The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-07-14
.THE"sDAfEY EMPIRE.
@h' SNODAHNOON,
PuBBIsHFR AND PROPRIETOR
THE sioUx sun DANCE.
H.H. ROBINSON.

IftAiftt''f ifffA p w -
Descrlptfbhi ny Major General Cur-
\ sABariJar6tis and Horrible
\ lutesr-SielteIiingID Details of Self
~ forLurci uonIinEnu sGN
q Major General Cprtis writes TO his wife,
from Fort, sally the following account of
lore Of the horrible Representations of the
Sioux Ind1ieppsS, which he witnessed recently
near that Foftiosn,l tno4
Hoao mon % ogfFoRT SuLIY, June 2, 1866.
| "Ine whole Of the three thousand Sioux
camped about us gave me early information
OF their design to Nave their annual sun
dance at this timeand place, the season of
y.eari the tgees IN full leaf, having now ar
rived and they Wished me 10 inform Col
0nci Recof, the c0f1mander of the soldiers
that however boistef0tis their demonstra-
tlonsimlgiltbe!t they would all be peace
abs and afla pieus ebaraetar.
,.a pn ~ Iynstse9rday, ss9 June The dancing was
delayed At intervals 70 allow tortures to be
inflicted Two or three r,enstood over the
ldeyoteei with naodla and knife, very quietly
perlorWlnIg pegance a9eoriing to the Gus
10 IONS ,, oi ill these sacerdptql rites as follows
,4"Fifst, they cttt the drnisfn several places
by striking an awRin tile akin, raising il
and cutting ont about lliialfan inch. This
Is done 9n both crms. and sometimes on
the breast aud hsck, Then wooden setons
(stieksu about tie thickness of common
Lead -penbil) are inserted through hole in
tnel skip 9nd flesh j Then cords or ropes are
attached 70 these sticks by one end, and to
the pole at the other end, the victim mill
ing ON The ropes till the seton sticks tear
out the flesh and SKIN. | saw one with
two sete,is thus attached TO his breast. null
ing till 1t seemed to draw the skin out
three inches, and finally reqhiring nearly
his whole might to tear outthe seton. One
hn1 af.xaaa $50.
9neea The pulling ont lis done In the
dance, the pulling carried on In the time
OF the musiciby, jerk, jerk, Jerk, and thc
eye, head aud front all liaeiny the sun i'm
the form of supplicationi One had four
setons sttacbetl N four dry buffalo head
bones. These were all strung and suspend
ed to his flesh by ropes that raised each
head some three feet of tlIe ground. lie
danced hard 10 tear them ont, but they
would not break the skin. One came oil
the stick accidentally, but il was AGAIN
fastened,. Finally these heavy weights
(each at least twenty five pounds weight)
mol !earing out by their own weight and
uiotioil, lie uevotee gave comrade Il
horse to take hold of the rope and tear ont
the setons, Whilethese men were being
thus tortured, their female relations came
~ anu had pieces cus ont Of their arms. to
show their appreciation and valor, and
devotion to their kinslnen. Still, as soon
~ INC ,Niclihl could DE prepared, the music
was renewed, and the dismal dance went
on; the yictims' bodies now mingled with
blood, paint and sctons. 81,
lliere being several steamboats, and
many soldiers here, great crowd of spec
tators rather embarrassed the performers
so they concluded the performance nj
twelve O'clock having only danced twenty
four hours instead of forty-eisht. as they
,usually do. All the devotees gave away
III tteir ponies and other valaablcs to their
iirlei.ds had their mounds carefully dressed
by attendant medical men, and sat down 10
an abundant feast Of dog and buffalo meat.
''So ended the most barbarous and pain
iui eX hibitin of savage idolatry. The pic
tire Is still deeply impressed on. my senses.
put l cannot give half the horror of the
scene, either by pen or pencil"