The author of the narrative titled,
The Vigilance Committee of Alder Gulch was formed in late 1863 in response to lawlessness in the mining camps of Bannack and Virginia City, Idaho Territory (later Montana Territory). In early 1864, the Vigilantes captured, unofficially tried, and hanged at least 20 "road agents" or outlaws, most of whom were members of the Plummer gang, including the leader (and elected sheriff), Henry Plummer. Once the Montana Territory was formed in late 1864 and territorial law established, vigilante activities declined in the immediate area. However, a new gold discovery at Last Chance Gulch, Montana Territory (now Helena, Montana), in 1865 led to a new boomtown and increasing lawlessness. A Committee of Safety was formed in 1865 and the group executed at least 14 alleged criminals over the next five years. While most members of the vigilante groups remained anonymous, numerous prominent territorial pioneers were purported to, or later claimed, to have been members. The numerical symbol 3-7-77 has long been associated with the Vigilantes, though its meaning is unknown.
The History of a Bridle narrative is a 45-page, handwritten manuscript describing Montana's vigilante activity starting in 1864, although it appears the document was composed much later in the nineteenth or early twentieth century. The unknown author, writing in the first person, describes his trip from Denver, Colorado Territory, to Virginia City, Montana Territory, in the spring of 1864 in company with a mule train laden with supplies for a mercantile operation. At one point of this journey the author claims to have ridden on the overland stage line and identifies "Rowdy Pete" as his driver. After working a claim in German Gulch, the author describes a horseback trip to Atchison, Kansas, in 1865 and his return to Helena, Montana, in 1866. The narrative thereafter describes a great deal of vigilante activity primarily in the Helena area, although the chronology of the events is not always apparent. Most of the participants are identified by initials only, and their organization is identified as the "3-7-77 Committee." The essay apparently takes its title from the description of a hair bridle fashioned by an outlaw named "Henry" serving his sentence in the territorial prison.
This collection is open for research.
"The History of a Bridle" narrative came into Burlingame's possession sometime around 1955. An original handwritten reminiscence, with no author identification, along with a typed transcript of the same created in 1955, were donated to Special Collections by Merrill G. Burlingame of Bozeman, Montana, sometime prior to 1978.
Rosemary S. Barnett was hired by collector Merrill F. Burlingame to transcribe the document in 1955. At the time he donated the piece to MSU, Burlingame provided no more information other than the identity of the typist. As a result, the MSU library staff erroneously listed Mrs. Barnett as the author when the essay was originally described in the public access catalog.
This collection was processed 2013 August 20. The original narrative and its typed transcription have been placed in separate folders.
[Creator Name], [Date of Creation], [Brief Description of Object], Folder [#], Box [#], [Collection Name], [Collection #], Montana State University (MSU) Library, Bozeman, MT
The original document is written in pencil on highly acidic paper. Researchers must use the transcript or a digital surrogate.