Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-12-11
A PERILOUS MISSION.


Indians-Their lmpregnabie Position.
PINE RIDGE AGENCY, s D.. via Rush
vile, Neh, Dec 6.-As perilous mis-
sion as a man of God has undertaken
for many day toward averting great
bloodshed and loss of human life was
completed to-day when good Father
julie, the Catholic priest whom General
Brooke requested to go out and talk
with the rampant hostile Indians, re-
turned to the agency. He was accom-
panied by Jack Red Cloud
Ten miles from the hostile camp they
were halted by the enemies pickets,
who 1eveled their guns on them and
held them until an Indian runner could
be sent into the camp and inquire
whether or not they were to be adj
mitted. A favorable reply was received
and they proceeded on, but between the
muzzles of Winchesters
The chiefs met Father julie in coun-
Gil. Those present were Two Strikes,
the head chief. Turning Bear. Short
Bull, High Hawk, Crow Dog, Kicking
Bear, Eagle Pipe, Big Turkey and Big
Pipe. The pipe of peace was conspicu-
ously absent
Father julie opened the council by
asking the chiefs to state the particul ar
cause of the grievance that had led
them to assume SO startling an attitude
of war.
Their replies were substantially as
follows:
''We object to the recent census re-
turns made by Mr.. Lee. His enumera-
ton as he is now making it would not
give food sufficient for us to live on.
Lee published less, many less for each
tepee than the tepee con- ains
1--WE are to receive food according to
that enumeration. We shall starve,
we know we shall starve if the Great
Father chooses to lay the trap to chea It
US We will have one big eat before the
time comes. After that we shall fight our
last fight and the white man shall see
more blood, more dead by Us from our
guns than ever before. Then we shall
go to the last hun ting ground happy
eff VIII tie men do not mean to cheat
US out OF food, the Great Father never
would have sent sold ers. There is no
need of soldiers if the Great Father in
tended to be fair with US We know he
intends cheating us by the way the CEN
sus man is now putting down figures
that lie, and by which we are to be fed.
0ISdG dtuSr has OOEo dQOInor
wrong He put a new line. a new
boundary line, between Rosebud and
Pine Ridge agency that makes many of
US leave our homes and give them to
| others The Great Father broke the
| old treaty when he did this We can
| no longer believe the Great Father"
The chiefs agreed to meet General
Brooke.
While in the camp Of the hostiles
| Father julie said he saw between 1. OOO
and 200 young braves all fully armed
and supposes from the size of the camp
and the great number of pickets out
| that the hostiles numbered over 9. O0O
| fighting men. He saw large mum
bers of cattle being driven in
| from from all directions, slaughtered
| all about the camp and the meat
| being cured The camp is, he says, re-
markably we'll fortified with embank.
ments and finely constructed rifle pits.
considering that Indians did the work.
The camp is wholly inaccessible, he
says, by military otherwise than on
foot and single file, and as to using
| cannon or such pieces as Calling or
Hotchkiss guns, such thing is out OF
| the question.