Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-04-16
WILLIS R0vvlAM SCOUT UNDER GENERAL MILES, MEARL " LOST
HIS LIFE wHEM HE AND A PARTY OF SOLDIERS WE'RE 1M A
SKHRN@lSH w17H SIOUX INDIANS WHO HAD ROBBED MAIL STAGE
~QNSTALLMENT TWO
(By "MON TANA LOU" GRILL~

Wy IN
When Willis Rowland was clothed
with the responsibility Of a scout for
General Nelson A. Miles on April l,
1879, he was sent to the mouth of
the Rosebud river. He was instructed
to keep a sharp watch up and down
the Rosebud valley. The Sioux In
dams had been reported operating
in one or more small bands In that
region. HIS duty was to make OBJ
servations and report Immediately
upon any circumstances that might
arise suggesting the presence of the
rowing Indians. On one of his fOrays
away from the valley bottom, Row
land captured a lone dog out on the
prairie. 1t was evident that the dog
belonged To a band and had become
separated from its owners. The in
dicati0ns, from the observations
made, were that the trail Of a recent
ly passing band was headed toward
the west Loading himself with
enough rations to last him for a peri
cd Of five days, Rowland set out
westward and reached a point near
where the city of Billings is located.
Here he discovered signs that the
Sioux Indians were In that region.
He retraced his steps and meeting a
troop commander IN his way up the
Yellowstone river, reported to nm.
Two Moons, a nephew of the old
Two Moons, was with the troops. To-
gether with others, Rowland followed
the signs of the footsteps. They were
quite fresh. They passed up from the
valley to the crest of the rim rocks.
The signs persisted, but diligent search
failed to reveal any sign of the Sioux.
Some years later, In the nineties, a
number of Sioux visiting at the Chey-
enne agency related to Rowland how
six Of them had hidden in a cleft OF
the rimrocks above the present site
of Billings, and that they could see
the soldiers, who could not see them
The soldiers and scouts passed within
ten feet of their hiding place, they told
Rowland.
Some time later in that year, 1879,
while with the troops at Glendive butte,
or near there, a scout came in and
reported that a stage driver had been
killed. Eight soldiers, four scouts, among
whom was Rowland, and two packers
were Immediately detailed to go and
discover who had committed the deed
The party travelled all that day. The
next day about nine o'clock they came
upon the stage coach. The body of the
driver was hanging over the dashboard
in front, where he had fallen forward
after being shot. The harness on the
horses had been cut into pieces. The
mail bags had been ripped open anc
the contents scattered about on the
ground. DiSmounting quickly from
their horses, the four scouts reached
the scene first. They began to pick
up the mail pieces. A small box wa:
also found that had bursted open
Rowland picked up everything that hi
thought was good to keep and pu'
them in his pocket. Suddenly he came
across a roll of bills; it was a big roll
he said, and he was sorry afterwarc
that he found it. He was but a young
man and didn't know what to do with
the money.
"Give it to me-" said the sergeant
II will give it to the owner"
Rowland said that he felt that the
sergeant did not know any lore about
the wner than he did.
After everything had been picked up
the dead body of the driver was lef'
with the stage coach as the scouts lee
the soldiers up to the top of the hill
neal by. From the evidence left BY
the trail, the marauding Indians mus
have had twenty horses. The trail wa.
carefully examined for whatever fur
ther signs it might yield. One mul,