St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-04
WHITE DEvILsIN DAkoTA,
Chief White Ghost Writes of the
Robbers of Crow Creek.
Letter to Gen. Armstrong.

Letter to Gen. Armstrong
MY DEAR FRIEND-This day write to
you with sad heart; pretty near all nv
lands have been taken by white people
now; they say that the Great Father has
given the land to them, but l doubt them
very much. know if the president has
good sense he would not do it. No matter
how much he disregards my rights, he
| would not do it without first consulting us.
For this reason [ doubt what the white
people say. They have also taken lands
which were allotted to my people; they
have also taken house logs which we had
cut; they have also taken some frame houses
and burned some, but these frame houses
were not built by the government aid, the
Indians bought the lumber and built the
houses themselves.
The Big Bend, the pasture for our Texas
cattle, the white people have also taken
and the Texas cattle are scattered all over
| the country; this is the only place for herd
ing and if it is thrown open, there will be
no place for herding and the cattle will all
be lost or else starve to death, and our do
nestle COWS, a great many of them have
disappeared; we fear it is the whites who
have taken them, and sonny friend, I am
in distress with my tribe; but I do not
wish my people to knaw that I am
distressed. for if they know it they will be
Weakened; nevertheless do not fear for US,
| for our tribe has listened very patiently to
| our agent and me.
For example, to-day one of my boys, near
his place four white men were building a
house, he went there and sat down with
them in a house and shook hands with them
and one of them drew a six-shooter from
his pocket and intended to shoot him dead,
hI1t mis- o,,1 oh h,
casin. The Indian, Truth Teller, rose up,
shook hands with him and said, 'sFriend,
you come very near killing me, but you
missed me; my heart is good and my heart
is not bad toward you," and he walked out.
There is one thing I am afraid of; the
white people who come on to my land bring
plenty whisky, especially at certain house
six big barrels was there. They were
drunk and fight about claims and they will
be killing each other and accuse us of it. I
dread this. At many different places, with
gun and ak they have threatened us. You
know it all, and cannot teach you any
thing, but I pray you to defend me.
I am very much frightened, so 1 wish
you would show these words to all my
friends and we wish you to go to the new
great father and secretary and plead with
them for us. We can't spare even foot
OF our land. Tor tnlS reason, my people,
1000 more are coming here before the
summer is over, so there will not be room
on the land for them. And our domestic
cattle are increasing, and in the future there
will be great many more cows for which
we have no pasture, as the white people
have taken all the good pasture and water
at the head of Crow Greek, Box Elder and
| the Big Bend, this being our only depend
ence for pasture. So, my friend, 1 pray
you to help US. May God be with you and
help you do good work for us, the Yank-
tonai tribe. 1 am the head chief.
WHITE GHOST.