Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-01-12

cisively. That's where it will be, major.
That's ny order"
The same evening he set out to re-
turn to Fort Ellis, leaving Lieutenant
Worden to lay out a military reSerVa-
ton, which was surveyed by Lieuten-
ant Williams of the Third infantry.
Missoulians were greatly disappointed
at the location chosen. They favored,
as Major McCauley had told Lieuten-
ant Colonel Gilbert, the site on Grant
creek, largely because of its CONNER
cial possibilities. Where it was destined
to stand. Fort Nissoula was a little
out of the way.
The original reservation ran south
along the Bitter Root river and east
to the foothills, and was much larger
than today. In later years Squatters
on the military land.
Chief Joseph. GLIDING 90 cavalrymen
from Fort LapWai, Idaho. and 300 SOL
dierS under General Howard, came
into Montana but did not go north
through MisSoula for the reason given.
Capt. C. c. RaWn. in charge of the
Joseph along the narrow Lolo trail
He fortified Lolo pass with so regular
troops and 100 volunteers, and settled
behind barbados confident that JOS
eph could come no farther.
Joseph. however. knew his noun
tains. While small group Of horsemen
pretended to assault the barrlcAdeS.
Joseph with his women, children and
horses slipped around through a mar
row canyon which Rawn had believed
to be too rugged for anyone to traverse.
The citizens of the Bitter Root valley
realized that Joseph wanted only
free passage, and the volunteers there
upon left Rawn and that officer, in
disgust. was compelled to return to
MiSsoula. The location of the barricadeS
is a spot some II miles south OF the
present Missoula and miles east Of
the little town of Lolo. 1t is rather
inelegantly known as Fort Fizzle."
In 1898 the fort was abandoned The
Indian menace was over, and during
the time it was regularly garrisoned
for trouble from the red men. 1t had
seen very little disturbance. The Flat
heads. chief tribe in the country, were
a peaceable race, not very Warllke and
accepting readily the religion Of the
white man-what was more, accepting
it Fundamentally and attempting to
live up to the principles of it. Upon
only one occasion was there any dis
turbance which might have flared so
high as to call out the troops and put
the fort to use. Shortly after Chief
Joseph's defeat a couple of drunken
Indians at the old agency about five
miles from the present town of Ailee
shot white man, and the tribe refused
to surrender the murderer. There was
a rise of hostile feelings which Major
Peter Roman. agent for the reservation,
managed to Sooth.
At the first outbreak Of trouble, the
station agent at Arlee had abandoned
his post, first sending message to the
commander of Fort MisSoula to call
out troops. Troops were ready and a
train was prepared to carry soldiers
to the reservation when Roman sent
orders that he could handle the sit
uation.
His diplomacy in handling delicate
matter, in perSuading the tribe to give
up the murderer for trial in MlSsoula.
prevented what would probably have
been an outbreak. Had the soldiers
arrived on the reservation, war would
certainly have occurred. Major Roman
realized this from the first, and by his
quick thinking averted bloodShed.
After abandonment of the fort in
1898 it was in charge, for three years,
of Ordnance Sergeant Pillow and de-
tachment of the 9Th Cavalry. 1t was
reestablished through the influence Of
Senator Thomas H. Carter, but in 1906
was again slated for abandonment.
Senator Joseph NJ. Dixon of Missoula,
of a movement to retain the post. The
citizens of Missoula bought, through
the city, tract of land and decided 1t
to the government to take the place of
that portion of the military reserva-
ton which had been lost through the
activities of squatters. This increased
the area of the reservation to more
than 5000 acres.
that the war department decided to
make Fort Missoula a regimental post.