Conditions Prior to the Indian Raids; The Frontier Line; Savages on the Warpath; Custer’s Fate; General Forsythe’s Predicament.
Before setting down the narrative of the Dull Knife Raid, or any other, it is not amiss to relate something of the conditions that prevailed prior to those events.
In 1878, and for ten years prior to that time, the most of the plain Indians had been on the war-path for some reason or another. To give an idea of the size of the country which was the scene of their endeavors, it is well to outline the frontier as it existed then. Civilization was supposed to have terminated its advance at the Saline, Solomon and Cottonwood rivers, though a few straggling settlers had established themselves on the Little Walnut, and White rivers, with a colony at Council Grove. Beyond that line the domination of the white man was supposed to cease, and it was not the Indian’s fault that it did not. He did his best to have it do so, but the result was far from successful from his point of view. Beyond the line above mentioned there existed only the Indian, the buffalo and a few venturesome spirits who formed the trains that forced their way overland to Colorado and the Black Hills, or endured the more hazardous undertaking of making the long march to California in 1849. They were, indeed, venturesome, for to undertake such a trip, one took his life in his hands, and the result was that many of them paid the penalty for their daring. Not only were they harassed by the Indian tribes they encountered on their way, but privations beset them on all sides and starvation often traveled with them to their sorrow. At any moment such a wagon train as they conducted was liable to attack from savagebands, and there then occurred a fight for life. Nor were all those attacks engineered by the Indian alone. The Mormans did their share of the dastardly work under the guise of the Indian. This statement may appear a trifle strong, but it is proved beyond all doubt that John D. Lee with a gang of cut-throats perpetrated the Mountain Meadow massacre, with all the ferocity and butchery of the most savage of tribesmen. He did his work too well, and endeavored to cover up his tracks by making it appear that it was the work of the Indian. He not only murdered the members of the train, but mutilated the dead bodies of the slain after the fashion of the Indian. He and his accomplices then looted the train, and what they could not carry away, they destroyed. The world was well rid of such a man when he was shot off his own coffin lid to pay the penalty of his crimes, though in his death he did not make compensation for one per cent of all the butcheries he had committed. To return to the thread of the narrative, all that scope of country lying between the western boundary of settlement and the foot hills of the Rocky Mountains, was estimated by competent judges to contain about fifteen hundred square miles of territory. It was the grazing ground in 1870 for about three million buffalo. The fighting forces of the Indians roaming that huge tract of country at the time was approximately six thousand, five hundred men of different tribes, not to say anything about the number of squaws who followed in their wake dealing death to the cripples and mutilating the dead. At that time, each lodge had on an average of about 125 or 150 ponies for use in their raids. Taking all these things into consideration, one must come to the conclusion that there was a formidable force to contend with, especially as the Indian mode of fighting was not governed by the laws of civilized warfare. To protect the settlers from the destructive raids of these tribes, the Government had erected a line of forts manned with an insufficient force for the work athand. The list of such forts comprised, Ft. Hays, Ft. Wallace, Ft. Harker, Ft. Larned, Ft. Dodge, Camp Supply, and Ft. Elliot. As I said, they were poorly garrisoned, as the best men they had, had been called away to fill vacancies in the regiments used in the Civil war, and their places were supplied by raw recruits, or old soldiers who had re-enlisted for want of something else to do. To add to their inefficiency in Indian warfare, they knew nothing of the topography of the country in which they were expected to serve. One can imagine what a predicament they would be in on the first occasion of their engagement with the natives of the plains, and an example will be shown presently. I do not wish my reader to think for a moment that I want to say anything derogatory of the valor of the American soldier. His reputation for bravery established on scores of battle fields, is too well founded to be shaken by anything I might say to the contrary. But this I will venture to state, namely, that when he came face to face with the Indian mode of warfare in a country of which he knew practically nothing, he was confronted by a set of circumstances over which he had no control, and all the military training of former years was of little value to him. This is true both of officers and privates. Bitter experience has proved that both officials and men in the ranks were in the same predicament as regards the best mode of meeting the wily Indian on his own ground. To give the proof of this assertion I shall mention two cases, one briefly and the other at greater length, to bring into full view what these men had to contend against.
In the first case, the disaster to Gen. Custer proves the correctness of my contention. Gen. Custer was a man with a national reputation for valor and military experience, yet he allowed that wily old Indian chief, Sitting Bull, to inveigle him into following him and his band into the valley of the Little Big Horn where he turned upon him with all the savagery of which theIndian nature is capable, and not only defeated, but totally annihilated his command. No, not a living man was left to tell the tale of the disaster.
In the second case which I will present to the reader, I shall show not only the inefficiency of a man trained in any other school than that of the “plains,” to fight the Red Man on his native heath, but will bring out some of the characteristics of the Indian’s mode of procedure.
Gen. G. A. Forsythe was the man whose military reputation as a commander was second to none in the service of Uncle Sam, a man in whom Gen. Phil. Sheridan placed the greatest confidence, a man with whom the same Gen. Sheridan took counsel in any matter requiring military strategy. To show the General’s esteem of this man’s skill, and at the same time show his appreciation of his worth, Sheridan took him with him, to Germany to view the manoeuvres of the Franco-Prussian war. The above will give the reader an indication of the character of the man who met with so much ill success when fighting the Indians.
In 1868 Gen G. A. Forsythe was located temporarily at Ft. Wallace, having gone to that point for supplies. While there, daily reports were brought to him of the numerous depredations committed by the Indians along the railroads. The last report to reach him brought the unpleasant announcement that two freighters had been murdered and their stock driven off. This was too much. The Indian seemed to be committing all manner of misdeeds with seeming impunity, and he decided that he must put an end to such a state of things and at the same time punish the guilty ones for past misconduct. With this purpose in view, he gained permission from Gen. Sheridan to organize an expedition against them. The license was granted and with forty-seven scouts, among whom was Surgeon Moore and Lieut. Beecher, he set out about the tenth of the month of ——, in a north-westerly direction to overtake the savages. Inthe inception of this expedition he made one grave mistake for which he paid dearly in the near future. He took along provisions for only ten days, on pack mules. He had no ambulances, nor wagons. In the case of an engagement he did not have men enough, nor sufficient quantity of supplies, to meet the requirements of a cattle round-up, much less an undertaking of the kind he had in view. He set forth in high spirits, for he did not realize the magnitude of the undertaking he had mapped out for himself, nor the danger into which he was rushing. The weather was favorable and the country rather level, so there was nothing to impede his rapid progress. On the fifth day out, some of the scouts discovered a few Indians. Their trail was picked up and as they progressed it became plainer, which showed that they were nearing the vicinity of the foe. On the fifth evening out, they went into camp in a small valley in the northwest corner of the state of Kansas, and not far from the eastern line of Colorado, just where a small stream called the Arickaree flows into the Republican river. In that little stream was a small island covered with scrubby timber. It could not be exactly called an island, as the water flowed on one side of it only, and at a depth of only about a foot, while the other channel was absolutely dry and filled with coarse grass and brush. As they were all weary with the long march already made, they lay down in their blankets to secure a good rest, little thinking what the next day had in store for them. About daylight, the next morning, some of the scouts heard a commotion among the horses and jumped up to see what was wrong. They discovered the Indians in the act of endeavoring to stampede the horses, and they gave the alarm. As soon as the scouts saw the situation, they opened fire upon the redskins and drove them away. The shooting was a signal for all to rise. They realized that danger was near, and they did not have long to wait until it was present. In less than an hour’s time, between five and sixhundred Chyenne warriors appeared on the hill side, painted and decked out in all the paraphrenalia of a full-fledged war party under the leadership of Roman Nose who at that time was the Bonoparte of the Chyenne tribe.
It seems that the Indians had been keeping close watch on the movements of the little parties of scouts, and as they were now about eighty or a hundred miles from their base of supplies, thought that if they could stampede the horses, they would be able to secure the band as an easy prey. When they failed to make way with the horses and mules, their next move was to open fire upon the men, which they did without delay. This turn of affairs was so sudden and unexpected that the General seemed to lose his head, and stood there in profound amazement. While the General was in this state of uncertainty as to what to do, with his men exposed to the Indian fire, Jack Stillwell, a boy of nineteen, without any regard for formality of ceremony, yelled out, “Why in blazes don’t you go over on that island?” The General took the advice so freely and informally given by his subordinate, and all broke on the run for the shelter of the pseudo-island. They arrived there, but not before several of them were wounded in the dash in which several of the horses were killed, or crippled. The scouts utilized the dead horses as breastworks and poured such a hot fire into the Indians that they withdrew to the shelter of the hills. The scouts employed their time in digging rifle pits, as they were sure that the Indians were not going to give up the fray without another effort to wipe out the little band. It was only a very short time until the Indians were seen coming down the hillside with intensified ferocity due to their first repulse, howling warwhoops from six hundred lusty, savage throats, and adding to the din by beating tomtoms. It was a sight to send a chill to the stoutest heart to see them wildly flinging their arms in the air to the accompaniment of their thunderous yells, the rumbling of the flying horses as they descended upon the little band, intheir mad career. At their head rode Roman Nose encouraging his followers and urging them on to deeds of valor with shout and gesture. One may imagine the chill that crept over many a heart at such a terrifying spectacle, but it was not time to show the white feather, as they could expect no quarter from the blood-thirsty band coming upon them with all the intensity of a whirlwind of fury. When the Indians were within rifle shot, the scouts opened upon them with a fusilade of bullets, with deadly effect. Many a horse was tumbled to the earth and many an Indian bit the dust, either entirely killed, or mortally wounded. The savages returned the fire with but little effect as the scouts were entrenched behind the dead horses, or in their rifle pits. On they came undaunted by the first shock of battle. They advanced almost to the bank of the little stream that flowed between the half-island and the main land. There Roman Nose was seen to reel and fall from his saddle, shot through his body. Another chieftain, I shall not say more daring than the others, but more favored by good luck, succeeded in fording the little stream and advanced to the very bank of the sand bar, or island, before he fell riddled by the bullets of the desperate little band. The continuous fusilade of bullets poured into the serried ranks of the Indians at such close range, together with the loss of their leaders impelled the savages to retreat to the hills once more. This they did accompanied by a shower of bullets that emptied many a saddle before the retreating savages were out of danger. They disappeared behind the hills, but not with the intention of giving up the fight, as they considered their plans for massacreing the little band to be too well laid to be set aside on account of the two repulses they had already received. They waited till afternoon to make a third and final assault upon the island. On they came again, but with the same result as before. They were driven back before the galling fire of the besieged. Determined to continue the fight at all hazards, theykept themselves out of range of the rifles of the islanders, but maintained a desultory fire which had no effect upon the men entrenched in the rifle pits. They then spread themselves out and rode around the island in a circle, but out of range of the guns of the entrapped soldiers. It was plainly their intention to starve the scouts to death or into submission, which was all the same to them.
In the meantime the situation on the island was far from pleasant. Though they had defended themselves with desperate valor, the members of that heroic little band did not escape from all injury. The dead numbered a score, among whom was Lieut. Beecher, a nephew of the renowned Henry Ward Beecher. Among those seriously wounded was Surgeon Moore, who was lying at the point of death, and General Forsythe, with a bullet through his leg and his scalp creased with another leaden missile.
The situation was critical in the extreme. Their food was gone, and the only substitute they had was the flesh of the dead horses that lay around them. From these they cut pieces of flesh which they ate raw, as there was no opportunity for cooking it. This stayed their hunger for a time, but it was a poor substitute at best. They lacked, also, for want of water, for, although the stream lay within a few feet of them, to reach it was impossible, for, if a man showed his head but for a moment he was greeted with a shower of bullets that made him seek cover without delay. The exigency of the situation made them inventive, and as they were almost desperate from want of water, they had recourse to a very slow method of digging down to the water level in order to secure even a scant supply. They cut open a canteen in such a way that it would serve the purpose of a shovel, and with this crude implement went to work to scoop up the sand to such a depth as would bring them to the object of their search. Their patience and persistence was rewarded better than they expected.Not only did they obtain sufficient to meet their immediate needs, but also plenty to bathe the General’s wounds. As far as the dead were concerned, to bury them could not be thought of, as even the movement of a branch would be a signal for a dozen or more bullets which would drive them back to the shelter of their defenses. Though the Indians seemed to realize the predicament of the beseiged, they did not have the temerity to make a final dash to complete the work of butchery they had originally planned. Their first, second, and third attempts had cost them too dearly, and they were content to hover near with the intention of cutting their foe to pieces if they should make an attempt to escape. They waited patiently, apparently secure in their conviction that the beseiged would eventually make a dash for liberty, and if such were to occur they would descend upon the stricken little band and with one fell swoop annihilate them completely. Their long desired wish was never accomplished. Intent upon the final destruction of the whites, they neglected to bury their own dead, not only because they were too busily engaged, in watching the besieged, but principally because they did not care to risk the danger of adding to the already too long list of their fellow tribesmen who had recently gone to the Happy Hunting Grounds. Moreover, the approaching night would give them a better opportunity to secure the bodies of their slain without incurring any risk of being sent to join them in the land of their forefathers.
Night fell, and with it came a cessation of hostilities. It must not be concluded that the Indians had abandoned the fight, for they did not, but kept a wary eye upon that little island, knowing that delay would surely put the palefaces in their possession. Nor did they make any venture to attack the stronghold of the enemy under cover of darkness. That was not the Indian’s way of conducting his warfare. The hour favorable for the Indian raid is just about dawn, when they expect to find the enemy asleep, when they fall upontheir unsuspecting victims and butcher them unmercifully. As for the little band on the island, they put in a most miserable night. An enemy could not wish them more discomfort than what they experienced. Tired, hungry, surrounded by their dead companions, they were not in a condition to find comfort in a situation where they were surrounded by their mortal enemies who, they thought, would take advantage of the darkness to crawl up to the very edge of their retreat and do them to death without mercy. However, in spite of such unpleasant conditions, the besieged kept up some show of cheerfulness. Morning found them far from depressed though the situation had not changed for the better. One wag, in spite of the fact that death might be lurking in his path, cheerfully remarked, “Well, boys, I guess I shall have to rustle some mule meat for the General’s breakfast. I suppose he will like a change of diet as he had only horse meat yesterday.” It was this spirit of mirth amid trying surroundings that kept the little band alive and ready during the long days of imprisonment that followed.
STARVING ELK
The next evening did not bring any change in their environments. The day had been spent very much like the preceding one, except there were no direct assaults upon the island. In the meantime the General’s leg had become badly swollen, and inflammation had set in. Whilst bathing it, one of the boys discovered the bullet close to the surface, and with the General’s permission performed a surgical operation with a pocket knife and removed the shapeless mass of lead. In order to keep the inflammation down as much as possible, the embryo surgeon continued the application of cold water to the affected part, which was somewhat efficacious. With the condition of the camp in such a demoralized condition, the outlook did not appear very promising. Even though the Indians should leave, which was not very likely, the situation would not be relieved to any great extent, as the General could not travel without the aid of a horse,and just then all the horses were dead, or had been stampeded. Things were beginning to assume a desperate aspect. Their food supply was about reduced to nothingness as the horse flesh on which they had been subsisting was no longer available as it was fast becoming tainted. This told them only too plainly that their stay upon the island was to be of short duration, and the prospect of relief from the outside world was very slight. Their only hope, and that a forlorn one, was to cut their way out through the ranks of the hostile Indians, and even the prospects of success in such a venture were not very alluring. Though they might succeed in breaking through the red cordon that held them prisoners on the island, the hope of reaching Fort Wallace could hardly be thought of in their enfeebled condition. It would amount to this, that they would have to fight their whole way back to the fort without so much as a cracker or a drink of water to sustain them on the way. It is hardly possible to imagine a body of men in such straitened circumstances keeping up, and even fighting against hope for delivery. After reviewing the situation from all its different angles, and with the desperation that urges a drowning man to grasp at a straw, the General saw but one way, and that one indicated very meager chances of success, namely, to call for volunteers who would endeavor to make their way to the Fort and bring assistance. Immediately, upon the proposal being made, S. E. Stillwell, better known by the name of Jack, and another scout named Pierre Truedell, expressed their willingness to make the attempt. It was sad enough to have to admit the failure of the expedition and report the news of the disaster, especially when they had started out with high hopes of success, but it was a measure that had to be taken if any relief was to be expected.
It was a perilous undertaking fraught with all manner of hardships. Danger lay all around them, and whether they would reach the end of their journey, or be taken prisoner and tortured by the Indians, they didnot know, but brave at heart, they feared not, but set out to do their best or perish in the attempt to bring succor to their beleaguered companions. That same evening they stole forth from the camp and crossed the little stream, taking with them the best wishes and prayers of their fellow scouts for success. If ever men prayed fervently and expressed sincere wishes, it was on that occasion. No sooner had they crossed the stream than their difficulties began. As soon as they had crossed the water, they found their shoes filled with sand and water, and they were compelled to stop and empty them as well as they could. Then they started on their perilous undertaking in earnest. They did not know at what moment they would encounter some of the lurking foe and be compelled to fight for their lives. They did not dare to walk upright, but got down on all fours and crawled along over the sloping hillsides like dry land terrapins. Slowly, carefully, they wound their way among the dead Indians that littered the plain. Painfully they picked their way with tedium through the sullen foe, at times making haste as best they could in their stooping position, at times lying flat upon the ground while some restless Indian kept guard and patrolled his beat upon the hillside. During one of those unavoidable delays, Stillwell took time to change his shoes from which he had not been able to entirely remove the sand, and which were hurting his feet on that account, for a pair of moccasins which he removed from the feet of a dead Indian he encountered in his slow progress. After creeping like an infant on all fours or worming themselves along on their stomachs for over a mile they decided to risk standing up and in this manner increasing their speed, as they felt certain they were outside of the circle of Indians who were keeping watch on the little band of their comrades on the island. Their conclusion about their position relative to the savages proved correct. When they had gone far enough to permit them to risk whispering to each other, Truedellcomplained that his feet were hurting him on account of the quantity of sand in his shoes. As there was no dead Indian near who had no further use for moccasins, he adapted himself to the necessity of the case and removed his shirt. This he tore into bandages in which he wrapped his feet. They were well aware of the fact that there was no time to be lost in their mission, as every moment of unnecessary delay meant hardship, suffering and danger to their companions recently left behind. They strode on at a greater speed than before, but did not feel safe in talking in their natural tone of voice until they had put several miles between themselves and their starting point. Daylight found they still trudging hastily on, but the light compelled them to seek shelter in a friendly canyon, as the Indians would be sure to find their trail sometime during the hours of light and likely set out to overtake and kill them. Into the canyon they crawled and sought the shelter of the most secluded nook they could find. They then sat down to take a much needed rest. Fortunately for them, they had taken the precaution to bring with them some of the horse meat. They had matches but did not dare risk lighting a fire as the smoke would attract the attention of the Indians and bring them down upon them post-haste. They contented themselves with making the best of a bad situation and ate the horse meat raw. Then they turned over and went to sleep. Nightfall found them on their way again with renewed energy and determination. They felt that the loss of a whole day on their journey meant added sufferings to their companions, but such delay was unavoidable if they wished to reach the Fort alive. On through the darkness they went, now running, now stumbling over the uneven ground, but doggedly moving forward with unceasing ardor. Daylight found them far from the canyon where they had spent the preceding hours of sleep. The only shelter that presented itself to their view was a dry buffalo wallow. Into this they crawled and spent the remaining hours ofthe day in sleep if possible, or reflecting on their trying difficulties. They had neither food nor water. It had been hours since they had taken the last sup of water, and they suffered acutely. Their lips were beginning to swell and they found talking difficult. Hunger, too, added to their discomfort, but there was no relief at hand. They had to make the best of a bad situation and hope for the best. They were willing to suffer the pangs of hunger and thirst, if they could only bring relief to their beleaguered friends. Night came at last, and they dragged themselves out of the wallow to make the last desperate effort to complete their journey. Hungry and thirsty they plunged into the darkness. Their progress was impeded owing to their weakened condition, but on and on they went, staggering and stumbling along, half mad with thirst, and tormented by hunger. Morning found them in a pitiable condition. Weary and wan they seemed as the morning sun showed them that they were not yet within sight of the fort they sought. Half maddened with suffering they were ready for anything. Truedell shot a rabbit, more by accident than design, and this they fairly tore to pieces and ate raw. They were too ravenous to wait until they could build a fire to cook it. On they went again, until they came to a buffalo hunter trail leading to the Fort. Footsore and weary they dragged themselves along till almost exhausted they found their way into Fort Wallace. They sought Colonel Bankhead’s quarters where they delivered to him the news of the disaster that had befallen the ill-fated expedition. This first and most important duty done, they then sought the canteen where they found everything that was necessary to satisfy their pressing wants. Relieved of the excitement of the journey, tired and worn in every member, conscious of the fact that they had done their share in forwarding relief to their friends still in distress, they sought convenient bunks and were soon dead to the world in deep repose.
The next night after Stillwell and Truedell had leftthe island, the General deemed it a prudent move to send two more scouts on the same mission. He feared that, perhaps, some misfortune had overtaken the first emissaries, and if such were the case, the report of the disaster would never reach the Fort, nor would succor come to him and his command. He called for two more volunteers who would be willing to try to elude the hundreds of savage eyes that were glinting with hate on the courageous little band, and watching every movement that took place in their primitive defense. No sooner had he issued the call than two volunteers offered themselves for the perilous undertaking. They realized the danger they would dare, but as they then stood, there would hardly be more peril in their efforts to break through the encircling foe, than there would be if they remained inert upon the island with starvation staring them in the face, and a band of bloodthirsty Indians ready to pounce upon them at the very moment they showed signs of distress.
If they did not go, total annihilation awaited them; if they did go, there was some slight chance of being liberated from their present predicament. With the odds against them, they were willing to do their best. The two courageous volunteers for the second effort were A. J. Pliley who now lives in Kansas City, and Jack Donovan. They set out in about the same manner as their two companions did on the night before, and were very successful in eluding the foe. Things went well with them until the second day. Perhaps their first success in eluding the Indians made them over-bold, but the fact remains that they were followed by a band of Redskins who discovered their trail. On the second day out on their mission they experienced a great scare. They were lying in a dry buffalo wallow when Pliley heard a noise. He peered carefully over the edge of the wallow and discovered in the distance, about half a mile away, a band of about thirty warriors coming directly towards the spot where they were lying concealed. He turnedto his companion and said, “Jack, I guess it is all up with you and me. There are about thirty Indians coming straight for this wallow.” “Well,” replied Jack, “if that is the case, I am not going to trade even; I want two for one.” They were certainly in a dreadful predicament. Surrounded as they knew they would be by those relentless warriors, they determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible. They knew the process only too well. They could see already that band of warriors riding around the wallow in a circle, shooting at them on the run, or perhaps, even making a rush of it to overpower them by weight of numbers, and murder them heartlessly. Perhaps, they might make them prisoners, to be reserved for future torture. Carefully keeping an eye upon the oncoming band, Pliley kept his friend informed of their movements. It would not do to expose themselves too soon, as there might be some hope that the Indians had not discovered their actual whereabouts. On they came, and the two men spontaneously reached for their weapons to defend themselves. Nearer and nearer they came, and the besieged made ready to give them an opening salutation of welcome. A little nearer they approached and then they halted. They cast a scanning glance over the surrounding country, and apparently they were satisfied that their intended victims had eluded them. Then they turned their ponies and rode away in the direction whence they came. With a sigh of relief, the two men put back their guns, and felt that they were safe for the present. That night when they set out again, they hastened their steps as rapidly as possible, knowing that the foe was on their trail. Stumbling along in much the same condition of hunger and thirst as the two former scouts had done, they reeled into the Fort the same evening as Stillwell and Truedell. It was needless to say that there were heartfelt congratulations expressed when those four scouts met at Fort Wallace.
The band of Indians seen by Pliley and Donovan,were undoubtedly a part of the Roman Nose contingent. They had discovered the trail of the men shortly after their escape from the island and pursued them with the determination to overtake them and put them to death, but all to no purpose. They little knew how close they came to being successful in their efforts, especially as at one time they were within about forty rods of them as they lay in the dry buffalo wallow. Apparently they became discouraged in their efforts and gave up the chase.
Having received the message delivered by the four men, it did not take Colonel Bankhead long to call out every available man and horse, to fit out ambulances, and wagons laden with provisions, and make whatever preparations were necessary to relieve the wants of the distressed.
When the Indians knew that the messengers had eluded them and had likely reached the Fort in spite of all the measures they took to forestall such an event, they thought prudence the better part of valor and withdrew their forces from the neighborhood of the island. They foresaw that relief would come to the brave defenders of the little sand bar in a very short time, and as they had such small success with a small band, they felt that they would hardly be able to contend with a greater force which would be certainly sent out for their relief.
Once the relief corps got in motion, it did not let the grass grow under its feet. Their progress was necessarily slower than that of the expedition on account of the baggage they were carrying, and, also, because they had to exercise the greatest care in marching for they knew not at what time they would encounter a band of hostile Indians. The journey to the locality of the disaster occupied several days. They were rather surprised to find the nearer they approached their destination the less the presence of Indians was noted. When they drew up in sight of the island, not a savage was to be seen or heard of.
In the interim of the departure of the scouts for relief, the prisoners’ on the island suffered acutely. Around them lay the dead bodies of some of their companions whom they did not dare to venture out to bury. They were rapidly decomposing and the atmosphere was laden with the nauseating smell that accompanies such a condition either of animal, or man. Added to this was the number of dead horses, which added to the intensity of the malodorous smell. The wounded suffered more and more as inflammation set in or increased. Their condition was pitiable as very little could be done to relieve their sufferings. Above all this, they had to endure the pangs of hunger, which every day grew more and more irksome. It was a sad spectacle that the eyes of the relief corps beheld when they came upon them first. Hardly able to raise their weakened bodies from a recumbent position, the wounded endeavored to give a cheer at the sight of their deliverers, but it was such a mockery of cheer that it was enough to bring tears to the eyes of many a veteran. Those who had not been wounded, and they were few, lent a willing hand to the administration of medical assistance to their stricken companions. They felt so overcome with joy themselves that they could hardly express themselves in the intensity of their happiness. But their newly-arrived fellow scouts and soldiers knew by their looks the depth and sincerety of their feelings of gratitude, and felt happy to be able to reach them before death had overtaken the whole band.
The first duty to be attended to by the relief party, was the burial of the dead. Delay would have been dangerous and, perhaps, fatal, as they were, as mentioned above, badly decomposed. They performed the sad duty over the remains of their former companions with all the reverence that their circumstances would permit. Next, they had to look after the wants of their General. He had been suffering intensely from the wound in the scalp and in the leg. They administered such remedies as theyhad, which produced some relief. The rest of the wounded were attended to in much the same fashion, each one receiving what attention could be given them. When all this had been done, they made ready to set out for the fort. It was a slow journey, but in time they reached their destination where proper remedies soon restored them to fighting condition again.
The expedition of Gen. Forsythe, which he insisted on making against Roman Nose and his band, terminated in dismal failure. It had cost the lives of several valuable and experienced men, and marred to some degree the reputation for success which he had hitherto gained. Nevertheless, the lesson bore fruit. It taught the American people at large, and General Forsythe in particular that all the knowledge of Indian warfare is not taught at the military academy at West Point. In fact, it was impressed upon the minds of several who were in a position to profit by the lesson, that the “University of the Plains” was far better adapted to produce men who would be successful in that mode of fighting than any of the academies established for the purpose of instructing the neophyte in the art of conducting warlike manoeuvres.
The writer is indebted to S. E. Stillwell, better known to his friends as “Jack,” for the information regarding the battle of Arickaree, in which he played so prominent a part. His feat, alone, of bearing the message from Gen. Forsythe to Fort Wallace was sufficient to win him undying fame. In such high esteem was he held by those to whom he lent his services, that Gen. Phil. Sheridan characterized him as being the bravest and most daring young man he ever knew, and he knew a multitude of them. He was, later on, the trusted and boon companion of Buffalo Bill, “Col. W. Cody,” in fighting the Indians on the plains. At one time, later on, he was Police Judge of the City of El Reno. This position he retained until he was appointed United States Commissioner at Anadarko, Okla. Thisposition he resigned and went to the North Plate, Neb., where he died and was buried within a day’s ride of the battle ground of the Arickaree. While he was filling the office of Commissioner at Anadarko, the writer frequently spent hours with him chatting over the events of former days upon the plains. During one of those visits, he ventured to inquire of the Commissioner if he thought he himself had killed Roman Nose. He replied that he did not know, but after taking a few puffs of his cigarette, he naively remarked that if he did not, it was attributable to his aim and not to his intention as he gave him his undivided attention from the time he came within range of his rifle until he fell from his horse. He paused then and took a few more puffs, and closed the subject by remarking, “perhaps, some of the other boys did it.”
The Whirlwind Raid; Great Expectations Reduced to Disappointment, etc.
For several years succeeding to terminations of the Civil War, the whole plains country, as I have said in the previous chapter, from the frontier settlements westward including a great portion of the Rocky Mountains, and from the British line on the north to the Red river of the north line of Texas, was claimed by the Indian by virtue of his title begotten of prior possession, and was used by him as a hunting ground, and also as the theatre in which to stage the settlement of tribal difficulties. As a variation from those internal battles, or wars, as you may wish to call them, they frequently made raids upon the white settlers, killing and scalping the men, kidnapping the women and children, and running off their stock as spoils of war. They roamed that vast expanse of territory at will, seeking their sustenance from the abundance of wild game with which the plains were teeming. Buffalo and deer were there in innumerable quantities and were easily slaughtered. Smaller game abounded everywhere. When the bucks returned from the chase with a buffalo or a deer to show for his efforts, the squaws took possession of the carcass, cutting off huge chunks of meat for provisions, and then tanning the hides at which they were experts. In times of peace they worked faithfully at the task of converting the green hide into something serviceable, but when the war alarm was sounded, they readily threw aside the work at hand to follow their lord and master on the warpath, not as an idle onlooker, but armed with a scalping knife and tomahawk, they followed up the work of slaughter by assisting in the scalping, or mutilating the bodies of thedead. In this last feature of the raid, they seemed to be carried away by a sort of frenzy, and the manner in which they treated the corpses of those slain, was brutal and inhuman in the extreme. In my own experience I have known squaws who were so fascinated by this kind of brutality or rather ghoulishness, that at the first notes of the war song they deserted their white husbands to follow in the wake of the war, although at the time they were drawing rations from the government and were in possession of comfortable homes.
In this connection, it may not be amiss to say something of the Medicine Man, and the part he played in the Indian raids. I might say that he was the most important factor in such undertakings, as well as in the inter-tribal disputes. He seemed to have such an influence over the destinies of the tribe in which he was operating, that the chiefs and their followers placed implicit confidence in his decisions. On him alone, rather than the chiefs in council, depended the undertaking of any raid, or struggle. Whenever there was any prospect of trouble arising, he called the chiefs and warriors and held a seance in which he made inquiries of them as to their opinions and views regarding the matter under discussion. This done, he set about a series of orgies and incantations to discover from some secret agency the advisability of making the venture, or abandoning it. A consultation of this kind often took several days, but when he arrived at some conclusion, it was announced to the chiefs and their followers, and his decision in the matter was final and devoid of any appeal. As soon as the result of his incantation was promulgated, the warriors buckled on their armor, if I may use the expression, though there were few buckles and oftentimes no more armor than a breach-clout and a blanket with some instrument of warfare, and made ready for the raid on some white settler’s cabin and stock, or to engage in a death struggle with some other tribe. The success or failure of his prediction did not affect the medicineman in any great degree as regards his position in the tribe. If the raid was a success, he became the lion of the hour and the tribe looked upon him as something of a supernatural being, but if, on the contrary, things resulted adversely, he had little to lose except his reputation, and that would be so badly shattered that no other member of the tribe would care to wear his mantel of prophesy. To illustrate the case in point, I shall mention what befell chief Black Kettle’s Medicine Man. After holding a seance for several days, he arrived at the very pleasing conclusion that the white man’s gun was no good; that the bullets would fall to the ground close to the muzzle of the gun and consequently would not injure an Indian. When Gen. Custer fell upon him, one winter’s morning, on the Washita and killed more than one hundred of his warriors with Black Kettle himself, and took the remainder of the band prisoners and brought them to Camp Supply, the estimate on that Medicine Man’s ability as a prognosticator was diminished to a vanishing point. We are inclined to smile at the credulity of the Indian in the matter of consulting the Medicine Man, but, in this curiosity to secure a knowledge of future events, especially where they refer to his welfare, they were not much different from the rank and file of white folks who consult some street fakir or clairvoyant, turning over half a dollar to find out whether a business man is dealing fairly or otherwise, or to discover if the partner of one’s joys and sorrows, is travelling the path of rectitude or not, or to discover some secret source of wealth that will place the inquirer beyond the reach of want. Such foolish curiosity is not confined to any race or tribe, as I find in my varied reading that the practice of clairvoyancy, soothsaying, etc., has been in practice and fashion from the days when Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt down through the ages to the present day, and you will find on investigation that the clients of the fakir are not limited to the unlettered class, but embrace membersfrom every grade of society from the proletariat to the Four Hundred. However, to return to the thread of my story, I must say that since the day when the long range gun has been put in the hands of man, the calling of the Medicine Man has become almost obsolete.
In regard to the manner of conducting campaigns, there was no fixed rule, but every chief conducted his fight as circumstances dictated, and some of the later day chieftains manifested an ability in their campaigns that would stamp them as Napoleons of their tribes and times. Precision and alacrity were seldom wanting in the raids. If they came in contact with the soldier, they outclassed him to some degree, as, after the first few volleys, they scattered and disappeared from view with a readiness that was astonishing. Nor could the trained soldier of the line follow up his foe to any advantage as they seldom left a trail behind that would guide him to their hiding place. The untrained eye of the military man militated against any success he might otherwise have had, and it required the scout of the plains to ferret out the marks and signs that would give any opportunity for pursuit. In the meantime the Indian on his fleet-footed ponies would likely be fifty or one hundred miles away from the point of encounter.
The Indian did not always confine his raiding propensities to the white man, but as frequently gave his attention to some of the neighboring tribes with whom they had some matter to adjust. Needless to say, when two tribes met in conflict, the fighting bore a character of savagery that was in keeping with the untamed nature of the participants. Naturally, the Indian was compelled to confine himself to the use of such weapons as his limited ingenuity could provide, but in the use of what he had he was an adept. Before the introduction of fire-arms his chief weapons consisted of the bow and arrow, the tomahawk, and the scalping knife, but if an opportunity presented itself for him to make use of themore up-to-date weapons of warfare, he took advantage of it, as is instanced in the case of the raid made upon the Back and Fox Indians by their more southerly neighbors.
The Sack and Fox Indians were located in Kansas, and by reason of their close proximity to the settlements of white men, and also on account of carrying on trade with them, they came into possession of fire-arms which they used with considerable success in hunting the buffalo. They found it to their advantage to use the weapon for laying up supplies of meat and hides. This opened up an avenue of trade for them as they found a ready market for the buffalo skins they procured, but in their prosperity they nearly were overcome by disaster. The plain Indians learning of the success of the Sack and Fox Indians, became jealous of them and resolved to exterminate them. A conference was called and invitations issued to the different tribes to take part in the general pow-wow. The assemblage was to take place on the Arkansas River, where they were to decide on what measures to take, or, in other words, lay out a plan of campaign. The Kiowas, Comanches, Arappahoes, Apaches, and Chyennes presented themselves on the day appointed, and initiated the proceedings with a Medicine Dance. Then a council of war was called and they came to the unanimous conclusion to go north to the Smoky Hill river and wage relentless war upon the Sack and Fox Indians and thus terminate the slaughter of the buffalo on the plains. The leadership of this expedition was by common consent bestowed upon Chief Whirlwind. They then indulged in their customary war-dance and set forth upon their mission of destruction.
It was Robert Burns who wrote that,
The best laid plans of mice and menGang aft aglee,And lea’ us naught but grief and painFor promised joy.
This quotation applies definitely to the Whirlwind raid. He started forth like a “plumed knight” chanting his war song and whooping along the way to instill courage into his braves, each of whom carried a back-load of arrows and a couple of well-strung bows as his weapons of war, and expected to share in the glory of a great victory. Nor did the chanting and roaring of their chieftain fail of its purpose. By the time they reached their destination they were all strung up to the highest tension, in fact they were all but counting the scalps they were about to carry away in triumph, etc. They reached the canyon in the Smoky Hill country where the Sack and Fox Indians had secreted themselves, prepared to give the invaders of their hunting ranges a warm reception. Whirlwind and his band advanced in confidence, knowing they outnumbered their intended victims, but they were not acquainted with the new ally of their foe. They knew absolutely nothing of the use of fire-arms, their efficiency, and death dealing powers. They had not become acquainted with the sound of the carbine, nor of the shot-gun. This was a power they did not to reckon with, nor knew how to estimate its value. The only thing that concerned them just then was to make a sudden whirlwind dash upon their foe, butcher them, and carry off the spoils. They were led up to the mouth of the canyon chanting and shouting, when the muzzles of a hundred guns belched forth thunder and lightning, and a hail of leaden bullets flew around them in death dealing myriads. They turned and fled, stampeded like a herd of antelope toward their starting point. They reached the Arkansas, but oh! how their bright expectations had been rudely shattered. One conclusion they arrived at as the result of their unprofitable venture, and that was that bows and arrows was no weapon to offset the effect of a musket or a carbine. It was a sad return for all their brilliant hopes. Behind them lay the corpses of fifty of their bravest warriors, whilst twice that number came limping backhome, crippled by the unthought-of ally of their foes. Nor could the loss be estimated at the death of their fellow braves, nor in the wounds borne by the cripples, nor in the number of horses that had been shot from under them, but in the blow to their tribal pride. There they suffered most, for it was inconceivable to think that one-hundred and twenty-five Sack and Fox Indians should in any manner possible overcome the flower of the various tribes that participated in the raid. It is estimated by those who know, that there were between twelve and fifteen hundred warriors of the southern tribes under the command of the mighty Whirlwind. As a battle, there was little or nothing to it. The chief with all his experience could not get his men to face that leaden hail that smote the ranks so mercilessly. There was nothing to do but turn tail and flee, which he did.
When they returned to the Arkansas, they mutually agreed that the expedition from the view-point of results obtained was a failure. From there they made their way south until they reached the North Canadian river and there disbanded, each tribe seeking its own reservation, or hunting grounds as it saw fit. They never again returned to molest the Sack and Fox tribes in their peaceful occupation.
It was currently reported and believed by many that Whirlwind on his return to the hunting grounds on the North Canadian, said that every feather had been shot from his war bonnet during the engagement, in the Smoky Hill canyon. I never had the pleasure of being intimately acquainted with that doughty warrior, but I have seen him on several occasions and have also seen his war bonnet, and I know something of the amount of feathers required to decorate it. Since he has passed to the Happy Hunting Grounds, I shall take this opportunity of denying that he ever made such a statement, for I do not believe that he ever said it, as the evidence would plainly indicate that he would not be telling thetruth, which would be plain to all. Knowing how much the wily old warrior prized the emblem of his former prowess in the field of battle, I feel certain that he would never submit to have it disfigured by the bullets of his foes, particularly, whilst his head was beneath it. So I shall repeat what I said before, “He did not say it.”
The reader may be pleased to have a little insight into the general character of Whirlwind, the leader of the expedition that failed. Like all leaders whether white, black, or bronze, he always made it his motto to win. Kill, conquer and destroy were the methods he employed in his campaigns. In the heat of battle, he was relentless and uncompromising, but when the battle was over and he had returned to his own hunting grounds, he showed a spirit of forgiveness and generosity, as well as many other redeeming qualities, for which he should receive due credit.
The Sun Dance; Preparations; Its Religious Significance; and Purpose; How it was Conducted, etc.
It may not be amiss to insert here a description of what was known to the various Indian tribes as the Sun Dance. Each nation, people, or tribe in past history has had some ceremony, symbolic in its nature, by which honors and dignities were conferred upon those who sough honor and preferment. Nor has this custom been confined to any particular class, for all have, at different times, indulged in the practice, nor was it without its influence and effect upon those who sought advancement. The Knights of the Middle Ages, when in the act of receiving the symbols of their office and vocation, were compelled to submit themselves to some kind of ordeal by which they manifested their fitness to wear the honors they sought. So, too, it was with the denizens of the plains, as the following narrative from unimpeachable authority will illustrate. Just as in the days of old, the ceremony was partly religious in its development, so, too, the children of the plains invested the conferring of honors and rights to preferment with religious ceremony and physical tests.
The Sun Dance, as practiced by the Cheyenne tribe of Indians, dates back to time immemorial. In the performance of it, the Indian makes a profession of faith in the Supreme Being, and at the same time subjects those who engage in it, to a physical test that is sufficient to try the heart and soul of even the most valiant. The first step in the proceedings of this semi-religious festival, is to select the proper location for the celebration of it. Weeks, and perhaps months in advance, some pow-wow is held at which they make the selection of the place inwhich they wish to hold their festival. Usually some well-known camping ground is chosen on account of the abundance of fuel and water, both of which were necessary for the proper conduct of the ceremony, for it was essential that there should be means at hand for preparing the final feast, as well as an abundant supply of water for the multitudes assembled from the different districts for the purpose of watering their stock, as well as, affording bathing facilities to such a vast number.
For several days prior to the actual enactment of the ceremony, Indians would begin to assemble, straggling in from long distances, bringing with them the greater part a their household belongings. North, south, east, and west sent their contingents. Whole families with their teepees, ponies, and dogs, assembled from all parts of the reservations or the plains to participate in the festivities or to be merely on-lookers hoping in their mere presence to receive some benediction from the Great Spirit whom they assembled to worship. Long before the arrival of these scattered bands, the Medicine Man was on the scene to give his attention to whatever preparations were required for the occasion. He usually selected some central point wherein to erect his place of worship. In this chosen spot he was to enact the two-fold role of High Priest and Medicine Man, to minister to their spiritual and corporal necessities.
Many days elapsed before the arrival of the final contingent, and the intervening time had to be employed as best they could. This gave those who had already arrived on the scene, an opportunity of visiting their relations and friends, whom they had not met, perhaps since the preceding Sun Dance. The older folks were content to while away the passing hours in social converse, whilst the young engaged in feats of skill, contesting in games peculiar to the tribe. It was quite evident that they were supremely happy in their childish amusements, and enjoyed them as thoroughly as theirwhite contemporaries found pleasure and enjoyment in their more up-to-date and scientific play toys. One thing particularly noticeable in all their endeavors was the spirit of prompt obedience to parental authority. The control that the Indian parent exercises over his child is marvelous, and in all my intercourse with the children of the plains, I have never known of a parent chastizing his child in a cruel or harsh manner. It is a thing unheard of, that a child ever raised a hand or uttered an unfilial expression of contempt towards his parents. I believe that if an Indian child were to emulate the example of many white children, whom I have known not only to treat their parents with contempt, but even go so far as to treat them contumeliously, the Indian father would be so staggered by such an outbreak and disregard for the proprieties of his position, that it would require a council of chiefs to decide upon the proper mode of dealing with the case, as it would lack all precedent. The little redskin is attentive to the wants of his parents, and at all times exercises a continual watchfulness over their wants to forestall any command to fulfill some duty. Nor do the parents fill the childish mind with tales of goblins and hobgoblins to excite terror in his little heart. Even the customary punishment of locking the little child up in some dark corner, is lacking, for there is no need of it. Obedience to authority is part of the nature of the Indian child and it comes so easy for him to render it that it never becomes irksome.
When the last stragglers have arrived, and the interchange of social courtesies is fulfilled, the large central teepee, or ampitheatre is erected and ready for occupancy. In the center of this teepee is placed a large pole much the same as the old-time May pole used by the people of the Middle Ages on the occasion of their annual celebrations, but in this case the purpose was very much different, as will be seen later on in this narrative.
During the time the rank and file of the Indians were enjoying their intercourse, the young men who were candidates for honors in the trials of endurance, were busying themselves plaiting their hair and painting their bodies. They decorated their faces and other portions of the body with every conceivable kind of animal and reptile that human ingenuity could invent, as taste or custom suggested. Some of the productions were very artistic, and some were rather grotesque, but the tout-ensemble served the purpose for which the work was intended. They were no novices in the art of extracting colors from the plants and shrubs that grew in abundance on the plains, and at the same time had developed the art of applying them to the human body for decorative purposes. The paints were not indelible, consequently they could be easily removed and another application made as circumstances required. At times, the renewal of the decoration took place as many as four or five times a day.
The ceremony lasted four days without any intermission. During that time the candidates for honors were obliged to such a strict fast and abstinence, that not a morsel of food, nor a drop of water passed their lips during the time. One favor was conceded to them; they were allowed to smoke. One might be inclined to think that, at times, the regulation was not faithfully observed, but there he would be mistaken. There were too many eyes upon the candidates to permit of his stealing off to the commissary department of the assemblage, nor could he by any means carry off beneath the folds of his garments a morsel of food as the extent of his habiliments would not permit such a thing as his outfit consisted of a breach-clout around his waist and a few feathers in his hair.
At the hour appointed for the opening of the ceremony, a chief mounted his horse and rode through the assembled throng crying out that the ordeal was about to begin. It was his duty also to set down the rulesand regulations governing the performance. When he had explained the ordinances sufficiently to be understood by all the candidates, he withdrew and the Medicine Man appeared on the scene. He was decked out in his most gorgeous array of feathers and finery, with his hair plaited down his back and ornamented with more feathers and quills. Truly, he was an imposing spectacle to the simple minded tribesman and they looked upon him with a species of awe. In his hand he bore the wing of an eagle. He took up his position in a very conspicuous place and struck an attitude very much like some of the Indians we see pictured standing on some eminence with his hand shading his eyes and looking far away over the plains in search of something of interest. The Medicine Man assumed about the same attitude, using the eagle wing to protect his eyes from the sun. He stood motionless for a period lasting about half an hour, gazing in the direction of the blazing sun. I never came to learn the true meaning of this action on the part of the Medicine Man, but I presume he expected to discover some supernatural visitor coming from the direction in which he was gazing. I can readily imagine what his consternation would be if one of our modern aeroplanes passed close over his head while he was making observations of the heavens. There is no doubt he would drop his eagle wing and make a dash for his teepee laboring under the impression that the devil was out making morning calls. Such an apparition would most likely interfere with the completion of the programme, and the tribesmen would probably seek shelter or protection from the whirring, roaring monster, in the depths of the nearby timber. However, as no such occurance took place, the Medicine Man continued his vigil until such time as he thought proper to terminate it. Upon his return to camp, the tomtom sounded and the dance was on. All the braves fell into line, and the pow-wow started with each brave keeping step to the beatings of the primitive instrument. No squaws were permitted to engage in theceremony as it was to be a strict, test of physical endurance. Much less, are white men permitted to participate in the Sun Dance, as this is an institution particularly appropriated to the Indian tribes. The squaws had their share of the work to do, and while the ceremony was going on, they spent their time in making preparations for the feast that was to follow upon the completion of the dance. The young men who were not otherwise engaged and who did not care to undergo the terrible ordeal about to follow, mounted their ponies and scoured the plains for game. This was a necessary undertaking, as the amount required to supply the throng present with food, was very great. True, each tribesman brought some provisions, but that supply would be inadequate to the demands of such an occasion.
If any white man had an opportunity to witness the proceedings of the Sun Dance, he would most likely arrive at a very erroneous idea of the intent and purpose of the occasion, nor would he understand the significance of what he might see. The wild, wierd scene before him, the fantastic movements of the participants in the drama would probably create in his mind a false impression of the nature and character of the ceremony. However, to arrive at the true meaning of what was being done, it is sufficient to say that the heads of numerous families were present on the occasion I speak of, to do homage and worship the Great Spirit, and offer thanks for favors received in the past. This goes to show that the Indian was not unmindful of his obligation to the Great Spirit, but brings out to our view a side of the Indian character that is very seldom mentioned by those who appear or seem to know all about him. They were grateful for the gifts received from the hand of their Creator and on occasions of this kind strove to show it. They probably had some friend or relative who escaped from some calamity. If so, this was the occasion on which they showed their gratitude to theFather of all. Perhaps, some of them had wives and children who had recently recovered from some ailment. If so, they were grateful. Sundry were the purposes for which they assembled on this occasion to offer up their meed of praise and thanksgiving to the Great Spirit. Their devotion was as sincere and deep-seated as the Pilgrims who made long pilgrimages to the Holy Land to visit the sepulchre of Him, who died for us all. The scoffer may not be able to see it, but there is One who sees and judges, and who will render to each and all the just reward on the day of the final reckoning, and the Indian may not be as bad as painted when seen in the light of the Kingdom of Heaven, where he will be judged according to his lights.
When the hunters have returned from the chase, each deposits in the commissary department the trophies of the hunt, antelope, deer, badgers, coons, rabbits. All is grist that is brought to that mill. Even the dogs contribute their share to make the supply equal to the grand display of culinary art that is to be staged at the close of the ceremony. It may appear strange to the reader that the turkey had no place on the menu card of the feast. The reason of this lay in the fact that the Indian considered him too cowardly and timid to be food fit for the brave and warlike members of the tribe, as it would have a tendency to diminish, if not destroy their spirit of bravery and fortitude.
In the meantime, all had been a scene of activity in the ranks of those who were contending for honors, as I have mentioned in a former paragraph. The tom-tom had sounded the call to the test. The old warriors and the young bucks who were out for preferment, had formed a procession and were marching toward the ampitheatre. The old bucks who had won their honors on the war-path were dressed in their fanciest blankets, while those who were to undergo the ordeal wore nothing save the breach-clout, and a few feathers. When the excitement of the preliminarymovements had taken possession of the young men, one of the most reckless of the young bucks broke from the ranks and began to dance around the pole. There he gave himself up to a frenzy of movement, gyrating and gesticulating in a manner marvelous to behold. Swinging his hands, kicking up his heels, twisting, twirling, performing antics of all kinds supposed to be of the nature of warlike movements, he all the time gave vent to a series of yells, whoops, and screams of the most unimaginable kind. At the proper moment, a new feature of the ceremony took place. A man selected for the purpose came forth bearing a knife in his hand. His duty it was to make incisions in the back of the aspirant for honors. Two incisions were made on each side of the back, about half an inch apart. When the knife had done its work, the flesh was raised between the gashes and a skewer of wood, much resembling the old-fashioned husking peg, was forced through the flesh beneath the skin. Around the projecting ends of this was tied a buckskin thong to which was tied a lasso. This operation was performed on both the incisions. A buffalo skull was then tied to the lasso at its further extremity. The operation is then complete, unless the young brave should request an additional skull which would be provided if convenience, or opportunity, permitted. If it were not possible to provide a buffalo head for the occasion, the skeleton of a deer, or a bear would answer the purpose as well. In fact, the skeleton of any beast of prey was considered to suffice, as it was supposed to engender a warlike spirit in the candidate. This feature of attaching the skeleton of a beast of prey was not always performed in the same way, as some of the tribes preferred to have it attached to their breasts.
When properly equipped with this new attachment, whether buffalo skull or skeleton of a deer or other animal, the young buck was then turned loose. He joined in the chanting and kept step with the other dancers, but did not mingle in the ranks, as the appendageattached to him and dragging along might interfere with the rythmical movements of the dancers. He did not, fail to keep step with his fellows, nor neglect his part of the singing, but confined the field of his operations, separate from the others, where he could conduct himself with what freedom the impediment he was dragging, would permit. There he discovered himself confronted with difficulties at several points, as the buffalo skull might become entangled in a tuft of grass and intensify the pain he was already suffering so heroically. In case of difficulty of the kind, he received no assistance from outside sources, but was compelled to wiggle and twist until he succeeded in loosing it from its hold or tore the flesh and skin from his back. It might happen that the first obstacle that he met would break the fleshy bonds that hold the skewers in place, and free him from his burden, or he might drag his burden around for days. Oftentimes, in a spirit of playfulness, some young redskin, promped by the genius of mischief, would jump on the skull and tear it loose from its moorings, but lacking this fortuitous event, and weary of the burden, he would frequently in desperation wilfully become entangled in something or other and break it of his own volition. When he became detached from the buffalo skull in the manner described, there necessarily was left a gaping wound with ragged edges. Then he received attention from the Medicine Man who was close at hand for such an emergency. With his knife he trimmed off the rough edges and expectorated the juice of some herb which he had been chewing, into the wound. This remedy was supposed to be sufficiently potent to eradicate any infection that might be lurking there, and produce beneficial results owing to the healing qualities of the plant he masticated. That was the total of the medical treatment the candidate received during the whole term of his torture. Frequently there were as many as a dozen candidates on, trial at the same time, and all were compelled to endure the same torture. Itfrequently happened that some of them weakened by hunger and exhausted from the pain they were suffering, fell in a swoon. If such were the case, he was left where he fell, and no attempt was made to render him any other assistance than throwing a buffalo robe or blanket over him where he lay. There they permitted him to lie, to recover or die as the case might be. It made no difference to the other dancers what his condition might be, they continued their gyrations apparently indifferent to the condition of the victim of hunger and torture beneath the blanket. If he revived, he began again his dancing and chanting as though there had been no interruption, which he continued until freed from his burden. The test is the same for all, and the attention and medical assistance rendered is identical in every case.
As I said before, other tribes prefer to have the incisions made upon their breasts, but in such a case do not bear the burden of a buffalo skull, but are attached by the lariat rope to the limb of a tree, or to the centre pole of the ampitheatre round which they dance until they succeed in breaking loose by tearing the skewer through the flesh that holds it. As for the medical treatment, it is the same in all cases.
The ceremony is continued until the supply of volunteers for honors is exhausted. Those who have passed through the ordeal successfully are in line for promotion to the higher offices of their respective tribes providing a vacancy occurs through death or accident. They are considered the proper material to fill the offices of chief. They have been put through a test sufficiently harsh to try the heart and soul to its utmost capacity for suffering. Their courage and constancy was beyond question, and henceforth were looked upon as men having a prior right to fill the place of any old chief who might go to the Happy Hunting Grounds. They were not only proud that they had borne the test successfully, but also were more pleased that they had lived up to the traditions ofthe family. They were firm believers in heredity, and were proud of the distinction of being descended from some former warrior of prominence as the present day white man is jealous of his descent from the first colonists who came over in the Mayflower. I have met Indians who gloried in their descent from Roman Nose, Black Kettle and other noted leaders who have long since passed away, and I have found others who traced their lineage back to Tecumseh, and Black Hawk.
The system of dancing just described was suppressed by Col. Woodson whilst he was in charge of the Darlington Agency, as he considered it too cruel and barbarous to be permitted on the Reservation because he thought it would have a tendency to retard any progress the younger Indians might be making towards a more civilized manner of life. I understand, however, that Col. Woodson’s order was rescinded by another Commissioner of Indian Affairs at a later date, and they are now permitted to practice it in a modified form.