Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-28

these, as related by s. S. Peters. one OF
the Darlington soldiers:
The last year OF the Civil war. various
volunteer regiments, largely recruited
from Confederate prisoners Of war from
the prison camps OF Camp Morton, Ind.
Camp Douglas, ILL.,. Camp Chase, Ohio,
and other points with several other volun-
teer regiments, notably the 18th Ohio
Cavalry. 9Th West Virginia, 7th Iowa. 2lst
New York. 18th Kansas, LIST Colorado, %
California and % Nebraska. were sent to
the plains under the general command Of
General Patsy Edward Connor. These
regiments had various encounters with the
indians, but it was understood that they
would be mustered out at the close OF
the Civil war and be replaced with regular
army troops. Most Of these volunteers gar
risoned the western posts and were
engageu in keeping the Indians in check.
The fighting with the Indians was desult-
DRY, though the volunteers had many
notable engagements with the Indians in
the North Platte and Powde River
country, the scene of the actual warfare.
Ten thousand Troops.
There were about 10000 of these volun-
teer troops scattered over the plains, gar
risonIng a number Of posts and stations
along the Platte. North Platte and South
Platte rivers. Powder river and along
the old California trail to Camp Douglas.
Utah. These included Old Ford Kearney,
near Kearney. Neb., Plum Creek, now
Lexington, Neb., Fort Mcpherson, Neb,
Fort S~edgewick. Col, Fort Sanders, Col,
Fort Halleck. Col. Fort Fred Steele, Col,
and Fort Bridger, Utah, in the Platte
country; Fort Mitchell (scotts Bluffs Neo.
Fort Laramie, Wyo., Fort Casper, Wyo.
and Bridger's Ferry on the North Platte;
and Fort Reno, on Powder river. Forts
Omaha, Neb.. D. A. Russell, and Fetter-
man were not then built.
In 1865 it became necessary to relieve
these volunteers with the then decimated
regular army, the civil war having ended
The Eighteenth United States infantry,
consisting Of a three battalion regiment
Uhe First battalion being afterwards known
as the Eighteenth, the Second battalion as
the Twenty-seventh and the Third battal-
ion as the Thirty-sixth infantry with two
battalions of the Second United States cav
airy, were ordered to relieve the volun-
teers. Four companies of the Eighteenth.
with the second battalion, afterwards the
Twenty-seventh. were ordered to the North
Platte and Powder river country, with two
companies Of the Second cavalry. There
were scarcely 100 men in both commands.
Two of the companies of the Eighteenth
were ordered to take station at Fort Lar
annie, with one company of the Second cav
airy. Two other companies of the Eigh-
teenth and another company of the Second
cavalry were ordered to garrison Fort
Reno, while the second battalion, or Twen-
ty-seventh infantry, was ordered into the
Big Horn country to establish two new
posts in that vicinity.
Union Pacific Being Built.
THE building of the Union Pacific rail-
way was then under way from Omaha,
but had not yet reached Columbus. When
the command, under the direction Of Gen
eral Henry B. Darlington, then colonel of
the Eighteenth infantry, started on the
march, General Darlington was designated
as the commander of the new Mountain
district, to be established in the Big Horn
country. The command encountered no
trouble with the Indians until reaching
Fort Mitchell, across the North Platte from
the present town of Scott's Bluff, where
they had a light skirmish, but met with
no casualties. Reaching Fort Laramie,
about 5000 Sioux Indians we're encamped
there for the purpose of holding a treaty,
the issue of which was the opening of the
Platte river road and North Platte road
to Salt Lake City for the building of the
Union Pacific. This treaty was held in
the spring of 1866, The proposition was
agreed to by the Indians. The chiefs at
this treaty were Red Cloud, Spotted Tail,
Standing Elk, American Horse, Man
ARABIC His Horse and others of equal en-
inence, all of whom were Sioux Indians.
sherman and Sheridan.
9TH United States peace commissioner
were Felix r. Brunot, Generals w. T. Sher-
man, Phil Sheridan, Henry E. Maynadier,
Colonel ~Chivington, Jules and Marcus
Escoffey, Henry Boudinot, Dan Butterfield
and Marcus Beauvais, with jim Bridger,
Jim Beckwith and Peter Boussinet as
spokesman for the Indians.
ut was agreed by the Indians that they
would leave the Platte routes unmolested
il no other effort was made to penetrate
the northwest route to Montana, known as
the Bridger Cutoff, that extended up the
North Platte, crossing at Bridger's Ferry
at the mouth of Horseshoe creek, anc
thence northwest to the Powder river
crossing at Fort Reno, first established ir
1865 by General Conner, but now abandoned
thence westward to the Big Horn noun,
tains and onward to Bozeman, Mont. Thii
route lay through the very heart Of the
best hunting lands Of the Ogalalla anC
Brule Sioux, Of which Red Cloud was the
chief. The Sioux were very jealous of thii
game reserve and wanted 1t continued un,
molested.
Notwithstanding the pending treaty ne
gotiations, the Eighteenth infantry anC
Second cavalry then arriving on the scent
under General Darlington. was directed by
the War department to continue theil
march into the disputed territory. Rec
Cloud was indignant. He claimed thi
country as belonging to his people. AM
! rose from the treaty and announced In al
eloquent speech, interpreted through Lei
Pallardy, a half breed, that the white
were liars Continuing, he said: 'Yo
4 have no honor. You ask us to come her,
to treat with you. You promise us 20,
i will keep your soldiers out from our las
4 hunting grounds, and while you are her
! talking with your lying tongues you sem
! your soldiers into my territory. l will no
treat with you. Me and my people an,
my young men will go out this day an,
we will mark every mile of your way to tn
a Big Horn with the graves OF your dea
soldiers
Red Cloud stood Pat.
"All efforts 10 dissuade Red Cloud an
4 his band from leaving the treaty were un
n availing. The troops had two days star
q Of him, but in the meanwhile he sent tn
alarm out among his people and the wa