Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-05-20

nnd a little 1000 n some matches. Sui
fering intensely from hunger, thirst an
the pain of his wounds, he crawled fc
four days before reaching the camp sit,
Here he did not find much to sustai
him, but the little there was probabl
saved his life. The following day. he WI
discovered by some of General Howard
scouts. and his condition was relieved In
sofar as 1t was In their power to dc sc
In a short time the main Howard com
mand arrived and picked him up.
Cowan fully recovered from his wound
but not until after he had suffered
long and serious illness. A number o
years later, he and Mrs. Cowan returne,
to the park n photographed the scene
where these tragic events had occurred
The Helena Party
The ten men OF the Helena party wer
wholly unawar of the trouble that TIN
Nez Perces were causing within the park
On the night of August "a. they slep
peacefully in their camp near the fall
of the Yellowstone. M the next morn
ing they set out upriver in the direction
OF Mud geyser. They had proceeded bu
a short distance beyond Sulphur noun
tain, when they were astonished at thu
sight Of what at first seemed to be {
large body OF men o. the march.
Close observation disclosed that thess
were Indians. At once, the tourists con-
cealed themselves in the timber above
the upper falls Of the Yellowstone. Here
they remained In safety the remainder OF
that day and night.
The following morning, Wilke anC
Weikert ventured as far as Sulphur
mountain to r~econnoiter. They saw nc
Indians and started back to report the
good news, when, in the vicinity OF /
creek. they were surprised by a band OF
the Nez Perces. The Indians fired upon
the two and In the flight and pursuit
- Yg-,- Al ~x--
In spite OF this both men escaped to
camp. Arrived here. they were filled
with CONSERVATION at finding everything
in confusion and all Of the party gone.
1t developed that this same band OF war
riors had discovered the camp. and had
surprised and attacked 1T while the men
were preparing their meal.
Kenck Killed
The Indian charge precipitated a gen.
eral flight in which Kenck was killed
and Stewart badly wounded. The In
spare his life and finally prevailed upon
them to do SO. This had all happened
in almost less time than 1t takes to tell
about it. In a few minutes, after a lit
tie scouting, Wilkie and Weikert discov-
cred several Of their companions, and 1T
was decided that the best policy would
be to hasten on to Mammoth Hot
Springs.
BY various routes and after many days
of tedious wandering and indescribable
hardship, most Of the party managed to
make their escape out of the danger
zone. Weikert, Dietrich, the colored cook
and a man named Stoner. remained at
the hot springs. Stoner was not a mem
OF the original party.
Attack on Hotel
On August 81, Weikert and a man
n q 1nI hn(nrfnnu nv nf TIM ynQrk
hotel, ven to Yellowstone falls. to learn
II possible. the fate Of the other men,
of the party who had not made
their escape to the springs. Shortly fol-
their departure, a band of In
dams visited the springs, and shot Diet
rich dead as he stood in the doorway Of
the hotel. He had not tried to escape
as he had believed the Indians to be
scouts.
Stoner made good his escape While the
negro, Stone, climbed a tree and was
to remain there some time, by q
warrior h was looking for him. Stones
OF this experience became q stand
ng joke following his return to Helena.
The woody mead Of the negro o the
Buffalo Soldier"
OF buffalo soldier among |
he Indians. An Indian once explained,
Buffalo soldiers scalp good for sore
ars"; which may explain Stones willing
less to remain up that tree until the
'oast was clear. 1t is a fact, however,
but very few tribes would scalp a
legro. as this was considered as bad
Medicine"
Weikert and Mccartney found the re-
mains OF Kenck and gave them burial.
their return, they encountered the
'and OF Indians who had Just shot Diet
ich. In the engagement which followed,
Veikert lost his horse, but the two men
in escaping to the brush. Two
Id prospectors who were known to have
'een In the park at the time of the Nez
raid, were never again heard of,
nd 1T is scarcely to be questioned that
hey met their death at the hands Of the
Chief Joseph and his band left the
ark early in September and headed
orth, across central Montana to the
lear Paw mountains where they were
vertaken and brought to submission by
Nelson A. Miles. then in
barge Of the forces at old Fort Keogh.
- r.