Year: 1879

WHITE CLAY CREEK d. T.. Feb II. 1871


VIA Fort ROBINSON. Neb.. Feb. 13 1879.


Your correspondent has been favored with inter-
view by that distinguished aborigine the Minnecon-
jou Chief. Little Big Man. or. he is sometimes
called by his enemies. Little Bad Man. sense Of
duty compels me to dony the current rumors that
this chief is has been engaged in organizing band
of warriors among tho Sioux in order to go out and
join his friend Big Road and the three hundred
more Minneconjous who left Red Clouds camp last
summer to join Sitting Bull. Such is not the case.


APPEARANCE OF THE CHiEP.


The lito chief found at his lodge not fur from
this point with his face well covered with the redest
of paint and eagle feather standing erect from his
scalp lock, which part Of the Indian tonsure is
always kept clearly defined and carefully plated by
every warrior from childhood. in ORDER if tho oppor
tunity does offer, his enemy may have fair chance.
Over each eyebrow there was perpendi-
cular line Of. black paint which afforded
striking contrast to the red pigment covering his
features. with which color his thin. sinewy hands
were also ornamented. He wore tho jacket OF q
airy sergeant closely buttoned at the neck, while
from long Sits i'll his hung heavy charms Of
torquoise and large pieces Of pearl she'll lie has
been scout and trailer in the army hence his uni
FORM He carried across his left arm. as he sat on
the ground talking. lance sharpened on both sides.
resembling a broadsword or bay onet inserted in
piece of burnt hard wood some four feet long,
weapon he always has with him wherever he goes. A
merry twinkle shot out from piercing. panther
like eyes. of the kind which. though superhcially
pleasant betokened that he could SMILE and murder
while he smiled. He is about thirtyfve years DID,
FIVE feet two inches high and would weigh about
hundred and ten pounds. He is full of force and
one in the whole Sioux nation can excel him in des
perate rcckessness.


His career has been one of blood. He was the
friend and boon companion Of the notorious Crazy
Horse. equally dangerous and desperate. who was
killed by the bayonet of sentry in the guard house
Fort Robinson in October last. Little Big Man held
American Horse by the arm to prevent his killing
the guard and received stab wound in tho wrist
from his knife. ,.,- s-al


rUsu ro.J' THE CHIEFS NrENTIoNR.


Your correspondent. after petting his two little
daughters aged five end seven years. to whom the
little warrior is devoted. commenced the interview
by asking him what there in the report that no
was getting ready for the warpath and organizing
| band of young men to follow HIM. He said:-
"Ihsve been much misrepresented about that some
| ono has told heap of lies about me; there


good many enemies OF mine here and they are all the
| time lying and trying to get me in trouble"


Taking blue lead pencil handed him by the inter-


prefer the chief marked three sets Of four parallel
| lines to indicate squads platoons. and added-"I


want to tell you something. and will let you know


al about it. want my Great Father to know it too.
| because when took the white mans hand after


came in from the North. where had always been his
| enemy and fghting him. saw was going to be his


frend, / have listened to his words and have done
| what he asked me. and I want to keep the white
| mans road. want to do right. All my people


went OF to Sitting Bull and Big Road. who chief
| with me, followed them. stayed and would
| not go. 1 am hero all alone I asked the Great


Father last fall to let go and bring Big Road and
| my people back. but there has been action my


paper. Now have got together lot of good young
| men who to be soldiers"


| ARMY ORGANIZATION.


Then pointing to the first set Of lines he con-


tinued -.'These lines to show the first who are
| to be armed with guns and mounted horses.
These" moving to the second group. to have
bows and arrows and to be horses also. The last "
| pointing to tho remaining four lines. to have
horses only and not to be armed do not intend to
do anything bad told the agent the
| other day." Then holding up both hands and
| indicating q count by opening and shutting his
| fingers, he said:-"Each OF these lines counts
| ten snen in the three columns. have forty men


each to make up my party. being in all 40 WARRIORS


all young Our first object is to keep peace and


quiet in this camp Of the Sioux. and we shall have
good watch. If anything going wrong we


will put stop it and punish any bad Indians who
| may be going about to create disturbance.


VISIT SITTING BULL PROPOSED.


.Now, you know. two runners came in hero from
| Sitting Bull to see how getting along and If
we were treated we'll Then. II they liked what they
saw aud heard they would report so. aud the Sioux
under Sitting Bull. would come in here and settle
down somewhere near us. in good country. which
tho Great Father would give them. What I
want to do with my young men is to 60
and see them some time in the next six weeks
will 90 into their camp and talk with them. II find
| their hearts good will bring them back. and
then will have my people here and be chief of them.
which is what want. The band which have
ganizcd is to 60 with me- il get tho permission Of
the Great Father which has bccn asked. They
are only advance party. and wo will prepare
to receive our friends. We have nothing bad In
our hearts, but want to help the Great Father to
bring our people back. There is some danger may
be killed. some of the young bucks arc perhaps
mad ut me and say I helped to have Crazy Horse
killed This ia not 80, "a gave you tho true story
land others have proved IL 70 you'll: but IL
am not killed and got into Dig Roads camp
all will be right. I will talk good words
to my people there and make their hearts glad. II
am killed want tho Great Father to look after my
little daughter here. Tokaklowiil OF whom think q
heap on account of her dead mother; that Is all.
want to do right and be the white mans friend.
swore to do 80 when danced the dance tho last
time and went to Washington. I want to be recog-
nized as chief, but they don't do II here and
jealous of me-


WHEREABOUTS DULL KNIFE.


Hero ended the council on matters. Seeing
that there something the lulo chiefs mind
which he had not spoken. thought would venture
20 find an outlet for it by asking him II he knew
where Dull Knife the chief of the hostile Chcycnrcs


was I was aware that Little Big Man had been
paying his addresses TO Of tho comciy and
fascinating daughters Of Dull Knife. and therefore
of all others he would be tho most likely to know the
fato Of tho old warrior and family. had asked
Red Cloud and no did not know or feignod not to-
I had also asked Little Wound. the chief of the
Kaschsas tho largest band under Red Cloud, telling