The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-09

professed TO have seen and talked with
his son. Killed years before in war.
The men and women began to make
holy shirts and dresses. White muslin
was used. Blue aud yellow stripes were
placed on the back and front. on many
were rude pictures, some of eagles and
some of buffalo. Eagle feathers were
worn on the shoulders. sleeves and head.
Nothing made Of metal was permitted eN.
cept guns. First a man stood in the cir
Gle of dancers, then woman, until a
large circle was formed. They danced
round and round till, one by one, the
dancers grew tired and dizzy. They fell
to the ground aud foamed a the mouth,
then lay as dead When they returned to
consciousness they tod of wonderful
things they had seen ana heard. The
song they sang while dancing was in the
nature Of a chant, with some variations
from "A monotone. Emphasis was given
nt about every second beat of common
time. The refrain was at times wall.
which once heard, the old-tmers say
was never forgotten. AT times the song
would be on incoherent disconnected con
versation between the Great Spirit and
the ghost dancer, supposed to take place
after the after having tainted from ex-
hauetlon and mental excitement, had
mounted upon wings and entered into the
realms of the sun.
cy about 1900 Indians gathered many of
them belonging 70 the band OF the fam
Gus old medicine man. Sitting Bun. They
believed tHe Indian millennium would
come with the next spring when the
new grass appeared. Soldiers were hur-
RED from all parts OF the country. They
herded the Indians into the agencies. and
pursued the wandering bands of fanatics
into the Bad Lnnds. ana there proved to
them that their ghost shirt was only
painted muslin ana Incapable Of turning
the bullet of The white man The ghost
dance was he'd for six days ard nights
at the beginning Of every new moon. by
COMMAND Of the Messiah. Month after
month In 1889, the dance was kept up.
By the influence OF the ogents and the
Indinn police. backed by the soldiers, all
Of the Indians except the Sioux were
brought under control. The Sioux were
numerous and defiant They refused 20
quit dancing and treated the agenhs' or
ders with contempt The collision came
ia Wounded Knee creek. on Dec. %.
Several companies OF soldiers had sur
prised and captured Big Foots band. the
leoders in the deviltry of the times. They
were lined up while a search Of their
tepees was made for arms. This proved
fruiness and a personal search was or
dered. The first detachment Of search
ers was shot down by the Indians who
/
| blankets and ghost shirts. There were
$40 bucks and $50 women ana children
in the band The signal for hostiliies
was given by the medicine man grabbing
a handful of earth and hingng IL above
| his head The soldiers were of Clusters
old command and soon rallied The In
dams retreated to their tepees after they
| had lost hfty-two men. Before the battle
ended 1l6 Indians, including Big Foot
and sixty or seventy women and chill
dren, hiding in Che tepees. were killed.
| The soldiers had twenty-five killed.
This demonstration of the worthlessness
OF the ghost shirt as armor had a power
! full effect upon the other dancing Indians.
ana they sullenly submitted. after weeks
Of protest The ghost dance belief died
| hard. however 50 ulurngly did the
| Messiah's idea present the future TO the
simple-minded braves that they were
loath 20 give 1t up. The following year
ghost dancing was again started, but
was soon stopped by the Indian police