The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-09-02

Spotted Tail and taken by Brule
Grattan was sent to arrest the In
dian for his salvage of the cow. The
Brule thought this proceeding rather
high-handed, and the battle began,
with the result that Grattan's detach-
ment was destroyed. The cow had
probably become Indian sustenance
long before the fight.
Prominent in this engagement was
a young Indian who later attained
almost the prominence of Red Cloud.
He, too, was self-made, and besides
being a leader among warriors. he
had fought duel with subchief for
the hand of his wife, and had won.
When the head chief died. Spotted
Tail was chosen over the heads of
older men to succeed him.
After the battle over the discarded
COW, which led to depredations on
the Oregon trail and subsequent pun
ishment of the tribe by other troops,
Spotted Tail and two others were
commanded to give themselves up as
murderers. Much to the surprise Of
the soldiers at Fort Laramie, this
was promptly done, and the three
braves, dressed in their war array,
marched in, chanting their death
songs. This bravery had an effect
in their favor, and Spotted Tail event
ually was freed.
In 1865, when the Sioux under Red
Cloud opposed the building Of a rail-
road into Montana, Spotted Tail IA
vored the treaty, although he did not
treaty of April %, 1868. in which the
Sioux reservation was accepted and
the road to the mines abandoned.
Later, gold was discovered in the
Black Hills. Not knowing exactly
how the white men valued this metal,
Spotted Tail visited the miners and
. prOspectOrs in their camps to find
out AS he sat before their fires, he
listened to talk of wonderful mines
and rich ore, given a greatly exag-
gerated value by the Imagination Of
the prospectors-a habit which has
not ceased to this day. His untutored
mind gained the idea that the Black
Hills lands were extremely valuable,
and that a price commensurate with
, this value should be paid to the
Sioux.
The treaty of 1868 had taken away
from the chiefs the power to make
treaties for sale of lands. On this
account, commissioners were sent to
the Sioux to find out what price they
demanded. Spotted Tail had spread
the news he gathered: the lands were
valued by the Indians at 100000, 900.
Naturally, no such price could be
paid. Further negotiations must be
entered into, but for the time af-
fairs were at a standstill. The troops,
feeling that later on the territory
would be opened, began allowing
miners to pass in without limit.
The younger Sioux, who hoped with
their elders that large price would
be paid, saw this influx with alarm
and anger. To man, the young
warriors on the reservation Joined the
hostiles, of which Sitting Tail and
Crazy Horse Ga nephew of Spotted
TaiD were leaders.
Spotted Tail, who had been to Wash
ington, where he was made much of,
had become much friendlier to the
white people than some of his BROTH
er chiefs liked. Big Mouth, in particu-
lar, had considerable to say about
this, and was managing to turn the
Brule against Spotted Tail.
There was one sure way to cause
Big Mouth to be still; Spotted Tail
went to his lodge, and called him
out. AS the talkative chief appeared,
two warriors seized him, and before
he could resist, Spotted Tail shot
him dead
The Sioux uprising has been dis
cussed elsewhere in these articles,
and it's outcome told. After the Custer
disaster, Red Cloud was suspected
of disloyalty, and Spotted Tail was
made chief of all the Indians at both
his own agency and Red Clouds.
Crazy Horse had separated from
Sitting Bull, and engaged in a des-
perate battle with General Miles and
his troops. Spotted Tail negotiated
with his nephew, and in the following
spring (1S77) Crazy Horse surren-
dered. The great Sioux uprising was
at an end.
The Brule chief, now a man of mid
die age, still preferred an active life.
Inter-tribal feuds remained to be set
tied. and Crow Dog, another Sioux,
was one of the marked men. Spotted
Tail gathered a war-party and started
out to spill some Indian blood.
They met near the Rosebud agency
in South Dakota, August 5. 1881. Crow
Dog felt that he was in dangerous
position. and prepared to defend him.
self
shot rang out-more than one, no
doubt, but this shot reached its mark
in the heart Of Spotted Tail. The
Brule chief lay dead.
70. 1882. Western Newspaper Union.)
Mexican War Society