Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-10-11
Cunng Scot Made Indian War
Produce Profits for His Firm

When that canny Scot, Kenneth
! Mckenzie, established himself at For
Union, it was with the ayowed purpose
Of opening trade IN fur with the In
dams Of the upper Missouri river ter.
ritory Along its tributaries were abun.
dance Of beaver and other fur bear
ing animals, and immense herds OF
buffalo roamed the plains The Hud-
sons Bay Co. we're not ignorant OF
these facts and had done its utmost
which was a good deal, TO turn this
trade in its direction, and successfully
In order TO carry out his plan. il
was necessary to make peace between
the two warning tribes Of the Black
feet and Assinniboines and secure the
good will Of the Piegan branch Of the
Blackfeet, as these Indians were adj
mitted to be the best trappers Of the
northwestern tribes.
Built Trading Post
Nc Kenzies first move was to dis
patch a small deputation to the Pie
gans, authorized to enter into negotia-
tions with them; the next, to build a
trading post in their country. Both
projects we're eminently successful. The
Piegans consented to trade with Nc
Kenzie and Fort Piegan was built by
James Kipp, near the mouth Of the
MariaS river, in 1881. The following
year. Fort Piegan having been aban-
doned D. D. Mitchell built Fort Nc
Kenzie, little farther up the Mis-
souri,, between the mouths of the
Marias and the Teton rivers.
For awhile all went well, until the
Assinniboines, perhaps instigated- by
the Hudson's Bay Co., became restless
and finally openly hostile to the Pie
gans In August of 1885, most of the
Indians had left the fort; but a few
remained and continued to enjoy
themselves as was customary when
they could purchase plenty of liquor
They danced and sang all night, and
slept away the early morning hours,
of danger.
At daybreak of Aug. %, they were
by war party of 600 As
and Crees. The Piegans, |
utterly unprepared for such an on
slaught, lost heavily before they were
able to defend themselves They were
utterly panic-stricken, and rushed to
the fort where the inmates had been
awakened by the noise of battle. At
once the doors were thrown open to
admit the Piegans; but many of the
women, encountered by property they
wished to save, were slain while at
tempting to enter.
once within the fort, the Piegans
turned their guns on the enemy with
)ut. Discovering that the attack was
against the Indians, and not against
he whites, Mr. Mitchell, in charge of
he fort, ordered his men to stop fir
ng. But he could not control the Pie
gans, and Loretto, who was with
3ridger when he was wounded on JEFF
-erson fork, went outside the fort
where he could do better execution. ,
he killed the nephew of
IN ASsinniboine chief, which led to !
he retreat of the attacking party. {
lament for Dead {
Within the fort all was confusion I
nd lamentation over the dead and '
Prince Macmillan Of WED I
vas an inmate Of the fort at the time
+ this occurrence, and being a scien-
list of note, gave an accurate account +
+ the scene. Writes the prince: "The s
ourtyards of the fort presented a very
TRANCE scene. A number of wounded t
len, women and children were laid
r placed against the walls; others, v
1 their deplorable condition, were S
ulled about by their relatives amid Z
ears and lamentations. The White /
Suffalo who had received a wound r
t the back of his head, was carried t
bout in this manner, amid singing, b
owling and crying. They ratified the :
chschikue in his ears, that the evil {
pirit might not overcome him, and ?
ave him brandy to drink. He himself,
Though stupefied, sung without in I
emission, and would not give himself
D to the evil spirit OtSequa- Stomik, Il
n old man of our acquaintance, was t
-ounded in the knee by ball which y
woman cut out with penknife,
uring which operation, he did not O
zhibit the least symptom Of pain. We F
ndeavored to assist the wounded, and
r. Mitchell distributed balsam and 1
men for bandages; but very little c
0uld be done; for instead of suffer- a
lg the wounded, who were exhausted
y the loss of blood, to take some rest,
heir relatives continually pulled them a
OOuC, SOUNDED large DeHS, ana IdI1leu
heir medicine and amulets, among t,
hich were the bears paws which the -
White Buffalo wore on his breast.
MY a spectator of this extraordinary
Gene could form any idea Of the con-
lsion and noise, which was increased
Y the loud report of the musketry,
ne moving backwards and forwards of
ne people carrying powder and ball,
nd the tumult of about 20 horses
lut up in the fort.,'
hOught Whites Afraid
Because the whites had not come
ut of the fort to fight the enemy,
he PieQans were gaining the impress