Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-06
THE PIEGAN WAROF 1870
IN INTERESTING CHAPTER or IN
DIAN HISTORY IN MONTANA.

DIAN HISTORT IN MONTAhA.
Republication Of Facts tina are Dust Nor
In Demand in Certain QuartersITh
Effsct Of Major Bakers Raid ON tn
Piegan BIackfeet-A Demand for tn
Surrender Of Five Murderers-The Lat
ter sent Across the Canadian Border
The Battle ON Marias River in the Mid
winter of 1870.
From Col. William f. Wheeler in the Hell
ena sHerald'sn New Year edition OF 1880
The campaign o. Major Eugene N. Baker
Second United States Cavalry, against til,
Piegan Indians (a band Of the Blackfoo1
tribe) in Northern Montana, in January
1870, although denounced at the time By
the Eastern press as q wanton massacre
was one of the most necessary ~punishments
az it was one OF the mostimportant events
that has ever transpired in the annals d
border warfare. It is the object Of THU
paper to briefly relate why and how it oc
- @
cured.
In the summers OF 1868 and 1869, al
everybody then resident well remembers
murders of white men by the Blackfeet
(Piegans), were Of almost daily occurrence
and the stealing Of horses OF settlers was
carried on by wholesale. It was unusual
if the daily papers did not record some
Indian deyiitry in nearly every issue. The
people OF Choteau, Meagher, Lewis and
Clarke, and those residing OF the borders
of Deer Lodge and Gallatin counties, were
the principal sufferers. Almost every freight
train between Helena and Benton during the
summer Of 1869 was attacked. Garrison's
herders were killed by the Indians within
three miles of Fort Benton, and McQuail
and his partner were murdered while work
ing their mines in sight OF Silver City.
Horses were stolen from the valley in sight
OF Helena in broad daylight, and the whole
herd was stampeded from Boulder Bar,
Within half a mile OF Diamond City, at day
light one morning, and the yells OF the In
dian horse thieves were heard by the citi
zens of the town as they were driven away.
Hugh Kirkendal's whole train of thirty
two splendid mules were stolen early one
morning while camped at the Dearborn.
Every stage passenger, freighter, traveller,
or ~prospector on the road to Helena and
Fort Benton and through Meagher county
was compelled to carry his rifle and revolt
yer, Notwithstanding which fifty-six white
men were murdered during the year 1859
by savages who mostly
AND KILLED WITHOUT WARNING.
On the add of August, 1869, these In
dians (Piegans) came to the ranch OF NAL
Clarke, who lived near the mouth OF
Pear Canyon, on the place now
owned by James Fergus, twenty-five miles
from Helena, and by lies about stolen
horses, drew him out OF his home and shot
him dead. They also shot his son Horace
through the face and left him on the ground
for dead, but he subsequently recovered
and is now living at Highwood in Cnoteau
county. They intended to carry off Clarke's
wife and three daughters, but were too
busily engaged in securing the 80 and 40
head OF horses, owned by Mr.. Clarke, to do
it that night.
The next morning Miss Helen p. Clarke,
his oldest daughter (now and long an hon.
pred teacher in the public schools OF Hell
email gave the news of the murder OF her
Iather to the white men at Kings& Gillette's
toll gate, and the survivors were brought
uuO GIG duu Vu1Cu Io1 Ny OAO SAOAHOh5s
Major Clarke had lived among tho Black
Ieet % years and had married into their
tribe, which rendered his murder remark
able, as he had spent a fortune in admin
istering TO their wants and was always
their great friend and counsellor. Private
revenge was supposed to be the cause OF his
Major Clarke was known person
ally to every settler OF Montana, and had
displayed hospitality with a liberal hand
TO many weary immigrants, who were out
Of means, on, their way from the states to
the rich gold fields OF the territory.
His murder, in the centre OF the most
populous county OF Montana, and SO near
the largest town in it, awakened the people
TO the necessity OF some prompt action by
or the Government, and letters
we're sent by scores tu the military and civil
in Montana and Washington,
details OF the
COMMITTED BY THE INDIANS.
The newspapers teemed with daily articles
forth the dangers of our situation
md demanding protection.
1 had been qualified as United States
Marshall on the 9th day OF July of that
year, and proceeded at nee to procure the
necessary to indict and convict
The murderers in the numerous cases which
had occurred during the year. The only
Ease in which .he murderers could be iden-
lifted personally, or where. they could be
indicted for the mur.ier, was that OF NAL
,om Clarke. His daughter Helen and son
knew personally and by name five
chiefs who had participated in the killing
of their father. With their evidence | went
before the ULited s ates Grand Jury at the
October term OF the Third Judicial Court,
which met in Helena, and the five leaders
we're indicted for the willful murder of
Malcolm Clarke. They were as liable to
PERSONAL punishment by the civil authori-
lies as white men would have been for the
same offence.
Before the meeting of the Grand Jury /
1ad searched through every number OF the
Daily Herald" from the first OF jan
net and the Grand Jury
vas informed of the exact
number of white people killed and the
number of horses stolen by the Indians,
and, as near as I can remember, | found
that tiity-six whites had been murdered
and over one thousand horses a been
stolen by the Blackieet in 1869. At the
OF the grand jury | drew up q re-
port o! these facts for the use OF the court,
when every fUfD0D6F SiSEcU, WIN d. Ie4ucSe
to the court that certified copies should be
sent to all military and civil authorities
having any jurisdiction or author ty to
to punish the Indians for their misdeeds.
| forwarded copies to President Grant, the
General OF the Army and acting Secretary
Of War, General Sherman, at Ci.icagn;
General Hancock, at st. Paul, and General
commanding the United
States forces in Montana, at Fort Shaw,
wrote letters to each, setting forth our
position. l also gave General
Alfred Sully, the United States superin-
tendent of Indian affairs Tor Montana,
copies OF warrants for the arrest OF the
1--WE murderers, and made a demand for
their surrender. He acquainted the Presi-
dent and Secretary Of the Interior with
these facts, and asked for instructions.
Upon this information a cabinet meeting
vas called, at which our then delegate,
Hon. JAS. M. Cavanaugh, vas invited to be
present. The condition OF Montana was
|ully discussed. Mr.. Cavanaugh wrote mt
that General Sully was instructed to
THE MURDERERs FROM THEIR
TRIBE,
and if they failed or refused to surrender
them on his demand, they were to be by
him notified that the government would
send it's soldiers and take them by force or