The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-07-28

precedent. that arms and ponies should be
Sitting Bull replied only by
sneering smile, and when called upon for his
answer said esNo' emphatcally and impu-
IDENTIFY. The commission was failure and
nothing Of good was thereby attained, not
through any fault of its members, but simply
because Sitting Bull and his people were not
hungry, and the former had then discovered no
symptoms of the detection when At later
day was to leave him shorn Of the greatness he
80 much priced.
DURING THE YEAR 1878
Sitting Bull remained quietly on the northern
side Of the boundary line; or if he did cross to
American soil 1t was but in pursuit of buffalo,
and his stay was never prolonged. Reports OF
his coming, however, and ID force, were, as
usual, rife, and in the summer reconpois-
sance in force was mas made north of the Mis-
souri,, with no special result, however, and as
the hostiles seemed inclined to keep the peace,
operations against them were for the time sus-
pended by orders from Gen. Sherman. The
Bannock troubles during the year and the
hostile attitude of q remnant Of the Nez Perces,
engaged attention to the exclusion of Sitting
Bulls monopoly of frontier interest. The fact
was fully recognized, however, that 80 long as
he remained st large and accessible, 80 long
from joining him, more especially during the
season OF buffalo hunting, and as it il . uni
versally recognized fact that an Indian absent
from his proper reservation without leave is
hostile de jure and de facto, his capture or
surrender was still regarded as q consumma-
ton devoutly to be wished, and any means
looking toward the end desired would have
been eagerly used by the military authorities.
THE YEAR 1879 HAD SCARCE OPENED
ERE reports began to be received from north
ern Montana that large bands of Sitting Bulbs
Indians were there having crossed the line as
soon as travel was possible, that some depre-
dations had been committed, confined prin-
cipally to the killing Of cattle and stealing of
hOrses-and more were imminent The cor
don Of forts commenced in 1877 was now al
most complete, and it was not believed that tie
former scene Of the Sioux troubles; the yell
lowstone valley, and those of its tributaries.
would be entered by the hostiles as they would
have every reason to fear defamation if not
capture in toto. Above the Gordon, however, they
seemed to be able to roam at their own sweet
Wills, and the stores Of government supplies
were never safe from their raids In view OF
these and cognate facts, Gen. Terry deemed
again in person and with sufficient troops, to
meet and overcome any body of Indians how
ever large. On the 18th Of July. accordingly,
Gen. Miles crossed the Missouri to the north
ern bank, in the vicinity of old Fort Peck,
of cavalry, nine of infantry, ninety eight IN
assigned recruits, q goodly sized detachment
OF scouts, and friendly Indians and several
pieces of artillery. On the 18th Of July, the
advance detachment under Lieut. (now captain)
Philo Clark, Second cavalry struck large
body Of hostiles between Beaver creek and
Milk river and lively fight ensued which
MIGHT HAVE ENDED DIsAsTRoUsLY 81" .n
for the whites, as they were largely out
numbered, had not the near approach of tine
main body frightened Sitting Bull, who was in
command in person, and he withdrew his forces
to the north bank of Milk river, thence re-
treating to the British possessions. Many cap
tives were made, however, and the operations
OF that summer were the beginning of the end,
as ever thereafter there appeared spirit of
dissatisfaction among the Sioux known as the
hostiles proper, fostered eagerly by such chiefs
as Gall and Rain-ln- Face, who had long
viewed, jealously, the power of a leader whose
right to absolute command they had
result Of the campaign of 1879, was the cap
ture or dispersal Of many small bands of half
breeds who had by their nefarious traffic with
the hostiles, whom they kept we'll supplied with
arms and ammunition, fatally retarded the
settlement of the hostile Indian question. On
the 2sth of July, Long Dog, an emissary from
Sitting BalPs camp, stated that the recalci-
trants had finally elected to remain on the
Northern side of the line and Major Walsh, of
the mounted police, assured Gen. Miles that
there need be no further apprehension of in
raids by hostile parties. These assurances
were afterward borne ont by the facts.
THE GRATIFYING RESULTS IN 1880,
brought about by the subtle vet powerful
agencies of hunger and want and aided bv the
attitude of the British authorities, who refused
longer to suffer the hostiles to come and 80 at
will, are 80 recent as not to need elaboration.
There were isolated instances of rapine and
murder in which the handiwork of the Sioux
was apparent, but they were fewer than ever
before, and the surrender to Gen. Miles in the
autumn, of Rain-in-r the Face, and many other
chiefs with thousands of followers who were
safely corraled at Fort Keogh. gave assurance
that the backbone of the recalcitrants' opposi-
ton was broken and the problem on the
verge of solution. When Rain-in the Face
crossed the limo and surrendered, Gall and his
hundreds crossed also, but went to Poplar
Creek instead of Keogh, and at first expressed
q willingness to surrender, but delayed from
year, when Col Iges persuaded them out Of
the woods and into custody with his frost-bit-
ten soldiers and his Hotchkiss gun Crow
King and his bands, persuaded by Scout
Allison, whose efforts to gather in the entire
outfit have often and recently been detailed
made virtue of necessity and were sent to
join Gall at Buford Sitting Bull, after promis-
Ing to come in and then acting in bad faith, as
usual, and retreating to bis old stamping
grounds at Moody mountains.
LED A HAND TO MOUTH EXISTENCE
for months, deserted by the hundreds who once
rallied round his council fire and medicine
banner, and treated with marked GOODNESS by
the servants Of his Great Mother, upon whom
he had supposed he could confidently count for
moral support and substantl II sustenance He
was deferred from surrendering by two things:
FL st and foremost, his uncomfortable disin-
clinatlon to yield and become common In
dian," with his potentially gone and his very
personality merged with the crowd of agency
chiefs. And, second, his fears lest bodily pun
ishment, probably death, would be melted out
to him by the authorities he had so
long and 80 successfully set at
defiance But fate has been too strong for
him. aud the expenditure of hundreds Of
lives and millions OF money has at last borne
fruit The "Bull that Sits Down" will 90
down into history as willy counselor, and for
long time, successful warrior, but the pres
tiSe Of success has left him, and among his
own people, there are none SO poor as now to
do him reverence.
WHAT DISPOSITION WILL BE MADE OF SITTING
BULL
1t Is yet too early TO say, and many grave con-
slderatiOns will have to be carefully weighed
before decision is reached. Standing Rock.
whittier the other captured and surrendered
Sioux have lately been removed. is the natural
home Of the captured chief, as it is of all the
Uncapapas, but the hostiles therein will TODAY
lose their identity as such, since they are to be
turned over this morning to the interior de-
Partment, as represented by Agent Stephan. BY
the war department which mn tn this time hos