Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-06-27
Tells Story of Early Days At For
Keogh and Final Act of Great Sioux Wa

short space OF time we heard the trum-
pet sound Forward march" and around
the northeast corner Of the stables
came column Of three troops OF cav
airy A. E. and I, under command Of
Capt. Z. L. Higgins o. troop z. The
mysterious rider BY this time had dis
mounted and was lying on the ground
The troops advanced and when about
a half a mile distant from the fort we
heard the trumpet sound Load Pieces
Then the call ~Deploy," and the three
troops swung into a skfrmish line for
nation Then came the can ''Irot, and
at 3 tr0t they advanced toward the
man on the butte who, by this time
was on his horse again and was ap-
parently watching the advancing SOL
diers. When the troops reached the
isrst line Of butteS the rider rode two
or three times around in circle, then
disappeared from sight. We at the fort
could see the long line OF soldiers enter
the rough stretch Of land, and soon
could see the soldiers on the hills stin
advancing.
About four hours afterward we saw
them returning in column formation.
No trace of the rider could be found.
A camp Of seven hunters was found
about five miles from the hill the rider
had disappeared from. They were on
their way to the Musselshell to trap.
and an inspection of their horses indi-
Gated none of them had been ridden
that day. No one else could be found
by the troops. The seven trapperS
camped close to the fort that night and
left early next morning. Who the man
on the hin was, or what his object was
in being there was never found out.
Most of the people who saw him agreed
that it was not an Indian A picket
guard was placed around the fort for
several nights, but 70 sign Of any
danger was seen. To this day the iden-
tity of that rider has never been found,
nor could anyone figure out what he
was on the butte for, giving the q. 8.
danger signal OF picket guard.
In 1881 orders were given by the war
department to transfer all the Indians
in captivity at Keogh to the Standing
Rock agency in Dakota. They were to
be sent by steamboat down the Yellow
stone and Missouri rivers.
One morning in the early part Of
June, 1881, Col. Guido uges who was
then in command at Keogh sent one Of
the government scouts, whose name
was John Brugier (Bruyer) to the In
dian camp with message to the IN
dians to break camp and move to q
point one and one-half miles east of
the fort and put UP their camp there
where they would embark on the
steamboat for Standing Rock The IN
dams had grown to be q bit arrogant
and sent back word that If the white
chief wanted their tepees down 10 send
some soldiers to take them down Col.
Tlges ordered Boots and Saddles" TO
be sounded, and in less than Is min
utes every soldier In the fort was IN
the saddle awaiting orders. Trlmpets
sounded and the troops advanced to-
ward the Indian camp and formed g
battle line across the flat in front OF
the camp. Three pieces of artillery, two
revolving Hotchkiss guns. and one
Rodman which shot an explosive cart
ridge and was called by the Indian,
Shoot today, kill tomorrow" were
placed In position. My step-father Was
in charge of the Rodn1an and menu
Der of Fl company Fifth infantry named
McHugh had one of the Hotchkiss
guns, the third man / cannot recall.
Agar, Brugler was sent 70 tne camp
to tell the Indians TO have their tepees
down and be ready to move within an
hour or they would open fire on the
camp. A good many OF the soldiers said
afterward that the Indians had the
tepees down and were ready to move
with 20 minutes to spare.
The troops escorted the Indians to
the new camp site and two troops were
left on guard. Soon all the tepees were
coming Of the boats. There we're to be
five of them to take nearly 5000 In
dams aboard. IF I remember rightly
the five boats were the Fanny Bachelor,
General Rucker, Katie p. Kountz, Nell
lie Peck and the Far West. Within four
days four of the boats were at the
landing but the Far West had not put
four days and the commander became
anxious as the water In the Yellowstone
was falling and should 1t get much
lower the boats would not be able 70
make the trip. On the morning Of the
fifth day the Far West came In sight.
Engine trouble had delayed her Just
after she had entered the Yellowstone.
AS soon as possible the loading began.
For a while pandemonium seemed TO
reign Every Indian in camp, men,
women and children, we're talking and
shouting and 1t was task to get them
on board properly. A great many from
the fort had come to see the Indians
aboard and many sQuaws were running
hither and yon, shaking hands with
the white squaws whom they knew. AS
fast as the boat got its load 1t would
start down the river and loading an
other would begin. remember one
laughable incident, one Of the boats
had gotten well out In midstream and
every Indian was talking and shouting,
WA1CA VIC ckAW SSA AA4AAGa4 jlAAAkN VA Sk&G
boat out in the river ana swim ashore.
He was looking for his family and
found after he got to shore that they
we're all on the boat he jumped from.
He was put on the next one and
don't believe he got to his family until
he got to Standing Rock. The Indians
horses we're driven overland In charge
of Capt. f. P. Ewers of e company.
Fifth infantry.
This was the last act in the great
Sioux war. and many a person who saw
the last boat leave the bank of the
Yellowstone that day in June breathed
a deep sigh and said, Thank God,
Montana Is done with the Indians"
After the Indians we're sent from
Keogh, its Importance as a military
protection began to wane. Soon troops
were sent TO different posts and it was
not many years till merely a handful
of soldiers were left to guard it. Today
tba h{c flat where IL stood and which