Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-16

A Letter Froa Mi.s Eisise oseaais is n.
l. gard 90 10.

A Letter Froa Mis- Eisise oseasis IN -
l. gard % n.
Indian Conmissioner Morgan today rec<lved
the following letter from Miss Elaine Gooaals.
the poetess. who IL the superior Of sdncatisn 81
Pine Ridge agency:
Yours a the 7th instant asking Tor = report
Of the battle az Wounded Knee g. received. 4
Was not an eve witness Of the ight and my N
formation has been obtained chiefly from In
dian prisoners who engaged in ID and half
breeds who we're present ana IRON parties mo
visited the battlefield several days Afssr The
encounter.
The testimony Of the survivors Of Big Fecss
band Is unanimous on one important pcint,
namely, that the Indians did not deliber1tely
plan Resistance. The party was not . va
party, according 70 their statements (which
believe TO be truel, hut a party intenSire 10
visit the agency al the in yitation Of Red Cleud.
Ihe Indians say that many OF the men rere
unArmed- When they met the troops they en-
ncipaied no trouble. There was constant
islendiy intercourse between the soldiers and
we incians, even women shaking hands nth
the officers and men. The demand for theix
arms Was q surprise 80 the Indians. but -
great majority Of them chose 10 submit auistly
The tepees had already been searched aud (.
Iarge number OF guns, knives and hatchets
oonfscatcd. when the searchin % Che psr-,rs
OF the men was begun. The women say that
they too we're searched. and their kuives xilck
they always carry for domestic purpose ts.ken
from them A number OF the men had eur
rendered their rifles and cartridge belts when
one Young man, who is described by the Indians
as a good-for-nothing young fellow, fired q
single shot This called forth a vollsy from the
troops and the hiring and confusion became
general.
l do not credit the statement which has lssen
made by some that the women carried srms
and participated actively in the fight The
weight OF testimony II Overwhelmingly against
this superstition. There may have been ono or
two isolated cases Of this kind. but there u no
doubt that the great majority Of the xcuen
and children, well a. many unarmed men
and youth. had no thought q anything but
night They were pursued MP the ravlneS and
shot down indiscriminately by the soldiers
IL is reported that one Of the officers called
out, Don't shoot the sqnavs." but the men
were doubtless too much excited 20 obey. The
killing OF the women and children was In part
unavoidable, owing 20 the confusion but
think there is no doubt that il was in many
cases deliberate and intentional. The seventh
cavalry, Clusters old command, had an old
grudge TO repay.
The party Of scouts who buried the dead re-
port eighty-four bodies of men and boys foftv-
four of women and eighteen of young children.
Some were carried OF by the ho~tiIes nun-
per oi prisoners, chiefly women, have since
| died OF their wounds. aud more vii
soon follow. The party who visited che
battle field on January l TO rescue sny
wounded who might have been abandoned aud
brought IN seven report that nearly all the
bodies of the men were living close about Dig
Foot's Sibley tent, while the women and chii-
dren were scattered along a distance Of $50
miles from the scene OF the encounter.
The main rejection which occurs 20 ma In
connection with this most unfortunate affair 10
that The same thing should not be allowed 10
happen again The irresponsible action Of one
hot-headed youth shonid not be the signal FOR
a general and indiscriminAte slaughter Of tbs
unarmed and helpless.