Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-01-08
CUSTER BATTLE
STORY AS TOLD
TO MISSIONARY

TO MISSIONARY
Those who knew the Indians best
lived with them for years. not as fur
traders did to exploit them, but with
sincere desire to understand them
and to elevate them. Such were most
of the missionaries, both protestant
and Catholic, and Of this number was
Father Genin, missionary Apostolic,
who labored for long period lover
30 years., in the northwest, and who
has left a record Of some of his ex-
periences, principally in Canada, and
in North Dakota.
He tells us there were two well
known Indians with the name of Sit
ting Bull. One of these was the head
soldier at the Red Cloud agency of
the friendly Dakotans, and the other
was the leader who defeated Custer at
the battle of the Little Big Horn
The latter was the nephew of Black
Horn, who was head chief of the Teton
Sioux. A conference of the Sioux ma
ton was held one summer in North
Dakota near Lake Traverse evidently
before gold had been discovered in the
Black Hills. At this meeting Father
Genin was adopted by Black Moon
as his nephew, and he then became
the brother of Sitting Bull This re-
lationship enabled him to be on more
confidential terms with this chief than
it was possible for other white men
to become.
At this conference much important
business was transacted 1t was en-
acted that any Indian who revealed
the presence of gold in the Black Hills,
either by word of mouth, or in any
other manner, should be slain. And if
any white man discovered gold there,
he should be put to death. The reason
for this decision resulted from the
conviction of the Indians that the
discovery of gold by the whites would
mean the loss of the country claimed
by the Sioux, the last territory they
could hope to own.
From this it will be seen that the
Indians were endowed with excellent
reasoning powers, and could draw
conclusions as to what would happen
to them, if the whites gained foot
hold in the country of the Sioux.
A law made is useless unless it can
be enforced. The Sioux, with this in
view, united their different bands of
warriors, and placed them at the dis
posal of the commander in chief they
elected, Sitting Bull. This account eff
| fectually dispoSeS of the statement
frequently made, that Sitting Bull was
no warrior, but simply medicine man.
However superstitious the Sioux may
have been, they would not have placed
their army under the direction of any
one but a tried warrior.
Sitting Bull approved of the deci-
sion to conceal the existence of gold
in the Black Hills, and the measure
was strictly carried out. Because of
it, how many white prospectors met
death in the prohibited territory, will
never be told.
Sitting Bull, in his story of the
Custer battle, said the Indians had
not at that time met to fight but,
as in North Dakota, to confer They
knew for days that the soldiers were
coming, and they made preparations
accordingly, by sending the women to
a place of safety. This was done, as
Sitting Bull had noted, that it was
the custom of the United States troops
to charge into the encampments of
the Indians, killing everything that
came in their way.
This shrewd tactician then proceed
ed to put the camp in order for the
reception of the enemy. Before a few
of the tepees he had stakes driven,
which were afterwards dressed as
men. In other places throughout the
village stakes adorned with strips of
cloth and with bright colored blankets
were set. The young men were then
directed to build fires within the te-
PEGS, to indicate the presence Of people
there, and to lead the soldiers to think
no one suspected their coming.
I Fires outside the tepeeS were also
started. AS they burned, current of
air set the streamers to fluttering on
the stakes, and gave the appearance
of populous village.
Having the stage for the coming
strife properly arranged, "Then," said
Sitting Bull, II marched behind the
front row of hills with all my braves
and awaited opening of the soldiers
fire upon our camp. Everything worked
as I had planned! The United States
soldiers, true to their intentions
killed my flag men, whom had sent
to meet them and demand peace, and
proceeding furiously forward, opened
fire upon my empty camp of old tepees
and rag manikins.
IT then fell upon them from the
rear with all my forces, before they
had time to recover from the shock
of the previous charge, and their sur
prise at finding the village deserted
My men destroyed the best of them
in very short time. Now they accuse
me of Staying them. Yet what did
do? Nothing God saved our lives be-
cause we called upon Him. Their
should they accuse God, for truly il
was He who permitted them to die.
ut was very hard" he added, "tc
place any faith in the word of Ameri-
cans Ever since knew them my ex-
perience with them has proved thai
; they continually cheat the Indians
; ever-reaching upon their lands with
big promises never fulfilled, and al
last finding some pretext to kill them.
When asked If he did not think the