personal memoirs-2-第48章

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Beecher；　Acting　Assistant　Surgeon　Mooers；　and　the　full　strength；

forty…seven　men；　with　a　few　pack　mules　carrying　about　ten　days'

rations。



He　headed　north　toward　the　Republican　River。　　For　the　first　two　days

the　trail　was　indistinct　and　hard　to　follow。　　During　the　next　three

it　continued　to　grow　much　larger；　indicating　plainly　that　the　number

of　Indians　ahead　was　rapidly　increasing。　　Of　course　this　sign　meant　a

fight　as　soon　as　a　large　enough　force　was　mustered；　but　as　this　was

what　Forsyth　was　after；　he　pushed　ahead　with　confidence　and　alacrity。

The　night　of　the　16th　of　September　he　encamped　on　the　Arickaree

branch　of　the　Republican；　not　far　from　the　forks　of　the　river；　with

the　expectation　of　resuming　the　march　as　usual　next　day；　for　the

indications　were　that　the　main　body　of　the　savages　must　be　still　a

long　way　off；　though　in　the　preceding　twenty…four　hours　an　occasional

Indian　had　been　seen。



But　the　enemy　was　much　nearer　than　was　thought；　for　at　daybreak　on

the　morning　of　the　17th　he　made　known　his　immediate　presence　by　a

sudden　dash　at　Forsyth's　horses；　a　few　of　which　were　stampeded　and

captured　before　the　scouts　could　reach　them。　　This　dash　was　made　by　a

small　party　only　to　get　the　horses；　so　those　engaged　in　it　were　soon

driven　off；　but　a　few　minutes　later　hundreds　of　savagesit　was

afterward　learned　that　seven　hundred　warriors　took　part　in　the　fight…

…hitherto　invisible；　showed　themselves　on　the　hills　overlooking　the

camp　and　so　menacingly　as　to　convince　Forsyth　that　his　defense　must

be　one　of　desperation。　　The　only　place　at　hand　that　gave　any　hope　of

successful　resistance　was　a　small　island　in　the　Arickaree；　the

channel　on　one　side　being　about　a　foot　deep　while　on　the　other　it　was

completely　dry；　so　to　this　position　a　hurried　retreat　was　made。　　All

the　men　and　the　remaining　animals　reached　the　island　in　safety；　but

on　account　of　the　heavy　fire　poured　in　from　the　neighboring　hills　the

packs　containing　the　rations　and　medicines　had　to　be　abandoned。



On　seeing　Forsyth's　hasty　move；　the　Indians；　thinking　they　had　him；

prepared　to　overwhelm　the　scouts　by　swooping　down　on　one　side　of　the

island　with　about　five　hundred　mounted　warriors；　while　about　two

hundred；　covered　by　the　tall　grass　in　the　river…bottom　attacked　the

other　side；　dismounted。　　But　the　brave　little　band　sadly　disappointed

them。　　When　the　charge　came　it　was　met　with　such　a　deadly　fire　that　a

large　number　of　the　fiends　were　killed；　some　of　them　even　after

gaining　the　bank　of　the　island。　　This　check　had　the　effect　of　making

the　savages　more　wary；　but　they　were　still　bold　enough　to　make　two

more　assaults　before　mid…day。　　Each　of　these　ending　like　the　first；

the　Indians　thereafter　contented　themselves　with　shooting　all　the

horses；　which　had　been　tied　up　to　some　scraggy　little　cottonwood…

trees；　and　then　proceeded　to　lay　siege　to　the　party。



The　first　man　struck　was　Forsyth　himself。　　He　was　hit　three　times　in

alltwice　in　one　leg；　both　serious　wounds；　and　once　on　the　head；　a

slight　abrasion　of　the　scalp。　　A　moment　later　Beecher　was　killed　and

Doctor　Mooers　mortally　wounded：　and　in　addition　to　these　misfortunes

the　scouts　kept　getting　hit；　till　several　were　killed；　and　the　whole

number　of　casualties　had　reached　twenty…one　in　a　company　of　forty…

seven。　　Yet　with　all　this；　and　despite　the　seeming　hopelessness　of

the　situation；　the　survivors　kept　up　their　pluck　undiminished；　and

during　a　lull　succeeding　the　third　repulse　dug　into　the　loose　soil

till　the　entire　party　was　pretty　well　protected　by　rifle…pits。　　Thus

covered　they　stood　off　the　Indians　for　the　next　three　days；　although

of　course　their　condition　became　deplorable　from　lack　of　food；　while

those　who　were　hurt　suffered　indescribable　agony；　since　no　means　were

at　hand　for　dressing　their　wounds。



By　the　third　day　the　Indians；　seeming　to　despair　of　destroying　the

beleaguered　party　before　succor　might　arrive；　began　to　draw　off；　and

on　the　fourth　wholly　disappeared。　　The　men　were　by　this　time　nearly

famished　for　food。　　Even　now　there　was　nothing　to　be　had　except

horse…meat　from　the　carcasses　of　the　animals　killed　the　first　day；

and　this；　though　decidedly　unpalatable；　not　to　say　disgusting；　had　to

be　put　up　with；　and　so　on　such　unwholesome　stuff　they　managed　to　live

for　four　days　longer；　at　the　end　of　which　time　they　were　rescued　by　a

column　of　troops　under　Colonel　Bankhead；　which　had　hastened　from　Fort

Wallace　in　response　to　calls　for　help；　carried　there　by　two　brave

fellowsStilwell　and　Truedellwho；　volunteering　to　go　for　relief；

had　slipped　through　the　Indians；　and　struck　out　for　that　post　in　the

night　after　the　first　day's　fight。









CHAPTER　XIII；



FITTING　OUT　THE　WINTER　EXPEDITIONACCOMPANYING　THE　MAIN　FORCETHE

OTHER　COLUMNSSTRUCK　BY　A　BLIZZARDCUSTER'S　FIGHT　ON　THE　WASHITA

DEFEAT　AND　DEATH　OF　BLACK　KETTLEMASSACRE　OF　ELLIOTT'S　PARTYRELIEF

OF　COLONEL　CRAWFORD。



The　end　of　October　saw　completed　the　most　of　my　arrangements　for　the

winter　campaign；　though　the　difficulties　and　hardships　to　be

encountered　had　led　several　experienced　officers　of　the　army；　and

some　frontiersmen　like　Mr。　James　Bridger；　the　famous　scout　and；　guide

of　earlier　days；　to　discourage　the　project。　　Bridger　even　went　so　far

as　to　come　out　from　St。　Louis　to　dissuade　me；　but　I　reasoned　that　as

the　soldier　was　much　better　fed　and　clothed　than　the　Indian；　I　had

one　great　advantage；　and　that；　in　short；　a　successful　campaign　could

be　made　if　the　operations　of　the　different　columns　were　energetically

conducted。　　To　see　to　this　I　decided　to　go　in　person　with　the　main

column；　which　was　to　push　down　into　the　western　part　of　the　Indian

Territory；　having　for　its　initial　objective　the　villages　which；　at

the　beginning　of　hostilities；　had　fled　toward　the　head…waters　of　the

Red　River；　and　those　also　that　had　gone　to　the　same　remote　region

after　decamping　from　the　neighborhood　of　Larned　at　the　time　that

General　Hazen　sent　Buffalo　Bill　to　me　with　the　news。



The　column　which　was　expected　to　do　the　main　work　was　to　be　composed

of　the　Nineteenth　Kansas　Volunteer　Cavalry；　commanded　by　Colonel

Crawford；　eleven　troops　of　the　Seventh　United　States　Cavalry；　under

General　Custer；　and　a　battalion　of　five　companies　of　infantry　under

Brevet　Major　John　H。　Page。　　To　facilitate　matters；　General　Sully；　the

district　commander；　was　ordered　to　rendezvous　these　troops　and

establish　a　supply　depot　about　a　hundred　miles　south　of　Fort　Dodge；

as　from　such　a　point　operations　could　be　more　readily　conducted。　　He

selected　for　the　depot　a　most　suitable　place　at　the　confluence　of

Beaver　and　Wolf　creeks；　and　on　his　arrival　there　with　Custer's　and

Page's　commands；　named　the　place　Camp　Supply。



In　conjunction　with　the　main　column；　two　others　also　were　to

penetrate　the　Indian　Territory。　　One　of　these；　which　was　to　march

east　from　New　Mexico　by　way　of　Fort　Bascom　was　to　be　composed　of　six

troops　of　the　Third　Cavalry　and　two　companies　of　infantry；　the　whole

under　Colonel　A。　W。　Evans。　　The　other；　consisting　of　seven　troops　of

the　Fifth　Cavalry；　and　commanded　by　Brevet　Brigadier…General　Eugene

A。　Carr；　was　to　march　southeast　from　Fort　Lyon；　the　intention　being

that　Evans　and　Carr　should　destroy　or　drive　in　toward　old　Fort　Cobb

any　straggling　bands　that　might　be　prowling　through　the　country　west

of　my　own　line　of　march；　Carr；　as　he　advanced；　to　be　joined　by　Brevet

Brigadier…General　W。　H。　Penrose；　with　five　troops　of　cavalry　already

in　the　field　southeast　of　Lyon。　　The　Fort　Bascom　column；　after

establishing　a　deepot　of　supplies　at　Monument　Creek；　was　to　work　down

the　main　Canadian；　and　remain　out　as　long　as　it　could　feed　itself

from　New　Mexico；　Carr；　having　united　with　Penrose　on　the　North

Canadian；　was　to　operate　toward　the　Antelope　Hills　and　headwaters　of

the　Red　River；　while　I；　with　the　main　column　was　to　move　southward　to

strike　the　Indians　along　the　Washita；　or　still　farther。　　south　on

branches　of　the　Red　River。