New-York tribune., 1869-02-27

at thirty killed. seventy five wounded among others
e,heyennes. The graves in the hills would indicate
that the loss of the Indians was very severe Op my
return to camp Mr Nelson the IA. gpsi called 2 for
smew all the Indian chiefs and told many anecdotes
about them was entirely famsr WITH tbss the
and Would talk for hours about them, He seemed
children, and spoke with nectionate regarL Of them
BfSTs sa1g tbe WITH everything sp
rromfort. They were now at Fort, Randall with
Spotted Tail, and his brother-in-lssy who s was
Influential tna% sDSytied ydedas fail An Is the best
the whites have among the Indians. AT one time.
when some outrages had been commlttea ~ e LUG
loaded with chains and confined in prison for iong
time His endeavors to be Of service TO the wnltes
have greatly weakened his among tne pa;na
When the war began, be said. we must 20 Ipun @
our reservations or go anywhere the whites wlsh us
to CO. because we cannot help oursei%ves YES ss;ngs Of
peace. 1t is better even to suffer little tnhn wso
our people In o hopeless war. We must leave our
buffalo and accustomed hunting ng-grounds ana go
peaceably where the whites wish US, or our properly
driven there by force,b To this the young me. men
had demurred and Spotted Tail had told them, You
want war; your young blood is hot you lack he eaps
rience which age alone can gye,l was once so
and do not blame YOU Co. then y you I w'n ,vbsn mv
you are whipped and many have fallen let the sur
vvors return to their chief and say they were wrong
to make war against his counsel. VI the many VINO
will 90 out but few will return. They will come on
foot weary and with wounds upon their bodies. May
those who come not at all be happy with their faith
The Great Split sees me sd"m sha for he good
of my people. Those who Will hearken 10 my VOICE
will go with me TO the reservation; those VINO VII
not must 90 to war. for the country WI soon DO la
of soldiers saw tho great white chief Walk
(Shernan at the smoke-wagon railroad) and no told
me so. He does not lie. VIII you follow me anu
have peace or remain and fghtt fon have heard
my voice" A thousand lodges of the Ogalallies ana
Brues Sioux collected together and went 70 the res
ervaton near Fort Randall; Portions Of the tribes
Joined him on foot having lost their ponies. lodges
and Winter supplies IN battles with the whites
When Young man, spotted dan " Mas s SnSt He
wore coon's tail in his head-dress and hence 9en
Harney gave him the name OF Ihe-man. EtiNi
spottedai which the Indians shortened into Spotted
Tail He has five six wives and several
children A few years ago one Of his daughters
fell in love with an officer OF the army army
her affection and she pined and died She IS repre-.
sented to have been yrtuous beautiful girl OF great
intelligence and It was table TO see heri day aiIer de
does its master Spotted Tail removed her from the
Fort and sent her long way of among ms people,
but she % & iooS acd sha se sent or her father and
made him promise that no would have her body
buried among the whites where her heart was; She
also exacted of him promise that he would give
over his wars against the whites live at peace with
them, and befriend them whenever he could. She
sleeps in the graveyard at Laramie. Spotted Tail
loved this child much, and it is SAID never forgot
the promises he made. Tho young ON
Ger she loved so passionately was a leu-
The Sioux arc still capable of putting In the field
several thousand warriors and extend over hundreds
Of miles OF territory They are divided INTO Northern
and Southern Sioux, and these are subdivided into
many bands under chiefs moro or less powerful but
Spotted Tail the head king Of all the Sioux
though some of the tribes do present acknowl
edge bis authority. The Pawnees aud Crows are the
mortal enemies OF the Sioux. and they are constantly
at war. Many years ago the Sioux made great hnnt
and invited the Pawnees TO attend. While tho hunt
was going on, aud the Pawnees absent from their
villages n large body Of Sioux warriors detached for
the purpose entered the towns and slew hundreds OF
old men and helpless Pawnee women and children.
Since then TO the knife has been waged upon the
Sioux by the Pawnees. Tie cause OF the implacabe
hatred between the Crows and Sioux Is said TO have
originated in fight about certain hunting grounds
Tim Sioux are perhaps mentally. morally and ply
sicaIly the best body OF Indians the Plains. As
wives their women faithful. and II young wo-
man becomes lewd, they her on the prairie That
down on the ground. where she is left for three
nights subject TO outrage by the ronghs OF the tribe
who can kill her if they wish. She IS, after this
tribe and Is disgraced forever. POygamy is prac-
ticed in the tribe but not extensively man may
have as many wives us he can keep but must buy |
them The universal price of wife is pony or for
a white man an American horse A squaw once |
bought becomes the immediate property of
have bought wives aud never been able TO |
catch them. Most OF them, however are quite willing
20 be caught. An Indian several years ago. took a |
fancy 20 an officers horse and tried in every way TO
purchase him. but the officer would not part with the
animal Finally the Indian offered his sister, beau
tiful girl, III exchange for tie horse. fearng he
would steal or main the animal, and not wishing 10
offend him. the officer gave the Indian the horse but
declined to receive the girl in return, The young |
lady, however was informed she was sold and so the
matter stood After waiting for along time for her
husband 90 come and claim her, she one day, as he
rode by the camp, put herself in his way, when see
ing he took notice OF her, she naively asked
e" Why don't you catch Inc 7" Tho officer who
had never seen her before inquired what she meant,
when she ronndly told him she his wife, and not
at all pleased that he had not come for her lie never
claimed her but she was regarded by her tribe as the
white mans squaw and at last accounts still sim
gle and waiting for her husband. Some OF the Sioux
quite roh In horses cattle, and ns, aud educate
their children. am told Spotted Tail has two. Of
bis daughters now at school in the North aud that
the Misses Spotted Tail are very goodooking and
Intelligent girls; Generally the women are homely
little but hunt, fish, and make war. Now and then,
however, handsome Sionx girl is seem but almost
invariably she has lice In her head. Cracking lice is
one Of the occupations Of the Sioux women. IL o
womans husband leaves her she does not lose caste
but can marry again. man who leaves one wife
generally finds II difficult to get another III girl Is
unfortunate, her lover must pay, one, two three
horses her friends will kill him. In all cases of
rape, the penalty is death. These facts, and much
other entertaining information concerning the hab
Its, manners, and customs of the Indians gathered
from Mr.. Nelson. ....u-i....I
Two scouts brought MS intelligence that Gen. Carr
while looking for the 5th u. s. Cavalry with two
companies Of the 10th Cavalry tcoored), was at |
tackled and compelled TO retreat to Fort Wallace |
One Of the scouts said that the first attack was made
Just at daylight with the evident intention Of STAN
pedng and running of the stock, but that the |
negroes with great spirit drove away tho Indians !
without losing single animal, About 10 o'clock the
same day while the march. the savages. to the !
number Of several hundred. suddenly appeared on |
the prairie and surrounded Gen. Carr's train and |