Year: 1873

GRAND ISLAND, Neb August 8, 1873


Some two or three weeks ago the Pawnees, num-
bering some three hundred strong, with squaws
and papooses and six hundred ponies, started from
their reservation for their annual hunt in the great
Republican Valley. After reaching the hunting
grounds and while pursuing their wild yet peace
full avocation, they were suddenly surprised and
attacked by some fifteen hundred siouxs under the
command OF Young Spotted Tail. The fight oc-
CURED between the Republican River and Black
Wood Greek. 1t was long and stubborn fight but
the Pawnees were forced to retreat before q
superior number.


When the Pawnees were informed that there was
strong force OF the Sioux In their front they i'm
mediately hurried their squaws and papooses to
a deep canyon, or ravlne, for saiety, ana then
struck out the prairie in the presence OF their
deadlies foe, to oppose their advance and protect
the sheltered ones by taking the chances of
battle.


The Sioux were spledidly armed and equipped.
The Pawnees were not having but lew rines
with them, as IL is their custom to use
the bow and arrow with their revolv-
ers, because easier handled on the hunt,
when in close contact with the buffalo. The
Pawnee warriors soon learned that they were not
equal In the fight The odds being desperate, and
being no match fo- the Sioux with their fine Henry
rlfeJ and superior carbines, they were forced
back, and that so rapidly that they could not save
their squaws and papooses, for the foe had sue
cecded in getting between them and the Pawnees,
who, with desperate valor, disputed inch by inch
the ground on which they fought The Sioux. like


BLOODY TIGERS, THIRSTY AND FRROCIOUs
sprang upon the defenceless ones In the canyon
and butchered them without mercy, for the stern
resistance OF the few brave Pawnees had aroused
their revengeful ire and called into action oil the
bloody instincts and barbarity of their natures,
Draining and scalping the squaws and punging
their long knives into the bodies of the papooses
and hurting them into the flames of the burning
camp fires.


Sky Chief one Of the most brave and daring Of
the Pswnee tribe, with his squaw and papoose,
fell victim to the SOuX's onslaught and thirst
blood. By nature he was endowed with qualities
that made him great among his people; natural
orator, whose voice was heard in the interest
OF his tribe at the council fire, as many govern
ment official can attest and he was a firm friend
OF the white man.


The Sioux followed the Pawnees on their re.
treat with running fight for twenty-five miles,
lasting some ten hours. All this occurred within
l2O miles OF the city OF Grand Island.


passed East through this city on freight train No s.
en- route for their reservation with grief, notwth-
standing Their stoical indiiIerence, written on
Sioux were made to bite the dust though even
approximation to the amount VIII probably never
be known.


had been very successful in their hunt. and were
just contemplating turning their faces homeward
having already killed more than FIVE hundred bul
falOes. This Is terrible and crushing blow to The
loss was over one hundred in Killed ana wounded,
besides half OF their ponies falling into the hands
OF the enemy 1t was the most


DESPERATE AND BLOODY FIGHT


that has occurred between the tribes on the from
tier in years. This loss OF warriors makes large
trskA Dlf lnff fhn haN nf fnuaya
the remnant left, for when they recover and are
in heart again and properly armed one hundred
Pawnee warriors would put thousand SiouXs TO
rOut


1t ISL well known fact in this country that for
the last three months the rawnees have been
but the latter. for reasons better known.
perhaps, to their chiefs kept out. Of


way 09 wSud sv not peea the ON
tier that this surprise in the Republican Valley was
all premeditated and prearranged by the crafty
TIE TREACHERoUs SPOTTED TAIL,
who was absent and not with his tribe on the big
arms and ammunition, recently or at the last coun-
Gil, which was demanded OF and complied with by
the government. tended toward the fatal results
which has proved so disastrous to the Pawnees.
Many OF the old settlers in this country, who
have lived here many years, feel that the officials
Under the government Of these United states are
ing these tribes to leave their reservations and


hunt In such close proximity with each other with
out tNe presence OI an armed lOrCe SuliClent TO
| Keep them from collision, for the homes OF the
| settlers on the border are imperiled when their
| wild passions are aroused.


These annual hunts are pursued by the different
| tribes for the purpose OF obtaining skins and meat
| Tor apparel and subsistence whereby they obtain
the buffalo beef which the squaws dry by the fires
while the warriors hunt and which forms large
share of their living during the Winter months.
| The government O11clary are not ignorant OF the
Siouxs' deadly enmity and hate against the Pawnee
tribe, and cherished with fer0city and bitterness
more intense from the relations they for
merly sustained toward the government when EN-
ployed to protect the frontier and The Plains
| from the encroachments Of the Sioux tribe for
many OF the Pawnees were United States soldiers.
Although treaties have been effected with the
S6uiX nation, through her great chiefs, Red Cloud,
Spotted Tail and others, yet they would not hest


tate-as In the opinion OF the setters-if they but
| dared to


SPRING Upon THE SETTLEMENTS
with the same ferocity they attacked the Pawnees
with all their pretended friendship for the whites
An old rontiersman was in town yesterday, and,
dating the bloody massacre, gave expression TO
the following 1--we OF the frontier, some what differ
ent from those Eastern pampered philanthropists,
would not trust them any sooner than we would
the poisonous rattlesnake we meet on our path,
notwithstanding all their prOtestatons of friend
ship to the government and the white man, but
would kill rather than give them the chance TO
scalp.n The early settlers on our border have but
little love for the Siouxs, but regard them as
treacherous and feroc1OuS, for many of them have
suffered in former times from their cruelty and
horh arif