Harper, F: Fort Union and Its Neighbors on the Upper Missour

Excerpt from Fort Union and Its Neighbors on the Upper Missouri: A Chronological Record of Events

On June 5, they passed the spot where the steamer Assini boine was burned with all her cargo uninsured in 1835. Heart River was passed on the 6th, and there they met four barges be longing to the American Fur Company, in charge of James Kipp. Mr. Kipp has a peculiar looking crew who appeared not much better than a set of bandits among the Pyrenees or the Alps, yet they seemed to be the very best sort of men for trappers and boatmen. We exchanged four of our men for four of his, as the latter were wanted on the Yellowstone. On June 7, Fort Clark and the Mandan villages were reached. The site of the fort appears a good one, although it is placed considerably below the Mandan villages. The fort and village are situated on the high banks, rising somewhat to the elevation of the hills.

We came in sight of Fort Union at five o'clock (june 12th) and reached it at seven, passing the opposition fort (william or Mortimer) three miles below, whose ¿ags were hoisted and ours also. We were saluted from Fort Union. The gentlemen of the fort came down on horseback and appeared quite a cavalcade. I was introduced to Mr. Culbertson (in charge) and others, and of course the introductions went the rounds We visited Fort Mortimer (below Fort Union, June 23rd) and found the place in the most miserable condition, and about to be carried away by the falling of the banks on account of the great rise of water in the Yellowstone that had actually dammed the Missouri. The current ran directly across, and the banks gave way at such a rate that the men had been obliged already to tear up the front part of the fort and remove it to the rear On June 30th word came to us from Fort Mortimer that a party of Sioux had had a battle with the Gros Ventres, and had killed three of the latter, including a white man who had lived among them as a blacksmith. The Gros Ventres, on the other hand, had killed eight of the Sioux and put them to ¿ight. The blacksmith killed two Sioux and the enemies cut off one of the blacksmith's legs and one arm, scalped him and left the mangled body behind them, July 6th, we were visited by a band of fourteen Assiniboines, part of a war party of fifty who had returned from raiding the Blackfeet several hundred miles away, their faces painted black made them look like so many devils. The leader was a notorious rascal, painted red. They had only three guns, a few carried common lances, and all had a knife, the leader was armed with a stick m which were mserted three blades of butch er's knives.

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