Battle At Pierre's Hole
At the close of the 1832 rendezvous, Godin joined a brigade led by Milton Sublette. The group of over forty men included Nathaniel Wyeth and eleven of his men. On the morning of the second day after leaving rendezvous, a large group with pack animals were observed approaching the camp. Initially there was no alarm, for this group was assumed to be an American Fur Company supply train led by Lucien Fontenelle, which had failed to arrive in time for the rendezvous. As the group came closer, it became apparent they were a party of between 150 and 200 Gros Ventre Indians, including women and children, who were moving the location of their village. Because they were in transit with their families, this group was not seeking a fight with the mountain men. Signs were made for peace, and one of the Chiefs rode forward, as did Antoine Godin and Baptiste Dorian, a Flathead "breed". Godin apparently saw this as a chance to avenge the death of his father. Coming even with the Chief, Godin grasped the man's rifle and called to Dorian to shoot the Chief which Dorian did. The two then stole the Chief’s bright red blanket and raced back to the trapper brigade. (Bonneville, "Chapter 6") This murder initiated the "Battle of Pierre’s Hole", which resulted in deaths and injuries to both trappers and members of the Gros Ventre band.
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