personal memoirs-2-第38部分

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making　any　at　all　unless　the　chances　of　obtaining　paying　results　were

very　evident；　otherwise　the　troops　would　be　worn　out　by　the　time　the

hard　work　of　the　winter　was　demanded　from　them。



To　get　ready　for　a　winter　campaign　of　six　months　gave　us　much　to　do。

The　thing　most　needed　was　more　men；　so　I　asked　for　additional

cavalry；　and　all　that　could　be　sparedseven　troops　of　the　Fifth

Cavalrywas　sent　tome。　　Believing　this　reinforcement　insufficient；

to　supplement　it　I　applied　for　a　regiment　of　Kansas　volunteers；　which

request　being　granted；　the　organization　of　the　regiment　was

immediately　begun　at　Topeka。　　It　was　necessary　also　to　provide　a

large　amount　of　transportation　and　accumulate　quantities　of　stores；

since　the　campaign　probably　would　not　end　till　spring。　　Another

important　matter　was　to　secure　competent　guides　for　the　different

columns　of　troops；　for；　as　I　have　said；　the　section　of　country　to　be

operated　in　was　comparatively　unknown。



In　those　days　the　railroad　town　of　Hays　City　was　filled　with　so

called　〃Indian　scouts；〃　whose　common　boast　was　of　having　slain　scores

of　redskins；　but　the　real　scoutthat　is；　a　'guide　and　trailer

knowing　the　habits　of　the　Indianswas　very　scarce；　and　it　was　hard

to　find　anybody　familiar　with　the　country　south　of　the　Arkansas；

where　the　campaign　was　to　be　made。　　Still；　about　Hays　City　and　the

various　military　posts　there　was　some　good　material　to　select　from；

and　we　managed　to　employ　several　men；　who；　from　their　experience　on

the　Plains　in　various　capacities；　or　from　natural　instinct　and

aptitude；　soon　became　excellent　guides　and　courageous　and　valuable

scouts；　some　of　them；　indeed；　gaining　much　distinction。　　Mr。　William

F。　Cody　（〃Buffalo　Bill〃）；　whose　renown　has　since　become　world…wide；

was　one　of　the　men　thus　selected。　　He　received　his　sobriquet　from　his

marked　success　in　killing　buffaloes　for　a　contractor；　to　supply　fresh

meat　to　the　construction　parties；　on　the　Kansas…Pacific　railway。　　He

had　given　up　this　business；　however；　and　was　now　in　the　employ　of　the

quartermaster's　department　of　the　army；　and　was　first　brought　to　my

notice　by　distinguishing　himself　in　bringing　me　an　important　despatch

from　Fort　Larned　to　Fort　Hays；　a　distance　of　sixty…five　miles；

through　a　section　infested　with　Indians。　　The　despatch　informed　me

that　the　Indians　near　Larned　were　preparing　to　decamp；　and　this

intelligence　required　that　certain　orders　should　be　carried　to　Fort

Dodge；　ninety…five　miles　south　of　Hays。　　This　too　being　a

particularly　dangerous　routeseveral　couriers　having　been　killed　on

itit　was　impossible　to　get　one　of　the　various　〃Petes；〃　〃Jacks；〃　or

〃Jims〃　hanging　around　Hays　City　to　take　my　communication。　　Cody

learning　of　the　strait　I　was　in；　manfully　came　to　the　rescue；　and

proposed　to　make　the　trip　to　Dodge；　though　he　had　just　finished　his

long　and　perilous　ride　from　Larned。　　I　gratefully　accepted　his　offer；

and　after　four　or　five　hours'　rest　he　mounted　a　fresh　horse　and

hastened　on　his　journey；　halting　but　once　to　rest　on　the　way；　and

then　only　for　an　hour；　the　stop　being　made　at　Coon　Creek；　where　he

got　another　mount　from　a　troop　of　cavalry。　　At　Dodge　he　took　six

hours'　sleep；　and　then　continued　on　to　his　own　postFort　Larned

with　more　despatches。　　After　resting　twelve　hours　at　Larned；　he　was

again　in　the　saddle　with　tidings　for　me　at　Fort　Hays；　General　Hazen

sending　him；　this　time；　with　word　that　the　villages　had　fled　to　the

south　of　the　Arkansas。　　Thus；　in　all；　Cody　rode　about　350　miles　in

less　than　sixty　hours；　and　such　an　exhibition　of　endurance　and

courage　was　more　than　enough　to　convince　me　that　his　services　would

be　extremely　valuable　in　the　campaign；　so　I　retained　him　at　Fort　Hays

till　the　battalion　of　the　Fifth　Cavalry　arrived；　and　then　made　him

chief　of　scouts　for　that　regiment。



The　information　brought　me　by　Cody　on　his　second　trip　from　Larned

indicated　where　the　villages　would　be　found　in　the　winter；　and　I

decided　to　move　on　them　about　the　1st　of　November。　　Only　the　women

and　children　and　the　decrepit　old　men　were　with　the　villages；　however

enough；　presumably；　to　look　after　the　plunder　most　of　the　warriors

remaining　north　of　the　Arkansas　to　continue　their　marauding。　　Many

severe　fights　occurred　between　our　troops　and　these　marauders；　and　in

these　affairs；　before　November　1　over　a　hundred　Indians　were　killed；

yet　from　the　ease　with　which　the　escaping　savages　would　disappear

only　to　fall　upon　remote　settlements　with　pillage　and　murder；　the

results　were　by　no　means　satisfactory。　　One　of　the　most　noteworthy　of

these　preliminary　affairs　was　the　gallant　fight　made　on　the

Republican　River　the　17th　of　September　by　my　Aide；　Colonel　George　A。

Forsyth；　and　party；　against　about　seven　hundred　Cheyennes　and　Sioux。

Forsyth；　with　Lieutenant　Beecher；　and　Doctor　J。　H。　Mooers　as　surgeon；

was　in　charge　of　a　company　of　citizen　scouts；　mostly　expert　rifle…

shots；　but　embracing　also　a　few　Indian　fighters；　among　these　Grover

and　Parr。　　The　company　was　organized　the　latter　part　of　August　for

immediate　work　in　defense　of　the　settlements；　and　also　for　future　use

in　the　Indian　Territory　when　the　campaign　should　open　there。　　About

the　time　the　company　had　reached　its　complementit　was　limited　to

forty…seven　men　and　three　officersa　small　band　of　hostiles　began

depredations　near　Sheridan　City；　one　of　the　towns　that　grew　up　over…

night　on　the　Kansas…Pacific　railway。　　Forsyth　pursued　this　party；　but

failing　to　overtake　it；　made　his　way　into　Fort　Wallace　for　rations；

intending　to　return　from　there　to　Fort　Hays。　　Before　he　started　back；

however；　another　band　of　Indians　appeared　near　the　post　and　stole

some　horses　from　the　stage　company。　　This　unexpected　raid　made

Forsyth　hot　to　go　for　the　marauders；　and　he　telegraphed　me　for

permission；　which　I　as　promptly　gave　him。　　He　left　the　post　on　the

10th　of　September；　the　command　consisting　of　himself；　Lieutenant

Beecher；　Acting　Assistant　Surgeon　Mooers；　and　the　full　strength；

forty…seven　men；　with　a　few　pack　mules　carrying　about　ten　days'

rations。



He　headed　north　toward　the　Republican　River。　　For　the　first　two　days

the　trail　was　indistinct　and　hard　to　follow。　　During　the　next　three

it　continued　to　grow　much　larger；　indicating　plainly　that　the　number

of　Indians　ahead　was　rapidly　increasing。　　Of　course　this　sign　meant　a

fight　as　soon　as　a　large　enough　force　was　mustered；　but　as　this　was

what　Forsyth　was　after；　he　pushed　ahead　with　confidence　and　alacrity。

The　night　of　the　16th　of　September　he　encamped　on　the　Arickaree

branch　of　the　Republican；　not　far　from　the　forks　of　the　river；　with

the　expectation　of　resuming　the　march　as　usual　next　day；　for　the

indications　were　that　the　main　body　of　the　savages　must　be　still　a

long　way　off；　though　in　the　preceding　twenty…four　hours　an　occasional

Indian　had　been　seen。



But　the　enemy　was　much　nearer　than　was　thought；　for　at　daybreak　on

the　morning　of　the　17th　he　made　known　his　immediate　presence　by　a

sudden　dash　at　Forsyth's　horses；　a　few　of　which　were　stampeded　and

captured　before　the　scouts　could　reach　them。　　This　dash　was　made　by　a

small　party　only　to　get　the　horses；　so　those　engaged　in　it　were　soon

driven　off；　but　a　few　minutes　later　hundreds　of　savagesit　was

afterward　learned　that　seven　hundred　warriors　took　part　in　the　fight…

…hitherto　invisible；　showed　themselves　on　the　hills　overlooking　the

camp　and　so　menacingly　as　to　convince　Forsyth　that　his　defense　must

be　one　of　desperation。　　The　only　place　at　hand　that　gave　any　hope　of

successful　resistance　was　a　small　island　in　the　Arickaree；　the

channel　on　one　side　being　about　a　foot　deep　while　on　the　other　it　was

completely　dry；　so　to　this　position　a　hurried　retreat　was　made。　　All

the　men　and　the　remaining　animals　reached　the　island　in　safety；　but

on　account　of　the　heavy　fire　poured　in　from　the　neighboring　hills　the

packs　containing　the　rations　and　medicines　had　to　be　abandoned。



On　seeing　Forsyth's　hasty　move；　the　Indians；　thinking　they　had　him；

prepared　to　overwhelm　the　scouts　by　swooping　down　on　one　side　of　the

island　with　about　five　hundred　mounted　warriors；　while　about　two

hundred；　covered　by　the　tall　grass　in　the　river…bottom　attacked　the

other　side；　dismounted。　　But　the　brave　little　band　sadly　disappointed

them。　　When　the　charge　came　it　was　met　with　such　a　deadly　fire　that　a

large　number　of　the　fiends　were　killed；　some　of　them　even　after

gaining　the　bank　of　the　island。　　This　check　had　the　effect　of　making

the　savages　more　wary；　but　they　were　still　bold　enough　to　make　two

more　assaults　before　mid…day。　　Each　of　these　ending　like　the　first；

the　Indians　thereafter　contented　themselves　with　shooting　all　the

horses；　which　had　been　tied　up　to　some　scraggy　little　cottonwood…

trees；　and　then　proceeded　to　lay　siege　to　the　party。



The　first　man　struck　was　Forsyth　himself。　　He　was　hit　three　times　in

alltwice　in　one　leg；　both　serious　wounds；　and　once　on　the　head；　a

slight　abrasion　of　the　scalp。　　A　moment　later　Beecher　was　killed　and

Doctor　Mooers　mortally　wounded：　and　in　addition　to　these　misfortunes

the　scouts　kept　getting　hit；　till　several　were　killed；　and　the　whole

number　of　casualties　had　reached　twenty…one　in　a　company　of　forty…

seven。　　Yet　with　all　this；　and　despite　the　seeming　hopelessness　of

the　situation；　the　survivors　kept　up　their　pluck　undiminished；　and

during　a　lull　succeeding　the　third　repulse　dug　into　the　loose　soil

till　the　entire　party　was　pretty　well　protected　by　rifle…pits。　　Thus

covered　they　stood　off　the　Indians　for　the　next　three　days；　although

of　course　their　condition　became　deplorable　from　lack　of　food；　while

those　who　were　hurt　suffered　indescribable　agony；　since　no　means　were

at　hand　for　dressing　their　wounds。



By　the　third　day　the　Indians；　seeming　to　despair　of　destroying　the

beleaguered　party　before　succor　might　arrive；　began　to　draw　off；　and

on　the　fourth　wholly　disappeared。　　The　men　were　by　this　time　nearly

famished　for　fo