Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-05-18
The ShOshOne Sentinel T. 9;: az +: ;:: '
By ELMO

east had rushed IN 70 tell an aStound
ing tale.
as ashes!" he exclaimed. They make
thunder and lightning with long, black
sticks. They are coming this way"
Chief Cameahwait and the elders OF
the tribe, though genuinely surprised
by such q story, were plainly skeptical
we have lived many moons" de-
clared the elders. Our ancestors lived
many moons before us. Our legends
speak of many wonderful things. But
tale like this we have never heard
A council was assembled and the
man of strange words was called before
f. He retold his story. But 1t was not
believed.
can men are red" he was told. you
could not have seen men with faces
pale as ashes. The Great Spirit made
the thunder and lightning. You have
not seen men of any color who could
produce 1t. You have seen nothing.
You have lied to your chief, and you
aBut did see them, and I was
amazed Before knew it, was right
among them. They captured me. They
showed me how they could make
thunder and lightning with their long
sticks. Then they gave me presents
and set me free. hurried here 70
tell you"
The sentinel produced the presents
the pale men had given him. They
were as new and novel to the Sho-
shones as the idea of men with pale
faces. This placed a different light
ON the matter, but the council was
convinced against its win.
you shall lead us TO where you
say you have seen these strange people.
II they are found, you shall be free.
But If you fail TO lead us to the pale
men, these presents will speak against
YOU, that you trade with evil spirits.
You win be worthy to die by the ar
rows Of your kinsmenl"
Leads Chief to White Men
The sentinel led Chief Cameahwait
and his warriors back on the trail
They met the men with faces pale as
ashes. With them were three women
Of the Shoshone tribe, who told how
they had met the strangers, and ex-
hfbtted the presents they had received.
The white men were embraced In
friendship, and the sentinel was re-
leased
Cant. Meriwether Lewis and his men,
Drouillard, Shields and McNeal, were
escorted to the ShoShone camp, which
they had been seeking. It was their
first human contact in the continental
divide country on their way to the
Pacific.
Such is the story, told by the SEN
tinel himself, some IS years later, to |
Thomas j. Farnham at Fort David |
Crockett In Browns Hole, now the |
northwest corner Of Colorado. In some |
details it Is at variance with the jour
mails Of Lewis and Clark, but 1t Is the
Indian sentinel's version of the first
meeting of white men by the Sho-
shones, in August of 1905.
The Lewis and Clark journals state
y f4o@
some distance past the Beaverhead
Rock, near the present Dillon, Captain
Lewis. with Drouillard, Shields and
AAcNeal, Set out ahead OF the party TO
seek an Indian road that would lead
30 the camp of the ShoShones. One
day, advancing up a stream with
Drouillard and Shields deployed to
the flanks to watch for a trail Lewis
saw a man ON horseback two miles
away Through his glasses he dtscov-
cred it was an Indian unlike any that
he had met. Surely, he believed. this
must be a member Of the Shoshone
camp
stopped. With his blanket, Lewis made
he sign of friendship by opening and
aying the blanket on the ground three
lines. But the Indian was watching
he flank movements of Drouillard and
Shields. This was unlike the tactics
# Indian warfare and he was prob
.bly mystified. At a signal Drouillard
topped, but Shields failed to catch I
ne signal and continued to advance.
Indians Were Terrified
At a hundred PAGES Lewis displayed
he trinkets In his hands that he in
ended for presents, and ripped up :
lis shirt sleeves to show his color, :
ince his face was darkened by the :
I'm and weather. The Indian whipped /
Is horse into q fast retreat.
Lewis fixed an American flag to a
ole and with his men started IN pur-
nit. but the Indian had disappeared.
. little later a man and two women ?
nd some dogs were sighted, but they !
iso fled. The next encounter was
18th three suuaws, one of whom ran, :
ut the others, rather older, sat stoical- !,
, with their heads bowed, as II IN y
ting from an enemy the death they q
ere unable to resist. Lewis demon q
rated to them his friendship, and ttI
ne third woman was called PACK. y,
evils gave them presents and made -
nown his desire to be guided to their ~
amp, that he might talk TO their q
On the way they met so warriors, "
eli mounted. approaching at q fast r
ace. They were armed with bows and =
rows, and shields, mostly; but say st
le Lewis and Clark 1OnnalSs Iley usto er
nong them few fusils they had Sc az
Ired from friendly tribes on the yell ri
wstone who, in turn, apparently had ~
cured them in another area from ~
aders of the Northwest company. -
neither they had ammunition for the Or
ms, or even actually knew their use, r
e Journals do not say. h,
The three women displayed the trim nr
It's they had received, and told OF I'D
cir meeting with Lewis and his dem an
situations Of friendship Chief Cam 81,
hwait and his warriors welcomed %
wis warmly after this explanation, fo
d escorted the white men TO their M
MP. treating them as royal guests. ca
It developed that the Shoshones the tri
evious spring had suffered a painful
d costly defeat in battle with their an
lditional enemies the Minnetarees Pr
I'm the prairie, and we're now very mi
or; that the sentinel's rush into tic
mp had led them to believe they tn
re to be attacked, and they had dil
rried out expecting to meet their SUI
emies. COZ
lewis arranged for Cameahwait and as