YELLOWSTONE COUNTY, MONTANA

Yellowstone County – Your Ancestral Past Trail Series

Out in the Boonies #5

Pompeys Pillar

By Dave Dodge

William Thomas and His Saddened Trek

Monday, January 03, 2005

June 16, 1866 to October 13, 1866 – Jim Bridger, temporarily assigned to Lt Brown, was stationed at Fort Phil Kearny with Colonel Carrington, where he was placed in charge of guiding a large wagon train that showed up at the fort, across the Pryor-South Hills gap areas and on to Virginia City. Impatience of the Thomas train members to reach the gold fields attributed to their demise.

 The records for Jim’s assignment are missing from the fort records, but the next tour of duty reflect that fact that he was there, and transferred to Lt Watson for assignments on October 14^th. It was apparently here that Jim prepared a “Letter to the Editor” article describing the Sioux Indian situation, and his opposition to the false belief that travel through the lands supposedly held by the Crow Indians was safe.

“I have been in this country among these Indians nearly forty-four years, and am familiar with their past history; and in my experience and knowledge of them is greater than can be gained by any commissioners during the sittings of any council that may be held. I know that these Indians will not respect any treaty until they have been whipped into it.”

Throughout the 1866 year, no emigrant used the “Bridger Trail” route west of the Big Horn Mountains that he established in 1864 [1] . On August 4^th a large military supply wagon train was assembled at Fort Phil Kearny headed to Fort CF Smith and beyond into the gold fields of Virginia City. Led by Bridger, and commanded by Col Kinney, it consisted of two companies of infantry [227 officers and men], two ambulances, nine post supply wagons, and 25 army supply wagons. Escort parties of 30 men were assigned to guard the train, and were to return the empty wagons to Fort Phil Kearny. After marching five miles they camped on Peno Creek, where they met up with the Kirkendall train. This train was actually three trains combined into one: The Kirkendall, the Rev William K. Thomas, and the Perry Burgess Trains. At this place they combined forces. The Kirkendall train had 171 men, six women, five children, and 110 wagons. [Lt Templeton, who was reassigned to Fort CF Smith, recorded their travels.] They had one minor Indian attack en route from the North Platte River to the Big Horn River. On August 9^th when they reached Rotten Grass Creek, Jim Bridger, who was assigned as guide by Col. Carrington, rode on ahead to the Big Horn River where he found another wagon train of 11 wagons waiting there (Norner Train), but with all their stock run off [they were attacked by a roving band of Indians on July 20^th.] Bridger was assigned to continue on to Virginia City as guide for the large Kirkendall train, and to complete his survey of the route he created earlier on paper for the Bozeman Trail [Military Road] for the government. The Big Horn River was about 240 feet wide at ferry positioned near to where Fort CF Smith was located.  All were instructed to stay together. The Norner train joined the group at this juncture. Jim then led the combined trains over essentially the same route followed by James Sawyer some two weeks earlier along the Tepee Trail, and on to Clark’s Fork River where the trail to the gold fields continued.

The smaller Thomas train (one wagon) traveling with the group became impatient, and decided to ignore orders, and rushed on ahead just before the large train reached Clark’s Fork. Apparently they were very anxious to be the first in the group to reach the gold fields. Being alone, they were soon thereafter attacked by Indians, scalped and then killed on 24 August 1866. Members of the Kirkendall train, who arrived a short while later, found the bodies and buried them where they fell. A century later, one of Thomas’ descendants, his nephew, located the gravesite, and erected a marker near to the actual gravesite location. The marker is on the north side of I90 at N45º 43’ 46.39” & W108° 45’ 18.66”.

Persons in the train were: Reverend William K. Thomas (age 36, from Belleville, IL), Charles K. Thomas, son (age 8), James Schultz (age 35 from Ottawa Co., Canadian West, wagon driver), and C. K. Wright.

Jim Bridger returned from Gallatin Valley on September 29^th, bearing news that the gold fields had played out, the Crows would remain loyal to the whites, and that the Sioux were creating a great military alliance to fight the white men on the Bozeman Trail. On this journey, Col. Carrington assigned Henry Williams to accompany Jim [2] and compile the survey notes of the route. The sections from Fort Phil Kearny to Fort C.F. Smith and on to Clark’s Fork are important to help locate the local routes. This initiated the ending of the Bozeman Trail, the start of intense fighting, and the Government’s decision to not build a planned third fort on the Yellowstone River, which was to be named “Fisher”.

To reach this site from Billings, take I90 towards Butte, and get off at the Bridger Creek interchange exit about 8 miles west of Reed Point. The RED circle denotes the location for the marker. Keep to the right of the freeway on frontage road leading towards Greycliff.

Fort Phil Kearny to Fort C. F. Smith (91 miles)

This is part of the complete route laid out by Jim Bridger (called the road to the gold fields by the government prior to the notation of “the Bozeman Trail”), and not the trail established by John Bozeman in 1863 when he traveled east from the Yellowstone River. On that trek, John traveled almost due east from the Sacrifice Cliff area to the Big Horn River, arriving downstream of the junction with the Little Big Horn. On his return trips, he cut over towards the Sacrifice Cliff area from the Fort CF Smith area river crossing location. For more information on the complete trail between the local forts and the Clark’s Fork River refer to the information presented in the Trails Index.

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