The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-15
The Battle Cry at the Fight of
Wounded Knee.
THE SETTLERS NEED FOOD.
How They are Placed at the Mercy of the In
dian-Bucks Use Squaws as an Ambus-
cade at Wounded Knee.

like prairie fire among the settlers and it
would not surprise me to know that more
than one very emphatic indignation meet
ing is on tap. Those VINO view the Indian
from afar, through a telescope, as it were,
are but little acquainted with the situation.
At one time your correspondent was a con-
vert TO the principles now entertained by
the religious enthusiasts and philanthro-
phists of the east; but, since seeing the real
cause and effect, am now on the other side
and conscientiously believe that any other
settlement of the present trouble than ''ball
cartridge pills. is doing the settlers of our
northwest the grossest of injustice.
Mlsfortunes seemingly never come
single handed, and as regards the
people of these border counties of
Nebraska, they have suffered from a two
year crop failure, then driven from their
homes by Indian scares. | do not intend
discussing mostintricate and badly mixed
question-concerning the IndIan-butI will
speak Of matters as they pass before my
very eyes. THERE'S now relief committee
with headquarters at Lincoln, who are
soliciting donations of food, cash and cloth
ing for the cold and hungry of twenty
counties. Do the people of the east know
this! Do they realize that our pioneers Of
this section
ARE SUFFERING FOR FOOD AND RAIMENT!
In connection and in addition to this. do
they know that these settlers had to flee
from the ranches they called their own and
flock TO towns to be fed and housed by the
charitably inclin> 4! Nebraskas wealth is
not great-that is, her treasury is not over
flowing. Her legislature made no appro-
priation for her military-and, whilst
her militia is not up to my eXpecta-
tlOQ. Judging from what I've seen
yet the thanks of many are due these boys,
who have left the counting room, bank,
mercantile establishment and railroad Of
fee, to promptly respond to their gov
ernor's call and go to the front. That many
companies OF this militia are denying them
selves comforts to assist the regular mill
tary cannot be gainsaid. AS to their quail
fcatlons, expertness in the use of their
arms, proficiency in their drill or bravery
If called into action, is something to be as
yet determined With this for preface,
shall continue my subject. The news has
spread that General Miles has received
positive Instructions from Washington to
spill no more blood than is positively neces-
sary until a delegation from the national
capital arrives to investigate and report on
the situation. To the settler this means an
inactivity among the troops and increased
activity among the Indians. The whole
reason of this committee coming out here is
because Sitting Bull was killed and the bat
tie of Wounded Knee fought.
The question naturally arises, was
TIE DEATH OF SITTING BULL
a national calamity, or was his existence as
turbulent, restless spirit essential to the
prosperity Of the great northwest? AS a
living menace to the settlers, as one OF the
shrewdest embodiments Of intrigue and
treachery, old Sitting Bull outranked any
mischief maker of this or any other age.
AS a medicine man, he planned through
his cunning, the trap for Custer in 1876,
and whilst he was a man of sense, more
than ordinary, ne is classed as the greatest
of the Sioux. With these facts staring Us
in the face with complete knowledge OF
the man, 1t seems strange that spark OF
sentiment in his favor was ever permitted
to be famed into flame by any of the en-
thusiasts of the east. If a white man
plans, murders and commits depredations
he is ranked as an outlaw and pays the
death penalty. Why accord such fate to
the white murderer, if one of Sitting Bull:
record is not to be handled in like man
ner. That he escaped the gallow.
on his return to the United State!
after the Custer massacre it is wonder II
all. This red murderer met just fate anC
that at the hands Of his own race. Blu
Sitting Bull lived in North Dakota, he him
self never paid his respects in late years Il
these people living about here; yet, to min
is directly due this outbreak, and when hi
light went out the root of the present evi
was struck hard blow. / have sent yol
full particulars of the Wounded Knee fight
Among the dead were squaws an,
pappooses. Twas owing to this Colone
Forsythe, of the Seventh cavalry, was re
lieved from his command. Do the reader
of the newspapers know or understan
how this came about? Do they know tn
position of the troops or Indians on tina
ae1n Tlr4 how iy,aOr hat he HID
were in council and were being arrange
for disarmament! To show that it was
IMPOSSIBLE TO DISCRIMINATE
and that it was only justice will quot
incidents of how the sQuaws acted on tina
day. During the fight. the muzzle of
rifle was noted as firing on several coca
sions from underneath a squaw's dress
This particular rifle was doing dead
work A few well directed shots from Jh
soldiery proved the conclusion that buc
was lying prone between the squaw's legs
Quite a number of bucks dressed themselve
as squaws 10 aid them in their devilment
These squaws were most industrious wit
both rifle and knife, and more than on
soldier now lies in his grave, having died b
their shooting or stabbing. The pappoose.
or children, were filled with the same mur
derous inclination, and several youngster
piled rife until shot. This fight was dull
Miles at Hermosa, S. D., whe
the latter wired General Brooke
report to General Scoield.
addition to the report General Miles adds
These Indians under Big Foot were anon
the most desperate. There were thirty
eight of the remainder of Sitting Bull
following that Joined Big Foot on tt
Cheyenne river, and thirty that broke ava
from Humps following when he took h
band and Sitting Bulls Indians to Fol
Bennett, making in all nearly one hundre
warriors. Before leaving their camps G
the Cheyenne river they cut up the
harness and broke their wagons, and starte
south for the bad lands, evidently not il
tending to return, but
TO GO TO WAR.
Troops were placed between them al
the bad lands and they never succeeded
Joining the hostiles there. All their NOV
nents were anticipated, and their seve
loss at the hands of the Seventh cavall
may be a wholesome lesson to the 9TH
Sioux General Schofield said that Il
fight was a most unfortunate occurrenc
but he DID not see how it could be avoide
He sent telegram to General Miles e,
pressing the opinion that he Miles wou
be master of the situation very soon.
also expressed thanks to the officers al
men of the Seventh cavalry for the gallal
conduct displayed by them.
Had the disarmament ever been attemptt
at Pine Ride agency, not a white won
have lived through it. In the agency
that time were Two Strikes and Kiclzir
Bears bands who were painting for gol
and had the medicine man of Big Fo
gotten in his work among them, the resi-
would have been most disastrous. The I
volt after surrender was unexpected al
the surprise was complete. In the mele