The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-11-06

O4444SV OOOA ~
His name, Plenty Coups, came to
him from the fact that ne earned W
coups, synonymous with the white
mans medal for valor. Each was rep
resented by a feather on his coup stick.
and early settlers much trouble. He
was variously called Plenty Coves,
Plenty Coues, Plenty Cows and Plenty
Coos.
The earliest recorded contact Of
Plenty Coups with the whites, was in
1876, as a leader of Grow Indian scouts
who were with General Crook at the
battle of the Rosebud, two weeks be-
fore the battle of the Little Big Horn,
by the Sioux.
The Crow and Shoshone scouts prob
ably saved Crooks troops from q fate
similar to Clusters when they discov-
cred the ambuScade Of Crazy Horse
and his several thousand followers and
rushed back with the warning.
Plenty Coups was one OF h chief
of 1880, ratified in 1882, by which the
Crows surrendered the western part of
their domain, including the mountain
GUS country west Of the Boulder river.
He is credited with driving a shrewd
bargain by which the government was
to pay $4,000 a year for Is years to
the Crows, in addition to certain an
nual payments IN rations, cattle and
individual annuities.
When the government conducted an
inquiry into Crow leases which had
been secured by q Colorado syndicate,
and which were protested by Billings
business men, 3 commission which Wis
tied the Indians to ascertain to what
extent the leases had been Endorsed by
the various chieftains,- found that
Plenty Coups had Al lodges in his
only 80. , -
Others of the principal chiefs at the
time were Iron Bull, spokesman for the
Crows at the Northern Pacific driving
Of the golden spike" Yellow Crane,
Two Belly, Old Cuts, Old Dog. who
treaty Of 1890; Medicine Crow and Bell
Rock. Pretty Eagle, whom the govern
ment later recognized as the ranking
chief, had at that time only IS lodges.
A Sacrifice to Angry Spirits
The Crows were frequent visitors to
Coulson, and later to Billings, after
that city "a founded. The site of
Billings was known to them as THE
Place Of Many Skulls" from a tradi-
ton in the tribe which told Of a ter
rible scourge Of smallpox which once
q - " ~ PSSkAS SetA4AHSN
there, and which continued until the
survivors fled from the spot, and three
young men spurred their blindfolded
horses to death leaps over high cliffs
along the Yellowstone river to appease
the angry spirits to whose displeasure
they attributed the visitation of the
plague.
The Crows, camped across the river
from the settlement, still were on their
reservation. They called the town
"A-Mun-A-Puska," or "the place where
they say wood" due to the fact that
there was always or more SawmillS
in operation there from the time that
the first lumber was sawed at old
coulson by Perry Meadow in 1878.
That Plenty Coups was as energetic
in adapting himself to farming and
stock raising as in Indian warfare or
the negotiation of treaties with the
pale faces. is indicated by the recorded
fact that in 1885 he brought to Billings
a quantity of potatoes which he had
grown on his own farm. References to
Plenty Coups in early Billings news
papers were for the most part com
plimentary. One item, however, said:
THAT old Hebrew, Plenty Coups. is
again camped near Billings, but traders
are giving him a wide BERTH" It was
at least recognition of his ability to
get the best of a bargain.
Often in the early days Plenty Coups
pitched the tepees of his band near
the ranch of Thomas McGirl at Hunt
lev. McGirl was one of his most trust
ed friends. Once during the winter
when he had camped close to the Nc
Girl ranch. Plenty Coups came to Nc
Girl and told him that thieves had
driven off their horses and left his en-
tire band .afoot. McGirl lent Plenty
Coups and his braves horses with
which to pursue the thieves. It was in
midwinter. and the Indians tracked
the horses in the SNOW into the Lake
Basin country. finally locating them
late at night in a corral at a lone
cabin.
On the Trail Of Stolen Horses
crept no to a window Of the cabin. They
could make out the forms Of two white
men asleep within. The other Indian
raised his rifle to shoot. but Plenty
COINS restrained him. although he told
McGirl afterwards that INV heart was
black within me-" Silently the Indians
rounded up the horses and. back
tracked. leaving the white men afoot.
At. another time. in February. 1895.
five Piepan Indians stole 52 horses be-
loneing to Plenty Gowns and also I'M
Citv.
PLENTY Coups and three other In
dams. accomnanied nv ever white
men. trailed the Pierans and came no
with them in Hailstone basin. In the
battle which followed. two Of the white
: were killed and two wounded. TnaIr
ct the Piegans were killed. The firth
was wounded but escaped. All Of the
! horses were recovered.