THE ALLIANCE HERALD. LL1AXCE, NEB, FRIDAY, APRIL 8. 1904.
20
tlmo of tho killing ho was chief of
scouts nml whb stationed nt Fort
Itolilnson. Perhaps no other man lms
done inuro to conquor and clvlllzo tho
Bnvago Indian than Llttlo Bat. Wb
invaluahlo services to tho government
In times of Indian wars will go down
the pages of tlmu as niomentoes of
dauntless brnvery. Llttlo Hat is seen
stnndlng in center of group, with his
two daughters on either side. His
Equnw wlfo stands to tho right, hold
ing a papoose, while his son John, who
Is at present chief of scouts, Is to the
extreme loft of tho view. Tho two
gentlemon on horseback nro ofllcers
of tho army, one of whom wns ac
companied by his wife.
country, near tho head of Chndron
creek, nnd lay there quietly in camp.
General Thornburg followed up with
1,000 troops and camped on Uroncho
lake, now near tho town Bite of Alli
ance. Here Genernl Thornburg was
relieved of his command, and was
succeeded by General McKinzle.
Tho little band of Indians who had
continued up Running Wnter was soon
had been sent back to the Indian Ter
ritory only a short time before. The
Indians were pursunded to peacefully
accompany the soldiers over to White
river, where they camped ior the
night. The next morning when tho
start wns made in the direction of
Fort Robinson, the Indians rebelled
and ilntly refused to go any farther.
At first the Indians believed they
SOME LEGENDS of CROW BUTTE
Scene of Many Hot-Fought Battles Between Sioux and Crow
Indians--Crows Escape How it Derived its Name.
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Red
RED CLOUD
The Famous Chief's Plea for Justice
In this special Issue of tho Herald
can ho seen a plcturo of Red Cloud,
taken In the spring of 11100, at Agate
Springs ranch. At tho time It was
taken this noted Indian was the guest
of Captain "Jim" Cook and wife, to
whom ho pays a visit each succeed
ing spring
Red Cloud went to Washington
some live years ago, accompanied by
American Horse, his principal lieu
tenant for tho purpose of calling tho
attention of congress to certain griev
ances Hev. Ur. HiiHtiiiun, u well edu
cated half breed, went along as Inter
preter and did his work very well.
Ho Is a line looking, Intelligent fellow,
and Is popular with the Sioux tribe.
Senator Pottlgrow, chairman of tho
committee on Indian affairs, Interro
gated the old chluf, and a stenog
rapher took a complete report of the
conversation as intorpeted by Ur.
Kastman. lied Cloud said:
"1 am nearly 77 years old, and am
very feoblo and almost blind; you
sco I wear black goggles to shlold
my fading eyes from the light, which
hurts them. Although I am old and
feeble, I have come all this distance
to plead for justice to my people. In
1851 1 made a treaty at Fort Laramie
and gavo tho white man a right to
build a railroad across my country.
I never gavo up any rights to tho
property, beyond tho uso of ground
for tho railroad. I have always lived
In and around the Black Hills of Da
kota. My people still live there, but
tho treaties which have been mado
with them have been violated by the
white men. I mado a treaty with tho
great holdier who was president for
eight ears (Grant), and ho assured
mo that my reservation should never
be Interfered with. Now white men
want to divide the reservation into
80-acro lots for my people to starve
on The lands are bad lands and we
ennnot raise crops there. In August
tho hot winds dry up everything, oven
tho llttlo streams.
"Wo want our lands as thoy are,
so that wo may make a living by rais
ing horses and cattle, because tho
lands nre nearly all good grazing
lands. We do not want money from
tho government In place of rations,
becnuse we can live on what tho gov
ernment sends us to eat; but nearly
all of the beef cattlo sent to us arc
thin and stnrved to death. Wo prefer
money, and will buy our own cloth
ing. Tho suits of clothes aro mado of
poor cloth and they fall to pieces. He
Little Bat and Family;
Cloud.
sides, the tall men get short suits ami
the small men get long suits, and tho
distribution is never satisfactory. We
would rather have money than
government blankets, becauso they
are all rotten. They aro made of
cow's hair, dipped in ink, and in tho
rain or moisture the Ink runs off them.
Uesldes, they fall to pieces. When
wo are compelled to take such goods
and blankets we are charged big
prices for I hem, and we trade them
away for other clothing, and have to
glvo money In addition in order to
get decent things to wear.
"Wo want the lands left ns they are.
We want decent food to cat. Wo aro
entitled to good clothing, or money
In Its place. Wo want a law prevent
ing half-breeds from acquiring tribal
rights on our reservation. White men
come hero to marry our young
squaws and thou claim tribal rights
of property and client us out of our
best grazing lands. If we should
kill them for coming among ub unfor
bidden the nrmy would punish us for
protecting ourselves. Therefore I
como to ask that tho government will
treat my people right and protect us
from tho had white men."
In his stalwart days Red Cloud was
a mighty wnrrlor nnd a murderous
savage. Nevertheless, it is pitiful to
see him now, slininbllng along, led by
others and going to Washington to
make an honest and heroic effort to
secure for his people tho rights which
ought to bo spontaneously conceded
by the government. Ills days of sav
agery are gone nnd ho Is now an old
man, wise and attempting, in his un
tutored way, to do right and Induce
the intelligent, civilized white men
to also do that which is right.
LITTLE BAT.
Llttlo Hat, who was n half-breed
Sioux Indian, wns killed two years
ago last November, In Dietrich's sa
loon, Crawford, by Jim Hnguewood, In
n dispute over payment for sonio
drinks. Hnguewood was tried and nc
quitted on the plea of self defense.
On Little Hat's person, after his death,
was found somo cigarette paper, a llt
tlo tobacco and $3 in money. How
ever, Hnguewood claimed that Little
lint had previously threatened him.
Llttlo Bat. when drinking, was bois
terous, but harmless, and was never
known to carry weapons of any kind,
except when on scout duty. At tho
Army Officers to Right.
BY WAYNE T. WILSON, CHADRON.
Tho buttes of tho Northwest nro as .blankets, which they
mile-posts marking periods and events
In tho history of the country.
Among the numerous buttes of this
section of the country none lias a more
Interesting history than "Crow
Huttc." Located llvo miles east of
Crawford It can ho seen for miles
in every direction, standing like a
sentinel guarding tho pine-clad hills
on tho south and the beautiful White
river valley, which winds across the
country at Its feet on the north. Its
battle-scarred Bides are evidences of
tho hnrd fought battles which occur
red between tho tribes of hostile In
dians that once Inhabited this section
of the Great West. A view of tills
stately rock can be seen In tills issue,
showing also the approach to the sum
mit, which is 1,000 feet higher thnn
the surrounding country. The walls
on the opposite side near tho top have
a perpendicular elevation of 100 foot.
Many beautiful Indian legends nro
told about this historic place. The inci
dent that gavo "Crow Huttc" its
name occurred years before white
men saw the plains of Nebraska and
when this land was tho chosen Held
of largo herds of nntclopo nnd buffalo.
Hero the Indian came in quest of food
and raiment and here the tribes met
and struggled for supremacy. This
was disputed territory between the
Sioux and the Crow Indians, who wero
ever bitter enemies, nnd tho entrance
of one tribe or the other into this
valley meant hostlities, which only
ended with tho extermination of ono
band or the other.
It was In the early 'COs no one
can ascertain tho exact date, but as
tho Indian will tell you, "many moons
ago," long before tho Red Cloud
agency occupied this tamo ground
that two bands of Indians met here
and fought unceasingly for hours nnd
hours, until both sides wero reduced
to less than half their number. Such
open lighting, such carnage, had never
before been witnessed In tribal war
fare. At eventide, on tho third day
of tho conflict, the Crows recognized
their disadvantage and ultimate de
feat, and under cover of darkness,
withdrew to tho summit of this butte,
with tho intention of using it ns a
fortification. The Sioux knew well
thero wns no escapo for tho Crows,
except by a narrow path, by which
thoy had gained the top.
Accordingly, they put a strong guard
across this path and fell back Into
tho creek, to care for their Blck and
wounded.
For a tlmo It looked ns If tho
Crows wero doomed to starvation.
The chiefs and wiso men wero called
Into council to devlso means of es
cape. It was decided that a few old
men among them who had outllvod
their usefulness should bo sacrificed
that the others might live.
Tho old men wero stationed on tho
side of the butte where thoy would
bo In plain view of the Sioux guard
and instructed to chant tholr wiord
songs, so that the Sioux might not
suspicion tholr undortaking. The rost
of tho band wore, monnwhlle, busily
engaged in tearing In twain tholr
FTT 2 iiitB TiTi r i Xm aw n xlMJie&BB&BgHB .ylH
tied together.
and subsequently used ns a menns of
escape over the north precipice of
Crow Huttc, a distance of 100 feet.
They accomplished tills dangerous
task during the night, leaving tho old
men on top to chant their songs.
It was several hours before tho
Sioux learned of the ruse. They at
once decided to place a guard around
tho entire butto and starve to death
the remaining few. Several days
passed and still tho chanting of the
old men wns wafted down on the
breeze from the pines on the hillside.
One moon elapsed and the chantlngs
ceased, and tho majestic butto was
enveloped in a mist.
In the evening tide, as the autum
nal sun sank slowly behind the dls
tnnt western hills, tho mist was light
ed In a blaze of glory and the guards
beheld throe beautiful Indian maidens
floating In the distance, and finally
the maidens, bearing the old men who
had been left on the butto, nnd sur
rounded by a strange light according
to tho legends of the Indians floated
The Custer Battle Field.
I curtesy "f Photographer I F Peterson, DcaJwood
Into tho heavens, upon the wings of
great birds of pure white.
Tho Sioux chiefs wero gathered In
council to explain this strange phe
nomenon, but all shook their heads and
only spoke of the Great Father. Final
ly, ono old Sioux arose and explained
that the old men had been taken to
the happy hunting ground, nnd that
tho maidens had been sent as mes
sengers of peace, nnd that unless they
mado treaty with the Crows there
would bo a drouth and tho nntclopo
nnd buffnlo nil leave tho country;
but If they did make peace the game
would stay and they would not want.
A messenger was sent after the
Crows, who requested them to return,
which they did, and a compact was
entered into, which has not been
broken to this day.
Thus Crow Butto received its name.
BRAVE BAND OF
INDIANS KILLED
A Party of Fifty Cheyennes Prefer
Death to Exile. Refuse to Live in
Indian Territory. Occurs January
10, 1879.
HV WAYNi: T. WILSON. CHADRON.
In the military cemetery at Fort
Robinson nre the graves of about &0
Cheyenne Indians. Theso braves
were killed In one of tho shnrpest con
flicts that ever took place between
soldiers and Indians. It wns In the
summer of 1878 that a band of Indi
ans, who had been romovou from
Pino Rldgo Agency to tho Indian
Torrltory. camo wandering back up
the Platte and crossed ovor into the
Running Water, where thoy divided
Into two divisions. Ono division con
tinued up Running Wator. while tho
other moved over Into tho Pino Ridge
Crow
located and were immediately re
turned to their reservation In the In
dian Territory, with but little trouble.
Tho band on Chndron creek had not
yet been discovered nor missed. The
intention of the Indians was not hos
tility, but to get back to the home they
loved and the scenes of their child
hood. They were mostly married
bucks and had found their wives
among the Sioux, their friends and
neighbors, on the I'lne Ridge Agency.
General Larrabee, then in command
nt Fort Robinson, kept the country
well patroled and scouted for signs
of hostile Indians. The fate of Gen
oral Custer and famous Seventh cav
alry was still fresh in tho minds of
General Larrabeo and his soldiers.
It was late in the fall of that year.
1878, when the scouts reported that
a band of Indians wero In camp at
the head of Chadron creek. A detach
ment of soldiers wore sent out to In
quire their purpose and destination.
It was soon learned that they bo
longed to a band of Cheyennes that
American Horse Red
Butte.
were being returned to the Pine Ridge
Agency, but when they found this wns
not the intention of tho soldiers they
refused to go. They remained there
that day, and when night came on a
messenger wns sent to the fort for
reinforcements nnd some largo guns.
When day dawned tho next morn
ing the Indians, who hnd camped on
a lower piece of ground than the sold
iers, looked up into the mouth of
several pieces of field nrtillery. Under
this pursuasive argument tho Indians
peaceably accompanied tho soldiers to
tho fort.
Once hero they were confined in the
old barracks, which were later re
placed by new ones for the soldiers.
Hero they were kept from September
until tho following Jnnunry. They
would not return to their southern
reservation, and all overtures In this
direction availed nothing.
General Larrabeo then resorted to
other and more severe tactics. He
first took their fuel away, nnd as this
failed of its put pose, their rations
wero also taken. The Indians, with
out either fire or rations, became sav
age. On tho night of January 10, 1879,
they broke through the windows of
their barracks and attacked the
guards with knives and war clubs,
which they had made out of the floor
of the barracks. The guards wero
killed and their guns taken.
By tills time the soldiers, who had
retired for tho nluht, awoke to the aw
ful realization of the fate of their com
rades. Hastily they dressed; and
without wnitlng for orders, grabbed
their guns nnd fiercely attacked tho
belligerent Indians. The dawn of
morning showed that 28 Indians and
a number of soldiers were lying dead
on the commons east of tho barracks.
The remaining Indians fled up White
river. The women and children were
Induced to return to the fort, where
their wounds were dressed. Many
of the women nnd children had been
badly wounded. Ono squaw was shot
22 times, nnd is still nllve and liv
ing on Pine Ridge Agency. The bucks
fled across Into lint creek, where they
were pursued by the soldiers. They
finally took refuge in tho head of a
canon, where they wero Imprcgnantly
fortified. Artillery was used to shell
them out nnd tho llttlo band of 22
sacrificed their lives rather than ac
cept exllo to a strange land.
ggfeaaBfsig
Cloud's Principal Lieutenant.
