The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-08

In July, 1877, they were turned out Of their
home and sent to the Indian Territory.
They received no compensation for the large
crops left standing in the ground, and no
guarantee for their claims against the Sioux.
In November of that year WHITE EAGLE,
BLACK CROW, BIG ELK, BIG SNAKE, STAND
tSG BEAR. STANDING BUFFALO, HAIRY
BEARD, and SMOKE MAKER, Ponca chiefs,
with la Fish and SERRIE half-brccd
chiefs, and two interpreters, under charge
Of Major HOWARD, went 10 Washington to
complain that they had not had proper in
dcmnity for moving. They attracted at
tcntion by their fine and manly appearance,
received oily assurances from Fraudulent
Great Father HAYES, and returned TO the
Indian Territory. In the following spring
the poncas received new proofs of what
they had gained by the change, i'm the dep
relations Of horse thieves on their property
At length two men were arrested for this
offence in the ncighbOring town OF Baxter,
but n mob of citizens went to their rescue.
A few weeks agoa body of twcnty-siX Ponca
Indians arrived at the Omaha reservation,
in northeastern Nebraska, with four wagons
by long and severe winter journey from
the Indian Territory. They were on their
why to tho old POnca reservation, where
their huts still stand. CARL ScHURz's Do
partmcnt was informed, and ordered them
! trcH '--4Sn6t- -t1~.wau~pnsrrt-tha, $i nHrIn-
fantry was sent to execute this order, but
LoNG RUNNER exclaimed, 1--WE will die SOON
or" and sought TO escape, while two squaws
brandshcd knives. They were disarmed, and
it was agreed that the Indians should tell
their story to Gen CROOK at Omaha.
On the last day OF March the council was
held at Fort Omaha, STANDING BEAR, CRAZY
BEAR, BUFFALO TRACK, BUFFALO CHIPS,
YELLOW Horse, LoNG RUNNER, CRIES FOR
WAR, TURTLE GREASE, and LITTLE DUSK
being present. All were In citizens clothes
save STANDING BEAR, who arose and said
"FRtrSps .Sp BRormERs The Almighty created Us In.
dians We are lie made I am weak ani you are
strong. In Dakota made good living Then
power told me to south They took our ploughs
and all our farming utensils aud locked them up Ihavc
never them since. Ancr got to the Territory l
went TO my Great Father At Washington When l
went into the Office he took me by the hand said to
the Great Father NY people are much wrongcd, aud
hope you will do something for me. am IN an awnly
bad place | told him that before ! went to the
Territory I had good house and q barn which
I had built with my hands had cattle and
hogs and all kinds stock and somebody and took
all my THINKS away and Great Father stood up and
said How Is thsf will order an inspection l told
linn was a bad fix. lie told me 70 go and see u |
could mud some good land near where We then were.
l went back | started to look for land found some
land that looked good We moved to It, bat uniore
force down and crushed Us g. the earth
one hundred aud iity.seveu OF our people died.
want to 20 back to my old place north Iwant to save
my self and tribe My brothers, 1t seems To ne as II /
stood in front ot great prairie fire would take mp my
babies aud run TO their lives, a. stood ON the
bank OF the Overlooking river, would take my people
AMI iy g. higher ground
Gen. CROOK said that he had received an
order from Washington and must obey-it
was disagreeable duty, but must be done.
Another chief ventured further argument:
Il was holding the handles OF my plough had a
horse limit good stable raised catu, and hogs and
all kinds VI stock 1brokc land All these things lost
by some bad men Any one knows that 60 take aman
from cod climate anl put him in the hot sun down in
the south would Nil him. The Government
wants TO 20 back think il would be a better plan
Go 30 90 work 90 raise something to live ON 1t
winter Down there IL weakcns me all over My hands
dron down by my side and cannot them We all feel
sick a the desire TO stay here. where can work
and raise plenty TO eat Tor my family
Then the Indians pleaded that they had
talked with the Omaha Indians, with whom
they were allied, and that these had con-
scented to let them live with them, measur-
! Ing out land 10 them; and that seven OF the
| little party were sick and would die on the
way back Gen. CROOK admitted that he had
received a petition from the Omaha Indi-
ans to that effect, but could do nothing.
Meanwhile the Omaha churches became
| Interested. They talked with the Poncas,
and 10 their committee STANDING BEAR said
! 81 had son. De was brave. good boy Gcoud not
read write speak English myscf and saw 1t Kept
| mc poor gave my hoy good education, he learned
/ go read and write and sneak English / was proud
/ 0f hm There was no Young man IN the tribe
/ Ike him lie was dear 70 las mother her heart
/ was ON him When we reached Indian Territory
/ hc. too. was taken sick He sick long Time aul
died Before he died De made request of me, he ssid
don bury me here take back 90 the old reservation
! ami bury there could not refuse I Told him
would and lis bones with US mere now want " -
back with my people where land is and where oui
homes have been aud where learned To work like the
white man. aud where our friends are buried
The official count OF the Poncas at the
time Of their removal showed ISL males, 34s
females-total, 100 STANDING BEAR says
that l57 OF those died in the first eighteen
months Of their sojourn in the Indian Terri
tory-a terrible mortality. What shall be
said Of the ignorance or reckessness that
takes friendly, industrious, improving III
dams from their healthful and happy homes
and, depriying them OF thor implements o.
self-sustaning labor, pens them up in q
feycr-strickcn region to such fate?
The Death of Judge RObinsOn-JOhnV al
Buren,.
Tudoo II AMrrroN W RopTNcoN xvae oyop