The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-11-23
THANKSGIVING SEASON
(cea:inued from PAGE one

lncf anu autumn 9taooN'f "-N- ~
buffalo grass furnished the needed
strength to their ponies. In winter
when ghe ponies had 20 subsist on
dead grass Or on the bark Of cotton
wood trees, they were too weak for the
trying exertions OF Indian warfare.
EHence General Sheridan determined
that the logical way TO curb the hos
lille disposition OF these Indians was 70
carry the stern realities Of war home
10 their winter camps where they
imagined they were safe from pursuit.
or attack. In planning for the winter
campaign the governor of Kansas was
asked to furnish a regiment Of yolun-
teer cavalry, which, together with the
Seventh regiment OF United States
cavalry. was to constitute the force
needed to follow and punish The unre-
pentant hostiles
The Seventh cayarly rendezyou5ed
al Fort Hays, Kan, whence It march
ed to Fort Dodge, on the Arkansas,
under the command OF Lieut. Col. and
preyet Maj. Gen. George A. Custer.
At Fort Dodge large quantities Of for
age, commissary stores and other sup
plies were being accumulated for the
purpose Of establishing and equipping
new military post to be located
where Beaver and Wolf creeks join to
form the North Canadian river The
Seventh cavalry lett Fort Dodge on it's
march into Western Oklahoma on the
18th Of November, the Nineteenth
Kansas cavalry being under orders TO
march from Topeka direct to the site
Of the proposed new post on the North
Canadian. The expedition from Fort
Dodge reached the junction of Beaver
and Wolf creeks November Is, and
General Sheridan, accompanied by his
staff, arrived two or three days later.
The military post was established
there as base OF operations against
the Indians of Western Oklahoma, was
called Camp Supply a name by which
It continued to be known until its
final abandonment in 1891.
On the evening OF November ~, the
Nineteenth Kansas regiment not hav-
ing arrived, orders were issued for the
Seventh cavalry eleven troops, nearly
500 officers and men) to take the field
at daybreak the following morning.
During the evening a heavy snow
storm set IN. At reveille the next
morning the troopers awoke to find
nearly foot of snow on the ground
and the storm still raging. A cheer
less breakfast; tents struck and packed
in the wagons; Boots and Saddles;
"To Horse; Prepare to Mount; =
Mount" Advance" and, with the
column playing @The Gifl Left Be.
hind Me- the winter campaign was
begun in dead earnest. When the
storm ceased while the troops were IN
camp the following night, many miles
up the valley Of Wolf creek, the
ground was covered with snow io a
depth Of eighteen inches
The evening of the third day out
found the command encamped near
the north bank Of the South Canadian
river, al a point directly opposite the
Antelope hills. The weather was still
bitterly cold. Early the next morning
a detachment of three troops, under
the command Of Maj Joel II. Elliot,
was sent on scout up the valley
Several hours later a courier returned
with The intelligence that Major
Elliots command had discovered the
fresh trail of returning Indian war
party, where 1t crossed the river bear
I ing III a southea tcrly direction ana
thas Elliot had already started in pur-
suit General Custer detailed guard
Of eighty men to escort the slow-mov-
ing wagon train While the rest OF the
command quickly prepared 70 make a
forced march for the purpose OF effect
ing a junction with Major Ellio3s de-
tachment Fording he Canadian and
marching due south, the trail Of the
hostiles tower which Major FL
lots command had already passed.,
was reached late in the afternoon.
Elliot was not overtaken until about
10 o'clock in the evening. Then a
brief halt was made TO feed the tired
horses and enable the men to make
coffee over little fires concealed in a
deep rayine. When the march was re-
sumed, across the snowy plain IN
bright moonlight, It was conducted
with the utmost cartion with scouts
and Usage Indian trailers always well
in advance of the column. Shortly
after midnight the Cheyenne camp was
discovered in the timbered valley Of
the Washita AS silently as possible
General Custer divided his 500 troopers
into four deiachments OF nearly equal
strength and surrounded Ghe sleeping