P a g e 4 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Sergeant Aquilla Coonrod, Company F, 7th Cavalry, who was personally awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by none other than General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1877, commanded the escort detail of six soldiers. In addition to the two wagon drivers, payroll clerk Mr. Such made the total party eleven men. The party reached the near midway point of their journey after traversing 35 miles. They camped along Burn’s Creek near Burn’s Ranch the night of May 13th. Major Whipple arose early the next morning and sent the sentry to his tent for a quick nap. Whipple, well aware of the terrain ahead, knew that the wagons would have to squeeze through single-file as the road would take a sharp turn around a point of a bluff, then up a narrow ravine that would ascend from the river valley to a flat above known as Grant’s Prairie (the future location of the town of Savage, MT). The country had filled up with white outlaws and renegade Indians since the surrender of Sitting Bull at Fort Buford in 1881 and was potentially as dangerous as ever. Unbeknownst to anyone, Whipple transferred the strongbox from the rear ambulance to the lead wagon, putting all of his eggs in one basket so to speak. The Major knew that his small party would be unable to defend both wagons if they were separated and attacked. He told no one of his subterfuge. After breakfast the party set out. They traveled four miles and as they rounded a sharp bend near the top of the grade (a place just south of Savage) without warning seven masked road agents sprang out of a hole and opened fire on the travelers. According to the official record , the soldiers were able to return only two shots and managed to wound one of their attackers. It was apparently Sgt. Coonrod who got off the telling shot but was killed by two fearsome abdominal wounds. The driver of the first ambulance Private Arthur Beard was slightly wounded. The mules bolted in panic and tore away from the scene with the ambulance, the payroll, driver and Sgt. Coonrod. The rest of the party had dismounted the wagons to take defensive positions. Major Whipple chased the runaway wagon on foot. An outlaw bullet ventilated Whipple’s coat but he and the driver Beard were able to reach Scott’s Ranch and relative safety about a mile away. Meanwhile at the second wagon, teamster Ephraim Parin was shot in the head but the bullet grazed off his skull and a mule was shot. Private James Birch, as he attempted to discharge his weapon, received a severe wound to his left arm “all soft parts plowed up and torn away”. This wound probably contributed to Birch’s death just two months later. Mr. Such and the ambulance driver Simms were ordered to “run” by the road agents and the weapons of the remaining five army troopers were disabled. After a fruitless search of the wagon the desperadoes ordered the disarmed soldiers on the wagon and sent it back toward the Burn’s Ranch. They cut the teleAuthentic army wagon on display at the MissouriYellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center similar to the Army ambulance commanded by Major Whipple although they would have panel sides and roof.
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