When Indians Attack

Indian attacks, the nightmare of the travelers, began to occur sporadically on the trail.  For many

women the fear alone was excruciating enough.

Maggie Hall remembered in her journal:

"The boys would go fishing, go hunting.  When it was discovered the mothers let up a wail, knew the Indians would kill them, so the Pas would get out guns and off they would go to find the boys.  Tried to kick the boys to camp.  First chance those boys would go off again.  But those night alarms, when someone would call 'Indians'.  The guard came running in who had seen the Indians hide behind a bush or heard an arrow.  Then in a moment men were loading guns, women crying.  A call for volunteers would go out and they would circle around.  But that scare in the night...it made women nervous and sick. "

Many similar journals have stories such as Maggie's...the men were the guards, the women were those who prayed for their men, children and camp's safety.  Most of the time it was just a false alarm, at times a peace pipe was shared with the two leaders but regardless it was no doubt a difficult thing to wait and remain quiet as the women were expected to do!

Next time...Nancy Hunt's Story

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Today in Pioneer History:  On February 11. 1805, Sacagawea, the Shoshone Indian interpreter and guide to the Lewis and Clark expedition, gives birth to her first child, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau.