Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-05-23
TO SERVE AS SCOUTS.
PLAN TO SEND TWO THOUSAND
SIOUX INDIANS TO CUSA.

Qualifications as Fighters Chiefs Who
Would Make the Selections From G.0Oo
warriors-Cheyernes Anxious to Go.
The Chicago Record published re-
GENTLY dispatch from Omaha giving
the details Of the war department
scheme for enlisting Sioux Indians to |
engage in the fight with Spain.
The department Of the Missouri, with |
headquarters at Omaha, has been as
signed the task of arranging the pre-
lilninary details of the new Indian |
arm of the service. General Coppin |
ger, commanding the department, has
completed arrangements for rushing the
organization 50 that it Will be re3dy
for service in less than so days after
war shall begin.
Tho work of preparing the Indian
| command was assigned to this depart
ment because the officers here are more
familiar with the characteristics of the
| Sioux, from which tribe the detail will
be selected, than are other members Of
the army. Many men now connected
with the department of the Missouri
have spent the last 80 years in this Sec
ten of the west and personally have de-
Tended the border in every Indian up
rising during that period. In all the
historic battles with the Indians during
that time the warriors Of the Sioux ma
tion have been the leading spirits. AS
they were always the prime movers in
starting hostilities so they were always
the most courageous. Other tribes were
always anxious to begin fighting OH the
frontier, but they were mostly ready to
surrender just when the daring Sioux
were doing their most desperate work
It is fer these reasons that the war
donartmcnt has selected the Sioux as
the tribe from which the Indian COM
panies will he formed for the Cuban
campaign. Four regiments will be Or
ganized, requiring 1900 men. Several
weeks ago n number CT the young Sioux
subchiefs at Pine Ridge agency notified
the Indian agent that they were anxious
to help in tho war which the govern
ment was about TO make on its enemies.
: Among the number who volunteered
their services were Chief Spotted Elk
and Chief Standing Bear. They are two
of the most daring chiefs of the Sioux
and lave strong following Their
bands number 800 each, but in actual
hostlities they can count on twice that
number CT fighting men, because their
: well known fighting qualities assure the
young bucks of plenty of excitement in
, their bands. The services of these two
chiefs viii be accepted. lii fact, they
! have been so informed by the Indian
agent at Pine Ridge.
The head chief of tho Sioux, Young
Man Afraid-of His Horses, did not vol
unteer, but his services have been Sc
cured. The agent requested Il personal
: interview with him. and he expressed a
( great willingness to show his loyalty to
the government. Young Man Afraid of,
< His-Horses explained that he would
= have volunteered his services for the
E campaign, but feared that the army Off
GERS entertained Il prejudice against him
because he killed Lieutenant Casey dur.
ing the Sioux campaign of 1S909l.
| w hOu tCStAtu tbttt ti,S tSiiiiy pitlbtlS
10 srch feeling. the young chief was
: pleased and said he would ut once &c
among his young men and tell them tC
= get ready fer the war. Since tEon the
= chief has ridden all over the reserva
II tons of Pine Ridge and Rosebud and
C has stirred up much excitement amcng
the Sioux warriors. There is much ex
~
"a They are elated 20 think they have beel
i selected for this fighting because o.
q their prowess on the battlefield Indians
= are keenly sensitive to such fiattery, and
y this recognition Of the claims of thu
/; Sioux to the distinction Of first elias.
ID fighting men has done more than any
= thing could to raise the government il
their estimation.
As the recruiting officers will max,
IS their selection from 6, 600 of the fines
m specimens Of Indian warriors in tn,
! world, the 2, coo Indians finally enlisted
;" in the army ought to be splendid tim
Der. The selections will be made il
person by Chief Young Man. Afraid-of
:, His Horses, assisted by Spotted Elk am
Will stl'C
each man on account of his well known
40 fighting qualities, accuracy with tn
l. rife, expertness as horseman and gen
n eral worth as Sioux warrior. This ex
IN animation is much more severe thai
lg that in force in the regular army of tn
ny United States. All of the chosen war
i riors will be veterans in sense, rs the
d, have seen service on more than one bat
'e' tlefield. The CheyeInes are anxious t
u, form one of the regiments, but til
al Sioux objected so vigorously that tn
- war department officials concluded {
e. have the Indian scouts composed who'll
in Of Sioux. These Indians will not II
ri. quire more than IS hours notice to III
to pear at the reservation for fighting.
ut -.
he Hes Its DisadyaDtages.