indian heroes & great chieftains-第3节

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

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

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

reached　the　conclusion　that　resistance　could　not　last　much　longer；

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

government　control。



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

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

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

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

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

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

all　I　have　to　say。〃



The　wilder　bands　separated　soon　after　this　council；　to　follow

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

organized　parties　of　prospectors；　there　were　bands　of　white　horse

thieves　and　desperadoes　who　took　advantage　of　the　situation　to

plunder　immigrants　and　Indians　alike。



An　attempt　was　made　by　means　of　military　camps　to　establish

control　and　force　all　the　Indians　upon　reservations；　and　another

commission　was　sent　to　negotiate　their　removal　to　Indian　Territory；

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

important　military　campaign　against　the　Sioux　was　set　on　foot　in

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



In　this　notable　battle；　Red　Cloud　did　not　participate　in

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

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

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

while　Spotted　Tail　had　definitely　surrendered　and　was　in　close

touch　with　representatives　of　the　government。



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

1876　Red　Cloud　was　surrounded　by　United　States　troops　under　the

command　of　Colonel　McKenzie；　who　disarmed　his　people　and　brought

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

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

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

government　authorities　proclaimed　the　more　tractable　Spotted　Tail

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

recognized　any　other　chief。



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

scientific　expedition　to　the　Bad　Lands；　charging　certain　frauds　at

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

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

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

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

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

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

death　in　1909　in　his　ninetieth　year。



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

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

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

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

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

warfare　were　well…nigh　at　an　end。



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

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

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

qualities　characteristic　of　the　American　Indian　in　his　best　days。







SPOTTED　TAIL





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

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

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

preferring　in　their　various　games　and　mimic　battles　to　play　the

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

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

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

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

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

grandmother！〃



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

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

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

helped　to　develop　in　him　courage　and　ingenuity。　　One　little

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

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

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

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

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

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

combatants　and　ended　the　affair。



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

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

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

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

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

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

position　for　himself。　　It　is　personal　qualities　alone　that　tell

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

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

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

possessed　a　superior　mind。　　He　had　come　into　contact　with　white

people　at　the　various　trading　posts；　and　according　to　his　own　story

had　made　a　careful　study　of　the　white　man's　habits　and　modes　of

thought；　especially　of　his　peculiar　trait　of　economy　and　intense

desire　to　accumulate　property。　　He　was　accustomed　to　watch　closely

and　listen　attentively　whenever　any　of　this　strange　race　had

dealings　with　his　people。　　When　a　council　was　held；　and　the　other

young　men　stood　at　a　distance　with　their　robes　over　their　faces　so

as　to　avoid　recognition；　Spotted　Tail　always　put　himself　in　a

position　to　hear　all　that　was　said　on　either　side；　and　weighed　all

the　arguments　in　his　mind。



When　he　first　went　upon　the　warpath；　it　appears　that　he　was；

if　anything；　overzealous　to　establish　himself　in　the　eye　of　his

people；　and　as　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was　especially　hard　for　him　to

gain　an　assured　position　among　the　Brules；　with　whom　he　lived；　both

because　he　was　an　orphan；　and　because　his　father　had　been　of

another　band。　　Yet　it　was　not　long　before　he　had　achieved　his

ambition；　though　in　doing　so　he　received　several　ugly　wounds。　　It

was　in　a　battle　with　the　Utes　that　he　first　notably　served　his

people　and　their　cause。



The　Utes　were　the　attacking　party　and　far　outnumbered　the

Sioux　on　this　occasion。　　Many　of　their　bravest　young　men　had

fallen；　and　the　Brules　were　face　to　face　with　utter　annihilation；

when　Spotted　Tail；　with　a　handful　of　daring　horsemen；　dodged　around

the　enemy's　flank　and　fell　upon　them　from　the　rear　with　so　much

spirit　that　they　supposed　that　strong　reinforcements　had　arrived；

and　retreated　in　confusion。　　The　Sioux　pursued　on　horseback；　and　it

was　in　this　pursuit　that　the　noted　chief　Two　Strike　gained　his

historical　name。　　But　the　chief　honors　of　the　fight　belonged　to

Spotted　Tail。　　The　old　chiefs；　Conquering　Bear　and　the　rest；

thanked　him　and　at　once　made　him　a　war　chief。



It　had　been　the　firm　belief　of　Spotted　Tail　that　it　was　unwise

to　allow　the　white　man　so　much　freedom　in　our　country；　long　before

the　older　chiefs　saw　any　harm　in　it。　　After　the　opening　of　the

Oregon　Trail　he；　above　all　the　others；　was　watchful　of　the　conduct

of　the　Americans　as　they　journeyed　toward　the　setting　sun；　and　more

than　once　he　remarked　in　council　that　these　white　men　were　not　like

the　French　and　the　Spanish；　with　whom　our　old　chiefs　had　been　used

to　deal。　　He　was　not　fully　satisfied　with　the　agreement　with

General　Harney；　but　as　a　young　warrior　who　had　only　just　gained　his

position　in　the　council；　he　could　not　force　his　views　upon　the

older　men。



No　sooner　had　the　Oregon　Trail　been　secured　from　the　Sioux

than　Fort　Laramie　and　other　frontier　posts　were　strengthened；　and

the　soldiers　became　more　insolent　and　overbearing　than　ever。　　It

was　soon　discovered　that　the　whites　were　prepared　to　violate　most

of　the　articles　of　their　treaty　as　the　Indians　understood　it。　　At

this　time；　the　presence　of　many　Mormon　emigrants　on　their　way　to

the　settlements　in　Utah　and