Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-12-30

aid Fort. G.. F. Smith, q historic
landmark at the base OF the Pryor
~ mountains near st. Xavier. OF
which only a few adobe walls now
remain, was one of three forts built by
the troops under Col. II. B. Darlington in
1866 TO protect the Bozeman trail from
the North Platte to Virginia City. AS 1t
was situated In the heart OF the country
Of the friendly Crows, there were fewer
of the s%anguinary conflicts there In the
! effort to keep the trail open than at
Fort Reno n Fort h Kearney in
northern wyoming.
With the discovery of gold in western
Montana in 1868 there were three pos
sible routes into the new bonanza land.
The discoveries and most OF the early
prospectors came in from the California
and Oregon country with comparatively
little trouble. This route. however. was
not feasible for people from the east who
were lured to Montana by the posi-
bilities OF wealth. Then there was the
Missouri river route by steamboat to
Fort Benton and overland to the mines.
Thos route also was attended by COM
paratively little danger, but 1T was q long
trip.
The possibilities of establishing a short
overland route which could be travelled
by wagon caravans, Immediately suggest
ed itself to several adventurous men OF
the plains. among whom were John
Bozeman and Jim Bridger. Bridger, who
had spent many seasons from the time
of the Bonneville expedition in the thir-
ties in the country south Of Yellowstone
park, mapped out q way by the Sweet
water. WING River mountains and upper
Clark's Fork. 1t avoided the territory Of
the hostile tribes but was much more
circuitous than the Bozeman route which
cut across the headwaters OF the Powder
and Tongue rivers around the base Of
the Big Horn mountains and the Pryors
until it struck the Bridger route to the
Yellowstone.
Bozeman and a companion, John
Jacobs, accompanied, 1t is said, by Jacobs
small daughter, established the route in
1868. when they went through from the
mines to Fort Laramie. suffering many
hardships. They had been obliged to
throw away their arms to avoid death
from the Indians and though they finally
recovered q pistol they had only a few
rounds Of ammunition.
James Stuart, / n his account of his ex-
pedition into the Big Horn country in
1868, speaks of meeting these travellers.
The next year Bozeman accompanied
a large party from the east which fol-
lowed his route to the mining country
and thereafter led several parties across
the plains as we'll as entering actively
into the establishment of the TOW OF
Bozeman which became the gateway for
travel into the Yellowstone country from
the west. 1t was just after starting on
one of these trips east that Bozeman was
killed by he Indians In 1857.
During the next two years a constant
stream Of wagons III pack trains
streamed aclong the Bozeman trail into
Montana. But as their number in
creased the indian whose country they
traversed became more and more angry
Attacks were Of frequent occurrence
Small parties disappeared, while their
scalpS dangled from coupsticks. Larger
parties were harrassed, their cattle. horses
and mules run of and struggling men,
bers killed.
The, government endeavored to make
treaties with these indians for the pro-
lection Of these caravans, but the tribes
through whose domain tn eBozeman road
ran refused to be bound by them. Early
in 1866 the government tried to make q
treaty with the powerful tribe of Oga-
lalla Sioux and the norther C~heyennes
by which they would consent to the use
of the road. but the treaty parley ended
by Red Cloud, war chief, leaving the fort
and openly declaring war on the United
States.
The government accepted the challenge
and sent Colonel Darlington into the dis
puted territory with orders to establish
three forts, Fort Reno on Powder river
Fort Phil Kearney on Tongue river ano
Fort c.. F. Smith on the Big Horn. The
first was named for one of Grants gen.
erals prominent in the assault on Fort
Donelson, who was accidentally killed In
1862.
Red Cloud, who was one of the greatest
military geniuses among the western
tribes, proved more than a match fol
Darlington, however. He invested thu
fort so closely, especially at Fort Phi
Kearney, that the soldiers were kept toe
busy in protecting and strengthening
their posts to patrol the route as hac
been intended.
In December, 1866, Red Clouds mer
fell on q detachment undo Fettermar
only a few miles from Fort Phil Kearney
and killed 81 men and officers, a disaste,
second only to that of Clusters In thu
annals of the northwest.
Fort G. F. Smith, the last Of the strinf
Of forts to be established. was built IL
August, 1866. Brevet Colone
N. G. Kinney was in command, while
! Captain Burrows was also assigned to the
fort. Two companies of the 18th infantr,
were placed there.
AS the Crow Indians were, in the main
friendly to the whites, and Fort c. F
Smith was in the rear of their territory
it was not molested to the extent thu
others were although occasionally
marauding band would appear in the vi
cinity or attack a detachment OF troops
James Bridger. the famous scout. WHIT
was with Carrington's command, spen'
much time at Fort G. F. Smith. Bridger
whose knowledge Of the Big Horn countr.
dated as far back as 1925, when HI
claimed to have gone throug hthe BIZ
Horn canyon on q raft, the first OF thu
few h ever dared the hazardous trip
was especially valuable In carrying OF
negotiations with the Crows and othel
more or less friendly tribes. At on tim,
Bridger held a conference N Clark's Forl
with a band of 600 warriors, mostl!
crows. He found some of them disaffect'
ed and ready to join the confederac.
against the whites. but seems to hav'
persuaded them to continue their polio.
3 Of benevolent neutrality.
He made frequent trips to trade will
3 the Crows and obtained much valuable
information from them regarding thu
numbers and locations Of various hos
tiles. At one time a and of $50 Grow
offered to assist in military operation