Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-17
A SIOUX DEFENSE.
Elaine GoodaIe, Who Is to Wed an
Indian, Speaks for the Braves.
THE BATTLE AT WOUNDED KNEE,
She Says, Was a Deliberate Slaughter by
the Excited Soldiers.
SEVENTH CAYALRY'S GRUDGE REPAID

wAsHIN GToN, Jan. 16.-The Commis-
sioner Of Indian Affairs'has received from
Miss Elaine Goodale. Supervisor of Educa-
ton, the following letter. dated Pine Ridge,
January II:
Yours of the 7th instant, asking for a re-
port OF the battle at Wounded Knee, is re-
ceived. 1 was not an eyewitness OF the
fight, and my information has been obtained
chiefly from Indian prisoners. who engaged
in it, and half-breeds, who were present, and
from parties who visited the battlefield sew
cral days after the encounter. The testi-
mony of the survivors of Big Foot's band is
unanimous on one important point, namely,
that the Indians did not deliberately plan q
resistance. The party was not war party,
according to their statements (Which l be-
lieve to be true), but party intending 70
visit the agency at the invitation OF Red
Cloud.
Indian Side of the Story.
"The Indians say that many of the men
were unarmed. When they met the troops
they anticipated no trouble. There was
constant friendly intercourse between the
soldiers and the Indians, even women shak-
ing hands with the officers and men. The de-
mand Tor their arms was surprise to the
Indians, but the great majority of them
chose to submit quietly. The tepees had
already been searched and a large number of
guns, knives and hatchets confscated when
the searching OF the persons Of the men was
begun.
''The women say that they, too, were
searched, and their knives, which they al
ways carry for domestic purposes, taken
from them. A number OF the men had sur
rendered their rifles and cartridge belts,
when one young man <who is described by
the Indians as good-ior-nothing young fell
low fired off a single shot This called
forth volley from the troops, and the firing
and confusion became general.
Defense of the Squaws.
"We do not credit the statement made by
some that the women carried arms and
participated actively in TIE fight. The
weight OF testimony is overwhelmingly
against this supposition. There may have
been one or two isolated cases of this kind,
but there is NO doubt that the great ma
joritv of the women and children, as we'll as
many unarmed men and youth, had no
thought of anything but flight. They were
pursued up the ravines and shot down in
Discriminatory by the soldiers.
ut is reported that one of the officers
called out: Don't shoot the squaws,' but
the men were doubtless too much excited to
obey. The killing OF the women and chill
dren was in part unavoidable, owing to the
confusion, but think there is no doubt
that in many cases there was deliberate and
intentional killing. The Seventh Cavalry,
Clusters old command, had an old grudge
to repay.
The Killed and Wounded.
"The party of scouts who buried the dead
report 81 bodies of men and boys, A of
women and 18 OF young children. Some
were carried off by the hostiles. A number
OF prisoners, chiefly women, have since died
of their wounds, and more will soon follow.
The party who visited the battlefield on JAN
uary l to rescue any wounded who might
have been abandoned, brought in the report
that nearly all the bodies of the men were
lying close about Big Foot's Sibley tent,
while the women and children were scat
tered along distance of two miles from the
encounter.
'The main reflection which occurs to me in
connection with this unfortunate affair is
that the same thing should not be allowed to
happen again. The Irresponsible action Of
one hot-headed youth should not be the sig
nal for general and indiscriminate slaugh-
ter OF the unarmed and helpless