Omaha daily bee., 1888-09-16

following morning the Indians at
tackled them. Red Shirt killed the
commandment of the detachment, and
this was the signal for a general as
sault. The soldiers were completely
taken by surprise, and five of their
number were killed in the first charge.
The others saved themselves by jumping
in the river and swimming across Two
men were killed in the water as they
were trying to escape. After this fight
the entire band of Sioux went on the
warpath, and it was many months be-
fore they surrendered.
Red Shirt says he has made but one
attack upon a wagon train. This oc-
CURED at Pole creek in Montana, about
nineteen years ago. a party OF five
men, with three teams, were pushing
their way through the hostile country,
when they were discovered by Red
Shirts band. The Indians bore down
on them, and, after their usual fashion,
began to circle around to draw their
fire. The doomed men abandoned their
teams and attempted to run to a high
hill, which was close by. but they were
all shot down before they could reach
the cover they were making for. Red
Shirt thinks the men were not eXper-
fenced in Indian warfare or they would
have kept under cover of their wagons
instead of trying to reach the hill. The
usually solemn looking chief smiled, as
he related the ease the Indians had in
shooting down the men as they ran.
The dead men were scalped, the wagons
destroyed and the mules driven off.
Red Shirt has been several bloody
battles between his own tribe and the
Omahas on the upper Missouri river,
and he thinks they are better fighters
than thn urhitn nan In snnalt,r ,f
fighters among his own people. he
says that Crazy Horse was the bravest
man he evcr Jaw. He never went into
battle without taking a scalp, and dur
| ing his life killed more thar sixty men
with his W hands.
When asked about his own deeds, Red
Shirt seemed ashamed to admit that he
had no greater number of dead men on
his list. He said that he had taken only
eight scalps in his life, five Of these be-
ing white men and the other three
Omaha Indians. His first scalp a
that of the officer whom he killed in the
fight at the junction of Horse creek and
the North Platte river.
When asked why the Sioux scalp
those slain in battle, he gave the fol-
lowing reasons: In former times the
Sioux cut off the heads of their victims,
but when they began to fight the white
man they o to scalping, the same as
they saw the white man do. The scalp
is taken as ~indisputable evidence that
a man has been killed, and wheneveran
Indian warrior recounts his bloody
deeds he must produce the scalp to prove
what he says is true. If he fails to do
this he is not believed. The scalps are
usually kept for a time and then thrown
away. Some of the old men wear scalps
or their shirts or leggings, and have
them buried with their bodies when
remarks on scalps, Red Shirt
said, with a touch of sadness
in his expression: 81 don'tlike to keep
scalps or look at them, for they always
! make me think of fights in which some
of my friends have been killed." In re-
ply to the question, Are you sorry that
you have no opportunity to increase the
number of your s~calps?" he said:
mo, am glad that war is at an end.
There are too many white men. The
Indians must do as they say. | don't
want to see any more of my people
killed. 1t is useless to shed blood for
in the end they must lose"
why do you have scalp dances?'
was asked.
when we come back from a big fight
WIN many sCdlpS We ildNc d DlS lcdSJ.
Each man tells what he has done in the
war, and w rejoice. If we take no
scalps and have some Of our people
killed we come pack sad and have nc
dance"
sin the Omaha or war dance, what
does each man say in his song?"
He says: 1 have killed a man. l am
very glad. have taken another scalp.
! have--scalps o mentioning the
n%umberh and am going to get some
more"
Does an Indian feel bad when he
kills a woman or child?"
mo, not when he does IL in war.
Our enemies kill our wives and chill.
dren and we do the same. II an Ind an
kills one OF his own people, he feels very
bad, because it Is wrong. 1t is not
wrong to kill an enemy"
"What is your idea OF heavenI"
AT this question Red Shirts face as
sumed a very puzzled expression, and
for some moments he appeared to be in
a deep study. He then answered very
slowly: ~ have heard the old men say
that there Is a heaven somewhere above
US. ! have seen many dead men; but
all that | have seen vent into the
ground. l have never seen any OF them
go up TO heaven. | don't know what
becomes OF them"
This speech was greeted with grunt:
OF approval all around the circle. and
his remark must have been funny in
the Sioux language, for all OF the In
dams present laughed much more than
they generally do. Mr.. William Irv
ing, n OF the interpreters present
said that if the Sioux Indians had AM
conception OF heaven he had never
been able TO find it out, although he il
married to Sioux woman
and has lived for many years
among the tribe. He says they believ,
in the existence OF a God, and when ont
OF the tribe dies the relatives punisf
themselves by cutting their bodies will
knives, and call ON God to vent hi
wrath upon the living, but to spare thu
departed spirits. Notwithstanding this
they seem to have no idea of any kline
! Of future existence. Rid Shirt was las