The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-10-15
WHEN OLD FORT UNION WAS LAST OUTPOST OF CIVILIZATION
AND KENNETH AKENzDE WAS OVERLOAD OF UPPER MISSOURI

I for, as found out afterward, the.
were not allowed to go to table il
shirt sleeves. One of them, perceiv
ing that l was coatless, was SO kline
as to lend me coat, and SO we start
ed for supper. On entering the eat.
ing hall, found sp1endidly sci
table with very white tablecloth
and two walters, one a negro Mr.
Mckenzie was sitting at the head of
the table, extremely well dressed.
Mr.. Mckenzie, who played the nabo5,
went to bed late, and rose later, and
as nothing could be served TIL he
was ready, it was nine O'Clock before
we got to breakfast"
| 1t was here that one of the most
desolating plaques of history ragged,
| the smallpox scourge of 1897, sweep
ing from this fort and Fort Clark ont
over the prairies and, according to
Audubon, taking a toll of $50, 900
lives. Every day one or more cant
loads of corpses were dumped over
the bluff into the river.
Audubon, in his journal, gives a
vivid description of the plague.
Blanket Carried Death to Thousands
Early in the spring of 1897" he
writes, 1.-THE steamer Assinniboine ar
rived at Fort Clark, with several
cases of smallpox on board. There
an Indian stole a blanket belonging
to a Waterman on the boat, who was
then at the point of death, and took
it away to SOW the seeds of this dis
ease among his tribe, which caused
his own death and the death of thous-
ands of his nation.
when it was known that he had
taken it, benevolent person on the
boat went to one of the chiefs, told
him the fatal consequences that
would follow, and offered to give a |
new blanket and a reward besides if |
he would have it returned; but sus-
picion, fear or shame prevented the |
man from giving it up, and the pes
thence broke out and began to |
spread among the Mandans at first |
to which nation the chief belonged |
"Most of the Indians were distant
80 miles at the time, killing buffa-
loes and preparing their winter food; |
and the whites sent an express beg
ging them not to return to their VII
lagos, and telling them of the fatal
The Indians sent back
word that they would return to their
and face the danger, which
they thought was imaginary. Word
was again sent them that certain des-
would attend their return;
but it was all in vain, come back they
and come back they did, and
the plague began in its most malig-
rant form, their habits and improper
food making them ready prey, and
q few hours sometimes terminating
the loathsome disease by death.
Stricken Indians Threaten Whites
1.-THE Mandans were enraged be-
cause at first it was confined to them
and they supposed the whites had ,
caused it, and saved themselves and
the Ricarees from the pestilence; and
they threatened the lives of all thet7
former, supposing they had medi-
cine to prevent it, which they would
not give them. But by-andby Rica-
rees and whites died also; the dis !
ease increased in malignity-hun-
1reds died daily, and their bodies !
we're thrown beneath the bluffs and \
treated an intoIerable stencil, which {
added to its fatality. Men shot each ]
,ther when they found they were at J
one man killed his wife and t
children, and then loaded his gun c
ind, placing the muzzle in his mouth, t
ouched the trigger with his toe and
New out his own brains. One young S
.hief made his friends dig a grave q
or him, and putting on his war 7
obes, he tottered out to it, singing
lis death song, and jumping in, cut e
lis body nearly in two with knife,
Ind was buried there; and others L
committed suicide after they were a
.ttacked rather than die of the loath- e
ONE disease. 1t
S
Them were Americas happy days t