The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-11-18

At dawn on the 18th of December,
1890, Sitting Bull, the last Sioux war
chief openly hostile to the whites,
was shot to death by the Indian po-
lice of the Standing Rock agency, and
just two weeks later, on Wounded
Knee creek, 20 miles northeast of
the Pine Ridge agency, occurred one
of the most shameful incidents in the
story of the northwestern Indian
wars-the so-called battle of the
Wounded Knee. Instead of a battle
it was a slaughter of about 200 In
dian men, women and children, near
ly all unarmed and helpless. Sixty
United States soldiers were also kill
ed, many by fire from their own
rifles and artillery.
In the spring of 1890 the Sioux on
the Rosebud and Pine Ridge agen-
cies, which adjoined each other, were
driven desperate by starvation. The
federal government did not provide
enough rations to keep the Indians
alive, and they became ugly. Sitting
Bull, the uncompromising leader who
had escaped to Canada in the late
70's, had returned to SOW the seeds
of discomfort, and once more became
a factor in threatened uprisings of
the reds.
In their despair at having lost
everything earthly, the Sioux reached
out for something spiritual and Wild
ly embraced the new religion OF the
Indian Messiah, Wovoka, which came
to them all the way from the far-off
Sierras. The message of this pro-
phet was as follows:
when the sun died, I went up to
heaven and saw God and all the peo-
pie who had died a long time ago
God told me to come back and tell my
people they must be good and love
n another, and not fight or steal
or lie. He gave me this dance to give
to my people"
The Ghost Dance
The Ghost dance gave the Indians
what they most desired. 1t promised
them the return of the vanished buff
falo herds, the healing of the sick, re-
surrection of the dead and triumph
of the Indian over the white man.
Eagerly, ~frenziedly they seized upon
it and danced until they had-or fan
cied they had-visions which fulfill
ed the prophecy.
At Pine Ridge the situation be-
came critical, and it was made much
worse by the fact that at this crisis
an inexperienced person was placed
in charge-one d. F. Royer, who not
only lacked experience with Indians,
but is also described as having no
force of character, courage or sound
judgment. He was ct once called by
Sioux "Young-man-afraid-of-In-
dams"
During his first week at the agency
he lost all control, and in a few days
reported that more than 1900 In
1ians were dancing and that he need
troops. General Miles was too ex-
)erienced and wise to rush troops in,
said that he believed the ghost
1ancing would soon wear itself out.
Roger frantically wired Washington
or help. On November 13 the presi-
turned over affairs to the war
department., ~instructing the secretary
If war to assume military RESPONSE
,ility to prevent an outbreak. Cen /.
raj John R. Brooke, in command of !
force of troops, was ordered into
he field. General Miles established :
headquarters at Rapid City, S. D. :
Three thousand troops were sent into :
he Sioux territory. Many bands of ,
sioux then fled into the bad lands. :
Sitting Bull Killed +
Sitting Bull had a camp on Grand t
liver, where he was defiant, but had Y
cry few followers. Agent McLaugh- f
in, at the Standing Rock agency, adj e
ised the removal of Sitting Bull out 0
f the Sioux territory when the pro-
time should arrive, but was firm Y
4 the conviction that it should not b
e attempted until the dancing had C
ubsided, and he further stated en- il
hatically that he could accomplish "
is removal with the Indian police, u
nd without the aid of soldiers. H
Shortly after, Mclaughlin was in a
to arrest Sitting Bull.
wenty-eight Indian police were sta a