The carriages of the foreign ministers, secretaries, and attachés of legations were driven up to the entrance of the White House with the ladies and gentlemen of the legation; then came the members of the cabinet and ladies, and some senators and members of Congress. Soon the Blue, Green and Red Rooms were crowded. The ladies were dressed in their gayest costumes, and the gentlemen had on their Sunday clothes.
About seven o'clock the entire Indian delegation drove up, with Red Cloud, Spotted Tail, with his three braves, in open barouches, and soon shown into the East Room.
This room was brilliantly illuminated, and bouquets of flowers were scattered around.
General Parker welcomed the Indians, and told them they were to see the President and his wife and children, and the members of his great council, the cabinet, and members also of other nations over the big waters to the President, and have a hand-shake, "How" and talk, if they wished. Spotted Tail and braves were seated in the end of the Southeast Room, and Red Cloud and band, with the squaws, along the east side. Spotted Tail and his party were dressed in blue blankets, white leggins, and white shirts, and each had a single eagle's feather stuck in the back of his hair; all their faces had on war-paint, and all the beads and other trinkets they could pile on, adorned their persons.
Red Cloud, in his paint, looked awful, and he wore a head-dress of eagle feathers sewed on red flannel. This was trailed down to his feet, and attracted much notice from its oddity and beauty. Red Dog, his lieutenant and orator, had a beautiful head-gear, as also did several others. It would be impossible to describe the different ornaments worn by these Indians, but they looked as gay as an actor personating Richard the Third on the stage.
The squaws wore short dresses and high bodies or shirts, and their cheeks, noses, and foreheads thickly covered with red paint. Both parties soon set up a lively jabber in Sioux; but General Parker gave a sign, and all were as whist as mice.
The folding-doors were opened from the broad passage-way into the East Room, and soon the President was ushered in with Mrs. Grant, Secretary Fish and wife, Secretary Belknap and wife, Secretary Cox, wife and daughter, Secretary Boutwell and wife, Secretary Robeson and Miss Nellie Grant, Judge Hoar, wife and daughter, Postmaster-General Cresswell, wife and sister, Generals Porter, Dent, Babcock, and others; then followed senators, members, and their wives and other ladies. Next, Minister Thornton, wife and lady friends, with Mr. Secretary Ford, wife, and other attachés of the British legation; Baron Gerolt, wife and daughter, M. and Madame Garcia, and indeed all the representatives of foreign nations on the whole earth but China and Japan. The diplomatic corps did not wear uniforms, but imitated the Indians, who had many insignia of rank in tell-tales of scalps taken, etc., by putting on all their stars and orders, and each wore swallow-tail coats, white vests, neckties, and gloves and dark pants.
Mrs. Grant was attired in a handsome grenadine, and wore a diamond necklace, and japonica hair adornings. The other ladies seemed to have vied with each other to out-dress one another, surpassing even their gay attire at their winter receptions.
Soon the President with his party had all got into the East Room, on the west side, the President, with Secretary Fish, General Parker, and M. Beauvais, the interpreter; next, Mrs. Grant, Mrs. Parker, and Mrs. Fish, distributed so as to see all going on, while the Indians lounged lazily on the sofas staring at their white brethren, both parties mutually surprised. Then General Parker made a sign to Spotted Tail with his braves, and they rose up, one by one, advancing to where the President and his party were standing, and the introduction, hand-shaking, etc. began; the Indians, as usual, said "How." Red Cloud followed with his band, and all said "How, How," shaking hands with each one present. The ladies seemed to enjoy this very much, laughing and chatting, and wishing, perhaps, they could speak the Indian language; for they forgot for a few moments all the restraints of the situation, and went in for real fun and frolic with these tawny sons and daughters of the plains and mountains.
Good rounds of hand-shaking indulged in, many questions were put and answered through the interpreters, and a careful examination was made of the hair-dressing, the paint on the cheeks, the beads, tin ornaments of the Indians, and the sparkling diamonds of our own people. The wonder, remarks, and laughter of each party, as something struck them as singular or ludicrous, were going on all over the room; for the order was soon broken up, and all mixed in, pale-faces and Indian alike, quite indiscriminately.