The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-18

Back in 67," said Johnson. Il went
by here guiding train of 10 wagons
coming from the states. I jined them
at Julesburg, and come with them by
the Bozeman cutoff. We camped three
days by these springs SOS the women
could wash the clothes. The springs
was bigger then than now, and the va
ter was hot and there was more rotten
eggs in it. The water is pretty good
now, but faint what it was. We had
seven fights with the Injuns taking that
party through, but we didn't lose a man
out of our train. Another train three
days ahead of us lost AZ men"
Where were you at the time of the
Custer battle?'
II wasn't at that fight, but / met the
same Injuns a few months afterward.
That was in the winter of 1877. / was
then chief scout for General Miles. We
was on the Tongue river. / set out with
nine scouts with me at in he morn
ing. 1t had been showing, But there
was no fresh Injun signs. In crossing
the river the ice broke and l got wet.
We built fire on a cliff of ROCKS Cor me
to dry. l told George Johnson 20 take
a look to see if he could see arYr ling.
He said mere wasn't nothing. IUrty
soon l got dried and took a look down
the river. / seen Is squaws and a Icy
coming down. l was sure there was
tured the squaws. They had heeL. sent
on ahead with loads of dried beef and
moccasins to mend. We cached them
on top of the cliff. General Miles come
up and told us to go and tind out wat
the Injuns wanted. l said it was plain
to see what they wanted they was
after scalp or two, and would prt la
bly, get them If we wasn't careful. Miles,
was bigoted sort of a general. He
thought nobody knew anything hut
him, but they did. / said there was
probably thousand Injuns lack of the
cliff and the chances We're we wouldn't
get away unless we started quick. Some
of the scouts was jealous Of ME, pai.ic-
ularly Yellowstone Kelly. He wanted
my place, and he sided in with Mics.
So Miles he told Kelly to 20 and hing
in the 1njuns and see what they won't
ed. He didn't think there Was more
than a few of them. l wasn't going TO
stay behind, so all us scouts went on
tin we came to a sort of A platform
and I could see InjunS. I said thought
we had gone far enough and better go
back to Miles and his men or else ne
pare for a fight. Kelly said he wasn't
going back without scalps. I said meme
could go where / dasnt. SO we won't
on and unnder the hill We saw about
1900 1njuns, most of them with their
guns up ready to shoot. W. didn't lose
no llllle eidTlluS bdtk To tlIiJti. we
was pretty well protected and held the
cliff, but the bullets come in thick and
close. We fought them for four hours
with Miles three miles away. Then it
got dark and we jumped our horses off
the back of the cliff and got aNav under
cover of the night According 10 the In
juns' own story we killed - Of them
and 70 horses. We had two horses killed
but no men.
The next day the Injuas come DOWN
and licked Miles. They would have sur
prised him and served nim the way
they did Custer but for me. Thr ChIe is
called me Black Bear and said I cauld
kill more Injuns with a hundred men
than Miles could with the whole ID
army. If l hadn't discovered those In
juns for him he would never have got
home. He got licked, but he had time
to get his train into position so he
could defend it, 1t began to snow and
rain and the Injuns drew off. 1t turn
ed cold that night and Miles got his
train in motion and started back"
Liver Eating Johnson was tired by
this time, but he said he would load up
few more shots for the next day. 1t
is probable that Mr.. Johnson will soon
be removed to the Soldiers Home at
Columbia Falls.