Cañon City record., 1909-10-14

trail as the long train of wagons ap-
preached Fort Laramie on the North
Platte. The heifer could walk no more
and the people left the poor thing be-
side the trail. There she was found
by a Sioux Indian who tried to make
her walk, but she could not, so he
killed her and took the meat to camp
where one thousand of the Ogallala
and the Brule Sioux who had gathered
for sun dance. These Indians were
peaceable. Chief Conquering Bear was
in command and the Brules with
Spotted Tail as the lesser leader. The
next morning the immigrants sent out
for their crippled heifer and Of course
could not find her. They returned to
the fort and complained to the com
mander demanding the man who had
taken her. Lieutenant Grafton was de-
tailed with twenty-nine men to visit
the Sioux camp in search of the COW
or the thief.
Four miles above the Indian camp
the soldiers stopped at Cooney place
and drank too much-as did also the
Interpreter. They then went on to the
Indian camp where the sun-dance was
| in progress The Indians received
them kindly Then Lieutenant Grafton
demanded the man who had butchered
the immigrants COW. The chief re-
I piled that while he was willing to pay
| for the COW he would not surrender
the man. The Lieutenant however re-
/ fused this offer. saying that the man
must suffer for having killed the COW.
The chief replied that as everybody
| had eaten of the COW they all were
| guilty and were willing to pay for the
beef. Then Lieutenant Grafton became
impatient and once more demanded
the man which was simply the law of
the plains in those days. The Indian
who had taken the COW was in a near
| by tepee and heard the call for the
soldiers to go after him.
The chief knew what that meant
and tried to restrain the men. but they
grew impatient and the commander
told them to shoot which they did.
right into the tent of Chief Conquer
ing Bear, who died in three days from
his wounds. Then the Brule SiouA
who were led by Spotted Tail grew
arrows and tomahawks. In an instant
all was over. all the white men lay
dead while only one Sioux was wound
ed. The Ogallala Sioux stood and
watched but had no part in the mas
sacre. Then the Indians stopped the
dance and prepared to move on. know
ing that more soldiers would soon
come. They crossed the river. which
was low, and disappeared on the other
side When Lieutenant Grafton did not
return to the fort. soldiers were sent
to the Indian camp and here they
found their dead companions. They
buried the dead soldiers and then car
ride the body of Lieutenant Grafton to
the fort. The whole mistake was the
fault OF the interpreter. who was
drunk. He talked more for the white
men than for his own tribe and thus
made trouble II required a level
headed man in those days TO be a good
interpreter for the least break or even
the batting OF an eve was quite apt to
aruse suspicion and set everybody to
milling around in grand miI-up
which most always resulted badly for
the whites.
The Modoc war in Oregon in 1879
stands out prominently in the history
of border warfare in the west The
Modocs are an offshot of the klamath
tribe of Indians and when the war be-
gan between them and the govern
ment they were living in what is
known as Lost River Basin in the ex-
Ptreme southern part of the state OF
Oregon. In 1864 treaty was made
between the Klamaths. the Yakoskin
Snakes and the Modocs, by which
these three tribes agreed to give up
the country that they then occupied
and remove TO a certain allotted sec
ton of Oregon termed the Klamath
reservation.
Now the Klamaths were very
! much larger and more powerful tribe
than the Modocs and very unfriendly
toward them. Consequently when
the Modocs took up their residence
on the klamath reservation and be-
gan to build huts and till the ground
the Klamaths threatened. insulted