Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-05-06

lied that I looked Just like the trappers
with whom / was an associate Uncle
Billy once remarked. II was prouder of
that suit han of anything l ever Sc
cured, unless it may have been my first
scalp and my first buffalo"
Up to his last days, Mr.. Hamilton pos
sessed a most retentive memory. and the
incidents akin to his first westward jour
ney, he could wildly portray, even when
he was well past 85 years of age.
To the Wilderness
This trip from independence took the
small party through a country toward
the north. which was infested by hostile
Indians. The first friendly nation-the
Cheyennes-Were encountered ON the
North Platte river. White Antelope was
their chief and his son, Swift Runner
took quite a fancy to young Hamilton. as
did Chief Roman Nose, a young Sioux
twho later gained fame in Indian wars)
Hamilton was guided through the i'm
mense village of lodges by these two lads
who invited him to accompany them the
following day to the nearby buffalo coun-
try, where the tribesmen had planned @
hunt. This was about ten miles distant
from the village.
Swift Runner and Roman Nose pos
sessed the fastest Indian horses in the
party, but Hamilton rode his Kentucky
Runner. which was perhaps then the
fieetest animal in the entire west. The
two young Indians brought down the
first cows, but Hamilton got the third
bison, his shot breaking the animals
back. On this hunt he killed four, and
his friends took much pleasure in teach
ing him how to remove the hide and
dress the meat.
The daring riding and unusual bravery
of Roman Nose was to young Hamilton
the most interesting feature OF this
memorable days outing, and it was nc
surprise to him in later years, hen he
learned that this same Roman Nose hac
earned the recognition of the mighties1
chief of the Cheyenne nation. Roman
Nose met death at the hands Of Genera,
Forsyth on Republican river in 1866
When the trappers left the Cheyenne
camp, the three youths had become ucf
close friends that Swift Runner presented
to Hamilton the horse he had ridden dur
ing the buffalo hunt.
Made Friends with Indians
Uncle Billy" Hamilton throughout hi
entire career seemed to possess a peculiar
knack for making friends with the som
of Indian chiefs; for when the trappel
party had reached the mouth Of Sweet.
water river on the upper reaches of the
Platte, they came pom one hundred
lodges of Arapahoes under Chief yellow
Bear, father OF Yellow Bear who was sew,
eral years later killed on Sane creek b,
Colonel C%hivington, and the two boys be.
came close friends while the trading wa
in progress.
1t was here, also, that Hamilton frs
saw the Grow Indians. Strange as it ma,
seem, these Crows comprised an unfriend
ly war party. 1.-THE Crows have almosf
always been friends with the whites
However, upon the receipt of tobacco ane
other presents, these Crows were induced
to move on without trouble.
Signs of H0stiles
From Sweetwater, the trapper party
wended its way toward the Wind Rive
and Big Horn mountains. hoping to ther,
reach the Shoshones Under chief Wa
shake, a staunch friend of Williams anc
/ afterwards a friend of Hamilton.
No Indians were sighted until afteI
the upper valleys of the Big Horn ane
Wind rivers were reached. Here Evan,
and Russell, two of the trappers, discov.
cred a moccasin. AS 1t was a known fac
that this territory was infested will
~marauding bands of Blackfeet, who cam
from the territory to the north, every
~precaution was taken In anticipation o.
a surprise attack.
The early morning hours was the IA.
vorite time Of attack by the Piegans anc
other Blackfeet tribes. 1t seemed to bt
their desire to fight the white n Other
enemies under cover of darkness, beint
thus able to conceal themselves by lyinf
down In the tall bunch grass. During the
day, they usually remained under cove
Of the timber when an engagement was
imminent. These traits were demon
strated in the fight which took place the
following morning, in which young Ham
ilton lifted his first scalp"
His First indian Battle
About four o'clock In the morning, the
party was awakened by two shots which
followed a series of b~lood-curdling yells
fierce enough to strike terror to the
hearts of all but the most seasoned OF
plainsnen. Immediately the Indians fired
volley after volley directly into the camp
their weapons being the old style Hud-
sons Bay company flintlock trade guns
and their bows and arrows. The trap
pers were guided In their aim by the
bright flash caused by the firing OF these
old weapons. Two Indians were killed
in the first fusillade from the trapper
camp and when, later in the morning,
an effort was made by one of the reds to
recover the bodies. another savage was
dispatched.
With the approach of daylight, the
Blackfeet disappeared, leaving the bodies
Of their three companions. These were
scalped and the trappers set out in pur-
suit OF marauders. A trail of blood showed
That some OF the Indians had been
wounded, and gave the pursuers a clear
trail. They overlook the war party at a
spring some five miles distant from the
first ARRAY. The trappers divided into
two parties, three of their number re-
naming behind the Indians on the brow
of a Hill with boulder breastworks for
protection. and the others circling
around n entering a grove in tie inn
mediate pathway OF the Blackfeet. There
xxfpro alpvpn Indiana In fho MARTY and txfrn
Of these had been wounded. Caught thus
in q trap, all Of them were killed. In