I came to Montana in 1863, and, with Joseph Shineberger, located land at the crossing of Horse Prairie.
Sometime in the early part of January, 1864, I happened to be in Bannack and on the street noticed a dark, swarthy featured man, about 40 years old, riding a buckskin horse. I was riding an excellent grey gelding, famed for his speed and endurance. The party rode up and desired to make a trade. I could not consider anything of the kind, as good saddle horses were the only means for joy riders those days, and as mine was a good one I could see no reason for a swap. To give you an idea how good he was, I will say that I rode him from Virginia to Bannack, 75 miles, in six hours.
I was taking horses in and out of Bannack, as we were running a horse herd, almost every day. Coming in the next day I met Tom Pitt, who told me that he had bought a buckskin horse and that the fellow had taken his saddle on his back and started toward Horse Prairie, probably for Grey John. I found that it was an easy matter to track the fellow, as there was four inches of snow. I was mighty glad, when I got home, to find that Dave Melten, who stayed with me that winter, had put the horse in the stable. There was no door, only a log chain stretched across to keep stock in, as lumber was $100 per thousand. The next morning it was cold! Forty below zero! when we started toward the willows to find the horse thief. We found his camp, saddle and blankets, but no man. We sent a hired man on top of a hill close by to watch. Shortly after the party came to the foot of the hill and wanted the man to come down and talk to him. Nothing doing. So the fellow came to camp, where we were waiting, and said he had lost his horse, said he could have killed us if he had wanted to, but only wanted a horse so he could get out of the country.
I told him I had tracked him from Bannack and would give him one hour to leave the creek. If I had known who he was I do not believe I would have been so brave.
I had a sore-back mule, not much good, which I traded for everything he had, saddle, bridle, blankets, etc., and a forty-five Colt's revolver. He did not want to part with the gun, at that time, but I was boss. He owed me $25 on the trade and said he would be back in a few days and pay me. Not long after this Neil Howie came to my ranch with this fellow and stayed all night. (To be exact it was on January 8th.) Neil told me the man was Dutch John, and that he had overtaken him on the Snake River and would take him to Bannack. John told me to come to Bannack and he would pay me. For some reason I did not go in until the 12th and found out that I was too late to get my money. In a partly built frame house I found John still hanging to a joist with his feet about two feet from the floor, and in the same room was Buck Stinson and Henry Plummer. John had been shot in one shoulder some time before that and the curious would take hold of him and swing him around to see the bullet hole.
I kept the grey horse for some time and rode him with much pleasure, but in some way he got the mountain fever and became thin. I tried to sell him to the boys on the ranch for $10. No one wanted him. One spring he got fat and I made up my mind to get rid of him. Wes Travis was a noted horseman, in those days, and had a large stable in Helena. I led John over there, behind a wagon and put up with Wes. He had heard of the horse and told me that he would give as much as any one else. He told me, however, to go and see a certain party and find out what he would give. I found the man and he said $150. I went back to Wes and told him and he said: "No use, Mart. I wouldn't give you anything for him. He's had the mountain fever and will never be any good." It seems that D. B. Mason, of our county, happened to be in Travis' stable when I rode the horse out and he put Wes wise. Well, I couldn't sell him and so I started back for Horse Prairie. Stayed all night at Boulder, and when I went to the stable next morning found the old fellow dead. That was the end of Grey John, one of the most beautiful pieces of horse flesh I ever saw, and one that has become famous in Montana history.