104 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 176 



troops to appear at Fort Pierre, especially since in all probability the 

 fall or winter would produce further troubles, or the spring, with the 

 passage of the steamboats to Fort Benton. It is worthy of note 

 that these events at Fort Pierre, and the murder of Bear's Rib, were 

 separated by little more than 2 months' time from the violent outbreak 

 of the Santee Dakota on the Minnesota River, not far distant, and the 

 fears of the traders for their own safety, even on the Missouri, were 

 probably well founded. 



In addition to the contemporary account of the murder of Bear's 

 Rib contained in Primeau's letter, reminiscent accounts of the event 

 have also been preserved from the recollections of tliree eyewitnesses — 

 David Gallineaux, Louis La Plant, and Basil Claymore (DeLand, 

 1902, pp. 366-368). These circumstantial statements preserve cer- 

 tain other details. Joseph Wandel, an employee of the Chouteau 

 firm, recounted (to DeLand) the event as related to him soon after- 

 ward by Gallineaux, who believed that the murder and accompanying 

 trouble were "the worst thing that ever happened at Ft. Pierre." All 

 the cattle of the post, he stated, were killed by the Indians at that time, 

 and it was necessary to go to Sioux City for cattle with which to 

 transport buffalo robes downriver. 



Gallineaux described the murder in vivid detail, stating that when 

 Bear's Rib came up to the post he was alone, mounted on a mule. 

 Having tied the animal, he then entered Primeau's house (i.e., inside 

 the stockade), where Primeau's wife offered him coffee and bread, 

 which he refused. Wliile Bear's Rib was talking (Gallineaux told 

 Wandel), news was brought him that his mule had been shot by the 

 hostile Indians, upon which he went out, carrying a double-barreled 

 shotgun. Outside the stockade he saw no one, the nearest tipi being 

 about 30 paces away. Looking at his mule, and in the middle of 

 speaking of the fact that this was the third such "trick" that had 

 been played upon him, he was fired upon by a man in the nearest tipi. 

 Bear's Rib immediately shot and killed this individual, and attempted 

 to kill another ; he had actually fired twice before the bullet he him- 

 self had received (in left forearm and heart) caused him to fall. 

 When he had fallen, the hostile Indians ran to the trading post, opened 

 the gate, and rushed inside, seizing everything they could lay their 

 hands upon. They then closed the gate, the fort being everywhere 

 filled with Indians. Bear's Rib's own people, camped near the Bad 

 River, having been notified, also went to the post, mounted on horses, 

 only to find the gate barred. Inside, the "Wliite men (Primeau and 

 others) were virtual prisoners. 



Bear's Rib's party demanded of the hostiles admittance to the fort, 

 but received no answer ; they then appealed to Primeau, who dared not 

 admit them, but in his turn argued with the hostiles, whom he finally 

 induced to make retribution by payment for the killing of the chief. 



