Connecticut western news., 1879-02-19
THE CHEYENNEs.
A TRIBE OF INDIANS WEIGH ACCORDING TO BISHOP WHIPPLE HAS BEEN BADLY ABUSED BY THE WHITES

The venerable Bishop Whipple, of Minnesota, who has ever been friend
 to the Indians, has written letter from
 which we clip the following -
 The name Cheyenne" like that of
 Modoc," is the representative to many
 persons of all that is savage and cruel. | There is nothing which soothes con-
 science like the abuse of those whom we
 have wronged. The Modoc chief who
 killed brave Gen. Canby had his own
 kindred murdered under flag of truce
 he had one of his aged women burned
 to death and another brutally violated
 by white men. ..-.....-
 The Cheyennes were among the most
 friendly of the Indians of the plains.
 They were brave, noble type of red
 men. After gold was discovered in Cali
 fornia, the United States made a treaty
 for the right of way across the Indian
 country in which the Cheyennes joined.
 For this right the Government agreed
 to pay $50, 900 annually. No white man
 was to settle on the Indians land. This
 treaty was faithfully observed by the In
 dians. Enigrants crossed the plains in safety, singly, in companies, in x-trains, and on foot. Gold was discovered in , Colorado. The whites focked to the new Ell Dorado. The rights of the h.
 dians were forgotten. Cities were laid ) out and lots sold by the foot-front upon ) unceded Indian lands. The press of immigration drove the buffalo and the ) Indians south. In some way the an- nuity payment ceased. The Indians 3 were sad and depressed, but they kept
 the peace. Black Kettle, their head l chief, was our friend. He knew the power of the whites and dreaded war. g A white man made complaint to United t States officer that the Indians had stolen 8 his horses. The officer dld not know the man. He did not know that he a owned any horses. He fitted out an ex- S petition to seize the horses because it - was, the thing usually done. They S found Indians. The Indians declared t that the horses were their own. They e said: "You can see that these are not e American horses; they are Indian po- s nies." The horses were seized, fight v ensued, and some Indians were killed. }. The old men with Black Kettle, their d head chief, tried to avert the possibility d of war, and asked Major Larned to go
 with them to see the Governor of Colo. r. rado and make a strong peace. The e Governor of Colorado refused to treat IS with the Cheyennes because it would be d acknowledging that the United States ,r were whipped. He had enlisted troops d to kill Indians, and Indians they were l, going to kill. Col. A. G. Boone told me 3. that he had never seen so sad body O d Indians as these men on their way home r, He tried to comfort them. He offered l, to make them feast. They said : "M, a friend, you have a good heart, but ou.
 hearts are too sick to eat." The Indian le asked Major Larned that they migh d move their village nearer to their for IS for protection, and also that he nigh Tt know that they kept the peace. Maio n Larned was removed and Major Anthon, or took his place. @ e. One day body of troops were seer 'o crossing the prairie. Black Kettle tool a United States flag in his hands ant as his two brothers white flags, and hoiste, to them as sign of friendship. Whit 'd Antelope. one of these brothers, hat Y' just returned from an errand of mercy LII He had gone at Black Kettles reques
 one hundred miles to warn the mai
 coach that the Kiowas were on the war
 path. They were fired upon by tn f. troops, and the brothers were bot al killed. Black Kettle went to his tipi f- where there were three white men i If United States uniform. and said m them CT believe you are spies Q shall never be said that man ate Blac ;s Kettles bread and came to harm in hi of tent. Go to your people before tn ss fight begins" He gathered his littl 1e band and fought so bravely that b m saved part of his people. Betwee ,e two hundred and three hundred men ds women and children were butchered al Babes were scalped in their mother rs arms, women with child were rippe' ba open and their unborn children take ad from their mothers wombs, and tn le scalps of babies taken as trophies ( at victory. Scenes took place that da H. which were so horrible that the imagi o. nation cannot conceive of such barbal w. ity. The testimony taken by Senate ba Doolittle's commission was so horribl as that no one believed it. Another com he mission was sent out, composed of Gems en Sherman, Augur, Terry, and others he They found the facts were horribly true re This testimony was not published. The if said that |" this awful butchery woul en have disgraced any tribe in the interio !, of Africa" Thus ends the first chapte m of our dealing with the Cheyennes be Black Kettle, who loved his people wit NV blind devotion, who knew the power C va the whites, and dreaded the certai oa doom of an Indian war, still pleaded fo
 peace. For this, he was near being de
 posed of his chieftainship by the Tn
 dians. Did Congress make any restitu
 tion for this horrible crime against thes a. Indians Were any of the brutal mu1 'S- derers punished?
 A- Tho EIorino Pip