Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-10-21

ltN lht
when a party of less than 200 men 1T
search OF gold waged a successful battle
against l 1900 Sioux and Cheyenne INDIANS
under the leadership of sitting Bull
James Gourley Of Bozeman was a mem-
Der OF the party and the story OF the
trip is here set forth as told by him to
Mrs. Plassmann. At the close OF the pre-
yious installment the party was en-
camped on a fork of the Rosebud river
in southeastern Montana and surround
ed b. a band of Indians viii when III
had been engaged in a running fight
for days.-Editor's Note.
-ERE we had one very exciting
OIL little scene. An Indian had
been knocked off his horse by
a bullet, wounded, but not sert-
ously, and came to about the time OF
the boys were trying to get his scalp OH
As there was no other way out OF III,
Anderson struck his knife into the In
dian and then took his scalp. One young
fellow who had been listening to the
stories of the old mountaineers and
frontiersmen around the camp fires down
the Yellowstone about the scalping they
had done, used to comment on the bru-
tally of the thing, and was disguised
al what he heard. 1t so happened that
he was one of those who attempted to
scalp the Indian on this occasion. but
failing to do that cut off the ndian
ears as a memento. He was a nice, we'll
educated boy. and had been a druggist
in Bozeman. While this was going on
there were not less than 800 Indians
within 400 yards shooting at them. II
was a very dangerous piece OF work.
In an attempt to secure the SCALP OF an
Indian who had been knocked of his
horse, one OF our best men, Zack Yates,
was shot through the heart, dying almost
instantly. In packing him to the corral,
we concealed his death as best we could,
but hardly hoped to do so completely,
because the Indians are very apt to dis
cover such things. We carried the body
with us to the next camp. Here we
buried Yates in the breastwork so the
Indians couldn't find him.
Camp on Little Horn
After the fight was over we pro-
ceeded to hitch up and pulled out as
though nothing had happened. We
crossed the Little Horn that day and
made camp on a level bench about 600
yards from the creek, where we thought
we were pretty safe. We laid over there
q day to recuperate u stock. The trav-
cling was fearful, the wagons rolling up
great coils Of gumbo. SO that we had TO
stop every little while and cut it of
with axes n shovels.
I'VE next travelled about three miles
over to a little point close to Long creek.
While we were resting the stock here
we u q grave and proceeded apparently
to bury a body. We thought that the
Indians knew that they had probably
killed one Of our men. Instead OF bury
ing q body, we buried a loaded shell,
over which we placed log chains and a
few sticks of giant powder. and such
.otner missels as we thought would take
effect in case the Indians attempted to
open the grave. The gunner fixed the
primers and laid a board over the shell
arranged so that II anyone attempted
to lift the board at either end, 1T would
be certain to explode the charge. we
afterwards found out that four or five
Indians we're killed there In trying to
open the grave. That morning we were
very we'll aware that we would have to
fight during the day, from signs we had
seen, and information brought IN by
pickets and scouts In the camp on the
point overlooking Long creek, an anus
ing incident occurred. The Indians at
tempted to cut off two of our pickets,
who were Gallatin valley farmers, and
had lazy horses under ordinary circum-
stances. The Indians were we'll mounte
but had no nance to catch up with
those two men, who came into camp on
the dead run although several OF our
men were going in the direction OF the
Indians Just as fast as they could go.
The men from the camp drove the In
dians back, however, and re-estabiished
the outpost.
Move to Creek Bottom
1--WE moved from this hill and got
down into the creek bottom, and about a
half mile from where we struck the
bottom we had to cross the creek. This
was really the most dangerous point OF
the whole expedition. From the coulee
on the left. and in the rear Of where our
train was, about 800 yards way. four
pf orr marty hold q mint behind a small
hill at the mouth of the coulee. From
this point, evidently the Indians intend
ed to make the attack. While that point
was being held, about 80 Indians were
seen coming into the coulee, and un-
doubtedly had they not been held in
check would have opened fire on the
train. We woul have been hardly able
to dislodge them unless through active
use Of the howitzer. However, the train,
after much difficulty, crossed the creek.
We had to kill one OK because he was so
hopelessly mired, and we dragged his
mate out by a great deal OF effort, and
finally succeeded In getting the WaBon
and teams across. The train then pulled
out to the foot Of the bench to the
right. We were moving along peacefully
for about a mile, in double column, ready
to pull into corrall form, so as to get
the pack horses and loose stock inside
in cast of an attack. AT this point we had
&lfC y IA va tAAS b1A0 AkAAAAh
probably 600 yards in a straight line from
the train. They were travelling pretty
close to the brush, when $50 Cheyennes
charged them. Here, probably, five men
did the bravesJ and coolest work that
men ever did in any extremity. One of
the men attempted to discharge his
Winchester as the savages came towards
the train, but a cartridge stuck IN the
gun and he had no means of getting 1T
out. One Of his companions told him to
go to camp as he could be OF no use,
The men undoubtedly expected to die
there. They never flinched. but as the
Indians approached, knelt down and
shot into the charging mass Of savages
Thwart Indians Plan
AFTER firing they would get up, scat
ter wider apart n take a few steps In
advance, then kneel again for another
shot. They so continued until there were
not 40 yards between them and the In
dams. This was probably different fight
ing han the Indians expected to see
The four fankers were Neil Gillis. Ton
Ray, Irving Hopkins n a Frenchmar
named Pete.
A the same time the advance guarc
ran ahead behind a little ridge-a wash
out from a coulee-got down and com
menced shooting. This broke up the
entire Indian plan of riding into thu
train on that line. At the same time an
other party Of about 400 Indians cam
up the river bottom behind us and tool
q position in a coulee about $50 yard
in the rear of the train. From this poin'