Volume 45 - No. 44
Compiled by lyle e davis
Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of journal entries dictated by James P. Beckwourth, an adventurer, explorer, scout, hunter, trapper, pioneer, emigrant and, for a time, Indian Chief of the Crows.
The narrative is almost amusing in that hardy pioneers did not really talk in such elegant terms. Clearly, T. D. Bonner, who writes this biography, has exercised considerable ‘poetic license’ in describing the adventures in such elegant prose. Here, then, more in the continuing saga describing the trek out West by James P. Beckwourth: Departure from Fort Cass. — Capture of Squaws. —Battle with the Black Feet; with the Cheyennes. —Great Success of the Crows in stealing Horses. —A successful Fall for Beaver. —Return to the Fort with Peltry.
AFTER having arranged every thing in the fort (which I have forgotten to mention we named after Mr. Cass), and given all instructions to Winters, who was in charge, I again left. My intention
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was to induce the Crows to devote their undivided attention to trapping, not alone for their own benefit, but for the interest of my emplying company. I knew that if I was with them they would capture five beavers to one if left to themselves. I had obtained great influence in the medicine lodge, and could often exert it to prevent a war-party from making a useless excursion against their enemies. I would tell them in their council that my medicine told me not to go to war; that it was to their interest to employ their warriors in trapping all the beavers possible, so that they might have the means of purchasing ammunition and weapons for themselves, as well as beads, scarlet cloth, and blankets for the women; that by-and-by we should be attacked by the enemy, and be unprovided with the means of defense; that they would then kill all our warriors, and make captives of our women and children, as the Cheyennes had captured my mother when I was an infant, many winters gone; that they should save all their warriors against a time of need, and only engage in war when the safety of their village was at stake. These representations would frequently dissuade them from their
belligerent purpose, and beaverskins would be brought into the village by the pack; but they would soon tire of their pacific occupation, and their enemies' horses would offer them temptations which they could not resist. Nearly all the Crows having left the fort before I did, only a few warriors remained to bear me company. I engaged to meet them at the mouth of the Little Horn within a given number of nights, and I knew I should be expected. We arrived in safety at the place appointed, and within the time I had specified. Soon after our arrival, it was proposed to send out a war-party, not so much to fight as to reconnoitre; to see where horses could with least difficulty be procured, and gain a general intelligence of how matters stood. We set out, and had traveled slowly along for nearly two weeks, when our scouts returned to apprise us that there was a large crowd of women approaching toward us. We were then in a forest of plum-trees, bearing large red plums, which were fully ripe, and were very delicious. Feeling satisfied that the women were coming to gather fruit, we secreted ourselves, intending, at a given signal, to
surround them while they were busily employed. Accordingly, we waited until they all set themselves about their task, they keeping up an incessant jabber among themselves and having no suspicion that the Crows would so soon come in for their share. At a sound from the whistle, they were entirely surrounded, and their merry chatter was hushed in an instant. We marched them to an open piece of ground, made them form a line, and proceeded to make selection. The aged, the illfavored, and the matrons we withdrew from the body, telling them to return to the village, and depart. They went away in sullenness, with their eyes flashing fire. The remainder, to the number of fifty-nine, very attractive looking young women, we carried along with us; and as we were but three miles distant from their village, and could plainly see the smoke of their lodges, we deemed it prudent to lose no time in making our way home. There were three warriors in the company of the women when first descried, but they were not inclosed in our surround, and we could find no traces of them in any direction. On our return toward home the captives were, as usual, gloomy for an hour or two; but they very
The Journey West Continues Continued on Page 2