Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-26
AT WOUNDED KNEE.
Results of a Star Correspondents In
vestigation Of the Bloody Fight.
THRILLING BATTLE SCENES.
How Squaws and Children Were Killed
Desperate Bravery of the Indians-Grit Be
meath Blue Coats-Facts That Throw Light
on the Mystery of the Fight.
Staff Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Staff Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
WOUNDED KNEE. s d., January 81.
couple of score of dead horses, rotting in
the remarkably mild weather which has made
this winter memorable, the burned and ash
strewn remnants of an Indian camp and long
grave are the only featuresthat remain to identify
the battle ground on which Big Foot and his
hostile band attacked the troops under Gen.
Forsythe and were speedily resolved into moth
ing more than bloody memory. No combat
with the white man in recent years resulted SO
disastrously TO the red man the one which
took place on the field I wandered over today.
The result Of that struggle proved very conclu-
sively to the Indians Of South Dakota that
while the government of the United States may
be of a very mild character and somewhat
shiftless power. in times of peace it is prompt
and terrible when 1t sees the necessity for in
slant action. With this example before them
the braves of Pine Ridge and Rosebud and
Standing Rock will be slow to put on their
paint and will deliberate with much delibera-
don ere they reach for the tempting scalp lock
of the invading and undoubtedly rapacious
white man.
ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
Standing amids: blackened mass of debris
which was at o'clock on the morning of De-
cember 30 a po.,ion of the household equip
ment of Chief Big Foot. wondered how even
fanatical savages could so far lose that shrewd-
ness which is q marked feature of the abOrigi-
nal character as to assault the force Of troops
that surrounded them on every hand. The odds
were Overwhelmingly against the Indian and
nothing but firmly implanted belief that the
soldiers intended to shoot them down as soon
as they were disarmed could have made Big
Poots followers fight. On long and narrow
stretch OF fiat prairie was the Indian camp on
that fateful morning thirty-two lodges in all.
Less than ore hundred and fifty yards to the
north was the cavalry camp. Between the two
temporary villages the council was held and
there the male Indians were gathered together.
South Of the Indians and not more than thirty
yards away was troop h Of the seventh cavalry;
on the west was troop Is To the east and
across the agency road, but less than a hundred
yards distant, was troop q. Further northwest
than any other of the force troop E-on
the brow of a gentle eminence and covering
the right flank Of light battery E of the first
artillery-while the eastern slope Of that same
hill was occupied by one-third Of A and l
troops. Across dry ravine, on surface that
sloped upward to the west were two-thirds of
A and troops and in their immediate rear
we're Lieut.. Taylors Indian scouts, mounted.
They, in turn, were supported by troops G and
ID of the seventh about a hundred yards to the
south.
THE SCENE BEFORE THE FIGHT.
ty could the hostiles get away alive and yet they
fought. They had calculated that death and death
only was staring them in the face and through
all the preceding night for they were captured
ON the 2sth) they had discussed the matter
thoroughly. Big Foot sick, yet he coun-
seled strife and in this he was strongly sup
ported by the medicine man, who insisted that
a massacre by the soldiers would follow the
surrender of the arms; therefore was it that on
that morning these Indians were prepared to
die like warriors-to depart this life in a man.
ner that would comport with the traditions and
history Of the great Sioux nation. There was
nothing that had the appearance of trouble
when Gen. Forsythe commenced the work of
collecting guns, knives and war clubs. few
Of the younger braves had painted themselves
more gorgeously than was usual and there was
an unanimously sullen look on every hostile
face, but no one gave serious consideration to a
little more or less Of paint or disputed the right
of prisoner to look ugly. Interpreter Wells
had been watching the medicine man. who, in q
long buckskin robe, WAS making mysterious
genudexions and uttering polysyliabic words of
command. In few seconds Wells warned Gen.
Forsythe that there would be trouble, but the
words were hardly out of his mouth when the
necromancer threw two hsndsful Of dust in the
air. What followed is a matter Of record. One
offcer-Capt. G.. ID. Wailace-six non-commis-
stoned officers and eighteen privates were i'm
mediately killed; three officcrs-Lieuts. Z. A.
Darlington and j. c. Gresham of the seventh,
and H. L. Hawthorne of the second artillery,
eleven non-commissioned officers and twenty
two privates were wounded. One OF the
wounded troopers has since died. Just where
Capt. Capron's battery did such awful execu-
ton in q grave in which rest the remains Of l43
Indians-men, women and children.
WHAT REALLY OCCURRED.
More than q little has been said-and the
matter may be still further discussed
the killing Of the women and children. have
been especially careful In seeking the truth as
to the Wholesale slaughter of those who are
generally regarded rs non-combatants. feel
confident that the facts have boon secured and
that they are now being published for the first
time. When the Indians fired their first volley
il was directed ut troop X, which was stationed
directly in front Of the Indian camp. To any
man possessed Of common sense il would seem
that no better means could be taken to secure
| peace than TO place troops where they could, II
necessary. fire ut the bucks. while II the bucks
fred Ut them great proportion Of the damage
done would necessarily be to the women and
children Of the resisting hostiles. Through
troop X the bullets whistled and the many
missiles that missed the soldiers found unex-
pected Judgment in the bodies of relatives and
| sympathizers- This, however. would only ac-
count for a small number OF the squaws and
littls ones who were dead or seriously wounded
when the fight was ct an end. A few Of the
| women and some Of the older boys-younesters
of twelve or thirteen ysars-were actively en-
gagged IN shooun8 AZ everybody and everything
that looked like q soldier, and a. matter Of
course they wore sooner or later stopped in
their mad career, but the great majority Of the
| weak and young were shot down in cold blood.
shrieking women and terrified children ran
hither and thither for shelter, ceasing only
when leaden command babe them lie down
forever or doomed them 70 . crippled and pain
| full existence. When . Hotchkiss shell bursts
In the midst Of . group Of Indians
| of both ssxss then the combaaants are the
unfortunate victims Of war, for il an Indian or
any one else could Ghoot behind his vifos petti-