Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-10-04
1856 DIARY TELLS
HOW MEN LIVED
IN STATES FORTS
WRITER SAW INDIAN WOMEN
KILLED AND SCALPED
NEAR POST

One of the cOlorful histories Of
early days of Montana, a docu-
ment that obviously never was
intended for publication, Is the
diary Of James H. Chambers, q copy
of which is in possession Of the
Montana historical library. Cham
bers wrote his diary over a period
of years, the fifth being started on
New Years day, 1855, at Fort
Sarpy, Mont. The language he EN-
plOyed and the candOr with which
he expressed himself and the
nakedness of his expressions Of
opinions Of others prove concIu-
sively that he had no idea that
his writings would ever see the
inside of print shop.
1t would be well for the gentle
reader to be prepared to skip sudden
ly entire paragraphs and pages, yet
in between such passages are set down
picturesque descriptions of life in the
territory that afterward became Mon
tana.
Here is part Of the entry for Jan. l.,
1855:
%Here we have new year upon us.
God grant that it may be a prosper
GUS one; not only to the natives Of
the prairies but to the white men that
are IN this country, as also all others.
Our little band of brothers are cele-
brating the day with a vengeance.
They are cooped up in the fort waiting
for the Dawes heads party to start
and be killed and captured by the
Sioux"
Continuing the writer makes it plain
that the party that had been guests
at the fort and who were about to
leave at the risk of their lives. were
Crow Indians, who greatly feared the
Sioux. Chambers at times expressed
considerable contempt for the Crows
calling them towards, loafers and
thieves. He declared that they were
the worst Of the begging tribes and
he saw in them no virtues at all.
"Six "a Blackfeet Indian) asserts
that a Grow can smell coffee five
miles" wrote the keeper of the diary
who then expressed indignation be-
cause the cook at the fort had de-
clined to start the noon meal until
party of visitors which had
departed had gotten six miles away
from the camp If the departing braves
should smell the coffee, he inferred.
they would abandon their march to
war and return to the fort.
The winter of 1855 seemingly was
mild. On the first day of the year
Chambers wrote, 80 far we have had
40 snow and but few cold days
river still open but think it may close
ID tonight"
Chambers frequently took to task
n his diary, the officer in charge of
he fort because Of bis generous feed
ng of the begging Indian tribes.
On the 18th Of January that year,
after having complained of the loafinR
Indians about the fort for a week
previous, he contented himself with
mis- terse entry: Saturday, Jan. 49,
Hardly room to breathe. Obi you pests. t"
fort full Of Indians" was his fire.
Tuent plant.
Yea Can Take MY Hat"
Slang phrases that were popular in
Montana in 1855 were not so numer-
nus SIS the expressions Of today but
here was one phrase that appears
several times in Chambers writinRsl
md also In another diary or log book
hat was kept at Fort Benton about
he same time, author unknown. This
vas you can take my hat"
The diary shows that winter came
It last" on Jan. 81 but that Feb. l |
vas "a beautiful day and the Ice
'roke in the river again on Feb. z.
THE Crows and Blackfeet were
litter and constant enemies and there
vas almost perpetual war between
lther tribes, among which were the
'iegans, Bloods and Nez Perces. The
indians seldom bothered the whites
Except to steal their clothing and
lorses but the writer tells of seeing
suuaw killed and scalped just at
rundown by hostile Indian band
nxu rods ayVaV from the fort