In recent years, Raymond researchers have uncovered
what may have been a direct link with that last Indian
battle. Local farmer, Ralph Meldrum tells of talking with
a young Indian sugar beet worker - Francis Red Crow -
back in 1944; "We were standing at the east end of my
barn. He (Red Crow) pointed east to a hill about three
miles away (Raymondites know it as Temple Hill), and he
told me that the Last Indian Battle had started on that hill.
"He said that a party of Bloods were travelling through the
area on their way to the St. Mary River." (Apparently to join
the larger group in winter camp.) Two of the families were
very tired, so they decided to camp for the night beside a
spring at the base of the hill." (That spring still is being
used by Charles Anstey to water his stock.) "During the
night, a Cree war party, headed for Fort Whoop-up to attack
the Blood camp, chanced on the little encampment and killed
everyone in it except one small boy. He crawled out from under
a tent and followed the trail to the St. Mary River to warn the Bloods
camped there."

Ralph Meldrum points out that Francis Red Crow was the
grandson of the Blood Chief who was one of those to sign
Treaty Seven with the Canadian Government. The chances
are that Francis Red Crow was speaking from history passed
down with the Blackfoot Confederacy.

Return Native History