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From Newberry Transcribe
Revision as of 18:49, 5 April 2020 by imported>Anne Whalen
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Bridger in the Blackfoot country, after striking? the waters of the Missouri we discovered that there were other trappers in advance of us, so fifteen of us left our party for the purpose of overtaking them and finding out who they were. We came up with them the same day and learned that they were a party in charge? of Joseph Eudes? and were trapping for Captain Wyatt?. They informed us that ? Eudes? had a fight with the Blackfeet and ? had several of their men wounded among whom was Richard Owens who was then nearly well. In?the morning we commenced setting our traps knowing that the rest of our party would soon come upon our trail we did not consider it necessary to return to them and having accomplished that for which we had been sent in advance we concluded to remain where we were until the arrival of our main party. The men that had gone out to set traps after having proceeded about two miles came in contact with a party of Blackfeet. They were fired upon and compelled to retreat. When they reached camp the Indians were directly in their rear. After having hidden ourselves and animals in the brush we commenced to fight them, we were few in number but had the advantage of being concealed while our enemy was exposed to full view. Our main object was to save our animals. We fought for the greater part of the day and killed a large number of Indians. They did everything in their power to make us leave our place of concealment and finally set fire to the brush. The fire consumed all the outer fringe of the brush but that under which we remained was not touched. I cannot account for our miraculous escape from the flames unless it was due to the protecting hand of Providence.