The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-12-13
Leo IN MASSACRE OF
ONE HUNDRED SOLDIERS
A Bloody Tragedy That Made Him
The Leader Of His
Tribe

Yeas ago the Government issued
bright ied blankets to the Sioux Al
observer remarked that the SiouS
ehieflain's warriors covered the him
like a real red cloud. and from thai
chance remark Red Cloud derived his
name Red Cloud first came into
p olninence as thes leader OF the red
men in the Fetterman massacre in
Wyoming That bloody tragedy was
December %. 1885, at point two
miles north of old Fort Phil Kear-
ney, Of which Gen. Henry b Caring
ton was in command.
A detail OF soldiers was sent out
to cut and gather wood on the Little
Plney, stream running past the
fort The soldiers had reached a
point some two miles trom the fort
when they We're attacked by Indians.
Reinforcement were sent to their
rescue and they were brought into
the fort in safety General Caring
ton sent out hundred men in com.
mand of Captain Fetterman to chas-
tise the Indians. The Sioux led
Captain Fetterman and his men to a
high ridge some two miles from the
fort and there, hiding themselves on
either side OF it, lay in wait for them.
The soldiers had got about half way
down the ridge when suddenly on one
side OF them Red Cloud rose up with
nearly two thousand warriors, while
on the other side his right hand man,
Red Leaf rose up with an equal mum.
her The commend was taken com
pletely by surprise. Not a soldier
escaped Realizing that death in an
awful form awaited them, Captain
Fetterman and Lieutenant Brown of
the Twenty-seyenth infantry. after
lighting until all their ammunition
was exhausted. killed themselves. It
has always been believed.
The massacre made Red Cloud, by
common consent. the leader of the
warrior Sioux. He was all powerful
among the warlike elements of his
people. aie possessed swift intui-
tons. great .shrewdness and cunning
persuasive eluquence aud unuucs
toned courage. He dominated most
of the councils Of his Tube and his
Voice always was raised for war. In
a short time he established what TO
all intents and purposes was mill
tary dictatorship, attracting TO him
self all the elements disposed TO war
and opposed to the Government
About the time Red Cloud came
into prominence. the Government
abandoned Fort Kearney, Fort Reno
and Fort c. F. Smith on the Mon
tana Trail and little later gave over
TO the sayagcs an the country be.
tween the No tn Platte. the Yellow
stone and the Little Missouri on the
east aud the Yellowstone park on the
west This region remained in the
possession of the redskins until 1878
when General Crook began als cam
paigns against all the Sioux tribes,
save hose belonging 10 Sitting Bull
In 1874 council was held with
these troublesome Indians on the
North Platte river with respect to the
abandonment Of certain OF their lands
on the north side of the stream. The
result OF the council was that the
Indians abandoned the North Platte
Country and went to the Red Cloud
agency on the White Earth river
whence they continued to make FREE
quent raids along the line until they
killed Lieutenant Robinson Of the
Fourteenth Infantry in 1874 Then
General Smith was sent with body
OF troops to chastise and 10 hold