The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-11-11
LAST 0F The GREAT CHIEFS
Career Of Red Cloud, Who
was the Most Successful.
A LEADER OF HIS PEOPLE

A LEADER OF HIS FEOFLE
Born in obscurity BY Force of VIII,
Bravery and intelligence Gained
Fame and Leadership-Dreaded
by Emierants Now Lives in
Tent.
Red Cloud in his time was one OF
the most successful. daring savage
chiefs of the great Sioux Nation. Dur
Ing the hostilities waged so brutally
on the plains against the encToach-
ment of the whites, his name was the
dreaded one on every emigrants i,
tongue.
This great chieftain was born in OBJ
scurity. but by his force Of will, intel
l:gence. and bravery he became in
time the leader of his people. The
story is told Of how he first gained
the title of "ch:ef" 1t seems that a
well-known warrior OF his tribe wasi
Jealous of Red Cloud. and, with SIX
of his followers. waylaid the young
brave Two were with rifles and the
others carried bows and arrows. Red
Cloud was armed with a Winchester.
and, though wounded at the first fire,
he succeeded in killing all Of his as
sailants. Soon followers increased IN
number. He became member OF the
various secret societies and went
through the fearful agony and torture
of the sun dance.
After the Fetterman massacre
(1S66). he refused to meet the speclai
peace comm 'ssion or to sigu any
treaty. Instead he declared war
against the whites and called to his
aid Yhe d:sso+'sfed Indians OF the var1-
Gus tribes Then came the Fort Phil
Kearny massacre. in which the In
dians were led by Red Cloud. who
showed the greatest bravery and dar-.
ing. the battle resulting in the ami
hiia ion OF the soldiers. After this
victory Red Cloud was proclaimed
the chief Of all the Sioux tribes, and
has held this position for nearly forty
years.
In the outbreak which led to the
Custer massacre and the flight OF SITE
ting Bull 20 Canada dS76). Red Cloud
declined to aid Sitting Bull, nctwith-
standing which Gen. Crook deposed
him from his command and sent him
to the Pine Ridge Agency, S. D., and
the government confscated his ponies
and other property. In 1883, when
government commissioners were at
tempting to induce the Sioux to sell
their reservation in South Dakota,
that it might be opened to settlement,
Red Cloud refused to sign or to let his
Indians sign the treaty. When the
government agreed to pay nim S28 000
for the ponies and property copfscat.
ed in 1876 he signed the treaty and
induced the chiefs still holding out to
do so also.
It may be said to the credit Of Red
Cloud that since he signed the first
"piece paper" he has never once
fought against the whites. He re.
fused an aopeal Of Sitting Bull to or
der an uprising Of his tribe at Pine
Ridge Agency on the strength Of the
Messiah craze f1S9O-D. and after his
bucks had Joined Sitting Bulls ghost
dancers in the Bad Lands he was the;
first influential Indian to accept Gen.
Miles's invitation to return to the.
agency under a pledge Of amnesty.
Red Cloud has visited Washington
ten times on business connected with
the Sioux. processes friendship for the
whites. and desire to have his people
live like them. Yet he Is very much
opposed to the new idea Of the gov
ernment cutting off the rations Of the
younger Indians and in forcing them
to work for their living. In an ad-
dress he issued to his people short
time ago he said: tShould all Indians
refuse to accept work they viii re-
main as Indians, but should they fol-
low in the paths Of the whites, in years
to come there will be no Indians. but
instead lot Of slaves"
In his old age Red Cloud has be-
come childish and returned to many
of the habits CT his younger days. He
has left the house which the govern
ment built for him, and now lives in
tent in the corner Of his yard. Al
though old and feeble, he keeps In
touch with the affairs Of his tribe
through his private secretary, Cut
Meat. And through his secretary Red
Cloud issues his orders to the sub.
chiefs.
Red Cloud is the last Of the great
Indian chief:ain whose names are
written indelibly on every page OF the
history Of the West. And with his
death his people lose leader who
was recognized not only az a greas
warrior, but also as diplomat OF rare
ability.-Washington Post /