Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1900-12-20
CHAPTER III.


the valley of the Platte there had been
two years of frequent encounter with
small bands of Indians. Down along
the Smoky Hill, in Kansas, the Chey-
ennes were ever giving trouble. Even
around Laramie and Frayne, on the
North Platte, settlers and soldiers had
been murdered, as we'll as one or two
officers, caught alone out hunting, and
the Indians were, of course, the per-
petrators. Nevertheless, it had been
the policy of the leaders of the North
ern Sioux to avoid any meeting in force
and to deny the completely of their Peo'
pie in the crimes committed. Supply
trains to Reno, Kearney and c. +.
Smith, the Big Horn posts of the Boze'
man trail, went to and fro with guards
Of only moderate size. Officers had
taken their wives and. children to these
far-away stations. The stockades were
filled with soldiers families. Big bands
of Indians roamed the lovely valleys OF
the Piney, the Tongue and Rosebud,
near at hand, and rode into full view OF
the wary sentres at the stockades, yet
made no hostile demonstration. Off
GERS and men went far up the rocky
canyons of the hills in search of fish
or game, and came back unmolested.
Escorts reported that they sometimes
marched all day long side by side with
hunting bands of Sioux, a mile away;
and often little parties, squaws and
boys and young men, would ride con-
fidently over and beg for sugar, coffee,
Misunderstanding, and ride off with
their plumber in the best of spirits and
with all apparent good feeling. And
yet the great war chief of the Brules-
Sintogaliska-Spotted Tail, the white
mans friend, gave solemn warning not
to trust the Ogallallas. "Rcd Clouds
heart is bad" he said. ale and his
people are moving from the resrva-
tons to the mountains. They mean
trouble" Old traders like Folsom
heard and needed, and Folsom himself
FASTENED to Fort Frayne the very week
that Burleigh and his escort left for
Warrior Gap. Visiting at the ranch of
his son in a beautiful nook behind the
Medicine Bow mountains, the veteran
trader heard tidings from an Indian
brave that filled him with apprehen-
sion, and he hurried to the fort.
SIS it true" he asked, "that the gov
eminent means to establish post at
Warrior Gap? Is it true that Maj. Bur-
leigh has gone thither?" And when
told that it was, and that only Capt.
Brooks troop had gone as an escort,
Folsom's agitation was extreme. Colo
nel," said he to the post commander,
"solemnly have tried to warn the gen.
eral of the danger of that move. Ihave
told him that all the northern tribes
are leaguing now, that they have deter
mined to keep to themselves the Big
Horn country and the valleys to the
north. It will take 5000 men to hold
those three posts against the Sioux,
and you've barely got 500. I warn you
that any attempt to start another post
up there will bring Red Cloud and all
his people to the spot. Their scouts are
watching like hawks even now. Iron
Spear came to me at my sons ranch
last night and told me not ten warriors
were left at the reservation. They are
all gone, and the war dances are on in
every valley from the Black Hills to
the Powder. For heavens sake, send
half your garrison up to Reno after
Brooks. You are safe here. They won't
modest you south of the Platte, at least
not now. All they ask is that you
build no more forts in the Big Horn"
But the colonel could not act with.
out authority. Telegraph there was
none then. What Folsom said was OF
sufficient importance to warrant his
hurrying off courier to Laramie,
fully 100 miles southeast, and order
ing troop to scout across the wild
wastes to the north, while Folsom
himself, unable to master his anxiety,
decided to accompany the command
sent out toward Cantonment Reno.
He long had had influence with the
Ogallallas. Even now Red Cloud might
listen if he could but find him. The
matter was of such urgency he could
not refrain. And so with the gray
troop of the cavalry, setting forth
within an hour of his coming, rode tho
old trader whom the Indians had so
long sworn by, and he started none
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