94 



before. At that council they solemnly pledged to each other not to 

 permit further encroachments from the whites, and he fully believed 

 they were able to whip all the white men in the world. In truth, 

 they are not without reason in thinking so. They have never seen 

 the whites, except in small parties, stealing through their country, 

 unable to resist them or protect themselves from insolence ; or they 

 find them shut up in little trading posts, where for days they dare 

 not, at times, open the gates or show their heads above the enclosure, 

 and where, whenever a band of young warriors wish to have a frolic, 

 they go and shoot their dogs, chickens, cattle, &c., break the windows, 

 and commit any other outrage their fancy may suggest, as a diversion. 

 They have seen the Indian agent, (their father, as he is called,) the 

 direct representative of the President, insulted and abused with 

 impunity by their own race and sometimes in dread of losing his Hie, 

 and they, many of them, entertain no respect for the power of our 

 government. Numbers of them have never seen a soldier of the 

 United States army, and scarce credit their existence. 



Bear's Rib (a great friend to peace with the whites and the moe^t 

 influential warrior in his nation) said his people could not be controlled 

 by him, and that if he should attempt it in some cases his own life 

 would be the forfeit. 



There are so many inevitable causes at work to produce a war with 

 the Dakotas before many years, that I regard the greatest fruit of 

 the explorations I have conducted to be the knowledge of the proper 

 routes by which to invade their country and conquer them. The 

 Black Hills is the great point in their territory at which to strike all 

 the Teton Dakotas, except the Brules and Okandandas. Here they 

 can assemble their largest force, and here I believe they would make 

 a stand. In the event of another outbreak, a post should be estab- 

 lished at the mouth of the Shyenne, on the north side, from which 

 to operate simultaneously with troops irom Fort Laramie. From both 

 of these ])oints wagon trains could move with ease, and supplies 

 could without difficulty be sent thus to the troops in the field. 

 These operations would undoubtedly bring on a battle, where the 

 superiority of the weapons of civilized warfare would secure a victory 

 to us. They will not, I think, permit the occupation of the vicinity 

 of these hills without oftering a determined resistance. Driven from 

 these they must go north towards the Missouri, where a still better 

 field to operate against them will be found, as this region is every 

 where practicable. In this event it might become necessary to establish 

 a temporary post above the Shyenne, and a most suitable and efi"ective 

 location is to be lound near Long Lake, on the Missouri. 



Those who may take refuge in the ravines and iastnesses along the 

 Niobrara, or in the sand hills, could be operated against from forts 

 Randall, Kearny, and Laramie. Should the Isanties and Ihankton- 

 a wm i ti be hostile at the same time as the Titonwans, they should be 

 operated against from Fort Ridgeley. 



It will be perceived that in this plan ^ have considered a war witii 

 all the Dakotas to be on our hands, which at no distant day is proba- 

 ble, and that there will be required a number of columns and a very 

 large force to successfully operate over so much country. These 



