--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1844 to 1845. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 5 number: 19 published: 1844-10-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Movements Among the Red Skins,” *Times and Seasons* 5, no. 19 (October 15, 1844): 677–679." printed_title: MOVEMENTS AMONG THE RED SKINS. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1844-10-15_5_19 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v5n19.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1844-10-15_5_19 start_page: 677 end_page: 679 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1844 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1844-10-15_5_19 publication_year: 1844 --- # Movements Among the Red Skins Pawnees-Ottoes-Pottawattomies-Indian love and eloquence-Military display by an Ottoe Brave, &c-Beggar Dance-"Sky Blue"-Major Wharton-Mr. Deas, the Artist. COUNCIL BLUFFS,} Sept. 10, 1844.} A few days since, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs reached this place, on the steamer Nimrod, with the annuities in money and goods for the various Indian tribes in this region. These annuities are payable for lands which the Indians have, at different times, sold to the government. The Ottoes on the south side of the river, own a large tract of country on the waters of the Big Platte, stretching from the Missouri river, west. They receive from the government a small cash annuity of about $2,500, and are, in every respect, a poor and degraded people. Their number is about 1,000. The Pawnees are west of this place, about one hundred and twenty miles, on the waters of the Platte, and receive annuities of provisions and goods; they have, also, farmers and smiths provided by the government; but I do not think their farmers do them much good. There are some missionaries among them, whose conduct is, in some respects, said to be rather improper. The Pawnees are yet wild and primitive in their habits-raise small patches of corn, and hunt the buffalo. They number, in all, about 6,500, and are seperated [separated] into different bands, called, Pawnee Loups, Grand Pawnees, Republican Pawnees, Pawnee Pics, &c. It has been an object of the government to unite the different bands, but success has not attended the effort. During the late visit of the military, the chiefs exhibited a decided aversion to the arrangement. The Pottawatomies or, as they are called, officially the "United Bands of Chippewas, Ottawas and Pottawotomies [Pottawatomies]"-are on the north side of the Missouri; their lands, embracing five millions of acres, extend from the north line of your State, along the Missouri river, to the Little Sioux, and are of excellent quality as regards soil, though exhibiting a scarcity of timber. These Indians number about 2,000 souls, and receive about $42,000 a year for lands sold in Michigan and Illinois; they have, also, funds for education and industrial purposes. They are a well-disposed people, and are considered to be very respectable Indians.-Many of the half breeds have houses and small farms like the whites, and are anxious to have their children educated. Their annuity payments are gay scenes, when the Indian beaux and belles appear in all their finery, and display their charms to the greatest advantage. The young fellows in love, have a kind of flute, on which they sound certain amorous notes, to convey to the copper-colored beauties information of their particular disposition and condition. When one of these pipes up, you can see the languishing glances of the virgins turned most irresistibly towards the quarter whence the sounds proceed; and if a match is not soon on the carpet, it is not the fault of the Pottawotomie customs. During the late payment, the superintendent held several councils with the Chiefs in which some very creditable displays of Indian oratory were made. Owing to the paucity of their language, their style of speaking is highly figurative, and as no Indian speaks on any subject but one which interests him strongly, and on which he has thought a great deal, it is not strange that they should speak with force and to the purpose. On Friday last, Major Wharton, with five companies of Dragoons, reached Bellevue, on the south side of the Missouri, from the Pawnee villages, whither they had marched from Fort Leavenworth. I believe the object of the expedition was to display a little of the power of the Government to the wild Indians. The Major's instructions were also to see the Sioux if practicable; but this object cannot be accomplished without a march of hundreds of miles, and scarcely then, as the Sioux are perfect Tartars, and are Tartars who are not easily "caught." On Saturday, the Ottoes having come to their agency at Bellevue to receive their annuities, the Major held a Council with them, on the open prairie, in the midst of the square of several acres, formed by the tents of his command.-The Chiefs seated themselves in line, fronting to the Major's "Marque," (is that the way you spell it? [Marquee]) and awaited his coming. As he approached, we heard the song of the well known Indian beggar dance chanted in a ravine to our right, and soon a party of young men were seen advancing, with two or three dare-devil looking fellows on horseback, one of whom had his body, from crown to toe, smeared over with blue mud, and appeared in the "picturesque costume" of a piece of rope tied round him as a belt; beside this, he had not even a fig leaf apron. He performed various feats of horsemanship, carrying in his right hand a handsomely ornamented spear, with a long, polished blade. His performance was intended to signify that he felt himself to be a man, ready for any daring exploit; and hereafter he will have quite a reputation as the brave who made so striking an exhibition before their great father's War Chief, Major Wharton.-Oh, fame! This reminds me of the story of an Indian dance, where each one, after dancing and singing till the inspiration of recitation was attained, struck a stake set up for that purpose, and then related his exploits to the admiring hearers. One fellow, after shaking his moccasins most furiously for a long time, at length struck the stake, and, after silence was obtained, made the following brilliant narration: "I stole a mule!" When the young Ottoes had sufficiently displayed their musical powers, the Council began, by Major Wharton making a very excellent address to the chiefs, which, however, must have suffered considerably in the interpretation. He exhorted them to behave themselves better, for the future, and assured them that if they did not, the protection of the Government would be withdrawn, and they would be left 'like a lone tree in the prairie, against which every storm spends its fury, until, at length, some blast, more powerful than the rest, prostrates it to the earth.' They promised good behavior for the future, and the Major gave them some rations. So ended the Council. The troops are crossing the Missouri to day, to pass down on the north side, through the settlements, to Jeffrey's Point, near the town of Oregon, where they will re-cross the river, to visit the Missouri Sacs and Iuwas [Iowas]; they will thence pass en [on] to Fort Leavenworth. These dragoon officers are fine fellows; frank, generous, unassuming-vigorous in discharge of duty, and rich in anecdote and jest, as well as grave and important information. The Rev. Mr. Ker, stationed at Fort Leavenworth, is with the command, and will publish a journal of their hair-breadth escapes amongst the ravines on the head waters of the Blue and other streams, enriched by notices of the geology, &c., of the country they have traversed. Mr. Deas, an artist of St. Louis, is also an attache [attaché], and so much of an attache [attaché], that, with all my persuasion and entreaty, (you know how I can insist?) I cannot detach him to spend a few weeks with me here; if I could, we would visit the old Fort at old Council Bluffs, about twenty five miles, by land, from this place. I suppose Major Wharton will council with the Pottawatomies to morrow. He has instructions to hold a talk with each tribe he visits. The Pawnees are at Bellevue, to day. Their agent called them to council, and talked to them in a most fatherly manner. After some time, the disputes amongst the chiefs of the various bands rose to high words, and finally turned to a fisticuff amongst them. No blood was spilt. The Council adjourned in the midst of the row. JOHN BROWN. TIMES AND SEASONS. CITY OF NAUVOO, OCTOBER 15, 1844.