Figure 9. — Miles City, Montana. {US.\'AI j8^i(/o; Smithsunian photo 27925-B.) 



his character — a forceful, untamable savage of a tribe 

 as well known for its lack of honor, gratitude, and 

 general reliability as for its bravery. ^^ \\'\\\\ great 

 dignity and impact he first denounced l^itterly and 

 scornfully the killing for mere sport of a number of 

 buffalo near the council site by some troopers of the 

 7th Cavalry: 



Has the white man become a child, that he should reck- 

 lessly kill and not eat? When the red men slay game, 

 they do so that they may live and not starve. 



In direct relation to the treaty, he continued with 

 obvious sincerity: 



I love the land and the bufl'alo .... I don't want any 

 of the medicine lodges |schools and churches] within the 

 country. I want the children raised as I was .... I have 

 heard that you intend to settle us on a reservation near 

 the mountains. I don't want to settle. I love to roam 

 over the prairies. There I am free and happy, but when 



3' An interesting sidcliglit on Satanta: In the spring of 1867 

 he accepted a complete general officer's uniform from General 

 Hancock at Fort Dodge and reciprocated shortly afterwards by 

 attacking the post while decked out in his new dress. 



we settle down we grow pale and die .... A long time 

 ago this land belonged to our fathers; but when I go up 

 to the river I see camps of soldiers on its banks. These 

 soldiers cut down my timber; they kill my buflalo; and 

 when I see that my heart feels like busting. 



Little wonder StiefTel and all those present were 

 impressed. It is appropriate to add that neither the 

 Indians nor the Governinent of the United States 

 observed the provisions of this treaty. 



The remainder of Stieffel's paintings have no such 

 impact as the earlier ones, but nonetheless they are 

 important, especially for their almost meticulous detail 

 of camp and post life and terrain in the West. In that 

 of the camp of peace commissioners he accurately 

 depicts the various types of tentage of the Army at the 

 time — the small slanting wall tents of the enlisted men, 

 the wall tents of the individual officers, the large wall 

 headquarters and officers' mess tents, and the familiar 

 Sibleys, one of which is obsiously being used for the 

 guard. The escort wagons and ambulances are regu- 

 lation transport of the period. The artist has even 

 included a sentry walking post at the ration dump 

 with fixed bayonet, a sound precaution against sticky 



PAPER 12: HERMANN STIEFFEL, SOLDIER ARTIST OF THE WEST 



13 



