The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1865-06-24
Letter From Ophir City.
: ||| ! CITY OF UPHIR,
STEAMER CUTTER, May 90, 1865.

=
MEssRs. EDIToRs:-I am now about to
redeem my promise of writing to you. |
would have done so sooner, but have Just
arrived from below, having gons down the
river some three hundred miles to meet the
first boat up. Capt. Moore, the mate and
myself started eight days ago, and had a
very successful trip. In five days out we
met the steamer Yellowstone at the head
of Bad Bend, making good time, having
started behind some of the other boats We
here caught up with Capt. N. Wallis party.
that had started six days previous to US,
and who were waiting for the boats. The
river is in good boating order, and still
swelling. We took passage on her, and
arrived here last evening. She is loaded
with freight for the American Fur Compa-
nv, with not many passengers. The people
were surprised to see her here, as they did
not think so large boat could come up so
| far. She got up last season only to Cow
Island, two hundred miles below. The river
is lined with buffalo. crossing and recross-
ing. Mountain sheep, elk, and all kinds
of game are plenty along the river banks.
The steamers Deer Lodge, Benton and St.
Johns are the next boats on the docket that
are expected. When we arrived at our
boat, we found the boys with sad counte-
nances, and general gloom prevailed all
round, ten men having been shot and mur-
dered by the Indians. 1t is supposed that
the deed was done by the Blackfoot tribe.
Not one of the party was left to tell the
tale. They We're all strangers to me, ex.
cept Frank Angevine and n. w. Burris,
two of your fellow-townsmen. The Others
were men that had been waiting here to &C
down the river on the first boat. The cir.
cumstances of the affair are as follows
The eight men took a contract to cut three
hundred house logs for Capt. Moore and
having completed the work, had come down
for cattle to haul them to the river for raft.
ing down. They started with the cattle, and
had got some three miles up the Maria:
river, where they were surrounded by ths
Indians, as the footprints Of their horses
show. They kept riding around them tht
boys were scattered about in differen
places. Some must have used the oxen al
breast-works, as they were killed. Joh1
Andrews, a man that had lived in the Gro
4 Ventres camp all last winter, was lying b,
tree, and showed marks of desperate
struggle, his body being shot all over, hi
throat cut from ear to ear, and his fac
badly smashed. Frank Angevine was sho
with arrows and bullets, and scalped. 4
piece of scalp was found at their camp
. which it is supposed is his hair. They lef
their camp, after the deed, in haste, ieay
ing a large quantity of meat drying, an,
some cooking before the fire. Burris wa
shot through the left lung and leg, Stable,
three or four times in the left side, and al
/ arrow mark was also on his person. Hi
! horse was shot and the saddle taken away
, They stripped the dead of their clothing
and left them naked. Such are the fact
as near as can be learned. .f .=r.
3 While writing this the steamer Deer Lodg
: has arrived. We shall not get off from her
1 for six weeks, but shall notify you whe
we start. ..- ---Eae lH'H .rtrsn
There are about thirty wagons here wait
!, ing for freight, and some belonging to par
ties intending to locate. VIM. Foster
) now surveying the town, and some partie
' are making adobes to build. This affai
. has been great drawback to the town, a
! the people are afraid, and they hope tha
: the Governor will take some measures I
protect them soon, or they will have to bea
Q Il retreat. t Yours, truly, g.
D fT ove r r~ JOHN III. JACK.