1874: "The Indians did not want to leave here"

William Johnson Hurlbut worked on telegraph lines, as a itinerant salesman, and a railroad surveyor in the west. For years, he kept diaries, and this excerpt comes from "Beyond the Border: A Thousand Mile Tramp in Dakota on a Government Survey, 1874." The spelling and capitalization is original; the diaries are in the South Dakota State Historical Society's collection. This section of Hurlbut's 1874 diary and surveying expedition in Dakota Territory includes interactions with Native Americans and gives details about the changing life patterns on the great plains. 

As we approached the river every man was on the look out for Indians for we knew we were not far from the Dirt Lodge Tribe who were reported so hostile. Signs of them were noticed during the day but no indians visible. We camped for the night on the bank of the river where we once more had plenty of wood and water, this being the only wood we had seen, except a few stunted willows near a water hole for the last 67 miles....

Though we had plenty of wood we made but a little fire and extinguished that as soon as we had cooked our supper. We posted a guard but slept undisturbed. In the morning we had to work several hours in fording the stream which was about four feet deep and four rods wide. We unloaded our wagons and had to carry most of the articles over on our shoulders. It was wet work but we crossed without accident and were soon on our way again after we had called in our sentinel. No indians had been seen but we could see smoke about two miles to the northwest. Just as we halted for dinner we saw several mounted ones riding out full speed in different directions over the bluffs. Of course, there was some little excitement, but as they did not approach we ate our dinner then moved on again. Before we got well under way we saw a party of about twenty indians approaching us and though they were nearly a mile distant they made quite an excitement in camp. The chain was dropped, the compass left standing; we rushed after weapons. One teamster who had boasted what he would do, mounted his wagon, reins in hand before he had hooked the traces. His horses started but he was left behind. He shouted lustily for assistance, but he only got ridicule instead. Before the indians had arrived we were all ready for them and awaiting their approach with loaded weapons and cartridge boxes open. From the manner in which they came I thought that we need not fear any open attack and as they rode into camp I stepped forward among them and shook hands with the chief and two or three of the principal men. They dismounted and one of them approached the compas [compass] and pointing toward it said "You must go away with that; you no go any further." We told them we must go on with the survey and parleyed with them at first, but as this was not Indian manners we soon had to set ourselves in a circle and were ready for a big talk. They objected quite strongly at first to our going any farther, saying we must go back and they would not molest us. To this we replied that the Great Father at Washington had sent us out here to survey this country and that we had to do it; that we had heard how they treated our people a year ago and we came prepared this time to go through with the survey; we had long rifles and if they wanted to fight us they could begin at once; we wanted to get along peaceably if we could but we would go on unless they killed us all, which if they did the Great Father had plenty of soldiers to revenge our death. This was talk they probably did not expect for it silenced them. They consulted among themselves for a little time, then changing their impudent tone begged for something to eat. We gave them some provisions and it was really amusing to us how suddenly they became friendly. We now had quite a sociable talk with them. They gave us some valuable information about the country we expected to travel through regarding wood and water.

In asking them why they drove away the surveyors last summer, according to their story a little dog was the cause of all the trouble. The dog bit one of the Indians and he shot at him which so alarmed the party that they turned their teams and took to flight. The Indians followed them for a mile or so yelling as they said "just to see them run." I think they told the truth about it, as the party was composed mainly of young, inexperienced boys who had never had any practical experience with frontier life. We told them that we had seen a buffalo a few days previously. They could hardly credit it, but we learned afterward that they went out and captured him.... Thus we met and passed without trouble and with but little delay the much talked of hostile Dirt Lodge Indians and when we prepared to start again most of them left us for their own camp though a few followed us along until we camped for the night on Turtle River about a mile below their village. We had several extra plates to fill at supper that evening.

These Indians are camped on Turtle River, a tributary of the James about 150 mues northwest of Yankton. There is good soil here with plenty of wood and water and will make a good farming country, better than most of the country we have passed over to this point. We took note of some very flne sections that appeared to be everything desirable to a farmer. They are as follows: SWl/2 Sec. 36, R43W, T.I 17 N. and NE 1/2 S. 6, R 43, T. 116. The Indians did not want to leave here saying they did not like to live on their reservation, for here they could get game in plenty. They are merely exercising a right of the noble red men, and expected to do just as they pleased, though they are very particular to draw their monthly rations at their Agency about 75 miles distant. As in all other things they are independent and though they are required to reside on their reservation by their treaty, there are but few of them that do so. This band numbers thirty-five lodges being a portion of the Sioux whose reservation is at Crow Creek. They profess to be peaceable and desirous of engaging in farming and say they have a few fields of grain but are discouraged as they have no tools or implements to work their land with. They claim to have lived here for eighteen years and don't want to leave their home. As to their farming, however, I think if they would go on their reservation they would have no difficulty in procuring all the implements they needed as well as instruction in their use. I know the tribe well for I had considerable experience with them. They bear the name of being the most treacherous and most troublesome of all the tribes along the Missouri. We saw no more of them after the next day.

Source:

William J. Hurlbut, "Beyond the Border: A Thousand Mile Tramp in Dakota on a Government Survey, 1874," published in South Dakota History journal in 1970 by the South Dakota State Historical Society. Pages 12-15. Accessed online:  https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-1-1/beyond-the-border-a-thousand-mile-tramp-in-dakota-on-a-government-survey-1874/vol-01-no-1-beyond-the-border.pdf