Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-08
OUR INDIAN SOLDIERS.
They Are Good Fighters and Not
Afraid.


Heap big Injun" is proving
mighty ally to the white man" In the
great big fight against the enemies OF
the civilization to which the red men
have subscribed in these later years
since the pipes Of peace were smoked
on the plains and in the rocky valleys
Of the West.
The latest census report showed
total Indian population in the United
States of only 335,99S. Not more than
half of this total are American citizens.
About $4,000 Of them still wear skins
and blankets. Only 80 per cent can
read and write English. Less than
33, 900 Of them are male Indians OF
military age. Government statistics
show, however, that there are more
than $4,000 Indians in the United
States army. Of whom So per cent VOL
unteered for service. There are some
hundreds more in the United states
navy.
War seems the natural business OF
the Indian. Long before the United
States went into the conflict the Indian
was there; not with the regal panoply
of Sitting Bull, but with the same
crafty, adamant fighting spirit. The
story Of their participation in the war
for democracy is n new Odyssey. From
Canada they went forth in great num-
bors to fight with the overseas expedi-
tions. and there are fresh evidences
every day OF the singuIarfy important
part they are playing in the role OF
scouts and in their spectacular sur
prise attacks.
One of the novel stories that came
out of France recently had to do with
n hrna of six brave Sioux war"i"rS
who one night penetrated the German
lines to a depth of three miles. Com
ing upon a fine old French chateau
they found inside a great crowd OF
German army officers hilariously In
bibing tic varied menu OF a French
wine banquet. With the bloodcurd-
ling warwhoops that their sircs once
vented upon the plainsmen OF Ameri-
ca, the Sioux soldiers descended upon
the chateau, crashed their grenades
through the windows and let loose
fury of rifle and revolver fire. When
the patrol returned shortly afterward
intact to the American lines the IN
dian corporal modestly reported:
Heap big noise inside; perhaps
heap big dead now"
or a brave Indian lieutenant who
fell leading his men forward with the
Americans at Sersy, n subordinate Of
ficer said:
Chief so active last three months
no time to stay in the dugout for the
tailor to sew service and wound stripes
upon the coat sleeve. We buried him
in his blanket without them"
II ever proof was needed that the
American Indians heart was in the
right place and that he was the friend
of the white man Of America with
whom he has fought in every war that
we have ever fought. his activities in
the world war have provided ample
proof. No more loyal and militant
American fights in the trenches Of the
French and in Flanders than the
scions of the redskins.
Fourteen tribes are represented in
the armed branches of our service
There are approximately twenty-five
big Indian schools in the country
and each Is a recruiting station. The
war fever burns brightly in each OF
these centers, and there Is a demon
stration. as each warrior departs for
and even more picturesque than the de-
parture of the selectmen from the
town and cities Of the States. The
Carlisle Indian School has a service
flag dotted with stars. Haskell 1nsti-
tute in Kansas is constantly adding to
its stars. and so on through all the
schools Of the country.
The first Indian killed with the Ca
nduldH lOICeS NdS lsiculSHdht NHhiS'S S
Brant, Of the Six Nations. q lineal
descendant of Joseph Brant. the Indian
genius who fought with the Britons
in our revolution. thereby wiping out
a score that reached back more than a
century and a quarter. The first Amer
lean Indian to die with the American
expeditionary forces was John Peters,
a Menominee Indian. serving with the
First Engineers. All Of them are
imbued with the spirit Of the Indian.
who when asked how he liked army
life in one of our cantonments. accord
ing to the story told by President Will
son himself. answered: Too much
salute. not enough shoot"
The Indians have subscribed more
than $13,000,000 in three Liberty
Loans. a per capita subscription Of be-
tween $50 and $40. A school at Phoe-
nix. Ariz.. sent sixty-two men into the
army. raised $4,000 for Liberty Bonds
and $126S.50 for war-s2ving stamps.
The osages. richest Of the tribes, took
$226.000 Of the last loan. Otis Rus
sell. an Indian noncommissioned Of
ficer in the 35sth Infantry of Camp
Travis draws an income Of $500 a
month in interest on his oil lands and
turns it all into Liberty bonds.