The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-08-02
The BannOck War.

1t is about as difficult to get any
true reports from the Indian war in
Wyoming as from therebellion in Gu
ba. The accounts of massacres" of
whites and of fights that come one day
are sure to be contradicted the next,
with more assertions and contradictions
to follow. All that is certain is that
there is bloody trouble on hand and the
United States troops are required on
the scene.
But the causes of the trouble are
reasonably clear, even from the ac-
counts of the whites and it is the old
story of nearly all our Indian wars
from Red Jacket to Sitting Bull, a
story of greed for land, of aggression
and oppression against the redskins
that makes up a record OF national sin.
Certain rights were conceded TO the
Indians, as for example the right to
hunt and range over a wild section of
country. But in the exercise of this
right they have come in collision with
the incrowding ranchmen and drovers
and a number of their men have been
killed and this was the signal for ven
geance and war. 1t is claimed that
the local game laws conflicted with
the national law or treaty stipulation.
Indian Agent Teter says: 1.-The set
tiers decided year ago that if the In
dians returned this summer they would
break up their custom of hunting in
this section" So they seized II OF
the hunters and because of an attempt
to escape. as the white party who were
more than twice as numerous claim,
every one of the Indians was slaugh-
tered on the way back to Jackson Hole.
Obviously the thing to have been done
if the Indians were transcending their
rights, was to make complaint to the
Indian bureau. Instead the settlers
themselves disregarded the law. broke
the peace and started a war for the
openly avowed purpose of eXpirating
neighbors they don't like. They de-
cided over year ago to ''break up
this practise of hunting which had
been accorded by the national govern
ment and every Indian who fell into
their hands met his death, with a very
unsatisfactory story from the settlers
to explain it. Mr.. Teter says:
The settlers are thoroughly alarmed
and they surely have good reason to
be- The Indians look upon the kill
ing of their warriors as nothing short
of murder, and are now undoubtedly
preparing to avenge their deaths.
There are Indians, however, scattered
all through the country, and it is not
safe for white men to go out alone.
The Indians shoot from ambush at
every white man who makes his ap
pearance, and the whites have adopted
the same tactics toward the Indians.
The settlers have congregated at sew
eral points to protect themselves.
Gen. Nelson A. Miles, now at Govern
or's Island, was in command of the |
Bannock district at the time of the |
Indian war II years ago and he says
its cause was very like that of the
present and every other Indian war, /
deceit, double dealing, or injustice on
the part of the whites. The game in
the Yellowtone park has undoubtedly
attracted the Indians, and it appears
to Gen. Miles as if a party of irrespon
slble settlers or cowboys had gone after
a hunting party and captured it.
Speaking of the reported killing of
these Indians, Gen. Miles says that
probably many an innocent settler
would pay with his life for the acts of
these men,. Scalps and horses are the
two things which the Bannock is
taught to crave.
The Bannock tribe of Indians be-
longs to the general family Of Shosh /
ones or Snakes, which family also in
:ludes the various tribes of Utes.
Comanches, Moquis, Chemehuenes,
Cahuila and the Kechi, Kizh and Ne ;
jolo tribes of California. Their tradi-
ion is that they came originally from
he far east and their language which {
S as different from that of the western !
Shoshoncs, resembles that of the Com (
inches, whose home when white men !
irst found them was about the head {
waters of the Brazos, the Colorados I
md eastward to those of the Arkansas c
md Missouri rivers. The main tribe i
# the Bannocks was first found near s
where they are now established at the 1
Fort Hall agency in Oneida county, in I
he southeastern part of Idaho, along
he Snake river valley. They are tall
r and straighter than the mountain
ndi ans round about them, and have |
he reputation of being more warlike c
hey nearly all are able to speak the t
language of the Shoshones, 4, but the @
after do not speak the Bannock tongue. L
his is the same as that of Piutes. and s
he latter say that the Bannocks split t
fl from them. t
=
Another Battle i'm Cuba.
The Cuban insurgents have won an
or x,.,+Drx, n..ar %ba On,,,,,,,1- A.. | II