Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-11-24
A CRISIS AT HAND.
The Situation at Pine Ridge
Very Threatening.
REDSKINS REQUIRED TO MOVE ON.

pede Among the Tepees.
PINE RIDGE AGENCY. S. D., Nov "a
The situation is certainly grave The
trouble is slowly reaching crises The
danger of ths Indians camping in q cir
Gle about the agency became SO apparent
Saturday night that orders were issued
yesterday for them to move to barren,
sandy plain at the foot of the buttes to
the north and along Wolf creek In these
places they will all be Ia bunch, and
their great village will he within range
of the Calling aud Hotchkiss guns.
About noon the criers of the different
bands called out to the Indians to strike
their tents and round up their horses aud
move to the new camping ground. The
change was made within an hour and a
half. Then IL was discovered that nearly
every tepee sheltered a carbine or Win
chester, but no effort was made to coufis
cate these arms
Close Watch on the Hostiles.
The camp for miles around is now pa
trolled night and day by Sioux policemen,
who are armed with Winchesters, and
who are watching the movements of the
hostiles. Elk Indian Agent McGillicuddy
came here yesterday in response to the
urgent request of Gen. Brooke McGilli
cuddy has the record OF being one of the
most fearless agents ever in the employ of
the government. The two men were in
conference all yesterday. 1t is reported
that McGillicuddy is In favor of crushing
the Indians without any unnecessary de-
lay.
Coming in for Their Rations.
Short Bull and Jack Red Cloud, who
have been leaders of the ghost dancing
nc Rosebud, deny any hostile intentions
and say that the dancing has been
stopped. The dancers were coming into
the agency yesterday in squads. prepar-
ing to draw their ratious to-day Much
loud talk is heard, but the Indians mainly
disclaim any hostile intentions. This at
titude, however, does not satisfy either
Gen Brooke or Agent Roger The fear
Is now that many of the dancers will
decline to come to the agency for rations,
but will prefer to organize incursions into
the country bordering on the reservation.
In order that this phase of the question
may be properly met Gen. Brooke has
ordered large body of troops to Rush
Vile and other points, so as to choke off
any raiding that may be attempted
Little Wounds Defiant Letter.
Indian Agent Roger received the fol-
lowing very sensational communication
from Little Wound. the high priest of the
ghost dancers: Little Wound under
stands the soldiers are coming GU the res
ervation. What are they coming forl We
have done nothing. Our dance is a relig-
fOus dance. so we ara going to dance until
spring; If we find then that Christ does
not appear we will stop, but not in the
meantime, troops or no troops. We shall
start dance on this creek Medicine Root
creek, fifty miles north OF Pine Ridge
agency campl in the morning / have
also understood that was not to be rec
ognized u chef any longer.
win BE Chief Anyhow.
"All that have to say is that you nor
the white people made me chief, and you
cannot throw me away you please;
but let me tell you, DIR. Roger, hat by
them / will be recognized us long as live.
have also been told that you intended to
stop our rations and annuiries Well, for
my part, / don't care. The little rations
we get do not amount to anything but
DR.. Roger, If such is the case, please send
me word so that me and my people will
be saved the trouble of going to the
agency. We do not intend to STOP dane
ing"
A Scare mt Water Call
Last night something of a scare was &C.
casioned when the water call was sounded
The cavalry has been going to creek
about half a mile from the post to water
the horses. Along this creek during the
last twenty-four hours a village of ghost
dancers tepees has sprung up. Last even
ing the troopers mounted their horses
with carbines loaded and cartridge belts
in place. Then. under command of
Lieutenant, instead of the usual orderly
sergeant, they slowly cantersd to the
creek. After the horses had drunk their
fill the soldiers crossed into the Indian
village.
Precipitated a wild Stampede.
The stampede which followed was al
most instantaneous. Squaws and pap
doses ran screaming into the tepees,
while the bucks hastily mounted their
ponies and fled to the hill But the
troopers had only crossed in order to turn
and go back to camp. This maneuvre
executed, the village was soon repeopled
with Indians Nearly all the Indians
around the post. 1t is a part of the plan
of Agent Roger to refuse to issue beef on
Wednesday TO such of the Indians as re-
fuse to give up the ghost dance.
May Bring on a Fight.
1t may be that this will settle the mat
ter without trouble and il may bring on
fight. The dancing is dying out, but it is
not certain whether it is treachery or ODE
dience that is causing the cessation. A
number of Rosebud Indians are here with
out passes, and their presence bodies no
good. All are unanimous in their asser-
tons of good will, but they are carefully
measuring the strength of the troops the
while
Toss Up between Peace and War.
Little Wound has refused to come into
the agency, saying that il the agent
wanted to see him he must call at Little
Wounds tepee. A squaw hanged her
self Saturday night to add to the excite
ment. At present it is toss-up be-
tween peace and war
More Troops HURRIED Forward
ST. Louis, Mo-, Nov "a --cAen Wesley
Merritt. commander of the ,seBartnent OF
the Missouri, at 8 o'clock yester-
day morning received instructions from
headquarters OF the army in Washington
to send troops at once to Pine Ridge
agency, the scene of the Indian trouble.
Gen. Merritt acco rdingly ordered regi.
ment OF the Seventh cavalry, consisting of
eight companies of about 900 men, under
command of Col Forsythe, and COM
pany o. artillery with battery of four
guns, commanded by Capt. Campron,
from Forr Riley, TO the scene of the
trouble. The troops left yesterday by
special train.
Seems to Have Been False Alarm.
CHICAGO, Nov. 24-Gen Miles yester-
day received dispatch from the COM
mander of the troops at Rosebud which
stated that the Indians there and at Pine
Ridge were preparing to advance on the