Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-11-04
Keep Peace With Whites, .
Dying Words of Grow Chief
By ELMO

{ eAAAGA ~ 4ACNE E&e-EN W~@-@
whites. Rotten Belly, chief of the
Crow nation, lay MORALLY wound
ed in a battle with the eros Ven
tres. FOrty-five years old, harbOr-
ing a pride that could not brook
humiliation, he had led his braves
I into the fight to avenge that pride,
though he felt it would be his
death.
Rotten Belly had been persuaded by
] his braves shortly before TO join issue
with Mai. Alexander Culbertson and
the small garrison at Fort Mckenzie,
a forerunner of Fort Benton, and one
of the first posts of the American Fur
Co. in the Blackfeet country of the
upper Missouri river. Rotten Belly had
argued the futility of attacking the
whites. His braves, however, resented
the establishment of trading post In
the country of their traditional enc
mics, and by weight of unanimity and
persistence, OVERRIDE their chiefs OBJ
jections.
Using the example of the passing of
his own spirit to the Happy Hunting
Grounds, Rotten Belly impressed upon
his followers his idea OF &, proper rela-
tions with white men. They were so
impressed that they carried the elo-
quent story back to the tribe, and the
Crows from that time forward never,
openly at least were hostile to the
whites.
The year was 1884, the first summer
after the establishment of Fort Nc
Kenzie a few miles above the mouth
of the Marias river. Major Culbertson
and 20 men were at the post-only
small force, since the others had been
dispatched to Fort Union with the
years trade of furs and robes.
Crows Kill Two BlOOds
Three Blood warriors and a squaw
stopped at the post, saying they were
enroute to Crow country to steal
horses. Major Culbertson pointed out
bers, and persuaded them to return to
their own village. A few miles from
the fort they sat down on the river
bank for a smoke. Thirty Crows ap-
peared. They killed two Of the Bloods
and wounded the third. The injured
brave, from his prone position, felled
a Grow from his horse, mounted the
animal and rushed back to Fort Nc
Kenzie His sister, the Squaw, already
a captive, could not be saved Major
CulbertSOn accompanied him to the
scene of the attack and took the bodies
of the two braves to the fort for burial. |
Several days later as he sat in front
of the fort, CulbertSon saw a figure
across the river, Sinking through the |
brush. He was somewhat surprised. |
Crossing the river in a skiff, he saw
the Blood squaw, naked except for |
brush tied about her body, and in /
sad plight from exposure and hunger, /,
and much the worse for wear in wild |
country
Her story proved her truly a heroine.
The Crows had Travelled rapidly |
touTord their oxvY1 country o71srdino I
her vigilantly Her clothing was taken |
from her each night, and she was |
compelled to sleep with a lynx-eyed /
Crow SQllaw who awakened at every
No opportunity for escape ap-
peared for several days and the band
was then far into its own country;
grew lax. The squaw
silently slipped away one night, sans
clothing or subsistence, to make her
way back to the Missouri river and the
'ort. After five days of travel In this
condition she was about at the end
If her vitality when Major Culbertson
Tells Of Attack Plan
Clothed, fed and rested, the squaw
CulbertSon of q Crow plan
% attack Fort Mckenzie in force and
lestroy it.
Thirty horses, all the fort had, were
lriven off by a band of Crows. Crows
we're watching the fort for the appear
nee Of the Blackfeet; absence Of their
nemieS would offer the opportunity
or a successful attack.
Major Culbertson accepted these
igns as confederation of the squaw's
tory. Preparations for defending the
,oSt were started. Arms were over
lauled and two 3-pound cannon were
laced in the bastions. A careful guard
7as kept. The only weakness was a
IF yNrCu{cfnVac fTtnnfNch f4YyT7fGFc !
entured as far as safety would per-
nit, but little game was found.
Soon the Crows appeared IN large
unbers. camping a quarter Of mile
rom the fort. A well-armed body ap-
cared and asked admittance to the
ort. Culbertson refused. He told the
rows they had driven off his horses
ithout provocation; that the fort was
pen only to friends. The Crows de-
Jared they came to talk about the
orseS and IL allowed to enter and
old a council they could arrange TO
sturn the horses.
Bring the horses to the gate and
ave them" replied CulbertSon- Then
e can believe the Crows do not come
n war"
The Indians declined to comply, In
sting there must be adjustment of
srtain difficulties. Culbertson ordered
lem TO leave, and warned If they
anne again he would tire upon them,
ut so long as they moved without
rms they could come and go at VIII.
hen he brought out the Blood squaw.
hey were highly amazed, for they
Id believed the SquaW persisted. !
Crows Besiege Fort .
A siege Of the fort began, with the
rows displaying a mean temper. No :
lots were fired, but the garrison re-
aimed alert. The Crows were con- I
antly around but never came close :
It'll weapons They always laid down
eir guns a certain distance away. !
ne fort was fairly close to the river. !
It it was not safe to venture forth
r water, 50 a well was dug IN the :
Ockade, which provided plentiful
pply. After a day or two the fresh !
eat was gone. The dogs we're killed !
ID eaten. Then pieces of raw buffalo
de, the parf1eches used to store dried ;
eats, and other equally undesirable
ateriaI was eaten. The buffalo hide Il
IS boiled until soft and with the ap-
arance of glue. Disgusting IN ap-
arance, it was decidedly not satisfy =
2, but It did preserve life. =
Harvey one of the inmates demand 4