The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1895-02-16
The Beaver Creek Raid

The Beaver Creek Raid
From Second Edition of SKETCHES of Frontier and Indian Life
About the middle Of the month of Nav, 1872
having an errand to perform, | saddled up a favor
lite steed end rode up along the river to Fort Der
thold. On the morning following my arrival at
the Agency, the inhabitants Of the Indian village
we're startled from their slumbers ut carly dawn
by. the rapid firing of guns and successive war
Whoops. 1t was III this way a mounted war party
of t%hirty-tlve Gros Vcntrcs and Mandans signalled
their return from a successful war raid.
The party had been absent ten days. In their
outward Journey they trailed along the h~cadwaters
OF Turtle, Painted Woods, Burnt, Apple and Bca
yer creeks. While carefully securing along this
latter stream the war party espied two lodges in
which people were noticed stirring about. The
inmates were Yanktoney Sioux. They were out
almost impossible to conceive the dreadful
thoughts that must have been in the mind of this
poor creature at this time while making the en-
forced banquet to her own and her childrens' DIES.
troycrs, for, no sooner was the feast ended a tom.
ahawk was sunk in her brain and her scalp cut
and torn from her head.
Such we're the particulars of the Beaver creek
raid, as told by the participants on their return. A
war dance was at once arranged by the party and
the streaming scalp locks of the unfortunate vic
tins were exhibited by the Wanting dancers in
their black faced masks. The blood sr1eared tro.
plies were carried aloft on poles, and placed in
the centre of a ring around which members of tho
war party kicked and chaunted, surrounded by
interested groups of both sexes, old and young.
The day following, IS was custom, the scalps
were thrown to the elderly danes who paraded il,
bands before the various stores, and the homes OF.
the white residents, with a dancing and singing,
bout by turns in front of them. As was also GUS
tom, these traders who had lived on the patronage
of Indians were now expected TO set before their
guests, we'll filled pots of cooked meats and ket-
Ties trimming over with good hot coffee. Thus
passed day succeeding the arrival of the raid
ers. First one group of dancers then another
tossed the scalp locks OF the murdered women
and children of Beaver creek. Now dragging
them along the groundwork holding them up TO
from the main camp near Grand river and were
enjoying a spring hunt after antelopes, ducks and
geese, with which that stream and valley abound
ell. The two teepes contained five persons
when sighted by the war party. In one teepe a
woman and child, in the o:hcr a woman and two
boys. Early that morning q party of white men
coming from Grand river agency, and bound for
the new railroad town at the Missouri river cross
ing, had passed that way, and the ponies belong
ing to the inmates of the two lodges had strayed
after them. The two Indians missing their stock,
and not dreaming of any particular danger left
families to trail up and bring back the .es
trays.
This was the situation when the thirty-hve Man
dan and Gros Ventre warriors rode down on a
gallop with frighful yells and surrounded the two
lodges. The woman and children, Supplied with
fear crouched within. doors. The two boys were
dragged out, killed and scalped. Tie young
er of the two woman was next dragged out and
outraged and butchered. Her child clinging to
her was taken away by an old Mandan with the
Of taking it home to his village. and
adopting it, but its cries exasperating some Of the
younger members Of the party, it was taken from
him and the child Drained against a huge stone.
The mother Of the two boys, alone surviving
ordered by some. one in authority to cook SuI
provisions enoughto feed the entire party. Ii is
taunls and insults Of The noflN crowd flat jeereo
hooted threstgh lie .tsSy stssets Ct this
lndian town. II 4