SITTING BULL, SIOUX INDIAN.

 

Emporia News, April 28, 1871.

Governor Harvey has written a letter to the President protesting against allowing Red Cloud, the Sioux, and other Indians to hunt on our frontier.

Arkansas City Republican, August 15, 1885.

THE DAY THAT CUSTER FELL.

Sitting Bull and a Soldier Exchange Reminiscences of the Fight.

BOSTON, Aug. 8. The real facts about the death of Gen. Custer were brought out a day or two ago in an interview here between Sitting Bull and Sergeant John Ryan, of Newton, who fought under Gen. Reno in the last battle between Custer=s regiment and the Indians. When Sergeant Ryan was introduced to the chief, Sitting Bull showed no disposition to talk, but presently Ryan drew from his pocket a blood-spattered cavalry Guidon and asked Sitting Bull if he had ever seen a flag like that before. The Indian showed a sudden awakening of interest.

AYes,@ he said.

AWhen was it?@ asked Ryan.

AWhen we had the fight and killed Custer=s men,@ said Sitting Bull through the interpreter, Awe got a number of them. Where did you get it?@

AOn the second day of the fight,@ answered Ryan, AI saw an Indian riding up and down in front of our lines displaying this flag. Another man and I who had long range rifles fired at him repeatedly, and finally dropped him off his horse. When night came, I went out and brought the flag in.@

AWhen we struck your trail,@ Sergeant Ryan continued, Aand just before the fight, we found four lodges with dead Indians in them. Who were they?@

AThey were Sioux Shawnee scouts,@ replied Sitting Bull, Akilled by men of Gen. Crook=s command on the Rosebud on June 17. On the first day=s fight do you recollect an Indian mounted on a black horse who was armed with a camp stick (an Indian lance) and was cheering and urging on his men?@

AThat was when you were trying to break our skirmish line,@ said Ryan. AThe chief was 200 or 300 yards away, and I fired at him a number of times.@

Sitting Bull, with much merriment, said: AThat was I. Soon after that I went to the scene of the fight with Custer and was not in the battle after that day. I remember when two of your pack mules charged down from your camp on the bluff. They were loaded with ammunition, as well as what we got from Custer, in the second day=s fight. When I went to take charge of the battle at the other end of the valley where Custer made his attack, I left Crazy Horse in command of my young men who were fighting you and Reno.@

AWas the fight going on when you got there?@ asked Ryan.

AOh yes; we had them surrounded.@

AIt has been asserted that Rain-in-face said he killed Custer. Did he?@

ANo. There is no truth in it. So many were firing at Custer at the same time that no one could tell whether he hit him or not.@

AYou are telling the truth there,@ said Ryan. AI was in command of the detail that buried Custer after General Terry came up. There were a number of bullets in Custer=s body, and he and a newspaper man named Kelly were the only ones whose bodies had not been mutilated.@

AWho was it that crushed the head of Capt. Tom Custer, and what became of the prisoners?@ Ryan asked.

AI don=t know about that,@ answered Sitting Bull. AThe young men and squaws had to do with that. There were 4,000 warriors, and there were in camp from 6,000 to 7,000 women and children, and the camp was four or five miles long, all in the valley of the Big Horn.@

AHow many men did you have?@ Sitting Bull asked.

ASix hundred all told, of whom 207 were killed with Custer.@

The two men exchanged many campaign reminiscences. Ryan was in Custer=s regiment on the plains for ten years, and often skirmished with Sitting Bull and his tribe when they were on the war-path.