Home  

Ordering instructions

The cowboy way

L.A. Huffman photos

John's images

Vintage reproductions

Lady Evelyn Cameron

Range Riders

CCAHC - HUFFMAN

Christian Barthelmess 

   Christian Barthelmess

 

Christian Barthelmess was a man of many talents: musician, adventurer, student, soldier and photographer. Born in Bavaria in 1854, educated in Leipzig he came to America in 1870 and spent most of his life in military service here. Cuba, Panama, China and the Philippine Islands were stops in his duty before his service settled in the frontier of America's west.

 

His skill with a camera has preserved a pictorial record of early day history invaluable to everyone. The life of the soldier, the early military post and the story of the plains Indian are registered in his masterful pictures. His accomplishments as a frontier photographer have given an intimate look at this important period in our history. His ability, vision, and dedication were unbelievable in a time when nothing seemed to come easy.

 

CB-1

CB-2

STUMP HORN’S FAMILY: This picture of Frank Stump Horn’s family was taken by Christian Barthelmess along Tongue River near Fort Keogh (Miles City) Montana in 1889. It shows the Travoi fastened to their horse, carrying the wic-i-up, with an Indian child loaded in the compartment for moving. The young and very old were transported in this manner.

CB-4

CB-8

STUMP HORN’S FAMILY: This picture of Frank Stump Horn’s family was taken by Christian Barthelmess along Tongue River near Fort Keogh (Miles City) Montana in 1889. It shows the Travoi fastened to their horse, carrying the wic-i-up, with an Indian child loaded in the compartment for moving. The young and very old were transported in this manner.

CB-9

CHEYENNE INDIANS set up a winter camp on the Tongue River near at Fort Keogh and Miles City, Montana in 1889. They mixed their traditional teepees with the square military issue tents. The wagon visible at the left also is an Army item. For its time, this was a luxurious camp. The wagon even had spring seats, which made for comparatively comfortable riding. Christian Barthelmess took this photograph of the camp.

CB-40

OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES lived in these two-story framed duplexes along the west driveway, which bordered Fort Keogh’s central parade grounds (at left). When Christian Barthelmess took this photograph in the spring, a bugler was sounding his call. Note the sundial in the right foreground , which stood in the center of the boardwalk, and in front of the fort commander’s residence.

CB-46

The wives, children and dogs of officers at Fort Keogh near Miles City, Mont. had a perfect place to skate - the area which, during the warmer weather, served as a parade ground and was surrounded by housing for the Fort personnel. Mrs. George Miles, whose husband's uncle, Col. Nelson A. Miles, had built the Fort, stands in the center of the group, her hands tucked into her muff for warmth. In the background can be seen the guardhouse, and the barracks where enlisted men lived. Christian Barthelmess took this photo in the mid - 1890's.

CB-39

WHITE BULL was a Northern Cheyenne medicine man who served with Col. Nelson A. Miles in the field during 1877 when the officer, who later became a general and commander of all the United States Army, was leading the settling of Montana Territory. White Bull also did well in life, receiving the respect of Indians and the white men. He became a tribal judge after the Cheyenne Reservation was established in 1884. Christian Barthelmess often photographed Indians in his studio at the Fort, but to get White Bull’s horse in the picture he moved his camera outside.

CB-82

“30 Years” the old ferry across the Yellowstone near Fort Keogh. Lt. Peter Davidson with detachment off on a survey.

CB-253

CB-81

THE MARKER on the site where Capt. Miles Walter Keogh fell in the Custer Battle - or the Battle of the Little Bighorn - was photographed by Christian Barthelmess in 1896. Thirty-eight members of Keogh’s company fell nearby in the massacre which occurred when Lt. Col. George A Custer refused to wait for the designated day - one day later - to engage the Indian encampment. Nearly 250 soldiers died in the battle on June 25, 1876. Fort Keogh, which was built near Miles City, Montana, the following year, was named for the captain.

CB-86

THIS CROW INDIAN BURIAL SCAFFOLD had been exposed to the elements for a long time when it was photographed by Christian Barthelmess near the Big Horn River in 1896. A trooper from Fort Keogh, near Miles City, Montana, looks over the remnants form his horse at right with another trooper’s horse seen at the left. Note that the body had been placed in a box on the now-collapsed scaffolding.

CB-87

CB-250

CB-251

CB-252

CB-265

The old ferry across the Yellowstone near Fort Keogh. Lt. Peter Davidson with detachment just returning from a survey.

CB-261

CB-262

CB-264

CB-257

CB-256

CB-254

CB-255

These Cheyenne maidens dressed in their best including garments made from fabrics received form their former enemies, to pose for the camera of Christian Barthelmess in his studio at Fort Keogh near Miles City, Mont., around 1895. The young woman on the left married Little Coyote and the one on the right became the bride of Thomas Sioux.

CB-26

Troop L of the 6th Cavalry was photographed by Christian Barthelmess under full marching order in front of outbuildings at Fort Keogh near Miles City, Montana. Stables, storage and supply buildings and homes for residents can be seen in the background as well as Soap Suds Row at the extreme right. Missing, however, are the usual walls expected at forts. There were none at Fort Keogh.

CB-42

HAVING THEIR PICTURE TAKEN was an important event for this trio of young Cheyenne women. They wore their best clothes and posed with dignity in front of the painted studio backdrop for Christian Barthelmess to photograph them in his studio at Fort Keogh near Miles City, Montana, in the early 1890’s. The group includes Mrs. John Kills Night (left), Mrs. Traveling Wolfe (center) and Mrs. Rock Road.

CB-28

CB-52

SPOTTED HAWK, a Cheyenne brave, was photographed in full battle dress by Christian Barthelmess in 1889 at Fort Keogh near Miles City, Montana. He is holding a heavy octagon barreled 45-70 buffalo gun. Spotted Hawk’s sister was the wife of Yellow Robe and their father was Spotted Wolf, a highly regarded Cheyenne leader.

CB-61

LITTLE EAGLE, a Cheyenne brave, was one of Casey’s Scouts and was stationed with that group at Fort Keogh, near Miles City, Montana. Although he served two enlistment’s with Lt. E.W. Casey’s Scouts, he was always somewhat controversial. Little Eagle loved whiskey, didn’t handle it too well and, as a result, periodically found himself in trouble. Christian Barthelmess photographed him in his Fort Keogh studio.

CB-67

“THEY CALLED HER BRIGHT EYES” was the caption written by Christian Barthelmess in identifying this pretty Cheyenne Indian maiden. Barthelmess had no problem photographing the Indians as he had developed an excellent relationship with them as a trusted friend.

CB-70

LITTLE MAN, the son of Charley Scalp Cane, was photographed, holding his flute, by Christian Barthelmess shortly before the turn of the century. Barthelmess took the photo in his studio at Fort Keogh near Miles City, Montana. Little Man’s father was a cripple and used a cane on which he tied his collection of scalps - hence the name Scalp Cane.

CB-84

LITTLE CHIEF, as chief of the Northern Cheyenne Indians, spoke for his tribe in council with Col. Nelson A. Miles at the mouth of Otter Creek near Ashland, Montana, in December of 1876. The courageous chief declared at the council that the soldiers were invaders of the Indians’ long standing homelands. The chief was an old man when Christian Barthelmess took this photograph in his studio at Fort Keogh near Miles City, Montana.

CB-17

FIRE WOLFE, a Northern Cheyenne Indian was a trusted friend at Fort Keogh, the military post near Miles City, Montana. Once in the bitter cold of winter he hunted for and found a lost soldier some sixty miles south of the Fort. The trooper’s feet were frozen but his life was saved. In appreciation the soldier’s mother gave Fire Wolfe the rifle he holds in this Christian Barthelmess photograph taken at Fort Keogh in 1890. (“Lost Soldier Creek” was named after the incident.)

CB-10

FIRE WOLFE, a Northern Cheyenne Indian was a trusted friend at Fort Keogh, the military post near Miles City, Montana. Once in the bitter cold of winter he hunted for and found a lost soldier some sixty miles south of the Fort. The trooper’s feet were frozen but his life was saved. In appreciation the soldier’s mother gave Fire Wolfe the rifle he holds in this Christian Barthelmess photograph taken at Fort Keogh in 1890. (“Lost Soldier Creek” was named after the incident.)

CB-10 TINT

RIDGEWALKER: Ridgewalker, a handsome Northern Cheyenne, was a Casey Scout and served with honor. He was a highly respected man and entrusted to handle the government beef herd at Busby, Montana. He was the father-in-law of John Stands in Timber, later the tribes Historian. He was held in very high regard among his own people as well as by troops at Fort Keogh, Miles City, Montana. He lived to be a very old man. This photograph was taken by Christian Barthelmess.

CB-11

CB-263

CB-260

CB-83

CB-266

Text