Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-04

long journey. The OunehA agent, an aged
Quaker named Wore, informed the Indian
Bureau Of the presence Of these Poncas,
md IN order came to this department to
lake them back to the Indian Territory.
Carpenter was detailed fol, the
duty, and arrived at Onaaha reservation,
aaked for the Indians, who, he understood.
had given themselves up. To his surprise
Wore Informed him that the Poncas were IN
. camp BY themselves . distance Of two
mile. away, ani = Q aksnPt had been made
to take them into clslp4y. 4
LONG RUNNER TRIES To ESCAPE.
Carpenter proceeded to their camp with
his corporal aud the Interpreter ofthe Ona.
haa, and entering the first tepee found him
self in the presence of Long Runner, the
beat lighting man of. the oarty. Carpenter |
informed Long Runner. through tie inter-
prefer, that he had come to tai e the Indians
back to the Indian territory. The Poncs
replied they were no; ready to return tina,
the country was unhealthy aud they wer~
dying there, aud they preferred to live up1
north. Carpenter said that his orders wore
to take them back, and he shonld do so.
when Long Runner responded savagely to1
the Interpreters, stealing to the opening, aud
gave hia answer. 1--WE will die before We
will return" and jumped from the tepee.
The Warrior sprang for bis gun, but Carpsn-
ter stepped before him, and ordered HIM to
surrender. This he refused to do, and the
corporal came forward just as two squaxs.
armed with knives, rushed upon Carpenter.
The latter, . Of the litheA and most sg1le
men tbzshe army. sent the squaws dying
back with two muscular kicks, and placing
the mussle Of gun in the Indiana face
shouted TO him, Surrender" md the H.
dian dropped his hands and vas securely
bound hand and foot and taken to the Oma-
ha camp, While avmeeses1er wss DISPATCHED
to bring in. the remainder a the Popeas.
AGREE TO GO BACK.
A council followed in the presence of
Agent Wore and the leading 0mstss.- Lieu.
tenant Carpenter promised to take the In.
diaLs to Omaha, give them IN opportunity;
to have = talk with General Crook and APP
peal through thin to the great father for q
chance to return to their old home farms on
the Missouri. The Indians final y asseuted
to this and turned over their guns, six in
number. The 0mahas gathered in . body
to see them of. and amid the lamentations
aud cries of the women the party started
back. A march of four days brought
them to this point.
Your correspondent visited their camp
to-day, comprising four ,epees and four sag
ons. He met the interpreter, an Omaha
Indian, a man of marked intelligence, and
during the rebellion q private Of the First
Nebraska regiment, and BY him was intro
duced to Standing Bear, thechief, a middle
aged Indian in citisens' clothes, and from
han obtained the following statement:
STANDING BEARS STATEMENT
THE Poncas were removed to the Indian
territory by enemies not by the government,
Some of our men signed Q paper, and We
were made to 60. That was two y-sefsiaso.sS
All our lodges but seven went down.. They
were left behind. In . few days these
had to follow. When we got down
there we wanted to come back to the Cons.
he and Yankton Indians. The Poncas .Afe
halt Omaha and half Yapkton. When We
got south theswhoie tribe took sick, and one
lodge died out. Our POncas died there, too.
We found We could NOT come back 70 the
where We could -l,ye. I wish our
great father would help us To- get back to-
The Omshas and Ysnktons. The 0aAhas
are willing TO have Us como hacksap there,
and We could have land measured ont 70 us
Seven of my people with me hese safe sick
With fever and chiils. They caaght sthsmI
10 the Indian Territory. We left Ooe sick
squaw with the Omahss when 10 went TO-
Indian territory. We we're 735. One
hundred and 6f,y have died since We went
there. We saw that We would all die, and
10 started bsck With our ponies and our
wagons. That mas sbnut ten weeks ago..
Travelled from fifteen TO twenty-five
Mills 9 day. The 0@ahss arc going % send
J petition to General Crook 70 hsse sll the
Poncss brought hack up ihere together
u no further"
The. interpreter sdded, 'dt1is dreadful
md to go the way they are suffering. II
1akes my eyes Nst."
PREVIOUS HISTORY OF TEE FoNcAs.
The Poncas formerly occupied q .reser.
alton In southern DAkoas. ware friendly
nd took readily 10 the srls ofciviltzstion.d
bad . school house, church, built
ences and huts and initiated the whites 10
many ways. 9f~heyireostssd very little IS
'lstsn0e from the ~gOver0ment and two
'ears and . half ago occurred 40 immense
'rop which w0ntdthsve d0us credit to sny
White community. They bad mills, tbresh-
ng machines. rsspers. raised cattle, and
very chief hsd y substantial house. Their
,n1y trouble Was from the Sioux, who oc-
;as'onsliy stolssfr0n them, lnd sbe 9ov-
laying out their reservation had
Included 10 lie large tract for Sioux. III
,ecsme c~O0ventsnt 10 remove the PoDcas
the Indian territory, snd it was urged rs
TO project tnem from the sioux
10 stereotyped form . commission was ap-
and . consultation took place. A
document was prepared, sianstures obtsin-
ID, though the Poncas did not known
shst they vers sisatnG. They were q
naily torn from home and taken south. The
Icenes attending their departure were
Lswrsnes, The agent. re.
,igoed, declaring be would have nothing
o do with II, and the matter uas plsoed 10
he hands Of one Howard. Who has been
Jiucs exposed in testimony before abe 10.
Ian commtssi0ner. Thsir desefted rsser.
,stiou reualuS5asd 0asy soca end houses
,.ill rsosiu sotsck Tbsy zero 6oslly
aksa 70 ths lodiaas sssttofy, 10s which they
sHAT .E4.m- fEn41 X