Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 51

Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 51

No general orders are conveyed or aids employed, although whenever a

cluster of men occupy a position some soldier or chief being there

gives orders to the others, individually or collectively, as the danger

is apparent. The chiefs and soldiers retreating would be a signal for

all to run. The leader gives advice occasionally as to dislodging the

enemy, etc., but all his orders partake of the nature of requests.

They rally often during a retreat if the party be large, and keep up a

running fight for 10 or 15 miles.

 

A favorite device to decoy enemies is to send but few to make an attack

on their camp and drive off the horses. The camp, following, are led to

where the main body lies in ambush.

 

The war whoop is the signal of advance and also of encouragement

during the fight. It is also a cry of joy when any of the enemy fall,

and at all times a defiance, but never used in retreat or under any

humiliating circumstances. They speak to and abuse each other during

the fight, adding their former deeds to exasperate the enemy and induce

some one of them to step forth that he may be killed.

 

They never quit a masked wood and take the level plain unless their

party is greatly superior in numbers and no danger of pursuit is

apprehended; but if they are few they remain in the wood until burnt

out, which is done by setting fire to the grass on the prairie, which

in a wind will communicate with the undergrowth of the woods. If this

can not be done by the surrounding party the besieged party defend

their position until night and then make their escape under cover of

the darkness.

 

The Gros Ventres and Crows are the only nations who take women and

children prisoners and spare their lives, though they kill all males

able to bear arms.

 

All the wounded left on the field are tortured to death in every

possible way, mostly by mutilation, are seldom burned, perhaps for

the reason that death would be too soon produced by that manner of

proceeding. The Assiniboin burn children prisoners.

 

The Crow Indians a few years since, after killing all the men and large

boys of 50 lodges of the Blackfeet, took prisoners upward of 200 women

and children. One of our gentlemen now in charge of that nation was

with the Crow camp when the battle took place, and for two or three

months afterwards, during which time he sought occasions to liberate

about 50 women and send them home to their people. Most of these

prisoners, it appears, are treated well, particularly the children, who

are adopted into families who have lost their own. When a child is thus

adopted it is painted and dressed very gaily, a horse given to it to

ride, and to all appearances treated as affectionately as their own.

 

A grown woman, however, is not adopted. They are retained to work, or

if young and handsome are kept as one of the wives of their owners,

though not abused or made to bear any unusual hardships. It is singular

that when these women prisoners have remained a few years with the Crow

Indians they will not return to their own people, even if liberty be

given them. Indeed, after the first few months they are not watched

and have it in their power to leave at any time, and many do during

the first year of their captivity, but after having learned to speak

the language, mostly remain, which proves that nation to be much more

lenient toward their women than the Blackfeet and others. The children

prisoners become identified with them and never desire to leave when

grown.

 

Every male fit to bear arms is put to death by the tribes. The

Assiniboin, Blackfeet, Sioux, Cree, and Arikara also kill women and

children and sing and dance as much for their scalps as for those of

men. The horrid manner in which they put the small children to death

exceeds description. Some are stuck through with wooden skewers, like a

rabbit, while alive, and roasted before the fire.

 

There is but little subordination in all large war parties of Indians.

There appear to be jealousies on every side between soldiers and chiefs

or between the warriors and soldiers. No penalties being attached to

disobedience, it has no limit, and they are often in as much danger

from each other as from their enemies. Once in a century a chief arises

who can lead large parties to war, but it is only when his success

and capacity as a warrior is accompanied by his art as a prophet and

he has gained entire ascendancy over all his people. Small parties

succeed better—say from 80 to 100 men. These an ordinary chief can

command tolerably well, because they are for the most part chosen from

his own band and composed of his own relations. This kind of party

always proves most successful, as the leader only attacks when success

is certain from the numbers on each side. All Indians carry off their

wounded if possible, and the dead also if not scalped, interring the

latter in some secure place not likely to be discovered by their

enemies.

 

As stated, no grown male prisoners are retained alive by any of these

tribes, and only two preserve the lives of the women and children.

These, of course, are obliged to work, though not exactly in the

character of slaves. All the women work and these pursue the same

labors, though no doubt a greater share falls upon them than upon

others. No description of labor, such as carrying burdens, drying

hides, cooking, or procuring fuel, etc., is considered disgraceful or

menial. They all do it, even the wives of the chiefs, and the prisoners

would be compelled to employ their time to the advantage of their

owners; or if young and handsome would be kept as wives, yet still be

made to work as the rest. They are not beaten nor brutally treated,

but forfeit their lives by an attempt to run away. Female chastity is

always violated on prisoners[27] if they are even tolerably young and

good looking, and often in such a degree as exceeds the possibility

of description or belief, but we are not aware that any superstitious

opinions are connected with the act.

 

[27] It appears that the violation of the chastity of female prisoners

was unusual among other tribes who were highly organized socially. It

was repugnant to the Iroquois.

 

COSTUME OF A WARRIOR.—The ordinary costume of a mounted warrior of

known bravery has already been described. The headdress, however,

differs in form according to the fancy and standing of the individual.

The tail feathers of the war eagle are the only mark of rank. These are

attached to scarlet cloth or otter skin in many ways, sometimes merely

encircling the head, at others extending in a ridge along the back,

reaching below the horse’s belly when mounted. The shirt and leggings

are made of clean white dressed deerskin, antelope, or bighorn skin,

with black stripes painted around the arms and legs and fringed with

the hair of the scalps taken by him, occasionally also with ermine

skins, or horsehair. The horse’s head and tail are adorned with the

same kind of feathers, as also his lance and shield. The latter is a

piece of dried raw bull’s hide, very thick, round, and about 18 inches

in diameter. The feathers are sewed or tied on around near the edge,

and two or three in the center. Frequently this is painted with the

figure of some animal, either real or imaginary, and is impervious to

arrows, though a ball will perforate within the distance of 100 yards

if it be held steadily.

 

The manner in which it is slung on the left arm and being bowed in the

middle the ball is apt to glance off to one side and often in this way

his life is saved. Arrows will stick in but not go through, and he can

with it cover most of the vital parts, at the same time using his arms

with ease. A good many of the renowned warriors wear necklaces made of

the claws of the grizzly bear, worked or tied on a strip of otter skin,

and chiefs wear their medals if they have any. These fine dresses are

not worn on the march, but packed on their horses in bundles, and put

on when the attack is about to be made.

 

The faces of most of them on starting or in battle are painted with

vermilion, the entire face being a bright red, though no orders are

given to this effect. Indians generally paint on all public occasions,

but no other parts of the body are painted at this time.

 

The costume of those on foot does not differ from that of a hunter,

except he has both gun and bow, if possible, sometimes adding a shield,

and a bundle of moccasins on his back, which, with a blanket, or skin

capot, leggings of the same and breech flap, completes the dress.

 

No great display of dress can be made on foot and is not often seen

except among the Blackfeet, when it is the same or nearly the same as

the mounted warriors. The hair of the young warriors is dressed out and

adorned in many ways, sometimes enclosing small portions in front with

beads, shell, or wampum, which hangs down on each side of the face. The

Crows have small portions combed up in front and the whole of the rest

tied in a queue behind, which is spread out and stiffened with patches

of gum, spotted with white clay, and looks like turkey feathers. The

elder warriors generally tie up their hair in a knot in front, which

projects out from the forehead like a thick short horn. During the

march not much attention is paid either to painting or ornaments, but

on the eve of battle, if possible, it is done. Nothing uniform appears,

however, in their costume, ornaments, or hair dressing, each one

suiting his fancy in these particulars, except the acknowledged marks

of warriors are not worn by untried and inexperienced recruits.

 

The back dress, if not a continuance of the headdress, is mostly a wolf

skin thrown over his robe, the tail trailing on the ground and the

snout on his shoulder. Crow-skin headdresses are also worn by young

warriors, and owl feathers are worn by new beginners. No portion of

their war dress is constructed so as to emit jingling sounds, though

such are worn on other occasions. Every Indian has either a blanket,

buffalo robe, or dressed skin of some kind covering the whole person,

and these are painted with their battle scenes or garnished with beads

and porcupine quills in many ways. His robe is his bed by night and his

cloak in the day, under which in the winter is worn a blanket capot,

made with a hood to cover the head. In the large summer war parties,

portions of lodges of two to four skins each are taken along with

which they make cabins to protect themselves from the rain, but in

the winter no shelter is made. When parties are too small to admit of

proceeding without fear of night attacks from their enemies while in

their country, they make small forts every night of dry timber along

some stream, or of rocks when timber is not to be had.

 

WEAPONS.—Firearms are certainly much valued by warriors. Indeed, they

are the principal arms, but bows and arrows are used fully as much by

mounted men. The difficulty appears to be the loading of the gun on

horseback. If possible they carry both on their war expeditions, also

some are armed with lances, war clubs, and battle axes. The last three

instruments are used only in mêlées at close quarters. Indians are

often so situated in battle that neither gun nor bow can be used, and

in these emergencies the tools last mentioned stand them in great need.

Guns are therefore only additional weapons, aiding and facilitating

their mutual destruction, but have by no means been substituted

altogether for the bow and arrow. The metal arrow point is superior to

the flint one formerly used, and more easily procured. The arrows for

battle are barbed and tied on loosely, so that an attempt to withdraw

the arrow invariably leaves the iron in the wound, which makes many

of their wounds dangerous that would not be so if the metal could be

extracted.

 

The stone war club is the most efficient weapon in battle of any we

know of. A drawing of one is shown in Plate 65. The weight of the stone

is about 5 pounds. The handle is made of elastic sinew and can not

be broken. Any attempt to ward off the blow must be attended with a

broken arm, and if the stroke is not fended the strongest man must fall

beneath it. Tomahawk and battle axes are not thrown at their enemies,

as generally represented, but are secured to the wrist by a strong

cord, and only used at close quarters; as also the lance and knife.

The scalping knife is of English manufacture, a logwood or Brazil wood

handle, and soft steel blade about 8 inches long and 1½ inches wide,

sharp on one edge, and with the point turned like a butcher knife.

These are the kinds of knives mostly used by all Indians for hunting

and all purposes, though Willson’s butcher, Cartouche, eye dagues, and

other knives can be had. Most Indians at all times carry knives of some

kind and scalps are taken off with whatever knife they happen to be in possession of at the time.