The Life of Kit Carson: Hunter, Trapper, Guide, Indian Agent and Colonel U.S.A.
Page 16
CHAPTER XVI.
At Brown's Hole--Trading in the Navajoe Country--Carson Serves as Hunter at Brown's Hole--Trapping in the Black Hills--On the Yellowstone--Fight with the Blackfeet--Their Retreat to an Island--Their Flight During the Night--An Imposing Array of Warriors.
The fight between the Blackfeet and trappers was one of the mostimportant in which Kit Carson, previous to the late war, was everengaged. The forces must have included several hundred, and the lessonadministered to the aggressive red men was remembered by them a longtime.
After burying their dead, looking after the wounded and setting mattersto rights, the hunters resumed trapping through the Blackfoot country.They were scarcely disturbed by their old enemies who dreaded rousingthe resentment of such a formidable body of daring and unerringmarksmen.
Our friends were very successful, and, when they made their way to therendezvous, a week's journey away, they carried with them an immensestock of peltries. When the trading was finished, the parties made newcombinations and departed in different directions. Instead of attachinghimself to a large company, Kit Carson and seven choice spirits startedfor a trading post known at that time as Brown's Hole. They reachedthere just in time for the leader to join an expedition, numbering onlytwo beside himself, which went into the Navajoe country for purposes ofbarter. The venture proved a great success and Carson drifted back againto Brown's Hole. There such liberal offers were made him to serveas hunter for the fort, that he accepted and entered upon his rathersingular, but exceedingly congenial duties.
These, as the reader must know, simply consisted of keeping the garrisonsupplied with all the meat they needed. Though the country was noted forits fine game, it required much time, skill and patience for Carson tomake sure that none of the vigorous appetites at the post suffered. Noone could have done better and very few as well as he. When spring came,and he gave up his position, he was complimented by those whom he leftbehind on the admirable manner in which he had met all requirements.
During those years there was much similarity in the life and experienceof Kit Carson. He had become known all through the west and southwestas the most daring, sagacious and brilliant leader in that country. Hisservices were in demand wherever he went, and as he was in the enjoymentof perfect health, overrunning with life and activity, he made moneyrapidly and showed his wisdom by laying aside a respectable sum for arainy day.
In the spring following his engagement at Brown's Hole, he went witha small party to the Black Hills, where they were quite successful inhunting. Later in the summer they joined the main body of trappers onGreen River. All meeting at the general rendezvous on a branch of theWind River. Still later, the majority of the trappers went into winterquarters on the Yellowstone. They were again in the country of theirbitter enemies, the Blackfeet, and were certain of a fight with them;but several months passed without molestation.
One day, however, several of the trappers who were making the roundsof the traps, came upon signs which showed they were close to a strongforce of the Blackfeet. The men lost no time in hurrying back to campwith the news, where it was agreed that trouble was at hand.
Forty men were selected at once to hunt out the Indians and engage themin battle. It goes without saying, that Kit Carson was made the leaderand there was not a moment's unnecessary delay in starting out to findthe enemy.
They were successful in their search. They suddenly found themselves inthe presence of a scouting party, who were undoubtedly looking for them;but perceiving the strength of the whites, they began retreating. Carsonand his men pressed them hotly, when, as anticipated, they fell back onthe main body and one of the old fashioned battles between trappers andIndians began.
The Blackfeet always fight bravely, and, for a time, they held theirground well, but they were forced to give way and retired to a smallisland in the Yellowstone, where they had thrown up rude fortificationsand felt able to hold their own against a much superior force.
Darkness closed in upon the contending forces, and the assailants ceasedfiring and encamped for the night on the bank of the river. They were onthe qui vive through the still hours, and so eager for the attack thatwith the earliest streakings of light in the east, they plunged into thestream and made for the barricades. It was not to be supposed that theBlackfeet would be taken off their guard, and the trappers expected toreach the defences through a hot fusillade from the dusky defenders.
To their surprise, however, not a single gun was discharged and theyrushed pell mell over the rugged fortifications to engage the enemyin hand to hand conflict. To their chagrin, however, not a solitaryBlackfoot was visible. Despite the watchfulness of the white men, theentire Indian force had withdrawn during the night without arousing theleast suspicion on the part of the watchers.
But the trappers were too wise to misconstrue the action of theBlackfeet. Their withdrawal was a strategic movement, and did not byany means signify they were afraid of the large force or that they wouldprefer not to molest them. The signs around the fortifications showedthat the Indians had suffered severely and they would never contentthemselves until full retaliation had been made.
The trappers returned to camp, where a long council was held. Theconclusion was that the Blackfoot village was near by, and when theylearned of the severe punishment received by the scouting party, theywould lose no time in entering upon a campaign of revenge. As theBlackfeet nation included several thousand warriors, there was reason tofear they would overwhelm the trappers, despite their bravery and skill.Barricades were thrown up and the best men stationed as sentinels. Oneof them hastened to the top of an adjoining hill, which commanded anextensive view of the surrounding country.
The sentinel had been in position but a short time when he signalledto his friends the approach of a large body of Indians. The huntersimmediately began strengthening their defences, and before the redskinarrived, they had rendered their position almost impregnable against anyforce that could be gathered in the country.
As the Blackfeet approached, the sentinel hurried down from the hill andjoined the main body. Shortly after, the advance party of Blackfeet camein sight and made a reconnaissance which apprised them of the nature ofthe defences. They did not fire a shot but waited until the arrival ofthe main band.
When that came in sight, it was enough to strike dismay into everyheart. There were few if any less than a thousand warriors. Dr. Peters,the biographer of Carson, says:
"It was a sight which few white men of the American nation have lookedupon. Arrayed in their fantastic war costume and bedaubed with paint,armed with lances, bows and arrows, rifles, tomahawks, knives, etc.,some mounted and some on foot, they presented a wild and fearful sceneof barbaric fancy.
"Soon after their last company had reported, the frightful war dance,peculiar to the American savages, was enacted in sight of the trappers'position. The battle songs and shouts which accompanied the dancereached the ears of the whites with fearful distinctness. Any otherthan hearts of oak with courage of steel would have quailed before thisterrible display of savage enmity and ferocity. This dance, to men wellskilled in the ways of the Indian warrior, was a sure signal that thenext day would be certain to have a fearful history for one party or theother and doubtless for both. The odds, most assuredly, were apparentlygreatly in favor of the savage host and against the little band of hardymountaineers."