The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-18
"God Almighty Made Me. God
Almighty Did not Make Me
AN AGENCY INDIAN, AND I'll FIGHT
And Die Fighting Before any White Man Can
Make he an Agency Indian Was Sitting
Bulls Declaration to General Miles.
Especial to THE acknowledgements Dispatch.

the declaration made by Sitting Bull to
General Miles, and the detailed reports of
the great medicine mans death which be-
gan arriving at the agency yesterday give
to The declaration the full force of a
prophecy. All the eye witnesses agree as
to the facts that, every circumstance con-
sidered, make the final tragedy involving
the determination of probably the brainiest
Indian that ever lived, one of the.most pic
turesque and characteristic incidents of
American history. That the government
authorities, civil as well as military. from
President Harrison and General Miles
down, preferred the death of the famous
old savage to his capture whole skinned,
few persons here, Indian or white, have a
doubt. 1t was felt that Sitting Bulls
presence anywhere even behind an iron
door was a menace.
The expedition which started from this
agency for Sitting Bulls lonely camp,
forty miles distant, TO take him, dead or
alive, with the chances ten 10 one of his
death, was no haphazard foray of
semi savage Indian polce and ill-advised
army subOrdinates. There is every reason
| to believe the whole affair was a carefully
planned military vancouver, originating
4
himself, sanctioned in the war department
at Washington and authorized before Pres
ldent HarrlSon'S cabinet 1t is conceded
that the operation against Sitting Bulbs
personality was suggested by the effectual
quelllng produced by the removal of Medi-
cine Arrow, the great Cheyenne leader
when the Cheyennes threatened an unpre-
cedented uprising. The promise to ''die
lighting" quoted above and made Dy
Sitting Bull personally to General Miles on
the occasion OF their first meeting had
much to do also in shaping the determine
ton for a sudden decisive assault, as well as
| the old chiefs oft-eXpressed wish to be re-
membered as the last Indian on the CONT
nent to give up his rifle.
When General Miles left Chicago headed
! III this direction, it was the beginning of
the end. Simultaneous with the general
stepping quietly aboard the train at the
big railroad depot in Chicago, the expedi-
ton, which had been with equal Quietude
under preparation at Fort Yates, which
forms part of the agency, was also ready
TO move. Almost at the same moment that
| General Niles car glided out for the north
| west, the members of his little command
here, like so many automatons guided by
his will, silently took their departure and
were quickly lost in the inky darkness that
enyeloped the wilderness stretching to the
| camp of Sitting Bull on the banks of the
| Grand river.
The van was led by men of Sitting Bulls
own blood, superbly mounted and ac-
| coutred, and everyone wearing the bright
brazen buttons and snowy blue cloth uni
forms of Uncle Sans service. This was
| no mere coincidence. 1t was to be part Of
the great object-lesson to the ghost-dan-
GERS, and demonstration of the value of
! General Miles new method of solving tAe
I Indian problem by turning the Indians by
wholesale into soldiers One thing is Ger
| lain, the band of wel-fed warmly clad
copper faced athletes that led the way for
the white soldiery bent on a mission of
utility were striking contrast to the starry
| Ing, ragged, crazy wretches that with such
| a cunning leader as Sitting Bull formed
such menace in the Grand river camp.
| Close behind the blue coated Indian horse
mems hardy ponies. but taking a slower
| pace on the frozen trail, came Captain
FOuchet's cavalry command. The cavalry
were encountered with two pieces of mod
ern light artillery, machine guns, similar
TO those which SO speedily settled the fate
Louis Riels half breed followers when mis-
noted lieutenant, Gabriel DumOnt, made a
island against General Middleton in the
British northwest outbreak. To the rear
of Fouchets cavalry and at times taking a
double quick to keep warm, for the night
was bitterly cold, the infantry comm and OF
Colonel Drum swung along in
the darkness. a weary, difficult
march it was, too, the depressing
monotony broken at intervals by an infan-
tryman's curses as he stumbled over an
obstacle in the road or awkwardly tripped
against nearly benumbed comrade. The
distance and the capabilities of the troops
to Withstand the fatigues of such a journey
had been figured out to a nicely, and when
the first faint light of dawn appeared, the
expedition was within easy distance Of its
destination. The broken order of a triple
separation of forces had been carefully pre-
served, and the Indian police we're the first
to sight the huddled cluster of ugly looking
tepees on the river bank. Despite the early
hour, all was aStir il the village where on
every hand was evidence that a hurried
exodus was contemplated. The ponies OF
the police were pushed now for all they
were worth and before Sitting Bulls dazed
adherents had half chance to realize the
situation dozen of the police had pulled
their painting animals up short on all sides
of the chiefs abode. No time was wasted
in ceremony. The proud old medicine mar
was hustled out, hoisted on a waiting pony
and in a trice faced toward civilization. HI
ragged and sputtered in a fury of rage for {
moment, then Strengthened up, shouted
hoarsely, not for help, buta command to hi:
followers. Despite the threatening of the
l police Wholesalers alternately directed a
, his mead and those of his kinsmen, the
old medicine man retained his pres
3 ence of mind and with powerful
voice continued to direct his own rescue
Suddenly there was puff of smoke beside
tepee and the sharp crack of W1nches
ter. The DoIc3ma at Sitting BULBS right
7 grasping the chiefs bride, reeled in I'll,
saddle, and toppling over was trampleC
under the hoofs of the ponies. Now al
t were in the mad heller SHELTER retreat from
the village. The shot was instantly an
swered by volley from the police at thei
Dlanketed trlbesmen, many of whom wer,
already mounted and in frenzied pursuit
The police volley told with deadly effec
: and the firing in a moment was general OF
both sides. Sitting Bull could be heard il
the confusion, still attempting, though can
2 tive, to direct the fight. Raising his gaun
form, he was reckoning his sous and war
riors on when, without warning. his bod,
Strengthened rigidly, then dropped imp OF
the hard prairie. The police halted rount
the corpse, not knowing for the momen
but 1T was a trick of the willy oil
, chief. This sudden movement and tn
fan of Sitting Bull disconcerted tn
, pursuers, who, remaining at q distance
sullenly fired atinteryals toward the police
The latter held their ground, knowing tn
cavalry under Captain Fouchet would 500
be at hand. To the surprise of all, how
ever, the hostiles who had been consultin
] among themselves began, movement t
: close in from all sides. The rattle of Win
chesters was now redoubled firm bot
] parties, the police using their own ponie
' as protection. 1t was at this critica
juncture that Captain Fouchet's me
dashed up, and the machine guns, whic