The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-10-25
'CUsTER'S LAST FIGHT
RE-ENACTEO BY SIOUX

Chamberlain, S. d., Oct. 23.-rhe
great summer festival of the Ogalalla
Sioux Indians. one of the chief features
of which is a realistic reproduction of
the Custer massacre. has just taken
place at Pine Ridge. The statement,
tthat Red Cloud, the most famous of
1.-THE Ogalalla Sioux chiefs, is dead, has
often been printed. but the aged war
rior was there in the flesh partcipatin
in the celebration of his people which
has now been conventionalized as sort
of Fourth of July.
Old Red Cloud is totally blind and
Very feeble, and his mind is wavering,
but his people carried him reverently
TO the camp grounds, about three miles
from the Pine Ridge agency, and paid
HIM all the Difference that he has
earned by many years of wise counsel
and courageous leadership.
lis SON. Jack Red Cloud. acted as
herald for the numerous functions ON
the breast OF the young man We're two
silver medals fully five inches In diam
eter. one of them had been given to
his father and the other to his uncle,
War bonnet of eagle feathers and his
clothing of heavily beaded buckskin.
The medals We're dated 1871 and bore
the portrait of General Grant. and his
famous saying: Let there be peace"
During his sons loud oratory and the
thlobbing of the tomtorns and the
rhy thmic yelping OF the war dance, the
wornout old veteran. Red Cloud lay
under n leafy shelter. his muttering lips
] showing plainly he was recalling the
events of his own life.
Eastman in the Cast.
NO matter how much culture had
| been acquired by the individual mem-
,t 4 f,1,a
assimilated of the white mans ways,
| the old Indian ceremonies brought forth
| the Indians love of his own people
Every fullblood entered into the cere-
| MONIES With complete abandon.
DR.. Charles A. Eastman is a gradu-
| ate of Beloit. Knox and Amherst. He
is one of the best educated Indians in
| history. He has Travelled about the
world and addressed many audiences,
always appearing in dress and manner
exactly as any other cultured gentle
man. His Yankee wife and their six
children We're at their home i'm AM
herst While DR.. Eastman was at Pine
Ridge amonT eople. 1t was with
evident rr.ucr rnat the distinguished
scholar donned The eagle feathers and
took the most prominent part. that of
| Chief Crazy Horse, in the realistic re-
production of the great Custer battle.
TO see him With his erect bearing, his
towering head dress. and his flashing
eyes. one would scarcely imagine that
this was man atnustomed to address,
ing metropolitan audiences in polished
accents.
There were others, too, who had been
away In school at Carlisle, who laid
aside their acquired culture, forgot for
the moment the white mans ethical
theoriZing, and threw themselves heart
and soul into the spirit of the festival,
even including the feast Of dog flesh
Re-enacts Battle Scene.
Beside Dr. Eastman playing the part
of Chief Crazy Horse. there was also
the famous warrior No Flesh going
through the same part that he took in
the actual conflict over thirty years
ago. 1t was he who killed the color
bearer Of Clusters command and cap
tured the flag. His old eyes kindled
and his scanned and aged features
gloWed as he re-enacted the events OF
his youthful days.
Old Chief Blue Horse was among his
people, but evoked less attention than
Red Cloud, for the reason that he al
ways preached peace and took pride
in the statement that he had never
fought the whites. His son, who served
as scout under Generals Crook, Nc
Kenzie, Sheridan and Miles, was also
present His name is Standing Soldier
ancient warrior who rejoiced in the fes-
tiNal and renewed his youth. Other
prominent Sioux who were participants
were Red Bear and Afraid Of Bear, Lit
tie Grow. Bear-La ys-Down, and Clowns
Horse.
f. S Curtis took advantage Of the
opportunity to collect materials for his
work on the North American Indian
the first two volumes of which will ap.
pear in January The difficulty Of OBJ
tanning data and photographs for this
great enthnological and historical rec
"a S.,1., tie
years will be consumed in complet
ing It,