2: Spotted Tail
<< 1: Red Cloud || 3: Little Crow >>
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 Wyoming
added to the perils of the situation, as they constantly maneuvered for purposes of their
own to bring about a clash between the soldiers and the Indians. Every summer there were
storm-clouds blowing between these two — clouds usually taking their rise in some affair
of the travelers along the trail.
In 1854 an event occurred which has already been described and which
snapped the last link of friendship between the races.
By this time Spotted Tail had proved his courage both abroad and at
home. He had fought a duel with one of the lesser chiefs, by whom he was attacked. He
killed his opponent with an arrow, but himself received upon his head a blow from a
battle-axe which brought him senseless to the ground. He was left for dead, but
fortunately revived just as the men were preparing his body for burial.
The Brules sustained him in this quarrel, as he had acted in
self-defense; and for a few years he led them in bloody raids against the whites along the
historic trail. He ambushed many stagecoaches and emigrant trains, and was responsible for
waylaying the Kincaid coach with twenty thousand dollars. This relentless harrying of
travelers soon brought General Harney to the Brule Sioux to demand explanations and
reparation.
The old chiefs of the Brules now appealed to Spotted Tail and his
young warriors not to bring any general calamity upon the tribe. To the surprise of all,
Spotted Tail declared that he would give himself up. He said that he had defended the
rights of his people to the best of his ability, that he had avenged the blood of their
chief, Conquering Bear, and that he was not afraid to accept the consequences. He
therefore voluntarily surrendered to General Harney, and two of his lieutenants, Red Leaf
and Old Woman, followed his example.
Thus Spotted Tail played an important part at the very outset of
those events which were soon to overthrow the free life of his people. I do not know how
far he foresaw what was to follow; but whether so conceived or not, his surrender was a
master stroke, winning for him not only the admiration of his own people but the
confidence and respect of the military.
Thus suddenly he found himself in prison, a hostage for the good
behavior of his followers. There were many rumors as to the punishment reserved for him;
but luckily for Spotted Tail, the promises of General Harney to the Brule chiefs in
respect to him were faithfully kept. One of his fellow-prisoners committed suicide, but
the other held out bravely for the two-year term of his imprisonment. During the second
year, it was well understood that neither of the men sought to escape, and they were given
much freedom. It was fine schooling for Spotted Tail, that tireless observer of the ways
of the white man! It is a fact that his engaging personal qualities won for him kindness
and sympathy at the fort before the time came for his release.
Spotted Tail asked permission of the commanding officer to accompany
the pursuers. That officer, trusting in the honor of a Sioux brave, gave him a fast horse
and a good carbine, and said to him: "I depend upon you to guide my soldiers so that
they may overtake the thieves and recapture the horses!"
The soldiers recaptured the horses without any loss, but Spotted
Tail still followed the Indians. When they returned to the fort without him, everybody
agreed that he would never turn up. However, next day he did "turn up", with the
scalp of one of the marauders!
Soon after this he was returned to his own people, who honored him
by making him the successor of the old chief, Conquering Bear, whose blood he had avenged,
for which act he had taken upon himself the full responsibility. He had made good use of
his two years at the fort, and completed his studies of civilization to his own
satisfaction. From this time on he was desirous of reconciling the Indian and the white
man, thoroughly understanding the uselessness of opposition. He was accordingly in
constant communication with the military; but the other chiefs did not understand his
views and seem to have been suspicious of his motives.
In 1860-1864, the Southern Cheyennes and Comanches were at war with
the whites, and some of the Brules and Ogallalas, who were their neighbors and intimates,
were suspected of complicity with the hostiles. Doubtless a few of their young men may
have been involved; at any rate, Thunder Bear and Two Face, together with a few others who
were roving with the warring tribes, purchased two captive white women and brought them to
Fort Laramie. It was, however, reported at the post that these two men had maltreated the
women while under their care.
Of course, the commander demanded of Spotted Tail, then head chief,
that he give up the guilty ones, and accordingly he had the two men arrested and delivered
at the fort. At this there was an outcry among his own people; but he argued that if the
charges were true, the men deserved punishment, and if false, they should be tried and
cleared by process of law. The Indians never quite knew what evidence was produced at the
court-martial, but at all events the two men were hanged, and as they had many influential
connections, their relatives lost no time in fomenting trouble. The Sioux were then
camping close by the fort and it was midwinter, which facts held them in check for a month
or two; but as soon as spring came, they removed their camp across the river and rose in
rebellion. A pitched battle was fought, in which the soldiers got the worst of it. Even
the associate chief, Big Mouth, was against Spotted Tail, who was practically forced
against his will and judgment to take up arms once more.
At this juncture came the sudden and bloody uprising in the east
among the Minnesota Sioux, and Sitting Bull's campaign in the north had begun in earnest;
while to the south the Southern Cheyennes, Comanches, and Kiowas were all upon the
warpath. Spotted Tail at about this time seems to have conceived the idea of uniting all
the Rocky Mountain Indians in a great confederacy. He once said: "Our cause is as a
child's cause, in comparison with the power of the white man, unless we can stop
quarreling among ourselves and unite our energies for the common good." But old-time
antagonisms were too strong; and he was probably held back also by his consciousness of
the fact that the Indians called him" the white man's friend", while the
military still had some faith in him which he did not care to lose. He was undoubtedly one
of the brainiest and most brilliant Sioux who ever lived; and while he could not help
being to a large extent in sympathy with the feeling of his race against the invader, yet
he alone foresaw the inevitable outcome, and the problem as it presented itself to him was
simply this: "What is the best policy to pursue in the existing situation?"
Here is his speech as it has been given to me, delivered at the
great council on the Powder River, just before the attack on Fort Phil Kearny. We can
imagine that he threw all his wonderful tact and personal magnetism into this last effort
at conciliation.
'Hay, hay, hay! Alas, alas!' Thus speaks the old man, when he knows that his former
vigor and freedom is gone from him forever. So we may exclaim to-day, Alas! There is a
time appointed to all things. Think for a moment how many multitudes of the animal tribes
we ourselves have destroyed! Look upon the snow that appears to-day—tomorrow it is water!
Listen to the dirge of the dry leaves, that were green and vigorous but a few moons
before! We are a part of this life and it seems that our time is come.
Yet note how the decay of one nation invigorates another. This strange white man —
consider him, his gifts are manifold! His tireless brain, his busy hand do wonders for his
race. Those things which we despise he holds as treasures; yet he is so great and so
flourishing that there must be some virtue and truth in his philosophy. I wish to say to
you, my friends: Be not moved alone by heated arguments and thoughts of revenge! These are
for the young. We are young no longer; let us think well, and give counsel as old men!
These words were greeted with an ominous silence. Not even the
customary "How!" of assent followed the speech, and Sitting Bull immediately got
up and replied in the celebrated harangue which will be introduced under his own name in
another chapter. The situation was critical for Spotted Tail—the only man present to
advocate submission to the stronger race whose ultimate supremacy he recognized as
certain. The decision to attack Fort Phil Kearny was unanimous without him, and in order
to hold his position among his tribesmen he joined in the charge. Several bullets passed
through his war bonnet, and he was slightly wounded.
When the commission of 1867-1868 was sent out to negotiate with the
Sioux, Spotted Tail was ready to meet them, and eager to obtain for his people the very
best terms that he could. He often puzzled and embarrassed them by his remarkable
speeches, the pointed questions that he put, and his telling allusions to former
negotiations. Meanwhile Red Cloud would not come into the council until after several
deputations of Indians had been sent to him, and Sitting Bull did not come at all.
The famous treaty was signed, and from this time on Spotted Tail
never again took up arms against the whites. On the contrary, it was mainly attributed to
his influence that the hostiles were subdued much sooner than might have been expected. He
came into the reservation with his band, urged his young men to enlist as government
scouts, and assisted materially in all negotiations. The hostile chiefs no longer
influenced his action, and as soon as they had all been brought under military control,
General Crook named Spotted Tail head chief of the Sioux, thus humiliating Red Cloud and
arousing jealousy and ill-feeling among the Ogallalas. In order to avoid trouble, he
prudently separated himself from the other bands, and moved to the new agency on Beaver
Creek (Fort Sheridan, Nebraska), which was called "Spotted Tail Agency."
Just before the daring war leader, Crazy Horse, surrendered to the
military, he went down to the agency and roundly rebuked Spotted Tail for signing away the
freedom of his people. From the point of view of the irreconcilables, the diplomatic chief
was a "trimmer" and a traitor; and many of the Sioux have tried to implicate him
in the conspiracy against Crazy Horse which led to his assassination, but I hold that the
facts do not bear out this charge.
The name of Spotted Tail was prominently before the people during
the rest of his life. An obscure orphan, he had achieved distinction by his bravery and
sagacity; but he copied the white politician too closely after he entered the reservation.
He became a good manipulator, and was made conceited and overbearing by the attentions of
the military and of the general public. Furthermore, there was an old feud in his
immediate band which affected him closely. Against him for many years were the followers
of Big Mouth, whom he had killed in a duel; and also a party led by a son and a nephew of
the old chief, Conquering Bear, whom Spotted Tail had succeeded at his death. These two
men had hoped that one or the other of them might obtain the succession.
Crow Dog, the nephew of Conquering Bear, more than once taunted
Spotted Tail with the fact that he was chief not by the will of the tribe, but by the help
of the white soldiers, and told him that he would "keep a bullet for him" in
case he ever disgraced his high position. Thus retribution lay in wait for him while at
the height of his fame. Several high-handed actions of his at this time, including his
elopement with another man's wife, increased his unpopularity with a large element of his
own tribe. On the eve of the chief's departure for Washington, to negotiate (or so they
suspected) for the sale of more of their land, Crow Dog took up his gun and fulfilled his
threat, regarding himself, and regarded by his supporters, not as a murderer, but as an
executioner.
Such was the end of the man who may justly be called the Pontiac of
the west. He possessed a remarkable mind and extraordinary foresight for an untutored
savage; and yet he is the only one of our great men to be remembered with more honor by
the white man, perhaps, than by his own people.
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