MATTHEW BRAYTON'S NARRATIVE CONTINUED.
Is recognized as a white man -- War dance -- Fight with
Blackfeet Indians -- Tomahawking and burning captives.
In 1861 the winter in the north was exceedingly severe and the game
was compelled to seek a more southern latitude to get something to
eat. We followed them down but were in great danger of perishing of
famine. In this strait our only hope was in obtaining some additional
supplies from the trading posts. A large detachment was therefore sent
off to the post of the Hudson Bay Company for the purpose of obtaining
supplies. With this band I traveled.
We arrived at the post after a long journey and were received with
kindness. The few furs and skins we were able to gather up we traded
for provisions but we were still in great want. That night we camped
near the trading post and waited to plead our cause with the agent
next day.
In the morning whilst the chief of our party and some of the leading
warriors were talking to the agent and explaining to him the
deplorable condition of the tribe one of the traders came into our
camp. Whilst looking around and talking he came close to me and
something seemed to attract his attention. Looking me in the eyes he
suddenly spoke in French. I did not understand him but he immediately
addressed me in Indian language, saying: "You are no Indian." I
replied that I was for I never remembered anything of a life different
from the one I was leading. He insisted that I was no Indian but a
pale face and demanded that I should come before the agent. I was
about to do so, when some of the tribe interfered to prevent me. An
angry discussion now took place between the trader and the Indians,
ending in my being taken before the agent himself.
On my entering the circle where the chiefs and principal warriors were
conferring with the agent I was brought before the latter by the
trader, and my white birth stated by him. The agent examined my
features closely and endeavored to get from me by conversation whether
I was a white or not. I was surprised by these statements but replied
that I always considered myself an Indian. The members of the tribe
present in the council were greatly disturbed when I was brought
before the agent and on being appealed to strongly asserted my Indian
parentage. I could not fail to remark their alarm lest I should be
claimed as a white, and pondered over it for some time.
The agent was quieted for a time but was not satisfied and all the
post continued to watch our movements narrowly. Next day whilst
getting some provisions from the post, our chief was again asked about
me and was told that no more provisions would be given the party
unless I was surrendered to the whites. At this the chief returned to
the camp in dismay and a brief council was held from which I was
excluded. The result was that our camp was suddenly broken up and the
trail immediately struck for the main body of the tribe leaving the
rest of the needed supplies behind us.
On our homeward march we fell in with a party of Blackfeet who wished
to rob us of our ponies and provisions. After a short skirmish the
enemy was driven back, but continued to hover on our trail in order to
find out our destination.
A busy scene presented itself at the camp on our arrival. Our hunters
in their excursions in pursuit of game had come on traces of the
Blackfeet Indians, and had followed the trail until they discovered
the camp of a large war party which had evidently come out with the
intention of meeting and driving us back to the north again. A grand
council of the tribe was gathered and the warriors were giving their
opinions as to the proper course to be pursued. Two alternatives
presented themselves. One was to go back to the snows and starvation
of the northern winter, and the other to meet the opposing Blackfeet
and endeavor to force our way through them to the hunting grounds
farther south. There was a general disposition to take the latter
course, and several chiefs made stirring appeals to the pride and
vengeance of the warriors. The numerous battles with the Blackfeet in
former years were referred to, and the blood of the slain invoked to
stir up the hearts of the warriors to revenge. Finally one of the
chiefs sprang to his feet and commenced chanting an account of his
warlike deeds, and boasted of what he would do in the approaching
fight. Whilst he sang he danced around in a circle, stamping fiercely
on the ground at every step. Every now and then he stopped to raise
his war-cry.
In a few minutes another warrior sprang up and joined the dance and
song, to the music of a small drum and rattle. Then another and
another leaped up, until all the fighting men of the tribe signified
their intention of attacking the enemy. During the dance the utmost
excitement existed, and the piercing yells worked the warriors up to
mad frenzy. Knives and tomahawks were waved in the air, and all the
movements of fighting and scalping an enemy gone through with.
Next day a large war party set out in the direction of the Blackfeet
camp. I accompanied the party. In a short time we struck the trail of
one of their bands, and followed it up till evening, when we
discovered ourselves in the vicinity of the enemy's camp. A hurried
council was held, and it was decided to conceal ourselves in the woods
until morning, and make the attack at sunrise. After placing sentinels
to keep watch of the camp, our party lay down among the brush and
waited for day.
At the first dawn of day we were all awake and creeping stealthily
towards the edge of the wood, beyond which the camp was pitched. As we
neared the opening the Blackfeet discovered our approach and raised an
alarm. In an instant there was great confusion in the camp, and their
warriors were rushing backwards and forwards, snatching up their
weapons and attempting to seek a place of shelter from the coming
attack.
At this moment our war chief blew a blast on a horn carried by him,
and at the signal a volley of shot and arrows was fired into the camp.
Several of the Blackfeet were killed and wounded, and the others ran
to the woods for protection. Some of our warriors dashed into the
opening, cut down the wounded and rapidly scalped them, raising a
terrible war whoop as each bloody scalp was snatched from the head of
the prostrate foe. As soon as the work was done they again sought the
protection of the trees.
The fight was now conducted from behind the trees and every one fought
after his own fashion. Sometimes one side appeared to gain the
advantage, and then the fortune would change. Hours passed away, and
both parties were very much scattered, but the Blackfeet were
generally in retreat. At last they broke up and fled, when our
warriors returned, plundered the camp of what little was left in it,
and took the trail homewards. A number of scalps were borne home in
triumph.
Three captives were taken and their arms tied firmly to their sides,
after which they were driven before us to the camp. On arriving there
the party was received with shouts of triumph, and the women and
children made a tremendous noise. Some of the squaws who had lost
husbands in battle came up to the captives and loaded them with
insults and abuse, shaking their fists in the faces of the victims and
acting like mad women. The captives remained perfectly indifferent to
these insults, and made no sign of being aware that the women were in
existence.
When the party entered the camp, the prisoners were tied to different
posts. The warriors then indulged in a great rejoicing. "Snakyeye" or
whisky was brought out and drank. The warriors boasted of their deeds
in battle and divided the captives. Then they sprang up in a wild
dance, and menaced the captives with their knives and tomahawks. One
of the Blackfeet replied in contemptuous words to the taunts of the
Copper-Heads, which so exasperated them that several of the latter at
once rushed to the posts and tomahawked two of the captives. The third
was saved by a chief of our tribe, who proposed that he should be
burned instead of tomahawked.
This proposal met with favor, and preparations were at once made for
carrying it into execution. Wood was brought and piled up around the
victim until it ascended above his knees. He was then tormented by
descriptions of the horrible sufferings that he was to endure, but the
threats failed to shake his constancy in the least.
As soon as all the preparations were complete, a large number of
warriors and squaws encircled the victim and commenced a wild dance.
Fire was applied to the pile, and in a few moments the flames ascended
around the body of the captive Blackfoot. He commenced chanting a
deathsong, and did not stop till life was extinct. The dance was kept
up around the stake until the body was consumed, when a yell was given
and the assemblage dispersed to their lodges.
Next day another council was held, and it was decided not to go any
farther to the south, but to return and get through the winter as well
as possible in a territory where we should be out of the Blackfeet
range. Accordingly our tents were struck and packed, the ponies
loaded, and we once more took the northward trail.