Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-07-17

Foot was the chief
under whom they
Ezazss sz.s.ssssss--' fought in that last
THE MONUMENT. and most disastrous
effort of the Indians to resist the
march Of civilization. Many OF those
warriors who rode in the whirlwind OF
death which engulfed Clusters men at
the Little Big Horn went to their
death at Wounded Knee, and this mon-
ument is to their memory. The cele-
bration was the first of its kind OBJ
served by the Indians of this country
and marks the progress which c1v1l1za-
tion is making among them.
The Wounded Knee fight was the
last great stand of the red race against
the white and was caused through the
agency of Sitting Bull, who was to the
northern Indians what Geronimo was
to the southwestern tribes. He aroused
their patriotism to the fighting spirit,
and in addition he anointed each brave
with '.medicine,'' which he claimed
made them invulnerable to bullets
from the white mans pistol. And ev-
cry Indian thoroughly believed this.
To accomplish his purpose, Sitting
Bull originated the ''ghost, or Messiah,
Dance" which soon spread through the
Sioux nation like fire over the western
prairie. This dance was only a pre-
liminary to being anointed with the
medicine and was a mixture of the
war and squaw dance, except that the
dancers circled around a tall pole on
which was hung a skin containing the
medicine. The eyes Of the dancers were
continually fixed on this spot, their
eyes thrown upward. 1t Is said the
dancers, in time, became actually hyp-
Noticed and fell on the ground in a
cataleptic fit. While in this state they
had visions of what was to happen to
the white men who opposed the Indian
when anointed with the medicine" !"
These visions were all alike. Buffaloes
would return; white men be all killed,
the Great SPIRIT had informed them
that the white mans bullet could not
fnjure them any more; and, above all,
that Sitting Bull must be obeyed i'm
plicitly.
Preparing for War.
After the Indians had danced all dur
ing the fall of 1890, about 80 per cent
of the entire Sioux tribe became firm
followers of Sitting Bull; had inter
viewed the Great Spirit, and had been
anointed with medicine by their high
priest or medicine man.
When the Indians got into the con-
dition that Sitting Bull could be sure
his every order would be obeyed, the
ghost" dancing ceased and prepara-
tions for war began. Then it was that
the commanding officer of the United
States troops at Fort Yates was order
ed to arrest old Sitting Bull and con-
fine him in prison at the agency of
Standing Rock for the time being.
Sitting Bull was camped forty miles
away from the agency, but a squad of
fifty cavalrymen started after the old
Indian early on Dec 10.
The Indian police. commanded by
Bull Head and Shave Head. were
within striking distance of Sitting
Bulls camp several days before the
cavalry took leave of the fort.
Sitting Bulls cabin was almost sur
rounded by the fanatical 'tghost dane
ers," but the Indian police managed to
reach the house and arrest the old fell
low. Sitting Bulls young son slipped
from the house and aroused the ..ghost
the little party of police.
After the police mounted their horses
to return with Sitting Bull, that old
warrior called upon his followers to
rescue him, and Strike-the-Kettle and
Catch-the-Bear dashed up at full speed
to the two police who guarded the
prisoner, and shot them. Both guards
were killed, but in falling Bull Head.
a guard, wheeled, and instead of shoot
ing his assailant, shot Sitting Bull
dead
The police then took refuge in Sit
ting Bulls cabin, which was immedi-
ately surrounded by hundreds Of YELL
ing, frantic Indians. The soldiers came
up at that moment, and the ghost
dancers fed to the timber, half a mile
away.
An hour later an incident happened
which showed the sublime faith his
followers had in Sitting Bull, and
which had great bearing upon the
future of the Indians and led directly
to the battle fought two weeks later
by the ghost dancers at Wounded
Knee-the battle which the monument
commentaries.
While the troopers were preparing to
return to the fort, carrying the dead
body of Sitting Bull with them, an In
dian riding at full speed emerged from
the woods into which they had gone
when the soldiers appeared. Straight
towards the assembled soldiers rode
the red man, until he halted on small
knoll about eighty yards away.
Dressed Tor rather undressed) in full
war paraphefnalia, eagle war bonnet,
war paint, war lance, etc., and war
shirt which Sitting Bull had anointed,
the warrior stood like a copper statue
on the knoll, while every soldier and
Indian police in the troop fired point
blank at him again and again. For
five minutes he sat on his horse, i'm
movable, drawing the fire of the ninety
men, most of whom were crack shots.
Then the firing ceased and every sol
dier in the troop applauded the won