Mi II INI J 



ALARM OF THE AGENT 849 



troops, and, after hearing a full statement, the general expressed the 

 opinion that the excitement would die out of itself. The next day the 

 general had a talk with tlie Indians, who informed him that they 

 intended to continue the dance. He gave them some good advice and 

 told them that they must stop. Had the matter rested here until the 

 words of the commanding officer could have been deliberated in their 

 ln i n , Is— lor the mental process of an Indian can not well be hurried- 

 all might have been well. Unfortunately, however, the agent, now 

 thoroughly frightened, wrote a long letter to the Department on Octo- 

 ber 30, stating that the only remedy for the matter was the use of 

 military, and that about 600 or 7()(t troops would be necessary. On 

 November 11 he telegraphed for permission to come to Washington to 

 "explain," and was refused. Then came other telegraphic requests, 

 at the rate of one every day, for the same permission, all of which 

 were refused, with pointed intimation that the interests of the serv- 

 ice required that the agent should remain at his post of duty. Finally 

 the matter was reported by the Indian Office to the War Department, 

 and on November 15 Eoyer was instructed to report the condition of 

 affairs to the commander of the nearest military post, Fort Robinson, 

 Nebraska. On the same day he had telegraphed that the Indians were 

 wild and crazy and that at least a thousand soldiers were needed. The 

 agent at Rosebud also now reported that his Indians were beyond con- 

 trol by the police. Special agents were sent to both agencies and con- 

 firmed the reports as to the alarming condition of affairs. The agent 

 at Crow Creek and Lower Brule agency reported at the same time that 

 his Indians were under good control and that the police were sufficient 

 tor all purposes. (G. B., 28; /,./>'., 2.) 



On the last day of October, Short Bull, one of those who had been 

 to see the messiah, made an address to a large gathering of Indians 

 near Pine Ridge, in which he said that as the whites were interfering 

 so much in the religious affairs of the Indians he would advance the 

 time for the great change and make it nearer, even within the next 

 month, lie urged them all to gather in one place and prepare for the 

 coming messiah, and told them they must dance even though troops 

 should surround them, as the guns of the soldiers would be rendered 

 harmless and the white race itself would soon be annihilated. (See his 

 speech, page 788.) 



Soon afterward, McLaughlin personally visited Sitting Bull at his 

 camp on Grand river and attempted to reason with the Indians on 

 the absurdity of their belief. In reply, Sittiug Bull proposed that 

 they should both go with competent attendants to the country of the 

 messiah and see and question him for themselves, and rest the truth 

 or falsity of the uew doctrine on the result. The proposition was 

 not accepted. ( G. I>., 29.) There can be no question that the leaders of 

 the Ghost dance among the Sioux were fully as much deceived as their 

 followers. 



