Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-07-13
THE WAR WITH THE SIOUX.
sll.lng Boil and Hi. outrage..

Sitting Ball and His 0utrages.
The Washington correspondent OF
the Chicago Tribune gives some VAL
liable information ia regard To the
causes of the expedition against the
Sioux, which has had 80 terrible
check, and some Information in re-
gard to Sitting Bull, tho hostile
Chief, who has been guilty of so
many outrages and now of this butch
cry OF Custer aud his men. Ito says:
For many years amber OF hos
tile Sioux have been roaming through
the northern portion Of Dakota. un-
dor the leadership OF Sitting Ball,
Crazy H3rsc and fow other Chiefs.
Two years ago their number was es-
timated at 1000, but subsequently
about 4 1000 of these Indians went in
to the A gencies Of Standing Rock,
Spotted Tail, and Cheyenne River,
reducing the number who might be
called hostile to about 5000. The
War Department estimates Sitting
Bulls band al nbont $500. The
number of warriors in these bands
could not originally have exceeded
between 400 and 500. all attempts
to induce these Indians l. 90 upon
reservations have thus far failed, and
last fall Gen. Crook visited Washing
ton for the purpose OF consulting the
Administration in regard to its flu
ture treatment of them. With the
Secretary of War and Gen. Cowen,
Acting Secretary OF the Interior,
Gen. Crook visited the President
and proposed that an expedition be
sent against these Indians during the
winter, when they would be less pre-
pared than at any other timo to re-
sist it.
His recommendation was favorably
considered, and message was sent
to Sitting Bull and the Chiefs who
were operating with him, ordering
them to report at the reservation be-
fore the LIST of January, 1876, the al
Tentative being that if thoy did not,
the United States would mako war
against them. This stop was consid-
cred necessary not only on account
lof the numerous murders of white
people committed by those Indians,
but because they were making con :
slant attacks on the Bannock and
other friendly Indians whose reser-
vations were in their vicinity, and
were melting other Sioux to hostility.
| The uneasiness of the Red Cloud and
! the Spotted Tail Indians on account
of the invasion Of the Black Hills,
and the scarcity OF supplies fur nished
them, also made it very dangerous
to allow these hostile bands to re,
main any longer beyond the control
of the United States authorities.
They might at any time be led to
join in a general war which it would
require the entire available military
power of the United States to quell,
and in which there might be great
sacrifice of life and property. The
hostile Sioux paid no attention what
over to the orders directing them to
report at the reservation, and pre-
parations were made in meantime to
send an expedition against them.
There was fight of no importance
in January, and about the Goth OF
June another with Crooks command,
which gave the hostile Indians much
encouragement, and enabled them TO
add to their numbers many discon@
tented savages The country where
the conflict took place is cut up into
ravinos and is very favorable to am.
buscades by the Indians and very
Difficult; for successful cavalry opera
i tions.
The Tribune correspondent gives
some interesting statements by Del
egatc McGinnis Of Montana, from
which wo take tn following:
The cause of this war, or rather OF
these expeditions, for this war with
the Indians has boon going on for
fifteen or more years, may bo sum-
med up in the words, Sitting Bull
and the outlaw Sioux" We have
never had peace or even treaty rela-
tions with these bands. After the
Spirit Lake massacre in Minnesota
all the moro turbulent spirits banded
together. After Gen. Sibley's expe-
dition in 1868, they crossed the Mis-
souri,, and endeavored to concentrate
for another ircasi0n Of Minnesota
but tho next year Sully followed
them across the Missouri, and after
several running fights they retreated
across the Bad Lands into the Big
Horn country, and he followed to the
Yellowstone and established Fort
Buford Upon this post, and on The
STEAMBOATS,, and immigrants to Mon
tana, they kept up unceasing war
often keeping the garrison at Buforc
in a state of siege for weeks at 6
time, and numbering every stragglel
who went outside the post. An at
tempt was made to treat with them
in 1866, but, after accepting the pres
ents and securing ammunition, Sit
ting Bull broke up the council, anc
the Commissioners escaped 80 TIT
fort across the river. When Rec
Cloud and Spotted Tail made peace
at Laramie, Sitting Bull refused t.
come in. All that year he made wa
on the steamboats, snd commerce o
the Missouri, massacreing severa
small boat loads OF returning miner
and capturing large quantities o
gold dust which he traded for arms
to the Northern half-breeds. In 1885,
he threatened the Gallatin Valley, ii
Montana, when the Montana volun
teers wero raised to meet him. Ii
, 1868 he attacked the settlement O.
Muscle-Shel and suffered defeat, los
ing thirty-six warriors. The settler
having notice of his coming, ambus
caded him in o ravine outside thu
the town. Although the attack wa
made by the Sioux on the village
this battle was denounced as mas
sacre by a portion of the Eastern
, press. Aftor this he lost prestige
, Dnrinp 1860 and 1870 he devoted