Army Scouts - Yellowstone Kelly

Famous Army Scout Yellowstone Kelly was born Luther S. Kelly in 1849 in New York. Kelly served very late in the Civil War, finishing up his Army enlistment in the West where he served in the Montana area around the Yellowstone River and Yellowstone River Valley.

He became an Army Scout and earned his nickname “Yellowstone” through scouting for the Army on the Yellowstone River in the 1870’ sand 1880’s, as well as hunting, trapping and guiding.

Yellowstone Kelly served as a Chief of Scouts for General Nelson Miles from 1876 to 1878 where served participated and scouted for the Tongue River and Wolf Mountain battles. He also scouted for the Army during their chase down of the Nez Perce.

Kelly later served as a guide to several expeditions into Alaska as well as serving as an Army Captain in the U.S. Volunteers in the Philippines Insurrection. He later became an Indian agent at the San Carlos Indian Reservation in Arizona.

Yellowstone Kelly moved to California dying in 1928. At his request he was buried near Billings, Montana part of the land he scouted early in his career and became so fond of.