Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-06-27

out Of our tent and ran squarely into
three Indians. One of them said, How,
John" Immediately had urgent busi-
ness in our back or bed tent and
whatever it was I was looking for was
under the bed and hunted Tor It
faithfully. Pretty soon heard my sis
ter laughing and got bold enough to
peep out and / saw she was playing
with an Indian baby or papooSe. My
three ferociouS warriors were three
squaws who were enjoying themselves
eating bread and potatoes. There were
so many Indians and I couldn't hear
of anyone being sc,alped by them at the
fort, so the fear of them wore off, and
soon became acquainted with great
many, all chiefs, if you would take
their word for it.
Among those whom got to know
and with whom became fast friends
were Two Moons, Wolf Voice, High
Walking, Fire Grow, Sand Stone, and
Stump Horn of the Cheyennes also
knew quite 2 few of the Sioux, Hump,
TWO Roads, American Horse, Spotted
Elk, and many others. / remember
Face well. He was sullen
moroSe, fellow, hardly ever spoke, and
was always on horse. He was crippled
from q gunshot wound and one leg
was shorter than the other so he rarely
walked.
During 1878 and 1879 the troops had
quite a few brushes with the Indians
and lost number Of men. remember
two of the soldiers who were killed were
from the troop to which my step-father
belonged. Their names were Bader and
Douglas. Douglas had only 80 days to
serve to finish his five-year enlistment,
when he was detailed TO go after some
Indians and met his death. The de-
tachment which Douglas was with was
I ST aw4k .rs[
Glover of troop B Second cavalry.
One Indian was killed and one wound
ed. One soldier Douglas) was killed
and one trooper corp. Guernsey was
wounded. Seven Indians we're captured
and brought in to Fort Keogh. Capt.
Bennett of Co. B, Fifth infantry was
killed In fight with Bannack Indians
in 1879, Quite few other soldiers
whose names cannot now recall were
killed by the Sioux.
Lieut.. Phil0 Clark, ia command of e
troop of the Second cavalry and some
of B and troops of same regiment in
1880 had fight with a band OF Chey-
enneS under Little Wolf on the head
of Custer creek and captured the en-
tire band, about ITS men, women and
children, and 300 head OF ponies, with
out the loss Of single soldier. Seven
were wounded but none seriously. The
Indians lost Is of their number. This
was about the last engagement between
the army and the Indians of the Sioux
war.
One incident that occurred at Fort
Keogh viii live In my memory all dur
ing life. One day in the fall OF 1879
large number Of the soldiers chill
dren were playing on level flat be-
tween the military stables and the mar
ried soldiers dwellings I was with q
number of the boys playing baseball.
Suddenly one of the boys said, What
is that man doing on that hill? There
aren't any pickets out row" We looked
in the direction he indicated, and on
the top of one of the countless little
buttes about two miles south Of the
fort we could see the figures OF man
and horse While we looked wOnderingly
the horseman moved and began rid
ing around on the top OF the butte in
circle. We children all knew that this
was a signal to his companions, Who
ever they might be. Some of the chill
dren became frightened and started
running to their houses. Just at this
stables, came around the corner, and
we called his attention to the horse
man who was again riding In a circle.
The sentry stopped and gave out the
call Corporal Of the guard-post NO.
s." In about q minutes time he re-
peated the call and discharged his rifle
in the air. About that time I heard
another sentry give out his call II don't
remember the number of his post or
beat) followed by the report of his
rifle. In about two minutes we heard
the bugle sound, Boots and Saddles
from the trumpeter on guard duty and
then every trumpeter in the fort was
out sounding that significant bugle
call BY this time all was excitement
around the laundress' village. Women
running here and there looking for
their children; married soldiers who
happened to be at their homes hurry
ing as fast as they could to their re-
gpecttye company quarters or to their
stables carrying their rifles or car
hines, with their ammunition belts and
six-shOoters buckled around them. All
thought that an attack on the Tort