personal memoirs-2-第50章

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been　made　according　to　the　prearranged　plan；　from　their　appointed

places　the　entire　force　to　the　opening　notes　of　〃Garry　Owen；〃　played

by　the　regimental　band　as　the　signal　for　the　attackdashed　at　a

gallop　into　the　village。　　The　sleeping　and　unsuspecting　savages　were

completely　surprised　by　the　onset；　yet　after　the　first　confusion；

during　which　the　impulse　to　escape　principally　actuated　them；　they

seized　their　weapons；　and　from　behind　logs　and　trees；　or　plunging

into　the　stream　and　using　its　steep　bank　as　a　breastwork；　they　poured

upon　their　assailants　a　heavy　fire；　and　kept　on　fighting　with　every

exhibition　of　desperation。　　In　such　a　combat　mounted　men　were

useless；　so　Custer　directed　his　troopers　to　fight　on；　foot；　and　the

Indians　were　successively　driven　from　one　point　of　vantage　to

another；　until；　finally；　by　9　o'clock　the　entire　camp　was　in　his

possession　and　the　victory　complete。　　Black　Kettle　and　over　one

hundred　of　his　warriors　were　killed；　and　about　fifty　women　and

children　captured；　but　most　of　the　noncombatants；　as　well　as　a　few

warriors　and　boys；　escaped　in　the　confusion　of　the　fight。　　Making

their　way　down　the　river；　these　fugitives　alarmed　the　rest　of　the

Cheyennes　and　Arapahoes；　and　also　the　Kiowas　and　Comanches；　whose

villages　were　in　close　proximitythe　nearest　not　more　than　two　miles

off。



Then　of　course　all　the　warriors　of　these　tribes　rallied　to　attack

Custer；　who　meantime　was　engaged　burning　Black　Kettle's　camp　and

collecting　his　herds　of　ponies。　　But　these　new　foes　were　rather　wary

and　circumspect；　though　they　already　had　partial　revenge　in　an

unlooked　for　way　by　cutting　off　Major　Elliott　and　fifteen　men；　who

had　gone　off　in　pursuit　of　a　batch　of　young　warriors　when　the　fight

was　going　on　at　the　village。　　In　fact；　the　Indians　had　killed

Elliott's　whole　party；　though　neither　the　fate　of　the　poor　fellows；

nor　how　they　happened　to　be　caught；　was　known　till　long　afterward。

It　was　then　ascertained　that　the　detachment　pursued　a　course　due

south；　nearly　at　right　angles　to　the　Washita　River；　and　after

galloping　a　couple　of　miles　over　the　hills；　crossing　a　small　branch

of　the　Washita　on　the　way；　they　captured　some　of　the　fugitives。　　In

bringing　the　prisoners　back；　Elliott　was　in　turn　attacked　on　the　open

prairie　by　a　large　number　of　savages　from　farther　down　the　Washita；

who　by　this　time　were　swarming　to　the　aid　of　Black　Kettle's　village。

The　little　band　fought　its　way　gallantly　to　within　rifle…range　of　the

small　creek　referred　to；　but　could　get　no　farther；　for　the　Indians

had　taken　up　a　position　in　the　bed　of　the　stream；　and　from　under

cover　of　its　banks　Elliott　and　all　his　remaining　men　were　quickly

killed。　　No　relief　was　sent　them；　for　Custer；　not　having　seen　Elliott

set　out；　knew　nothing　of　the　direction　taken；　and；　besides；　was　busy

burning　the　villages　and　securing　the　ponies；　and　deeply　concerned；

too；　with　defending　himself　from　the　new　dangers　menacing　him。

Elliott　and　his　brave　little　party　were　thus　left　to　meet　their　fate

alone。



While　Custer　was　burning　the　lodges　and　plunder　and　securing　the

ponies；　the　Indians　from　the　villages　down　the　Washita　were　gathering

constantly　around　him　till　by　mid…day　they　had　collected　in

thousands；　and　then　came　a　new　problem　as　to　what　should　be　done。　　If

he　attacked　the　other　villages；　there　was　great　danger　of　his　being

overwhelmed；　and　should　he　start　back　to　Camp　Supply　by　daylight；　he

would　run　the　risk　of　losing　his　prisoners　and　the　ponies；　so；

thinking　the　matter　over；　he　decided　to　shoot　all　the　ponies；　and

keep　skirmishing　with　the　savages　till　nightfall；　and　then；　under

cover　of　the　darkness；　return　to　Camp　Supply；　a　programme　that　was

carried　out　successfully；　but　Custer's　course　received　some　severe

criticism　because　no　effort　was　made　to　discover　what　had　become　of

Elliott。



Custer　had；　in　all；　two　officers　and　nineteen　men　killed；　and　two

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