Glacier County chief., 1940-04-19
BY MATTE T. CRAMER

Fort Benton I'm July, 1872, was
Born March 30, 184s, in Pennsyl-
vania. He was reared on 2 farm
my. Al the age Of IL he entered
into q religious experience Of such
Joy and power that he felt he must
fulfill the command: GO We into
the world and preach the gospel"
With his brother. Fletcher. and a
,eighboring schoolhouses and these
meetings gave him experience and
purage Later, when he was employed
the oil fields of western Pennsyl-
ania, he continued his evangelistic
york by preaching to the men en-
communities. A church was organized
/ lnder his leadership and he was Of
L cred the then large salary of $500
i rear, but he felt the call of the
i rest" and about this time had what
be described as a mighty vision. not
i but away out on the frontier and. even
!. mid the Rocky mountains. could see
i ne miners, stage drivers. freighters,
s owboys, and here and there among
u hem, copper colored native holding
ID their hands and reckoning"
He obeyed the call by coming west
4 nd for AZ years labored increasingly
u
ation and the truth of the gospel.
When he reached For t Benton his
& anne, Rev. William Wesley Van Ors-
el, was too long and too diginified for
4 he time and place, SO, in accordance
nth the spirit of the times, the west,
rners nicknamed him Brother Van"
+ shich Sobriquet chung to him through
ut the entire period Of his ministry.
.e commenced his work when Mon
ana was a wilderness and how well
e achieved may be seen in the
y hurches; Sunday schools, hospitals cd2ieaes
y rhich his untiring labors helped to
3 stablish and build AS early as 1918,
here were six Montana DeaconeSs
sospitals that cared for 5000 patients
$ uring that year. Volumes could be
ritten about his labors among the
Il 5dians and lawless whites or when
s. sloon was the only place available in
= hich to hold service.
4 When the Nez Perez Indians de-
= Jared war. Brother Van went forth
y i fight for the white settlers. How
Ia served as a scout under command
II Gen. o. o. Howard of the United
= -ates army, was told by himself some
> me before his death and the account
n mich follows appeared in a Montana
n ublication shortly after his DENISE
a Zee. 20, 1919.
o In 1877 was appointed as circuit
L der. a missionary, travelling between
q annack and Sheridan. There nad
a een occasional disturbances on the
I eservation of the Nez Perces in Idaho
Pr nd finally in the spring of that year
n be Indians, then powerful trioe.
n REV down the gauntlet to the whites
nd went on the warpath.
Sky Pilot Turns Scout
n Then followed tremendous excite
eent. Stories would come 10 the NIUE
Lining camps of the wanton outrages
ommitted by the redskins. These tales
red the blood of the white men who
Solved to defend their homes to the
Sst ditch. The miners and ranchmen
ere so much engrossed by the war
bat they did not need the services OF
sky pilot. SO I decided to turn soldier.
resolved to volunteer as scout on
be staff of Gen. o. o. Howard, who
ad been placed in command OF the
nited States army to operate against
be hostiles.
"Howard had fought several indie
sive actions with the Indians: Ihese
action. Under Chief Joseph, Looking
lass and Blackbird. they moved In
e-ce through the Lolo pass into the
litter Root valley. General Glbpon,
command of force OF regulars
Ld a company OF Butter Root voluii.
IS.
rly one morning in August. Inc
title ragged furiously throughout the
" both sides losing heavily. When
krkness came on the Indians with
Few in a southerly direction towards
ennack.
TT heard of the battle and decided
go to Bannack; riding mo ina tma1
Is in commotion. The Indians were
own to be approaching and prep
ations were made to defend the
Nm. That night, with armed plcKeS
ound the courthouse, l preacheo 10
large congregation.
de into the camp. He had ridden
6m Horse prairie and had been shot
Tough the arm by the Indians. He
ported the Indians in close proximity
Bannack, This was confirmed o oy
brse prairie, who had had brush
th the Indians and barely escaped
In his life. He reported that num-
of settlers had been killed on
rse prairie.
Settlers in Danger
There were number OF settlers
exposed places on the pralrie: t .t.a;e
IN were in imminent danger OF thelI
es. we held a meeting and decided
al we must send as many as we
Ind spare to their relief. Fifteen
In volunteered to go ana oecloeo
B go with them: 80
rye elected Melvin Trask captain OF
little expedition and left Bannack
daybreak. A Mrs. Winters, whose
sbaild was on the prairie, wanted to
with us. A guard was put over her
keep her in town and in safety, out
had ridden out only IL miles when
dashed up to US She was mounted
a beautiful horse and with her
he black hair flowing in the wind,
made a most spectacular appear
&c. She had revolver strapped to
I waist and she declared that no
wer could keep her from looking Tor
EWhen we arrived at the Winters