The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-04


| loyal Creeks. Seminoies. Wichitas. Kick
apoQs and DeIawares. The weather was
extremely cold. Opothieoholo We found
occupying a strong position in the noun
tains near Chustenola. We commenced
driving them from the start captured
their baggage and papers, and followed
them for three days up into Kansas. 70
| the big bend of the Arkansas river. The
Pin regiment came up on the second day,
but took no part IN the fight. Many OF
| the enemy were killed. Here and there
we would strike punches of their sGuaws
! huddled together. These we sent back
| TO our camp and fed. N their fight
they had thrown away their infants which
! were frozen stiff. Altogether it was a
sicllening sight.
Nothing worthy. OF note occurred after
! this until we were ordered TO Pea Ridge
where the Cherokees distinguished them
selves by capturing a battery. Here one
| OF the Yankee artillerymen WIS lying
stretched out. face down, between two
pieces Of cannon, apparently dead. One
of our fuI-blood Cherokees took out his
knife, got his fingers in the Yankees hair
and cut out and jerked off piece of the
scalp about the size of a dollar. Thus res
directed Mr.. Yank got on his feet In a
hurry. He ran IKE a quarter-hOrse. Not
q gun was fired after him, but a yen
went up: Go it Yank. we have a lock Of
your hair" This scalping business, how
ever, brought on more or less correspond
ence between opposing commanders, and
our Indians were perempto-ily ordered to
keep their fingers out Of white mems hair.
leaving it optional with them TO take
such mementoes from other Indians or
leave them alone.
AT this tine we were in the department
of Arkansas, first under Gen. Holmes and
next under Gen. Hindman. We were then
put IN a department OF our own called the
Indian department. and under General
Steele and Colonies Cooper and Waite
were made brigadier generals General
Waite had the command OF the First In
dian brigade consisting Of the First and
Second Cherokee regiments, commanded,
respectively. by Colonies J. n. Bel and
". P. Adair; Scales battalion. Major j.
\. Scales and Quantrelrs battalion the
latter most of the time on detached ser
vice in Missouri and arkansas.
The Second Indian brigade. Ger. Coop
e.. was composed OF two Choctaw regi-
ments and the Chickasaw battalion.
THE Third brigade consisted Of the
First Greek regiment, Col. D. y. McIn-
tosh and the Second Creek. Col. Chilly
Mcintosh, and the Seminole regiment, Col
John Juniper, and commanded by Brig
Gen. Sam Checot.
In the summer of 1862 I was sent out
west to enlist for the confederacy. and
succeeded in raising one battalion Of
Osages. Major Broken Arm. one large
company of Caddoes and Arapahoes
Capt. George Warrington, and one com
pany Of Comanches. Capt Esopah or
Eso liable their chief All of these re-
ported to General Waite and were Of good
service to US. as they rambled between
Kansas and the Texas panhandle and
prevented any invasion from Kansas.
which otherwise would undoubtedly have
taken place. After the Pea Ridge tight
Gen. Prices Nissourians and the Third
louisiana regiment We're ordered east Of
the Mississippi river and we were left TO
ourselves, all Indians except wills bat
TALON and a Texas infantry regiment,
which was stationed at our depot of sup
plies and saw no lighting
In the summer of lSe3 Chief Ross and
the Pin regiment deserted to the Yankees.
From that on we saw no rest ard scarcely
week passed but what bushwhac king
engagements between US and the North
ern Indians and Yankees took place.
Ear,y in the spring Of 1853 the military
authorities IN Kansas conceived the idea
of returning the Northern refugee Cher
ol1ees 10 their homes in time TO plant a
crop. They had furnished thcm With
horses. seeds and Necessary agricultural
implements. and they came. escorted by
Gen. Blount commanding Kansas troops
and Col. Phillips commanding the old
Pin regiment. But General Waite die not
proposed to let them alone. We routed
them from settlement to settlement, and
they. together with Colonel Phillips regi-
nent. had to shut themselves I'D in Fort
Gibson We were quite bcholden TO the
Yankees for supplies thus furnished by
them. which rrostly fell into cur hands.
Gen S. =. Maxey now took command
Of the department. lie was the Indians
idol His tree and easy manner suited
them exactly: besides he vas a fighter
and kept US moving when Red River
Banks started on his expeditions. which
terminated at Mansfield. Federal Gen.
eral steele was 70 move ont from Little
Rock and Cen. Thayer from Fort Smith
10 ioin Banks in Teas The greater part
Of our Indians were waiting for Thayer
to come ont from Fort Smith bat he
concluded best not to show himself and
he acted wisely fo- our boys We're spelling
for Geht. Part Of the Ir5ians. COM
mardsd by General Aiaxey. met stec,e ~
.,~.-------t7 his 4~e,frs
sent Two negro regiments t. the happy
hunting grounds. We followed steele on
his retreat 70 the Saline river where We
fought in muddy water. belly deep % our
horses. and felt much relieved when Par
soas brigade Of .fiss0urians. who had
force r-arched Il frorn Mansfield. came M
in doubie-auick. and oee ~ them called
out. stand aside. you crittcr sorl3aries.
ana let Us IT them Wen wc critrer
conventions stood aside and Parsons men
went at them sure crouch
.Subserucntlv we had numerous en-
raeene nts Of no great sfguiacance with
The Northern Indians. They gave SIS the
mos. trouble. j. we he'd not hern forced
"a aEht chem continually We wouid have
had q conna-atfveIv easy time - 70 Bnt
trev knew the country ruch better than
$40 did Nevertheless IN oar conflicts their
less USUALLY exceeded ours.
The Isst winter of the war. Gsrerai
sEsrcy vas ordered to Texas General
Coo2e- took command q the Iadiau d.
partmont. and General waite Of the In
dian division This was the frs- time ne
saw some rest for a ift.le over q month
when --s had gone into winter quarters
NJ ----- 81 -r,~ f~s,nr+a ~ p = +lr-
Aboat yaaV previous q th'7 rnssen-