The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-07-30
necessary to apply toit, and the diet upon
which We were compelled to live was only

I tAN 1tSAS
victim would soon die.
This disease held on, and many wert
afflicted with 1t until March '66, when W
succeeded in getting some wagons througl
from Laramie with vegetables and drieC
fruits, and the scuryy soon disappeared
but not until 1t had left u number OF GU
boys in their graves and many more Grip
pies for life.
remember that we buried two men ont
day, and the next morning we gathered "
their bones stripped Of flesh, n OF them
halt mile from the grave. The wolves haC
dug them up during the night.
From December 10 the latter part o
March we managed TO subsist somehow
but these four months formed the darkes
period Of our lives.
The. latter part Of February found the
telegraph line down at both ends, and, fol
four or six weeks we were cut of from the
outside world, as much 30 as If we were
completely frozen up in iceburgs in the re-
gion OF the North pole. About the 18th
Of March, while the operator and two
officers sat in the telegraph office engaged
in a game Of cards, the instrument all at
once gave several distinct ticks, and the
men sprang 10 their feet as II another kind
Of q battery had opened uponethem.
The news spread like a flash through the
camp, and in few moments the most an
xious and excited crowds ever gathered to-
gether, were assembled in the old log office.
| doubt much II the first telegram ever
flashed overthe wires caused more excite.
ment than did the first message received
by these forlorn and detected soldiers.
1t is announced that Fifteen hundred
Sioux Indians had Just surrendered atFort
Laramie" and the best OF all, ordered our
regiment to march to that post at the
earliest possible moment
The lame and the halt leaped for Joy.
The boys threw up their caps (those that
had any, and every body joined in the
demonstration Of joy which followed. But
we had to wait until the third day Of April
before the weather would permit US 10
leave. 1t seemed to have a grip on the
place, aud it held on until the last, but the
time came, and everything had been made
ready. Our mules and ponies we found in
that Paradise, "Jack's Valley" all right.
Their hair had grown out long, and looked
woolly, but they had greatly improved and
We were agreeably surprised to tina
that but few Of them were lost.
About the first Of April the sun,
for the first time in many weeks
made its appearance, and indicated
that the cold winter was over. All the for
age about the camp was loaded into the
wagons, and on the third day of April,
through a binding snow storm we took up
our march leaving the little sQuad Of in
IA - NHNy ~, ! nln no m Rf tho mat 1Nhn F,nnkbnH
although the snow continued to fall for sew.
eral days, vas not disagreeably cold, and
although we were compelled 10 break a
road which had not been travelled for sew
eral months. We made good time, and in
the course OF a week, we arrived at Fort
Laramie. Our poor old darkey, Cal, had
been severely afflicted with scurvy and we
had to LIT him In and out of the wagon.
He was drawn up into a ball, and could
have been rolled around over the ground
without Strengthening q joint or causing a
muscle to relax.
Sure enough here we found all the
bloody Sioux OF the neighborhood OF the
Laramie and North Platte rivers.
The wipter starved and froze them out,
and they had collected together within
fifty miles OF Laramie, and then marched
to that place and surrendered. 1t was
about the first Of March, when on crawling
out OF their quarters the troops at Laramie
were considerably surprised to gee a white
blanket flying at the top Of a pole on one
OF the %nelghboring bluffs, and around it a
dozen sorry looking Indians Of both sexes.
A detachment OF cavalry was sent out TO
STE who they were and what they wanted,
and 0 returned bringing them to camp.
Standing Elk" headed the list OF chiefs
and was in command. They were taken
to the commanders office, where a council
WAS held, and each one made a speech.
Standing Elk" made the opening address,
which was aboEt as follows:
~ come many miles to make peace with
my white brother. We have suffered
much. The white man has dogged my
tracks for many moons. The white man
has slain my young men and outraged my
squaws, my ponies are the white soldiers
war horses. lie rides them to battle with
my warriors. The white man fights well,
they are brave, but the red mar can't live
without meat. The white soldier has kill
ed all his buffalo, antelope and deer. None
are left for US to kill. To show the white
brother We want peace ! have brought all
my people with me, and many OF my old
women and little papoases have frozen to
death OH the way.
Last fall the white soldier pulled down
our dead from their resting places and rob-
bed them OF all their goods, and left their
bodies for the wolves. This alone excited
my young men and called for revenge, but
we want peace now, and as for the train
we capturedlast Summer we will .return TO
the white trader as many OF his mules and
ponies as we have left, but for the men we
killed with that train they are gone-we
cannot bring. them back but will mourn
with their friends.
My people arc on Raw Hide creek. I
want the soldiers to bring them in. They
are Starving"
standing Elk" sat down, and each Of
the other minor chiefs spoke, but had 10
have an interpreter. eek" spoke pretty
good English and l believe could sign his
name and read q little.
Col, Manidier was deeply affected and q
treaty was drawn up and duly signed, Then
o company Of CaYalry went over and march,
ed the whole fifteen hundred OF them In.
Ihefe wa never sucn q sorry elgnt De-
fore. Every preparation was made for
their reception while the company was
gone. Meat apd beans were cooked by the
ton, coffee made by the barrel and cooked
with woId hauled ninety miles, Blankets
and other clothing were dragged from the
quRvtermaster's department, where we had
been informed, not 0 particle Of clothing
remained, and when the Indians arrived ID
the evening they found a grand feast await
ing them. "Grub" was never stored away
faster than at that grand supper on the
parade grounds at Laramie,
They gave up their fire armp, but we're
allowed to retain their bows and arrows.
All the stolen stock In their possession was
turned over TO the government, and they
Invent into camp along the two streams
mentioRed.
MI .-sisA... ~ TIL. $1,000