Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-08-06

camps. IOr good or Tor Ill, the Crisis
was at hand. Whatsoever doubt had
existed as to the almost universal hos
tility Of the Sioux was banished by the
events of the preceding week. The at
tempted ambush Of Sergeant Ellis, Of
Berrien's advance guard, the attack
upon the scouts and couriers at the Por-
cupine, and, lastly, the affair at the
Wolf, in which Brewster second time
had gained distinction, all pointed I'M
erringly to ono conclusion: whatsoever
might be their assurances to officials
high in rank, to agents whose power
would be at end were war to ensue, to
self constituted trainers Of public opin-
ion, every soldier on the spot knew, and
well knew, that the Indians would be
peaceable only in presence OF a formida-
BILE force Of bluecoats, but that nothing
but ambush and massacre awaited the
whites who ventured forth unguarded.
Up to this moment, however, Of all those
gathered at the scene the only troops
which had had actual collision with the
Sioux We're Of Berrien's battalion.
Far away south at the Pawnee old
Kenyon had been doing his utmost to
still the anxious fears among the fami-
lies of the absent soldiers. There had
been lively excitement when the papers
arrived giving sensational details Of Ber-
rien's wound and Of the affair at the
Porcupine, but it was rs nothing to that
which prevailed over the tidings of the
imminent peril in which Mrs. Berrien
and Winifred had been placed. That it
was just like Mrs. Berrien to insist on
joining her wounded husband at once
was conceded by all, but opinions diff
fered as to the propriety of her course in
taking Winifred with her. This the
major decided by prompt assertion that
Miss Berrien doubtless refused to be left
behind. And, being very lovely
i blending Of the characteristics Of both
i her parents" said he, sit would have
been decidedly unlike Miss Berrien to
have stayed at home"
And then came the dread news that
great band from the northeast, rein
forced by a reckless gang Of fanatical
young ghost dancers from the Bad
Lands, had broken away, and that all
the regiments had gone to head them off.
Far, without a fight, they could net 60.
The question was which regiment would
be the first to meet them. Then the
next nights mail brought the next days
| papers. and the Twelfth. having swung
4 loose and being absent from tho neigh.
4 borhood whence were derived the items
on which correspondents based their re-
ports and editors their comments, shared
the usual fate Of the absentee, and hay
ing sustained the only casualties and in
tlicted the only punishments yet heard
Of about the agency, was now coming in
for its share Of the otoujours tort to
which it was, of course, justly entitled
Kenyon first glared at and then exploded
over a dispatch which read somewhat as
follows:
All hope of bloodless solution Of the
difficulty is now at an end. Even the
most peacefully disposed among the res
ervation Indians are furious. over what
they do not hesitate to term the slaugh-
ter Of their clansnen in the three affairs
that have recently occurred, and it is an
open secret that at general headquarters
the gravest annoyance is felt over the
total overthrow of carefully laid plans,
all caused by the injudicious conduct of
certain hot headed officers of cavalry
The friends Of White Wolf, the princi-
pal brave shot by Major Berrien's
troopers, declare that he and those with
him We're friendly and were only striving
to reach the major with the news that
couriers We're coming, hoping thereby to
earn something to eat, for they were
cold and hungry when they were fired
on without warning, and even while
making signals of peace and friendship
White Wolf was slain. Then the Brules
who were with them could not be re-
strained and attacked the couriers in re-
venge
AS for the affair at Wolf creek after
the blizzard there is unspoken denuncia-
ton among the Indians, and the 'damna-
ton Of faint praise in other quarters Of
the conduct of a cavalry officer present.
The Indians declare they had gone out
only to gather up their ponies. Thesight
Of the mules told them there must be an
ambulance stalled somewhere in the
drifts, and they were eagerly searching
for it to render succor and aid when
they were fired upon from ambush by
the lieutenant and his men, and two Of
their ponies were killed and one young
Indian shot through the leg. The In
dians declare they could easily have
killed Major Berrien, but merely stroye
to defend themselves and explain, and
that had they been hostile they could
have finished the lieutenant and his little
squad at the Wolf creek crossing long
before reinforcements came. Altogether,
there is something so plausible in their
statements that it is understood that the
conduct both Of the major and at least
one Of his subalterns will be made the
subject Of official investigation.
well, WELL wellF' said Kenyon.
Thank God I'm not serving q grateful
nation in the heart of the Indian coun-
try. It's bad enough to be shot and
worse to be lied about, and that is all
the comfort there is in being cavalry
man, if do say it who am nothing but
a cross grained old crank OF adoughboy.
If this is what the Twelfth is to get for
a mere affair of outposts,' what the
devil will be said Of them if they should