The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-25
FORSYTH is DEAD
Succumbed to ParaIytic Stroke
at Age of 70.
He Fought Through the War Of
the Rebellion.
WAS INDIAN FIGHTER.
Commanded Expedition Against
Pine Ridge Ghost Dancers.
Led Kansans in the Famous
Battle Of Arickaree.
WAS INDIAN FIGHTER.

: , u,
vate, will be held Friday afternoon and
/ interment will be made in Greenlawn
cemetery.
General Forsyth had a distinguished
| military career He was born in Ohio
seventy-tWO years ago and graduated
from West Point in 1856 He served on
McClellan's STAFF during the Peninsula
I and Maryland campaigns of the civil
war. Later he was chief OF staff to
/ General Sheridan.
For gaIantry at the battle of ChLcka-
| manga he was breveted a major. He
! served as aide to General Sherman from
| 1859 to -~.s and took part in the Ban
| mock campaign in 1873. He was made
colonel OF the Seventh cavalry June II.
| 1885. and in 1893 was with that command
/ at Fort Riley.
After the war General Forsyth dis
/ tinguished himself in the frontier ser
! vice. AS colonel Of the Seventh cavalry
! he was ordered against the Indians at
Pine Ridge. Dakota, in 1890. when the
Ghost dance craze was started In the
| conflict which ensued almost the entire
| band of Indians was wiped out he was
promoted to brigadier general by Presl-
/ dent Cleveland and was appointed
major general by President Mckinley
| in 1897 when he retired.
Battle of AricIarce.
General Forsyth's name is insepara-
| bly, connected with the Battle of Arick-
aree. the most celebrated conflict with
J
most unequal contest in which its Spar
| tan settlers ever routed hostile hordes;
a glowing encounter +replete with splen-
! did valor death-defying courage, stole
endurance and indomitable determine
lions. wherein fifty Kansas farmers
held a horde Of painted -sayages at bay
| for nine days.
These fifty Kansas farmers were led
by General then Colonel Forsyth, and
| Lieutenant Fred Beecher, nephew OF
Henry Ward Beecher.
In the summer Of 1868 a band of
Indian renegades made up OF several
/ tribes-well armed and we'll mounted,
raided the settlers OF the Same ana
! Solomon valleys, killed several people,
/ stampeded the live stock and captur-
ed two young white women VINO hved
on the line of the foray.
General Phil sheridan. the comman-
der OF the department. hearing that
small party OF Indians was epcamped
on the western border OF Kansas, De
cided to form a company OF eXper-
fenced fighters to punish the enemy
In a few days a large number OF ex-
/ soldiers, scouts, buffalo hunters. old
pIainsmen and military adVenturers
| had gathered at Fort Harker, the de-
signafed rendezvous, all eager to en-
list for the venture. To a nephew Of
Henry Ward Beecher, Lieutenant Fred
/ Beecher, of the regular army, was as
signed the duty of selecting a troop OF
I
( teers furnished their own mounts and
all were properly armed for the ex-
petition.
4 Under the command of Colonel For
/ syth and Lieutenant Beecher this body
! proceeded to Fort Hays and from that
post up the Smoky Hill valley dis
lance of 200 miles to Fort Wallace. At
ter a brief rest of one day and two
nights, the troop left Fort Wallace,
! proceeding east towards Sheridan to
~ .. IL
recently attacked a wagon train in
/ that vicinity The trail followed event
uaIly brought them to the Arickaree,
a dry branch of the Republican.
Fifty Against Thousands.
On the evening of September 16.
1 they went into camp on the Arickaree
near the eastern line of Colorado Op-
posite the command in the middle of
the creek about 100 yards from either
! shore was a large sandy island about
125 yards in length and so yards in
width destined to be the scene of the
desperate engag cement that the rising
sun was to usher in. The soldiers in
their bivouac had picketed their
horses. kindled large camp fires and
an unusual good cheer had given rel
ish to their evening rations Mean
while behind the neighboring hills a
host Of Indians Thoroughly cenversant
with the condition of their adverse :
ries were daubling their bodies with
war paint and rehearsing the plan of
attack
Just a dawn the camp was aroused
by the sentiners cry Of ..Indiansr' In
an instant the men were awaIre-but
too late to avert Z. stampede of most of
/ their horses and mules The valley re-
sounded with the din of thousands Of
hOofbeats as the painted hordes swept
onward. Cheyenne, Arapahoe. Sioux,
yelling their warWhoop and chanting
their battle songs.
Reach the island and hitch the
I horses." came the command from Col
onel Forsyth. The island was gained
and the men fell to scraping holes for
protection.
On came the savages, over the bank
! into the river bed onto the island rid
ing like mad and yelling like hends.
Death famed out of the muskets as the
beleaguered soldiers pumped voIley at
ter volley into the frenzied red men.
Several OF the great chiefs had fallen.
In dismay the enemy padted to the
right and left and hastily retreated.
The first assault had been repealed.
Death OF Roman Nose.
During the brief respite thus afforded
the soldiers deepened their trenches.
The vigorous firing which had continual
on both sides up to 10 o'clock now
lulled. The Indians, nonplussed by the
death of their leaders, had gone into
council. The celebrated Roman Nose,
who had previously not participated in
the battle, now donned his war bonnet
and assumed command OF the fnfuriat-
ed fighters. About 1920 a. m. firing
from the hills was resumed and under
cover OF 8 hail OF bullets and arrows,
Roman Nose and his warriors advanced.
The well directed aim Of the scouts put
an end to the charmed life" of the
chief, and the second charge ended fu-
tilely.
At 2 o'clock the defenders were
aroused at the appearance of Indian re-
Inducements under the charge OF the
celebrated Sioux chief. Dull Knife.
Again the scouts concentrated their fire
on the chief and Dull Knife fell dead
from his horse In wild riot the now
thoroughly dismayed warriors wheeled
to the rear in flight leaving their dead