The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-03-11

the bloody battlefield of Wounded
Knee. Lost Bird is again In the land
OF her Sioux forefathers. The little
Indian girl returns, not to take her
place in the tribe of her blood. not to
play the part her dusky parents dream
ed out for her, but for u secluded tutel-
age in q white mans school. h has
been sent by her foster father, DIR.
Colby of Washington to become a pupil
in All Saints college, Sioux Falls. S. ID.
She will be responsible to Bishop Hare
OF the Episcopal church, a noted work.
er among the Indians.
Lost Bird. or Bidka. as she is known
In the Sioux tongue, was the only babe
that survived the frightful massacre
that finally stilled the rebellious spirit
OF tbs Sioux. Remarkable, indeed, was
her experience. Carried into the fatal
battle jostling upon her mothers back;
She was left helpless by the body Of her
mother when the rain of bullets had
shot the others life away; exposed to
the blasts Of a fierce blizzard, without
sustenance for eighteen hours, life
chung tenaciously to her, as 1T could
not have done to one of a less hardy
race; stumbled upon by an army Sur
geon who hanced to see q little form
stirring in the snow. she was rescued
and taken to warmth and food; accus-
toned since her birth to the open
AoiAAS me-, SIG uOW AOu1lo Alol SCiA ~ u
refined home. where since every effort
has been made to max her like unto
her white skinned sisters.
Bidka's parents We're among the inno-
cent victims OF the Vaccinations of
Sitting Bull. the Geronimo of the north
ern Indians Standing on the battle
field last summer to dedicate a monu-
ment to the brave dead just as the
whites reared a to the
heroes of Clusters army, 5000 Sioux In
dians silently approved Joe Horn Cloud,
when he said, standing by the grave
Wherein lies my father and my brother,
and gazing upon the battlefield where
they died, as did many of my people.
1 have only good feeling towards the
whites and hope we will always be
friendly"
Sitting Bull, the real inspirer, is not
sommemorated by the Indians upon this
monument. for here is the story chiseled
upon its base:
This monument was erected by sur
viving relatives and other Ogallala
and Cheyenne River Sioux Indians in
mo of the Chief Big Foot mas
sacre. December 20. 1890. Colonel For
sythe in command of the United States
troops. Big Foot was a great chief OF
the Sioux Indians. He often said I
will stand in peace till my last day
comes He did good and brave deeds
Tor the white man and the red man.
Many innocent women and children.
who knew no wrong. died here"
10 arouse he patriotism of the In
dams for a determined stand at his
back, the willy old chief, Sitting Bull,
discovered q medicine" at which, he
told his followers, would turn away the
bullets from breasts with which 1T had
been anointed. To work upon the SUI
perstitions of the red men, Sitting Bull
also nvented the "Ghost of Messiah
Nanro - n G n ,,,.ali,, n ~ \ n M. oroi,t-
ment. After the Indians had danced
during the fall of 1890. 80 per cent. of
them were ready to follow Sitting Bull
wherever he should lead, and obey his
last Sitting Bull now made
preparations for war and the com
handing officer at Fort Yates was or
dered to make Sitting Bull a prisoner
and confine him in the Standing Rock
agenc Jail.
Sitting Bull was camped forty miles
from the agency, but a squad of fifty
Havalrymen started after the old war
cior early on December is. Sitting
Bulls cabin was guarded by the ghost
dancers, but the Indian police. com
manded by Bull Head and Shave Head,
managed to reach the cabin and cap
ture the chief. Sitting Bulls son
sshped from the house and aroused his
followers. who swarmed around the
uttle party of police. Sitting Bull called
to his followers to rescue him and
Strike-the-Kettle ana Catch-the-Bear
dashed up at full speed to the two po-
lice who guarded the prisoner and shot
them. Bull Head, in falling, wheeled,
md, instead of shooting his a~ssailant,
shot Sitting Bull. The Indians sur
rived in time to drive them to some
timber a half mile away
On December 2S, 1890, the Indians
were encamped on Wounded Knee
creek, waiting for a conference next
day. Little Bat and Lone Star, scouts,
reported to General Forsythe that the
Indians would resist anything but an
overwhelming force. General F%orsythe
did not believe this, but Captain Wal
lace, who agreed with the scouts. went
Ihead with them to pacify the red1nen
The three drew in close to the group OF
kavages, several of whom went out to
meet them. Suddenly, from within the
-rowd. rose the shrill death song of
the Si0uX Both scouts now saw the
deadly danger In which all three stood,
but Captain Wallace did not nder-
stand, and held out his hand to the APP
preaching braves.
The singing Indian grasped Captain
Wallace's outstretched hand and sud
denly drawing the other han from be-
meath his blanket, struck the brave
raptain a terrible blow with a toma-
hawk. killing him instantly. But the
FhCdlN4iC 9illil lhllcu W project TIE III
dian, who fell dead a later
with a bullet fired by Lone Star. The
scouts retreated firing. killing a num-
Der of the band, but escaping uinjured.
The Indians fled to a ravine known
among them as Bloody Gulch," and
Forsythe's command could not dlslodge
them.
General Forsythe wrot an order for
reinforcements and handed 1t to Lone
Star, who covered the fourteen miles to
the agency in ~thirty-five minutes. In
Dne hour and twenty-eight minutes the
feinforcements dashed up. the soldiers
having left too hurrtedly to saddle their
horses.
But they brought the Calling guns
with them. They were new to the In
dams, who did not understand the rap
Id fire. Three of those guns were
placed in position to rake the ravine,
Ind the slaughter began. In a few
minutes 400 dead Indians packed the
ravine so closely 1t was literally choked.
Calling guns do not discriminate.
Women and children who had followed
the band faithfully were there in the
ravine. But the Gatlings made no ex-
ception. There We're heaps and heaps
OF innocent ones who were in the ra-
vine for shelter only.
Among those within the dread sweep
nf tho roj, oP h,,11ota uoo Jot1loba |