Standing at this location, if you look to the northwest about 5km you will see a series of coulee breaks. You are looking at Black Coulee but better known as Dead Horse Coulee by the men that made the long trek west from Ft. Dufferin in 1874.
The newly created North West Mounted Police made it to a point near this spot in September of 1874. The men, their uniforms now in rags, the once sleek thoroughbred horses now reduced to skin and bones. The overworked horses were now starting to die; 48 had already died six more would die during the first night here. The force had made it this far, but given the shape the horses and men were in they were barely able to continue and there was no way they could hope to make it back to Ft. Dufferin. The ill planned and ill equipped “March West” was nearing its final catastrophe.
British Lt-Colonel George French, in charge, and his assistant Lt-Colonel James Macleod left the column and headed south for Ft. Benton, MT in hopes of procuring supplies, horses and “maybe” a little help. In Ft. Benton they found the supplies needed, but maybe more importantly they met a stocky, bow-legged Métis horse trader the Blackfoot called Ky-yo-kosi or Bear Child. Colonel French hired him to be their guide, interpreter and scout.
Colonel French and Colonel Macleod now split, French returning to Ft. Dufferin and Macleod with Bear Child, better known by his European name of Jerry Potts, returned to the waiting column in southern Alberta. For some months prior to meeting French and Macleod in Ft. Benton, Potts had heard from various Indians about this column of Red Coats heading west. When he finally set eyes on them he was amazed that they had made it this far given the condition that they were in. The first thing that he did was to go out and shoot a buffalo so that they had something to eat.
Potts, a rough, tough and dangerous frontiersman, had an intense hatred of whisky traders and the harm they were doing to the Indians. Maybe it was because of this hatred, that he took a real liking to the men of the NWMP and what they had come west to do. His help and guidance played a huge part in their success and accomplishment during those early years on the Canadian prairie.
Jerry Potts:
Born in 1840 at Ft. McKenzie, MT
• Considered, by friend and foe alike, to be an extremely dangerous man. Was a crack shot with rifle and pistol and was very proficient with the knife. Killed his first man when he was 22, a French Canadian trapper by the name of Antoine Primeau.
• Was a very successful horse trader. He was always able to produce a “bill of sale” if needed, even though he could neither read nor write.
• Became a minor chief with the Kainai because of his bravery in battle.
• By the time he was 35 he had killed at least 40 men, most were whiskey runners.
• Spent 22 years as the chief guide and scout for the NWMP.
• Picked the location for the first NWMP post, called Ft. Macleod.
• Quit working for NWMP at age 56 because he could no longer ride due to the pain of throat cancer.
Jerry Potts died July 14, 1896 and was buried at Ft. Macleod with full honors and the rank of Special Constable after 22 years of loyal service to the NWMP.
Information in this article obtained from Wikipedia.