CHAPTER IV. 
FORT UNION TO FORT BENTON. 
Governor STEVENS LEAVES FORT Unron.— Wak PARTY or BLACKFEET.—CAMP on LITTLE Muppy Crerx.—Councit WITH BLACKFEET.— 
Mrs. CULBERTSON.— ARRIVAL OF LIEUTENANT Grover.—Pr R C 
WITH THe WHITE Max's Honsg.—Ex»nress SENT то Fort BENTON.— DESCRIPTION oF COUNTRY BETWEEN Fort Union AND Bia 
Moppy River.—R 5. ON.— POPLAR RrvER.—METEOROLOGICAL ÜBSERVATIONS.—NUMEROUS VILLAGES 
or Pnarmg Повв.--Ровсоріне AND MILK Rivers—Vattey or MILK River —CAMP ATcHISON.—ORDERS —REFERENCE AND 
REPLY TO A LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT DONELSON, PUBLISHED ON THE LAST PAGE OF VoL. L——ALARMING REPORT.— ENGINEERS 
ACTIVELY AT WORK.—SMALL 
PARTY SENT TO PANTHER HILL.—AÀBUNDANCE OF GAME.— WILD HORSES SEEN BY RECONNOITERING 
PARTIES.—EAGLE SHOT.—THE FIRST SAGE SEEN.—Crossinc оғ MILK River.—A DEPUTATION оғ Gros VENTRES.—THE EAGLE 
CHIEF AND WHITE EAGLE.—LITTLE SOLDIER AND WHITE ANTELOPE.— GOVERNOR STEVENS’S HEALTH IMPROVES.—ORGANIZATION OF 
TWO PARTIES UNDER LIEUTENANT GROVER AND MR. LANDER.—WAR BETWEEN Gros VENTRES AND BLACKFEET.—lT8 CAUSE.—A 
HEROINE.—HER Apventurs.—Tus COMET.—CAMP or THE Gros VENTRES.—THEIR HABITS.—POLYGAMY UNIVERSAL.—F EAST AND 
Councit.—THEIR HATRED AGAINST THE BLACKFEET.— GOVERNOR STEVENS'S CONCILIATORY SPEECH.—THE MEETING BREAKS UP.— 
FURTHER CONSULTATION.—ACCEPT THE ADVICE OF GOVERNOR SrEvENs.—VisiT THE CAMP.—FIRING OF THE HOWITZER.—PRESENTS.— 
Tug CoMET AND Avrora BonEALIS.—CAMP ARMSTRONG.—PROPOSITION OF LIEUTENANT GRoVER.—PURCHASE AND EXCHANGE OF 
HORSES.—$§UG GESTION оғ LIEUTENANT Donetson.—Tae RUNNING FISHER. LIEUTENANT G DUTY.—MR. CULBERT- 
SON GIVES INFORMATION CONCERNING THE Gros VENTRES.—HiS ADVENTURE.—THE PRAIRIE ON FIRE.—BRANCHES OF MILK RIVER 
ISSUING FROM THE CYPRESS MOUNTAIN.—BEAR’S Paw IN SiGHT.— THE THREE BurrES ов Sweer Grass HiLLs.—SINGULAR FACT 
CONNECTED WITH THE STREAMS OF THIS REGION.— AP; 8 FOR THE SAFETY OF MESSRS, LANDER, Grover, AND STANLEY.— 
A SPRING.—AÀN AMUSING STORY RELATED By THE RUNNING FISHER.—MARIAS River.—Crrapet HILL IN SIGHT.—SPOT WHERE 
BATTLE WAS FOUGHT BETWEEN GROS VENTRES AND CRows.—VALLEY OF THE TETON.—ARRIVAL AT FonT BENTON. ; 
I started on the 10th from Fort Union at about twelve o'clock, followed by a war party of 
the Blackfeet, consisting of twenty Blood Indians and forty Piegan Indians, who arrived at 
Fort Union on the 8th instant on a visit to my party, and with whom I had had the most 
friendly interchange of civilities. I desired their company for two or three days, in order to 
impress them fully with the beneficent policy of our government towards the Indians, and with 
the peaceable character of my own duties and objects, intending then to despatch them on their 
way to their several tribes and to make generally known to the Blackfeet nation our objects in 
passing through their country. I camped that evening with Lieutenant Grover on the Little 
Muddy river, when, towards night, a serious difficulty came near happening between them and 
our party. Mr. Culbertson and myself, however, succeeded in arranging the matter, and we 
spent a most interesting evening with the principal men in conversing about the Blackfeet and 
the Indian policy of our government. On this occasion I presented the subject of a general 
council to be held at Fort Benton the ensuing year, to make peace between the Blackfeet 
Indians and the hunting tribes west of the mountains, and to preserve peace with the white 
children of the Great Father. On this, as on previous occasions, Mrs. Culbertson, a native 
of the Blood tribe of the Blackfeet, was unwearied and efficient in her good offices. 
The next day, being the 11th of August, we reached the Big Muddy river. The crossing of 
the Big Muddy was a somewhat difficult ford, and we were all highly gratified with the zeal 
and efficiency of one of the Blackféet, who pulled as steadily at the rope as any man of 
