The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-12-10
EXCITED INDIANS.
Preparing for the Expected
Coming of Their Messiah.
Large Bodies of Troops Ready to
Quell an Uprising.

I
The Indians throughout the West nave
been in a great state of excitement because
of the expected coming of Messiah who
would restore them the lands now held by
the whites. Their religious enthusiasm has
found vent in pow-wows, feasts and 'tnS
ghost Dance So frenzied did they becoms
at some of the agencies that trouble was
feared, and troops were concentrated at
various points to protect the Isolated
settlers, who would be the first to suffer IN
case of an uprising. Late details Oh the
condition of affairs are given III dispatches
as follows: -..s
The largest force that has been mustered
in the west since 1861 is in the region about
Pine Ridge Agency, where there are 1O0o In
dians all told. The reinforcements were sent
by reason of tie aivices received from Gen-
oral Brooke, who was disposed to take very
serious view of the situation. The troops at
every fort or army station i'll Missouri, Ne,
brasSa- Dakota, Minnesota, Montana and
Wyoming have been drawn upon, ana other
detachments of the army are under oraers 20
hold themselves in readiness. Apparently
General Miles believes that II the INDIANS 10
90 on the warpath the campaign against them
will he q protractei one, for he is moving
field artillery and large quantities OF amnunl'
tion and supplies as we'll as cavalry and IN
santrv The troops are under orders not to
attack the Indians until they do something
mora wariike than dancing. Instructions are
TO preyent trouble if possible by persuading
Indians to return to the agency.
The War Department is giving every as
sistancs in its power to General Miles. In
addition to the military force in his division
% 1rr fo arlZNn0
and New Mexico and Texas, large force
from Fort Riley, including TIVE light bat
terias OF artillery, i:cye-b been rvrwarae,s tU
Pine Ridge Agency to reinforce his COM
mand. -,
General Schoield has instructed General
Miles to find out if the cause of the present
dissatisfaction among the Indians Is due
more to lack of rations than to their oehet III
the coming of the new Messiah. Ihere are
plenty OF reports on that subject already IN
the hands of the War Department, ana all OF
them declare that the Indians have oeen un.
paid and underpaid, and that their petltions
For more rations have been disregarded by
the Indian Bureau In accordance with the
instructions Colonel Heyl, Inspector General,
Ieft for the West, and will visit all the army
posts and most Of the agency stations.
Am officer at Los Angeles, CAL. writes to
General Miles that he has no doubt that the
Indian Messiah is one johnson Sides, sort OF
self-appointed missionary among. the In
dams, and known as the "PeacemaSer." ne
called on the writer Of the letter last spring
and said he had been visited by Indians from
MANY localities to whom he delivered the
Bible story of Christ's mission on earth.
The officer believes that the story, by fire.
suent repetition, has gradually developed In
to the now well.known story OF the lndlan
Messiah.
Buffalo Bill, who went West to be on hand
in case of an uprising declared that no IS IN
favor of taking care of Sitting Bull as one OF
the first moves toward settlement Of the In
dian troubles. ssOf all the bad Indians, I"
said he, Sitting Bull is the worst. Rock
Bear and Red Shirt are fighting chiefs and
will do whatever is necessary to defeat Sit
Ting Bull. They were with me. He can al
ways be found with the disturbing element,
and if there is no disturbance he will foment
one. He is dangerous Indian. and his con
duct now portends trouble. Old Red Cloud,
who is disposed to be friendly to the whites,
was the leader of the Fort Phil kearny mas
sacre. He has son who is out with the
Ghost Dancers and looking for chance to
win his spurs. The best fighting blood OF
the Sioux tribe as well as of the Cheyennes is
represented in the dancers. What appears
most oninous to me is the widespread in
fiuence of this Messiah movement. The In
dians do not telegraph nor write lettefs.
They cannot communicate except by courlerS,
vet we find all these Western tribes from the
coast to the Mississippi and from British
Columbia to Arizona dancing the Ghost
Dance and looking for the coming of their
great leader. Several Of the chiefs will as.
sist the whites"
Stewart, the saddler at Standing Rock
Agency, while out buggy riding visited the
Indian camp four miles from town, and saw
the Indians perform the Messiah dance. They
were all nearly naked and painted hideously.
They gathered around Stewart and one In
dian pointed toward the blazing sun, shook
Stewart with the other hand and shouted
See! See! There he is now. The Indian
Messiah is coming now. See! Seep Stewart
acknowledged that he saw the Messiah and
the Indians seemed greatly pleased.
A ranchman named Scoville, who left his
his place near Rosebud to take refuge at
Pierre. South Dakota, talked recently with
some of the Messiah Indians. They said that
the Indian did not stop the white man from
worshiping his Great Spirit, and that If
the white man tried to stop the Indian he
would fight and kill ali the whites that came
near. He only wanted to be left alone to dance,
and no whites must come about. If the Great
Father sent soldiers to stop them they would
be served like Clusters soldiers were. The
consensus of opinion at Pierre was that affairs
were at a critical stage among the Indians,
and that the least thing would precipitate an
outbreak, but if no interference was offered
to the fanatics the excitement would pass
off