Evening star., 1930-06-22

n \
such Indian encampment that
which Sprawled along the banks of
the Little Big Horn in the Sum-
m1r of 1876, for the hot Montana sun beat
down upon more than 5000 redskins, driven
il o alliance by their hates and fears.
All of the tribes of the great Sioux Nation
were standing shoulder to shoulder at last
the Hunkpapas under crafty Gall Crow King
ard Black Moon; the OgalallaS and BruleS
with Crazy Horse their deSpotic chieftain;
Scabby Head and his Blackfeet; Spotted Tail
and his San Arcs; the Mineconjous, with Fast
Bull and Hump; the Yanktonnais and SanteeS,
led by wise old Inkpaduta; ard to swell the
painted host came White Bull and Two Moon,
leading the Northern CheyenneS and Arapahoes.
Well may content have filled the heart of
Sitting Bull, chief and mighty medicine man
o. the Sioux for the savage army that he
lC 0kad upon was entirely the work of his cum
npg hands. Through the years he had
preached a gospel of hate against the pale
lces urging united resistance to their ad-
vlnce and now he had made his dream come
true.
For a while it seemed that the treaty of 1868
would defeat him, for it gave the Sioux vast
retch of territory-the Dakotas Northern Ne
aska, Wyoming and Montana II the United
= ates pledging faith that this land should ever
Ee the Indians own, but it suffered the
fate of previous treaties.
THE discovery of gold in the Black Hills
brought rush of white adventures into
lie very heart of the Sioux possessions and
While the Government gave orders for their ex-
Cluson, only handful of soldiers were supplied
fcr the purpose. Like a locust swarm the gold
mad whites swept the land, and, if this
ot injury enough, the Northern Pacific began
20 plan its line from Bismarck to the Yellow
one. 1t was an open violation of the treaty,
ct not only did the United States approve it.
but soldiers were provided to protect the sur
veyorS, driving the Indians from the hunting
grounds that they had thought to enjoy in
peace.
Leaping forward to grasp his opportunity,
Sitting Bull had journeyed from village to vii
lage, tanning sullen angers into flame. making
medicine" that promised victory and the re-
suit Of his tireless efforts was the great Indian
army that filled the valley of the Little Big
Horn, eager and ready for battle with the hated
whites. Nor it any mere prairie rabble,
armed only with bows and arrows, for every
warrior carried a modern repeating rife and
two first-class revolvers, and in every tepee
there piles of ammunition.
AS he gazed Sitting Bulls lip must have
curled with contempt for the whole white
race. for every rifle, revolver and cartridge
stood as a manifestation of greed and infamy.
The fur traders of st. Louis slipping up the
Missouri in heavy-laden steamers. had sold
them to the Indians in exchange for buffalo
rC5es and pelts, even though they knew that
each rife to be used against their own
people, that each cartridge might mean the
death of a soldier.
Strong in numbers, admirably armed it was
in supreme confidence, therefore, that Sitting
Bull and his allied tribes awaited the coming
of the "bluecoats."
What added to the great chiefs serenity was
mis- knowledge that the United States was
sending no more than 2,700 men against him.
hat iY1fo
three parts. From the south marched Crook
with 1900 men; from the east came Terry and
Custer, and from Fort Ellis came Gibbon.
Gen. Terry, calling Custer and Gibbon into
council the banks of the Yellowstone, had
no to believe that the Indian force
somewhere in front of him was of large num-
per. for by careful estimate it had been figured
that not more than 500 Indians were "off the
~Easervation"
Here was an instance of the shameless dis
honesty that characterized the conduct of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, for although every
agent knew that fully half of his charges had
slipped away to join Sitting Bull, no reports
Tad been made. This because the agents
found rich profit in selling the supplies of the
absentees, and kept these names on the books
present and accounted for"
Out of his ignorance, Gen Terry thought
that his problem was simply one of cunning
pursuit, rather than pitched battle, and laid
lis plans to corner the Indians. Knowing that
Crook coming up from the south, he sent
Gibbcn and 400 men to scout the banks of toe
BIZ Horn and dispatched Custer with some SOC