personal memoirs-2-第32章

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order；　I　would　be　pleased　to　hear　any　suggestions　you　may　deem

necessary　respecting　the　assignments　to　which　the　order　refers。'



〃I　am　pleased　to　avail　myself　of　this　invitation　to　urgeearnestly

urgeurge　in　the　name　of　a　patriotic　people；　who　have　sacrificed

hundreds　of　thousands　of　loyal　lives　and　thousands　of　millions　of

treasure　to　preserve　the　integrity　and　union　of　this　countrythat

this　order　be　not　insisted　on。　　It　is　unmistakably　the　expressed　wish

of　the　country　that　General　Sheridan　should　not　be　removed　from　his

present　command。



〃This　is　a　republic　where　the　will　of　the　people　is　the　law　of　the

land。　　I　beg　that　their　voice　may　be　heard。



〃General　Sheridan　has　performed　his　civil　duties　faithfully　and

intelligently。　　His　removal　will　only　be　regarded　as　an　effort　to

defeat　the　laws　of　Congress。　　It　will　be　interpreted　by　the

unreconstructed　element　in　the　Souththose　who　did　all　they　could　to

break　up　this　Government　by　arms；　and　now　wish　to　be　the　only　element

consulted　as　to　the　method　of　restoring　orderas　a　triumph。　　It　will

embolden　them　to　renewed　opposition　to　the　will　of　the　loyal　masses；

believing　that　they　have　the　Executive　with　them。



〃The　services　of　General　Thomas　in　battling　for　the　Union　entitle　him

to　some　consideration。　　He　has　repeatedly　entered　his　protest　against

being　assigned　to　either　of　the　five　military　districts；　and

especially　to　being　assigned　to　relieve　General　Sheridan。



〃There　are　military　reasons；　pecuniary　reasons；　and　above　all；

patriotic　reasons；　why　this　should　not　be　insisted　upon。



〃I　beg　to　refer　to　a　letter　marked　'private；'　which　I　wrote　to　the

President　when　first　consulted　on　the　subject　of　the　change　in　the

War　Department。　　It　bears　upon　the　subject　of　this　removal；　and　I　had

hoped　would　have　prevented　it。



〃I　have　the　honor　to　be；　with　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant；



〃U。　S。　GRANT；

〃General　U。　S。　A。；　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim。



〃His　Excellency　A。　JOHNSON；

〃President　of　the　United　States。〃





I　was　ordered　to　command　the　Department　of　the　Missouri　（General

Hancock；　as　already　noted；　finally　becoming　my　successor　in　the　Fifth

Military　District）；　and　left　New　Orleans　on　the　5th　of　September。　　I

was　not　loath　to　go。　　The　kind　of　duty　I　had　been　performing　in

Louisiana　and　Texas　was　very　trying　under　the　most　favorable

circumstances；　but　all　the　more　so　in　my　case；　since　I　had　to　contend

against　the　obstructions　which　the　President　placed　in　the　way　from

persistent　opposition　to　the　acts　of　Congress　as　well　as　from

antipathy　to　mewhich　obstructions　he　interposed　with　all　the

boldness　and　aggressiveness　of　his　peculiar　nature。



On　more　than　one　occasion　while　I　was　exercising　this　command；

impurity　of　motive　was　imputed　to　me；　but　it　has　never　been

truthfully　shown　（nor　can　it　ever　be）　that　political　or　corrupt

influences　of　any　kind　controlled　me　in　any　instance。　　I　simply　tried

to　carry　out；　without　fear　or　favor；　the　Reconstruction　acts　as　they

came　to　me。　　They　were　intended　to　disfranchise　certain　persons；　and

to　enfranchise　certain　others；　and；　till　decided　otherwise；　were　the

laws　of　the　land；　and　it　was　my　duty　to　execute　them　faithfully；

without　regard；　on　the　one　hand；　for　those　upon　whom　it　was　thought

they　bore　so　heavily；　nor；　on　the　other；　for　this　or　that　political

party；　and　certainly　without　deference　to　those　persons　sent　to

Louisiana　to　influence　my　conduct　of　affairs。



Some　of　these　missionaries　were　high　officials；　both　military　and

civil；　and　I　recall　among　others　a　visit　made　me　in　1866　by　a

distinguished　friend　of　the　President；　Mr。　Thomas　A。　Hendricks。　　The

purpose　of　his　coming　was　to　convey　to　me　assurances　of　the　very　high

esteem　in　which　I　was　held　by　the　President；　and　to　explain

personally　Mr。　Johnson's　plan　of　reconstruction；　its　flawless

constitutionality；　and　so　on。　　But　being　on　the　ground；　I　had　before

me　the　exhibition　of　its　practical　working；　saw　the　oppression　and

excesses　growing　out　of　it；　and　in　the　face　of　these　experiences　even

Mr。　Hendricks's　persuasive　eloquence　was　powerless　to　convince　me　of

its　beneficence。　　Later　General　Lovell　H。　Rousseau　came　down　on　a

like　mission；　but　was　no　more　successful　than　Mr。　Hendricks。



During　the　whole　period　that　I　commanded　in　Louisiana　and　Texas　my

position　was　a　most　unenviable　one。　　The　service　was　unusual；　and　the

nature　of　it　scarcely　to　be　understood　by　those　not　entirely　familiar

with　the　conditions　existing　immediately　after　the　war。　　In

administering　the　affairs　of　those　States；　I　never　acted　except　by

authority；　and　always　from　conscientious　motives。　　I　tried　to　guard

the　rights　of　everybody　in　accordance　with　the　law。　　In　this　I　was

supported　by　General　Grant　and　opposed　by　President　Johnson。　　The

former　had　at　heart；　above　every　other　consideration；　the　good　of　his

country；　and　always　sustained　me　with　approval　and　kind　suggestions。

The　course　pursued　by　the　President　was　exactly　the　opposite；　and

seems　to　prove　that　；in　the　whole　matter　of　reconstruction　he　was

governed　less　by　patriotic　motives　than　by　personal　ambitions。　　Add

to　this　his　natural　obstinacy　of　character　and　personal　enmity　toward

me；　and　no　surprise　should　be　occasioned　when　I　say　that　I　heartily

welcomed　the　order　that　lifted　from　me　my　unsought　burden。









CHAPTER　XII。



AT　FORT　LEAVENWORTHTHE　TREATY　OF　MEDICINE　LODGEGOING　TO　FORT

DODGEDISCONTENTED　INDIANSINDIAN　OUTRAGESA　DELEGATION　OF　CHIEFS…

…TERRIBLE　INDIAN　RAIDDEATH　OF　COMSTOCKVAST　HERDS　OF　BUFFALOPRE

PARING　FOR　A　WINTER　CAMPAIGNMEETING　〃BUFFALO　BILL〃HE　UNDERTAKES　A

DANGEROUS　TASKFORSYTH'S　GALLANT　FIGHTRESCUED。



The　headquarters　of　the　military　department　to　which　I　was　assigned

when　relieved　from　duty　at　New　Orleans　was　at　Fort　Leavenworth；

Kansas；　and　on　the　5th　of　September　I　started　for　that　post。　　In　due

time　I　reached　St。　Louis；　and　stopped　there　a　day　to　accept　an

ovation　tendered　in　approval　of　the　course　I　had　pursued　in　the　Fifth

Military　Districta　public　demonstration　apparently　of　the　most

sincere　and　hearty　character。



》From　St。　Louis　to　Leavenworth　took　but　one　night；　and　the　next　day　I

technically　complied　with　my　orders　far　enough　to　permit　General

Hancock　to　leave　the　department；　so　that　he　might　go　immediately　to

New　Orleans　if　he　so　desired；　but　on　account　of　the　yellow　fever

epidemic　then　prevailing；　he　did　not　reach　the　city　till　late　in

November。



My　new　command　was　one　of　the　four　military　departments　that　composed

the　geographical　division　then　commanded　by　Lieutenant…General

Sherman。　　This　division　had　been　formed　in　1866；　with　a　view　to

controlling　the　Indians　west　of　the　Missouri　River；　they　having

become　very　restless　and　troublesome　because　of　the　building　of　the

Pacific　railroads　through　their　hunting…grounds；　and　the

encroachments　of　pioneers；　who　began　settling　in　middle　and　western

Kansas　and　eastern　Colorado　immediately　after　the　war。



My　department　embraced　the　States　of　Missouri　and　Kansas；　the　Indian

Territory；　and　New　Mexico。　　Part　of　this　section　of　countrywestern

Kansas　particularlyhad　been　frequently　disturbed　and　harassed

during　two　or　three　years　past；　the　savages　every　now　and　then

massacring　an　isolated　family；　boldly　attacking　the　surveying　and

construction　parties　of　the　Kansas…Pacific　railroad；　sweeping　down　on

emigrant　trains；　plundering　and　burning　stage…stations　and　the　like

along　the　Smoky　Hill　route　to　Denver　and　the　Arkansas　route　to　New

Mexico。



However；　when　I　relieved　Hancock；　the　department　was　comparatively

quiet。　　Though　some　military　operations　had　been　conducted　against

the　hostile　tribes　in　the　early　part　of　the　previous　summer；　all

active　work　was　now　suspended　in　the　attempt　to　conclude　a　permanent

peace　with　the　Cheyennes；　Arapahoes；　Kiowas；　and　Comanches；　in

compliance　with　the　act　of　Congress　creating　what　was　known　as　the

Indian　Peace　Commission　of　1867。



Under　these　circumstances　there　was　little　necessity　for　my　remaining

at　Leavenworth；　and　as　I　was　much　run　down　in　health　from　the

Louisiana　climate；　in　which　I　had　been　obliged　to　live　continuously

for　three　summers　（one　of　which　brought　epidemic　cholera；　and　another

a　scourge　of　yellow　fever）；　I　took　a　leave　of　absence　for　a　few

months；　leaving　Colonel　A。　J。　Smith；　of　the　Seventh　Cavalry；

temporarily　in　charge　of　my　command。



On　this　account　I　did　not　actually　go　on　duty　in　the　department　of

the　Missouri　till　March；　1868。　　On　getting　back　I　learned　that　the

negotiations　of　the　Peace　Commissioners　held　at　Medicine　Lodge；　about

seventy　miles　south　of　Fort　Larned　had　resulted　in　a　treaty　with　the

Cheyennes；　Arapahoes；　Kiowas；　and　Comanches；　by　which　agreement　it

was　supposed　all　troubles　had　been　settled。　　The　compact；　as

concluded；　contained　numerous　provisions；　the　most　important　to　us

being　one　which　practically　relinquished　the　country　between　the

Arkansas　and　Platte　rivers　for　white　settlement；　another　permitted

the　peaceable　construction　of　the　Pacific　railroads　through　the　same

region；　and　a　third　requiring　the　tribes　signing　the　treaty　to　retire

to　reservations　allotted　them　in　the　Indian　Territory。　　Although　the

chiefs　and　head…men　were　well…nigh　unanimous　in　ratifying　these

concessions；　it　was　discovered　in　the　spring　of　1868　that　many　of　the

young　men　were　bitterly　opposed　to　what　had　been　done；　and　claimed

that　most　of　the　signatures　had　been　obtained　by　misrepresentation

and　through　proffers　of　certain　annuities；　and　promises　of　arms　and

ammunition　to　be　issued　in　the　spring　of　1868。　　This　grumbling　was

very　general　in　extent；　and　during　the　winter　found　outlet　in

occasional　marauding；　so；　fearing　a　renewal　of　the　pillaging　and

plundering　at　an　early　day；　to　prepare　myself　for　the　work　evidently

ahead　the　first　thing　I　did　on　assuming　permanent　command　was　to　make

a　trip　to　Fort　Larned　and　Fort　Dodge；　near　which　places　the　bulk　of

the　Indians　had　congregated　on　Pawnee　and　Walnut　creeks。　　I　wanted　to

get　near　enough　to　the　camps　to　find　out　for　myself　the　actual　state

of　feeling　among　the　savages；　and　also　to　familiarize　myself　with　the

characteristics　of　the　Plains　Indians；　for　my　previous　experience　had

been　mainly　with　mountain　tribes　on　Ehe　Pacific　coast。　　Fort　Larned　I

found　too　near　the　camps　for　my　purpose；　its　proximity　too　readily

inviting　unnecessary　〃talks；〃　so　I　remained　here　but　a　day　or　two；

and　then　went　on　to　Dodge；　which；　though　considerably　farther　away

from　the　camps；　was　yet　close　enough　to　enable　us　to　obtain　easily

information　of　all　that　was　going　on。



It　took　but　a　few　days　at　Dodge　to　discover　that　great　discontent

existed　about　the　Medicine　Lodge　concessions；　to　see　that　the　young

men　were　chafing　and　turbulent；　and　that　it　would　require　much　tact

and　good　management　on　the　part　of　the　Indian　Bureau　to　persuade　the

four　tribes　to　go　qu