My Native Land: The United States: its Wonders, its Beauties, and its People; with Descriptive Notes, Character Sketches, Folk Lore, Traditions, Legends and History, for the Amusement of the Old and the Instruction of the YoungCox, James
History
My Native Land: The United States: its Wonders, its Beauties, and its People; with Descriptive Notes, Character Sketches, Folk Lore, Traditions, Legends and History, for the Amusement of the Old and the Instruction of the Young
Cox, James
Indians of North America; United States -- Description and travel; United States -- Social life and customs -- 1865-1918
Excitement now runs riot. The dancers chant weird songs, break the ranks
and vie with each other in their antics and peculiarities. A rush is
made upon the crowd of spectators through whom the participants in the
orgies force their way, regardless of consequences. The women, who
hitherto have taken but little part in the excitement, now come forward
and throw cakes and rolls of bread from the pueblo terraces. Everybody
rushes after these prizes in a headlong manner, and the confusion
becomes still greater.
An adjournment is then taken for dinner, and in the afternoon, six
gorgeously painted and hideously decorated clowns come forward and go
through a series of antics calculated to disgust rather than amuse the
spectator. The unfortunate sheep, which is still hanging to the pole, is
finally thrown to the ground after several attempts have been made to
climb the pole. The fruits and products are seized by the clowns, who
rush off with them, and every one connected with the tribe seem to be
highly satisfied with the outcome of the day's proceedings, and the
culmination of the spectacle.
CHAPTER XI.
HOW CUSTER LIVED AND DIED.
"Remember Custer"--An Eye Witness of the Massacre--Custer, Cody and
Alexis--A Ride over the Scenes of the Unequal Conflict--Major Reno's
Marked Failure--How "Sitting Bull" Ran Away and Lived to Fight Another
Day--Why a Medicine Man did not Summon Rain.
"Remember Custer" was the watchword and battle-cry of the small army of
American soldiers who early in the present decade advanced against
hostile Indians in the Northwest, who after indulging for weeks in a
series of fantastic dances and superstitious rites, were finally called
to time by the Government and punished for their disregard of treaty
rights and reasonable orders. Every American child should know who
Custer was and why the troopers called upon each other to remember him
on the occasion referred to. It is less than twenty years since he died.
His name should be remembered by civilians as well as soldiers for
almost as many centuries to come.
There are some men who seem to defy and even court death. Custer was one
of these. He was so recklessly brave that he often caused anxiety to his
superior officers. Time and again he led a handful of men apparently
into the jaws of death and brought them out safely, after having
practically annihilated the foe. As the pitcher which is carried safely
to the well ninety-nine times sometimes gets broken at the hundredth
attempt, so was it with General Custer. In June, 1876, his detachment
was outnumbered twenty to one at a little ford near Crazy Horse Creek,
in Dakota, and his entire command was wiped out. An adopted son of
"Sitting Bull," the famous Indian, states that he saw Custer die, adding
that he twice witnessed the hero lying on his back fighting his foes.
The third time he saw him a blanket was drawn over the hero, who was
apparently dead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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