The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1896-02-29
Highest of Leavenng Power-Lae Us Govt Report
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ABSOLUTELY PURE

tile camp was some distance ahead.
and hundreds Of warriors were llis
cerned running to and fro, but only
small proportion Of the Indians showed
fight, and for some time kept the
troopers hOtly engaged.
The regular Indian method of fight.
ing was adopted, the reds quietly
sneaking to the tops Of elevations and
occasionally firing at the troopers
while they themselves were steadily
retreating toward their village and
slowly drawing the troops to what the
Indians supposed would be their
doom. A trap had been set for the sol.
diers and before tley were aware of
their danger they were drawn into the
valley surrounded on almost all sides
by high elevations. Instantly the tops
Of the hills became fairly black with
the forms of what was evidently the
cntire force OF the h0stiles, and they
prepared to close in on the troops. Col.
Forsyth Is unquestiOnably one of the
greatest and most experienced Indian
fighters in the army, and lie saw the
trap into which the troops had been
drawn In time to avert serious consc-
quences. Hurrying messenger to
the agency. the Ninth cavalry was
summoned to the scene, and the 1ndi-
ans were soon forced to retreat before
the combined forces Of the Seventh
and Ninth.
Red Cloud Got the Glory.
Although Red Cloud claimed he was
a prisoner In the hostile camp at that
time, there were many old squaw-men
and others at Pine Ridge who stoutly
maintained that no one but old Red
Cloud himself could have directed the
Indian force with the skill and cum
ming displayed on that occasion. 1t
was generally understood that to him
belonged the glory, from an Indian
standpoint, Of the skillful management
Of the hostile forces on that day. and
no one spoke more highly Of that gen.
eralship than the army officers and
soldiers who participated in the fight
The old chief possesses natural
shrewdness and ability for leadership
to a marked degree. and his death will
remove the last of the really great war
chiefs.
An incident concerning Red Cloud
and a subchief named Little Wound,
father of the Little Wound who 10
now the subchief of quite large band
at Pine Ridge, may not be out of place
here. One day, many years ago, the
Ogalalla Tor Pine Ridge Indians, hav-
ing been on q buffalo hunt, encamped
OH Chugwater creek, Wyoming. BY
chance the different bands composing
the hunting party camped close to-
gctllcr, 1t being the usual custom for
each band to keep well separated from
the others. A party Of traders stopped
ut the Indian camp. They had with
them a large supply Of whisky, and it
was natural that the Indians should
be anxious to sample the "firewater."
a liberal sampling caused the Indians
to become drunk and quarrelsome, and
1t was not long before some of them
commenced to fight among themselves.
Old Little Wound and Red Cloud
were members Of the party. The for.
quiet the Indians who were fighting
the fight was ficrcest the old man
dropped dead with bullet In his
body.
1t is said that Red Cloud himself
fred the shot. The brother and wife
of Little Wound ran to the spot, but
both were killed by the excited partis-
HIS Ol lieu SJIOuu. Lie hluluk CduSEU
a general fight, in which a number
were killed. After the fight was over
Little Wounds band separated from
the balance of the Ogalallas, and
would have nothing further to do with
thea. On account Of this they were
given the name of "Cut Ons." and the
name still sticks to them. Little
Wound, the younger is now chief of
the band. which is always referred to
as the Cut Off band. The educated
Pine Ridge Indian who related to the
writer the above incident said it was
always anticipated that the present
Little Wound would some day kill Red
Cloud for the alleged murder of his
father, but although bitter hatred ex-
listed between the two for many years
it has long since passed away, and
the Indians Of each faction have In
termarried with the members OF the
Cut OF band As the logical result Of
indulging too freely In the white
mans '1irewater."
Red Cloud has a daughter who 10
known as the last queen of the Sioux.
She is the wife Of Charles p. Jordan,
a white man, who first met her years
ago while clerk to the United States
Indian agent at Pine Ridge agency.
Several bright children have blessed
the alliance, and the home Of Jordan
and his family, thirty miles from
Rosebud agency, is said to be an ideal