SIOUX
21
SIOUX
hail been twenty-five years stationed with the tribe
and spoke the language fluently, thirty-three of the
whole number elected to die in the Catholic Church,
two of the remaining five rejecting all Christian
ministration. Three years later Father Ravoux
again stood on the scaffold with two condemned
warriors of the tribe.
Two months after the outbreak Congress declared the Santee treaties abrogated and the Minnesota reservations forfeited. One part of the fugitives trying to escape to the Vanktonai was overtaken and clefeated with great loss by Sibley near Big Mound, North Dakota, 24 July, 1863. The survivors fled to the Teton beyond the Missouri or took refuge in Canada, where they are still domiciled. On 3 Sept. General Sully struck the main hostile camp under Inkpaduta at Whitestone Hill, west of Ellen- dale, N. D., killing 300 and capturing nearly as many more. On 28 July, 1864, General Sully delivered the final blow to the combined hostile force, consisting of Santee, Yanktonai, and some northern Teton, at Kildeer Mountain on the Little Missouri. The prisoners and others of the late hostile bands were finally settled on two reservations established for the purpose, viz. the (Lower) Yanktonai at Crow Creek, S. D., and the Santee at Santee, north-eastern Nebras- ka. Here they still remain, being now well advanced in civilization and Christianity, and fairly prosperous. The outbreak had cost the lives of nearly 1000 whites, of whom nearly 700 perished in the first few days of the massacre. The Indian loss was about double, falling almost entirely upon the Santee. Panana- papi (Strike-the-Ree),"heacl chief of the 3000 Yankton, and a Catholic, had steadily held his people loyal and the great Brul6 and Ogalala bands of the Teton, 13,0(X) strong, had remained neutral. In October, 1865, at old Fort Sully (near Pierre), S. D., a general treaty of peace was made with the Sioux, and one Teton band, the Lower Brule, agreed to come upon a reservation. The majority of the great Teton divi- sion, however, comprising the whole strength of the nation west of the Missouri, refused to take part. In the meantime serious trouble had been brewing in the West. With the discovery of gold in California in 1849 and the consequent opening of an emigrant trail along the North Platte and across the Rocky Mountains, the Indians became alarmed at the dis- turbance to their buffalo herds, upon which they depended for their entire subsistence. The principal complainants were the Brule and Ogalala Sioux. For the protection of the emigrants in 1849 the Gov- ernment bought and garrisoned the American F>ir Company post of Fort Laramie on the upper North Platte, in Wyoming, later making it also an agency headquarters. In September, 1851, a great gathering of nearly all the tribes and bands of the Northern Plains was held at Fort Laramie, and a treaty was negotiate<l by which they came to an agreement in regard to their rival territorial claims, pledged peace among thenisdvcs and with the whites, and promised not to disturb the trail on consideration of a certain annual payincnt. Father DeSniet attended through- out the council, teaching and baptizing, and gives an interesting account of the gathering, the largest ever held with the Plains Indians. The treaty was not ratified and had no permanent effect. On 17 August, 1854, while the Indians were campcfl about the post awaiting the distribution of the annuity goods, occurred the "Fort Laramie Massa- cre", by which Lieutenant Grattan and an entire detachment of 29 soldiers lost their lives while trying to arrest some Brules who had killed and eaten an emigrant's cow. From all the evidence the conflict was provoked by the otTtcer's own indi.scretion. The Indians then took forcible po.sse.ssion of the annuity goods and left without making any attempt upon the fort or garrison. The Brills Sioux were now
declared hostile, and Gen. W. S. Harney was sent
against them. On 3 September, with 1200 men, he
came upon their camp at Ash Hollow, Western
Nebraska, and, while pretending to parley on their
proffer of surrender, suddenly attacked them, killing
136 Indians and destroying the entire camp outfit.
Late in 1863 the Ogalala and Brule under their chiefs, Red Cloud (Makhpiya-tiita) and Spotted Tail iSlunle-galeshka) respecti\-ely, became actively hos- tile, inflamed by reports of the Santee outbreak and the Civil War in the South. They were joined by the Cheyenne and for two years all travel across the
Group of Sioux
Weasel Bear and Family, Pine Hidge, S. D.
plains was virtually suspended. In March, 1865, they were roused to desperation by the proclamation of two new roads to be opened through their best hunting grounds to reach the new gold fields of Mon- tana. L'nder Red Cloud's leadership they notified the Government that they would allow no new roads or garrison posts to be established in their country, and carried on the war on this basis with such deter- mination that by treaty at Fort Laramie through a peace commission in April-May, 1868. the Govern- ment actually agreed to close the "Montana road" that had been opened north from Laramie, and to abandon the three posts that had been established to protect it. Red Cloud himself refused to sign until .after the troops had been withclrawn. The treaty left the territory south of the North Platte open to road building, recognized all north of the North Platte and east of the Bighorn Mountains as unceded Indian territor)', and establi.shed the "Great Sioux Reservation", nearly equivalent to all of South Dakota west of the Mi.ssouri. Provision was made for an agency on the Missouri River and the inaugura- tion of regular governmental civilizing work. In consideration of thus giving up their old freedom the Indians were prom i.sed, besides the free aid of black- smiths, doctors, a saw mill, etc., a complete suit of clothing yearly for thirty years to every individual of the bunds concerned, based on the actual yearly
