The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-18
GHOST DANCE OF INDIANS.
Chief Little Wound Explains Its Sig
nificance and why the Tribes In

duIge in 1t.
Sioux Falls Letter in New York Times.
Indian logic has always been difficult
to overcome by the whites who have to
deal with the government wards, but the
most embarrassing position I was ever
in said DR.. McGllicuddy, a former agent
at the Pine Ridge agency, was when we
representatives of the government sought
to treat with the Indians in their relig-
ious uprising a Pine Ridge in 1890. The
story of the outbreak has never been told
with such clearness as at one of our con-
ferences.
There were assembled at Pine Ridge
agency, in December 1880, few days
prior to the famous Wounded Knee battle,
several government officers and the XII
yaksa war chief, Little Wound, now lead
ing chief of the Sioux nation. Little
Wound was asked if he blamed the agent
for the coming of the soldiers to Stop the
ghost dance. He answered no, and then
said:
my friends over sixty winters have
passed over my head. ! am too old to
dance Now that you have asked me about
this thing | will tell you. The holy men
have for many years been telling US that
ages and ages ago you white people be
came very wicked you lost the right ROAD
and denied your Great Spirit. He finally
TOOK pity on you ana sent his son from lIe
happy hunting grounds to save you and
bring you back and show you the way to
live. He was called the Messiah We are
told that He lived with you over thirty
years and worked hard to save you from
your wickedness. But you had lost your
ears your brains were in a whlrl, and you
would not think right You threw Him
away from you. and finally nailed Him up
on a great wooden cross, stuck a spear in
his side and killed Him, and He returned
to the happy hunting grounds with tired
heart. 1t was told At the time that He
would come again some time, and that
when He cid come the hearts of the people
would be good. That would mean plenty
to eat and there would be no more war.
=" "A few moons ago a young northern
Cheyenne warrior came to US. He said
he had come, after many days journey,
from the far west; that near a great lake
shore he had met the Messiah all
white man, with golden hair and beard,
blue eyes and a good tongue. He said he
had again been sent by the Great Spirit;
that all the people would be happy now;
for the Great Spirit had taken pity on
the world there would be no more war;
the buffalo would come back and we
would be prosecuted no more, but would
all live together and when the green
grass came in the spring he would visit
the different tribes of men aud teach them
how to Eve. But he said that many peo-
pie had denied him and at last killed him.
Now ne had arranged certain signs and
dance by which, when he should come
to tribe, he would know whether they
would receive him. Those signs he taught
to the Cheyenne, and told him to teach 10
the people.
Now, whether this old story of the
holy men and what the Cheyenne told US
is true, l do not know; but / got my
young men together and told them that
If it was a good thing we should have it,
but if it was not it would fall TO the
ground of itself; and l told them to learn
this dance, so that If the Messiah does
come, he will not pass us by. My friends,
this is all we know about the Messiah
and the ghost dance
After a few moments the old chief turn
ed to me and said: You lived with Us
many years. We trust you. viii you tell
me if this has been told us about the
Messiah is true-that He will come, and
by His coming will bring back the buffalo,
make US a strong people to live on the
land the Great Spirit has given us? What
is the white man afraid of? Why has
he brought the soldiers here to deprive
us of the dance? After robbing us of
our game and lands, does he now want to
rob us of our Great Spirit and our relig-
ion?
"A few days later came the battle of
Wounded Knee, resulting in the death of
two officers and th!rty-fve men of the
regular army and 145 Indians Two DAYS
subsequent the Brule Sioux, under the
leadership of Little Wound, surrounded
Gen. Forsythe and the Seventh Cavalry
in the canyon of White Clay and held
them until they were rescued by the Ninth
cavalry. under Col Guy V. Henry.
'"The second coming had again been de-
ferred."