Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-03-02

whose name the small branch which
lows into the Clark's Fork near the
scene of the battle now bears.
: Miles then resumed his pleasure jaunt
following the back trail of the Ban
nacks which he says in his "reminiscences
is "the same followed by Looking Glass
and Chief Joseph. the year before. 1t is
familiar to few of the Indians although
il is no more than a large trail made by
deer. elk, and buffalo. We assembled g
high divide close under Pilot and Indies
peaks, which are covered with perpetual
snow, then descended to what is known
as Soda Butte creek.
The scenery along the route was
grand in the highest degree. We passed
through cedar and pine forests. oeca-
sionally coming to an opening or a small
beautiful natural park with little lakes
Of crystal water, passing cold spring fed
from perpetual snow on the mountains
then along the side of rapid mountain
torrents n beautiful cascades and
water falls. One days march was made
on snow although it was only Septem-
ber."
Five years later General Phil Sheridan,
then commanding general of the army
came over the same route and left the
name OF Sheridan trail stamped upon 1t.
While the exact trail OF the others is
somewhat indefinite, the Sheridan trail
was constantly travelled and is known
throughout. The route of the Red Lodge
highway from the top Of the plateau to
Cooke City follows about the same route
but the eastern end is brought into
Cooke City through Rock creek canyon
instead of going further east and south
with the Sheridan trail.
General Sheridan, with a number of
other army officers II several personal
friends, including John Mccullough, the
noted tragedian, made a trip from Fort
Washable through the Wind river and
Teton mountain district and by Lake
Jackson n Shoshone into Yellowstone
park. After spending several weeks In
the park. the party, which included a
large escort of cavalry in command of
Col. j. N. Wheelan, Second cavalry, and
a long array of pack mules, came out
by the Clark's Fork pass. The party
made the trip from Baronet's bridge
across the Yellowstone below tie car
yon. through Cooke City and then by the
Sheridan trail and the Clark's Fork to
the railroad which had just reached the
new town Of Billings about a month
before.
j. A. Campbell, a government guide in
the park, guided the party, although q
couple of miners from Cooke City who
were coming through Billings, gave their
services in plotting the party over the
trail. Colonel Wheelan in IN interview
at Billings said that the journey had
been made with ease and that it was
probably the best route from the east
into the park. The scenery to the east
of the park was equal in grandeur to
anything to be seen In the park. He
believed that a military road into the
park would be most practical by the
Clark'S Fork entrance,
Miners going to and from the Cooke
City mines in the hey-dey of their pros
perity used in the Clark's Fork entrance,
following the lower route in the winter
and the shorter Sheridan trail in better
weather. George Town of Billings for
several years even ran a stagecoach line
into Cooke City by the lower route. Dur
ing the years when a railroad into Cooke
City was being pushed, Billings promot-
ers backed a Clark's Fork route, but the
road never got any further than the
coalfields of Red Lodge and Bearcreek.