ADMINISTRATION OF CLEVELAND (FIRST) AND OF HARRISON, 1885-1893.
Grover Cleveland--Completion of the Washington Monument--The Bartholdi
Statue--Death of General Grant--Death of Vice-President Hendricks--The
First Vice-President to Die in Office--George Clinton--Elbridge
Gerry--William R. King--Henry Wilson--Death of General McClellan--Of
General Hancock--His Career--The Dispute Between Capital and
Labor--Arbitration--The Anarchistic Outbreak in Chicago--The Charleston
Earthquake--Conquest of the Apaches--Presidential Election of
1888--Benjamin Harrison--The Johnstown Disaster--Threatened War with
Chili--The Indian Uprising of 1890-91--Admission of New
States--Presidential Election of 1892.
THE TWENTY-SECOND PRESIDENT.
[Illustration: GROVER CLEVELAND.
(1837-.) Two terms, 1885-1889--1893-1897.]
The city of Buffalo, N.Y., has the distinction of being the only one in
the United States which has furnished two presidents of the country.
Millard Fillmore hailed from Buffalo and Grover Cleveland went from that
city to occupy the highest office in the gift of the American people.
His native place, however, was Caldwell, New Jersey, where he was born,
March 18, 1837. He was the son of a clergyman and received a fair
education in the public schools, and became an instructor for a time in
an institution for the blind at Clinton, N.Y. He removed to Buffalo in
1855, and, having engaged in the study of law, soon became prominent at
the bar. He was appointed assistant district attorney in 1863, and in
1870 was elected sheriff of the county. His course gained the confidence
of the community and led to his election as mayor of Buffalo, in 1881,
though the city was naturally strongly Republican in politics.
Mr. Cleveland added to his popularity by his able administration and was
nominated for governor of the State in the autumn of the following year.
His success by the unprecedented majority of 192,854 attracted national
attention and led the Democrats to believe he was their most available
candidate for the presidency. His course as governor commended itself to
his friends, who were so numerous that, when his name was presented at
Chicago, he received 683 votes against 137 for all others.
It will be noted that Mr. Cleveland was the first Democratic President
since the opening of the war. He assumed his office with the best wishes
of the people, though it is worth noting in this place that the majority
by which he was elected was much less than a glance at the returns would
suggest. At a public reception of Mr. Blaine, during the canvass, a
clergyman referred to the Democratic party as that of "Rum, Romanism,
and Rebellion." This unfortunate expression drove away a number of votes
from Mr. Blaine, who was defeated in New York by a few hundreds only;
but they were sufficient to turn the thirty-six electoral votes to Mr.
Cleveland and secure his election by the majority already named.
COMPLETION OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
For years preceding the Civil War, and for a long time afterward, the
Washington monument was a source of reproach and jest among the people,
because so long a period was allowed to pass before its completion. The
corner-stone was laid July 4, 1848, at which time Robert C. Winthrop,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, delivered the address. The
occasion was made notable by the presence of Daniel Webster, Henry Clay,
John C. Calhoun, and President Polk. The memorial to the greatest
American orator that ever lived was allowed to stand uncompleted for
thirty-seven years, its formal dedication taking place February 21st
(the 22d fell on Sunday), 1885. The address of the venerable W.W.
Corcoran, first vice-president of the Washington Monument Society,
formed in 1833, was read by Dr. J.C. Welling, president of Columbia
University, and the ceremonies were of an interesting character. The
Masonic services were conducted by the Grand Lodge of the District of
Columbia, which used the gavel that Washington had employed in laying
the corner-stone of the national capitol, September 18, 1793, while the
Bible was the one upon which he took his vows when made a Mason. A
second Bible was the one upon which he was sworn into office, April 30,
1789, when inaugurated President of the United States. This relic is now
the property of St. John Lodge, No. 1, of New York City.
[Illustration: THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, WASHINGTON, D.C.]
President Arthur's address was as follows:
"FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN: Before the dawn of the century whose eventful
years will soon have faded into the past--when death had but lately
robbed the republic of its most beloved and illustrious citizen--the
Congress of the United States pledged the faith of the nation that in
this city, bearing his honored name, and then, as now, the seat of
the general government, a monument should be erected 'to commemorate
the great events of his military and political life.'
"The stately column that stretches heavenward from the plain whereon
we stand bears witness to all who behold it that the covenant which
our fathers made their children have fulfilled. In the completion of
this great work of patriotic endeavor there is abundant cause for
national rejoicing; for while this structure shall endure it shall be
to all mankind a steadfast token of the affectionate and reverent
regard in which this people continue to hold the memory of
Washington. Well may he ever keep the foremost place in the hearts of
his countrymen; the faith that never faltered; the wisdom that was
broader and deeper than any learning taught in schools; the courage
that shrank from no peril and was dismayed by no defeat; the loyalty
that kept all selfish purposes subordinate to the demands of
patriotism and honor; the sagacity that displayed itself in camp and
cabinet alike; and, above all, that harmonious union of moral and
intellectual qualities which has never found its parallel among men;
these are the attributes of character which the intelligent thought
of this century ascribes to the grandest figure of the last.
"But other and more eloquent lips than mine will to-day rehearse to
you the story of his noble life and its glorious achievements. To
myself has been assigned a simpler and more formal duty, in
fulfillment of which I do now, as President of the United States and
in behalf of the people, receive this monument from the hands of the
builder, and declare it dedicated from this time forth to the
immortal name and memory of George Washington."
The ceremonies at the monument being completed, those within the capitol
followed. General Sheridan was in charge of the military, and the
oration of Robert C. Winthrop, who was kept away by illness, was read by
Governor Long. John W. Daniel, a leading soldier on the side of the
Confederacy during the Civil War and afterward a member of Congress from
Virginia, delivered a graphic sketch of Washington, and closed with the
eloquent peroration:
"Long live the republic of Washington! Respected by mankind, beloved
by all its sons, long may it be the asylum of the poor and oppressed
of all lands and religions--long may it be the citadel of that
liberty which writes beneath the eagle's folded wings: 'We will sell
to no man, we will deny to no man right and justice.'
"Long live the United States of America! Filled with the free,
magnanimous spirit, crowned by the wisdom, blessed by the moderation,
hovered over by the guardian angel of Washington's example, may they
ever be worthy in all things to be defended by the blood of the brave
who knew the rights of man--may they each be a column, and all
together, under the Constitution, a perpetual temple of peace,
unshadowed by a Caesar's palace, at whose altar may freely commune all
who seek the union of liberty and brotherhood.
"Long live our country! Oh, long through the undying ages may it
stand, far removed in fact, as in space, from the Old World's feuds
and follies--solitary and alone in its grandeur and glory--itself the
immortal monument of him whom Providence commissioned to teach man
the power of truth, and to prove to the nations that their Redeemer
liveth."
It is worth noting that the Washington Monument with its 555 feet is the
highest in the world; the Cathedral at Cologne, 511 feet, is next; while
the height of the Great Pyramid is 486 feet. The cap-stone was put in
position December 6, 1884, and the whole cost of the monument was
$1,187,710, of which Congress furnished $900,000. An iron stairway of
900 steps and an elevator provide means for ascending the interior.
THE BARTHOLDI STATUE.
When a person enters New York harbor on his visit or return to the New
World, the most striking object upon which his eyes rest is the Statue
of Liberty. This represents the idea of Liberty enlightening the world,
as conceived by Frederick Auguste Bartholdi, the eminent French
sculptor. He began circulating his subscriptions for the work through
France in 1874. The popularity of the scheme is attested by the fact
that contributions were received from 180 cities, forty general
councils, a large number of chambers of commerce and of societies, and
more than 10,000 subscribers. On the 22d of February, 1877, Congress
voted to accept the gift, and set apart Bedlow's Island for the site.
The statue was finished in 1883, and displayed to public view for some
time in Paris. Its official presentation to the minister of the United
States took place July 4, 1884.
The French transport _Isere_, with the Liberty statue on board, arrived
at New York, June 24, 1885, and was saluted and welcomed by a hundred
different vessels. The dedication ceremonies, October 28, 1886, were
among the most impressive ever witnessed in the metropolis of our
country. Among those on the reviewing stand, near the Worth Monument,
were President Cleveland, General Sheridan, the members of the
President's cabinet, M. Bartholdi, M. de Lesseps, representative of the
diplomatic corps at Washington, and many distinguished American
citizens.
The following facts will give an idea of the size of this great statue:
the forefinger is more than eight feet long; the second joint is about
five feet in circumference; the finger-nail is a foot long, and the nose
nearly four feet; the head is fourteen and a half feet high, and can
accommodate forty persons, while the hollow torch will hold twelve
persons. The copper sheets which form the outside of the statue weigh
eighty-eight tons. From the base to the top of the torch is slightly
more than 150 feet, which is 305 feet above low-water mark.
DEATH OF GENERAL GRANT.
In no event of Cleveland's first administration was the public more
deeply concerned than in the death of General Grant, the foremost
defender of the Union. After his return from his triumphant journey
around the world, he engaged in business in the city of New York. The
soul of honor himself, it was hard for him to believe the dishonesty of
others; but he became the victim of unscrupulous persons, and lost not
only all his own savings but those of many of his friends. He did
everything in his power to make good his losses, but succeeded only to a
slight extent. He was ruined financially, though a grateful nation would
never permit him to suffer want.
[Illustration: THE FUNERAL TRAIN OF GENERAL GRANT PASSING WEST POINT.]
It was at this sad period that a cancer developed at the root of his
tongue, and, though he received the best medical attention in the
country, the malignant excrescence soon made it evident that he was
beyond human help. He devoted himself heroically to writing his
memoirs, and, with the grim determination which was so marked a feature
of his character, he fought off the last great enemy until the valuable
work was finished.
General Grant's last days were spent with his family at Mount McGregor
in New York State, where he quietly breathed his last on the evening of
July 22, 1885. The body was embalmed and removed to the City Hall in New
York, where it was viewed by mourning thousands before its removal to
the last resting-place in Riverside Park. The final impressive scenes,
when the remains were deposited in the mausoleum on the banks of the
Hudson, took place in 1897.
DEATH OF VICE-PRESIDENT HENDRICKS.
Thomas A. Hendricks, Vice-President of the United States, died November
25, 1885, at his home in Indianapolis, from paralysis of the heart. He
was born in Ohio in 1819, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in
1843. He was elected to the Indiana Legislature in 1848, and three years
later became Democratic member of Congress from the central district of
Indiana. He was chosen a United States senator in 1868, and strongly
opposed the impeachment of President Johnson. He was prominently named
several times for the presidency of the United States. In Indianapolis,
where he had long made his home, he was universally respected by members
of all parties.
OTHER VICE-PRESIDENTS WHO DIED IN OFFICE.
Since Mr. Hendricks was not the first Vice-President to die in office,
it will be interesting to complete the list. George Clinton served one
term under Jefferson, and had nearly ended another under Madison, when
he died in 1812. His career had been extraordinary. He was a soldier in
the French and Indian War, was a sailor on a privateer, and became a
brigadier-general in the Revolution, but was unsuccessful in his defense
of the Highland forts in 1777. At one time he was a member of the
Provincial Congress and was the first governor of New York, serving for
eighteen years, from 1777 to 1795, and again 1801-04, when he became
Vice-President. His death occurred in Washington, and the eight
pall-bearers were Revolutionary soldiers.
It was a curious coincidence that the next Vice-President to die in
office was the immediate successor of Clinton, Elbridge Gerry, who died
November 23, 1814. He was a native of Massachusetts, a member of its
colonial House of Representatives and a delegate to the Continental
Congress. He signed the Declaration of Independence and aided in framing
the Constitution, though he refused to sign it, on the ground that it
conferred too much power on the national government. He held a number of
important public offices and was governor of Massachusetts in 1810 and
1811. In the latter year, the Republicans (modern Democrats) carried
out a redistricting scheme by which the Essex district took a form which
many fancied bore a resemblance to a salamander. It was from this
incident that the word "gerrymander," so often heard in politics in
these days, took its name.
It will be recalled that when Franklin Pierce became President, the
Vice-President, William R. King, was an invalid in Cuba, where he took
the oath of office before the American consul. He was in the last stages
of consumption and died shortly after his return to his home in Alabama.
Henry Wilson, Vice-President with General Grant, died November 25, 1875,
his death being hastened, it is believed, by the news of the death of
his intimate friend, Senator Ferry, of Connecticut.
The death of General McClellan has already been mentioned as taking
place on the 29th of October, 1885. A few months later, February 9,
1886, General Hancock died at his home on Governor's Island.
DEATH OF GENERAL HANCOCK--HIS CAREER.
General Winfield Scott Hancock was an ideal American soldier and
officer, brave, chivalrous, courteous to foe as well as friend,
patriotic, a gentleman at all times and under all circumstances, genial,
remarkably handsome and prepossessing in manner, who made friends
everywhere. His conduct of political affairs in a section of the South
during the troublous reconstruction days won the commendation of his
government and the respect of the South, who pronounced him a "just
man," for whom they formed a strong personal affection. But for
Hancock's unfortunate slip, he assuredly would have been elected
President of the United States in 1880.
The two peculiarities of Hancock's birth was that he was a twin and was
born on St. Valentine's day, February 14, 1824, in Montgomery County,
Pennsylvania. Appointed to West Point, he found among his fellow-cadets
U.S. Grant, G.B. McClellan, Rosecrans, Longstreet, and Stonewall
Jackson.
Hancock entered the Mexican War as second lieutenant, taking part in
three engagements, receiving a wound and winning the brevet of first
lieutenant. He was appointed quartermaster in 1855, with the rank of
captain. Three years later he was a member of the expedition to Utah to
bring the Mormons to terms. When the Civil War broke out, he was at Los
Angeles, Southern California, where considerable sympathy was shown for
the Southern Confederacy. The tact of the United States forces in that
section held the State true, a patriotic speech of General Hancock
contributing greatly to the same end.
His patriotism would not allow him to remain idle, and, when he learned
of the grave condition of affairs in the East, he applied to be called
thither. The request was granted, and he was so anxious to serve his
country that he did not pause to call on his parents while on the way to
Washington.
Hancock's first appointment was as quartermaster-general in General
Robert Anderson's command in Kentucky; but McClellan, who knew his
worth, made a personal request of President Lincoln to appoint him
brigadier-general. His commission was dated September 23, 1861.
McClellan said of him: "He was a man of the most chivalrous courage and
of superb presence, especially in action; he had a wonderfully quick and
correct eye for ground and for handling troops; his judgment was good,
and it would be difficult to find a better corps commander."
[Illustration: CITY HALL, PHILADELPHIA.
Equestrian statues of Generals Reynolds and McClellan ornament the
plaza, and one of General Hancock is to be erected on one of the vacant
corners.]
General Hancock gave invaluable help in moulding the Army of the Potomac
into the magnificent form it attained, and his brigade was conceded to
be the finest and most effective in the whole army at the time the
landing was made on the peninsula between Chesapeake Bay and the James
River.
In the bloody battle of Williamsburg, his skill and personal courage
were of the highest order. Making a feint of retreating, he drew the
enemy after him into the position he intended, when he turned and
assailed them with a furious musketry fire. It was his men who captured
the first colors taken by the Army of the Potomac, and it was on that
occasion that Hancock used the expression which has been often quoted.
In the midst of the tumult and swirl of battle he shouted: "Now,
gentlemen, we will give them the bayonet!" Hancock received the personal
thanks of McClellan for his fine work.
He was always loyal to his superiors, McClellan, Burnside, McClellan
again, Hooker, and Meade, rapidly rising in prominence until at the
great battle of Gettysburg he contributed perhaps more than any single
man to the success of the Union arms. Among the titles applied to him by
his admiring countrymen were "The Superb" and "The Hero of Gettysburg."
The Confederates who came in contact with him expressed their admiration
of his dauntless courage and coolness. He was painfully wounded, but,
while lying on a stretcher, he sent a message to General Meade that the
Confederate army was in retreat. Meade replied with his grateful thanks
and sympathy, and Congress also thanked him.
His ardent patriotism placed him in the saddle before his wound had
healed, and at one time during the battle of the Wilderness he was
obliged to give up his command. At Chancellorsville he captured the
whole division of General Edward Johnson. When that officer was brought
into Hancock's tent the latter extended his hand to his old
acquaintance, exclaiming heartily, "How are you, Ned?"
"I refuse to take your hand," replied the humiliated prisoner.
"All right," said Hancock, "I shouldn't have offered it to you under any
other circumstances."
Hancock was in command of the Second Army Corps for the last time at the
battle of Boydton. His remarkable skill in training soldiers caused
Secretary Stanton to assign to him the task of organizing the First
Veteran Corps, composed of soldiers, all of whom had been in service two
years. He afterward commanded the Army of the Shenandoah, and was in
charge at Washington at the time of the assassination of Lincoln.
In 1869, he was transferred from the command of the division of the
Atlantic and assigned to that of Dakota, where he remained until 1872,
when he resumed command of the division of the Atlantic. His last public
appearance was when he commanded the military forces which assisted in
the funeral ceremonies of General Grant.
As a proof that General Hancock's skill with the pen was hardly less
than that with the sword, the following extract is given from an article
by him on the battle of Gettysburg:
[Illustration: ARBITRATION
The relations of capital and labor--mutually dependent the one upon the
other--both selfish and often unjust--have caused serious trouble in the
past decade of the world's history. Fair and equitable arbitration seems
to be the only safe and just way of settling disputes of this
character.]
"Cemetery Hill has since become consecrated ground. The place where
General Howard was superseded in command on the first day of the fight
is now covered with the graves of thousands of gallant soldiers whose
bones lie buried at the base of the beautiful monumental column which
commemorates their fame. Two of the marble statues ornamenting the
pedestal personify War and History. War, symbolized by a soldier resting
from the conflict, narrates to History the story of the struggle and the
deeds of the martyr-heroes who fell in that famous battle. In
remembrance of these noble comrades who laid down their lives for the
general weal, it were simply sacrilege for any survivor to pour into the
ears of History an incorrect account of the contest, still more to
assume to himself honors belonging perhaps less to the living than to
the dead.
"The historian of the future who essays to tell the tale of Gettysburg
undertakes an onerous task, a high responsibility, a sacred trust. Above
all things, justice and truth should dwell in his mind and heart. Then,
dipping his pen as it were in the crimson tide, the sunshine of heaven
lighting his page, giving 'honor to whom honor is due,' doing even
justice to the splendid valor alike of friend and foe, he may tell the
world how the rain descended in streams of fire, and the floods came in
the billows of rebellion, and the winds blew in blasts of fraternal
execration, and beat upon the fabric of the Federal Union, and that it
fell not, for, resting on the rights and liberties of the people, it was
founded upon a rock." General Hancock died February 9, 1886.
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
Perhaps the gravest problem which confronts our country is the eternal
strife between capital and labor. It is a problem which when solved will
prove one of the most beneficent boons that ever blessed mankind.
Disputes continually arise between employers and employees; strikes have
occurred without number, many of them attended by violence, the
destruction of property and lamentable loss of life. Arbitration is the
best and most sensible cure for the grave peril which at times has
seemed to threaten the safety of our institutions, and when the employer
and those dependent upon him for the support of themselves and families
meet in a friendly spirit and discuss their differences, they are
certain to reach an amicable agreement.
That men have the right to strike and combine against a lowering of
their wages or for the purpose of increasing them is beyond all dispute.
That they have the right to destroy property or prevent other men from
taking their places is contended by no intelligent person, but, so long
as human nature remains as it is, they will do so, with the result that
in almost every instance it is the laborers themselves who are the
greatest losers and sufferers.
One fact for which all ought to be grateful is that the murderous
anarchists who once plotted and struck with the venom of rattlesnakes
have either disappeared or ceased their evil work. They are scarcely
heard of in these days, and that it may ever remain thus is the fervent
wish of every patriotic and right-minded citizen.
It is inevitable that so long as the United States remains an asylum for
the persecuted and oppressed of all nations, it must receive many of the
miscreants that have been compelled to flee from their own countries to
escape the penalty of their crimes. Despite the ravings of the
anarchists, we have good-naturedly let them alone, not believing they
would ever dare to carry out any of the threats which they were so fond
of making. Thus they became emboldened and finally ventured to put their
execrable principles into practice.
There were a good many strikes in different parts of the country in the
early months of 1886. A number were settled by arbitration, such as the
strike on the elevated railroads in New York City, but others were
fought out to the bitter end.
A strike occurred on the Missouri Pacific Railroad in the spring of
1886. The strikers became violent, destroyed property, and a number of
lives were lost. The end came in May, and, as is generally the case, it
was against the employes, many of whom were unable to regain the places
that had been taken by others.
ANARCHISTIC OUTBREAK IN CHICAGO.
The cry for eight hours, at the same rate of wages previously paid for
ten, was raised in New York and Chicago in May, 1886. Here and there a
compromise of nine hours was agreed upon with a half of each Saturday
for the employes, but in other cases the employers would not yield
anything. This issue led to the strike of 40,000 workmen in Chicago, who
were chiefly lumbermen, brickmakers, freight-handlers, iron-workers, and
men employed in factories. So many people were idle that business of all
kinds suffered. Naturally there were many parades and much
speech-making. That "an idle mind is the devil's workshop" was proven by
the appearance of the communistic red flag in some of the parades and by
the savage utterances of their speech-makers.
The pork packers and brewers amicably adjusted the strikes of their men,
but the majority of the employers refused to concede anything. Sunday,
the 2d of May, passed without incident, but the police knew the
anarchists were plotting and trouble was at hand. Probably 12,000
strikers gathered the next day at the McCormick Reaper Works on Western
Avenue, where they shattered the windows with stones. At the moment an
attack was about to be made upon the buildings, a patrol wagon dashed up
with twelve policemen, who sprang to the ground. Drawing their revolvers
they faced the mob and ordered them to disperse. They were answered with
a volley of stones. The policemen fired twice over the heads of the
rioters, thereby encouraging instead of intimidating them. Seeing the
folly of throwing away their shots, the policemen now fired directly at
the rioters, who answered with pistol-shots, but they did not hit any of
the officers.
Other patrol wagons hurried up, and the officers did not wait until they
could leap out before opening fire. Their brave attack forced back the
mob, and in the course of an hour the streets were cleared. The
terrified workmen were escorted by the policemen to their homes. But for
such protection they would have been killed by the infuriated rioters.
Tuesday was marked by many affrays between the officers and
law-breakers, but no serious conflict occurred. Placards were
distributed during the day, calling upon the "workingmen" to meet that
evening at the old Haymarket Place, and the organ of the anarchists
urged the men to arm against the police. At the meeting the most
incendiary speeches were made, and the speakers had roused the several
thousand listeners to the highest pitch of excitement, when Inspector
Bonfield at the head of a column of officers forced his way to the
stand, ordered the speaker to stop, and commanded the crowd to disperse.
He was answered with jeers and a storm of missiles. While the policemen
were calmly awaiting the orders of the inspector, some one in the crowd
threw a sputtering dynamite bomb at the feet of the officers.
[Illustration: OLD HAYMARKET PLAZA, CHICAGO.
This monument shows the spot where on May 3, 1886, a dynamite bomb was
thrown by anarchists into a group of policemen, killing seven, crippling
eleven for life, and injuring twelve others so they were unable to do
duty for a year.]
A moment later it exploded, killing seven and crippling eleven for life.
The enraged survivors dashed into the mob, shooting and using their
clubs with fearful effect. Within five minutes the crowd was scattered,
but many lay dead and wounded on the ground. In the investigation that
followed, it was shown that the anarchists had planned to slay hundreds
of innocent people and plunder the city. Their leaders were brought to
trial, ably defended, and the most prominent sentenced to death. One
committed suicide, a number were hanged, and others sentenced to long
terms of imprisonment. All of the latter were pardoned by Governor
Altgeld when he assumed office. Since that time, as has been stated, the
anarchists have given little trouble.
THE CHARLESTON EARTHQUAKE.
The year 1886 was marked by one of the most terrifying visitations that
can come to any country. Earthquake shocks have been felt in different
places in the United States, and the earth-tremors are so frequent in
California that they cause little alarm, for very few have inflicted any
damage to property or life.
On the night of August 31st, the city of Richmond, Virginia, was thrown
into consternation by a series of earthquake shocks. The convicts in the
penitentiary became so panic-stricken that the militia had to be called
out to control them. The shock was felt still more violently in
Columbia, South Carolina. The buildings swayed as if rocked in a gale,
and hundreds of citizens rushed into the street in their night robes.
The scenes were less startling in Memphis, Nashville, Raleigh,
Chattanooga, Selma, Lynchburg, Norfolk, Mobile, St. Louis, Cleveland,
Indianapolis, Chicago, Pittsburg, while the tremor was felt as far north
as Albany, N.Y.
The most fearful visitation, however, was at Charleston, South Carolina.
Telegraphic communication was cut off with the rest of the world, and
for hours the horrifying belief prevailed that the city had been
entirely destroyed. Such, happily, was not the fact, though never in all
the stormy history of Charleston did she pass through so terrible an
experience.
Late on the evening named, the inhabitants found themselves tossed
about, with their houses tumbling into ruins. They ran in terror into
the streets, many not stopping until they reached the open country,
while others flung themselves on their knees and begged heaven to save
them.
The shocks that night were ten in number, each less violent than its
predecessor. Fires started in several quarters, and twenty houses were
burned before the firemen gained control. The next morning vibrations
again shook the city, all coming from the southeast and passing off in a
northwesterly direction. The first warning was a deep, subterraneous
rumbling, then the earth quivered and heaved, and in a few seconds the
terrific wave had gone by. When night came again, 50,000 people--men,
women, and children--were in the streets, none daring to enter their
houses. They fled to the open squares to escape being crushed by the
falling buildings. Many believed the day of judgment had come and the
negroes were frenzied with terror.
Singular effects of the earthquake showed themselves. In some places,
the covers were hurled from the wells and were followed by geysers of
mud and water. Some wells were entirely emptied, but they soon refilled.
The shocks continued at varying intervals for several weeks, though none
was as violent as at first. In Charleston fully a hundred people were
killed and two-thirds of the city required rebuilding. While damage was
done at other points, none equaled that at Charleston.
The country was quick to respond to the needs of the smitten city.
Contributions were forwarded from every point as freely as when Chicago
was devastated by fire. Tents, provisions, and many thousands of dollars
were sent thither. Even Queen Victoria telegraphed her sympathy to
President Cleveland. One of the mitigations of such scourges is that
they seem to draw humanity closer into one general brotherhood.
CONQUEST OF THE APACHES.
An important work accomplished during the first administration of
Cleveland was the conquest and subjection of the Apaches of the
Southwest. These Indians are the most terrible red men that ever lived
anywhere. They are incredibly tough of frame, as merciless as tigers,
and capable of undergoing hardships and privations before which any
other people would succumb. They will travel for days without a mouthful
of food, will go for hour after hour through a climate that is like that
of Sahara without a drop of moisture, will climb precipitous mountains
as readily as a slight declivity, will lope across the burning deserts
all day without fatigue, or, if riding one of their wiry ponies, will
kill and eat a portion of them when hunger must be attended to, and then
continue their journey on foot.
If a party of Apache raiders are hard pressed by cavalry, they will
break up and continue their flight singly, meeting at some rendezvous
many miles away, after the discouraged troopers have abandoned pursuit.
They seem as impervious to the fiery heat of Arizona and New Mexico as
salamanders. Tonight they may burn a ranchman's home, massacre him and
all his family, and to-morrow morning will repeat the crime fifty miles
distant.
No men could have displayed more bravery and endurance in running down
the Apaches than the United States cavalry. The metal-work of their
weapons grew so hot that it would blister the bare hands, and for days
the thermometer marked one hundred and twenty degrees.
Captain Bourke, who understands these frightful red men thoroughly,
gives the following description of the Apache:
"Physically, he is perfect; he might be a trifle taller for artistic
effect, but his apparent 'squattiness' is due more to great girth of
chest than to diminutive stature. His muscles are hard as bone, and I
have seen one light a match on the sole of his foot. When Crook first
took the Apache in hand, he had few wants and cared for no luxuries. War
was his business, his life, and victory his dream. To attack a Mexican
camp or isolated village, and run off a herd of cattle, mules, or sheep,
he would gladly travel hundreds of miles, incurring every risk and
displaying a courage which would have been extolled in a historical
novel as having happened in a raid by Highlanders upon Scotchmen; but
when it was _your_ stock, or your friend's stock, it became quite a
different matter. He wore no clothing whatever save a narrow piece of
calico or buckskin about his loins, a helmet also of buckskin,
plentifully crested with the plumage of the wild turkey and eagle, and
long-legged moccasins, held to the waist by a string, and turned up at
the toes in a shield which protected him from stones and the 'cholla'
cactus. If he felt thirsty, he drank from the nearest brook; if there
was no brook near by he went without, and, putting a stone or a twig in
his mouth to induce a flow of saliva, journeyed on. When he desired to
communicate with friends at home, or to put himself in correspondence
with persons whose co-operation had been promised, he rubbed two sticks
together, and dense signal smoke rolled to the zenith, and was answered
from peaks twenty and thirty miles away. By nightfall, his bivouac was
pitched at a distance from water, generally on the flank of a rocky
mountain, along which no trail would be left, and up which no force of
cavalry could hope to ascend without making noise enough to wake the
dead."
This graphic picture of the dusky scourge of the Southwest will explain
the dread in which he was held by all who were compelled to live away
from the towns. When practicable, the ranchmen combined against the
Apaches, but, from the necessities of the case, they were powerless to
extirpate the pests. Unsuccessful attempts were made by the military
forces, but nothing definite was accomplished until General George Crook
took the work in hand.
Crook was an old Indian campaigner who thoroughly understood the nature
of the difficult task before him. His preparations being completed, he
ordered his different columns to converge, December 9, 1872, on Tonto
Basin, which was one of the principal strongholds of the Apaches in
Arizona. The section is inclosed by the Mogollen, the Mazatzal, and the
Sierra Ancha Mountains, and the timbered region is so elevated that
during the winter months it is covered with snow. Crook himself took
station at Camp Grant, one of the most unattractive posts in the
country.
This officer having started on his campaign pushed it with untiring
energy. He had selected the best Indian fighters to be found anywhere,
and they pursued and rounded up the bucks with amazing skill and
persistency. As soon as they corralled a party of hostiles, they
impressed the best trailers and used them in running down the others.
The Indians were allowed no time to rest. When they had fled many miles,
and supposed their pursuers were left far out of sight, as had hitherto
been the case, they discovered them at their heels. Plunging into their
fastnesses in the mountains did not avail, for the white and the red
trailers could follow and did follow them wherever they took refuge.
The pursuing detachments frequently crossed one another's trails, often
met and kept within supporting distance. The danger which threatened the
Apaches was as present in the darkness as when the sun was shining. One
of the seemingly inaccessible strongholds was reached by the troopers
pushing the pursuit all through the night. As a proof of the skill of
the Apache trailers, it may be said they were often guided in the gloom
by the feeling of their feet, which told them when they were on the
trail of the enemy. Captain Bourke, whom we have quoted, was in command
of a detachment of the best Indian trailers and sharpshooters. He thus
describes the scene and incidents, when, after hours of stealthy pursuit
through the rough region, they came upon the hostiles, who believed
themselves beyond reach of the most persistent enemies of any race:
[Illustration: GENERAL CROOK'S APACHE GUIDE.]
"Lieutenant William J. Ross, of the Twenty-first Infantry, was assigned
to lead the first detachment, which contained the best shots from among
the soldiers, packers, and scouts. The second detachment came under my
own orders. Our pioneer party slipped down the face of the precipice
without accident, following a trail from which an incautious step would
have caused them to be dashed to pieces; after a couple of hundred yards
this brought them face to face with the cave, and not two hundred feet
from it. In front of the cave was the party of raiders, just returned
from their successful trip of killing and robbing in the settlement near
Florence on the Gila River. They were dancing to keep themselves warm
and to express their joy over their safe return. Half a dozen or more of
the squaws had arisen from their slumbers and were bending over a fire
and hurriedly preparing refreshments for their victorious kinsmen. The
fitful gleam of the glowing flame gave a Macbethian tinge to the weird
scene, and brought into bold relief the grim outlines of the cliffs,
between whose steep walls, hundreds of feet below, growled the rushing
current of the swift Salado.
"The Indians, men and women, were in high good humor, and why should
they not be? Sheltered in the bosom of these grim precipices, only the
eagle, the hawk, the turkey buzzard, or the mountain sheep could venture
to intrude upon them. But hark! What is that noise? Can it be the breeze
of morning which sounds 'click, click?' You will know in one second
more, poor, deluded, red-skinned wretches, when the 'bang! boom!' of
rifles and carbines, reverberating like the roar of a cannon, from peak
to peak, shall lay six of your number dead in the dust.
"The cold, gray dawn of that chill December morning was sending its
first rays above the horizon and looking down upon one of the worst
bands of Apaches in Arizona, caught like wolves in a trap. They rejected
with scorn our summons to surrender, and defiantly shrieked that not one
of our party should escape from the canyon. We heard their death-song
chanted, and then out of the cave and over the great pile of rocks,
which protected the entrance like a parapet, swarmed the warriors. But
we outnumbered them three to one, and poured in lead by the bucketful.
The bullets, striking the mouth and roof of the cave, glanced among the
savages in rear of the parapet, and wounded some of the women and
children, whose wails filled the air.
"During the heaviest part of the firing, a little boy not more than four
years old, absolutely naked, ran out at the side of the parapet and
stood dumfounded between the two fires. Nantaje, without a moment's
pause, rushed forward, grasped the trembling infant by the arm, and
escaped unhurt with him, inside our lines. A bullet, probably deflected
from the rocks, had struck the boy on top of his head and plowed around
to the back of his neck, leaving a welt an eighth of an inch thick, but
not injuring him seriously. Our men suspended their firing to cheer
Nantaje and welcome the new arrival; such is the inconsistency of human
nature.
"Again the Apaches were summoned to surrender, or, if they would not do
that, to let such of their women and children as so desired pass out
between the lines; again they yelled their refusal. Their end had come.
The detachment led by Major Brown at the top of the precipice, to
protect our retreat in case of necessity, had worked its way over to a
high shelf of rock overlooking the enemy beneath, and began to tumble
down great bowlders, which speedily crushed the greater number of the
Apaches. The Indians on the San Carlos reservation still mourn
periodically for the seventy-six of their relatives who yielded up the
ghost that morning. Every warrior died at his post. The women and
children had hidden themselves in the inner recesses of the cave, which
was of no great depth, and were captured and taken to Camp McDowell. A
number of them had been struck by glancing bullets or fragments of
falling rock. As soon as our pack trains could be brought up, we mounted
the captives on our horses and mules and started for the nearest
military station, the one just named, over fifty miles away."
This was one of the most decisive blows received by the hostiles. No
more murderous band had ever desolated the ranches of Southern Arizona.
It had been virtually wiped out by the troopers, who, complete as was
their work, lost only a single man.
A GREAT TRANSFORMATION.
This achievement may illustrate the manner in which the American
troopers did their work. A few days later a blow almost as destructive
was delivered at Turret Butte, and within a month a hundred and ten
Apaches in the Superstition Mountains surrendered to Major Brown and
accompanied him to Camp Grant. The Indians understood the character of
the man who was pressing them so remorselessly. They offered to
surrender to General Crook, who told them that, if they would stop
killing people and live peaceful lives, he would teach them to work,
find a market for their products, and prove himself the truest friend
they could have.
[Illustration: AN INDIAN WARRIOR.]
They accepted the offer, for they knew Crook could be trusted. Strange
as it may appear, he had all the Apaches within a month at work digging
ditches, cutting hay and wood, planting vegetables, and as peaceful and
contented as so many farmers in the interior of one of our own States.
This transformation included all the Apaches in Arizona, excepting the
Chiricahuas, who were not within the jurisdiction of Crook.
The terrible scourge that had so long desolated the Southwest was gone,
and all would have been well but for the vicious "Indian Ring" in
Washington, or, as it was more popularly known, the "Tucson Ring," who
secured legislation by which the 6,000 Apaches were ordered to leave the
reservation and go to that of San Carlos, where the soil is arid, the
water brackish, and the flies make life intolerable. As was inevitable,
the Indians were exasperated and revolted. They preferred to be shot
down while resenting the injustice than to submit quietly to it. Again
the reign of terror opened, and the blood of hundreds of innocent people
paid for the villainy of the rapacious miscreants who were beyond reach.
GERONIMO, THE FAMOUS APACHE CHIEF.
The most famous chief of the Warm Spring Apaches was Geronimo. Another
hardly less prominent was his cousin Chato, who joined the whites in
their attempts to run down Geronimo. They professed to hate each other,
but there is ground for believing the two were secret allies, and kept
up continual communication by which Geronimo was able to avoid his
pursuers and continue his fearful career.
General Crook took the saddle again, when Geronimo escaped from Fort
Apache in May, 1885, with a band of more than a hundred warriors, women,
and children. They traveled one hundred and twenty miles before making
their first camp. Try as they might, the cavalry could not get within
gunshot, and, though the chase was pressed for hundreds of miles, the
fugitives placed themselves beyond reach for a time in the Sierra Madre
Mountains.
But Crook never let up, and finally corralled Geronimo. He held him just
one night, when he escaped. The wily leader stole back to camp the next
night, carried off his wife, and was beyond reach before pursuit could
be made.
There was an agreement between the United States and Mexico by which the
troops of the former were allowed to follow any marauding Indians beyond
the Rio Grande when they were seeking escape by entering Mexico. General
H.W. Lawton (who won fame in Cuba during our late war with Spain and
still more in the Philippines) took the field with the Fourth Cavalry,
May 5, 1885. Lawton is a giant in stature and strength, with more
endurance than an Indian, absolutely fearless, and he was resolute to
run down the Apaches, even if compelled to chase them to the city of
Mexico.
And he did it. Geronimo was followed with such untiring persistency,
losing a number of his bucks in the attacks made on him, that in
desperation he crossed the Rio Grande and headed again for the Sierra
Madre. A hot chase of two hundred miles brought the Apaches to bay, and
a brisk fight took place within the confines of Mexico. The Indians fled
again, and Lawton kept after them. The pursuit took the troopers 300
miles south of the boundary line, the trail winding in and out of the
mountains and canyons of Sonora, repeatedly crossing and doubling upon
itself, but all the time drawing nearer the dusky scourges, who at last
were so worn out and exhausted that when summoned to surrender they did
so.
Geronimo, one of the worst of all the Apaches, was once more a prisoner
with his band. But he had been a prisoner before, only to escape and
renew his outrages. So long as he was anywhere in the Southwest, the
ranchmen felt unsafe. Accordingly, he and his leading chiefs were sent
to Fort Pickens, Florida, the others being forwarded to Fort Marion, St.
Augustine. Their health after a time was affected, and they were removed
to Mount Vernon, Alabama. The prisoners, including the women and
children, number about 400. A school was opened, whither the boys and
girls were sent to receive instruction, and some of the brightest pupils
in the well-known Indian School at Carlisle were the boys and girls
whose fathers were merciless raiders in Arizona only a few years ago,
and who are now quiet, peaceful, contented, and "good Indians." The
Apaches have been thoroughly conquered, and the ranchmen and their
families have not the shadow of a fear that the terror that once
shadowed their thresholds can ever return.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1888.
Although President Cleveland offended many of his party by his devotion
to the policy of civil service reform, he was renominated in 1888, while
the nominee of the Republicans was Benjamin Harrison. Other tickets were
placed in the field, and the November election resulted as follows:
Grover Cleveland and Allen G. Thurman, Democrats, 168 electoral votes;
Benjamin Harrison and Levi P. Morton, Republicans, 233; Clinton B. Fisk
and John A. Brooks, Prohibition, received 249,907 popular votes; Alson
J. Streeter and C.E. Cunningham, United Labor, 148,105; James L. Curtis
and James R. Greer, American, 1,591.
[Illustration: BENJAMIN HARRISON. (1833-.) One term, 1889-1894.]
THE TWENTY-THIRD PRESIDENT.
Benjamin Harrison was born at North Bend, Ohio, August 20, 1833. His
father was a farmer, and _his_ father was General William Henry
Harrison, governor of the Northwest Territory, and afterward President
of the United States, and the first to die in office. His father was
Benjamin Harrison, one of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence. Thus the twenty-third President possesses illustrious
lineage.
Benjamin Harrison entered Miami University when a boy, and was graduated
before the age of twenty. He studied law, and upon his admission to the
bar settled in Indianapolis, which has since been his home. He
volunteered early in the war, and won the praise of Sheridan and other
leaders for his gallantry and bravery. He was elected to the United
States Senate in 1881, and his ability placed him among the foremost
leaders in that distinguished body. As a debater and off-hand speaker,
he probably has no superior, while his ability as a lawyer long ago
placed him in the very front rank of his profession.
THE JOHNSTOWN DISASTER.
The Conemaugh Valley, in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, is about
twenty miles in length. The city of Johnstown lies thirty-nine miles
west-southwest of Altoona and seventy-eight miles east-by-south of
Pittsburg. It is the seat of the Cambria Iron Works, which give
employment to fully 6,000 men, and is one of the leading industrial
establishments of the country. Conemaugh Lake is at the head of the
winding valley, eighteen miles away, and was the largest reservoir of
water in the world. It was a mile and a half wide at its broadest part,
and two miles and a half long. Most of the lake was a hundred feet deep.
The dam was a fifth of a mile wide, ninety feet thick at its base, and
one hundred and ten feet high. The mass of water thus held in restraint
was inconceivable.
The people living in the valley below had often reflected upon the
appalling consequences if this dam should give way. Few persons
comprehend the mighty strength of water, whose pressure depends mainly
upon its depth. A tiny stream, no thicker than a pipe-stem, can
penetrate deeply enough into a mountain to split it apart, and, should
the reservoir ever burst its bounds, it would spread death and
desolation over miles of country below.
There had been several alarms, but the engineers sent to make an
examination of the dam always reported it safe, and the people, like
those who live at the base of a volcano, came to believe that all the
danger existed in their imagination.
On the 31st of May, 1889, the dam suddenly gave way, sliding from its
base, like an oiled piece of machinery, and the vast mass of water shot
forward at the speed of more than two miles a minute. Seven minutes
after the bursting of the dam, the head of the resistless flood was
eighteen miles down the valley. A man on horseback had started, at a
dead-run, some minutes before the catastrophe, shouting a warning to the
inhabitants, some of whom, by instantly taking to flight up the
mountain side, were able to save themselves, but the majority waited too
long.
A FURIOUS TORRENT.
Imagination cannot picture the awful power of this prodigious torrent.
Trees were uptorn or flattened to the earth, houses, locomotives, and
massive machinery were tumbled over and over and bobbed about like so
many corks, and the flood struck Johnstown with the fury of a cyclone,
sweeping everything before it, as if it were so much chaff. Tearing
through the city and carrying with it thousands of tons of wreckage of
every description, it plunged down the valley till it reached the
railroad bridge below Johnstown. There, for the first time, it
encountered an obstruction which it could not overcome. The structure
stood as immovable as a solid mountain, and the furious torrent piled up
the debris for a mile in width and many feet in depth. In this mass were
engines, houses, trees, furniture, household utensils, iron in all
forms, while, winding in and out, were hundreds of miles of barbed wire,
which knit the wreckage together. In many of the dwellings people were
imprisoned, and before a step could be taken to relieve them fire broke
out and scores were burned to death.
[Illustration: INDIAN MOTHER AND INFANT.]
How many people lost their lives in the Johnstown flood will never be
known. The remains of bodies were found for months and even years
afterward. The official list, when made up, was 2,280, of which 741
bodies were unidentified; but there is little doubt that the loss was
fully twice the number given. Nothing of the kind has ever before
occurred in the history of our country, and it is to be hoped that such
a disaster will never be repeated.
Again the calamity awoke an instant sympathetic response. Provisions,
tents, and money were sent to the sufferers from all parts of the Union,
and nothing that could relieve them was neglected. Johnstown was soon
rebuilt, and to-day there are no signs of the fearful visitation it
received, only a comparatively short time since. On November 14, 1892,
at the payment of the annuity provided for the orphans of Johnstown, the
sum of $20,325 was distributed.
We came very near to having a war with Chili in the latter part of 1891.
On the 16th of October of that year, some forty men, attached to the
American warship _Baltimore_, lying in the harbor of Valparaiso,
obtained leave to go ashore. Sailors at such times are as frolicksome as
so many boys let out for a vacation, and it cannot be claimed that these
Jackies were models of order and quiet behavior. They were in uniform
and without weapons.
They had been in the city only a short time, when one of them became
involved in a wrangle with a Chilian. His companions went to his
assistance whereupon a native mob quickly gathered and set upon them.
The Chilians detest Americans, and, seeing a chance to vent their
feelings, they did so with vindictive fury. They far outnumbered the
sailors, and besides nearly every one of them was armed. The boatswain's
mate of the _Baltimore_, Riggin by name, was killed and several
seriously wounded, one of whom afterward died from his injuries.
Thirty-five of the Americans were arrested and thrown into prison, but
as they could not be held upon any criminal charge they were released.
The captain of the _Baltimore_ was the present Rear-Admiral Schley, who
rescued the Greely party of Arctic explorers, and gave so good an
account of himself, while in command of the _Brooklyn_, during the
destruction of Cervera's fleet off Santiago, July 3, 1898. When our
government learned of the affair, it directed Captain Schley to make a
full investigation. He did so, and his report left no doubt that the
Chilians had committed a gross outrage against our flag.
The next act of our government was to demand an apology from Chili and
the payment of an indemnity to the sufferers and to the families of
those who had been killed by the attack of the mob. Chili is a fiery
nation, and her reply was so insolent that preparations were set on foot
to bring her to terms by force of arms. At the moment, as may be said,
when war impended, she sent an apology and forwarded a satisfactory
indemnity, whereupon the flurry subsided.
A GREAT INDIAN WAR THREATENED IN 1890-1891.
A still greater danger threatened the country in the winter of
1890-1891, when we were menaced by the most formidable Indian uprising
that has ever occurred in the history of our country.
Indian wars hitherto had been confined to certain localities, where, by
the prompt concentration of troops, they were speedily subdued; but in
the instance named the combination was among the leading and most
warlike tribes, who roamed over thousands of square miles of the
Northwest. A fact not generally suspected is that the red men of this
country are as numerous to-day as they ever were. While certain tribes
have disappeared, others have increased in number, with the result that
the sentimental fancy that at some time in the future the red man will
disappear from the continent has no basis in fact. The probability is
that they will increase, though not so rapidly as their Caucasian
brethren.
The strongest tribe in the Northwest is the Sioux. It was they who
perpetrated the massacres in Minnesota in 1862. If necessary they could
place 5,000 warriors in the field, with every man a brave and skillful
fighter in his way. It was they, too, who overwhelmed Custer and his
command on the Little Big Horn in June, 1876. When it is added that the
squaws are as vicious fighters as their husbands, it will be understood
what a war with them means, especially since they have the help of
neighboring tribes.
For a long time there have been two classes of Indians. The progressives
favor civilization, send their children to Carlisle and other schools,
engage in farming, and, in short, are fully civilized. They remain on
their reservation and give the government no trouble. Opposed to them
are the barbarians, or untamable red men, who refuse to accept
civilization, hate the whites, and are ready to go to war on a slight
pretext, even though they know there can be but one result, which is
their own defeat.
The Indians are among the most superstitious people in the world. When,
therefore, a number of warriors appeared among them, dressed in white
shirts, engaging in furious "ghost dances," and declaring that the
Messiah was about to revisit the earth, drive out the white men, and
restore the hunting grounds to the faithful Indians, the craze spread
and the fanatical promises of the ghost dancers were eagerly accepted by
thousands of red men.
SITTING BULL.
The most dangerous Sioux Indian was the medicine man known as Sitting
Bull, already referred to in our account of the Custer massacre. He
always felt bitter against the whites, and had caused them a good deal
of trouble. He saw in the ghost dance the opportunity for which he
longed, and he began urging his people to unite against their hereditary
enemies, as he regarded them.
It soon became apparent that, unless he was restrained, he would cause
the worst kind of trouble, and it was determined to arrest him. The most
effective officers employed against the men are the Indian police in the
service of the United States government. These people did not like
Sitting Bull, and hoped they would have trouble in arresting him, since
it would give the pretext they wanted for shooting him.
Sitting Bull's camp was forty miles northwest of Fort Yates, North
Dakota, whither the Indian police rode on the morning of December 15,
1890, with the United States cavalry lingering some distance in the
rear. The taunts of Sitting Bull's boy Crowfoot caused him to offer
resistance, and in a twinkling both parties began shooting. Sitting
Bull, his son, and six warriors were killed, while four of the Indian
police lost their lives, among them the one who had fired the fatal shot
at the medicine man.
The remaining members of Sitting Bull's command fled to the "Bad Lands"
of Dakota, but a number were persuaded to return to Pine Ridge Agency.
There were so many, however, who refused to come in that the peril
assumed the gravest character. The only way to bring about a real peace
was to compel the disarming of the Indians, for so long as they had
weapons in their hands they were tempted to make use of them.
[Illustration: INDIAN AGENCY.]
It was the time for coolness, tact, and discretion, and the American
officers displayed it to a commendable degree. They carefully avoided
giving the Indians cause for offense, while insisting at the same time
upon their being disarmed.
On December 28th, a band of malcontents were located near Wounded Knee
Creek, by the Seventh Cavalry, who had been hunting several days for
them. They were sullen, but, when ordered to surrender their weapons,
made a pretense of doing so. Emerging from their tepees, however, they
produced only a few worthless weapons. Being sharply ordered to bring
the remainder, they suddenly wheeled and began firing upon the soldiers.
In an instant, a fierce fight was in progress, with the combatants
standing almost within arm's reach of one another.
SQUAWS AS VICIOUS AS WILDCATS.
Twenty-eight soldiers were killed and thirty wounded, while fully as
many of the Indians were shot down. In the fighting, the squaws were as
vicious as wildcats, and fought with as much effectiveness as the
warriors. A wounded officer was beaten to death by several of them
before he could be rescued. Finally, the Indians fled and joined the
malcontents, already assembled in the Bad Lands.
This affair made the outlook still darker. The Seventh Cavalry had just
reached camp on the morning of December 30th, when a courier dashed up
to Pine Ridge, with word that the Catholic Mission building was on fire
and the Indians were killing the teachers and pupils. The wearied
troopers galloped hurriedly thither, but found the burning building was
the day school, a mile nearer Pine Ridge. A strong force of Indians were
gathered beyond, and the Seventh attacked them. The Sioux were so
numerous that the cavalry were in great danger of being surrounded, when
a vigorous attack by the Ninth Cavalry (colored) on the rear of the
Indians scattered them.
Warriors continued to slip away from the agency and join the hostiles.
Their signal fires were seen burning at night, and recruits came all the
way from British America to help them. It was remarked at one time that
the only friendly Indians were the police, a few Cheyennes, and the
scouts, including a few Sioux chiefs, among whom American Horse was the
most conspicuous. He never wavered in his loyalty to the whites, and
boldly combated in argument his enemies, at the risk of being killed at
any moment by his infuriated countrymen.
THE ALARMING CLOUD DISSOLVED.
There were a number of skirmishes and considerable fighting, but General
Miles, who assumed charge of all the military movements, displayed
admirable tact. When the Sioux began slowly coming toward the agency, it
was under orders from him that not a gun should be fired nor a
demonstration made except to repel an attack or to check a break on the
part of the Indians. This course was followed, the troopers keeping at a
goodly distance behind the hostiles, who seemed more than once on the
point of wheeling about and assailing them, despite their promises to
come into the agency and surrender their arms.
The Sioux, however, kept their pledge, and, on the 15th of January,
1891, the immense cavalcade entered the agency. Everyone was amazed at
the strength displayed by the Indians, which was far greater than
supposed. In the procession were 732 lodges, and careful estimates made
the whole number 11,000, of whom 3,000 were warriors. Had these red men
broken loose and started upon the war trail, the consequences would have
been frightful.
While the weapons turned in by the Indians were only a few in number and
of poor quality, General Miles was satisfied the trouble was over and
issued a congratulatory address to those under his command. His opinion
of the situation proved correct, and the alarming war cloud that had
hung over the Northwest melted and dissolved. While there have been
slight troubles in different parts of the country since, none assumed a
serious character, and it is believed impossible that ever again the
peril of 1890-91 can threaten the country.
ADMISSION OF NEW STATES.
Several States were admitted to the Union during Harrison's
administration. The first were North and South Dakota, which became
States in November, 1889. The Dakotas originally formed part of the
Louisiana purchase. The capital was first established at Yankton in
March, 1862, but was removed to Bismarck in 1883. The two States
separated in 1889.
In November of the latter year Montana was admitted, and in July
following Idaho and Wyoming. Montana was a part of Idaho Territory until
May, 1864, when it was organized as a separate Territory. Idaho itself
was a part Of Oregon Territory until 1863, and, when first formed, was
made up of portions of Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Nebraska. The
boundaries were changed in 1864 and a part added to Montana. Wyoming
gained its name from the settlers who went thither from Wyoming Valley,
Pennsylvania. It first became a Territory in 1863.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1892.
The Republicans renominated President Harrison in 1892, with Whitelaw
Reid the candidate for Vice-President, while the Democrats put forward
ex-President Cleveland and Adlai E. Stevenson. The result of the
election was as follows:
Grover Cleveland and Adlai E. Stevenson, Democrats, 277 electoral votes;
Benjamin Harrison and Whitelaw Reid, Republicans, 144. Of the popular
vote, James B. Weaver and James G. Field, People's Party, received
1,041,028 votes; John Bidwell and James B. Cranfil, Prohibition,
264,133; and Simon Wing and Charles M. Matchett, Social Labor, 21,164
votes.
[Illustration: THE HERO OF THE STRIKE, COAL CREEK, TENN. In 1892 a
period of great labor agitation began, lasting for several years. One of
the most heroic figures of those troublous times is Colonel Anderson,
under a flag of truce, meeting the infuriated miners at Coal Creek.]