The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-12-06
LIFE on THE PLAINS.
BY GEN. G. w. CUSTER.

LIFE on THE PLAINS.
BY GEN. G. w. CUSTER.
From the Galaxy.
The winter of 1S67168 was period
of comparative idleness and quiet, Sc
far as the troopsfguarding the military
posts on the Plains and frontier were
concerned. The Indians began theil
periodical depredations against the
frontier settlers and overland emf.
grants and travellers early in the spring
of 1868, and continued them with bu1
little Interruption or hindrance from
any quarter until late in the summer
and fall of that year.
General Sully, an officer of consid.
cradle reputation as an Indian fighter
was placed in command of the dis.
trict of the Upper Arkansas, which
embraced the Kansas frontier and
those military posts on the central
plains most Intimately connected with
the hostile tribes. General Sully con-
centrated portion of the troops of his
command, consisting of detachments
of the Seventh aud Tenth. Cavalry
and Third Infantry, at points on the
Arkansas River, and set ON foot variou:
scouting expeditions, but all to no pur.
pose. The Indians continued as usual
not only to elude the military forces
directed against them, but to KEEP up
their depradations upon the settlers OF
the frontier.
Great excitement existed along the
border settlements of Kansas and Col
orado. The frequent nassacres of the
frOntiersmen and utter destruction OF
their homes created very bitter feel.
ing on the part of the citizens of Kan
sas toward the savages, and from the
Governor of the State down to its
humblest citizen appeals were made tC
the authorities of the general govern.
ment. to give protection against the
Indians, or else allow the people to take
the matter in their own hands ant
pursue Ietaliatory measures against
their hereditary enemies. Genera
Sheridan, then in command of that
military department, with head
Quarterts at Fort Leavenworth, Kan
sas, was fully alive to the responsible.
ties of his position, and in his usual
effective manner set about organizing
victory.
The mass OF the troops being con.
eentrated and employed along the
branches of the Upper Arkansas under
General Sully, thus leaving the valley.
of the Republican, Solomon, and
Smoky Hill rivers comparatively with
out troops, and the valleys of the Up
per Republican being, as we have il
previous chapters learned, a favorite re-
sort and camping ground for the hostile
tribes of the upper plains, Genera
Sheridan determined that, while de
voting full attention to the Kiowas
| Comanches, Apaches, Arapahoes, an(
| Southern Cheyennes, to be found Soutl
of the Arkansas, he would also keel
an eye out for the Sioux, Uppel
Cheyenes, and Arapahoes, and th,
"Dog Soldiers,n usually infesting til,
valleys of the Upper Republican ant
Solomon rivers. The DOG soldiers
were a band of warriors principally
composed of Cheyennes, but made vi
OF the turbulent and uncontrOllabl,
spirits of all the tribes. Neither they
nor their leaders had ever consented t
the ratification of any of the treatie
TO which their brothers of the othe
tribes had agreed. Never satisfied ex
cept when at war with the white man
they were by far the most troublesome
daring, and warlike band to be fOunC
on the plains. Their warriors We're al
| fine-looking braves of magnificen
physique, and in appearance and de
meanOr more nearly confOrmed to tn,
ideal warrior than those of any othe
tribe. How they came by their name
| 4 ot, 4.
to learn satisfactorily. One explanaa
lion is, that they are principally mem
bers of the Cheyenne tribe, and were a
first known as the Cheyenne soldiers
The name of the tribe Cheyenne
was originally Chen, the French wore
for dog; hence the term "Dog Sol
| diers.n
To operate effectually against tbes.
bands General Sheridan was Withou
the necessary troops. Congress, how
ever, had authorized the employ
ment of detachments of frontier scout!
to be recruited from among the daring
spirits always to be met with on the
border. 1t was from a force Taise(
| from this class of our western popula
ton that General Sheridan relied fol
| material assistance. 2
Having decided to employ frontiers
men to assist in furnishing the Indians
the next question was the selection o
a suitable leader. The choice, mes
fortunately, fell upon General George
A. Forsyth ("Sandy"), then Acting
Inspector-General of the Department
of Missouri, who, eager to render hi
country an important service, anC
not loath to share in the danger anC
excitement attendant upon such al
enterprise, set himself energetically Il
1 work to raise and equip his command
for the field. But little time was re
quired, under Forsy this stirring zeal, K
raise the required number of men. Il
was wisely decided to limit the numbe
of frontiersmen to fifty. This enabled
Forsyth to choose only good men, ant
the size of the detachment, considerin:
that they We're to move without Ordi
nary transportation-in fact were Il
almost adopt the Indian style of war
fare-was as large as could be withOu
being cumbersome. Last but not least
it was to be composed of men who
from their leader down, were intent Ol
accomplishing an important purpose
they were not out on any holiday tou
vi IitstsuIt tACuISiOIs 1HclI OtycC
was to find In iians a difficult matte
for large force to accomplish, becaus'
the Indians are the first to discove
their presence and take themselves ou
of the way; whereas with small o
moderate-sized detachment there i
some chance, as Forsyth afterward
learned, of finding Indians.
/ Among all the officers of the army
old or young, no one could have beel
found better adapted to become tn
leader of an independent expedition
such as this was proposed to be, thai
General Forsyth. This is more pecu
iiarly true considering the experience
which awaited this detachment. / ha,
learned to know him well when W
rode together i'm the Shenandoah val
lev, sometimes in one direction an
sometimes, but rarely, in the other
: and afterwards, in the closing struggl
around Petersburg and RiclmOD