Diary Excerpts:The Tragic Journey of the Thomas Party

In 1866, William Thomas, his young son Charley, and their driver Joseph Schultz embarked on a journey from southern Illinois to Montana’s Gallatin Valley. They joined a wagon train at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, traveling along the Bridger Trail, an alternative to the Bozeman Trail. Believing the route west of the Bighorn River to be safe, the Thomas party separated from the main group and proceeded alone. Tragically, on August 24, 1866, they were attacked and killed by Lakota warriors near the Yellowstone River. Their bodies were discovered by fellow emigrants and buried in a common grave beside the road.

A historical marker near Big Timber, Montana, commemorates this event, providing insights into the dangers faced by travelers on these trails. The marker includes diary excerpts from contemporaries, such as Perry Burgess, who wrote on August 25, 1866:

“Where we struck the Yellowstone we found a Minister, his little son, and a driver (the Thomas Party) that had left the train at Big Horn and gone ahead, murdered by the Indians. They were scalped…, their stock run off and the contents of their wagon destroyed. They had not been killed long for their camp fire had not gone out.”

Another diarist, Samuel Finlay Blythe, noted on August 26, 1866:

“We camped near the graves of three men that were killed here on the 24th (of this month) by Indians. They had been traveling alone with one wagon, and had no arms. (William) Thomas, the man that owns the team was a religious man and said he put his trust in the Lord, and didn’t think he needed any arms. His son and a hired man were the other two. Thomas had 14 arrows put through him. He had $3,000 in greenbacks which was taken. A party which came along the next day found these men and buried them.”

These accounts underscore the perils of westward expansion and the complex interactions between emigrants and Native American tribes during that period. The experiences of the Thomas party serve as a poignant reminder of the challenges and dangers faced by those traversing the Bozeman and Bridger Trails in pursuit of new opportunities.