Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-23
lCopyrigh; 1851

lCopyrigh; 1851
30 threatening WAS the state of affairs in the
territories of Wyoming, Montana. and Dakota
In 1919 that Gen. Crook was called from Arr
IONA and placed in command of the depart
iheht Oh the Platte. He left the Apaches COM
pietely subjugated. practically disarmed and
the entire tribe. with all its ramifcations, ex-
eePt one, "herded" at the reservations. where
every man could be watched and accounted
Tor The excepted band was the
ChIrlcahua, which the Indian bureau
saw fit TO consider in the light OF
special proteges of its own; gave them IN
usual facilities for supplying themselves WITH
magazine niles and ammunition. and putting
on airs at the expense of the less favored In
dams. Crook demur-ed. but there never was a
time when the bureau at Washington did not
mink II knew more about the Indians than the
officers who were compelled year after year to
i've among them. and the generals views
were disregarded. That the Chiricahuas should
speedily take advantage of the situation and
become the toughest tribe in Arizona. and do
more numbering and pIlaging in proportion to
their numbers. than all the Others put together
was all a grievous surprise to the bureau. but
not TO the soldiers who had made acquaintance
with them.
FINE LIGHT CAVALRY
However, except these fellows whom he was
forbidden to touch. General Crook had whipped
and brought to terms the whole Apache nation
and now the general government sent for him to
try his hand ON the Sioux and their brothers in
ontiawery-the Cheyennes. He had a fierce
grapple with them in March. 20. far up beyond
tOrt Fetterman where the mercury stood at
81 below. and found them scientific fighters
ana the finest light cavalry in the world
MS advance guard fought Crazy Horse"
On "Patrlcks day in the morning" among
the snow drifts of the dry fork of the Pow
der river and found him far too strong and skill
iui, But Crook peFseyered, pushed away until
ne had located the array of the hostiles along
the foothills on the upper side of the Big Horn
range and then found that under Sitting Bull.
Gall. Two Moons. Crazy Horse and others there
were probably lO.O0O Indians encamped i'll the
lovely valley of the Rosebud, and that
Ogallallas. Boutes. Uncapapas. Black Feet,
sans Arcs and Northern CEeyennes were ont in
force. and constantly receiving supplies and re-
Inducements from the great reservations of
BED Cloud and Spotted Tail down ON the White
river III the northeastern corner OF Nebraska.
BUFFALO BILL CosIISG.
1t then that Gen. Sheridan. who COM
manded the whole division of the Missouri. or
dered the fifth cavalry to go up and reinforce
the field army of their old Arizona chief and
COmrade. We bad marched i'll overland from
Arizona to Kansas the summer of rs. and were
garrlsoned along the Kansas Pacific railway.
The order came by telegraph early in June
day. the Northumberland commanding going
ahead and taking me with him as adiutant
We were dining at the railroad house at Chev-
enne depot. after having selected q camp
ground Tor the companies that were to arrive
mat night, when telegram was handed him.
He broke II open. read it. and almost shouted
with delight: ''Hurrah, Eli Codys coming
and tosstd ii over to me.
Buffalo Bill had long been the chief scout
OF the fifth cavalry, add was we'll known and
nnNrfNl HEasI I'll
and man. 1t was he who took me on nv first
deer hunt. and with him had had nv first long
galloP on the buffalo trail. and when the regi-
ment Was ordered to Arizona with Gen. Crook
IN the fall of 1871, it parted most reluctantly
from Cody, VINO had married and settled near
Old Fort McPherson, and whose family could
not bear the idea of his going to Apache
land. Yielding to the entreaties of eastern
show managers after his old comrades left
hlIn. Cody took to the footlights. and when 1876
came around he had a company of his own
and was doing thriving business He was
billed TO play at Wilmington, Del. ON the night
OF the 9TH of June, &c. when he read in the
paper that his old chums. the fifth cavalry.
were ordered up to Wyoming to take hand in
the Sioux war.
on THE wARPATH AGAIN
Bill lost not moment; telegraphing for his
Old place as chief OF scouts. he cancelled his en-
gaGements at the close of the performance,
bade goodbye to the audience with the words
that in four days he would be in saddle and ON
the actual warpath again. paid off his COM
Pany, and took the midnight train. Four days
afteTward l met him at the Cheyenne
railway station with the order estab-
fishing him chief of scouts of the
Black Hills column. The next week We were
marching northward and at the end of June
found rs lurking among the willows and cotton
woods down IN the valley of the South Chey-
enne rlver TO the west and in three easy days'
ride of the Black Hills of Dakota-iust west of
the broad Indian trail leading from the reser-
Nston on White river up TO Sitting Bull
Making a wide circuit we had marched thither
by General Sheridan's orders to cut off
the constant communication and traffic
between the hosties at the front and
the traders and blanket Indians at the
rear, as wei as TO prevent further reinforce
ments joining the war chiefs by that route.
PRAYING FOE INDIANS.
We were just eight companies strong. Our
new colonel, General Wesley Merritt. of the old
cavalry corps of the army of the Potomac. had
reached Us and assumed command We picketed
our horses among the trees. in the deep valley:
kept strong outposts on watch in every direc-
ton and were only praying that the Indians
might come. IL was the LIST of July when Mer-
ritt joined Us. and though we had full particu-
lars OF General Crooks hard fight of Jane IL
With the Sioux along the Rosebud not n
word had come TO us OF the tragedy of
Sunday. the 18th. in which Custer and his
hNc pet companies had been wiped out OF
existence ON the banks of the Little Big
Horn. But he Indians knee 10 al Tie res
ERECTION. and the tidings fired the veriest
hggard among them with longing to Join Sit
ting Bull. and share in the glories and plumber
and scalps OF the war. and swarrns of them
loaded up with provisions and ammunition at
the agency, and. IN the darkness of night.
leading their spare ponies, they would slip
away.
PICTURESQUE SIGHT.
Just at dawn on the morning Of the 80 of Julv
rolled out of my blankets to superintend the
grooming of the horses of * troop. Here
were the same men who went Apache hunting
with me In Arizona two years before but We
lett our California horses at the border line
swapping with the sixth cavalry and taking their
taller. longer and ''rangy" Americans These
horses. mainly from Missouri Iowa and ILL.,
nOis, could not climb mountains like the
goats" We rode on the Pacific slope nor had
they their endurance. but they could run
faster. and might have 20 run their best be-
fore the day over. Who could telly
II was u picturesque sight that greeted nv
sleepy eyes. The sun was not vet above
the horizon: the mist was creeping from some
stagnant pools in the dry bed of the Cheyenne.
where. two months earlier. roaring torrent
rolled from shore 10 shore its way TO the Big
Missouri" Here, there, everywhere, among
the trees, the men were rolling out from under
their shelter tents and asting loose from their