{ title: 'The Ekalaka Eagle (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, January 02, 1920, Page 3, Image 3', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about Chronicling America - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn85053090/1920-01-02/ed-1/seq-3.png', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn85053090/1920-01-02/ed-1/seq-3.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn85053090/1920-01-02/ed-1/seq-3/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn85053090/1920-01-02/ed-1/seq-3/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
About The Ekalaka Eagle (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920 | View This Issue
The Ekalaka Eagle (Ekalaka, Mont.), 02 Jan. 1920, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn85053090/1920-01-02/ed-1/seq-3/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
1 • NOT RION \MACE CO MONTANA ONDIANk-FOU Fifty-three years ago, in 1866, the principal . topic of conversation in Montana for several months was a \peace commission,\ which had been appointed by the government to end all Indian distufbances in' the north- west, and which became ,one of the standing jokes of that period of western history. It was composed of four politicians, and one of these was a clergyman—the Rev. Henry W. Reed, who so long figured as an In- dian agent on the upper Missouri. Far from putting an end to any of the Indian troubles with which the government was threatened, the com- missiop made matters much worse than they had been before and stirred up the tribes along the river to such an extent that much' fighting and bloodshed between whites and reds followed. Besides the minister -politician, Reed, the ny3mbers of the commis- sion were Newton Edmunds, govern- or of the territory of Dakota; 'Gener- al S. R. Curtis, a well known officer of the Iowa volunteers in the Civil war; and Orrin Guernsey. It was officially known as the Northwestern Treaty Commission, but was always - referred to as the Peace Commission of 1866. General Curtis was chair- man of the commission, and he was about as well fitted to negotiate treaties with the plains Indians as 'a Sioux brave would be to teach higher mathematics. The commission assemble' at St. Louis in the spring of the year and spent sonic weeks in lengthy - de- liberations, . concerning themselves mostly with the manner of travel that would be most luxurious in their western journey, and how best to get rid of the large appropriation that had been set aside for them. They g0).out many flamboyant notices to the newspaper's, setting forth with much confidence how they 'Proposed to make the troublesome red men of Dakota and Montana contented and loyal wards of the government. They proved very amusing to the veterans of the plains who read them and who knew the Indians. Charter a Steamer. The commission finally decided to charter a steamer to take them up the Missouri to Fort Benton and back, and they made a deal with Captain Joseph La Barge, veteran Missouri river pilot, who knew the Sioux, the Crows, Gros Ventres, Blackfeet and other tribes thoroughly. Captain La Barge agreed to transport the com- missioners for a•price of $300 a day on the fine new steamboat Ben John- son. At the last moment a son of one of the commissioners put in an appearance and wished to go. His father asked Captain La Barge to hire the boy in some capacity at a salary of $5 a day, but the captain intimated that he would almost be willing to pay $5 a day not to have the youth along. Theirmissioners *insisted, however, fp ho captain agreed to ,nay the lad provided the contract price was raised to $306 a day, and this was done. Captain La Barge was much disgusted with the arrangement, but the young man en- joyed a sinecure during the trip and the government paid 'the freight, as it were. • Captain La Barge 'in his memoirs declared that the whole voyage seemed more like a pleasure trip— which it really was intended to be by the commissioners—than a business enterprise. The boat moved up- stream by leisurely stages, always tying up early in the evening and starting late in the morning, as the commissioners did not wish to be un- duly fatigued by travel. Long stops were made at all points of intereld, and between these whist and other card games served to while away the hours. Expedition is Ridiculed. The people along the river looked upon the expedition as a farce from the start, and no end of ridicule was poured upon it wherever the boat tied up. The Indians were quick to see that'the white men considered it as a joke, and they acted according- ly: Captain La Barge wrote the fol- lowing account of one incident that came near ending seriously for the whole party: \Some 20 miles below the mouth of White Earth river I saw two In- dian hunters on the hills. I hailed them and invited them abroad to learn whether they were Yankton Sioux, ad . I suspected. They provdd to be of this tribe—the most relent- lessly hostile of all the Sioux bands— and said their camp was 10 miles off, on White Earth river. General Cur- tis asked them to go to cams and tell their chiefs to move the whole village down to the mouth of White Earth river, and there await the boat for the purpose of holding a council. I asked the size of the' village and was told that there were 600 lodges, which meant not less than 3,000 In- dians. \I remonstrated at this proposi- tion. strongly urging that only the chiefs be asked to a council. I knew that should so powerful a band of these hostile Indians get any advan- tage of us they would certainly use it. We had no power of resisting them, having only 30 people in all, and they were poorly armed. I feared the Indians would make a rush and attempt to capture the steamer as soon as we landed. Our interpret- er, Zephyr Itencontre, who was a seasoned plainsman, seconded me in this opinion. I had been in the pow- er of these Yanktons before, and it was only due to Itencontre that now wore my hair. La Barge Called a Coward. \General Curtis said he perceived that I was afraid of the Indians, but not to be alarmed, as he would answer for all harm. Ile said the Indians would never dare to molest a government officer. \To ma, who had spent all by life among the Indians, this gratuitous insinuation from a mere novice• in Indian eeperience cut me to the quick, and I replied: 'Yery well, I will land as you say, bat before we get through we will see who is afraid of Indians.\ \This was another instance of the mistakes made by our government in the selection, to treat with Indians, of men without knowledge of the In- dian character. It was a-. universal rule that such men would treat with contempt the cautious . bearing of those who knew the Indians; and this ignorant bravado many times led to disastrous consequences. It was very unpleasant to act with such wen, who ridiculed one's honest knowledEe of peril, and who were powerlesig to help when they got you into danger. It was also a common observation with me that the volun- teer officers of the war were always more haughty and overbearing than those bred to the profession. • Warns the General. \I said to General Curtis on this occasion: 'This course is contrary to my judgment, General; and in order not to be responsible for the consequences I desire a written order from you before I adopt it.' He gave me the order. The Indians arrived just as we were tying up the boat at the mouth of the White Earth river. \The women' immediately began setting up the lodges and the men be- gan to rush on board. They .were all armed. General Curtis had said, when I foretold this: 'We will keep them off, only letting on board those we want.' I replied: 'You will see, General, that it will be impossible to keep them off.' \Unfortunately as the Sioux rush- ed aboard, they did pdt congregate at‘, any one place but scattered them- selves in every direction. Matters at once became serious. I was thor- oughly alarmed for the safety of the boat and her passengers, but remain- ed cool and indifferent to all outward appearance, and did not permit my- self to resent the actions of the -In- dians. An act of that - sort might have precipitated trouble. We were over a powder mine and a spark was liable to fall at any moment. Commissioners Sneak Away. \The Indians became more and more insolent, would elbow jas around and fineer at us, displaying their muscular arms and trying in every way to provoke .us to action. OSSOON\ OF 1866 STIRRED H TFIED MEN SPENT $3 000 OINI STEAMER FARE Captain Joseph La Barge, Whose Steamboat was Chartered - by So -Called • Peace Conimission in 1860 to Come up Missouri River to Negotiate Treaties With Plains Indians; The Rental of the Boat was $305 Per Day. One Sioux, an ugly fellow jlnd a not- tried in every way to make me notice ed villian named Crazy Wrolf, follow- him and to provoke, me. I finally ed me everywhere, fully armed. He went t.st Zephyr BenZontre and told YANKEE JOIN1 WAS MAMMON RIMER OF ROVER ROUGHS ON THE STEAMBOATJDAYS In the old river boating days it was customary to find out, soon after a steamboat left St. Louis for Fort Union or Fort Benton, who was the champion with fists among the crew, and pioneers who saw some of these battles 'used to tell of historic fights that were the talk of the river folk from Missouri to Montana. The steamboat captains used to like to have the point settled beyond dispute, for if a series of battles were held, whereby contenders were elim- inated and the superiority of one man established, much quarreling and bickering was done away with for the rest of the trip. It was the custom, therefore, for the . captain, within a day or two of the time the steamboat set °lit on its voyage, to call for all who Mahn- ed to be fighters to step forward, and a series of battles would be held until one man had proved his right to be called champion. .A ring would be formefi- in the forecastle and each braggart had to meet a shipmate and conquer or be defeated in a fight to a finish. The cham- pion, after winning the last fight, would be awarded a red belt, which he proudly wore during the remain- der of the trip, but if his supremacy was challenged, it was up to him to defend his title at all times and against all comers. Many were the savage and bloody battles thus fou'ght on the decks of the old river steamboats, much to the delight of the rough mountain and river nT ob ri n the audience. • Captain Joseph La Barge the most famous of the old tame, used to boat cap - of one champion who was only known by the name of \Yankee Jack.\ It was aboard the Robert Campbell, bound for Fort Benton, in 18 . 63, that he won the belt. Irishmen Were Quarrelsome It happened that there were a number of Irishmen in the crew who made life far from agreeable to the men of other nationalities aboard, and who especially delighted to pick upon this well-built, raw-boned American who refused to give any other name than that of Yankee Jack. lie took their gibes and their offen- sive actions good-naturedly for some time. until 0_,..c,,eptain of the boat Called' m into hui . In and asked him y he did not sten up for him - so . . Jack .said he wa willing to fight, so the captain called n the two leaders of the Irishmen and asked them to select their two beet fight- ers. Each of the Hibernians claimed to be chief of the gang, so a ring was immediately formed and Jack and one of his opponents were soon strip- ped for action. The big Irishman made some in- sulting remarks to Jack and rushed in with a Celtic battle cry of rage. Jack met his onslaught with a ter- rific -straight-arm jolt to the jaw that sent the Irishman to the deck, where he lay unconscious for 15 minutes. The other Irishman swore that it was sheer luck on the part of Yankee Jack, and stepped into the ring with plenty of confidence. He also rushed at Jack and the latter parried two or three fierce swings with much cleverness. Then seeing an openinIce he stepped in and drove his right 1110 a piledriver to the Irishman's Before the Irishman Could Recover Himself, Jack's Fist Flattened His Enemy's Nose Against Ills Face. The Irishman Fell, and Seizing His Pistol, Jack Tossed It Into the Fire. wind, and while the latter reeled back, gasping for breath, Jack liter- ally lifted him off his feet with a ter- rible uppercut and the fight was over. Jack thou issued a general defi to any man on the boat to step forward and meet him, but the belt was awarded without his challenge being accepted. Wins Against a Gun The Irishmen let Jack alone un- til the boat pulled up to the levee at Fort Union, but the unloading of freight bound for that point had no more than been unloaded before the first man he had knocked out, whose anger had been smouldering for sev- eral weeks, threatened to \get\ Jack before they left port. Jack laughed and told him he could have a fight any time he wanted it, but he did not take the Irishman's threat seriously. That evening the crew all drank a lot of fighting whisky around the fort, where a daft* Was in progress, the men dancing with a number of Sioux women, some of whom were living as wives of employes of the fort. The Irishman who had threat- ened Jaok was particularly boister- ous And repeated his boast that he woutti get the Yankee. Jack, despite his prowess with his fists, was not quarrelsome, and toward morning _ho decided to go aboard the boat and go to bed to avoid trouble that he saw was imminent. He started for the gate of the stockade around the fort, but the big Trishman stepped forward and blocked his way. The enclosure' was lit up with the glare from a bonfire, and a crowd of ex- cited faces quickly formed a ring about the pair. Jack stepped back and prepared to defend himself, when the Irishman drew from his shirt a pistol and fired point-blank at his foe. As luck would have it, the bul- let just grazed Jack's right ear, and before the Irishman could recover, Jack's fist flattened his enemy's nose against his face. The Irishman fell and, seizing his pistol, Jack tossed it into the fire. The Jrishman was on hip feet in a second with a bellow of rage, but the now thoropghly infu- riated Jack tore into hfin and nearly killed him with his fists before he finished with him. That was the last trouble Jack encountered sit the river steamers, for his reputatiPn as a fighter was secure and none cared to try conclusions with him. Wins Admiration of Illackfect Yankee Jack, it appears, became a noted figure at most of the forts of the American Fur Company; for the admiration he was sure to win by his fighting prowess made him un- duly fond of taking parts in encoun- ters of this kind, and when he could not get a single Man to face him, he would offer to take on two at a time and whip both of them. , At Fort Benton one 4th of July in the late 60's, he won a fight with a huge negro from Texas who had come up the river and who considered him- self invincible in the game of fists. The battle was watched by a number of Blackfoot chiefs, who made much of Jack after the 'encounter. Jack, flattered by their praise and stimu- lated, too, by plenty pt whisky, told the head chief that he would fight any four men in the town. A couple • him I feared trouble was brewing. He thought so too and said I had better prepare for prompt measures. I had kept steam up. Pilot and engineer remained at their posts and the mate was kept forward. He had been instructed to cut the line at a signal of one tap of the bell. \Meanwhile the commissioners had ti k t, been attempting egotiations with the Indians, b t t ..„ . little purpose. In front, -on, e boiler deck, there were a table and seats for the prin- cipal Indians. Curtis tried to call them to order, but without success. He then summoned Rencontre and tried to talk to them. He told them he was about to roll some bales of goods on shore and asked them to withdraw and distribute them. The Sioux chiefs answered that he could roll them ashore; the women woeld take care of them; as for them, they would remain on the boat. \Nothing whatever could be done. The situation looked worse as the Sioux became more insolent. One by one the commissioners slipped away and locked themselves in their state- rooms. General Curtis 'was finally left alone, and after awhile he also withdrew, telling me to get out of the scrape as best I could. He fully realized the gravity of the blunder he had made and his own inability to cope with the situation. Sioux Are Outwitted. \The Indians as yet had made no attempt to enter the staterooms, but they were angry at the withdrawal of the commissioners and might do so. at any minute. Rencontre said to me, 'The Indians don't like this and will give us trouble. We had better do something right away.' \ 'Is it time' to cut 1 ose?' I asked. ...._,- 'I think so, 'he re,pli . I gave the signal and the Ikte was cut, the wheels began to turn backward and the boat slid quickly from the bank. \The sudden move astonished the Indians. Those on shore ; seized the line and began pulling before they discovered that it *as cut. I knew they would not dare to fire for fear of shooting their own people. Those on the boat were panic-stricken and of gamblers heard this boast and they gathered together four of the husk- iest river men to be found there and faced Jack with them. Jack agreed to fight them, stipulating that it should be a strictly rough and tum- ble fight with nothing barred except- ing guns, clubs, rocks or other weap- ons. This being understood, Jack went to the trading post and bought a pair of heavy boots, with which he replaced the moccasins that he usual- ly wore. It was decided to hold the battle in a small corral adjoining the fort, and around this gather,ed the 4th of July celebrators, including fifteen Black - feet chiefs and head men. Jack's op- ponents were burly river men, and the fight opened with a rush of the four at Jack. Agile and quick as a cat, Jack side-stepped the leader and caught the second man ,with a right swing to the jaw that knocked him cold. In an instant Jack's right foot had caught another a terrific kick in the stomach that put him out of the fight. The other two were on Jack like a pair of wolves and fists and feet were going like.flails. Sudden- ly one of Jack's opponents, leaning forward with his head down, looking for a chance to get past Jack's guard, caught the latter's knee under his \ chin with such force that it bro1 e his jaw and nearly dislocated his eck. The fourth man, peeing 'Mined Fat alone, leaped over the corral fence and ran away, while Jack, victorious but bloody, received the plaudits of the crowd. The Blackfeet were so impressed with Jack's prowess that they offered to make him a war chief of the tribe if he would come to live with them, but he declined the offer and shortly after went back down the river, not to return to Montana. began to leak overboard. I caused T the nose of the boat to be held close to shore so that they could get to , land without drowning, and in a tow - minutes we were clear of them. Then, reversing the engines, we steer- ed for the opposite bank and made the boat fast. \The danger being over, I went to General Curtis' room and told him It was safe to come out. ',said: \Who is afraid of Indians now, General Curtis?\ \His only reply was: °Who would have thought the rascals would dare to molest a government officer?' \The Sioux cared a lot about a government officer! His renuirk showed how little he knew about the Indian character. \No further . attempt was made to treat with these Indians and we went on up the river. As On a previous occasion, the Indians followed us. Durfee & Peck at this time had a trading post on the site where Fort Buford later stood. The Indians ade a signal from the opposite' s e of the river that they had robes to trade, and the agent at the post wanted to borrow our yawl to go across and get them. , I consented, but advised against it. The traders crossed and actually bought several hundred robes, but just as the boat was about to put back the Indians jumped on the crew, killed one, badly wounded another and would have killed all had I not promptly crossed the river with the steamboat to their assistance. \The commissioners then went on to old Fort Union, at the mouth of the Yellowstone river, where they re- mained for a time treating with the Assinniboines, Crows and Gros Ven- tres. The Crows and Gros Ventres came down by the steamboat Miner under pronile6 that .they should be taken be to their camp on the Mussels 11 by boat.' The river be- ing to low to take so large a boat as the Ben Johnson farther, the com- mission seized a small boat, the Amanda, employed . by the war de- partmenr The Amanda was headed up the river to meet Colonel Reeve, who was op his way back from the Judith - river, where he had estab- lished a post. The Crows and Oro4 Ventres, • with their presents, got oil board and started up the river. The agent for t,he Blackfeet, George B. Wright, wa also on board on his way to Fort Beliton. \At the mouth of the Milk river the Amanda met Colonel Reeve, who promptly took the boat, put the In- dians ashore and left them to walk home. The anger of the Crows was fired to a desperate pitch by this action. They refused tg take their prvents, tore up the treaties and swore that they would fire on every boat going up the river. Wright was afraid to return overland to Benton, so he went back With the boat and went all the way around by Omaha and Salt Lake to reach Fort Benton. \The commissioners and Wright had a wordy battle before they de- cided to get together and send in re- ports of the incidents of the Crow and Gros Ventres treaties that would agree. .' 4 • \The cominissioners were afraid to go further up the river and the prow of the Ben Johnson was turned down stream again and pursued, her way leisurely. The property bought by the commission as treaty presents was put off, partly at Sioux City and partly- at Omaha.\ There is no doubt but that the property referred to was stolen by the commissioners and sold by them at Omaha and Sioux City. The cost of the boat hire for nearly 100 days was about $30,000. The peace commission of 1866 cost the government upward of $60,- 000 and not only accomplished noth- ing of good, but did no end of harm in inflaming the Indians along the Missouri against the whites. Asiatic Russia has 168 rivers with a navigable length of 13,658 miles. No race with Coffee prices! POSTUM CEREAL is still selling at the same lairprice, and is better for you. • Trir ./ Tim sizes,usualpricelSeend2Se Made by Postum Cereal Co. Battle. Creek. Mich. • p. •
