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KS 66285
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Adventures on the Bozeman Trail |
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David B. Weaver crossed the plains on
the
Oregon Trail
to
Fort Laramie
and to
Montana
via the Bozeman Trail in the summer of 1864, leaving the
Missouri River at
Omaha on the 2ist of May, arriving at Emigrant Gulch,
Montana,
the 27th of August. The data preserved of this journey and the incidents
occurring on the way, are not only interesting but informing of the daily
travel and the dangers avoided and encountered. The trip by wagon train
from the starting point to Fort Kearny (Nebraska)
took until June 2nd.
Traveling along the north side of the
North Platte, commonly called the Mormon Trail,
Fort Laramie
was a resting place on the 25th of June. The warpath of the
Indians
north of the fort being full of red men the small train of twenty wagons
was advised not to proceed until recruit wagons might be added to the
train.
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Fort
Laramie painting by Alfred Jacob Miller,
Walters Art Gallery.
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Crossing the Platte on a toll bridge kept by a Frenchman named
Richard (pronounced, however, "Reshaw") to the south side, the few wagons
waited until July 12th, when reinforcements were added to the train until
it numbered sixty-eight wagons. A few days previous to the departure of
this newly organized train, Captain Townsend had gone north on the
Bozeman Trail with a wagon train, meeting, as was soon learned, serious disaster
from
Indian
depredations.
Cyrus C. Coffenbury, having many
wagons at the crossing, added Weaver's wagon train to his own, made up a
train for
Montana,
being elected commander of the train, with the title of Major, divided
into four divisions, with a captain for each section. Leaving the Platte
on the 12th, no difficulties were experienced until the train reached the
Powder River on the 22d of July. Here the men learned of the tragedy that
had met Captain Townsend. Ten days before the train's arrival Townsend had
been attacked by the
Sioux,
having four of his men killed, the naked and mutilated bodies of the
soldiers bearing witness to the ravages of the
Indians.
Four empty graves near the bodies gave testimony to the savagery of the
foe, who had not only dug up the bodies, but had robbed them of clothing
and the blankets in which they had been wrapped for burial.
Reburying the bodies, the train
marched on, reaching Tongue River on the 29th of the month, being at that
time one hundred and seventy-two miles from the North Platte. By the 4th
of August the train was sixty-two miles beyond the Tongue, at which place
a camp was made on the Big Horn River. Here was found the "object of our
quest," color in the sand and gravel. Stretching toward the Yellowstone
which was finally reached on the i4th, the train followed the stream for
nine days before they found a fordable place.
The trail ultimately took them west to
a canyon which was one hundred and fifty miles from the place where the
train had first obtained sight of the Yellowstone.
In the valley many men were prospecting for gold, which attracted some of
the men from the train who decided to go no further, but try their luck
with washing for gold.
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Yellowstone Valley.
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It was at this point on the
Bozeman Trail that the party separated, as the members of the train had different
and varied destinations. Some expressed a wish to continue on the trail to
Virginia City;
others were allured to prospect along the valley of the Yellowstone.
On the 8th of August, Emigrant Gulch
was reached by Mr. Weaver with a few of his men who wished to try their
fortunes in the Yellowstone
Valley. In this gulch excited gold washers were feverishly working over
the gravel. Thus, the "quest" being found in the hills surrounding the
Bozeman Trail the train disbanded,
leaving each man to seek his fortune and destination as luck and wisdom
might dictate.
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A recital of the
experiences of this train, protected by its members and organization,
justified the government in its contention that the real dangers on the
Bozeman Trail from the red men were
inadequate mobilization of the trains and incompetent commanders or
leaders of the trains.
In the summer of 1866, Hugh Kirkendall
and others were on the Bozeman Trail on their way with a long train of
household goods and merchandise for
Montana.
When the train reached Brown's Springs, a branch of the Dry Fork of the
Cheyenne,
the train was attacked by
Indians,
and a running fight was kept up the entire day. As the hours of fighting
increased, the
Indians
grew in numbers, until it seemed as if all the
Indians
in the Powder River country had assembled for a final blow. Being able
finally to push the train forward, after the
Indians
were repulsed with heavy loss, the merchants came to within forty miles of
Fort Phil Kearny, from where a scout was sent to the fort for soldiers to
protect the train and conduct it beyond the fort. Word came in the morning
that there were not enough soldiers to even protect the fort with a small
degree of safety. The wonder to the members of the train was that the
three forts on the "Powder River Road" should have been built if enough
soldiers were not in them to not only protect the fortifications, but to
assist and protect emigrant trains. "The fact is, the soldiers in the
forts are practically bottled up, with the
Indians
galloping around on the hills nearby, and like Goliath of old, defying
them in an insulting manner.
The difficulties of one wagon train
over the Bozeman Trail in the summer of 1866, when the
Sioux
were so intensively irritated, are but the repetition of many caravans to
the
Montana
gold-fields.
Continued Next
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From the Rocky Mountain General Store
Saloon
Style Advertising Prints - What were on the walls of the
saloons in
the Old
West? Likely, much of the same as those you find today -
advertisements for liquor, beer, and tobacco. Plus the "decadent"
women of the time. In our
Photo Print Shop, you'll find dozens of photographs for decorating
your "real"
saloon or den in a
saloon type
atmosphere.
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