blackfoot-valley

at the top of the hill” , Sonny recalled. “Train engineers pulling into Drummond to load cattle were specifically instructed to refrain from blowing their whistle to avoid spooking and stampeding the cattle. This had happened many times before resulting in broken fences and frantic efforts to find and retrieve cattle from the surrounding countryside.” Sonny noted that Lieutenant John J. Pershing, while “chasing Indians” , camped a mile beyond the St. Thomas cemetary, and his soldiers filled their canteens at the town pump. In separate interviews with me, Tom and Patri- cia (Pat) Geary added that earlier, in 1877, during the flight of the Nez Perce, who repeatedly defeated U.S. Army units in pitched battles, the famous Pony Soldiers came through the Nevada Valley urging people to leave as it was feared the Indians might be coming that way. But the settlers decided to stay put. Pat related that the Geary answer to this advice was, “Were not leaving - the British ran us out of Ireland, but the Indians aren’t going to run us out of here!” The soldiers left them the gift of a rifle, but neither John nor Michael knew how to use it. Pat related that in Ireland the offense for possesion of a firearm was execution by firing squad. Few Irish could use a gun! 143 “Montana Cowboys, 1895” courtesy wikimedia commons