The Fort Peck press., 1937-04-22

Everyone is familiar with the
prOverb, "There are always two
sides to story" but they rarely
think of it as applicable to accounts
of early-day battles with the In
dians, which were generally given
from the viewpoint of the white
man, and he loses nothing in the
narrating. 1t is refreshing Occas-
ionaily, to hear the Indians version
of an encounter. The Indian is reti-
cent, except with his own people or
tried friends, and white men, as
rule find difficulty in learning his
side of a story.
The Rosebud fight, which took place
June II, 1876, between white soldiers
and Indians at the bend of the Rose
tory for the white troops, but it was,
says George Bird GrinneI, their de-
! feat.
The origin of this fight, together
with other Indian troubles of the '70's,
is known to all who are familiar with
western history. When gold was dis
| covered in the Black Hills in 1874, 1t
was impossible to keep prospectorS out
of that region. The white men coveted
it because of the gold it held; the red
men priced it as valuable hunting
ground, and the land was theirs by
right, if the word of the government
could be trusted.
The Indian did not hunt for sport
but to provide food for himself and
family. The Black Hills were full of
deer and bear and the Indians, look
ing upon that region as their store
house, naturally resented its invasion
by the whites.
AS usual the government sought to
compromise the question:; and as usual
called conference, the purpose OF
which was to take from the Indians
through a treaty, their hunting ground
in the Black Hills. This conference, and
it's resulting treaty reSembled in one
respect, at least, that held later with
the Nez Perces, only in this instance
the government sought to purchase the
land.
Some of the Sioux we're willing to
sell, while others, of greater intelli-
gence, realizing what it meant for
them, refused the offered terms They
would fight for what was theirs,
through former agreements-andt they
did.
In the spring of 1876, Generals Terry
and Crook were dispatched to teach the
Indians of Montana, Wyoming and
North Dakota, who had not agreed to
the treaty, that they must stop molest- |
ing the whites. General Terry was to
go up the Missouri and Yellowstone
rivers, and from there carry on his |
operations towards the south; while |
General Crook was to go north to the
headWater of the Powder, Tongue,
Rosebud and Big Horn rivers. On June |
9, when Crooks command had reached |
the Tongue river it was attacked by
Indians, and two men were wounded. |
I,op IN, hi Ia
Hawk had said to the young men OF
the village, Come, let us go out and
steal some horses from the whites"
With their usual love of adventure,
Little Hawks suggestion met with a
quick response. The band of Indians
set out for the place where they ex-
pected to find the horses; but they were
to see the plain beneath them
covered with soldiers.
There are too many for us to fight,
said Little Hawk. LET us go back" But
the soldiers had caught sight of them.
and sent shower of bullets in their
two men, and then retreat
ng.
The fight on the Rosebud was waged
eight days later. While the official re-
port says the attack of the Indians was
made at the entrance to a deep and
rocky canyon, Grinnell, who has been
over the ground, claimed that the fight
ook place in wide, and almost level
1lain, inclosed by high bluffs.
1t was hard battle, and well fought
IN both sides; but those who have
ooked over the ground, and know the
acts of the case, state that General
Crook was thoroughly we'll beaten by
he Indians, and that he got away as
oon as he could"
Again it was Little Hawk who dis