The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-03-24
SIOUX INDIANS.

Some Accounts Of Their Social Relations and
Superstitions-Th Custer Massacre
| Deadwood Pioneer.
On Sunday last Pioneer reporter
enjoyed lengthy conversation with
Joe Hoskiss, lieutenant of Indian
police, stationed at Cheyenne river
agency, who is now in attendance as a
witness upon United States district
court. Joe is a half-breed, who has
lived with the Sioux greater portion
of his life, yet he is very intelligent
| person and ready and entertaining
| conversationalist. He was educated
at st. Louis, speaks several languages
duently, and ehas had extensive ex
perience on the frontier.
The Sioux are very superstitious,
are controlled by legends in whatever
they do, and never embark in an
undertaking without first having the
assurance that they are in the right.
In their way they are very religious
people cherishing the greatest respect
for the rights both of property and
person. of every member of the tribe.
The; chastity of their women is also
noteworthy, and even their mode of
i warfare is in accordance with the
teachings of the great spirit. True,
4 they are often accused of great
atrocities, but if history was searched,
it would be found that members of
i the tribe had suffered similar torture
and death at the hands of the whites,
! the circumstances of which had been
remembered and retaliated at the first
/; opportunity. The Indian has the
4 utmost reverence of the 'sGreat
! Spirit but no belief in the existence
of an evil one. They use no profanity,
nor anything corresponding to white
mans oath. Their ideas Of the here
J after are vague. but impressive
i nevertheless. G
I They believe that every act and
episode Of life below will be repeated
! n the $ happy hunting grounds, even
to the minutest details, hence the
. burial Of implements Of war and toll
s with every deceased.
i Probably one of the noblest
J factions in Indian history was the res
!. cue, in 1862, of eight persons two
J, woman and six children--from the
Santee camp, at the mouth of Grand
river, by -Four Bears, now in this city.
The captives were adopted into the
/ tribe, and one, Julia Wright, forced
to marry a son of Black Hawk, then a
} prominent chief. Four Bears procured
+ their liberation partly through pur-
chase, giving four horses,) and partly
by strategy, and after passing through
, many perils, returned them to their
j homes. For this noble act Four Bears
/. was promised remuneration by con.
7 gress, but the promise has never been
) fulfilled. During his recent trip to
, Washington he brought the matter
!. before Secretary Schurz, when assur-
. ance was again given that the reward
!. would soon be forthcoming.
The relation existing between mem.
! bers Of q family are very peculiar
8 For instance, brothers and sisters do
!, not fraternize- very distant
9 scarcely recognizing each other
> Mothers-in-law are also ostracised i'm
! mediately upon the marriage Of thei1
l children.
! Marriage is nothing more than pur
Q chase and sale, negotiated by the near
! est friends of both parties, but thu
= relations assumed are considered sa
t cred, and are seldom violated.
8 The Custer massacre, in which many
e of the Cheyenne agency Indians par.
! ticipated, is seldom mentioned, ant
9 never only in the most cautious man
ner. 1t was not at the time considered
I, victory, nor isit remembered as al
d event rejecting honor upon the tribe
On the contrary, such few accounts
h as have been CLEANED from those WIN
/. participated. indicate that a rout O.
e the Indians was nealy accomplished
r and would have resulted had Reno
It not shown the white feather. Hi
y Battle, head warrior of the tribe, i
d very emphatic in his denunciations O.
j. Reno, and says that Clusters deat]
II and many of his command is attribu
7. table to his Reno's) cowardice. A
n map is now being prepared at til,
# agency showing the position of tn
re Indians, both when the charge wa
made, and soon after, when Rem,
e. attacked form the south. Custer lie,
it the charge to the head Of the draw
q. and ordered a volley fired into th
er lodges opposite. Immediately tW
lie thousand braves arose from the sag
I'd brush in the rear of the soldiers an
Of began their terrible work. Custe
is gave the order to about wheel an
ae charge, and, with the three hundred
lie galloped towards the foe. The latte
II were too numerous and too thorough
to armed; the onslaught was checked
Of the enemy came up with yell; til
rs field became scene of the Wildes
b. confusion and death. Clusters hors
&c fell mortally wounded, and as the ga
at liant officer endeavored to extricat
er himself from the ENHANCEMENT,
ee bullet passed through his leg, and
an while sitting there bewildered, faint
he and helpless, boy quietly approache
n from the rear, and delivered a dealt
he blow with q dubbed rife. The batt]
at was over /; humiliation was complet,
or and the search for plumber began
to Almost the first body examined ":
that Of the heroic officer, from who's