Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-26
MIGHTY SHOW OF NUMBERS
Hostile indians Scared by shrswd Strategy
at 3 Frontier Post
COLONEL HAYDENS DISPLAY OF STRENGTH
Recollection OF Campaigning in the
DakoIas when the Sioux Were
Busy-RecoyerinR stolen
cattle.

Major Reuben King Of the United States
Pension bureau and Mr.. 5. j. Block,
a notary public, served in the Sioux
war Of 1856 to 1859, a campaign re-
plete with massacres. reprlsals and stroci-
ties Of the most outrageous and revolt
ing character. At the close OF the civil war
the Sioux and other tribes Of the northwest
reached the conclusion that the way was
clear for a general slaughter Of the whites,
and from about 1865 to 1869 they we're en-.
gagged in perpetual nostilities.
In those days the garrisons which the
government was able to maintain on he
frontier were no match for the Indians,
and the strategems which those in ommsn
OF these posts were obliged 10 resort to TO
checkmate the Indians we're extremely in
genious. Speaking of this phase OF the
Sioux campaign that followed on the heels
OF the civil war, Mr.. Block relates in the
Washington Post the following interesting
story OF how Lieutenant Colonel Hayden,
commanding in 1856 at Fort Wadsworth. in
the Dakotas. fooled an overwhelming force
Of Sioux into thinking that he had two
regiments in the fort, when. as a matter oil
fact. he had only four companies Of infan-
try and three almost useless cannon:
the close of the civil war | received
my discharge from the Massachusetts, regi.
ment in which l had served and enlisted in
the Tenth United States infantry, a new
regiment, four companies, includ ng the one
in which | served, being sent at once ia
Fort Wadsworth, in the Dakotas, there ia
operate against the hostile Sioux who had
been in open warfare against the govern
ment since 1864. Some time before IN s
the Sioux had taken the garrison at Fort
Phil Kesrny by surprise and massacred
them to a man. and their intention ther
was to repeat the same thing at Fort Wads.
worth and the other posts OF that section
until they had killed or driven every white
person out of their country. They were
very bold at that time, as a result Of hav.
ing experienced success in several enter.
prises.
Relied on the Colonel.
1T was not long after the horrible
butchery that took place at Fort Kearn!
before our scouts brought word tina
the Sioux we're then making preparation
Cor a descent on our outpost. To tell N,
truth, we were in no condition to receiv,
them. Aside from the four companies o
infantry which constituted the garrison y
the sort, we had three brass cannon. On
wac a 12-pounder, while the other twt
we're ~6-pounders, and all three smootl
hores Of the styles used in the Napole
onic campaigns. Our main reliance. how
ever, lay in our lieutenant colonel, VIII,
was an old Indian fighter and who knew
all their arts and strategems. That ONCE
as soon as he received word from tn
scouts, had the cannons loaded with crap
and canister and doubled the guard.
We'll, we waited something like a weeI
without aaptnU q Ef0n NJ tho RnduLfne
when suddenly one fine morning we awok
to find the hills round about the fort GOV
cred with tepees and swarming with In
dams. l myself counted as many as 800
wigwams, and there we're many NOR
scattered about in gullies where they eoul
not be seen. Then the trouble began. Fo
two nights the Indians danced the wa
dance, and then one morning a delegstio,
Of thirty chiefs presented themselves a
the entrance of the fort and asked to b
admitted for a parley. The gates wer
thrown open, they trailed In in Indian file
and, squatting in a circle, began to smok
their pipes, which is their fashion of open
ing a discussion. Through his interprete
Colonel Hayden inquired as to their mis-
sion. and then the pow-wow opened !
earnest.
THE principal chief was an India
named White Bear, a very fine lookin
man. who made one OF the most eloquen
speeches that l think l ever listened 4
He went on to say that the whites ha
boldly entered on the domain Of the Siou,
his people, without so much as askin
permission, much less Offering to buy tn
land; that they were gradually drivin
the Indians back onto the poorer lands
that they were wantonly and foolishly de
stroying the buffalo and doing othe
things against the law OF right and goo
conscience.
"What he said about the destruction {
the buffalo was particularly pertinent an
amounted lmost to a prophecy. He WEI
on to state that these animals, which q
that time were very numerous all over tn
northwest, were being killed by thousand
for their hides and that IL things continue
as they were 1t would be only a few veal
before the buffalo would be a thing Of til
past. This, OF course, sounded to us liR
a foolish prediction, for at that time no on
dreamed OF the countless herds OF thes
animals being in a few years reduced
less than 300 head. But White Bear
reasoning was sound, as time and event
have proven.
Gould Not Eat BIbIes.
HE wound up his eloquent speech /
stating that the whites we're robbing II
Indians Of their means OF subsistence; thu
the latter could not eat the bibles give
them by missionaries; that winter was the
approaching. without any prospect of oil
tanning food while It lasted, and in vie
of all this he asked the colonel to furnis
his people with provisions sufficient to tt
them over this period. He knew. he sal
that the warehouses at the fort were storC
with provisions and that the Great Faith,
at Washington Intended a part of the SUI
plies for his people, the Sioux. In OF