personal memoirs-2-第47章

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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　the　women

and　children　and　the　decrepit　old　men　were　with　the　villages；　however

enough；　presumably；　to　look　after　the　plunder　most　of　the　warriors

remaining　north　of　the　Arkansas　to　continue　their　marauding。　　Many

severe　fights　occurred　between　our　troops　and　these　marauders；　and　in

these　affairs；　before　November　1　over　a　hundred　Indians　were　killed；

yet　from　the　ease　with　which　the　escaping　savages　would　disappear

only　to　fall　upon　remote　settlements　with　pillage　and　murder；　the

results　were　by　no　means　satisfactory。　　One　of　the　most　noteworthy　of

these　preliminary　affairs　was　the　gallant　fight　made　on　the

Republican　River　the　17th　of　September　by　my　Aide；　Colonel　George　A。

Forsyth；　and　party；　against　about　seven　hundred　Cheyennes　and　Sioux。

Forsyth；　with　Lieutenant　Beecher；　and　Doctor　J。　H。　Mooers　as　surgeon；

was　in　charge　of　a　company　of　citizen　scouts；　mostly　expert　rifle…

shots；　but　embracing　also　a　few　Indian　fighters；　among　these　Grover

and　Parr。　　The　company　was　organized　the　latter　part　of　August　for

immediate　work　in　defense　of　the　settlements；　and　also　for　future　use

in　the　Indian　Territory　when　the　campaign　should　open　there。　　About

the　time　the　company　had　reached　its　complementit　was　limited　to

forty…seven　men　and　three　officersa　small　band　of　hostiles　began

depredations　near　Sheridan　City；　one　of　the　towns　that　grew　up　over…

night　on　the　Kansas…Pacific　railway。　　Forsyth　pursued　this　party；　but

failing　to　overtake　it；　made　his　way　into　Fort　Wallace　for　rations；

intending　to　return　from　there　to　Fort　Hays。　　Before　he　started　back；

however；　another　band　of　Indians　appeared　near　the　post　and　stole

some　horses　from　the　stage　company。　　This　unexpected　raid　made

Forsyth　hot　to　go　for　the　marauders；　and　he　telegraphed　me　for

permission；　which　I　as　promptly　gave　him。　　He　left　the　post　on　the

10th　of　September；　the　command　consisting　of　himself；　Lieutenant

Beecher；　Acting　Assistant　Surgeon　Mooers；　and　the　full　s