The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1884-03-22
CONTAMINATION.
Burning Of Jack Nye's Cabin Under Agent
Armstrong; 0rders-Bill Hamil-
tons Views.

! EDITOR Billings HERALD:
In the HERALD of the 10Th inst
there appears a communication
signed by Henry J. Armstrong,agent
for the CrowIndians at Crow agency
regarding the burning of a miners
cabin at or near the mines on the
upper Saltwater
Mr.. Armstrong says that he in
structed police to burn one little
cabin and arrest the occupants and
bring them to the agency or put
them off the reservation and he only
regrets that we were not there.
Now Mr.. Editor | desire through
your paper to state the facts in the
whole matter. | have been living
in my cabin and working my claim
since last September, and have al
ways passed through the rcserva-
ton in going to and returning from
my cabin at the mines. | also
looked out a wagon road from the
mouth of Saltwater creek to the
mines, RUNNING within one mile
of the Crow Agency. That We
''sncaked' in to the reservation is
maliciously false; we went and
came in broad daylight by the
nearest practicable route. Mr..
Armstrong well knew we were there,
and he also knew We were not there
when he sent his police to burn the
cabin. He makes proposition to
rebuild the cabin burned and for
felt 500 dollars if it were not from
five to eight miles Oh the reserya-
ton. From what source does he
obtain his information? Before We
went on tEc claims we obtained
from Maj. Blake, who ran the line
last year, a map of the same, show
ing conclusively that our mines
and cabins are at least three miles
south of the reservation. The cabin
burned belonged to John Nye, and
was located nearer the reservation
line than the other three, two of
which are owned bv myself and
Mcdonald, and one by \. ). Hub
bell and Joe Anderson. Mr.. Arm
strong seems to think there was but
one little cabin, when there were
three others, containing bedding,
miners supplies and general outfit.
1t is fortunate for Mr.. Armstrong
and his police they did not find
and destroy the other three cabins.
| desire to say in this connection
that these mines were discovered
and worked more than twenty
years ago by Mr.. Hubbell and
others, before the reservation was
ceded to the Indians by the gov
crnment, and fourteen years ago
bv Joe Anderson and myself, the
present occupants; but by the false
testimony adduced before the Sher-
man commissioners at Fort Laramie
in 1858, to the effect that there
were no mines or miners working
on the reservation, this section of
country was included in the Grow
reservation, and Mr.. Hubbell and
a number of others were compelled
to leave their property, and have
remained absent until the recession
of this potion Of the reservation to
the United States. We did not
then return until the line had been
surveyed and were assured that our
property was off the reservation.
Firmly believing we are right we
will defend our rights until legally
convinced we are wrong, any orders
emanating from the Crow Agency
to the contrary Notwithstanding.
The extreme modesty of the gen.
tleman in assuming credit to him
self for non consumated facts un-7
der his regime, reminds one of the
proverbial government mule, as 1T
is well established fact that locat-
ing Indians in severalty had been
advocated by western men many
years before that policy was adopt
ed by the Indian Bureau: AS to
the progress made in settling and
civilizing Indians it does not seem
perceptible from any view except
Mr.. Armstrong;. The same may
be said in reply to his belief in
proceeding legally to commit arson,
which is a fair sample of the con-
sistency between his statements
and his acts. Mr.. Armstrong;
method of legalizing his official
acts by fire may account in a great
measure for the numerous fires that
have originated so mysteriously the
past fifteen months at the Agency
under his fiery administration, to
the detriment of the Indial Service.
WM. I: HAMILTON.