The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1913-05-31
Sioux Woman
Al kiIdeer
Mrs. Strikes the Wild Cat, Tells Of
Indian Battle at Presnt Site
Of Diamond c Ranch,
Years Ago.

The State Historical Society is grad
ually gathering data on the Sully expe-
pition and it may be inerestine to the
people in this locality to know about
the Kildeer fight from woman who
was at the Kildeers on the great day of
the fight, July 28th, 1864.
Last week Curator Fish and'Dr. Beede
were down on the Standing Rock and
there they interviewed Mrs. Strikes.
the wild cat, and she tells the follow
ing interesting tale of the day:
During the middle of the summer
we came from the east of the Kildeers
from the direction of the Missouri river.
We had heard that the soldiers were
some place near the Kildeers and so our
young men we're looking out for them.
We didn't know why they were out
after US because we were not doing any
thing out of the way. 1t was other
people Qndians) who had been at the
Minnesota trouble, but the whites were
on the warpath.
We had just made camp on the side
of the hill and we were going to Settle
down and cure more meat. But the
next morning we saw the soldiers COM
ing. There was lot of excitement.
We commenced to pack up at once and
crossed the kildeer mountain creek on
beaver dam. There was so much rush
and hurry that children were lost all
along the way. One horse was taking
some children along and the travais
plunged into a mud hole and the chill
dren got plastered with mud and the
horse was riding stumbled and fell
and threw me off. was so excited l
yelled father and mother, and started
along on foot.
grabbed hold of buffalo robe On
another horse and the woman shouted
, to me to catch hold of the horses tail.
caught hold and the horse gave me
such kick that still feel it after all
these years.
AS soon as we reached the high
ground we looked back and saw the
soldiers and Indians fighting and they
all fought very hard. The Indians did
no, have anything on only the breech
cloth. And they were fighting very
hard to hold the spring.
1t was the first time heard the big
guns (cannon) and they made an awful
noise and we were afraid of the guns
When we were on top Of the hill bear
in his excitement came right in our
crowd and charged us and killed one
woman. Everybody Gotta, ota many
was hurrying and yelling and scream
ing and the children were terror strick-
en-. We didn't know where to 90 OF
when to STOP We had much meat on
the horses but some Of the Indians lost
their tents and meat.
That night we were in the Bad Lands
ard it was cold and there was much
suffering for we had nothing to cover
us that night. The soldiers went away
and we gathered all of the people of
my band together and we went to the
Missouri river aud crossed at the Paint
ed Woods. Some Indians went south.
west to the Bad Lands and fought the
soldiers again. We went away by our
selves because we wanted to live
quietly and not have any trouble.
When we consider that 10000 Sioux
were camped in the Kildeer and that
there were four or five thousand women
and children fleeing from an army they
believed wanted to hang them. it will
make the picture more vivid.
The beaver dam of which the Indian
woman tells is just west of the Dia-
mond C ranch and at that time was
quite a structure. The Sioux tents
were pitched about the present site
of the Diamond C and the fighting took
place on the flat east and little south.
Only few soldiers, perhaps three or
four, were killed in this short engage
ment. How many Indians fell before
the whitening fire of the soldiers is not
known. The red men always take their
dead from the field of battle.
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