The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-09-08
Indian Romance.
TRUE STORY OF SPOTTED TAILS DAuGn-
TER.

A gentleman writing from Fort Laramie
Wyoming Territory, tells the following ro-
mantle story about the daughter Of Spotted
Tail, the famous Sioux chief, which we do
not remember having seen in print. He
says:
Twenty yards from the new hospital, on
the hill overlooking Fort Laramie. are two
Indian graves. e., coflins raised fifteen
feet from the ground, on stout poles. One
OF these collins contained the bones of a
young daughter of Spotted Tail, the famous
chief of the Sioux tribe, who died in 1854.
| The tribe OF Spotted Tail was at that time
permanently located near this fort, and the
chief and his family were treated with much
consideration by the oiIicers--vo volunteers.
The young squaw was one of the fairest of
the dusky maidens of her tribe. She was
adored by her old father and her hand
sought by many of the warriors. Unfortu-
nately for her, the charms of her dusky face
and figure were not passed unnoticed by the
pale faces, anda certain gay captain found
opportunity to whisper pleasant nonsense in
her ears. Moonlight strols and wayside
meetings were soon in order. and the flower
OF the Sioux began 10 sigh for the company
OF the gallant pale face. She made known
her story of love to her father, and he i'm
mediately waited upon the young ofiicer,and
demanded his hand in marriage to hi.
daughter. The captains name was not
Smith, however, and he was seemingly ig-
norant of the precedent of Pocahontas, for
he positively declined the honor.
The old cheftain, more in sorrow than in
anger, returned with the crushing news to
his daughter. 1t was burning sun to the
Fair Flower" of the Sioux. She dropped
and began to wither, and her father. as a
last resort, sent her to visit some relatives
whose hunting grounds were on the Father
of Waters, five hundred miles away. Hers
was disease, however which change of
scene and air did not affect, and she had
been gone but short time when mounted
messenger came to her father in breathless
haste to summon him to the wiewam of
death. Mounting his swiftest pony. he
galloped madly over the plains, and then
only reached his daughters side in time to
receive her dying request that she should be
buried at Fort Laramie. HH-. . ....
His promise was kept and the broken
hearted girl was raised to the last resting
place amid one of the grandest displays
ever witnessed on the plains soldiers and
Indians alike participated and twenty
Indian ponies were killed in her honor. The
commanding officer of the fort gave his
solemn promise to the old chief that the box
containing his daughters body should never
be disturbed; this promise had been sacredly
observed until two months since, when
meddling army surgeon, just before starting
on an expedition with General Crook,
emptied the coffin of its sacred contents,
gave the bones to L subordinate, and ordered
him to expose them to the sun occasionally
during the summer, to bleach them, and up
on his return he would refresh his anatomy
with the skeleton. u. r ..s.
% Imagine the feeling of this sub one day
not long since, upon being confronted by
another surgeon, and the query, tremulously
put, If he did not have the bones of Spotted
Tails daughter in his possession He ans.
wered ailirmatively, and was further question
ed about the accompanying bedding wrap
pings, tiinkets, etc. This had all been
burned, except two rings and bracelets, and
Spotted Tail had just arrived for the pur-
pose of removing the remains to his own
agency. 1t was feared that if the desecration
of the grave became known to him it would
cause him to abandon his peaceful attitude
and join his brethren on the war path.
Accordingly at dead of night the box was
replaced, the bones deposited therein, such
bedding, trinkets, etc, as could be mustered
accompanied them, and fortunately next
morning Spotted Tail left for Cheyenne, to
be gone five days. During his absence, to
cover the thing, handsome coffin was made
the bones placed therein, all removed to the
hospital, as if to save trouble to the chief.
On his return he visited the hospital, in |
sPected the remains closely, expressed him
self satisfied, and started with his precious |
burden for the Spotted Tail reservation.
IA, l.a A.