The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-07-05
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THE announcement that George
A. Outcelt, Assistant United

NdE announcement tnat George
A. Outcelt, Assistant United
i States District Attorney Of Ok
lahoma, writes the Guthrie cor
respondent Of the New York Sun, has
been ordered TO leave Mexico, where he
was investigating the conditions of the
Kickapoo Indians, brings into the
limelight the most persistent wander
ers among all Indian tribes.
During the Civil War the Kickapoos
fed TO Mexico. Later much money
was expended by the United States
to return them to their reservations
in Kansas and Oklahoma. All but 176
members of the tribe did return.
The 176 escaped into the mountains
of Mexico and have remained there
ever since, increasing in the meantime
to more than FIVE hundred IN number.
OF the 412 members brought back to
the Oklahoma reservation there are
to-day but 1s4 remaining.
The Kickapoos fought under Te-
cumseh against General William Henry
Harrison at Tippecanoe, and were
prominent as fighting tribe until their
final defeat by General Zachary Tay.
lor at Fort Harrison, following the
outbreak Of the war with England in
1912. Originally the Kickapoos lived
in the upper Mississippi River country
and belonged to the Algonquin fam.
lily
Gradually they moved down into III.
inois and roamed over the country be-
tween the Mississippi and Wabash riv.
ers. In the early history of the coun.
try they were bitter toward the Eng
lish and supported the colonists
against England in the war for inde-
pendence. Later they turned against
the colonists and a state of war
against the Kickapoos continued until
1892.
1t was in 1911 that they fought un-
der Tecumseh. In 1S15-1S treaties
were made with the Government by
which they gave up thel lanis in Ill
inois and removed to a reservation in
Kansas on the Usage River. Remnants
of the tribe were in Illinois as late as
the '40s.
Following the removal to Kansas q
degree of civilization was established
for a few years. Then the predatory
and savage instincts of the Kickapoos
/ resumed the ascendency and their war;
riors went out killing and horse steal
ing, making raids on the people of
neighboring States, and at length turn
ing upon the United States Indian
agents, one of whom they murdered
in 1854.
They were then removed to a reser-
walton in northern Kansas, near Atchi-
son. Some of them gradually settled
idown on separate holdings and became
farmers and citizens. The remainder
fed to Mexico about the time the Civil
War began and lived by raids over
the frontier for booty. In 1873 there
were only 800 in Kansas, while the
number in Mexico had grown to 1000.
After the majority of the Mexican
Kickapoos were returned to the United
States all that was left We're removed
from the frontier by Mexico at the re-
quest of the United States. and set
tied on good lands in the mountains of
the State of Guerrero. They longed
for their old home around Santa Rosa.
1900 miles to the north, and gradually
drlfted back there.
The MeXicans speak highly of the
Kickapoos as industrious, skillful hunt.
ers, given TO cleanliness. While some
of them. have become farmers and eS-
perts in stock raising, the great major
ity adhere. to the old custom Of hunt
ing and fishing. Their dress, as rule,
is ihe primitive costume, all their
c.othing being made OF buckskin and
trimmed with beads, the squaws be-
ing adept with the needle.
At the present time very few Kick
apoos are remaining in Oklahoma.
They have flocked to their kinsmen in
Mexico whenever an opportunity has
presented itself. Their removal was
first opposed by the Government, but
finally they were allowed to move