Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-02-17

1870 49, 80 49, 49, HAED
fights, and there used to be a good many
in those days
Two interesting developments occurred
in the COS. A gold fever ragged through
the post and rumors that the post would
be abandoned because of an Inadequate
supply of water were prevalent.
The gold excitement was confined to
the troops and officers as the supposed
strike was on the military reservation and
care was taken not to bring about a
stampede as prospecting was not allowed
on a military reservation. "Old john
Nelson. a hurley old Dane, had been
doing a little digging in the hills south
Of the fort for Devlin, who was interested
In the possibilities of the country. One
day he brought in a sample Of ore about
the size Of a water glass. 1t was recog-
nized as gold and a sample was sent to
Denver. The report was sent back that
the sample would assay about $1,000 to
the on. Deylin organized q company of
five or six men and officers n secured
two miners from Helena.
"Old John" was sent for to locate the
place where he had picked up the sam
pie and work was started. The miners
had their ideas about how the work
should be carried out and Devlin had his,
but being short of money and in view of
the fact that the claim was on the re-
serve nothing came OF the winters ex-
element.
Deylin kept his eye on the place for
years, but when the military reservation
was abandoned the claim wal incorpor-
ated in the Fort Belknap Indian reser-
walton.
Post Abandoned
The winters were long and cold, with
several months unfit for outside work or
drills. Young officers and their wives
protested against being sent to an iso-
lated post in the center of a vast, UNI
broken prairie. Articles appeared in ma
tional periodicals for and against the
abandonment of Fort Assinniboine. The
struggle to keep the post went on among
the citizens of Havre and North Mon
tana. However, small attachments only
were stationed there after 1902, when
the Third cavalry was taken away
An order for permanent abandonment
was made in 1907, but hope was not yet
given up. Montana congressman harped
on the advantages of north Montana as
the site for a regimental post, urged on
by their constituents. In a last desper-
ate chance the Havre Chamber of Com
merce sent the following to Champ
Clark:
Hon, Champ Clark.
washington, d. c..
Fort Assinniboine, the largest military
reservation in the United States is being
abandoned. Thirty-fve miles long and
IL miles wide, 1t has mountains and
streams and land of every character
found in any part of the world. We ear
nestly request you to look up the dis
tribution Of troops, see the number of
posts occupied by cavalry with no room
for drill, and by artillery where a gun has
not been fired for years and to insist that
an army officer or board of officers be
sent to report on h facilities for actual
warfare before this valuable asset in the
way OF a million-dollar investment is
abandoned"
This did no good and upon the advice
Of congressman, among them the then
Senator Joseph M. Dixon, who pointed
out to the people of the northern part of
the state that settlers would be q greater
asset to the country than q regiment of
soldiers drawing $13 a month pay, and
efforts were made to have the a in
the reserve disposed of.
Upon an order issued by President Taft
the military reservation with the excep-
ton of the fort buildings and about 1000
acres of land was disposed of. In 1915
the state bought the buildings n the
a and by an act of the state legisla-
ture established a state school, money
for its establishment n equipment was
voted, but no institution has ever ma
terialized. The money has never been
available.
The property since 1916 had been used
as an experimental branch Of the state
college and some valuable work In crop
and livestock development and expert
mentation done.
Three years ago a committee consisting
OF the chancellor of the University of
Montana and two Havre men were APP
pointed to dispose Of the buildings which
were obsolete, besides standing useless.
The material was purchased by a Havre
company. Most Of the old stone struc-
lures including the guard house, chapel.
hospital. officers quarters, trading post
and barracks are still standing.
Pre-eminent among those officers who
later distinguished themselves is. of
course, Pershing. However, there were
many others who served at old Fort As
sinniboine who held high positions later.
The officers of the Twentieth infantry
appear to have the best collective record.
General Otis, who commanded the
Twentieth, rose to major general in COM
nan of the American forces in the Phil
ippines. Lieut.. John Bates became a
lieutenant colonel. Col. Lloyd Wheaton
became a major general. Capt. William
s. McGaskey became a major general,
A%diutant H. A. Green a ~brigadier gen.
eral, Lieut.. John Morrison a major gem
eral, Capt. John Patterson and Lieuten-
ant Alyord each rose to a brigadter gen.
eral and Lieutenant roman and Lieut..
M. j. Lehman were promoted to brigadier
generals during the World war.