The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-01-28
Horse Stealing Expedition and Little Indian
War Caused by Production Of Play at Fort

Keogh to lend a hand. It was COM
manded by Capt. E. L. Higgins.
Higgins inquired of Locke how many
ratlOnS there were on hand. Lock re-
ported one days issue for the men and
non for the stock. The captain or
got four bareback crackers, n table
spoonful of coffee and n of sugar.
The following morning the troops
started off ahead, leaving a guard of
IL men for the pack train, six from
each troop, in addition to the pack
camp of the combined troops wa made
where the fleeing Indians had camped
a short time before. The troops had
thrown out hunters during the day
and had plenty of buffalo meat on
hand when the night camp was made.
Surrounded Indians
On April l the soldiers followed the
trail all day with the pack train, max
ing the best speed possible in the rear.
his companions were watering their
stock at a stream, the guide reported
that a mar on horseback was ap-
proching at a gallop. 1t proved to be
the surgeon with the outfit bringing
a message from Captain HIGGINS Or
pack train guard to join the troops
with all possible speed, as the troops
had the Indians surrounded. When
Locke and his IL men started, there
was a kick from the packers, but they
were all armed with rifles so Locke
with them, as the surgeon could take
them to the troops.
The guide, however, joined the de-
tachment before it had gotten three
miles away and the packers were left
to follow the trail as best they could.
Darkness overlook Locke and his de-
tachment before they, reached the
troops and they decided to camp. They
tied their horses to a fallen tree in a
creek bottom and then stood guard
around them to keep the b~uffaloes
which were roaming the valley, from
stampeding them.
The doctor in the meantime told
them Of Of the Tnd fight the Get tro ,f9s had ~ had
had been killed. Locke recorded in his
diary afterwards that johnson had
been granted a months furlough, and
had it in his pocket at that time, along
with $500 with which he had planned
to go east to visit with a sister. But
when the call came to follow the In
dams he couldn't resist the temptation
to 20 along with his comrades.
Locke and his detachment started
again at daybreak. They hadn't con-
tacted the main command at a time
when Locke thought they should have,
so he had the bugler with them blow
were answered from a dry coulee a
half mile distant where they found
the soldiers, who told them they had
recovered 90 of the 100 ponies stolen
and had taken five of the Piegans
prisoners. The main body of PieganS
the commanding officer had sent to
Fort Keogh for field guns with which
to shell them out. Locke was ordered
to take the body of the dead sergeant
and the prisoners to Fort Keogh. The
body Of the sergeant was wrapped in
a tent and packed in an aparejo. He
mounted the Indian prisoners on mules
using aparejoS for saddles and with a
soldier holding the bride. After a few
miles the sharp edges of the aparejoS
became so painful the Indians begged
to be permitted to walk and were al
lowed to do so.
OFallon creek until they reached the
Yellowstone river, where they met
Capt. W. P. Clark of the Second cav
airy with the field pieces from Fort
Keogh. Locke and his party continued
on to Fort Keogh where they delivered
post authorities. That night they took
In the sights at Miles City.
The funeral Of Sergeant johnson
took place April 8 at Fort Keogh. The
entire garrison, all Of the members of
the detachment from Fort Custer and
most Of the residents Of Miles City
attended and the funeral procession
was a mile long, in it being Gen. Mel
son A. Miles, commander at Fort Keogh
at that time, and all Of the other Of
f1cers OF the cantonment.
The field guns from Fort Keegh SUBJ
dlSed the P1egans who surrendered
without further fighting, the Crows
back and everybody was happy-ex-
cepting perhaps, John Mcguire.