The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-31
THE HINBLED SIOUX.
Detailed Account Of General Miles
Operations on the Yellowstone.
FACE TO FACE WITH SITTING BULL
"The Man Who Levelled the
Bad Lands"

| TONGUE RIVER. May !, 1877.
| The surrender Of 800 Cheyenne hostile Indians TO
General Miles would seem TO Indicate that this trbe IS
somewhat discouraged win their whip the
United States government These very rascals
the most persistent N Their hostility to the govern
ment and most ANXIOUS to begin which they
| hoped would drive the white out OF the Black
His and the whole OF the country west OF Powder
River The FIRST yoar OF active warfare is not yet
over and we ind thom surrcndering. Tho Sioux
less anxious Tor war, but made Of better stu and
having once begun to light disposed keep at H.
Deserted by their allies they will, however. DO
compelled to lay down their arms and accept such
terms they get. All this is very discouragpg
TO hostiles generally, for prcsumng that thcy have
| ordinary common the small hostile tribes must
that II the great Sioux tribes cannot maintain u
contest with the soldiers their chance OF making head
way against Uncle Sam would BIO exceedingly slim.
WHERE Tns FAULT LAS.
The truth is the government rather than the Indians
is responsible for this war; As long ago 1866, when
| It founded the Powder River posts OF Reno, Phil
| kearny and G. \. Smith, the government took stop
| II should not have recedcd from Whom the along
tho Platte followed the establishment OF tho posts
and terminated with the Phil Kcarny massacre OF
Colonel Fctterman ana command tho government by
abandoning its forts and Withdrawing It's troops from
tho country gave tho Sioux false idea OF their power
and importance They honestly believed thoy had
whipped the United States and having done il once
were all the moro ready to undertake. II second time
The government, however, II 1t blundcred In 1896
determined not blunder 1876 ana tho Sioux having
ouco more committed themselves to war preparations
were made grand scale Tor whipping them out
Tho first dash under Custer, owing the iucompc-
tency OF some OF his subordinate officers, mscarrcd
and the Sioux were greatly encouraged. General
Miles ard General Crook, however, FASTENED to
the opinion OF tho hostics that they were
second time getting the better OF tho
soldiers. Tho fights Rosebud, No Wood
| Crock and Tongue River taught them 10 believe
tho not over, and that this tmo ut least tho
government was III dead earnest ami fully determined
upon their destruction conquest. All last summer
they were kept on the move, and although Generals
Terry aud Crook did not succeed in corrnlling and
publishing them, still they constantly kent flying
from post TO pillar, ana often Just escaped by the
mcrcs chance IN tho world falling INTO tho hands OF
the soldiers. They lost nearly all their lodges, many
| OF them got sick, mud great many young children
died Before the summer was half over tho old
and women sick OF the war and cursng the chiefs
| who had brought the soldiers down upon the camps.
These aged persons often obliged to ride forty and
fifty miles day to avoid beng ovcrIaken While In the
good times OF peace thcy ourncycd only and twenty
miles with their camp ana never stirred out " tho
weather was wet or cold Now their old limbs achcd
with fatigue, and they were often ready TO die from
cold and disease. II was uncommon thing for them
60 through the camp OF evening calling down tho
wrath OF the Great Spirit upon the heads OF the authors
Of oil their suffering and fcquont did this become
that It Is said Sitting Bull told lot OF them ono
II they did not go TO their lodges and stop
! their meanings and complaints nc would have tLom
shot,
WRONG CALCULATIONS.
To make matters worse when the children began to
die tho mothers complained to their husbands and
begged thom to from The warriors said
"Whcn tho snow flies tho soldiers will go to the
| forts and then will have rest." SO all held
on through the summer aud fall months and
waited patiently they could Tor the cold
to and drive the soldiers away. The snow
flew, but the soldiers did not 80, or II they
did they speedily returned wrapped In wolf and buffalo
SKINS and kept on marching over the country Then
mortal fear seized the warriors and they they
| must surrender or perish. Tho old men, tho women
and children could about In summer and
above ALL tho ponies could be bo kept alive II they
had to travel through the deep Tho soldiers
had wagon trains filled with grain, and each one
carried little sack on his horse IN which was much
oats the animal could eat IN three days The Indi-
ans their wry ponies could not compete with
these hardy horscmen neither could they travel day
after day with only n blanket two to keep them
warm in climate where tho thermometer often
dropped down to forty below zero. Tho stubborn
chiefs would not yield, but, marching their villages
as far up on the heads OF tho they could got
them, hid their camps away amid deep SHOWS Day after
dav and week alter week the soldiers kept their
weary way hunting for tho hidden camps and at last
found them. First Mckenzie came down upon the
Cheyenne and Arrapahoa camp and wall OF distress
without lodges and only escaping with their lives,
were Obliged TO ny IN tho dead OF winter 200 niles
Tho old men died. tho children died, and the grim
rors sick aud dishcnftcned, looked on until they
could stand it no longer and then cried out for peace
FIGHTING MILES.
General Mics struck their great camp on the head
OF Tongue River, and again wall o. distress arose
Lieutenant Baldwin found the arcn enemy OF all
whites, sitting Bul ana told him he must aght or
surrender The old man begged for time and General
Miles came with larger force. This was on tho head
OF Dry Fork in January last The importance
OF THIS interview has never been understood
properly reported. sitting Bull was al Gay
in tho dead Of winter and had his choice cilher to
light or surrender Those who imagine that Indian
warfare rs SIMPLY process Of bindiy pitching into
taken so lar az It's conduct on tho Yellowstone is con-
cerncd. There has from the FIRST been diplomacy us
well as war aud III nard TO tell which has come or
best IN talking or lighting, General Miles General
Sittin. Bun When Lieutenant BALDWIN struck situng
Buirs camp he found the old fellow with nearly 1000
lodges and as The CHEF wanted TO talk under prcencc
that he could not act In the absence o has SUPERIOR
General Miles, Baldwin sent Tor DIS chic. VINO camo
with large body oil iniaDtry BALDWIN had not tho
force to hsht Mr. sitting BuiI, aud his sending Tor
General Miles, under pfotcncc to ,alk, but
victory diplomacy for the lieutenant tho
shurpost lnunhs on the pains Wuen hles cAtnc the
lines were formed hot over hall mile apart ana hay
Ing made all his preparations 10 nght General Miles
announced himself ready To talk. TINS memorable
interview took place between the two Ines the sol
dcrs aud lndiaus drawn UP iacinR cach other ana IN
places not one aud two hundred yards apart
Miles, advancing with two officers 70 tic place OF coun-
ell raw before him squaty heavy set ndian win a
broad low forehead massive head and mid expressive
eyes. Tho mnn inpcd lit'ic IN the cit leg ~ nc
cane forward, and curtousy surveyed his tall, hand
some antagonist. The Interpreter sad, General
Miles, this 10 Stng Bull ana the General replied II
ApOOglLeu
for his personal appearance by rem,rking. IL
anu mourning ana not well enough TO talk
much. | not dressed III TO talk. 7" General Miles
replied, "vcry we'll let us 90 home VIII talk
on tomorrow What was sitting Burs object IN
apparently WISHING to deter the council will probably
never be known Perhaps he did desire 10 appear
the white men, possibly be did feel III