The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-13

been encamped for three weeks before we
PAD an adventure with the Indians. Saun-
derson left camp one day without notice to
me, ana made scout of eighteen miles and
discovered assss red an Indian village. There had
Deem thaw and the ground Was clear of
snow. He found some squaws and boys
gathering wood in the foothills, and he
killed and scalped a sauaw and q youth of
10. An alarm was raised and he retreated
70 strong position. and in fight at long
range ne killed warrior, but could not se-
cure his scalp.
When night came the avencer retreated.
but 8 slight snow fell and the Indians
pressed him close ~. In his return toward
camp Saunderson made for the spot where
he had cached the rifles; which was mile
and half from the spot where was wait
ing for him. At noon on the third day Of
his absence heard rifle firing to the west
OF me, and on going forward was led to
believe that party Of five or six white men
were surrounded on the crest Of a rocky
hill. I worked forward until could draw
bead ON an Indian, and as ] opened fire
the entire force. numbering about thirty,
saunderson had killed one, wounded two,
and had been holding his own with the
spare rifles.
By January, 1863, Saunderson had thirty
nine Indian scalps. During all that year
pc came into the fort but once. In January.
1854, his scalps numbered over seventy. He
then procured improved firearms and fixed
ammunition, and on setting out for new
adventures he said to me:
"Before come in again shall bring the
number up to an even hundred
And you will quit then?''
mo; shall have only begunv'
he had mcde war on the Cheyennes
in state of excitement and terror. I
heard of his doings occasionally through
half breeds and trappers. He came and
went like shadow. Sometimes he left a
trail, but if it was followed one or more of
the pursuers would be killed. He killed
ties were made up to hunt him down, but
they could not find him. Az soon as he got
the. reputation of being "a white spirit" his
work was easier, as there was no ardOr in
the pursuit OF him. The Cheyennes felt
themselves accursed, and two or three iRno-
rant medicine men who tried to charm the
spirit and failed were banished or put to
death.
The greatest slaughter Saunderson ever
inflicted at one time was on the bandrDfJa
sub chief called Swift Horse. This was in
July, 1854. A camp of about sixty lodges
was driven out of valley in the Laramie
mountains by cloudburst. Everybody
ing food for about mile, when people and
ponies detected to the left and found safe
u. in a gorge. The walls of this we're
almost perpendicular, and their crests
covered with shrubbery. While
penned in here Saunderson opened
FIRE on them from above, and also rolled
great rocks upon their heads. Many of the
their rifles could not use them against him.
They reported that he killed twelve people
and injured many others. / afterward met
with Cheyenne whose left shoulder was
badly 'lopped," and he told me that it was
crushed by one of the stones flung into the
gorge that day.
Saunderson had now become such terror
that the tribe, instead of splitting up into
five or Six bands. consolidated for mutual
protection, and a large number of young
men were always scouting and on guard.
Ira war party left the village it was logged
and harassed, or the avenger took advan-
tHge to attack the village. One night in
the spring of 1866, while war party of
sixty-four Cheyennes were encamped on
the north fork of the Platte, in Nebraska,
Saunderson got among their horses during
furious snow squall and killed twenty
eight of them with his knife. One of the
guards, who was called Bear on a Hill,
ran upon the white man as he was doing his
work, and was killed and scalped. The war
party at once returned home.
On the 10th of July, 1865, Saunderson
appeared at the fort for the last time. He
had an Indian pony, and brought in five In
dian rifles and fourteen scalps. He had at
this time upward of 100 scalps. and had
killed. as he told me. at least 14O Indians
and sixty or seventy ponies.- He was in tbs
best of health, but wanted new suit OF
buckskin and supply of ammunition.
He had no idea of abandoning his quest for
revenge, but, on the contrary, was more de
termined than ever. He remained with us
eight days, and then left the fort one mid
night. saying he should probably come in
again about the first of November. He was
not seen or heard of again by any white
man, nor yet by any of the Indians. What
his fate was no one will ever know. Had
he fallen into the hands of the red men they
would have boosted of it, and had any
white men encountered him word would
have been passed along to US. It is likely
that he met with some fatal accident in the
mountains.