St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-11
THE GORDON CLOSING
Gen. Miles Living Wall Of
Troops Drawing Nearer
the Hostiles.
Trouble Anticipated When the
Final Act of Disarming
Occurs.
indians Say That Miles Must
Fight or Get OFF the Res
ervatiOn.
Old Red Cloud Estimates the
Hostile Force at Seven
Thousand.

PINE RIDGE AGENCY, S. D., Jan. 10
New reports that the hostiles had at
length made up their minds to return to
the agency attracted general attention
to-day. 1t was quite generally believed
that, according to the alleged pro-
gramme, the hostileS would camp to-
night at the mission near the scene of
tbe engagement between Gen. Forsythe
and the Indians OH the 29th ult. They
would there be met, it was said, by q
detachment from the agency and es-
corted to this place. 1t was still an
open question where or when the In
dians were to be disarmed. No doubt
will be expressed that when disarm-
ing was attempted trouble might be eX-
pected. 1t was thought that the hos
tiles would not be able to determine
whether they would he deprived of
their arms and ammunition, while
alleged friendlieS could traverse the
agency as they do now. armed almost to
the teeth. The selection of the spot in
which to disarm them has been serious
question. The work could not be done
In the middle of the agency, neither
could it be done where the ground was
broken. The latter place would be the
Indians traditional fighting ground, and
in case of treachery great damage might
be done. Meanwhile the Gordon of
troops in the several commands Of
Brooke, Carr, Wheaton, Illsley, Sanford
and Penny has been drawing closer
around the hostiles, Gen. Miles to-day
having issued orders for advance on all
sides from three to six miles. This
move was ordered to be made with care.
The principal idea was to keep the
Indians toward the reservation and
at the same time to allow them
TO halt on the spot on which they might
have an advantage over the troops.
Gen. Miles has ordered the displace-
ment of the Indian police who have
been on guard duty both at the stations
and post around the agency, He in
structed supplying their places with
soldiers. This move has been variouSly
interpreted, but it seems patent, how
ever, that the general reason was that
he wanted only white men OH duty. No
reports were received to-day as to
whose houses were destroyed on Friday
along Wounded Knee creek. At this
distance it was considered the work of
hostiles, and was not viewed as favor
able evidence of the Indians good will.
Young -Man-Afraid- of-His-Horses, how
ever, did not think his home had been
destroyed.
The settlers have every confidence in
the troops in the field and the COM
manders. The fact that such desper-
ate fight as the Wounded Knee affair
occurred, and was not Immediately fol-
lowed by a general war, is taken as
sufficient evidence of the skillful man.
agement of Gen. Miles. The people
here understand, from very good au-
thority, that the government is deter
mined to disarm the Indians, and believ-
ing this. they can predict no other
possibility than desperate fight to eX-
termination. They believe there was a
conspiracy among the Indians to go on
the war path in June next, which was
ripening when Sitting Bull was shot.
His death forced the fight in advance.
Big Foot, who was one of his lieuten-
ants, endeavored to carry out the willy
old Indians plans, but could only con-
troll his own followers. 1t is be-
lieved that while a few of the In
resist any endeavor to make them give
up their arms. An Indian without a
rifle is only half an Indian. 1t is not
learned from official sources, but every
one understands that the orders from
Washington up to this time have been
to diSarm the Indians but not to kill
them. Such an order would mean for
the troops to remain surrounding them
for one, two or perhaps twelve months
in active service and subject to the har-
rasslng annoyance of Skirmishing and
treachery, with the
Fate of Lieut.. Casey
before them. 1t is believed here that if
Gen. Miles had his way he would have
notified the Indians long ago, as he has
done now, that they must come in by a
certain time and surrender or be ami
hilated, and this course has received
universal appreciation. The delay has
made every one feel as if he were on
the eve of a battle and the conse-
quence is that settlers sacrificed the
work of years to take their families
to places of safety. The Elkhorn
River S5 Missouri Valley railroad train
which went out last night had one coach
in which there were thirty mothers
with babes in their arms, besides other
children. Deserted ranches are pill
laged by the bad characters, who are
plentiful, and those who have left their
ranches will find little at home when
they return. The Indian ranches which
have been left by-those who have joined
the hostiles will not escape. The
main hope here is based on the
change in the position of the two armies
which has occurred during the. last
three weeks. Up to that time the In
dians were masters of the situation.
They could have made successful out
break in any direction, but they have
held back long enough to enable Gen.
Miles to place troops around them. This
gives the military the mastery. The
settlers feel. however, that the soldiers
must be defeated before they will be in
danger, ,and that they will have sufficient
time to get away. Still many are leav-
ing, expecting general battle to-mor-
row.
To Avoid Surprise.
Greatest precautions have been taken
to guard against any surprise. Breast
works have been strengthened; artillery
been placed OH the site commanding the
friendly camp and roads leading into the
agency. Hotchkiss guns cover the other
approaches and detachments,Of the Sew
enth cavalry and the First Infantry are
stationed at most advantageous points.
This afternoon pickets were sent
out quite distance from the agency,
and the Indian police and scouts
about the agency have been reinforced
by number of white soldiers. 1t was
deemed better to do this than to re-
lieve the Indians altogether, as
was at first contemplated. Gen.
Miles and staff inspected all of the
approaches and defenses this afternoon.
The general expressed himself as salts
fed, and nothing now remains save
to wait for the arrival Of the
hostileS tomorrow.