Sharp County record., 1878-10-31
THE CHEYENNES' GRIEVANCES.
The Recent Outbreaks-History of the
Tribe.
From the Leavenworth Times

From the Leavenworth Times
In 1874 the southern Cheyenne, Co.
manches, and Kiowas united against the
whites in their last great fight The
ComancheS give the following as the
cause: In 1884 the business of buffalo
hunting by white rangers was
carried on to an alarm
ing extent They killed thousands of
butfalos, securing the hides only and
leaving the carcasses to rot on the
plains. Among these white rangers
were many professional horse-thieves,
who crowded into the Indian territory
in violation of the treaty and stole many
ponies from the Indians. Little Robes
herd was run off in body. While In
dians were absent on hunts their horses
were stolen and their wigwams pillaged.
A stray warrior, if caught alone upon
the plains by these rangers, was almost
invariably shot. The Indians united un.
der Little Robe in an organized pursuit
of the robbers. In passing the settle
ments the settlers were alarmed at the
sight of so many redskins, and applied
to the military for protection. A COM
pany of the 9Th Cavalry from Fort Dodge
attacked the Indians, broke up their
pursuit, and wounded many of them,
among others son of Little Robe. The
Comanches and Kiowas then joined
them in serious war, raid
ING through Kansas to the Republican,
killing many women, children, and set
tiers, and carrying off others, several
young girls being taken to the Staked
Plains of Texas, where they
were afterward recaptured. Gen.
Miles, from the Department of
Kansas, and Gen. Mackenzie, from
Texas, were sent on what is known as
Miles's first Indian expedition. Miles
operated against the Cheyennes, and
Mackenzie against the Comanches,
many of the Indians were brought into
the agencies, and their cattle, horses,
and arms taken from them. The South
ern Cheyennes then became so crippled
that they have never again gone to war.
After their war with the Sioux in stop
ping the survey Of the Northern Pacific,
the northern Cheyennes were quiet until
1856, when they joined in the Sitting
Bull war on account of the occupation
of the Black Hills. A year ago last
spring Dull Knife's band, the Cheyennes
who are making for the north, came
into old Red Cloud Agency and surren-
dered to Gen. Crook. The remainder
of the band, under Little Chief, Brave
Wolf, and Two Moons, came to the
Tongu River and surrendered to Miles.
In these divisions many families became
separated. The Government decided to
consolidate the Cheyennes in a single
agency at Camp Supply, where there is
good reservation and large one, and
Dull Knife's band were taken there, and
told that their friends and relatives at
the mouth of Tongue River would soon
follow them. But the removal of the
latter has been delayed, and Gen. Miles
has promised to do what he could to
save them from it. Dull Knife's band
had for some time been threatening to
90, and at last, probably believing, also,
that the remnant of the tribe would not
ioin them, started con their own hook. :"
Little Chiefs band (now at Sidney
were already on their way, but Brave
Wolf and Two Moons still remain at the
mouth of Tongue River. Many fami-
lies now have members in each Of the
three bands. Even Little Chief has a
wife and son with Dull Knife. There
is. therefore, the best of reason to be-
lieve that if opportunity offers the three
bands will unite and fight together.
The northern and southern Cheyennes
are essentially the same. They have
the same language, the same customs,
and the same dress, except as modified
by difference of climate. They consider
themselves distinct nations, however,
and object to being put together on the
same reservation. They are considered
by officers of extended experience on the
plains the finest horsemen in America,
the best marksmen among the Indians,
and the bravest and most determined In
a fieht. One officer has made the state
ment that in his own country one Chey,
snne is worth two or three soldiers
Gen. Crook says that they are the best
Indian warriors in the country. They
have finer features than the Sioux and
are quicker and more intelligent. They
are superior race of savages morally,
the family tie is of the strongest nature,
and violation of chastity among the
women is punished by exile or death
As a result of this the warriors treat the
souaws and children kindly, and the
latter possess a modesty to be founc
among no other sayages. Their Ian
guage is gutteral, but with many soft
musical words. The entire number o.
the Cheyennes in 1868 was about 5'o0o
of which 600 lodges, or $500 people
I