John Schively

Another local Philipsburg resident was intimately involved in the Chief Joseph encounters that occurred during the tribe’s attempt to reach Canada, in 1877. John Shively (sic) born in 1825 came from unknown parts to the west in 1852 according to the Philipsburg Mail February 21, 1889. This account states John was traveling from the Black Hills in Dakota to Philipsburg when he was captured by a party of Chief Joseph’s warriors in Yellowstone Park. The Indians took him prisoner and demanded he guide them through the park. This news article names others taken prisoner a couple of days later after the Indians killed the men in the party, as a Mrs. Dr. Carter, her sister and a daughter. 

An account in Volume IV of the "Contributions to the Historical Society of Montana in 1903" and a condensed version in "Montana Margins" in 1946 describes more of the story from the eyewitness account of Mrs. George F. Cowan. The article is titled “A trip to the National Park in 1877: An account of the Nez Perce raid from a woman’s standpoint-Incidents and accidents." Mrs. Cowan's party consisted of A.J. Arnold, J.A. Oldham, Mr. Dingee (all of Helena), Mr. Charles Mann, Frank and Ida Carpenter, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Cowan and a cook named Myers all from Radersburg, Montana. The group had left for Yellowstone Park on August 6, 1877. 

After many days of sight seeing, the group returned to their main camp on the 23rd of August, where they encountered General Sherman and his troops and were told they may encounter Indians before they left the Park. Sherman described to them the recent Big Hole Battle with Chief Joseph. That same afternoon a man named Shively [sic] called at their camp and told them he was traveling from the Black Hills and was camped about a half mile down the valley. The next morning their camp was surrounded by Indians. They included Chief Joseph who explained they needed to take them to safety. Then forty or so warriors proceeded to move the party out of the Park. For some unknown reason Mr. Cowan was shot at. When his wife tried to care for him an Indian came up and shot him in the head. Mrs. Cowan lost consciousness and when she awoke was on horse back being lead by one of the Indians. She was told her sister was with “Poker Joe” and Mr. Shively [sic] [who had been captured the night before] at another camp and she could see her in the morning. Her brother was being used by the Indians to guide them and was with her party.”

 During the episode an injured soldier was added to the captured group. For some reason, the Indians decided to let Mrs. Cowan, her sister and the injured soldier go free. Mr. Schively gave them directions to Bozeman.. Mr. Schively was retained by the Indians to guide them through the park. The group traveled under dark of the night to keep from being seen by Indians and on the second day found a group of soldiers. In the days following more people caught up with the group, before they reached Bozeman and their families. 

About a week after arriving at her father’s Mrs. Cowan was visited by two men who handed her the Independent where she read this account: COWAN ALIVE--HE IS WITH GENERAL HOWARD’S COMMAND. He was badly wounded but would survive. 

Mrs. Cowan rented a double seated carriage and traveled to meet her husband. On the return trip from the ranch the team became frightened; ran away and threw the occupants and seats out. A passing traveler rode to Fort Ellis and returned with an ambulance to carry Mr. Cowan the remainder of the trip. Mr. Schively escaped after being with the Indians for ten days. 

The February 21, 1889 Mail stated that John escaped from the Indians by “jumping over an embankment during the night and reached Helena after two days and nights of travel without any food except two potatoes and one egg. From there he wrote his old friend John McLean of Philipsburg who informed him in return that the party he had so nobly rescued were safe under his roof to which place Mr. Shively had directed them before they were released from the savage tribe.” This must be referencing the Carter family. 

John was found dead in bed at the Metropolitan on February 16, 1889 by his room¬mate Mr. Wakefield. John had been subject to apoplexy and apparently died during an episode. He was survived by a brother living at Black Pine according to his obituary. The spelling on his tombstone in the Philipsburg Cemetery spells his name as Schively and gives his age as sixty-four years.