The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-07-27
How Indians are Armed.


A letter from ex-Surgeon Hoffman, OF
the Seventh cavalry, tells the following
story In the Herald noticed an edi-
torial mentioning subject Of which I
bad intended writing you before. 1 have
reference to the "source whence the
Sioux obtained their arms and ammuni-
tion." The officers stationed along the
upper Missouri knew Of the illegal trad
ing carried on at Fort Peck, but were
powerless, and had no authority TO inter
fere. Since 1872 some parties had
stationed themselves at the above named
fort for the purpose of obtaining the
monopoly in bartering with the Sioux,
and the only inducement to bring their
customers forward was the offer OF arms
Winchester rifles. The Indians, be-
ing only too anxious to secure these, ex-
changed all the buffalo robes and pelts
collected during their hunting excur-
sions, took them to Fort Peck, and re-
ceived their arms, though paying dearly
for them. The price usually paid for a
rife was 300 robes, an equivalent OF
S2, 400; thus the firm sent down the river
$4,000 buffalo robes, besides other skins
and pelts, as the result of one seasons
traffic. Now, these very Indians were
registered at Grand River agency,
now at Standing Rock, where they
should have taken their goods, but
being limited to certain varieties of
trinkets, etc., they preferred going
north. Colonel j. g. OConner, who
was agent during 1872 and 1873, was
ordered to prohibit the sale OF ammuni
ton upon his reservation, limiting the
trader, however, to the sale Of two
pounds of lead and powder each pei
week to such Indians only who had
showed themselves friendly. This was
intended to lessen the number OF
marauding expeditions, which it did for
short time, but finally some of the
more daring of the semi-hostile and
hostile Sioux came to the agents quar-
ters and told us "there was no use il
Uncle Sam keeping up that agency
that if the troops and other parties were
removed they could live upon the game
which our presence kept away from the
river, and that they could get all the
arms and ammunition they wanted, a;
they did not care for our handful of the
Great Fathers's powder and lead"
At the closing of this harangue Gal
(who made the address, and who is on
OF Sitting Bulls chief cutthroats) ad
vanced, threw back his blanket ant
showed two scars, saying "This make
me angry at the white men," His bod,
had been pierced by two bayonets il
the fight with General Sully, passing
clean through the shoulder blades, show
ing his physical endurance, as HI
crawled into his own camp the night h
was wounded, distance of about fou
miles. These troubles were expected
five years ago, and we had only to wal
until all the warriors were ambly sup
piled. That time has come, as we al
know. Grand River was to supply 13,
500 redskins, 5000 of which availe,
themselves of the annities .and week.
rations the remaining $500 kept ava
and were considered hostile. II wa
supposed that this number, in all, coul
muster from 1000 to 5000 men ant
grown boys. The result of the illegf
agency on the upper Missouri was that
instead of having all the Indians unde
the immediate control at Grand River
they went north with their goods, trad
ing off at the lower agency but l20 robe
to over II, 600 at Fort Peck.