Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-19

age ensued. Men, women, children
and babes in arms were indiscrimi-
nately killed, only three or four men
OF the big camp escaping. Kipp after
wards had hard time in convincing
the Piegans that he had tried his best
to save their kindred, but they
| finally believed him."
! A somewhat differing account of tho
massacre is told in "Massacres Of the
Mountains" by Jacob Piatt Dunn, Jr.,
N. S., LII. B., published by Harper &
] Brothers in 1886, which after reciting
the story of the depredations leading
up to the issuance of orders to strike
the Indians at once, tells the following:
| Dunn's Version
'The Blackfeet were all in British
America. The bloods were in two rar-
ties. one across the British line, and
| one above the Red coulee on the Ma
rias. The Piegans were on the same
stream. but lower down, and in sepa-
rate bands, the hostiles being located
at the Big Bend. The camps of Heavy
Runner, Big Lake Chg Leg, Little
Wolf and The Boy were ordered to be
left unmolested, as these chiefs had
proven themselves friendly. Only the
camps of Mountain Chief, Bear Chief
and Red Horn were to be struck The
expedition was put in charge of Col. e.
A. Baker of the Second cavalry, Fort
Ellis. He left that post on January s,
with four companies of cavalry, and
proceeded to Fort Shaw. at which point
ne was reinforced by two companies
Of mounted infantry, and departed
thence to the north ON the 10Th.
The weather was intensely cold, and,
as the success of the expedition de-
pended largely on its secrecy. the
marching was done at night after
reaching the Teton river, on the 18th.
On the night Of the Goth the command
proceeded to the mouth Of Muddy
creek, tributary of the Teton. On
the night Of the 21st they marched
across the country towards the Big
Bend OF the Marias, but were unable
to reach it. They lay all day in /
ravine on the Dry Fork of the Marias
and at night marched on again. About I
. O'Clock on the morning of the 23rd
they reached the camp of Bear Chief
and Red Horn, consisting of 81 lodges.
in the valley of the Marias The at
tack was complete surprise. Small
pox had broken out among the Indians,
causing. them to omit even the slight
precautions that they would naturally
nave observed IN seccure winter
camp. The herd of ponies. over 300
in number. was cut off and secured.
One hundred and seventy three Indians,
including Red Horn, were killed. Only
nine escaped from the place All the
rest. men, women and children. were
either killed or captured Leaving
Lieutenant Doane with detachment
to DESTROY the camp. Colonel Baker
fastened down the river in search of
Mountain Chiefs camp. which was said
to be four miles away, but he found
M 81 BIO hnI
and then only seven deserted lodges.
These were destroyed and the command
then marched to the post of the North
west Fur company, near the Red cou-
lee. where the Blood chiefs were sum-
moned and required to give up the
stolen horses in their possession, after
which the troops returned to their
quarters.
Debate in Congress
In his telegraphic report of the mas
sacre Colonel Baker wrote:
Il am satisfied that the following
numbers approximate as nearly to the
exact truth as any estimate can pos
sibly be made. That the number killed
was 113. Of these there were 100
able men. 53 women and children:
that of captives afterwards reIeased1
14G.''
The attack on the Piegans created
a sensation in the east resulting in the
affair being taken up by congress and
in debate before the committee Of
the whole. Mr.. Voorhees, sid.
When the Indians were Il power N
this land we made war Oh them accord
ing to civilized warfare W. struck
them in manly battle. Now. when they
are poor. broken and miserable rem
nants. corrupted and demoralized, it is
proposed to change on. mode OF war
fare, and smite not merely the warrior,
but the woman and the babe i'll her
arms. | have thought much on this
subject and the more l think of il the
more it fills me with hororr. If. how
ever. we are to change the policy of
the government, let it go forth to the
now If the administra-
ton is to call home its peaceful agents
who are endeayoring to civilize the In.
dams. and to send instead the sword
and the fagot in their midst when they
are in their lodges in the dead OF WIN
ter: to strike them when dying of dis
ease. sparing neither mother nor babe,
till the scream of the last expiring in
FAINT shall be heard in its helpless
agony on the gale. then avow it: avow
it here. avow it boldly and say that In
dian warfare in these days means ex-
rmination-extermina without re-
gard to age. sex. condition of health,
or anything else that usually protects
nom combatants in war.
The debate, wrote Dunn. resulted in
nothing but call for the correspond
ance from the war and interior depart
ments. it having been shrewdly treated
as democrats attack on General
Sheridan. by the friends of the admin
istration. although republican began
the criticism and others Tlded in it