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

benjamin SC1cKney, Jr., u. .. MdHSIlelu
William Simms. D. N. Gillette, E. I
Baker, Felix Pozainsky, L. Benin, w
F. Richardson, Hugh Glenn.
Oct. 8, 1862
Demand Made for Guilty Chiefs
To make the case against the Black
feet blacker. it was found that from
January. 1869, to October, they had
killed 56 whites and had stolen LOCO
head of horses. The murders Of white
gans were rapidly increasing. Almost
every freight train between Helena
and Fort Benton was attacked by
them. Herders were killed almost
within sight 70 the fort. A man by
the name of McQuai and his partner
were murdered while at work at their
mine at Silver City No mans life
was safe and the Indians even pene-
trated almost to the outskirts of Hell
ena. The declaration of the condition
Of affairs came none too soon.
The warrant for the arrest of the
| five murderers of Malcolm Clarke was
given to General Sully, United States
superintendent of Indian affairs for
surrender. The president was informed
! and soon after at a cabinet meeting
General Sully was instructed to demand
the guilty men under threat of war if
the demand was not complied with.
General Sheridan was instructed to
have troops in readiness to back up
the request for the murderers He
selected Colonel Eugene NJ. Baker,
Second United States cavalry, then in
| command at Fort Ellis, and sent him
the instructions mentioned above.
A council of Piegan chiefs, Colonel
Wheeler and General Sully was held
at the Blackfeet agency on the Teton.
After much talk the chiefs agreed to
after II days. But they had no idea
of keeping their promise. The five
guilty chiefs were quickly smuggIed
across the line into Canada and the
Blackfeet supposed they had the laugh
ON Uncle Sam.
When General Sully became convinc-
ed the Blackfeet were acting in bad
faith he notified Colonel Baker and
left matters in his hands He immedi-
ately started from Fort Ellis with five
companies for Fort Shaw. where he
received reinforcements of so men from
the 18th infantry. then stationed at
that post. The plan of campaign was
briefly outlined and on bitterly cold
morning in January, with the mercury
40 degrees below zero, the little band
of 300 men started on their march
Of so miles to the Piegans' winter
village on the Marias.
1t was just breaking daylight on the
morning of Jan. %. 1870. when the
troops came in sight of the sleeping
village. A visit from the United States
troops was thes1ast thing the Piegans
expected at this time. for the limit had
just expired and the Piegans looked
for more negotiations and palaver be-
fore hostilities began. They had reck-
oned. however, without their man.
They didn't know Baker. And it was
the last thing in their minds that an
attack would be made in such freez-
ing. Arctic weather. 1t was a new ex-
they that not even a guard was posted
to give warning and the cold weather
had driven the dogs to shelter for
warmth.
Fight Becomes General
Stealthily and carefully the troops
crept up on the sleeping and unsus-
peeting village, of Piegans, and soon a
Gordon was drawn tight around the
Indians. Care was taken to shut off
the horse corral. and it was accom-
plished without arousing the least
alarm. A moment after trooper rode
in near tepee and the tramp of the
horses hoofs on the hard ground
brought an Indian to his feet.
He came out of the tepee with his rifle
in his hand and the next moment there
was dead trooper on the ground
Then the fight became general.
Colonel Baker gave orders to keep up
a steady fire on the village until the
last sign of resistance had ceased. and
the words were hardly out of his mouth
before the Piegans poured out of their
tepees and began Il fight for life in
returning the deadly fire of the rtoops.
In few minutes they were forced to
take shelter, such as it afforded. in
their tepees. through which they cut
holes in order to keep up their fire.
was scene which beggars de-
scription. The Piegans fought like
trapped demons, but there was no
hope for them. The bullets of the
troops searched every tepee, every
hiding place and in nearly every case
found billets. For nearly an hour the
fight was kept up. but with lessening
vigor. for the Indians were falling fast
and heavy cloud of smoke was hang
ing in the sharp. quiet, frosty air when |
the firing ceased and the demand for
surrender made
One hundred and seyenty-three
Piegan warriors were killed. together !
with 80 women and children. Only |
eight escaped. The Piegans had GER !
tainly paid frightful penalty for the |
murder of Malcolm Clarke. And the
whitening skulls and crumbling bones |
on that old battlefield for many years
told the story Of the white man S |
vengeance.
kipp Witnessed Battle
One of the witnesses IF the mas !
sacre. who was most deeply concerned |
in the wholesale killings and who !,
stroye against overwhelming odds to
prevent them. was Joseph kipp. one |
of the prominent stockmen and traders !
of the Blackfeet reservation, who died |
at Browning. Dec. Il. 1913. Kipp |
was the son Of James Kipp, French |
Canadian. and of -kwi-ah- ki !
{ Earth Womanl who was daughter |
of the great Mandan chief, Man-to-to- !
pah (Four Bearsl. |
Kipp's connection with the Piegan |
massacre 10 told in the sketch of his I
life, written by James Willard Schultz. |
published in the Great Falls Tribune /
Of July s. 1914 That reference to the |
massacre follows:
I'm 1869 young Kipp became an |
army scout and was stationed at Fort |
Shaw when Colonel Baker was ordered |
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