Thomas Party Killing on Bridger Trail, Montana - Montana Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

According to the Historical Marker, "In 1865 William Thomas, his son Charles, and a driver named Schultz left southern Illinois for the Gallatin Valley, Montana. Traveling by covered wagon they joined a prairie schooner outfit at Fort Laramie, Wyoming and started over the Bridger Trail. The train was escorted by troops detailed to build a fort (C.F. Smith) on the Big Horn River.

From the site of this fort the Thomas party pushed on along. A few days late they were killed at this spot by hostile Indians. Emigrants found the bodies and buried them in one grave.

The meager details which sifted back greatly impressed William Thomas' seven year old nephew. Seventy-one years later (1937) this nephew closely followed the Bridger Trail by car and succeeded in locating the almost forgotten grave."

According to other sources, Rev. William Thomas had lost his wife and decided to join a brother? in the southwest Montana gold fields. He travelled slowly with his 12-year-old son in a caravan with Col. Carrington's troops. He was halted last half of July while Carrington started work on Fort Kearny. Early August he continued northwest with troops en-route to build Fort C.F. Smith on the Bighorn River.

Rev. Thomas' wagon took off alone. He and his 12-year-old son and their driver were killed by a small Lakota war party. Embers in their campfire were still warm when found by the rest of the Emigrants.

This Waymark was created in collaboration with my friend, Richard Naylor.

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