St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-17
A RAID BY The REDSKINS,
And the Wholesale Butchery That Fol-
lowed It.
SQUAWS AND CHILDREN
Included in the Slaughter How Poisoned
Piesan Robes Avenged Ruthless
Murder.
Washington Post.

Human minds are prone to search the
sequence Of events for cause and effect |
and to find IN accidents the interposi-
tons of Providence or Superhuman
wrath, to see the workings Of natural
justice in chance, and to find in evil
doors the punishment melted to their
sins. Nearly twenty years ago occurred
a series of events of an intensely tragic
nature which bear as clear q lesson to
many people as if declared in Holy
Writ. In 1870 the uplands of Montana
were hardly touched by white settlers,
Buffalo in countless thousands grazed
its grasses in June, crossing into Cam
ada in a skirmiSh line 500 miles in
length, to return when the chill north
ern winds, late in August, marked the
waning summer. Southwark they
marched, crossing the Union Pacific
in herds so dense as to stop the trains
and stretching further than the eye
could reach, natures unbranded kline,
hoof-free and unnumbered, until the
broad plains of Texas gave them winter
forage. Where Helena, Anaconda,
Bozeman and other thriving cities now
stand were military posts, from which a
few companies of cavalry held the
Crows. Blackfeet, ShOShOnes and GroS
Ventres in loose check. The Crows. at
no time very quarrelsome, suffered from
continuous raids of thieving Piegans,
who stole down across the Canadian
line, near the MariaS river, penetrating
the Crow country nearly to Fort Ellis, |
now within rifle shot of Bozeman. So
bold, cunning and eXaSperating had
they become that it was tacitly under
stood that the next band of the
marauders would be made an example
of. One morning in the winter
of 1S70-71 a Crow runner came
into Fort Ellis breathless. and in
formed the commandment that party
of Pegans had Taided Crow village
the day before, killing several Of the
bucks, and stealing lot of ponies and
their entire seasons shooting Of buffalo
hides, nearly 1000 in number. They
had made off, he said, to the north as
rapidly as possible, and, he feared.
would reach the Canadian frontier be-
fore Overtaken. Two companies of the
Second cavalry and a strong detachment
OF infantry were Immediately ordered
in pursuit, and in an hour we're on their
way, with two weeks provisions on the
pack mules. 1t was a Montana winter.
The cold was intense. Not for Il day
did the thermometer rise to zero. The
snow had crusted and frozen hard
enough to sustain the cavalry, which
moved to the northwest at a
quick trot, sabers clanking and
rifles swaying. The infantry were
soon left behind. ana, so far
as the narrative is concerned, they were
out of it, and might as well have been
back in Fort Ellis. Col. E. d. Baker
was in command of the cavalry, a gal
liant officer and an ideal soldier-he
oheyed his orders to the letter. Let no |
censUre rest on his memory: he is dead. |
The Second cavalry was Col. Jim Mont |
gomery's old command. 1t was re- |
cruited along the frontier. and life was |
held cheap. especially the life OF an |
Indian. The Piegan trail was struck |
before nightfall, broad, clearly defined, |
and leading due north. 1t was evident |
that the Indians were not anticipating |
sudden pursuit or were confident that |
they could easily escape into Canada. |
The scouts declared that there were |
squaws and children in the party, |
which numbered over $50; that they |
were at least thirUy-SiX hours in adj |
vance and moving fast with relays of |
ponies. Three hundred miles to the |
frontier, as the crow flies, the t ermom- |
eter below zero. and the Piegans proba |
bly, forty miles ahead. The problem |
was to overtake them. For five days |
the cavalry followed the trail. On |
frozen snow they bivouacked, wrapped |
in blankets and buffalo robes, budding |
close to their horses sides to keep from |
freezing in the intOlerable cold. Frost |
bitten ears and noses were the rule, and |
frozen feet and hands not infrequent. |
If fortune favored, piece of woods fur |
nished dried branches for making coffee |
and a Scanty fire. The glare of the |
snow produced snow-bIindness in |
many, and the horses fetlocks we're |
law from contact with the broken crust. |
The rOughness of the country pre- |
vented rapid pursuit. On the evening |
of the fifth day the trail grew so fresh |
that Col. Baker determined TO press on |
all night in the moonlight. By mid |
night the scouts came in with a report |
that the Piegans were encamped on the |
Marias river, three miles ahead, and |
within forty miles Of the frontier. A |
halt was ordered, the soldiers made cof- |
fee, ate a hearty meal OF dried beef and |
bareback and had brief rest. At 2 |
they were in saddle and moving eau |
tiouSly ahead. Col. Baker crossed the |
river and moved up the west bank with |
one company, while the other followed |
the eastern shore.
II
the Piegan camp was sighted. Moving |
up through piece of wood on the east |
bank the second company halted. The |
river was frozen solid, but the banks |
were too high for cavalry. The COM |
pany under Col Bakers immediate |
command was not yet in sight. No time |
was to be lost. Hastily dismounting. !
the company. armed with rifles and re- |
volvers, stole across the Marias, there |
not more than fifty yards wide. A sol
itary Indian was deserted leaning half |
asleep against a tree. There was not |
even dog to raise note of alarm. The |
sentinel seemed dazed with the cold. 1t |
was not until the captain of the advanc-
ing company rushed upon him with lev
eled revolver that he became aware of |
danger. He was armed with an old |
fashioned fint-lOck musket, obtained |
from the agents of the Hudson Bay |
company. The captain saw his finger |
curl around its trigger as clearly as if |
he were but spectator. He held it |
half-leveled from his hip.
II am dead man," muttered the
captain. The trigger was pulled, but
within the second bullet from the cap
tain'S fCrty-four Colt crashed between |
his eyes. AS the Indian plunged for
ward the captain struck him fearful
blow on the head with the revolver,
breaking it short off at the stock.
Through the rest OF the fight he brand
ished its useless butt. That shot was
the first warning to the sleeping Pie
gans. Running through the camp the
soldiers, now reinforced by Bakers |
company, poured a terrific fulisade into
the tepees. Every Indian was shot
down as he struggled into sight.
Squaws and children were not spared in
the indscriminate massacre. 1t was a
horrible butchery. Some three or four
squaws and half-dozen children, all
wounded. were alive when the slaughter
ceased. One hundred and siXty-nine
Piegans stretched lifeless on the snow.
A sergeant came up with poor, cover
ing wretch of renegade white who had |
been dragged from tepee.
He fell upon the ground, claSping Col.
Baker by the knees and begged for lite.
''You know me, Col. Baker" he cried.
''You have seen me hundred times at
Fort Ellis. Spare me! Oh, spare my