Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-04-29


accounting, required course for grad
uatiOn from the business admfnistra-
ton school.
those who escaped could go and arouse
the main camp :.
Indians BOthersOme
/ With a double guard posted, the
/ prospectors turned In. Indians wan
dered around the camp all night, and
every few minutes someone would have
to rush out of his tent to recover
something an Indian had stolen from
under the canvas wall.
When the party began to pack up
next morning the Indians proceeded
to forcibly trade horses. Stuart gave
the matter only few words. Again it
is Hauser who tells the story:
Our captain thus briefly describes
one of the most daring acts ever per-
formed by any man. An act of cool
self poSSeSSion and bravery rarely, If
ever, equa1ed; one that has forever
after fixed him in the hearts and ad-
miration Of his little band Of men, and
to which, In my opinion. they owed
their lives. And know that from that
hour the very men who, the day be-
fore. had been complaining of what
they believed to be his timidity, looked
upon him as hero of undoubted cour-
age
While the Indians forcibly effected
their trades Stuart passed among his
men and told them to be ready for
trouble-to keep a close watch and Edo
as do, and for your lives don't fire
until my gun goes off," For a quarter
of an hour he went about the business
Of packing and directing the work of
the men as though nothing were amiss.
%fNo ofrfoF
off to himself, Stuart called sharp
look outl" to his men. He covered the
chiefs heart with his rifle, and every
man covered an Indian. Like a flash
they dropped their robes and revealed
guns pointed at the white men. The
impaSse continued for several minutes.
There were two Indians to every white
man. They all looked to their chief for
instructions. But they found that If
anyone made an over move their chief
would die.
Indians Give Way
Signal your warriors off or I will
send you to your last hunting groundI"
Stuart ordered the chief, who hesitat-
ed and was lost. he dropped his eyes,
then signaled his braves TO lower their
weapons, and they sullenly sought their
ponies.
Two of the chiefs asked to accom-
pany the party to the next camp; this
was allowed. The men had breakfast,
giving the remains to the Indians, who
were then ordered away.
At the mouth of the Big Horn some
Of the men proSpected the surrounding
country without results while others
section Of land for town
site and laid out 160-acre homesteads
for each man. The area was plated.
but that Is as near as it ever came to !
becoming town. Indian troubles we're
to continue for another Is years to |
settlement
Leaving the mouth of the Big Horn !
May 7 the expedition started up the !
stream TO prospect. May IL, IS miles !
up the Big Horn, they saw a mile dis
tant three persons on horseback, and
tried to signal them into camp. The
three increased their pace and went |
away from there fast. Men followed, |
trying TO overtake them, but could not |
Later it was learned the three were |
John M. Bozeman and John M. Jacobs
and his little daughter on their way to /
the North Platte, selecting the route |
Of the Bozeman trail, established the |
next year. They had been chased by
Indians few days before and believed |
the Stuart expedition was merely more !
Indians Two days later, however, they
were again chased by Indians and
stripped of all their possessions, except
Jacobs rifle and lead, which he had
surreptitiously dropped IN the brush.
They endured severe hardships before
reaching their destination, Red Butte.
Fight with Indians
May 10 the Stuart party experienced
perhaps as harassing an Indian battle
as ever white men were called to ex-
perience and any escape alive. Run !
ming buffalo along the horizon during |
the day had indicated Indians were
on the trail
The party was in camp when, an
hour before midnight, a volley was |
fired into the tent. Horses on each side |
Of Stuart were killed; he was sleeping |
mortally wounded, two badly hurt and |
three others slightly nicked by bullets. |
The tents were hurrtedly torn down |
TO reduce their target value. The battle |
continued all night, with bullets and |
arrows flying thickly.
Watkins and Bostwick were dying |
Bell believed he was mortally wounded. |
Bostwick did not wait for death from |
his wounds. He blew out his brains /
while the party prepared to move.
Geery, Underwood and Hauser made 1
q pact to save their last bullets so that /
should anyone else be wounded beyond |
The ability to travel the remainder Of |
the party should not have to remain |
behind In danger. The matter was
aiken to the entire company, and all /
agreed to the same procedure.
1t had become evident that 1t was
nsafe to attempt to return to Ban
mack by the Yellowstone route. The Il
,nly way left was TO go on south to the
Emigrant road. It was estimated about
lalf the expedition might get through.
Bell showed life enough 70 ride. Ev-
rything was discarded except rations
or six days, and trail was struck to-
Yard the Ernigrant road, after making