Portrait of Mass Murder. Welby Thomas Cox, Jr.

Froiday 'ad a bonny set av arrows, bow an' quiver, which oi desired ter purchase an' shenanagans east, ter show sunday-school children de weapons av indian warfare, an' 'oy they kill their game, friday wud not flog 'is "outfit," as so'tiz called, for nicker, but wus willin' ter "trade" for a revolver, wi' whaich yer man said yer man cud 'unt buffalo. at first, de indian agent said it wus unlawful ter flog firearms an' ammunishun ter de indians. dis oi towl Froiday. yer man den said, "_well, let's trade on de sly_." dis oi declined ter chucker. but after a few days, oi got permission, an' tuk Froiday into cheyenne, ter select de pistol. after pickin' oyt a gran' wan, yer man den begged for bullet-mud, lead, powder, an' caps. a trade is never complete wi' an indian as long as yer man sees anythin' yer man can git added ter de bargain. general duncan, av de 5th cavalry, tells me av wan av 'is trades wi' a red paddy at fort laramie. 'is wee fella tuk a fancy ter an indian pony wan day, an' de general offered ter exchange a nice _mule_ for de pony. dis wus soon done an' settled, as de general supposed. but next day de indian came back an' demanded sum tobacco, sugar, flour."

      Translation:

      (At this time, Friday had a beautiful set of arrows, bow and quiver, which I desired to purchase and carry east, to show Sunday-school children the weapons of Indian warfare, and how they kill their game, Friday would not sell his "outfit," as it is called, for money, but was willing to "trade" for a revolver, with which he said he could hunt buffalo. At first, the Indian agent said it was unlawful to sell firearms and ammunition to the Indians. This I told Friday. He then said, "_Well, let's trade on the sly_." This I declined to do. But after a few days, I got permission, and took Friday into Cheyenne, to select the pistol. After picking out a good one, he then begged for bullet-mold, lead, powder, and caps. A trade is never complete with an Indian as long as he sees anything he can get added to the bargain.

      General Duncan, of the 5th Cavalry, tells me of one of his trades with a red man at Fort Laramie. His little boy took a fancy to an Indian pony one day, and the general offered to exchange a nice _mule_ for the pony. This was soon done and settled, as the general supposed. But next day the Indian came back and demanded some tobacco, sugar, flour.)

       Grannie B. continuing:

       "what for?" demanded de general. de indian gave 'imself ter understand that yer man did trade 'orses, but as de mule 'ad wee or naw tail, an' the pony a long wan, _he wanted de sugar, tobacco, an' flour ter make up for de tail_! after Froiday an' 'is fellow-chiefs 'ad lef us, some one wrote dis ter a chicago paper, as follows:"

      Translation:

      ("What for?" demanded the general. The Indian gave him to understand that he did trade horses, but as the mule had little or no tail, and the pony a long one, _he wanted the sugar, tobacco, and flour to make up for the tail_! After Friday and his fellow-chiefs had left us, some one wrote this to a Chicago paper, as follows:")

       THE AUTHOR IS A MEDICINE-MAN.

      (The Indians sometimes confer "brevets" on distinguished individuals as marks of favor, though they do not, or have not as yet, scattered them in like profusion, as in the army, so that the whole thing has become a farce.

      Mr. Catlin, or Mr. Schoolcraft (Indian writers and painters), was made a regular chief of the Chippewas in the time of Red Jacket, a big chief at Tonawanda. In the month of November, 1869, five Arapahoe chiefs came to Fort Russell,--"Friday," "Little Wolf," "Cut-Foot," "Sorrel Horse," and "Head Medicine-Man." On account of many little kindnesses to them while remaining, Friday invited the writer to go up with the party to their home among the Black Hills, where he could be initiated into the forms of a civil chief. Friday said, "These fellows"--meaning his companions--"think a big heap of you, and want you to go home with them." As the ceremony includes a dog feast, it was postponed for awhile. They called me "The White Medicine-Man,"--and the feast has been partaken of at different times by some officers on the plains, who say dog's meat tastes much like mutton. A feast was made, it is said, at Fort Laramie for the Peace Commission, which met there in 1868.

      There were Generals Sherman, Harney, Augur, Terry, Sanborn, and Col. Tappan present. A big chief had given the entertainment of dog, in soup, roast, etc. Having only one big tin dish to serve the soup in, and it being rather dirty, the old squaw seized a pup to wipe it out with. But the old chief felt mortified at it, and so he tore off a piece of his shirt and gave the pan an extra wipe!)

       THE SIOUX SUN DANCE

       Grannie B.:

       “Red Cloud, a noggin chief, lives in waaat is called de powder river country, above fort fetterman. but de sioux nashun roam for 'undreds of miles al' over de plains, an' are sure ter a go up jist whaen an' where they are laest expected. these sioux, de most numerous av al' de indian tribes, 'av a festive performance, whaich is regarded by al' civilized people wi' 'orror an' abhorrence, an' wan whaich few can luk upon wi' nerve enoof ter clap de end. it is a sort av religious dance, in whaich de young braves test their fortitude an' stoicism in resistin' pain an' torture withoyt wincin'. a young officer, who witnessed de "sun dance" last year, at de cheyenne agency, a few miles above fort sully, on de missouri river, gives de followin' account:"

      Translation:

      (“Red Cloud, a head chief, lives in what is called the Powder River country, above Fort Fetterman. But the Sioux nation roam for hundreds of miles all over the plains, and are sure to turn up just when and where they are least expected.

      These Sioux, the most numerous of all the Indian tribes, have a festive performance, which is regarded by all civilized people with horror and abhorrence, and one which few can look upon with nerve enough to see the end.

      It is a sort of religious dance, in which the young braves test their fortitude and stoicism in resisting pain and torture without wincing. A young officer, who witnessed the "Sun Dance" last year, at the Cheyenne agency, a few miles above Fort Sully, on the Missouri River, gives the following account:)

       Officer's Account:

      "The Indians manifested considerable opposition to having any whites present. When several officers belonging to the 17th United States Infantry came up, Red Leaf--a chief of Red Cloud's band--leaped over a breastwork of logs and ordered the troops away.

      After parleying with the chief some time, the soldiers fell back and took a position which was not objectionable to the Indians, but from which they could obtain only a partial view of the performances. There was a large lodge, built in shape of an amphitheater, with a hole in the center. The sides and roof were covered with willows, forming a tolerable screen, but not so dense as to obstruct entirely the view. The performances began with low chants and incantations. Five young men were brought in and partially stripped, their mothers being present and assisting in the ceremony.

      Then the 'Medicine-man' began his part by cutting slits in the flesh of the young men and taking up the muscles with pincers. The old squaws assisted in lacerating the flesh of the boys with sharp knives. The squaws would at the same time keep up a howling, accompanied with a backward-and-forward movement. When the muscles were lifted out by pincers on the breast, one end of a kind of lariat (used for fastening horses while grazing), or buffalo thong, was tied to the bleeding flesh, while the other end was fastened to the top of the pole in the middle of the lodge. The first young man, when thus prepared, commenced dancing around the circle in a most frantic manner, pulling with all his might, so as to stretch out the rope, and by his jerking movements loosening himself by tearing out the flesh. The young man's dance was accompanied by a chant by those who were standing around, assisted by the thumping of a hideous drum, to keep the time. The young brave who was undergoing this self-torture finally succeeded in tearing himself loose, and the rope relaxed from its sudden tightness and fell back toward the center pole with a piece of the flesh to which it was tied. The victim, who, up to this point, did not move a muscle of his face, fell down on the ground, exhausted from the pain, which human weakness could not further conceal. A squaw then rushed in and bore the young brave away. He had undergone the terrible ordeal, and amid the congratulations of the old men, would be complimented