Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-01-29
Horse Stealing Expedition and Little Indian
War. Caused by Production Of Play at Fort

Y Ohm RAGUTRE, AE0ntana's most
noted e2ray-day theatrical tm-
pressari0. put on a show as Fort
< Custer on the Little Big Horn In
March, 1880, which resulted In
one OF the biggest horse stealing ex-
petitions by Indians that section Of
Montana had ever known, and . clash
between United States troops and the
red man In which one soldier was
killed and q number wounded. Inch
dentaily, the show, which started on
scheduled time, was interrupted by the
excitement which broke out just az
the critical period when P0cahontas
was pleading for the life Of Capt. John
Smith.
Mcguire had gone to Fort Custer
to present a drama with the amateur
talent which the post afforded, and 1t
was plentiful there as at most OF the
other early-day isolated military can
tonments There was q large barracks
building which was used as a theater,
there were many aspiring amateur
actors among the soldiers, and many
interesting theatrical programs were
put on there.
Fort Custer at the time was garri-
soned by Troops G., NJ, G, and OF the
Second cavalry with the headquarters
detachment and band under the COM
mand of Lieut.. Col. A. @. Bracket and
companies b, G, and II OF the Elev-
enth infantry under the command Of
Lieut.. Col. ]. P. Buell., also command
ing the post. In addition there were
at the post 200 quartermaster depart.
rnent employees, clerks, packers ana
Transfers. Many Of the government
contractors were also making winter
headquarters there which added about
rs more to the population The near
est town was Miles City, l10 nnles
distant by wagon road down the val
levs OF the Big Horn and Yellowstone
rivers.
Real Indians for Mob Scenes"
In selecting the show Mcguire was
impelled to choose Capt. John smith
because, with camp of Grow Indians
under Chief Plenty Coos located only
a short distance from the post, he was
offered the opportunity OF getting real
Indians for the mob scenes" or what
ever scenes there were in the play
which required the presence OF a large arg
number of Indians. The more Indians
in the play. the better the show, accord
ing to Maguires view.
John himself played Capt. John
Smith, and the part of Pocahontas was
taken by Mrs. Collins, wife OF one OF
the army officers.
Mcguire went to see Plenty Coos and
ARRANGED with the chief to have num-
her al his braves available for various
scenes in the presentation. Rehearsals
went forward rapidly and the night
of the show arrived.
show interrupted
The curtain went up and everything
went smoothly until the moment Wnen
pocahOntas was pleading for the life
of can't. John Smith. At that instant
a painting Crow Indian medicine man
dashed into the door at the end OF the
building and shouted something wnich
caused all Of the braves IN the snow
to stampede. They were all out OF the
room in no time.
Piegan Indians Invade Camp
The post chief scout translated 20
and the other members OF the
company and to those OF the audience
Who had not already left to see what
was the matter, that the Indian had
shouted to his fellows that a band OF
Pieoan Indians had run off the Crow
Indian horses, about 100 mead, ana
left Plenty Coos and his braves aIoOt'
In an instant every bugler IN the
post was sounding boots ana saooies
and there we're scores OF lanterns 1y-
ing about the garrison as otticers ana
men hurried to and fro IN tne oaIKs
ness. The guards were doubled and
there was all kinds of excitement. NO
effort was made to follow the Indian
horse thieves that night, but early the
next morning Capt. John Mix with
troop M and 10 Grow Indians crossed
Inc Little Big Horn and took up the
trail. They returned that evening, how |
ever, and reported they had lost Il.
The following morning troop IN
der Lieut.. j. II. Coale, 10 Crow In
dams. a pack train In command OF the |
camp uuartermaster, E. M. Locke, aft |
erwards and for many years q resident |
Of Great Falls, took up the trail and
followed It to the Tongue river. They
were accompanied by Nick Gilman, at
that time Fort Clusters chief scout. At
the Tongue river they met and camped
with troop e Of the Second cavalry
which had been summoned from Fort