Plucky Montana Women – 1877
Plucky Montana Women – 1877
The article below appeared in the New Northwest (Deer Lodge) newspaper on July 27, 1877. Severe Indian hostilities were already reported in Idaho, and Joseph’s Nez Perce people were moving down the Bitter Root valley in Montana, heading for buffalo country. They had avoided soldiers and citizens at Fort Fizzle in the Lolo canyon without fighting. A group of 21 men from the Deer Lodge area left earlier to make themselves available for the defense of Missoula. The battle between the Nez Perce and American soldiers was about to begin at the Big Hole Valley, where over 100 people would die.
Plucky Women– New Northwest 7/27/1877
A few days ago, and when the Indian excitement was at its highest, Mrs. Beal and Miss Nettie Rogan, the district school teacher, were stopping on a ranche in Warm Springs Creek valley. Mr. Beal being at Deer Lodge engaged on the Episcopal Church building, had left a hired man on the place. One evening a party of Missoula Indians rode up the valley by the house, and although somewhat noisy, went on without molesting any person or thing; but the hired man having neglected to get out a policy on his life, left for Butte to interview an insurance agent and forgot to return. The next day two pilgrims passing up the road on their way to Philipsburg saw posted on a tree, “Look a little out – Indians on the war path,” and resolved, at once that the road via Deer Lodge, if not the shorter, had other redeeming excellences, and beating a hasty retreat arrived at the Beal ranche about dark, where they secured the use of the root-house in which they spent the night, after having barricaded the door. The next morning one of them ventured to ask why they, the ladies, were so reckless of life as to feel no alarm. Mrs. B. replied that she had to look after and cultivate a garden of two acres; had milked fourteen cows, sheared fifteen sheep, and after taking care of her children and doing her housework really had not time for either a panic, strike or a sun stroke. Nothing has since been heard from the pilgrims, but having started for the States they probably feel safe ere this. – S
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