The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-29
TO SERVE AS SCOUTS,
PLAN TO SEND TWO THOUSAND
SIOUX INDIANS TO CUBA.

The braves Are Eager For bervsce-Ihois
Qualifications ~ Fighters ID Chisfs who
Would Mako the Selections From e,ooc
Warriors Anxious to Go.
The Chicago Record published re.
GENTLY q dispatch from Omaha giving
the details Of the war department
scheme for enlistinR 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-
liminary details Of the new Indian
arm of the service. General Coppin-
ger. commanding the department., has
completed arrangements for rushing the
organization so that it will be ready
for service in less than 30 days after
war shall begin.
The 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 30 years in this Sec
tion 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
we're doing their most desperate work.
1t Is for these reasons that the war
department has selected the Sioux as
the tribe from which the Indian COM
panies will be formed for the Cuban
campaign. Four regiments will be or
ganized, requiring 2, 900 men. Several
weeks ago number Of the young Sioux
subchiefs at Pine Ridge agency notified
the Indian agent that they were anxious
to help in the 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 have o strong following. Their
bands number 800 each, but in actual
hostilities they can count on twice that
number Of 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 will be accepted. In fact. they
have been 30 informed by the Indian
agent at Pine Ridge.
The head chief of the Sioux, Young
Man Afraid of His Horses. did not vol
unteer, but his services have been se-
cured. The agent requested personal
interview with him, aud he expressed
great willingness to show his loyalty to
the government. Young Mar. .Afraid-of-
His Horses explained that he would
have volunteered hie services for the
campaign, but feared that the army off,
GERS entertained prejudice against him
because he killed Lieutenant Casey dur
ing the Sioux campaign of 1890-91.
When assured that the army officers had
no such feeling. the young chief was
pleased and said he would at once 60
among his young men and tell them to
get ready for the war. Since then the
chief has ridden all over the reserva-
tions Of Pine Ridge and Rosebud and
has stirred up much excitement among
the Sioux warriors. There is much ex-
oitement among the bucks of the tribe.
They are elated to think they have been
selected for this fighting because of
their prowess on the battlefield. Indians
are keenly sensitive to such fattery, and
this recognition Of the claims of the
Sioux to the distinction of first class
fighting men has done more than any
thing GOULD to raise the government in
their estimation.
As the recruiting officers will make
their selection from 6. 900 of the finest
specimens of Indian warriors in the
world, the 2,000 Indians finally enlisted
In the army ought to be splendid tim
Der. The selections will be made in
person by Chief Young Man Afraid of.
His-Horses, assisted by Spotted Elk and
Standing Bear. The chiefs will select
each man on account of bis we'll known
fighting qualities, accuracy with the
rife, expertness as horseman and gen.
eral worth as Sioux warrior. This ex-
animation is much more severe than
that In force in the regular army Of the
United States. All If the chosen war
riors will be veterans in sense, as they
have seen service on moro than one bat.
tleheld. The Cheyennes are anxious to
form one Of the regiments, but the
Sioux objected 90 vigorously that the
war department officials concluded to
have the Indian scouts composed wholly
Of Sioux. These Indians will not re-
quire more than 46 hours notice to ap-
pear at the reservation for fighting.