Welcome sunparrot,
good questions. I haven´t found anything new aside from what I have already posted. The delegation group photo of 1875 is one of my favorites, so I´ll keep thinking about that.
Btw, here´s an article about the end of William Fielder, who went with the delegation in 1875:
www.sdshspress.com/index.php?&id=1318&sub_action=1&ebtxxzmv=ebtxxzmv&action=960The jurisdictional gaps on the Cheyenne River reservation
fostered a no-man's land for non-Indian troublemakers,
a situation that ultimately led to the shooting of William
Fielder and the subsequent trial in federal court of seven
tribal policemen. Fielder, a white man, had spent his adult
life with the Lakota, who called him "Has the Boat." He became
an interpreter at Cheyenne River Agency in 1873 and
served as official interpreter for an 1875 delegation to
Washington, D.C. The Cheyenne River Indian agent appointed
him chief of the tribal police in 1878, the year the
force was organized. Over the next few years, however,
Fielder developed a reputation as a drinker and trouble-
maker and was eventually removed from the post.^ On several
occasions, agents ordered Indian police to remove him
from the reservation for his conduct, but he always returned,
claiming his right to live there as the husband of
a Lakota woman.
In 1887, Agent Charles E. McChesney sought assistance
from the United States Indian Sei-vice to remove Fielder
permanently from Cheyenne River, but he received little
help or encouragement. Acting Commissioner Alexander
B. Upshaw refuted Eielder's right to live on the reservation
the agent that he "could acquire no rights on the reservation"
in that way. UnforUinately, he continued, "the absence
of any law providing for the adequate punishment of [petty]
offenses" committed by those who lacked property
meant that the predicament had no solution. McChesney's
only recourse, according to Upshaw, was to evict Eielder
"whenever he is found on the reservation."'" This jurisdictional
void was a major factor in the incident that cost
Fielder his life.
The event precipitating the clash between Fielder and
the Indian police occurred in early March 1893, when the
United States paid Cheyenne River claimants for nearly
one thousand horses that General Alfred Terry had seized
during the Sioux War of 1876.^ On the morning of 7
March 1893, William Fielder's wife, Kate Fielder, walked
the mile from her home to the agency to claim two hundred
dollars for five horses confiscated from her in 1876.
That afternoon she gave her husband $105 to pay his
debts and buy clothes for his boys, explaining later that
she had done so out of fear because he was drunk at the
time. Fielder later demanded more money, and she refused,
having concealed the remainder in her pillow. He
then threatened to kill her and in an ugly rage struck her
with an ash stick. Finally, Fielder threw water on his unconscious
wife to revive her and made her promise not to
tell anyone about the incident."
...
Later that day, William Fielder visited the agency
and asked his wife to return home, which she refused to
do because "he had a knife" and would "cut her throat,"
she said.'" Her husband also went to the office of the agent,
who did not have him arrested at tliat time because the
"large and powerful man" was "crazed" with drink and could
not be handled by the single policeman then on duty. According
to Lillibridge, chief of police William Fletcher visited
Fielder at lois house twice that afternoon to persuade him to
surrender." When Fielder refused, tlireatening Fletcher and
his accompanying officers with a wrench and an ax, the
agent delayed further action until he could gather a larger
force of men.'' Private Joseph Gray Spotted Horse, one of
the policemen with Fletcher, later recalled Fielder telling
them, "I am not afraid of your six shooters. You have to
kill me before you can take me—that is the only way you
can take [me].'
According to Lieutenant Joshua Scares the Hawk, at
midday Agent Lillibridge advised Captain Moses Straight
Head, who had been absent earlier, not to arrest Fielder
but to wait one day and see if he would surrender. Instead,
Straight Head decided to arrest Fielder immediately,
ordering six tribal police to accompany him." At about
5:00 P.M. on 8 March, Captain Straight Head rode ahead,
planning to talk to Fielder before the other police arrived.
As he approached the house, the officer saw Fielder standing
outside with an ax in his hand. He called the white man
by bis Lakota name, Wata, and, according to Gray Spotted
Horse, "talked good to him all day—but got no answer.'"^
The remaining tribal police approached slowly, attempting
to coax Fielder into going to the agency. Private Dennis
Buck offered to speak to Fielder in English. Gray Spotted
Horse reminded him of the consequences of bis actions
for his large family, telling Fielder that he had "bad notions
in your head—we do not come up to hurt you.""*
Lieutenant Scares the Hawk told Fielder that "he must not
have any hard feelings—and have pity or mercy on us—
and come along." The lieutenant "asked and begged him
four times to come," but Fielder ran inside the cabin, shut
the door, and told the seven men to leave.'' Finally, Gray
Spotted Horse forced a decision in the stalemate, reminding
Straight Head "that this being Indian land—as policemen
we can go any where—and dig him out,"
Advising his men to be on their guard, Straight Head
kicked in a door panel, opened the door, and retreated a
step. Fielder came out after the captain, raising his ax, which
lodged in the edge of the low roof. Straight Head then
drew his revolver, firing when Fielder came at him with
the ax a second time.'"' Tlie captain later explained, "I
stepped back when I saw he wanted to strike me—and then
I fired—he was about four feet from me." Either the force of
the bullet or Fielder's momentum from swinging the ax
turned liim toward the other policemen, who stood about
six feet away. Lieutenant Scares the Hawk fired a second
shot, followed by shots from all but one of tlie other policemen.'"
Jacob Little Bull, a tribal freighter, reported that he had
driven his wagon to Fielder's home and reached the scene
shortly before tlie shooting. He, too, witnessed Fielder come
out of the house witli an ax. After the shooting, someone
covered Fielder's face, and the policemen placed the body
on a wagon and reUimed to the agency.
(from: Justice in Transition: The
Murder Trial of Straight Head
and Scares the Hawk
by Richmond L. Clow