New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-19
THE INDIAN SITUATION.
THREATS BY THE HosTILEs.

INDIAN FOOD COUNCII-THE SPEECH OF Ntz
PERCf-vELvET AND CoLoRED SOCKS FOR THE
CROws-FLoUR BY THE SCOOP.
IFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSEl
FORT ELLIS. NJ. T., March 29.-The data
have sent at different times, regarding the presence OF
Sitting Bull hostles this side OF the line has Just re-
ceved partial confirmation. Captain Williams, 9TH In
iantry who has been stationed by General Gibbon at
Fort Beknap with the object in view Of watching hos
tile movements has returned and reports as follows:
He had visited the Assinaboine camp on MIX River,
some fifty miles Belknap and there learned that
the hostes profess desire TO open campaign, but
that great scarcity of bualocs at the North may com
pei some desperate movement 10 some other game
region This puts really serious face upon the matter
These Indians are being fed neither by the Do
minion nor the United states bufalOes they must
and will have starye and the Captains OPINION that
hunger may force them the border is one Of i'm
pOrtance in military point OF Wow. Should they so
the line It will be in large body to hunt any way
but prepared to fight II molested As Captain Williams
says 1.-THE question OF is by means settled" 80
scarce are the buaoes in the Possessions that Sioux
runners had been dispatched to the Saskatchewan coun
Try 10 learn the condition Of the herds should the re-
port be dscouragng something must be done Tor meat;
and that something prove an incurson In force INTO
territory.
Scouts were out during the whole OF February and
part Of this month and visiting the various camps
sounded them fully regarding their intentions
possible "Suppose You don't find buiaOes in the mp
country what will you dop asked one scout OF the sub
chief in charge Of camp consisting OF sioux and q
part Of the escaped Nez Perc6s "We don't expect to
find much game OF any kind there We may get very
hungry-yre can't live upon fish, and don't get any
flour now
eyes yas: hut what VIII you do 2" persisted the
scout 1--WE shall return to the Missouri and the
Yellowstone. The herds have been between them
all Winter We have heard four times that the
chief from Tongue River CNIlc) coming up this way
70 ncht u.s. white told once, and twice we had
one OF young men run TO Fort Custer and Fort
Kcocb and once a Crow Indian ran all the way from the
Little Horn to didn't dare to cross the
line 10 hunt the buffalo"
Glow did your young get tue news ut the Posts y
asked the scout.
"Oh! easy replied the Sioux, with shrug and
laugh. our young man knows the Cheyenne scents
that the chief feeds AT Fort Kcogh. lie stayed there
month. lie often talked with the chcf-he have friendly
tai-ne ind ont what the soldiers want to DO, aud ne
start and back tie same day the soldiers started
10 fight US last month" Uhs was the movement
spoken OF IN my letter 81 February 80
"But II We don't hnd buffalo the Saskatchewan wo
must go back 20 the Yellowstone and the Missouri We
can't die hungry when the buffalo 80 pcntY-if the
soldiers try to drive u.s. we shall fight The country Is
ours" Similar the talk Of tie Chief, Long Dog, at
a council OF Mnneconjous and Ncz Pc7cts early in Feb
ruary, ard held consider this bufiIO question "Let
20 back 10 the Missouri II Is our country The bur
ialO are ours Suppose the soldiers Kill us-t Is all The
same wo stay here. There die. Woil here We die.
Here we die Ike squaws; there We die and hl the
soldiers let Us go -ry 10 20 now ! hid my face IN
shame when We ran away and TO the Good Mother
Taught the Good Mother tries order about rs does
the Great Father. 1t gU.' Then Me- Pcrcc
dis description would indicate tho famous
White Bird, aud nmcng of hls robe almost
shreked out, Yes lot us got Tho great war muse
come. 70 back 90 the while mans -four no more! lie
drives away the buffalo He wants Us TO turn woman
and keep Govt II the Indian turns white man, hc VIII
def the buffalo all Il OIL the In liam viii die. Lot Us
make big ght and drive the soldiers away" gen
cra griut OF assent followed but warrior suggesting
that peace had best Do made, the Nez Perez hercey
responded as pointed to the Crow runner who had
inst brought the news OF warkc preparations Fort
CUSTER, Mako peace! Banl The Noz Perc6 made
peace. The Nez Pcrc6 made peace for many yenrs.
Look at him! Robbed in his home! Scattered TO the
four winds! Prisoners and fugitivcs-bcggars and
broken TO pieces. Mako peace! Look nj the
Crowsi They, TOO, made IA peace! Look at
theml Moved from agency 10 anotner-whltcs
taking the Yellowstone; the soldiers building forts IN
their country soon the buffalo viii 90; then. IKE the
NJ Poc6s, the CrOws must 1--we Ike rqua"s Then the
whites VIII Tie lands, aud rob them ar they dd the
NeL Perces! Then h~ht thcn the crows VII lo,,OW
the my people. saw, let rs go! IL the So dets
Kill u.s. it NAY be best The Great spirit has FORGOTTEN
Thc council however decided upon nothing except 10
wan. Irny, fear, with C!pan Williams tiat " Tie
place soinc IS 1000 worth Of ",uppics striped socks
and prHccstc bookings, broadlol oNccoas WIN NgFet
SUITS oi Ia mode striped and checked and diagonal
clothing coats, pants aud vests, and plug haas,
Tor avsgcs WHO vet sport the brcrcclout and Il, dice In
the buffalo robe! Aud this u the fashion with tribe
with which peace with the Government is traditional
Aud this after decade Of auuulues and agents, aud
school and missionary funds aud treaties ana ace
policy" and yearly appropriation Tor cows and velvet
cuarcd oyercOats WHY It that tins friendly tribe l.
not yet even scutcyillz d-wGat has become Of the
fc YEARLY sent QUIT We know here what becomes Of
yevetc lared oyefcoits aud the suits of clothes
aId hunters scattered about the cOuntry-and Dutch
man has fast reached Buzcman who says Le
offered by The Crows a wagon load OF
useless DutcheI-Knlyes and cUorcd socks and
threobuon" vests Gust Issued for geltiul Of cart
tary officer detailed from Fort Ellis to witness tho dis
trbuiiOn-and just nc was about To certify 10 the
honesty Of the eyrnt-dscoycred big pile OF "annu
ties, hidden beneath bigger piie OF empty boxes ana
barrels what does this meani" exclaimed tie Cdp-
tain. "burciy," replied the agent, VINO prelches Mt
times IN the settlements surely, dunno" or
he Dunno" but he Is duh observer dunno" mat
Just such occurrences explain why the Crows are not yet
civilized and "kceping cows" Ask the tIappcrs and
tcamstors and "sqnaw men" and traders, who
sport new velyetcOlaTed OyeTcOats.
As write, the well-known Bannack jim sits IN the
al your agency g asks General Brsbn. " ON, We get
along" responds the Chet " We get along, but We
never smell coffee. never taste sugar Hasn't the
Great Father more Of such things" Yet men wise
in Indian signs wonder as they predict Banndck re-
volt Anu cttef from FORT CuhltT llcs before me
cOidlng that a Grow delegation complained there
only OF the building OF the Post upon their reserve
but the fact that their trees being cut
down for tlrewOOd aud building purposes They deny
that they understood their present treaty cOnem
plated such inrOads. " Why Il it," complained "A late
Crow Council to Captain Browning, OF the 7h Infantry
why is 1t We get less with every succeeding agontl
When Major Pease father, h. gave -four
by the sack Now IL Ia Ietalled out TO Us a flour
scoop The Sioux tell us We are swindlcd !" An,
young man." says the scout NJ NY elbow, " AL the
great Indian war is vet to cUmeW II So IL viii prove
last gigantic struggle Tor life but II may end IN the
death OF the Indian nation.
DROWNED BODIES RECOVERED
Sor.r Rr,Cu n I AnrI 19 -Tbo LoJ,,