The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-07-04
had been to Washington, and that the

should go into the reservation. The treaty
was produced, and Gen. Custer explained
that in it the Great Father referred to three
classes of persons; first the Indians, then
white men, meaning settlers, who were
excluded from the reservation; and thirdly,
soldiers, who were under the Great Faith
er's command and who could 60 just where
the Great Father bid them. 1t was ex.
planned to the Indians that the soldiers by
passing through their country could not
acquire any title to their land. The In
dams, however, did not feel satisfied, but
said the white man wanted to go there to
get rich, and that if the General went out
he would leave good many men there.
The "hostiles" would see to that. {.
RAID ON FORT LINCOLN.
One morning in the latter part of April
another delegation came to the fort. They
did not ask to see the General. In fact
they did not want to see him at all. They
could conduct their business much better
without him. They came with reference to
45 mules quietly grazing outside of the
garrison. The whole herd was stampeded.
Their departure was observed and reported
with speed to the commanding General.
Gen. Custer Immediately ordered trum-
peter to sound "Boots and saddles !" In
10 minutes every horse was bridled, sad
die, mounted, and flying over the plain in
the wake of the absent mules, Gen. Custer
on his thoroughbred leading the way. The
chase was long one and hard one. A
few of the horses gave, but the rest bravely
followed the sorrel thoroughbred. About
II o'clock at night the gallant 7th came
slowly marching home, bringing with them
in addition to their tired horses As tired
mules. Strange as it seems, and opposed
as it is to the history of all previous stam-
pedes, not one of the recreant mules was
lost. To and fro it cost about 40 miles of
travelling to secure this remarkable recap
ture. Gen. Custer had more than one
message for the Indian delegation, but they
waited not to receive them. An Indian
pony alone stayed to receive halter which
its capturer would much more gladly have
conferred on its original owner.
Some time after Two Bears sent word to
Gen. Custer that it was few of the young
men of his tribe who had run off the mules,
and by way of compliment he intimated
that Gen. Custer was arnold woman. Yet
Two Bears and his mule-drivers are getting
fat on Government rations, and no doubt
laying in stock of Government provisions
to conduct his campaign in the Black Hills.
Thus while the War Department is back
ing up the army the Indian Bureau is
backing the Indians, while the country
pays the cost for both.
The Cheyenne Agency Indians have been
quite as enterprisng during the Spring as
the Standing Rock tribe. 1t was mainly
from this agency thaethe 400 Indians were
gathered who few days ago attacked the
Rec village at Berthold. Cheyenne is but
10 miles from Fort Sully. Gen. Stanley,
who has kept close watch on the conduct
of the Indians here, writing to Gen. Gus
ter, and advising him of their departure
for Berthold, says: "The time for soft
words and moral suasion is passed; moth
ing but powder and cold lead will be Of
any avail"
AS the opinion of an army officer this
may be received with prejudice by people
who have horror of war in any form.
But it has strong confirmation from a
profession representing spirit directly
opposed to that wrongly attributed to the
army. The Rev. Mr.. Cook, an Episcopal
clergyman at work among the Sioux, con-
fessed to me last Fall that the only way to
bring Spotted Tails people under the in
fluence of the Gospel was to give them
good thrashing. Last Sunday, in CONVEX
saton with the Rev. Mr. Riggs, the author
of the Sioux grammer and dictionary, who
been among the Sioux for 80 years, he ex-
pressed the same opinion, and added that
if we met any of them this Summer he
hoped Gen. Custer would give them good
whipping, whether they came from the
agencies or anywhere else. 1t is the infu-
ence of the hostile Indians which prevents
much of the seed sown by missionaries
from taking root.
A convenient rendezvous is afforded by
the Black Hills not only for the Agency
Indians on the Upper Missouri, who will
only have to go $50 miles to reach ia
small journey for an Indian-but for the
Northern Arapahoes and Cheyennes. For
Spotted Tails and Red Clouds tribes, with
which the Government has recently had a
good deal of trouble, it would be still
easier journey.
According the Bears Ears, our Rec
guide, there are about ten bands of Indians
there. The Uncpapas, Black Feet, Min
neconjus, and Ogallallas are strongly rep
resented. Our scouts have received word
that the Indians of Tive Bears camp at
Standing Rock have sent runners to all the
other bands far and near advising them of
the expedition and seeking an alliance. So
that if the Indians mean war the Black
Hills bands will be strongly REINFORCED.
Prominent among the chiefs of these bands
are Eagle, all Ogallalla; Medicine, Bald
Head, One Horn, Sitting Woman, Big
Forehead, and chief who rejoices in the
unpoetic name of "Leggins.''
PRESS OF BUSINESS.
An amusing feature of tho diplomatic
correspondence which has been carried on
lately between Gen. Custer and the Indians
in regard to the reconnaissance, was de-
veloped lately. 1t seems that the plans of
the Government do not harmonic with
those of the Indians. They had laid ont
other work for the Summer. They there
fore seriously request a postponement of
the expedition for one year, saying they
want very much to go and fight the Crows
this Summer, but they cannot attend to
the Crows and reconnaissance too. This
furnishes a new argument against the ex-
petition for the Indian attorneys at WASH
ington. From the active measures the
Indians are taking they have probably de-
cided to defer their Crow campaign in
favor of the expedition.
From what has been said of the conduct
of the Indians on the river and others who