The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-10-19
Am INCIDENT OF THE NEE PERCES WAR; HOW CHIEF JOSEPH
SAWED LIVES OF GEORGE GOvvAM AND TWO 0RNE PRISONERS

S opening about half mile in width,
g during which time he would practi-
caIly be without cover. He had pro-
f ceeded perhaps half way across the
D opening when suddenly he saw an OBJ
: ject in the timber which he took to
! be a horseman. Thinking that no
j doubt it was an Indian he did his best
t to conceal himself in the grass. He
/ watched very closely in that direc-
| tion and soon two horsemen rode into
view and he discovered them to be
white men. He began waving his
: hand frantically to attract their at
tention.
Scouts Find Cowan
They soon saw his signal and came
to him very cautiously, riding with
their guns ready for instant action.
When they were close enough to him
they asked him who he was. He re-
piled, telling them his name and that
he had escaped from the Indians.
They informed him that two members
of his party had been rescued by Cen
eral Towards soldiers and he knew
who they were from the description,
one being William Dingee, his cook
The scouts told him that they were
taking provisions from General How
ards command to Captain S. G. Fish
er's Indian scouts, who were about
two days in advance and it was then
that Cowan learned that the party
which had passed him was a part of
General Towards command. The
scouts had a pack horse loaded with
hard tack, bacon, and brown sugar
and they gave him ten hard tack, a
piece of fat bacon about the size of
his hand, a tin cup full of brown
sugar and an army overcoat. They
carried him about three-quarters of
a mile to a place where the troops
would be sure to find him. They ar
ranged little camp for him, building
fire, and fixed him up as comfort
able as possible, telling him that the
troops would be there about the next
evening.
Cowan wrapped up in the overcoat
and after a supper fell asleep. Some
time during the night he awoke and
found that his fire had spread into
the needles around him and was run
ming up the small trees nearby. He
glanced hastily around and saw a
couple of hundred yards away, an
open piece of ground where he
thought that he would be safe from
the fire, but in order to reach this
place it would be necessary for him
to crawl through a strip of timber.
When he reached the timber he found
that the fire was burning in the
needles, though he had not noticed it
before After hesitating for mo-
ment or two he decided that he must
crawl through to the open ground,
which he did. In doing so he burned
both hands and his body quite severe
ly. After reaching the open ground
he arranged himself as best he could
and awaited the coming of the troops.
1t was about noon when they dis
covered him. General Howard, rid
ing up to where he lay, dismounted,
and asked him who he was. He told
him his name and his experience. He
then turned to his aide-de-camp and
stated, "Mr. Cowan, / have good news
for YOU" at the same time asking
his aide for the message that they
had received short time before. The
message stated that Mrs. Cowan, her
sister, and her brother had been res
,ued by Lieutenant Scoffield, who, in
command of troop of cavalry, had
net the party while on a scouting
expedition.
Chief Joseph Saves Women
1t seems that Charley and his
)and had taken Mrs. Cowan, her sis
er, and her brother, back to the main
BODY of Indians after shooting Mr.
Jowan and leaving him for dead
Chief Joseph took charge of the cap
ives and kept them near him during.
he night. That night it began to-
ain and Chief Joseph's wife left her
,ed and securing the wagon cover
hat had been taken from the bag
rage wagon placed it over the cap
ives so that they would not get wet.
n the morning after feeding the cap
ives, Chief Joseph placed them upon
ONE broken down Indian horses and
rdered Poker Joe, sub-chief, to
scort them TO a certain distance
rom the camp and to direct them
ow to reach the settlements. Mrs.
'owan did not hear for month that
er husband was alive. She believed
II that time that he had been killed
nd she was overjoyed when the
ews came to her that he had been
4