Glacier County chief., 1940-02-09
By ERIC THANE


Luther S. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Kelly" frontiersman, tt apper,
scout, dispatch rider and one Of
the men who helped tame Mon
tana-was attached to the army
under the command Of Nelson A.
Miles in 1876. Miles was conducting
a fall and winter campaign against
Custer disaster the previous June.
The base Of his activities was the
camp at the confluence of the
Tongue and Yellowstone rivers
the site Of the present Miles City.
Yellowstone Kelly proved an in
valuable aid because of his knowl-
edge of the country.
Cold weather forced almost a shut
down to military activities, though In
dian parties continued to be active.
In December. 1876, a thieving party
drove off the beef herd from the
outskirts of the cantonment. General
Miles at once organized a force, of
which Yellowstone Kelly was scout, to
follow the raiding party. In order to
portation was increased by the addi-
ton of an OK train of wagons. A start
was made in the last days of Decem-
ber
Trail Led Up Tongue
The trail led up the Tongue river,
and the pursuing party made good
progress until they came across a de-
serted camp consisting of rude shacks
lining one side of the valley. Here the
valley began to narrow, and forward
progress was more difficult. Presently
the party came across the remains of
large camp, apparently abandoned
only day or so before, for the ground
was still warm where the tepee fires
had been. Some of the stolen cattle
had been butchered here, according to
the signs.
The, next morning the pursuers
crossed the river through the willows.
There was a strong smell of Indian
tobacco on the still, cold air, and the
fresh print of pony tracks indicating
that the young men of the thieves
were keeping watch over the advance
OF the troops. Kelly had with him the
three johnson boys Zone of whom was
the celebrated hunter and frontiers
man on whom rested the sobriquet of
Liver Eating Johnson'D, Tom La
Fargo, interpreter for the Crows, three
young Crow men, and Buffalo Horn,
Bannock. Buffalo Horn, according to
Kelly, was the bravest Indian he had
ever had to do anything with.
Soon after. one morning early, the
OK drivers. assisted by two or three
soldiers, were driving in the cattle that
had wandered, when they were at
tackled by a party of hostiles and two
of the soldiers killed. The main party
OF the pursuers were in advance but
they turned back The Indians prompt
ly disappeared. The command halted
to bury the two soldiers, digging their
graves on the trail so that the passage
OF the troops and wagons would OBJ
literate any sign of burial.
Made Night Expedition
Kelly and his scouts went ahead,
making night march to the Rosebud
10 see If there were any camps on
the stream They found nothing, and
returned to the main camp about day
light
That day they Travelled farther than
usual ahead of the command and had
gotten more than mile when they
struck an open place in the timber
where the winter sun shone warmly.
Ihey stopped to rest without posting
a picket, and presently all of them
began to browse. They were, watched
by the Indians, of course, who noted
their sleepiness and crept forward
through the brush to attack them. The
red men had nearly reached a position
when the three Grow scouts and Buff
falo Horn, who were not with Kelly.
rode up on the lookout for deer and
ran right into the hostiles.
the backs of their horses, but Buffalo
Horn charged. The white scouts and
Kelly were jerked fully awake, and
followed Buffalo Horn. The Sioux re-
treated through the timber, in spite
OF their greater number, and over a
ridge to where the main body seemed
to be.
The main body of the command was
advanced now, and upon orders
stopped and went into camp. Indians.
fully in view, watched from a point
of rock. Before dark they went up
the river and Kelly saw no more Of
them until the next day.
The country was becoming rugged
and elevated now The command ap-
preached the Wolf mountains, out of
which the Tongue river flows.
Camp was presently made, and the
scouts went ahead. Kelly stopped be-
hind a cedar tree for shelter from
the strong. cold wind and took out
his field glasses He noted some fig
ures moving in the direction of the
scouts. When they came closer Kelly
saw that some of the party were
women. He notified the Indian scouts
that the party must not be harmed or