The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-01-01

Many also who were well disposed
toward the whites, feared the occult
power with which SwOrdbearer was
credited and would make no stand
against him. There were few Indians
perhaps, ever among the Crows, who
would not have welcomed a d%eliverer
who would have restored their old
hunting grounds, brought back the
buffalo and driven out the whites.
Might not Swordbearer be such a
one?
An incident a few days later served
to increase the power of S~wordbearer
to an even greater extent. There
was a Hotchkiss gun at the fort and
Swordbearer told his followers that
he would put a spell over it so that
it could not be used. The next day
the gun vas fired at target practice
and on the recoil the fastenings
I bursted.
With the arrival Of more troops,
an order was sent to all the Crow
chiefs to come in to the agency. With
great reluctance, the different groups
obeyed the order. A snow delayed
operations and the soldiers waited
for it to melt. Troops from Missoula,
however, were thrown out toward
Lodge Grass to intercept retreat to
the mountains. At length all the
chiefs were in but Bob-tail Crow and
~Plentycoups.
Bob-tail Crow, it developed was or
a visit to some other tribe and Plenty
cOOps was up in the mountains
mourning for a wife who had died
the week before. known even theI
as a friend of the whites, no one
doubted the sincerity of his mourn
ing, but a message was sent him tt
cut short the ~obseQuies and come il
to the agency.
S~wOrdbearer finally came to thu
agency, boasting that the soldier
would not dare arrest him. The sol
diers, however, awaited the arriva
: of Plenty COops from the mountain
: before taking any action. The In
) dams were camped around tn
agency, fearful of what might hap
pen, uncertain which way to turn
There was fear in Billings too, a
= the reports began to drift in wit.
exaggerated rImors of trouble
There was a report that two me
D were killed on Reno creek. 'Uncl
s Billy Hamilton on the scene of az
q ton sent a ~reassuring message '"Te
s the ladies for me that there is nc
4 the slightest danger for them" H
). said that the hostile Indians ha
o Door gun insufficient ammunition
0 and half of them did not want I
b fight.
Plenty Coos Arrives
: Finally Plenty COOps arrived an
the long delayed attempt to arre
3 THE ~ringleadeTs vas to be mad
General Kruger sent James Campbe
. and Tobacco Jake to the camp
al the Indians demanding the surrendu
le of seven men who had fired into Il
b agency.
The Indians Of warlike inclinatiC
d then formed in a long line whi
le S~wOrdbearer and other chiefs we
re up and down harangueing them, ur
er ing war. The old Indians and won
TT and other peaceably inclined flock.
to the agency buildings to avoid t
D. impending fight. SwOrdbearer's
Of dams scattered in the brush alO.
DO the river from whence they start
er firing at the soldiers.
ny Troops Dispense Warriors
be Gen. RUger sent troops down t
he valley to the left to Outflank the
d, dians. These were met by the India
ID. and several red-hot skirmishes to
as place. Corporal Simpson was kill
'er and Private Eugene MallOy v
es. wounded. Private Clarke was thro'
as from his horse and his shoulder &
re located.
i'm SWOrdbearer Is Killed
of The Hotchkiss gun was put in
ELS ton to clear out the Indians fr
Ost some Of the patches of brush fr
ed which they were sending a gall
to fire among the soldiers. One Of
SITS explosives fell underneath an Ind
and his horse killing both.