular freight service to
from these gold lamps and the mouth OF
the Musselsheu was conducted for some
time. In 1868, shortly after ne arrived III
Montana territory, the first employment
the notorious Captain j. A. Slade &C
cepted in his new location was wagon
--A-- e. "a Ta-rn Fwofnhfinn outfit OnDT-
ating between Virginia City n the
mouth of the MuSselshell.
Would Rival Fort Benton
From the first, promoters Of the project
felt confident that a successful rival &c
Fort Benton might be established at the
mouth of the Musselshell. The natural
advantages influenced a number OF meI
who organized the Rocky Mountain
Wagon Road company n in 1866
opened up a regular route from western
Montana over the mountains to the
mouth of the Musselshell, where a OWL
site was surveyed. An old m
captain whose name was KerchlVal haS
been among the first to advocate thu
new route. He was a partner In TINT
COMPANY and the town, in his honor, wa
named Kerchival City. The compan.
erected a trading post and proceeded
with plans for the building OF the CITY
u for two years the town did not grow
the freighting business failed to develop
because of the keen competition Offered
by the older established Fort Benton. tn
plan was abandoned.
In 1868, the attempt was enewed b
the Montana Hide and Fur compan
which was organized by Helena bushes
men. h firm sent out a party Of min
men under James Brewer with instruc
lions to build a trading post at tn
mouth of the Musselshen. The party ar
rived at their destination in March, 1866
They laid out a town and called 1T Mus
selshell. A short time later they wer
Joined by Colonel George Clendennin, h
brother. Richard, and JameSMcGinni
These three built a trading post.
Camp Reeve
During the summer months many pee
pie from down river points and from tf
mountain settlements hocked to the ne
town; and, before winter set in, eigf
buildings were ranged in line frontir
the river bank. The town then had
population of fifty people, while the
were usually many transient trappeI
Woodlands and river men. About 10
time, a company of troops under Captai
Nugent of the Thirteenth Infantry a
rived at Musselshell from Fort Cook
They built a stockade with bastions
a location Just a short distance below u
tSWn. They pitched their tents 1nsi'
he small fort n called the place Can
Reeve. Trade with the friendly tribes
eros Ventres and Crows increased, al
in the summer Of 1868 the little town
Musselshen was a bustling little cent?
The Sioux
However, prosperity was destined to
short-Iived for these enthusiasts. As
common knowledge, the Sioux in tho
DAYS had laid claim to all the lands ca
of the Little Rockies and south Of t
Missouri. This they held as their hur
ing and trapping grounds. They watch
with Jealous eye the encroachments ma
by the whites and at every opportuni
they struck at these camps and til
struck to kill. In the fall Of 1868, the
Sioux marauders circled the Settleme
at the mouth of the Musselshell, swe
down en- massc, ran of all the hori
and cattle and killed two soldiers Of t
garrison. The troops were, a short til
later, withdrawn to Camp Cooke, becal
of the fact that it proved too difficult
task to get winter supplies to Cal
Reeve. All winter the Sioux kept
settlement IN a virtual stage Of siege, q