Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-07-13
THE PRINCESS SPOTTED TAIL.
aAAN1 AFl"N ~ -
A Tale OF Love on the Laramie
dAtGfA'E Plains. aaEa4

a n -.
"The daughter of Spotted Tail when
dying, placed her arms around the old
chieftain' neck, and exacted promise
from him never to kill another white
man. He has religiously kept his vow. "
-Eastern paper. A6fy yLlN
Somuch for the old aboriginal Of va
riegated caudle nomenclature. Having
supped with republican royalty, he needs
no honors at the hands of commoners.
But his daughter wasa good Indian. All
dead Indians,are good In that respect
they resemble the whites. Nothing so
nourishes the virtues into consciousness
as decomposing flesh She was a peace
maker, too, and hence blessed. Her
clasped arms were o tourniquet to stay
ever after the flow of demon blood from
his heart. to his head, or-the Eastern
paper hes So, gentle, good and gone,
with no poet-song to carry her name to
posterity, with a romance, hallowed by
.constancy until death, clinging about her
memory--its recital is apropos and may
be interesting i 8l
On Sunday, June "a, 1866, an emigrant
train, thirty days out from Omaha bound
for Helena, Montana, came out of the
arid sands and buffalo gnats of the wood
less waste of the Platte Valley and
campede near Fort Laramie until a
drunken Sergeant, who represented the
American Government on that occasion,
should ascertain if its numbers and ar
manent were sufficient to attempt the
Bozeman route The occasion offered
opportunity to visit the Fort--a few
houses with outlying riae-pits, and an
unfinished earth-work partially surround
ing a slight eminence, the inclosure of
which was used as the post battle-ground.
In it the grass was rank and tall, almost
concealing the few head-boards that
marked the resting-places of the dead of
the command. In the southeastern cor
ner were two noticeable objects-the
burial places Of the daughter Of Spotted
Tail, alluded to above, and an infant In
dian. And this is the story:
< Spotted Tail is one of the principal
chiefs of the Sioux. His daughter was
gentle and beautiful-the ideal Indian
maiden--the light of his wigwam, the
pride of the tribe; and was selected to
be the mate Of a distinguished young
warrior. i0n one of Spotted Tails an
nual visits to the fort to procure powder
and lead, white man employed at the
fort became enamored of her, wooed the
dusky princess, and learned her to love
him he asked her hand of old Spotty,
but the enraged chieftain scorned their
entreaties, and, hastily leaving the fort,
started with his lodges ON long hunt;
compelled her TO accompany him, and
despite her repeated entreaties and
ayowal that she would marry her white
lover or die, he was inexorable. She was
as GOOD as her word. She ate Of fatally
poisonous berry, sickened and died. She
had requested 10 be buried in the white
man burial ground
The Chief came back, and, craving
that permission, il was granted, The
tribe was assembled; the finest fabrics
they could procure enshrouded her re
mains, which were then placed in large
wooden box, covered with bright-colored
blankets, and elevated on posts about
Ten feet high. Her favorite ponies were
slaughtered, that in the happy hunting
grounds she might have good speed.
The heads and tails Of the ponies were
then nailed to the supports Of the coffin,
and there they still remain in the wind
and sun and storm, while the smooth
flowing Laramie murmurs its ever-re-
ouienn to her who gave her life for love,
and her last breath for peace.
Peace to your ashes, maid of the
plains. Your story is given as IT was
told rs Of your grave in the dim twilight
~ one Who came there at each setting
sun. II is almost too good to be true,
but, if il is, you deserve good word,
and we. give you the benefit Of the
do,lA - NJ