History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 139

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198

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Spotted Tail had reached that friendly and familiar position in his intercourse with the whites that he felt that he could talk plain and yet not give offense, for it was not believed he would commit any overt act or do more than express his somewhat heated sentiments. Though ordinarily mild and tractable, he had the reputation of being something of a whirlwind when aroused by anger, and it was therefore deemed imprudent to oppose him. It was also understood that the commission to select the new agencies had already been appointed and would shortly be in the field to designate the new locations.

Mr. Hayt was conspicuously bald-headed, which might have inclined the hostile savage, seeking scalps, to regard him with disfavor. Spotted Tail had noticed this absence of hirsute on the commissioner's head, when he alluded to the fabricating propensities of bald-headed men. The Indians all have long black hair, and it is claimed that their prejudice against the bald-headed whites arises from the absence of their scalp-lock.

CHAPTER LXIV ARMY AND CIVIL AUTHORITY CONTEST FOR CONTROL OF INDIAANS

RED CLOUD AND SPOTTED TML REMOVED TO THE MISSOURI RIVER-SECRETARY SCHURZ VISITS DAKOTA AND THE INDIANS-STANLEY COMMISSION SELECTS AGENCY SITES IN THE INTERIOR-COLONEL POLLOCK-ILARNEY CITY-NEW ROSEBUD AGENCY- CIVILIZATION A PLANT OF SLOW GROWTH-INDUSTRIES OF THE YANKTON IN- DIANS-MILITARY CHIEFTAINS CRITICISE CIVIL CONTROL OF INDIANS CONGRES- SIONAL IDEA THAT CIVIL CONTROL IS A FAILURE-SHERIDAN TELLS OF THE MILLIONS WASTED-SCHURZ REPLIES HAYES MILDLY DEFENDS PEACE POLICY.

The selection of agency grounds, and the erection of the numerous necessary buildings for the permanent agencies for these two powerful and numerous tribes, numbering over six thousand people in each, had all been commenced early in the spring of 1877, by the superintendent of Dakota, Gen. J. H. Ilam- mond, and were completed and ready for occupation by midsummer.

The agency for Red Cloud was at or near the mouth of Medicine Creek, a western tributary of the Missouri River, about one hundred and eighty miles by river, above Fort Randall, and thirty-eight miles below old Fort George, and nearly opposite the upper end of the Big Bend of the Missouri in Buffalo County. From the Crow Creek AAgency it was eighteen miles by land, and sixty by river. This was the agency for the Oglalas and Arrapahoes under Red Cloud and was to be known as the Medicine Agency. The journey of Red Cloud's people from Pine Ridge, comprising a colony of over six thousand people, men, women and children, a majority women and children, with their personal effects, was a great hardship, and they protested strongly against it. For a time they rebelled 10 the extent that thousands of them halted when part way across and demanded that their supplies be hauled out to them, that they were exhausted and could go no further. Their waiting camps were scattered along the White River for a distance of sixty miles. The agent at Medicine refused to send them any sub- sistence, and in the course of weeks hunger broke their stubborn spirit and they began to move toward the source of supplies, but November had dawned before they had all reached their new Missouri domicile. The superintendent had col- lected an abundance of food and raiment which had been stored in commodious warehouses. The supplies had been shipped up the river on the steamboats dur- ing the summer. It was this advantage for landing the Indian supplies economi- cally that induced the Government, by the Treaty of ;6 to require the agencies to be located on the Missouri River.

Spotted Tail's Indians, the Brules, had preceded the Ogladas and were located at the old Ponca Agency above the month of the Niobrara, about thirty-five miles below Fort Randall. They also numbered about six thousand, and occupied a large tract in Todd County. Their journey had been made with little comple int. this distance being less than sixty-five miles for many of them. The same amph and expensive preparations had been made to accommodate the Spotted | il Tribe of Brules as were provided for the Oglalas, namely: An agent's house. a warehouse, a stable with stable yard, a receiving and weighing corral with the scales and scale house, and one slaughter house with corral attached

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The agencies for Spotted Tail and his Brules, numbering 6,500, were divided, . one being located at Whetstone Creek on the Missouri, twenty-five miles above Fort Randall, and the other, and principal one, at the old Ponca Agency, twenty miles below Fort Randall. The buildings were all substantial structures and intended for permanent use.

It appears that it had already been agreed upon by the commissioner of In- dian Affairs at Washington, Mr. Hayt, who was decidedly opposed to any further return of the Indians to the interior, that a strong effort should be made to induce the Indians to release the President from his promise to return them inland, and to make their homes on the Missouri permanently. The President was said to have consented that the effort should be made, convinced that he had not had a full understanding of the situation when he made the promise to the chiefs.

The presence of such a body of wild and partially civilized Indians in such proximity to the settled portions of the territory excited some apprehensions for the safety of the white settlers; but the winter passed away without a serious disturbance.

CARL SCHURZ IN DAKOTA

Secretary of the Interior Hon. Carl Schurz reached Yankton August 25, 1879, accompanied by Webb C. Hayes, son of the President; Count Donhoff, secretary of the German legation at Washington; H. Gallieur, of New York; John M. Corson, chief of the Washington bureau of the New York Times; E. P. Hanna, private secretary ; and ex-Mayor Mark M. Sheafe, of Elk Point. The citizens of Yankton, led by the mayor, gave the distinguished party an appropriate reception, and a big feast at the Jencks Hotel. Mr. Schurz and party were on their way to the Indian country where the secretary expected to visit, and in- vestigate matters at many of the principal Indian agencies. They departed from Yankton on the steamboat Benton, stopping briefly at the Yankton Agency, and thence to Rosebud Landing near the mouth of Whetstone Creek; and thence overland. The overland journey to Spotted Tail's Agency, otherwise called the Rosebud, distance about seventy-five miles, was without unusual incident. Schurz had been in the Union army during the Civil war and enjoyed "roughing it." The party reached Rosebud September 5th, and were cordially received. Spotted Tail making the welcoming address. He complained that the Indians had 110 money- that the traders had got all the money and sent it East. Schurz reminded Spot that the trader was obliged to send the money East to buy more goods for his trade because the Indians did not manufacture anything. Spot replied that he "knew that was one reason, and he had saved a lot of watermelon seed to plant next year."

Maj. J. C. Newell was the agent at this agency, appointed from Ypsilanti, Mich. It is related that Mr. Schurz became slightly acquainted with all the white officers and employees about the agency. The physician was introduced to Mr. Schurz, and during a brief conversation informed him that he was "from Ypsilanti, Mich., Mr. Newell's old home." Schurz thought little of it at the time, but in the course of getting acquainted he ascertained that all the sub-offi- cials and about all the employees were from Ypsilanti, and he began to ponder over it. and finally meekly inquired of the agent if there was "anybody still liv- ing in Ypsilanti."

STANLEY COMMISSION SELECTS AGENCY POINTS

In accordance with the promise made to Red Cloud and Spotted Tail by President Hayes the location of their agencies was changed the following year. The Stanley Commission, appointed to select locations for these headquarter points in the interior of the reservation, was composed of Major General Stanley, Maj. J. M. Hawarth, and Rev. A. L. Riggs. This commission met at Yankton July 5, 1878, and adjourned to the Spotted Tail Agency, then located just above

RED CLOUD

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the mouth of the Niobrara River, called by the French. Lean qui Court. The commission went their way in quest of a site and were not long in agreeing upon a location on the Rosebud Creek, about seventy-five miles west of the Missouri River, for the Brules, Spotted Tail's Indians. This location had been previously selected by Spotted Tail, and was therefore satisfactory to the Indians, and as soon as the necessary arrangements for transferring the agency property could be made the agency was removed, under direction of Major Pollock, the agent, to the month of the Rosebud, on the south fork of White River, in Meyer County. The main body of Spotted Tail's people began moving the last week in July almost entirely depopulating the rich valley of Ponca Creek, where thousands had been residing and which afforded them many comforts and advantages.

Colonel Pollock, who was inspector of Indian affairs in Dakota under the Ilayes administration, was a remarkably able man in that field. He was born in Ohio, in Union County, in 1836, afterwards removed with his parents to Illinois, at an early age. He joined a caravan of gold seekers who were bound for Pike's Peak. in 1858, and in 1862 left the Colorado diggings and went to the newer discoveries in Idaho and Northwestern Dakota, now Montana, where he remained several years engaged in mining and selling merchandise to the mining people, and at the same time doing considerable trade with the Indians, where he acquired a sufficient knowledge of their language to enable him to transact business with them without an interpreter. He also became interested in the race, studied their relations with the Government, their treatment by their agents, and various matters connected with them, which resulted in attaching him quite closely to the Indian race as a friend who believed that the Indian was to a great extent the victim of pernicious dishonesty practiced by many of those who had been entrusted with their practical or business affairs in connection with the Government. The result was that he espoused their cause whenever opportunity offered, and being abundantly courageous in speaking his mind, and a man of good ability, and withal equipped with much practical experience gained from his association with them during his life in the West, he was recommended to Mr. Hayes as a proper man to discharge the duties of an Indian inspector, and was appointed to that position or as superintendent and given charge of the northern superintendency, which included Dakota. The most important matter connected with the Sioux at the time, was their removal from the Missouri River to the interior of the reservation. Bids for doing the work which consisted in great part of the trans- portation of the stores and the material for the new Rosebud Agency, were called for butt were found so largely in excess of appropriations and also of expectations that Pollock determined upon doing the work without the assistance of con- tractors, and for this purpose he ordered too wagons and harness for 400 horses, which were shipped forthwith to Rosebud Landing, where the wagons were put together, under Pollock's supervision, with Spotted Tail acting with him. As the wagons were put together they were taken to the warehouses and loaded. their contents inventoried, when the vehicle was hauled up on the plateatt; and this proceeded until the entire 100 wagons had been loaded, covered with canvass and stood in order in a great semi-circle on the plateau above the agency. The Indians now came in with their ponies, and great was their enthusiasm when they beheld the long array of new wagons, all their own. It was Pollock's design to have the Indians do the hauling with their ponies and the following morning a suit of clothing was issued to each of the 100 teamsters. None of them had ever before been dressed in a suit of white man's clothes, and now came a remarkable and rapid change. Blankets were thrown aside, and pantaloons were drawn upon legs for the first time, vests followed, then coats, then hats. The transformation was finally complete, and as was remarked by the agent, "the wild roving, careless savage had disappeared, and a hundred men, clad in the garb of civiliz - tion, had taken their places." The harnessing of the ponies followed, ind vom accomplished with some difficulty, owing largely to the size of the harness which had been made for ordinary horses which are much larger than Indian pontes.

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Every white man present lent a hand, however, and it was finally finished. As the teams were made up and hitched to a wagon, an effort would be made to start. Some of the ponies balked, went backward, refusing to pull, some went forward, and some started off at a brisk gallop in every direction. The Indians knew nothing about driving, and their ponies had never been broken to harness, but finally all these disagrecable features were adjusted, safely, and the grand train moved westward in orderly procession, a caravan over a mile in length, and four days later reached the new agency on the Rosebud.

The results, direct and indirect, growing out of this incident, were looked upon in later years as having a valuable and salutary bearing upon the new industrial life of the Indian. He had "broken the ice," had learned something about work, had discovered that it was not as disagreeable as he had apprehended, and thoroughly enjoyed the compensation which was paid to each one for his share of the labor. The incident was quite helpful. It was also less expensive, by $5,000, so estimated by the agent, than the price demanded by contractors. Pollock remained in the Indian field for some years, and retired with an honorable record.

From Rosebud the Stanley commission proceeded west in quest of a location for Red Cloud and his 7.000 Oglalas, which had already been indicated by Red Cloud. The commission found two excellent sites, one on Wounded Knee Creek, a tributary of White River, 175 miles from the Missouri, and the other on White Clay Creek, 210 miles distant. The White Clay location was selected. On this mission the Stanley commission was accompanied by James B. O'Bierne, cor- respondent of New York Herald. Mr. E. K. Hayt, son of the commissioner of Indian affairs, accompanied the party.

Red Cloud's Agency was removed from Medicine to White Clay Creek late in August, 1878. Here substantial buildings were erected, and the main agency located. A sub-agent was retained at Yellow Medicine, where the Lower Brule tribe was located, and the agency became an adjunct of the agency at Crow Creek.

In 1878 the new agency established for the Oglala tribe under Chief Red Cloud, was built on White Clay Creek, a southern tributary of White River, and within fifty miles of the Black Hills. It was built on the border of the famous pine lands which were abundant, and which furnished the material for the buildings. From this circumstance it obtained the name of the Pine Ridge Agency. It was about two hundred miles west and south of Whetstone Landing on the Missouri River, and about the same distance from Fort Randall which was twenty-five miles below Whetstone. A first class highway connected the agency with the Whetstone depot where the steam boats deposited the supplies. A steam boiler, weighing ten tons was transported from Whetstone to Pine Ridge during the summer. There were about six thousand Sioux at Pine Ridge and a few hundred of the Arrapahoes and Cheyennes.

The supply depot at the mouth of the Whetstone, was retained for both the Rosebud and Pine Ridge agencies. The roads from this depot to the agencies had been surveyed and marked by the Stanley commission, who had finally determined the distances from the Missouri to the Rosebud, to be sixty miles ; and to White Clay, 160 miles. Harney City was located opposite the Whetstone landing, and was notorious for a time as the liveliest settlement in the territory.

The Rosebud or Spotted Tail Indian Agency, the official headquarters of the Brule tribe of Sioux Indians, was about as complete in all essentials, as any of the numerous agencies in Dakota. It was built in 1878, after a lengthy and expensive contention between the Government and the Indians, in which leading army officers as well as civil dignitaries took part. Its location and substantial improvement was a decided victory for the Indians.

It was situated about eighty miles west of old Fort Randall. It was built on a small plateau surrounded by high bluffs. East of the agency flows the Rose- bud Creek which empties its waters into the south fork of White River, three miles below. A light stockade, enclosing an area 400x500 feet, surrounded the

SPOTTED TAIL Government Chief of Sioux Tribes, Is65

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agency buildings. The agent's office was on the north side, in dimensions 20x40 feet, divided into three apartments, accommodating the agent, clerk and physi- cian. It also contained an ante-room for visiting Indians, and a sleeping room for the clerk. West of the office at a convenient distance, was a large L shaped building, 200 feet in length and 30 feet in width ; the issue store and warehouse. Its storage capacity was ample for a year's supply for the nearly seven thousand Indians who drew supplies from the agency. South of the warehouse was the private residence of the agent, 38x40, two stories, with a veranda on the east and south. It was equal in finish and internal arrangement to the best of or- dinary modern residence buildings. South of the agent's domicile was the school- house. 30x40 feet, divided into two rooms, and was in charge of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Southwest stands another warehouse, 30x70 feet, used ex- clusively for the storage of corn and flour. East of the school building was a row of four buildings, each 18x30, used as shops for the wagon maker, black- smith, carpenter, harness maker, and painter. South of the office stands a large two-story double dwelling, for the physician and farmer. The buildings were painted white and presented a pleasing appearance. Outside the stockade a short distance were the stables. The corral and slaughter house were conveniently arranged for issuing and slaughtering the beef, and were located three-quarters a mile away on the lower Rosebud. North of the agency buildings stood the traders' two stores. South of the stockade was Charles Tackett's store. He was an adopted member of the tribe. On the east bank of the Rosebud stood a neat and inviting mission chapel in charge of Rev. Wm. Cleveland, cousin of Grover Cleveland. There were thirteen regular officers and attaches at the agency, and as many more employees who were assistants to the farmer, black- smith, and carpenter. There were also six herders and twelve laborers; and in addition the ox-train with twenty-four teamsters, under a train master. This train did the hauling from the supply depot on the Missouri River. The drivers were all Indians, and they were paid $20 a ton for hauling. There was a saw- mill seven miles away on the south fork of White River, operated by steam power when the water in the creek was low. The mill cut 3,000 feet of lumber a day, and 3,000 shingles could be made daily at the shingle mill. The agency farm lay between the agency and sawmill enclosed by a substantial fence. It contained a good farm house and stables, and furnished an agricultural school to the Indians who manifested a desire to learn how to farm.

Spotted Tail, the head chief, had built a very good residence building near by. It was larger than the agent and fitted up in comfortable style and somewhat expensively. Spotted Tail was said to be in the employ of the Government at a good salary, but the character of his services was not explained further than a suggestion that he saved the Government a great deal of money through his influence in keeping the Indians peaceable and encouraging them to industry. The chief's residence was two-stories, and contained eight rooms beside a council chamber and an audience room. He had four wives and was about to take an- other, as he had plenty of room to keep them separate. Three of his wives were sisters, and the fourth was their first cousin. The fifth that he was wooing was a sister of this cousin. Spot explained that it was the custom to marry all the sis- ters and near relatives, so the wives wouldn't quarrel. White Thunder, who ranked next to Spot, had five wives, four of whom were sisters and the fifth their aunt.

Spotted Tail in 1879, was about fifty years old, five feet ten inches in height. weighed a hundred and seventy pounds. He had a quiet demeanor. an intelli gent face, and wore a pleased expression. He looked squarely in the eyes of those he conversed with. Speaking of the progress the Indians were making m their industrial life, he said they were doing well, and would do better. They were anxious to be self-supporting. He said the Indians did not like to beg. and soon as they were able to farm they would not ask any more support from the white people. Speaking about the Indian schools, the chief said that he hol toll

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the Great Father's secretary that some of the Indian children had been to school for six years and did not know any more about the English language than when they began. He said :

We do not care about having our children taught to read and write the Dakota lan- guage. They know the Dakota better than their teachers, and they talk it enough at home. What we want them to learn is the English language; we want them to be able to read, write and talk in English. If we old folks cannot read nor understand English, we want our children to be able to translate for us the newspapers and tell us what the white people are doing. So long as we have Dakota teachers we will not send our children to school. We would like to have a large boarding school where we could send our children and have them taught by civilians and not by ministers. I am tired of them and do not want them here.

My people get a dollar a hundred for freighting and make a great deal of money. Go to their tepees and see the furniture they have; look at the children's clothes, the wives' ornaments, and it will be seen that the Indians have begun to understand the value of money. The time is passed when the white people can sell us brass for gold and get our ponies for nothing. Our agent is building a grist mill for us now and a bakery that will bake 400 loaves of bread a day. The Indian women have not learned to make good bread yet, and they waste a lot of flour. Another thing would please the Indians; the Great Father should appoint the Indian traders from among our own people; then the money he made would stay with our people and not be sent away to enrich the whites.

At this time there were some 7,000 people at the Rosebud who traded there, showing that Spotted Tail was fully appreciative of the value of the patronage of the people of his realm.

The new policy could not in the nature of its purposes move ahead at all rapidly, and therefore some of its supporters and early advocates grew disheart- ened and expressed discouraging apprehensions of its outcome, but this class, while respectable and somewhat influential, were not essential to the pursuit of the policy, and did not hinder it. From some one, or more, of a dozen reasons, they had become convinced that the Indian could not be civilized, and it was never intended that he should be. This had been the opinion of nine-tenths of the white people up to about the time the Territory of Dakota was organized. Civilization is a plant of slow growth. It does not make much appreciable ad- vancement during one year, and little change can be expected in five years, though to the experienced and friendly person, engaged in promoting it, encouraging progress was observed among the Dakota Indians very early after the new policy was given the whole field, and this progress never slackened, but has been subject to periods of unusual advancement. It was not expected, at least by those who had given the matter their attention and their personal aid, that much change could be accomplished with the adults-it was expected to wean them away from the hunt, the tepee and the blanket, and furnish them something not harmful to occupy their time. It was the young people and the generations to be born, that were to justify the wisdom of the policy, who were to become accustomed to the atmosphere of civilization in their dress, their plays, their schools, where they were taught the English language and could thereby better comprehend the advantages of a civilized life and an industrious one. The young were to see and experience as little as possible of the former savage and barbarous life, and imbibe a lasting distaste for it.

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History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 139

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1198

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198