Glacier County chief., 1940-10-25
By JOHN MUNRO

IN country in the early sixties
! ..Jed the government to af-
military protection to the
Z !. who knew hardly where
were going and nothing as
hs country intervening. The
.aiiy of the Sioux seemed to
j. This movement necessary and
g. orders of Secretary of War
t-tou this duty was devolved on
= Liberty Fisk, a captain in
regular service. At the time
Lk appointment he was serv-
Nth his regiment in central
,nsS>ec and the order reached
about June 3, 1862.
~ desiring to emigrate to the
fsIds lad been ordered to rem
-, at Fort Abercrombie, Dakota,
go miles northwest Of st. Paul,
mere 10 await the escort. An act
.rgress of Jan. 81, 1862, appropri-
a5OOO for the expense of the
Es,ions on the overland routes be-
the Atlantic states and Califor-
oregcn and Washington.
Ivan Fisk Immediately repaired
q paul and organized an escort
the volunteers used to frontier
Who we're mustered into the serv-
y protective corps, numbering
90 10 be used as guards, SEN
scouting parties. etc. He also
a physician, a guide and an
,yureter. He also took a l2-pound
ntaln hnwitzer. The supply and
re tram consisted of three four
pans. one two-mule team and one
I.borse team. and the line was led
!, flag wagon from which the ma
ii cOlo-S we're flung.
Leaves st. Paul
sp,a!n Fisk left St. Paul June l6
proceeded to Fort Abercrombie.
"a he reached July 3, and where
s-re party Of emigrants were await
lin since the LIST. These were put
IA military discipline and he also
fuei that many others were on the
4 desiring to Join the party.
Ilage are many familiar names
tng the members of all of these
Editions, particularly the first one,
Visa. The commissary was put in
Ire OF n. P. Langford, for many
a q prominent citizen Of the ter
n and closely Identified with our
III history and one of the chronic
1 Of the times as author Of "Vigi-
he Days and Ways" James Fergus,
knder Of Fergus Falls, also was a
|nber OF the party and he became
father of Fergus county and bore
|n1sp,cuous part in our early history.
Published Pioneer Newspaper
me leader of the party himself be-
ned 10 a family which bore a part
| the early history Of the territory
Z state. In after years he was fol-
sed 10 this section by five brothers
N western New York. They were
bert Emmett, John Daniel. Webster,
u H. and Andrew jackson. and
" for more than 80 years, were
ssested in or connected with the
lana Herald. the leading newspaper
the territory. They purchased the
i!ator which the Herald succeeded,
N T. j. Favorite. who had brought
whiting press and outfit from Walla
LA in 1865.
he purpose of the emigrants was
reach the gold fields of western
tota by the shortest route, and IT
nediately became known as the
thern route. General Stevens, on
J way to olympia to assume the
les Of governor of Washington ter
ny and at the same time making a
for a Pacific railroad
7 the 47th and 49th parallel of
tn latitude, had explored the re-
4 from the Red river to the north
the western boundary of Minnesota
Fort Union, near the mouth of the
lowStone river. in 1853, but 1t had
aimed in the possession OF the In
rs and the buffalo until Captain
''c n.y~aIittNy, ~, 1900 QnI II vtr-
ly remained in their possession
j the fall of Custer in June, 1876;
ed notice on Sitting Bull and Gall
this land must be reclaimed and
lie the home of the pioneers fol-
ng the course Of empire. True, the
.hern Pacific railroad had been
led to the Missouri river in 1872,
the rails were laid under military
US until Willard six or seven years
Itana and Puget sound. Truly it
a trackless plain which Captain
and party entered in mid-July.
Pierre Bottineau Guide
C. Knox was wagon master and
guide was Pierre Bottineau, Red
: hunter, who had been one of
ernor Stevens guides through the
TRY nine years before, and his
Ices were Invaluable through the
try, where the only trails were
e of the crow or the eagle.
lie emigrants and the escort joined
officers and soldiers of the fort
the settlers in the neighborhood
rousing celebration on the Fourth
ne nations independence. The ex-
ton moved on July Z. The first
acle encountered was the Wild
river, which had to be bridged.
.eam about IS feet wide and 4 or
It deep. The first day they made
t 10 miles to the Cheyenne river.
'e they found fine grass for the
and water and the pest1ferous
quito. This river, much wider and
er than the Wild Rice, also had
e bridged, but there were many
lesota lumbermen both among the
rants and the escort, and it is
that they jumped into the stream
their clothes on up to their hats
with their pipes in their mouths
they made short work of the
Ie caravan now consisted of 100
and women, 200 head of stock
about 30 wagons called prairie
oners, a name which they retained
ugh all the pioneer period of the
At night the wagons were formed
a circle or corral, where the stock
held: the horses were picketed
and four men were put on guard,
reliefs. as a precalItion against