Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-22
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unless there was cause for them, but suppose
the Great Father ordered them here, so 1t is an
right. My name is Red Cloud. That is all L
have to say.
Notwithstanding this conciliatory talk, 1t
is known that Red Cloud is acting strangely.
Last Monday he wrote letter to a man VINO
is vaguely described as a. man of influence,
informing him that if the soldiers came here
they would be killed. Last night he boast
ingly showed letter which he refused to let
anybody read, and declared that he knew
seven days ago that the soldiers were COM
ing. His son, Jack Red Cloud, is one OF the
most vehement OF the ghost dancers. Red
Cloud firmly refused to express an opinion
as to the Messiah. His statement that the
Indians are not armed is untrue.
GENERAL BROOKE is PREPARED.
General Brooke in an interview this
morning said: 81 have positive informa-
tion that the Indians are greatly excited,
but have force enough to preserve the
peace at the agency. The coming OF the
troops has encouraged the whites and still
fened the wavering Sioux who are disposed
to be friendly. Everything is peaceful now,
but am prepared for trouble at any hour
There is great uneasiness among the SOL
diers, owing to the non-appearance OF the
| reinforcements which were promised. UP
| to 10 o'clock no new troops had come. IL Is
safe to predict that no offensive step will be
taken until greater force has been concen-
trated here. Nothing has been heard here
| from the northern country, and there are I'm
pressive whisperings as to the Whereabouts
and intentions of General Ruger.
Accompanied by Buckskin Jack Russell,
the scout. Major Burke and half-breed
named Half Eyes, a DISPATCH reporter
witnessed one OF the famous ghost dances
of the Sioux. Mounted on cayuse ponies,
the party started early last evening for
| Wounded Knee creek. The trail lay over a
rough rolling country where the buffalo
| grass is now yellow and short, and where
snow lies in the depressions in the earth.
Half Eyes was in the lead. The travelling
was hard and extremely fatiguing, and 1t
was nearly daybreak when the low, moan
ing chant of the Sioux and snarling of their
dogs were heard in the distance.
IN THE FANATICS CAMP.
The camp of the fanatics could not be seen
until the ridge of a low chain of buttes was
reached. From this elevation one could see
the fires burning. The trip was extremely
hazardous, owing to the frenzy OF the hos
tiles and their knowledge of the arrival of
the troops. Halt Eyes tethered the ponies
near the ridge, and the rest of the trip was
made on foot. The sky was just being paint
reached clump of young cottonwoods,
which skirted the banks of the Wounded
Knee. From this point an excellent view
could be had of the dance, which was still at
its most exciting stage.
AS near as Halt Eyes could estimate, 1S2
bucks and squaws were in the dance. A
big tree stood in the middle of the circle
formed by the Indians. Squatted on the
ground, within a radius OF 60 yards, were
400 other Indians, who were chanting with
the dancers. Many of the reds were in war
paint Some of them were naked to the
hips, and across their big muscular breasts
were streaks Of red and yellow paint. Beads
tinkled from their porcupine-fringed legs
and eagle feathers hung from the crown oil
their black, glossy heads. Some of the
dancers were robed in white cotton cloth.
which was pinned at the breast and drawn
over the head in the form of hood.
THE WEIRD GHOST DANCE
Five medicine men sat on the ground
outside of the circle. They were old men,
with wrinkled, skinny faces, and as the
chant rose and fell according to the vigor o.
the drums, they waved medicine sticks
| above their heads These sticks were
painted green, with handles fashioned after
the shape of snakes. The dancers held one
another's hands and moved slowly around
the tree. They did not raise their ieet as
high as they do in the sun dance. Most OF
tie time it looked as though their ragged
moccasins didn't leave the ground, and the
only idea OF dancing the spectators could
gain from the motion of the fanatics was the
weary bending of the knees.
Round and round the dancers went, with
their eyes closed and their heads bent toward
the ground. The chant was incesSant and
monotonous. 81 see my father; 1 see my
mother; see my brother; see my sister, -
was Half Eyes translation of the chant as
the squaws and warriors moved laboriously y
about the tree. The spectacle was as ghostly
as it could be- 1t showed the Sioux to be
insanely religious. The white figures bob.
bing between the painted and naked war.
riors, and the shrill yelping noise of the
squaws as they tottered in grim endeavor to
ontdo the bucks, made picture in the early
morning which has not yet been painted OF
accurately described. Half Eyes said the
dance, which the spectators were then wit.
Messing, had been going on all night. The
Indians had been dancing there all summer
but it was the particular dance then in
progress that the long-haired scout had il
mind.
A VISIONARY TRIO.
Stretched upon the ground, close to the
tree, were two warriors and one squaw
They were in fit, which was of cataleptit
nature. Their faces were turned to the sky
and their hands clutched the yellow grass
One o. the warriors was tremendous fel
low, whose breast wgs SCARED and paintej
and whose ears were pierced with rings
The dancers paid no attention to them
| Their eyes were closed.
OF sudden one of the warriors on tn,
ground leaped to his feet and exclaimed: 81
| have seen the Great Father but he will no
talk to me because 1 stink" Then tn
other warrior got up and cried: "I have seer
the Great Father. but he will not talk t,
me because 1 have no ponies" The squav
was the last to get up on her feet. She wa
a young woman, with bells on her blanket
and a red ochre streak marked the lin,
where her raven black hair was parted. II
a shrill voice she cried out: 81 have seen tn
Great Father; he sent an eagle, which
picked me up and carried me TO far-awa,
mountain. The Great Father told me tina
the whites would be driven from the coun
try; that the Indians would rule the LIANT
and the buffalo and deer would return"
A DANCE OF CRUEL TORTURE.
The Indians now danced with create
vigor and their cries were louder and NOR
vehement, but they never opened their eyes
Round and round they danced, some of thea
so fatigued from exertion that they pitched
forward on their faces on the grass. TIL,
great strain on the others was denoted b,
their distorted faces but there was no stoI
for food, drink or rest.
The ghost dance is simply dance of crue
endurance, which is fare more barbarou
than the sun dance, where tn
breasts of the warriors are tori
open. One by one squaw and warrio
fell unconscious upon the ground, ant