DECEMBER 17:

December 17, 1890:  Sitting Bull and the police killed during his arrest are buried with honor. Today, members of the Hunkpapa Sioux arrive at Big Foot's camp of Minneconjou Sioux seeking refuge. However today will also see the issuing of an arrest warrant for Big Foot himself, for his part as a "troublemaker" in the ghost dance religion.

December 17, 1842:  1842: Today, Pascofa will surrender to Col. Ethan Hitchcock. He agrees to bring his Apalachicola tribe in to the Colonel.
 
 
 

BACKGROUND:
 

From http://msnbc.com/onair/msnbc/TimeAndAgain/archive/wknee/telegrams.asp?cp1=1
 
 

"All preceding experiments for improvement of the Indians have failed. It seems now to be an established fact that they cannot live in contact with a civilized community and prosper ... " President Andrew Jackson Annual message to Congress, Dec. 7, 1835
 

" ... We have to deal with the appalling fact that though thousands of lives have been sacrificed and hundreds of millions of dollars expended in the attempt to solve the Indian problem, it has until within the past few years seemed scarcely nearer a solution than it was half a century ago. ... " President Chester A. Arthur First Annual message to Congress, Dec, 6, 1881
 

Mead County State of South Dakota SD Sept. 26, 1890 We the undersigned settlers of eastern Mead County South Dakota, and the United States of America, Do hereby ask in humble prayer for military protection during the trouble on the opening Reservation against the Sioux Indians. Indians residing in villages along the Cheyenne River, from the forks down to Cherry Creek. Chiefs Spotted Elk, or Big Foot Brave Eagle and Red Skirt, and their bands. We ask in most humble prayer, and further demand that we have protection of our lives and our children's and our homes and our property. Signed [blanks are illegible signatures] Elbert Jones Peter Quinn Peter Quinn J.B Slicks -- John Reynolds -- -- A.J. Culbertson J.W. Duvall P.T. Lemly Peter Dunn John Dunn Standing Rock Agency, October 17, 1890
 

Hon. T. J. Morgan Commissioner of Indian Affairs Sir: "I have the honor to state there is now considerable excitement and some disaffection among certain Indians of this agency. I trust I may not be considered an alarmist ... and do not wish to be understood as considering the present state of excitement so alarming as to apprehend any immediate uprising or serious outcome, but I do feel it my duty to report the present "craze" and nature of the excitement existing among the Sitting Bull faction of Indians over the expected Indian Millennium, the annihilation of the white man and supremacy of the Indian, which is looked for in the near future and promised by the Indian medicine men as not later than next spring, when the new grass begins to appear, and is known amongst the Sioux as the return of the ghosts. ... " Maj. James McLaughlin Indian Agent, Standing Rock Agency
 

Philadelphia Telegraph Nov. 1, 1890 "If the army had charge of the Indians, as common sense and common prudence demand, Sitting Bull would be shut up very shortly, but the Army has no authority until the murdering redskins have broken out, burned a dozen ranches, slaughtered a score of women and children ... The Army officers may be perfectly well informed of Sitting Bull's intrigues, but they can do nothing until he deliberately perfects his rascally plans and gets ready to start his young bucks on a raid. ... "
 

Telegram to Washington, D.C. Nov. 15, 1990 "Indians are dancing in the snow and are wild and crazy. I have fully informed you that the employees and the government property at this agency have no protection and are at the mercy of the Ghost Dancers. ... We need protection and we need it now ... nothing [short] of 1000 troops will stop this dancing." Dr. Daniel F. Royer, Agent, Pine Ridge Agency
 

The Chicago Tribune Nov. 16, 1890 "Settlers on the farms and ranches south of Mandan are fleeing their homes, believing that an Indian uprising is at hand. They urgently demand protection and many a farmhouse in North Dakota will soon be deserted unless the settlers receive some assurance that they will not be left to the mercy of the murderous redskins, who are now whetting their knives in anticipation of the moment when they begin their bloody work. The Indians are trading their horses and all other property for guns and ammunition. ... "
 

Nov. 20,1890
Chicago Daily Tribune
________________
IN A STATE OF TERROR
_________________
Great Excitement at the Pine Ridge Agency
________________
Indians Dancing with Guns
Women and Children Still Fleeing to Points of Safety
________________
Fighting Expected at Any Moment
________________
New York Times
 ________________
The Messiah Expected to Arrive At
The Pine Ridge Agency To-Day,
When The Savages Will Fight
________________
Omaha Daily Bee
________________
WITH RIFLE ON BACK
The Red Skins Are Dancing The
Dreaded Ghost Dance
Nov. 25, 1890
Chicago Daily Tribune
________________
GETTING READY TO FIGHT
________________
The Indians Massing for a Stand
Against the Troops
________________
Reds Ready for a Battle
 

Chadron, (Neb.) Advocate
Nov. 25 / 26, 1890
"It is hard, after visiting Pine Ridge Agency, to write with patience of
the liars, big and little, who have filled the continent with scare
headlines and inflammatory reports in the past two weeks. ... We left the
Pine Ridge Agency Wednesday afternoon. It is a peaceful, orderly,
well-behaved place. ... Indian babies and children filled the streets.
Soldiers were washing their garments and hanging them out to dry. The
smoke of a thousand teepees rose in the still, hazy air; twice a thousand
ponies grazed on the sunny hillsides. There was peace at Pine Ridge,
whatever might be at the homes of frightened settlers and in the great
newspaper offices."
 

Pierre (South Dakota) Free Press
Nov. 1890
"If ever a stupendous fake was better faked ... than this latest Sioux
Indian hostility racket, please tell us about it ! ... it is when one
approaches the alleged scenes of hostility that he begins to comprehend
the dimensions of the grand [farce]. After getting into hostile country
the visitor becomes so disgusted with the utter lack of signs of hostility
that he becomes ugly himself, and a disposition to shoot something is
almost irresistible."
 

Omaha Bee
Nov. 27,1890
"The chances for blood and trouble generally are as good today as they
were a week ago ... I, for one, of the correspondents here, propose to
continue to warn the public that there is still grave danger from many
thousands of the Indians at Pine Ridge Agency. ... Will we ever get out of
this with our hair? Or, will we get out of it at all?? ... "
 

Rapid City (S.D.) Journal
Nov. 27,1890
"Everything was quiet today at the [Pine Ridge] agency and no trouble was
expected."

Nov. 28,1890
Chicago Tribune
________________
ON THE EVE OF A BATTLE
________________
Will Probably Be A Collision With
Hostiles This Morning
 

New York Times
Nov. 28,1890
"... Couriers who have just reported to Gen. Brooke say that the redskins
are dancing in circles ... and their village has been so changed that the
lodges form a circle ... When the couriers were before Gen. Brooke, the
latter asked the significance of the circling Indians. One of the
couriers, who is a half-breed, smiled and said: "The Sioux never dance
that dance except for one purpose, and that is for war."
 

Charles Moody
Editor, Sturgis (S.D.) Weekly Record Nov. 28,1890
" Isn't it about time some of these wild and wooly newspaper liars ... be
spanked and sent out of harm's way?... There never was any danger of an
Indian outbreak, and none exists now, unless these silly sensational
reports have seared people into acts that might property be construed by
and Indian into a desire to fight. ... "
 

Omaha World Herald
Dec. 1, 1890
"Mr. Royer seemed determined to believe that there would not be carnage.
After a time it became apparent to me and to every Army officer in the
post - and most are Old Indian fighters - that Mr. Royer was trying to
substantiate the fright which had caused him to call upon the troops. To
hold his job Mr. Royer may succeed in aggravating these Indians into some
sort of warlike demonstration, but it will be fighting against their will.
... "
 

Letter requesting pass to visit Pine Ridge, as dictated to nephew, Andrew
Fox
Dec. 11,1890
To the Major in Indian Office
"I want to write a few lines to let you know something. I have had a
meeting with my Indians today, and I am writing to tell you our thoughts.
God made both the white race and the Red race, and gave them minds and
hearts to both. Then the white race gained a high place over the Indians.
However, today our Father is helping us Indians - that is what we believe.

And so I think this way. I wish no one to come with guns or knives to
interfere with my prayers. All we are doing is praying for life and to
learn how to do good ...
When you visited my camp you gave me good words about our prayers, but
then you took your good words back again. And so I will let you know
something. I got to go to [Pine Ridge] Agency and know this Pray [take
part in the dance]: so I let you know that ... I want answer back soon."
Sitting Bull
 

Lieut. Bull Head or Shave Head
Grand River
Dec.14,1890
"From reports brought my Scout "Hawk Man" I believe the time has arrived
for the arrest of Sifting Bull and that it can be made by the Indian
Police without much risk - therefore I want you to make the arrest before
daylight tomorrow morning ... I have ordered all the police at Oak Creek
to proceed to Carignan's school to await your orders. This gives you a
force of 42 Policemen to use in the arrest.
Yours Respectfully,
James McLaughlin
U.S. Ind. Agent
P.S. You must not let him escape under any circumstances."
 

Brigadier General L.W. Colby
Commander, The Nebraska National Guard
"There was an understanding between the officers of the Indian and
military departments that it would be impossible to bring Sitting Bull to
Standing Rock alive, and even if successfully captured, it would be
difficult to tell what to do with him. It was therefore believed that
there was a tack arrangement between the commanding officers and the
Indian police, that the death of the famous old Medicine man was much
preferred to his capture, and that the slightest attempt to rescue him
should be the signal for his destruction."
 

Orders to Colonel Sumner
Dec.15,1890
"It is desirable that Big Foot be arrested ... In case of arrest he will
be sent to Fort Meade to be securely kept prisoner."
By command of General Ruger