LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. (I?|nit.f^^ajn|n#:]|u Slielf..C.q.':[-_ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. LIFE AD^VENTPHE JOSEPH W. COOPER AJIOXG THE North Americau Indians Kntered acconliiiK to Act of (;oiigi( ss in the vear 1879, by Joseph W. Cooper, in tlie Cleric's OtUce of the District ( oiirt of tlic United States for tlie Southern District of Georgia. Life and xIdyentires josKjrif w. coo J' En c^.^^ 11 AMOATtTHE NOKTH AMERICAiX IXDIAXS AXI) KI,Si;\VHi:i!K. -J£ PREFACE Having spent four years upon tlic Westcni plains ainon,u; the North American Indians, often uiinglinj:; with tiie peaceable tribes, as a friendly '• White Face," and oftener still, in the ranks of the United States army, meeting- the hostiles as deadl}- foes, tlie oppoitunities of th" writer for becoming familiar with th(> habits and instinctive traits of tliis peculiar and unfortunate race of people have been ample to possess him of facts and data sufficient to make a mucli moi'i' extensive and pretentious book than shall now be attempted. This being the author's nniiden ettbrt in literatun'. he will not prr- sume to claim any special merit for it, save that it in based tntirtly upon facts. As the contents of the book are made up solely of the ob- servations and adventures of the writer, he must necessarily keep /rm- .veZ/' constantly before the reader, and for that reason will here take oc- casion to offer all apologies that may be needed, for making himself at any time appear as the hero of his own story. The auther will not say that this little book is pubiislied to supply "a long-felt want" of his country. He Iims a better apology than that for this intrusion upon the public. During the latter part of last year (1878) he wrote for the Albay^y Advertiser a series of reminiscences of his sojourn among the Indians, embracing a few pei'sonal adventures, which seemed to be read with general interest, and meet with favorable com- ment. The numerous requests that have reached the writer since these publications have induced him to contribute the following pages to the literature of the day, with the hope of thereby earning for himself a few honest pennies. I^IFK AND AdVKNTUKES OF .JosKJMF W. CoOPKK. ('HAl'TKI! I. HK KAIil.V VEAHS of THK WHITKK HIS A H VKN TUIIKS IN 'IHE GEOHGIA Mir.ITIA. EFORE proceedinji to narrate his observations and adventures during that period of his life sp<^nt among- the Indians, com- tnenoing with the eighleentli year of his life, it would perhaps not be out of place for the writer to give a hrief sketch of his early j^ears. 1 was born in Twiggs County, (in., in 1848 ; but the days of mj^ early boyhood weic spent principally in Dooly Count}', where my grandpar- ents still reside. My mother died in 1856, leaving myself, two broth<>rs and one sister, all of us V)(>ing yet quite small. My father was unable to educate his children, but did the best he could under the circumstances. 1 never knew my father to use profane or obscene language, nor did f ever see him intoxicated, but always sober and quiet, ready to give his fhildren good advice, and to teach them lesson.s of virtue. In 1S58 my father married a second time, and moved to Dougheity county, (Ja., where he remained until the breaking out of the wai- be- tween the Stat<^s. On March 11, 1862, he and my eldest brother joined the Dougherty < rreys, of Albany, sending my step- mother to live with her father in Terrell County, and leaving m<' behind with a good old farmer in the county of Worth, instructing him to keep me under control. 1 rcniaiui'd here for some time, when ni}^ kind old guardian advised me to go Id my giaii(Uather"s and there go to school. 1 was ready enough to oV)<>y, for till' ^ake of a change : but by this time I must confess that 1 had forgotten the teachings of my parents, and had become very reck- less and wild. It took me but a few days to grow restless and dissatis- fied under tlw pious control ot my grandparents, and I resolved to run away. Rising early one morning l)efore ilay, in December, 1863, I fled to Worth ('ounty again, making a distance of forty-seven miles in about twelve hours. 1 was now <.ai<-ily fifteen years of age, aiid quite small. 6 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 0_F but was resolved upon making my way into the Confederate Army. In this, however, I was unsuccessful until Governor Brown made his call for all the boys to rally at Atlanta, in 1864-. My weight was only ninety-six pounds, and m}^ friends all told me that T was too small to carry a musket and knapsack with a good da3''s rations. But I was bound to be a soldier, so I joined the militia, and was sent to Macon just in time to meet General Stoneman. Crossing the river and fighting those Yankees in that old corn field was not so fascinating as I had anticipated. The bomb-shells and minnie balls fairly rained around that old house, and I tell you if it were possi- ble that you could have seen our company commander and myself dodg- ing behind that old gate post, you would have enjoyed the scene. It was laughable, no doubt. It was "nip" and "tuck" with us, but "nip" being the best man, he takes the post, and I "tuck" to my heels, and into the river swamp I went. I had not been there long before both armies ceased firing, and everything had become very quiet. By this time J had made up my mind that I ^vas a man, and would go to the front and fight like a soldier. After I came out of the sw'amp I found that the boys had the Yankees in a line. I came like a Avheel-horse, the bravest man on the field. Fortunately for us, no one noticed my brave commander emerging from behind the friendly gate post, or myself from the cooling shades of the swamp. Neither of us thought it neces- sary to say anything about it. I was praised by all the boys for being the bravest soldier on the field, and after going into camp was crowned with a bran-new "Joe Brown Cap." And it was well that I was, for I had lost my wool hat, which was my greatest distinction — running through the swamp. That night an extra guard was required to guard General Stoneman and his men. Our orderly sergeant, in making out his detail, ordered the men to fall into line, and, cutting off about half of the company, marched them to the prison to mount guard for the night. I was not at that time a member of this guard. I had never stood guard, but thought it a fine thing to be a soldier and on post. I could not waif for my turn; so I picked up my gun and started out in double-quick after the squad. I asked permission to take some one's place, which request was readily granted. I relieved an old man by the name of Baxley, who was quite aged and infirm. There were two happy hearts — the old gentleman happy to get off, and I happy to get on guard. After mounting guard I was on the third relief, post number 9. I heard much talk, after the first JOSEPH W. COOPER ' 7 rolief, about the countersign, and made many inquiries concerning it, but no one would give me any information, except that great responsibility would rest on me. About 12 o'clock my relief was called, and I this time relieved a man who belonged to a South Carolina regiment. He gave me my instructions, and the last words he said to me was, " ' Sher- man ' is the countersign." I was bewildered; I knew not what it meant. In about half an hour I heard the footsteps of some one approaching. I called out, "Halt ! Who comes there?" "Grand Rounds," was the answer. "Who in the devil is that?" was my astonisshed reply. "Advanc*;, Grand Rounds, and give up that countersign, or I will put a light hole through you in a minute; you dirty villain ; you tried to steal that from me, but I am sharp enough for you, you dirty dog." He advanced, and who should it be but the officer of the day. 1 de- manded the countersign. He steps up and says: " Sherman." "Stand back, sir ; that will not do," I answered. "Out with that coun- tersign, or 1 shall be compelled to kill you." He gave back fearfully frightened, and after a little reflection on my part, I concluded I had played the devil, but swore by the heavens and earth that he could not leave without forking over that countersign. A full hour and a-half I kept him there, when my relief came. I ad- vanced the corporal of the guard, and v\'as relieved. This officer asked what that man's name was. "Sir, my name is Cooper ; what in the devil is your name?" I replied. "My name is ," said he. "You have told me a lie. You said your name was Grand Rounds." "Yes, but I told you that the countersign was ' Sherman '." ■*I dispute that, and you had l^etter not contradict my word. You said that the countersign was "Sheridan"; that is what you said, you old swin- dle; you butter knife officers can't fool me ; I have been in the war longer than you have any idea."' The officer turned away and vemai-ked that he had come in contact with one of the hardest cases that he ever met from the wire-grass coun- try. That made me mad, but I agreed to let him alone if he would me. The next morning we were not relieved from guard, as was customary, and had had nothing to eat from early afternoon of the day previous. By this time I had come to tlie conclusion that I had done a bad piece 8 ' LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF of business by taking that old mans place, and the fact of the bill is, I was ready to swear never to do the like again. Niglit came, and still no rations, and no relief. By this time J had commenced abusing old Hacksley to myself. He was in camp with plenty to eat, and I here in his place on duty, and not one thing do I get. At 12 o'clock ] was called again. "Here I am. No. 9, two nights. No sleep and no rations. May the devil take old Backsley.' T went to sleep on my post, and dropped my gun, and also my ",Ioe Brown Cap '" — the latter I finally lost — but awoke in time to get my gui\ before the guard came around. 1 got on my feet and walked with all my miglit, and every step 1 niad(> 1 swore vengeance against old Bax- ley. The next morning we were ordered to Atlanta. Upon our arrival ther<' we consolidated with ('aptain Ford's company. We militia now hail a different leader, and one that was brave, noble and true. There was no dodging in his case. My first picket duty was vcrv ixciting to me. 1 was placed on vidette in front of the picket line, a distance of about three hundred yards. While on post I became^ very thir.sty, and, a China cane patch being near l)y, into it T w^ent, leaning my gun against the fence, and helping myself, not thinking of danger. A squad of Yankees fired on me. I jumped the fence with the speed of a wild deer of th<' forest, running full one hundred yards before thinking of my gun. I turned and went back, reaching my gun, when another volley came, without giving the alarm. This last volley hail a most confusing effect upon my nerves, and with- out losing a second's time in calculation as to direction, 1 struck out at the rate of forty knots an hour, bound for Atlanta. After the fall of Atlanta we retreated to Griffin, (in., and there dis- banded by order of Gov.. Joe Brown, when I came Mome perfectly satisfied with the war, and still better satisfied that there was no frolic connected with the matter. 1 afterwards joined Captain Hobbs' company, 51st Georgia Regiment. Company K, and after the war went to Pittsburg. Pa. Here I played my first game of cards. In South Pittsburg, on Carson street, there stood a three-.story brick building, and in the third story of this building my oldest brother, myself and three others roomed. My roommates, as well as myself, were extremely fast, and I was in- JOSEPH W. COOPER. 9 tliUM-il to tako fl hanil willi tliproved him for such conduct, aft)se(|uent chapter. CHAl'TKU II. KNI.ISIKIJ IN lUr, 1. S. AK.MV i>Fl- K WHKII KNOS IN AN KN,IoYABI,K HIFl'WI.d HUNT. Having firmly resolved to go West, 1 Joined the rnite that wp would be compidled t<> 10 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF suiTender to thirst on the plains, but onward we went, still thinking tha water was near by; and at last we came to a flat place of black, sleel mud, where there w^ere animals and fowls of all descriptions that an given to that climate. It was no difficult matter to place your hand; on the wolf, antelop:, elk and many fowls, &iS they were all in a starv ing condition, standing in this place sipping down this sleek mud. With pick and shovel, we put in with all our energy to dig a well which we completed that night. At a distance of about nine feet w( found water in plenty ; but it was so strongly impregnated with alkal that we had to boil it and then make it into coffee before drinking. W( remained here two days, using the buffalo ''chip" to make our fires, then being no timber near. Every frontiersman has been glad enough t( uKike use of the buffalo "chip," in dry weather, but, when it rains, am this is his onl}' dependence for a fire, he knows he must suffer. We arrived at Devil's Lake to find it a most beautiful place. It hat a smooth, white sandy bottom, an abundance of fish, and strong sulphu: water ; so strong, indeed, as to form solid pebbles of pure sulphur, fron the size of a buck-shot to that of a common marble, all along the water'; edge. We only remained here a few days, and on our way back, aftei passing over the Dakota Mountain, we were halted by four Indians, wht belonged to "Two Bear's" tribe, and were sent by that worthy him self with information that they had lost a man, and for us not to move anj further until an investigation was made. There was no doubt about th< Indian being killed, although we were innocent of the crime. After i brief consultation over the matter, we asked the privilege of moving about a mile further, which was granted us. We camped on top of ; little hill, which was covered with rocks of all sizes. We built a litth fort, 20x20, and about 4 feet high. It was a well-constructed fortifica- tion. That night Lieut. O'Tool, asked for volunteers to carry a dispatch to Fort Rice, a distance of eighty miles. Burns, Kerburgand myself, anc Larnard, our guide, volunteered to carry it through. At day break w( started, and when the sun was sinking behind the western hills w( landed at Fort Rice, eighty miles heat. Delivering our dispatch am telling our story to the General, he did not seem to sympathize with us in the least, but ordered us to leave the Fort, and to go back to our com- mand the next morning with a verbal instruction to Lieut. O'Toole, tc fight his way through. We went through safely the next day, and thai night foxmd all the boys in a bushel of trouble, as "Two Bears" anc JOSEPH W. COOPER. It his men were insight with .nbout sixteen hurdrod men. "'I'wo B<'ars'' is a friendly Indian, and known as the chief of the Sioux nation. The next night some of the boj's were on their knees crawling about, and made some little noise, which caused general alarm. One man jumped up with gun in hand, so badly frightened that he discharged the piece shooting himself through the hand. Our rations were all out, and we could not go out to kill anj' game. Rather an awkward position. The next day Two Bears relieved us of our troubles, however. He and his men came to our little fort, and told us that they had made every investigation that was necessary on this case, and had been able to dis- cover the murderer, and asked to be pardoned for detaining us on our peaceable journey. He also invited us to join in a buffalo hunt, which invitation we accepted. We enjoj^ed this, our first buffalo hunt, very much, killing a number of buffalo, the squaws skinning and cleaning, and the children getting down on their knees and drinking the hot blood out of the carcasses of these animals. The next day we went on our way rejoicing. After two day's march we reached the Missouri, opposite the Fort, our journey's end. CHAPTER 111. THE AUTHOR PrOES OX A HUCKI.EBEKBY EXPEDITION, AM> IS PIRSUEP 1)V RED DEVILS. I was detailed as a herder to guard beef cattle at this military post. While so engaged another man and mj'self came to the conclusion that wo would go to the Black Hills. At the foot of this mountain were signs of a volcano ; the lava was ejected in great piles from fourteen to twenty feet high, and at other places near b}- were deep sinks. The surface of the ground was a white, hard, crusty sand from two to three inches thick ; beneath this was a soft sleek mud, and it was very dangerous for travelers to pass this point. On the hillside of this mountain it was very rough and uneven. Its verdure consisted entirely of huckleberry bushes, full of berries, and the finest that I ever saw. After eating until my appetite was thoroughl}- satisfied, I then gathered my bosom full. I had at least a half bushel in my bosom. I then proceeded to the top of the hill, very much exhausted from the fatigue occasioned by the gathering of the berries. I seated myself upon a rock, which was a vcr}' 12 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF r(.uifor(ii1)lr visliii- ]»lavc. cikin.L; :i iiciifrul \\i-\\ oti cv.ry side fVoin (liut l>ninl. I ( iinodicr siicli plaiv to Ur found in the Nortliwest : it was a j;- rand tliinj:' tn sec Si'iitcil on this rock, i iniasi- inoil niysolf as hapjiy as the niajrpic that was sin.-^in.t: around nic Kyi'ing this liii-d skip])ing troni rock to rock jravc nn^ a now sjiirit. At last it took its flijrht. nnti, turning;- ijuickly to set- tjio hist of its lilossy win<;s, what should 1 see hut f>iglit Indians, all naked, and painted in th:' most (dofrant warfare style. v\s .soon as they discovennl that I had seen them, they laised /he war-whooj* and came rushing after me like so many hlood-hounds. 1 leaped from my resting place down the hill like the l)oy that jumps in the water h(\-Kl forcMnost. At times I w.)uld he rolHiig like a loi;-. then again it wordd 1 nd for end. and so on, uidil I reaele'd the hottom. These red devils, or, the brink of this hill, hollering at im-. no doubt had a.s much sport over nf as the child wo\i!d nvei- toy ■ snple-jack.'" (letting upon my feet again. I nionntiil my luM'se, put s]>urs- and otl" I went, my partner about half a ndle ahead." I had not g.uii' Very far wlirn my horx- gave way through this sandy crust, and doun he went, bogged up to his belly. Off f go, skinning my face and kmes very badly. I'.ut inidei- the excitenu'ut, rising withoiit gi-unling, I look to my heels and lan for life, nniking a distance of aboul: four miles befoi-e di^co\ luiug that I was not ])ursued by tliose blood- thirst\ devils. The leather was warm, and fiom fatigue I was ahnostex- hau.-ted ; my (dothes ix'came uncomfortable, and with a slight investi- gation, i found that m}- half bushel of hnckle-berries were yet within my bosom, all mashed into a mush. Still in a lialf run, I pulled nn' sliirt from beneath the waist band of my j)ants, and out they came, the worst looking sight you ever saw. I'Vom that day until this I liave never visited the top of that mountain, and (io oK ASSAVlKTIOA. l! s.eiii^ ;is if I am a vi.-tim of mislortuni' ami accidents. Here 1 an prompted by an old trapper who furnish. ^s nu' with a s]»lendid horse an. JOSEPH W. COOPER. IS n sixti'i'ii shooter, iiiid ;i handful of assafcetichi. Ulf I iiallopod for ;i jdaci' wlicro I had tlic day before killed a buffalo and aj)pliod strychnin'' to it for the purpose of poisoning wolves. The assaftetida. which, in tlw ah.scencc of a more convenient place, wa.s deposited in my hoot leg. wa-- intonded to draw the wolves to nie. It acted like a charm, for 1 Iku! not been in position long b(>fore the blood-thirsty animals comniencei; 1o approach me, snapping and howling as the}^ came. I opened fire, ami 1'iira while the slaughter w^as equal to the emergency. Soon, however. (hi y came faster than I could shoot, and were as thicn around me m< bees about the hive in .May. The situation increased in interi'St witli every moment, and now 1 began to realize that i had engaged tin' attention of more wolves than I could manage. Directly my horse )>e- eanie very much excited, pawing, snorting and turning in every direc- tion. Looking hack, T found that two wolves were swiiiging to his tail. Witli a loud yell I stuck spurs to my willing steed, and off we w^ent at full speed, the wolves following at our heels. Whooping and holler- ing at every Jump for help, I finally got near enough to camp to b.' iieard by mj' comrades, when some twenty^ or more of them came to my v'lief. Had 1 on<> mile further to have gone, mj^self, horse, boots, assa- fo'tida and all would liave Ikmmi devoured by these blood-thirsty wolves. After going into my Inil I became conscious of the fact that there Avas something peculiarly unpleasant about the odor of assafa^tida, and that tile only way to get rid of the constant reminder of my wolf expediton would be to get rid of my boots. My hoots, socks and all, were th(M"e- fore committed to the fire, and during the balance of my stay upon the frontier I neves had anything more to do with assafoetida, and it is need- -< to tlic dead- 'ii'st foes that ever the white man had. The typie of the Indian is put up hy the sfjuaws. From eight to si.\- :<'en poles, each one from fourteen to sixteen feet long, and about two inches thick are tied together at the thinestends with rawhide; then the opposite ends are put on the ground and spread out so as to make a cir- ''le. .\round this pyramid dressed bufl*alo-skin< an' fasti-u'-d. leaving an iipening at the top for tlie smoke to escape, and one at theJ>ottoni to Nerve as a door. In th(> center of the typie a hole is dug for a tiri--plaec. .Tud around this blankets and robes are spread, so a-; to give a <-omforta- ble resting place. On arrival nt tie- camping plarr in cold weatlui- tlx- noble red- man orders his squaws to gather some dry grass or bush, to spread the same on the ground and build a fire, at Avhich the boss warms himself whilst tlie squaws put up the typie around him. This done, the squaws haul w (K)d and water, attend to the horses, and do all other necessary woik, during which time the master takes bis ease and smokes his pipe. Tin squaws are ordered about like slaves, and God pity the one wlio does lot promptly obey, for their h>rds are not at all Imckward in using their bow.< or rawhide to give force to their words. In each typie lives one family, consisting of from one to thice men, so that, after all these are uiside, not to forget a respectable number of pap pooses, ther(> is no nmre room for either man or beast. The man is the nuvster of the squaws in every respect. If he takes a :ancy to a squaw, slie must become his wife, whether she is willing or lot. If he cannot persuade her to enter his typie, he falls back on his bow and rawhide, and sometimes he even uses his knife. Kach Indian village has its Chief and Medicine Man. The former is ;he military head; he orders feasts and councils. Th<' latter is the doc- tor and minister. The food of the Indian <;onsists almost entirely of meat., and only in >l»ring, after his winter stores are all consumed, he eats roots. Gajne at fiiis season of the year is very poor and scarce, and hunting very dtficult on account of high water, etc. The Indian is a perfect glutton, and eats •til he can get. The capacity of his provision sepulchre, and the endu- rance of his digestive organs are something leally astonishing, and when JOSEPH \y. COOPER. 17 he has plenty before him he generally eats as long as he can work his jaws. But he will fast for three or four days witout grumbling, when food is not in his reach. In regard to clothing I must say that even a we// dressed Indian does not look much like he had just come out of a Broad Street or Fifth Ave- nue tailoring establishment. His dress consists of the breech-cloth, which is very much like the bathmg pants used by the white man, and a buffalo robe or a woolen blanket, which he throws over his shoulders so he can pull it over his head for protection against the often very great heat and intense cold. His feet are clad in moccasins made of buffalo, elk, or antelope skins. The head of the Indian is always decorated with feathers, in addition to which he often wears at the back of the head a ribbon, which is hung with round pieces of tin, and which often reaches to the ground, forming a kind of queue. To make his appearance more attractive, he paints his face in all colors, using mostly paint, but, under some circumstances, dirt. The Indian is generally tall and slender, and of a build peculiar alone to his race. His features are sharp, his jaw bones protruding, and his nose correspondingly large. To prevent growth of beard, he pulls out the hair as soon as it makes its appearance through the skin. His ey('> and hair are black, and the latter very thick and stiff. The squaws arc of medium heighth, but mostly all broad shouldered and ver}' stout. They wear pants made of flannel or skins; dresses without sleeves, and over these wollen or buffalo robes. Their feet are protected in thi' same manner as the man's. A leather belt from two to three inches wide gathers their robes or blankets around their waists, so that they can carry their pappooses on their backs. The children go perfectly naked, or else clad in the most scanty rags winter and summer. The squaws are quite proficient in needle-work, and many turn out nicely embroidered moccasins, tobacco pouches, knife scabbards, saddles, hunting and Sunday -go-to-meeting shirts for their beloved masters. The language of the Indian is a mixture of gutteral and howling sounds, and is altogether defective and imperfect, which is the reason that an Indian speaks more by sign than bj^ words. If you were "to tie an Indian's hands behind him, it would be dificult for him to make him- self understood in conversation with even one of his own tribe. The word "how" is used as a greeting, or the expression has the same meaning as our "very." The syllable "doe" is often used at the end of a sentence to give more force to its meaning. For instance, "siche"' 18 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF means '"bad,"' "sichpdoe," "very bad;'' "wasohtoe" is "good," "wascfi- toedoe" "very good." If the Indian means to express himself very for- cibly, he will hold out this syllable for a '.ong time ; so if he says '"wash- toedoe-oe-oe-oe-oe,'' he means "extraordinary good." The Indian always likes to play the stoic, and takes care not to be caught wandering, or to show surprise at anything that comes under Ins- observation. If anything happens, that almost an exclamation of surprise escapes him, he quickly puts his hand before his moutlv, not to betray his amazement. The eloquent and tlowery speeches whicli are said to have charac- terized the primitive tribes of this country, are not in vogue among the Indians now inhabiting the West, as I never heard anything of tlie kind — not even an attempt — during mj'^ stay among them. The Indian counts the time by the nights He tells you that he will sleep so often before he returns from a trip, or before lie will go to a certain place. The travelling of the Indian, considering the circiunstances, is fasi. When the day for commencing a journey is decided upon, the horses arc driven in early in the morning ; the typie poles are tied together at the small end, and are hung over the back of the horse, whilst the two other ends are dragging on the ground on each side behind the horse. Immediately back of the horse a kind of basket or board is between the poles for the purpose of loading the baggage an d papooses. All this is done by the squaws, and after the servitors o f the red man have bridled and saddled his horse, he mounts it and rides oil] leaving the squaws and children to follow him on foot, unless there are extra horses, which they are permitted to mount. CHAPTER VIL THE SUN FETK, The Indian has h'is holy-days as well as the «hite man. After a suc- cessful hunt or victorious war, he has a good time. The most important of hii^ fetes is the Sun fete, which is the great examination day for young ment who are anxious to become warriors. I had the good luck to be present on such an occasion. At 7 o'clock on tl'.i' morning of thefe/e day, all the chiefs and warriors, dressed in full JOSEPH W. COOPER. 19 unifurm, and paiiUed in the luost elegant style, went in great procession to tlio brush huts, whicli had been built by the squaws on the previous day for this groat occasion. Tlie head chief sat down opposite the centre pole, the other prominents taking seats on botli sides of him in u half oircle. Without talking, they sat there with earnest faces, until the appearance of the Medicine Man, when thej^ all arose and took their seats again after a sign from him. And now commenced the finest mu- sic you can imagine, given by an ochestra of drums and fifes. The drums consist of a piece of dried skin spanned over a wooden band : the musician beats this instrument witli a couple of sticks in the most artistic manner, bent on making all tlie noise possible. The fifes are made of willow, and are in the hands of fully as accomplished artists as those who perform on the drums. The fifer who is able to draw two different notes from his instrument, is considered an excellent musician, and enjoys the same popularitj' as the director of our most celebrated music band. To give the finishing touch to this horrible commingle of tunes, a lot of old squaws accompany it with their harsh voices. After the chiefs have enjoyed this heart and nerve-rending for an astonishingly long time, th(? pipe is lit bj' the assistant of the Medicine Man, and makes the rounds. Each of the smokers takes a few quaffs, lets the smoke escape through the nose, and hands the pipe to his neighbor. The Indians smoke the killikinick, made from the bark of the willow, which is pealed off, dried, and then crushed between the hands, when it is ready for the pipe. The aroma of this killikinick is very delicious, and surpasses by far that of burned rags. This business being disposed of, the young men who were willing to undergo the examination for w^arriors entered in single file, being dressed w^ith nothing but their breech-cloths, leaving the upper and lower parts of their bodies totally naked, unless the thick coats of paint and mud which besmeared their faces and other parts of their bodies might be called a covering. Each one carried in his hand a willow pipe. Having entered the hut and arranged themselves in a circle around the centre-pole, the Med- icine Man, with assistance, approached them, to commence opera- tions. He bored holes through the skin of the breast of each of these brave youths, drew strings of raw-hide through the holes, and fastened buffalo skulls to them, so that they hung down as far as their knees. One of the young Indians was fastened with these raw-hides to the centre-pole. The task was to jump and pull so long that tKe weight of the skulls should tear the skin, and so free the young men of their dis- 20 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF a;4Toeable burdoi!. They w(?rG not allowed to take any rcfi'eshments, except an occasional pull on the pipe, which was handed to them by one of the chiefs. They had not been allowed to taste any food within twenty-four hours previous to the commencement of this fete. As soon as the last of these voluntary victiiri# had been decorated with raw-hides and skulls, the dance commenced — drums rattled, fifes screamed, the old squaws sung a melody, warriors howled, and the young men blew their tifes and halloed war songs, whilst they were (lancing and jumping up and down to get rid of their decorations. Xone of them uttered a cry of pain, or allowed their faces to show the agony they were suffering, although they had to endure this pain from two to seven hours. The young man tied to the post had a very hard task, and remained fast to this post for a long time after his comrades were all delivei'od. The head chief ordered a young squaw and a fine horse to be brought to the hut, both of which he promised to the young man if he would free himself from his bands. Almost eleven hours this brave had been dancing, jumping, pulling and tearing to get loose — all in vain I He seemed almost exhausted. Once more he strained every nerve, once more run and jumped; and amidst the encouraging applause of the spectators he burst his bands and freed himself from the pole, besmeared with his blood. It was a tragic comedy, or a comic tragedy, to see these young Indians dance and jump, running from one side to the other, quickly jerking against their bands to tear the skin, at the same time encouraging each other by their songs and music, whilst the chiefs sat in stoic silence, smoking their pipes, only now and then deigning to help the other singers over the most difficult passages of their overtures. As soon as one of these young Indians had forced his bands he would straightway go to the Medicine ]Man and receive two cuts on his left upper arm, as a certificate that he was a warrior, and entitled to par- ticipate in the councils of his nation. When the last had gone through this process, they were all led in triumph to another hut, where a splendid meal, consisting of a roasted dog, was awaiting them, which banquet concluded the " Sun Fete." The way and manner that this dog is prepared, for this and other occasions, is as tollows : A fire is built, and the dog is taken to the fire- side, and then killed with a tomahawk. Without cleansing, he is laid on the fire,- where he remains until the hair is thoroughly scorched, and then he is taken off the fire and laid on the ground. Then the warriors JOSEPH W. COOPER 21 form a circlo around this carcas, and each wait.s liis turn, as only one knife is allowed to bt; used on this occasion. Every young Indian has to stand this examination ; if he does not, he is considered a squaw — seuaw dresses are put upon him, and he must do all the work squaws are subjected to, and is not allowed to carry nrms of any kind. During my stay on the frontier I have only seen ona of these outcasts. CHAPTER VIll. THE BUFFALO HUNT. I'ho main liunt of the Indian is the buffalo hunt. The buffalo is about till' size of a common ox, and is covered with long bushy hair, which almost entirely hides the small black eyes. Two small stout horns are the ornaments of the head, and the sole weapon of the buffalo. The shoulders run into a large hump ; the forelegs are considerably shorter than the hind logs, which enable this animal to run up hill much faster than other animals on the plains. In the spring the buffalo is very poor, and the hair on the animal is thin, so that the skin is visible on almost every part of the body. The skni of the buffalo is very thick, especially on the head and shoulders, where, a bullet is almost without any effect, as it is almost impossible for it to penetrate the bone : but a well-aimed shot behind the front leg always has the desired effect, as' it can hardly miss the big heart of the animal. It is strange to say, but nevertheless true, that a bullet may peneti-ate the heart of this animal, but never produces death so suddenly as with other animals. He will travel from a quarter of a mile to a mile before he will surrender. He will then carefully lay down and stretch him- -:elf on the ground, and there (juietly surrender to death. The meat of the calves and cows is very fine ; the heart and tongue are delicious. The liver is considered to be very unhealthy. The buffaloes are found in herds fo from one to three thousand ; when grazing the old bulls are watching on every point near by, to smell or see all approaching danger. If they are disturbed they run against the wind, so that they may easier d(!tect possible enemies. 22 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF BufFalos are not of the «av;igo nature usually represented by the white man. They hardly eA'er fight among themselves, or rarely attack an enemy. If the herd is attacked the oldest male takes the lead, and all the others follow him wherever he goes. Should the herd be separated during the flight, it assembler immediately after the danger is past. If a calf is tired or wounded, the cow stays near him as long as advisable for her own safet}'. The Yanktonnais, under their chief. Two Bears, numbering about three hundred typies, commenced their fall hunt the latter part of August, 1806 ; and it was while returning from an expedi- tion to Minnesota that I had the pleasure of being present atone of their hunts. At this time of the year the buffaloes are very fat ; the robes are clean and short-haired, commencing to get thick to protect their wearers agains the cold of the approaching winter. The Assinniboines use altogether dogs for transporting their baggage, whilst the men, women and children almost all walk, horses being very scarce with them. A few years back these Indians even hunted the buffalo on foot. A day's march is usually twenty miles, but often forty to fifty miles,as the water places are often very distant from each other. During the hunting season they make only small marches, and only stop wherever the game is plentiful. The robes, which the Indians gather during the season, are tanned by the squaws, and sold to the traders for flour, sugar, coffee, blankets, thread, needles, beads, paints, etc. The poor Indian receives, of couse, only about one-third of the value of his goods. The only great redeeming trait of the Indian is their liberality among themselves. They are a lying, mean st>t, and steal all they can lay their hands on, and beg as long as you will listen to them. If an Indian steals a horse he is a hero, and entitled to as much honor as another who mur- ders his enemy in his sleep, which is considered to be as brave a deed as if he vanquished his adversary in an open hand-to-hand fight, if only the scalp is taken. The Indians never attack white men unless they are in overwhelming numbers, and then only when they can surprise them. If they have the good fortune to capture an enemy, they torture him cruelly. The religion of the Indian is in some respects similar to that of the Deist ; he believes in a Great Father, whose eye is the Sun, and who sees in day time all that happens in the world. If an Indian wants to com- municate anything of importance, he does it at day-time, believing that, if the eye of the Great Father does not lest on him during his narrative, JOSEPH W. COOPER. 23 the evil spirit will turn it into a lie. Diirini;- night he never Hghts, as the Great Father is asleep then, and cannot help his red children in case of ^niergenc}'-. The Indians are also superstitious. They will kill the bear and dry the rohe, but nev(M' tun it, as they think it will bring mis- fortune. In the morning, after the arrival of the noble chief, "'J'wo Bears,"' witli his band on the camping ground, some forty young 'bucks," well mounted, were sent out to drive the buffaloes into the vicinity of the camp. About noon news was received that the buffaloes were approacli- jng, and the remaining men prepared for the hunt ; horses were saddled, bows and arrows looked after, guns and pistols (of which arms quite a number are found among the Indians) loaded all ready, and horses mounted, the Indians formed in one long line, the chief occupying the center, and as soon as the buflaloes, who did not suspect their extreme danger, were opposite the warriors, the latter charged them under loud cries and songs. Everj^ Indian selects his own game ; he drives ^t around in a circle, shooting his arrows into the animal until it drops, and oft" he goes after another one, and so on until he has shot away th<; last of from sixty to eighty arrows. Often it takes from fifteen to six- teen arrows to kill one buffalo. The Indians shoot their arrows very quickly, and with astonishing accuracy. The horse of the Indian is trained and kept under perfect conti-ol by his excellent rider. Xow the work of skinning and cuttting up commences, and it is curious to see how every hunter knows his own game hj means of his arrows. The meat is cut in strips from the bones, heart and tongue are taken out, and all loaded on the pack horses, which have been led to the Viattle ground by the squaws. After the Indians return to the camp a sumptuous repast is served, and then the noble red man sinks down on his bed of buffalo skins to dream of the great hunting grounds, which the Great Father re- serves for the special use of his red children after they leave this world. I have had many a good buffalo hunt, which is the most exciting jiastime any one can imagine, but care must be taken, as the horses get easily excited, the ground is often very uneven, full of wolf holes, etc. During a hunt I fell with my horse, and it took several months to re- cover from the effects. The opinion prevails among the whites, from reading novels and other books, that a buffalo w-ill fight his aggressor, but it is an erroneous one. It happens sometimes that a hunter wnll bo lifted out of his saddle by a buffalo, or that horse and rider are both raised from the ground, quite 24 LIFE AND ADVENTURES suddenly and unceremoniously, but this generally liappens accidentally Vjy a sudden turn of the buffalo. When the horse or rider don't watch the danger, the animal will then run with his head, which he holds veiy low in running, against or under the belly of the horse, and not being- used to such a weight, he is rather in a hurry to get rid of it, which In' does without any previous notice, or the rider's special permission. One daj^ a party of several of us pursvied a buffalo which had separated from tlie herd. He had been wounded, and after a four mile chase we compelled him to stop. One of the men sprang from his saddle and commenced shooting awaj^ at him with a revolver, at a distance not ex- ceeding fifty yards, while others took him from another direction, but at longer range. We hit the buffalo often but not in the right place, and he would always shoM' us the spot by scratching with one of liis paws. At last the man nearest to him, with his excellent rifle and good marksmanship, put in a telling shot, when the poor animal turned sud- denly towards him, commenced pawing the ground, lowered hi.s horns and seemed ready to attack his daring adversary, but, seeing his antago- nist meant to stand his ground, he took to his heels, then suddenlj' stop- ping, and finding a good place, stretched himself on the grass and died. After skinning this annimal we found thirty-five wounds in dif- ferent parts of his body. CHAPTER IX. INDIANS ON THE WAR-PATH CARE OF THEIR DEAD AND WOUNDED THEIR FUNERALS. The arms of the Indian are bow and arrow, knife and tomahawk. The red man is very anxious to have a gun or a revolver, and uses them in battle and on the hunt; but he relies- mostly on the first-named weapon, being better used to them, and because he can use them in any kind of weather — cold or heat, rain or sunshine not effecting these arms in the least. When on the M^ar-path the Indians scour the country in parties of from twenty to fifty, as they cannot be as easily discovered in small parties as if they moved in large masses. Another advantage is, that they can move in such parties a great deal faster. On these occasions they make from sixty to eighty miles a day ; rest from three to four hours, during which time their tough ponies rest sufficiently. When JOSEPH W. COOPER. 25 on the war-path the Indians live mostly on berries and roots, as hunting would betray their presence to enemies. Tluiir battles are skirmishes, if tlu- two opposing parties are of about the same strength, and the most horrible massacres, if one of the parties outnumbers the other to any great extent. Prisoners are sildum taki-n, as every one. Indian ;is well as white man, will fight to the last, well knowing that as a prisoner he will be subjected to the most cruel tortures. The squaws do not take part in the fight, unless their villages are attacked, when, armed v.-ith knives and tomahawks, they arc ly dis- abled. He remained by my side, however, encouraging me all the while, and declaring that he would die rather than des-rt nn. I was soon knocked off my horse, wken sev(ni of the infuriated savages dis- mounted to finish me with their knivis. 1 was well armed, however, and they failed to complete their work : and it gratifies me until this day to know that some of tlicsr murderous foemen suHen^d even more than T did. They captured my horse and left mo on foot, but I kept them at bay by using my pistols, and finally made my way back to the fort, the brave and tenacious Lient. Cusick remaining by my side until the last. I shall never foi'get that day's fight, nor the gallant solitary officer who remained with me, refusing to run even after he was unable to fight. It is strange to say, but howevi'j' it is trm", I carri(Ml with nic an arrow which entered my right side autl came out under my right breast. An- other arrow penetrated my left hip. and remained there two months an<] twenty-one days before it was withdrawn. I also receivetl a cut in the head; but notwithstanding all this and other abuse with clubs and shot guns, I was still able to 'pack sand"' torwards the fort. On my way I was met V)y Dr. James P. Kimball, who had a quart bottle of genuine whiskey, whicli he gave and toM me to drink freel3% wliich i did, and before I could get to the fort, I was heavily intdxicated. 1 was within two hundred yards of the Fort when I fell, completely exhaus- ted. I was conveyed to the hospital on a stretcher, remaining thci nine months before 1 was able to leave. The Assiniboine Indians possess several distinctive traits and features from other tribes of Indians. When one. of their band becomes too old and infirm to travel, for instance, they get rid of him in the following manner. A vault is built of large stones, forming a sepulchre just large enough to receive tlie body. The old man or old woman, as the case may be, utters not a murmur, but willingly crawls inside. The vault is then closed, making escape impossible, and the occupant is left to perish. In 1869 a small party of Sitting Bull's band were making prijparations to attack old Fort Union, and one day chanced to meet in a ravine? a woman and three children, friendly Indians from the Fort. These blood- thirsty villains killed the woman and the two largest children. The third child, wh*o was not exceeding three years old, received a fearful wound in the side, and was scalped and left for dead. Three days after JOSEPH W. COOPER. 29 tliis occurri'd, 1 was ixM|U('.sted b}- one of the friendly Indians to report to him the particuhirs of the murder and the whereabouts and condition •of the bodies. I was scouting at the time, and found the dead bodies of the unfortuuat(> woman and the two oldest children. The\^ had b^i-n scalped, and their itodies horribly mutilated. After viewing this sicken- ing scene, I made my way up tlie ravine some fifty yards, where I found the youngest child standing up, holding on to a " bull berry"' bush, eating tlie beri'ries therefrom. -My whole sympathj'- was at once aroused for the child, and, dismounting from my hor.se, I took it into my arms, ileturning to the Fort, I delivered the little suft'erer to its uiolher, whoj had given up her child as dead. I shall not attempt to describe the af- fecting scene which followed the restoration of this Vitthi native of tbi' ])lains, scalped, wounded and bloody, to its mother, but will leave the reader to draw the picture in imagination. I cannot leave the reader in doubt as to whether or not my kindness on this occasion was appieci- iited, however. I was not only welcomed to the camp of the tribe to which this grateful mother belonged, but r(!ceived the -nost earnest as- surance that I would henceforth be regarded as a true friend to the Red Skins. Several days after this the mother of the child sent for nae, and upon going to her typie I was presented with a splendid suit of buck- skin clothes, which i prized very highly. The child recovered, and, to my own knowledge, was in perfect health two years afterwards. I have ev(}ry reason to believe it is yet alive ; it is a girl, and its name is "Otedaha" (Yellow Flower), and now about thirteen years of age, ac- cording to their count. They will tell you they have seen so many winters or so many summers : they know nothing of days, weeks or fnonths. CHAPTER IX. ?OW THE INDIANS VIEW AN ECLIPSE. In 1809 the Assiniboine Indians, and a few Mexicans, Spainiaids and other rutfians of the prairies, were fearfully frightened with the eclipse near Fort Union, ^lontana Territoiy. These Indians and ruffians were encamped near the i-iver, in the dark path across the plains. There were 30 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OT luiiidretls of these desperadoes who bore the reputation of a blood- thirsty, infamous, character,, and that of the very meanest type. They had not heanl anything yeeuliajr v/as to. happen, and were totally sur-^ prised. The Indiasus, "bucks- and s<]iuaws,"" were all bathing in the river,, when, to their surprise,.the eclipse commenced, and soon total darkness. [)rev 331.1 ed. They started from, the river with to-maliawks, knives, lances^ pistols, shot-guns, bows arnd arrows, war-clabs, and other implements- of their savage nature^ all leaving the river, and hurrying to camp, with- out making, the slightest aoKse. It Wiss so ainu.s.ing to me that I halloed at the top of my voice In their own vemactilm- as follows : "Wa-sich wa-kah chinke-appeh, eou-ar !'" — meaning that the Great Spirit had come to talk. Then a perfect race commenced t© see who should get to the writer first. Screaming and crying, most pitcously. these Indians and ruffians, male and fen>ale, without the slightest wearhig apparel on their bodies, rashed around me. Frantic with fear, each one seenic-d intent on laying haisils upon me, and soon they had me down upon the ground. Xovs' I began to realize tlnat I had perpetrated a joke more serious in its consequences than I had anticipated. I was pulled and ''whooped up" by the excited crowd until T grew very uneasy, to say nothing of a severe hemorhage at the nose, which commenced as soon as I got on my feet again. Soon the darkness passed away, and the sun becanxe visible to the eye ot the superstitious creatures again, w^hen they began to euestion me, asking what the " Red Childrea '' had done that the Great Spirit should bring this frightful evil upon them. Then they commenced a jubilee, riding their horses in a circle, shooting their arrows in the air, discharging their guns, throwing their tomahaw^ks to the centre of the ring, hallooing the war whoop and singing their songs, and greatly re- joicing to think that the Great Father had spared his red children, and still permitted them to dwell on their hunting grounds. The writer can say himself that it would be a pleasure to know that he should never witness another eclipse, especially on the plains, and among the Assini- boine Indians, notwithstanding they looked upon him as one that could communicate with the Great Spirit, and should be cared for while in their midst; one whom they would not mistreat under any consideration, as it might bring misfortune on them. Indians never injure or kill any white man who claims to be acquainted with the Great Spirit, believing that the evil spirit would visit them. I remained in their camp several days, and was treated with hospita- ^JOSEPH \V. COOPED S'i ' )lc kindness. This camp was wiliiout meat at this time, but-a.s it is as common for the Indian to feast on the dog^ml ^volf as it is for tlie white man to enjoy the fat pig, I never suffered for -the want of something to ^at Asa rule they never allow the white niin to visit their caiHp or typies vritho^t eating with tl:i(^ra ; and if he shoukl refuse to partake of their hospitality, he then gains their utmost ill will. Believing you were raised differently, and that you are too proud to feast with them, they will soon discard you They eat thi-ir noi'at jirincipallj raw. es- j)ecially if at is fresh, ^nd then without salt CHAPTER X. ■SHOOTraw AN INJJIAN PKISolJ'E.R. At Fort Buford, D. T., in 1868, an Indian came to this military post w ■do his usual trading, when he expressed himself as having been in a Ifight with Sitting Bull's raid at Fort Buford, August 20th, 1868, and stated that he was one of the first to count "coose.'' In these raids they carry with them a rod with a red feather attached to the end, and the one that is able to strike the body of the dead first is a hero, and entitled to the first scalp. He was at once threatened by a mob, but Gen. Mar- row prevented it by force of arms. He was arrested and placed in the guard-house, where h-e was still threatened by a mob, gotten up by luv brother. They consulted me on the subject, and 1 persuaded them to give him a fair chance and treat him as a prisoner. They took my ad- vice. I was still in the hospital and unable to 'j.ct off my bed. A few- days afterwards, a friend of mine came to me and stated that he intended to destroy the life of this prisoner, and that at four o'clock in the morn- ing I would hear the report of a gun, the contents of which would be his fatal end. At four o'clock in the morning the guft was heard, and the work completed. No one sympathized with him or his bereaved friends, not so much as to offer their Services to bur}' him. My brother who was so anxious to mob him, took a pick and shovel and dug his grave and. buried him decently and respectably on the banks of the Mis- souri river. Three months later nine of his friends came to the Fort to revenge the 32 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF loss of thoir brave comrade. They rode up to tke Fort as if friendly., and fired at the soldiers, but hurt no one. I am satisfied that the sol- diers discharg-ed some eight or nine hundred guns at them, but without effect. They made theii* e.scape without sustaining any damage. The friendly Indians at the Fort became so indignant at the daring attack of the dead waiTior's fi-iends, that the old squaws went to his grave and dug- him up, bursted the coffin, took his l>ody out and separ- ated his legs and his arms from his body, and cast them to tlie four winds, after which they took his heart out, and erected it on a high pole, with his head attached to it, and had a general "squaw dance." They also took a large bunch of hair and braided it, and took the bear claw.^ which He wore around his neck, and made them a present to me. They took the head to Dr. JanK-s P. Kimball, Surgeon, IT. &. A., which hi-^ preserved. CHAPTER XI. 'THE YKLLdW STONE MARAUDER BAND — A TKUK COPV OF THBIK BY-I.AWS HOW THEY WEKE OBTAINED. The "Yellow Stone Marauder Band" was an organization composed of white men and half-breeds, who became a terror to the people on the frontier. The}' scouted about through the country from place to place, sometimes as "regulators,'" but always as murderers and robbers. In- dians and white people were killed and robbed alike by this band of desperadoes, whose crimes were frequentl}' charged bj^ the whites to the Indians, or to the former by the latter, as the circumstances might be. It was well known throughout the Yellow Stone country that a band of robbers were operating in that region, but who they were, or under what name or pretense they existed, is, until this day, perhaps, a mystery which has never been revealed to any living being, who did not belong to the Band, except the writer. It was b}^ the merest chance that I learned that such an organization as the Yellow Stone Marauders existed and became, at the same time, in possession of their by-laws. It happened in this way : In 1869 I went to Fort Union, M. T., and JOSEPH W. COOPER. 30 arrived just in timi' to see a difficulty ))i'tween HiMirv Owen and I'ete Shoecat. The latter was wliipping his wife, who caih'd upon Owi'u for assistanee. Owen very cooly and kindly askinl Shoecat to desist, adding that he woidd afti-wards rej^ret his cruelty to his wife. This only ter- ritied the tj'rauie hushand all the more. and. with u fearful oatii, he swore he would kill Owen, and rushed into the hut for his .l;uu. Shoe- cat and Owen lived in the same hut, with only a rude partition l)etwreast, just above the heart. Owen fell immediately, and exclaimed to me that he was dying. Shoecat then called to his wife and told her that he had killed Owen, his best friend, and that she must take care of herself un- til he returned, as he was in danger and would have to leave. The wretched man had no idea at this time how badly he himself was hurt, and had not proceeded more than sixty yards liefore he fell. In a few minutes afterward I went to him and found that lie was bleeding p.o- 'usely, and in a dying condition. It AA'as from this dying man that I received tlie by-laws of the '-Yel- low Stone Marauder Band." Taking the paper from his liosom, he told me what it was, and informed me that he was the leader, and had been (iver since the Minnesota massacre. He begged me that if he should die I would not let the United States officers know anything about his band. The whole truth is, he tried to destroy the paper on wiiich the by-laws and regulations were written, but T interfered and got possession of it. This was late in the evening, and he remained on the ground until about 9 o'clock the next morning, when he breathed his last. Henrj' Ow'en soon got well, regretted the death of Shoecat, and sym- pathized with his wife and little bo}-, welcoming both to his hut and freely sharing his meat and buffalo robe with them. The following is a true copy of the by-laws and regulations of the "Yellow^ Stone Marauder Band.'" as committed to my hands by their dying leader : RESOLUTIONS AND BY T.AWS FOR THE GOVBRNMENT OF THE YEI.I.OW STONE MARAUDER BAND. Besolced, 1st. That this Band shall be known as the Yellow Stone Marauder Band of Montana Territory. 34 LIFE AND ADVENTURES Resolved, 2d. That this Band, and wo the members thereof, knowing- that our organization is in strict violation of the laws of the United States, and well knowing that if apprehended we would be subjected to the severest penalties of the laws of said United States, we the members of this Band, numbering twenty-five, for our safety and protection, do hereby join hands and pledge our support to each other under all cir- cumstances. Besolved, 3d. That this Band shall have a President, Vice President. S'^cretary and Treasurer, to be elected by a majoritv of the Band. liesolved, 4th. That it shall be the duty of the President to preserve order and to see that no member shall become so intoxicated as to be boisterous on the plains, and most especially at the secret meetings of this Band. liesolved, 5th. That any member who becomes so intoxicated as to be boisterous at place of meeting, shall receive the penalty of one hundred lashes with a raw hide, which shall be provided for this jmrpose, said penalty to be executed by the President, Vice President and Secretary. Rtaolved, 6th. That any memoer who shall be guilty of divulging any of the secrets of this Band shall receive the penalty of death. lieNolved, 7th. That any member who shall be guilty o ; stealing from another shall receive the penalty of death, in the manner prescribed by the President. Besnlved, 8th. That the proceeds of all pillaging done by this Band shall be divided equally between the members. Resolved. 9th. That it shall be the duty of this Band to capture all horses and other property f ^om the Indians, especiallj'' from the Assin iboines, Black Feet, Rea, Grovan, and Maudan tribes. Resolved, 10th. That we shall be subject to the call of Sitting Bull, and make it a special duty to support him in all his undertakings as the great warrior of the Sioux nation. Resolved, 11th. That when on the war path, it shall be the duty of this Band to kill every human being, whether man or woman, friend or foe, with whom it comes in contact, so that our whereabouts and opera- tions may not be detected. Resolved, 12. That it shall be the especial duty of this Band to make every effort to capture all immigration trains passing through Dakota and Montana Territories, going East or west ; but in all cases to be ad- vised by Sitting Bull, the hero of the West. JOSEPH W. COOPER. S8 Reso\vf.(h 13. 'Phat no iiiembor shall introduce an outsider into this Band, or advise any one without the consent of two-thirds of the niem- V)ers, and that no one shall be allowed to join this Band linloss ho has been on thp frontier five 3'^ears in succession. Resolced, 14. That we shall have and elect such officers as are specified in the fourth resolution of this Marauder Band. Resolved, 15th. That we, the members, have this day elected Pete Shoecat President and leader of this Band, T. Dugan Vice President, C. Larpenture Secretary, and R. 1). Lightfoot Treasurer. Resolced, 16. That we the members shall be subject to (he orders of llie officers of this Band, under the penalty of death. Resolved, 17. That the President shall read the resolutions and by- laws of this Marauder Band in the presence of each member. Resolved, 18th. That we the undersigned members having heard (he foregoing resolutions read, do hereby endorse the same. CHAPTER XII. RAMBLING .\MI1 IMTEMPKRANCp: A WARNING TO PARENTS. As stated in a previous chapter, I played my first game of cards in Pittsburg, Pa. Oh, I wish to God I had never seen a card ! Utterly demoralized by the vicissitudes of war, I went to the Western Plains knowing nothing of the customs and habits of the inhabitants Here 1 was thrown into society more corrupting, if possible, than that which 1 had left. The vice of gambling became more and more fascinating, until 1 became more and more enslaved to the habit of card playins. (Gambling was no longer looked upon as a degrading habit, but as an accomplishment, and I would almost sink my own soul to win what 1 now considered an honest penny. Oh, how soon the teachings of pious parents can be forgotten; how soon the principles of honesty and integrity, which have been instilled into us in early life, can be crushed out by the fascinating yet degrading vices of the word ! When I look back to the days of early boyhood, and recall the pious teachings of my dear mother, who has long since 36 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF passed awiiy, it makes the blood luii cold within m}^ veins to think of the dark deeds of the more recent past. How well do I remember, when but a prattling child, as I went to that loving mother with my childish complaints, did she lift her heart in silent prayer that her boy might live to be a good and useful man ! But when the first few steps were taken at card playmg, and after the bitter cup of intoxication had been indulged in to excess for but a little while,how soon were all these things forgotten. Young man. do you ever expect to be a imtii — a man in the true sense of the word? If so, let ont> whose ex'perience has cost him dearly advise you never to taki" the first drink ; never to play the first game of cards. Shun the wine cup and the gaming table as you would the clutches of a vicious monster. The first drink leads to the second, and so you be- come more and more inclined to give way to the evil propensities of human nature Soon you begin to thirst for strong drink, and in spite of all your good resolutions you become a confirmed drunkard. And drunkenness leads to gambling, the greatest of all evils. There will doubtless be some who will read this and think I am writing a theolog ical discourse. T wish to. God I was spiritually able to do so; but I am only giving my experience in brief, as a warning to others. Parents and guai'dians, I noAv appeal to you. Keep your boys at home. If they must go out at night, if it be only to see a friend, go with them, for that friend, with r.o evil intention, may lead your child astray. I'HAFTER XIII. THAT KIGHT WITH SITTING BULL — A LETTER FROM THE GALLANT LIEU- TENANT CUSICK WHAT HE THINKS OF THE AFFAIR THE SUPPOSED FATAL WOUND RECEIVED BY THE WRITER A VISIT TO THE OLD STAMPING GROUND. Xow, reader, my book is written, and to convince you that it is based upon facts, and that you have not been reading mere fiction, I will con- clude by presenting for your perusal the following inte.'esting letter from my old commander, Lieut. C. C. Cusick, than whom a truer man and a braver soldier does not live. It is due to him to say before laying JOSEPH W. COOPER S7 this lelter hcfoiv my readers, liowevcn; that it was not writtoii for publi- cation. I had lost all trace of my old fii<'nd and comrade, and, witli the hope of finding liis whereabouts, addressed him a letter and forwarded it to Washinjiton. hi tliat letter 1 mentioned the fact that I was writin.ir for publication this little book of my life and advopek : — Your kind favor was duly forwarded from Washington, 1). ("., ami received by me yesterday evening. I was very .much delighted to h( ;ir from you, and thank you sincerely for your kind enquiries 7-egarding my health, etc. Permit me to congratulate you for the literary enterpiise you 8peak of. I can assure you I will onh^ be too happj^ to endorse favorably the work you mention. If it concerns the battle we partici- pated in against "Sitting Bull ■ in August, 1868, I am sure you cannot say too much in regard to that terrible encounter. Just think of it. Fifteen brave United States soldiers against nearly 200 savages. Since that eventful affair I have often wondered how we ever escaped total annihilation. I have wondered still more as regards your extraordinary recovery from the supposed fatal wounds you received on that occasion. Left on the field among the savage foe, regarded as dead, yet living among the strong and brave to-day. Our experience is certainly more wonderful than the pen of fiction can ever narrate. I am now in the 22d regiment of infantry. Our regiment left Dakota Territorjf in 1874. It is now serving in western New York, and in cer- tain parts of Michigan. I am between Lakes Superior and Huron. [ have been serving here about 18 months. During the late Sioux war of 1876 and '77, seven companies w(,'re sent from our regiment, and participated in the operations against " Sitting Bull." One of these companies happened to be the one I now have the honor of commanding (Co. "F'"). Our comman.s the van as a Family and Political Newsi'ai'ki; THm-roH- OUT THE (iUBAT CuTTON BeLI' OY SoUTHWEST (JEnKOIA. ADVERTISIN& RATES REASONABLE. SUBSCRIPTION, $2 A YEAR. Proprietors H, 31. Mcintosh, Editor and Business Manager. THE JLID^^EI^TISEK, BOOK BINDERY, 7'he Largest and most Con/plefe Printing Estahlishuient in Southwest Georgia. Pamjihlet work and half-hinding a s-perialti/. DBAFT8, CHECKS, NOTES, liECElPTS, CONTRACTS, ETC., ETC.. PRINTED AND BOUND TO ORDER.