The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-25

killed in the battle OF Wounded Knee,
but such was not the case. The bat
tie was fought on Monday, DEG. g.
1890. The following Wednesday, Dec.
81, the hostile Sioux having withdrawn
from the vicinity, a party was sent
out from Pine Ridge agency, eighteen
miles distant. to bury the dead who
yet remained on the field. In the
meantime a snOwstorm had passed
over that region, partially covering the
bodies of the dead.
While the burial party was gather
ing the bodies preparatory to their in
terment, the babe was discovered.
The child was lying on the body of
dead squaW, and was protected by
the clothing Of the latter. To this fact
alone was due its survival during the
terrible hours following the battle.
The members Of the burial party
We're, of course, greatly surprised TO
find that the babe was still alive after
its long exposure. and that it had not
persisted was looked U9on as some
thing Of a miracle, especially by the
superstitious Sioux. 1t was taken to
Pine Ridge agency and placed in the
keeping of a kind-hearted Indian
woman who nursed it back to health
and strength.
The child was afterward adopted
by Adiutant General Colby of the
Nebraska national guard, and himself
and wife, who conferred upon this
child of the battlefield the name of
Lost Bird. have raised her She is
now budding into girlhood, and is said
to have taken advantage to the fullest
extent Of the excellent opportunities
afforded her by her kind foster par
ents.
The secretary Of the interior. when
application was made to him, favored
the placing of the name Of Lost Bird
on the rolls Of the Sioux nation, and
the matter was referred to the proper
authorities at Cheyenne River agency,
this state. where it was known that
Lost Birds mother had resided prior
to December, 1890
The Investigation which followed has
just revealed the fact that the mother
of Lost Bird is still alive, and resides
at her old home in the Cherry creek
district on the Cheyenne River reser-
vation., Her name is Crane Pretty
Voice. She tells an interesting story
Of how she came to abandon her little
baby on the Wounded Knee battlefield
the first time it has ever been told for
publication
Her husband belonged to Big Foot's
band of Sioux. and when that fiery
warrior. al the commencement of the
ghost dance and Messiah troubles, de-
cided to cast his lot with the ghost
dancers. her husband was among those
of Big Foot's band who determined to
follow him.
The band numbered several hundred,
including squaws and children. and
they became so threatening that troops
were sent to maintain a close watch
over them, but they evaded the watch
full eyes of the military authorizes
and escaped to the Pine Ridge reserva-
ton
A battalion Of the Seventh United
States cavalry. under command Of
Major s. NJ. Whiteside, was sent from
Pine Ridge agency to intercept them.
Crane Pretty Voice says she was in
4 wagon and was endeavOTing to es-
cape from the storm Of bullets just
after the commencement of the battle
when her babe, in the intense excite
ment of the moment, slipped from her
arms to the frozen ground. Believ-
/ ing that there was not the slightest
doubt about the baby having been
( killed by the severe fall the ponies
/ hitched to the wagon were not halted
but the frenzied refugees continued
I their fight from the scene Of the
battle.
The Indian woman upon whose dead
4 body the child was afterwards found,
must have passed that way, and, OBJ
! serving that the child was alive,
/ picked It ID and carried it with her,
and perhaps this friendly act resulted
| in her own death.