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the 28th of October, 1876, by the forces of Gen. Crook and Gen. Terry, assisted by the local garrison at each agency. Was this scheme concealed from the secretary of war? The agreement made by the Sioux commission with the agency Indians, guaranteed to each individual protection in his rights of person, property, and life. The military officers at Red Cloud, Standing Rock, and Cheyenne river were all aware of this provision in the agreement, and some of them, at each place, attested the execution of the paper. Were they aware at the time that they, in the near future, were to be called upon to assist in despoiling these Indians of their property? These are pertinent questions, involving as they do not only the personal honor of each officer, but the character of the service for frankness and open and fair dealing.

The ostensible object of this war was to compel Sitting Bull and his followers to come into an agency, remain upon the reser. vation, and cease from depredations. If this step were proper, it is quite apparent that the Indians had not such notice as to enable them, if they had been willing, to comply, before they were turned over to the war department. It is not out of place to hear a word on this subject from the Indians. Bearstands-up, a Brulé chief, went out from Spotted Tail agency to bring home some relatives of his wife, and their women and children. He was moved to do this because of the progress of the war. He returned home on the 25th of June, 1876. He found among the "hostiles" a few northern Cheyennes, some Yanktonais, Arickarees, and Gros Ventres. He must have left the "hostile" camps nearly a month before he returned. He supposed there were of the "hostiles" some two thousand, made up chiefly of those Indians who were excluded from coming to the agencies when the war first began, by the military order requiring them to surrender their arms and ponies. As the troops approached the Indian camps he had great difficulty in getting away. He said the Indians made their soldiers watch the camps and keep the people together. He talked with Sitting Bull and was permitted to move his lodge in the night, and then came very far around to keep out of the way of both Indians and soldiers. Sitting Bull sent word to the agent by him "that he did not intend to molest any one

south of the Black Hills, but would fight the whites in that country as long as the question was unsettled, and if not settled, as long as he lived." As soon as the Black Hills question was settled, he wanted the agent to send him word and tell him what to do. He said "when the rascality about the Black Hills was settled, then he would stop his rascality." He did not want to fight the whites, but "only to steal from them as they had done from the Indians. The white men steal and the Indians won't come to a settlement." He said "the government had promised much to the agency Indians that has never been fulfilled, and it wants to move the agencies again. If moved, who will occupy the land? It belongs to the Indians. It good white people will not listen to the Great Father, no more you young men will listen to your chief." The message of Sitting Bull closed with this remark: "If troops come out to him, he must fight them, but if they do n't come out he intends to visit the agency and will counsel his people to peace." In the latter part of October, Gen. Miles had an interview with Sitting Bull, at the request of the latter, under a flag of truce. The chief stated (said Gen. Miles) that "he desired to hunt buffalo, to trade (particularly for ammunition), and agreed that the Indians would not fire upon the soldiers if they were not disturbed. He desired to know why the soldiers did not go into winter quarters, and, in other words, he desired an old fashioned peace for the winter. He was informed of the terms of the government, and on what grounds he could obtain peace, and that he must bring his tribe in or near our camp. The interview ended near sunset, without result. . . The Indians appeared again next day, and desired a talk. A council with Sitting Bull and others followed. Sitting Bull was anxious for peace, provided he could have his own terms. . . . The demands of the government were fully explained to him, and the only terms required of him were that he should camp his tribe on the Yellowstone, near the troops, or go into some government agency and place his people under subjection to the government. He said he would come in to trade for ammunition, but wanted no rations or annuities, and desired to live as an Indian; gave no assurance of good faith, and as the council ended, was told that a non-compliance with the liberal terms

of the government would be considered an act of hostility." Such is the substance of the interview as detailed by Gen. Miles.

It is quite apparent, from the purport of Sitting Bull's views, as conveyed by Bear-stands-up, and also to Gen. Miles, that he was decidedly an anti-agency Indian, and desired to lead the life of a nomad, but it is not seen that he is such an outlaw as he has been depicted. He will not fight any one south of the Black Hills, but if troops come out to him he must fight them; he wanted no rations, and desired to live as an Indian, and if the whites quit their rascality he would quit his rascality, etc. This is about the substance of what Sitting Bull uttered, and it seems from it that if white men did not invade his home there would be no trouble with him, since he asked neither ammunition nor rations from his great father. His life since he went into the British Possessions seems to be in accordance with avowals made before he left his range near the Yellowstone. In the queen's dominions no one has disturbed him, and he has kept the peace. Here he made no demand that the provisions of the treaty did not warrant him in making. He had a right to roam and hunt, and his doing so was no offense. He had a right to annuities as a nomad, which he never received and did not claim. The order requiring him to go to an agency to dwell there was in violation of his treaty rights, and the attempt to execute that order by force was a grave offense. In discussing this question in the New York Tribune, Bishop Whipple said: "I know of no instance in history where a great nation has so shamefully violated its solemn oath. We first sent an army into the country which we pledged no white man should enter to seek for gold. The discovery was heralded by the press. A greedy host of adventurers flocked to the Eldorado. The press, the people, and the rulers seemed to have forgotten that these red men held the title to these lands by the guarantee of a nation's honor, as well as by the undisputed possession of centuries. It was the old story of Ahab coveting Naboth's vineyard. Ahab excused his conscience by calling Naboth a churlish old fellow, and he crowned the infamy by robbery and murder."

The troops of Gen. Terry and Gen. Crook achieved a brilliant victory at Standing Rock, Cheyenne river, and Red Cloud, when they swooped down upon the agency Indians and seized their arms and took their ponies. The military report of the affair at Red Cloud said: "Gen. McKenzie, Fourth Cavalry, with eight companies of the cavalry and part of the Pawnee scouts, left Camp Robinson after dark on Sunday evening, 22d October, and early the succeeding morning surrounded the bands of Red Cloud and Red Leaf, and when daylight dawned, and they saw the condition of things, they surrendered without firing a shot. They were at once disarmed, their ponies taken from them, and the warriors, followed by their families, with their camp equipage and property, brought to the agency, where they were released and put in camp. About seven hundred ponies were captured, with all the arms and ammunition the Indians had about their persons or their lodges." In reporting this bold and brilliant attack on these "hostiles" to Gen. Sheridan, the fact was so gratifying to Gen. Crook that he closed thus: "I feel that this is the first gleam of daylight we have had in this business." A few days after this event, a gentleman not in the military service thus wrote of it to the chairman of the Sioux commission: "To hear Red Cloud tell his story of the treatment he received would make your heart melt with sympathy. It was the most touching recital of wrong I ever listened to. He was told by the military that it was done by order of the president. He asked if his great father had given such an order, and said: What have I done that I should receive such treatment from him whom I thought my friend? My faith in justice being done to the Indians has been obliterated by the course that has been pursued toward this peaceable people."

Gen. Terry stated that the force with which he made a descent on Standing Rock and Cheyenne river agencies was composed of the Seventh Cavalry, three companies of infantry, and a section of artillery. This force was divided into two parts, one of which, consisting of four companies of cavalry, under Major Reno, marched by the right bank of the Missouri to Standing Rock, and reported to Lieut.-Colonel Carlin, Seventeenth Infantry, commanding at the post, who,

with his own garrison and Reno's troops, dismounted the Indians on that bank of the river. The other portion, under Col. Sturgis in person, moved on the left bank. It reached the camps on that bank at the same time that Major Reno arrived on the other side, and was equally successful in accomplishing the object of the movement. "Not a shot was fired and no violence was used." Colonel Sturgis' column then marched to Cheyenne agency, to which three companies of infantry from Fort Sully were also brought, reporting to Lieut.-Colonel Geo. P. Buell, Eleventh Infantry, the commander of the post: "This display of force was quite sufficient to effect our object, and the Indians quietly surrendered their arms and their animals. About nine hundred ponies from Cheyenne agency and about twelve hundred from Standing Rock are now on their way to this place (St. Paul), where they will be sold. Without doubt many more will be obtained from Indians who will come in to the agencies for food during the winter." The execution of this piece of vandalism does not seem to impress Gen. Sully in the same manner that the same duty did Gen. Crook at Red Cloud. In a few weeks thereafter five hundred additional ponies were taken from the Indians at Standing Rock, and five hundred more from those at Cheyenne river. The number of ponies seized at the three agencies was seven hundred and eighty-seven at Red Cloud, thirteen hundred at Cheyenne river, and seventeen hundred at Standing Rock. Of these it was said twentyone hundred were started for St. Paul, there to be sold, of which it was reported more than one-half perished on the road for lack of food. Such as arrived at St. Paul were sold for a mere trifle. About four hundred were driven to Yankton, without food on the way, and there sold for a nominal price. This leaves five hundred of the ponies seized at Cheyenne river and Standing Rock unaccounted for. What was done with these? Those from Red Cloud were taken to Laramie; a portion of them sold at a nominal price, and the remainder taken for a remount for Gen. Crook's Indian allies. The number of arms found with these "hostile" agency Indians proved to be inconsiderable, and the greater part were

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