Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-08-08
BY WLCHEY


The large emigration to the gold
fields Of the northwest near the head
waters Of the Missouri and Columbia
rivers in the heart Of the Indian coun-
Try In the early sixties, compelled the
government TO afford military protec-
tion 10 the people who knew hardly
where they were going and nothing
As to the country intervening. The
hostility of the Sioux seemed 10 make
this movement necessary and under
orders of Secretary Of War Stanton
this duty devoIved on James Liberty
Fisk, a captain in the regular army.
At the time Of his appointment he
was serving with his regiment in CEN
trail Tennessee and the order reached
him about June 3, 1862.
People desiring to emigrate to the
gold fields had been ordered to rem
devious at Fort Abercrombie, Dakota,
about $50 miles northwest of st. Paul.
and there to await the escort. An act
OF congress Of January 81, 1862, ap-
propriated $25,0OO for the expense Of
the expeditions on the overland routes
between the Atlantic states and Cali
fornia, Oregon and Washington.
Fisk Organized Escort
TO st Paul and organized an escort
from the volunteers used to frontier
life, who we're mustered into the serv-
ice as a protective corps, numbering
about so, to be used as guards, SEN
tries. scouting parties, etc. He also
took physician, a guide and an in
terpreter. He also took a 12-pound
mountain howitzer. The supply and
baggage train consisted Of three four
OK teams. one two-mule team and one
two-horse team, and the line was led
by flag wagon from which the ma
tional colors we're flying.
Captain Fisk left st. Paul June 16
and proceeded to Fort Abercrombie,
which he reached July 3, and where
large party of emigrants were await
ing him since the first. These we're put
under military discipline and he also
learned that many others were on the
way desiring to join the party.
There are many familiar names
among the members of all Of these
expeditions. particularly the first one,
Of 1862. The commisSary was put
under charge of N. P. Langford, for
many years a prominent citizen of
the territory and closely identified
with our early history, and one of the
chroniclers Of the times as author OF
"Vigilante Days and Ways" James
Fergus. founder Of Fergus Falls, also
was q member of the party, and he
became the father of Fergus county
and bore conspicuous part in our
early history.
Early Newspaper Started
The leader Of the party himself be-
longed to family which bore part
in the early history of the territory
and state. In after years he was fol-
lowed to this section by five brothers
from western New York. They were
Robert Emmett, John Daniel, Web
ster, Van H. and Andrew jackson
and they, for more than 80 years
we're interested in or connected with
the Helena Herald, the leading news
paper of the territory. They purchased
the plant and publication known as
the Radiator, which the Herald sue
ceeded, from T. J. Favorite. who had
brought printing press and outfit
from Walla Walla in 1865.
The purpose Of the emigrants was
to reach the gold fields of western
Dakota by the shortest route, and it
Immediately became known as the
northern route. General Stevens, on his
way to Olympia to assume the duties
of governor of Washington territory
and at the same time making recon-
naiSsance for a Pacific railroad near
the Attn and 49th parallel of north
latitude, had explored the region from
the Red River of the North, the west
ern boundary of Minnesota, to Fort
Union, near the mouth of the yell
lowstone river, in 1853, but it had re-
manned in the possession OF the In
dams and the buffalo until Captain
Fisk's expedition in 1862, and it viz
tually remained in their possession I'M
til the fall of Custer in June, 1876,
served notice on Sitting Bull and Gall
that this land must be reclaimed and
made the home of the pioneers fol-
lowing the course of empire. True, the
Northern Pacific railroad had been
pushed to the Missouri river in 1872,
but the rails were laid under military
escort and here was its western ter
minus until Mr.. Willard, six or seven
years later, renewed its construction
toward Montana and Puget Sound.
Truly it was trackless plain which
Captain Fisk and party entered in
mid-July, 1862.
R. G. Knox was WagOnmaSter and
the guide was Pierre Bottineau. Red
river hunter, who had been one Of
Governor Stevens guides through the
country nine years before, and his
services were invaluable through a
country where the only trails were
those of the crow or the eagle.
Bold Big Celebration
The emigrants and the escort joined
the Officers and soldiers of the fort
and the settlers in the neighborhood
in a rousing celebration on the Fourth
Of July. The expedition moved on July
7. The first obstacle encountered was
the Wild Rice river, which had to be
bridged, a stream about IS feet wide
and or S feet deep. The first day
they made about 10 miles to the Chey-
enne river, where they found fine
grass for the stock and water and
the pestiferous mosquito. This river.
much wider and deeper than the Wild
Rice, also had to be bridged, but there
were many Minnesota lumbermen both