The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-01-04
WALSH KEPT
PEACE ON BORDER
INDIANS AND UNSCRUPULOUS
TRADERS BOTH RESTRAINED
BY POLICE GARRISON
Here United States Commissioners
Met Sitting Bull and His Chiefs
and Were Subjected to What In
dams Intended as Great Insult: In
PRODUCTION Of Squaw to Council.

In the trOublous days of Montana's
early development, the Northwest
Mounted Police of Canada served an
efficient partnership with the sheriff
of Chouteau county in suppressing
the operations of the whisky trader
and the horse thief and generally in
keeping the peace of the border.
Within the limits of the present prov
inces of Alberta and Saskatchewan
forts were established. Of these the
most closely associated with the
early history Of this state was Fort
Walsh, erected in the spring of 1875
in a fertile valley in the Cypress
hills, a short distance across the line,
and abandoned in 1888 when the
Canadian Pacific was extended across
the prairies. Scarcely a vestige of
this old outpost, the nearest of all
the forts to the border, remains, and
its site is now occupied by a large and
prosperous ranch. Here the United
States commission headed by General
Terry in October, 1877, met in con-
ference with Sitting Bull and his as
ISOLATED Indian chiefs in a vain at
tempt to induce the defeated Sioux
to accept the pardon of the American
president and return across the line.
Here the American commission was
subjected to one of the worst insults
ever offered by an Indian to a white
mantle introduction of a squaw
to the council.
Named After It's Founder
The fort was named after it's foun-
der, Inspector ]. M. Walsh of B di-
vision of the police, in accordance
with instructions to proceed to the
Cypress hills to choose a location for
outpost which should serve to
keep in check the wandering bands
of Crees, Salteaux, Assinniboines,
Sioux and other tribes neal the inter
national boundary. These Indians,
many of them members of tribes in
The United States, particularly Mon
lana, we're subjected to many tempta-
lions by traders who crossed the bor-
Ter when the red men went north to
aunt buffalo.
''The red hunters of the Cypress
writes A. l.. Hayden, the his
orian of the mounted police, "must
gazed with considerable sur
)IlS0 DIT Iu0 lOuS WdSOu lldlu anu
string of uniformed riders toiling
lowly owed the plains from the
outh. But they were more surpris-
ID still to see the high, square stock
de of the fort rear itself, with it's
'astions at the four corners, and its
all staff in the center from which
loated the British flag. Strategical-
y considered, the new post was not
a very strong position, for it lay
n a valley bordered by precipitous
ush-clad hills, which would have af-
orded vantage-ground to an enemy.
he site was hastily chosen; winter
yas upon the heels of Inspector
Valsh's little force, and they had to
ind shelter without delay.
Inspector Bluffs Sioux Chief
"In those days when the painted
onies to treat with the commanding :
fficer, many were the interesting I
Genes enacted at the historic old
ort. Several times a tragedy was
arrowly averted by the presence of
lind and bold bearing of the inspec-
Or and his officers. On one occa-
ion a large number of Sioux, follow
RS of the r~edoubtable chief, Sitting
'u1I, skulked in the underbrush of
hillsides and were ready for any
xcuse to fire upon the troopers be-
wv. At this critical moment, the
ommander of the little garrison
.ent out bravely, tackled the old
lief in person and bluffed him so