876 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [eth.akn.U 



The conduct of the colored troops of the Ninth calvary on this occa- 

 sion deserves the highest commendation. At the time of the battle at 

 Wounded Knee, the day before, they were in the Bad Lauds, about SO 

 or 00 miles out from Pine Ridge, when the order was sent for them to 

 come in to aid in repelling the attack on the agency. By riding all 

 night they arrived at the agency at daylight, together witli two Ilotch- 

 kiss guns, in charge of Lieutenant John Hayden of the First artillery. 

 Hardly had they dismounted when word arrived that their wagon train, 

 coming on behind, was attacked, and they were obliged to go out again 

 to its relief, as already described. On coming in again they lay down 

 to rest after their long night ride, when they were once more called 

 out to go to the aid of the Seventh at the mission. Jumping into the 

 saddle they rode at full speed to the mission, 5 miles out, repelled 

 the hostiles ami saved the command, and returned to the agency, after 

 having ridden over 100 miles and fought two engagements within thirty 

 hours. Lieutenant Hayden, with his Hotchkiss, who had come in with 

 them from the Lad Lands, took part also with them in the mission tight. 



On the same evening Standing Soldier, an Indian scout, arrived at 

 the agency with a party of 65 Indians, including is men. These were 

 a part of Big Foot's or Short Lull's following, who had lost their way 

 during the flight from Cheyenne river and were hunting for the rest of 

 the band when captured by the scouts. They were not aware of the 

 death of Big Foot and the extermination of his baud, but after having 

 been disarmed and put under guard they were informed of it, but only 

 in a mild way, in order not to provoke undue excitement. (G. 1>.. /v.) 



Immediately after the battle of Wounded Knee, in consequence of the 

 panic among the frontier settlers of Nebraska, the Nebraska state troops 

 were called out under command of General L. W. Colby. They were 

 stationed at the most exposed points between the settlements and the 

 reservation and remained in the held until the surrender of the hostiles 

 two weeks later. The only casualty among them was the death of 

 private George Wilhauer, who was accidentally shot by a picket. 

 {Colby, 5.) 



On New Year's day of 1891, three days after the battle, a detachment 

 of troops was sent out to Wounded Knee to gather up and bury the 

 Indian dead and to bring in the w r ounded who might be still alive on 

 the field. In the meantime there had been a heavy snowstorm, culmi- 

 nating in a, blizzard. The bodies of the slaughtered men, women, and 

 children were found lying about under the snow, frozen stiff and covered 

 with blood (plate xovm). Almost all the dead warriors were found 

 lying near where the fight, began, about Big Foot's tipi, but the bodies of 

 the women and children were found scattered along for 2 miles from the 

 scene of the encounter, showing that they had been killed while trying 

 to escape. (Gomr., 37; <'<>ll>i/, 6.) A number of women and children 

 were found still alive, but all badly wounded or frozen, or both, and 

 most of them died after being brought in. Four babies were found 



