Courtesy of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institute.AMERICAN HORSE.
Courtesy of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institute.AMERICAN HORSE.
Courtesy of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institute.
AMERICAN HORSE.
Mills promptly dispatched a courier to Crook, on the fleetest horse in his command, to ask for reinforcements at once. Then he vigorously assaulted the cave. The little band inside sold their lives dearly, and even the women used guns with good effect. But no one could have stood up against the rain of bullets that was showered into the cavern. American Horse surrendered, and when Crazy Horse—with some six hundred warriors—came galloping up to the ridge, where some of his followers had hidden, he was too late. Crook hadjoined with Mills. Imagining that only a few men were there before him, Crazy Horse charged upon the troopers, yelling his war song with all the fervor that had rung at the battles of the Rosebud and Little Big Horn. He was greatly astonished at the numbers of his antagonists, and, realizing his mistake, retired to the tops of some tall buttes with the soldiers after him.
Now occurred one of the most picturesque battles of the West. The Sioux were all around upon the buttes and were silhouetted against the sky. Steadily the soldiers advanced against them up the sides of the cliff. They scaled it under fire and reached the level plateau upon which Crazy Horse and his men were scattered. With a loud cheer they charged the redskins upon the run. The Sioux divided; fled; and left the field and camp to the troopers. In their camp were found many letters belonging to Custer's men which had been sealed, ready for mailing, when they had been annihilated at the Little Big Horn. There were also books, saddles and equipment of the "Fighting Seventh." Thus, that which had been lost came back to the men of the army and brought many tearful recollections of the gallant men who had been killed with Custer.
Sitting Bull was in Montana and still unfriendly. Troops were put in motion to bring him to terms, under General Nelson A. Miles. It was the winter of 1876-7 and a severe one, but the soldiers had fur boots, fur caps and clothing of the thickest texture. With such provision they could easily move and fight in the zero temperature of that northern land.
On October 18th., a wagon load of supplies from Glendive, Montana, was attacked by the Sioux, and, after the hostiles had been driven off, the troops who escorted the train moved to a place called Clear Creek. The Indians followed, and, during a lull in the hostilities, a messenger rode out from their lines, waving a paper, which he left upon a hill, stuck between two forks of a stick. When it was picked up, it read:
"Yellowstone.I want to know what you are doing travelling on this road. You scare all the buffalo away. I want to hunt in this place. I want you to turn back from here. If you don't, I'll fight you again. I want you to leave what you have got here, and turn back from here.I am your friend,Sitting Bull.I mean all the rations you have got and some powder. Wish you would write me as soon as you can."
"Yellowstone.
I want to know what you are doing travelling on this road. You scare all the buffalo away. I want to hunt in this place. I want you to turn back from here. If you don't, I'll fight you again. I want you to leave what you have got here, and turn back from here.
I am your friend,
Sitting Bull.
I mean all the rations you have got and some powder. Wish you would write me as soon as you can."
Several days later General Miles, with nearly four hundred troopers, overtook Sitting Bull on Clear Creek. There were one thousand warriors with him of the Miniconjous, San Arcs, Brulés and Unkpapas, together with their wives and children. A meeting was arranged with the old chief, but the wily Sioux refused to come into the Reservation. He became engaged, as he talked, and his manner seemed more that of a wild beast than a human being. "He finally gave an exhibition of wild frenzy. His face assumed a furious expression. His jaws were tightly closed, his lips werecompressed, and you could see his eyes glisten with the fire of savage hatred."
A young warrior stole out of the Indian lines, as the conversation progressed, and slipped a carbine beneath his blanket. Several others followed him, and gathered around Sitting Bull as if they meant treachery. Miles, who had only a revolver, ordered these savages to retire, and, obeying reluctantly, they withdrew. Sitting Bull argued like a conqueror; he would not come into the reservation; he wanted the troops to leave the country. He spoke this way in two conferences, and, seeing that nothing could be accomplished by further parley, Miles told the chief to prepare for fighting, for he intended to attack immediately—in five minutes. Taking his watch in his hand, he counted off the time; while the savages, shouting defiance, galloped back to their own lines.
Suddenly, smoke ascended from the Indian camp. The Sioux had fired the prairie grass. In the midst of clouds of flame and smoke the troops pressed home the attack upon the hostiles. Although Sitting Bull's warriors far outnumbered the whites, they were driven away from their camp. Under the leadership of Gall and other warriors, they charged wildly upon the Government troops. Sitting Bull—as at the Custer massacre—did not appear upon the firing line, but remained in the rear, giving directions. He was a better talker than fighter and believed in allowing the young bloods to do the actual campaigning. They fought hard, too, and at one time pressed the whites so closely that—like Wellington's men at Waterloo—they were forcedto form in hollow squares. The Indians were driven for forty miles.
Seeing that they could do nothing with the troops, many of the Sioux broke into small bands and scattered. Two thousand of them, however, came in on the third day and surrendered. Sitting Bull refused to think of such a measure, and, making for the Canadian boundary line, rode off into British territory. His depleted and starving camp was subsequently attacked, in mid-winter, by a detachment under Lieutenant Baldwin, and was still further crippled. Game to the last, he threw himself upon the protection of England, crossed the Canadian line, and lived for some years in peaceful security.
At last, realizing that he would be better off in his old hunting grounds, he returned to the United States and surrendered to the army. A large territory was assigned to the Sioux as a reservation, and an Indian agency established at Pine Ridge, in South Dakota. This place became the rallying point for the scattered bands of Sioux who still looked to Sitting Bull for counsel. Supported in idleness by the Government, and occasionally exhibiting himself with Buffalo Bill's "Wild West Show," the noted chief lived for some time in great contentment. But within him slumbered a deep dislike and distrust of the whites. He was one of the prime movers of the Ghost Dance uprising in 1890, and, while resisting arrest, was killed by an Indian policeman. Peace to the aged counsellor and sachem of the Sioux!
Crazy Horse had still one more fight in him before he, too, was forced to capitulate.
By permission of Kurz and Allison.DEATH OF SITTING BULL.
By permission of Kurz and Allison.DEATH OF SITTING BULL.
By permission of Kurz and Allison.
DEATH OF SITTING BULL.
Late in December of 1876, Miles started after this gallant fighter, who was supposed to be in the valley of the Tongue River, south of the Yellowstone. He found his village not far from the place where Crook had battled on the Rosebud. There were between eight and nine hundred warriors posted on the cliffs surrounding a valley of the Wolf Mountains,—a spur of the Big Horn Range. The position was a good one, because the soldiers had to scale some bristling heights to get at the savages, but they were equal to the emergency.
"You have had your last breakfast," shouted the red warriors as the soldiers began to climb up to their position. "You will not eat again." But they did not know with whom they were dealing. Undaunted by the superior position of the red men, and unfrightened by their jeers, the soldiers crept up the face of the cliffs, as the shells from their artillery exploded among the followers of the gallant Crazy Horse. The bluffs were icy and snow-covered. It was rough work to scale them; it was only accomplished after slow, dogged, determined crawling, with a halt every moment or so to fire at some Indian above. The plunging shots of the savages did little damage, for their aim was unsteady. The red men clung to their post tenaciously, but they were routed—driven off—and forced back upon the plateau in the rear. Snow was now falling, and the combatants fired at each other in a blinding blizzard.
This was the last stand of Crazy Horse and his band, for their ammunition was about gone, and, not possessing the knowledge necessary to manufacture more, they were unable to prolong their resistance. Theirconfederates were nearly all captured. Sitting Bull was miles away and could not be reached. The Brulé Sioux and Unkpapas had surrendered. Their supplies were in the hands of General Miles and his men. Their fate was sealed.
In the early spring Crazy Horse surrendered, with the remnant of his once formidable band of frontier fighters. He was placed in a reservation of the Brulé Sioux at the Red Cloud Agency. "He did not surrender with the humility of a defeated, broken-spirited chief," Major-General Jesse W. Lee has written me. "He was an unsubdued warrior; a great soldier chief; and had come in to make such terms as would bring peace and rest to his people, who had scarcely known defeat under his valiant leadership. To his mind there was nounconditional surrenderabout it. He was willing, for a time, to give up the uncertain buffalo for the certain Agency beef; to exchange the old, worn-out skin lodges for new and handsome army duck."
But Crazy Horse chafed under the restraints of the agency. He was restless, uneasy and unsatisfied with the tame conditions which he found. He was watched by detectives and was closely guarded, but one day escaped and came to Spotted Tail: another rendezvous of the Sioux, forty miles away. Trouble was feared from him, and what subsequently occurred is best told in the language of General Lee, who was there at the time, in charge of the Brulé Sioux at Spotted Tail Agency in Northwestern Nebraska. He says:
"We soon called the chiefs together and told them that probably some trouble might occur at Red Cloud,but it must not affect them, and for all to remain perfectly quiet and have no fear. We then had only to wait! Imagine, if you please, being compelled to sit down over a powder magazine, with sparks flying around, and wondering how long it would be until the blow-up comes. We felt certain an explosionwouldoccur, but uncertain as to the hurt it might do. Well, we had not long to wait! About 4P.M.an Indian courier arrived in the Northern camp—not to us!—his quivering horse all white with foam,—with the startling news that their friends were fighting at Red Cloud, and that the troops were coming to Spotted Tail Agency.
"The old scout, Joe Merivale, well known and respected by the Northern Indians, had been sent to their camp with some reliable Agency chiefs, to meet just this contingency and allay excitement. By dint of hard effort they were succeeding fairly well, when Black Crow came to us and said, "Crazy Horse is in the Northern camp!" This came like a clap of thunder from a clear sky. Could it be possible, after all the precautions, spies, detectives, and the large force of troops and Indian allies, that the one man of all others they wished to securehad made good his escape and had come to our Agency?
"The arrival of the Indian courier from the Indians had produced intense excitement, but when he was soon followed by Crazy Horse, there was a wild scene, beggaring description. The bold warrior, the venerated hero of his band, who had ever led them to victory, was in the midst of devoted friends, and to them a hunted victim of rank injustice and cruel persecution.
"All the tepees in that camp came down with magic swiftness, and had it not been for White Thunder, and other loyal Brulés, a stampede would have resulted at once; merciless slaughter of unsuspecting whites on the line of flight would probably have followed, and another Indian war inaugurated.
"The 'reliables' surrounded and harangued the camp and restored some degree of quiet. Word was sent to the Indians under Touch the Clouds, to bring Crazy Horse to the Post. Major Burke, Dr. Koerper and myself, with an interpreter, started for the Northern camp, about three miles from the Post. When over half way out, we met over three hundred armed Indians in good line of battle, not so muchguardingasescortingCrazy Horse, in the direction of the Post. There were war bonnets and war shirts in profusion, and had it not been for a score or more of 'reliables,' intermingled with the three hundred, we might have had serious trouble. Touch the Clouds was on one side of the great warrior and the brave, handsome White Thunder on the other, with the austere and desperate Black Crow just in the rear. Just here I would add that White Thunder and Black Crow had determined to shoot Crazy Horse, should he make a break.
"We took Crazy Horse to the Post, or I would better say, he and his three hundred friends were takingusthere. Just as we reached the little parade ground of Camp Sheridan, Spotted Tail, able planner that he was, arrived from another direction, with not less than three hundred of his trusty Brulé soldiers, all armed with good breech loaders, principally Winchesters. Thisnumber, with more who joined soon after, gave good solid backing, and, with our ninety soldiers at quarters, ready to aid at a moment's notice,—turned the scale and kept it safely in our favor. As if by intuition, these forces of Indians formed on either side of a walk, leaving a small space, about 6' × 8', in the center. It was a wild, weird scene; and had the spectacle been for display, it would have been grand beyond compare, but, as it meant most serious business, and was fraught with danger, every nerve was under the severest strain. For once, Crazy Horse realized that his prestige had forsaken him; for once he was in the presence of one whose mastery he dare not, then and there, dispute. Spotted Tail, the coolest man of all the assembled hundreds, in the plain, Indian blanket garb, without any insignia of chieftainship, stepped into the little arena, and in a few words, delivered in a clear, ringing voice, with dignity and eloquence, addressed Crazy Horse, who was almost within touch: 'We never have trouble here; the sky is clear; the air is still and free from dust! You have come here and you must listen to me and my people!Iam chief here. We keep the peace. We, the Brulés, do this!Theyobey me! and every Indian who comes here must listen to me! You say you want to come to this Agency and live peaceably. If you stay here, you must listen to me. That is all!'
"It is hard to justly render an Indian speech, especially on such an occasion; but had you heard its telling points and pauses, emphasized and punctuated by the click of loaded rifles, you would have thought it one of the most effective speeches ever delivered. Itsconclusion was greeted with four hundred vociferous 'hows.' One frenzied Northern Indian, believing his friend Crazy Horse was to be harmed, wanted to sacrifice himself in his place. He caught hold of Major Burke's arm and excitedly exclaimed: 'Crazy Horse is brave, but he feels too weak to die today. Kill me! Kill me!' The Brulé guns were already loaded, and had a shot been fired, serious trouble would have begun.
"After a few more words, and as night was coming on, the crowds dispersed, and we got Crazy Horse into Major Burke's quarters to have a talk. He seemed like a frightened, trembling, wild animal, brought to bay, hoping for confidence one moment and fearing treachery the next. He had been under a severe nervous strain all day, and it plainly showed.
"Before proceeding with what was the last talk or council, let me go back a little. Soon after we heard Crazy Horse had reached our Agency, a courier arrived from Red Cloud with the following message from Clark: 'Dear Lee:—There has been no fight. Crazy Horse's band is just going into camp and will give up their guns without trouble, in all probability. Crazy Horse has skipped out for your place. Have sent after him. Should he reach your Agency, have "Spot" arrest him, and I will give any Indian who does this, $200.' Soon thereafter, a squad of fifteen or twenty Indian scouts arrived from Red Cloud, having been sent after Crazy Horse to arrest and take him back. It was understood then, and afterwards known to be a fact, that they overtook Crazy Horse as he was riding along quite leisurely with his sick wife, and when they askedhim to go back with them, the prestige of his name and warlike deeds overawed them when he said: 'I am Crazy Horse. Don't touch me! I'm not running away!'
"At our talk in Major Burke's quarters, Crazy Horse seemed to realize his helplessness. We assured him we had no reason to do him any hurt; and he promised, almost at the outset, to go with me next day to Camp Robinson.
"The best solution of the matter was to get Crazy Horse back to Red Cloud safely and quietly; let him make his talk there with the authorities, who could decide what should be done as to granting or refusing his desire for transfer to our Agency. He said he wanted to get away from trouble, that he had brought his sick wife to be treated and came for that purpose only. I told him I would remember what he said and repeat his words to the authorities at Robinson. Several of the chiefs were held responsible, under a binding Indian pledge, for Crazy Horse's safe keeping during the night and his reporting to Major Burke next morning at nine o'clock.
"Crazy Horse reported at the appointed time next morning and said he had changed his mind about going back to Red Cloud, because he 'was afraid something would happen.' He asked us to go down without him and fix up the matter for him and his people. We assured him we had no thought of harming him in any way; that he owed it to his people at Red Cloud to return, and we insisted upon his return peaceably and quietly, to which he agreed upon the followingexpress conditions, which, under the circumstances, Major Burke and I felt we had a perfect right to make: first, that neither Crazy Horse nor myself should take any arms; second, that I would state to the Soldier Chief at Red Cloud all that had occurred at Spotted Tail Agency, and that if Crazy Horse had made a statement of the facts, I would say to the Soldier Chief that Major Burke, Spotted Tail and I were willing to receive him by transfer from Red Cloud, if the District Commander so authorized; that Crazy Horse should make his statement to the Soldier Chief as to what occurred, how 'he had been misunderstood and misinterpreted; that he wanted peace and quiet, and did not want any trouble whatever.'
"We made Crazy Horse no promise that he would be transferred to Spotted Tail Agency, becauseweknew andheknew that could be settled only by the higher authority at Red Cloud. Boiled down to a simple statement, our promise to Crazy Horse was that he should beheardon his own behalf, upon arrival at Red Cloud. On this condition, he was willing to return peaceably, and with Major Burke's express consent,I guaranteed its fulfillment.
"Crazy Horse asked to ride horseback, which request was granted. We started from the Northern camp about 10.30 on the morning of September 5th. In the ambulance with me were Louis Bordeau, the interpreter, Black Crow and Swift Bear, two reliable Agency chiefs, and High Bear and Touch the Clouds, Crazy Horse's friends. By consent, seven Northern Indians went along to see fair play, but Good Voice and HornedAntelope, two 'reliables,' rode with Crazy Horse, to take care of him and prevent his escape.
"When about fifteen miles out, small parties of Spotted Tail's Indian soldiers began to arrive, and when half way, about twenty miles, I had over forty reliable Indian soldiers. Crazy Horse then realized that he was practically a prisoner.
"At one time, Crazy Horse dashed ahead and disappeared for a moment over the brow of a hill one hundred yards away. 'Twas here he probably obtained a knife of an Indian family stampeding to Spotted Tail. He was soon overhauled and said he went ahead only to water his horse. He was then directed to ride immediately in the rear of my ambulance, and he saw at once he was closely guarded. He seemed nervous and bewildered, and his serious expression showed clearly he was doubtful of the outcome. He said but little, but his appealing looks seemed to ask, 'Is this treachery?' Ignorant of what was in store for him, I tried to reassure his friends by telling them not to worry, that I would do exactly as had been promised, present his case, and he could be heard also.
"When within fifteen miles of Red Cloud, I sent a note to Clark by a swift Indian courier, asking whether I should take Crazy Horse to Post or Agency. I also stated briefly and explicitly that we had to use tact and discretion in securing Crazy Horse without precipitating serious trouble, and that we had promised him that he should be heard by the Commanding Officer, or the 'Soldier Chief,' when we reached Red Cloud, and I requested that arrangements be made accordingly.
"When within four miles of Red Cloud, I received this answer, in writing: 'Dear Lee:—General Bradley wishes you to drive direct to his office with Crazy Horse. Yours, Clark.'
"I had built the post and knew that the C. O.'s office was next the guard house. This brief note, being silent as to the important parts of my request, signified to my mind that Crazy Horse was to be put in the guard house, but still I hoped thathe would be allowed to say a few words, at least,which would redeem the promise we had made in good faith.
"We proceeded to the post, my Indians on either side of the ambulance, with pieces ready for instant use, and Crazy Horse in the center. Upon arriving at the C. O.'s office, I was met by the Adjutant, who informed me that General Bradley directed that Crazy Horse be turned over to the officer of the day. I said: 'No, not yet!' and asked if Crazy Horse could say a few words to the C. O. before this was done. I was referred to the General. I had Crazy Horse dismount, go into the office and sit down, and Swift Bear, Touch the Clouds, High Bear, Black Crow and Good Voice went in with him. I stationed an Indian soldier at the door with orders to admit no one while I was away. I then went to the General's quarters, some 200 yards distant, and in earnest and respectful language preferred my request, and he informed me, in no doubtful terms, that ''twas no use! The orders were peremptory; he could not change them; General Crook himself could not change them, and nothing further need be said, and the sooner I turned over Crazy Horse thebetter!' I tried to explain what had been done; just what had been promised in securing Crazy Horse, to all of which the General said: 'It's too late to have any talk.' I replied: 'Can he be heard in the morning?' The General looked at me steadily for an instant, but did not answer. I was again ordered to deliver Crazy Horse to the officer of the day, and 'tell him to go with the officer of the day and not a hair of his head should be harmed."
"General Bradley was every inch a soldier. An order to him was law and gospel and met with prompt, undeviating obedience, and woe betide the one who dared question, evade or fail in obeyinghis orders. I knew the General too well to attempt to prolong the interview. I felt that as it must be done, ''twere well 'twere quickly done,' yet, as I retraced my steps to the office, I had a glimmering hope that on themorrowCrazy Horse might be heard and the promise thus redeemed. I told Crazy Horse 'the night was coming onand the Soldier Chief said it was too late for a talk; that he said for him to go with the officer of the day and he would be taken care of and not a hair of his head would be harmed.'
"At the conclusion of my message, the chiefs uttered a joyous 'how!' Crazy Horse's face lighted up hopefully, and he stepped quickly across the room to the door and took the officer of the day, Captain Kennington, warmly by the hand.Myduty, mymilitaryduty, was done, but I took Touch the Clouds and High Bear, Crazy Horse's friends, to one side to explain to them, as best I could, the unexpected turn affairs had taken,and how it was I had nothing more to do with the matter and that I was entirely subject to higher authorities there.
"Crazy Horse willingly went along with Captain Kennington, closely followed by two soldiers of the guard with side arms, straight to the guard house and into the main door. When he reached the prison room, he saw the dungeon cells, the small grated window, and some prisoners in irons, it was said. Across the puzzled brain of this Indian leader, whose life had been free as the wind, there no doubt flitted the terrible thought of prison chains and ignominious death. He was, then and there, at last brought face to face with what the white man had in store for him. To his mind, abandoned by his friends, alone, betrayed, and surrounded by a score or more of his armed enemies, he sprang, with the desperation of an infuriated tiger, into the main guard room, and drawing from his clothing a long, glittering knife, attempted to plunge it into Captain Kennington, but the Captain's drawn sword diverted this purpose; he then sprang outside, striking right and left and struggling to make his way to where his seven friends were.
"At this juncture, Little Big Man, an erstwhile friend and comrade of Crazy Horse, appeared on the scene. He seized Crazy Horse by the arm and attempted to force him to the ground. The great chief, even in his frenzy, was too magnanimous to plunge the knife into the heart of Little Big Man, but merely punctured his arm to free himself from his treacherous grasp. He then tried hard to kill a soldier of the guardwho blocked his way. Swift Bear, Black Crow and Fast Thunder caught him, and in the struggle Captain Kennington called out:'Kill him! Kill him!' and just then an Infantry soldier of the guard made a successful lunge and Crazy Horse fell, mortally wounded, with a deep bayonet thrust in his right side.
"The friendly Indians prevented Crazy Horse's friends from firing on the guard. All the Indians were taken by surprise, and upon the pressing appeal and earnest demand of his friends, Crazy Horse was carried into the office from whence he came.
"Confusion followed; troops turned out, and pandemonium seemed to have broken loose in the Indian camps. Even the friendlies, though they disliked Crazy Horse, were not pleased with the result, and there was not much that could then be explained to their satisfaction.
"Crazy Horse's uncle at once sought to take revenge, but two friendlies caught and led him away. Touch the Clouds asked permission to take Crazy Horse to an Indian lodge and let him die there, but it was refused. He then asked to remain in the office with him, and that was granted on condition that he give up his gun. I recall his remarkable reply: 'Youare many.Iam only one.Youmay not trustme, butIwill trustyou! You cantakemy gun!'
"Crazy Horse's old father and mother were also allowed to remain with him. About 10P.M.Touch the Clouds sent word that Crazy Horse wished to see me before he died. I went to the office. Crazy Horse was lying on the floor, as he desired. He took myproffered hand and said between his dying moans, 'My friend, I don't blameyoufor this; had I listened to you, this trouble would not have happened to me.' He died at midnight, and thus passed away the restless, untamed spirit of as brave an Indian chief as ever drew a bow or wore a moccasin.
"After his death I was informed, and the statement is, I believe, in the official reports, that he had threatened to kill General Crook, should the General scold or speak roughly to him, at a proposed council to be held at Crazy Horse's camp, some days prior to this trouble. General Crook was on his way in an ambulance to the camp for the talk, when one of the scouts, or some one who was watching Crazy Horse, met him with news of this impending danger, and the General returned to the post without meeting Crazy Horse. Thismayhave all been true, but whether it was merely an idle threat, announced in a spirit of bravado, or if made and meant, he would have sought an excuse to carry it into execution can never be known.
"A field officer of Cavalry, then a Captain, informed me that his troop was detailed to take Crazy Horse from the guard house that night at midnight and push on rapidly to the railroad, and from there he was to be sent as a prisoner to the Dry Tortugas.
"When he died, Touch the Clouds shook hands with all present, thus showing he had no bad heart toward anyone.
"Crazy Horse's father made some pathetic remarks as to the life and character of his son. He asked that he might take the body away and give it an Indianburial, and consent was given—the lifeless form was harmless then!The offer of an ambulance was declined, and at daylight, September 6th., the gray, bareheaded, wailing, wretched, old father and mother, followed on foot out of the post the travois on which was lashed the body of their only son and protector. Their pitiable condition appealed to the sympathy of everyone, and as they passed Major Burrowes' quarters, they were kindly offered something to eat, which they accepted with apparent gratitude, and then resumed their mournful journey.
"With respect to Crazy Horse, I neither eulogize nor condemn. I have merely stated the facts as they occurred, mainly under my own observation, or as told to me by reliable eye-witnesses. There is no Indian journalist, author or reporter, to present the warlike chief's side of the sad story of his tragic fate. With the lapse of time, his name and fame may linger for a while in the traditions of his tribe, and then fade away forever."
Farewell to the Indian!
We have seen that, from the time of the very earliest European adventurers, to the great Sioux uprising of 1876, there has been but one result of the contact between the whites and those of another color. Powhatan, the diplomat, was as unable to keep his land from the Anglo-Saxon invader as was Sitting Bull, the tactician. For nearly four centuries the gradual conquest of the American continent went on apace, with frightful carnage, suffering and race hatred. The most fit survived; the people of lesser intelligence and thrift had to give way to those of superior attainments.
It has been a picturesque struggle. There has been the fierce battling against the Pamunkies of Virginia and Opechancanough, the ruthless Virginian. There has followed the strange warfare in the rude forests of Massachusetts with King Philip, and the neighboring contest with Sassacus, chief of the Pequots. Later, was the sanguinary struggle in the Mohawk Valley of New York; the wild fighting around the wooded slopes of the Hudson; the swift marches and vainglorious retreats in the dreamy forests near Lake George, and by the banks of the gray, glittering Champlain.
Then, as the restless pioneers crept southward and westward, was the carnage of Tippecanoe; the stalwart campaigning in the trackless forest of the Illinois; the battling in the land of Weatherford, the Creek conspirator; and the long-continued campaign in the dark and dismal gloom of the Florida Everglades. It was a time which put men upon their mettle, and in which no shirker or weakling could hope to have a place of responsibility.
The most desperate struggles were between 1868 and 1876, struggles which have made heroes of both red men and white. As the steel rails of the Union Pacific road crept steadily but surely across the continent, the Sioux and Cheyennes desperately endeavored to stem the overwhelming influx of white settlers, who followed in the wake of the army and the railroad. There was fighting—and plenty of it—for Custer, Crook, Miles, Forsyth and the other gallant officers of the United States army. Such chiefs as Roman Nose, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and Red Cloud fought with all the tenacity and strength which they could command. It was of no avail. The fields of the Rosebud; Beecher's Island; the Little Big Horn; and Slim Buttes; mark stepping-stones in the conquest of the continent by the white invader.
I, myself, have trod over the ground on which Opechancanough battled with the whites in Virginia; have packed across the wide sweep of prairie in Wyoming which once echoed with the wild shouts of the followers of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull; have slept near the crystal waters of the Powder River; and have campedwhere the cañons once echoed with the rifle shots of Lieutenant Sibley, a gallant scout of Crook's command, who was with him at the battle of the Rosebud. There were no signs of the red man in this magnificent country. He had vanished from the grassy plateaus and beetling mountains, as had the game which once abounded in the fertile land.
The Indian of the plains has disappeared. Now, educated in the ways and customs of the whites, in various schools for the members of his race, he joins in the conquest of the soil, and in modern progress, by the same methods adopted by those of superior mental development. The gorgeous war bonnets, magnificent trappings, and painted accoutrements have given way to the sober dress and technical instruments of the whites. The picturesqueness and color which surrounds the native American will shortly fade away. Spirited has been the history of his struggle for the land of his forefathers, and sad has been its ending.
Farewell to the Indian of the plains!
THE END.
THE LITTLE COLONEL BOOKS(Trade Mark)By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTONEach 1 vol., large 12mo, cloth, illustrated, per vol.$1.50
THE LITTLE COLONEL STORIES
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Being three "Little Colonel" stories in the Cosy Corner Series, "The Little Colonel," "Two Little Knights of Kentucky," and "The Great Scissors," put into a single volume.
THE LITTLE COLONEL'S HOUSE PARTY
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THE LITTLE COLONEL'S HOLIDAYS
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MARY WARE: THE LITTLE COLONEL'S CHUM
(Trade Mark)
MARY WARE IN TEXAS
These eleven volumes, with The Little Colonel's Good Times Book, boxed as a twelve-volume set, $18.00.
THE LITTLE COLONEL
(Trade Mark)
TWO LITTLE KNIGHTS OF KENTUCKY
THE GIANT SCISSORS
BIG BROTHER
Special Holiday EditionsEach one volume, cloth decorative, small quarto, $1.25New plates, handsomely illustrated with eight full-page drawings in color, and many marginal sketches.
IN THE DESERT OF WAITING:The Legend of Camelback Mountain.
THE THREE WEAVERS:A Fairy Tale for Fathers and Mothers as Well as for Their Daughters.
KEEPING TRYST
THE LEGEND OF THE BLEEDING HEART
THE RESCUE OF PRINCESS WINSOME:A Fairy Play for Old and Young.
THE JESTER'S SWORD
Each one volume, tall 16mo, cloth decorative $0.50Paper boards .35There has been a constant demand for publication in separate form of these six stories which were originally included in six of the "Little Colonel" books.
JOEL: A BOY OF GALILEE:By Annie Fellows Johnston. Illustrated by L. J. Bridgman.
New illustrated edition, uniform with the Little ColonelBooks, 1 vol., large 12mo, cloth decorative $1.50A story of the time of Christ, which is one of the author's best-known books.
THE LITTLE COLONEL GOOD TIMES BOOK
Uniform in size with the Little Colonel Series $1.50Bound in white kid (morocco) and gold 3.00Cover design and decorations by Peter Verberg.Published in response to many inquiries from readers of the Little Colonel books as to where they could obtain a "Good Times Book" such as Betty kept.
THE LITTLE COLONEL DOLL BOOK
Large quarto, boards $1.50A series of "Little Colonel" dolls,—not only the Little Colonel herself, but Betty and Kitty and Mary Ware, yes, and Rob, Phil, and many another of the well-loved characters,—even Mom' Beck herself. There are many of them and each has several changes of costume, so that the happy group can be appropriately clad for the rehearsal of any scene or incident in the series.The large, cumbersome sheets of most of the so-called doll "books" have been discarded, and instead each character, each costume, occupies a sheet by itself, the dolls and costumes being cut out only as they are wanted.
ASA HOLMES:Or, At the Cross-Roads. A sketch of Country Life and Country Humor. ByAnnie Fellows Johnston.
With a frontispiece by Ernest Fosbery.Large 16mo, cloth, gilt top $1.00"'Asa Holmes; or, At the Cross-Roads' is the most delightful, most sympathetic and wholesome book that has been published in a long while."—Boston Times.
THE RIVAL CAMPERS;Or, The Adventures of Henry Burns. ByRuel Perley Smith.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50A story of a party of typical American lads, courageous, alert, and athletic, who spend a summer camping on an island off the Maine coast.
THE RIVAL CAMPERS AFLOAT;Or, The Prize Yacht Viking. ByRuel Perley Smith.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50This book is a continuation of the adventures of "The Rival Campers" on their prize yachtViking.
THE RIVAL CAMPERS ASHOREByRuel Perley Smith.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50"As interesting ashore as when afloat."—The Interior.
THE RIVAL CAMPERS AMONG THE OYSTER PIRATES;Or, Jack Harvey's Adventures. ByRuel Perley Smith.
Illustrated $1.50"Just the type of book which is most popular with lads who are in their early teens."—The Philadelphia Item.
FAMOUS CAVALRY LEADERS.ByCharles H. L. Johnston.
Large 12mo. With 24 illustrations $1.50Biographical sketches, with interesting anecdotes and reminiscences of the heroes of history who were leaders of cavalry."More of such books should be written, books that acquaint young readers with historical personages in a pleasant informal way."—N. Y. Sun.
FAMOUS INDIAN CHIEFS.ByCharles H. L. Johnston.
Large 12mo, illustrated $1.50In this book Mr. Johnston gives interesting sketches of the Indian braves who have figured with prominence in the history of our own land, including Powhatan, the Indian Cæsar; Massasoit, the friend of the Puritans; Pontiac, the red Napoleon; Tecumseh, the famous war chief of the Shawnees; Sitting Bull, the famous war chief of the Sioux; Geronimo, the renowned Apache Chief, etc.
FAMOUS PRIVATEERSMEN AND ADVENTURERS OF THE SEA.ByCharles H. L. Johnston.
Large 12mo, illustrated $1.50In this volume Mr. Johnston tells interesting stories about the famous sailors of fortune. There are tales of Captain Otway Burns, patriot, privateer and legislator; Woodes Rogers, scourge of the South Sea trade; Captain William Death, wolf of the ocean; and of many others.
FAMOUS SCOUTS.ByCharles H. L. Johnston.
Large 12mo, illustrated $1.50Mr. Johnston gives us historical facts and biographical sketches and interesting anecdotes of those heroes of early pioneer days who made names for themselves among the hardy adventurers who thronged the border. There are tales of Gen. Israel Putnam; the celebrated Daniel Boone; Kit Carson, the noted scout; Lewis and Clarke, the hardy explorers; the world-renowned Buffalo Bill, and of many other famous scouts, trappers and pioneers.
BEAUTIFUL JOE'S PARADISE:Or, The Island of Brotherly Love. A sequel to "Beautiful Joe." ByMarshall Saunders, author of "Beautiful Joe."
One vol., library 12mo, cloth, illustrated $1.50"This book revives the spirit of 'Beautiful Joe' capitally. It is fairly riotous with fun, and is about as unusual as anything in the animal book line that has seen the light."—Philadelphia Item.
'TILDA JANE.ByMarshall Saunders.
One vol., 12mo, fully illustrated, cloth decorative, $1.50"I cannot think of any better book for children than this. I commend it unreservedly."—Cyrus Townsend Brady.
'TILDA JANE'S ORPHANS.A sequel to "'Tilda Jane." ByMarshall Saunders.
One vol., 12mo, fully illustrated, cloth decorative, $1.50'Tilda Jane is the same original, delightful girl, and as fond of her animal pets as ever.
THE STORY OF THE GRAVELEYS.ByMarshall Saunders, author of "Beautiful Joe's Paradise," "'Tilda Jane," etc.
Library 12mo, cloth decorative. Illustrated by E. B.Barry $1.50Here we have the haps and mishaps, the trials and triumphs, of a delightful New England family, of whose devotion and sturdiness it will do the reader good to hear.
BORN TO THE BLUE.ByFlorence Kimball Russel.
12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.25The atmosphere of army life on the plains breathes on every page of this delightful tale. The boy is the son of a captain of U.S. cavalry stationed at a frontier post in the days when our regulars earned the gratitude of a nation.
IN WEST POINT GRAY
ByFlorence Kimball Russel.12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50"Singularly enough one of the best books of the year for boys is written by a woman and deals with life at West Point. The presentment of life in the famous military academy whence so many heroes have graduated is realistic and enjoyable."—New York Sun.
THE SANDMAN: HIS FARM STORIES
ByWilliam J. Hopkins. With fifty illustrations by Ada Clendenin Williamson.Large 12mo, decorative cover $1.50"An amusing, original book, written for the benefit of very small children. It should be one of the most popular of the year's books for reading to small children."—Buffalo Express.
THE SANDMAN: MORE FARM STORIES
ByWilliam J. Hopkins.Large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50Mr. Hopkins's first essay at bedtime stories met with such approval that this second book of "Sandman" tales was issued for scores of eager children. Life on the farm, and out-of-doors, is portrayed in his inimitable manner.
THE SANDMAN: HIS SHIP STORIES
ByWilliam J. Hopkins, author of "The Sandman: His Farm Stories," etc.Large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50"Children call for these stories over and over again."—Chicago Evening Post.
THE SANDMAN: HIS SEA STORIES
ByWilliam J. Hopkins.Large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50Each year adds to the popularity of this unique series of stories to be read to the little ones at bed time and at other times.
A TEXAS BLUE BONNET
ByEmilia Elliott.12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50This is the story of a warm-hearted, impulsive and breezy girl of the Southwest, who has lived all her life on a big ranch. She comes to the far East for a long visit, and her experiences "up North" are indeed delightful reading. Blue Bonnet is sure to win the hearts of all girl readers.
THE DOCTOR'S LITTLE GIRL
ByMarion Ames Taggart.One vol., library 12mo, illustrated $1.50A thoroughly enjoyable tale of a little girl and her comrade father, written in a delightful vein of sympathetic comprehension of the child's point of view.
SWEET NANCY
The Further Adventures of the Doctor's Little Girl.ByMarion Ames Taggart.One vol., library 12mo, illustrated $1.50In the new book, the author tells how Nancy becomes in fact "the doctor's assistant," and continues to shed happiness around her.
NANCY, THE DOCTOR'S LITTLE PARTNER
ByMarion Ames Taggart.One vol., library 12mo, illustrated $1.50In Nancy Porter, Miss Taggart has created one of the most lovable child characters in recent years. In the new story she is the same bright and cheerful little maid.
ALYS-ALL-ALONE
ByUna Macdonald.Library 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50A delightful, well-written, happy-ending story which will gladden the hearts of many a reader. Though dearly loved above all else, a little girl, Alys, must be left somewhat alone. Indeed she feels and calls herself "Alys-All-Alone." The story closes with the little girl happily established in a real home—no longer "Alys-All-Alone."
GABRIEL AND THE HOUR BOOK
ByEvaleen Stein.Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and decoratedin colors by Adelaide Everhart $1.00Gabriel was a loving, patient, little French lad, who assisted the monks in the long ago days, when all the books were written and illuminated by hand, in the monasteries.
A LITTLE SHEPHERD OF PROVENCE
ByEvaleen Stein.Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated in colors byDiantha Horne Marlowe $1.00This is the story of Little lame Jean, a goatherd of Provence, and of the "golden goat" who is supposed to guard a hidden treasure.
THE STORY OF RAOUL
ByEvaleen Stein.Cloth, 12mo, illustrated and decorated in colors $1.25This is the story of a lad of noble birth, who, though kidnapped by an uncle who had long been an enemy to the house of Raoul, succeeds by his very kindness and lovable nature in winning the affections of the old man.
THE CHRISTMAS MAKERS' CLUB
ByEdith A. Sawyer.Cloth decorative, illustrated by Ada C. Williamson $1.50One of the best books for girls that has been published for a long time. It abounds in merrymaking and the right kind of fun, and possesses a gentle humor and pathos which will touch the hearts of mothers as well as their daughters.
ELSA'S GIFT HOME
ByEdith A. Sawyer.Cloth decorative, illustrated by Florence E. Nosworthy $1.50A delightful and sunshiny story which tells more about the dainty Elsa Danforth and her girl chums. How genial Uncle Ned's Christmas gift brought joy not only to Elsa and the "Christmas Club," but to many others, is the happy theme for a whole-spirited book for girls.
THE YOUNG SECTION-HAND;Or, The Adventures of Allan West. ByBurton E. Stevenson.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50Mr. Stevenson's hero is a manly lad of sixteen, who is given a chance as a section-hand on a big Western railroad, and whose experiences are as real as they are thrilling.
THE YOUNG TRAIN DISPATCHER.ByBurton E. Stevenson.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50"A better book for boys has never left an American press."—Springfield Union.
THE YOUNG TRAIN MASTER.ByBurton E. Stevenson.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50"Nothing better in the way of a book of adventure for boys in which the actualities of life are set forth in a practical way could be devised or written."—Boston Herald.
CAPTAIN JACK LORIMER.ByWinn Standish.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50Jack is a fine example of the all-around American high-school boy.
JACK LORIMER'S CHAMPIONS;Or, Sport on Land and Lake. ByWinn Standish.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50"It is exactly the sort of book to give a boy interested in athletics, for it shows him what it means to always 'play fair.'"—Chicago Tribune.
JACK LORIMER'S HOLIDAYS;Or, Millvale High in Camp. ByWinn Standish.
Illustrated $1.50Full of just the kind of fun, sports and adventure to excite the healthy minded youngster to emulation.
JACK LORIMER'S SUBSTITUTE;Or, The Acting Captain of the Team. ByWinn Standish.
Illustrated $1.50On the sporting side, this book takes up football, wrestling, tobogganing, but it is more of aschoolstory perhaps than any of its predecessors.
THE RED FEATHERS.ByG. E. T. Roberts.
Cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50"The Red Feathers" tells of the remarkable adventures of an Indian boy who lived in the Stone Age, many years ago, when the world was young.
FLYING PLOVER.ByG. E. Theodore Roberts.
Cloth decorative. Illustrated by Charles Livingston Bull $1.00Squat-By-The-Fire is a very old and wise Indian who lives alone with her grandson, "Flying Plover," to whom she tells the stories each evening.
COMRADES OF THE TRAILS.ByG. E. Theodore Roberts.
Cloth decorative. Illustrated by Charles Livingston Bull $1.50The story of a fearless young English lad, Dick Ramsey, who, after the death of his father, crosses the seas and takes up the life of a hunter in the Canadian forests.
MARCHING WITH MORGAN.How Donald Lovell Became a Soldier of the Revolution.
ByJohn V. Lane.Cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50This is a splendid boy's story of the expedition of Montgomery and Arnold against Quebec.
RODNEY, THE RANGER;Or, With Daniel Morgan on Trail and Battlefield. ByJohn V. Lane.
Cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50Young Rodney Allison, although but fifteen years of age, played a man's part in the troublous times preceding the American Revolution and in the War itself.
CHINESE PLAYMATES
ByNorman H. Pitman.Small cloth 12mo, illustrated $1.00A worth-while, happy little story about two little Chinese boys, Lo-Lo and Ta-Ta, and the strange fortunes that befell them when they wandered from home.
It is the intention of the publishers that this series shall contain only the very highest and purest literature,—stories that shall not only appeal to the children themselves, but be appreciated by all those who feel with them in their joys and sorrows.
The numerous illustrations in each book are by well-known artists, and each volume has a separate attractive cover design.
Each 1 vol., 16mo, cloth $0.50
By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON
THE LITTLE COLONEL
(Trade Mark.)
The scene of this story is laid in Kentucky. Its heroine is a small girl, who is known as the Little Colonel, on account of her fancied resemblance to an old-school Southern gentleman, whose fine estate and old family are famous in the region.
THE GIANT SCISSORS
This is the story of Joyce and of her adventures in France. Joyce is a great friend of the Little Colonel, and in later volumes shares with her the delightful experiences of the "House Party" and the "Holidays."
TWO LITTLE KNIGHTS OF KENTUCKY
Who Were the Little Colonel's Neighbors.In this volume the Little Colonel returns to us like an old friend, but with added grace and charm. She is not, however, the central figure of the story, that place being taken by the "two little knights."
MILDRED'S INHERITANCE
A delightful little story of a lonely English girl who comes to America and is befriended by a sympathetic American family who are attracted by her beautiful speaking voice. By means of this one gift she is enabled to help a school-girl who has temporarily lost the use of her eyes, and thus finally her life becomes a busy, happy one.
CICELY AND OTHER STORIES FOR GIRLS
The readers of Mrs. Johnston's charming juveniles will be glad to learn of the issue of this volume for young people.
AUNT 'LIZA'S HERO AND OTHER STORIES
A collection of six bright little stories, which will appeal to all boys and most girls.
BIG BROTHER
A story of two boys. The devotion and care of Stephen, himself a small boy, for his baby brother, is the theme of the simple tale.
OLE MAMMY'S TORMENT
"Ole Mammy's Torment" has been fitly called "a classic of Southern life." It relates the haps and mishaps of a small negro lad, and tells how he was led by love and kindness to a knowledge of the right.
THE STORY OF DAGO
In this story Mrs. Johnston relates the story of Dago, a pet monkey, owned jointly by two brothers. Dago tells his own story, and the account of his haps and mishaps is both interesting and amusing.
THE QUILT THAT JACK BUILT
A pleasant little story of a boy's labor of love, and how it changed the course of his life many years after it was accomplished.
FLIP'S ISLANDS OF PROVIDENCE
A story of a boy's life battle, his early defeat, and his final triumph, well worth the reading.
By EDITH ROBINSON
A LITTLE PURITAN'S FIRST CHRISTMAS
A story of Colonial times in Boston, telling how Christmas was invented by Betty Sewall, a typical child of the Puritans, aided by her brother Sam.
A LITTLE DAUGHTER OF LIBERTY
The author introduces this story as follows:"One ride is memorable in the early history of the American Revolution, the well-known ride of Paul Revere. Equally deserving of commendation is another ride,—the ride of Anthony Severn,—which was no less historic in its action or memorable in its consequences."
A LOYAL LITTLE MAID
A delightful and interesting story of Revolutionary days, in which the child heroine, Betsey Schuyler, renders important services to George Washington.
A LITTLE PURITAN REBEL
This is an historical tale of a real girl, during the time when the gallant Sir Harry Vane was governor of Massachusetts.
A LITTLE PURITAN PIONEER
The scene of this story is laid in the Puritan settlement at Charlestown.
A LITTLE PURITAN BOUND GIRL
A story of Boston in Puritan days, which is of great interest to youthful readers.
A LITTLE PURITAN CAVALIER
The story of a "Little Puritan Cavalier" who tried with all his boyish enthusiasm to emulate the spirit and ideals of the dead Crusaders.
A PURITAN KNIGHT ERRANT
The story tells of a young lad in Colonial times who endeavored to carry out the high ideals of the knights of olden days.
By OUIDA(Louise de la Ramee)
A DOG OF FLANDERS
A Christmas StoryToo well and favorably known to require description.
THE NURNBERG STOVE
This beautiful story has never before been published at a popular price.
By FRANCES MARGARET FOX
THE LITTLE GIANT'S NEIGHBOURS
A charming nature story of a "little giant" whose neighbors were the creatures of the field and garden.
FARMER BROWN AND THE BIRDS
A little story which teaches children that the birds are man's best friends.
BETTY OF OLD MACKINAW
A charming story of child life.
BROTHER BILLY
The story of Betty's brother, and some further adventures of Betty herself.
MOTHER NATURE'S LITTLE ONES
Curious little sketches describing the early lifetime, or "childhood," of the little creatures out-of-doors.
HOW CHRISTMAS CAME TO THE MULVANEYS
A bright, lifelike little story of a family of poor children with an unlimited capacity for fun and mischief.
THE COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
Miss Fox has vividly described the happy surprises that made the occasion so memorable to the Mulvaneys, and the funny things the children did in their new environment.