The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-10-02

phil Keaniy recently revisited the |
scene of the Fetterman massacre"
IN wyoming and took part in exer-
rises concentrating the slaughter
n ,f eighty-three men by Red Clouds
Sioux in 1866. AS in the Custer bat
tle. there were no survivors to tell
The story of Fetterman's annihila-
tios. The bodies of the men who
we're led into trap now rest on the
brow of Custer Hill, which has been
converted into national cemetery.
The Government has erected an i'm
oressive monument Of powders
where Fetterman and his men fell,
and there is bronze shield thereon,
telling of the tragedy in few sim
pie words. M
The Fetterman monument is on
Iop of what is known as Massacre
Hill, between Sheridan and Buffalo,
Wyo., few miles north of the site
If old Fort Kearny, which was the
first outpost of civilization in that
Dart of the West, and where General
Darlington was practically besieged
for two years by the great chief, Red
Cloud, who is now near death from
Did age on Dakota reservation.
Fort Phil Kearny was established on
he old Bozeman trail. over which
many pioneers were pushing their
way westward in the COS. Travel
over this trail was very dangerous,
and hardly wagon train passed
through the hunting grounds of the
Sioux without being attacked. When
the fort was established Red Cloud
and his warlike braves were furious
and renewed their attacks upon the
white men with redoubied vigor.
General Darlington himself superin-
tended the building OF the fort. He i
made strong stockade, which sur
rounded the buildings and parade |
ground and constituted an impreg-
nable defense. Red Cloud was too
crafty to try to assault the fort. but
he laid constant siege to it. and no.
body dared venture beyond the stock
ade without heavy guard of SOL
diers. In the first six months after
the establishment of the fort the In
dams killed 154 persons. including
citizens and soldiers. Thee were
dfty-one demonstrations net. the
fort, and every train that passed on
the trail was attacked.
Captain Fetterman's Boast.
The Indians particularly delight
ed in making life burden to the
wood cutters. Near the fort was q
hill called Sullivant Hill, on which a
sentry stood all day long, watching
for signals from the wood cutters.
If an unusually large force of Indians
attacked them, the wood cutters
would signal for more help ard an
additional detachment would be sent
from the fort. On December q,
1866, the lookout signalled that the
wood train had beer corralied and
was attacked in force about a mile
and half from the fort. A relief
party Of forty-nine men from the
Eighteenth Infantry and twenty-sev-
en- troopers from the Second Cavalry
was ordered out. Captain w. J. Fet-
terman, who had little experience in
Indian fighting, but who was brave
If somewhat impetuous officer, asked !
to be put in charge of the relief par
ty. General Darlington acceded to
his request and gave him positive in
structions to relieve the wood train
and drive back the Indians. but on
no account to pursue the Indians be-
yond Lodge Trail Ridge, long, high
ridge near the fort, extending from
Sullivant Hill. With Captain Fet-
terman's party were two civilians,
Wheatley and Fisher. both armed |
with new breech-ioading, rapid-flr-
ing rifles, which they were eager to ,
try in Indian warfare.
Fetterman had made the boast |
that with eighty men he could ride |
through the whole Sioux nation. He |
now had eighty-three men, and the |
sequel proved how little he knew of |
the Sioux as fighters when he made !
his boast. The Indians VINO were at |
lacking the wood cutters were soon |
aware of Fetterman's approach and |
Immediately withdrew, allowing the |
wood train to break coral and go on |
its way unmolested. The Indians !
seemed to realize that the man in
command of the soldiers was not an
experienced fighter. They kept Just |
out of range and tainted the soldiers
and made insulting motions, and. in
short, tried by every means to keep
the command following them. In
this they succeeded. Fetterman was
SO eager to punish the redskins that
he forgot his orders and pursued the
Sioux across Lodge Trail Ridge. Once
over this ridge he was in the power
OF the Sioux. Red Cloud had posted
hundreds of Indians in ambush.
General Darlington soon found
that something was wrong. He had
dispatched surgeon with an escort
OF four men to join Fetterman's par
", but the doctor soon returned with
the information that the wood train
was all right, but that when he at
tempted to cross the valley to join
Fetterman he found It was full of
indians, who were swarming about
on Lodge Trail Ridge. and that there
was no sign Of the soldiers to be OBJ
served. The alarm caused by this in
formation was deepened when the
sound of heavy firing was heard
from over Lodge Trail Ridge, indicat-
Ing that fierce battle was in prog
i