Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-11-18
KN III E--A n-->~ Was the Scene of Many Indian Conflicts in the 49,
W. I'LL n(DTI TeHSe4 deSne Whna Bmdd Hardy Frontiers W.
MM men Sought to Establish Trading Post at the I'M
W. Mouth OF heB Big Horn mr Residents of BozgmnA nnnpdh Open Up YMosnneV VALLEY NW

the attacks Of the Indians. Allen aimed
the gun while John Anderson, a colored
soldier in the Civil war, touched 1t of
The gun was three inches In diameter
Nails were driven into the balls and wire
wrapped around them to increase theii
effectiveness. The colonel says he re-
ceived his title because the men thought
that was the right rank for the car
noneer in view Of the Importance of the
gun.
On July 10, Just about a month after
the party had reached the Big Horn, the
first attack by the Sioux began. After
several determined assaults had been re-
pulsed, the Indians abandoned the di-
rect attacks and relied on ambuscades to
reduce the number Of those in the fort
The men did not dare to go far from the
fort and those h ventured forth to
carry on the enterprises for which they
had come into the wilderness, often paid
dearly for their rashness
Watched for Indians
In addition to his duties as c%annoneer,
Allen kept guard and watched for signs
Of the Indians. "Often, / would tell the
boys. don't go out today, Injuns COMING.
They had seen no signs OF them but /
had noticed a bunch Of buffalo move. off
or antelope stop feeding and scurry
away. Sometimes l kept them in the
fort for several days at a time" Colonel
Allen relates.
One OF the first deaths was that Of
Jim Edwards who was killed when he
and Captain Mccormick ran into an am
buscade. McCormick's horse, although
wounded. carried him back to the fort
and then fell dead while Edwards, on
whom the Indians concentrated their
fire, fell with seven bullet wounds. The
men in the fort wheeled out the Big
Horn gun and a few shells dispersed the
Indians and the whites recovered Ed
wards body.
while In the foothills after some horses.
Bill Brockway was fired on by 10 Indians
but succeeded in getting in some willow
brush. He killed one Indian and finally
got back to the fort. But when q party
went out to get the Indians scalp, Tay-
Tor Blevins was wounded by a volley from
the Indians.
Thompson n Billy Casio were attacked
by 100 Indians and found refuge In a
little washout. In rising to fire, Mason
was killed by a bullet through his FORE
head. The others fought for two or
three hour until the Indians finally re-
tired. In still another raid one man was
Killed and three quite seriously wounded
while Muggins Taylor lost the end Of
his thumb by a bullet.
Several OF those In the fort grew tired
of the situation as there was 10 oppor-
tunity to hunt or trade Inc went back
to Bozeman. Sam Shively, Nelson Wea-
yer and Pat Hyde while going over the
White Beaver divide beyond Country
mans place across from the Saltwater,
were attacked by Indians and Shively
was killed in trying to save his pack
horse from capture. The others got into
a grove while the Indians after a few
volleys took the horses and packs and
disappeared.
Get Away Safely
In October, Colonel Allen and Bill
Brockway also left the fort and travelling
at night n hiding through the day,
got away without running across any In
.dians. From Fort Pease to Country
mans n Norton's place above the Still
water there was not a single dwelling
and an Indian trail crossed diagonally the
site of Billings. Shortly afterward, Nc
Cormick went to Bozeman and secured
several boatloads OF provisions with
which he restocked the fort. Toward
winter the Indians abandoned the seige
n a number Of wolfers made the fort
their headquarters. In the spring, the
fort was abandoned and was burned
shortly afterward by the Sioux.
His part in the siege of Fort Pease was
only one of many phases of frontier adj