personal memoirs-2-第41节

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！



for　all　the　women　who　fell　into　their　hands　were　subjected　to　horrors

indescribable　by　words。　　Here　also　the　first　murders　were　committed；

thirteen　men　and　two　women　being　killed。　　Then；　after　burning　five

houses　and　stealing　all　the　horses　they　could　find；　they　turned　back

toward　the　Saline；　carrying　away　as　prisoners　two　little　girls　named

Bell；　who　have　never　been　heard　of　since。



It　was　probably　the　intention　to　finish；　as　they　marched　back　to　the

south；　the　devilish　work　begun　on　the　Saline；　but　before　they　reached

that　valley　on　the　return；　the　victims　left　there　originally　had　fled

to　Fort　Harker；　as　already　explained；　and　Captain　Benteen　was　now

nearing　the　little　settlement　with　a　troop　of　cavalry；　which　he　had

hurriedly　marched　from　Fort　Zarah。　　The　savages　were　attacking　the

house　of　a　Mr。　Schermerhorn；　where　a　few　of　the　settlers　had

collected　for　defense；　when　Benteen　approached。　　Hearing　the　firing；

the　troopers　rode　toward　the　sound　at　a　gallop；　but　when　they

appeared　in　view；　coming　over　the　hills；　the　Indians　fled　in　all

directions；　escaping　punishment　through　their　usual　tactics　of

scattering　over　the　Plains；　so　as　to　leave　no　distinctive　trail。



When　this　frightful　raid　was　taking　place；　Lieutenant　Beecher；　with

his　three　scoutsComstock；　Grover；　and　Parrwas　on　Walnut　Creek。

Indefinite　rumors　about　troubles　on　the　Saline　and　Solomon　reaching

him；　he　immediately　sent　Comstock　and　Grover　over　to　the　headwaters

of　the　Solomon；　to　the　camp　of　a　band　of　Cheyennes；　whose　chief　was

called　〃Turkey　Leg；〃　to　see　if　any　of　the　raiders　belonged　there；　to

learn　the　facts；　and　make　explanations；　if　it　was　found　that　the

white　people　had　been　at　fault。　　For　years　this　chief　had　been　a

special　friend　of　Comstock　and　Grover。　　They　had　trapped；　hunted；　and

lived　with　his　band；　and　from　this　intimacy　they　felt　confident　of

being　able　to　get　〃Turkey　Leg〃　to　quiet　his　people；　if　any　of　them

were　engaged　in　the　raid；　and；　at　all　events；　they　expected；　through

him　and　his　band；　to　influence　the　rest　of　the　Cheyennes。　　From　the

moment　they　arrived　in　the　Indian　village；　however；　the　two　scouts

met　with　a　very　cold　reception。　　Neither　friendly　pipe　nor　food　was

offered　them；　and　before　they　could　recover　from　their　chilling

reception；　they　were　peremptorily　ordered　out　of　the　village；　with

the　intimation　that　when　the　Cheyennes　were　on　the　war…path　the

presence　of　whites　was　intolerable。　　The　scouts　were　prompt　to　leave；

of　course；　and　for　a　few　miles　were　accompanied　by　an　escort　of　seven

young　men；　who　said　they　were　sent　with　them　to　protect　the　two　from

harm。　　As　the　party　rode　along　over　the　prairie；　such　a　depth　of

attachment　was　professed　for　Comstock　and　Grover　that；

notwithstanding　all　the　experience　of　their　past　lives；　they　were

thoroughly　deceived；　and　in　the　midst　of　a　friendly　conversation　some

of　the　young　warriors　fell　suddenly　to　the　rear　and　treacherously

fired　on　them。



At　the　volley　Comstock　fell　from　his　horse　instantly　killed。　　Grover；

badly　wounded　in　the　shoulder；　also　fell　to　the　ground　near　Comstock

Seeing　his　comrade　was　dead；Grover　made　use　of　his　friend's　body　to

protect　himself；　lying　close　behind　it。　　Then　took　place　a　remarkable

contest；　Grover；　alone　and　severely　wounded；　obstinately　fighting　the

seven　Indians；　and　holding　them　at　bay　for　the　rest　of　the　day。

Being　an　expert　shot；　and　having　a　long…range　repeating　rifle；　he

〃stood　off　〃　the　savages　till　dark。　　Then　cautiously　crawling　away　on

his　belly　to　a　deep　ravine；　he　lay　close；　suffering　terribly　from　his

wound；　till　the　following　night；　when；　setting　out　for　Fort　Wallace；

he　arrived　there　the　succeeding　day；　almost　crazed　from　pain　and

exhaustion。



Simultaneously　with　the　fiendish　atrocities　committed　on　the　Saline

and　Solomon　rivers　and　the　attack　on　Comstock　and　Grover；　the

pillaging　and　murdering　began　on　the　Smoky　Hill　stage…route；　along

the　upper　Arkansas　River　and　on　the　headwaters　of　the　Cimarron。　　That

along　the　Smoky　Hill　and　north　of　it　was　the　exclusive　work　of；　the

Cheyennes；　a　part　of　the　Arapahoes；　and　the　few　Sioux　allies

heretofore　mentioned；　while　the　raiding　on　the　Arkansas　and　Cimarron

was　done　principally　by　the　Kiowas　under　their　chief；　Satanta；　aided

by　some　of　the　Comanches。　　The　young　men　of　these　tribes　set　out　on

their　bloody　work　just　after　the　annuities　and　guns　were　issued　at

Larned；　and　as　soon　as　they　were　well　on　the　road　the　rest　of　the

Comanches　and　Kiowas　escaped　from　the　post　and　fled　south　of　the

Arkansas。　　They　were　at　once　pursued　by　General　Sully　with　a　small

force；　but　by　the　time　he　reached　the　Cimarron　the　war…party　had

finished　its　raid　on　tHe　upper　Arkansas；　and　so　many　Indians　combined

against　Sully　that　he　was　compelled　to　withdraw　to　Fort　Dodge；　which

he　reached　not　without　considerable　difficulty；　and　after　three

severe　fights。



These；　and　many　minor　raids　which　followed；　made　it　plain　that　a

general　outbreak　was　upon　us。　　The　only　remedy；　therefore；　was　to

subjugate　the　savages　immediately　engaged　in　the　forays　by　forcing

the　several　tribes　to　settle　down　on　the　reservations　set　apart　by

the　treaty　of　Medicine　Lodge。　　The　principal　mischief…makers　were　the

Cheyennes。　　Next　in　deviltry　were　the　Kiowas；　and　then　the　Arapahoes

and　Comanches。　　Some　few　of　these　last　two　tribes　continued　friendly；

or　at　least　took　no　active　part　in　the　raiding；　but　nearly　all　the

young　men　of　both　were　the　constant　allies　of　the　Cheyennes　and

Kiowas。　　All　four　tribes　together　could　put　on　the　war…path　a

formidable　force　of　about　6；000　warriors。　　The　subjugation　of　this

number　of　savages　would　be　no　easy　task；　so　to　give　the　matter　my

undivided　attention　I　transferred　my　headquarters　from　Leavenworth　to

Fort　Hays；　a　military　post　near　which　the　prosperous　town　of　Hays

City　now　stands。



Fort　Hays　was　just　beyond　the　line　of　the　most　advanced　settlements；

and　was　then　the　terminus　of　the　Kansas…Pacific　railroad。　　For　this

reason　it　could　be　made　a　depot　of　supplies；　and　was　a　good　point

from　which　to　supervise　matters　in　the　section　of　country　to　be

operated　in；　which　district　is　a　part　of　the　Great　American　Plains；

extending　south　from　the　Platte　River　in　Nebraska　to　the　Red　River　in

the　Indian　Territory；　and　westward　from　the　line　of　frontier

settlements　to　the　foothills　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　a　vast　region

embracing　an　area　of　about　150；000　square　miles。　　With　the　exception

of　a　half…dozen　military　posts　and　a　few　stations　on　the　two　overland

emigrant　routesthe　Smoky　Hill　to　Denver；　and　the　Arkansas　to　New

Mexicothis　country　was　an　unsettled　waste　known　only　to　the　Indians

and　a　few　trappers。　　There　were　neither　roads　nor　well…marked　trails；

and　the　only　timber　to　be　foundwhich　generally　grew　only　along　the

streamswas　so　scraggy　and　worthless　as　hardly　to　deserve　the　name。

Nor　was　water　by　any　means　plentiful；　even　though　the　section　is

traversed　by　important　streams；　the　Republican；　the　Smoky　Hill；　the

Arkansas；　the　Cimarron；　and　the　Canadian　all　flowing　eastwardly；　as

do　also　their　tributaries　in　the　main。　　These　feeders　are　sometimes

long　and　crooked；　but　as　a　general　thing　the　volume　of　water　is

insignificant　except　after　rain…falls。　　Then；　because　of　unimpeded

drainage；　the　little　streams　fill　up　rapidly　with　torrents　of　water；

which　quickly　flows　off　or　sinks　into　the　sand；　leaving　only　an

occasional　pool　without　visible　inlet　or　outlet。



At　the　period　of　which　I　write；　in　1868；　the　Plains　were　covered　with

vast　herds　of　buffalothe　number　has　been　estimated　at　3；000；000

headand　with　such　means　of　subsistence　as　this　everywhere　at　hand；

the　6；000　hostiles　were　wholly　unhampered　by　any　problem　of　food…

supply。　　The　savages　were　rich　too　according　to　Indian　standards；

many　a　lodge　owning　from　twenty　to　a　hundred　ponies；　and

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　tr