indian heroes & great chieftains-第5章

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women　while　under　their　care。



Of　course；　the　commander　demanded　of　Spotted　Tail；　then　head

chief；　that　he　give　up　the　guilty　ones；　and　accordingly　he　had　the

two　men　arrested　and　delivered　at　the　fort。　　At　this　there　was　an

outcry　among　his　own　people；　but　he　argued　that　if　the　charges　were

true；　the　men　deserved　punishment；　and　if　false；　they　should　be

tried　and　cleared　by　process　of　law。　　The　Indians　never　quite　knew

what　evidence　was　produced　at　the　court…martial；　but　at　all　events

the　two　men　were　hanged；　and　as　they　had　many　influential

connections；　their　relatives　lost　no　time　in　fomenting　trouble。　

The　Sioux　were　then　camping　close　by　the　fort　and　it　was　midwinter；

which　facts　held　them　in　check　for　a　month　or　two；　but　as　soon　as

spring　came；　they　removed　their　camp　across　the　river　and　rose　in

rebellion。　　A　pitched　battle　was　fought；　in　which　the　soldiers　got

the　worst　of　it。　　Even　the　associate　chief；　Big　Mouth；　was　against

Spotted　Tail；　who　was　practically　forced　against　his　will　and

judgment　to　take　up　arms　once　more。



At　this　juncture　came　the　sudden　and　bloody　uprising　in　the

east　among　the　Minnesota　Sioux；　and　Sitting　Bull's　campaign　in　the

north　had　begun　in　earnest；　while　to　the　south　the　Southern

Cheyennes；　Comanches；　and　Kiowas　were　all　upon　the　warpath。　

Spotted　Tail　at　about　this　time　seems　to　have　conceived　the　idea　of

uniting　all　the　Rocky　Mountain　Indians　in　a　great　confederacy。　　He

once　said：　〃Our　cause　is　as　a　child's　cause；　in　comparison　with　the

power　of　the　white　man；　unless　we　can　stop　quarreling　among

ourselves　and　unite　our　energies　for　the　common　good。〃　　But　old…

time　antagonisms　were　too　strong；　and　he　was　probably　held　back

also　by　his　consciousness　of　the　fact　that　the　Indians　called　him

〃the　white　man's　friend〃；　while　the　military　still　had　some　faith

in　him　which　he　did　not　care　to　lose。　　He　was　undoubtedly　one　of

the　brainiest　and　most　brilliant　Sioux　who　ever　lived；　and　while　he

could　not　help　being　to　a　large　extent　in　sympathy　with　the　feeling

of　his　race　against　the　invader；　yet　he　alone　foresaw　the

inevitable　outcome；　and　the　problem　as　it　presented　itself　to　him

was　simply　this：　〃What　is　the　best　policy　to　pursue　in　the　existing

situation？〃



Here　is　his　speech　as　it　has　been　given　to　me；　delivered　at

the　great　council　on　the　Powder　River；　just　before　the　attack　on

Fort　Phil　Kearny。　　We　can　imagine　that　he　threw　all　his　wonderful

tact　and　personal　magnetism　into　this　last　effort　at　conciliation。



〃'Hay；　hay；　hay！　　Alas；　alas！'　　Thus　speaks　the　old　man；　when

he　knows　that　his　former　vigor　and　freedom　is　gone　from　him

forever。　　So　we　may　exclaim　to…day；　Alas！　　There　is　a　time

appointed　to　all　things。　　Think　for　a　moment　how　many　multitudes　of

the　animal　tribes　we　ourselves　have　destroyed！　　Look　upon　the　snow

that　appears　to…day　　to…morrow　it　is　water！　　Listen　to　the　dirge

of　the　dry　leaves；　that　were　green　and　vigorous　but　a　few　moons

before！　　We　are　a　part　of　this　life　and　it　seems　that　our　time　is

come。



〃Yet　note　how　the　decay　of　one　nation　invigorates　another。　

This　strange　white　man　　consider　him；　his　gifts　are　manifold！　

His　tireless　brain；　his　busy　hand　do　wonders　for　his　race。　　Those

things　which　we　despise　he　holds　as　treasures；　yet　he　is　so　great

and　so　flourishing　that　there　must　be　some　virtue　and　truth　in　his

philosophy。　　I　wish　to　say　to　you；　my　friends：　Be　not　moved　alone

by　heated　arguments　and　thoughts　of　revenge！　　These　are　for　the

young。　　We　are　young　no　longer；　let　us　think　well；　and　give　counsel

as　old　men！〃



These　words　were　greeted　with　an　ominous　silence。　　Not　even

the　customary　〃How！〃　of　assent　followed　the　speech；　and　Sitting

Bull　immediately　got　up　and　replied　in　the　celebrated　harangue

which　will　be　introduced　under　his　own　name　in　another　chapter。　

The　situation　was　critical　for　Spotted　Tail　　the　only　man　present

to　advocate　submission　to　the　stronger　race　whose　ultimate

supremacy　he　recognized　as　certain。　　The　decision　to　attack　Fort

Phil　Kearny　was　unanimous　without　him；　and　in　order　to　hold　his

position　among　his　tribesmen　he　joined　in　the　charge。　　Several

bullets　passed　through　his　war　bonnet；　and　he　was　slightly　wounded。



When　the　commission　of　1867…1868　was　sent　out　to　negotiate

with　the　Sioux；　Spotted　Tail　was　ready　to　meet　them；　and　eager　to

obtain　for　his　people　the　very　best　terms　that　he　could。　　He　often

puzzled　and　embarrassed　them　by　his　remarkable　speeches；　the

pointed　questions　that　he　put；　and　his　telling　allusions　to　former

negotiations。　　Meanwhile　Red　Cloud　would　not　come　into　the　council

until　after　several　deputations　of　Indians　had　been　sent　to　him；

and　Sitting　Bull　did　not　come　at　all。



The　famous　treaty　was　signed；　and　from　this　time　on　Spotted

Tail　never　again　took　up　arms　against　the　whites。　　On　the　contrary；

it　was　mainly　attributed　to　his　influence　that　the　hostiles　were

subdued　much　sooner　than　might　have　been　expected。　　He　came　into

the　reservation　with　his　band；　urged　his　young　men　to　enlist　as

government　scouts；　and　assisted　materially　in　all　negotiations。　

The　hostile　chiefs　no　longer　influenced　his　action；　and　as　soon　as

they　had　all　been　brought　under　military　control；　General　Crook

named　Spotted　Tail　head　chief　of　the　Sioux；　thus　humiliating　Red

Cloud　and　arousing　jealousy　and　ill…feeling　among　the　Ogallalas。　

In　order　to　avoid　trouble；　he　prudently　separated　himself　from　the

other　bands；　and　moved　to　the　new　agency　on　Beaver　Creek　（Fort

Sheridan；　Nebraska）；　which　was　called　〃Spotted　Tail　Agency。〃



Just　before　the　daring　war　leader；　Crazy　Horse；　surrendered　to

the　military；　he　went　down　to　the　agency　and　roundly　rebuked

Spotted　Tail　for　signing　away　the　freedom　of　his　people。　　From　the

point　of　view　of　the　irreconcilables；　the　diplomatic　chief　was　a

〃trimmer〃　and　a　traitor；　and　many　of　the　Sioux　have　tried　to

implicate　him　in　the　conspiracy　against　Crazy　Horse　which　led　to

his　assassination；　but　I　hold　that　the　facts　do　not　bear　out　this

charge。



The　name　of　Spotted　Tail　was　prominently　before　the　people

during　the　rest　of　his　life。　　An　obscure　orphan；　he　had　achieved

distinction　by　his　bravery　and　sagacity；　but　he　copied　the　white

politician　too　closely　after　he　entered　the　reservation。　　He　became

a　good　manipulator；　and　was　made　conceited　and　overbearing　by　the

attentions　of　the　military　and　of　the　general　public。　　Furthermore；

there　was　an　old　feud　in　his　immediate　band　which　affected　him

closely。　　Against　him　for　many　years　were　the　followers　of　Big

Mouth；　whom　he　had　killed　in　a　duel；　and　also　a　party　led　by　a　son

and　a　nephew　of　the　old　chief；　Conquering　Bear；　whom　Spotted　Tail

had　succeeded　at　his　death。　　These　two　men　had　hoped　that　one　or

the　other　of　them　might　obtain　the　succession。



Crow　Dog；　the　nephew　of　Conquering　Bear；　more　than　once

taunted　Spotted　Tail　with　the　fact　that　he　was　chief　not　by　the

will　of　the　tribe；　but　by　the　help　of　the　white　soldiers；　and　told

him　that　he　would　〃keep　a　bullet　for　him〃　in　case　he　ever　disgraced

his　high　position。　　Thus　retribution　lay　in　wait　for　him　while　at

the　height　of　his　fame。　　Several　high…handed　actions　of　his　at　this

time；　including　his　elopement　with　another　man's　wife；　increased

his　unpopularity　with　a　large　element　of　his　own　tribe。　　On　the　eve

of　the　chief's　departure　for　Washington；　to　negotiate　（or　so　they

suspected）　for　the　sale　of　more　of　their　land；　Crow　Dog　took　up　his

gun　and　fulfilled　his　threat；　regarding　himself；　and　regarded　by

his　supporters；　not　as　a　murderer；　but　as　an　executioner。



Such　was　the　end　of　the　man　who　may　justly　be　called　the

Pontiac　of　the　west。　　He　possessed　a　remarkable　mind　and

extraordinary　foresight　for　an　untutored　savage；　and　yet　he　is　the

only　one　of　our　great　men　to　be　remembered　with　more　honor　by　the

white　man；　perhaps；　than　by　his　own　people。









LITTLE　CROW





Chief　Little　Crow　was　the　eldest　son　of