Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-07-05
I'LL Health Made Hamilton Noted Indian Fighter;
Ou1tived Medic Who Predicted His Early Death

III health and a poor constitution
made william T. Hamilton an In
dian fighter and frOntiersman.
Sickness forced him at the age Of
20 to give up living as a social
favOrite In Sc. Louis and fOregO
q career OF business and profess
siOnaI service 70 rough It on the
western plains and in the Rocky
mountains.
In search Of health, after physicians
had declared he had only a few years
more at the most to live, he gave up
q home Of wealth and luxury and all
the advantages that money could buy
and in the spring Of 1912 set forth on
q hunting, trapping and Indian trad
ing trip.
Insistent On Going
Some Of the associates Of Bill Will
Hams and Jack Perkins, who COM
manded the party, which consisted of
eight free trappers, protested against
the taking Of so slender and fra1 a
yomgster as Hamilton, believing that
he would get sick ON their hands and
that during the journey he would prove
an encumbrance and probably not
survive. But williams was insistent on
his going and when the party turned
its horses westward from Independence,
Mo-, where all trappers outfitted IN
the early forties, Hamilton went along,
clad In his first suit Of buckskin.
He proved to be a valuable member
of the party, learning to shoot and
trap as well as any old-timer In
short time, and making friends readily
with the Indians, whose sign language
proved easy for him and in the talking
of which he eventually came to be
recognized as the most expert among
either red or white men.
Improves in Health
From the time the party started, |
Hamilton improved In health and |
strength and the frail boy developed |
into a muscular man and hardy from
tiersman. The youngster, whose death |
within a short time had been pre-
dicted by st. Louis best physicians,
lived for 66 years and 10 days longer,
hardly ever experiencing sick day,
and surviving hundreds Of combats
with savage Indians in which scores
Of redmen were killed and many of
mis- companions met death.
In the declining years of his life,
which were spent near Columbus, in
The Yellowstone valley, most of his
lime being devoted to hunting, trap
ping and fishing, Uncle Billy" as he
vas known to all pioneers, used to
ielight in telling how he had fooled
hose early day doctors In st. Louis,
very one Of whom he outlived more
han a half century Over 40 years
)efore the grim reaper summoned him
n the spring Of 1908, he recorded the
,assing of the last of the trappers who
lad protested his joining the Williams {
expedition when it left Independence (
q March, 1912. ]
SUIT Of Jokes
When Hamilton arrived at indie {
endence he was dressed In the very
inest tailor-mades, style and fashion :
q every line. AS a result he was the I
utt of the jokes of the frontiersmen, !
tho played all manner Of pranks on !
he "tenderfoot." L
It didn't take the lad long to get 8
ext, however, and he rushed over to
ae frontier store and snapped his T
ne clothes and trimmings for two n
tits of good buckskin and was soon
reSSed "a la prairie" while the store
eeper made fully 100 percent on the c
.ansaction. o
There were many things in my life u
lat made me happy, but the happiest u
oment I ever experienced was when Q
put on my first buckskin suit and q
allied that I looked just like the <
appers with whom I was to asso- II
ate" Uncle Billy once declared. 81 II
as more proud of that suit than
lything I ever secured, unless it be Il
y first scalp and my first buffalo" N
Incidents on the western journey "
ere wildly printed on the mind of al
e lad and in later years, when past h
e four score and five mark, he used Fl
recall them In detail as perfectly H
when they took place. tt
united With Roman Nose W
The journey was through a hostile