The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-01-21
John Connolly Came to State in
1869; Led Interesting and
Colorful Life

/
To his daily dozen" and other &C.
tivities, Connolly attributed his good
health. He did daily dozen at his
home every day and was an enthusi-
asst for walking. While he character
iaed himself as one Of the heaviest
smokers in Darlington, he hadn't
touched liquor for more than q quar-.
ter Of century.
| One Of Connolly's favorite sports
was horse racing, but good ball game
also interested him.
Born in Cork, Ireland, January IA,
l843, Connolly's parents brought him
to the United States when he was
9 year old They settled In New
Hampshire.
Enlisting in the Union navy at the
age Of q. at New York City in 1864,
Connolly was assigned to the gun
boat Clematis which blockaded the
Confederate ports to prevent import
ing ammunition, food and other sup
plies.
Lost Rudder In Storm
It was while q seaman aboard the
Clematis that Connolly experienced
his most dangerous adventure.
I'VE lost our rudder early in q
storm on the Atlantic just off the
coast Of Virginia and for two days
drifted about helpless" he related
later. I'VE thought every minute
would be our last. The big waves
broke over the ship but we battened
Gown the matches. tied q man to the
wheel and rode IL o,,tD
Connolly saw service along the
coast Of Virginia, Florida. Alabama
and at New Orleans. and in Florida
had trouble with southerners who
were smuggling their negroes and
selling them to Cubans to avoid q
complete loss on them. He spent
eight or nine months at New Orleans
guarding the government cotton ware
house.
He left the navy In 1855. He new
er took part In any skirmishes. His
work was blockading the enemy ports.
After the close Of the war the sail
or became q soldier assigned to Co.
I OF the 18th U. s. Infantry. The
company spent the next two years in
Texas attempting to curtail Klu Klux
Khan activities after which It was
ordered to Virginia where Connolly's
three-year term expired. He re-en-
listed for five years more.
His regiment was ordered to North
Dakota late in 1869 where It acted
as military guard for the surveying
party that mapped out the route Of
the first northern transcontinental
railroad.
Came on Far West
Our regiment took q train to Sioux
City," Connolly said later, where we
embarked on the Missouri river
steamboat, Far West" which took
US to the Grand River Agency. They
kept us there q year, then moved us
to where Fort Yates now is. The
engineering expedition went out from
Fort Rice In 1872. The soldiers were
under the command OF General STAN
ley. Our marching formation pro-
tected US against the Indians, though
to tell the truth, we saw very few
hostiles on the expedition. We would
run across skirmishing party or two
that would set the prairie on fire.
but none Of them tried to attack us.
I'VE had an Indian guide leading
US, with about 100 Indian scouts
heading our caravan. We had 800
six-mule wagons and were thanked
at the front and sides with cavalry
ard infantry, with troop Of cavalry
bringing up the rear. We raised a
lot OF dust on the dry prairie and
the men used to take turns marching
behind the heavy wagons, where the
dust was the thickest.
We saw an immense buffalo herd
at Mussle Shell Valley. which filled
the prairie as far as the eye could
reach, and they were thicker than
hair on a dogs back"
They reached the Yellowstone riy-
ef at Glendive where the soldiers
were to meet the expedition from
the Pacific coast, but they failed to
arrive. Colonel Baker. who headed
that command. had been driven back
by hostile Indians. Connolly returned
to Fort Lincoln with the soldiers and
brought back stronger force, this
time meeting the Pacific men at the
end Of the trail.
One Officer Killed
Connolly recalled that one Of the
men was killed and scalped by In
dams on the return march to Fort
Lincoln. A band Of Indians had been
met carrying white flag and q pouch
OF mail as the soldier neared Hard
Butte in the Mandan territory. They
Carried letter to the commanding
officer saying they were allowed to
hunt and were not to be molested by
the troops. Connolly was stationed
on picket duty on q butte q short
distance from the camp sometime lat
er and saw them coming down q dis
tant ravine. just then q herd OF
antelope ran through the camp and
Connolly's lieutenant went after