Fourth of July III.

This is coolbert:

Conclusion.

Scalp-hunters!!

Regarding that reporting from one-hundred-fifty years ago in the Chicago Tribune, it being noted that the far left hand column of the front page devoted to editorial comment:

"Major victories":

"Column One for years was a space for editors to comment on the news. On this day, they explain how important the Vicksburg victory was. They end with a remarkable discussion on the wisdom of offering bounties for Indian scalps."

That remarkable discussion from 1863 as follows:

"THE NEWS"

"The news from Minnesota is highly important. One feature we are not quite ready to endorse. The twenty-five dollar bounty on Indian scalps would look better offered by the red skins themselves whose warfare it little becomes us to imitate. White men in Minnesota stringing dead Indian scalps for a tally at the Adjutant General's office is not well or wisely inaugurated. Shoot the miscreants, hunt them to their holes. Let every squaw's son of them be bored through with a Minie but scalping knives and tomahawks should pass away with the red-men."

Minie referring to the conoidal round as fired from a muzzle loading rifle common to soldiers of the period.

Scalping of American Indians as occurring in Minnesota at the time in the aftermath of the Dakota War of 1862 [also called the Great Sioux Uprising]. Those warfare methods of the American Indian when imitated by the "white men" not looked upon with favor by the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune. WHITE MEN BEHAVING BAD AND CONDEMNED BY THE TRIBUNE!

For those that interested that purchasing power of $25 per scalp as was the bounty in 1863 now would be worth about $472 in value.

Such was the nature and tenor of the times.

coolbert.