Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-04-24
A CHIEFS ROMANCE.
Why Spotted Tail Became Friend OF
Whites.

the Sitting Bull campaign" said We
teran of the Big Horn and Yellowstone
c4mpiagn C of 1876, now living in this
city, twas the fact that Spotted Tail.
chief of the Brule Sioux, remained
loyal to the whites and did not take
the warpath. Prior to 1876 Spotted
Tail had been one of the most trouble
some Indi4us in the West. He figured
conspicuously in the Mormon camp
aign of 1857 as all enemy of the whites.
and from that time forward, during
tae Civil War and after, be seldom
lost an opportunity to annoy and il
jure the pale faces Suddenly, along
about 1870 change come over SpOtt-
ed Tail He ceased wagfng war upon
the settlements and beanie the firm
friend and ally of his former enemies.
"What had come over this blood
thirsty Indian that he had turned sud
denly from a veritable demon of blood
shed and murder to mid and fOrgiY
ing agent of justice and protection
That was the question asked along the
border, not alone by whites, but by
indians as we'll. His own people were
as ignorant of the cause almost as the
whites. The taunts of the other Indian
chiefs and leaders, who heaped re
proaches upon his head and circulat'
ed the story that Spotted Tails heart
had turned white and that he was no
longer true Indian, did not affect the
old man in the resolution he had
taken There were, however, few
who knew the secret of Spotted Tails
change of heart. and l happened to be
one of the fortunates.
"Spotted Tail, it appears, had a
daughter. a very good looking Indian
girl, who fell in love with a young Of
icer, a lieutenant, believe. stationed
at one of the frontier outposts during
the years from 1866 uatil 1870. The
love appears to have been mutual. TIE
young officer displayed the same warm
th of affection for the young Indian
maiden as she did for him. For long
time the matter was kept secret from
her father, but when, finally, he did
discover that his daughter had center
ed her affections on one of the hated
whites the old mans fury knew no
bounds. The thought that one of his
flesh and blood-his only child, in fact,
one on whom he had lavished every
care and who was the liglt of his old
| age-had, ignoring the overtures Of the
best and bravest young men of the
tribe, fallen In love with a member of
the accursed race. people whom he
had spent lifetime III killing, tortur-
| ing and tormenting, was more than the
old man can stand.
THE ELOPEMENT CUT OFF.
but, as always happens in such
cases, bis daughter found means of
meeting the young officer in spite OF
the obstacles placed in her path by her
father, and everything was arranged
for an eJopement. when. suddenly,
Spotted Tail had her seized and remOv'
ed several hundred miles distat among
the Ojibwas on the shores of Lake Su-
lperior. There among the friends OF
lSpotted Tail she was held prisoner,
not, in durance vile, of course, but
watched constantly so that she could
lneither escape nor send a message to
her beloved.
"Spotted Tail was preparing for wal
against the whites some months after
this when he received message from
the far distant Great Lakes that his
daughter was dying. Suspending fur
ther preparations, he FASTENED on swift
relays of ponies to her bedside. She
was breathing her last when he enter
ed the birch bark lodge. Neither the
lamentations nor the nOstrums of the
wigwam could stay her rapid de
cline. From the day of her arrival sht
had faded away like a flower before
the wlntry blast. Her heart WAS bro
ken, and there was no recovery. Con
science stricken and overwhelmed
with grief, Spotted Tail promised ev
erytbing. hoping to revive bis daugh
ter's failing strength, but it was too
late. Before she died, however. she
extracted a promise from her father
which, from that day forward, he reli
e Ousy kept. She asked him to gran
her one last request. That Was t.
cease making War on the whites. He
lover belonged to that race, and sh
lloved the whites for his sake. Spotted
Tail promised. and, closing her eyes
I she was gathered to her fathers in th
happy hunting grounds beyond tn
Western horizon.
''Spotted Tail returned to the Brui
country an altered man. The warlik
preparations which he left were no
resumed. Warriors and medicine men
officers and soldiers wondered alike a
the change, the transformation so sud
den and curious, in this lifelong enemi
ty of the whites, hut none save fey
knew the reason.
YOUNG LIEUTENANT S DEATH.
The day of his return Spotted Ta
I was seen a. the fort. He was Seekin
the young lieutenant. Asking her
: and there, he was directed finally to th
hospital, where, In one of the wards
lay the young man, sick unto death Q
an illness that defed the medical ski
of the camp surgeon. None kne'
save Spotted Tail what allied him. Fl
had last message to deliver from hi
y daughter. Again he was just in tim'
for the young officers hours were nun
bered. He saw the chief enter, and