Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-12-26
SLEEPING ON THEIR ARMS.

Daily Orders Given the Military To BE
Ready To Maroh-- Squaws SwarminE at
Pine Ridge.
The following dispatch, dated at Pine
Ridge Agency, Dec. 16, was sent to the
Omaha Bee by it's special correspondent
last evening:
For the second time everybody got ready
last night, even to the saddling of their
horses, for the long anticipated move on the
hostiles in the bad lands. Then came the
news Of the death of Sitting Bull, and later
a telegram from Gen. Miles, advising that
the troops here delay their movements until
the situation at Standing Rock had further
developed. Gen. Brooke conceded in this
and the order to march was countermanded.
Sunday night news went forth that the
troops would move before daybreak, and it
seemed so sure that every correspondent on
the ground wired his paper to that effect but
after waiting to go until the stars went out,
we went to bed thinking the news-reading
public could not be blamed if their faith in
the reportorial armylwas beginning to waver,
and this conviction was only increased when
last night wore away and no move was
made. Gen. Brooke told me this morning
that he thought the troops would move this
afternoon, and so it goes. Three fourths of
the military are sleeping in their uniforms
and on their arms from night to night. So
ouLS MSIC OuC VHlCSTS, every ono Ill Camp, Oh
going this morning, that last night they had
their tent stoves taken down and stored
away III the commissary department.. To-
day they are freezing in cold tents or catch
ing warming here and there in tho agency
Offices. In view of these facts it may he
the public will appreciate the position in
which the correspondents are placed in try
Ing to give the movements of the military,
and particularly when it comes to telling
the time that the all-important move of ell
will be made-to the bad lands
The news of Sitting Bulls death has thus
far produced no excitement whatever
among the Indians here, though none can
tell what they are thinking about. Few. if
any, of them will talk about it, and orders
have gone forth that no one shall question
them on the subject. The fact is, however,
that Bull was considered during the last
years of his life a little better than the av-
erage coffee cooler, u term snyonomous
with vagabQnd. At least such Is the esti-
nation in which he was held by very many,
If not all, the friendlics here.
The situation here at the agency is con-
sidered by the officials to be still at pre-
carious tension. AS result an equally
heavy guard is continued day and night,
and very eXacting orders about any one
moving to and fro after nightfall are
steadily and rigidly enforced. Rations are
being issued to the Indians again to-day,
and the swarm of squaws about the agency
storehouse is greater than ever.
very ugly feature in connection with
these squaws is that all, or nine out of ten
of them, have long butcher knives in their
belts and are not nearly SO pleasant as they
were three weeks ago.
A council attended by Red Cloud, Little
Wound and about twenty five others Of the
leading Indians here, the others being those
who were sent out to the bad lands Satur-
day to urge the hostiles in but failed. is
now in session. 1t is for the purpose of do
Gliding what to recommend to Gen. Brooke
to be done with the hostiles In the bad
lands. have the word Of the general him.
self that this is the purpose of the council
Thus in the interval of hearing further
from the situation at Standing Rock, Gen.
Brooke evidently intends to keep up with
and get as good an understanding as posi-
bic of the feelings of the Indians right in
our midst.
Two Strike and band, the general tells me,
are still jogging this way and are expected
to put in an appearance almost any time,
they being now only some eight miles from
the agency.