charles a eastman-indian heroes & great chieftains

8/6/2019 Charles a Eastman-Indian Heroes & Great Chieftains

1/262


2/262


3/262


4/262


5/262


6/262


7/262


8/262

AMERICAN HORSE


9/262

INDIAN HEROESANDGREAT CHIEFTAINSBY

CHARLES A. FASTMAN(OHIYESA)

MON-REFE

MVAD

BOSTONLITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY

1939


10/262

Copyright, 1918,BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

. All rights reserved

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


11/262

CONTENTSPAQB

1. RED CLOUD 12. SPOTTED TAIL 233. LITTLE CROW ..... 424. TAMAHAY 565. GALL 686. CRAZY HORSE 837. SITTING BULL ..... 1078. RAIN-IN-THE-FACE 1329. Two STRIKE 152

10. AMERICAN HORSE ..... 16511. DULL KNIFE 17912. ROMAN NOSE 18913. CHIEF JOSEPH ..... 19414. LITTLE WOLF 21315. HOLE-IN-THE-DAY , 225

M60788


12/262


13/262

INDIAN HEROES ANDGREAT CHIEFTAINSRED CLOUD

EVERY age, every race, has its leadersand heroes. There were over sixtydistinct tribes of Indians on this continent, each of which boasted its notablemen. The names and deeds of some ofthese men will live in American history, yetin the true sense they are unknown, becausemisunderstood. I should like to presentsome of the greatest chiefs of modern timesin the light of the native character andideals, believing that the American peoplewill gladly do them tardy justice.

It is matter of history that the Siouxnation, to which I belong, was originallyfriendly to the Caucasian peoples which itmet in succession first, to the south theSpaniards ; then the French, on the Missis-


14/262

INDIAN HEROESsippi River and along the Great Lakes;later the English, and finally the Americans.This powerful tribe then roamed over thewhole extent of the Mississippi valley, between that river and the Rockies. Theirusages and government united the variousbands more closely than was the case withmany of the neighboring tribes.During the early part of the nineteenth

century, chiefs such as Wabashaw, Redwing, and Little Six among the easternSioux, Conquering Bear, Man-Afraid-of-His-Horse, and Hump of the western bands,were the last of the old type. After these,we have a coterie of new leaders, productsof the new conditions brought about byclose contact with the conquering race.

This distinction must be borne in mindthat while the early chiefs were spokesmen and leaders in the simplest sense,

possessing no real authority, those whoheaded their tribes during the transitionperiod were more or less rulers and more orless politicians. It is a singular fact that


15/262

RED CLOUD 3many of the "chiefs", well known as suchto the American public, were not chiefs atall according to the accepted usages of theirtribesmen. Their prominence was simplythe result of an abnormal situation, inwhich representatives of the United StatesGovernment made use of them for a definitepurpose. In a few cases, where a chief metwith a violent death, some ambitious manhas taken advantage of the confusion tothrust himself upon the tribe and, perhapswith outside help, has succeeded in usurpingthe leadership.Red Cloud was born about 1820 near theforks of the Platte River. He was one ofa family of nine children whose father, anable and respected warrior, reared his sonunder the old Spartan regime. The youngRed Cloud is said to have been a fine horseman, able to swim across the Missouri andYellowstone rivers, of high bearing and unquestionable courage, yet invariably gentleand courteous in everyday life. This lasttrait, together with a singularly musical and


16/262

4 INDIAN HEROESagreeable voice, has always been characteristic of the man.When he was about six years old, his father

gave him a spirited colt, and said to him :"My son, when you are able to sit

quietly upon the back of this colt withoutsaddle or bridle, I shall be glad, for the boywho can win a wild creature and learn to useit will as a man be able to win and rule men."The little fellow, instead of going for ad

vice and help to his grandfather, as mostIndian boys would have done, began quietlyto practice throwing the lariat. In a littlewhile he was able to lasso the colt. He wasdragged off his feet at once, but hung on,and finally managed to picket him nearthe teepee. When the big boys drove theherd of ponies to water, he drove his coltwith the rest. Presently the pony becameused to him and allowed himself to behandled. The boy began to ride him bareback ; he was thrown many times, but persisted until he could ridewithout even a lariat,sitting with arms folded and guiding the ani-


17/262

RED CLOUD 5mal by the movements of his body. Fromthat time on he told me that he broke all hisown ponies, andbefore longhisfather s as well.The old men, his contemporaries, haveoften related to me how Red Cloud wasalways successful in the hunt because hishorses were so well broken. At the age ofnine, he began to ride his father s pack ponyupon the buffalo hunt. He was twelveyears old, he told me, when he was firstpermitted to take part in the chase, andfound to his great mortification that noneof his arrows penetrated more than a fewinches. Excited to recklessness, he whippedhis horse nearer the fleeing buffalo, andbefore his father knew what he was about,he had seized one of the protruding arrowsand tried to push it deeper. The furiousanimal tossed his massive head sidewise,and boy and horse were whirled into the air.Fortunately, the boy was thrown on thefarther side of his pony, which received thefull force of the second attack. The thundering hoofs of the stampeded herd soon


18/262

6 INDIAN HEROESpassed them by, but the wounded and maddened buffalo refused to move, and somecritical moments passed before Red Cloud sfather succeeded in attracting its attentionso that the boy might spring to his feet andrun for his life.

I once asked Red Cloud if he could recallhaving ever been afraid, and in reply he toldme this story. He was about sixteen yearsold and had already been once or twice uponthe warpath, when one fall his people werehunting in the Big Horn country, where theymight expect trouble at any moment withthe hostile Crows or Shoshones. Red Cloudhad followed a single buffalo bull into theBad Lands and was out of sight and hearing of his companions. When he hadbrought down his game, he noted carefullyevery feature of his surroundings so that hemight at once detect anything unusual, andtied his horse with a long lariat to the hornof the dead bison, while skinning and cutting up the meat so as to pack it to camp.Every few minutes he paused in his work to


19/262

RED CLOUD 7scrutinize the landscape, for he had a feelingthat danger was not far off.

Suddenly, almost over his head, as itseemed, he heard a tremendous war whoop,and glancing sidewise, thought he beheldthe charge of an overwhelming number ofwarriors. He tried desperately to give theusual undaunted war whoop in reply, butinstead a yell of terror burst from his lips,his legs gave way under him, and he fell ina heap. When he realized, the next instant, that the war whoop was merely thesudden loud whinnying of his own horse,and the charging army a band of fleeing elk,he was so ashamed of himself that he neverforgot the incident, although up to thattime he had never mentioned it. His subsequent career would indicate that the lesson was well learned.The future leader was still a very youngman when he joined a war party against theUtes. Having pushed eagerly forward on

the trail, he found himself far in advance ofhis companions as night came on, and at


20/262

8 INDIAN HEROESthe same time rain began to fall heavily.Among the scattered scrub pines, the lonewarrior found a natural cave, and after ahasty examination, he decided to shelterthere for the night.

Scarcely had he rolled himself in hisblanket when he heard a slight rustling atthe entrance, as if some creature werepreparing to share his retreat. It waspitch dark. He could see nothing, butjudged that it must be either a man or agrizzly. There was not room to draw abow. It must be between knife and knife,or between knife and claws, he said tohimself.The intruder made no search but quietlylay down in the opposite corner of the cave.Red Cloud remained perfectly still, scarcely

breathing, his hand upon his knife. Hourafter hour he lay broad awake, while manythoughts passed through his brain. Suddenly, without warning, he sneezed, andinstantly a strong man sprang to a sittingposture opposite. The first gray of morn-


21/262

RED CLOUD 9ing was creeping into their rocky den, andbehold ! a Ute hunter sat before him.

Desperate as the situation appeared, itwas not without a grim humor. Neithercould afford to take his eyes from theother s ; the tension was great, till at last asmile wavered over the expressionless faceof the Ute. Red Cloud answered the smile,and in that instant a treaty of peace wasborn between them.

"Put your knife in its sheath. I shalldo so also, and we will smoke together,"signed Red Cloud. The other assentedgladly, and they ratified thus the trucewhich assured to each a safe return to hisfriends. Having finished their smoke, theyshook hands and separated. Neither hadgiven the other any information. RedCloud returned to his party and told hisstory, adding that he had divulged nothingand had nothing to report. Some wereinclined to censure him for not fighting,but he was sustained by a majority of thewarriors, who commended his self-restraint.


22/262

10 INDIAN HEROESIn a day or two they discovered the maincamp of the enemy and fought a remarkablebattle, in which Red Cloud especially distinguished himself.The Sioux were now entering upon themost stormy period of their history. Theold things were fast giving place to new. Theyoung men, for the first time engaging inserious and destructive warfare with theneighboring tribes, armed with the deadlyweapons furnished by the white man, beganto realize that they must soon enter upon adesperate struggle for their ancestral hunting grounds. The old men had been innocently cultivating the friendship of thestranger, saying among themselves, "Surelythere is land enough for all !"Red Cloud was a modest and little knownman of about twenty-eight years, whenGeneral Harney called all the western bandsof Sioux together at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, for the purpose of securing an agreement and right of way through theirterritory. The Ogallalas held aloof from


23/262

RED CLOUD 11this proposal, but Bear Bull, an Ogallalachief, after having been plied with whisky,undertook to dictate submission to the restof the clan. Enraged by failure, he firedupon a group of his own tribesmen, and RedCloud s father and brother fell dead. According to Indian custom, it fell to him toavenge the deed. Calmly, without utteringa word, he faced old Bear Bull and his son,who attempted to defend his father, andshot them both. He did what he believedto be his duty, and the whole band sustained him. Indeed, the tragedy gave theyoung man at once a certain standing, asone who not only defended his peopleagainst enemies from without, but againstinjustice and aggression within the tribe.From this time on he was a recognizedleader.

Man-Afraid-of-His-Horse, then head chiefof the Ogallalas, took council with RedCloud in all important matters, and theyoung warrior rapidly advanced in authority and influence. In 1854, when he


24/262

12 INDIAN HEROESwas barely thirty-five years old, the variousbands were again encamped near FortLaramie. A Mormon emigrant train, moving westward, left a footsore cow behind,and the young men killed her for food.The next day, to their astonishment, anofficer with thirty men appeared at theIndian camp and demanded of old Conquering Bear that they be given up. Thechief in vain protested that it was all amistake and offered to make reparation.It would seem that either the officer wasunder the influence of liquor, or else had amind to bully the Indians, for he wouldaccept neither explanation nor payment,but demanded point-blank that the youngmen who had killed the cow be delivered upto summary punishment. The old chief refused to be intimidated and was shot deadon the spot. Not one soldier ever reachedthe gate of Fort Laramie! Here RedCloud led the young Ogallalas, and sointense was the feeling that they even killedthe half-breed interpreter.


25/262

RED CLOUD 13Curiously enough, there was no attempt at

retaliation on the part of the army, and noserious break until 1860, when the Sioux wereinvolved in troubles with the Cheyennesand Arapahoes. In 1862, a grave outbreak was precipitated by the eastern Siouxin Minnesota under Little Crow, in whichthe western bands took no part. Yet thisevent ushered in a new period for their race.The surveyors of the Union Pacific werelaying out the proposed road through theheart of the southern buffalo country, therendezvous of Ogallalas, Brules, Arapahoes,Comanches, and Pawnees, who followed thebuffalo as a means of livelihood. To besure, most of these tribes were at war withone another, yet during the summer monthsthey met often to proclaim a truce and holdjoint councils and festivities, which werenow largely turned into discussions of thecommon enemy. It became evident, however, that some of the smaller and weakertribes were inclined to welcome the neworder of things, recognizing that it was the


26/262

14 INDIAN HEROESpolicy of the government to put an end totribal warfare.Red Cloud s position was uncompromis

ingly against submission. He made somenoted speeches in this line, one of which wasrepeated to me by an old man who hadheard and remembered it with the remarkable verbal memory of an Indian.

"Friends," said Red Cloud, "it hasbeen our misfortune to welcome thewhite man. We have been deceived. Hebrought with him some shining things thatpleased our eyes ; he brought weapons moreeffective than our own : above all, he broughtthe spirit water that makes one forget fora time old age, weakness, and sorrow. ButI wish to say to you that if you wouldpossess these things for yourselves, youmust begin anew and put away the wisdomof your fathers. You must lay up food,and forget the hungry. When your houseis built, your storeroom filled, then lookaround for a neighbor whom you can takeat a disadvantage, and seize all that he has !


27/262

RED CLOUD 15Give away only what you do not want; orrather, do not part with any of your possessions unless in exchange for another s.

"My countrymen, shall the glittering trinkets of this rich man, his deceitful drinkthat overcomes the mind, shall these thingstempt us to give up our homes, our huntinggrounds, and the honorable teaching of ourold men? Shall we permit ourselves to bedriven to and fro to be herded like thecattle of the white man?"

His next speech that has been remembered was made in 1866, just before theattack on Fort Phil Kearny. The tensionof feeling against the invaders had nowreached its height. There was no dissentingvoice in the council upon the Powder River,when it was decided to oppose to the uttermost the evident purpose of the government. Red Cloud was not altogetherignorant of the numerical strength and theresourcefulness of the white man, but hewas determined to face any odds ratherthan submit.


28/262

16 INDIAN HEROES"Hear ye, Dakotas!" he exclaimed.

"When the Great Father at Washingtonsent us his chief soldier [General Harney] toask for a path through our hunting grounds,a way for his iron road to the mountainsand the western sea, we were told that theywished merely to pass through our country,not to tarry among us, but to seek for goldin the far west. Our old chiefs thought toshow their friendship and good will, whenthey allowed this dangerous snake in ourmidst. They promised to protect the wayfarers.

:< Yet before the ashes of the council fireare cold, the Great Father is building hisforts among us. You have heard the soundof the white soldier s ax upon the LittlePiney. His presence here is an insult anda threat. It is an insult to the spirits ofour ancestors. Are we then to give uptheir sacred graves to be plowed for corn?Dakotas, I am for war !"

In less than a week after this speech, theSioux advanced upon Fort Phil Kearny,


29/262

RED CLOUD 17the new sentinel that had just taken herplace upon the farthest frontier, guardingthe Oregon Trail. Every detail of theattack had been planned with care, thoughnot without heated discussion, and nearlyevery well-known Sioux chief had agreedin striking the blow. The brilliant youngwar leader, Crazy Horse, was appointedto lead the charge. His lieutenants wereSword, Hump, and Dull Knife, with LittleChief of the Cheyennes, while the older menacted as councilors. Their success was instantaneous. In less than half an hour,they had cut down nearly a hundred menunder Captain Fetterman, whom they drewout of the fort by a ruse and then annihilated.Instead of sending troops to punish, thegovernment sent a commission to treat withthe Sioux. The result was the famoustreaty of 1868, which Red Cloud was thelast to sign, having refused to do so untilall of the forts within their territory shouldbe vacated. All of his demands were acceded to, the new road abandoned, the


30/262

18 INDIAN HEROESgarrisons withdrawn, and in the new treatyit was distinctly stated that the Black Hillsand the Big Horn were Indian country, setapart for their perpetual occupancy, andthat no white man should enter that regionwithout the consent of the Sioux.

Scarcely was this treaty signed, however,when gold was discovered in the BlackHills, and the popular cry was: "Removethe Indians ! " This was easier said thandone. That very territory had just beensolemnly guaranteed to them forever: yethow stem the irresistible rush for gold?The government, at first, entered somesmall protest, just enough to "save its face",as the saying is; but there was no seriousattempt to prevent the wholesale violationof the treaty. It was this state of affairs thatled to the last great speech made by RedCloud, at a gathering upon the Little Rosebud River. It is brief, and touches uponthe hopelessness of their future as a race.He seems at about this time to have reachedthe conclusion that resistance could not


31/262

RED CLOUD 19last much longer ; in fact, the greater partof the Sioux nation was already undergovernment control.

"We are told," said he, "that SpottedTail has consented to be the Beggars Chief.Those Indians who go over to the whiteman can be nothing but beggars, for herespects only riches, and how can an Indianbe a rich man ? He cannot without ceasingto be an Indian. As for me, I have listenedpatiently to the promises of the GreatFather, but his memory is short. I amnow done with him. This is all I have tosay."The wilder bands separated soon afterthis council, to follow the drift of thebuffalo, some in the vicinity of the BlackHills and others in the Big Horn region.Small war parties came down from time totime upon stray travelers, who received nomercy at their hands, or made dashes uponneighboring forts. Red Cloud claimed theright to guard and hold by force, if need be,all this territory which had been conceded


32/262

20 INDIAN HEROESto his people by the treaty of 1868. Theland became a very nest of outlawry.Aside from organized parties of prospectors,there were bands of white horse thievesand desperadoes who took advantage of thesituation to plunder immigrants and Indiansalike.An attempt was made by means of

military camps to establish control andforce all the Indians upon reservations, andanother commission was sent to negotiatetheir removal to Indian Territory, but metwith an absolute refusal. After much guerrilla warfare, an important military campaign against the Sioux was set on foot in1876, ending in Ouster s signal defeat uponthe Little Big Horn.In this notable battle, Red Cloud did not

participate in person, nor in the earlier onewith Crook upon the Little Rosebud, buthe had a son in both fights. He was nowa councilor rather than a warrior, but hisyoung men were constantly in the field,while Spotted Tail had definitely surren-


33/262

RED CLOUD 21dered 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 wassurrounded by United States troops underthe command of Colonel McKenzie, whodisarmed his people and brought them intoFort Robinson, Nebraska. Thence theywere removed to the Pine Ridge agency,where he lived for more than thirty yearsas a "reservation Indian." In order tohumiliate him further, government authorities proclaimed the more tractable SpottedTail head chief of the Sioux. Of course,Red Cloud s own people never recognizedany other chief.In 1880 he appealed to Professor Marsh,of Yale, head of a scientific expedition to theBad Lands, charging certain frauds at theagency and apparently proving his case;at any rate the matter was consideredworthy of official investigation. In 1890-1891, during the "Ghost Dance craze"and the difficulties that followed, he was


34/262

22 INDIAN HEROESsuspected of collusion with the hostiles,but he did not join them openly, and nothingcould be proved against him. He wasalready an old man, and became almostentirely blind before his death in 1909 inhis ninetieth year.

His private life was exemplary. He wasfaithful to one wife all his days, and was adevoted father to his children. He wasambitious for his only son, known as JackRed Cloud, and much desired him to be agreat warrior. He started him on the warpath at the age of fifteen, not then realizingthat the days of Indian warfare were well-nigh at an end.Among latter-day chiefs, Red Cloud wasnotable as a quiet man, simple and direct

in speech, courageous in action, an ardentlover of his country, and possessed in amarked degree of the manly qualitiescharacteristic of the American Indian inhis best days.


35/262

SPOTTED TAIL

AMONGthe Sioux chiefs of the "tran

sition period" only one was shrewdenough to read coming events

in their true light. It is said of SpottedTail that he was rather a slow-moving boy,preferring in their various games and mimicbattles to play the r61e of councilor, to planand assign to the others their parts in thefray. This he did so cleverly that he soonbecame a leader among his youthful contemporaries; and withal he was apt atmimicry and impersonation, so that theother boys were accustomed to say of him,"He has his grandfather s wit and thewisdom of his grandmother ! "

Spotted Tail was an orphan, reared byhis grandparents, and at an early age compelled to shift for himself. Thus he wassomewhat at a disadvantage among the

23


36/262

24 INDIAN HEROESother boys; yet even this fact may havehelped 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 agame, two boys became involved in a dispute which promised to be a serious one,as both drew knives. The young SpottedTail instantly began to cry, "The Sho-shones 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 hisleading contemporaries, probably becausehe had no parents to bring him frequentlybefore the people, as was the custom withthe well-born, whose every step in theirprogress toward manhood was publiclyannounced at a feast given in their honor.It is known, however, that he began at anearly age to carve out a position for himself.It is personal qualities alone that tell among


37/262

SPOTTED TAIL 25our people, and the youthful Spotted Tailgained at every turn. At the age of seventeen, he had become a sure shot and aclever hunter; but, above all, he hadalready shown that he possessed a superiormind. He had come into contact withwhite people at the various trading posts,and according to his own story had made acareful study of the white man s habits andmodes of thought, especially of his peculiartrait of economy and intense desire toaccumulate property. He was accustomedto watch closely and listen attentivelywhenever any of this strange race had dealings with his people. When a council washeld, and the other young men stood at adistance with their robes over their facesso as to avoid recognition, Spotted Tailalways put himself in a position to hear allthat was said on either side, and weighedall the arguments in his mind.When he first went upon the warpath, itappears that he was, if anything, over-zealous to establish himself in the eye of


38/262

26 INDIAN HEROEShis people ; and as a matter of fact, it wasespecially hard for him to gain an assuredposition among the Brules, with whom helived, both because he was an orphan, andbecause his father had been of another band.Yet it was not long before he had achievedhis ambition, though in doing so he received several ugly wounds. It was in abattle with the TJtes that he first notablyserved his people and their cause.The Utes were the attacking party andfar outnumbered the Sioux on this occasion.Many of their bravest young men hadfallen, and the Brules were face to face withutter annihilation, when Spotted Tail, witha handful of daring horsemen, dodgedaround the enemy s flank and fell uponthem from the rear with so much spirit thatthey supposed that strong reinforcementshad arrived, and retreated in confusion.The Sioux pursued on horseback; and itwas in this pursuit that the noted chiefTwo Strike gained his historical name.But the chief honors of the fight belonged


39/262

SPOTTED TAIL 27to Spotted Tail. The old chiefs, Conquering Bear and the rest, thanked himand at once made him a war chief.

It had been the firm belief of SpottedTail that it was unwise to allow the whiteman so much freedom in our country, longbefore the older chiefs saw any harm in it.After the opening of the Oregon Trail he,above all the others, was watchful of theconduct of the Americans as they journeyedtoward the setting sun, and more than oncehe remarked in council that these whitemen were not like the French and theSpanish, with whom our old chiefs had beenused to deal. He was not fully satisfiedwith the agreement with General Harney ;but as a young warrior who had only justgained his position in the council, he couldnot force his views upon the older men.No sooner had the Oregon Trail beensecured from the Sioux than Fort Laramieand other frontier posts were strengthened,and the soldiers became more insolent andoverbearing than ever. It was soon dis-


40/262

28 INDIAN HEROEScovered that the whites were prepared toviolate most of the articles of their treatyas the Indians understood it. At this time,the presence of many Mormon emigrantson their way to the settlements in Utah andWyoming added to the perils of the situation, as they constantly maneuvered forpurposes of their own to bring about aclash between the soldiers and the Indians.Every summer there were storm-cloudsblowing between these two clouds usuallytaking their rise in some affair of the travelers along the trail.

In 1854 an event occurred which has already been described and which snappedthe last link of friendship between the races.By this time Spotted Tail had proved his

courage both abroad and at home. He hadfought a duel with one of the lesser chiefs,by whom he was attacked. He killed hisopponent with an arrow, but himselfreceived upon his head a blow from abattle-axe which brought him senseless tothe ground. He was left for dead, but


41/262

SPOTTED TAIL 29fortunately revived just as the men werepreparing his body for burial.The Brules sustained him in this quarrel,as he had acted in self-defense ; and for afew years he led them in bloody raidsagainst the whites along the historic trail.He ambushed many stagecoaches and emigrant trains, and was responsible for waylaying the Kincaid coach with twentythousand dollars. This relentless harryingof travelers soon brought General Harneyto the Brule Sioux to demand explanationsand reparation.The old chiefs of the Brules now appealedto Spotted Tail and his young warriors notto bring any general calamity upon thetribe. To the surprise of all, Spotted Taildeclared that he would give himself up.He said that he had defended the rights ofhis people to the best of his ability, that hehad avenged the blood of their chief, Conquering Bear, and that he was not afraidto accept the consequences. He thereforevoluntarily surrendered to General Harney,


42/262

30 INDIAN HEROESand two of his lieutenants, Red Leaf andOld Woman, followed his example.Thus Spotted Tail played an important

part at the very outset of those eventswhich were soon to overthrow the free lifeof his people. I do not know how far heforesaw what was to follow; but whetherso conceived or not, his surrender was amaster stroke, winning for him not only theadmiration of his own people but the confidence and respect of the military.Thus suddenly he found himself in prison,a hostage for the good behavior of his followers. There were many rumors as to thepunishment reserved for him; but luckilyfor Spotted Tail, the promises of GeneralHarney to the Brule chiefs in respect to himwere faithfully kept. One of his fellow-prisoners committed suicide, but the otherheld out bravely for the two-year term ofhis imprisonment. During the second year,it was well understood that neither of themen sought to escape, and they were givenmuch freedom. It was fine schooling for


43/262

SPOTTED TAIL 31Spotted Tail, that tireless observer of theways of the white man ! It is a fact thathis engaging personal qualities won for himkindness and sympathy at the fort beforethe time came for his release.One day some Indian horse thieves of

another tribe stampeded the horses andmules belonging to the garrison. SpottedTail asked permission of the commandingofficer to accompany the pursuers. Thatofficer, trusting in the honor of a Siouxbrave, gave him a fast horse and a goodcarbine, and said to him : "I depend uponyou to guide my soldiers so that they mayovertake the thieves and recapture thehorses !"The soldiers recaptured the horses with

out any loss, but Spotted Tail still followedthe Indians. When they returned to thefort without him, everybody agreed that hewould never turn up. However, next dayhe did "turn up", with the scalp of one ofthe marauders !Soon after this he was returned to his own


44/262

32 INDIAN HEROESpeople, who honored him by making himthe successor of the old chief, ConqueringBear, whose blood he had avenged, forwhich act he had taken upon himself thefull responsibility. He had made good use ofhis two years at the fort, and completed hisstudies of civilization to his own satisfaction.From this time on he was desirous ofreconciling the Indian and the white man,thoroughly understanding the uselessnessof opposition. He was accordingly in constant communication with the military;but the other chiefs did not understand hisviews and seem to have been suspicious ofhis motives.

In 1860-1864 the Southern Cheyennesand Comanches were at war with the whites,and some of the Brules and Ogallalas, whowere their neighbors and intimates, weresuspected of complicity with the hostiles.Doubtless a few of their young men mayhave been involved; at any rate, ThunderBear and Two Face, together with a fewothers who were roving with the warring


45/262

SPOTTED TAIL 33tribes, purchased two captive white womenand brought them to Fort Laramie. Itwas, however, reported at the post thatthese two men had maltreated the womenwhile under their care.Of course, the commander demanded of

Spotted Tail, then head chief, that he giveup the guilty ones, and accordingly he hadthe two men arrested and delivered at thefort. At this there was an outcry amonghis own people ; but he argued that if thecharges were true, the men deserved punishment, and if false, they should be tried andcleared by process of law. The Indiansnever quite knew what evidence was produced at the court-martial, but at all eventsthe two men were hanged, and as they hadmany influential connections, their relativeslost no time in fomenting trouble. TheSioux were then camping close by the fortand it was midwinter, which facts heldthem in check for a month or two ; but assoon as spring came, they removed theircamp across the river and rose in rebellion.


46/262

34 INDIAN HEROESA pitched battle was fought, in which thesoldiers got the worst of it. Even theassociate chief, Big Mouth, was againstSpotted Tail, who was practically forcedagainst his will and judgment to take uparms once more.At this juncture came the sudden and

bloody uprising in the east among theMinnesota 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 thewarpath. Spotted Tail at about this timeseems to have conceived the idea of unitingall the Rocky Mountain Indians in a greatconfederacy. He once said: "Our causeis as a child s cause, in comparison with thepower of the white man, unless we can stopquarreling among ourselves and unite ourenergies for the common good." But old-time antagonisms were too strong; and hewas probably held back also by his consciousness of the fact that the Indians calledhim "the white man s friend", while the


47/262

SPOTTED TAIL 35military still had some faith in him which hedid not care to lose. He was undoubtedlyone of the brainiest and most brilliant Siouxwho ever lived ; and while he could not helpbeing to a large extent in sympathy withthe feeling of his race against the invader,yet he alone foresaw the inevitable outcome,and the problem as it presented itself to himwas simply this: "What is the best policyto pursue in the existing situation?"Here is his speech as it has been given tome, delivered at the great council on the

Powder River, just before the attack onFort Phil Kearny. We can imagine thathe threw all his wonderful tact and personalmagnetism into this last effort at conciliation.

" Hay, hay, hay! Alas, alas! Thusspeaks the old man, when he knows thathis former vigor and freedom is gone fromhim forever. So we may exclaim to-day,Alas ! There is a time appointed to allthings. Think for a moment how manymultitudes of the animal tribes we ourselves


48/262

36 INDIAN HEROEShave destroyed ! Look upon the snow thatappears to-day to-morrow it is water !Listen to the dirge of the dry leaves, thatwere green and vigorous but a few moonsbefore ! We are a part of this life and itseems that our time is come.

:< Yet note how the decay of one nationinvigorates another. This strange whiteman consider him, his gifts are manifold !His tireless brain, his busy hand do wondersfor his race. Those things which we despise he holds as treasures ; yet he is sogreat and so flourishing that there must besome virtue and truth in his philosophy.I wish to say to you, my friends : Be notmoved alone by heated arguments andthoughts of revenge ! These are for theyoung. We are young no longer; let usthink well, and give counsel as old men !"These words were greeted with an omi

nous silence. Not even the customary"How !" of assent followed the speech, andSitting Bull immediately got up and repliedin the celebrated harangue which will be


49/262

SPOTTED TAIL 37introduced under his own name in anotherchapter. The situation was critical forSpotted Tail the only man present toadvocate submission to the stronger racewhose ultimate supremacy he recognizedas certain. The decision to attack FortPhil Kearny was unanimous without him,and in order to hold his position among histribesmen he joined in the charge. Severalbullets passed through his war bonnet, andhe was slightly wounded.When the commission of 1867-1868 wassent out to negotiate with the Sioux,Spotted Tail was ready to meet them, andeager to obtain for his people the verybest terms that he could. He often puzzledand embarrassed them by his remarkablespeeches, the pointed questions that heput, and his telling allusions to formernegotiations. Meanwhile Red Cloud wouldnot come into the council until after severaldeputations of Indians had been sent tohim, and Sitting Bull did not come at all.The famous treaty was signed, and from


50/262

38 INDIAN HEROESthis time on Spotted Tail never again tookup arms against the whites. On the contrary, it was mainly attributed to his influence that the hostiles were subdued muchsooner 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 allnegotiations. The hostile chiefs no longerinfluenced his action, and as soon as theyhad all been brought under military control,General Crook named Spotted Tail headchief of the Sioux, thus humiliating RedCloud and arousing jealousy and ill-feelingamong the Ogallalas. In order to avoidtrouble, he prudently separated himselffrom the other bands, and moved to the newagency on Beaver Creek (Fort Sheridan,Nebraska), which was called "Spotted TailAgency."

Just before the daring war leader, CrazyHorse, surrendered to the military, he wentdown to the agency and roundly rebukedSpotted Tail for signing away the freedom


51/262

SPOTTED TAIL 39of his people. From the point of view ofthe irreconcilables, the diplomatic chief wasa "trimmer" and a traitor ; and many of theSioux have tried to implicate him in theconspiracy against Crazy Horse which ledto his assassination, but I hold that thefacts do not bear out this charge.The name of Spotted Tail was prominently before the people during the restof his life. An obscure orphan, he hadachieved distinction by his bravery andsagacity ; but he copied the white politiciantoo closely after he entered the reservation.He became a good manipulator, and wasmade conceited and overbearing by theattentions of the military and of the generalpublic. Furthermore, there was an oldfeud in his immediate band which affectedhim closely. Against him for many yearswere the followers of Big Mouth, whom hehad killed in a duel ; and also a party led bya son and a nephew of the old chief, Conquering Bear, whom Spotted Tail had succeeded at his death. These two men had


52/262

40 INDIAN HEROEShoped that one or the other of them mightobtain the succession.Crow Dog, the nephew of Conquering

Bear, more than once taunted Spotted Tailwith the fact that he was chief not by thewill of the tribe, but by the help of thewhite soldiers, and told him that he would"keep a bullet for him" in case he everdisgraced his high position. Thus retribution lay in wait for him while at the heightof his fame. Several high-handed actionsof his at this time, including his elopementwith another man s wife, increased hisunpopularity with a large element of hisown tribe. On the eve of the chief sdeparture for Washington, to negotiate (orso they suspected) for the sale of more oftheir land, Crow Dog took up his gun andfulfilled his threat, regarding himself, andregarded 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


53/262

SPOTTED TAIL 41extraordinary foresight for an untutoredsavage; and yet he is the only one of ourgreat men to be remembered with morehonor by the white man, perhaps, than byhis own people.


54/262

LITTLE CROW

CHIEFLITTLE CROW was the eld

est son of Cetanwakuwa (ChargingHawk). It was on account of hisfather s name, mistranslated Crow, that hewas called by the whites "Little Crow."His real name was Taoyateduta, His RedPeople.As far back as Minnesota history goes,

a band of the Sioux called Kaposia (LightWeight, because they were said to travellight) inhabited the Mille Lacs region.Later they dwelt about St. Croix Falls, andstill later near St. Paul. In 1840, Cetanwakuwa was still living in what is now WestSt. Paul, but he was soon after killed by theaccidental discharge of his gun.

It was during a period of demoralizationfor the Kaposias that Little Crow becamethe leader of his people. His father, a well-

42


55/262

LITTLE CROW 43known chief, had three wives, all fromdifferent bands of the Sioux. He was theonly son of the first wife, a Leaf Dweller.There were two sons of the second and twoof the third wife, and the second set ofbrothers conspired to kill their half-brotherin order to keep the chieftainship in thefamily.Two kegs of whisky were bought, andall the men of the tribe invited to a feast.It was planned to pick some sort of quarrelwhen all were drunk, and in the confusionLittle Crow was to be murdered. The plotwent smoothly until the last instant, whena young brave saved the intended victimby knocking the gun aside with his hatchet,so that the shot went wild. However, itbroke his right arm, which remained crookedall his life. The friends of the youngchieftain hastily withdrew, avoiding a general fight;

and later the council of theKaposias condemned the two brothers,both of whom were executed, leaving himin undisputed possession.


56/262

44 INDIAN HEROESSuch was the opening of a stormy career.

Little Crow s mother had been a chief sdaughter, celebrated for her beauty andspirit, and it is said that she used to plungehim into the lake through a hole in the ice,rubbing him afterward with snow, tostrengthen his nerves, and that she wouldremain with him alone in the deep woodsfor days at a time, so that he might knowthat solitude is good, and not fear to bealone with nature.

"My son," she would say, "if you are tobe a leader c " men, you must listen in silenceto the mystery, the spirit."At a very early age she made a feast for

her boy and announced that he would fasttwo days. This is what might be called aformal presentation to the spirit or God.She greatly desired him to become a worthyleader according to the ideas of her people.It appears that she left her husband whenhe took a second wife, and lived with herown band till her death. She did notmarry again.


57/262

LITTLE CROW 45Little Crow was an intensely ambitious

man and without physical fear. He wasalways in perfect training and early acquired the art of warfare of the Indian type.It is told of him that when he was about tenyears old, he engaged with other boys in asham battle on the shore of a lake near St.Paul. Both sides were encamped at a littledistance from one another, and the rule wasthat the enemy must be surprised, otherwisethe attack would be considered a failure.One must come within so many pacesundiscovered in order to be counted successful. Our hero had a favorite dogwhich, at his earnest request, was allowedto take part in the game, and as a scout heentered the enemy camp unseen, by thehelp of his dog.When he was twelve, he saved the life ofa companion who had broken through theice by tying the end of a pack line to a log,then at great risk to himself carrying it tothe edge of the hole where his comrade wentdown. It is said that he also broke in, but


58/262

46 INDIAN HEROESboth boys saved themselves by means ofthe line.As a young man, Little Crow was always

ready to serve his people as a messenger toother tribes, a duty involving much dangerand hardship. He was also known as oneof the best hunters in his band. Althoughstill young, he had already a war recordwhen he became chief of the Kaposias, ata time when the Sioux were facing thegreatest and most far-reaching changes thathad ever come to them.At this juncture in the history of the

northwest and its native inhabitants, thevarious fur companies had paramount influence. They did not hesitate to impressthe Indians with the idea that they werethe authorized representatives of the whiteraces or peoples, and they were quick torealize the desirability of controlling thenatives through their most influential chiefs.Little Crow became quite popular with posttraders and factors. He was an orator aswell as a diplomat, and one of the first of his


59/262

LITTLE CROW 47nation to indulge in politics and promoteunstable schemes to the detriment of hispeople.When the United States Governmentwent into the business of acquiring territoryfrom the Indians so that the flood of westernsettlement might not be checked, commissions were sent out to negotiate treaties,and in case of failure it often happened thata delegation of leading men of the tribe wereinvited to Washington. At that period,these visiting chiefs, attired in all thesplendor of their costumes of ceremony,were treated like ambassadors from foreigncountries.One winter in the late eighteen-fifties, a

major general of the army gave a dinner tothe Indian chiefs then in the city, and onthis occasion Little Crow was appointedtoastmaster. There were present a numberof Senators and members of Congress, aswell as judges of the Supreme Court,cabinet officers, and other distinguishedcitizens. When all the guests were seated,


60/262

48 INDIAN HEROESthe Sioux arose and addressed them withmuch dignity as follows :

"Warriors and friends: I am informedthat the great white war chief who of hisgenerosity and comradeship has given usthis feast, has expressed the wish that wemay follow to-night the usages and customsof my people. In other words, this is awarriors feast, a braves* meal. I call uponthe Ojibway chief, the Hole-in-the-Day, togive the lone wolf s hunger call, after whichwe will join him in our usual manner."The tall and handsome Ojibway now roseand straightened his superb form to utterone of the clearest and longest wolf howlsthat was ever heard in Washington, and atits close came a tremendous burst of warwhoops that fairly rent the air, and nodoubt electrified the officials there present.On one occasion Little Crow was invitedby the commander of Fort Ridgeley, Minnesota, to call at the fort. On his way back,in company with a half-breed named Rossand the interpreter Mitchell, he was am-


61/262

LITTLE CROW 49bushed by a party of Ojibways, and againwounded in the same arm that had beenbroken in his attempted assassination. Hiscompanion Ross was killed, but he managedto hold the war party at bay until help cameand thus saved his life.More and more as time passed, this

naturally brave and ambitious man becamea prey to the selfish interests of the tradersand politicians. The immediate causes ofthe Sioux outbreak of 1862 came in quicksuccession to inflame to desperate action anoutraged people. The two bands on theso-called "lower reservations" in Minnesotawere Indians for whom nature had providedmost abundantly in their free existence.After one hundred and fifty years offriendly intercourse first with the French,then the English, and finally the Americans,they found themselves cut off from everynatural resource, on a tract of land twentymiles by thirty, which to them was virtualimprisonment. By treaty stipulation withthe government, they were to be fed and


62/262

50 INDIAN HEROESclothed, houses were to be built for them,the men taught agriculture, and schoolsprovided for the children. In addition tothis, a trust fund of a million and a half wasto be set aside for them, [at five per centinterest, the interest to be paid annuallyper capita. They had signed the treatyunder pressure, believing in these promiseson the faith of a great nation.However, on entering the new life, the

resources so rosily described to them failedto materialize. Many families faced starvation every winter, their only support thestore of the Indian trader, who was baitinghis trap for their destruction. Very gradually they awoke to the facts. At last itwas planned to secure from them the northhalf of their reservation for ninety-eightthousand dollars, but it was not explainedto the Indians that the traders were toreceive all the money. Little Crow madethe greatest mistake of his life when hesigned this agreement.Meanwhile, to make matters worse, the


63/262

LITTLE CROW 51cash annuities were not paid for nearly twoyears. Civil War had begun. When itwas learned that the traders had taken allof the ninety-eight thousand dollars "onaccount", there was very bitter feeling.In fact, the heads of the leading stores wereafraid to go about as usual, and most ofthem stayed in St. Paul. Little Crow wasjustly held in part responsible for the deceit,and his life was not safe.The murder of a white family near Acton,

Minnesota, by a party of Indian duckhunters in August, 1862, precipitated thebreak. Messengers were sent to everyvillage with the news, and at the villages ofLittle Crow and Little Six the war councilwas red-hot. It was proposed to takeadvantage of the fact that north and southwere at war to wipe out the white settlersand to regain their freedom. A few menstood out against such a desperate step, butthe conflagration had gone beyond theircontrol.There were many mixed bloods among


64/262

52 INDIAN HEROESthese Sioux, and some of the Indians heldthat these were accomplices of the whitepeople in robbing them of their possessions,therefore their lives should not be spared.My father, Many Lightnings, who waspractically the leader of the Mankato band(for Mankato, the chief, was a weak man),fought desperately for the lives of the half-breeds and the missionaries. The chiefshad great confidence in my father, yet theywould not commit themselves, since theirbraves were clamoring for blood. LittleCrow had been accused of all the misfortunes of his tribe, and he now hoped byleading them against the whites to regainhis prestige with his people, and a part atleast of their lost domain.There were moments when the pacifists

were in grave peril. It was almost daybreak when my father saw that the approaching calamity could not be prevented.He and two others said to Little Crow : "Ifyou want war, you must personally leadyour men to-morrow. We will not murder


65/262

LITTLE CROW 53women and children, but we will fight thesoldiers when they come." They then leftthe council and hastened to warn mybrother-in-law, Faribault, and others whowere in danger.

Little Crow declared he would be seen inthe front of every battle, and it is true thathe was foremost in all the succeeding bloodshed, urging his warriors to spare none. Heordered his war leader, Many Hail, to firethe first shot, killing the trader JamesLynd, in the door of his store.

After a year of fighting in which he hadmet with defeat, the discredited chief retreated to Fort Garry, now Winnipeg,Manitoba, where, together with StandingBuffalo, he undertook secret negotiationswith his old friends the Indian traders.There was now a price upon his head, buthe planned to reach St. Paul undetectedand there surrender himself to his friends,who he hoped would protect him in returnfor past favors. It is true that he hadhelped them to secure perhaps the finest


66/262

54 INDIAN HEROEScountry held by any Indian nation for amere song.He left Canada with a few trusted friends,including his youngest and favorite son.When within two or three days journeyof St. Paul, he told the others to return,keeping with him only his son, Wowinape,who was but fifteen years of age. He meantto steal into the city by night and gostraight to Governor Ramsey, who was hispersonal friend. He was very hungry andwas obliged to keep to the shelter of thedeep woods. The next morning, as he waspicking and eating wild raspberries, he wasseen by a wood -chopper named Lamson.The man did not know who he was. He onlyknew that he was an Indian, and that wasenough for him, so he lifted his rifle to hisshoulder and fired, then ran at his best pace.The brilliant but misguided chief, who hadmade that part of the country unsafe forany white man to live in, sank to the groundand died without a struggle. The boy tookhis father s gun and made some effort to


67/262

LITTLE CROW 55find the assassin, but as he did not evenknow in which direction to look for him,he soon gave up the attempt and went backto his friends.Meanwhile Lamson reached home breath

less and made his report. The body of thechief was found and identified, in part bythe twice broken arm, and this arm and hisscalp may be seen to-day in the collectionof the Minnesota Historical Society.


68/262

TAMAHAY

THEREwas once a Sioux brave who

declared that he would die young,yet not by his own hand. Tama-

hay was of heroic proportions, herculean instrength, a superb runner; in fact, he hadall the physical qualities of an athlete ora typical Indian. In his scanty dress, hewas beautiful as an antique statue in livingbronze. When a mere youth, seventeenyears of age, he met with an accident whichdetermined his career. It was the loss ofan eye, a fatal injury to the sensitiveand high-spirited Indian. He announcedhis purpose in these words :

"The Great Mystery has decreed thatI must be disgraced. There will be nopleasure for me now, and I shall be ridiculedeven by my enemies. It will be well forme to enter soon into Paradise, for I shall

66


69/262

TAMAHAY 57be happy in spending my youth there. ButI will sell my life dearly. Hereafter myname shall be spoken in the traditions of ourrace." With this speech Tamahay beganhis career.He now sought glory and defied danger

with even more than the ordinary Indianrecklessness. He accepted a personal friend,which was a custom among the Sioux,where each man chose a companion for lifeand death. The tie was stronger than oneof blood relationship, a friendship sealedby solemn vow and covenant. Tamahay sintimate was fortunately almost his equalin physical powers, and the pair became theterror of neighboring tribes, with whom theDakotas were continually at war. Theymade frequent raids upon their enemiesand were usually successful, although notwithout thrilling experiences and almostmiraculous escapes.Upon one of these occasions the twofriends went north into the country of theOjibways. After many days journey, they


70/262

58 INDIAN HEROESdiscovered a small village of the foe. Thewicked Tamahay proposed to his associatethat they should arrange their toilets afterthe fashion of the Ojibways, and go amongthem; "and perhaps," he added, "we willindulge in a little flirtation with their prettymaids, and when we have had enough of thefun we can take the scalp of a brave or twoand retreat!" His friend construed hisdaring proposition to be a test of courage,which it would not become him, as a brave,to decline ; therefore he assented with a showof cheerfulness.The handsome strangers were well re

ceived by the Ojibway girls, but theirperilous amusement was brought to anuntimely close. A young maiden prematurely discovered their true characters, andher cry of alarm brought instantly to herside a jealous youth, who had been watchingthem from his place of concealment. Withhim Tamahay had a single-handed contest,and before a general alarm was given he haddispatched the foe and fled with his scalp.


71/262

TAMAHAY 59The unfortunate brave had been a favorite

and a leader among the tribe ; therefore themaddened Ojibways were soon in hot pursuit. The Sioux braves were fine runners,yet they were finally driven out upon thepeninsula of a lake. As they became separated in their retreat, Tamahay shouted,"I ll meet you at the mouth of the St.Croix River, or in the spirit land!" Bothmanaged to swim the lake, and so made goodtheir escape.The exploits of this man were not all of awarlike nature. He was a great travelerand an expert scout, and he had somewonderful experiences with wild animals.He was once sent, with his intimate friend,on a scout for game. They were on ponies.They located a herd of buffaloes, and on

their return to the camp espied a lonelybuffalo. Tamahay suggested that theyshould chase it in order to take some freshmeat, as the law of the tribe allowed in thecase of a single animal. His pony stumbledand threw him, after they had wounded


72/262

60 INDIAN HEROESthe bison, and the latter attacked the dismounted man viciously. But he, as usual,was on the alert. He "took the bull by thehorns", as the saying is, and cleverly straddled him on the neck. The buffalo had nomeans of harming his enemy, but pawed theearth and struggled until his strength wasexhausted, when the Indian used his knifeon the animal s throat. On account of thisfeat he received the name " Held-the-Bull-by-the-Horns."The origin of his name "Tamahay" isrelated as follows. When he was a youngman he accompanied the chief Wabashawto Mackinaw, Michigan, together with someother warriors. He was out with his friendone day, viewing the wonderful sights in the"white man s country", when they cameupon a sow with her numerous pink littleprogeny. He was greatly amused andpicked up one of the young pigs, but as soonas it squealed the mother ran furiously afterthem. He kept the pig and fled with it,still laughing ; but his friend was soon com-


73/262

TAMAHAY 61pelled to run up the conveniently inclinedtrunk of a fallen tree, while our hero reachedthe shore of a lake near by, and plunged intothe water. He swam and dived as long ashe could, but the beast continued to threatenhim with her sharp teeth, till, almost exhausted, he swam again to shore, where hisfriend came up and dispatched the viciousanimal with a club. On account of thiswatery adventure he was at once calledTamahay, meaning Pike. He earned manyother names, but preferred this one, becauseit was the name borne by a great friendof his, Lieutenant Pike, the first officerof the United States Army who came toMinnesota for the purpose of exploring thesources of the Mississippi River and ofmaking peace with the natives. Tamahayassisted this officer in obtaining land fromthe Sioux upon which to build Fort Snelling.He appears in history under the name of"Tahamie" or the "One-Eyed Sioux."Always ready to brave danger and unpop

ularity, Tamahay was the only Sioux who


74/262

62 INDIAN HEROESsided with the United States in her strugglewith Great Britain in 1812. For havingespoused the cause of the Americans, hewas ill-treated by the British officers andfree traders, who for a long time controlledthe northwest, even after peace had beeneffected between the two nations. At onetime he was confined in a fort called McKay,where now stands the town of Prairie duChien, Wisconsin. He had just returnedfrom St. Louis, and was suspected of excitinghis people to rebel against British subjects.His life was even threatened, but to thisTamahay merely replied that he was readyto die. A few months later, this fort wasrestored to the United States, and uponleaving it the British set the buildings onfire, though the United States flag floatedabove them. Some Indians who were present shouted to Tamahay, "Your friends ,the Americans , fort is on fire!" He responded with a war whoop, rushed into theblazing fort, and brought out the flag. Forthis brave act he was rewarded with a


75/262

TAMAHAY 63present of d Sag and medal. He was nevertired of displaying this medal and hisrecommendation papers, and even preserved to the end of his life an old colonialstovepipe hat, which he wore upon stateoccasions.The Sioux long referred to the president

of the United States as "Tamahay s father."The following story is told of him in hislater days. He attempted one day to crossthe first bridge over the Mississippi River,but was not recognized by the sentinel, whowould not allow him to pass until he paidthe toll. Tamahay, who was a privilegedcharacter, explained as best he could, withgestures and broken English, that he wasalways permitted to pass free; but as thesentinel still refused, and even threatenedhim with his bayonet, the old Indian silentlyseized the musket, threw it down into thewaters of the Mississippi and went home.Later in the day a company of soldiersappeared in the Indian village, and escortedour hero to a sort of court-martial at the


76/262

64 INDIAN HEROESfort. When he was questioned by theColonel, he simply replied: "If you werethreatened by any one with a weapon, youwould, in self-defense/either disable the manor get rid of the weapon. I did the latter,thinking that you would need the man morethan the gun."

Finally the officer said to them, "I seeyou are both partly wrong. Some one mustbe responsible for the loss of the gun ; therefore, you two will wrestle, and the man whois downed must dive for the weapon to thebottom of the river."

Scarcely was this speech ended whenTamahay was upon the soldier, who wassurprised both by the order and by theunexpected readiness of the wily old Indian,so that he was not prepared, and the Siouxhad the vantage hold. In a moment thebluecoat was down, amid shouts and pealsof laughter from his comrades. Havingthrown his man, the other turned and wenthome without a word.Sad to say, he acquired a great appetite


77/262

TAMAHAY 65for "minne-wakan", or "mysterious water ",as the Sioux call it, which proved a sourceof trouble to him in his old age. It is toldof him that he was treated one winter s dayto a drink of whisky in a trader s store.He afterwards went home; but even thesevere blizzard which soon arose did notprevent him from returning in the night tothe friendly trader. He awoke that worthyfrom sleep about twelve o clock by singinghis death dirge upon the roof of the logcabin. In another moment he had jumpeddown the mud chimney, and into the blazingembers of a fire. The trader had to pourout to him some whisky in a tin pail, afterwhich he begged the old man to "be goodand go home." On the eve of the so-called"Minnesota Massacre" by the Sioux in 1862,Tamahay, although he was then very oldand had almost lost the use of his remainingeye, made a famous speech at the meetingof the conspirators. These are some of hiswords, as reported to me by persons whowere present.


78/262

66 INDIAN HEROES"What! What! is this Little Crow?

Is that Little Six? You, too, White Dog,are you here ? I cannot see well now, butI can see with my mind s eye the stream ofblood you are about to pour upon the bosomof this mother of ours" (meaning theearth). "I stand before you on three legs,but the third leg has brought me wisdom"[referring to the staff with which he supported himself], "I have traveled much,I have visited among the people whom youthink to defy. This means the total surrender of our beautiful land, the land ofa thousand lakes and streams. Methinksyou are about to commit an act like that ofthe porcupine, who climbs a tree, balanceshimself upon a springy bough, and thengnaws off the very bough upon which he issitting; hence, when it gives way, he fallsupon the sharp rocks below. Behold thegreat Pontiac, whose grave I saw near St.Louis ; he was murdered while an exile fromhis country ! Think of the brave BlackHawk ! Methinks his spirit is still wailing


79/262

TAMAHAY 67through Winconsin and Illinois for his lostpeople ! I do not say you have no causeto complain, but to resist is self-destruction.I am done."

It is supposed that this speech was hislast, and it was made, though vainly, indefense of the Americans whom he hadloved. He died at Fort Pierre, SouthDakota, in 1864. His people say that hedied a natural death, of old age. And yethis exploits are not forgotten. Thus livedand departed a most active and fearlessSioux, Tamahay, who desired to die young !


80/262

GALL

CHIEFGALL was one of the most ag

gressive leaders of the Sioux nationin their last stand for freedom.

The westward pressure of civilizationduring the past three centuries has beentremendous. When our hemisphere was"discovered", it had been inhabited by thenatives for untold ages, but it was heldundiscovered because the original ownersdid not chart or advertise it. Yet some ofthem at least had developed ideals of lifewhich included real liberty and equalityto all men, and they did not recognizeindividual ownership in land or other property beyond actual necessity. It was a souldevelopment leading to essential manhood.Under this system they brought forth somestriking characters.

Gall was considered by both Indians and68


81/262

GALL 69whites to be a most impressive type ofphysical manhood. From his picture youcan judge of this for yourself.

Let us follow his trail. He was no tenderfoot. He never asked a soft place forhimself. He always played the game according to the rules and to a finish. To besure, like every other man, he made somemistakes, but he was an Indian and neveracted the coward.The earliest stories told of his life and

doings indicate the spirit of the man in thatof the boy.When he was only about three years old,the Blackfoot band of Sioux were on theirusual roving hunt, following the buffalowhile living their natural happy life uponthe wonderful wide prairies of the Dakotas.

It was the way of every Sioux mother toadjust her household effects on such dogsand pack ponies as she could muster fromday to day, often lending one or two toaccommodate some other woman whosehorse or dog had died, or perhaps had been


82/262

70 INDIAN HEROESamong those stampeded and carried awayby a raiding band of Crow warriors. Onthis particular occasion, the mother of ouryoung Sioux brave, Matohinshda, or Bear-Shedding-His-Hair (Gall s childhood name),intrusted her boy to an old Eskimo packdog, experienced and reliable, except perhaps when unduly excited or very thirsty.On the day of removing camp the caravanmade its morning march up the PowderRiver. Upon the wide table-land the women were busily digging teepsinna (an ediblesweetish root, much used by them) as themoving village slowly progressed. As usualat such times, the trail was wide. An oldjack rabbit had waited too long in hiding.Now, finding himself almost surroundedby the mighty plains people, he sprang upsuddenly, his feathery ears conspicuouslyerect, a dangerous challenge to the dogs andthe people.A whoop went up. Every dog acceptedthe challenge. Forgotten were the bundles,the kits, even the babies they were drawing


83/262

GALL 71or carrying. The chase was on, and thescreams of the women reechoed from theopposite cliffs of the Powder, mingled withthe yelps of dogs and the neighing ofhorses. The hand of every man was againstthe daring warrior, the lone Jack, and theconfusion was great.When the fleeing one cleared the mass ofhis enemies, he emerged with a swiftnessthat commanded respect and gave promiseof a determined chase. Behind him, hispursuers stretched out in a thin line, firstthe speedy, unburdened dogs and then thetravois dogs headed by the old Eskimo withhis precious freight. The youthful Gallwas in a travois, a basket mounted on trailing poles and harnessed to the sides of theanimal.

"Hey! hey! they are gaining on him!"a warrior shouted. At this juncture twoof the canines had almost nabbed theirfurry prey by the back. But he was toocunning for them. He dropped instantlyand sent both dogs over his head, rolling


84/262

72 INDIAN HEROESand spinning, then made another flight atright angles to the first. This gave theEskimo a chance to cut the triangle. Hegained fifty yards, but being heavily handicapped, two unladen dogs passed him.The same trick was repeated by the Jack,and this time he saved himself from instantdeath by a double loop and was now runningdirectly toward the crowd, followed by adozen or more dogs. He was losing speed,but likewise his pursuers were dropping offsteadily. Only the sturdy Eskimo dog heldto his even gait, and behind him in the frailtravois leaned forward the little Mato-hinshda, nude save a breech clout, his lefthand holding fast the convenient tail of hisdog, the right grasping firmly one of the polesof the travois. His black eyes were bulgingalmost out of their sockets ; his long hairflowed out behind like a stream of darkwater.The Jack now ran directly toward thehowling spectators, but his marvelous speedand alertness were on the wane ; while on


85/262

GALL 73the other hand his foremost pursuer, whohad taken part in hundreds of similar events,had every confidence in his own endurance.Each leap brought him nearer, fiercer andmore determined. The last effort of theJack was to lose himself in the crowd, likea fish in muddy water ; but the big dog madethe one needed leap with unerring aim andhis teeth flashed as he caught the rabbit inviselike jaws and held him limp in air, avictor !The people rushed up to him as he laid

the victim down, and foremost among themwas the frantic mother of Matohinshda, orGall. "Michinkshe! michinkshe !" (Myson ! my son !) she screamed as she drewnear. The boy seemed to be none theworse for his experience. "Mother!" hecried, "my dog is brave : he got the rabbit ! "She snatched him off the travois, but hestruggled out of her arms to look upon hisdog lovingly and admiringly. Old men andboys crowded about the hero of the day, thedog, and the thoughtful grandmother of


86/262

(74 INDIAN HEROESMatohinshda unharnessed him and pouredsome water from a parfleche water bag intoa basin. "Here, my grandson, give yourfriend something to drink."

"How, hechetu," pronounced an oldwarrior no longer hi active service. "Thismay be only an accident, an ordinaryaffair; but such things sometimes indicatea career. The boy has had a wonderful ride.I prophesy that he will one day hold theattention of all the people with his doings."This is the first remembered story of thefamous chief, but other boyish exploits foretold the man he was destined to be. Hefought many sham battles, some successfuland others not

;but he was always a fiercefighter and a good loser.

Once he was engaged in a battle withsnowballs. There were probably nearlya hundred boys on each side, and the rulewas that every fair hit made the receiverofficially dead. He must not participatefurther, but must remain just where he wasstruck.


87/262

GALL 75Gall s side was fast losing, and the battle

was growing hotter every minute when theyouthful warrior worked toward an oldwater hole and took up his position there.His side was soon annihilated and therewere eleven men left to fight him. He waspressed close in the wash-out, and as hedodged under cover before a volley ofsnowballs, there suddenly emerged in hisstead a huge gray wolf. His opponentsfled in every direction in superstitiousterror, for they thought he had been transformed into the animal. To their astonishment he came out on the farther side andran to the line of safety, a winner !

It happened that the wolf s den had beenpartly covered with snow so that no onehad noticed it until the yells of the boysaroused the inmate, and he beat a hastyretreat. The boys always looked upon thisincident as an omen.

Gall had an amiable disposition but wasquick to resent insult or injustice. Thissometimes involved him in difficulties, but


88/262

76 INDIAN HEROEShe seldom fought without good cause andwas popular with his associates. One ofhis characteristics was his ability to organize, and this was a large factor in hisleadership when he became a man. Hewas tried in many ways, and never wasknown to hesitate when it was a questionof physical courage and endurance. Heentered the public service early in life, butnot until he had proved himself competentand passed all tests.When a mere boy, he was once scouting

for game in midwinter, far from camp, andwas overtaken by a three days blizzard.He was forced to abandon his horse and lieunder the snow for that length of time. Heafterward said he was not particularlyhungry; it was thirst and stiffness fromwhich he suffered most. One reason theIndian so loved his horse or dog was thatat such times the animal would stay by himlike a brother. On this occasion Gall spony was not more than a stone s throwaway when the storm subsided and the sun


89/262

GALL 77shone. There was a herd of buffalo in plainsight, and the young hunter was not long inprocuring a meal.

This chief s contemporaries still recallhis wrestling match with the equally powerful Cheyenne boy, Roman Nose, who afterward became a chief well known to Americanhistory. It was a custom of the northwestern Indians, when two friendly tribescamped together, to establish the physicaland athletic supremacy of the youth of therespective camps.The " Che-hoo-hoo " is a wrestling gamein which there may be any number ona side, but the numbers are equal. Allthe boys of each camp are called togetherby a leader chosen for the purpose and drawthemselves up in line of battle ; then each ata given signal attacks his opponent.

In this memorable contest, Matohinshda,or Gall, was placed opposite Roman Nose.The whole people turned out as spectatorsof the struggle, and the battlefield was aplateau between the two camps, in the


90/262

T8 INDIAN HEROESmidst of picturesque Bad Lands. Therewere many athletic youths present, butthese two were really the Apollos of the twotribes.In this kind of sport it is not allowed

to strike with the hand, nor catch aroundthe neck, nor kick, nor pull by the hair.One may break away and run a few yardsto get a fresh start, or clinch, or catch ascatch can. When a boy is thrown and heldto the ground, he is counted out. If a boyhas met his superior, he may drop to theground to escape rough handling, but it isvery seldom one gives up without a fulltrial of strength.

It seemed almost like a real battle, sogreat was the enthusiasm, as the shouts ofsympathizers on both sides went up in amighty chorus. At last all were eitherconquerors or subdued except Gall andRoman Nose. The pair seemed equallymatched. Both were stripped to the breechclout, now tugging like two young buffaloor elk in mating time, again writhing and


91/262

GALL 79twisting like serpents. At times they foughtlike two wild stallions, straining every muscle of arms, legs, and back in the struggle.Every now and then one was lifted off hisfeet for a moment, but came down plantedlike a tree, and after swaying to and fro soonbecame rigid again.

All eyes were upon the champions.Finally, either by trick or main force, Galllaid the other sprawling upon the groundand held him fast for a minute, thenreleased him and stood erect, panting, amaster youth. Shout after shout went upon the Sioux side of the camp. The motherof Roman Nose came forward and threw asuperbly worked buffalo robe over Gall,whose mother returned the compliment bycovering the young Cheyenne with a handsome blanket.Undoubtedly these early contests had

their influence upon our hero s career. Itwas his habit to appear most opportunelyin a crisis, and in a striking and dramaticmanner to take command of the situation.


92/262

80 INDIAN HEROESThe best known example of this is hisentrance on the scene of confusion whenReno surprised the Sioux on the Little BigHorn. Many of the excitable youths, almost unarmed, rushed madly and blindlyto meet the intruder, and the scene mighthave unnerved even an experienced warrior.It was Gall, with not a garment upon hissuperb body, who on his black chargerdashed ahead of the boys and faced them.He stopped them on the dry creek, whilethe bullets of Reno s men whistled abouttheir ears.

"Hold hard, men! Steady, we are notready yet ! Wait for more guns, morehorses, and the day is yours !"They obeyed, and in a few minutes the

signal to charge was given, and Reno retreated pell mell before the onset of theSioux.

Sitting Bull had confidence in his menso long as Gall planned and directed theattack, whether against United States soldiers or the warriors of another tribe. He


93/262

GALL 81was a strategist, and able in a twinklingto note and seize upon an advantage. Hewas really the mainstay of Sitting Bull seffective last stand. He consistently upheld his people s right to their buffalo plainsand believed that they should hold thegovernment strictly to its agreements withthem. When the treaty of 1868 was disregarded, he agreed with Sitting Bull indefending the last of their once vast domain,and after the Custer battle entered Canadawith his chief. They hoped to bring theirlost cause before the English governmentand were much disappointed when they wereasked to return to the United States.

Gall finally reported at Fort Peck, Montana, in 1881, and brought half of theHunkpapa band with him, whereupon hewas soon followed by Sitting Bull himself.Although they had been promised by theUnited States commission who went toCanada to treat with them that they wouldnot be punished if they returned, no soonerhad Gall come down than a part of his


94/262

82 INDIAN HEROESpeople were attacked, and in the spring theywere all brought to Fort Randall and heldas military prisoners. From this point theywere returned to Standing Rock agency.When "Buffalo Bill" successfully launchedhis first show, he made every effort to secure both Sitting Bull and Gall for hisleading attractions. The military was incomplete accord with him in this, for theystill had grave suspicions of these twoleaders. While Sitting Bull reluctantlyagreed, Gall haughtily said : "I am not ananimal to be exhibited before the crowd,"and retired to his teepee. His spirit wasmuch worn, and he lost strength from thattime on. That superb manhood dwindled,and in a few years he died. He was a realhero of a free and natural people, a typethat is never to be seen again.


95/262

CRAZY HORSE

CRAZY HORSE was born on thepublican River about 1845. He waskilled at Fort Robinson, Nebraska,in 1877, so that he lived barely thirty-three years.He was an uncommonly handsome man.

While not the equal of Gall in magnificenceand imposing stature, he was physicallyperfect, an Apollo in symmetry. Furthermore he was a true type of Indian refinement and grace. He was modest andcourteous as Chief Joseph ; the differenceis that he was a born warrior, while Josephwas not. However, he was a gentle warrior, a true brave, who stood for the highest ideal of the Sioux. Notwithstanding allthat biased historians have said of him, itis only fair to judge a man by the estimate

83


96/262

84 INDIAN HEROESof his own people rather than that of hisenemies.The boyhood of Crazy Horse was passedin the days when the western Sioux saw awhite man but seldom, and then it wasusually a trader or a soldier. He wascarefully brought up according to thetribal customs. At that period the Siouxprided themselves on the training and development of their sons and daughters,and not a step in that development wasoverlooked as an excuse to bring the childbefore the public by giving a feast in itshonor. At such times the parents oftengave so generously to the needy that theyalmost impoverished themselves, thus setting an example to the child of self-denialfor the general good. His first step alone,the first word spoken, first game killed,the attainment of manhood or womanhood,each was the occasion of a feast and dancein his honor, at which the poor alwaysbenefited to the full extent of the parentsability.


97/262

CRAZY HORSE 85Big-heartedness, generosity, courage, and

self-denial are the qualifications of a public servant, and the average Indian waskeen to follow this ideal. As every oneknows, these characteristic traits become aweakness when he enters a life foundedupon commerce and gain. Under suchconditions the life of Crazy Horse began.His mother, like other mothers, tender andwatchful of her boy, would never onceplace an obstacle in the way of his father ssevere physical training. They laid thespiritual and patriotic foundations of hiseducation in such a way that he early became conscious of the demands of publicservice.He was perhaps four or five years oldwhen the band was snowed in one severe

winter. They were very short of food,but his father was a tireless hunter. Thebuffalo, their main dependence, were notto be found, but he was out in the stormand cold every day and finally brought intwo antelopes. The little boy got on his


98/262

86 INDIAN HEROESpet pony and rode through the camp, telling the old folks to come to his mother steepee for meat. It turned out that neitherhis father nor mother had authorized himto do this. Before they knew it, old menand women were lined up before the teepeehome, ready to receive the meat, in answerto his invitation. As a result, the motherhad to distribute nearly all of it, keepingonly enough for two meals.fe On the following day the child askedfor food. His mother told him that theold folks had taken it all, and added :"Remember, my son, they went homesinging praises in your name, not myname or your father s. You must bebrave. You must live up to your reputation."

Crazy Horse loved horses, and his fathergave him a pony of his own when he wasvery young. He became a fine horsemanand accompanied his father on buffalohunts, holding the pack horses while themen chased the buffalo and thus gradually


99/262

CRAZY HORSE 87learning the art. In those days the Siouxhad but few guns, and the hunting wasmostly done with bow and arrows.Another story told of his boyhood is

that when he was about twelve he wentto look for the ponies wit

charles a eastman-indian heroes & great chieftains

Documents