Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1880-12-25
Sioux SQuabbles.

Capt Doucherty, first United States
infantry, acling Indian agent at Crow
creek, was in the city last week, on his
way to Washington. He expected TO
meet severa' Of the Lower Brule and
row Cree. agency chiefs At Canton and
take them with him to see the great
father Representatives are also expect
cd from Cheyenne and Standing Rock
agencics.
The cause Of this visit, of the chiefs of
the river sgencies to Washington is a
disagreement they had with Spotted
Tail about treaty for right Of way for
the Milwaukee road. About month
go. Spotted lail agreed, with John
Lawler of the Milwaukee company and
an Indian inspector. TO give to the Mil
wanSee company right o. way through
the great sioux reservation. This re-
seryation lies between the Missouri
river and the Black Hills and between
the Niobrara and Cheyenne .rivers-an
area of land nearly as large as Iowa.
Spot claimed the right to do this, as
head chief of all the Sioux bands, and
for the further reason that he had. or
claimed, power of attorney from the
different bands to make the treaty. To
prevent any mistake he sent for Red
Cloud and that chief came down TO
Spots agency and after much persuation
signed the right of way agreement. Spot
then went to the Lower Brues on the
Missouri and asked them to sign In
stead they called him thief and rob
Der; said that he and Red Cloud had
sold their part of the reservation to the
whites when the Black Hills was given
up 10y the treaty Of 1876; that the re-
servaton now belonged to the Sioux,
who lived at the river agencies and that
it was only these river Sioux that had
right to give right Of way and were
entitled TO the pay for any right of way
given. The great head chief of the
Sioux answered not word to their
abuse. He left them in shameful silence
and went ZIP to the Crow Creek agency
There much the same kind Of talk was
perpetrsted. Then Spo ted Tail arose
in his might and talked like the soldier
and statesman that he is lie said that
Red Cloud and himself wanted the iron
track to come to the great reservation
and would have 1t. The two could
bring 1000 we'll armed, fighting men
into the field. They had never been
bulldozed by the Great Father and did
not propose to be frightened by herd
of blanketed Indians.
He said the Sioux at the river agen-
cies had never had land enough of their
own to stand on, and it was not for them
to talk Of owning the reservertion. If
his brother Red loud and himself gave
them share of the right Of way money,
it was because they had pity on
them, not because it was theirs of right
All this, and much more to the same
purport, spake Spotted Tail.
The movement against the authority
of Spotted Tail is headed by the Lower
Bruies. This band. with the Yanktonais
and Two-k ettles Of Cheyenne river
agency, and the Sans Ares and Black
feet of Standing Rock agency, number
ing $500 fighting men. These bands,
the river agency Sioux, will stand to-
gether against the pretensions of Spotted
Tail, chiet Of he Upper Brules, and Red
Cloud, chief Of the Ogallalas. The ques-
ton Of spotted Tails head cheftainship.
as we'll us the title Of the river Sioux TO
the great Sioux reservation, will come
up in the discussion. The Santees and
Yanktons, near Fort Randall, will no,
take hand in the affair. Something
interesting may be expected. Mean
time'the Milwaukee right of way wil
wait until the question of who owns the
reservation 10 settled