Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-07-01
SPOTTED TAIL.
A Romance of the Forest
Love OF his Daughter and
Her Death from a Bro
ken Heart. i.rl

/
The following account OF the celebrated
Sioux chief Spotted Tail is from advance
sheets of General Brisbin's book:
During the latter year of the war, part
of Spotted Tails family remained for a
time at Fort Laramie, and with them
was his favOrite daughter, young girl
just budding into wcmanhood. The fort
was then garrisoned By companies of Ohio
regiment of volunteer cavalry. Among
the officers Of this regiment was young
man OF good appearance and pleasant
manners, and with whom the chiefs
daughter fell in love. Her passion does
not seem to have been reciprocated by
the young soldier, and he did all in bis
power to convince her he ,uld not marry
her, and, therefore, it would be wrong in
him to pay his addresses to her. But
the infatuated girl would not be convinced
and could not understand why she. a
princess, and the daughter of the most
powerful chief on the plains. was not a
suitable wife for the young soldier. Day
after day she would dress herself with
scrupulous care, and come to the fort to
see her beloved. 1t was pitiable to oh.
serve her, as hour after hour she would
sit on the doorstep Of the young officers
quarters, waiting for him to come out
AT other times she would follow him
about the parade ground like a dog,
seeming perfectly happy if she could only
be near and enjoy the poor privilege of
looking at him.
Spotted Tail. hearing Of the strange
conduct of his daughter, and deeply NOR
tilted at her want of self.respect, hasteued
to the fort. and putting her ia charge of
some kind friends, bade them carry her
off into the Rocky Mountains, where a
portion Of his tribe dwelt, and endeavored
in every way to make her forget her un.
fortunate love. SheI vent away. meekly
enough, but fell into deep melancholy,
from which no effort of friends could
arouse her. Presently she refused to
take any food, and pined away to a mere
skeleton.
One day courier, whose horse was
white with foam, sought the great chief
and told him that his daughter was dying
of broken heart, and wished to see him
once more before she pcssed to the happy
spirit land. Away over mountain and
stream hurried tine chief, and paused not
for food or rest until he had reached the
bedside Of his beloved child. lie found
her still alive but fast sinking, and she
bid him sit close beside her and hold her
fesbless hands in his while she told him
all her simple story of love and suffering
and broken heart. She said III shall
soon be at rest, my father, and with those
of our kindred who have gone before. In
that beautiful land will wait for you,
and you will soon come to join NE, dear
father, for your locks are whitensd with
years of care you are fast growing old
and tired. You are a great chief and
have yet many warriors, but the pale
faces are more numerous than the leaves
of the forest, and | pray You to cease
from warripg with them. Spare your
people, my chief. rest little Willie in
peace, and you will have reached the
end of your journey of life, and come join
me ia the happy home to which l am
now going. The pale faces are his peo.
pie, and between you and them l hope
war will never come again. And, . my
father and my chief, when am dead take
my poor. wasted body aud lay it on the
hill beside the fort where learned to
love so WE'LL" The pulseless hand grew
cold as the great chief promised his child
all she asked Of him, then the lustrous
eyes glazed over, the thin lips ceased to
move, the smile fed from the wasted face
and the Indian girl was dead.
The heart-broken chief bid the atten.
dants dress the body of the princess for
burial, and on the shoulders of stout
warriors 1t was carried to Laramie and
laid to rest among the pale faces, one Of
whose race she had SO fatally loved. Her
grave is still pointed out to the traveller,
and there it will long remain monument
of the saddest story Of the plains. Spot,
ted Tail often speaks Of his dead daughter
with sffectionate remembrance. and once
ia a great counsel held with the whites at
Laramie he said: "Wers not tie tope,
lsssnes Of resistance and the dictates Of |
policy sufficient TO restrsis NE from acts
Of war, the pledge I made 10 my dead
child in her dying hour would cause me
to keep at peace with yoar people"