personal memoirs-2-第51章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　crossing　the　Canadian　was　found　a　couple

of　miles　down　the　stream；　where　we　hoped　to　get　our　train　over　on　the

ice；　but　an　experiment　proving　that　it　was　not　strong　enough；　a　ford

had　to　be　made；　which　was　done　by　marching　some　of　the　cavalry

through　the　river；　which　was　about　half　a　mile　wide；　to　break　up　the

large　floes　when　they　had　been　cut　loose　with　axes。　　After　much　hard

work　a　passage…way　was　thus　opened；　and　by　noon　the　command　was

crossed　to　the　south　bank；　and　after　thawing　out　and　drying　our

clothes　before　big　fires；　we　headed　for　a　point　on　the　Washita；　where

Clark　said　there　was　plenty　of　wood；　and　good　water　too；　to　make　us

comfortable　till　the　blizzard　had　blown　over。



We　reached　the　valley　of　the　Washita　a　little　before　dark；　and　camped

some　five　or　six　miles　above　the　scene　of　Custer's　fight；　where　I

concluded　to　remain　at　least　a　day；　to　rest　the　command　and　give　it　a

chance　to　refit。　　In　the　mean　time　I　visited　the　battle…field　in

company　with　Custer　and　sev