Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-12-04

home was ON the Three Forks Of
the Missouri, or In that neighbOr-
hood. Driven out by q stronger
tribe they began their wandertngs
first eastward and then south,
fighting battles or making friends
as they went, until they formed
an alliance with the C0mancheS,
through the courageous mediation
of their chief, Dohasan, and to-
gether these two nations became
the scourge Of the southern terri
tories, Texas being the greatest
sufferer from their raids.
Among their later leaders, none wa
more conspicuous for daring than Ia
ne-on-koe, Kicking Bird, one Of Tho
OF the Nez Perces, was q born warrior
/ and his forays into the settlements Of
! Texas will be long remembered
on one of these raids he captured
two white women, Miss Morgan ano
| Mrs. White. General Custer went after
! them entering the KioWa camp &C
] companied by none but his guide, ano
| presenting pistol at the neao OF h1ck-
! ing Bird. demanding the surrender OF
| the two women. Kicking Bird protested
that he did not have them Custer
knew the chief was lying, and ordered
him To be led to a nearby tree, where
nrenarations were made for his hang
ing. This brought the chief TO terms.
An Indian might consent TO be snoC'
but he looked upon hanging as DIS
graceful mode OF exit from this world.
RicSino Bird. at length convinced that
custer was determined to free the
women. reluctantly gave them up.
Shrewd enough to understand the
futilitv of attempting TO oppose the
whites who had invaded the country
and we're rapidly driving out the game
~, which the Indians SubSiSted, Kicking
Rird went to Fort Sill and voluntarily
surrendered. This action OF ms VOL
him the good opinion OF the oIIlceIS,
who placed him in the extremely shorI
lis. Of GOOD Indians" Certain II Is,
that after surrendering, he used every
argument and possible means TO keep
his tribe friendly to the whites. Tnen
came the day when the Kiowas were
removed to a reservation, which OF
Tended him.
In the summer of 1869 the allied
tribes of KioWaS and Commences mace
a raid on the settlers in northern
Texas. and we're defeated Al tnat
time. or in the following ralo tne son
Of Lone Wolf, head kloWa Sin ..eI,a,, W.
killed and the father vowed reVShsS,
NOT necessarily on the slayer OF MS
son. bit on any white man or men VINO
fell in his power, this being ACCORDING
To the Indian custom Of blood atone
ment.
clicking Bird not having joined the
fret ,aid a council of the trlpe was
called. where he was Sound!y peraCeo
for lack of tribal loyalty ms prOeH s
warriors charging him with coWa w. ui -
and calling him a squaW. VI, Si< nT,,, ~
inT, like many leaders before ana
since. he led the second raid, wnlcn
nos said tn have been the WORST from
which Texas ever suffered klcking
T5ird carried away much loot, ncluolng
may1v herds Of horses. How he managed
Ia become reconciled TO the goVeLn+s
ment after this, Is not narrateQ' puS
: ~ Tso,,o,1t wise to conciliate man OF
t The Intelligence and influence OF tne
erring chief, and he was once nioie
taken back into the fold.
President Grant appointed MI.
Tatham agent Of the KioWaS, i MS h tsA.l
tI1omoht n worth while TO cultivate tne
Sriendship of Kicking Bird, and won
he confidence of that cher. w W
mat time no white man was peI 1ll
ID dwell In the camp OF tne tuN.o.I,
M Tathan persuaded them, through
w. w. cid Of Kicking Bird, to let q scnool
.ascI1er with a missionary spirit go
nto their village and there SeS uP
H.. Ta.1nonecfirle tepees to be used as
w saI,SScl TENT AM went well for a year,
and until the killing Of Lone won
son made that chief see REQ hIS BIC 1u
Sird realized the day had arrived n15
ne closing Of school and that ~ W0 SIVa
be well for schoolmaster batsy ~ - o.
4 permanent vacation. From INT a.
.o,int of the incident 1t appears Baggy
mas IGNORANT of his danger ana olo
not ike to give up his work. KICKING
Rird wasted no time in arguing INT
1niyt. IJnceremoniously kidnapped tne
-erIctant pedagogue and carried I'LL
10 Fort sin, where he was oetIVeLSu
about an hour in advance OF thT "a
rival of the would-be avenger' Hoiie
Wolf
W .lis ., ~ 70 sort Iarned, Colonel
rnnan. In his Santa Fe Trail says.
sTJe was the cynosure Of all eyes, as
1e was without question one OF Ine
loblest looking savages ever seen VAA
he plains" sr
He wore. on this occasion, the ful
,1ifoyrn of a major general in the
United States army, and, conDinuSS
Colonel Inman: HE was as correcIly
nodded as a statue. When ne, mounOeQ
IN his magnificent charger, rooe oue
With General Hancock to visit the I'M
nense indian camp a few miles above
he fort. it would have been difflcult
ask to determine which was the finer
ooking man" This was an unusual
riblIte from an army officer, as Cen
raj Hancock was remarkably hano-
ONE. -, $1,000
one day when Kicking Bird entered
he suffers store at Fort Sin q Stran-
-er who was there asked: Who Is ,
hat fine looking indiana" He was tolo ,,
! was kicking Bird. The stranger tnen
eouested the agent to tell the cnleI ,
10 would like to talk with him. That 7.
s the one who led the famous RAID
nto Texas. never saw better general /
hin in the field in all my experience. !
70 KicIxing Bird. had three horses !
Tiled under him. was the surgeon
4 the rangers and was Of course IN
he fight" added the unknown j
When the agent proposed the nteT
lev, Kicking Bird declined TO TAX
nth the doctor.
The battle to which the surgeon re-
erred was q long drawn out aIIaii, Z
oviv,o, lasted three davis Kicking Bro )