Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-10-19

in the birth OF a child. which incident
caused little delay In the days march.
Miners Tell Of Gold Strikes
The party spent several days at
Fort Union, the trip having taken 81
travelling days, averaging 10 miles. At
this time the post was In the possess
sion Of Pierre Choteau Jr. & Co. of
St Louis, known as the American Fur
Co. The fort was described as on
the north bank of the river. about
three miles above the mouth OF the
Yellowstone and about 800 feet square.
with a log paliSade Is feet high with
bastions at the northeast and south
west corners. Around the court we're
a line of residences for the employees,
nearly all OF whom had Indian wives.
There was an entrance gate on the
north and one on the south side
Steamboats, had run from st. Louis
to the fort for nearly 80 years, but
only two boats had touched the levee
at Fort Benton two years before and
the year before there had been no
arrivals there, and the current sum-
mer only four steamboats, had reached
this port. later known as the head Of
navigation.
A little below Fort Union the expe-
dition reached Montana, although at
the time 1t was a part Of the terri
tory Of Dakota and next year was in
corporated into the territory Of Idaho.
In crossing Big Muddy creek, five
wagons were tratled into the stream
and a bridge formed, although the
water covered the bed OF the wagon
boxes. The goods were carried across
the bridge and the wagons loaded and
before noon the caravan proceeded
on its way. Five days later the train
reached the mouth Of Milk river.
On to Walla WaIla
They were visited by friendly Gros
Ventres and traded for some buffalo
robes, giving three pounds Of brown
sugar for each robe. At a crossing
of Milk river they met two horsemen
with three pack horses, the first white
travellers they had met since leaving
Abercrombie more than seven weeks
before. The men we're from Florence
City six weeks out from the Salmon
river mines bound for the states. These
mines they reported as rich, but the
mines at Deer Lodge and in the Bitter
Root valley they reported as produc-
ing no gold.
On sept. / they crossed the Milk
river for the last time where 1t was
about 40 yards wide and 10 feet deep,
but the bed was dry, as 1t had been
for the last 100 miles. Here they
passed an abandoned Blackfeet camp |
Of 5000 or 1000 Indians, apparently |
where they had left standing the !
medicine lodge which was 100 feet in I
diameter and 40 feet high. The next |
day, they camped on Box Elder creek |
and the day after they halted at Big
On Sept 4, they passed the |
Adarias and Teton rivers and camped /
on the latter about three miles from /
Fort Benton. Here they remained three |
days. The distance from Abercrombie |
was $50 miles.
Although Captain Fiskis orders con-
.smplated the breaking up Of the ex-
petition at Fort Benton, the emtgrants |
unanimously requested him to con-
5inue with them In the same capacity |
continued to the neighborhood Of |
Helena, where on the banks Of the |
Prickly Pear, near Montana City, gold /
1ad been discovered. Here the party |
iisbanded, some securing claims here |
while others decided to proceed TO |
he Grasshopper diggings at Bannack.
0ut before disbanding. all joined In
/ letter to Captain Fisk, testifying /
heir satisfaction and gratitude at his
conduct OF the expedition.
Christening Of Helena
Captain Fisk with his escort pro-
:eeded by the Mullan road across the
Mountains to the Deer Lodge valley
md on to Walla Walla, where the
.Scort disbanded and the captain dis
)osed Of the stock and equipage and
proceeded down the Columbia and TO
san Francisco, and thence by steamer
O New York.
During the next four years Captain
fisk performed a similar service for
he emigrants to the mines over the
anne general route and under the
Erection of the secretary of war. but
he experiences of these are described
by the above itinerary Of
he expedition Of 1852. There are