Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-08-08
Nv WILLIAM WEST

The iIl-starred General George A.
Custer blazed enc Of the earliest
trails across Dawson county In
eastern Montana, and around Glen
dive, the county seat there are
many reminders Of the early ac-
tivfty Of seThe Glory Hunter" In
1876, General Custer, in command
Of the Seventh u. s. cavalry, was
ordered by the war department to
lead his troop to the mouth of the
Tongue river, Join forces with Cen
erals Terry and Crook, and Major
Reno, and subdue the Sioux In
dams, who were making life mis-
cradle for white settlers. The trail
bIazed by Custer on that fategui
Journey was. for many years there
after, used as a mail route between
Bismarck and Fort Keogh, near the
present site Of Miles City. A portion
Of the modern highway, u. s. 10,
follows the route taken by Custer
on that last campaign.
Custer had been in this region as
early as 1873 and near Glendive there
is a spot of tremendous historic inter-
est where part of his Seventh cavalry
battled Indians In the winter of that
year. The old battle-ground is on a little
knoll IN the pasture of a farm now
owned by DR. r. II. Good. Here are
seen the well-defined remains Of
breastworks and graves. Here the army
escort to the preliminary surveying
party Of the Northern Pacific railroad
fought a band of Sioux and Cheyenne
warriors. The surveying party was a
large one, with many wagons and q
large supply of foodstuffs. It was pro-
tected by the 18th and 18th infantry,
q part Of the Fifth cavalry and the
Seventh cavalry under the command Of
General Custer. The soldiers and the
survey party had made their winter
camp at the mouth Of Glendive creek
in the fall of 1873. A battalion Of sol
diers and the supply wagons they had
been detailed 10 guard crossed the yell
lowstone and made camp on the knoll
which is now part of DR.. Goods farm.
One morning at daybreak both this
camp and the older, larger camp on the
east side of the river were attacked by
Indians. After a short but fierce en-
counter the trtbeSmen were repulsed
and the two camps united. A number OF
soldiers had been killed in the smaller
camp and they were buried within the
earthworks which had been hastily
thrown up for protection. Today the old
sunken graves and the earthworks are
still plainly seen and the deeply rutted
wagon trail leading up to them Is also
plainly discernible. Some of the men
who took part in this early skirmish
were killed three years later ia the
famous Custer massacre.
@Custer Lookout q MisnOmer
There is another landmark in the
GlendiYe area which is connected at
least by legend, with Custer It is a /
bold, square-topped butte which Is seen
west Of highway IA, five miles south /
OF Glendive. The butte has long been
known as Clusters lookout. However,
Charles Guiles, pioneer and veteran
army teamster Of Glendive, declares
that Custer would never have been so
thoughtless as to climb this prominent 1
point to look for Indians. Such an act I
would have made him target for any
enemy Redman within miles. Accord I
ing to the story told by Mr.. Guiles,
some fool subordinate Officer who
had never fought Indians, sent q body
Of soldiers to the summit Of the butte
to act as sentinels and watch for the
Of hostile Indians. The SOL
diers, victims of ignorance on the part
Of their superior, were picked off by
among the Indians. The
wise officers directed their men to
hunt the Indians as the Indians hunted
them, by crawling through the grass
It is also said that Clusters lookout
was used by the Indians as a signaling
point. According to legend. early white
settlers often saw smoke signals rising
from the summit of the butte.
McCone Also Knew Indians
A little booklet published by the late
Senator George McCone, shows that
ne was closely connected with the early
history of Dawson county as well as
With that Of all eastern Montana and
Dakota. In 1879 McCOne carried mail
1ver the route between Bismarck and
Fort Keogh. which had originally been
)lazed by General Custer. He was then
n the employ of Vale, Miner, Peck
md Co., who were holders Of the con-
ract to carry the mail over this 800
nile stretch Of dangerous Indian coun- i
ny. Life on this mail route was one of
continual excitement and hazard. One
lay in late July, 1879. McCone was
Waiting for his relief carrier at Little !
Beaver mail station. The relief carrier
vas man named Green who, oddly !
nough, came from Green river. Green j
7aS late and McCone, becoming anx- !
BUS, drove ahead to investigate Near ]
ng the station which was known as (