The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-09-30
FACING A Willy FOE
Story Of the Fort Phil Kearny
Tragedy.
How Col. Fetterman and His Brave Men
Lost Their Livss-Ihe salvation Circle-A
Three Months siege.
BY FRANK :. rAEQUHAR.

| BY FRANK :. rAEQUIAR.
Talk about war; why, | would
rather go through ten civil wars than
through one Indian campaign" said
First Lieut.. a. b. Farquhar, of Knox
County, H., to me a short time ago.
was with Sherman on his march to the
sea, and in 80 skirmishes and battles,
but L considered that by no means so
bad as the campaign against the Sioux
Indians of the Winter of 1S66-'67.
Indian fighting is no play, and the tyro
who Is looking for the last remnant of
the red race to wipe off the face of the
earth would have had an excellent OPP
portunity just after the rebellion to have
tested his nerve.
"The Indians of the Northwest were
then giving the Government officials con-
siderable trouble. TIE Sioux we're the
most hostile of them all. Their stamp
Ing ground was in the Dakotas and a
more treacherous, willy tribe of savages
could not we'll be imagined. They re-
sented all intrusion on their lands by the
whites, and drove out or killed and
.scalped every one who came within their
reach.
The Government has spent thou
sands OF dollars and thousands of lives
have been sacrificed to bring this war
ring race into subjugation. These Indians
long contended for their right of suprem-
acy over the land of the Dakotas. They
acquired it through battle from the
Indians Of that name years ago. As
civilization reached out for new fields
to work in, the unconquerable Sioux
as we used to call them, reluctantly
stepped aside.
Well, [ started to tell you of my
experience in the Winter of 1866-'67,
at Fort Phil Kearny, on the Missouri
River, in the heart of the Sioux country.
| was attached to the 18th U. S., under
Col. II. B. Darlington. We were
stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kan,
and ON April "a, 1866, received news
from Headquarters that an uprising was
expected among the Indians of Dakota
and Wyoming.
We coon received marching orders
and started out to hunt the Sioux or
any other reprehensible redskin. At
Fort Laramie, Neb., we met the object
Of cur hunt. Red Cloud, the famous
Sioux Chief, was there with nearly 5000
braves, and Rain-in-the-face, the great
Chief of the Cheyennes, was also there
with strong body-guard. These two
great Chiefs of the Northwest had met
there to hold council of peace, both
among themselves and with the whites
"This council of peace did not end
with good results on behalf of the whites
The Sioux Indians went away on the
war-path. Red Cloud gathered his
warriors together and started north
We reached Fort Phil Kearny, about
250 miles northwest of Fort Laramie,
on the 10th of July. There were four
companies of US, with about 400 men,
all told, officers and privates and other
army followers. We reached the fort
before the Indians arrived in the vicin-
ity. Red Cloud soon appeared with
1000 warriors, and stationed them not
over two miles away in a ravine to the
north.
Well, right here Is where the fun
began. We had large herd of cattle
and horses with US, which struck the
Indians as desirable property to possess.
As we had no grain food with us we
allowed the stock to Craze on the prod
uct of the plains. This caused trouble.
Every day the rascals made raids on
the cattle and drove them off. As We
were all young soldiers, we delighted to
give chase to them, and many lively |
skirmishes took place. This was almost
an everyday occurrence.
They kept up their raiding and |
cattle stealing until the 21st of Decem-
Der. This wa. the beginning of the
dark days that soon followed. Winter
had set in, and no one who never spent
a Winter i'll Dakota can realize their
We had to haul wood three
miles. 1t took an awful amount of fire
to keep us warm, and, of course, took
an awful amount of wood to keep the
Ere going.
"The Dist was holiday for the sol
diers, and we were making great prepa-
rations to raise a liberty pole. The
had gone off for their
daily supply of wood, and the rest of us
we're gathered outside getting things in
shape to erect a monument to the men,
Dry of liberty. Some were shouting for
Old Glory, some singing, some cavorting
around in the snow like frolicksome
boys, and some were chopping and ham,
nering away, preparing to hoist the
pole. Holidays didn't often come for
he boys at Fl. Phil Kearny, and, of
course, when they did come they made
Rome howl, as the saying goes.
awhile the pleasures of the day were
It their highest friendly Cheyenne
anne running in and said there were
arge number of Indians gathering on I
he hill above. In little while force
f about hundred Indians appeared I