Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-10-16

: Jim BeckwOurth, like the famous
scout, Charles Rose, made his
home for a time with the Crows,
who believed him to be a member
of their tribe. He has left an auto
biography that explains how this
belief arose. His deeds Of proves
lose nothing In the telling, and il
has been stated that not content
with his own astonishing adven-
lures he has drawn largely from
those of Rose.
According to his telling he was quite
remarkable as a fighter, always ending
! victor against fearful Odds We are
| told in his story, the men he accom-
4 panied were once surrounded and at
tackled by $500 Blackfeet. These they
vanquished and put to flight, after the
{ ground was streWn with wounded and
dead Indians. The white men reaped
a rich harvest of CORY scalps, which
they bore away, and evidently used
them for decorative purposes, on their
tents or cabins
1t is common knowledge that the
Crows and Blackfeet were deadly enc
mics. A band of the former happened
to fall in with the victorious whites
and seeing the immense number of
ScalpS displayed, were anxious to learn
their history, possibly moved by a
tlngllng sensation in their 0Wn scalps. 4
and wishing to assure themselves those /
they saw never belonged to any of
Ostensibly the Crows were friends
OF the whites, but they stole horses /
whenever and wherever they found /
them, regardless of the color of the I
owners skin, and the early-day white
man was none too lenient in the treat
ment Of horse thieves.
one OF the white men with Beck
a !
spoke their language. He acted as in
terpreter, telling the interrogatOrs the
scalpS were taken from Blackfeet in a
great battle. This news naturally graft
fled the Crows, who wanted to know
all about the battle. OF course, their
informant told them Beckwourth won
The day and gathered in most of the
Scalps.
This made the Crows stil more curl
could not hear enough
about the valient warrior
The Blackfeet had won the reputa-
ion Of being the tribe most to be {
dreaded Of all west of the Missouri. S
No wonder the Crows could not be
satisfied with any meager particulars s
'egarding the hero, Beckwourth. !
Who was hep" Where did he come
rom?" How CHANGED he to be with /
his party?" and many more OF like s
nature were asked until the interpreter. {
vearied by their questions, took to I
r
He told them that Beckwourth was
eally a Crow. Il
How could that be?" they asked.
In this manner" replied the inter- S
reter. Many years ago, you and the b
,heyenneS fought a great battle You Il
0St, and the CheyenneS returned a
ONE, taking with them a large num- s.
er Of your women and children" p
That IS true" assented the ques- j
oners. Il
well, this man Beckwourth was one it
the children they carried away" al
Astonished at the news, the Grows
aStened homeWard to spread the glad W
dings, that one of the children cap d
red from them by the Cheyennes, re-
as bought by the whites, and now nj
ved with them. He had become a W
oted, brave that even the Blackfeet m
This news caused much excitement nj
the crow village. Every old woman al
nose son was captured in the battle be
long ago, felt assured Beckwourth be
ust be that one, and kept the re- &c
rned warriors busy answering uues- 70
onS concerning him. until they could
mpath1ze with the interpreter. but.
hike him, they were not gifted In
DO
About this time BeckWourth's party rs
yided, the companies going In differ isg
L directions. That Of which Beck adj
'urth was a member, and also Bridger on
arted for the Grow country. This re- sta
iced Beckwourth, as being now con-
Tered one Of that tribe, he would re-
i've a cordial welcome from them. 2
The two Jims trapped together along sna
beaver streams on the way. and TO- TO-
&c Bridger found beaver, trap. float Of
lie and line that BeckWourth had lost in
an unaccountable manner. It hap yea
ned that a buffalo crossing the
cam where the trap was SET. be-
me entangled in the line attached G
the trap, carrying beaver, trap and o one
to the further side of the Stream com con-
lore Kidding itself Of the line. pia,
AnoCler day, the two men separated the
hunt or trap, when Beckwourth tina
aged into the midst of a herd of
rseS, he knew at once were not wild !
ey belonged to Crows, who now sur sig
lnded him, taking him cantive tn ste