River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-07-18
THE FIRST SIOUX WAR.
&c Was Brought About by the Loss of
Mich Cow

&c Was Brought About by the Loss of .
Mich Cow.
John Sullivan, perhaps better known
as "Broncho john" was in town the
other day. John used to be a cowboy
along the Platte river. His converse
ton turned TO the old days of Jules
burg and Laramie. did you know"
he said, that the first great Sioux war
was all over a new mich COW? Along
in 1865 two butchers were living in
Laramie lost a cow. The beast was
traced to an Indian village which was
pitched near old Fort Laramie. There
was a young lieutenant at the post
who tried TO recover the COW for the
butchers, but the Indians claimed that
the animal had been killed and eaten.
They agreed, however, to give the
butchers their pick of fourteen ponies
as payment for TIE COW. The offer
was refused. The butchers, believing
the Indians to be lying, induced the
young lieutenant to return to the post
and take his company 10 the village
for the purpose of coercing the Sioux
into surrendering the stolen animal
The Indians were seized with conster-
bhtN AAC SpANANASs
They hastily took down their tepees
and made other preparations for fight.
Before they could reach the hills, tie
soldiers, at the command of the young
lieutenant, fired vollev over the heads
of the scampering redskins.
The second volley was far more Sc
rious, for it laid half dozen r4ore
braves on the grass. The Siou. out
numbered the troops ten 10 one. and
their stampede, which had become gen
eral, was quickly turned into charge.
The soldiers were cut down almost to
man. Then, not appeased by the re-
venge they had wreaked, they marched
toward the post, which they confident
ly believed was at their mercy. Mean
time, however, word of the battle and
the approach of the thoroughly in
famed hostiles had reached the fort,
which was practically defenseless.
Less than a score of women, a few sick
soldiers and nine or ten children
were there to meet the savage
enemy. Something had TO be done
quickly. Hurriedly removing their
skirts and other evidences of their
sex, the brave women dressed
themselves in buckskin, and then,
rife in hand, and well weighted with
cartridges, they nervously awaited the
coming of the Sioux They were not
left long in suspense. A cloud of dust
IL the distance told of their approach.
Under the guidance of an aged nom
commissioned officer. the women
marched out of the fort and stood in
l..
as possible. The Sioux rode within
two hundred yards of the little band of
stout hearts and then came to halt.
II was seen that their chieftains were
in conference, and then, TO the surprise
of the remnant of the garrison, they
suddenly wheeled their horses around
and started back at furious Speed. 1t
has since been learned that they
thought the women were drawn up in
line outside the barracks merely as a
decoy to draw them nearer the post,
which, they further reasoned, was gar
risoned by other troops.
but the revenge of the Sioux did
not stop with the killing of the young
lieutenant's men. Like the sweep of
prairie fire, the savsges, led by such
bloodthirsty and crafty men as Red
Cloud. Crazy Horse and Spotted Tail,
devastated the country. Soldiers and
settlers fell by the score. and scarcely
a shack escaped the torch. 1t was dur
ing this raid that Gen. Fettcrman and
a large force OF soldiers were annihil-
ated, and all because of a mich COW!
Since 1868 the Sioux and the govern
Eent have haC many a bloody tilt, and
Red Cloud, the only survivor of the IA
nous triumvirate, is still an irreconcil-
able. Chicago Herald.