New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-18
DYING LIKE A TRUE INDIAN.
THRILLING DETAILS OF THE DEATH OF
SITTING BULL.
STORY OF CAPTAIN FECHET's EXPEDITION IL
THE CAMP OF THE OLD CHIEF IN THE
GRAND RIVER NALlEY-BE\NEhf
or THE INDIAN POLICE.


Standing Rock Agency. VIA courier TO hiSil@i'N
n.c 1.-The following are the actual detaiS VI
49, snh, !, which Sitting Bull was killed The
nolicc under Bull Head, lieutenant OF ponce' anu
cla,.o Head first sergeant, went into camp near
Sitting Bulls village on the night oil itce"''''
"A and the next mOrning went into Bulls camp
ord made the arrest Sitting Bull eNpreSseo MS
willingness TO go with them, but wanted 10 maxi
ammo preparations for the ralc. and oru'Ie'' HIS
horse 10 he got ready. While BulI fie"u anu
Shave Head were in the shack Whor' '"' oi'
chief was getting ready, two bucks chVeiope' III
blankets entered the shack. ana throwing VI
their blankets opcncd fire on the police Sitting
puIrs wife had cone ont and set up howl, which
seems 10 lave been the signal for the assault
In the fight which followed, Rad IomahawN
killed Sitting Bull. Ten or more OF Si''iAg nuii
followers were killed. Seven police were killed.
and Bull Head and Shave Head were desperately
wounded.
The police were now surrounded. pu' AT inns
iuncture Captain Fcchet with ms Oa'IhS gun
and Hotchkiss rc?ched the scene ana attacked
tho Indians, who after an hour and half of hot
sl,rmishiDc took 10 flight and disappeared into
hhc simlt,r, The camp, with tie dead ana
wounded. was taken al once. Occasional Shots
were exchanged between the troops and ambushed
bostiles during the day. The officers and men
under the gallant Tcchct. WHO is a man OF eN-
perience and unqucStioned bravery, acted with
courage and good Judgment The hoStilcs have
cone I'D the .,rand River and will undoubtedly
make their way 10 the camps at Pine Ridge
II is considered that the trouble is now ended
so far as Standing Rock Agency is concerned. and
that there is no for fear that settlers will
be disturbed in this section. The casualties were
a. follows:
Police killed-Littlc Eagle, Afraid of Soldiers,
Hawk Man and Broken Arm; Shave Head NOR
tally wounded; Bull Head badly wounded; Alex
ander Middle. wounded in the leg.
Uostiles killrd-Sitting Bull. Crow Foot Sitting
Bulls son: Brave Thunder and his son, Catch-thc-
Bear. Black Bear. Little Assineboine, Spotted
Horn Bull
There were no casualties among Captain Fechct's
men.
Colonel w w. Drum and Captain D. ].
Craigie with two companies of infantry, have gone
10 reinforce Captain Fcchct. One Bull Is about
the only leader left of Sitting Bulls band Nothing
has been heard of him as yet, but If he Is alive
and among the ho>iilcs the chances are that ne
will pull the scattered braves together and make
a stand with the idea of rcvcncing his dead chief
and friends by killing few soldiers
Bull Head and Shave Head We're carried into
For, Yates and Shave Head has brcathpd his last.
Il is thought That Bun Head will recover.
ANOTHER STORY OF THE EXPEDITION.
God Almighty made me- God Almighty did not
make me an Agency Indian. and III fight and
die fighting before any white make me
an Agency Indian. This the declaration
made by Sitting Ball to General Miles, aud the
detailed reports OF the great medicine man death
which began arriving al the agency to-day gave
the declaration the fall force of a prophecy.
All cyc-wtncsScS agree rs 10 the facts that. every
circumstance considered make the final tragedy
involving the determination OF probably the
brainiest Indian that ever lived, one Of thc most
picturesque and Characteristic incidents Of Amer!-
can history The expedition which started from
this agency for Sitting Bulls camp. forty miles
distant, 10 take him dead or alive. with chances
ten 10 one of his death, no hap-hazard foray
of semi-savaae Indian police and illadvised army
.uhordinates II is conceded that the operation
against Sitting Bulls personality was suggested OY
the efectual qUelling produced by the removal oil
Medicine Arrow. the great Cheyenne leader WheH
the Cheyennes threatened an unprecedeh'ed up
rising Tho propise 10 die fighting quoted
above. and made by Sitting Bull personally 10
General Miles on the occasion of their hrsi meet
ing had much 10 do also in shaping the dclcTulH"-
tion for a sudden decisive result as well as 'He
old chiefs oft-cXprcSscd wish 10 be IculelApcIeu
a. the last Indian on the continent 90 give up ms
in This direction it was the beginning OF the emu.
Simultaneously with the General stepping quietly
aboard the train at the big railroad depot III CHI
csco the expedition which had been with equal
ouictude under preparation at Fort Yates, winch
forms part of the agency, was also ready 10 move.
Almost al the same moment tLat General hiI'7
car rliGcd on for the Northwest, the members
O, his little command here, like 50 many autom-
atoms guided by his viii, silently took their de'
nar;urc AMI were Quickly lost in the inky dark
ness that cnvcloped the wilderness stretching 10
the camp of Sitting Bull, on the banks Of the
Grand River.
The van VAS led by men OF Sitting Bulls own
blood. superbly mounted and accoutrcd, and
every one wearing TIC bright brass buttons and
snowy bluc-cloth Uniforms Of Uncle Sans service.
This was no mere coincidence II was 10 be part
Of the great ohect-losao1 to the gho,' dancers and
4 demonstration OF the value Of General Niles
new method Of SOLVING the Indian problem, by
tuInin. the Indians b. wholesale into soldiers.
One thing Is certain, the band OF wcllicd, warmly
clad copper-faccd athletes that led the way for
the white soldier, bent mission Of utility. were
a striking contrast 10 the starving, ragged crazy
wr.tchcs that. with sucl a cunning leader AZ
Sitting Bull, formed such a menace IN the Grand
River camp. Close behind the buc-coaied In
dian bo,semen's hardy ponies, but taking a slower
pace on the frozen trail, came Captain Fcchcts
cavalry command. Tie cavalry were cncum-
beIed with two pieces Of modern light artillery,
ma .binc guns similar to those which speedily
settled the fate Of Louis RIels hali-brccd follow
ers when his nO,cd lieutenant. Gabriel Damont,
made "A stand against General Middleton III the
British Northwest outbIcaH. 10 the rear Of
Fcchcts cavalry, and at times taking double
quick step forward. for the night was bitterly
cold the inftntry command OF Colonel Drum
swung along in thc darkness weary, difficult
march il was, TOO the depressing monotoiy broken
only at intervals by an lnianryman, curses as
lie stumbled over an obstacle IN the road or awk-
waTdly tripod aIainst a nearly henumbcd com
raGc. Tho distance and the capabilities Of the
troops 10 withstand the fatiSuCs Of such journey
LII 1..IDu III ~ lLn