Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-12-01

plays a sOrrOwful air-in unison with the
mood in which we now return to our for
tress homes.
The expedition returned to the fort m
September LIST, having followed Whistler's
trail to the mouth of Powder river and
thoroughly explored the valley of the Vel.
lowstone, pushing the survey of the rail.
road to the westward.
This expedition encountered manv hostile
Indians who followed them on the march
to ana from the Yellowstone, but there
were no serious casualties, until, on the re-
turn trip within one days march of the
1ort' when being so near home, the vigil
lance OF the officers was relaxed and
Lleuts. Adair and Crosby were killed. No
) lndians mad been seen on that day and it
was thought they had given up the chase.
In the afternoon a small herd of frightened
and wounded antelope ran past the troops.
AnS0ld Indian fighter would have seen in
this, a favorite ruse of the Indians to lure
the officers from the troops. But several
OF the younger officers saw only an easy
prey for their rifles and galloped in pur-
suit OF the antelope. Lieut.. Crosby was
soon out of sight, following the wounded
antelope, and shortly afterward a force of
Indians appeared in full view on a
n%elghboring hill.
One of them called 1.-THE Gaul," we'll
known at Cheyenne agency as one of the
most worthless of the wards" of the gov
eminent, displayed some object on a pole,
which by the aid of glasses was discovered
by the soldiers to be the scalp of the un-
fortunate officer. Search vas at once made
and his horribly mutilated body was found
and carried to Fort Rice.
So dreadful was the mutilation of his
features, that none of his lady friends at
the fort were suffered to look upon his
face. He and Lieutenant Adair were
buried In the post cemetery on the same
day with military honors, by the returned
troops of the expedition.
The Indians mutilate their dead foes, be-
cause of their belief that in the world of
spirits they must exist destitute of the
members of the body of which they have
been deprived in this life.
AS an expression of the sentiment then
universally prevailing in the army in re-
gard to the Indian question, 1 put in exist
ence a letter written by myself to the est.
Paul Pioneer" Oct 81, 1872:
allow wish the eastern people could
see this Indian question as we of the west
do, who live in scenes of terror, and daily
have our ears panied and souls made sick
by some such tale of blood and outrage.
The Indian who killed Lieut.. Crosby did
so with a rifle furnished by the United
States government, and the knives that
mutilated mis- body were obtained from the
same benevolent source. The Indian who
killed him is we'll known. Yet what will
be the result?
For this act of atrocity, he will be en-
titled to wear another turkey feather IN
his headdress, and will be made a "big
chief" of his tribe. Next year he will
probably be taken to Washington by some
scheming Indian agent ambitious of a
free ride and a little cheap notoriety and
then be Toasted and caressed by the diRni-
taries and f%ashiOnables of that fastidi0us
capital.
1t certainly is not encouraging to United
States officers to know that they are in the
full discharge of their duty liable to
be shot down, or to meet death in some
horrible form, and with weapons furnished
by the government they have sworn to serve
and yet to know that any effort of revenge
or even of self defense, will be frowned
down and censured by the powers that be"
who are so anxious to avert the horrors of
al Indian war, that I verify believe they
would sacrifice every man, woman and
child of us rather than a hair of one of the
red heathen's head should be harmed. On,
l tell you, we army people have no pa
thence with such a method of preserving
peace. Rather let US have war; a war
short and decisive that shall effectually
teach the Sioux nation that the "Great
Father" is not the weak coward they think
him, but that instead he has a "strOng
heart" and will not only defend his brave
soldiers and officers, but will claim a swift
and earnest vengeance for their fall.
The "Great Father" cannot restore Adair
to his stricken family, or give back Crosby
to society, but he can punish their murder
ers and take prompt measures to prevent a
repetition of their crimes. If he does not,
then upon his head will rest the blood of
these martyred men who fell in the dis.
charge Of a great duty to the government
and to the world. We weep for them, but
we ask for justice on their murderers. and
pray earnestly for a change of policy that
shall enable some of u brave officers to
cut this Gordon knot with the sword and
so settle this Indian question forever, ever
If 1t should send half of the thieving
nations wards to the happy hunting
grounds their forefathers."
After so many years it may not be amiss
to state that this and many similar letters
on the same question were written at re-
quest of Gen. Crittenden and other officers
of rank and influence, who felt keenly on
this subject and yet were precluded by
their positions in the army from criticising
the action of the government in its singular
method of dealing with the Indians in the
west.
l have marked, more in sorrow than in
| anger, theifullfillment Oflmy prOphesy in re-