The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-11-30
SITTING BULL.
The Redoubtnble indian Chief Described
He Makes n Speech.

by Captain Boyton, in his rubber suit,
and q New York HetdM correspondent
in a canoe, they landed at Fort Randall,
where Sitting Bull is encamped, a pris-
oner. The Herald correspondent writes:
After breakfast We went to the hostile
camp in company with an officer. The
camp is about a mile distant from the
garrison and is situated on a pleasant
stretch Of level ground. There are
thirty-two tepces in all, which accom-
modate 16S people, forty Of whom are
males over sixteen years of ase and the
rest women and children. The tepces
are arranged in 3 circle, with q large
space in the center, around which
braves, squaws and almost nude chill
dren scuatted and lay in the sunlight.
As We approached tie camp We could
see q solitary white man standing in
front of q tepee. He was dressed in o
dark pair of pantaloons, brown duck
overcoat, and his head was surmounted
by q large broad brimmcd drab felt hat,
with an dinge in each side Of
it. 1t was Allison, the army scout, who
entered the hostile emp last year and
brought il the main body Of the Sioux
warriors led by Crow King. The scout
is q tnedium.sizel man. but is com.
pactly and strongly built. He has a
peculiar expression of shrewdness on
his face and lis eyes are keen and
searching.
"Hello, gentlemen l"he cried, at the
same time salutiug the officer, 81 sup
pose yon have come to see the cid
man." As he said this, Allison ierked
his thumb over his SHOULDER toward a
group CT braves seated rcar a large
lodge. At that moment one Of the
group arose and tnrned toward us.
The admonition of Il companions was
not needed, for the dignit:e3 expression
which the painted features assumed, the
Difference Of the surrounding savages
and the oracicuslv ontstretched hand
told us we were in The presence of the
dreaded Uncapapa Chief. Whatever
may be said Of Sitting Bull, he GER
tain]y has the appearance of q man born
to lead men. He is five feet ten inches
in heieht, and weighs, I suppose, ahont
a hundred and eighty pounds. His
face is an unusually intelligent \ and
his forehead large. His nose is promi-
nent and tends to broadncss, and his
chin is well shaped. Io has none Of
the impudert swnEecr of Gall, or the
treecherCTs expression which distin-
cuisines Low Dog and R~ain-in-the-
Face. Sitting Bull is dignifed yet
modest withal, and after examining
faces closely he cas-. his dark eyes
on the ground and invited us into his
tepee, acd led the way himself. One
after another we crawled through the
covered hole which serves as G door to
the lodge, and seated ourselves on the
going around some burning twiSs, the
chief occupying the Lead OF the circle.
A number OF Indians entered the tent
at the request of Sitting Bull. Among
them was ore Of The chiefs two fighting
nephews, Standing. He was
an intelligent-locking young man and
wore a pair Of eyeglasses, which gave
him a student-like appearance. The
two wives of tie household shook hands
with every orc present and paraded
several half naked aud very dirty chill
drcn, the heirs and :ci?ns of the Bull
family. When Allison told Sitting Bull
that correspondent of The Herald was
present, and that he could speak to the
American people ii he wished, the chief
shook me by the hand several times and
said he was glad CT it. he said he was
q prisoner of war and wanted to see the
President in order to arrange q future
for himself and his people. 81 will tell
YOU" he said. "exactly what I intend
TO say to the President if I am allowed
to visit Washington" Sitting Bullthen
filled his pipe and did not speak until
several Indians had taken q puff or two.
Then he raised his hand, and with a
solemn expression began.
81 have lived q good while and seen
q great deal, ana l have always had a
reason for everything I have done.
Every act oi NY life has had 81 object
in view, and no man can say l have
neglected to think. I en- one of the
last generation Of independent Sioux
chiefs, and before MT the position I oc'
cupy belonged to ny ancestors. II /
had no place in the world I would not
be here, and the fact of my existence
entities to the right Of exercising what
ever influence I possess, for l am sat-
jsfed I was created for o purpose.
When I went across the line into Can.
ada I did not give up my title to my
country, but fed before troops. I could
not help myself ard yielded to a supe-
rior force, although ! knc" J. had a
right to stay in the United States.
Ever since / have been trying to come
to a better understanding with the Brit
ish and American governments. 1
heard coed wcrls from both and then I
shook hands. held the British gov
eminent by ore hand and the Great
Father by the other. Finally I deter
mined to como over to this side and
lead my people back to their native
soil. I want The President TO put me
and all the people who were on the
warpsth with me on O separate reserva-
tion on the Grand river, some distance
from the Missouri, and there we will
learn to live like white men. I want to
put my yonng men to work SC that they
can raise q good crop next year, and
he sooner they commence the better.
SIN my act of surrendering I con
slider that l Lave wiped the blood from
my hands and washed myself entirely
of the past. From this tine forward I
am determined - lead a different and
better life ii full accordance with the
wishes OF the government. I consider
the Sioux as all one people, and I want
them all to he happy, even those who
refused to join me on the warpath. 1t is
my intention to improve their condi-
ton as much as possible. I have ro
objection to the occupation Of our re-
Servation by white men as the other
hiouX have. In fact, l would rather
Tave them come and live among MS.
the country is being settled anyway,
and if the whites 12;ngle with us ry
people can learn their ways more
rapidly than i they we're isolated by
themselves. l have even learned that
the army is 2 good thing and will pro-
feet US is it does She whites. When I
came in I expected to see tie President
and make q treaty Ct Eeace, but, just as
my hopes were almost realized, the
President WAS shot. Although I wanted
to see him ] cUnl1 rot, and when be
died I felt very Lad. vas sorry for
him and sony Tor mC people, for it in
t~erfered with ny piais. Now We have
new President and my heart goes out
to him. I want t. stand face to face
with him and say thai l am at peace and
will DO right always. Ny people are
destitute O. everything, and, although
we are willing, We have nothing to farm
with. II is NECESSARY that work shonld
be commenced at once, and that is my
reason fur being il haste 20 see the head
OF the government. 1t is a we'll known
fact that l have always tried to excel
the other Sioux Tribes lie everything, ard
l believe | rsH make nay men better