New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-15
nm CnEYENNE MA.sACRE.

10 the LdttOr Of me IFtbHHr.
SIR. The sentimental twaddle that - be-
iu, published u Ga, Eastern papers over what tLel are
,ras,d toe q tie " Cheyenne Massa,rc" al Font Rob
u,,f would be- very anus. ~ were ii lot ior thc tuk
bic BACKGROUND of tragedy connected with u. Every
where tey are spoken of heroes who lrcfe-Ied dc d
,o slavery Th.ir drght from the Iudan Icrr,.!y IS
sad 70 be- worthy % commcm)rauon IN - grand epic
fretp aud all Grccan and Roman history Il ransacked
10 fms parallel 70 their desperate attempt 90 escape
from Flrt Robinson several poems already nave been
written. IN which they arc compared TO the
Greeks at Theim0py,ac AMI other ancient De-
rors who tell bravcy lighting for liberty
NON what are the facts Nearly all The Cacycuas'
remain quietly and couentedy Old t1eir reservation,
while f:w o.! The restless ana vicious, WHO
cantruted unless engaged u numbering ad pn1derBg,
suddenly br, * away ant start for the north. marking
the track Of TINS wonderful march that nas caused 50
much gush" with the manEcd c0rpses OF men, and
worse than murdered women The homeSteaden %
the ~appa ana Beaver need epic to keep TINS march
fresh 10 their memories Its horrors Will be Forever a
soclacd with the bloody ren ms OF over iory ~ theH
urIgho0rs tnle.y shot down IN cor b"oI 10y these
brave heroes and tAcir uelEbbor wives ANA daughters
bru:ay outraged oy thl, Spartan baud tiu1'lY part
OF tue tens were Captured ana confined I'D oit HonA'
son preparatory 10 tnclr removal 10 Kansas, there 10 %
tiled Tor their horrible crime when precirl- deitl
/ on tie open plains I" dcaih on Vac k'hp"S tley
! broke out al prison and many OF them we're shot
| Those atr tue pain uuydniohrd i"ct' ana du! one
vino can make r"eS ana martyrs 81 these worse IMAM
Wild beasts would do the same OF an human Reno,
Who 1eIHg caught AMI ~ danger VI suffering TIE JkI
! u,r,,,y Of their crimes, make = desperate effort 10
t>.ltr But . terrible how IS made b, cause some o.
J ra- souaW, were AIIltd Dut when IL ~ Gcurm"erd
THAI tuCy armed the same 80 iAe Itn era fOugl5
l fhcr side, and tna al wearing blankets, IL was IN.
possible to tell them apart ~ inc h-At' 10 Diils Gag
attach % Tire soldiers on that account II ho.deo'
/ trtmpng tutiJns should make q raid through some
Eastern state. uurd, ring and tUobllE hrh ana Ou-'
! i.g women, and, being captured ail ABOUT 10 W
Thought 20 trial. should make a desperate eHoFl 70
rs,l u, And be shot dOHu by thtr guards, would j -
.4-,ed g. massacre" and their bcrOism cmDa med 10
song aud stoss Ard yet " would be parallel Gaze
K,qraey, Ncb, Fen. :. 1879. l. W. FBFOON
| IOur correspondent is too near the frontier to
an impartial critic. When the band Of Cheyenne
broke ont of their prison and, setting the Govern
Irut al defiance refused to 20 back 10 the lndian
Territory or ~ surrender 10 the military forces
there was nothing 10 do except 70 shoot them down
IKE 50 many dogs. But there aro facts and accuse
tons back Of these. The barracS IN which they "e'
couiued was not barricaded they retained posses
sion OF their arms aud after an attempt had Ceea
made 30 starvo and freeze them into docilIty taeI
were virtually allowed 10 escape. The guard was
so small that the inlurated sayages could notf~
sst the temptation 10 break away. Back OF thes'
facts and accusations is another charge Wn'cO
rests mainly on the statements OF the Indians tne~
selves-that they were starved IN the Indian Tern!
tory. These are matters that cannot be whistler
down the wind.-Edt