personal memoirs-2-第34章

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fired　on　them。



At　the　volley　Comstock　fell　from　his　horse　instantly　killed。　　Grover；

badly　wounded　in　the　shoulder；　also　fell　to　the　ground　near　Comstock

Seeing　his　comrade　was　dead；Grover　made　use　of　his　friend's　body　to

protect　himself；　lying　close　behind　it。　　Then　took　place　a　remarkable

contest；　Grover；　alone　and　severely　wounded；　obstinately　fighting　the

seven　Indians；　and　holding　them　at　bay　for　the　rest　of　the　day。

Being　an　expert　shot；　and　having　a　long…range　repeating　rifle；　he

〃stood　off　〃　the　savages　till　dark。　　Then　cautiously　crawling　away　on

his　belly　to　a　deep　ravine；　he　lay　close；　suffering　terribly　from　his

wound；　till　the　following　night；　when；　setting　out　for　Fort　Wallace；

he　arrived　there　the　succeeding　day；　almost　crazed　from　pain　and

exhaustion。



Simultaneously　with　the　fiendish　atrocities　committed　on　the　Saline

and　Solomon　rivers　and　the　attack　on　Comstock　and　Grover；　the

pillaging　and　murdering　began　on　the　Smoky　Hill　stage…route；　along

the　upper　Arkansas　River　and　on　the　headwaters　of　the　Cimarron。　　That

along　the　Smoky　Hill　and　north　of　it　was　the　exclusive　work　of；　the

Cheyennes；　a　part　of　the　Arapahoes；　and　the　few　Sioux　allies

heretofore　mentioned；　while　the　raiding　on　the　Arkansas　and　Cimarron

was　done　principally　by　the　Kiowas　under　their　chief；　Satanta；　aided

by　some　of　the　Comanches。　　The　young　men　of　these　tribes　set　out　on

their　bloody　work　just　after　the　annuities　and　guns　were　issued　at

Larned；　and　as　soon　as　they　were　well　on　the　road　the　rest　of　the

Comanches　and　Kiowas　escaped　from　the　post　and　fled　south　of　the

Arkansas。　　They　were　at　once　pursued　by　General　Sully　with　a　small

force；　but　by　the　time　he　reached　the　Cimarron　the　war…party　had

finished　its　raid　on　tHe　upper　Arkansas；　and　so　many　Indians　combined

against　Sully　that　he　was　compelled　to　withdraw　to　Fort　Dodge；　which

he　reached　not　without　considerable　difficulty；　and　after　three

severe　fights。



These；　and　many　minor　raids　which　followed；　made　it　plain　that　a

general　outbreak　was　upon　us。　　The　only　remedy；　therefore；　was　to

subjugate　the　savages　immediately　engaged　in　the　forays　by　forcing

the　several　tribes　to　settle　down　on　the　reservations　set　apart　by

the　treaty　of　Medicine　Lodge。　　The　principal　mischief…makers　were　the

Cheyennes。　　Next　in　deviltry　were　the　Kiowas；　and　then　the　Arapahoes

and　Comanches。　　Some　few　of　these　last　two　tribes　continued　friendly；

or　at　least　took　no　active　part　in　the　raiding；　but　nearly　all　the

young　men　of　both　were　the　constant　allies　of　the　Cheyennes　and

Kiowas。　　All　four　tribes　together　could　put　on　the　war…path　a

formidable　force　of　about　6；000　warriors。　　The　subjugation　of　this

number　of　savages　would　be　no　easy　task；　so　to　give　the　matter　my

undivided　attention　I　transferred　my　headquarters　from　Leavenworth　to

Fort　Hays；　a　military　post　near　which　the　prosperous　town　of　Hays

City　now　stands。



Fort　Hays　was　just　beyond　the　line　of　the　most　advanced　settlements；

and　was　then　the　terminus　of　the　Kansas…Pacific　railroad。　　For　this

reason　it　could　be　made　a　depot　of　supplies；　and　was　a　good　point

from　which　to　supervise　matters　in　the　section　of　country　to　be

operated　in；　which　district　is　a　part　of　the　Great　American　Plains；

extending　south　from　the　Platte　River　in　Nebraska　to　the　Red　River　in

the　Indian　Territory；　and　westward　from　the　line　of　frontier

settlements　to　the　foothills　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　a　vast　region

embracing　an　area　of　about　150；000　square　miles。　　With　the　exception

of　a　half…dozen　military　posts　and　a　few　stations　on　the　two　overland

emigrant　routesthe　Smoky　Hill　to　Denver；　and　the　Arkansas　to　New

Mexicothis　country　was　an　unsettled　waste　known　only　to　the　Indians

and　a　few　trappers。　　There　were　neither　roads　nor　well…marked　trails；

and　the　only　timber　to　be　foundwhich　generally　grew　only　along　the

streamswas　so　scraggy　and　worthless　as　hardly　to　deserve　the　name。

Nor　was　water　by　any　means　plentiful；　even　though　the　section　is

traversed　by　important　streams；　the　Republican；　the　Smoky　Hill；　the

Arkansas；　the　Cimarron；　and　the　Canadian　all　flowing　eastwardly；　as

do　also　their　tributaries　in　the　main。　　These　feeders　are　sometimes

long　and　crooked；　but　as　a　general　thing　the　volume　of　water　is

insignificant　except　after　rain…falls。　　Then；　because　of　unimpeded

drainage；　the　little　streams　fill　up　rapidly　with　torrents　of　water；

which　quickly　flows　off　or　sinks　into　the　sand；　leaving　only　an

occasional　pool　without　visible　inlet　or　outlet。



At　the　period　of　which　I　write；　in　1868；　the　Plains　were　covered　with

vast　herds　of　buffalothe　number　has　been　estimated　at　3；000；000

headand　with　such　means　of　subsistence　as　this　everywhere　at　hand；

the　6；000　hostiles　were　wholly　unhampered　by　any　problem　of　food…

supply。　　The　savages　were　rich　too　according　to　Indian　standards；

many　a　lodge　owning　from　twenty　to　a　hundred　ponies；　and

consciousness　of　wealth　and　power；　aided　by　former　temporizing；　had

made　them　not　only　confident　but　defiant。　　Realizing　that　their

thorough　subjugation　would　be　a　difficult　task；　I　made　up　my　mind　to

confine　operations　during　the　grazing　and　hunting　season　to

protecting　the　people　of　the　new　settlements　and　on　the　overland

routes；　and　then；　when　winter　came；　to　fall　upon　the　savages

relentlessly；　for　in　that　season　their　ponies　would　be　thin；　and　weak

from　lack　of　food；　and　in　the　cold　and　snow；　without　strong　ponies　to

transport　their　villages　and　plunder；　their　movements　would　be　so

much　impeded　that　the　troops　could　overtake　them。



At　the　outbreak　of　hostilities　I　had　in　all；　east　of　New　Mexico；　a

force　of　regulars　numbering　about　2；600　men1；200　mounted　and　1；400

foot　troops。　　The　cavalry　was　composed　of　the　Seventh　and　Tenth

regiments；　the　infantry；　of　the　Third　and　Fifth　regiments　and　four

companies　of　the　Thirty…Eighth。　　With　these　few　troops　all　the　posts

along　the　Smoky　Hill　and　Arkansas　had　to　be　garrisoned；　emigrant

trains　escorted；　and　the　settlements　and　routes　of　travel　and　the

construction　parties　on　the　Kansas…Pacific　railway　protected。　　Then；

too；　this　same　force　had　to　furnish　for　the　field　small　movable

columns；　that　were　always　on　the　go；　so　it　will　be　rightly　inferred

that　every　available　man　was　kept　busy　from　the　middle　of　August　till

November；　especially　as　during　this　period　the　hostiles　attacked　over

forty　widely　dispersed　places；　in　nearly　all　cases　stealing　horses；

burning　houses；　and　killing　settlers。　　It　was　of　course　impossible　to

foresee　where　these　descents　would　be　made；　but　as　soon　as　an　attack

was　heard　of　assistance　was　always　promptly　rendered；　and　every　now

and　then　we　succeeded　in　killing　a　few　savages。　　As　a　general　thing；

though；　the　raiders　escaped　before　relief　arrived；　and　when　they　had

a　few　miles　the　start；　all　efforts　to　catch　them　were　futile。　　I

therefore　discouraged　long　pursuits；　and；　in　fact；　did　not　approve　of

making　any　at　all　unless　the　chances　of　obtaining　paying　results　were

very　evident；　otherwise　the　troops　would　be　worn　out　by　the　time　the

hard　work　of　the　winter　was　demanded　from　them。



To　get　ready　for　a　winter　campaign　of　six　months　gave　us　much　to　do。

The　thing　most　needed　was　more　men；　so　I　asked　for　additional

cavalry；　and　all　that　could　be　sparedseven　troops　of　the　Fifth

Cavalrywas　sent　tome。　　Believing　this　reinforcement　insufficient；

to　supplement　it　I　applied　for　a　regiment　of　Kansas　volunteers；　which

request　being　granted；　the　organization　of　the　regiment　was

immediately　begun　at　Topeka。　　It　was　necessary　also　to　provide　a

large　amount　of　transportation　and　accumulate　quantities　of　stores；

since　the　campaign　probably　would　not　end　till　spring。　　Another

important　matter　was　to　secure　competent　guides　for　the　different

columns　of　troops；　for；　as　I　have　said；　the　section　of　country　to　be

operated　in　was　comparatively　unknown。



In　those　days　the　railroad　town　of　Hays　City　was　filled　with　so

called　〃Indian　scouts；〃　whose　common　boast　was　of　having　slain　scores

of　redskins；　but　the　real　scoutthat　is；　a　'guide　and　trailer

knowing　the　habits　of　the　Indianswas　very　scarce；　and　it　was　hard

to　find　anybody　familiar　with　the　country　south　of　the　Arkansas；

where　the　campaign　was　to　be　made。　　Still；　about　Hays　City　and　the

various　military　posts　there　was　some　good　material　to　select　from；

and　we　managed　to　employ　several　men；　who；　from　their　experience　on

the　Plains　in　various　capacities；　or　from　natural　instinct　and

aptitude；　soon　became　excellent　guides　and　courageous　and　valuable

scouts；　some　of　them；　indeed；　gaining　much　distinction。　　Mr。　William

F。　Cody　（〃Buffalo　Bill〃）；　whose　renown　has　since　become　world…wide；

was　one　of　the　men　thus　selected。　　He　received　his　sobriquet　from　his

marked　success　in　killing　buffaloes　for　a　contractor；　to　supply　fresh

meat　to　the　construction　parties；　on　the　Kansas…Pacific　railway。　　He

had　given　up　this　business；　however；　and　was　now　in　the　employ　of　the

quartermaster's　department　of　the　army；　and　was　first　brought　to　my

notice　by　distinguishing　himself　in　bringing　me　an　important　despatch

from　Fort　Larned　to　Fort　Hays；　a　distance　of　sixty…five　miles；

through　a　section　infested　with　Indians。　　The　despatch　informed　me

that　the　Indians　near　Larned　were　preparing　to　decamp；　and　this

intelligence　required　that　certain　orders　should　be　carried　to　Fort

Dodge；　ninety…five　miles　south　of　Hays。　　This　too　being　a

particularly　dangerous　routeseveral　couriers　having　been　killed　on

itit　was　impossible　to　get　one　of　the　various　〃Petes；〃　〃Jacks；〃　or

〃Jims〃　hanging　around　Hays　City　to　take　my　communication。　　Cody

learning　of　the　strait　I　was　in；　manfully　came　to　the　rescue；　and

proposed　to　make　the　trip　to　Dodge；　though　he　had　just　finished　his

long　and　perilous　ride　from　Larned。　　I　gratefully　accepted　his　offer；

and　after　four　or　five　hours'　rest　he　mounted　a　fresh　horse　and

hastened　on　his　journey；　halting　but　once　to　rest　on　the　way；　and

then　only　for　an　hour；　the　stop　being　made　at　Coon　Creek；　where　he

got　another　mount　from　a　troop　of　cavalry。　　At　Dodge　he　took　six

hours'　sleep；　and　then　continued　on　to　his　own　postFort　Larned

with　more　despatches。　　After　resting　twelve　hours　at　Larned；　he　was

again　in　the　saddle　with　tidings　for　me　at　Fort　Hays；　General　Hazen

sending　him；　this　time；　with　word　that　the　villages　had　fled　to　the

south　of　the　Arkansas。　　Thus；　in　all；　Cody　rode　about　350　miles　in

less　than　sixty　hours；　and　such　an　exhibition　of　endurance　and

courage　was　more　than　enough　to　convince　me　that　his　services　would

be　extremely　valuable　in　the　campaign；　so　I　retained　him　at　Fort　Hays

till　the　battalion　of　the　Fifth　Cavalry　arrived；　and　then　made　him

chief　of　scouts　for　that　regiment。



The　information　brought　me　by　Cody　on　his　second　trip　from　Larned

indicated　where　the　villages　would　be　found　in　the　winter；　and　I

decided　to　move　on　them　about　the　1st　of　November。　　Only