small creek called the Mad Buffaloe. Here we could find no wood for
cooking, and made our first experiment of the common resort in these
wide prairies; that is, we were obliged to collect the dung of the
buffaloe for that purpose. Having taken our supper, some of us stood
guard through the night, while the others slept, according to the
advice of the friendly chief. Next morning we commenced our march at
early dawn, and by dint of hard travelling through the prairies, we
arrived about sunset, on the main Platte, where we joined Mr. Pratte
and his company. We felt, and expressed gratitude to the pilot, who,
by his knowledge of the country, had conducted us by the shortest and
easiest route. We did not forget the substantial expression of our good
will, in paying him. He started for his own village the same evening,
accompanying us here, and returning, on foot, although he could have
had a horse for the journey.
At this encampment, on the banks of the Platte, we remained four days,
during which time we killed some antelopes and deer, and dressed their
skins to make us moccasins. Among our arrangements with Mr. Pratte, one
was, that my father should take the command of this company, to which
proposition my father and our associates consented. The honor of this
confidence was probably bestowed upon him, in consequence of most of
the company having served under him, as rangers, during the late war.
Those who had not, had been acquainted with his services by general
report.
In conformity with the general wish, my father immediately entered upon
his command, by making out a list of the names of the whole company,
and dividing it into four messes; each mess having to furnish two men,
to stand guard by reliefs, during the night. The roll was called,
and the company was found to be a hundred and sixteen. We had three
hundred mules, and some {17} horses. A hundred of them were packed with
goods and baggage. The guard was posted as spies, and all the rest
were ordered to commence the arrangements of packing for departure.
The guard was detached, to keep at some distance from the camp,
reconnoitre, and discover if any Indians were lurking in the vicinity.
When on the march, the guards were ordered to move on within sight
of our flank, and parallel to our line of march. If any Indians were
descried, they were to make a signal by raising their hats; or if not
in sight of us, to alarm us by a pistol shot. These arrangements gave
us a chance always to have some little time to make ready for action.
It may be imagined, that such a caravan made no mean figure, or
inconsiderable dust, in moving along the prairies. We started on the
morning of the 6th of August,[25] travelling up the main Platte, which
at this point is more than a hundred yards wide, very shallow, with a
clean sand bottom, and very high banks. It is skirted with a thin belt
of cotton-wood and willow trees, from which beautiful prairie plains
stretch out indefinitely on either side. We arrived in the evening at a
village of the Pawnee Loups.[26] It is larger than the village of the
Republican Pawnees, which we had left behind us. The head chief of this
village received us in the most affectionate and hospitable manner,
supplying us with such provisions as we wanted. He had been all the
way from these remote prairies, on a visit to the city of Washington.
He informed us, that before he had taken the journey, he had supposed
that the white people were a small tribe, like his own, and that he had
found them as numberless as the spires of grass on his prairies. The
spectacle, however, that had struck him with most astonishment, was
bullets as large as his head, and guns of the size of a log of wood.
His people cultivate corn, beans, pumpkins and watermelons.
Here we remained five days, during which time Mr. Pratte purchased six
hundred Buffalo skins, and some horses. A Pawnee war party came in
from an expedition against a hostile tribe of whom they had killed and
scalped four, and taken twenty horses. We were affected at the sight of
a little child, taken {18} captive, whose mother they had killed and
scalped. They could not account for bringing in this child, as their
warfare is an indiscriminate slaughter, of men, women and children.
A day or two after their arrival, they painted themselves for a
celebration of their victory, with great labor and care. The chiefs
were dressed in skins of wild animals, with the hair on.--These skins
were principally those of the bear, wolf, panther and spotted or ring
tailed panther. They wore necklaces of bear's and panther's claws. The
braves, as a certain class of the warriors are called, in addition
to the dress of the other chiefs, surmounted their heads with a
particular feather from a species of eagle, that they call the war
eagle.[27] This feather is considered worth the price of ten ordinary
horses. None but a brave is permitted to wear it as a badge. A brave,
gains his name and reputation as much by cunning and dexterity in
stealing and robbing, as by courage and success in murdering. When by
long labor of the toilette, they had painted and dressed themselves
to their liking, they marched forth in the array of their guns, bows,
arrows and war clubs, with all the other appendages of their warfare.
They then raised a tall pole, on the top of which were attached the
scalps of the foes they had killed. It must be admitted, that they
manifested no small degree of genius and inventiveness, in making
themselves frightful and horrible. When they began their triumphal
yelling, shouting, singing and cutting antic capers, it seemed to us,
that a recruit of fiends from the infernal regions could hardly have
transcended them in genuine diabolical display. They kept up this
infernal din three days. During all this time, the poor little captive
child, barely fed to sustain life, lay in sight, bound hand and foot.
When their rage at length seemed sated, and exhausted, they took down
the pole, and gave the scalps to the women.
We now witnessed a new scene of yells and screams, and infuriated
gestures; the actors kicking the scalps about, and throwing them
from one to the other with strong expressions of rage and contempt.
When they also ceased, in the apparent satisfaction of gratified
revenge, the men directed their attention {19} to the little captive.
It was removed to the medicine lodge, where the medicine men perform
their incantations, and make their offerings to the Great Spirit. We
perceived that they were making preparations to burn the child. Alike
affected with pity and horror, our party appealed, as one man, to
the presiding chief, to spare the child. Our first proposition was to
purchase it. It was received by the chief with manifest displeasure.
In reply to our strong remonstrances, he gravely asked us, if we,
seeing a young rattlesnake in our path, would allow it to move off
uninjured, merely because it was too small and feeble to bite? We
undertook to point out the want of resemblance in the circumstances
of the comparison, observing that the child, reared among them, would
know no other people, and would imbibe their habits and enmities,
and become as one of them. The chief replied, that he had made the
experiment, and that the captive children, thus spared and raised, had
only been instrumental, as soon as they were grown, of bringing them
into difficulties. 'It is' said he, 'like taking the eggs of partridges
and hatching them; you may raise them ever so carefully in a cage; but
once turn them loose, and they show their nature, not only by flying
away, but by bringing the wild partridges into your corn fields: eat
the eggs, and you have not only the food, but save yourself future
trouble.' We again urged that the child was too small to injure them,
and of too little consequence to give them the pleasure of revenge in
its destruction. To enforce our arguments, we showed him a roll of red
broad cloth, the favorite color with the Indians. This dazzled and
delighted him, and he eagerly asked us, how much we would give him. We
insisted upon seeing the child, before we made him an offer. He led us
to the lodge, where lay the poor little captive, bound so tight with
thongs of raw hide, that the flesh had so swelled over the hard and
dried leather, that the strings could no longer be perceived. It was
almost famished, having scarcely tasted food for four days, and seemed
rather dead than alive. With much difficulty we disengaged its limbs
from the thongs, and perceiving that it seemed to revive, we offered
him {20} ten yards, of the red cloth. Expatiating upon the trouble
and danger of his warriors in the late expedition, he insisted, that
the price was too little. Having the child in our possession, and
beginning to be indignant at this union of avarice and cruelty, our
company exchanged glances of intelligence. A deep flush suffused the
countenance of my father. 'My boys,' said he, 'will you allow these
unnatural devils to burn this poor child, or practice extortion upon
us, as the price of its ransom?' The vehemence and energy, with which
these questions were proposed, had an effect, that may be easily
imagined, in kindling the spirits of the rest of us. We carried it by
acclamation, to take the child, and let them seek their own redress.
My father again offered the chief ten yards of cloth, which was refused
as before. Our remark then was, that we would carry off the child,
with, or without ransom, at his choice.--Meanwhile the child was sent
to our encampment, and our men ordered to have their arms in readiness,
as we had reason to fear that the chief would let loose his warriors
upon us, and take the child by force. The old chief looked my father
full in the face, with an expression of apparent astonishment. 'Do you
think' said he, 'you are strong enough to keep the child by force?'
'We will do it,' answered my father, 'or every man of us die in the
attempt, in which case our countrymen will come, and gather up our
bones, and avenge our death, by destroying your nation.' The chief
replied with well dissembled calmness, that he did not wish to incur
the enmity of our people, as he well knew that we were more powerful
than they; alledging, beside, that he had made a vow never to kill any
more white men; and he added, that if we would give the cloth, and
add to it a paper of vermillion, the child should be ours. To this we
consented, and the contract was settled.
We immediately started for our encampment, where we were aware our men
had been making arrangements for a battle. We had hardly expected,
under these circumstances, that the chief would have followed us alone
into a camp, where every thing appeared hostile. But he went on with us
unhesitatingly, {21} until he came to the very edge of it. Observing
that our men had made a breast work of the baggage, and stood with
their arms leaning against it ready for action, he paused a moment,
as if faltering in his purpose to advance. With the peculiar Indian
exclamation, he eagerly asked my father, if he had thought that he
would fight his friends, the white people, for that little child? The
reply was, that we only meant to be ready for them, if they had thought
to do so. With a smiling countenance the chief advanced, and took my
father's hand exclaiming, that they were good friends. 'Save your
powder and lead,' he added, 'to kill buffaloes and your enemies.' So
saying he left us for his own lodge.
This tribe is on terms of hostility with two or three of the tribes
nearest their hunting grounds. They make their incursions on horseback,
and often extend them to the distance of six or seven hundred miles.
They chiefly engage on horseback, and their weapons, for the most
part, consist of a bow and arrows, a lance and shield, though many of
them at present have fire arms. Their commander stations himself in
the rear of his warriors, seldom taking a part in the battle, unless
he should be himself attacked, which is not often the case. They show
no inconsiderable military stratagem in their marches, keeping spies
before and behind, and on each flank, at the distance of a few days
travel; so that in their open country, it is almost impossible to come
upon them by surprise. The object of their expeditions is quite as
often to plunder and steal horses, as to destroy their enemies. Each
one is provided with the Spanish noose, to catch horses. They often
extend these plundering expeditions as far as the interior of New
Mexico. When they have reached the settled country, they lurk about
in covert places, until an opportunity presents to seize on their
prey. They fall upon the owner of a large establishment of cattle
and horses, kill him during the night, or so alarm him as to cause
him to fly, and leave his herds and family unprotected; in which case
they drive off his horses, and secrete them in the mountains. In these
fastnesses of nature they consider them safe; {22} aware that the
Mexicans, partly through timidity, and partly through indolence, will
not pursue them to any great distance.
We left this village on the 11th of August, taking with us two of its
inhabitants, each having a trap to catch, and a hoe to dig the beavers
from their burrows. During this day's march we traversed a wide plain,
on which we saw no game but antelopes[28] and white wolves. At five
in the evening, our front guard gave the preconcerted alarm by firing
their pistols, and falling back a few moments afterwards, upon the
main body.--We shortly afterwards discovered a large body of Indians
on horseback, approaching us at full speed. When they were within
hailing distance, we made them a signal to halt: they immediately
halted. Surveying us a moment, and discovering us to be whites, one of
them came towards us. We showed him the painted stick given us by the
Pawnee Republican chief. He seemed at once to comprehend all that it
conveyed, and we were informed, that this was a band of the Republican
Pawnee warriors. He carried the stick among them. It passed from
hand to hand, and appeared at once to satisfy them in regard to our
peaceable intentions, for they continued their march without disturbing
us. But our two associate Indians, hearing their yells, as they rode
off, took them to be their enemies, from whom they had taken the child.
They immediately disappeared, and rejoined us no more. We travelled
a few miles further, and encamped for the night on a small stream,
called Smoking river. It is a tributary stream of the main Platte.
On this stream a famous treaty had been made between the Pawnees and
Shienne;[29] and from the friendly smoking of the calumet on this
occasion it received its name.
Next morning we made an early start, and marched rapidly all day, in
order to reach water at night. We halted at sunset to repose ourselves,
and found water for our own drinking, but none for our mules and
horses. As soon as the moon arose, we started again, travelling hard
all night, and until ten the next morning. At this time we reached a
most singular spring fountain, forming a basin four hundred yards in
diameter, in the centre {23} of which the water boiled up five or six
feet higher, than it was near the circumference. We encamped here, to
rest, and feed our mules and horses, the remainder of the day, during
which we killed some antelopes, that came here to drink.
Near this place was a high mound, from which the eye swept the whole
horizon, as far as it could reach, and on this mound we stationed our
guard.
Next morning we commenced the toil of our daily march, pursuing a S. W.
course, over the naked plains, reaching a small and, as far as I know,
a nameless stream at night, on the borders of which were a few sparse
trees, and high grass. Here we encamped for the night. At twelve next
day we halted in consequence of a pouring rain, and encamped for the
remainder of the day. This was the first point, where we had the long
and anxiously expected pleasure of seeing buffaloes. We killed one,
after a most animating sport in shooting at it.
Next day we made an early start, as usual, and travelled hard all day
over a wide plain, meeting with no other incidents, than the sight
of buffaloes, which we did not molest. We saw, in this day's march,
neither tree nor rising ground. The plains are covered with a short,
fine grass, about four inches high, of such a kind, as to be very
injurious to the hoofs of animals, that travel over it. It seems to
me, that ours would not have received more injury from travelling over
a naked surface of rock. In the evening we reached a small collection
of water, beside which we encamped. We had to collect our customary
inconvenient substitute for fuel, not only this evening, but the whole
distance hence to the mountains.
On the morning of the 17th, we commenced, as usual, our early march,
giving orders to our advance guard to kill a buffaloe bull, and make
moccasins for some of our horses, from the skin, their feet having
become so tender from the irritation of the sharp grass, as to make
them travel with difficulty. This was soon accomplished, furnishing
the only incident of this day's travel. We continued the next day to
make our way over the same wearying plain, without water or timber,
having been obliged {24} to provide more of our horses with buffaloe
skin moccasins. This day we saw numerous herds of buffaloe bulls. It is
a singular fact, in the habits of these animals, that during one part
of the year, the bulls all range in immense flocks without a cow among
them, and all the cows equally without the bulls. The herd, which we
now saw, showed an evident disposition to break into our caravan. They
seemed to consider our horses and mules, as a herd of their cows. We
prevented their doing it, by firing on them, and killing several.
This evening we arrived on one of the forks of the Osage,[30] and
encamped. Here we caught a beaver, the first I had ever seen. On
the 20th, we started late, and made a short day's travel, encamping
by water. Next morning we discovered vast numbers of buffaloes, all
running in one direction, as though they were flying from some sort
of pursuit. We immediately detached men to reconnoitre and ascertain,
whether they were not flying from the Indians. They soon discovered a
large body of them in full chase of these animals, and shooting at them
with arrows. As their course was directly towards our camp, they were
soon distinctly in sight. At this moment one of our men rode towards
them, and discharged his gun. This immediately turned their attention
from the pursuit of the game, to us. The Indians halted a moment, as if
in deliberation, and rode off in another direction with great speed.
We regretted that we had taken no measures to ascertain, whether they
were friendly or not. In the latter case we had sufficient ground to
apprehend, that they would pursue us at a distance, and attack us in
the night. We made our arrangements, and resumed our march in haste,
travelling with great caution, and posting a strong guard at night.
The next day, in company with another, I kept guard on the right flank.
We were both strictly enjoined not to fire on the buffaloes, while
discharging this duty. Just before we encamped, which was at four in
the afternoon, we discovered a herd of buffaloe cows, the first we had
seen, and gave notice on our arrival at the camp. Mr. Pratte insisted,
that we had mistaken, and said, that we were not yet far enough
advanced into the country, {25} to see cows, they generally herding
in the most retired depths of the prairies. We were not disposed to
contest the point with him, but proposed a bet of a suit of the finest
cloth, and to settle the point by killing one of the herd, if the
commander would permit us to fire upon it. The bet was accepted, and
the permission given. My companion was armed with a musket, and I with
a rifle. When we came in sight of the herd, it was approaching a little
pond to drink. We concealed ourselves, as they approached, and my
companion requested me to take the first fire, as the rifle was surer
and closer than the musket. When they were within shooting distance,
I levelled one; as soon as it fell, the herd, which consisted of a
thousand or more, gathered in crowds around the fallen one. Between us
we killed eleven, all proving, according to our word, to be cows. We
put our mules in requisition to bring in our ample supply of meat. Mr.
Pratte admitted, that the bet was lost, though we declined accepting it.
About ten at night it commenced raining; the rain probably caused us to
intermit our caution; for shortly after it began, the Indians attacked
our encampment, firing a shower of arrows upon us. We returned their
fire at random, as they retreated: they killed two of our horses, and
slightly wounded one of our men; we found four Indians killed by our
fire, and one wounded. The wounded Indian informed our interpreter,
that the Indians, who attacked us, were Arrickarees.[31] We remained
encamped here four days, attending our wounded man, and the wounded
Indian, who died, however, the second day, and here we buried him.
We left this encampment on the 26th, and through the day met with
continued herds of buffaloes and wild horses, which, however, we did
not disturb. In the evening we reached a fork of the Platte, called
Hyde Park.[32] This stream, formerly noted for beavers, still sustains
a few. Here we encamped, set our traps, and caught four beavers. In
the morning we began to ascend this stream, and during our progress,
we were obliged to keep men in advance, to affrighten the buffaloes
and wild horses {26} from our path. They are here in such prodigious
numbers, as literally to have eaten down the grass of the prairies.
Here we saw multitudes of prairie dogs.[33] They have large village
establishments of burrows, where they live in society. They are
sprightly, bold and self important animals, of the size of a Norwegian
rat. On the morning of the 28th, our wounded companion was again unable
to travel, in consequence of which we were detained at our encampment
three days. Not wholly to lose the time, we killed during these three
days no buffaloes, of which we saved only the tongues and hump ribs.