The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-12-07


| the people and the Government better
lie liked the English because they had
mot interfercd with him. while the
Americans never allowed him or his
people to have peace. 81 hate the
Amcricans," said he. .'because they per-
sccutc IL. They drive us from our
lands and give them to
WHITE SETTLERS. :.
They shoot our squaws; because we
| fight 10 defend them, they send soldiers
TO kill US or make Us prisoners and put
us on reservations. Then they refuse TO
give us ammunition and take our guns.
Indians have hunted All their lives. and
they do not want 10 give up the chase.
They live upon game, but they cannot
get game If you take their guns away.
We bought onr guns, and we bought
powder and shot. We gave robes and
1.-THE skins Of clks for these things, and
!.hey belong 10 us as much as those Of
the whites belong TO them. The Eng
llish will let rs keep our guns and am
muniiion, and we can live in peace here.
II we 90 back we will be driven like
dogs, the young mcn will be killed. and
the old men and squaws starved 70
DEATH
! At another conference Sitting Bull
sent request TO Fort Walsh for some
Of the British officers 10 come over aud
talk TO him. Two officers came. and
Sitting Bull. pointing 10 Abbot Martin.
but addressing the officers. said: This
is our friend, a good man and priest,
who has come far 10 advise us what n
40. We want you TO tell him ii the
English arc willing for Us 10 stay on
their SOIL
The British officers replied that the
English Government would be pleased
Iif Sitting Bull would return 10 The
American country. but If he desired 10
remain no objection would be made a.
long as he was peaceful and obcycd the
laws.
4 Sitting Bull responded that they had
lcomc there for peace, and would obey
1.-The English laws. All they wanted was
TO hunt buffalo. and not be robbed Of
what they cbtaincd in the chase, or be
driven from their village.
il THE CUSTER MASSACRE.
II Abbot remained in the village cighl
ldays, his final advice to the Sionx ia.
ling TO remain where they were. liz
thinks there is no country in the world
tnat possesses 30 many natural advan.
fltages for savage inhabitants. While /,
r The Sioux camp, he had several talk
! with Sitting Bull and other warriors
Iabouf the events of the Custer campaign
. OF the massacre. the Indians srok.
: freely. not in Boosting way. but "a
! lprovidential event ordered BIZ the Grca
: Spirit. Their theory was that the whit,
men were coming 10 kill them and thci
squaws, but that the Great Spirit put j
ia their way to completely overpowe
the whites and kill them. Sitting Bul
: and his warriors said there had been n,
! such fight as had been described III IN
! American papers. The soldiers wcr
( too tired u tight. Their horses wer
I broken down by hard travel and no food
and they had been 50 long in the saddl
{ that they were overcome by sleep. Tn
$ Sioux fell upon them six TO one. Tn
> soldiers were completely surprised, snr
3 rounded, tcrror-strickcn. Their annilii
= lation was the work OF only few min
Y uics. But few shots were fired. "Ou
}. powder was scarce" said Sitting Bull
: "and we killed the soldiers with our wa
: clubs. We did this TO save our ammu
: milton. The soldiers could not fight
!, they were too tired they were killed q
: quick they did not have time to fgl
( US
CONCERNING GENERAL CUSTER.
Sitting Bull said none OF the Siou
I knew him or recognized him in III
fight. lie was killed like the rest. an
neither he nor any Of his officers La
/, time 10 make resistance. The loss o
!, ! the Sioux wastriillng, The soldiers iirin
! only few shots. He nor none Of III
: warriors knew Custer personally, no
! did they recognize any person as lcadc
: Of the soldiers. They did not kno,
Z Custer a. Long Hair" Neither II
! nor any other soldier had time 70 XII
4 the Sioux warriors. Sitting Bull III
:. other braves were able 10 describe som
/, OF the dead bodies where the pccul
! aritics were marked. Abbot Mari
Il talked to the young warrior who kille
I. Lieutenant Sturgis. The identity {
: Sturgis was established because hc WI
4 the only uniformed officer who had h
beard, that lie was so young that ii
!. beard had not yet had time TO dcvcloI
7, certain peculiar marks OH his face an
!, head, and articles Of jcwclry taken fro,
I, his clothing, which left no doubt Of h
!; identity. Other officers were idcntiiie
!, after death by similar circumstance
3 but the fight was SO quick and dccisi,
n that there was no time 10 diStingui.
\, the officers from the men. Sitting Bu
4 said that he had eleven days warning
\, the approach Of the soldiers, and In
j he was fully prepared to annihila
4 Them.