Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-03-23
Nv MATTE 7. CRAAEER

DY MA a AG - OA~-@4-N~~~~
william Wesley Van OrSdel, be-
loved pioneer MeahOdlst mission
ary and minister, who came TO
Fort Benton In July, 1872, was
born March 80, I84S, In PennSyi-
vania. He was reared on farm
and received his education m
country schools and at an acade-
NV, AT the age Of ~ he entered
into q religious experience OF such
joy and power that he felt he must
fulfil the command: go ye into
the world and preach the gospel.
With his brother, Fletcher, and
friend he began to hold meetings in
neighborfng Schoolhouses and these
meetings gave him experience and
courage. Later, when he was employed
tn the oil fields of western Pennsyl-
yania. he continued his evangeliSttc
work by preaching to the men EN-
ployed and the people from nearby
communities. A church was organized
under his leadership and he was Of
fered the then large salary of $500 a
wear but he felt 1.-THE call Of the
west" and about this time had what
he described as mighty vision, not
only Of Gods power and mans need,
but away out on the frontier and, even
amid the Rocky mountains, could see
the miners, stage drivers, freighters,
cowboys, and here and there among
them, copper colored native holding
I'D their hands and reckoning"
He obeyed the call by coming west
and for ~ years labOred increasingly
IN carrying forward the work Of civil
ization and the truth Of the gospel.
When he reached Fort Benton his
name Rev. William Wesley Van Ors-
del, was too long and too digntfied for
the time and place, So in accordance
with the spirit of the times, the west
erners nicknamed him Brother Van"
which sobriquet chung to him through
out the entire period Of his ministry.
He commenced his work when Mon
tana was wilderness and how well
he achieved may be seen In the
churches, Sunday schools, hospitals,
nurses homes, schools and colleges
which his untiring labors helped to
establish and build. AS early as 1918,
there were six Montana DeaconeSS
hospitals that cared for 5000 patients
written about his labors among the
Indians and lawleSs whites or when
saloon was the only place available In
which to hold a service.
When the Nez Perez Indians de-
clared war, Brother Van went forth
to fight for the white settlers. How
he served as a scout under command
of Gen. o. o. Howard of the United
States army, was told by himself some
time before his death and the account
which follows appeared In a Montana
publication shortly after his demise,
Dec. 20, 1919.
I'm 1877 I was appointed as a circuit
rider, a missionary, travelling between
Bannack and Sheridan. There had
been occasional disturbances on the
reservation of the Nez PerceS in Idaho
and finally in the spring of that year
the Indians, then powerful tribe,
threw down the gauntlet to the whites
and went on the warpath.
Sky Pilot Turns Scout
Then followed tremendous excite
ment. Stories would come to the little
committed by the redskins. These tales
fired the blood of the white men who
resolved to defend their homes to the
last ditch. The miners and ranchmen
were so much engroSSed by the war
that they did not need the services of
a sky pilot SO decided to turn soldier
I resolved to volunteer as q scout on
the staff of Gen. o. o. Howard, who
had been placed In command Of the
United States army to operate against
the hoStiles.
Howard had fought several indie
cisive actions with the Indians These
battles only served to stir the Indians
20 action Under Chief Joseph, Looking
Glass and Blackbird, they moved In
force through the L,olo pass into the
Bitter Root valley. General Gibbon,
IN command of a force of regulars
and a company Of Bitter Root volun-
teers, attacked the Indian encampment
early one morning in August. The
battle ragged furiously throughout the
day, both sides losing heavily. When
darkness came on the Indians with