The National tribune., 1910-03-03
SOLDERING ON THE PLAINS
How the Sioux Chief, Two Face, Ran
Up Against Gen. COnnOr, Had His
Plans Frustrated and Himself Hung.


Co. D, 10th Kan. Cav, to which /
belonged. had never been with the reg
iment a great deal, We being generally
on detached duty. We had been sent
to the Rio Grande against Macmillan
early in 1865, but the order was coun-
termanded while we were at Council
Grove, Kan, on the Santa Fe trail
lay at the Grove about three weeks,
when we received orders to report to
our regiment at Fort Kearny, by way
of Fort Riley, Kan. A few miles out
of Fort Riley we saw our last settlers
one lone family-on Salt Creek. We
struck the Little Blue in Nebraska. We
travelled along it for some days, when
we came to what had recently been a
settlement The buildings were made
of sod, covered with brush and hay,
with dirt on top and walls about three
feet thick. 1t looked like a visitation
by Indians. They had tried to set fire
to the roofs. Some of the doors were
partly torn down and the boards ripped
off; the windows were also broken.
One of our boys found a mans boot
with mans leg in it; the leg had been
hacked off at the top of the boot.
The first place we struck after leav-
ing there was stage station, nor a
great ways from where Hastings, Neb.,
is now. They Informed us that the
settlement had been wiped out by the
Sioux Indians under Two Face. 1t had
happened about three weeks before.
Several settlers were killed, and the In
dams carried off some of the women
and children.
We proceeded to Fort Laramie, and
while we were 1ying at Fort Laramie a
woman and child were started back to
the States under an es cort. The wo-
man was one that had been carried off
in the Two Face raid. She had been
| brought into Fort Laramie by Two
Face himself. he expecting to make
something out of the transaction.
In April, 1866, Gen. Connor, who had
command of the plains at that time,
had issued orders to the different forts
ESQ it would reach the Indians) to the
the States under an escort. The wo-
men or children prisoners, upon sur
rendering them at the nearest fort,
would be entitled TO rations, which the
hostiles were in need of. On the
strength of that order Two Face had
brought this woman and child into
Fort Laramie. He was not aware that
Gen. Connor was at tho fort. If he
had known it you could not have got
ten him within miles of thcre-the hos
tiles had such a dread of Connor. They
called him the Red Chief, because of
his red or sandy hair.
When Two Face appeared at the
fort he inquired for the big chief, ex
pecting to be sent to the post COM
mander. Instead of that he was sent
to Gen. Connor. AS soon as Two Face
saw him he started for the door to go
back downstairs. The General called
to the guard in front of the building to
stop Two Face and bring him back,
which he did.
When the General asked the Indian
what he wanted Two Face, thinking to
1.alg hn nf tnlI
he had white squaw to trade for hog
and coffee. Gen. COnnOr asked him
where the white squaw was. The In
dian answered: Away Off"
Gen. Connor made up his mind that
the woman was not far away; so. tell
ing the Indian to sit down while he
wrote a letter, he wrote an order to
the post commander to have scout
ing party go out back of the fort in
the hills for a mile or so and see if
they could not find a white woman
with an Indian or two, and il they were
found to bring them to him.
In the meantime the General enter
tanned Tive Face as we'll -as-he could.
In an hour or SO the General was in
formed that the woman And child were
found, and nearly naked, and guarded
by two Indians, whip were brought to
the fort with them. ,
Gen. Connor in his interview with
the woman found that she, with two
children, a boy of seven and a mere
baby in arms, was taken after des-
perate fight. There were gabout 100
Indians in the attackTi They hacked
her husband to pieces in front of her
eyes, and when She cried one of the
Indians said he would Otomahawk her
IL she did not stop. A few OF the men
got away. Another woman was car
ried of at the same time. but she did
not know what had becopessf her.
After crossing tho rkeE de Indians
stopped to listen. 1t was Very dark and
still. They could hear A,Ifie'. men talk
ing on the other side 4of the river, but
they stopped her from making an out
cry. She was put on a pony with her
baby. One of the Indians took her boy
and tied lariat around his waist with
the other end fastened to his saddle,
and started off. She knew he could
not stand it long, and that was the last
she saw of him. After travelling for
several days they came to an Indian
village, where they put her to doing all
kinds of drudgery. Two Face used her
as he wanted to, and when he got tired
of her traded her off to another Indian
for some ponies. She was used in the
same manner by this other Indian. Be-
sides doing all kinds of work she was
Il. cF-I