The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-08-03
SITTING BULL AND THE SIOUX
Personal sketch OF the Indian Cbieftnin'
Peculinritics Of the Tribe when
on the War Path.

The st. Louis Globe Democrat o.
Saturday give the following sketch Of
the Sioux chief, in a conversation with
Mr.. J. ID. Keller, of that city:
Mr.. Keller was from 1868 to 1873 clerk
of the agent at Standing Rock, and had
ample opportunities to get ACQUAINTED
with this tribe of bloodthirsty savages
in fact he lived among them so long that
he learned to speak their language "like
n native" and was great favorite OF the
big chiefs who came to the agency. They
called in "Mnnehua Ochila," (the
writing boy). The word Sioux means
cut-throat." According to Mr. Keller's
statement, the various bands of Sioux
number from thirty-fve thousand to
forty.fvc thousand, and are divided into
the following different tribes: unkapapa,
Black Feet, Sans Arcs, Two Kettles,
Upper Yanktonais, Lower Ianktonais,
Santce Sioux, Burgklys, Minneconjons,
and Galkas. Part of these live east and
part west of the Missouri river. Tatonko
Otahka, (Si,ting Bully, who led in the
fight against Custer, belongs to the
Unkapapas (dried beet eatersl. Mr..
Keller knows him well, and describes
him to be about five feet in height. lie
has a large head, eyes and nose, high
cheek bones: one of his legs is shorter
than the other from a gun shot wound
in the left knee. His countenancc IS OF
an extremely savage type, betraying that
bloodthirstincss and brutality for which
he has been so long notorious. lie has
the name of being one of the most
successful scalpcrs in the Indian country.
There has been a standing reward OF
81 900 offered for his head for the last
eight years by the Montana people, who
have special cause to know his fcrocloll5
nature, some of his worst deeds having
been perpetrated in that territory. The
Sioux, when on the war path, black their
fnccs from the eyes down, the forehead
being colored n bright red. When IN
mourning, and very eager to revenge the
death of friends OF relations, they cut
their hair short and daub their faces
with white earth. Their feats OF
horscmanship are wonderful, Iheey
consider the greatest act OF valor to be
the striking of their enemy with some
hand instrument while alive, and, whether
alive or dead it is the first one that
strikes the fallen foe that counts the
coup," and not the one that shoots him.
they do not always scalp. Their object
in scalping is to furnish proof of their
deed, and give them to their women to
dance over. They always attack in
sweeping, circling line, eagle-like, give
yollry. pass on. circle and return on a
different eagle. When they kill one OF
the enemy there is always "A rush to get
the first crack at him 50 as to " count
the covp," and then some Indian who
was disappointed in getting a cut at the
victim while alive scalps him. The
Sioux camp with tepes (lodges) in circle,
making, as it were, stockade, and when
on dangerous ground they picket their
ponies in the center. Mr.. Keller Is
familiar with the ground where the
disastror rssngagemento Of Custer occurred.
Concerning this he said; "My idea OF
the Custer slaughter is that the Indians
had no women and children in their
lodges, and had parapets dug under tne
lodges out of sight. Custer, thinking II
a family camp, rushed into the center OF
their fort, where resistance would
necessarily prove fatal. His only means
of escape was, after finding himself IN
this fix, to run right through and out,
and not stop to fight, but join Keno s
command and retreat"