The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-07-15


visited by Il delegation of Camanche and XII
ava Indians. who told him that the Cheycn-
mes intended to attack the whites and had
invited them to join them. Mr.. T. at once
Informed Col. Hoffman, commanding the post
who dispatched messenger to Col. Sumner
The latter promptly returned the next day
with lis entire force and planted it within
striking distance Of the Cheyenne en"amp-
mcnt. This greatly alarmed the Indians
many of whom commenced striking their
tents, willie others inquired of Fitzpatrick
the ct;usc Of the return. Tie tribe denied the
truth If the report, saying that no one Of
their nation felt aggricvcd, except the one
who had been whipped. and his wounded
feelings having been healed BY the present of
blanket, Col. 5. again proceeded. In 1852
the post was commanded by Bgcvc, Capt. S.
p. Buckncr, and aftcwam by Second Lieut.
Henry lloth, each having one company Of the
9th Infantry. In his report for 1852. Col
Faun,croy Of Fort I.cavcnworh recommend
cd its diSrontinuancc, and the establishment
of Fort Riley on the Kansas. In the summer
of 1853 it was discontinued, but the troops
were not transferred to Fort Riley, but to
Walnut Creek. In July of last year Mr.
Fitzl atricli held Il council (Which had been
postponed from 1852 with the tribes of the
Arkansas River at Fort A. when he obtained
their ratification TO the Laramie Treaty, and
Major Chiffon, with his company L, first
Dragons, was also present. The amount Of
hostages here collected fer the year ending
July 80, 1858. was :2O.1%.
Big Innbcr.i is Il locality on the Arkansas
River, above Fort Atkinson, noted as having
been at various times place for making ne
go'la'ons and treaties with the Indian tribes
that region. For long time it has been
their tavoritc wintcrins grounl, since there
is at all times dulin. the winter, in its neigh
horhood, an abundance of buffalo, antelope,
deer and elk. with good pasture. fuel, &c. 1t
was at first intcnl"d here to establish a Mill
tary post and l'oSt-Oiii c. If crwarl located
below and called Fort Sumner OF Atkinson
but this was not done, owing TO an unwil
lingncss to disturb the Indians Lieut. Abcr,
i'll his journal, writing of this place, which he
reached Jan. 81, 1871, says: THE Big
" TmberS' afford an cndlrSs supply of wood.
principally cottonwood trees and on tie
"plainS on the south side of the river the
grass is very good while the unf;.iling wa
'tcrS of the Arkansas, in addition to the re.
"quistcs already mentioned, make the spo;
conc of the most eligible for the erection ola
"nili;ary depot in ease the Government III.
tends To maintain lis intercourse with New
:" AlcNico.' In November 1910, Thomas
Fitzpatrick. the celebrated Indian Agent.
passed. by this place En- roD'c for Fort Lara
mic, and held some conversations with Ior-
tons Of various trib-s, saying that their
Great Father had il in contemplation to
call council of all the prairie tribes for the
purpose of making a treaty Of peace and am
ity with all, &c. On his return to Big Tim
her, in March 1850. he found there Il '.partv
" of traders and also a part Of nearly all the
" Indian tribes Of that country, assembled for
" the purpose of meeting him again in order
to ascertain at what time, and at what place
the representatives of their Great Father
wished TO meet them in council, and for what
purpose. Here he remained nearly month,
having in tie mean time held frequent meet
ings and conversations with the Indians, and
became convinced that they felt great interest
and anxiety in regard to the contemplated
treaty. The assembly was made up Of the
Sioux, Chcycnncs, Arrapahocs, kiawas and
Apachcs, (thcsc were not the Apachcs Of New
Mexico all of which tribes arc very forinida-
bic and among the most warlikc on this con-
tincnt, and occupy indiscriminatcly the coun-
try for several hundred miles, through which
all the great thoroughfares to New Mexico
and California pass His object in remaining
there so long was, that he hoped to bring a.
bout the contemplated treaty which was not
fully accomplished until July. 1858, and this
was then done by this same veteran agent,
who was probably known more wide among
all the Indian tribes than any Government
officer, and was generally called by the ARA
pahocs and others the White Head or the
Broken Hand. In his report for 1850 he cx-
presses his deep regret that the treaty was
not then completed, as all of the tribes were
then very amicablc, and thought that the de-
lay would result unlavorabiy, since the Indi-
ans would suspect that plan was maturing
for their disadvantage. The correctness of
this view is evident from the subsequent trou-
hcs with the tribes of this region. In April
he proceeded down tie Arkansas River, by
slow and easy marches. in company with the
traders and all the Indians, until they arri-
we'd at the crossing ofthe great Santa Fe tho
roughfarc. There they halted, and Mr.. Fitz-
patrick sent an invitation to the Camanchcs
who were in the adjacent country to the
south, land this was the only tribe of his dis
trict not represented in the assembled multi
tudc,) to hold a friendly talk, receive pres
ents from their Great Father" etc. This
tribe replied that they were perfectly friend
ly, and would remain so, but would not meet
the Americans through fear of contagion of
Gl,.>1,