Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-08-07

without reloading. end after that he be
gan to feel OF much more importance
han other young Indians.
At first the young braves were angry
with him, but he soon showed them that
he was a skillful warrior. and before
long many Young Indians chose him for
their leader. Now he could wear an
eagle feather in his war bonnet, and was
a real chief
At this time Uncle Sam had promised
TO give each Indian a good blanket. and
they Were glad to get them The blankets
were all bright red. and when this young
Indian and his followers. each wearing
a red blanket rode rapidly past, some
one said, "See the Red Cloud" From
that time on the young leader was
called Red Cloud" and so far as |
know was never after given any other
name.
The Sioux Indians have a wonderful
festival which they call the sun dance.
AZ this time all the braves try to show
how much pain they can bear without
tlinching, and some people say it makes
them tender.hearted. Certainly Red
Cloud" always could bear yiore than
any other warrior, and yet his heart
was fierce and wariike In time the In
dams CAME to fear him, and little by
little he was chosen war chief OF all the
wild nakotas or Sioux He hated the
white people. and when other Indians
tried to make peace Red Cloud always
said: No; war, war;" Perhaps lie
knew that just as soon as there was
peace he would no longer be chief; at
any rate, he would not listen to any
plan TO stop fighting.
Fort Phil kearney in Wyoming was
in the middle of the Indians country
One day word came to the major there
that party OF soldiers who had gone
TO get iirewood had been attacked, and
some were killed. the rest IN great dan
ger. The major at once sent out a
rescue party under Capt. Fetterman
but Red Cloud was waiting with two
thousand warriors and not one white
man escaped.
Nobody could say now that Red Cloud
was not great leader, and even Uncle
sam, however much he feared him. had
to confess that he was chief of all the
living Sioux Indians" All the Sioux
chiefs whose fathers had been chiefs be
fore them were willing to give some IN.
dian lands to the white people and live
on a reservation, but Red Cloud said:
mo, no; | want war" and the young
warriors followed him in spite of the
chiefs. He had many battles and simply
would not stop fighting
At last, in 1874, the Indians came to
one of Uncle Sans army posts for a
big talk" The result was that the
Indians agreed to give up the land they
had fought for, and went to live on
what was called Red Cloud reserva.
ton" But still peace did not come.
They were always ready to break out,
and every once in while houses We're
burned, stages waylaid, and people
killed. 1t was of no use to treat the
tribe kindly so long as Red Cloud wanted
war.
At last, after many years, the war
chief began to feel that he could not
win his fight, SO very sadly he buried
his tomahawk and signed what he called
"a peace paper" But he did not really
love his white brothers, and when Uncle
Sam wanted Indian scouts To help him
fight in 1876 Red Cloud was angry and
sent some OF his warriors to waylay the
soldiers and Indian scouts. Then Uncle
Sam caId tlittt ittu #tiuHH foufu NOT fN'
pect TO be u chief II he did such things
for the officers found that he was al.
ways planning to make trouble; and
they put Spotted Tail, chief who was
frank and honest, in Red Clouds place
But what good did that do when the
young Indians loved Red Cloud and did
what he said And he kept them from
working with their hands, and said
braves must only hurt and fight, and he
would not try to keep peace or to help
Spotted Tail control the young braves.
Then at last when Red Cloud was u
very old man, more than eighty years
old, he was sick for the first time in his
life He had to stay in his lodge and be
taken care Of, for he was too weak TO
move. Now he began to notice how Kind
every one was to him when he could do
nothing for himself and his heart was
softened. When he was able to be M
again and go out into the woods he was
very happy, and began To be sorry for
people who were not strong and we'll.
though until hc was i'll himself he had
despised them.
He saw how Uncle Sam was trying
to take care OF everybody in this big
country of ours, and he said Indians
must take land like white men; they
must work with a pillow and hoe. and
they must read books and study" Then
there was peace in the north land. for
the fercest OF all our Indian warriors
up to that time had really surrendered
ut st Nicholas
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