American citizen., 1876-09-16
CURIOUS SIOUX RELICS.
The Presentation of Gen. Custer to John
Maguire-A Historical War-Shirt with
Fourteen Scalp-LOcks-A Bloody
TOmahawk-Knife-S

l. II
Maguire-A Historical yvar-shirt with
Fourteen Scalp-LOcks-A Bloody
TOmahawk-Knife-S
TFrom the Virginia New Enterprise.l
1t is not often that Indian relics are
looked upon with much interest in this
city, but those which John Mcguire ex-
hibited in this city yesterday had a
melancholy fascination, because of the
mournful though glorious association
of the name of the brave and chivalrous
Custer Herewith. They were of the
trophies which he gained while in the
height of his glorious career. The ex-
hibitor received them from his hands
while at Fort Lincoln, Dakota Terri
tory, and cherishes them with fond
ness which can not but be lifelong.
The first of these relics is
AN HISTORICAL wAR-sHIRT
of young Sioux brave. Upon it are
recorded the deeds of an ambitious war
rior, while it also bears the record of
his death; for the braves part with life
itself sooner than lose this record of
their glory. The shirt is made of In
dian-tanned buckskin, and has hole in
it through which the head passes as it
is donned. This is surrounded with the
red-squaw cloth of the agencies. From
it, both before and behind, hang lappets
with wrought and fringed edges. The
arms are left open on the under side
and are fastened just above the elbow
by thongs. These sleeves are deco
rated with hanging fringe of buckskin
two feet long, and on it and on the back
and front of the shirt are inscribed the
warriors record.
The right arm is bare of scalp-locks,
as, in its use, they might be torn off and
lost, but the left is adorned with no less
than fourteen of these trophies, all of
long, black hair, and some, from their
fineness, appear to have come from the
heads of squaws or white women. On
ly small portion of the lock is pre-
served for a record, while part of the
scalp is used for medicine or a charm.
On the body of the shirt the young war
rior kept an account of the horses stol-
en- or captured from their enemies. For
each one of these the picture of horses
hoof or shoe is imprinted upon the shirt.
There are sixty of these, but the wearer
was cut off before his own ambition
was filled, for the marks of his triumphs
in this particular range up and down
the right side only. The left is with
out an inscription. There are two bull
let-holes in the shirt, one through the
shoulder and the other through near
the center of the body, just below the
neck. 1t was doubtless this which cut
off the young warrior and deprived him
of his record. The garment is richly
embroidered in porcupine quills. These
are mostly white, and are in strips three
inches wide, running along above each
arm, and from back to front over each
shoulder. These strips are bordered
narrowly with red, and are here and
there inwrought with figures of red and
blue. Belonging to the same accouter-
ments is
BLOoD-sTAINED TOMAHAWK
and knife sheath. The former is a
formidable weapon and shows use. The
handle is two feet long and fastened in
with brass nails, which show that the
owner or some of his friends had come
in contact with civilization. The head
of this war-hatchet is a pipe-bowl. The
blade is six inches long and very smooth
except where the marks of blood have
eaten off the polish. The knife-sheatt
is covered with beadwork and orna-
mented with little Indian bell-like
trinkets, which tintinnabulate most mu
sically with every motion. 1t is empty
but was designed for ten-inch, scim
eter-shaped blade. The beads covering
it are mostly blue, but it is relieved by
small bands and figures of red, pink,
purple and yellow. A
TOBACCO-POUCH AND MOCCAsINS
complete the trophies. The pouch is
eighteen inches deep and an economical
contrivance, into which the pipe can be
thrust and filled while riding or running
without wasting either time or tobacco
The lower edge is fringed like the arms
of the shirt, but the long buckskir
strings are attached to about six inches
of wrought porcupine quilts. Above
this is ornamental bead-work about
three inches in width. 1t is reversible
each side, however, being different
The moccasins are of buckskin, with
rawhide bottoms. The tops are orna
mented with bead-work and porcupint
quilts. In connection with these relics
the following incident, which occurred
at the time of the presentation, may MOI
be uninteresting:
AN INCIDENT.
Mr.. Mcguire was with Gen. Custer a
Fort Lincoln when he was waited upOr
by the Rev. Mr.. Meeker, of Washing
ton, who came from Fort Peck with ;
request for one or two companies O
soldiers, as guides and guards to pro
'jected excursion to Sitting-Bull's camp
The reverend gentleman thought hi
could bring the savage into the reserva
ton. When asked by Custer how HI
would accomplish that end, he replied
that he would take white flag in hi
hand and give Sitting-Bull Bible
Custer advised him to take a Gatlins
gun, but refused the asked-for escort
This incident led to remarks on thu
noble red man, of the tales of Cooper
the common Indian of the theatrica
world, and the terrible reality as hi
roams, the dreadful scourge OF th'
frontier and the insatiate foe of thu