Old Missoula

In August, 1879, three of us (Johnny Kennedy, a brother of Wm. Kennedy of this town [Missoula], Robt. Campbell, late of Manitoba mounted police, and myself) found ourselves impelled by love for adventure with business in view to undertake a journey from Fort Walsh in the Cypress Hills to Woody Mountain in the North West Territory of Canada.

We were well aware of the fact that on our trip we would have to camp in the vicinity of and actually pass through the center of the village governed by “the last Mohican” of the North. But we did not care. Life had become cheap to us on account of long usage in the frontier, and we took it in our hands, as it were, and started out.

A brief southeasterly course of over 140 miles of beautiful, rolling prairie, brought us to the outposts of the much talked of “hostiles.” Early one morning, while I was on the point of turning a slap-jack for breakfast my companions discovered that dark objects on the surrounding hills, which were supposed to be rocks, were beginning to disappear; and we perceived that we had been discovered by the “herders.” Soon five or six small boys came up on the road, and dismounting from their ponies at a respectful distance from our campfire, they seemed to take mental note of ourselves and our outfit. We could not coax them to come near us, and after a short observation they returned silently the way they had come (prepared to report the color of our hair, and the value of our possessions to the provost marshall of the Sioux.)

Six miles down the prairie brought us to the valley of the White Muddy. A magnificent spectacle greeted our eyes. To the left, fully 700 new lodges (General Miles having destroyed the old ones) of the Sioux covered the bottom over an area of three miles by two. To the right a large party of Red river half-breeds had dropped their unique carts near the crossing of the creek; while on the opposite side of the valley the hills seemed to be alive with thousands of horses.

It is true, we did feel a little squeamish when we saw several hundred mounted Indians charging out to meet us. But our fears were soon assuaged when upon coming up they shouted a friendly welcome and begged for “chardy” (tobacco) with extended hands. A large crowd accompanied us to the crossing of the creek; at which point “Sitting Bull” was standing up in a Red river cart, haranguing the half-breed traders. The great chieftain did not impress me half as much as his “sub” Long Dog; in fact I would have designated Sitting Bull a very ordinary Indian with an extraordinary nose, had I met him at any other place. A prairie sign caused us to come to a halt. Our business was soon inquired into, but the savage chief finding that we were bound upon an errand to his friend Major Walsh, directed that we should be respected.

We nooned near the White Muddy, and of course was visited by a large number of roughs. Some of them taunted us with being Americans, while others offered to sell us a loaded and cocked revolver (taken from Custer) with the muzzle held temptingly before the nose. We felt rather nervous, but did not dare to show fear. The only loss we sustained was a box of cartridges that had accidentally been dropped from one of our pockets.

Woody Mountain was but 65 miles from Sitting Bull’s camp, and we happily accomplished the journey with more hair than we needed. Upon our return trip we made it a point to camp with the hostiles for purposes of trade, and while with them we became convinced of the fact that the Sioux preferred the Happy Hunting Grounds to the Reservations of Uncle Sam.

Notes:

John J Kennedy, Charles Schafft’s traveling companion had a contract to supply beef to the N. W. Mounted police in Canada. John Kennedy’s older brother, William, was a Missoula pioneer who died there in 1904. William was a Missoula mayor, hotel proprietor, and was very active in the Missoula community. At one time both Kennedy brothers were associates of John J Healy of Fort Benton and Whoop-Up fame. Charles Schafft was associated with all three of them in various ways.