The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-01-05

whose career mas Deen marked Dy non
esty of purpose and fearlessness con-
corning the consequences of any just or
lawful action, and to whom society ives
a large debt for perils and hardships
voluntarily undergone for the salvation
of the lives and property of the people
of this Territory, and for the punish
ment of wrong-doers."
Thus Dimsdale has given us in Wig
orous language the background of the
Deer Lodge Scout" has described the
party and its leader, James Williams,
and fixed the date of its departure from
Nevada. Charles Beehrer, n of the
most useful members of the expedition,
has cast some interesting side lights
upon the Dimsdale narrative. From
what he says, Williams must have fur
nished horses for that expedition as he
did for the one which arrested Ives,
and he speaks repeatedly of Williams
being in command. He mentions Pal
mer, Daddow, Morse, Charles Brown,
Louis Hooker, and Luther Seebold as
members of the party. Hooker was the
man who signed his surname only to
the Nevada compact; the signature is
almost illegible. Seebold, Beehrer says,
was a highly educated German gen.
tleman," and Charley Brown, that was
not his real name," was in fact a
nobleman. He was at n time a page
at the Bavarian Court and "was one Of
the boys that rode horses when the
Queen took a ride"
Beehrer says the party took with
them Long John, who had turned
States evidence" at the Ives trial, to
identify the highwaymen. If so, where
uoc Tnhn urhnn tho nQrfu mot Rq6C
The purpose Of the expedition was to
capture Alex Carter, supposed to be at
Deer Lodge, and such Of the road
agents as might be found with him,
there being also a reasonable expecta-
ton of finding outlaws along the Big
Hole river.
That the journey would be a hard one
was foreseen, but the difficulties en-
countered were not within any ones
contemplation. Be reminded that the
journey was by saddle animals, which
could not be expected to cover more
than six miles an hour at best. The
poor creatures, subsisting wholly upon
grass paved from under the deep snow,
were not able to travel at that speed.
The men were i'll clad for the weather
which grew increasingly severe, and
they had little to eat. With insufficient
blankets, a comfortable nights sleep
could not be had. The story is n Of
continuous hardships-nearly two weeks
of it.
The first camp was made on the Big
Hole river about eight miles from pres
ent Twin Bridges, near the site of the
Pennington bridge; the next day, by
reason of deep snow upon the McCarty
range, the river wa followed to a point
near Camp creek where the night was
spent. On the next day, despite the
growing severity of the weather, a
scouting party was sent across the
river and up Glendale creek where
it was known the road agents had
maintained a camp, but the effort was
f%ruitless. The party resumed Its
journey to Deer Lodge, beating a trail
in the snow on the divide between the
Big Hole river-the summit of the main
range of the Rockies-and Silver Bow
creek. Crossing the Hump" the Deer
Lodge divide, a red-haired, red-whisker-
ed Ia passed the Vigilantes along the
freshly broken trail. It was EraStuS
Yoger-Red-who had killed two horses
taking a message-"Git up and dust and
lie low for black ducks"-from Brown,
corresponding secretary of Plummer's
band, to the road agents in Deer
Lodge. None of the party knew Red.
If any conversation passed between him
and any of them, the information he
gave was misleading.
Every precaution was taken to avoid
alarming the road agents that were
supposed to be in the little town; the
plan was to take them by surprise.
Needless to say the culprits had needed
the warning and fled. When Williams
and his men found they had been
tricked and the messenger who had
conveyed the warning had been in their
power, they were enraged and disgust
ed. The party remained in Deer Lodge
for two days, principally to permit their
worn-out horses to recuperate, to say
nothing OF their need for rest.
While some of the party thought the
road agents might be hiding In the
nearby country, the general opinion
was that they had fled to the Bitter
Root, which was the case.