Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-09
INDIANS WAIT FOR REVENGE.
In the Event Of War They Would Rise in Re-
beIIion-They Always Did It. Says..an Offices

Simultaneous with international trouble
of any kind the American Indian mas
some good reason for making trouplc
with this government. Should the United
States become involved with Spain and
all the Indians of this country remain
peaceable. it will mark a new epoch IN
the history Of the country. The French
and Indian war was, OF course idrSeiS
with the Indians, and during the Amerl-
can Revolution the pioneers OF the IRON
tier were almost continually lighting with
the Indians. During the war of lel2 the
Indians were again troublesome. 1e-
cumseh and the famous battle OF the
Thames in Indiana going down IN Amerl-
can history. During the Mexican war the
Indians in the West We're constant
source of annoyance, ana ii was during
these times that William tIlpln, former
governor of Colorado. acquired consider
able distinction for bravery during his
career as Il mai with DonaphanS men,
who were engaged in lighting the say
ages Following the Mexican war came
the Indian trouble with the NaNaJoS ana
Apaches and during the Civil war the
battle of Sand Creek. Col, was one OF the
historic conflicts with the Savages. since
then the pages of history have recorded
the Custer massacre. the 1hofnhery ana
Meeker fight. and the more recent battle
of Wounded Knee, with the Sioux. in lSpi.
It is this tribe that gives most active
PROMISES OF causing the United States au-
thorities some trouble 1t is reported
that they have already heard of the
trouble brewing between this country ana
Spain ara CAPT. Allen G. Fisher of the
national guard of Nebraska. has wired
Gov. Holcomb for orders authorizing nm
to organize a company of militia ana To
send arms and equipment i'll order to be
prepared for any outbreak on the part OF
the Sioux.
There is considerable danger of the
Sioux breaking out at most any tune,
said CAPT. Elon +. Wilcox of the United
states army detailed for duty in connec-
| ton with the national guard of the state
These Indians have a bad heart. are
vinaictive, and hope some day to avenge
the killing of 80 of their number at the
| battle of Wounded Knee" Capt. Wilcox
belongs - Troop +. Sixth Cavalry. and
was viii the sixth during the trouble
| with the Sioux Indians which led up to
| the battle of Wounded Knee. He has
| had twenty years service among the In
| dians. ten of which were spent in Arizona
| and New Mexico. and the rest further
north with the savages Capt. Wilcox
wears three scars. each received from In
dian bullets. and one in the side almost
proved fatal for him. And speaking as
one who knows, he says that war, so
much talked Of. is not a very funny
| thing.
should the regular troops be called to
the coast" said he. there are many
| things favorable to the belief that the
| Sioux Indians would soon don war paint.
| These Indians differ from the Southern
| Indians, who mostly run from the sol
| diers. but the Sioux are fighters and
brave fighters at that. The country
about the Pine Ridge and Rosebud agen-
cies has been settled and fenced up very
largely in the past few years, and this
| has done much to keep the Indians from
| roaming off but it is very likely that we
| will have trouble with them sooner or
| later.
"The Sioux are tall, well shaped and
hard fighting savages, and in case they
should be aroused believe that about
800 braves could be raised from South
| Dakota and Nebraska. There are more
than 5000 Sioux at the Rosebud agency,
and the. same number of Ogalalla Sioux
at the Pine Ridge agency. These are
among the fiercest and most warlike of
| the Sioux At Fort Robinson We have
eight troops of cavalry and there is one
regiment Of infantry at the Rosebud
agency. and should the regulars be called
away the Indians would be free to do
pretty much as they pleased"
/ In case the regular troops We're with
! drawn from the Indian posts the care of
! the Indians would be left entirely to the
national guard and trouble would almost
surely follow. The Indians have some
| little respect for the regular soldiers, but
very little for the national guard. and
they would not be slow to take advantage
| of the change. For several years past
the Indians have felt that the government
has been steadily Tightening the cord
| around them, and they are hardly less
| eager for a chance to break away from
| their restraint.
The close confinement to reservations
and the denial of hunting privileges have
worried the Indians not little. until now
it is only with the exercise of great care
| that several of the Western tribes are in
| duced to remain quiet. The tintahs and
! uncompahgres in Utah have recently
caused much trouble by hunting off of