Omaha daily bee., 1881-08-22
A BRAVES BURIAL.
The Funeral Of Spotted Tail at
the Rosebud Agency,
Leaves From the Life of q
Chivalrous Chief.
His Ancestry, Deeds of Valor,
and Reservation Life.
How a Competent Agent Has
Treated the Indian Problem.

Correspondent Of the Omaha Bee.
ROSEBUD AGENcY, ID. r., August
13.-The violent death of Spotted
Tail, a noted warrior and head chief
of all the Sioux Indians, and the quiet
and orderly proceedings attending the
arrest of his murderers, awakens re-
newed interest in regard to the efforts
of the government to elevate and
c~ivilize this tribe, and ~revives mem-
cries of the bloody wars in which he
was engaged.
SPOTTED TAIL
was a son of Shooting Cat, who vas
for several years chief of the Brule
Sioux, and in his day a noted war
chief. Spotted Tail was born in the
spring of 1928, near White river, not
far from the place of his death. He
early showed a warlike spirit, and ut
the age of eighteen killed his first
man in a battle with the Pawnees. 1t
was a custom of the Sioux for a great
many years to make annual incursions
against the Pawnees, and Spotted
Tail was always at the front and in
the thickest of the fight, never
returning until one or more Pawnees
were made to bite the dust by his
own hand.
On one occasion the Sioux were
badly routed by the Pavnees, when
Spotted Tail took it upon himself to
cover the retreat, aided only by two
or three friends. How well he did it
is attested by the fact that he alone
killed six Pawnees without the loss of
a Sioux.
INCITEDTo WAR.
In 1856 Troublesome Bear, who
was at that time chief of the Sioux,
killed a lame steer which had been
left on the prairie by emigrants, near
Fort Laramie. The commander at
Fort Laramie sent thirty soldiers to
the Sioux camp to arrest the Indian.
The Indians desired to prevent his az
rest and offered thirty-seven head of
cattle in payment for the one killed,
but no compromise would be listened
to and to prevent bloodshed the In
dians brought out their chief, Trou-
blesome Bear, and delivered him to
the soldiers who Immediately shot
him. This SO exasperated the In
dams that they massacred the entire
command and fled north. The inius-
tice of the murder Of Troublesome
Bear started Spotted Tail on the wal
path against the whites. His first act
was to rob the stage at Ash Hollow,
killing the three passengers and OBJ
tanning about forty thousand dollars
in gold. Gen. Harvey then marched
upon Spotted Tail at the Sioux camp
and fought at
ASH HOLLOW,
one of the most desperate battles in
the history of Indian warfare, taking
about one hundred prisoners, mostly
ONE and children. He then sent
a messenger to the Sioux camp, stat
ing he would shoot every prisoner he
held unless Spotted Tail and his COM
p~anions who robbed the stage We're
delivered to him within one week.
Nearly all had relatives among the
prisoners, some wives and children,
Others mothers, brothers and sisters,
whose lives were dear to them, yet
none dared to attempt to arrest the
culprits. The sad fate impending
over the prisoners caused such weep
ing and wailing as would be natural
under the circumstances Before the
week had passed, Spotted Tail called
his companions in the robbery to him
and said, 81 am going to the fort to
die; it is better for us to die than
that those innocent and chill
dren should be killed. Who will 90
with me?" They all went. Spotted
Tail stopped at the door of the COM
handing officer and said, "Take my
gun, knife bow and arrows,
AM READY TO DIE,
but let those women and chill
dren return to their homes"
Spotted Tail was taken to
Fort Leavenworth, where he was kept
for a year and then released through
the exertions of General Harvey, who
was so surprised at the noble traits
of character exhibited by Spotted
Tail that he was ever after his
staunchest friend. Spotted Tail then
went to the Cheyennes and assisted
them in two battles against the Uni
ted States troops. In 1864 he re-
turned and endeavored u~nsuccessfully
to stop the depredations being com
mitted by the Cutoff Sioux along the
Platte river. He told them that they
had no just cause for the horrible
butcheries they were committing, and
if they did not desis5 he would assist
the white men in overpowering them.
When he learned they had captured a
white family and tortured the man
and children to death, and held the
wife and mother captive, he took a
party of braves, rescued the woman
after a hard fought battle, and deliv-
cred her to the commander at Fort
Laramie. In 1868 he made
A FORMAL TREATY
of peace with the government, and
has since resided upon a reservation.
In 1876, after the government
had spent an enormous
amount of money to bring
Crazy Horse to terms, they called
upon Spotted Tail, who brought him
in and delivered him to the military
authorities. Spotted Tail once said
to the writer: 81 never fought the
whites except to secure justice to my
people. Inever killed a white woman
or child, nor allowed it to be done by
another when in my power to prevent
it," From information received from
his lifelong companions still living
here / believe he told the truth.
HIS DOMESTIC RELATIONS
were according to the customs Of his
people. He has had six wives, four
..-... L.. M 80. =.