Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-02-12
RELIC OF The SAVAGE AGE

1
men are struggling for power and
money and the seething couldron's of
mems passions and avarice are ever
kept at the maximum of intensity
they are ever prone to forget that they
are here in this land of tire asure by
reason Of the fact that other men of
earlier times have fought, bled and
died that this favOrite spot of God s
footstOol might be reclaimed from the
redmen and made to offer up it's need
of wealth and homes to al ever pres
sing and ever increasing migratory
humanity. Now and then circum-
stance arises that permits of a back
ward glance into the early history of
the western struggle and brings us
face to face almost, with some of it's
dramatic events. One of these cir
cumstances has just come to the
knowledge Of the writer.
One Of the old timers of the Judith
Basin is Antoine Ouellette, known to
every old-timer in the Basin. An
tome has a petition in process of for
nation to present to Washington in
which he is asking for an allotment
of land for his heirs, and as basis of
his request has cited a few of the
many exploits in which he was of un-
told assistance to the officers in the
quelling of the bloodthirsty reds dur
ing this time Of rebellion. Antoine
was born about the year 1894 ut Win
nepeg, of Cree Indian mother. His
father was Il quarter-blOod. In his
after life he was considered chief
among the breeds and his tribe was
very often at war with the full-bloods.
Among his enemies for a number of
years was that famous or infamous
chief, Sitting Bull. The breeds were
generally successful in their battles
against the Sioux and in time Ouellette
and Sitting Bull became very good
friends, following a treaty i'm which
both promised to refrain from robbing
or harming each other and which
treaty was kept inviolate by both
parties. Ouellette was with General
Sibley when that general started after
the Sioux after the massacre ut Red
Wing, Minnesota. About 1876 Major
Walsh, Of the Canadian army, called
Ouellette to accompany him to meet
the Blackfeet, at the place now known
as Medicine Hat. n. W. r., where a
treaty was to be made between the
Canadians and Indians. About 1880
Major Walsh and Canadian Allan, of
Winnepeg, called on him the second
time to meet Sitting Bull with them
at White River.
Ouellette's band of breeds were
greatly distressed at one time by an
order from England to Governor
Downey at Battleford, n. W. r., of
which Governor Forget was secretary
at the time, forbidding the killing of
buffalo. Buffalo meat was a main
diet of his band and this order was a
very severe blow to the breeds. Ouel-
lette was sent by his people with a
petition to the governor at Battleford
asking permission to kill buffalo. At
first the governor was inclined to deny
them but after long parley the de-
sired permission was granted.
General Miles was at one time very
anxious to have council with Sitting
Bull. After that worthy had refused
tn accOmnnnv twn n%),or r,,,,,,;,.,
sent by Miles and had threatened their
life Ouellette was sent to the mighty
chief and brought him to the council.
This trip is claimed by Ouellette to
have cost him considerable money and
the risk OF his life as well. Only two
years before this event Sitting Bull
had wiped General Clusters army out
of existence and the retlmen were in
II very dangerous mood. Sitting Bull
at another time had taken prisoner ,
Father Martin, now bishop residing
somewhere in South Dakota, and con-
demned him and Il companion to death.
Again Ouellette was commissioned to
go to Sitting Bull and secure the lives
and freedom of the reverend father
and his companion. Father Martin
went to Washington. d. c., and told
this experience to the bishop and the
president afterward.
Another incident in which Ouellette
proved of inestimable value and pro-
lection to both the governments of
Canada and the United states was
when Captain Anderson was employed
Jointly by Canada and the United
states to survey the boundary between
the two countries. Ouellette was re-
luested by both to use his influence
with the Indians in the protection of
The surveyors property and the lives
If his men. For this work he was