Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-12-16
SITTING BULL THE DAKOTA.
Intelligent, Cruel coma-dIy and a
Gr.at stra ealst.

states, as boys ana girls know from,
Their geography, ale called uakola-
one NORTH Dakota. the other South
Dakota-a.id tbs was also The name.
oI indian people OF different trIu4s
speaking the same language. who
l"ed "A The country north OF me gre,,,
Platte river, and between and aion.
our two greatest r-vers, the Missouri
and the Mississippi. The word Dako1,
means united BY compact, aud there
We're several united tribes who called
themselves the Dakctas.
Sitting Bun was a Dakota Ind an
he was born near an old army station.
Fort George, on Willow creek, and his
lather was Jumping Bull The Indian
chleIs are very fond of giving boys
new names when they do something
which their friends notice. III how
runs last with his head up they ali
MIN The Elk The Deer" The
"hd Horse or some such name. Or
perhaps if he has quick or sly WAYS
they made him The Fox" The
Wof," or The Coyote
IN North Dakota, at this tine. there
were great herds OF buffalo and the
largest of them were the bulls. These
We're the leaders when a herd was
running, swimming a river. or iumn.
ing across a gully. Even when a lad
sitting Bulls father could hunt for
Ounaioes, and quickly jump the dee n
tsuihes so frequent in that country al.
ways with his bow in his hand. So his
uncle, an Indian chief, named him
Jumping Bull.
Ills son was strange boy. His hair
was straight like an Indian, but of a
reddish brown color. His head was
very large and his features were more
regular in form than that of the In.
dian. He was so odd in his looks and
ms ways, keeping much by himself
thinking and planning how best to
nave his own way, that his father
named him when quite young Sac.
red Stand"
once at 10 years of age, he went
with some hunters on a wild duck
chase for buffaloes, and came back to
MS fathers wigwam We happy and
proud, for he had succeeded in killing
a buffalo calf; but he did not have a
new name until four years later. At
THIS time he frequently made draw.
lngs of his totem, what we m ght call
his family coat of arms. This was a
buffalo bull settled back on his
haunches in sitting posture. and
from 1t the boy was named Sitting
Bull"
His second feat, thought great BY
indians was when he met a Crow In.
dian travelling along a trail claimed by
the Dakotas. The Grow Indian was
riding horse, and had. on another
horse. his wife, with a baby strapped
to her back. Sitting Bull on an In.
dan pony, charged this little cayal.
cade, succeeded in killing all three
without getting scratch, and made a
rough picture of the explicit, which he
showed 10 his companions.
! Chief Red Cloud had led the Indians
In 1868 at the time when a large
number of our men fell in a battle
near Fort Phil Kearney, and after
that trouble scout picked up an
old army roster book which had once
belonged 20 a company of our sol.
diers. On its blank pages Sitting Bull
had made skeleton pictures, and each
| picture showed some wicked deed.
The pictures were ridiculous enough,
but they made a fairly good diary,
and the meaning could not be mis-.
taken. Nearly every record in the
1 book was sketch of the cruel Sitting
Bull and his victims. Sometimes he
was killing white men, sometimes In
dams. sometimes stealing and driving
of herds of horses. A mans figure
with a tall hat was enough to mean a
white citizen. an uncouth bonnet
showed woman, stiff outlines gave
Indian war feathers or a soldiers cos
tune, and the book was a curious
record of years when Sitting Bull was
a famous brave and a cruel, bad In.
dian.
To look at Sitting Bull one would
say that he was always quiet and
self-contained. In fact he did usually
keep himself under control but he was
cruel and almost heartless. He had
practiced cruelty to animals and men
from his childhood, and as long as he
lived he was full of passion, and Of
ten very angry He was always il1-
7erious and insolent toward our gen.
erals. the Indian agent and other
friends of the Great Father at Wash
ington, whom Re claimed to hate. He
had great talent and ability to plan
campaigns and battles, wonderful In
fiuenee in bringing Indians together.
Notwithstanding all this. he was
afraid OF death. and though he plan
ned the greatest victory which the
Indians ever gained over white men,
Sitting Bull himself was a coward,
and Cisgraced himself even before his
own people by running away in the
very face Of success.
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