Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-03-19
wild nsg's Wife's Frenzy.
nrsKoP wHIPPLE's LETTER.


persons OF all that is savage and cruel.
Them is nothing which seethes con-
science like the abuse OF those whom
we have wrsnged. The Medoc chief
who killed brave Gen. Candy had his
own kindred murdered under a flag Of
trucc-he had one Of his aged women
burned to death and another brutally
violated by white men.
The Chcyennes were among the most
friendly Of the Indians Of the plains
They were brave, noble type Of red
men. After gold was discovered in
California, the United States made a
treaty for the right of way across the
Indian country in which the Cheyennes
i,ined. For this right the Government
agreed 10 pay $4,000 annually. No
white man was 10 settle on the Indians
land. This treaty was faithfully OBJ
served by the Indians. Emigrants
crossed the plains IN safety, singly, in
companies, in ox.trains, and on fost.
G old was discovered in Colorado. The
whites focked to the new Ell Dorado.
The rights of the Indians were forgot
ten. 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 annuity payment ceased
The Indians were sad and depressed,
but they kept the peace. Black Kettle,
their head chief, was our friend. He
knew the power OF the whites and dread
ed war. A white man made complaint
10 United States officer that the In
dians had stolen his horses. The officer
did net know the man. He did not
know that he owned any horses. lie
fitted out an expedition to seize the
horses because it was the the thing
usually done. They found Indians
The Indians declared that the horses
were their own. They said: You can
see that these are not American horses
they are Indian ponies.' The horses
were seized, fight ensued, and some
r-l;or, xoro tillad
The old men with Black Kettle, their
head chief, tried to avert the possibility
ofwar. and asked Major Larned to 90
with them to see the Governor OF Colo
RADIO refused to treat with the Chey-
ennes because it would be acknowledg-
inc that the United States were whip
ned. He had enlisted troops to Kill
Indians, and Indians they were going
to kill. Col. A. G. Boone told me that
he had never seen so sad body OF In
dians a. these men en- their way home
He tried to comfort them. he offered
to make them feast. They said: My
friend, you have good heart, but our
hearts are too sick to eat.' The In
dams asked Major Larned that they
might move their village nearer to their
fort for protection, and also that he
might know that they kept the peace
Major Larned was removed and Major
Anthony took his place.
One day body of troops was seen
crossing the prairie. Black Kettle took
a United States flag IN his hands and
his two brothers white flags, and heisted
them as q sign of friendship" White
Antelope, one OF these brothers, had
lust returned from an errand OF mercy.
He had gone at Black Kettles request
one hundred miles 10 warn the mall
coach that the Kiowas were on the war;
path. They were fred upon by the
troops, and the brothers were both kill
ed. Black Kettle went to bis tipi'
where there were three white men III
United States uniform, and said to them;
: / believe you are spies; it shall never
he said that a man ate Black Kettles
bread and came to harm IN his tent
Go to your people before the fight be-
gins He gathered his little band and
fought so bravely that he saved a part
of his people. Between two hundred
and three hundred men. women and
children were butchered. Babes were
,calped in their mothers arms, women
with child we're ripped open aud their
unb,rn children taken from their moth
era, wombs, and the scalps OF babies
taken as trophies Of victory. Scenes
took place that day which were so hor-
rible that the Imagination cannot con-
ceiye of such barbarity. The testimony
taken by Senator Doolittle's commits
sion was so horrible that no one be-
lieved it. Another commission was
sent out, composed of Gems. Sherman
Augur, Terry, and others. This test-
mony was not published. They said
that this awful butchery would have
dsgraced any tribe in the interior OF
Africa, Thus ends the first chapter OF
our dealing with the Cheyennes' Black
Kettle, who loved his people with blind
devotion, who, knew the power OF the
whites, and dreaded the certain doom
ef an Indian war, still pleaded for peace
For this. he was near being deposed OF
his cbieftainship by the Indians. Did
Congress make any restitution for this
horrible crime against these 1ndians'
Were any Ofthe brutal murderers pun
lshed?
I pass over FIVE years. 1t was, L
think. on the 22d or 23d day of Novem-
ber, 1858, that Black Kettle, whose
people were canped on the Wischita,
came to see the commandant of the
n.srest pest. Owing to great delay in
bringing Indian supplies that year ION