Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-11-29

last resting place of two of the most
4 notable of the early leaders of the
Cheyenne Indians, according to plans
which are being carried out under the
direction OF George Bird Grinnell, u
thor and naturalist, whose friendship
for the Cheyenne indian goes back At
years to the time when DR.. Grinnell
first became interested in the history
and traditions of these people. DR..
Grinnell spent a part of each summer
for many years with these Indians, hunt
ing buffalo with them in the early
eighties and later making thorough stud
les of many features Of their early his
tory, which he has preserved for the
future in such books as THE Fighting
Cheyennes" and The Cheyenne In
dians."
In the summe of 1926, DR.. GrinneI
had two bronze tablets struck off by one
of the leading jewelers. in New York City.
These plates were sent to A. c. Stohr,
pioneer Indian trade at Lame Deer,
with instructions to have them placed
over the graves of Little Wolf and Dull
Knife. both of whom had been personal
friends of DR.. Grinnell, and who had
died on the Tongue River reservation.
Locating the bodies and removing them
to Lame Deer has AIKEN considerable
time due to the necessity of conforming
with beliefs of the Indians which re-
quire certain ceremonies before the re-
mains of the dead can be handled.
The body of Little Wolf has been
brought to Lame Deer from its former
burial place OF Muddy creek, and it is
expected that the remains of Dull Knife
will be emoved TO this place within a
few days. The bronze tablets sent by
DR.. Grinnell recall to students of plains
history some of the facts that have given
to these two men a unique place in the
history of the settlement of the west.
The tablet placed over the grave of Dull
Knife states: Here lies We He Hiv,
Morning Star, chief of the Northern
C~heyennes, famous in the early wars with
the whites. He died on this reservation
in 1883. He is more often known by his
Sioux name, Dull Knife"
Won Fame by March
The Little Wolf tablet has engraved OF
it: Here lies Ohkom He e Kit, Little
Wolf. Died October 80, 1904. AS a SOL
dier chief in 1878 he led the escaping
C~heyennes from the south back to Mon
tana. He avoided the many pursuing
troops and fought but one real battle.
He was q commander of men, a great gem
eral."
The fame of these two chiefs rests
chiefly on their notable exploit of march
ing overland with o small band Of fol-
lowers from the fever infested lowlands
Of Indian territory to their old home
land in the hills of Montana and Da-
kota, evading the efforts of thousands of
troops to stop their progress.
Following the battle on the Little Big
Horn in the summer Of 1878, the North
ern Cheyennes went into camp for the
winter of 1876-77 on Powder river, where
Dull Knife had established a camp in
company with a number of Sioux allies.
The following spring they surrendered
n gave up their arms to the soldiers at
Fort Robinson, Neb. The matter OF max
ing permanent provision for the future
Of the tribe was discussed by the officers
and the leading chiefs of the tribe. Three
choices were offered the Indians, they
could remain at the fort for one year.
at the end of which time other arrange
ments YOU be made, they could go onto
the reservation being established for the
Shoshone and Arapahoe Indians to the
west, or they could join their relatives,
the Southern Cheyennes, on their reser-
vation in indian territory.
At this time the elder chief Standing
Elk made a speech which surprised the
other leaders Of the Cheyennes. Stand
ing Elk said hat his people would &c
south. The Cheyennes were accordingly
escorted to the agency on the Canadian
river, in what is now Oklahoma, and
were held there for nearly a year by the
1 0eAt>At AAN A1iA VA tAAR
warm and humid, was very unhealthy
for the Northern Cheyennes who had
been accustomed to the high dry plains
and mountains of Dakota and Montana
Large numbers of the Indians became
sick with ague and other ailments, among
which inconsistencies for the pines and
mountains of the north was not the
least.
Troops Are Evaded
The Indians tried to gain permission
from the authorities to return to the
north. Failing in this they determined
to make a break for the home range. A
band Of between 200 and 800 Indians
said to have included not more than &c
fighting men, left the agency during
the first week Of July, 1878, headed for
! their old hunting grounds in the north
They had not gone 100 miles when they
were o~vertaken by troops sent out to
bring them back to the agency. The In
dams stood off the troops and continued
on their way north, fighting against the
soldiers when necessary, but avoiding
contact with all white people as much as
possible.
1t is said by the Indians that Dull
Knife n Little Wolf both ordered their
men not to kill settlers. nor to attack
soldiers unless fired upon. The Indians
maintain that these orders were followed
until a cowboy killed one OF the Indians.
From that time 1t was a matter OF fight
ing continuously against all whites who
came across the path Of the advancing
Cheyennes.
The march Of the fugitives earned q
place in the traditions OF the old army