Sitting Bull Arrest Letter
This letter was written by James McLaughlin, Indian Agent at Standing Rock, instructing members of the Indian Police to arrest Sitting Bull, the famed Lakota chief. Dated December 14, 1890, this letter set off a chain of events that resulted in the death of Sitting Bull.
McLaughlin gave this order in response to perceptions of a growing threat of conflict connected to the Ghost Dance, a Native American spiritual movement. It was incorrectly believed that Sitting Bull was the cause of the rise in popularity of the Ghost Dance. Misreading the situation, McLaughlin wrote in his letter that “the time has arrived for the arrest of Sitting Bull and that it can be made by the Indian Police without much risk.” A crowd gathered when the Indian Police arrived at Sitting Bull’s cabin to follow this order, and in the commotion a shot was fired. The ensuing retaliatory fire claimed the lives of Sitting Bull and a dozen other Native Americans.
Letter Sent by James McLaughlin, Standing Rock Indian Agent, to Lieutenant Bull Head, dated December 14, 1890. National Archives Identifier: 2641545
View and download the Letter Sent by James McLaughlin, Standing Rock Indian Agent, to Lieutenant Bull Head on the National Archives Catalog. You can explore more records held in the National Archives at Kansas City through the National Archives Catalog or by visiting our research room in person. These records are located in Record Group 75: Records of the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Series: Copies of Correspondence Sent, December 27, 1881–August 18, 1903.