Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-05

hAiS ChreeF hOOAeH AutO-Nne no.
nance Knocked OOt Of the HIstO-
ry of this Wicked Ola Red Skin.
The following is from the ST.
Paul Pioneer:
The inventive genius of the nov
elists has been taxed to its utmost
degree in covering the dirty, greasy,
copper-colored hide of Sitting Bull
with the glamour of romance.
One Of these imaginative writer's is
satisfied with nothing less than the
idea that Sitting Bull is a West
Point cadet in disguise, and that
he possess the military genius,
strategy and foresight Of a Napo-
leon or Grant. Another pictures
him as a brave and thoughtful son
of the forest-a picturesque Logan
or Metamora, who, with a buffalo
toga folded across his manly abdo-
men, and with melancholy mein,
PAGES up and down his wigwam,
muttering to himself: ''Where is
the home of my fathers? Once
upon a time my noble ancestors
trod in majesty from New York to
Omaha, and from St Paul to
Eads' jetties, and to-day their
prosecuted sons must hunt buffalo
meat and chokecherries among the
Big Horn mountains! Who is
there to care for Sitting Bull! Not
one. Pale-face, beware 2" And a
Herald interviewer says Sitting Bull
looks like Tilden or a European
gentleman; that he is a military
master, drills his troops like any
general of militia, and that he is
bent upon exterminating the white
man! Much more fustlan Of the
same sort is put forth every day by
all sorts Of writer's, who know no
more about sitting Bull Or his gang
than they do Of the King of Da-
honey and his army of Amazons
The simple fact is that Sitting
Bull is only a brave and bloody
Indian chieftain, like Little Grow,
Little Priest, Hole-in-the-Day, OF
any other leader of savage cut
throats. That he is a master OF
military science is all CANNON,
without a particle of foundation
Give the Indians a large numerical
superiority, and they become cour-
ageous and effective, for the war
riors are all braves, and like the Rus.
sian Cossacks, Egyptian Name
lukes, or Arabian freebooters, are
good horsemen and Independent
| fighters, who can harass a we'll
drilled army and capture a caravan,
but who make no pretensions to
skillful warfare. But when the
enemy is weak, by a natural intelli-
genre and common courage, q
stronger Indian force will concen-
trate its powers to capture and de-
stroy the weaker. The bravery and
success of Sitting Bull, on the
Little Horn, was not an exception
al case of Indian triumph over the
white man During the Indian
war in Minnesota, in 1862, several
instances of the prowess of the In.
dians in their engagements with oul
volunteer troops can be referred to
which showed as much and more
military gOnips than was displayed
by Sitting Bull and his thousands
of cut-throats. AT Redwood Falls
Captain Marsh was surprised, sur
rounded, defeated and killed, ant
his company of troops almost ami
hilated; at Birch Coolie and Wood
Lake the Indians fought the sol
diers long and bravely, and vel
nigh successfully; Fort Ridgely, ,
strong stoge fortifcation, was as
saulted, aud would perhaps have
been captured if it had not been foi
Captain Jones and his battery o
artillery while the stockade at For
Abercrombie was closely besieget
for many days, and it would yer,
likely have fallen into their hand
if timely re-enforcements had no
reached the demoralized and panic
stricken white men who were hold
ing the fort. During all these ter
rible fights between the Indians
and soldiers, no one thought of at
tributing the glory to Little Grow
or anv other single chief-it ,yn