Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-08
A DYING NATION.

Raisers-A Prosperous Community
Ruined when Their Powerful
Friend Leaves.
Near this military fort dwell the
remnants of once powerful tribe of
Indians, writes a Fort Keogh CORES
pendent of The Pittsburgh CONNER
cial Gazette They have a camp on
the Rosebud river under Chief Two
Moons, and a more wretched and
poverty -striken community than these
people present would be difficult to
imagine | drove up to their camp a
few days ago, and seeking out Two
Moons in his tepee or lodge, through
the aid of John Rowland, half-breed
interpreter, learned few facts IN re-
gard to their past and present condl-
ton.
The CheYennes are an ancient race,
and at one time numbered nearly II,
900 souls. Ten years ago, the main
band were located IN Indian Territory,
and were at war with the government.
While Gen. Miles was chasing them
around Indian Territory, a large
party of bucks, under Chief Whlrl-
wind, numbering 1,727 IN all, broke
away from the remainder of the tribe
and made their way north into
Wyoming and Dakota. This was the
first division in the Cheyenne nation.
From that time they were classed as
Northern and Southern Cheyennes,
the southern branch being located at
present at the Arapaho agency, in
Indian Territory, and the northern
branch at Pine Ridge agency, in Da-
kota, and on Rosebud river IN Mon
tana
The Black Hills trouble, which be-
gan in 1858, eliminated, aS we all
know, in the Custer massacre on the
Little Big Horn river in 1876. This
was purely Sioux trouble with the
United States government, but, as the
Northern Cheyennes were then at the
Sioux agencies, and under the leader
shis of most thorough and warlike
soldier, Chief Little Wolf, the latter
had little difficulty in inducing his
braves to join their red brethren, the
Sioux, in a general war against their
connlon enemy, the whites. Accord
lnglv we fnd the Northern Cheyennes,
under Little Wolf. Stalker, Dead
Eyes, and Flying Bird, following Sit
ting Bull and his hostiles all over the
narshern country, and finally brought
to bay with that daughty chieftain by
Custer and his men on the fatal field
of the Little Big Horn in the summer
of 1876 After that dreadful June day
Sitting Bull drew his warriors back
into the fastness of the Big Horn
mountains, where he successfully
resisted all attempts to dislodge him
until Gen. Miles appeared on the scene.
That great Indian fighter did not rush
pell-mell into another trap, like poor
Custer, but, dismounting his men and
deploying his battalion as skirmishers,
he hunted the willy red men according
to their own fashion, driving them
from rock to rock, from one hid ng-
place to another, until there was no
refuge left for them, and at last taking
to the plains they fed before Miles and
his troopers and finally, dispersed IL
numbers and broken Ia spirit, attained
harbor beyond the international
boundary line With their ancient
enemy on their trail, the Cheyennes
knew there was no hope for them. He
had taught them one lesson down in
the Indian Territory. So with the fall
of Sitting Bull the Cheyennes ceased
hostilitles, came IN and surrendered In
bands Of twos and threes at a time,
until about nine hundred in all We're
soon under guard as prisoners of war
on the spot where this military post
now stands
Gen. Miles, IN his wisdom, prefer
red to try an experiment with those
savages according to his own under
standing of Indian character. rather
than turn them over to the interior
department and the tender mercies of
an Indian agent. He therefore petit
toned the authorities at Washington
to allow him to place the surrendered
h0stiles on a farm of their own, and
promised that IN a few years they
would be selfsupporting. He asked
no aid from the government rejected
the proffer of an agent, and permitted
the Indians to settle down Ia several
ty wherever they chose to reside.
A majority Of the surrendered red
skins selected fertile spot about three
miles ABOVE Fort Keogh on the Vel
lowstsne river, while others scattered
along Powder, Tongue, and Rosebud
4 rivers, and all commenced farming IN
dead earnest. The Yellowstone
Cheyennes were more successful than
the others, for their land was rich,
black loan that produced wonderful
ly, and it was not long before these
poor, benighted, ignorant sons of the
forest were peddllng potatoes and
other garden truck among the
people of the fort. Some fine pota-
toes of immense proportions were pro-
duced the second wear after the in
auguration of the Cheyenne gardens.
Fifteen of these tubers, selected after
being thoroughly washed, weighed
exactly SO pounds ounees-one of
them actually tipped the beam at 4
pounds Il ounces. Turnips were
grown of wonderful dlameters, and
beets, cabbages, corn, and the like IN
the greatest profusion. Although ir-
irgation was not necessary, yet these
very same redskins were after the idea,