Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-14
SHERIDAN IN KANSAS.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.


ters At Fort Dodge, SO receipted to Gem
eral Custer for them accordingly. and left
Camp Supply in one Of those raging bliz-
Yards for which December on the plains is
noted
General Sheridan had now added to my
command one squadron and two hundred
and forty-nine dismounted men of the
Nineteenth Kansas, and remember per-
fectly we'll how the General called me into
his tent just before started, and kindly
cautioned me not to be too hard on these
''they are young, the best boys in the
State, have had no experience. and if they
don't march exactly in fours like regulars
you will get along just as well" SO care
ful was he always that his soldiers should
be well treated, and so firm in his th cory
ehat too much book tactics in the field
was source OF delay and detriment
The air was a dirty drab with the thick
falling snow as we marched out of Camp
Supply; the wind howled furiously. and
the mules OF the train were bumped up
like camels by the intense cod. I had to
depend upon my compass at my saddle
bow for the direction. 80 futile was it to
attempt to see more than q rod ahead.
Twelve miles only was accomplished that
DAY and We camped, relatively comfort
able. on the bank of the Beaver that night,
sheltered by the heavy timber and where
the abundance Of " ood permitted generous
hres. The storm abated somewhat by
moc0ing, but it was still intensely cold as
the forward" was sounded by the buglers
Just as we had fairly left camp missed
one or two of the little prisoner children; !;
we halted. scot back and picked them up
out OF the snow, where the squaws had
deliberately abandoned them; but, if there
can be any palliation for such an atrocious
act, tho reader may possibly find it in the
fact that these cruel women were not the
mothers Of the deserted babies.
discovered upon mastering them that
had receipted to General Custer for fifty
ty-two prisoners, but I really had in; my
possession one more. the surplus individual
happening to be boy about ghteen years
old So I instruct ed old John Smith,
who was now my interpreter, to tell the
squaws that if they abandoned the chill
dren again I would hang the young
buck on the instant. This threat had
the desired effect and the little ones were
pro6erly cared for Adring the remainder
Of the trip.
General Sheridan also ordered me to
take about one hundred and twenty-seven
worn out and naiserably.t thin horses of the
cavalry back to Fort Dodge for rest and
recuperation. told him 1 did not believe
it possible for them to keep up with the
train, with their only dependence for food
upon the dried grass which was now
buried under half foot of snow. He said
It could not get them along could use
my own discretion as to their disposal. So
on the morning OF the second day, the storm
not yet entirely over and the hungry
wolves following closely on the trail,
was compelled to shoot the poor horses.
It was humane act. as will be conceded,
when 10 was certain that if I abandoned
them alive they would soon have fallen an
easy prey to the ghouls of the desert on
their track and their suferings would
have been terrible.
It was during this eventful trip that we
one afternoon discovered the trail of a
war party going north. and in the sand
hills, near where my '.fankers" first saw
the footprints of their ponies, were three
newly.made graves. It was the work of
but few moments to find out whom or
what they contained. The active shovels
OF the disinterring detail soon unearthed
tho bodies of three warriors wrapped in
buffalo robes, and upon their persons and
at their sides all their paraphernaia of
savage warfare were intact-shields,
spears, trinkets, etc.
strangest incident of ali. In one of the
most sequestered little valleys of the inter-
minable dunes was q tepee and
inside, on the rudest of biers, lay
warrior dead, and at his head,
kneeling. and with hands clasped
as it in prayer, was a young squaw. frozen
to death. The warrior had been mortally
wounded and his faithful wife had re-
mained with him, preferring death to
abandoning the one she loved. Which of
the two faithful hearts first ceased to beat
-E,afb h ~ fI Ill
devoted wife-will never be known. re-
fer to this incident simply to prove that
those who attribute a lack of affection on
tho part of the despised Indian do not
know their character. could relate many
such strong scenes that during half life
time passed among them have come under
my personal observation, but they are not
germane to this article.
The secret Of the isolated graves and the
spectacle of the faithful wife lies in the
fact that before their accidental discovery
some two or three weeks, I think it was,
General Sheridan had ordered two of his
couriers north from Camp Supply with
dispatches for Washington and private
mail for various points. He also gave them
an order directing me to pay them one
hundred dollars for their perilous trip.
The scouts never reached their destiua-
tion. More than a month passed away
and all knew vel that they had fallen q
prey to the ever-watchful savages.
The next dag or two after we had dis
covered the graves and the solitary tepee
in the sand hills I was riding with Colonel
Keogh at the head of tho colum I, whsn
suddenly, as we were approaching the
breaks of Mulberry creek, his two hounds,
which accompanied as, startled from a
clump Of bushes q few rods on The right of
our trail half q dozen mo large gray
wolves. We naturally followed on the r
track which soon led us to the creek, and
there we were confronted by a terrible
sight In the bed of the stream were the
haif-putrid and partially devoured car
casses Of two large American horses. and
swaying on a bush tbs lddle-bags, broken
open, and quantity of mail matter. torn
and muddy, scattered on the ground. Among
this found General Sherid ln's order to
myself, as follows:
HEADoUARrERs
DEPARrMENr or TIE MISSOURI,
Nov. q 1855
You win please pay to bearers one hundred
dollars for carrying dispatches from Camp Sup
ply 70 Fort Dodge. Take their receipt for same
on proper voucher and attach this order as
your authority p II. Sheridan.
Major General q. S. A, Commanding.
We then knew too well what had been
A. R>k> - -, fov . r.