The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-09-23
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the surrender of Dull Knife and his people dur
ing the Sioux and Cheyenne war Of 1876-77, they
were sent to Indian Territory to live The
Cheyennes were mountain Indians accustomed
to the clear, pure air Of the high attitudes and
in the lowlands Of the south they rapidly sick
ened and died until two-thirds of their number
had persisted Again and again Dull Knife ap-
pealed to the government for permission to
return to their old home in the north, but his
appeal was all In vain
Finally in desperation Dull Knife and Little
Wolf, the Junior war chief, resolved to leave
their hated reservation. In the fall of 1873 they
started north and although six lines of military
barrier were thrown out to stop them, they cut
their way through three of these lines before
Dull Knife and a part Of the Cheyennes were
captured in Nebraska. They were taken to Fort
Robinson, disarmed and imprisoned In an old
barracks.
Army officers, acting under instructions from
Washington, informed them that they must be
returned to Indian Territory. Then, In the words
of an eyewitness:
1.-THE old Cheyenne war chief, Dull Knife,
stepped slowly to the center of the circle, a
grim, lean figure. Erect, despite his sxty-odd
years, with face of classical Roman profile,
with the steady, penetrating glance and noble,
commanding bearing of a great leader of men,
Dull Knife stood in his worn canvas moccasns
sonification of the greatness Of heart and soul
that cannot be subdued by poverty and defeat.
"Never when riding at the head of hundreds
of his wild warriors clad in the purple of his
race-leggings of golden yellow buckskin, heav.
fly beaded, blanket of dark blue broadcloth war
bonnet of eagles feathers that traled behind
him on the ground necklace of bears claws, the
spoils of many a deadly, tussle-never in his life
did Dull Knife look more chieftain than there
in his captivity and rags. He said:
".AI we ask is to be allowed to live, and to
live in peace. l seek no war with anyone. An
old man, my fighting days are done. We bowed
to the will of the Great Father and went far
into the south where he told us to go. There
we found hyena cannot live. Sickness came
among us that made mourning In every lodge.
Then the treaty promises were broken, and our
ratons were short. Those not worn by disease
were wasted by hunger. To stay there meant
that all of us would die. Our petitions to the
Great Father were unheeded. We thought 1t
better to die fighting to regain our old homes
than to perish of sickness Then our march was
begun. The rest you know.
"Tell the Great Father Dull Knife and his
people ask only to end their days here in the
north where we were born. Tell him we want
no more war. We cannot live In the south (;
there is no game. Here. when rations are short,
we cannot hunt Tell him If he lets us stay
here Dull Knife's people will hurt no one.
TELL HIM IF HE TRIES TO SEND Us BACK
WE WILL BUTCHER EACH OTHER WITH
OUR OWN KNIVES. HAVE SPOKENP"
Die fighting some of them did few days
later. But others escaped to their friends the
Sioux. where they were allowed to remain.
Among them was Chief Dull Knife and 1t is a
pleasure to record the fact that eventually ne
did return to the land he loved so well and
fought so hard to regain and there he spent
the end Of his days.
By Western Newspaper Union.