The chronicle=news., 1913-01-31
bONESOF FA[tEK
SOLDIERS ARE
FOUND

Gently while cNcuNAtlnk IOf u hOutt,
few miles northwest OF Wilburn.
Southwestern Ford county. some
skeletons were uneurthed.
!, Is believed they are the bones
OF Indians killed In on. OF the &C.
verest battles fought ON Kansas
soil. and yet on. which has been ni-
most forgotten,
In the southwestern corner OF
Ford souni,. about eight miles due
north OF Fowler. and three miles
northwest OF the town OF Wtlburn is
the ba,tl. field OF Crooked Greek
There on May Il. 1853. was fought
an cmgu cement between the Second
cavalry. commanded by Major Earl
Van Dorm, and u hostile band OF CO.
mnnchc Indians
The Indians were literally wiped
out.
Oy.rsha,ow"d l,y the greater
events OF the cIvii war. this Indian
battle has been almost forgotten. u,
WIS unique. however. In tn. fact
that five officers In the battalion
later became generals in the Conict-
"~at" army. Van born. Kirby Smith.
G. j.. Cosby. Fitzhu.b Lee and ~.
NJ. k.mm.i.
Chief Buffalo Hump aud his band
OF comanches w"r. on the war path
and the Major Van Dorn's battalion
OF the Second cavalry. then station
ca at Camp Radk!miHski. near what
Is now Snyder. Okla. Was detailed
the duty Of rounding M buffalo
Hump and his band.
The command. Including six
troops OF cavaiary. started ont on
April 30. 1859. pushed due north
and crossed the Cimarron river In
to Kansas Into Wha, II now Conan
che county. about II miles south Of
tn. present town Of Protection.
They found that u camp Of fully
2o"U Indians had been located along
Cavalry creek. near wher. Protcc-
tion now stands, The Indians had
fled on the approach Of the troopers.
They w.t. irailcd acros. what Is
row cark county and w-t" finally
oyertak.n In u valley OF Crooked
creek In tn. southwestern corner OF
the bluffs.
| Here the attack WI. made. The In
dians were surrounded. and the bat.
tie did not cnG-if battle I; could
bc callcd-until the band was ami
hilaicl.
In IN official report OF the en-.
Euscmcnt. Major Van Dorm said: !:
"rhe comanclcs fought wiihou.
asking or stNin. quarter until there
WAS not one left to bend bow. and
would have won the admiration Of
every brave soldicr but for the in
trUsiyc reflection that they were
muricrcrA OF the wives and children
OF pur frontierxmcn.''
Xteutenxnt fItxhuEh lee. vino lat
cr Neeame u general In the civil wa.
was shot through the body with an
arrew. lie was acting ax adjutant
ant>had just assisted In capturing
come indian prisoners when Co
nianche shot him. simultaneously the
Young officer fired ut his foe, kill.
Ing him instantly. Les WAS shot
clear through the body and the sur.
geVssr thought ne was dying. but he
recovered speedily. A hoy trumpet.
er who pulled the shaft from his
body later became famous as Briga-
diee General r. N. Hayes. L. s. 4.
The only surviving officer Of the
expedition. Lieutenant n. NJ. KIM
mel. is now living in Henderson,
iky. He later became a briRadier
general In the confederate army.
Major Van Dorm dated his official
dispatch. Headquarters Wmshita ex-
petition. camp on small creek. about
IL miles south OF Old Fort Atkison.'
This old fort was on the Santa Fc
irnu about six miles west of the
nrcScnt city OF Dodge City"