The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-11-29

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would have succeeded, though he
crossed three mountain ranges, car
ried his stock and the women and
children with his army ana was OPP
posed by total forces numbering about
+ four times his own. The curious
reader may find the story Of the var
ious battles in the publications of the
Montana historical library AS indi-
lcative of the courage of the man and
of the sort of metal in his makeup
read the following.
About 10 men, myself among them,
were cut off. My little daughter, y
years of age, was with me- | gave
her a rope, and told her to catch a
horse and join the others who were
cut off from the camp. l have not
seen her since, but have learned that
she is alive and well.
81 thought Of my wife and children,
who were now surrounded by soldiers
and | resolved to go to them or die.
With prayer in my mouth to the
Great Spirit Chief who rules above,
| dashed unarmed through the line of
soldiers. 1t seemed to me that there
were guns on every side, before and
behind me. Ny clothes were cut to
pieces and my horse was wounded, but
was not hurt. AS | reached the
door of my lodge, my wife handed me
my rifle, saying Here's your gun.
Fight"
He escaped from this surprise at
tack but finally was surrounded. The
telegraph had gotten the better of
his generalship. party of soldiers
under the command of Col. Nelson A
Miles, took him unawares near what is
now Chinook, Mont. He could not bean
to see his wounded men and women
suffer longer
"On the fifth day | went to Gen
eral Miles and gave up my gun, ant
said, Prom where the sun now stands
| will fight no more" He keeps hi:
word
Joseph concludes his remarkable in
terview with pathetic plea fol
tolerance.
Il know that my race must change,
he conceded. eve cannot hold on
own with white men as we are w,
only ask an even chance to live a
other men live. We ask to be recog
| nized as men. We ask that the SAM
; law shall work alike on all men.
, an Indian breaks the law, punish hin
, by the law. If the white man break
the law, punish him also.
LET me be a free man-free t,
travel, free to stop, free to work fire,
to trade, where | chose; free t
: enoose my own teachers, free to fol
low the religion Of my fathers, fire.
70 think and talk and act for myself
and | will obey every law, or submi
10 the penaAy
Whenever the white man treats thu
Indian as they treat each other thel
we shall have no more wars. w,
shall be all brothers of on,
father and one mother, with one SIX!
above us and one country around US
and one government for all Their
the Great Spirit Chief who rules abov,
viii smile upon this land and senC
rain to wash out the bloody spot!
made by brothers hands upon the face
Of the earth
If the Nez Perez was a gentle, peac
loving people, slow to wrath, tn
Sioux were exactly the opposite. The,
were treacherous, cruel, bloodthrsty
But they were brave. Witness tn
complete determination Of Gen. Gee
. "A. Clusters entire command of 26
men before 5000 Sioux and Cheyenn
warriors.
A picture of the Custer massacr
: can best be secured by a study of
l painting by the late f. S. Paxson
! Montana artist. This painting nov
! hangs in the law library Of the Stat,
university at Missoula.
: Mr.. Paxson made speciality of In
: dian subjects He talked with Indian.
1 who were in the battle, (the white.
! were killed to the last mani, ant
, learned from them the exact position!
of the principal victims. The painting
/ is said to be historically accurate il
. every particular.
/ The Sioux were powerful tribe
A large number of soldiers, under
) three generals were sent to subdut
them. Custer was sent with IL com
: panies of cavalry-the Seventh regi
ment--with orders to attack and MOI
permit the Indians to escape to the
south The other two divisions were
to follow more slowly. At the Little
Big Horn, Custer divided his forces
into three battalions, taking five com
panies under his immediate command
The Indians were supposed to number
from 800 to 1000; instead, from 3 tt
5000 Sioux and Cheyennes engaged
him in battle and utterly annihilatet
/; his entire command. The Sioux es
capped carrying their dead with them
later to be hunted down and returned
TO the reservation.
James M. Ashley, one of our terri
tOrial governors, gave Montana hen
name. II cannot tell who first men
tIoDed the NAME" writes Sidney Ed
gsTtDn, the firgt governor Of Montana
@bu6 the man Who fought most ear