CHAPTER IX

In the Blackfoot Confederacy
There is no aristocracy
Crowfoot Noble and wise
His army did surprise
With one fiery thrust
Clashed in the dust
With the invading foe
To bring them to woe.

I have much pride in relating the following story of the
Great Tigers of the Plains - the Blackfoot Confederacy.

The last of our battles of any importance was fought in the
year 1870, when the Blackfoot Confederacy was decimated
and nearly annihilated by the dreadful scourge of smallpox.
Hearing of this misfortune to their enemies, the Crees, under
the leadership of Chief Pie-a-Pot, decided to raid them.

The Crees followed the river, starting west near Medicine Hat.
At a point eighteen miles northeast of Lethbridge, the Head
Chief of this small army had a dream one night which seemed
to predict ill fortune for the raiders. Iron Horn, a Cree Indian
now living at Belknap Agency in Montana, was a participant
in this war expedition, and although only ten at the time, he
remembers the war council that he witnessed at that time
between Chief Pie-a-Pot and his men. An Indian Chief addressing
any of his followers calls them his 'children.' On this particular
morning, Iron Horn tells us, the Chief harangued his men in
somewhat the following words: "My children, I had a dream last
night. I saw a buffalo bull with iron horns goring, stamping, and
killing us. We were unable to destroy it. After long meditation, I
have come to the conclusion that we must abandon this venture
and return home. Otherwise, misfortune awaits us."

His words had the effect of dividing the party. The more
superstitious decided to return home, while the remaining braves
were prevailed upon by an opposing Chieftain to continue their
westward trek. "My children," this Chieftain shouted, "don't
believe in a dream. Advance and capture the Blackfoot nations -
womenfolk and children. The smallpox killed off most of their
fighters, so we won't be opposed by any great numbers."

It was decided to send ahead a reconnoitering party of Cree scouts.
These scouts were always the most essential part of an Indian
war party going into a hostile country. Able-bodied young men
were allotted to this special task which comprised investigating
the county ahead, locating enemy camps, hunting parties, or any
hostile enemy scouts. The scouts had to pantomime what they saw,
running to and fro on a prominent place to indicate to the
oncoming party that the enemy was in close proximity.

On this occasion the Cree scouts discovered a Blackfoot camp
at Many Ghosts, known in the old days as Fort Whoop-up, a
trading post. Thinking to kill two birds with one stone, they
captured some of the Blackfoot ponies and reported back
to the main camp. In reality these men only located the central
part of a large camp which extended to what is now called
Whitney's Crossing, south of Whoop-up, and as far north as
Fort Kipp.

Night was chosen as the most propitious time for making the
attack. After the warriors had made the short journey to Fort
Whoop-up, they discovered that Chief Mountain was head of
the camp located by the Cree scouts. Deploying for action, the
Crees now sent forward some of their most intrepid braves who
in loud voices announced to the sleeping Blackfeet "We are
here," at the same time commencing a barrage on the camp.

The place of action was at a point where the C.P.R. bridge
crosses into the Blood Reserve at St. Mary's, near Lethbridge.
Some of the Blackfoot women swam across the river to the
main camp, to summon aid. One of these women showed
remarkable bravery by slaying four Cree warriors with her only
weapon, a tomahawk, during the first part of the hostilities.
Casualties were few at first. Although outnumbered, the
Blackfeet held their own, due chiefly to the modern firearms
which they used. The noise of rifle firing and the howling of
dogs soon brought assistance to the handful of isolated Blackfeet.
At break of day warriors from the Blackfoot camps north and
south could be seen approaching on horseback, in twos and
threes, over hills and knolls, chanting their war songs in joyful
anticipation of battle. The Cree braves, noticing these
horsemen, cried out to the others: "Look at them coming over
every hill. We are outnumbered. Let us retreat!"

The invaders began to retreat, the Blackfoot warriors in
full pursuit. The Crees endeavored to reach the present
site of the city of Lethbridge but were headed off by their
enemies to a coulee south of the railway bridge at Lethbridge,
near Ashcroft mine. All along the route of retreat, hand to
hand conflicts occurred, and dead bodies were strewn, as
the Crees tried to make a stand. If one stands on a knoll,
now used by the City of Lethbridge as a dumping ground,
one can see the historic landmark where Chief Pie-a-Pot's
warriors put up a stubborn resistance.

After throwing down large boulders on the Cree braves and
killing a few in this manner, the Confederacy fighters closed in
and routed them out of the coulee, sending them down a steep
cutbank into the river. Here a fearful massacre occurred,
the water of the river turning crimson with blood. Chief
Calf Shirt, already wounded in the neck and arm, with
arrows sticking out of his body, dispatched two of the enemy
with his Bowie knife. Jerry Potts, famous interpreter for
the Northwest Mounted Police in later years, did magnificent
fighting for the Confederacy warriors in this battle. Referring
to it in later years, Jerry said "You could shut your eyes and
hit a Cree." Stabbing and drowning were the order of the day.
Prairie Chicken, a Blood warrior, jumped his horse from a
cutbank into the river to go after the enemy, south of where
Ashcroft mine now operates. Approximately about ten Crees
survived this battle in the river and crossed safely on the other
side, just south of where the C.P.R. bridge now stands, where
they proceeded to entrench themselves in the brush. The
remains of this trench could be seen up to a few years ago.
These surviving Crees had only one old revolver and no
ammunition, as their supply of powder was wet from the recent
encounter in the river. One casualty occurred in this trench,
a Cree shooting another brave accidentally with his arrow.

This battle, as stated as before, originated with the Crees,
who went on the offensive mainly for pillaging purposes.
Unfortunately for them, they came in contact with the whole
 Confederacy encampment, and were nearly wiped out.
Most of those who escaped succumbed to their wounds on
the way home, only four or five surviving to tell the tale.

Throughout these chronicles, it will be noted, I have made
frequent use of the word 'Chief'. It was necessary for any
Indian who aspired to this title to be a great fighter - not
the 'armchair' variety of modern times. The Chief must
always lead his men into battle. Chief Sitting Bull, the
great Sioux chieftain, whose men massacred General
Custer's command to the last man, was in personal command
at that historic fight. Chief Crowfoot, commander of the
Confederacy warriors, was credited with leading his braves to
battle on more than twenty occasions. Other chiefs, such as
Red Crow of the Bloods, Crow Flag, Peigan chief, and Cree
Chief Pound Maker, of Louis Riel Rebellion fame, were all
leaders and fighters.

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Mary Tollestrup