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

famished　for　food。　　Even　now　there　was　nothing　to　be　had　except

horse…meat　from　the　carcasses　of　the　animals　killed　the　first　day；

and　this；　though　decidedly　unpalatable；　not　to　say　disgusting；　had　to

be　put　up　with；　and　so　on　such　unwholesome　stuff　they　managed　to　live

for　four　days　longer；　at　the　end　of　which　time　they　were　rescued　by　a

column　of　troops　under　Colonel　Bankhead；　which　had　hastened　from　Fort

Wallace　in　response　to　calls　for　help；　carried　there　by　two　brave

fellowsStilwell　and　Truedellwho；　volunteering　to　go　for　relief；

had　slipped　through　the　Indians；　and　struck　out　for　that　post　in　the

night　after　the　first　day's　fight。









CHAPTER　XIII；



FITTING　OUT　THE　WINTER　EXPEDITIONACCOMPANYING　THE　MAIN　FORCETHE

OTHER　COLUMNSSTRUCK　BY　A　BLIZZARDCUSTER'S　FIGHT　ON　THE　WASHITA

DEFEAT　AND　DEATH　OF　BLACK　KETTLEMASSACRE　OF　ELLIOTT'S　PARTYRELIEF

OF　COLONEL　CRAWFORD。



The　end　of　October　saw　completed　the　most　of　my　arrangements　for　the

winter　campaign；　though　the　difficulties　and　hardships　to　be

encountered　had　led　several　experienced　officers　of　the　army；　and

some　frontiersmen　like　Mr。　James　Bridger；　the　famous　scout　and；　guide

of　earlier　days；　to　discourage　the　project。　　Bridger　even　went　so　far

as　to　come　out　from　St。　Louis　to　dissuade　me；　but　I　reasoned　that　as

the　soldier　was　much　better　fed　and　clothed　than　the　Indian；　I　had

one　great　advantage；　and　that；　in　short；　a　successful　campaign　could

be　made　if　the　operations　of　the　different　columns　were　energetically

conducted。　　To　see　to　this　I　decided　to　go　in　person　with　the　main

column；　which　was　to　push　down　into　the　western　part　of　the　Indian

Territory；　having　for　its　initial　objective　the　villages　which；　at

the　beginning　of　hostilities；　had　fled　toward　the　head…waters　of　the

Red　River；　and　those　also　that　had　gone　to　the　same　remote　region

after　decamping　from　the　neighborhood　of　Larned　at　the　time　that

General　Hazen　sent　Buffalo　Bill　to　me　with　the　news。



The　column　which　was　expected　to　do　the　main　work　was　to　be　composed

of　the　Nineteenth　Kansas　Volunteer　Cavalry；　commanded　by　Colonel

Crawford；　eleven　troops　of　the　Seventh　United　States　Cavalry；　under

General　Custer；　and　a　battalion　of　five　companies　of　infantry　under

Brevet　Major　John　H。　Page。　　To　facilitate　matters；　General　Sully；　the

district　commander；　was　ordered　to　rendezvous　these　troops　and

establish　a　supply　depot　about　a　hundred　miles　south　of　Fort　Dodge；

as　from　such　a　point　operations　could　be　more　readily　conducted。　　He

selected　for　the　depot　a　most　suitable　place　at　the　confluence　of

Beaver　and　Wolf　creeks；　and　on　his　arrival　there　with　Custer's　and

Page's　commands；　named　the　place　Camp　Supply。



In　conjunction　with　the　main　column；　two　others　also　were　to

penetrate　the　Indian　Territory。　　One　of　these；　which　was　to　march

east　from　New　Mexico　by　way　of　Fort　Bascom　was　to　be　composed　of　six

troops　of　the　Third　Cavalry　and　two　companies　of　infantry；　the　whole

under　Colonel　A。　W。　Evans。　　The　other；　consisting　of　seven　troops　of

the　Fifth　Cavalry；　and　commanded　by　Brevet　Brigadier…General　Eugene

A。　Carr；　was　to　march　southeast　from　Fort　Lyon；　the　intention　being

that　Evans　and　Carr　should　destroy　or　drive　in　toward　old　Fort　Cobb

any　straggling　bands　that　might　be　prowling　through　the　country　west

of　my　own　line　of　march；　Carr；　as　he　advanced；　to　be　joined　by　Brevet

Brigadier…General　W。　H。　Penrose；　with　five　troops　of　cavalry　already

in　the　field　southeast　of　Lyon。　　The　Fort　Bascom　column；　after

establishing　a　deepot　of　supplies　at　Monument　Creek；　was　to　work　down

the　main　Canadian；　and　remain　out　as　long　as　it　could　feed　itself

from　New　Mexico；　Carr；　having　united　with　Penrose　on　the　North

Canadian；　was　to　operate　toward　the　Antelope　Hills　and　headwaters　of

the　Red　River；　while　I；　with　the　main　column　was　to　move　southward　to

strike　the　Indians　along　the　Washita；　or　still　farther。　　south　on

branches　of　the　Red　River。



It　was　no　small　nor　easy　task　to　outfit　all　these　troops　by　the　time

cold　weather　set　in；　and　provide　for　them　during　the　winter；　but　by

the　1st　of　November　I　had　enough　supplies　accumulated　at　Forts　Dodge

and　Lyon　for　my　own　and　Carr's　columns；　and　in　addition　directed

subsistence　and　forage　for　three　months　to　be　sent　to　Fort　Gibson　for

final　delivery　at　Fort　Arbuckle；　as　I　expected　to　feed　the　command

from　this　place　when　we　arrived　in　the　neighborhood　of　old　Fort　Cobb；

but　through　some　mismanagement　few　of　these　stores　got　further　than

Gibson　before　winter　came　on。



November　1；　all　being　ready；　Colonel　Grawford　was　furnished　with

competent　guides；　and；　after　sending　two　troops　to　Fort　Dodge　to　act

as　my　escort；　with　the　rest　of　his　regiment　he　started　from　Topeka

November　5；　under　orders　to　march　straight　for　the　rendezvous　at　the

junction　of　Beaver　and　Wolf　creeks。　　He　was　expected　to　reach　his

destination　about　the　20th；　and　there　unite　with　the　Seventh　Cavalry

and　the　battalion　of　infantry；　which　in　the　mean　time　were　on　the

march　from　Dodge。　　A　few　days　later　Carr　and　Evans　began　their　march

also；　and　everything　being　now　in　motion；　I　decided　to　go　to　Camp

Supply　to　give　the　campaign　my　personal　attention；　determined　to

prove　that　operations　could　be　successfully　conducted　in　spite　of

winter；　and　bent　on　showing　the　Indians　that　they　were　not　secure

from　punishment　because　of　inclement　weatheran　ally　on　which　they

had　hitherto　relied　with　much　assurance。



We　started　from　Fort　Hays　on　the　15th　of　N6vember；　and　the　first

night　out　a　blizzard　struck　us　and　carried　away　our　tents；　and　as　the

gale　was　so　violent　that　they　could　not　be　put　up　again；　the　rain　and

snow　drenched　us　to　the　skin。　　Shivering　from　wet　and　cold；　I　took

refuge　under　a　wagon；　and　there　spent　such　a　miserable　night　that；

when　at　last　morning　came；　the　gloomy　predictions　of　old　man　Bridger

and　others　rose　up　before　me　with　greatly　increased　force。　　As　we

took　the　road　the　sleet　and　snow　were　still　falling；　but　we　labored

on　to　Dodge　that　day　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　many　of　the　mules

played　out　on　the　way。　　We　stayed　only　one　night　at　Dodge；　and　then

on　the　17th；　escorted　by　a　troop　of　cavalry　and　Forsyth's　scouts；　now

under　the　command　of　Lieutenant　Lewis　Pepoon；　crossed　the　Arkansas

and　camped　the　night　of　the　18th　at　Bluff　Creek；　where　the　two　troops

of　the　Nineteenth　Kansas；　previously　detailed　as　my　escort；　were

awaiting　our　coming。　　As　we　were　approaching　this　camp　some

suspicious　looking　objects　were　seen　moving　off　at　a　long　distance　to

the　east　of　us；　but　as　the　scouts　confidently　pronounced　them

buffalo；　we　were　unaware　of　their　true　character　till　next　morning；

when　we　became　satisfied　that　what　we　had　seen　were　Indians；　for

immediately　after　crossing　Beaver　Creek　we　struck　a　trail；　leading　to

the　northeast；　of　a　war　party　that　evidently　came　up　from　the　head…

waters　of　the　Washita　River。



The　evening　of　November　21we　arrived　at　the　Camp　Supply　depot；　having

traveled　all　day　in　another　snowstorm　that　did　not　end　till　twenty…

four　hours　later。　　General　Sully；　with　Custer's　regiment　and　the

infantry　battalion；　had　reached　the　place　several　days　before；　but

the　Kansas　regiment　had　not　yet　put　in　an　appearance。　　All　hands　were

hard　at　work　trying　to　shelter　the　stores　and　troops；　but　from　the

trail　seen　that　morning；　believing　that　an　opportunity　offered　to

strike　an　effective　blow；　I　directed　Custer　to　call　in　his　working

parties　and　prepare　to　move　immediately；　without　waiting　for

Crawford's　regiment；　unaccountably　absent。　　Custer　was　ready　to　start

by　the　23d；　and　he　was　then　instructed　to　march　north　to　where　the

trail　had　been　seen　near　Beaver　Creek　and　follow　it　on　the　back

track；　for；　being　convinced　that　the　war　party　had　come　from　the

Washita；　I　felt　certain　that　this　plan　would　lead　directly　to　the

villages。



The　difficulties　attending　a　winter　campaign　were　exhibited　now　with

their　full　force；　as　the　march　had　to　be　conducted　through　a　snow…

storm　that　hid　surrounding　objects；　and　so　covered　the　country　as　to

alter　the　appearance　of　the　prominent　features；　making　the　task　of

the　guides　doubly　troublesome；　but　in　spite　of　these　obstacles

fifteen　miles　had　been　traversed　when　Custer　encamped　for　the　night。

The　next　day　the　storm　had　ceased；　and　the　weather　was　clear　and

cold。　　The　heavy　fall　of　snow　had　of　course　obliterated　the　trail　in

the　bottoms；　and　everywhere　on　the　level；　but；　thanks　to　the　wind；

that　had　swept　comparatively　bare　the　rough　places　and　high　ground；

the　general　direction　could　be　traced　without　much　trouble。　　The

day's　march；　which　was　through　a　country　abounding　with　buffalo；　was

unattended　by　any　special　incident　at　first；　but　during　the

afternoon；　after　getting　the　column　across　the　Canadian　Riveran

operation　which；　on　account　of　the　wagons；　consumed　considerable

timeCuster's　scouts　（friendly　Osages）　brought　back　word　that；　some

miles　ahead；　they　had　struck　fresh　signs；　a　trail　coming　into　the　old

one　from　the　north；　which；　in　their　opinion；　indicated　that　the　war

party　was　returning　to　the　villages。



On　the　receipt　of　this　news；　Custer；　leaving　a　guard　with　the　wagons；

hastily　assembled　the　rest　of　his　men'　and　pushing　on　rapidly；

overtook　the　scouts　and　a　detailed　party　from　his　regiment　which　had

accompanied　them；　all　halted　on　the　new　trail　awaiting　his　arrival。

A　personal　examination　satisfied　Custer　that　the　surmises　of　his

scouts　were　correct；　and　also　that　the　fresh　trail　in　the　deep　snow

could　at　night　be　followed　with　ease。　　After　a　short　halt　for　supper

and　rest　the　pursuit　was　resumed；　the　Osage　scouts　in　advance；　and

although　the　hostile　Indians　were　presumed　to　be　yet　some　distance

off；　every　precaution　was　taken　to　prevent　detection　and　to　enable

our　troops　to　strike　them　unawares。　　The　fresh　trail；　which　it　was

afterward　ascer