The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-07-03
Pioneer Tells Story of Early Days At For
KeOgh and Final Act OF Great Sioux Wa

by Indians was imminent. In a very
short space of time we heard the trum-
pet Gun IN Forward march" and around
came a column Of three troops Of cav
airy. A. E. and I, under command Of
Capt. E. L. Higgins OF troop E. The
mysterious rider by this time had dis
mounted and was lying on the ground.
The troops advanced and when about
heard the trumpet sound Load Pieces"
Then the call "Deploy," and the three
troops swung into a skirmish line for
nation. Then came the call "Trot,' and
at a trot 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
l!rst line of buttes the rider rode two
or three times around in a circle, then
disappeared from sight. We at the fort
could see the long line of soldiers epter
the rough stretch of land, and soon
could see the soldiers on the hills still
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 IN
their way to the MusSelshell to trap.
They said they had sec no one at all,
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
canped close to the fort that night and
left early next morning. Who the man
on the hill was, or what his object was
in being there was never found out.
Most of the people who saw him agreed
that If UaC mt on Indian A nioIyak
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 a 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 lges 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 a message to the IN
point n 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 G bit arrogant
and sent back word that if the white
chief wanted their tepees down to send
Ilges 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. Trumpets
sounded and the troops advanced to-
ward the Indian camp and formed q
battle line across the flat in front Of
revolving Hotchkiss. guns, and one
Rodman which shot IN 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 Rodr1an and a MEM
McHugh had n of the Hotchkiss
guns. the third man I cannot recall
Again Brugier was sent to the Campo
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
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
up and all was in readiness for the
coming Of the boats. There were 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, Mel
lie Peck and the Far West. Within four
days four of the boats were at the
landing but the Far West had not put
! n its appearance. The troops waited
four days and the commander became
anxious as the water in the Yellowstone
was falling and should it get much
lower the boats would not be able to
make the trip. On the morning of the
fifth day the Far West came in sight,
Engine trouble had delayed her lust
after she had entered the Yellowstone,
AS soon as possible the loading began.
Fol- a while pandemonium seemed to
reign. Every Indian in camp, men,
women and children, we're talking and
shouting and it was a task to pet them
on board properly. A great many from
the fort had come to see the Indians
aboard n many squawS were running
hlther and yon. shaking hands with
the white squaws whom they knew. AS
last as the boat got its load it would
STAR doWn the river and loading an
cther would begin. I remember one
laughable incident, one of the boats
had gotten well out in midstream and
every Indian was talking and shouting.
when we saw an Indian jump off the
boat out in the river ana swim ashore.
He was looking for his family and
found after he got to shore that they
were all on the boat he jumped from.
He was put on the next one and I
don't believe he got to his family until
he got to Standing Rock. The Indians
borses were driven overland in charge
OF Capt: E: P. Ewers of E company,
Fifth infantry.
ms was the last act in the great
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.E
After the Indians were sent from
heogh. It's 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