 Chapter 25 The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckworth Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneer and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians Written from his own dictation by T. D. Bonner This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Having now quite a respectable amount of peltry on hand, both our villages started for the fort to purchase winter supplies. We carried upward of 40 packs of beaver and 2,400 packs of robes, with which we were enabled to make quite an extensive trading. We loitered seven days in the vicinity of the fort, then the villages separated for the purpose of driving the buffalo back to the Yellowstone, where they would keep in good condition all winter. This required a considerable force of men, as those animals abounded by the thousands at that time, where they are now comparatively scarce, and it is a conclusion forced upon my mind that within half a century the race of buffaloes will be extinguished on this continent. Then farewell to the red man, for he must also become extinct, unless he applies himself to the cultivation of the soil, which is beyond the bound of probability. The incessant demand for robes has slain thousands of those noble beasts of the prairie, until the Indians themselves begin to grow uneasy at the manifest demunation. And as a means of conservation, each nation has adopted the policy of confining to itself the right of hunting on its own ground. They consider that the buffalo belongs to them as their exclusive property, that he was sent to them by the Great Spirit for their subsistence, and when he fails them, which shall they resort to? Doubtless, when that time arrives, much of the land which they now roam over will be under the white man's cultivation, which will extend inland from both oceans. Where then shall the Indian be take himself? There are no more Mississippi's to drive him beyond. Unquestionably, he will be taken in a surround, as he now surrounds the buffalo. And as he could not assimilate with civilization, the red man's doom is apparent. It is a question of time, and no very long time either. But the result, as I view it, is a matter of certainty. The territory claimed by the Crows would make a larger state than Illinois. Horses of it form the choicest land in the world, capable of producing anything that will grow in the western and middle states. Enumerable streams, now the homes of the skillful beaver, and clear as the springs of the rocky mountains irrigate the plains, and would afford power for any amount of machinery. Mineral springs of every degree of temperature abound in the land. The country also produces an inconceivable amount of wild fruit of every variety, namely currants of every kind. Razberries, black and red, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, plums of delicious flavor and in great abundance. Grapes and numberless other varieties proper to the latitude and fertile nature of the soil. I am fully convinced that this territory contains vast mineral wealth. But, as I was unacquainted with the properties of minerals during my resonance with the Crows, I did not pay much attention to the investigation of the subject. One thing, however, I am convinced of, that no part of the United States contains richer deposits of anthracite coal than the territory I am speaking of, and my conviction is thus founded. I one night surrounded a small mountain with a large force of warriors, thinking I had observed the fires of the enemy, and then I should catch them in a trap. But, to my great surprise, it proved to be a mountain of coal on fire, which had, I suppose, spontaneously ignited. I immediately drew off my forces as I was fearful of an explosion. I could readily point out the place again. It would be extremely hazardous to attempt any scientific explorations without first gaining the consent of the Crows. They have been uniformly friendly with the Whites. Still, they would be jealous of any engineering operations, as they would be ignorant of their nature. The Crows are a very reserved people, and it would be difficult to negotiate a treaty with them for the session of any portion of their land. They have always refused to send a deputation to Washington, although repeatedly invited. Indeed, when I was their chief, I always opposed the proposition, as I foresaw very clearly what effect such a visit would produce upon their minds. The Crows, as a nation, had never credited any of the representations of the great wealth and power and numbers of their white brethren. In the event of a deputation being sent to Washington, the perceptions of the savages would be dazzled with the display and glitter around them. They would return home dejected and humiliated. They would confound the ears of their people with the rehearsal of the predominance and magnificence of the Whites, feeling their own comparative insignificance they would lose that pride in themselves that now sustains them and so far from being the terror of their enemies. They would grow despondent and lethargic. They would addict themselves to the vices of the weaker nations, and in a short time their land would be engulfed in the insatiable government vortex, and like hundreds of other once powerful tribes they would be quickly exterminated by the battle-axes of their enemies. These are the considerations that influenced me while I administered their affairs. From the fort I started on foot with 260 trusty warriors for the Comanche territory. We had reached their ground and were traveling leisurely along upon a high open prairie when our spies suddenly telegraphed us to lie flat down in order which we promptly obeyed. We soon learned that there was a number of Indians some distance beyond engaged in running buffalo and antelope as far as we could see. There appeared to be an outlet to the prairie through which we could see them emerging and disappearing like bees passing in and out of a hive. We found at night that it was a wide cannon in which their village was encamped, extending over three miles and must have contained several thousand warriors. They had just driven a host of horses into it to have them ready most probably for the next day's chase. There were still thousands of horses scattered in every direction over the prairie. But I preferred to take those already collected. The Comanches being seldom troubled by the incursions of their neighbors as most of the tribes hold them in dread. Take no precaution for the safety of their animals for which reason they fell an easy prey to us. At the usual time of night we paid a visit to their immense herd and started an innumerable drove. We found it larger than we could successfully drive and were therefore obliged to leave several hundred of them on the prairie. We then placed a sufficient number of horse guides ahead and whipping up our rear we soon had an immense drove under full speed for our own country making the very earth tremble beneath their hoofs. We continued this pace for three days and nights closely followed by our enemies who, having discovered their loss the next morning started after us in pursuit. They kept in sight of us each day but we had the advantage of them as we could change horses and they could not unless they happened to pick up a few stragglers on the road. On the third day I happened to be leading and just as I rose to look over the summit of a hill on the Arkansas I discovered a large village of the Cheyennes not far in advance and lying directly in our course. In an instant we turned to the left and continued on through a hollow with all our drove the Comanches not more than two or three miles in our rear. On our pursuers arriving at the spot where we had diverged to the left they held their course right on and pouncing upon the astonished Cheyennes conceived they were the party they were in pursuit of. We could distinctly hear the report of the guns of the contending parties but did not slacken our pace as our desire to get home and safety outweighed all curiosity to see the issue of the conflict. We afterward learned that the Cheyennes inflicted a severe beating upon their deluded assailants and chased them back with the loss of many of their warriors to their own country. This was fine fun for us and fortune aided us more than our own skill for we were saved any further trouble of defending our conquest and eventually reached home without the loss of a single life. Our pursuers being disposed of we allowed ourselves a little more ease. On the fifth day of our retreat we crossed the Arkansas and arriving on the bank of the Powder River a branch of the South Fork of the Platte we afforded ourselves a rest. We drove all our horses into a cannon and fortified the entrance so that in case of molestation we could have repulsed five times our number. There was excellent pasture affording our wearied and famishing horses the means of satisfying their hunger and refreshing themselves with rest. We also needed repose for we had eaten nothing on the way except what we happened to have with us in the same manner as our horses would crop an occasional mouthful of grass while pursuing their flight. After refreshing ourselves we resumed our journey and striking the Laramie River we passed on through the park and then crossed the Sweetwater River into our own territory where we were safe. We fell in with Longhair's village before we entered our own with whom we had a good time. Before parting we gave them 500 horses. From thence we went down to the fort in quest of our own village but learned they were about 20 miles out and camped on the Rosebud. The inmates of the fort thought it must have rained horses for such a prodigious drove they never saw driven in before. We made them a present of a Comanche horse all round and having stayed one night with them the next morning we journeyed on to our village. We found them all dancing and rejoicing over the success of the other war parties who had reached home before us and our arrival increased their joy to such an extreme that there was no limit to their extravagant manifestations. We had not parted from the fort more than two or three hours when Big Bowl called there also in quest of the village bringing 2,700 horses which he had taken from the Kootenies. Tulik informed him that his son had but just left for the village with a large drove. Yes, said the old man but I can laugh at him this time. No, no replied Tulik he has beat you he has twice as many as you. Ah! exclaimed the old grave his medicine is always powerful. We must have started with 5,000 horses for many gave out on the way and were left behind besides a number that must have straggled off for the Cheyennes afterward informed me that they picked up a considerable number which had undoubtedly belonged to our drove. My father after presenting them with a horse all round at the fort whipped his drove up saying that he would yet overtake the medicine calf before he reached the village. He arrived just before sunset when the joy was at its height. We had horses enough now to eat us out of house and home about 8,000 head having been brought in during the last 10 days. When the rejoicing was through I divided my village sending 200 lodges round to start the buffalo toward the mountain while I took 170 lodges and made a circuit in the direction of the fort and camping in the bottom close by. I had with me 8 or 900 warriors besides my division of the women and children while staying in the vicinity of the fort we were usually very careless never apprehending any attack but on the third day of our encampment here we were suddenly assailed by nearly 1500 black foot warriors who were probably aware that we had divided our village and had followed us as the smallest party myself and several other warriors were in the fort when the attack was made but we soon hastened to join our warriors the contest became severe the black feet fought better than I had ever seen them fight before the crows being outnumbered by their enemies were sorely pressed and every man had to exert himself to the utmost to withstand the assault the men at the fort seeing our situation brought out to our aid a small cannon on a cart the enemy seeing them bring it up charged on it and carried it the Frenchman who had it in charge running back to the fort with all possible speed the crows seeing what had happened made a furious charge on the captors of the cannon it succeeded in retaking it though not without the loss of several killed and wounded in the conflict the gun was loaded with musket balls and when finally discharged did no damage to the enemy I was in another quarter encouraging my warriors to protect our lodges and we at length succeeded in beating them off although they drove away over 1200 head of our horses with them the possibility of our wrestling them from them at least at that time we lost 13 warriors killed 12 of whom were scouted and about 30 wounded it is a wonder we did not suffer a loss three times more severe but the Blackfeet are not steady warriors they become too much excited in action and lose many opportunities of inflicting mischief if bluster would defeat a foe their battles would be a succession of victories had we in the least mistrusted an attack by being in readiness we could have repulsed them without the least effort but they caught us totally unprepared there was not a man at his post until they were about to fall upon us the enemy lost 48 scalps in the encounter besides a number of dead and wounded they carried away with them without our being able to lay hands upon them they had also over 100 horses shot under them we suffered a severe loss in the death of the veteran brave red child the hero of 100 fights who was killed and scouted at his lodge door his wife who was by struck the Indian who scouted him with a club but she did not strike him hard enough to disable him the loss of the old brave was severely felt by the whole nation the crying in mourning which ensued pained me more than the loss of our horses after spending the night in mourning we moved on to the other division to carry the woeful tidings of our reverse when we rejoined them there was a general time of crying I took a great share of the blame to myself as it was upon my proposition that the village had been divided and the disaster sustained I suggested it with a view to facilitate business never dreaming of an attack by such an overwhelming force when the excitement had subsided I determined to wash their faces or perish in the attempt I ordered everyone that could work to engage in the erection of a fort in the timber sufficiently large enough to hold all our lodges laying out the work myself and seeing it well underway I directed them when they had finished the construction to move their lodges into it and remain there till my return for thus protected they could beat off ten times their number I then took nearly 700 of our best warriors and started for the Blackfeet resolved upon revenge and careless how many I fell in with a small party had recently come in with two scalps which they had obtained near the head of Lewis' Fork Columbia River they reported a large village of 800 lodges from which numerous war parties had departed as they had crossed their trails and coming home they knew the direct road to the village how it was situated and all about it which was of great service to me I therefore took them with me and employed them as scouts every warrior was well provided for hard service each man had a riding horse and led his war horse by his side on the seventh day we came in view of their village but we deferred our attack till the next morning the enemy had chosen a very good position they were encamped on a large bend of the river at that time shallow and affordable everywhere I detached 50 of my warriors for a faint while I stole round with the main body to the high ground taking care to keep out of sight of the enemy having gained my position I signaled to the Light Division to feign an attack while my men were so excited I could hardly restrain them from rushing out and defeating my purpose my plan succeeded admirably the Blackfeet having suffered themselves to be decoyed from their position by the flight of the 50 warriors I sounded a charge and my men rushed upon the unprotected village like a thunderbolt we swept everything before us the women took to the bush like partridges the warriors fled in every direction they were so paralyzed at our unexpected descent that no defense was attempted I threw myself among the thickest group I could see and positively hacked down 17 who pretended to be warriors without receiving a scratch although my shield was pretty well cut with arrows if my warriors had all come to their work according to the example that even the heroine set them not one of the Blackfeet who ventured to show fight would have escaped the heroine killed three warriors with her lance and took two fine little boys prisoners we found but a thousand warriors to oppose us while there were lodges enough to contain three times the number we only took 68 scalps after all our trouble a thing I could not account for we took 30 women and children prisoners and drove home near 2,000 head of horses among which were many of our own as I had never seen the Blackfeet fight so well as at the fort I expected an equal display of valor on this occasion but they offered nothing worthy the name of defense I learned from my prisoners that my old father-in-law was in that village whose daughter I had nearly killed for dancing over the scalps of the white men we had only one warrior wounded who was shot through the thigh but it was not broken and like all Indian wounds it soon got well we reached home in less than four days and after our arrival singing and dancing were kept up for a week in taking prisoners from an enemy we gained much useful information as there are always more or less of their tribe domiciliated with us to whom the captives impart confidence these relate all that they hear to the chiefs thus affording much serviceable information that could not otherwise be obtained the women seem to care but little for their captivity more particularly the young women who have neither husbands nor children to attach them to their own tribe they like Crow husbands because they keep them painted most of the time with the emblems of triumph and do not whip them like their Blackfoot husbands certain it is that when once captured by us none of them ever wish to return to their own nation in our numerous campaigns that winter we also took an unusual number of boys all of whom make excellent Crow warriors so that our numbers considerably increased from our prisoners alone some of the best warriors in the Crow nation had been boys taken from the surrounding tribes they had been brought up with us and played with our children and fought their miniature sham battles together had grown into men become warriors, braves, and so on to the council until they were far enough advanced to become expert horse thieves that winter was an exceedingly fortunate one for the Crow nation success crowned almost every expedition Longhair's warriors achieved some great triumphs over the Blackfeet and in one battle took nearly a hundred scalps when Longhair heard of our misfortune at the fort he sent a messenger to our village to offer some of his warriors to assist us in retrieving our reverse but before the arrival of the messenger we had been and returned and were all in the height of rejoicing he hastened back to his village to impart the glad tidings in order that they might rejoice with us we then engaged in trapping Beaver and hunting Buffalo for the next three weeks during which time we suffered no molestation from any of our enemies End of Chapter 25 Chapter 26 The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckworth Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneer and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians written from his own dictation by T. D. Bonner This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org We received another deputation from the Aznee Bone to sue for a renewal of peace We had lost a warrior and two women who had been massacred when away from the village and on discovery of the bodies we followed the trail of the perpetrators in the direction of the Blackfoot Country We eventually discovered that many petty outrages which we had charged upon the Blackfeet were in reality committed by the treacherous Aznee Bone On their return from their thievish inroads they were in the habit of proceeding very near to a Blackfoot village with which they were at peace and then turning obliquely would cross the Missouri into their own country Becoming acquainted with this oft-repeated ruse we determined to chastise them I accordingly crossed the Missouri with a force of 850 men and invaded their territory with the determination to afflict upon them such a chastisement as should recall them to a sense of decency We encountered a small village only numbering 40 lodges on their way to Fort Union and within a few hundred yards of the fort Seeing our approach they entrenched themselves in a hollow rendering our assault a work of danger But we stormed their position and killed 26 warriors all of whom we scout The remainder we could not get at as we found their position impregnable Admonished by this chastisement they sent another deputation to us to treat for the re-establishment of peace But their propositions were unfavorably received and Yellowbelly favored them with his sentiments in the following rather unpalatable and characteristic strain No! said he in answer to their representations We make peace with you no more You are dogs You are women slayers You are unworthy of the confidence or notice of our people You lie when you come and say that you want peace You have crooked and forked tongues They are subtle like the tongue of the serpent Your hearts are corrupt They are offensive in our nostrils We made peace with you before because we pitied you We looked upon you with contempt as not even worthy to be killed by the sparrow hawks We did not wish for your scalps They disgrace our others We never mixed them even with those of the black feet When we are compelled to take them from you on account of your treachery we give them to our pack dogs and even they howl at them Before, we gave you horses to carry you home and guns to kill your buffalo We gave you meat and drink You ate and drank and smoked with us After all this you considered yourselves great braves and scalping too of our women Our women would rub out your nation and put out all your fires if we should let them loose at you Come and steal our horses when you think best and get caught at it if you want to feel the weight of our tomahawks Go! We will not make peace with you Go! After this very cordial reception we had no more intercourse as any bone for some time Shortly after the departure of this delegation we set out for the fort to trade away our peltry which amounted to a considerable number of packs On arriving there I found a letter from a Mr. Halsey who then had charge of Fort Union the headquarters of the American Fur Company The letter was couched in rather strong terms and was evidently written when he was under the influence of temper The company had their trading posts among every tribe with which the crows were at war and for many months past there had been a great falling off in trade The Indians had brought in but little peltry and the universal complaint among all was that it took all their time to defend themselves against the crows The crows had killed scores of their warriors The crows had stolen all their horses The crows had captured their women and children The crows had kept them mourning and crying Their trappers dare not go out to trap for fear of the crows Their hunters dare not and could not kill Buffalo for fear of the crows In short, by this letter it appeared that the poor crows were the constant terror of all the surrounding tribes He concluded his epistle For sake, do keep your damned Indians at home so that the other tribes may have a chance to work a little and the company may drive a more profitable business I knew perfectly well that these incessant wars were very prejudicial to the company's interest but it was impossible for me to remedy the evil The other tribes were continually attacking the crows killing their braves and stealing their horses and of course they were bound to make reprisals In justice to the crows I must say that other tribes were generally the aggressors until the policy was forced upon me of endeavoring to conquer a peace I thought if I could make the Crow Nation a terror to all their neighbors that their antagonists would be reduced to petition for peace and then turn their battle axes into beaver traps and their lances into hunting knives Our villages, having made their purchases, left the fort but stayed in the vicinity engaged in trapping and making robes The letter I had just received from Halsey requested my attendance on him that spring I left my people and went down the river to Fort Union On arriving I found a large body of the Azne Bone in camp near the fort Their chiefs immediately came to me wishing me to conclude peace with them as representative of the Crow Nation They attempted to palliate their late misdeeds by throwing the blame on a few Azne Bone desperados who had acted without the authority or the cognizance of the National Council and that they had been severely punished by the tribe for their excesses In answer I told them that I had no authority to conclude peace that even if I had they would not observe a peace longer than one moon that I thought the Crows would throw difficulties in the way of entertaining their propositions but that they could apply to the council again and learn how they were inclined Mr. Halsey and all the sub-traders present interceded with me to exert myself in establishing a peace between the two nations which request I promised to comply with The chiefs inquired whether we would take their lives in the event of their visiting us on such a mission I assured them that the Crows would hold their lives sacred that they were not dogs as many nations were but that they were a great and magnanimous nation whose power was predominant and who killed no enemies but in battle I remained at the fort about three weeks and as most of the sub-traders, clerks and interpreters were in we had a glorious time It was at least three or four years since I had last visited there for though I fought a battle outside its walls lately I did not see fit at that time to make them a call The boats being ready to return, I started with them but their progress was so slow and wearysome on their way up to the Yellowstone that I leaped ashore intending to make my way over dry land I have always rejoiced that I was prompted to take that step for I became instrumental thereby in performing a merciful deed among so many that might be termed unmerciful I had not traveled more than three miles when I came across a white man named Fuller in a famishing condition I had a companion with me whom I started off to the boats to bid them prepare something suitable to recover the poor fellow and to order them to touch on shore when they came to where he lay Fuller was quite delirious I had discovered him just in the nick of time as he could not have survived many hours longer My companion was not long in performing his errand and when the boat touched for him we carried him on board and gave him tea and warm restoratives He shortly revived and then gave me to understand in a very incoherent manner He had four companions in a similar condition near to where I had found him At this intelligence we went on shore again to sucker them also We had a long hunt before we succeeded in finding them and when we at last discovered them we found them picking and eating rose buds or rather the pods containing seed of last year's growth When they saw us approaching they attempted to run supposing us to be Indians but their strength failing them they sought to conceal themselves in the bushes We made known our errand to them and invited them on board the boat Our opportune offer of service seemed so providential that the fortitude of the poor famishing fellows could not sustain them and they all gave way to a plentiful flood of tears We conveyed them on board the boat and furnished them with food adapted to their emaciated condition When in some measure restored they informed us that they had been trapping in the mountains Their party originally consisting of eleven men that they were on their road to forecast with their pack horses and four packs of beaver when they were set upon by the black feet who killed six of their party and to spoil them of every article they had and it was by a miracle that they escaped from their hands When they had supposed themselves near the fort they saw a great number of Indians whom they took for black feet to avoid them they took a wide circuit through the prairie The Indians whom they mistook for black feet were a party of crows and if they had gone up to them and made their case known the crows would have escorted them to the fort They probably have pursued the black feet and have retaken their property On returning from their circuit they struck the river a great distance below the fort and were still traveling down the river in search of it They had nothing to eat and nothing to kill game with to relieve their wants They went on with the boats while I and my companion resumed our overland route We reached the fort several days in advance of the boats I only rested one night there and then proceeded directly on to my Indian home Shortly after my arrival there the villages moved on up the river proceeding leisurely and killing buffalo and dressing robes on the way We finally reached the mountain streams and as it was now near September the beaver were getting to be in fine condition for trapping We had at this time a visit from 800 lodges of the snakes who came for the purpose of trading as they had no trading post of their own They remained with us several weeks and we had a very agreeable time together This furnished me with an opportunity of enlarging to the crows upon the superior delights of peace We could visit the lodges of our snake friends and they could visit ours Our women could chatter together our children gamble and have their sham battles together while the old veterans could talk over their achievements and smile at the mimic war hoops of their children They could also trade together and derive mutual benefit from the fair exchange of commodities I contrasted this with the incessant butcheries that distinguished their intercourse with some tribes and asked them which relation was the more desirable The crows had many things to trade away which they had no need for or if they had needed them they could replace them with a fresh supply from the fort The nation was desirous that their guests should see the trading post where all their goods were stored beyond the reach of their enemies and once they drew their supplies as often as they had need of them For the simple crows supposed that the post with their contents were the property of the nation and that the whites who were in charge there were their own agents To gratify their natural pride I led a party to the fort among whom were 200 of our snake visitors On entering the fort and looking over the storehouse were struck dumb with astonishment They could not comprehend the vastness of the wealth that was displayed before them They had never before seen a depot of goods and this exceeded all they had any previous experience of The rows of guns highly polished the battle axes lance blades scarlet cloth beads and many curiosities they had never seen before filled them with admiration They could not gaze sufficiently at these indications of our wealth They inquired of the crows whether our nation made all those articles there They told them that they did not that they were made in our great fort below in comparison with which this was but a small lodge that all our supplies were manufactured there and brought up the river in great boats by our white friends They then inquired by what means they had gained the alliance of the whites that instead of killing them and banishing them from their hunting ground as they did to many nations they should give themselves the great trouble to serve them with their boats and bring them such immense supplies The crows informed them that their great chief the medicine calf had been instrumental in accomplishing all this By his long resonance with the whites after his sale to them by the Cheyennes when he had become a great brave he had gained surprising influence with the great white chief who loved the medicine calf and had taught him to make forts and had suffered him to come back to his people in order to teach them to become great and overcome all their enemies The snakes were wonder-stricken at such marvels The unassailable fort which a single bombshell would have blown to Adams filled with an inexhaustible store of rich goods Our great fort down the river in comparison with which this was but a small lodge and where all these marvelous products of our ingenuity were manufactured Our mysterious connection with the whites which procured us the advantage of their unremunerated services and shielded us with the irresistible sucker of the great white chief All this overpowered their imagination The wealth and power of the Crone Nation exceeded all conception and to oppose them in war was to incur unavoidable destruction After the snakes had traded off their stock of peltry obtaining large supplies and exchange we returned to the village They had wonderful narratives of the big fort and wealth of the Crone Nation to spin to their fellow villagers In fact, they were so impressed with the idea of our superiority that 200 lodges of the snakes joined our nation and never separated from them They had a chief of their own but conformed to our laws and regulations proving themselves faithful fellow citizens and emulating our best warriors in battle This coalition increased our force to the number of 500 warriors More than we had lost in battle for four years preceding They intermarried with our women and in a few years were so completely transformed that they had quite forgotten their snake origin On our return the remainder of our friends left us During our absence the black feet had invaded our dominion and made off with upward of 3,000 of our horses Very greatly to our detriment The snakes were anxious to pursue them or at least to assist their host in recapturing their stolen property but long hair declined their proffered service He said No I am too old to run after them and the warriors must have someone to direct them Should any accident befall my people the medicine chief would be grieved We must wait his return from the fort If he then deems it proper to punish them he will not be long without the means Our villages still remained together and we moved on to the headwaters of the Yellowstone We had several war parties out and some endeavoring to retrieve our equine losses While those who remained in the village applied themselves to trapping and hunting The snake women were very skillful in dressing robes far superior to our own as they had been more engaged in it My warriors were again burning with the desire for war and horse raids Although our prairies were alive with animals inaction seemed to consume them In spite of my prohibition they would steal away in parties during the night When convicted I would inflict severe flogging upon them by my dog soldiers who did not spare the lash but it was to little purpose In fact they took it as honorable distinction to receive a lashing in as much as it indicated they're overruling a door for war and the culprit who received a flogging this morning for disobedience of orders was sure to be off at night again An old warrior despises the sight of a trap Hunting Buffalo even does not afford him excitement enough Nothing but war or a horse raid is a business worth their attending to and the chief who seeks to control this predilection too far loses popularity Accordingly, I gave way to the general desire of my warriors I selected 160 trusty braves intending to lay alongside my old friends the Blackfeet and wipe out one or two old scores I had marked against them I invaded their territory with my little force and marched on admonishing my spies to extreme vigilance We came in sight of a village and secreted ourselves till a proper hour of night On our march we discovered a single Indian Some of the party called him to them and clubbed him down and scalped him He had mistaken us for his own people At midnight we visited their herd and drove out 640 head A number of their best cattle were tied at the doors of their lodges and in their corrals I arrived home safe with my booty and as I had taken one scalp we had a great dance All our other parties were very successful excepting one That was one that had gone on an expedition against the Arapahos Pine leaf was in the number They had taken about a thousand horses and having reached a distance that they supposed safe they slackened their pace and were proceeding carelessly along Suddenly their pursuers came in sight A strong pose combatotus and retook all their animals except those that bore the fugitives and killed three of their comrades The heroine came back in mourning looking like the last of her race One of our victorious parties brought back 50 boys and girls whom they had captured while gathering fruit Since the loss of our 3,000 horses to the Blackfeet we had captured 6,000, 2,500 of which had been recovered from the Blackfeet We now moved on to the Yellowstone and crossed it The villages still keeping together We then journeyed on slowly in the direction of the fort trapping and hunting all the way We kept a vigilant eye upon our prisoners for fear they might attempt an escape to their own tribes and thus bring upon us a foe when we had no time to attend to him This was a very productive fall for Beltry and we sent in great quantities to the fort in advance of our arrival I remained at the training post nearly the whole of the winter In the early spring the crows sent for me to rejoin them I went accordingly and found that their long-continued good fortune had suffered a reverse They had grown careless in their expeditions and had lost some of their warriors They wished my aid to revenge their deaths and wash their faces I required them to defer their retaliation until their robes were dressed and sent to the fort They took hold of the business in good earnest and every robe was soon ready for market It was now time to plant our tobacco and we all moved in the direction of our planting ground The seed was put in and the attending ceremonial gone through with Our pacific business thus completed the warriors began to prepare for war Our horses had been but little used during winter and they were all fat and in high condition I took three hundred and sixty warriors and went against the Cheyennes We discovered a moving village of sixty lodges, charged on it and bore away nine scalps with considerable booty without losing one drop of blood Pine leaf was in my party and being so unfortunate is not to count one coup She was greatly out of humor and blamed me for depriving her of the opportunity of killing an enemy The truth is we had no time to favor her as I was desirous to secure our booty and get off without endangering the loss of a man Her young blackfoot prisoner had become quite a warrior He went to war constantly and bid fair to equal his captor in Valor He was already a match for an ordinary Sioux warrior and took great pride in his sister Pine leaf All our war parties returned without loss and the nation resumed its customary good spirits I then returned to the fort where I rested all the summer My thoughts had for a long time passed reverted to home Year after year had rolled away and now that I had attained a middle life they seemed to pass me with accelerated pace and the question would intrude upon my mind What had I done when I abandoned myself seriously to reflection? It seemed as if I had slumbered away the last twelve years Others had accomplished the same toils as myself and were now enjoying the fruits of their labor and living in luxury and ease But what had been my career and what advance had I made toward this desirable consummation? I had just visited the Indian territory to gratify a youthful thirst for adventure I had narrowly escaped starvation in a service in which I had no interest I had traversed the fastness of the far rocky mountains in summer heats and winter frosts I had encountered savage beasts and wild men until my deliverance was a prevailing miracle By the mere bandinage of a fellow trapper I had been adopted among the savages and had conformed my superior habits to their ruthless and untutored ways I had accompanied them in their mutual slaughters and dyed my hand crimson with the blood of victims who had never injured me I had distinguished myself in my barbarian seclusion and had risen to supreme command in the nation I had devoted myself to And what had I to show for so much wasted energy and such a catalog of ruthless deeds? I had been the means of saving many a fellow creature's life Did they still owe me gratitude? Possibly some few did while others had forgotten my name In good truth when I sought the results of my prolonged labors I found I had simply wasted my time I had bestowed years upon others and only moments upon myself However I still lived and there was yet time to take more heed unto my ways I resolved to go home and see my friends and deliver myself from this present vagabond life The attachments I had formed during my savage chieftainship still retained some hold upon my affections And it was barely possible I might return to them and end my days among my trusty braves There at least was fidelity and when my souls should depart for the spirit land Their rude faith would prompt them to paint my bones and treasure them until I should visit them for my ever flowing hunting ground And demand them at their hands Such sober thoughts as these occupied my mind during my summer residence at the fort I had brought with me all the peltry we had accumulated in order to be in season for the boats Which were soon to start for the lower fort I had directed the village to follow along with whatever peltry they might collect before the departure of the boats In obedience to this instruction about 250 warriors came down bringing their commodities with them But the boats had gone and I still was waiting at the fort One day a party of my men were out to hunt buffalo for our own use When they accidentally scared up 11 black feet who were lurking about on the lookout for horses They chased them into our old camping ground and the fugitives had taken refuge in our old temporary fort I was sitting at the fort the while busily conversing with persons present I heard the report of their guns and supposed if the affair proved serious I should be promptly sent for Bad hand one of my leaders finally said they are fighting out yonder And I don't suppose they can do anything without we are with them Let us go We each threw on a chief's coat and went down to see how matters stood I found the black feet fortified in their position and our men ineffectually firing upon them I ordered an immediate assault placing myself at their head We advanced a few paces at a rapid rate when I fell senseless with the blood gushing from my mouth in a stream All supposed me mortally wounded and I was carried into the fort to breathe my last The boats had left and Tulik happened to be starting after them just as I was carried in Seeing my wounded condition and everyone pronouncing me in a dying state he reported me as being dead at the lower fort Once the news traveled to my friends in St. Louis that I had been killed in a fight with the Indians In an hour or two it was discovered that there was still life in me and that I was reviving I was examined. There was no bullet wound on my body and again it was proved that my broad bladed hunting knife Though not the same one had averted the blow It had been struck with an ounce of lead impelled with the full force of gunpowder I speedily recovered but continued sore for a long time Every black foot was killed by my men who scaled their defense and leaped upon them in such numbers that they almost smothered them Only four of my warriors were wounded Intelligence of my injury was sent to the village which was three weeks and reaching them One thousand warriors instantly set out for the fort All my wives accompanying them but I had recovered before their arrival Our party had scarcely encamped outside the fort when the black feet who were always haunting us stole about 800 head of horses On discovering the theft a large party started on their trail up the river The deprotators would have to cross the river to get home and there was no crossing for horses nearer than 15 miles After which they had to go on to the muscle shell a distance of 20 miles farther and only 10 from the fort I knew that this would be the route of the fugitives because it was their regular beat I had had no thought of going until it suddenly occurred to me that the party in pursuit would most likely fail to overtake the thieves While I had so admirable an opportunity to catch them on the muscle shell I took a party therefore, floated the river near the fort and went on straight to the muscle shell where I posted my men Our unsuspecting victims came up singing in great merriment and driving our horses before them all of which were jaded I suffered them to approach close upon us and then gave the word to charge Never was a party taken more by surprise They were too dumbfounded to offer resistance and all we had to do was to chop them down We had their 24 scalps in little more than the same number of seconds When the other party came up and found the work done they thought we had been rained down there They knew they had left us at the fort and we had not passed them on the way And where did we come from? Pine leaf was with the party and she was ready to blow me off my horse It was unfair to take the job out of their hands after they had almost run their horses off their legs in the chase I expressed my regret at the fortunate turn affairs had taken and promised never to offend in the same manner again But it was a long while before I could banter her into good humor I remained at the fort all the summer as before stated Intending to go down the river on my way to St. Louis with the last boats in the fall While idling there I found the five men whom I had rescued from starvation in a penniless condition and unable to go to work again It seemed the company had issued orders to their agents to furnish no more outfits to free trappers on their personal credit As the risk was too great from their extreme liability to be killed by the Indians To engage to work for the company at the price they were paying hands was only perpetuating their poverty For they were running the same risk of their lives as if trapping for themselves and their remuneration was but as one to ten They were downhearted and knew not what to do Considering their sad condition I determined to befriend them and risked the chances I therefore offered to give them an excellent outfit and direct them to the best beaver ground in the Crow Nation Where they would be protected from all harm by my Crow warriors as my friends My interest to be one half of the proceeds This offer was cheerfully accepted by the five men and they were highly elated at the prospect I then acquainted the crows that those men were my friends that they were the remains of a party of eleven Of whom six had been killed by the black feet who had to spoil them of everything they had And that I had found these in the prairie almost famished to death I had engaged them to stay in the nation and trap for me and I wished my faithful crow braves to protect them in their pursuit And suffer none to offer them molestation This they all readily promised to do and were even pleased with the trust For it was a belief with the crows that the beavers in their streams were too numerous ever to be diminished My bosom friend offered to remain with them to show them the best streams and render them all the assistance in his power He was a most valuable auxiliary as his skill in trapping I never saw excelled They went to work and met with extraordinary success My share of their labors of less than three months amounted to five thousand dollars End of Chapter 26 Chapter 27 The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckworth Mountaineer, Scout and Pioneer And Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians Written from his own dictation by T. D. Bonner This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Sparrowhawk Nation was all assembled at the Fort To take leave of the medicine calf for several moons The boats had arrived filled with a fresh stock of goods And the nation made purchases to the amount of many thousands of dollars The boats being now ready to return again I made a short address to my people before I bade them a dew Sparrowhawks, I said I am going to leave you for a few moons to visit my friends among the white men I shall return to you by green grass when the boats come back from the country of the whites While I am away, I desire you to remember the counsel I have often given you I wish you to send out no war parties Because you want for nothing and your nation is feared by all the neighboring tribes Keep a good look out over your horses So as to afford the enemy no opportunity of stealing them It is through carelessness in the horse guards that one half the horses are lost And it is the loss of horses that leads to half the battles that you fight It is better not to have your horses stolen in the first place Than to steal more in the place of those you have lost I also commend Mr. Tulik to your care as well as all the inmates of the fort Visit them often and see that they are not besieged or starved out by their enemies Do not let the Blackfeet or any other bad Indians harm them Behave yourselves as becomes my faithful crows Adoo! They all promised obedience to my instructions and I was soon on board The boats were cast loose and we were born rapidly downstream by the swift current of the Yellowstone We called at Fort Union and I stayed there three days Here I had a fine canoe built and two oarsmen furnished me to carry me to St. Louis I was bearer of a large package of letters And when my little craft was finished I stepped on board and launched out upon the swift rolling current of the Missouri After the brilliant opportunities I had had of realizing a princely fortune My only wealth consisted of an order upon the company for $7,800 Arriving at Fort Clark we made another short stay The Eric Arrays whose country was some 150 miles farther down had just stolen nearly all the horses belonging to the fort Bellamere, the interpreter of the fort, proposed to me to go after them and see if we could recover some of the horses I consented and we went down to their village in my canoe and on our arrival there found them all dancing And toned Garo with two relatives were in the number On seeing our approach one shouted, Here come white men! And Garo and his brother instantly sprang toward us and pushed us into a lodge where we were apparently prisoners A council was summoned to decide upon our fate and I had but slight hopes of ever seeing St. Louis A young Indian came at that moment and mentioned in a whisper to Peter that there was a large boat approaching He made a long hurrah before the others in which he earnestly and energetically declaimed against taking the lives of white men He concluded his oration by saying, You have now my opinion and remember if you decide upon taking these white men's lives I stay with you no longer He then left the council and went down to the boat where he advised the occupants to cross to the other side of the river As the Indians were at that moment deliberating upon the fate of Bellamere and three others Garo's father happened to be on board who was a great man among the Indians And on learning what business was in hand he provided himself with a club and entered the village with his son Peter He then said about the council and administered to all the members such a hearty thrashing laying about him as if fighting wild bulls That I thought he must surely slay some of them Exclaimed the old men after having belabored them till he was out of breath I'll teach you to deliberate on the lives of white men, dogs as you are The Indians offered no resistance and said not a word We remained all night with old Garo's company and returned to the fort in the morning Bellamere recovered his own horses but could obtain none belonging to the fort He called it all the forts that lay in our way to collect what dispatches they had to send Making but brief stay however as I was impatient to be getting on At Fort Canal I obtained a passenger a son of Mr. Pappin who was going to St. Louis And I received reiterated charges to be very careful of him Soon after our departure from the fort there came on a cold rainstorm which lasted several hours The storm raged fiercely and we had to make fast to a snag in the middle of the river to save ourselves from driving ashore I had my Indian fire striker and amid all the wind and rain I repeatedly lit my pipe My young passenger was astonished at the performance If you can strike a fire he exclaimed in such a storm as this I do not fear perishing When the storm had somewhat abated we landed to encamp I shot two fat wild turkeys which were quite a rarity to me After having lived so many years on buffalo meat there being no turkeys in the crow country On arriving at Jefferson City I felt quite sick and showed symptoms of fever But I was anxious to reach home without laying up a steamboat coming down the river I went on board canoe and all and was soon landed on the dock of St. Louis It was 14 years since I had last seen the city and what a difference was observable in those few years But I was too sick to take much notice of things and hastened to my sister's house Accompanied by the carpenter of the boat He rapped the door was opened by my younger sister I was supporting myself against the wall Greetings passed between them for my companion was acquainted with my family And he then informed her that he was the bearer of sad news Her brother James was dead My sister Louise began to cry and informed him they had learned the news some weeks since Then turning to me he said come in Jim and see your sister cry for you I advanced and addressed her in my old familiar manner How do you do Lou? I must have been a curious looking object for an affectionate sister to recognize All my clothing consisted of dressed antelope, deer and the skins of mountain sheep Highly ornamented by my Indian wives My long hair as black as the ravens wing descended to my hips And I presented more the appearance of a crow than that of a civilized being She gazed at me for a moment with a searching look and then exclaimed My God it is my brother She flew into my arms and was for some time unable to speak At length she said we received a letter informing us of your death And that Mr. Toulac had seen you born into forecast dead My elder sister Matilda was upstairs Entertaining a few female friends and Lou bounded upstairs to acquaint her That her brother James wished to speak to her Thinking her to be jesting she said are you not ashamed of yourself to jest on such a subject? And she shed tears at thus having me recalled to remembrance Louise asseverated her earnestness and Matilda reproved her for her wantonness But would not budge to go and see for herself At length a Mrs. LeFarve said Matilda I believe she is an earnest And if you do not go and see I will She had been a child with me and we used to repeat our catechism together Now she was married and the mother of several children She came tripping downstairs into my sister's apartment Making a ceremonious curtsy as she entered My sister introduced her to me asking me if I did not recollect my comoré For we were baptized together I had forgotten her but the mention of this circumstance recalled her to my mind And there was another embracing Her faith being thus confirmed my sister Matilda was called down Reception from her was even more cordial than from the preceding friends She was a woman of great warmth of feeling and her heart was full to overflowing With the emotions my name had called up She was the eldest of the family and since our mother's death She had been at once mother and sister to us all Although I was the vagrant of the family I still lived in her sisterly heart And the supposition that my earthly career was closed had only hallowed my memory In her affections This was my second reception by my relatives after I had been supposed dead One by my savage friends who, in welcoming me as their long lost child Exhibited all the genuine emotions of untutored nature And this second by my civilized friends Who, if less energetic in their demonstrations of attachment Showed equal heartfelt joy, equal sincerity and far superior decorum The following morning I visited the company's office and delivered my letters I became too weak to walk home And Mr. Chateau very obligingly drove me back in his carriage I was compelled to take to my bed where I was confined for several days under good medical attendance And most assiduously attended by my relatives Their answers to my many inquiries confounded me entirely Where is my father? He went back to Virginia and died there many years ago Where are my brothers? They are scattered about the country Where is such and such a friend? In his grave Where is Eliza? She was married a month ago after receiving intelligence of your certain death I ceased my querying and averted my eyes from my sister's gaze And this, I mused, is my return home after years of bright anticipations of welcome This is my secure and sunshiny haven after so long and dangerous a voyage My father dead, my brothers dispersed My friends in their graves and my loved one married She did well I have no right to complain She is lost to me forever If a man's home exists in the heart of his friends With the death and alienation of those friends his cherished home fades away And he is again a wanderer upon the earth I do not know whether it was disappointment at so much death, mutation, and estrangement Or whether I bore the disease immediately in my own heart But I was disappointed in my return home The anticipations I had formed were not realized A feeling of cynicism passed over me I thought of my Indian home And of the unsophisticated hearts I had left behind me Their lives were savage And their perpetual animosities repulsive But with this dark background there was much vivid coloring and relief If the Indian was unrelenting and murdered with his lance, his battle axe, and his knife The white brother was equally unfeeling and had ways of torturing his victim If less violent, not the less certain The savage is artless And when you win his admiration there is no envious reservation to prompt him To do injustice to your name You live among them honored And on your death your bones are stored religiously in their great cave Along with others of preceding generations To be each year visited and painted and reflected on by a host of devoted companions There is not the elegance there, the luxury, the refined breeding But there is rude plenty Prairie studded with horses and room to wander without any man to call your steps in question My child was there and his mother whom I loved A return there was in no way unnatural I had acquired their habits and was in some manner useful to them I had no tie to hold me here and I already almost determined upon returning to my Indian home Such thoughts as these as I lay on my sick bed past continuously through my mind A few of my early friends as they heard of my return came one after the other to visit me But they were all changed The flight of time had brought furrows upon their smooth brows And the shadow of the wings of time was resting upon the few fair cheeks I had known in my younger days End of chapter 27