'f • CHOTKAU ACANTHA

BRIEF OCCUPATION OF FORT THREE FORKS IN 1810, ONE OF MOST UNFORTUNATE STORIES OF THE EARLY-DAY FUR TRADE

This article by Mr. Hilgcr, sec­ near each other. Further on, about and Clark expedition, John Coulter, derburgh was farther up the Jeffer­ retary of the Montana Historical one hundred and fifty yards, Druyer George Drouillard and John Potts son river, above the three forks, he Society, one of the state's pioneers, and Jiis h»rse lay dead, the former should have figured prominently encountered these same destructive and who has been responsible for mangled hi a horrible manner; his with the early and first establish­ Blackfeet Indians and was killed as the collecting and preserving at head was cut off; his entrails torn ment of the Tlire Forks fort i3 re­ was also Alexis Pillon, on October 14, the State Historical Library, of out and his body hacked to pieces. markable. 1S32. Jim Bridget* made a close much valuable dam pertaining to We saw from the marks on the After the death of Drouillard, the “getaway,” and as a souvenir of thè early-day Montana, has to do with ground that ho must have fought in remnants of the party, now reduced episode, carried with him an arrow one of the most hnporatnt events a circle on horseback, and probably by the killing of eight of their best in his back. This he carried for three of tho earliest fur trade in the killed some of his enemies, Icing a men, to a total of 2-1, grew discour­ years until it was extracted by Dr. brave man and well armed with a treasure state. aged. Marcus Whitman. rifle knife and tomahawk.” (!) James remarks, “ Discouraged by It is little wonder that the Three Tliis was the end of the most noted tho prospect before us, most of the Forks was abandoned when it is (B y D AV ID HH.CSER) hunter 0f the Lev,-is and Clark party Americans prepared to go hack to known that so many of the leading HE only written narrative of tlie of whom Lewis says "A man of much the settlements, while Colonel An­ explorers, trappers and hunters met establishment of the Port at merit: he has been peculiarly useful drew Henry and the greater part of a tragic death there at the hands of T Three Forks came from the hand from his knowledge of the common the company, with a few Americans the warlike Blackfeet Indians. No of Thomas James, a free trapper, and language of gesticulation and his un­ were getting ready to cross the moun­ other point selected by the fur trad­ a member of the Manuel Lisa party common skill as a hunter and woods­ tains and go on to the Columbia be­ ers in wliat is now Montana, so far — the original party that made the man These several duties he per­ yond the viciinity of our enemies.’’ as history or journal shows, has ever trip up the Missouri and Yellowstone formed in good faith, and with an Tho exact date of the abandoning recorded scuh fierce opposition, and rivers to that point in 1809. ardor which deserves the highest of the Three Forks fort is not given, the tragic death of the besi of hunt­ Thomas James had engaged as a commendation. It was his fate also but Colonel Menard, James, Col­ ers and rifle shots of that time. free trapper with the Missouri Fur to ive encountered on various oc­ ter and nino men in all, went to the The brief occupation of Three company, of which Manuel Lisa was casions with either Captain Clark or fort on tho Yellowstone, thence to Forks fort in 1S10 constiutues one the manager, the latter having es­ myself, all the most dangerous and the Mandans and from there down of the most unfortunate stories of tablished a trading post and fort at trying scenes of the voyage, in which the Missouri, arriving at "t. Louis in' the fur trade, all based on historical the mouth of the Big Horn river, at he uniformly acquitted himself with August, 1810. |facts, the data for which is on file its confluence with the Yellowstone honor.” Andrew Henry, with 15 men all in the collection oT the Montana His­ in the fa ll and winter of 1S07-1S08. Thus we find that Captain Lewis told, went west and wintered on the torical Society. Thomas James, Miller and Mc­ PIERRE MENARD THOMAS JAMES pajs the highest compliments to North Fork of the Snake river, which ------o------Daniels, all free trappers, left the Who was in command of F ort Man­ Who is authority for many of the Drouillard that were paid to any has been known since that lime as Sentenced to Prison "F o rt” (Lisa) some miles above the uel at the lim e of the trip to Thvco stories about the brief, stormy car­ member of that famous hitory mak­ Henry’s Fork. Frank Wild, deputy collector of junction of Knife river with the Mis­ Forks and the building of the Fort. eer of Fort Three Forks. ing party. His bones are disinte­ Chittenden says that the parting of customs at Havre, and H. G. Araess, souri and in November, 1809, built a grating within a mile of the town of the parties took place somo time in Great Northern freight agent there, cabin at a point between there and Three Forks. the fall of 1S10, but we are inclined were sentenced by Federal Judge the Little Missouri, intending to EW MONTANANS who every summer enjoy the magnificent As hereinbefore mentioned, the to believe that the abandonment look Charles N. Pray to serve 13 months spend the winter there. scenery of the Rocky Mountains and other smaller mountain On Christmas Day, 1S09, James F ranges of this stutc have any knowledge of that picturcsqne froze his feet quite badly, as the re- and romantic race of white adventurers who a century ago were ex­ ploring every gorge and defile o f these mountains from Mexico to the Arctic circle, and who had a far more intimate knowledge of the geography of tliis section of the great west than 09 out of every JOO pci-sons who live in Montana today. One hundred years ago fur was the standard of currency in the west, and the news that there was plenty of it in what is today Montana, earried east by Lewis and Clark, started a horde of ad­ venturers to the upper Missouri to trap beaver and barter for pel­ tries with the savage and hostile Indians that then claimed this great country. In the motley ranks o f these soldiers of fortune the boldest and most romantic characters were the free trappers— those who went, as they expressed it, “ on their own hook.” The employes of the Hud­ son’s Bay company and other big fur companies were under sivict supervision and discipline that checked personal initiative... They were of the class who work for hire and see no further than the wages paid them, which, in those days were small.. But the free trappers were accountable to nobody. Each of them fought his own fights and won the fruits of his endeavors. Going alone or in smnll bands who acknowledged no captain, they would split up whenever the humor moved them, every man a law unto himself and relying solely upon his own strong right arm. They were unusual men picked by nature for great enterprises and great doed.s. The free trapper of the far west was in his rough way a good deal of a knight errant. Caparisoned In the wild attire of their kind — picturesque, buckskin garments— and armed for instant combat, they roamed far and wide over the plains and mountains, gathering the scattered wealth of those regions, slaying ferocious beasts and savage men. It was the trapper and the trader who first explored the rentes of travel through Montana which are now and always w ill be the highways of commerce over tlio mountains. They were the real pathfinders of the west, and not those later official explor­ DAVID HILGER ers whom the people of today so recognize. Secretary of the Montana Histor- It is a great misfortune that so few who went with these trap­ idnl Society. pers on their trails have le ft any account of these adventurers in the great west. Of the few that have written of these great characters, suit of which he was confined to the Thomas James in ids narrative, which has been complied and pre­ cabin for some time. Shortly af­ served by the Missouri Historical Society, tells much of the adven­ ter James’ misfortune, Miller and tures of the Lisa party which went up the Missouri in 1807. It is McDaniels went back to Fort Lisa from this narrative that the author has taken the data for the ar­ ticle which appears on this page. THE THREE FORKS OF THE MISSOURI— It was nt tliis point, whctc the Missouri river is formed, that the for supplies, taking with them the Three Forks fort was built, early in 1810. In the picture herewith reproduced, can be s'ien, tho Gallatin flowing furs that the party had accumrnulat- in from the left, and the Jefferson winding off to the right. The Madison joins the Jefferson fartherup if.s course ed to this time. James records that "They were gone twice the length of time agreed “up river American free trappers” penings at the fort up to April 21, noted John Potts was killed not far place in August or September of that! in the federal prison and pay $600 for their stay.” James, of course, with him. Among them was Cheek 1S10. from where the fort was built, when year, so that, at the most, the tern fine, was the penalty imposed in each was alone in the cabin with badly who had cut across the country from Colonel Menard writes, “ . . a party in company with Colter, the latter pestuous career of the Three Forks case. Wild and Amess were con- frosted feet, but a visit from a few the Lisa fort on the Missouri river. of our hunters were defeated by the certainly performing a feat in his fort wns not over four months of the virtecl in Great Falls last week of “friendly Indians” furnished him James detested Manuel Lisa, and Blackfeet on the 12th inst., there "get-away” in 1809, ancl be it re­ year 1810. conspiracy to defraud the govern­ with provisions for which he ex­ Cheek had threatened to kill Lisa if were two men killed . . . James membered that James, in his narra­ In the rivalry between the Ameri­ ment of revenues in connection with changed tobacco and trinkets. at any time he ever succeeded In get­ Cheeks and Ayers. Besides there are tive, gives Colter’s version of the can Fur company and the Rocky cattle shipments from Canada for The next visitors to call on James ting him away from the fort. Pierre missing young Holland, Freehearty episode. Bradbury wrote an account Mountain Fur company in 1S32, a which Matt Kindelspire of Leola, S. were an American, named Ayers, and Menard was considered by James as and his man who were camped of it in 1811 on the Lower Missouri party of trappers in charge of Hen­ D., had previously pleaded guilty. two Canadians from the Fort (Lisa) “an honorable, high-minded gentle­ about two miles farther up.” from Colter’s description and their ry Vanderburgh of the former com­ Kindelspire was the main witness for who were carrying dispatches to Fort man and enjoyed our esteem in a James’ narrative gives the list accounts are identical. (f>) pany and Jim Bridger of the latter, the government against Wild and Remon at the mouth of the Big Horn higher degree than any other of the killed as follows. “ We found and That these three men of the Lewis reached the Three Forks. "While Van- Amess. river on the Yellowstone. (This lat­ company.” buried our murdered comrades, ter fort was named for Lisa’s son, After remaining at the “fort” for Cheek and Ayers. . . Hull was chiefs ordered them to come ashore. • * * lug place by the same mnniier In which he Raym ond). From these men James a few days they left for the Three never heard of, and two others, (•1) George 1 iroullhird (Druyer. Drew- On reaching the shore, he (Colter) was had entered It. lie swam tho river and learned that M iller and McDaniel had Rucker and Fleclieart were also ver), wns tin* son of Pierre Drouillard anil . slc/.cd, disarmed and stripped entirely | "hastened Inward the mountain gap or Forks of the Missouri river, with 32 u Shawnee woman, lie was c#,nshh*i'ed the miked. I'otts was sttil In tils eiiime tn the ravine. about .'¡0 miles above the river, lie arrived at the “Fort” but. had men, (French and Americans), the missing." chief mid host hunter of the Lewis null middle of tho stream. • * • Caller re- j was successful In his flight from his pur- changed their mind about returning party including Colonel Menard, An­ This killing of these five men so Clark expedition, and was highly recom­ i|ii('Sted him to conic ashore which lie rc-'suers, and hastened hi tile direction of up the river. soon after their arrival at Three mended as micli Iiy Captain Lewis who af­ fused to do saying he might as well lose .Manners Port on the I’.lg Horn about 30ft drew Henry and two men who had terwards wrote of his merits. He wns one tils life nt once as he stripped and robbed miles to the north uinl east. He iraielod Ayers and his companions urged been members of the Lewis and Forks had a depressing effect upon it Lisa's chief men on the voyage of 1&07. in the manner Colter Imd been An Didlaii nay and night, living on roots mil the bark their limited party of 32. They re­ immedliitely fired and shot him about the of trees, reaching the fort in 11 days, James to accompany them to the fort Clark expedition. These latter were IiIp; lie dropped down in his canoe, hut "m nrl.v exhausted from hunger, fatigue and at the mouth of the Big I-Iorn, which Colter and Drewyer (Drouillard) mained at tho fort for several days Inslanlly arose again with his rifle In his excitement. Ills only clothing on Lius cn- ho finally decided to do, his feet After a most trying trip, they final­ and, no Indians appearing, they ven­ (.1) John l'otls wns a member of the liamls * » • He leveled his rifle and shot lire trip from the Three Forks to Manuels tured out for a distance of six miles Lewis »ml ('lnrk expedition parly. After an Indian dead. In an instant at least a ! Fort was the blanket of the Indian he had having sufficiently healed to permit ly reached the Three Forks on April the return nt tin; parly from the Pacific, hundred ballets pler*s*d bis body, and ns'killed ucnr'thc Madison river, of travel. It may bo stated that here 3, 1810. They had encountered a ancl the only enemy encountered lie entered tl.o • •inplo.v of Lisa’s company many savages ruMied Into the stream .-ru! i ,...... were the many ferocious bears. James .iiid v.ent up He i ner i\ itli the expedition pulled the lanoe loutnuilng his riddled! / “ Hers second adventure, anil one closes the chapter of Miller and Mc­ snowstorm in the Bozeman Fass, ■f 1 b()7, and t'.e di lulls of his death und Daniels, as they must have been and a number of their party suffered narrates “ In these short expeditions corpse, ashore. Tliev diagged the binlv * " 11 ' 11 him much to do with western lils- the men had frequent encounters the remnr«. tide e-'-.'ipe of Ills companion, up onto the shore mid cut and ha< 1-. d i t ! ’"'” ' - ls aiore ” r Ipks « familiar episode to killed by the Indians. It Is not re­ from snow blindness as a result .lohn Colter, • nm-Liiuiu a complete narra­ all•• - to -■pieces, ami * limb •*■ ■ from * lhnh. ” ■ t*i iso Montanans who have become familiar corded that they were over afterward thereof. They had also ran low on with bears, which in this region are tive In Hit tu-'i I" s. -ilh the history of our Yellowstone Xa- James, thoinrii. hi Ids narrative, gives the ‘‘The relations of the killed Indian w'-ro ii'm.il Park. It will he remembered that heard of. provisions. Upon arrival at the of enormous size, sometimes weigh­ furious with unge and struggled with ing 800 pounds each, and when story In delull, and from ihis ilie follow­ Ian r In* resolved to return to the three The Ayers party were an "Ex­ Three Forks, they at once struck ing summary is taken. tomahawk in hand to rcinh Falter, while Forks, that he fell in with these same In- others held them hack. • * * A council was press” to Fort Reman, and thence, camp. A part of the party immedi­ wounded are most terribly ferocious James says that "lie (John Colter) wns • Mnn vvarriois He again made his escape, and dangerous to the hunter, of all immediately held over him and lui tup* h's path this time taking him Into tlio on February 3, 1S10, James started ately began the building of the fort about tin years < f age, five feet ten Inches quickly determined upon. They Tn.uu.oa- heart *.f, aud through the wonderland of animals.” (3) in height and «ore a * * * Pleasing coun­ lilmotisly determined tn give him a eli.ui <*. with them. After a cold and diffi­ and tho remainder started trapping. tenance of the Daniel I’.oone typo." It seems what Is now the Yellowstone Park. It la cult trip, they reached tho "fort” on Tho Death of Drouillard though a slight one, for his life. A chief lulh-.ed that he was thus permitted the The history of the “Three Forks honor of being the first white man to view February 18, 1810. fort” was short and decidedly tem­ This respite from Indian attack i he geysers and other rciimrknblu foruia- James was agreeably surprised to pestuous, due to the activities of the was short-lived. In May another un­ linns nt YeloivHtonc. find the fort in charge of Pierre hostile Blackfeet Indian tribes. It fortunate disaster occurred, and •lohn Colter holds a peculiar place In the Menard, who had a number of his in this connection, I again quote from party of the Iibe-kfeot Indians siiiineniy | „„ fnK|,.r history of the country, and few character* was near here that Colter made his appeared on the east bank of the river. The have such a romantic Interest. memorable run and his partner the James narrative. It developed that tho Indlnus had de­ cided to allow the naked m m a certain dis­ (Potts) was killed in 1809, while “ One of our company, a Shawnee tance start and they should then race thoy were on a trapping expedition half-breed named Druyer, the princi­ him down and kill aim. Fuller, icc-oniing for the Manuel Lisa Fort. (2) pal hunter of the Lewis and Clark to .Innies’ narrative, ran with all his strength, the war whoops of ilie savages In the brief period that the fort at party, went up the river one day and plainly audible In his cars, and the van- Three Forks was occupied, that great set his traps about a mile from camp. guard of his pursuers almost within range In the morning he returned alone of him. “ The Mndsion Fork lay directly hunter of the Lewis and Clark expe­ before him. five miles' from his Mari big dition (Drewyer), and two Shawnees and brought back six heavers. I place. He had run half * he dlsinn e when met death within a mile of the fort. warned him of his danger. ‘I am too his strength began to fnjl and the Mood to much of an Indian to be caught by gusli from his nostriD. At cioiy leap, the The Historical Society of Montana red stream spurted hofo-e lilni. and his has in its priceless collection, the or­ Indians,’ said he. On the next day he limbs were growing rapidly weaker and iginal letter by Pierre Menard to repeated the adventure and returned weaker. He Mopped and looked b.nfc; lie with the product of his traps, saying, had far outstripi e l all Ills pu -sm rs and Pierre Chouteau at St. Louis, writ­ coul.l get off if strength would only hold ten from the Three Forks of the Mis­ ‘This is the way to catch beaver.’ out One solitary liidiiu, far ahead o” the souri April 21, 1810. This is of “ On the third morning he started o‘hers, was rapidly approach'll!r, vviiii a again up the river to examine his s* ear In his right hand. * * * Despairing great value from an historical point of escape. Colter awaited his pursier and of view. traps when we advised him to wait ei.'lcl to him in the Frow language to save for the whole party, which was about Ids hfe. Tho savage did not seem to hi ar Pierre Menard’s letter and the nar­ moving further up tho river and at lii.n " rative of James agree as to the hap- the same time two other Shawnees ‘Hie Indian sler.ed his spear tn both hands and rushed ft Fuller, and made a left us again our advice, to kill dorr. m • ..e-rate effort t" transfix the naked man Wc started forward in company and 1 oit *i' siezid tie s|e.ir near t lie head, and (2) John Colter wns n native of Virginia, «oon found the dead bodies of tho ii1- ilie Indian siuinlded and fell, lie broke and later moved to Ke.’itg'ky and lived at last mentioned hunters pierced witli *iff the lion In .el or Idai.e. while the »uv- Murysv 1II»', where he joined the I.e.,is and 11,0 ft.1 to the „ ru ,mi |. Folter then phiuel i lark expedition in the fall of ISO.’’.. He ren­ lances, arrows and bullets and l>ing ID red pur» n r e> t'.e ground. Flexing the dered ertir-Ient serviee on the je.tr!.ey, and i idi.ui s Id mi 1 1. i ' lo r proceeded at hoi upon the return of the expedition, when ’ . < pillowed I .v 1. s .tilling ivd cm i ins. the Murnlun rill axe* «e re reached. In Aug­ 'O finally n ' in I toe Mndi-m r. i r. ust, Jsiid, jit? tip'llied to the t'tip'¡tins for (." i These were the grizzly hears of the Dashing through II.e willows, he plunged ,iei'ini.'-'ion to leave the party and j in two Montana Kooky Mountain region. It will Into the stream, and seeing mar h ,u a < rippers whom lie had met ou the Yellow­ he remembered that much incitlou •■'..i- i.eavir li< me. I e sc* hided blue- p Fin.* in. stone. As LLa's party ascended the Yellow- made of these ferocious animals in the Ii'-.lng Lite the water, he arose mo the ■¡tone in 1S07 they met Colter at the Lewis and Clark Journals. The grizzl is .heaver house* v hhh proved a ‘‘cuiiil'oitable mouth of the I'lulte ou ills way down aud were very numerous in those days and to­ resting plate." CAPTAIN WILLIAM CLARK Lisa persuaded him to return. It was pro­ day. occasionally there are killed speci­ 'Hie Indians soon arrived an 1 in their PIERRE CHOUTEAU Of the Lewis and Clark expedition, bably during the autumn of this same year mens of unusual size. They tire the only MANUEL LISA scnrili for him they even stood on top of AVI jo xvas one of the most promi­ which party of explorers were the thnt ’lie made the lonely journey during the native Montana hear which would attack Under whose direction the fur the* roof of the heaver house. He could course of which he discovered the wonders human beings. When wounded, they were hear their cries and their talk. Here he nent of the early-day free trappers, first white men to visit tho Three of the district known as the Yellowstone by far the most ferocious and dangerous trading expedition to the Upper Mis­ remained all night. Whon all of the cries and nftcr whom Chouteau Couniy, Forks o f the Missouri. park. of all animals natiTt to the northwest. souri river country was made in 1807. had grudually died away, he left tils hld- Montana, wns named.