The Fort Peck press., 1936-04-02
Most Remarkable Indian Battle in
State Three Trappers VS.. 1900 Reds

I'LL AhC P1OAACSl app
and gold seekers took danger and
death as a matter of course; it was
all in h days work. A close brush
with the grim reaper was little
thought of and soon forgotten.
The written records of Indian fight
ing are confined largely to the battle
between soldiers and the red men. Man
: of these are sufficiently thrilling.
Perhaps no more remarkable India
battle ever was fought in Montan
than that which took place in the Pryo
mountains in Big Horn county, Jun
"a, 1875, between three prospectors an
1,500 Sioux Indians, who had taken tn
war path and were fomenting tn
trouble that eliminated in the Ne
Perces war and the wiping out of Gus
ter'S command. 1t is the story OF
determined, plucky fight against over
whelming odds that deserves to go OF
record as an example of GOODNESS an(
bravery typical of the men who blazee
trails.
In this fight the three prospector<
were caught apart, wholly surprised
and compelled to fight singly for theil
lives against odds of 500 to l..
A few days before the fight, Taze-
we'll Woody, Lew Hubbell and Charles
Cooke, three of the best known trap
pers, prospectors and Indian fighters
| of the Yellowstone valley, left the Old
| Mission, situated a few miles below
where Livingston stands today, and
then a famous outpost, on a prospecting
expedition. Woody, an experienced In
dian fighter, smelled trouble and want
ed to return, as the tracks of the reds
showed him they were in great force.
His companions argued against going
back, and when Woody yielded, the
three rode on through PryOr'S Gap and
went into camp the evening of June
% IN a little stream called Beauvaix
creek, which empties into the Big Horn
river. The following morning they were
astir early, but no earlier than a horde
watching their movements and had
waited till daylight to attack.
Hubbell had gone up the creek to
string some traps and Cooke down
stream IN the same GRAND, while
Woody was working in the vicinity Of
the camp, so the three were we'll scat
tered when Cooke saw a large party of
him at the same instant and fired
a volley. Cooke fired in return and
killed one of their horses, leaping, as
soon as he shot, into the brush, and
to work back toward camp.
Soon he came upon Woody and they
heard heavy firing up the creek, which
told them that Hubbell was also fight
MS way III, IOr Cne SnOOClIg came
gradually nearer.
Hubbell reached a ridge about 400
yards from the creek and concluded it
was the safest place, although 200 In
were firing at him and the bullets
Whistled about him on all sides. Hubbell
hit one Indian II broke his arm, and
as the white nan was crouching now
behind a rim of rocks in an advan-
position, the Indians withdrew
a short distance. Hubbell made a break
for the creek and the attackers closed
in on him, firing and then retreatMg.
he did not reply with his rifle, the
Indians must have thought he was out
Of ammunition, for soon three of them
him. He shot two of them,
which stopped the attack for a few
minutes, during which he made a run
,or the camp.
In such a fight as they knew was in
the return of Hubbell was a
source of joy to his companions.
Soon the Indians posted themselves
IN the surrounding hills and poured a
Killing the latter's horses and shooting
pieces the saddles, flour sacks andl
)ther camp equipage. But the three
orospectors were shooting too, and
With such accuracy that the Indians
presently withdrew from sight. This af-
iorded the whites an opportunity to
lrag up M of the dead horses into
to strengthen their barricade.
Immediately afterward so Indians re-
lppeared, but again they were received
10 warmly they retreated, dragging off
Wo of their dead and leaving a couple
If dead horses. They had hardly dis
appeared when another party of about
he same number came from the OPP
oosite side: The ~prospectors shot so
and with such deadly accuracy
he Indians turned and fled. One of the
eds was pinned alive under his horse,
which had been shot under him. A bull
ct Immediately scattered his brains. =
At time Cooke and an Indian
ired simultaneously at each other at
/ distance of 10 feet. A hole was cut
n Cookies hat and the Indian fell dead
With a bullet through his heart. Cooke
,ooly craWled over and pulled in the :
lead Indian for a breastWork. s
At nightfall the three whites, each
packing a blanket and what food they !
Gould carry, craWled for miles through
he brush. They hid through the next
n travelled again at night. For
100 miles they were constantly trailed
oy a party of the Indians, but the latter
Kept at a respectful distance. After a
of terrible hardship they
the Old Mission again.
Cooke finally went down before a
lille in the hands of a Sioux. 1t was in
1916, during the Black Hills excitement
hat he and Hubbell had again set out
Tor Pryor creek in search of beaver.
Reaching there they set some traps and s
killed a buffalo. Next morning they
separated to visit their traps. Soon {
Iubbell heard firing and hurried back
camp. Twelve Sioux rushed
out of cover and fired at him, but,
SO yards to cover and shot the chief
the party. He lay in hiding all that
lay and at night struck out for the
settlement. Cookies body was
found by Grow Indians. 1t was leaning
against a tree and it was plain that he
had been placing a cartridge IN his
rifle, when he was shot through the ,
head. y