Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-11-17


ing the full import and intention of
the military forces.
Colonel E. A. Darlington was de-
tailed to take detachment of soldiers,
cannon and the interpreter myself.
We arrived at Colonel Cartons tent
about midnight.
I'VE sat in the tent when the Off
GERS talked over plans for the next
move to be made. After a while
Colonel Carlton turned to me and
try to gain meeting with Dull Knife
and talk with him through his inter-
prefer.
II went out to the vicinity where
the Indians were in their dugouts and
called to them. After some parleying
I was admitted into their camp where
night.
Dull Knife's Plea
Hour after hour I listened to the
repeated appeals of Dull Knife that
he and his band be not returned to
the assigned territory Gndian) which
was repulsive to him in both climate
and habits.
Darlington took me to Colonel
Carlton, who, after hearing what had
to report on my interview, command
ask him to send three of his men in
order that he, Carlton, might talk to
them. Afterwards Dull Knife agreed to
surrender to Camp Robinson without
fight"
1t was due to Dewitt's influence with
the Cheyenne band of Indians who
had dug in along the banks of the
Chadron creek that the besieged hos
tiles consented to come out without
fight, wrote Darlington in the after
years in appreciation of the service
rendered by the interpreter.
Enlisting in the United States In
dian scouts on Nov. 20, 1883, for a
period of six months. Dewitt was given
an assignment to the position of SER
voluntary service as an interpreter. He
was honorably discharged on May 10,
1884, at Fort Bennett.
Knew Brule Sioux Warriors
Throughout the years he resided on
the Lower Brule Indian agency in
South Dakota. He knew intimately
practically all of the Brule Sioux war
riors who fought Custer.
They are all gone now" Dewitt re-
marked in September, 1889, at the
home of his daughter.
Sometimes we would talk over the
days when the Indians hoped the
white men would go away and leave
the buffalo alone. They didn't like to
go to the reservations and live on
what the white men gave US Sitting
Bull didn't like it either. He said the
white men We're cheating the Indians.
Sitting Bull had great power over
the Sioux. He was a good medicine
man. He made good medicine. Many
Indians believed him. He know how
to lead them. He told the Sioux many
times he was never born to be reSer-
walton Indian. The Great Spirit made
him free Indian to go where he
wanted to. to hunt buffalo and be a
big leader in his tribe. He went away
from the reservation, and when other
Sioux saw how they were treated by
white men they went away too. Soon
they went together and made up big
number-the Oglallas, Minneconjoux,
Sans Arc. Yanktonais, Brule and other
Sioux-and after. while. the northern
back to the buffalo hunting grounds
over in the Big Horns and in the
Big Horn. Rosebud, Tongue and Pow
der river country, and they began to
think about driving all white men out
of the country.
Sitting Bull said they could do it
drive them out and take back their
hunting grounds. The Great Father in
Washington heard about it and sent
oSAS WAeAA oAaSio W III NC
the Sioux and Cheyenne back to their
own reservations. And then they killed
all the white soldiers who fought with
Custer on the Little Big Horn, but
they didn't kill Reno and his soldiers;
maybe that's where they made mis-
take. But they thought they had won
their land back and formed into tribal
bands and began to roam around like
their fathers did. But Miles came and
set up a fort on Tongue river and
fought Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and
Lame Deer and made prisoners of
many Indians -Rain-in and
Spotted Eagle and other chiefs and
sent them all back to their reserva-
Dewitt said that he talked with the
Brule Sioux about the Custer battle,
but never did he ever hear them say
other than that Custer was killed BY
the Indians in the fight.
:, All they knew was that he was
Killed and his body was left where he
1eu among his men-those who were
about him at the last. Clusters men
were scattered all over the ground.
Many OF the Cheyenne Indians knew
Custer: Sitting Bull knew him. But
they didn't cut his body up like other |
soldiers because they respected his |
rank. No Indian made a coup on
Custer. The squaws held the soldiers