Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-09-16
BLOWING 0
And His Band 4 Yanktsaah makas rreubas Up
~ Jlm..
oin Marshall's Surveying Party Has Some
Exciting Experiences Near tho
Dirt Lodges.

A letter received this morning from Tom
Ziebach, who 10 . member Of NarshalPs sur.
veying party, gives an account Of trouble
with Blowing Goose's Yanktonais Indians.
in the vicinity Of the dirt lodges, In Thomp-
son county. The letter is dated September
10th, and reads as follows:
"General Beall . arrived here yesterday,
and rs the nan who brought him starts back
in the morning, I thought 1 would write you
some Indian news. About two weeks ago,
two Indians undertook to steal our horses.
They got one pony, when We commenced
shooting At them. The pony either broke
loose from the Indians, or they concluded it
was getting too hot for them, aud let him
60. He ran back to our camp, and the In
dams got away.
"a week ago yesterday two Indians and
two white men came to our camp while we
were out in the field, and told our cook
to tell us that we must get out Of the coun-
try that We had no right here-that this
country belonged to them-that we could
not survey this country. We thought they
were trying tt bu!dose US, but we did not
buldose worth . cent. The next day two
Indians caught n Of our men, Mr.. Smiley,
and stripped him of everything he had on
him and told him to 'git.' He got aud
they commenced shooting at him. He was
four, miles from camp and ran all the
way in barefooted. He was scared
nearly to death and has not vet Who'll
ly recovered from his fright. He lost q
watch worth forty dollars and five dollars in
money He was riding apony which threw
him aud ran back to3camp when he was first
attacked.
"The Indians told us the dirt lodges
were fifteen miles north of US. We have a
township line to run right through their
camp, and we are going to run it to-mor-
row. This will decide whether we can
stay here Of not-whether we can do this
work or must draw off. They can't talk US
out of 1t, that is sure. I do not think there
IS any such place as the dirt lodges. We
have been all over the country where they
were reported Il. be. We have found plenty
of places where Indians have camped, but
no signs of any dirt lodges.
"You may look for me home in about ten
days"
The Indians referred TO in the letter above
quoted belong on the Crow creek reserva-
ton. They have been roaming about for the
past ten years, living on Jim river during
each summer and going into an agency in
the winter. They have drawn ratlons and
annuities at Crow Creek, Sisseton and
Grand river and have refused t place them
selves permanently under the control of
any ageut. A year or VI ago DR.. Living
sion represented their case at headquarters
and received an order TO bring them into
the limits Of his reservation. He sent them
word that they must come in-that he
would give them just five weeks in which
to obey the order and that at the end of
time the military would be after them.
Through the representations Of Maj. Hamil-
ton, Of Sisseton agency, the order was coun-
fernandez by the Indion commissioners
and DR.. Livingston was compelled to weak
en-. This proceeding induces the Indians
to believe that the government dares not
intefere with them and when Capt. Dough-
erty, a short time since, ordered them to
come into their reservation they refused.
Argument or delay will be Of no avail in
their case, They should be forced to 20 to
the river. They number only about two
hundred, but their presence on the Jim is
retarding settlement. Already several col
onies have expressed a desire to settle in
that region, but are deferred from carrying
their plans into operation by the presence
of this band of Indians.