The Portland daily press., 1870-02-28
Terms S''oo per- anmuns, a,, ad,,a,,ce
T"e Siackfeet Hndinn.-T.----

b,a NJ Lutte Terri.
A correspondent of the Cinc;nn..,
apologies for Col. Bakers late raid S.,'e o.S !,
Indians. The cause of this terrible ~ o.,.i' .le
lies at somebody else's door; but the info
tion in regard to the Blackfeet Is valuable
Last fall the Blackfeet Indians gave ora..
| trouble to the settlers of Montana. mu1der-
ing, robbing, and pillaging on several occa-
si0ns. These Indians have been at peaca
with us for a number of years, but lately thew
have been dissatisfied and evidently inclined
to 90 to war. In November Bear Chief and
his band murdered ranchman named Clark.
living on the Benton road, near Bozman
City. The sister of this man is the wife of
high official in one of the Western States.
She interceded with her husband and the
Government to have the Indians punished
who murdered her brother. A demand was
made Tor the guilty Indians, but they were
not given up. About the same time new out
RACES were committed, and General Hancock,
as ne learned OF them, conferred with Gener-
ais sheridan and Sherman. Sheridan tele-
Sfaphed back that nothing could be done
with the small force in Montana lust then to-
ward punisbng tribe of Indians so formida-
bic as the Blackfeet, but advised General
Hancock to watch them, and as soon as the
snow fell, he would endeavor to strike them a
blow they would not soon forget According
ly, General Sheridan sent Colonel Baker to
Fort Ellis late last fall with orders to nrenare
fo1 winter campaign. Baker was ready
to march by the 9Th of January. and
soon afterward set out, the Thermometer
standing at the time below zero. and the
snow being in many places three feet deep.
The column marched 250 miles to the North
west, and when about 100 miles from Benton
came upon the guilty Indians. They were in
their camp at the time, living in imagined Sc
curity, and the surprise was complete. The
village was surrounded on every side, and all
avenues of retreat cut OIL.
Over two hundred and fifty persons were in
the camp, of whom one hundred and seventy
one are reported killed, twenty escaped and
the rest captured. 1t is feared a good many
women and children were killed in the melee
every body in the camp taking arms and
fighting as long as they could. After the bat
tie all the captured women and children were
released and allowed to go to their tribe. AL
though the blow has been a severe one, and
fallen suddenly, it had long been premedita-
ted, and the Blackfeet richly deserved the
punishment they have received. The many
Indian murders on white men in Montana
have been wiped out at last in blood, the only
way an indian can be made to understand
the settlement OF an old score. 1t will be
worth while to to consider in connection with
this fight what will be its effect upon the In
dian wars OF the border. Will it end the hos
tiity of the Blackfeet, or lead to general war
with them? This question is anxiously asked
by many border men, and the answers are
various. The Backieet are one of the most
powerful, brave, and warlike tribes of Rocky
Mountain Indians. They have long been
known to both Indians and white men as the
"bloody Blackieet," and numerous are the
stories told of their prowess and daring.
Their warriors are of middle stature, broad
shouldered, and deep-chested. The nation Is
divided INTO four families, each led by differ
ent chief, and to one OF these families the
band slaughtered by Baker belongs. Most
Indians have fondness for bright colors, but
this nation is noted for its partiality for dark
clothing. Dark skins, black leggins and moe
casins constitute their dress. 1t is the black
covering which they wear on their feet that
has given them their name. The nation in
1860 numbered 1900 souls, and they have
not decreased over fourth from that time to
the present. They are still capable of mus
tering many hundred warriors, and should
they declare war, would give the Government
serious trouble to subdue them. 1t is not be-
lieved, however, that they will 90 to war, for
their chiefs, from long experience, know how
futile it is to fight against government as
strong as the United States. They have many
able and shrewd men, and these are all oppos-
ed to war.
The hereditary enemies of the Blackfeet
are the Grow Indians, who inhabit the
Big Horn range. The government of the
Blackfeet is very arbitrary, the chiefs hav-
ing absolute power. They are very migratory
in their character, and generally change their
residence four or five times during the year.
When village is to be removed the chief
loosens the covering of his lodge, and let's it
flap in the wind. As soon as this is seen all
the lodges in the village are loosened in like
manner, and when the chiefs lodge falls all
the others are immediately taken down.
Then the squaws bunch the poles on which
the lodge covering were stretched, and they
on each side of the horse, the DGit cnos &c
ing lett to drag on the ground. Behind the
horse are fastened several cross pieces, to keep
the shaft from spreading, and on these cross
pieces are piled and tied the lodge covering
and household goods. These curious carriag-
es will carry astonishing loads, and are more
comfortable to ride on than one would be-
lieve. The squaws carry great loads ON their
backs, and even the dogs have little shafts
and a load to drag. Five or six hundred
Blackieet, forming a curious cavalcade, are
frequently seen crossing the country in this
way. They always march in single file, each
Indian stepping as near as possible where the
Indian preceding him has stepped. An In
dian always, when walking, sets one boot di-
rectly in front of the other, and does not turn
out his toes, as does white man.