The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume], February 09, 1934, Page PAGE FIVE, Image 5

About The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
Friday, February 9,1934.
Captain James Williams’ Untimely Death Occurred During the
Winter of 1887; Was Buried on Benchland Overlooking Rubg
Valley; Montana Commemorated His Deeds and Name in 1907
FOREWORD
This is the eighth story of a series
written by Judge Lew L. Callaway,
chief justice of the Montana Su
preme court, under the title of
“Fragments.” These stories deal
chiefly with the life of James Wil
liams, executive officer of the Vig
ilantes. In the first installment.
Judge Callaway told of the early life
of Williams, who saw active duty on
the Kansas border during the years
of 1857-58, and took an active part
in the warfare. This experience was
invaluable to him during the
troublesome days in Alder Gulch,
when the road agents under the
leadership of the criminal sheriff
Henry Plummer, murdered peaceful
and law-abiding miners and settlers
at random, in their greedy desire to
obtain gold dust and property.
Judge Callaway also told of the
murder of D. H. Dillingham, chief
deputy under Plummer, who was
murdered in cold blood. The story
also told of the brutal murder of a
young man named Tbalt, near
Dempsey’s Inn.
Captain Williams was the leader
of the first Vigilantes who captur
ed George Ives, the murderer, and
during his trial and execution acted
as commander of the guards, which
prevented further bloodshed.
The story continued with the or
ganization of the Vigilantes into a
strong and well-governed organiza
tion and their drive against the road
agents; the capture of Yager and
Brown, their trial and execution and
of Sheriff Plummer’s capture and
execution. The main drive against
the “Roughs” was made on the
morning of Jan. 14, 1864, during
which time many outlaws were cap
tured and hanged. After this episode
the Vigilantes were not very active,
until they were compelled to exe
cute Slade. The Vigilantes were or
ganized later at Last Chance Gulch
and superintended the hanging of
Keene The definition of “3-7-’’7” al
so whc detined by the author. Por
tions ix Judge Hosmer’s charge to
the fir. • grand jury in the territory
was quoted.
In later years Williams entered
politics, served on the board of coun
ty commissioners, before being a
candidate for sheriff. He then en
tered the livestock business in part
nership with Col. Callaway. This un
dertaking was successful for several
years. The ranch and range life was
vividly described by the jurist, who
also went into detail in explaining
the intimate affairs and habits of
the Williams family. This install
ment concludes this series.
(By Lew. L. CALLAWAY)
(Chief Justice. Montana Supreme Court)
Copyright: 1934: By Lew. L. Callaway
(PART EIGHT)
Life, pleasant to us boys, received an
added zest, for in 1884 a personage came
to live with us. Some one told us a
man was plantng trees on Colonel
Callaway’s "timber culture,” and at the
first opportunity we stopped to talk
with him. He was a medium-sized
man, but strongly built, with greying
hair and whiskers, a crooked nose, and
blue-grey eyes; he said his name was
Tom Robinson; when asked from
whence he came he changed the sub
ject, He seemed disinclined to talk
and we were not much interested. A
few days after this interview the Cap
tain said he had arranged to have this
fellow help in haying; when he came
he insisted upon sleeping in the stable;
at table he maintained an almost com
plete silence.
We feared he would be a poor com
panion, but this was soon dispelled; he
was loquacious, had a marvelous mem-
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, “T me HEAW
ory, and was a good story teller. We
soon found that while he was a native
of Canada, bom near New London, he
had gone to Wisconsin as a youth, be
ing employed In the lumber woods when
the war broke out. He enlisted, he said,
"in the sixth Wisconsin volunteer in
fantry, first brigade—‘the Iron Brigade,’
first division, first army corps, Army of
the Potomac—the Iron Brigade con
sisted of the second, sixth, and seventh
Wisconsin, the nineteenth Indiana and
the twenty-fourth Michigan.”
He talked of Bragg, Doubleday, Mere
dith, and in fact all of his brigade com
manders, as if he knew them personal
ly. He 'aw Gen. Reynolds killed on the
first day of Gettysburg. He was him
self wounded at Antietam, Gettysburg,
and in the Wilderness, and great scars
upon his body and legs bore evidence of
savage wounds. I knew a good deal of
the history of the Army of the Potomac
at the time (my father had a book bear
ing that title which I had devoured)
and have read considerable on the sub
ject since, and it has always been a
(marvel to me how a private, an un-
I learned man, could have known as
much about the grand strategy of the
campaigns, as well as of the details of
the great battles fought between the
Army of the Potomac and the Army of
Northern Virginia as Tom Robinson
knew; and he told us day after day
of the intimate life of the soldier in the
ranks, in the hospitals, and on fur
lough.
Then came a hiatus in his life history
which he never told, ending with his
arrival on the Yellowstone about 1875.
He was employed for a considerable
period by Hoskins & McGirl at or about
Coulson on the Yellowstone (but McGirl
could not remember any man during
that period named Tom Robinson, nor
one named Isaac Gillespie, which was
the name of this man when he was a
private in the sixth Wisconsin); in 1876
he was a scout and courier for General
Terry, and he was on the Custer bat
tlefield on the morning of Jure 27,
1876, arriving almost simultaneously
with Lieutenant Bradley, with his In
dian scouts; Tom always claimed his
mission was to deliver a message from
Terry to Custer. He helped bury the
dead, but as should be known, by this
time, the dead, except a very few, were
not buried until much later.
During the years following, Tom
was a buffalo nunter, employing
skinners; he was a fine shot, but I think
he drew the long bow when he told us
of his kills; and for some years he was
a trapper.
Why did he come to our country in
such secrecy? Tom’s knowledge of
ranch work was comprehensive; he
could do almost anything; and he was
a tireless worker. His principles were
good; none but good advice and ad
monitions came from Tom. Mrs. Wil
liams wondered why he was a drifter;
why he had come on foot and almost
in rags. We found out after Tom had
worked four or five months; he drew
his wages, went to Virginia and drank
steadily until every cent was gone, and
then he returned sick and dispirited. It
was a part of his life story; no dog re
turned to his vomit with greater per
sistency. But his companionship gilded
the gold of a wonderful summer; each
boy schemed for a place in the hayfield
and about the ranch that would keep
him with Tom. But Tom was no good on
the range, and when the fall round-up
started we left him to grovel on the
ranch while we reveled in the free life
of a range rider.
In passing, I should say that after
harvest the Captain again took us boys
above the canyon and we again camped
at Cottonwood. This time the weather
was glorious, game plentiful, life pleas
ant; the Captain again tended camp.
He was no game hog; he insisted that
we should not kill too many grouse.
When he thought we were getting too
THE HARDIN TRTBUNE-HERALD
< ; '■' ?5~
S^*l*jKg E wm h
Captain James Williams—the story of wnose courageous leadership of
the Vigilantes has been so graphically told by Lew. L. Callaway, of the
Montana Supreme court, and which is concluded in this number of this
newspaper.
many he made us go fishing, and when
he thought we had enough game and
fish, said it was time to go home.
The country above the canyon is
charming in middle September; frost
visits the locality with the advent of
hat month, and nature paints the land- ,
scape with its lovely autumn colors;
mountain, hillside, and valley contribute !
to the beauty of the spectacle; at sun- |
rise and sunset especially the views are ■
glorious.
I shall always remember the fat cat- I
tie we brought to the corrals that fall. (
At that time it was not unusual to find ■
six and five-year-old steers on the.
range. It was the policy to keep a steer
until he was four years old; but people '
who needed money had to sell their
“threes” and sometimes their “twos.” ■
After the round-up was over, Williams
& Callaway drove 60 head of fours,
threes, and a few tops to Alex Metzel’s
where they were sold for S2O a head all
around. Unknown to me, this was a
indication that Williams & Callaway
were in sore need of cash.
I bade good-bye to Captain Williams
and his family during the forepart of
December, and was not to see them
again until June, 1886, spending the in
terval in attending school in Philadel
phia in preparation for college. After
passing the entrance examinations of
the University of Michigan at Ann Ar
bor I returned home. Nature had been
kind to the stockmen in my absence.
The winter of 'BS and 'B6 was mild;
and to those who believe the climate is
changing, a letter written by Captain
Williams to Colonel Callaway will be
of interest. It also throws a light up
on Captain Williams’ character, and il
lustrates a fight he was making against
the wiles of John Barleycorn. It is true
that I have inserted this letter, or a
portion of it, in an earlier part of these
Fragments, but it seems appropriate
to print it again. Here it is:
“Jessamine Ranch Jan 31 1886.
“Col
“Dear Sir
“Sold the steers 3 yrs old over to
Butte Bucher for $40.00 head, all that
we can find in a limited time. Done B nxi
Newbery and Snapp also sold Dont
think will find them all as they are
badly scattered. No snow on range
have nearly all the feed on hand yet.
Joined the Good Templars last knight
will never drink another drop of whis
key as long as I live unless I get snake
bit I will not look for a snake either
“Yours &ct
“Cap”
But a few days elapsed after my ar
rival before my father told me to go to
the ranch as additional help was need
ed.
A change had come upon the scene;
the country above the canyon had been
settled up. There had come into the
valley a man named Bryant with a wife
and many children, some of whom were
grown. Some of the girls were mar
ried, and a grown son had a wife and
family. All of these settled above the
canyon. Bryant himself took up the
ranch formerly occupied by Charles
Leyendecker, which he began at once
to improve. It is now the property of
William Marshall. The young men
took up all of the available land, and
the people below the canyon were ad
vised that the fence which had been
thrown across the canyon to hold the
cattle would not be respected.
The arrival ot Bryant and his
numerous family was not at all wel
come, as may be supposed. He was a
tall, broad, grey-haired and grey
whiskered man, with black eyes. Some
wag called him Zip Coon, and the name
stuck. But there were no unfriendly
acts on the part of the older settlers, or
the Bryants; on the contrary there was
an honest attempt to “get along."
It was clear that additional range
must be had. It was known that just
over the divide which separates the
headwaters of the Ruby river from the
Red Rock there was a great valley
which bore the name of the Centen
nial, a portion of which had been used
for ten years by the Poindexter & Orr
people and Joseph Shineberger, but the!
great upper end of the valley was un
( occupied.
| So it was concluded to drive the Ruby
’ valley cattle to the Centennial in charge
|of an adequate number of cowboys. The
(Centennial derived its name from this
I circumstances. In 1876 Poindexter &
I Orr drove a considerable portion of
(their herds to the Red Rock valley,
'about 20 miles easterly from Lima, be
ing the first to occupy it, and gave it
i the name of Centennial. The valley is,
( roughly speaking, about 50 miles in
length and from 10 to 15 in width. The
Red Rock river runs through the Cen
(tennial from east to west. Its longest
tributary, which comes out of Alaska
। basin, is the ultimate headwater of the
great Missouri, and from its source to
(the Gulf of Mexico it is the longest
(stream in the world. At the upper end
of the valley are the Red Rock lakes
two considerable bodies of water. The
Ruby cattle were ranged about the Red
Rock on either side and for some miles
down the river, but well above those of
Poindexter & Orr.
On the southerly side of the valley
the main range of the Rockies rises
somewhat perpendicularly; on the
northerly side there are the rolling hills
of the divide between the Red Rock and
the Ruby, with the high Snow Crest
and the Tobacco Root ranges toward
the north. It was about 60 miles from
our ranch to the cowboys’ camp on the
south side of the river, they being
camped not far from where Lakeview is
now. Naturally, I was anxious to see
the great valley and to join the cowboys
there. The opportunity came in the
latter part of August when the Captain
told Jim and me that it would be neces
sary to take a load of supplies to the
boys in the Centennial; we were to go,
assist in riding herd, and to remain
until the fall branding was done.
The trio over was not an easy one,
with a loaded wagon and two saddle
horses, neither of which led very well.
The road from Lazy Man's creek to the
forks of the Ruby was difficult. For
30 miles or more it was a mere cow
trail, and in places very sidling. In two
places we stood on the upper side of
the wagon to keep it from tipping over,
but made the trip without accident.
When we topped the rise which gave
me a first view of the Centennial val
ley, I saw for the only time in my life
a great valley of Montana as it was in
its primitive state; there was not a
habitation nor a fence to be seen.
Indeed, as I remember, there was not
a fence from the head of the valley
(unless it was that which inclosed a
small garden on O’Dell creek where a
man of that name l;ad recently located)
for a distance of 40 miles down the val
ley. An Irishman, whose name I have
forgotten, had begun the erection of a
log cabin some miles below our camp.
Jim had told me of the great num
ber of ducks, brants, geese, and swans
which would be found on the lower Red
Rock lake and the river, and he did not
exaggerate it. We crossed the river at
the Lousy Spring ford and drove up the
sluggish river on its southerly side, talk- 1
ing of the odd color of its waters. As,
we came in sight of the water- where it
broadened and hardly appeared to
move, I said to him, “That certainly is
curious looking water.”
| “That isn’t water,” he answered,
“that's ducks.”
The truth is that for a space that
covered a half acre or more the water
could not be seen for the wild fowl. I
believe the ducks and geese along that
river and upon the lakes at that time
would have run into hundreds of
thousands. Red Rock lake is still a
favorite spot for duck hunters, but it
differs vastly from what it once was.
At least 5,000 antelope were then
ranging the Centennial valley. One
could see antelope at any time of day
and as one rode about the widely scat
tered bunches of cattle antelope were
never far distant. For meat we de
pended on the antelope, as it is better
than elk or deer, but occasionally some
one would kill a deer or an elk for a
change; these animals were on either
side of the valley in considerable num
bers. On the night Jim and I reached
camp the other boys were talking of
one antelope which all had been try
ing to kill ever since they had come in
to the valley. This animal had one
regular prong but the other was de
formed so that it resembled a bull’s
horn somewhat. It was my luck on the
next day to kill that antelope, and I
still have his head, which is the largest
I have ever seen. The same day on the
northerly side of the river Charley Met
zel killed the largest blacktail deer any
of us had ever seen. This deer had
“antlers like a sage brush.” The head
shows 19 prongs, and there are 38 points
over an inch long. This trophy has
been exhibited at the World’s fair
(1893), the Louisiana Purchase Exposi
tion (1904), at our State fair and else
where, always winning first prize.
Riding herd was not at all difficult.
The only irksome part of the work
was to stay in camp to keep a band of
I Indians in the valley from stealing
everything, while the other boys were
away. We had lots of fun, plenty of
bad horses to ride (none of which I
rode), and many thrilling exhibitions in
the morning. We also had tremendous
appetites. There were nine of us, and
one evening Ben Hatfield with four
others came in and camped nearby.
We ate a hearty supper and went over
to the Hatfield camp, distant probably
a hundred feet, to spent the evening.
After we had been there about an hour
someone—it probably was Ben, though
doubtless he will deny it—suggested
that he was hungry. One of our boys
said that the kid—referring to me—had
killed a fat doe the day before, and he
thought some of that would taste
pretty good if roasted over the fire.
The suggestion met with unanimous
approval. The doe, which was hang
ing from a quaking asp, was skinned,
and parts of the loin were cut away,
roasted over the fire, and eaten. The
flavor of the fire with a little salt added
rendered the meat delicious. As the
evening drew on, the eating continued
until the carcass was stripped of meat.
The group ate that entire antelope ex
cept the bones, after dinner!
When it came time to brand, Jim Wil
liams and I with the running gears of
the wagon nauled sufficient timber to
build a large corral in which the nine
of us branded Between four and five
hundred calves for the different own
ers. This task completed, I returned to
the home ranch with the wagon, kill
ing a fat antelope on the way.
The range did not look good in late
September, 1886, although no one an
ticipated that the most disastrous win
ter in the history of cattle raising in
Montana was about to ensue. During
that winter, in parts of Montana great
herds of cattle were wiped out entirely.
It was in the early part of 1887 that
Charley Russell sent the famous mes
sage to Stadler and Kaufman, his em-
ployers in Helena, “The Last of Five
Thousand.” The winter, which com
menced early, was severe from the
start; the snow was deep; and there
was little chance for cattle upon the
range. In our valley the fodder in the
fields was soon exhausted, and the hay
stacks rapidly melted away.
When February Ist arrived, Captain
Williams foresaw that unless there was
a break in the weather, most of the cat
tle would starve to death. The upper
fields were practically barren, and the
cattle were placed in the lower field,
which adjoins the Puller Springs prop
erty. He went there on foot, a distance
of a mile and a half, every day to in
spect the starving brutes, often con
tinuing to the saloon at Puller Springs,
where he sought to drown his sorrow.
When he arrived at home, tired and dis
couraged, and with liquor on his breath,
his condition was not commented on
with favor.
About the middle of the month he
went to Virginia City, where he talked
with Henry Eiling, the banker, but
there was no use in doing that. Hay
was not to be bought even if the firm’s
credit would have been deemed suf-
ficient for an additional loan. Whether
Captain Williams then had in his mind
the idea of ending it all no one will
ever know, but he purchased an ounce
bottle of laudanum. He returned to the
ranch, where conditions were daily
growing worse.
On February 20th it started to snow
heavily, and continued the next day.
On that day, the 21st, he went to the
lower field, where the cattle were hump
ed up with their heads to the ground,
starving to death. The snow was fall
ing heavily. He rounded a dense clump
of willows, some four or five acres in
extent, as if to inspect the 50 or 60 head
of cattle which were assembled between
the willows and the fence, then turned
abruptly and walked about 150 yards
towards Puller Springs; he then back
tracked carefully to the willows; prob
ably he hoped the snow would cover his
tracks. How he managed to penetrate
the thick willow copse for 60 or 75
feet, no one ever knew. He did not re
turn home that night or the next day.
Late in the afternoon of the second day
the boys went to the “Springs” to bring
him home, but he was not there. The
alarm was spread, and an intensive
search was begun, all the neighbors
joining in. But he eould not be found.
Finally some one, who availed himself
of his knowledge of hunting, followed
the tracks from the willows toward
Puller Springs, and when he reached
PAGE FIVE
their end, concluded that the person
who made them had back-tracked.
Eventually the snow-covered body of the
Captain was found in the thick wil
lows. He had taken off his mittens,
drunk the laudanum, pulled his cap over
his eyes, and gone to sleep.
He was buried in the graveyard on
the point of benchland which looks
down upon the Ruby, as it turns from
west to north at the great bend, and
for many years he lay in an unmarked
grave. That did not matter much; the
good he did was not Interred with his
bones.
Apparently, however, James Williams
had won the oblivion he sought. Men
seemingly forgot him, and forgot who
it was that as executive officer of the
Vigilantes had rendered such signal
service.
Twelve years passed. In August of
1899 the State Association of Montana
Pioneers met in Virginia City, the larg
est meeting the association ever held;
men and women came from far and
near, even from distant states, to re
new the memories of youth and to meet
the friends of yesteryear. There was,
of course, much talk of the Vigilantes,
of the leaders of that sterling band, of
the road agents, of Slade and Marla
Virginia Slade, his wife. Here and there
a group spoke of Captain Williams, but
the mass had forgotten him. Was he
to be forgotten altogether?
Shortly after' the meeting adjourned,
a writer, likening Williams to Cyrano
de Bergerac, and employing as a pre
lude, “There was the allegory of my
whole life; In the shadow at the lad
der’s foot, while others lightly mount to
• • fame,” presented the essential
facts in an article in the Alder Gulch
Times, an ambitious upstart then bid
ding for a place in the newspaper field,
concluding with this sentence, “And not
until he is accredited his proper place in
the history of this State will its history
be properly written, or posterity’s debt
to his memory be paid.”
The article received wide-spread at
tention, and a somewhat intensive dis
cussion ensued, oral as well as written.
Upon investigation, no one was found
who denied, nor could any one upon the
facts deny that James Williams was the
executive officer, the leader of the Vig
ilantes in the field. Official recognition
came in 1907, through the enactment
by the Tenth Legislative Assembly of
House Bill No. 49, appropriating $250
“to purchase a bronze tablet to the
temory of Captain James Williams, and
to pay for its erection in the main hall
of the Capitol.”
. The credit for this emplacement be
longs chiefly to the Hon. Frank B.
Linderman, LL. D., author of “Indian
Why Stories,” “American,” and other
well known books. Mr. Linderman was
then a resident of Madison county, hav
ing represented that county in the low
er house of the Legislative Assembly in
1903. In 1907 he was deputy secretary
of state; he drew the bill, had it intro
duced, and when it received the gover
nor’s signature filed it in the office of
the secretary of state. As acting sec
retary of state, his chief, Secretary of
State Yoder, being absent on account of
illness, he wrote the inscription and
otherwise carried into effect the legis
lative will. The tablet bears this in
scription:
“To commemorate the name and
deeds of James Williams, captain of the
Vigilantes, through whose untiring ef
forts and intrepid daring, law and or
der were established in Montana, and
who, with his associates, brought to
Justice the most desperate criminals in
the Northwest.”
Some years later a member of the
family placed a modest granite stone
over the mounds which mark the rest
ing places of James and Elizabeth Led
ford Williams.
$146,000 Flood Damage
It will cost $146,000, Assistant Re
gional Forester L. D. Stockdale esti
mated,, to repair damage wrought by
December floods in seven national for
ests in western Montana and northern
Idaho. Forest roads, trails, bridges and
telephone lines were damaged.
Plan CCC Work
Members of the democratic central
committee of Hill county are mapping
plans to call for employment of some
200 young men and boys in Hill county
for C. C. C. work in the Bear’s Paw
mountains at Beaver creek.
. and a sack of
—— Rex Flour. Be sure
you give me Rex.
It's so dependable
... no matter what
__ Ln you bake.
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•b. one ” ys ' M”-
/Jv"l Green.
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Tested by bakings. Re* I 7 ’DFYlsKllWi’ft I
dp* In every sack. Your I ■ ■**** MHUIB I
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