The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-01-02
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-
pctrators. Nevertheless, IL had been
the policy Of the leaders Of the North
crn Sioux to avoid any meeting in force
and to deny the completely of their peo-
pie in the crimes committed. Supply
trains to Reno, Kearncy 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
filed with soldiers families. Big oanda
OF Indians roamed the lovely valleys Of
the Pincy, the Tongue and Rosebud.
near nt hand, and rode into full view of
the wary sentries 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, mile away;
and often little parties, squaws and
boys and young men, would ride con-
fidently over and beg for sugar, coffee,
hardtack-anything, and ride of with
their plunder in the best of spirits and
with all apparent good feeling. And
yet the great war chief of the Brulcs-
Sintogaliskn-Spotted Tail, the white
mans friend, gave solemn warning not
TO trust the Ogallallas. "Red Clouds
heart Is bad" he said. "He and his
people are moving from the resrva-
tions to the mountains. They mean
trouble" Old traders like Folsom
heard and needed, and Folsom himself
hastencd to Fort Frayne the very week
that Burleigh and his escort left for
Warrior Gap. Visiting at the ranch of
his son In . beautiful nook behind the
Medicine Bow mountains. the veteran
trader heard tidings from m Indian
brave that filed him with apprehen-
sion. and he hurried TO the fort.
rs II true" he asked, "that the gov.
ernment means 10 establish q post st
Warrior CAPT Is Il true that Maj. Bur-
leigh has gone thithcry' And when
told that IL was, and that only Capt.
Brooks troop had gone as an escort,
Folsom's agitation was extreme. "Colo-
mel" said he t0 the post commander,
"solemnly have tried to warn the gen.
eral of the danger OF that move. have
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. IL will take 5000 men TO hold
those three posts against the Sioux.
and you've barely got 500. 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 |
molest you south Of the Platte. at least |
not now. All they ask In 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 Oft n courier to Laramie,
fully 100 miles southeast, and ORDER
Ing n troop TO scout across the wild |
wasteA to the north, while Folsom
himself \pnable to master his anxiety,
decided ~ accompany the command
'ent out to,yAard Cantonment Reno.
lie long had pad influence with the
)sallalias. Eys, now Red Cloud might
Isten' If m. .... but find him. The |
,atter WINS 80 S. ". h urgency he could
OF refrain. And ao with the gray
roop OF ts. Gu ry. setting forth
Thin an hour OF MI coming rode the
d trader wha !. e Indians had 90
ng sworn hv he started nons
soon.
sr. lued.l