The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-07-13
SITTING BULL.
Who He is, and what Kind Of a Force
He Commands.
He has Always Refused to Make Peace
with the Government,
And Wages Continual War Against
the Whites, and Friendly In
dians,

N "o6SS 0o'i1iiiui WdT HSdulS'
the Whites, and Friendly In
dians.
A Washington special to the Cticaa o
Tribune gives the following information in
regard to Sitting Bull and his followers
which fully explains the cause and charac.
ter OF the present war:
Delegate McGinnis, Of Montana. who
from his long residence in the vicinity Of
the great Sioux reservation, and his care.
ful study Of the Indian question in that
part OF the West, probably understands the
subject better than any other member of
Congress, and as veil a. any one in Wash.
ingtOn, gave the following information in
an interview to-day:
Correspondent-Is this news true abou.
Clusters disaster?
McGinnis-I fear it is. Mugsins Taylor
the scout who i. reported to have brought
in the news, is generally considered to be q
very trustworthy man. Ii it is true that
he came from Gibben's command, have
no douat that dispatches will soon be for
nearest telegraphic point to the point OF op-
eratlons. The Little Horn river emp,ies
into the Big Horn 4 shor, distance above
the point where the latter empties into the
Yellowstone, the point where Gen. Sheridan
has been desiring to establish a post The
scene OF the conflict is On the Grow Reserva-
tioD, which Is habItually invested by the hos
the Sisux. The Crows are the friends and
allies OF the whites. The mouth Of the
Big Horn Is the point at which Gen. Sheri-
dan has been d. sirous of establishing q gar.
rison or depot As the proper base OF opera
lions against the Sioux. There is not the
least doubt that such is the proper base OF
military operations, converging columns
like those oi Crook, Gibbon and Terry
moving from such distant points and
through such difficult country, cannot make
proper connections, nor even be properly
advised of each others movements. So that
the Indian proving stronger than Was an.
ticipaied, on account of the reinforcement-
OF young warriors from the Agencies, attack
these several columns In detail. They re-
Gently crippled Crook, who was advancing
from the south, and now have defeated er-
ry's cavalry before they could gain the CO.
Custer, it is supposed, was
SCOUTING FOR TERRY's COLUMN,
and which was moving up the Yellowstone
to Join Gibbon. lie came upon the enemy
and probably greatly underrated their
forces. We know his sallsntry, and most
likely he was smarting under recent criti-
cisms, and more than ever determined TO
make glorious record.
What is the cause of this war? The
cau-e of this war, or rather OF these expe-
di,ions, for this war with these Indians has
been going on for fifteen or more years,
may be summed up in the words, "Sitting
Bull and the outlaw Sioux" We have
never had peace or even treaty relations
with these bands. After the Spirit Lake
massacre in Iowa, and the great Sionx
massacre in Minnesota, all the more tur-
buient spirits banded together. After Gen.
Sibley's expedition in 1868, they crossed the
Missouri, and endeavored to concentrate
for another invasion OF Minnesota, bu, the
next year
sULLY FOLLOWED THEM Across THE MIS-
SOURI,,
and after several running fights they re-
treated acrose the Bad Lands into the
Big Horn country, and he followed to the
Yellowstone and established Fort Buford
Upon this post, and upon the steamboats,,
ard immigrants 10 Montana, they kept up
unceasing war, after keeping the garrison
at Buford in a state Of siege for weeks at a
time, and numbering every straggler who
went outside the post. An attempt was
made to treat with them, but, after accept
ing the presents, Sitting Bull
BROKE UP THE CoUSCIL,
and the Commissioners escaped to the fort
across the river. When Red Cloud and
Spotted Tail made peace at Laramie, Sit
ting Bull stubbornly refused to come in.
All that year he made war on the steam
boats and commerce of the Missouri,
SEVERAL SMALL BoAT-LoADs
OF RETURNING MINERS,
and capturing large quantities of gold dust,
which he traded for arms to the Northern
half-breeds. In lS67 he threatened the
Gallatin Valley, in Montana, when the
Montana Volunteers were raised to meet
him. In 1868 he attacked the settlement
Of Music-shell and suffered defeat, losing
tbirty-six warriors. The settlers having
notice of his coming. ambuscaded him in a
rayine outside the town. Although the at
tack was made by the Sioux on the village.
the battle was denounced a. a massacre by
a portion OF the Eastern press. After this
he lost prestige. During 1869 and 1870 he
devoted himself principally to the slaugh
ter of the Crows, the Mandans, the Bees,
the Sbosbone and all other tribes friendly
to the whites VARYING IL bv an occasional
attack on the Missouri river forts. In 1870
o., u.,oo,L ,bar ,,.nd;,n ,b,, n
n.r,men, ,bonab, Of org,n;.ing an e,nedi.
,;on 10 h,;na S;m 10 ,erms 6n, a. ,bsrs
wa. !. n,osnect Of the Nnr,bern Pacific
Railway, which would simplify operations,
.,e.o-, - -, rn,;I ,ha, ,oaJ shouiJ ha
49, - " IN D. H., 80 aa,.,.m a.
: ~. .a.ar"uanJ.,;e, hsctsd hv ~ ...ur
. ann.. 81 ,ha Pc 2n,nm;s.;onsr. - .rJ ,he
In,a1;o, nan.r,,nso, Canarsss vo,sd hsIt
Ill JoIia :, 90 ~, 80 .nd -,
49,, IT, 80
THE FAMOUS rEioN-s'ooA \ AUTHORIZATIONS.
Sitting Bull himself, claiming to he Te-
lon, though his followers are outlaws and
hard customers from all the bands of the
Sioux Nation. Considerable criticism has
been made on the expenditure of this an
1t resulted in bringing to the
Fort Peck Agency a part OF his follower
bu, he refused to treat himself. Next wear
Gen. Custer went out with the Northern
Pacific surveying party, and twice defeated
Sitting Bull. and at last reoul.ed his at
tachs. One of his bands invaded the Gal
attn Valley. in 1872. and carried off 800
head OF horses. after numbering a number