Morris tribune., 1882-09-28
TOTTEN To TURTLE. MOUNTAIN.
Report from Maj. Conrad's Command. who


Went Out to Settle the HaIf-B Breed
Trouble-A Law-Abiding Set and Shrewd
Recent advices from an army officer who ac-
companied the expedition lately dispatched by
Gen. Terry's orders from Fl. Totten to the Tur-
| tie mountains, have been placed in the hands of
PIONEER PRESS representative, and few extracts
are given as showing the general character of the
country and the present status of affairs in that
district The expedition was sent out at the re-
quest Of Hon. 4. F. Pettigrew, the member for
Dakota. who stated that the settlers had boen
driven out by the half-breeds and Indians,
and demanded that troops be sent to pro-
tect them. The force, consisting of Troop F. Sew
enth cavalry and detachment of Indian scouts.
under command of Mai. J. s. Conrad. Seventeenth
infantry. Ieft Fort Totten the 22d of August,
and an the Goth, camp was established about fiji.
miles south of the boundary, near the base of
the mountains Onthe next day a visit was made
to the settlement in the vicinity. The first settler,
Canadian, married to half-breed woman, was
The base of the mountain, and after the first one.
The number of settlers continued to increase until
the traders store was reached about four miles
south of the line. The country gradually rises
from the east to the west, but to the north it
presents the appearance OF an unbroken plain
as far as the eye can f reach ,n Bodies
toward the PLAIN with openings of unt!mbered
tracts. Further toward the main body of the
mountain the timber is
LARGER AND MORE DENSE
with growth of underbrush that the halt-breeds
do not attempt to penetrate except in winter
snow shoes. Numerous springs come from the
mountains and in the vicinity of these the settlers
are located. The settlers here were all half breeds,
md from conversation with the prominent it
was learned that for years there had been settle
ment of haf-breeds at the mountains, composed of
about sixty families; bnt this year lao families had
come from Manitoba and others to
follow They seemed prosperous and were building
log houses and preparing to guilty. ite the land.
From the haif-breeds it was learned that the only
Indians frequenting the country are five or six
families of Crees, who come in the pursuit of game
during the hunting son. It appears that Little
Shell and koshDah are rivals, the former claiming
TO be the hereditary chief Of that section. while
Koshpah is the son OF one Of the principal men of
the Chippewa Indians, and shows PAPER from a
former commissioner Of Indian affairs, giving him
some authority Each of them has following.
Little Shell has a scheme for gettc- a reservation
assigned them and then collecting on it all the
breeds from the east aui west, together with the
Crees and Assinniboine Indians, over whom he shall
be supreme. It for this reason that the
white settlers wers recently ordered away as he did
not wish them to settle there until the government
had decided what arrangement should be made
about areservatCn.
THE WHITE CLAIMANTS.
AS near as could be ascertaned there were only
about twelve men who went TO the Turtle mountain
country 70 take claims, half of the number coming
from the Canada side They caed few miles
nor b Of the haltbreeds settlement. along the base
o. the mountain, an began to make Improvements.
returned to the D rninion, and the others went
south. Thcre is little doubt that the chief
aim OF these people is to secure a reSer-
vation. aud for this purpose they keep up
sort of tribal organization and acknowledge
full blooded Indian their chief. Many of them
are shrewd, intelligent men and fully recognize the
fact that they have too much at stake to place
themselves in direct antagouism to- the government
Those coming from the British posse>sons--and
they are in the majorty-clamed that they had in
tended doing SO year or two ago, but had been
kept back by fear of harsh trea ment Thev said
they preferred the government of the United States
and liked the country better
THE QUESTION OF CUSTOMS.
During Maj. Conrad's absence couriers were
vestigate the matter of the refusal on the part
of the Canadian half-breeds to pay the duties on
stock, Agricultural implements and other dutiable
articles which had been demanded by Deputy COL
lector McColom. Somehow the couriers missed
the TRAIL and the deputy collector himself. who set
out to meet the column, lied to do it, so that
nothing was known Of tn affair until after the
turn to the fort. The Que tion of duties not
the of special inquiry, but is thought that
tribute. They are generally disposed to respect
au hority. and the presence Of the troons among
tnem, and the knowledge that they within striking
distance, has had a wholesome effect upon those
who inclined to be turbulent The surface Of
the country between Fort Totten and Turtle noun
tans is described rather fat with frequent
marshy lakes. The teams, however, had no trouble
except in crossing the outlets of lakes, some of
which would be impossible in the spring or in wet
boggy nature of the beds and banks. In going to
the mountains the column marched lis miles, but
this distance shorten d W to uinetv-e EIGHT
miles by taking direct rou te on the return to
the fort, which reached the last day of the
month.