Year: 1876

INTERVIEW WITH COLONEL BURKE, LATE


AGENT AT THAT PLACE-sCARCIrY OF SUP


PLIEs-HIsToRy OF KILL EAGLE, RAIN-IN-


THE-FACE AND OTHERS.


Colonel John Burke, late Indian Agent at Standing
Rock is this city his way TO Washington, to
consult with the Secretary Of the Interior about his
removal at The request Of the military officers
of this post Colonel Burke took charge OF the agency
Standing Rock May, 1875 and left there about the
middle of this month. HIS experience agent
brought him into contact with several OF the chiefs
who supposed to have been involved in the Custer
fight, and opened up him interest ng chapter OF
Indian liie habits and pecuarites. There 1000
registered Indians the Standing Rock Reservation
whcL Colonel Burke took charge of the place. It's
territory 200 miles east and west and 100 north and
south, embracing land on both sides Of the Missouri
River about sixty miles north Of Bismarck
Colonel Burke says had his family the
tion with him all the time and never required guard
TO protect them the large quantities Of government
property his possession. When the talk OF trouble
with the hostiles first began to spread through the
reservation the Indians whose fears and anmosities
were aroused thereby, became calmed when they saw
that the agent kept has wife and family at the agency
After January 80 last the Indians prohibited from
leaving the reservation. In March Kill Eagle asked
PERMISSION 20 trade with the hostiles for mules
and buffalo robes, hunt and to bring in of his
ped then in the hostile country, because be knew
there going to be war; He was cautioned
by Colonel Burke personally not to go. but
he said he would get back before
the military reached them. When he got there, he
now says Sitting Bull cut his tents, shot his ponies
and made him prisoner Kill Eagle also through
scout sent 10 word the agency OF the OF his
detention Little Wound another chief residing
hos IA
was detained in the way. Colonel Burke is satisfied
that Kill Eagle did participate The Custer fight
He believes this chiel to be thoroughly honest and
good friend OF the whites. He got u mccall and $500
in silver from the government several years ago for
resculng white people captured BY the hosiiles He
went to the hostile camp with his own ponies and
brought The captves back in safety.


REGENT


TO tho reservation Standing Rock occurred the
following manucr:-"one night in the middle OF
August" the agent says, '! was aroused by the In
terpreter who told that XIII Eagle wanted 10
home He was then Grand River. about forty or
ffty miles from the garrison He sent word that he
had not done any fighting and peaceful Indian.
him word to surrender 10 the military and that
would represent his case at Washington A few days
after left he came in. ] was interested IN him be-
cause he had always been friendly Indian"


.'Ihere are certain bucks who mako their home on
the reservation, SAID the Colonel, that We regard
really hostile These are continually gong back and
forth between both camps and IL is utterly impossible
to prevent them rom doing The most noted OF
these are Rain in-the Face, Long Dog and Gall The
two latter are chiefs with a small following while
Ran-in-th Face is simply buck. Gall IS OF tho
very worst Indans the country He 10 about forty
wears old some 0ye feet ten inches in height and
about $50 pounds In weight He Is more ike a wild
animal than human being, and has been, in Colonel
Burkes estimation, the agent OF Sitting Bull be-
the peaceful ana hostile Indians Before the
trouble commenced he brought an invitation from Sit
Bull to seven of the young bucks ON tue reserva
tion 10 Join the hostes. The invitation was commu-
nicaled TO Young BuiIhead as warrior OF the Upper
Yanktonnais and head soldier OF his fathers band,
before the war menced, and nearly all who we're
invited to the agent and told him of their invita-
visit tho hostile country 1t was explained to
them that ,here would be war, and that If they
the consequences to them and their squaws and
little ones would DO disastrous Tho sovern.
PROVISIONS lsSi, s'' and otherwise punish them, THIS
talk with The agent deterAincd nearly all
atey were Gall and Rain he Race. During the war
the peaceful Indians were kept continually acquainted
with the progress of the hshtng throash scouts. but
stil remained docile and neutral


In The height OF the troubles the military induced
the Indians the west side oi the TO
the other SIDE TO save their stock from any raid by
the hostes THIS movement left large section OF
the country exposed, and operated TO remove very
use.u outpost OF friendly Indians, VINO would be sure
TO inorm the agent OF the presence OF emssaries from


RAly-rSruE-rAcr


is young buck, about tweniylve years OF ase
He. like Gall Is very bad Ind an, and is generally be-
lleved have killed several white men He is under
stood TO be ready to kill soldier whenever chance
offers His brother Iron orn, is Uncpapa chief
sitting Bull and his family OF the tribe with
Gan and Raiu-in. the Face THIS buck co onel Burke
says. has considerable following He is believed TO
have been lowering about the outskirts OF the
standing Rock aud Cheyenne agencies since
he is reported TO have been seen is one where
white men pass on the way to the Black Hills and az
fords bad Indians opportunity Of waylaying and
robbing them All the Indians this and every other
reservation are OF roving disposition but not score
OF really dangerous exist At Standing Rock. This
rowing disposition makes census OF them matter OF
difficulty and uncertainty. In November 1879, the
official count OF Indians entitled to provisions from The
government at Staining Rock looted up 1000 as has
been said During the late war another count was
sken oy the agent and then 5000 were found on the
the reservation at Fort Totten, there few
hundreds more at the Cheyenne agency and
400 were away hunting. THIS would probably leave
100 in the camp OF sitting Bull OF this number Kill
Eagle had with him about ten lodges, or some 70
people including women and children Little
wound had some more With han. Both OF them are
cA es ol the Black oct tribe


ABOUT GvNs AND AMMUNITION


The writer asked whether the hOgtles could havc
been supplied with guns and ammunition through
reservation lndiaus from any point near standing
Rock


Tue answer that during the war the trader a.
the agency sold no suns or ammunition at all About
miles from the agcLey, however at Beaver Creek
there is trading store where Indians having moaey
could buy all the ammunition they wanted But in
the opinion of Colonel Burke very little, II any,
mGnilion sold here secretly


NILiTRy.


The post standng Rock has been ordinarily gar
risoned by only two companies, averaging about any,
four men each. In July two more companies were
added to arrest Indians suspected Of aiding the hos
tiles Al this time the entire force was placed under
Captain Polsnd's charge. Hc wanted to take absolute
conro of the agency Colonel Burke says, and dis
putc cnsued. Military orders were shown 10 the agent
by Captain Poland Tor the exercise Of certain powers
over the Indians the reservation These orders The
Captain insisted, gave him complete control all
the affairs OF tue Indians at standing Rock. ine
agent did hot so interpret them and he teegrsphed TO
Warrington Tor Instructions The following was
teegraphed him In reply


Poland has exceeded his suthoriy. Retain agency but
give all the AID 10 military telegram Of uy -


j. q. SMITH, Commissioner


This was dated August 3, and the telegram alluded to
gave lu,er particulars OF the manner In which The AID
mentioned should DC extended. Subsequently three
more companies sent to the post in August and