Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-02-24

left by the steamer struck while most
of the Indians were out making dried
meat from q buffalo kill If those who
were away had not come back, the
epidemic might have been confined to
a few, but as they returned, the dis
ease spread and death took its ton
of six or seven every day. Chardon' S
first record Of a death from the dis
ease comes on Friday, July IA, when
he wrote: zone Of the warmeSt days
we have had this summer-weather
smoky-a young Mandan died today of
the smallpox-Several others have
caught it, the Indians all being out
making meat has saved several Of
them"
The invisible death struck again on
the nth, and on the 26th he records
that -Four Bears, the famous Mandan
chief, was down with smallpox. BY
this time hundreds of the Indians were
Ill and deaths were increasing. Feel
ing against the whites was rising. -Four
Bears knew he was going to die and
was urging the Indians to raid Fort
Clark
Friday, 28-This day was very near
being my last A young Mandan came
to the fort with his gun cooked and
secreted under his robe, with the in
tention of killing me- After hunting
me in three or four houses he at last
found me. The door being shut, he
waited some time for me to come out.
just as I was in the act of going out,
Mitchell caught him and gave him into
the hands of two Indians who con-
Quoted him to the village. Had not
Mitchell perceived him the moment he
did, would not be at the trouble of
making this statement"
E0ur panro VWoe Vic4sv,,
Chardon describes the Indians many
dances. They felt that since they knew
they were going to die they might as
well dance the time away. The dances
are described as being splendid" On
the 30th of the month -Four Bears, the
beloved chief who had been such a
close friend Of Prince Macmillan and
whose portrait was painted by several
artists who went up the river in those
early times, died. Charcon wrote: "One
IF our best friends in the village, -Four
Bears. died today, regretted by all who
Knew him" And at the end of his
journal Of 1887 Chardon gives the
speech made by -Four Bears on the
lay of his death. In this imprisoned
Dit OF oratory he made a plea for the
destruction of the whites who had
brought nothing but trouble to the In
iians.
-Four Bears said: MY friends, one
md all, listen to what have to say. /
Ever since can remember have I
owed the whites. have lived with /
hem ever since was a boy, and to |
he best Of my knowledge / have never /
a white man. On the con- 1
rary, I have always protected them !
rom the insults of others, which they |
annot deny. The -Four Bears never /
aw white man hungry but what he .
ave him to eat, drink, and a buffalo
kin to sleep on in time Of need. I
vas always ready to die for them,
Thich they cannot deny. have done
that a redskin could do for
hem, and how have they repaid it?
With ingTatitudel / have never called
white man a dog, but today / do
ronounce them to be set of black
earted dogs. They have deceived me
hem that I have always considered
S brothers have turned out to be
~ worst enemies.
Il have been In many battles and
ften wounded, but the wounds of my
nemieS exIllt In. But today I am
ounded, and by whom, by those same
h1te dogs have always considered
nd treated as brothers. I do not fear
cath, my friends. You know It: but
} die with my face rotten, that even ]
lie wolves viii shrink with horror at
'elng me and say TO themselves, that
-Four Bears, the friend OF the white
Listen well to what I win say as It 1
the last time you win hear me. ]
mink OF your wives, children, broth :
s, sisters, friends, and In fact, all !
lat you hold dear, are ell dead or l
ring, with their faces all rotten. {
used by those dogs OF whites. Think -,
all that, my friends, and rise to- {
sther and not leave one OF them {
i've. The -Four Bears win act his /
lTt.1
Bat the -Four Bears died that day /
q his people were already so stricken !
tn disease that they did not have s
art to rise against the whites. On
Isrdays July 5, Chard0n wrote: y
'ortra, half -breed from the north, I
arted today alone for Red river. 7
'ws from Grps Ventres, they say that h
ey are encamped this side of Turtle b
20 gea AnraE al