The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-06-08
Reception Of the Indian Warriors mt the
White House,

The correspondent of the Boston Post gives
description of the reception of Red Cloud
and Spotted Tail at the White House on
Monday night, at which were present the
Presidents family, the foreign ministers, Sec
retares and attaches of the various legations,
the male and female members of each family
of the legations, the members of the Cabinet,
with ladies of their families, number of SEN
ators and Representatives and their ladies'.
The Blue, Green and Red rooms were crowd
ed. The ladies were attired in magnificent
summer reception and levee costumes, while
the gentlemen were in full party dress.
About O'clock the entire Indian delega-
ton under Red Cloud and Spotted Tail, with
his three braves, were driven up to the White
House in open barouches and quickly ushered
into the East Room. The room was brilliant
ly Illuminated, and bouquets of flowers placed
around. Gen. Parker received the Indians
and told them they were all to see the Presi
dent and his wife and children, and all the
members of the great Council, the Cabinet,
and all the members of the Great Father here,
and that they were to have hand-shake
How and talk, if they SO desired. Spotted
Fail and his three braves were then invited to
seats in the southeast end of the room, and
Red Cloud and fifteen or eighteen other men
and four women were seated along the east
side of the room.
Spotted Tail and his braves were dressed in
blue blankets, white leggings, white shirts.
and with each single feather adorned the
lock Of their hair. Their faces were painted
with the war paint, and all the bead and
feather trinketS OF the body and legs were
used. Red Cloud was horribly painted, neck.
face and even his head. He wears a gro
tesque head piece made of eagle feathers and
attached or sewed into red flannel This was
trailed down from the head to the very
| ground, and was not only odd but beautiful
Red Dog, his lieutenant and orator, also had
| on an eagle feather head-dress, as had several
of the other chiefs. All kinds of erotesoue
| shaws, blankets and robes, with variety oil
shirts, leggings, and every conceivable kind Of
head and trinket adOrnment, were brought
into use by Red Cloud and his band Theil
| Squaws wore short dresses, with high bodies
skirts, and their cheeks, noses and foreneads
| were an inch thick in red paint. The two
bands took up the entire side of the East
Room, and were not seated moment before
IheyIcommenced 70 jabber away at each other
| at fearful rate.
At a given signal the doors to the East
loom Were opened and the President, the
heads OF departments, the diplomatic CORDS
their ladies, and all the distinguished compa
ny entered. Within few minutes the Presi-
dent, with his party, had all gotten into the
East Room and taken their position on the
| west side OF the room; the President, with
| Secretary Fish, Gen. Parker and Mr.. Beauyis.
the chief interpreter, taking places at the
| mead of the room with Mrs. Grant, Mrs. Gen.
| Parker, Mrs. Fish next them, and so on they
Wore distributed, waiting and looking at the
indians. and the latter lounging laziy on the
Of Il
surprise. Soon Gen. Parker gave a signal
and Spotted Tail with his braves arose from
their seats and one by one advanced to where
the President and his group were standing,
and then commenced introducing the hand
shake and the "How." Red Cloud and his
band followed, and round they went, one after
the other and "Howed" it with each and every
lady and gentleman present,
by the ladies 1t seemed to be especially en-
joyed. They had no fear of "Red Cloud" and
spotted Tail; with their gloved hands they
appeared to eEjoy the huge shaking they gave
and received from the sons of the forest, The
stately Mrs. Thornton, Mrs. Fish, the beauti-
tltul Madame Garcie and the accomplished
Madame Gerolt and her fascinating dauoh-
i ters Mrs. Ford, wife OF the Secretary. OF the
British Legation, one of the most versatile
and popular ladies of society here; Miss Fish
and number of popular bellies who barely
reach the tips of the gloves of the most fash
| lonable beau; the modest and retiring Mrs
Boutwell,; the dashing and sprightly Mrs.
Creswell, the staid and reserved Mrs. Cox,
and the hundred and one ladies', Young and
old, single and married. all seemed to forget
for the time being the severe rules of So
pitched in.S Good rounds of hand-sb rsEs'
and innumerable questions through the inter-
prefers were INDUCED in; examining the cos
tunes, the hair-dressing the paints on the
cheeks, the beads and ornaments of the In
dians, and the brilliant diamonds of our own
people, the under-remarks and laughter of
each party, as something struck them as
strange, wonderful or ludicrous, was TO be OBJ
served In every section of that magnificent
room, for by this time both ranks had broken
and the pale-faces we've much mixed.
AT this point the scene presented was most
novel. There might be seen the chief of one
nation having upon his arm one of the ladies
from foreign court or belle of our own
country, mngling with a group of the red
skins and seeking through the Interpreters TO
converse with them. The polite Secretary of
state. forgetting all about Cuba, the Fenians,
ana the Alabama claims, arm in arm with the
British Minister, seeking to learn something
new: The Iet'cent Boutwell, losing sight of a
funding bill or the possibility of further re-
duction of the public debt, ealIantlng the
ladies around to learn the history of this
or that "Bear," Or "Hawk," or other mag
nificert warrior. The beau bachelor of
the navy dancing dance upon half a dozen
pretty girls at once, and asking question for
each from as many Indians, but no Interpreter
being present, receiving either grunt, nod,
stare or grin for reply. The Frenchman.
the Englishman, Russian, Prussian, Austrian.
Italian, Spaniard, Turk and South American
were all there, and each in his own way, with
ms lady friends, seeking for discussion or in
formation in this strange and confused neo.
pie. At one time Mrs. Grant and several of
her lady companions, were making vain et-
forts to have stalk" with the Indians with.
out the aid of an interpreter, but it was
failure.