The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-02-13
THE WOUNDED KNEE FIGHT.
A Full Description of the Battle From
the Indians Standpoint.

A Full Description of the Battle From
the Indians Standpoint.
WASHINGTON, Feb. n.-The Indian
conference was closed today, and the In
dams will start home Friday The fea-
lures of today's talk was the story of the
fight at. Wounded Knee. Turning Hawk
said:
At given time when the men had de-
Eyered up their guns they were separa-
ted from their families and taken to a
certain spot. A crazy man, young
man OF very bad Influence, fired his gun,
killing an officer. The other Indians
began drawing their knives, although
men were exhorted from all sides to de-
sist, and firing began Immediately on
the part of the soldiers. All men, who
were in q bunch, were killed right there.
Those who escaped the first fire got into
ravine, and as they went along the ra-
vine for long distance were pursued on
all sides by the soldiers and shot down.
The women had no fire arms to fight
with. They were standing off at diff :
ferentplace and when the firing began,
those of the men who escaped the first
volleyfwent in one direction, up in the
ravine, and the women in another,
through an open field. Some of them
met the same fate as the men.
American Horse said: 4
When the firing commenced, the peo-
pie who were standing Immediately
around the young man who fired the first
shot were killed, and then the soldiers
turned their guns on the women, who
were In the lodges, standing there under
the flag of truce. Of course, as soon as
they fired upon they fed. There was a
woman with an infant in her arms killed
as she almostSt the flag sof truce.
Right near the flag another, was shot
down, Her child not knowing the
mother was dead, was still nursing, and
that was very sad sight. The women,
as they were fleeing with their babies on
their backs, were killed together, and
the women heavy with child were also
killed.sg After most of the Indians. had
been killed, the cry was made that all
those not killed or wounded should come
forth and they would be safe. The little
boys, who were not wounded, came out
of their places of refuge, and as soon as
they came in sight a number of soldiers
surrounded and butchered them.
Commissioner Morgan here said to the
interpreter: g q 5'czJ 1 az =
5'tsI wish you would say to him that
these are very serious charges to- make
against the sarmy.SIs do not want any
statements that are not absolutely true,
and want anyone here that feels the
statements are two strong to correct
them. - -
tsOf course, . replied American Horse,
"it would have been all right if only the
men were killed, but the fact of the kill
ing of the women, and more especially
the young boys and girls, who are to
make the future strength of the Indian
people we feel very seriously" .ttDoes
American Horse know these things of
his now personal knowledge, or has he
been told them?'' asked the commits
sioner, 81 was not there at the time, but
before the burial of the bodies did go
there with some Indian police and many
people from the agency, and we went
through the battlefield aud saw where
the bodies were from the track of blood, "
was the reply. @ dS
Rev. Mr.. McGeok, Sioux half breed,
pastor of the Episcopal church at Pine
Ridge, among other things, said:
+ Much has been said, about the good
spirit with which the members of the
Seventh cavalry went into that action.
1t has been said the desire to avenge
Clusters death was entirely absent from
their minds. In coming towards Chic
agotin company with General Miles I
talked with his own scout, who was al
most killed because he was compelled to
fly with the Indians, being fired upon by
men whom he tried to serve and help.
He, told me that after. he had recovered
from his fright and succeeded in getting
amongst the soldiers, after they all got
in from killing the Indians, an officer of
high rank, he did not know who, came
to him and said: f'Now we have ayen-
ged Clusters death 10 and the scout said
to him, Yes, but you had every cause
+ to fight for your lives. that day. These
poor Indian people did not have thatiop-
portunity. to protect their,opeople and
fight for themselves. If this is an, indi-
cation of the spirit of number of men
in that company, 1 am sure the Seventh
cavalry did not go there with the kind
poor people back" - II y
After several others had spoken the
commissioners declared the conference
at an end.