indian heroes & great chieftains-第3章

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ancestors。　　Are　we　then　to　give　up　their　sacred　graves　to　be　plowed

for　corn？　　Dakotas；　I　am　for　war！〃



In　less　than　a　week　after　this　speech；　the　Sioux　advanced　upon

Fort　Phil　Kearny；　the　new　sentinel　that　had　just　taken　her　place

upon　the　farthest　frontier；　guarding　the　Oregon　Trail。　　Every

detail　of　the　attack　had　been　planned　with　care；　though　not　without

heated　discussion；　and　nearly　every　well…known　Sioux　chief　had

agreed　in　striking　the　blow。　　The　brilliant　young　war　leader；　Crazy

Horse；　was　appointed　to　lead　the　charge。　　His　lieutenants　were

Sword；　Hump；　and　Dull　Knife；　with　Little　Chief　of　the　Cheyennes；

while　the　older　men　acted　as　councilors。　　Their　success　was

instantaneous。　　In　less　than　half　an　hour；　they　had　cut　down　nearly

a　hundred　men　under　Captain　Fetterman；　whom　they　drew　out　of　the

fort　by　a　ruse　and　then　annihilated。



Instead　of　sending　troops　to　punish；　the　government　sent　a

commission　to　treat　with　the　Sioux。　　The　result　was　the　famous

treaty　of　1868；　which　Red　Cloud　was　the　last　to　sign；　having

refused　to　do　so　until　all　of　the　forts　within　their　territory

should　be　vacated。　　All　of　his　demands　were　acceded　to；　the　new

road　abandoned；　the　garrisons　withdrawn；　and　in　the　new　treaty　it

was　distinctly　stated　that　the　Black　Hills　and　the　Big　Horn　were

Indian　country；　set　apart　for　their　perpetual　occupancy；　and　that

no　white　man　should　enter　that　region　without　the　consent　of　the

Sioux。



Scarcely　was　this　treaty　signed；　however；　when　gold　was

discovered　in　the　Black　Hills；　and　the　popular　cry　was：　〃Remove

the　Indians！〃　　This　was　easier　said　than　done。　　That　very　territory

had　just　been　solemnly　guaranteed　to　them　forever：　yet　how　stem　the

irresistible　rush　for　gold？　　The　government；　at　first；　entered　some

small　protest；　just　enough　to　〃save　its　face〃　as　the　saying　is；　but

there　was　no　serious　attempt　to　prevent　the　wholesale　violation　of

the　treaty。　　It　was　this　state　of　affairs　that　led　to　the　last

great　speech　made　by　Red　Cloud；　at　a　gathering　upon　the　Little

Rosebud　River。　　It　is　brief；　and　touches　upon　the　hopelessness　of

their　future　as　a　race。　　He　seems　at　about　this　time　to　have

reached　the　conclusion　that　resistance　could　not　last　much　longer；

in　fact；　the　greater　part　of　the　Sioux　nation　was　already　under

government　control。



〃We　are　told；〃　said　he；　〃that　Spotted　Tail　has　consented　to　be

the　Beggars'　Chief。　　Those　Indians　who　go　over　to　the　white　man　can

be　nothing　but　beggars；　for　he　respects　only　riches；　and　how　can　an

Indian　be　a　rich　man？　　He　cannot　without　ceasing　to　be　an　Indian。　

As　for　me；　I　have　listened　patiently　to　the　promises　of　the　Great

Father；　but　his　memory　is　short。　　I　am　now　done　with　him。　　This　is

all　I　have　to　say。〃



The　wilder　bands　separated　soon　after　this　council；　to　follow

the　drift　of　the　buffalo；　some　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Black　Hills

and　others　in　the　Big　Horn　region。　　Small　war　parties　came　down

from　time　to　time　upon　stray　travelers；　who　received　no　mercy　at

their　hands；　or　made　dashes　upon　neighboring　forts。　　Red　Cloud

claimed　the　right　to　guard　and　hold　by　force；　if　need　be；　all　this

territory　which　had　been　conceded　to　his　people　by　the　treaty　of

1868。　　The　land　became　a　very　nest　of　outlawry。　　Aside　from

organized　parties　of　prospectors；　there　were　bands　of　white　horse

thieves　and　desperadoes　who　took　advantage　of　the　situation　to

plunder　immigrants　and　Indians　alike。



An　attempt　was　made　by　means　of　military　camps　to　establish

control　and　force　all　the　Indians　upon　reservations；　and　another

commission　was　sent　to　negotiate　their　removal　to　Indian　Territory；

but　met　with　an　absolute　refusal。　　After　much　guerrilla　warfare；　an

important　military　campaign　against　the　Sioux　was　set　on　foot　in

1876；　ending　in　Custer's　signal　defeat　upon　the　Little　Big　Horn。



In　this　notable　battle；　Red　Cloud　did　not　participate　in

person；　nor　in　the　earlier　one　with　Crook　upon　the　Little　Rosebud；

but　he　had　a　son　in　both　fights。　　He　was　now　a　councilor　rather

than　a　warrior；　but　his　young　men　were　constantly　in　the　field；

while　Spotted　Tail　had　definitely　surrendered　and　was　in　close

touch　with　representatives　of　the　government。



But　the　inevitable　end　was　near。　　One　morning　in　the　fall　of

1876　Red　Cloud　was　surrounded　by　United　States　troops　under　the

command　of　Colonel　McKenzie；　who　disarmed　his　people　and　brought

them　into　Fort　Robinson；　Nebraska。　　Thence　they　were　removed　to　the

Pine　Ridge　agency；　where　he　lived　for　more　than　thirty　years　as　a

〃reservation　Indian。〃　　In　order　to　humiliate　him　further；

government　authorities　proclaimed　the　more　tractable　Spotted　Tail

head　chief　of　the　Sioux。　　Of　course；　Red　Cloud's　own　people　never

recognized　any　other　chief。



In　1880　he　appealed　to　Professor　Marsh；　of　Yale；　head　of　a

scientific　expedition　to　the　Bad　Lands；　charging　certain　frauds　at

the　agency　and　apparently　proving　his　case；　at　any　rate　the　matter

was　considered　worthy　of　official　investigation。　　In　1890…1891；

during　the　〃Ghost　Dance　craze〃　and　the　difficulties　that　followed；

he　was　suspected　of　collusion　with　the　hostiles；　but　he　did　not

join　them　openly；　and　nothing　could　be　proved　against　him。　　He　was

already　an　old　man；　and　became　almost　entirely　blind　before　his

death　in　1909　in　his　ninetieth　year。



His　private　life　was　exemplary。　　He　was　faithful　to　one　wife

all　his　days；　and　was　a　devoted　father　to　his　children。　　He　was

ambitious　for　his　only　son；　known　as　Jack　Red　Cloud；　and　much

desired　him　to　be　a　great　warrior。　　He　started　him　on　the　warpath

at　the　age　of　fifteen；　not　then　realizing　that　the　days　of　Indian

warfare　were　well…nigh　at　an　end。



Among　latter…day　chiefs；　Red　Cloud　was　notable　as　a　quiet　man；

simple　and　direct　in　speech；　courageous　in　action；　an　ardent　lover

of　his　country；　and　possessed　in　a　marked　degree　of　the　manly

qualities　characteristic　of　the　American　Indian　in　his　best　days。







SPOTTED　TAIL





Among　the　Sioux　chiefs　of　the　〃transition　period〃　only　one　was

shrewd　enough　to　read　coming　events　in　their　true　light。　　It　is

said　of　Spotted　Tail　that　he　was　rather　a　slow…moving　boy；

preferring　in　their　various　games　and　mimic　battles　to　play　the

role　of　councilor；　to　plan　and　assign　to　the　others　their　parts　in

the　fray。　　This　he　did　so　cleverly　that　he　soon　became　a　leader

among　his　youthful　contemporaries；　and　withal　he　was　apt　at　mimicry

and　impersonation；　so　that　the　other　boys　were　accustomed　to　say　of

him；　〃He　has　his　grandfather's　wit　and　the　wisdom　of　his

grandmother！〃



Spotted　Tail　was　an　orphan；　reared　by　his　grandparents；　and　at

an　early　age　compelled　to　shift　for　himself。　　Thus　he　was　somewhat

at　a　disadvantage　among　the　other　boys；　yet　even　this　fact　may　have

helped　to　develop　in　him　courage　and　ingenuity。　　One　little

incident　of　his　boy　life；　occurring　at　about　his　tenth　year；　is

characteristic　of　the　man。　　In　the　midst　of　a　game；　two　boys　became

involved　in　a　dispute　which　promised　to　be　a　serious　one；　as　both

drew　knives。　　The　young　Spotted　Tail　instantly　began　to　cry；　〃The

Shoshones　are　upon　us！　　To　arms！　to　arms！〃　and　the　other　boys

joined　in　the　war　whoop。　　This　distracted　the　attention　of　the

combatants　and　ended　the　affair。



Upon　the　whole；　his　boyhood　is　not　so　well　remembered　as　is

that　of　most　of　his　leading　contemporaries；　probably　because　he　had

no　parents　to　bring　him　frequently　before　the　people；　as　was　the

custom　with　the　wellborn；　whose　every　step　in　their　progress　toward

manhood　was　publicly　announced　at　a　feast　given　in　their　honor。　　It

is　known；　however；　that　he　began　at　an　early　age　to　carve　out　a

position　for　himself。　　It　is　personal　qualities　alone　that　tell

among　our　people；　and　the　youthful　Spotted　Tail　gained　at　every

turn。　　At　the　age　of　seventeen；　he　had　become　a　sure　shot　and　a

clever　hunter；　but；　above　all；　he　had　already　shown　that　he

possessed　a　superior　mind。　　He　had　come　into　contact　with