Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-11-06

Miles, johnson saw considerable In
dian trouble during the winter of 1876
1877, which was spent near Dull Knife's
camp of North Cheyennes with the
Sioux Of Crazy Horses village on Pow
der river. In the spring of 1877, Dull
Knife and his people surrendered to
the troops. Most Of them were sent
south to the Indian territory, with the
understanding that they were to re-
main with relativeS-the Southern
CheyenneS.
Mr.. johnson during a recent inter-
view with the writer, went into detail
in explaining and telling of the his
tory Of Little Wolf and Dull Knife. His
story is very similar to the version
which was published by George Grin
nell in THE Fighting Cheyennes.'
The people of Dull Knife found
themselves facing new conditions when
they were sent south to live with their
relatives. They had come to the hot
and humid Indian territory. They had
come from a country where the game
and buffalo were still plentiful to a
land where the game had been ex-
terminated. Immediately on their ar
rival they were attacked by fever and
ague, an ailment wholly new to them.
Food was scant and they began to
starve. The Indians were meat eaters,
but the beef furnished them by the
government was no more than skin
oxJ Ln,a Tho onopt in 1ncrrihinn
their sufferings said: They have lived
and that is about ALL"
The Indians endured this for about
a year, and then their patience gave
out. They left the agency to which
they had been sent and started north.
Though troops were camped close. to
them, they attempted no concealment
Of their purpose. Instead, they an
nounced that they intended to return
to their own country.
Johnson commented on the fact that
much has been written of the Nez
Perces' march under Chief Joseph, but
little remembered of the Dull Knife
outbreak, and the march to the north,
led by Little Wolf. This march was
over an open country, where there was
no opportunity to avoid pursuers or to
hide from them SO as to get a little
rest and respite. The story OF the
Journey has not been told, but in the
traditions of the old army this cam
paign was notable, and men who were
stationed on the plains years ago are
likely to tell you-if you ask, them
that there never was another sucn
journey.
Troops sent after them from Fort
Reno overlook the little band before
it had gone to the agency. The In
dams were ugly and a fight took place.
The troops were driven back and the
Indians went on. The fugitives pressed
constantly northward, while govern
ment orders we're flying over the wires
and special trains were carrying men
and horses, cavalry and infantry, to cut
them off at all probable points on the
different railway lines they must cross
OF the 300 Indians, sixty or seventy
we're fighting men. The rest were ole
men, women and boys. An army ofh-
Ger once told Johnson that $4,000 troops
were hurrying over the country to cap
ture or kill these few people who had
left the fever-stricken south, and IN
the face of every obstacle were steadily
marching northward. The war de-
partment set in operation against them
all it's resources, but they kept on. II
troops attacked them, they stopped and
fought until they had driven of the
soldiers, and then started northward
again. Sometimes they did not even
stop, but marched along, fighting as
they marched. For the most part they
tried-and with success-to avoid con-
ficts and had but four hard fights, in
which they lost half a dozen mer
killed, and about as many wounded.
During the winter following the cap
ture of Dull Knife's village, in Novem-
Der, 1876, General Mackenzie learned
where the C%heyennes were, and sent
out a runner asking them to come In
and surrender. The runner returned
with a message that they had a~ssented
and already started in. They reached
Fort Robinson early in April, sur
rendered and made peace. The Indian
bureau wished to bring all the Chey-
ennes together on one reservation in
the Indian territory, which for the
past forty years or more had been the
range of the Southern Cheyennes. Or
ders were given, therefore, that these
surrendered people should be sent tt
the Indian territory, but they were
much opposed to going there. From
time to time many Of them had visited
the southern country, but scarcely any
of them had ever lived there.
The Indians felt so strongly about
this that General Crook and Genera