The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-10-20
WOUNDED KNEE.
A Review of That Terrible Battle
with the Indians.
The Last Conflict Between Government
Troops and the Red Men-The
Brave Soldiers Who Lost
Their Lives in the Fight.

The battle of Wounded Knee is the
last fight that has taken place in the
United States between the Indians
and the regular troops. 1t may go
on record, says the Kansas City Times,
as the last Indian war in this country
after desultory conflict between
whites and reds lasting for four hum
dred years. In that long span thou
sands of lives have gone out in Indian
warfare. There have been massacres,
long wars, assassinations, blood
butcheries-all manner of conflict has
marked the advance of modern civili-
cation against the aborigine.
| Twenty-four United States soldiers
were killed at Wounded Knee, S. D.,
on Monday, December 90, 1890 The
battle was the elimination of an ex-
tended disturbance among the Indians
about Pine Ridge and Standing Rock.
Old Sitting Bull, the willy chief who
had so many times promised to be
good Indian, grew surly and threat
ened to gather his warriors and go to
the Bad Lands to begin winters
campaign against the settlers. Trouble
brewed all through the early part of
December, but until the middle of the
month no serious outbreak was ex-
pected by those of the whites who
knew the habits and disposition of the
Sioux. On December Is Sitting Bull
again announced that he was about to
lead the warriors away from the
agency Fearing that he meant to
put his threat into execution, the In
-
the aged chief. They proceeded to do
their duty and skirmish followed, in
which Sitting Bull was killed. The
news of the chiefs death and the man
ner of it served to infame the Sioux
nation and much war talk resulted.
At Washington, however, the old In
dian fighters thought that the death
of the principal chief would put an
end to the troubles.
Out in the bleak hills of South Da-
lota the war spirit of the Sioux was
growing. The death of the old chief
found the young braves nerved up to
struggle against the whites and onlya
word was necessary to name new
leader and to continue the work of
agitation. The flame was famed un-
til the closing days of the month, when
the battle of Wounded Knee began and
ended the war.
On that day the aroused Sioux at
tackled the Catholic mission at Pine
Ridge agency. The Seventh cavalry
arrived in time to engage the Indians,
and a terrific encounter ensued. Be
tween seventy-fve and one hundred of
the redskins were killed, and twenty
four United States soldiers were count
ed among the dead after the fight was
at an end. Among the Sioux leaders
were High Hawk, Little Wound, Big
Road, Two Strikes, Fire Lightning,
Young -Man-Afraid-of and
Spotted Elk Two Strikes and Little
Wound were in command.
The soldiers killed at Wounded Knee
were Capt George D. Wallace, Sergt.
Dyer, Sergt. Coffey, Sergt. Net
tie, Hospital Steward Pollock, Cor
poral Bone, and Privates Johnson,
Frey, Kelly, Cain, Book, Muir
ply, Killner, Hodges, Forrest, Newell,
McCue, Logan, Costello, Ragan, Chris
1t is to these brave men, whose battle
cry was Remember CUSTER" that the
Fort Riley monument was erected.
They lived there, and it was from that
place that they went off into the Da-
kota hills to fight the redskins in the
snow of December evening. Fitting
it is that under the shade of Fort Riley
should be a shaft to the memory of
these brave Indian fighters.
Since the battle of Wounded Knee
Two Strikes and Young Man-Afraid-of-
His-Horse have died. Two Strikes
was shot and killed few months ago,
and Observation-Disclosures
fell dead with heart disease only re-
Gently.
The Indians of the United States are
generally peaceful now, and there is
little chance for another outbreak.
The march of civilization was never so
rapid as at this moment. Let it be
hoped that the last Indian war is over.