Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-09-19
SANDY FORSYTHE'S
FIGHT WITH SIOUX
Death Of the Commander of Kansas
Frontiersmen in Fight Against
Indians in 1858.
CLOSE CALL FOR WHITE MEN

Ryth, a retired army officer who rendered
distinguished service in the civil war and
In the Indian wars of the west Enlist
ing as a private in the Chicago dragons
early In 1851 he fought throughout the
war, participating In sixteen pitched bat
ties, two sieges and over sixty minor en-
gagements. receiving four wounds and
rising from the ranks to br1gadier gem
eral of volunteers
The summons came to General Forsyth
at the age of 70, a few days before the
forty-seventh anniversary of the Battle
of the Arickaree' in Kansas, fought Sep
tember II, 1868 In which he commanded
a body of frontiersmen and won renown
as an Indian fighter. John f. F1nerty OF
Chicago, a noted war correspondent of
the time. In his "warpath and Bivouac''
describes the battle in part as follows:
Troops were rather scarce in Kansas
at the time. 50 the War department
granted permission to the military to en-
ploy frontiersmen on short terms of serv-
ice for the purpose of Furnishing the In
dian marauders, George A. Forsyth, who
was then inspector general of the De-
partment Of the Missouri, was about the
first of the regular officers TO take ad-
vantage Of the permission granted by the
fifty picked frontiersmen at Fort Harker
and Fort Hays and selected to command
under him Lieutenant F. H Beecher of
the Third infantry. a nephew of the late
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, of Brooklyn,
and young man of the most intrepid
spirit DR.. ]. S, Movers OF Hays City,
Kan, accompanied the outfit as surgeon.
The choice for chief scout and guide fell
upon a daring borderer named Sharpe
Grover, who in that day was almost as
we'll known as Kit Carson himself. The
first surgeon of the expedition was moth
ing less than an ex-br1gadier general Of
New York volunteers, w. H. II. Mccall
q man who had distinguished himself
most heroically in repeling the assault
made by the rebels on the union lines
in front of Petersburg in the spring
of 1864
Nearly all the men who made up the
company were Injured to Indian warfare,
and, looking through the sights OF their
rifles, feared no enemy, white, yellow,
red or black. on the face of Gods green
earth. All were well mounted, excellently
armed and supplied with ammunition
enough to stand any racket the Indians
might have In store for them Moreover,
inoensei beyond measure by the fright
full atrt cities committed on the white race
by the Cheyennes and Kiowas in par
ttcular, they were a~thirst for vengeance,
and. at Forsyth's word of command,
moved out on the warpath with the
alacrity OF br1deRrooms on the wedding
day.
Scouting for Indians,
They secuted the country for several
days without finding any Indians and
had TO go In to Fort Wallace for fresh
supplies. The Indians killed some team
sters and ran off a few oxen near the
town of Sheridan on September 10, and
this outrage filled Forsyth and his band
with ungovernable rage They reached
What Is known as the Arickaree fork OF
me Republican river on the evening OF
September 16 and went into camp aftel
taking the usual military precautions Of
plainsmen. All night long everything In
and around the camp remained quiet, but
at early dawn the sentinels discovered a
party Of Indians in q bold attempt Il
stampede a portion OF the stock which
was tarthest removed from the guard
They succeeded in getting few animals
but were easily driven from the field.
General Forsyth and the scout, Gro
yer. came to the conclusion that therS
was a large force of savages In the vi
cinity and that the party would be Inn
mediately attacked. He gave his orders
with the GOODNESS for which he Is famous
and the remaining animals were immedt
ately saddled up. Scarcely was this GO
complished when the Indians, utterinl
their most terrible war cries, and al
splendidly mounted, came riding over thu
divides" by the hundred from ell direc
tons. Even the veteran scout, Grover
was astonished at their numbers anC
could not conceal his surprise. although
he remained perfectly cool throughout tn,
fierce ordeal.
Forsyth, who saw at once that he wa
not alone overpowered, but was also fl
a rather defenseless position determines
to retreat cautiously to some point wher
he could make strong defense and a
least sell his life and the lives of hi
men at the highest possible price TO tn
Indians He Immediately retreated to
small island in the river, which lay blu
a short distance from him, covering tn
movement by the fire of a few of hi
best sharpshooters, posted under tn
river bank. He placed his men insid
the circle formed by his animals so a
to give them some shelter. The horse
were tied to the bushes that grew upoI
the island, and every man flung himsel
flat on the earth to avoid being too mucl
exposed to the Indian fire. which imme
diately opened upon them.
Grover recognized, in the attacking In.
dams. Sioux and Cheyennes. as we'll as
Kiowas, Comanches and Arapahoes
Their numbers were estimated at about
800 warriors, under the chief command
OF Roman Nose, a Cheyenne. and the
most reckless Indian leader on the plains
Owing to the loose quality OF sand on
the island, Forsyth's men had no diff
ficulty in throwing up small breastworks
by digging into the gravel with Their
large hunting knives. But the Indian
fire was so close and CALLING that within
"A few minutes after the first attack
Forsyth himself had been struck by q
rifle ball In the thigh, which caused q
most painful wound, and several OF his
men were killed or injured The gal
liant leader, soon afterward received q
second wound. which broke the bone ir
his left leg between the knee and the
ankle. His surgeon, DR.. Movers, was
shot through the head about the same
al he I'm al FaF