Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-13

the bastion trained outward along the
wall upon the door of the fort when tn,
next band of Blackfeet came in t.
trade. Two or three of the chief
would then be admitted. and while the
door was crowded with Indians, the
cannon would be discharged into the
mass. and at the same time the chiefs
would be shot down within the fort
The plan only partly succeeded. Char
don opened fire on the chiefs. but be-
fore Harvey could set off the cannon
the Indians had begun to scatter
Three Indians were killed and three
wounded. including one of the chiefs
Harvey killed the wounded man with
his knife and scalped him.
Another of Harvey's atrocious deeds
was the killing of an Indian in a par
ticularly bruta! and cold FLOODED man.
ner. 1t happened that a party of five
indians were suspected by Harvey of
having shot at some cattle belonging to
the post. tie took a horse and went
in pursuit. Overtaking one of the In
dams, he shot at him and broke the
mans thigh. The Indian fell to the
ground and lay there, and when Harvey
reached him he sat down beside him.
He then proceeded to light his pipe
and made the wounded man smoke with
him. He then said: II am going to
kill you, but before you die l will let
you take a good look at the pleasant
land you are leaving" The Indian
begged for his life, but. after a time
spent in haunting his victim, Harvey
killed the Indian and scalped him.
Abandon and Burn Fort McKenz
After the attempted massacre of the
Blackfeet with the cannon, described
above. Chardon and Harvey. knowing
that they had started a bloody feud
with the Blackfect, prepared to aban-
don Fort Mckenzie, which had been
one of the most profitable outposts
maintained by the company. They sent
a detachment TO the mouth of the
Judith river, some distance down the
Missouri. to build another ~stockade. In
SIX weeks it was completed and Char
don named it after himself, Fort +. A.
Chardon. They then burned Fort Nc
kenzie. the site of which is still known
as Fort Brule, or Burned Fort.
Not a particle of trade was carried
on the next winter with the Blackfeet,
and after considerable difficulty Major
was persuaded to return to
the upper Missouri to straighten out
the Blackfeet trade. which he was
able to do. Harvey and Chardon
were discharged, and in 1916 Chardon
died of scurvy.
Harvey went down the river and re-
the following spring as a rival
of the company. He was so de-
spised and hated by the Blackfeet,
however. that he was never able to
build up a trade with them. He was
constantly in fear of his life. both from
he Indians and white. He sought re-
7enge against Major Culbertson by in
the government that Pratte, |
Jhouteau & Co. were selling whiskey
the Indians. This caused an ~investi-
,ation that nearly ruined the company. !
nut a compromise was finally effected
y which a fine of $1,000 was paid.
Harvey after that continued tt skulk
n the Missouri river bottom. He was
,nown to have committed half q dozen
r more murders at various times, but
le escaped punishment and died in 1853
q a small trading post he had built at
,racon du Nez, a few miles below the
lite of Fort Benton.
The old men Of the Blackfeet tribe