, 1872-12-15
a Thrilling Story Of an Indian
Fight.
How a Chicago Roy Field Fifty kaen
Against One Thousand Red
Skins.
Unparalleled Exposure, Bravery,
and Rescuc---A Ken1inis-
cence Of 1868.

transferred his a1ad. General Custrr turns page
in his subsequent history, n the December number Of
the Gala1v that has scarcely parallel in the annals
or roraauce OF Indian fighting. General George 4.
Forsyth has been for seyeral years member Of Cen
cral Sheridan's military family in Chicago, and Es1-
naneuy bears traces Of his Beechers Island fight
but such is his mode5ty doubt if his nduates have
been told half the story Of the marvellous battle 30 we'll
narrated by General Custer-En. TR1BusE.1
The winter Of 1e67'G8 was 8 period Of CON-
parative idleness and quiet, so far as the torops
guarding the military posts on the Plains and
frontier we're concerned, The Indians began
their periodical deprcdatio1s against the from
Tier settlers and overland e1nigrants and travel
lers early IN the spHng Of 1853, and continued
Them with but little interruption or hindrance
from any quarter until late IN the summer and
fau Of that year.
General sully, an officer Of considerable rep
ntation as an Indian lighter, was placed in COM
.nand OF the district Of the Upper Arkansas which
embraced the Kansas frontier and those military
posts on the central plains most intimately con-
Connected with the hostile tribes. General Sui
.ly concentrated portion Of the troops OF his
command, consisting Of detachnents ef tho
Seventh and Tenth Cavalry and Third Infantry,
st points on the Arkansas Rirer and set on foot
various scouting expeditions, but all to no pur-
pose. Tho Indians continued. as usual, not
only to elude the military forces directed against
them, but to keep up their depredations upon
Ehe settlers Of the frontier.
GREAT EIclTEuEST
existed Iong the border settlements OF Kansas
End Colorado. The frequent mas5acres Of tho
frontersmen and utter destruction Of their
homes created + very bitter feeling on the part
OF the citizens Of Kansas toward the sayages,
knd, from the Governor Of the State down to its
humhlest citizen, appeals Tero made to tile au-
thorities Of the General Government TO give
protection against the Indians, or else allow the
people to take tho matter into their. own hands
and pursue retallatory measures against their
hereditary enemies General Sheridan, then in
command Of that Military Department, with
headquarters at Fort Ieagen.o.th, Kansas, Wss
fully alive to the responsibilities Of his position
and in his usual effective manner set about organ
lzing victory.
General Sheridan determined that, while de-
voting full attention to The kiowas, Comanches,
Apaches, A1apAhoes, and Southern Cheyennes,
to be found south Of the Arkansas, Aa woQld
Elso keep FL eye out for the Sioux. Upper Chey-
ennes. and Arapal.oe5, and the Dog Soldiers"
usually infesting tie Eal1eys Of the Upper Re-
publican and Solomon Rivers The ''Dog Sol
diers " were q band Of warriors principally COM
posed Of Chcycnres, but made up OF the turbu-
lent and uncomfortable spirits Of al the tribes.
Neither they nor their leaders had ever consent
cd to the ratification Of any Of the treaties to
which their brothers Of tie other tribes had
agreed. Never satisfied except when at war
with the white man. they we're By far the most
troublesome, daring, aad Wacl!ke band to be
found On the plsius. Their warrlors were all
6ne-looking braves Of magnificent physique, and
In appearance and detncanoz more near!y con-
formed 70 the ideal warrior than those Of any
other tribe. How they came by their name, tho
Dog Soldiers 1leTer Tas cble to learn satis-
;actoIi1y. One explanation is, that they are
principally members CT the Cheyenne tribe and
were 81 first Eao"n IS the Cheyeune soldiers.
The name ct the tribe "Cheysnne" WAS origi-
aally Chien. the French wordfo. dog hence the
zerm '*Dog Soldieza."
General Sheridan vas without tho necessary
troops. Congress. however, lad authorized the
employment vi deta:l-aoa.s Of frontier troops,
70 be recruited fror among the daiing spirits
upon force raiEed from this class OF our West
ern population that General Sheridan relied for
ncateElai assistance.
Having decided
TO EMPLOY FRoNT1EEs2E:;
To assis. IN p1nis;lirg the Indians, tha ue1t
question IVES tie selection Of t. suitable leader.
The choice, nosi fortunately, iel upon General
George 4 Forsyth e sandy''), then Acting In
spectoz General O tho Department Of Missouri,
8ho, eager to render his country Important
service, AID not lotn to share il the danger and
excitement attendant upon such an enterprise,
set himself ene-gstically to work to raise and
equip his command for the field. But little time
vas required. ucder Forsyth's stirring zeal. to
raise tho required number Of men. 1t was wise
ly decided to limit the number Of frontiersmen
10 fifty. Ttls enabled Forsyth to choose only
good men and tie size Of the detachment, con-
sidering that they were to move without ordi-
adopt the Indian style Of warfa1o-was As large
as could be without being cumbersome. Last,
but not least, it Was to bo composed OF men
who, from their leader down, were intent on
not out on any holiday tour or pleasure excur-
sion Their object was to ind Indians
s difficult matter for largs
force to accomplish, because the Indians
are the first to dlecover their presence and take
themselves out of the way whereas, with
small. OF E1oderate-Eixed detachment, there is
some chance, as Forsyth afterwards learned, of
finding Indians.
mp by numerous rnassacces committed in their
midst by the sayaGes. were Only too eager ard
willing to join in an enterprise which promised
to afford them an opportunity to visit just pun
i5hment upon their enenies. Thirty selected
men we're procured at Fort Harlic1. Kansas, and
twenty more q: Fort Hays. GO miles farther west.
In four days the command was armed, mounted,
and equipped, and at once took the field.
TIE Mo7E1tEST.
The party left Fort Hayes On the 29th day OF
August, 1868, and, under special instructions
from Major General Sheridan, commanding the
department, took a rorthweste1ly coarae, scout
ing the country to the north Of the Saline River,
crossed the South FORK Of the Solomon. Bow
Greek, North Fork Of the Solomon, Prairie Dog
Greek, and then TeH out toward the Republican
River, and. swinging around il the direction Of
Fort Wallace, made that post On the eighth day
from thor departure. Nothing was net worthy
Of notice, but there were frequent indications Of
large camps Of Indiana which had evidently been
abandoned only lew dGys or weeks before the
arrival OF the command.
Upon arriving at Fort Wallace, General For
syth communicated with General Sheridan, and
proceeded to reft his command.
On the morning Of Sept. 10, Il small party OF
Indians attacked train near Sheridan. q Eroau
railroad town some 90 miles bsyond Fort Wal
lAce killed two teamsters and ran off few cat
ne As coon ELS information Of this reached
Fort Wallace, Forsyth started with his command
for the town Of Sheridan, wheza he took the trail
Of the Indians and followed it until dark. The
next morning it was resumed, until the Indians.
finding themselves closely pursued, scattered in
many directions, and the trail became so obscure
Is to be lost
ON TIRE Trail.
Determined, however, to find the Indians this
time, if they were in the country, he pushed on
to Short Nose Greek, hoping to find them in
thAt vicinity. Carefully scouting in every d.
fection for the trail, and still heading north as
far as tho Republican River, the command final
" struck the trail Of email war-party On the
south bank OF that stream, and followed it up to
the forks Of that river. This is familiar ground,
perhaps, to some Of my readers, as it was hero
fhAt Pawnec-killer and his band attacked our
camp early ONO morning in the summer Of '67,
and hurried me from my tent without allowing
me time to attend to ny toilet. Continuing on
the trail and crossing to the north bank, For
cx-fh f0n!.i ffn trail vro,ripr or1af,r}1v