Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vi
3. Maps x
4. Introduction xii
5. Editorial Comments xlvi
6. Acknowledgements xlviii
7. Preface l
8. 1 In which is set forth my birth and parentage 1
9. 2 In which the little Bois Brulé meets with the gentle relatives in the east 4
10. 3 In which a glimpse is had of child life in French Canada 6
11. 4 Wherein the Bois Brulé’s pluck matches the eastern bully 8
12. 5 Wherein he enters College and leaves it hurriedly 10
13. 6 In which he parts with grief from his sister and his first love 12
14. 7 In which he journeys from civilization to the frontier 14
15. 8 In which he reaches Fort Hall where his father was in command 18
16. 9 Wherein it is clear that he and his father were not made to agree 21
17. 10 Wherein he prefers the hardships of the Vancouver trail to his home 23
18. 11 In which the men of the Winter Express were reduced to eating horseflesh 26
19. 12 In which something is related of the Douglas family and life at Fort Vancouver in 1849 28
20. 13 Wherein his friends at the garrison introduce egg-nogg to him with fateful results 30
21. 14 Wherein he leaves his father’s home and takes up life with the trappers 33
22. 15 In which is related tales of an old trapper and how a new lodge was set up 36
23. 16 Wherein various Indian tribes, and the Sioux Massacre are dealt with 39
24. 17 Wherein my father retires after 43 years service with the Hudson’s Bay Company 42
25. 18 Wherein he makes the acquaintance of several gamblers and desperadoes who haunted the traders’ camps along the Oregon Trail 44
26. 19 In which he races horses with the desperadoes one of whom comes to a tragic end 47
27. 20 In which he tells of his success in trading with the immigrants and of the massacre of one party by the Indians 50
28. 21 In which he becomes the interpreter for Major Haller and accompanies a crude young lieutenant 53
29. 22 In which he narrates some painful incidents in the Indian war 56
30. 23 Wherein he ends his work with the soldiers and is obliged to leave the country 59
31. 24 In which he joins his father and returns to trade with immigrants at Soda Springs 62
32. 25 In which he tells of some pioneers, and of the Mormon Rising in 1857 65
33. 26 In which he entertains some Indians royally and decides to form a settlement at Deer Lodge 91
34. 27 Wherein is related something of the discovery of gold in Montana and the opening of new markets for the settlement in Deer Lodge Valley 94
35. 28 Wherein Captain Grant — “Handsome” Grant — dies without leaving his son even the proverbial shilling 97
36. 29 In which he builds the first good house in Deer Lodge Valley and with his Quarra, enters on a new period of existence 99
37. 30 In which he rewards the honesty of Little Dog for restoring his stolen horses 102
38. 31 Wherein he makes a couple of trips among the Indians in search of stolen horses; Brown, a discouraged companion, shoots himself 104
39. 32 Wherein he tells of his big freighting outfit and of the advent of “bad men” — white robbers and murderers — into Montana 108
40. 33 In which the Vigilantes are seen to take the law in their own hands and the rascally sheriff is one of the first to be hanged 111
41. 34 In which he lends his horse to the Vigilance Committee setting out from Hell’s Gate on their grim mission of death to law breakers 114
42. 35 In which he tells of the decisive way in which the Vigilantes rid the country of highwaymen, three of them being hanged to the corners of Baron O’Keefe’s stable 117
43. 36 Wherein he goes down to St. Louis by stage spending his money like water. He puts up at the Olive House and does business in a pleasant and leisurely way 120
44. 37 In which he gives an insight into methods of doing business in St. Louis in the sixties when his purchases amounted to twenty-eight thousand dollars 123
45. 38 Wherein he describes the tiresome stage journey from Omaha, where he had abandoned the still more tiresome Missouri boat. The stage upsets once and breaks the monotony. He kills his first buffalo 126
46. 39 In which his milling venture did not satisfy his impatient nature, and he is tricked into disposing of it for three hundred gallons of homemade liquor 129
47. 40 In which his new livery stable is burned, his pet saddle horse killed by a champagne bottle, and there is seen the beginning of the end of his days in Montana 132
48. 41 In which Conrad Kohrs, afterward millionaire and Cattle King buys his ranch for $19,000 135
49. 42 Wherein he and Johnny Healy have a taste of adventure and he loses his sack of gold nuggets on his trip to St. Louis 137
50. 43 He suddenly determines to go back to Three Rivers from St. Louis instead of going up to the Red River and his wild western guise startles his relatives 141
51. 44 In which he renews old friendships and revisits old scenes, his memory sharpened with many regrets 144
52. 45 He returns to the west, reaching the Red River by way of St. Louis and Fort Abercrombie 148
53. 46 Red River — My arrival at Mr. McKay’s 152
54. 47 He describes the conditions of life in the Red River Settlement — their work and amusements; their probity and fine harmony 155
55. 48 He returns to Montana and his family, bringing a company of Red River Half-breeds with him to bring his freight train of carts and wagons back to the Red River 159
56. 49 On his arrival at Deer Lodge he finds his Quarra is dead, his business shattered and his trusted clerk leaving the country with saddle-bags heavy with gold 165
57. 50 His life is threatened by a jealous Mexican whose hand is stayed by memories of old kindness; then leaving about $50,000 worth of property behind him he sets out for the Red River 168
58. 51 The Red River caravan has a most amiable but tiresome encounter with a band of Blackfeet who are intensely appreciative of past kindness. Grant and his seven year old son running buffalo 171
59. 52 A band of Assiniboine Indians next meet the caravan, and a double guard is straightaway put upon the horses at night 174
60. 53 In which he is kept busy watching the Cree guide obtained in the Assiniboine camp, and his suspicions of treachery are fulfilled 177
61. 54 He makes a new home for himself along the Red River valley and marries Clotilde Bruneau, the daughter of a county judge who was the leader of the French population around St. Boniface 180
62. 55 He makes a trip to the United States for relief wheat 185
63. 56 Governor McDougall coming from Canada is turned back at the boundary by Riel’s men, and Riel marching back to Fort Garry takes peaceful possession of the old post 210
64. 57 The arrival of Mr. D.A. Smith as commissioner and the general meeting at Fort Garry 214
65. 58 He is nominated as delegate to the Provisional Government but Riel remembering his part during the rising refuses to recognize him as a delegate, and carrying his enmity further imprisons him 222
66. 59 The Portage Uprising 226
67. 60 In which he contracts to bring the Canadian Volunteers from the Red River to the Lake of the Woods. The trip is made with difficulty and Grant conceives a great contempt for the militiamen’s ability 228
68. 61 First Election in Manitoba 231
69. 62 Mr. D.A. Smith’s Election 236
70. 63 My speculation in scrip 250
71. 64 Change of Manitoba after the Transfer 256
72. 65 Captain Moberley going west 260
73. 66 Fever in my family 267
74. 67 My first meeting with C. Allard partner of Mr. Pablo 272
75. 68 The bad luck I had with giving my cattle [on] share 277
76. 69 Property lost by fire 281
77. 70 Bought a Saw Mill and Gristmill; Sailing on the railroad and selling land 285
78. 71 My first trip to Montana 289
79. 72 My return trip 298
80. 73 My trip to BC and Alberta 302
81. 74 Manitoba to Banff to Edmonton and back to Manitoba —1889 or 1890 311
82. 75 The move [to] Alberta, 1891 314
83. Notes 319
84. Appendix 1 Genealogical Charts of the Grant Family, by Anita Steele 361
85. Appendix 2 Descriptive Genealogy of the Grant Family, by Anita Steele 373
86. Bibliography 383
87. Index 395