Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-06-13
Sitting BULL Surrendered
Sullemly When Faced by
Starvation, Grill Ayers


ture that showed the noted Indian
had not lost any of his kingly bearing.
Even in his fall he had an eye to the
dramatic, yet TO him it was tragedy.
he presented his rifle, in token of de-
feat, to Major Brotherton by the hand
OF his little on. But he has fallen,
the Conkling of his tribe" it was re-
marked at the time, and he car now
be relegated to the limbo of dethroned
Kings and potentates and disappointed
politicians"
1t was expected the steamer General
Sherman would arrive at Bismarck on
the day after its departure from Fort
Buford. During the trip down the Mis-
souri, on that hot fifth of August, Sit
ting Bull sat in sullen mood. Captain
Clifford was the only person., with the
exception OF his trusted lieutenants
among his own people, TO whom he
would ,unburden himself. Visions of
past %conquestS, memories Of successful
campaigns, recollections of the brilliant
and happy hunting days on the prairies
and the Surging OF the wild, free ma
ture that was his, made the distin-
gulShed captive morOse as the element
al passions of his soul struggled with
in him. He would sit with his face
turned toward the east as if in it's sig
niflcance he had yielded, and then of a
sudden he would turn to gaze lOngingly
toward the west from whence he had
come. A strange light would illumi-
nate his c~ountenance. The suggestion Of
a. smile would grace his lips, then they
would curl into savage lines, indicating
the trend of his thoughts and how he
probably entertained the hope that
some day he would return to claim
his rights based upon the traditions of
bic t,nnn1o md fhaiv n y,nin,t tIpr,n1nctnI
possession Of the bountiful hunting
grounds.
The General Sherman was to touch
at Bismarck. After a brief delay at
the wharf it IA to proceed to Fort
Yates where the Indians were to be
turned over to Colonel Gilbert of the
18th Infantry, who had been instructed
to take charge of the band for the
present.
The question as to whether Sitting
Bull himself was to remain under the
car of the military authorities, or be
turned over to the Indian agent at
Fort Yates had not at the time been
definitely settled, but in any event he
was to be subjected to close scrutiny
and further instructions were given
that care be taken that he not be al
lowed to leave the reservation.
1t seemed to those who had been
commissioned to watch him, that Sit
ting Bulls power for misunderstanding
was almost entirely gone. What was
considered the best evidence of this
was the fact that of several thousand
Indians, who in the former heyday
of his power acknowledged his leader
the number had, through jealous rival
chiefs, secession and hunger, dwindled
to a paltry, half-Starved band of 1877,
a ragged remnant of a once powerful
group that had come with open hands
begging bounty from the government.
1t was felt that if Sitting Bull was to
have been turned loose on the reserva-
ton it was not at all probable that
Gall, Hump, Rain-in-the-face and
other chiefs with whom formerly he
a associated in the exercise Of his
authority, and who had attained in
fluence through his decline, would
lightly yield to Sitting Bull or permit
him to resume his supremacy.
Sitting Bull was the first Of the
captive Indians to walk across the
gang plank at Fort Yates. He came
forward in the dignity of individuality
that was his to command on occa-
sions. Behind the proud mask OF
yielding to his superiOrs that over
spread his face there was written a
determination that was discovered by
but a few who were privileged to wit
ness the Decentralization.
Captain Clifford delivered his cap
tives and turned over the responsibility
for their further care to Colonel Gill
bert, who looked over the sad-faced
assembly with an %appraising eye. m
mediate measures we're taken to In
sure their safe keeping.
Sitting Bull had come to the end OF
his militant and wandering career IN
the northwest. He went out on n
other trail that led to the tragedy OF
his death on an alien reservation IN
December, 1909.