Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-08-04
The Indians.


supplemented ty no active movement OF the
main body looking to the terminating OF the
cauuaign All the plans Of the commander
have apparently hung upon the prospective &C.
cessioo of reiuforcemepts. Opportunities tor
lcGuitively ascertaiuing the posisioo aud move
menis of the enemy have not been improved.
The GUIDES and sc )uts seem to have been per-
mitttd to exercise their presumabe Junction OF
observation lust so little as has suited them,
and if any iuciteucnt has been applied to 10.
spire them with the energy which would be
essential to their usefulness it has borne no
fruits. | believe the truth is that Gen. Crook,
since the disaster to Lieut.. Sibley's recon-
NOTHING pal ty, as he was before that, has b,en
content to iyuore the mas suvres ot the Sioux
until be sh, uld be In eUilre readiness to once
more move against them. The country for the
last three weeks has been for miles around us
oyerhuug by murky pail, which proves that
The prairie has beeu fired in many places. 20
several evenings the glare of the Il ,mcs has 1T
up the sky with iurid glow, which seemed an
angry omen. Probably the Sioux have been
causing the destruction rf the grass 10 order to
rulbarrass the cavalry by creating wide belt
OF prairie Oh wbicu their horses can hud no
subsistence. This action may be part OF the
execution of grand scheme by which they
hope to Ioil the white troops uOti the lne ar
riyes whcu they will b. compelled to retire for
the purpose OF refttiug. The few observations
taken by the guides, aud the reports recently
brought here by four Crows with duplicate
dispatch from Brigadier General Terry, eu-
courage suspicion that the willy foe Intend TO
intreIch thcir families and property among the
mountains while, after !ecuperatloo, they cOn-
,inue 10 contest he dominion OF the plain. 1t
is not to be doubted that there are spirits
among them who ioresee he inevitable end or
an opeu struggle, and that, through their coun
sci, place OF hUal refuge has Teen or Will DC
selected. Should they retire to this. the Sioux
warriors, with their strong numbers aud excel
lent arms, would deiy siege OF much greater
duration AID difhcu ty THAI that by, which
handful Of Modoc> in the lava beds OF North
erp California were conquered. 1t is knrwn
that there are white renegades among them
whose superior intelligence and education they
rightly value as cuabling them to anticipate
the military methods of campaigning. They
have advised the occup I'll on OF the mountains.
From their long warfare with the Grows, the
Sioux have learned the strength of those uatur.
al fortresses. Since their first Invasion OF the
country west Of the Missouri their advance was
contested foot by foot, aud they owed their sue
cess more to the ravages of disease among their
enemies than to themselves. Their teroclty
has been unsurpassed, but their vaor GOULD
never compare with that OF the surrounding
tribes. whom they overwhelmed with numbers
They have erjoyed the continued alliance Of
bu, one OF thctD, the Cheyenne. Its origin, by
the way, would be Of interest to the anthropo.
ogist. Its true story is involved 10 the mlsts OF
tradition, but they afford suf6: substance
for the basis OF fruitful investigation, which
when the present Iudiau war has reccded as far
ln the mem Dry of the living generation as has
that OF Tecumseh, would be perhaps of his
torical importance. 1t is believed by old in-
terpreters that the Cheyennes are moDgrel
breed, derived from renegades OF Eost OF the
tribes OF the Plains. Ever since the white mau's
knowledge OF them began, young braves, am
bilious of distinction, have annually made out
laws Of themselves to prey after the .nanner OF
bandits upon every pomer and goer OF what
ever race They called themselves "dog-sol
dlcrs." aud their exploits gave to the name the
prestige always derived from daShlng courage
aud au aclty. But many of them did such
atrocous decd-atroclous even to the savage
code-hat every man hand was turned against
communities in which they were born. Every
year they gained new accessions. Many of
them however, dreamed Of the black haired
maideus they had left behind them, aud the
more desperate was their outlawry the more
earnest their craving for the presence OF wo-
men, which has gentle spell over the most
brutaIiz.d beast. So they erdeaVored TO cap.
ture and to steal squaws from the lodges OF
their native villages, and probably some OF the
du>ky Marianas therein dwelling were nothlug
oath to be whisked away on f ct ponies 10 the
arms Of coercive lovers. who were so famed Tor
the cruel and cunning courage, which Is the
red mans glory. With the growth OF their
families the dog soldiers began to be regard.
ci as separate baud. The French mission
aries, trappers, hunters and traders who mixed
among the dusky population of the wilderness
iuscnsIbly injected Gallic words iutO nearly
every aboriginal dialect. One of these was
ci.i,m, as it is mndnrnly spelled. which bears
st.lklng pathological Resemblance to the Da
k,ta word of the same meaning, hunt0
Osinr perhaps its form to the influence OF bUtn
OF these, the term Cheyenne or Shyenne
became the designation for dog soldier.
Perhaps the derivation OF the tribe from the
III ,st daring aud desperate outlaws of the Sioux.
pawnees, Crows kiowas, Shoshones, Conan
chc>, Mandans, &C., explains the peculiar IN
,rcpid character which the Choycnnes undouot.
ediy possess, but there is no doubt that they
are the bravcst and u most skilled warriors among
the Indians. Since Geueral Miles campaign
against them 10 Kansas the southern Cheyen-
nrS have onged to identify their fortunes With
those of the northern band. aud have irequcut-
ly jooed them 10 raidiug under their own lead
er, the famous and terrible White Antelope.
Weak numerically, the Cheycunes always ln-
spre in the larger tribes with which they torn
alliances their own warlike temper. For many
Years they have becn the conicderates OF the
Sioux, have led them to battle and have set
them the example of ferocity. They were the
most dangerous element 10 the Red Cloud
Council of last fall. Sitting Bulls, Crazy
Horses, and Little Big Mans warriors arc
what are now called ''dog soldiers drawn
lr"m the Cheyennes, Okaalas. Uncpapss,
onenopas, Minnecopjous and kiocsies. But
f,,,,, II ]