P a g e 5 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 graph line, forded the Yellowstone and disappeared into rough country east of the river. Major Whipple, not knowing how determined his assailants were, set up a defensive position at Scott’s ranch with Private Beard and two civilians, hired hands at the ranch, John Heffernan and A. A. Austill. Such and Simms arrived on foot. Mr. Simms hastily mounted a horse and raced to Fort Buford with an urgent message. A relief party comprised of the 7th Calvary and Fort Buford Post Surgeon R.W. Johnson made the forced march of 46 miles and arrived at Scott’s ranch early May 15th according to military records. No arrests were made in connection with the attempted holdup however a letter dated May 18th, 1884 from the post commander at Fort Buford Lt. Colonel Joseph Nelson Garland Whistler to Mister J. Mulligan states, “Upon close examination of Mr. O’Connell, the man arrested at your place on your report, brought to the fort. I am convinced he is perfectly innocent of being involved in any manner in the recent attack on the Paymaster.” A cowhand working for the 101 Ranch, S.N. VanBlaricom, wrote in his memoir that on May 14th, 1884, “I heard the sound of gunfire coming from across the Yellowstone. I stopped my horse so I could better hear. It wasn’t just a shot or two, it was a regular fusillade and it continued for a full minute or two. From my elevated position I could see a small cluster of seven riders making tracks toward the Yellowstone...I was never close enough to identify the men, but I could clearly see their activities. When they got to my side, one of the group was lagging a little behind. There was something wrong with one of his legs, I have forgotten what. Just before he got to the bank of the river, I saw two of his companions turn around and shoot him dead. For whatever reason, they must have considered him a marked man. As his body floated off with the current, one of the men grabbed the reins of the victim’s horse and, with the horse in tow, the six men rode away in an easterly direction.” Author’s Notes: In today’s economy the 1884 Army payroll of $10,000 would be worth approximately $500,000. The soldiers were paid in specie, that is gold and silver coin, not “greenbacks” which were generally mistrusted by the troopers. The ambulances were regular army wagons with panel sides rather than canvas. Some period ambulances had beefed up suspension systems but they were generally reserved for officers so it is unlikely that the ambulances used by Major Whipple would have any amenities. A U.S. Army wagon is on display at the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center on ND Hwy 1804 near the Montana-North Dakota border. At nearby Fort Buford State Historic Site, a paymaster’s strongbox is displayed in the Field Officers Quarters, an original building from 1872. Sgt. Coonrod and Private Birch were buried at the Fort Buford post cemetery. After the post was decommissioned in 1895, the bodies were exhumed and reinterred at the Custer Battlefield National Cemetery in Montana. .—Courtesy of the Eastern Montana Outlaw News in Cooperation with Missouri River Country. To learn more about all the adventures awaiting you in northeast Montana, visit: https://missouririvermt.com Sources: An Uncommon Journey by H. Norman Hyatt, Sagas of the Smoky-Water by Ben Innis
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