personal memoirs-2-第46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！



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　several　other　officers；　to　see　if　there　was　a

possibility　of　discovering　any　traces　of　Elliotts　party。　　On　arriving

at　the　site　of　the　village；　and　learning　from　Custer　what

dispositions　had　been　made　in　approaching　for　the　attack；　the

squadron　of　the　escort　was　deployed　and　pushed　across　the　river　at

the　point　where　Elliott　had　crossed。　　Moving　directly　to　the　south；

we　had　not　gone　far　before　we　struck　his　trail；　and　soon　the　whole

story　was　made　plain　by　our　finding；　on　an　open　level　space　about　two

miles　from　the　destroyed　village；　the　dead　and　frozen　bodies　of　the

entire　party。　　The　poor　fellows　were　all　lying　within　a　circle　not

more　than　fifteen　or　twenty　paces　in　diameter；　and　the　little　piles

of　empty　cartridge　shells　near　each　body　showed　plainly　that　every

man　had　made　a　brave　fight。　　None　were　scalped；　but　most　of　them　were

otherwise　horribly　mutilated；　which　fiendish　work　is　usually　done　by

the　squaws。　　All　had　been　stripped　of　their　clothing；　but　their

comrades　in　the　escort　were　able　to　identify　the　bodies；　which　being

done；　we　gave　them　decent　burial。　　Their　fate　was　one　that　has

overtaken　many　of　our　gallant　army　in　their　efforts　to　protect　the

frontiersmen's　homes　and　families　from　savages　who　give　no　quarter；

though　they　have　often　received　it；　and　where　the　possibility　of

defeat　in　action　carries　with　it　the　certainty　of　death　and　often　of

preceding　torture。



》From　the　meadow　where　Elliott　was　found　we　rode　to　the　Washita；　and

then　down　the　river　through　the　sites　of　the　abandoned　villages；　that

had　been　strung　along　almost　continuously　for　about　twelve　miles　in

the　timber　skirting　the　stream。　　On　every　hand　appeared　ample

evidence　that　the　Indians　had　intended　to　spend　the　winter　here；　for

the　ground　was　littered　with　jerked　meat；　bales　of　buffalo　robes；

cooking　utensils；　and　all　sorts　of　plunder　usually　accumulated　in　a

permanent　Indian　camp。　　There　were；　also；　lying　dead　near　the

villages　hundreds　of　ponies；　that　had　been　shot　to　keep　them　from

falling　into　our　hands；　the　scant　grazing　and　extreme　cold　having

made　them　too　weak　to　be　driven　along　in　the　flight。　　The　wholesale

slaughter　of　these　ponies　was　a　most　cheering　indication　that　our

campaign　would　be　ultimately　successful；　and　we　all　prayed　for　at

least　a　couple　of　months　more　of　cold　weather　and　plenty　of　snow。



At　the　Kiowa　village　we　found　the　body　of　a　white　womana　Mrs。

Blynnand　also　that　of　her　child。　　These　captives　had　been　taken　by

the　Kiowas　near　Fort　Lyon　the　previous　summer；　and　kept　close

prisoners　until　the　stampede　began；　the　poor　woman　being　reserved　to

gratify　the　brutal　lust　of　the　chief；　Satanta；　then；　however；　Indian

vengeance　demanded　the　murder　of　the　poor　creatures；　and　after

braining　the　little　child　against　a　tree；　the　mother　was　shot　through

the　forehead；　the　weapon；　which　no　doubt　brought　her　welcome　release；

having　been　fired　so　close　that　the　powder　had　horribly　disfigured

her　face。　　The　two　bodies　were　wrapped　in　blankets　and　taken　to　camp；

and　afterward　carried　along　in　our　march；　till　finally　they　were

decently　interred　at　Fort　Arbuckle。。



At　an　early　hour　on　December　12　the　command　pulled　out　from　its　cosy

camp　and　pushed　down　the　valley　of　the　Washita；　following　immediately

on　the　Indian　trail　which　led　in　the　direction　of　Fort　Cobb；　but

before　going　far　it　was　found　that　the　many　deep　ravines　and　canyons

on　this　trail　would　delay　our　train　very　much；　so　we　moved　out　of　the

valley　and　took　the　level　prairie　on　the　divide。　　Here　the　traveling

was　good；　and　a　rapid　gait　was　kept　up　till　mid…day；　when；　another

storm　of　sleet　and　snow　coming　on；　it　became　extremely　difficult　for

the　guides　to　make　out　the　proper　course；　and　fearing　that　we　might

get　lost　or　caught　on　the　open　plain　without　wood　or　wateras　we　had

been　on　the　CanadianI　turned　the　command　back　to　the　valley；

resolved　to　try　no　more　shortcuts　involving　the　risk　of　a　disaster　to

the　expedition。　　But　to　get　back　was　no　slight　task；　for　a　dense　fog

just　now　enveloped　us；　obscuring　all　landmarks。　　However；　we　were

headed　right　when　the　fog　set　in；　and　we　had　the　good　luck　to　reach

the　valley　before　night…fall；　though　there　was　a　great　deal　of

floundering　about；　and　also　much　disputing　among　the　guides　as　to

where　the　river　would　be　found　Fortunately　we　struck　the　stream　right

at　a　large　grove　of　timber；　and　established　ourselves；　admirably。　　By

dark　the　ground　was　covered　with　twelve　or　fifteen　inches　of　fresh

snow；　and　as　usual　the　temperature　rose　very　sensibly　while　the　storm

was　on；　but　after　night…fall　the　snow　ceased　and　the　skies　cleared

up。　　Daylight　having　brought　zero　weather　again；　our　start　on　the

morning　of　the　17th　was　painful　work；　many　of　the　men　freezing　their

fingers　while　handling　the　horse　equipments；　harness；　and　tents。

However；　we　got　off　in　fairly　good　season；　and　kept　to　the　trail

along　the　Washita　notwithstanding　the　frequent　digging　and　bridging

necessary　to　get　the　wagons　over　ravines。



Continuing　on　this　line　for　three　days；　we　at　length　came　to　a　point

on　the　Washita　where　all　signs　indicated　that　we　were　nearing　some　of

the　villages。　　Wishing　to　strike　them　as　soon　as　possible；　we　made　a

very　early　start　next　morning；　the　17th。　　A　march　of　four　or　five

miles　brought　us　to　a　difficult　ravine；　and　while　we　were　making

preparations　to　get　over；　word　was　brought　that　several　Indians　had

appeared　in　our　front　bearing　a　white　flag　and　making　signs　that　they

had　a　communication　to　deliver。　　We　signaled　back　that　they　would　be

received；　when　one　of　the　party　came　forward　alone　and　delivered　a

letter；　which　proved　to　be　from　General　Hazen；　at　Fort　Cobb。　　The

letter　showed　that　Hazen　was　carrying　on　negotiations　with　the

Indians；　and　stated　that　all　the　tribes　between　Fort　Cobb　and　my

column　were　friendly　；　but　the　intimation　was　given　that　the

Cheyennes　and　Arapah