Omaha daily bee., 1890-12-12
WAR CLUBS FOR ARGUMENTS.
A Deadly Fight Precipitated in the Hostile
Camp.
RIVAL FACTIONS COME TO BLOWS.
Several OF the Braves Bite the Dust
Yantton Charles Story--Thc
Military Preparing to
Move on the Rebels.

uONt Oh tbt
PINE RIDGE AGENCY, S. d. via Rushville,
Neb.}, Dec. 1l.-TSpecial Telegram to The
BEE. The troops have received orders TO be
III perfect readiness by tomorrow to march
TO the bad lands. Officers and men have been
flying about with all the rapdity possible
and not attract particular attention on the
part of the alleged friendlies here to the fact
that the war departments patience with the
hostiles is at last at an end, and that the
soldiers had finally been ordered to use force.
The confidence that General Brooke has
seemed TO repose in the idea that the council
held on Saturday settled the matter, and
that control Of the friendlies could be secured
In peaceable manner was doubtless shaken
when three days had passed without word
from any Of the SIX scouts whom he sent
back with the hostile chiefs Saturday night
with orders for one to report TO him every day.
But whether or not his faith began to waver
as early as Tuesday, 1t is certain that 1t re-
ceivcd shock when at an early hour this
morning one of the scouts, Yankton Charley,
returned and gave his report The general
received the messenger in bed, it being not
yet sunrise when the latter arrived, and the
generals anxiety having been worked up to
high pitch.
First the scout explained that neither he
nor any of his associates had come
before, simply because after having
succeeded in getting into the hos
tiles camp they were not allowed to
leave. He had made his escape only by talk
ing desperate chances. Soon after the re-
turn of the party sent in to counsel with Cen
eral Brooke grand conclave was held by the
hostiles among themselves. Two Strike and
his little band urged peace, while Short
Bull, Kicking Bear and other chiefs,
representing majority Of the camp
stood for continuance of the hostile and
war like stand until they either con-
qucred or the military had conquered them.
Everything that had been said in the council
here at the agency with General Brooke was
gone over in great detail. Two Strike made
great effort to impress his war-hungry
brothers that the general would treat them
right and perfectly satisfactorily if they ac-
ceeded to his request to abandon the war
path. But the more Two Strike pleaded
with them the greater their opposition.
After a session of many hours the council
finally broke up in row, followed by
handto-hand fight between the opposing
factions. While the fight, carried on with
ing several Indians on both sides killed,
Yankton Charley, who is a full
blooded Yankton Sioux, and who was
In Indian costume made his escape. He
became separated from the other scouts early
in the trouble and does not know what be-
came of them When he attempted his es-
cape, he says that he never expected to &C
compEsh it, but thought that under the cir
cumstances the best thing he could do was to
make the break, since the entire camp of
e. over two thousand armed braves had be-
, come aroused to pitch of frenzy.
This report had great effect upon General
Brooke, as Yankton Charlie is one of the old
est and most reliable Of scouts. One way in
which the tidings affected the General was
shown in the secret giving Of orders to
hasten the preparations of the military to
move.
AS write this dispatch glance out of the
window, and over at the quartermaster's
headquarters see the colored cavalry
men loading the pack mules for the
murch. The idea now is to take
all the troops to the bad lands except one or
two companies of infantry, which will be left
as guard for the agency. The battery, con.
sisting Of six thlrteen-shellg guns, q Hotchkiss
and gatling, will also be taken to the front.
A temporary base Of supplies will be estab-
lished near the White river Whether or not
General Brooke will take the field in person
cannot he ascertained.
Reports have been received that the cow
boys ali through the vicinity surrounding the
bad lands are massing to lend assistance to
the troops. AS every one in this part of the
country affirms with great emphasis that the
Indians consider the cowboys foe more to be
feared than the military, by reason of their
bravery and thorough knowledge of Indian
tactics, trails, haunts, ETC., there seems to be
good ground for supposing that their services
will prove very valuable.
Reliable reports continue to pour In that
bands of fully armed braves from all the
other agencies are daily seen sneaking across
the country headed for the bad lands,
plainly to reinforce the hostiles,
and this suggests mention OF O
fact which is impressing itself more
and more upon the minds of every one,
namely that the hostiles have undoubtedly
allowed none Of the scouts to. discover their
real strength, and that they have hundreds
ofarmed men who have been concealed and
whose presence in the bad lands has never
become known to the agency or military of. .
GERS Q. II. @.
Hostile Chiefs to BE A frosted.
RAPID Cry, S. d., Dec. 10.-ESpecial Tee-
gram to THE BEE. The situation from lat
est courier reports remains unchanged in the
vicinity of the Cheyenne river, Battle creek
and the hostile camp at Grass Basin. At
daylight this morning party of Sioux Indi-
ans were seen going north and were given
chase by party Of ranchers from Smith
vile. Several shots were exchanged, but the
Indians disappeared into the hills. A dis