Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-06-01
(By DAVID HILGER)

IHAVE searched the collections IN the
historical society library in the vain
Il hope OF finding some evidence as TO
the identity or names Of a party OF MN
ers that went down the Missouri river
from Fort Benton in 1868 and VINO were
murdered by the Sioux Indians al a
point near the mouth of KNIFE river De-
low Fort Buford in North Dakota.
Fortunately we have the written mar
ratives of two famous pioneer historians
who saw the party and conversed with
them but to this day the identity OF any
member OF the party remains
This forms one Of the most interesting
stories of hat time.
In the collections Of the state histori-
can society of North Dakota, vol. T. lsz4'
there is an article entitled
of the Gold Miners" which details the
story OF a post trader named Larned III
charge of Fort Berthold, who learned
from the traders and Indians OF the MUIR
der of this entire party. Here is the
story as given therein:
"In his capacity as manager OF the
trading post at Fort Berthold, Larned
came in contact with many dlherent
types OF men. Some of these had known
the west long before Larned's connection
with the fort, III from them he heard
m4QV STORIES "a the NASACoAANASo -
on the frontier. One such story was re-
counted to him by an old trader named
jefferson Smith, or Old JEFF, as his asso-
ciates called hin
Smith was a man of rugged character,
whose life in the west went back to Jim
Bridger's time. He was one of the rough,
venturesome men which the west OF that
day produced, and, while q hard drlnker,
he was otherwise considered q man OF
good standing.
They Ignore Warning
THE event related by him took place
some time before Larned's arrival at Fort
Berthold, probably in 1864. though no
one there could recall ever having heard
q dehnite date for the occurrence.
Smith told Larned that a boat load
Of miners, IA in number according TO
the Indians. l6 by Smiths account
stopped at Fort Berthold on their way
down the river from the Idaho and Mon
tana mines. They remained there Two
nights and one day. They were warned
by the people at the fort that the west
bank Of the river was very unsafe on ac-
count of numerous bands OF hostile Da-
kotaS hunting there. They started from
6he fort in the morning, ~1ourneyed all
day. and as evening approached they
steered toward a big timbered bottom
on the west side of the river, which
seemed to offer q shelter where the eve
ming meal might be prepared and camp
could be made. AS soon as the boat
touched the bank one man sprang out
and with a rope made the boat fast to O
snag. Then all the other men rose to &c
ashore when a volley from some Indians
hidden in ambush at the top OF q cut
bank a few yards. or perhaps a few feet
away, killed every n of them. The In
dams, when they saw their fire had taker
effect, sprang out from their place OF
concealment and ran down to the shore
They rihed the dead bodies n the boat
of everything they could use, scalpeo
their victims, and left the bodies lying
on the sand.
9TH bullets, fired at such short range
pierced the heavy planking of the boat
SO that 1t gradually filled with water ano
sank. One end was submerged In the
shadows near the shore, and the Other
end, tied to the bank. remained above
the water.
1.-The news of the massacre later
reached Fort Berthold, and one of thu
raider at the fort, taking a Rec Indiar
with him, went down to the place of thu
ambuscade. Arrived there he sent tht
Indian off into the woods on the pretex
thai he wanted him to bring in SOME
fresh meat. When he knew himself K
be alone the trader began his search 70,
the gold which, during their stay at For