Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-07-18

| their Squaws, who were Assinniboine
women. whom we did not want to kill
for fear of the tribe. Thinking the
fight would not take place as long as
they kept in the Squaws. they refused
to turn them out. After allowing them
what time we thought necessary to
make up their minds on this subject,
the order TO fire was given. When
they found we we're determined to put
our threats into execution they turned
out their squaws, who told us that
We had already killed one man, but
/ destroy them all, as they had dug
holes under the floors, where our balls
could not reach them.
Old Woman Shot Down
Yet we kept constantly firing into
the houses, until at last the old lady
herself came out with the pipe of
peace begging for her life and that
Of her children; but she was shot
through the heart in stepping out of
the fort AS she was holding her pipe
straight in front of her when she was
hit, she fell precisely on top of it, at
which the boys exclaimed In great
mirth, There's an end to the mother
of the devils In the meantime our
firing was kept up; but few shots we're
heard from them, and at last some
of our party ventured into the fort,
thinking they were all killed; but that
was a mistake. They commenced firing
again and our men made a double
quick retreat"
One Of the attackers was shot
through the neck as he was STOPPING
to pass through the small door Of the
fort. Fort william was then set on
fire and a number Of men, mounted
on the best horses were deployed TO
run down the Deschamps like buffalo
should they make an attempt to es-
cape. One man was seen TO run out
of the houses and take refuge in a
bastion. Into this the cannon was
fired several times but without re-
ducing it to ruins.
Eldest Son Falls Fighting
The fire stopped short Of the bas-
ton and one Of the attacking party
went near It to take aim through the
cracks. A shot through the heart made
him jump up about six feet In the
air and fan dead on the spot, at
which a triumphant yell was heard
from the man in the bastion. The at
hackers fire was renewed faster than
ever until the fire from the bastion
ceased, when some of the holder men
determined to learn whether its gar
risen Of one was dead or alive. As
they entered they spied Francois Des-
champs backed up in a corner, wound |
ed. They fired and he fell dead. 1t |
was found that he had received a |
broken wrist before the bastion was
forced and was out of ammunition.
He was the last survivor as all the /
others had been burned or shot in
the houses. The battle had ended with |
the death of eight Of the family
LArpenteur in his journal also tells /
the story Of Alexander Harvey, who |
obeyed orders to the letter when he
fell out with the authorities at Fort
Union, but took his vengeance IN due
time. Harvey was ordered at Christ
mas time to report at the offices Of
the American Fur Co. at st. Louis,
1 TOO miles away as the Crow flies.
Harvey Obeys Orders
Give me a dog to carry my blan-
kets," he said, and by - III re-
port before the ice goes outl"
He made the journey afoot through
the country of hostile Indians and in
defiance Of billiards and zero weather.
He reported at st. Louis early in
March and returned TO Fort Union
by steamboat with orders for his re-
At several stops along the
river he called out men he considered
10 be involved in the conspiracy
against him and the next year he
hot the arch-conspirator dead.
Christmas was a time Of general ex-
filtration and seldom did this season
pass without a shooting or stabbing
ARRAY.
~On this anniversary" writes Lar
Denteur, "a great dinner is generally
made, but that was never the case
here, as it was always taken out In
turntables instead Of eatables; and !,
VINO did not drink, had to do without
ny dinner"
At the height Of the spree Of Christ
mas, 1888, the higher-ups Of the fort
we're informed that Marseillais, the
oft hunter, had been killed and
brown into the fireplace. The car ,
,enter and the tailor were suspected
md were kept In irons for four days ,
until the population sobered up. The !
ury quickly returned a verdict OF ,
guilty Of murder" and the Judge /
entenced the two men to be hanged !
" the neck until they we're dead, [
lead, dead This sentence was, how |
yer, commuted to 80 Iashes apiece. (
Bling: MY wife has been nursing a 7
rouch for several days past"