Father DeSmet, accompanied by Trader Galpin and his wife, traveled overland from the Missouri River to meet the Hunkpapa Sioux at the Sitting Bull Council on June 20, 1868, for a peace conference. Runners from Father DeSmet's party were sent ahead to Chief Sitting Bull's camp, and Sitting Bull sent his men back to let Father DeSmet know he would be welcomed. Father DeSmet met at Sitting Bull's camp about 4 miles above the mouth of the Power River, near where Camp Creek empties into the Yellowstone. The camp was made up of 500-600 tipis, 4,000-5,000 Sioux Indians, and thousands of horses. DeSmet was not able to convince Sitting Bull to sign a peace treaty, but the council was considered a success because Sitting Bull did agree to allow some white travel and settlement. The Powder River Stage station was one of the stops on the Fort Keogh-Bismarck stage coach route and operated from 1878 until 1883, when the railroad became the primary means of transportation to Miles City.