personal memoirs-2-第53章

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him；　and　quickly　giving　chase；　overhauled　him　within　a　few　hundred

yards。　　I　then　arrested　both　him　and　Lone　Wolf　and　held　them　as

hostagesa　measure　that　had　the　effect　of　bringing　back　many　of　the

warriors　already　beyond　our　reach。



When　we　arrived　at　Fort　Cobb　we　found　some　of　the　Comanches　already

there；　and　soon　after　the　rest。　　of　them；　excepting　one　band；　came　in

to　the　post。　　The　Kiowas；　however；　were　not　on　hand；　and　there　were

no　signs　to　indicate　their　coming。　　At　the　end　of　two　days　it　was

plain　enough　that　they　were　acting　in　bad　faith；　and　would　continue

to　unless　strong　pressure　was　brought　to　bear。　　Indeed；　they　had

already　started　for　the　Witchita　Mountains；　so　I　put　on　the　screws　at

once　by　issuing　an　order　to　hang　Satanta　and　Lone　Wolf；　if　their

people　did　not　surrender　at　Fort　Cobb　within　forty…eight　hours。　　The

two　chiefs　promised　prompt　compliance；　but　begged　for　more　time；

seeking　to　explain　the　non…arrival　of　the　women　and　children　through

the　weak　condition　of　the　ponies；　but　I　was　tired　of　their　duplicity；

and　insisted　on　my　ultimatum。



The　order　for　the　execution　brought　quick　fruit。　　Runners　were　sent

out　with　messages；　by　the　two　prisoners；　appealing　to　their　people　to

save　the　lives　of　their　chiefs；　and　the　result　was　that　the　whole

tribe　came　in　to　the　post　within　the　specified　time。　　The　two

manacled　wretches　thus　saved　their　necks；　but　it　is　to　be　regretted

that　the　execution　did　not　come　off；　for　some　years　afterward　their

devilish　propensities　led　them　into　Texas；　where　both　engaged　in　the

most　horrible　butcheries。



The　Kiowas　were　now　in　our　hands；　and　all　the　Comanches　too；　except

one　small　band；　which；　after　the　Custer　fight；　had　fled　toward　the

headwaters　of　the　Red　River。　　This　party　was　made　up　of　a　lot　of　very

bad　Indiansoutlaws　from　the　main　tribeand　we　did　not　hope　to

subdue　them　except　by　a　fight；　and　of　this　they　got　their　fill；　for

Evans；　moving　from　Monument　Creek　toward　the　western　base　of　the

Witchita　Mountains　on　Christmas　Day；　had　the　good　fortune　to　strike

their　village。　　In　the　snow　and　cold　his　approach　was　wholly

unexpected；　and　he　was　thus　enabled　to　deal　the　band　a　blow　that

practically　annihilated　it。　　Twenty…five　warriors　were　killed

outright；　most　of　the　women　and　children　captured；　and　all　the

property　was　destroyed。　　Only　a　few　of　the　party　escaped；　and　some　of

these　made　their　way　in　to　Fort　Cobb；　to　join　the　rest　of　their　tribe

in　confinement；　while　others；　later　in　the　season；　surrendered　at

Fort　Bascom。



This　sudden　appearance　of　Evans　in　the　Red　River　region　also　alarmed

the　Cheyennes　and　Arapahoes；　and　their　thoughts　now　began　to　turn　to

submission。　　Food　was　growing　scarce　with　them；　too；　as　there　was　but

little　game　to　be　found　either　in　the　Witchita　Mountains　or　on　the

edge　of　the　Staked　Plains；　and　the　march　of　Carr's　column　from

Antelope　Hills　precluded　their　returning　to　where　the　buffalo　ranged。

Then；　too；　many　of　their　ponies　were　dead　or　dying；　most　of　their

tepees　and　robes　had　been　abandoned；　and　the　women　and　children；

having　been　kept　constantly　on　the　move　in　the　winter's　storms；　were

complaining　bitterly　of　their　sufferings。



In　view　of　this　state　of　things　they　intimated；　through　their

Comanche…Apache　friends　at　Fort　Cobb；　that　they　would　like　to　make

terms。　　On　receiving　their　messages　I　entered　into　negotiations　with

Little　Robe；　chief　of　the　Cheyennes；　and　Yellow　Bear；　chief　of　the

Arapahoes；　and　despatched　envoys　to　have　both　tribes　understand

clearly　that　they　must　recognize　their　subjugation　by　surrendering　at

once；　and　permanently　settling　on　their　reservations　in　the　spring。

Of　course　the　usual　delays　of　Indian　diplomacy　ensued；　and　it　was

some　weeks　before　I　heard　the　result。



Then　one　of　my　messengers　returned　with　word　that　Little　Robe　and

Yellow　Bear　were　on　their　way　to　see　me。　　They　arrived　a　few　days

later；　and；　promptly　acceding　to　the　terms；　promised　to　bring　their

people　in；　but　as　many　of　them　would　have　to　come　on　foot　on　account

of　the　condition　of　the　ponies；　more　time　was　solicited。　　Convinced

of　the　sincerity　of　their　professions　I　gave　them　a　reasonable

extension；　and　eventually　Yellow　Bear　made　good　his　word；　but　Little

Robe；　in　spite　of　earnest　and　repeated　efforts；　was　unable　to　deliver

his　people　till　further　operations　were　begun　against　them。



While　these　negotiations　were　in　progess　I　came　to　the　conclusion

that　a　permanent　military　post　ought　to　be　established　well　down　on

the　Kiowa　and　Comanche　reservation；　in　order　to　keep　an　eye　on　these

tribes　in　the　future；　Fort　Cobb；　being　an　unsuitable　location；

because　too　far　to　the　north　to　protect　the　Texas　frontier；　and　too

far　away　from　where　it　was　intended　to　permanently　place　the　Indians。

With　this　purpose　in　view　I　had　the　country　thoroughly　explored；　and

afterward　a　place　was　fixed　upon　not　far　from　the　base　of　the

Witchita　Mountains；　and　near　the　confluence　of　Medicine　Bluff　and

Cash　creeks；　where　building　stone　and　timber　could　be　obtained　in

plenty；　and　to　this　point　I　decided　to　move。　　The　place　was　named

Camp　Sill…now　Fort　Sillin　honor　of　my　classmate；　General　Sill；

killed　at　Stone　River；　and　to　make　sure　of　the　surrendered　Indians；　I

required　them　all；　Kiowas；　Comanches；　and　Comanche…Apaches；　to

accompany　us　to　the　new　post；　so　they　could　be　kept　under　military

control　till　they　were　settled。



During　the　march　to　the　new　camp　the　weather　was　not　so　cold　as　that

experienced　in　coming　down　from　Camp　Supply；　still；　rains　were

frequent；　and　each　was　invariably　followed　by　a　depression　of

temperature　and　high　winds；　very　destructive　to　our　animals；　much

weakened　by　lack　of　food。　　The　men　fared　pretty　well；　however；　for　on

the　rough　march　along　the　Washita；　and　during　our　stay　at　Fort　Cobb；

they　had　learned　to　protect　themselves　materially　from　the　cold。　　For

this　they　had　contrived　many　devices；　the　favorite　means　being

dugoutsthat　is；　pits　dug　in　the　ground；　and　roofed　over；　with

shelter…tents；　and　having　at　one　end　a　fire…place　and　chimney

ingeniously　constructed　with　sod。　　In　these　they　lived　very　snugly

four　men　in　eachand　would　often　amuse　themselves　by　poking　their

heads　out　and　barking　at　the　occupants　of　adjacent　huts　in　imitation

of　the　prairie…dog；　whose　comfortable　nests　had　probably　suggested

the　idea　of　dugouts。　　The　men　were　much　better　off；　in　fact；　than

many　of　the　officers；　for　the　high　winds　frequently　made　havoc　with

our　wall…tents。　　The　horses　and　mules　suffered　most　of　all。　　They

could　not　be　sheltered；　and　having　neither　grain　nor　grass；　the　poor

beasts　were　in　no　condition　to　stand　the　chilling　blasts。　　Still；　by

cutting　down　cottonwood…trees；　and　letting　the　animals　browse　on　the

small　soft　branches；　we　managed　to　keep　them　up　till；　finally　even

this　wretched　food　beginning　to　grow　scarce；　I　had　all　except　a　few

of　the　strongest　sent　to　Fort　Arbuckle；　near　which　place　we　had　been

able；　fortunately；　to　purchase　some　fields　of　corn　from　the　half…

civilized　Chickasaws　and　Choctaws。



Through　mismanagement；　as　previously　noted；　the　greater　part　of　the

supplies　which　I　had　ordered　hauled　to　Arbuckle　the　preceding　fall

had　not　got　farther　on　the　way　than　Fort　Gibson；　which　post　was　about

four　hundred　miles　off；　and　the　road　abominable；　particularly　east　of

Arbuckle；　where　it　ran　through　a　low　region　called　〃boggy　bottom。〃

All　along　this　route　were　abandoned　wagons；　left　sticking　in　the　mud；

and　hence　the　transportation　was　growing　so　short　that　I　began　to

fear　trouble　in　getting　subsistence　up　for　the　men。　　Still；　it　would

not　do　to　withdraw；　so　I　made　a　trip　to　Arbuckle　chiefly　for　the

purpose　of　reorganizing　the　transportation；　but　also　with　a　view　to

opening　a　new　route　to　that　post；　the　road　to　lie　on　high　ground；　so

as　to　avoid　the　creeks　and　mud　that　had　been　giving　us　so　much

trouble。　　If　such　a　road　could　be　made；　I　hoped　to　get　up　enough

rations　and　grain