muoney] SITTING BULL'S ARREST ORDERED 855 



in his house since his surrender iu 1881, and when askeci why lie had 

 broken it, replied that he wanted to die and wanted to fight. From 

 that time he discontinued his regular visits to the agency. It became 

 known that he contemplated leaving the reservation to visit the other 

 leaders of dissatisfaction at the southern Sioux agencies, and to frus- 

 trate such an attempt the agent had gradually increased the number of 

 police in the neighborhood of his camp, and had arranged for speedy 

 information and prompt action in case of any sudden move on his part. 

 {G. D.,35.) 



Foreseeing from the active movements of the military that the arrest 

 of Sitting Bull was liable to be ordered at any moment, and fearing 

 that such action might come at an inopportune time, and thus result in 

 trouble, McLaughlin made arrangements to have him and several other 

 disturbers arrested by the Indian police on the night of December <!, 

 the weather and other things being then, iu his opinion, most favorable 

 for the attempt. On telegraphing to the Indian department, however, 

 for authority, he was directed to make no arrests excepting upon order 

 from the military authorities or the Secretary of the Interior. In reply 

 to a telegram from General Euger, McLaughlin stated that there was 

 no immediate need of haste, and that postponement was preferable, as 

 the winter weather was cooling the ardor of the dancers. 



On December 11! the military order came for the arrest of Sitting 

 Bull. Colonel Drum, in command at Fort Yates, was directed to make 

 it his personal duty to secure him and to call on the agent for assist- 

 ance and cooperation iu the matter. On consultation between the 

 commandant and the agent, who were iu full accord, it was decided to 

 make the arrest on the 20th, when most of the Indians would be down 

 at the agency for rations, and there would consequently be less danger 

 of a conflict at the camp. On the 14th, however, late Sunday afternoon, 

 a courier came from Grand river with a message from Mr Carignan, 

 the teacher of the Indian school, stating, on information given by the 

 police, that an invitation had just come from Pine Ridge to Sitting Bull 

 asking him to go there, as God was about to appear. Sitting Bull was 

 determined to go, and sent a request to the agent for permission, but 

 in the meantime had completed his preparations to go anyhow in case 

 permission was refused. With this intention it was further stated that 

 lie had his horses already selected for a long and hard ride, and the 

 police urgently asked to be allowed to arrest him at once, as it would 

 be a difficult matter to overtake him after he had once started. 



It was necessary to act immediately, and arrangements were made 

 between Colonel Drum and Agent McLaughlin to attempt the arrest at 

 daylight the next morning, December 15. The arrest was to be made 

 by the Indian police, assisted, if necessary, by a detachment of troops, 

 who were to follow within supporting distance. There were already 

 twenty-eight police under command of Lieutenant Bull Head in the 

 immediate vicinity of Sitting Bull's camp on Grand river, about 40 



