Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-04-29
The Indian Revolt at the Cheyenne
Agency.

1t transpires now that the revolt of In
dian prisoners at Cheyenne Agency, [. T.,
was more general and determined than at
first reported in official kilograms. Gen
Neil informed the commanding officer of
the department that the Indians, upon
their surrender, turned over their firearms
to the Government authorities; but his in
formation on this point seems to have
been at fault The crafty redskins evil
IDENTIFY outwitted the General by burying
their best guns in the sand, and handing
over to the soldiers only their old and I'M
serviceable muskets. Moreover, the In
dian rush to the sand-hills was not simply
an impulsive stampede, but rather the pre-
else execution of a preconcerted plot to
abandon the agency, unearth their weap-
onS, and go on the war path.
For some time the Cheyennes have sus-
pected that the Government intended to
deal out fearful retribution for the mas
sacre of the German family, and conse-
quently witnessed with apprehension every
attempt to identify the immediate perpe-
traitors or ringleaders of that crime.
Whenever an Indian was put in irons, or
singled out from the main body of his fell
lows as an object of special supervision,
mutterings of discomfort were heard from
his companions. The signal for the
revolt was given when the savages saw one
of their warriors shot down for attempting
to escape from the guards, who were in
the act of putting him in irons. Three
| shots in quick succession from the camp
of the hostile Cheyennes told the Indians
to break away from their captors. The
movement was simultaneous throughout
the camp.
There was no decentralization or confu
| sion. They were not fugitives fleeing
from real or imagined peril, for they didn't
scatter here and there over the plains, each
one seeking to make sure of his own es-
cape. They assembled with the least pos
sible delay at their chosen rendezvous, oc-
cupying position and giving battle with
every advantage of location in their favor
The troops, believing that the Indians were
unarmed, charged recklessly through the
deep sand; but, instead of meeting a de-
| fenseless foe, fell under the range of dead
! lyrities. Three times the soldiers charged,
and three times they were repulsed. The
official report of the battle says the troops
consisting of four companies of the
Sixth Cavalry, under command of Gen.
| Neil in person-lost six seriously and ten
| slightly wounded. Private letters from the
agency say that the loss was much greater
than that. 1t is known that the troops
were badly whipped, although they fought
bravely and against great ODDS.
A sad blunder has been committed; but,
at this time, it is difficult to fix the re-
sponsibility where it rightly belongs The
loss of the gallant soldiers who fell in the
charge, deplorable as it may be, is not the
worst feature of the blunder. The In
dams have gone on the war-path again,
and there is danger that the good results
Of last years campaign under Gen Miles
have been lost by one stupid blunder in
managing the prisoners.
1t is we'll known that Congress made an
appropriation of 100000 to subsist the
Indian prisoners at Fort Leavenworth.
The appropriation was secured by the i'm
mediate request of the President, who had
listened to the counsels of Gems Sherman
Sheridan and Pope, and consented to a
change of policy to the extent of transfer
ring the hostile Indians to the care of the
military authorities. After the money was
! appropriated Secretary Delano ordered the
| transfer of the Indians to the respective
agencies, reserving for military control
only those who had been identified as the
murderers of the German family. The
| $780, 900 voted to feed and clothe the pris-
oners at Fort Leavenworth has been ex-
pended in the purchase of beef at the
| frontier agencies, where supplies accumu-
| lated during all the months of last year
that the warriors were absent on the war
path.-LeaUenloorts, Fan, (4AprI 14) Cor
| Chicago Tribune.