The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-10-11
Among the Indians.

A Standing Rock letter says: An In
dian arrived from the hostile camps with
a message from ven of the hostile
chiefs. He is known to have left. this
agency about three weeks ago for the
hostile camps. While he does not claim
to have been with Sitting Bull, he says
he was with another much larger camp,
where the lodges and Indians covered
all the prairie. He reports these Indians
as abundantly supplied with fresh meat,
buffalo and antelope being in great
abundance. They are also reported to
have more arms and ammunition than
they know what to do with.
They daily watch the men who are en-
gagged in building the new post on
Tongue river, and say at n time they
could have destroyed another body of
troops as they did the lamented Custer
and his band, but they thought they
were going home, and for that reason
did not care to disturb them. This is
supposed to have been General Miles
and his regiment when they started back
for the Yellowstone
They are anxious to treat for peace,
and do not care to fight the soldiers If
they are let alone, but if they are not,
will fight for years if necessary. The
writer says several of the bands refused
to be counted, and rations were accord
ingly withheld from them. One chief
who submitted to the count refused to
receive his r%ations, and scattered them
on the ground. 1t is claimed that the
count, though not completed, will not
show more than half the number of In
dams which the agent claimed to have
been issuing to.
Though the new supplies have not ar
rived, full rations of flour, and half ra-
lions of sugar, coffee, tobacco and bacon
we're issued. The correspondent claims
the Indians received full as much under
this issue as they had formerly received
for double the number of lodges. Cap
tain Collins has been detailed to assist
Lieutenant Roach in the count of refrac-
tory lodges.
Advices received from Fort Pierre,
and subsequently confirmed, report that
a party of five men we're killed by In
dams near the Wakpa Sica, OF their way
to the Black Hills. The massacre took
place near tie head Of the Sica, and it is
thought that some of the party must
have got away and penetrated the foot
hills as far as Crook City, from which
place a force of fifty miners came out to
open the road to the Missouri. It is re-
ported that these were attacked and sur
rounded, and held corralled on a hill for
a whole day, when a messenger escaped
and went to the hills for REINFORCE
ments. Twenty others came out to the
assistance of the besieged men, but be-
fore being able to cooperate with them
they were attacked and overpowered by
the Indians, and all massacred. This Is
the last report, which has not yet been
confirmed, but it seems probable, as the
Indians have recently appeared in large
numbers from the hostile camps in the
neighborhood of the Black Hills, and
even at the Cheyenne river agency.
The troops having been withdrawn
from Fort Pierre, the miners are no
longer detained till sufficiently large
companies are formed for protection,
but proceed to the hills in small parties,
and thus fall an easy prey to the savages.
General Clusters Remington rifle and a
black horse he used to ride at Lincoln
have been captured by some Black Hill
ers from q young warrior killed on the
route to the Black Hills.