Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-01-31
How Sioux Raiders Slew Pryor
Greek Trapper Told by Writer

From time 10 time excerpts from
the memoirs Of Col. ]. l. Allen
have appeared In these paperx.
One Of the most authoritative
writer's ON frontier episodes,
Colonel Aiken here tells the story
Of the Staying Of a trapper by
Sioux Indians on Pryor creek.
The early spring Of 1877 found
Charley Cox and a companion. Hub
bic, on the lower Pryor creek engaged
in their chosen Notwithstanding
beaver. 1t seemed to make little diff
ference to these brave and fearless
old pioneers of this western country,
whether they trapped in the territory
of the friendly or hostile Indians They
went where they knew game was in
abundance, and for that reason their
lives were often in great danger. As
usual their camp was an ideal one,
secluded and at the same time giving
them protection in time of peril. They
had a number of horses with them.
Chief Crazy Horse with his camp
Of hostile Sioux were located on the
Little Big Horn river. where they had
passed the winter. About the time of
which I write, they had broke camp
and were determined to return to
their agency at Pine Ridge, Dakota.
A small war party left their village
with the intention Of stealing ponies
from the Crows and if necessary take
a few scalps. They travelled westward
until they came to Pryor creek. where
they expected to find village of
Crows, but in this they we're disap-
pointed.
=, So they pursued their way down
that stream and finally ran into
small band of horses that belonged
to the trappers. They rounded these
animals up and after firing a few
shots into the thick brush, where they
thought the trappers were located,
and in this they were quite certain
as they could see smoke rising from
the campfire, they left the country. At
the time Hubble was away from the
camp and after hearing the first
shots listened for more. He saw the
Sioux, and waited in vain for return
shot from CoX,s rifle, but the report
came not to his ears, and he con-
cluded that the savage Sioux had
return to camp, but started at once
for the Yellowstone river, where he
met some trappers and told them
what had happened.
After a week or two they accom-
panied Hubble to the camp on Pryor
creek, to learn what had become OF
Cox. When they reached their des-
tination a gruesome sight met their
gaze. There was poor Cox kneeling
erect with his rifle pointing. bullet
hole in his forehead between the eyes
and five cartridges in his hand, told
silent story. He never moved after
he received that stray shot. However,
it was lucky for the treacherous Sioux,
for Cox was a dead shot. The trap
pers wrapped him in his blankets and
buried him near the spot where he
was found.
"Skookum Joe" censured Hubble for
leaving camp and not going to see
whether Cox was alive, dead or
wounded Whether Hubble did the
right thing or not. and Joe might
have done Just what Hubble did, I
know not.
1t was in March when Lieutenant
Done of the Second cavalry received
orders to take charge of the Crow
nation during the year 1877 and came
to the Crow Agency with a squad o.
soldiers. He enlisted interpreters.
scouts and others to go with his
command. w. H. White of Columbus
was one of his soldiers, also Sergeant
Server, who died at the Grow Agency,
was anOIner. Inc lieutenant lelJ or
ders with me to remain, as a courier
from Fort Ellis would arrive with Or
ders for him and when he came for
me to come on with him.
-Four days later the soldier arrived
bearing dispatches with him. Early the
next morning we we're off on our
mission. The trail was rough and we
made slow progress until We reached
Clark fork at shutdown. We were COM
PEELED to swim that stream and seven
or eight miles down we camped at
the Grow camp, wet and hungry and
turned the dispatches over 10 Lieuten-
ant Done. BY the way, the soldiers
name whom had been travelling with,
was Brigham Young"
Then. like the war party who got
away with the trappers' horses and
killed Cox, we arrived at the gap on
Pryor creek. we followed it down and
during a fierce rainstorm came upon
the trappers' camp. They told us OF
the Sioux war party and what they
had done. We went into camp then
and remained some weeks, the trap
pers trading with the Indians for
what they needed. Later the Grow
camp moved on down the creek,
then left it, crossing the country to
the mouth of the Little Big Horn
river. At this point during the summer
Fort Custer was built with General
Buell. in command.