personal memoirs-2-第37章

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officers　and　eleven　men　wounded。　　The　blow　struck　was　a　most

effective　one；　and；　fortunately；　fell　on　one　of　the　most　villanous　of

the　hostile　bands　that；　without　any　provocation　whatever；　had

perpetrated　the　massacres　on　the　Saline　and　Solomon；　committing

atrocities　too　repulsive　for　recital；　and　whose　hands　were　still　red

from　their　bloody　work　on　the　recent　raid。　　Black　Kettle；　the　chief；

was　an　old　man；　and　did　not　himself　go　with　the　raiders　to　the　Saline

and　Solomon；　and　on　this　account　his　fate　was　regretted　by　some。　　But

it　was　old　age　only　that　kept　him　back；　for　before　the　demons　set　out

from　Walnut　Creek　he　had　freely　encouraged　them　by　〃making　medicine；〃

and　by　other　devilish　incantations　that　are　gone　through　with　at　war

and　scalp　dances。



When　the　horrible　work　was　over　he　undertook　to　shield　himself　by

professions　of　friendship；　but　being　put　to　the　test　by　my　offering

to　feed　and　care　for　all　of　his　band　who　would　come　in　to　Fort　Dodge

and　remain　there　peaceably；　he　defiantly　refused。　　The　consequence　of

this　refusal　was　a　merited　punishment；　only　too　long　delayed。



I　received　the　first　news　of　Custer's　fight　on　theWashita　on　the

morning　of　November　29。　　It　was　brought　to　me　by　one　of　his　white

scouts；　〃California　Joe；〃　a　noted　character；　who　had　been

experiencing　the　ups　and　downs　of　pioneer　life　ever　since　crossing

the　Plains　in　1849。　　Joe　was　an　invaluable　guide　and　Indian　fighter

whenever　the　clause　of　the　statute　prohibiting　liquors　in　theIndian

country　happened　to　be　in　full　force。　　At　the　time　in　question　the

restriction　was　by　no　means　a　dead　letter；　and　Joe　came　through　in

thirty…six　hours；　though　obliged　to　keep　in　hiding　during　daylight　of

the　28th。　　The　tidings　brought　were　joyfully　received　by　everybody　at

Camp　Supply；　and　they　were　particularly　agreeable　tome；　for；　besides

being　greatly　worried　about　the　safety　of　the　command　in　the　extreme

cold　and　deep　snows；　I　knew　that　the　immediate　effect　a　victory　would

be　to　demoralize　the　rest　of　the　hostiles；　which　of　course　would

greatly　facilitate　and　expedite　our　ultimate　success。　　Toward　evening

the　day　after　Joe　arrived　the　head　of　Custer's　column　made　its

appearance　on　the　distant　hills；　the　friendly　Osage　scouts　and　the

Indian　prisoners　in　advance。　　As　they　drew　near；　the　scouts　began　a

wild　and　picturesque　performance　in　celebration　of　the　victory；

yelling；　firing　their　guns；　throwing　themselves　on　the　necks　and

sides　of　their　horses　to　exhibit　their　skill　in　riding；　and　going

through　all　sorts　of　barbaric　evolutions　and　gyrations；　which　were

continued　till　night；　when　the　rejoicings　were　ended　with　the　hideous

scalp　dance。



The　disappearance　of　Major　Elliott　and　his　party　was　the　only　damper

upon　our　pleasure；　and　the　only　drawback　to　the　very　successful

expedition。　　There　was　no　definite　information　as　to　the　detachment；

and　Custer　was　able　to　report　nothing　more　than　that　he　had　not

seen　Elliott　since　just　before　the　fight　began。　　His　theory　was；

however；　that　Elliott　and　his　men　had　strayed　off　on　account　of

having　no　guide；　and　would　ultimately　come　in　all　right　to　Camp

Supply　or　make　their　way　back　to　Fort　Dodge；　a　very　unsatisfactory

view　of　the　matter；　but　as　no　one　knew　the　direction　Elliott　had

taken；　it　was　useless　to　speculate　on　other　suppositions；　and

altogether　too　late　to　make　any　search　for　him。　　I　was　now　anxious　to

follow　up　Custer's　stroke　by　an　immediate　move　to　the　south　with　the

entire　column；　but　the　Kansas　regiment　had　not　yet　arrived。　　At　first

its　nonappearance　did　not　worry　me　much；　for　I　attributed　the　delay

to　the　bad　weather；　and　supposed　Colonel　Crawford　had　wisely　laid　up

during　the　worst　storms。　　Further　；waiting；　however；　would　give　the

Indians　a　chance　to　recover　from　the　recent　dispiriting　defeat；　so　I

sent　out　scouting　parties　to　look　Crawford　up　and　hurry　him　along。

After　a　great　deal　of　searching；　a　small　detachment　of　the　regiment

was　found　about　fifty　miles　below　us　on　the　North　Canadian；　seeking

our　camp。　　This　detachment　was　in　a　pretty　bad　plight；　and　when

brought　in；　the　officer　in　charge　reported　that　the　regiment；　by　not

following　the　advice　of　the　guide　sent　to　conduct　it　to　Camp　Supply；

had　lost　its　way。　　Instead　of　relying　on　the　guides；　Crawford　had

undertaken　to　strike　through　the　canyons　of　the　Cimarron　by　what

appeared　to　him　a　more　direct　route；　and　in　the　deep　gorges；　filled

as　they　were　with　snow；　he　had　been　floundering　about　for　days

without　being　able　to　extricate　his　command。　　Then；　too；　the　men　were

out　of　rations；　though　they　had　been　able　to　obtain　enough　buffalo

meat　to　keep　from　starving。　　As　for　the　horses；　since　they　could　get

no　grass；　about　seven　hundred　of　them　had　already　perished　from

starvation　and　exposure。　　Provisions　and　guides　were　immediately　sent

out　to　the　regiment；　but　before　the　relief　could　reach　Crawford　his

remaining　horses　were　pretty　much　all　gone；　though　the　men　were

brought　in　without　loss　of　life。　　Thus；　the　regiment　being　dismounted

by　this　misfortune　at　the　threshold　of　the　campaign；　an　important

factor　of　my　cavalry　was　lost　to　me；　though　as　foot…troops　the　Kansas

volunteers　continued　to　render　very　valuable　services　till　mustered

out　the　next　spring。









CHAPTER　XIV。



A　WINTER　EXPEDITIONHERDS　OF　BUFFALOWOLVESBLIZZARDSA　TERRIBLE

NIGHTFINDING　THE　BODIES　OF　ELLIOTT'S　PARTYTHE　ABANDONED　INDIAN

CAMPSPUSHING　DOWN　THE　WASHITATHE　CAPTURED　CHIEFSEVANS'S

SUCCESSFUL　FIGHTESTABLISHING　FORT　SILL〃CALIFORNIA　JOE〃DUPLICITY

OF　THE　CHEYENNESORDERED　TO　REPAIR　TO　WASHINGTON。



A　few　days　were　necessarily　lost　setting　up　and　refitting　the　Kansas

regiment　after　its　rude　experience　in　the　Cimarron　canyons。　　This

through　with；　the　expedition；　supplied　with　thirty　days'　rations；

moved　out　to　the　south　on　the　7th　of　December；　under　my　personal

command。　　We　headed　for　the　Witchita　Mountains；　toward　which　rough

region　all　the　villages　along　the　Washita　River　had　fled　after

Custer'　s　fight　with　Black　Kettle。　　My　line　of　march　was　by　way　of

Custer's　battle…field；　and　thence　down　the　Washita；　and　if　the

Indians　could　not　sooner　be　brought　to　terms；　I　intended　to　follow

them　into　the　Witchita　Mountains　from　near　old　Fort　Cobb。　　The　snow

was　still　deep　everywhere；　and　when　we　started　the　thermometer　was

below　zero；　but　the　sky　being　clear　and　the　day　very　bright；　the

command　was　in　excellent　spirits。　　The　column　was　made　up　of　ten

companies　of　the　Kansas　regiment；　dismounted；　eleven　companies　of　the

Seventh　Cavalry；　Pepoon's　scouts；　and　the　Osage　scouts。　　In　addition

to　Pepoon's　men　and　the　Osages；　there　was　also　〃California　Joe；〃　and

one　or　two　other　frontiersmen　besides；　to　act　as　guides　and

interpreters。　　Of　all　these　the　principal　one；　the　one　who　best　knew

the　country；　was　Ben　Clark；　a　young　man　who　had　lived　with　the

Cheyennes　during　much　of　his　boyhood；　and　who　not　only　had　a　pretty

good　knowledge　of　the　country；　but　also　spoke　fluently　the　Cheyenne

and　Arapahoe　dialects；　and　was　an　adept　in　the　sign　language。



The　first　day　we　made　only　about　ten　miles；　which　carried　us　to　the

south　bank　of　Wolf　Creek。　　A　considerable　part　of　the　day　was　devoted

to　straightening　out　matters　in　the　command；　and　allowing　time　for

equalizing　the　wagon　loads；　which　as　a　general　thing；　on　a　first

day's　march；　are　unfairly　distributed。　　And　then　there　was　an

abundance　of　fire…wood　at　Wolf　Creek；　indeed；　here　and　on　Hackberry

Creekwhere　I　intended　to　make　my　next　campwas　the　only　timber

north　of　the　Canadian　River；　and　to　select　the　halting　places　near　a

plentiful　supply　of　wood　was　almost　indispensable；　for　as　the　men

were　provided　with　only　shelter…tents；　good　fires　were　needed　in

order　to　keep　warm。



The　second　day；　after　marching　for　hours　through　vast　herds　of

buffalo；　we　made　Hackberry　Creek；　but　not；　however；　without　several

stampedes　in　the　wagon…train；　the　buffalo　frightening　the　mules　so

that　it　became　necessary　to　throw　out　flankers　to　shoot　the　leading

bulls　and　thus　turn　off　the　herds。　　In　the　wake　of　every　drove

invariably　followed　a　band　of　wolves。　　This　animal　is　a　great　coward

usually；　but　hunger　had　made　these　so　ravenous　that　they　would　come

boldly　up　to　the　column；　and　as　quick　as　a　buffalo　was　killed；　or

even　disabled；　they　would　fall　upon　the　carcass　and　eagerly　devour

it。　　Antelope　also　were　very　numerous；　and　as　they　were　quite　tame

being　seldom　chasedand　naturally　very　inquisitive；　it　was　not　an

unfrequent　thing　to　see　one　of　the　graceful　little　creatures　run　in

among　the　men　and　be　made　a　prisoner。　　Such　abundance　of　game

relieved　the　monotony　of　the　march　to　Hackberry　Creek；　but　still；

both　men　and　animals　were　considerably　exhausted　by　their　long　tramp；

for　we　made　over　thirty　miles　that　day。



We　camped　in　excellent　shape　on　the　creek　and　it　was　well　we　did；　for

a　〃Norther；〃　or　；　〃blizzard；〃　as　storms　on　the　Plains　are　now　termed

struck　us　in　the　night。　　During　the　continuance　of　these　blizzards；

which　is　usually　about　three　days；　the　cold　wind　sweeps　over　the

Plains　with　great　force；　and；　in　the　latitude　of　the　Indian

Territory；　is　weighted　with　great　quantities　of　sleet　and　snow；

through　which　it　is　often　impossible　to　travel；　indeed；　these

〃Northers〃　have　many　times　proved　fatal　to　the　unprotected

frontiersman。　　With　our　numbers　the　chance　of　any　one's　being　lost；

and　perishing　alone　（one　of　the　most　common　dangers　in　a　blizzard）；

was　avoided；　but　under　any　circumstances　such　a　storm　could　but

occasion　intense　suffering　to　all　exposed　to　it；　hence　it　would　have

been　well　to　remain　in　camp　till　the　gale　was　over；　but　the　time

could　not　be　spared。　　We　therefore　resumed　the　march　at　an　early　hour

next　morning；　with　the　expectation　of　making　the　south　bank　of　the

main　Canathan　and　there　passing　the　night；　as　Clark　assured　me　that

timber　was　plentiful　on　that　side　of　the　river。　　The　storm　greatly

impeded　us；　however；　many　of　the　mules　growing　discouraged；　and　some

giving　out　entirely；　so　we　could　not　get　to　Clark's　〃good　camp；〃　for

with　ten　hours　of　utmost　effort　only　about　half　a　day's　distance

could　be　covered；　when　at　last；　finding　the　struggle　useless；　we　were

forced　to　halt　for　the　night　in　a　bleak　bottom　on　the　north　bank　of

the　river。　　But　no　one　could　sleep；　for　the　wind　swept　over　us　with

unobstructed　fury；　and　the　only　fuel　to　be　had　was　a　few　green

bushes。　　As　night　fell　a　decided　change　of　temperature　added　much　to

our　misery；　the　mercury；　which　had　risen　when　the　〃Norther〃　began；

again　falling　to　zero。　　It　can　be　easily　imagined　that　under　such

circumstances　the　condition　of　the　men　was　one　of　extreme　discomfort；

in　truth；　they　had　to　tramp　up　and　down　the　camp　all　night　long　to

keep　from　freezing。　　Anything　was　a　relief　to　this　state　of　things；

so　at　the　first　streak　of　day　we　quit　the　dreadful　place　and　took　up

the　march。



A　seemingly　good　point　for　cr