Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-07-21
AIExAaAzETTE &vlRaINIA ADvERTIsER
(FoR THE CoUNTRY)
Sitting Bulls History.
From the Little Rock (Ark.) Evening Star
July l6.l

Sitting BuIIS h1StOrys
From the Little Rock (Ark.) Evening Star
July l6.
LITTLE Rock BARRACKS, Ark, July l6.
ls76.-The New York Herald lately had no.
tice of an "Autobiograpbical Sketch of the In
dian Sitting Bull" who has recently come into
such prominence by tie death Of Gen. Custer
and his com pauions. This book is a great curl
osity. 1t purports, by means Of pictures drawn
by himself, 70 illustrate some Of the most dis
1iuguished leats Of vaor 10 the life Of one OF
the most remarkable Indians the coun-
.ry has produced. II the lite Of Sitting Bull is
dispassionately considered he must take high
rank among the unlettered savage military
ohiettains of history. His recent battle With
General Crook lifts him away out OF the list OF
vulgar savsges, and gives him claim TO oe
considered a skiIful general. The manner 10
which be disposed It's forces, takiog advantage
of the topography of the battle field wh rtver
it presented ITSELF and his skiiful mai euvrng
to divide Crooks forces, and the desperate
manuer in which be fought to prevent the re-
union of the forces after be had divided them,
show this uulettered Indian to be natural
born general His tactics were to pierce the
enemy 8 centre, and this he did IN very mas
terly manner. His treatment of Custer bows
him to be as cunning 10 bis strategy as he 10
skilful in his tactics
He decoyed the brave cavalry othcer lnto d
defle of the mountains, where be fell a prey to
the Iodiaus, who doubtless surrounded hun:
From nv kuowledge of Indian character and
tactics, think in very doubtful whether Custer
VAS able to it'd ct any very severe Injury 90 his
n 10
Bull aud then [ shall have come to the true
history of the book referred to iu the beginning
;Jf this communication. The plan of the lede-
raj leaders-or perhaps it would be more prop.
er to cay leader, for Gen. Sheridan has no
douh plsnned the campaign which Crook, Ter
ry aud Glb5on are eXecutlng-conteBpa the
combined movement OF three separate invad-
ing columos Crook leads one from the nelgh.
borbood OF old Fort c. /. Smith 90 the south;
Terry's forces move from the east, below the
Junction of the Missouri and Yellowstone and
G,bbou forces come from the northwest. The
aorces of Terry aud Gibbou we're to make
junction somewhere near the mouth OF the Big
Little Hosn, and then move against the Indians.
Crook g command was to come 10 fromthe south,
driving the Iudians back upon Terry and Glib
5ou, and thus forcing them into cul de sac.
The tactics of Sitting Bull seem to have been
:hose pursued by the great Napoleon 10 bis ia
nous campaign ofl8l4. aud we're the same prac'
.iced by Gen. Lee at Richmond 10 l864-'65,
when the armies of Grant and Butler, the one
from the Rapidan aud the other FROM the james,
we're operating against the Confederate capital.
In military par!anoe, he ls moVlog on interior
lines, which, being shorter than those operated
90 by bis enemies. enable him to strike them
with great rapidty iu places remote from each
L han
his battle with Crook he Immediately planted
himself across the path OF Terry. and with what
effect the melancholy fate of Custer and bis
c5snmand too painfully tells Acting on these
interior liues which be seems to know 80 Well
how to do, be has his enemies at immense dis
advantage, and before he can be mau9 lVred or
foupht out of his position there must be great
sacrifice of life. That he will be driven out by
one or the other of these means, or both, there
can be no doubt.
Now for the true history Of the Pictorial
Life of Sitting Bull" drawo BY himself. lo
1869 10 | was stationed at Fort Butord, at the
.m,uth of the Yellowstone, as part OF garrl
SON under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
Morrow. Thirteenth infantry, now Command
ung at Little R ,ck barracks. Colonel Morrow
had been successful 10 not only fighting the hos
tile tribes that infested the country around the
fort and sometimes attacked detaohments OF
troops, but also 10 Winning the confidence OF
the friendly Indians. He was anxious to meet
Sitting Bull, who had seot more than one war
party to the ueighborhood OF the fort, and TO
arrange for a visit from the lndlan chief ne
sent several ludiaos as sort OF embassy TO MS
camp. Colonel Morrow proposed that Sitting
Bull should come to Fort Butord with not
more than ten warriors, uuder pledge for MS
personal safety. The spring was approach'ng,
when the streams would all be swollen by the
fresbets aud Sitting Bull declined to come at
that time. but made some indefinite promise
of visit in the future. By way OF showing
his regard for Colonel Morrow, OF whom he
had heard so much, he sent him volume OF
bis autobiography, saying there was another
volume which would be sent at another time
The Indian by whom the message and ooeS
were sent proved untrue to bis trust and sold
the book to one Edward Lambert for q few
pounds of sugar. Lambert gave it to Dr. Am
ball. The facts all leaked out, aud Col. MOT
row permitted the surgeon to retain the book
for the purpose of sending it to the Army Mu-
scum at Washington, but directed tha. TWO fac
SMILES of it be made by Corporal D. S. Mars
ton, f company, Thirteenth infantry. This
was done, and Col. Morrow has one OF them In
his possession and [ have the other.
The book is curious. not only ss illustrative
of the life of famous Indian, but is valuable
also as an exponent of Iudisu pictorial art, and
the true history as to how it came into the pos
session of the white man is worth preserving.
This article is already long, but will add ;,
line about the early history OF Sitting Bull
He is Sioux or Dakota Indian. For several
years he lived at Fort Rice, on the Missouri
River, and was known as BLANKET Indian.
This is term of scorn or derisioo among the
Indians. and is applied to Indians who hans
around" the military posts and wear the white
uau's blanket instead of the Indians buffalo
robe, for you must know that the robe is the
Indians badge of manhood. Ooe day, FOL
what reason is not known, soldier struck Sit
,iut Bull blow. That was the blow 10 whose
train has followed long list of heroic deeds
and which has shaped the Indian policy OF tn