▁min ers ▁from ▁around ▁the ▁area ▁attended ▁the ▁ 3 - day , ▁out door ▁trial . ▁George ▁I ves ▁was ▁pro sec uted ▁by ▁Wil bur ▁F . ▁Sand ers ▁and ▁I ves ▁was ▁conv icted ▁and ▁h anged ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁Sand ers ▁played ▁a ▁prominent ▁role ▁in ▁Mont ana ▁history ▁and ▁eventually ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁from ▁Mont ana ▁when ▁the ▁territory ▁gained ▁state hood ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 . ▁While ▁the ▁I ves ▁trial ▁resulted ▁in ▁an ▁execution ▁many ▁residents ▁were ▁fr ustr ated ▁by ▁a ▁cum bers ome ▁process ▁that ▁could ▁easily ▁be ▁manip ulated . ▁This ▁sentiment ▁is ▁illustrated ▁by ▁a ▁quote ▁from ▁Thomas ▁Dim sd ale ▁who ▁wrote ▁the ▁first ▁published ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁V ig il antes , ▁originally ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁as ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁articles ▁for ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Post ▁and ▁later ▁compiled ▁into ▁a ▁book . ▁ ▁Form ation ▁of ▁the ▁V ig il ance ▁Committee ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁two ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁I ves ▁trial , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁five ▁Virginia ▁City ▁residents , ▁led ▁by ▁Wil bur ▁F . ▁Sand ers , ▁and ▁including ▁Major ▁Al vin ▁W . ▁Bro ck ie , ▁John ▁N ye , ▁Captain ▁Nick ▁D . ▁Wall ▁and ▁Paris ▁Pf outs ▁organized ▁the ▁V ig il ance ▁Committee ▁of ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch .