Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-21
GEN. GIBBONS INDIAN TALK
He Relates Some Interesting Experiences
on the Plains
RecoIIcctiOns of the Seminole War
The Indian Bureau Criticised-The
Language of Signs.


audience in the lecture hall of All Souls
Church last night with some "reminiscences
of his services among the Indians. Gen.
Gibbons experience with the Indians COM
menced in the Seminole war, as far back
as 1s49 He said the Seminoles were I'M
| doubtedly an offshoot of the Creek race of
Indians, the word Seminole meaning in
the Creek language runaway. IL Is
probable, therefore, that the Seminoles left
the Creek country in Georgia and went to
| Florida. where they shared the country
with the alligator, the buckfly and the
| mosquito. They became amphibious in
their habits. travelling around in canoes.
| The Semnoles retain many words Of the
| Creek language. Their name for the month
| of September was a word signfying the
| time of the little chestnut and October the
time of the big chestnut.
AS an instance of the habit of Indians
retaining legends and superStitions in their
tribes for generations, Gen. Gbbon related
an occurrence which happened during the
Yellowstone campaign. Being on the north
side of the Yellowstone river with his COM
.mand and Gen. Terry on the south of the
| river. Gen. Gibbon desired to communicate
with body of cavalry which appeared on
the opposite bank. The waters of the Vel
lowstone rushed between the two forces
in an ice cold flood. Gen. Gibbon called
upon the Crow scouts for volunteers to
They first anointed their bodies with a
yellow pigment and explained that it was
not for the purpose of protecting them
selves from the icy waters of the river,
but as protection against alligators.
These reptiles are not found in the waters
of the Yellowstone. but, as it was a legend
in the Grow tribe dating back to their
residency in some southern climate, the
practice was still maintained by the In
dams. who did not propose to take any
chances with alligators.
The Indian Sign Language.
East of the Rocky mountains the differ
ent tribes of the Indians communicate with
each other and with white men by means
OF sign language while west of the Rocky
mountains jargon called Chinook is used
Gen. Gibbon said it was remarkable how
much can be told by means of sign Ian
guage between people accustomed to it's
use. AS an instance of this he related a
circumstance of the Seminole war. Hos
Utilities appearing to be imminent between
the whites and the SeminoleS, under Billy
BowlegS. their chief ii was desired to COM
municate with the Indians to ascertain If
1t was really their purpose to go to war.
1t was very difficult to get at the Semi
noles, however, and no method seemed open
until one day a man came in from his
cabin down the coast and stated that he
had left there on account of his supposed
danger from Indians He had found upon
his cabin door a small white flag made of
heron'S wings attached to stick. On the
end of the stick were a twist of tobacco
and small string of beads. He said some
Indians had scrawled upon his door with
the end of burnt stick some signs. There
were three stars in line. then a full, round
circle. and then four more stars. These
signs were interpreted to mean that Billy
Bowlegs desired to have a peaceful smoke
and talk with the white men, that his mes
senger had been at the cabin three days
before the time of the full moon, and that
he would come again four days after the
10 of ha
white man. The Indians message was an
swered by the presence of the white
four days after the full moon, and sure
enough Billy BowlegS was on hand, q con-
ference was had. and it shown that
the Indians did not desire to engage in
general war, but that the outrages of
which the whites complained had been
committed by few unreliable bad Indians.
CriticisinG the Indian bureau.
Gen. Gibbon said the Indian is usually
driven into seeding from his reservation
by starvation or by the harsh treatment of
the white man. He said that the Indian
bureau. in its handling of Indian questions
will almost invariably do the wrong thing.
If there is a right way and wrong way
OF settling question experience has proven
that in a majority of cases the Indian bu-
reau will adopt the wrong way. He said
this is necessarily the case. because the
commissioner of Indian affairs is usually
ignorant of Indian matters, and he relies
upon the ADVICE Oh CIVILIAN agents, VINO
are in majority of cases as ignorant as
he is. Gen. Gibbon does not indorse the
idea that the only good Indian is a dead
Indian. On the contrary. the Indian has
many qualities which make him a giant
beside which the white man is a pgmy.
If an Indian is bad, it is because the white
man has made him so.
Gen. Gibbon closed his lecture with
sketch of a thrilling incident of the Nez
Perez campaign, where. for the first time,
he met the celebrated chief Joseph.