Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-19
THE BATTLE AT WOUNDED KNEE.
The Seventh Cavalry Had an Old Score to
Wipe Out.

wipe Out.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-The commits
sioner of Indian affairs has received
from Elaine Goodale, supervisor Of edu-
cation, The following letter, dated Pine
Ridge, Jan. 10:
Yours of the 9TH asking for a report of
the battle at Wounded Knee is received,
was not an eye witness 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
several days after the encounter.
The testimony of the survivors of Big
Roots band is unanimous on one import
ant point, namely, that the Indians did
not deliberately plan resistance. The
party was not war party, according to
their statements, which l believe to be
true, but Il party intending to visit the
agency at the invitation OF Red Cloud
The Indians say chat 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
shaking hands with the officers and men.
The domand for their arms was a surprise
to the Indians, hut the great majority of
them chose to submit quietly. The tepecs
Eai already been searched and large
number of guns, knives and hatchets con
iiscated 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 carried for domestic purposes, taken
from them. A number of the men had
surrendered their rifles and cartridge belts
when one young man, who is described by
the Indians as u good-ror-nothing young
follow, fired "A single shot This called
forth "A vol y from the troops, and the
firing and confusion became general
do not credit the statement which has
been made by some that the women
carried arms and participated actively in
the fight. The weight of testimony is
overwhelmingly against this suppositon.
There may have been one or two isolated
cases of this kind, but there is no doubt
that the great majority of the women and
children as well as many unarmed men
and youths, had 10 thought of any thing
but flight They were pursued up the
ravines and shCt down Unfortunately
by the soldiers.
1t is reported that one of the officers
called out: Don't shoot the squaws,n but
the men were doubtless too much excited
to obey. The killing of the women and
children was in part unavoidable, owing
to the confusion, but | think there is no
doubt that it was in many instances de-
liberate and intentional. The Seventh cav
airy, Clusters old command, had an old
grudge to repay. The Ia"ty Of scouts who
buried the dead report eighty-four bodies
of men and boys, forty-four of women and
eighteen 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. l TO rescue any
wounded who might have been abandoned,
and brought i'll seven, report that nearly
all the bodies of the men were lying close
about Big Foot's Sibley tent, while the
women and children were scattered along
n distance of tU o miles from the scene of
the encounter.
The main reflection which occurs to me
in connection with this most unfortunate
affair is that the same thing should not
be allowed to happen again. The irrre-
sponsibe action of one hot-headed youth
should not be the signal for general and
indiscriminate slaughter of the unarmed
and helpless.