The Bozeman courier., 1926-10-08
HOW She Got Her Name

Different stories have told or the
manner in which Calamity" got her
peculiar name. However, the one
which seems to have been given
more general credence is that this
resulted from an episode of the Gus
ter campaign. 1t was an incident
most characteristic of the woman,
and transpired while Calamity was
attached to the forces of Captain
Egan, commander of the army post
on Goose creek.
There was a skirmish with the Indians
during which the commander was shot and
severely wounded. 1t was Calamity Jane
who saved him from worse fate. She rode
into the melee where Captain Egan lay un-
protected, on the ground with a circle Of
grinning savages around him, waiting for
the sign from their leader to finish the
business they had begun. Calamity began
action by killing the leader and any others
who remained within reach of her gun. At
the same time she managed to place Cap
tain Egan, weak and helpless, before her,
on her saddle and horses neck; and, as she
had, for a time, subdued the Indians, took
her charge in haste to the post There his
life was saved.
When the wounded captain was recover
| ing, he called the scout in to thank her.
around in time of calamity" he told her,
land so 1 hereby christen you Calamity
Jane, the heroine of the plains"
An Indian Fighter
| Perhaps it was the memory of the fate
of her own parents remained long with
Calamity, prompting many daring and
heroic deed. At least she made many re-
scues Of people who would have otherwise
been killed by hostile Indians. Many OF
the pioneers who crossed the plains in the
seventies may, perhaps, have Calamity tC
| thank in that their families did not suffer
a bloody fate. In this connection, DR.. vii
liam A. Allen, in his Adventures with In
dians and Game" makes the following re
ference to Calamity Jane:
| "At Spearfish we were to reJOin our
main party, which was there In camp.
We started across a country looking
beautiful with the advent Of spring. The
rich grass was matted on the earth and
pine trees dotted the landscape. Parks
were numerous and the antelOpes rOamed
over a thousand hills, while the huge
buffalOeS in great herds wandered care
lesSly about, scarcely noticing our pres
ence. We made a hard ride and reached
Spearfish about dark, for we had lost the
route and gone out of our way. AS we
| passed up the valley we were surprised
/ to see a white woman riding toward us at
full gallOp and leading pack. We sus-
pected that it was Calamity Jane and
pulled up as she approached.
How! How! said she, Where are
you fellows goingY ITO Spearfish,' we
answered. Well, you had better get to
| Red Water Crossing, because there is a
| party there cOrrdleO Dy INDIANS, anu
there are some women in the bunch.
would go with you, boys but have this
dispatch to take to Custer City. Take the
trail and follow my tracks and you are
Calamity Jane was a noted female
scout of the western frontier from 1870
her daring intrepidity, her rapidity OF
movement and her deadly skill with fire
arms, as well as the qualities she dis
played as rider, causing the Indians to
consider her as possessed of supernatural
powers. ~.
The timely warning Of this woman scOU
= resulted in the party at Red Water Cross
, ing being saved.
Saves the "DeadwOOd MaiT' Coach
Perhaps the most thrilling Of her man
reseues took place in the Black Hills i
1876 when the "DeadWOOd Mali stagecOac
OF the famous Overland line, on the rOut
from DeadwOOd to Wild Birch was SUI
rounded by Indians. This was at a tim
when the feeling between the natives an
the invading whites was at it most bite
: stage Calamity Jane was the only We
man passenger of the coach which wa
rumbling along the trail The reds ol
dered the driver, Jack McCaull, to stop. d.
: spite the fact that he Obeyed, he was she
4 and seriously wounded with poisoned al
row. Then the Indians sat waiting fC
some one Of the whites seated in the cOac
to mount the drivers seat in McCaull
place, and thus furnish them another tai
get.
It was a desperate situation. McCauII
ibOdy lay limp in the boot of the coach, on
arm resting on the dashboard. In anOthE
moment, the horses, frightened and free
OF restraint, would have lunged from Ii
lroad. The six men passengers.sat cowerin
INSIDE the coach and, It was Calamity Jan
who proceeded to action. She climbed. in
mediately into McCaull's place. completed
ignoring the Indians. Jerking the horse
back to road she whipped them into
gallOp and took the stage with its passer
gers and wounded driver into Wild Birc
safely and In good time.
This McCauu was the same man who,
few months later, murdered "Wild Bill
HickOk, one Of Calamity James best friend
Saves q Friends Life
Another story is told OF the cOolness
action Of this frontier woman, in whic
she her0cially stood by a cOmrade IN II
face OF greatest peril. She was out ridin
with "Buckskin" Frank, also known
Antelope" Frank, another famous wester
character, when the two suddenly f0un
themselves surrounded by Indians. II
pair rode for it,, but Franks horse fe
into the ditch and broke its leg.
Ride Tor your life" said Buckskin.
can take care Of myself"
Damned II I win, Buck" replied Calan
Aty, II stay right here with you and we
see how many Of those redskins we ca
u drop"
They opened fire on the warriors an
were able 70 force them to a retreat wit