▁written ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁vig il antes ▁was ▁Thomas ▁Dim sd ale ' s ▁V ig il antes ▁of ▁Mont ana ▁which ▁first ▁appeared ▁as ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁articles ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁ed itions ▁of ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Post , ▁Virginia ▁City ' s ▁and ▁Mont ana ' s ▁first ▁newspaper . ▁Dim sd ale ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch ▁V ig il ance ▁Committee ▁and ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Post . ▁His ▁early ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch ▁vig il ante ▁events ▁are ▁widely ▁c ited ▁and ▁the ▁book ▁version ▁of ▁his ▁articles , ▁the ▁first ▁book ▁published ▁in ▁Mont ana ▁Territ ory ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁has ▁been ▁extens ively ▁repr int ed ▁since ▁its ▁first ▁edition . ▁ ▁X . ▁B ied ler , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch ▁and ▁Hel ena ▁vig il ante ▁enfor cers ▁wrote ▁about ▁his ▁vig il ante ▁activities ▁in ▁his ▁personal ▁journ als . ▁They ▁wer en ' t ▁available ▁until ▁well ▁after ▁his ▁death ▁when ▁Helen ▁F . ▁Sand ers , ▁the ▁daughter - in - law ▁of ▁Wil bur ▁Sand ers ▁finally ▁got ▁them ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁Nathan iel ▁Lang ford , ▁also ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁vig il antes , ▁expl orer ▁of ▁the ▁upper ▁Y ellow stone ▁( 1 8 7 0 ), ▁first ▁super int endent ▁of ▁Y ellow stone ▁National ▁Park ▁( 1 8 7 2 – 1