Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-09-01

quest was to be buried IN sight OF her
best friends, the pale faces. During
the recital of his daughters sufferlngs
and the eventful journey OF fifteen days
with her body through snow and storms,
the old chief twas very much affected
and all ewes were moist. Al tn close
of Spotted Tails remarks Gen. Magma
der arose and made one OF the most APP
propriate addresses l ever heard. he
assured the chief of our deep sympathy,
welcomed him TO our fires, and profered
his services. The chief and his warriors
were visibly affected, and when the
General proposed TO bury Monica In
the post cemetery and have the Chris
tan burial service read over her corpse,
the chief was much gratitied, and his
followers expressed their appropriation
bv frequent and deep gutteral express
sions OF ugh" "Ugh."
The body Of the girl was wrapped In
buffalo robes, and bound about with
cords. Gen. Maynadier ordered the
carpenters To prepare scatold ana
coffin, and when all was in readiness an
ambulance was sent for, and Just before
sunset, on a clear and bright but bitter
cold day, the body of Monica was
brought out and Indians, officers and
soldiers, iormingin procession, marched
10 the grave. At the scaffold the coffin
was opened, and the officers filled 1T
with gauntlet gloves, mOccaslns, red
flannel, and clothes to keep the dead
maiden comfortable on her journey to
the spirit land. improvised burial
service, accommodating my remarks to
the Indian superstition. l said Monica
would look down and take care OF her
father, mother, and friends, and that
they would soon meet her where there
was plenty of game and no more dying,
snow storms or tears. The mother OF
the dead girl stood by my side and
went bitterly, while the father chief
often wiped his eyes, and at the close OF
each sentence | uttered, the dusky
crowd gave loud "Ugh." The coffin,
which had been neatly covered with red
cloth by Col. Bullock, the post trader,
was raised upon the scaffold and placed
with the head toward the east. The
two white ponies OF the deceased girl
had been killed as soon as she died,
and their heads and tails, which had
been brought with her, were now nailed
10 the posts OF the scaflold and a barrel
of water placed under each pony's head.
The ponies were to convey her to the
happy hunting grounds and the water
was for them TO drink on the way.
The grave OF Monica is among the
first objects of interest that strikes the
eve of the traveller as he approaches
Fort Laramie on the Cheyenne road.
The love affair of this beautiful Indian
Girl happened before | was stationed at
the fort. but | often heard the story
from Gen. Maynadier, Col. Bullock, and
others. Spotted Tail, when | knew him,
had three wives, the mother OF his I'M
fortunate daughter Monica being the
first and favOrite. She was small wO-
man and of rather delicate frame. Spot
ted Tail, as YOU know, is tall, well
formed, and natural orator. He is,
think the only really good speaker /
have ever known in the Sioux tribe.
A. WRIGHT, Chaplain U. 5. A.
After her death, Spotted Tail often
spoke of his daughter Monica, and still
fondly cherishes her memory. In the
atfectionate council at Laramie III 1866,
he said, with great sOltness in his voice:
Were not the hopelessness OF resist
ance and the dictates OF policy sufficient
to deter me from committing acts OF
war, the pledge | made my child in her
DYING hour would cause me to keep at
peace with your people, QUILP,