A Mess of a Year

The rendezvous of `832 was held at Pierre's Hole on the Teton River.  It attracted 1000 whites and Indians and the party went on for nine days only to be interrupted by the appearance of 150 Blackfoot Indian friends, the Gros Ventres, all blood brothers of the Arapaho.

The Indians seemed to stumble upon the whole thing by accident.  Somehow while shaking hands, one of them was killed because he was a frien
d of the Blackfoot, and the killer hated Blackfoots.  So ended the peaceful party.

The Indians retreated only to take surrounding positions in the marshes.  Here come 700 trappers and Indian allies out of the meeting to attack these "friends" of the Blackfoot.  Those Gros Ventres lost 25 men, the trappers 32. 

Beginning their death songs around the camp and taunting that the Blackfoots were coming to avenge their loss, the trappers fled not stopping until they were 7 miles outside of the meeting area.  Of course the war party was just rumor, and the ploy worked.  The Gros Ventres packed up and escaped. 

The Battle of Pierre's Hole was the beginning of an 11 month skirmish between the trappers and the Blackfoot.  Hudson Bay was busy doing all they could to harrass the fur trappers and took a back burner in the skirmish.  It was a mess of a year...

Next time...meanwhile back with Walker and Bonneville.