The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-12-04
XANDR LA" WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4. 1896 5000
MILES AND SITTING BULL.
The Generals Interviews In 1876 With
the T~reachcrous indian Chief. d.


MILES AND SITTING BULL.
The Generals Interviews In 1876 With
the T~reachcrous Indian Chief.
Made insolent by recent successes,
Sitting Bull in 1876 sent word to
Colonel Z. S. Otis, who was escort
ing n Of Miles supply trains, to
get out Of tho way, as be was scar
ing off the buffalo. IF you don't"
said the note, ~ will fight you
again. ! want you to leave what
you have got here and turn back. I
mean all the rations you have got
and some powder" Colonel Otis,
however, kept on, tho Indians from
time to time firing upon him.
When General Miles heard of this
affair, he moved after Sitting Bull
and on the 21st of October found
him near the head of Cedar creek.
The famous medicine man sent in a
flag of truce, and an interview was
held between the lines under an
agreement that General Miles should
take six persons with him and Sit
ting Bull also six. Htti1 @
"Sitting Bull" said the general
in telling the story to the writer,
spread out O blanket and wanted
mo to sit down upon it, but I stood
up while no sat down. AS we talk
ed ono and another young Indian
s%auntered up until there were per-
haps 10 or Is in a half circle. One
of my mon called my attention to
this. ] said to Sitting Bull, These
men are not old enough for council,
and unless you send them back we
will stop talking Soon afterward
the interview came to an end with
nothing settled. / found out later
from q scout and interpreter named
John Brughier that ono Indian NUT
tered, why don't you talk strong
to him?' and that Sitting Bull re-
piled, When I do thatI am goingto
kill him. Brughier also told mo
that one of the young warriors slip
ped a oarbine iupunder Sitting Bulls
buffalo robe. But l had in mind the
fate of Candy and had instructed
the troops on the ridge back Of US to
keep the spot in'range."
8 The next day came a second inter-
view. This general tried hard to in
duce the Indians to obey the govern
-ment and to go to their reservations.
Sitting Bulls answer was emphatic:
"The Great Spirit mado mo an In
dian. He did not make me an
agency Indian, and lido not intend
to be one.'' 8 .rjtr5e ia8gs$}
Seeing that furthor parley was
useless, General Miles gave an ulti-
matuln through the interpreter:
"Tell him that either ] will drive
him out of the country or he will
drive me out. / will take no ad-
vantage of the flag of truce and will
give him Is minutes to get back to
his lines. If my terms. are not &C.
cepted by that time, ! will open fire. y
Sitting Bull started up with a
grunt and rushed out in a fury, fol-
lowed by his chiefs, not stopping to
shake hands. In a very short time
the Indian lines were all astir with
yelling warriors and with ponies
scurrying about. and presently the
grass was burning here and there to
stop any advance Of the troops.
Miles had with him only 39S rifles,
while the Indians swarmed in far
greater numbers in front and on the
TANKS, but his men went forward
with q rush, and the hostiles were
driven twoscoro miles to the Vel
1owstone, leaving some Of their dead
in their 1ight.-George E. Pond in
McClure's Magazine.