Life of Sitting Bull and history of the Indian War of 1890-91 : a graphic account of the life of the great medicine man and chief Sitting Bull, his tragic death, story of the Sioux nation, their manners and customs, ghost dances and messiah craze, also a

Among the countless relics and records in the Army Medical Museum at Washington, most of them ghastly and tragic in their nature, is conspicuous the Autobiography of Ta-tan-kah-yo-tan-kah, the Sioux chieftain best known to fame as Sitting Bull. The work is unique, and it has itself a curious history. In the fall of 1870, a Yankton Sioux brought to the army officers at Fort Buford an old roll-book of the Thirty-first Regiment of Infantry, U.S.A., which bore, on the backs of the leaves, originally blank, a remarkable series of portraitures, representing the doings of a mighty Indian warrior. The pictures were outlined in ink, and shaded with colored chalks and pencils, brown, blue, and red. In the corner of each picture was a "totem," or Indian signature, just like the "remarque" on an etching. This totem was a buffalo 17 18 LIFE OF SITTING BULL. bull on its haunches, and it revealed at once the authorship of the work. The Yankton Indian wanted to sell it, and finally did so, for one dollar and a half, confessing, frankly, that he had stolen it from Sitting Bull himself, whose autobiography it was, down to date. This literary and artistic work, which is now likely to be famous, fell into the hands of Assistant Surgeon James C. Kimball, of the army, who was then stationed at Fort Buford, Dakota. He had the pictures translated and sent them, with the translation and an index, to the curator of the Army Medical Museum, Washington, Surgeon George A. Otis, United States Army, who filed them, in book shape, among the archives of the museum. The introduction, written by Dr. Kimball, says that the autobiography contains a description of the principal adventures in the life of Sitting Bull, an Unk-pa-pa chief. It was sketched by himself in the picture language in common use with the Indians. The index, explanatory of the drawings, was prepared through the assistance of Indians and interpreters. The word "coup," which occurs frequently in the index, has been appropriated by the Sioux from the French. "Counting coup" signifies the striking of an enemy, either dead or alive, with a stick, bow, lance, or other weapon. The number of "coups" counted are enumerated along with the number of horses stolen and scalps taken in summing up the brave deeds of a warrior. Sitting No. 5. Lances a Crow Indian. No. 6. Sitting Bull twice wounded and unhorse; his enemy, a Crow, at length killed by a shot in the abdomen and his scalp taken and hung to Sitting Bull's saddle. No. 7. In an engagement with the Crows, Sitting Bull mortally wounds one of the enemy, and, dropping his lance, rides up and strikes him with his whip. The lines and dashes in the picture represent the arrows and bullets that were flying in the air during the combat. No. 8. Counts "coup" on a Gros Ventre de Prairie by striking him with his lance. Gros Ventre distinguished from Crow by manner of wearing his hair. No. 9. Lances a Crow Indian. No. 10. A Crow Indian attempts to seize Sitting Bull's horse by the bridle; Sitting Bull knocks him down with a "coup" stick, takes his scalp and hangs it to his bridle. No. 11. Sitting Bull, with his brother mounted behind him, kills a white man, a soldier. No. 12. Counts "coup" on a white man by hitting him with a "coup" stick. No. 13. In a warm engagement with the whites, as shown by the bullets flying about, Sitting Bull shoots an arrow through the body of a soldier, who turns and fires, wounding Sitting Bull in the hip. No. 14. Sitting Bull counts "coup" on a white man by striking him with his bow. Sitting Bull wears a red jacket and bandanna handkerchief taken from some of his victims. Nos. 15 to 22 are repetitions of No. 14, Sitting Bull in each counting "coup" on a white man. No. 23. Sitting Bull shoots a frontiersman wearing a buckskin shirt, takes his scalp, which he hangs to his own bridle, and captures his horse. Sitting Bull, wears a blanket. No. 24. Sitting Bull strikes a white soldier with his "coup" stick, takes his scalp and mule. No. 25. counts "coup" on a soldier mounted, with overcoat on, gun slung across his back, by riding up and striking him with his riding-whip. No. 26. Kills a white man and takes his scalp. No. 27. Captures a mule and a scalp. No. 28. In a warm engagement captures a horse and a scalp. No. 29. Steals a mule. No. 30. Captures two horses in action. No. 31. Steals a horse. No. 32. Steals and runs off a drove of horses from the Crows. No. 33. In an engagement captures a government horse and mule and a scalp. No. 34. Steals a horse. No. 35. Captures three horses and a scalp. No. 36. Steals a drove of horses from the Crows. No. 37. Steals a government horse. No. 38. Steals a drove of horses from the Crows. LIFE OF SITTING BULL. No. 39. In an engagement captures a mule. Sitting Bull first appears here as chief of the band of Strong Hearts, to which dignity his prowess had raised him. The insignia of his rank, a bow having on end a lance head, he carries in his hand. No. 40. Sitting Bull, chief of the band of Strong Hearts, captures two horses in an engagement, in which his horse is wounded in the shoulder. No. 41. Captures a horse in a fight. No. 42. Steals a mule. No. 43. Captures two horses in a fight, in which his horse is wounded in the leg. No. 44. Mounted on a government horse captures a white man. No. 45. Steals two horses. No. 46. Captures four mules in a fight, in which his horse is wounded in the hip. Nos. 47 and 48. Counts "coup" on white men. No. 49. Steals a government horse. No. 50. Fastens his horse to his lance, driven into the earth, and in a hand-to-hand fight kills a white man with his own gun. The black marks show the ground fought and trampled over. No. 51. A fort into which his enemies, the Crows, have retreated, and from which they maintain a hot fire, through which Sitting Bull charges the fort. No. 52. In a fight with Crows, Sitting Bull kills and scalps one Indian and counts "coup" on another, and fires at him, barely missing him. No. 53. Steals a drove of mules. LIFE OF SITTING BULL church. He was converted by Father de Smet. By this priest he was taught French, and he is able to read and speak that tongue with fluency. He has always doggedly refused to learn English. He is well versed in the Delaware language also, and is pronounced by the native tribes a greater orator than Little Pheasant, chief of the Yanktonnais. Sitting Bull has read French history carefully, and A Historic account of the life and death of the great medicine man and chief, Sitting Bull. This book not only tells the story of a single leader, but the entire Sioux nation and also of the Indian War of 1890-91. Known as the greatest of all the indians, the Sioux were the bravest in war, the wisest in peace, and the most advanced in mind. By telling the story of their famous leader Sitting Bull, Johnson also captures the essence of the entire tribe, including their manners, customs, ghost dances and Messiah Crazy. As possessors of the famed red pipe stone quarry, the Indian Mecca where Gitche Manito the Mighty revealed himself to man, the Sioux have cherished and developed, more than any other, the myths and legends of the Indian race. Annotation. A historic account of the life and death of the great medicine man and chief, Sitting Bull, this book tells not only the story of a single leader, but of the entire Sioux Nation and also of the Indian War of 1890-91. Known as the greatest of all the Indians, the Sioux were the bravest in war, the wisest in peace, the most powerful in body, and the most advanced in mind