The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-11-04
Life among the Indians: Being ex-
tracts from the Journal of Thomas G..
Battey.


party of Indians, who were sent to the
agency for me, and to obtain rations. The
distance about one hundred and fifty miles
northwest from the agency They are
here making preparations for the great
medicine dance. The whole Kiowa tribe,
as well as nearly all the Apaches about
five hundred Comanches, besides several
Cheyennes, Arapahoes and other Indians
being together, makes very large encamp-
ment. This is situated in beautiful
broad valley, through which flows fine
stream of clear water, nearly devoid of
alkaE. 1t is called by the Kiowas, Ugwoo-o-
poh-Rice Greek.
Had talk with several of the heard men
of the tribe respecting the change in the in
tentlon of government as regards the release
of Satanta and Big Tree. They cannot
comprehend why government should violate
its pledge to them i'll consequence of the
misdemeanors of the ModOcs a tribe living
so remote from them that they did not
even know of their existence. 1t looks to
them as though Washington was very will
ling to class them as enemies, while they
are doing all they can to prove their friend
ly intentions. | informed them of my
writing to Washington desiring them to
refrain from any hostile manifestations
until they should learn what Washington
would do when he reads my letter
The warriors are busily angaged hauling
cotton wood trees for the medicine house,
accompanied by music and dancing
17th.-The music of the soldiers, who,
if | understand Alright, are not allowed to
sleep during the erection of the medicine
house, continued through the night. On
going out early this morning crowds of
Indians, old and young, were marching in
wood trees, and, being invited to 60 along,
[ accompanied them. Soon, several small
cotton-woods were cut down by the women,
ropes attached to them, several hands to
rope making light work Of the hauling,
particularly as it was made frolic.
After breakfast the hauling of larger
trees was proceeded with. They were
drawn by horses, by means of ropes attech-
ed to the saddles. y young warrior and
a girl rode upon the horses, several of
which were hitched to one tree, and draw
ing abreast, some Of the riders beating
drums, and all singing. This business
continued through the day, except for an
hour or two in the middle of the afternoon
when the old women-the grand mothers
of the tribe, had dance The music
consisted of singing and drumming, done
by several old women, who were seated
upon the ground in circle. The dancers
old, greyheaded women-from sixty to
eighty years of age, performed in a circle
around them for some time, finally striking
off upon waddiing run, one behind an
other : they came back and doubling SO as
to bring two together, threw their arms
around each others necks and trudged
around the circle for some time longer,
then sat down, while a young man circula-
ted pipe, from which each in turn took
two or three whiffs, and this ceremony
ended
9th mo. 18th, 1S73.-Work at the
medicine house drew to close. The large
trees and brush were all hauled by the mid
die of the forenoon. The putting up of the
long cottonwood poles to support the cover
ing, was hard work. They were thirty
five or forty feet in length, green and
heavy, and required great amount of
noisy talking, loud hallooing, and hard
lifting to get them to their places. This
being done, and the brush thrown over
them for a shade, the medicine house was
completed little past noon.
The soldiers of the tribe then had a
frolic in and about it, running and jump
ing, striking and kicking, throwing one
another down, stripping and tearing the
clothes off each other. One tall Indian
clasped me around for back-hold wrestle,
but though did not attempt to throw him,
by exerting my little strength in the right
direction, he found it too nearly resembling
work to lay me on the ground, and SO gave
it up Before this frolic was over, party
of ten or twelve warriors appeared, moving
a kind of shield to and fro before their
bodies, making in some manner, Gas | was
not near enough to see how it was done, }
grating sound, not unlike the filing of Il
mill saw.
The medicine house is situated nearly in
the centre Of the encampment, is circular in
form, about sixty feet diameter, having its
entrance towards the cast. 1t is built by
erecting forked post, twenty feet high,
perhaps, for central support, while around
this, and at nearly equal distances, are
seventeen other forked posts, forming the
circumference of the building. These are
from twelve to fifteen feet in height and
all of cottonwood Small cottonwood trees
are tied on the outside of these with ropes
of raw hide, limbs and leaves all on them.
Outside of these, small cottonwood trees
are placed in an upright position, thus
forming wall of green trees and leaves
several feet in thickness, in the midst of
which many hundred spectators afterwards
found cool retreat, where they could
observe what was going on without max
ing themselves conspicuous.
Long cottonwood pole extend from each