BILL KILLS HIS FIRST INDIAN.
Like all boys Bill had a sweetheart with whom he was “dead in love,”
in a juvenile way, of course. He had a rival of whom he was terribly
jealous. One day, attacked by his rival, who was an older and larger
boy, Buffalo Bill defended himself with his pocket-knife, wounding the
youth slightly. The cry at once arose, “Bill Cody has killed Steve
Gobel!” and, terribly frightened at what he had done, Bill immediately
took refuge in flight, the teacher in hot pursuit. Fortunately for Bill
one of Russell & Majors’ freight trains was passing beyond the hills on
its way to the West. Reaching it he recognized the wagon-master with
whom he had before served. He was concealed in one of the wagons until
night, when he went to his home, bade his mother and sisters good-by,
and continued on with the train to the far West. The trip proved one
of delightful experience to the boy, and on his return he was paid off
with the rest of the employes, when he went to herding cattle for the
same firm.
After a few months spent at this work, he started with a herd of
beef-cattle for Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston’s army, which was then
marching across the plains to fight the Mormons. Reaching South Platte
River they were camped for dinner, and had no idea of danger near,
when, with shouts and yells, a band of Indians dashed in upon them.
A hot fight followed, and three of the party were killed. Buffalo
Bill, with the rest of the band, was driven to seek safety under the
river-bank, keeping the Indians at a safe distance with their guns. It
was on this occasion that Buffalo Bill killed his first Indian, being
at that time but eleven years old. As the cattle had been stampeded
by the Indians, and the horses also, the little party was forced to
return to Fort Kearney. After many hardships and passing through many
dangers, the fort was reached, though several of the party were wounded
and had to be carried by their comrades. A company of cavalry and force
of infantry, with one gun, were sent out to endeavor to capture the
cattle, Buffalo Bill and his comrades accompanying the expedition.
Upon reaching the place where the fight occurred, the bodies of their
comrades were found literally cut to pieces, and but few of the
stampeded cattle were captured.
Upon his return to Fort Leavenworth the young Indian fighter found that
he was published far and wide as the youngest Indian killer on record;
in fact a juvenile celebrity. What bearing this taste of laudation had
on his future career may easily be inferred.
The following summer Buffalo Bill engaged at $40 per month, in gold, to
go with the wagon-trains carrying supplies to Gen. Albert S. Johnston’s
army. The trail of the train was through Kansas into Nebraska, near the
Big Sandy, then running sixty miles along the Little Blue, striking
the Platte River near old Fort Kearney; then up the South Platte, then
across to the North Platte, near the mouth of the Blue Water, where
General Harney fought his great battle in 1865 with the Sioux and
Cheyenne Indians. From this point the train continued on to the Great
Salt Lake Valley. At that time Russell, Majors & Waddell had upon the
overland trails nearly seven thousand wagons; 75,000 oxen, 2,000 mules,
and 8,000 men were employed, while the capital invested amounted to
$2,000,000. The expedition was without adventure of importance until
the South Platte River was reached. The country was alive with buffalo
roaming in all directions, and among them were found some of the herd
of cattle stampeded by the Indians long before. Discovering the herd
of buffaloes ahead, they at the same time sighted a party of returning
Californians, and, being between two fires, the buffalo herd stampeded
at once, and broke down the hills, some thousands of them rushing
through the wagon-train. Wagons were turned over, poles were broken,
buffaloes were mixed up among the terrified oxen and shouting men, who
were unable to manage their teams. Many of the oxen broke their yokes
and stampeded, and the frantic buffaloes played havoc with the train.
This caused several days’ delay to repair damages and gather up the
scattered teams. When the train reached within eighteen miles of the
Green River, in the Rocky Mountains, a party of twenty horsemen came
up. They were covered at once with guns, and the wagon-train men found
that they were in the hands of the Mormons, who were at that time
engaged in hostilities against the Army of the United States. It was
impossible to resist, and Simpson was forced to submit, first, however,
soundly abusing the apostles.
The Mormons took from the wagons all the provisions they could carry,
then set fire to the train and drove off the oxen. The trainmen,
however, were allowed to retain their arms, one wagon, six yoke of
oxen, and provisions enough to last the party until Fort Bridger could
be reached.
It was late in November when the party reached the fort, and they
decided to spend the winter there, in company with about four hundred
other employes of Russell, Majors & Waddell, rather than attempt to
return, which would have exposed them to many dangers and the severity
of the coming winter. During this period of rest the commissary became
so depleted that the men were placed on one-quarter rations; and at
last, as a final resort, the poor, dreadfully emaciated mules and oxen
were killed for food for the famishing men.
Fort Bridger being located in a prairie, fuel had to be carried nearly
two miles, and after the mules and oxen were butchered the men were
compelled to carry the wood on their backs or haul it on sleds.
But for the timely arrival of a train-load of provisions for Johnston’s
army many of the party would certainly have died of hunger.
Arrangements having been made for a return to Fort Leavenworth, all
the employes at Fort Bridger concluded to accompany the returning
cavalcade. Simpson was chosen brigade wagon-master of the new outfit,
consisting of two trains and 400 men.
When the train approached Ash Hollow Simpson decided to leave the main
road and follow the North Platte to its junction with the South Platte.
The two trains had become separated, some fifteen or twenty miles
between them, the latter train in charge of Assistant Wagon-master
George Woods, under whom Billy was acting as “extra.”
Simpson, accompanied by Woods, desiring to reach the head train,
ordered Billy to “cinch” (saddle) up and follow him. When the three
reached Cedar Bluffs they suddenly discovered a score of Indians
emerging from the head of a ravine less than half a mile distant and
coming toward them with great speed.
“Dismount and shoot your mules,” was the quick order issued by
Simpson, who was at once alive to the situation. As the stricken
animals dropped in their tracks the two men and little boy crouched
down behind their bodies, which lay together in a triangle, and using
their dead bodies as breastworks opened fire on the Indians with
Mississippi yagers and revolvers, killing three and wounding two
ponies. The redskins, surprised at the hot-bed they had struck, circled
around and sped away again, halting several hundred yards distant,
evidently for consultation. This gave the trio time to load their
weapons and prepare for a second charge, which they felt sure would be
made.
The Indians were armed with bows and arrows, which of course required
close range to be effective, and this gave the little party an
advantage which partly compensated for the superior number of their
enemy.
Little Billy showed so much pluck in the dangerous position he occupied
that Simpson could not help praising him, and by way of further
encouragement he said:
“My brave little man, do you see that Indian on the right, riding out
from the party to reconnoiter?”
“Yes, I’m watching him,” was the reply.
“Well, suppose you give him a shot, just by way of experiment.”
Billy at once extended himself, and resting his gun on the body of the
mule before him took steady aim and fired.
“Bully boy! A splendid shot!” shouted Simpson, as he saw the Indian
topple from his horse, struck in the side. The distance was fully three
hundred yards.
After a long parley the Indians scattered, and came charging back
again, whooping in a delirium of excitement. When they had approached
within less than one hundred yards the besieged party turned loose
on them, shooting two more out of the saddle; but the Indians rushed
on, discharging a shower of arrows, one of which pierced George Woods’
right shoulder, producing a most painful wound. For a second time the
red warriors were repulsed, and they drew off again, evidently for the
purpose of resorting to other tactics. Getting beyond the range of the
yagers the Indians formed in a large circle, tethered their ponies, and
disposed themselves for a siege, with the evident intention of starving
out the brave trio. About three hours afterward, however, the cracking
of bull-whacker’s whips was heard, and soon the advancing train
was seen coming over the hill. The Indians, appreciating what this
meant, and gaining their ponies, rode down on the little party again,
discharging another flight of arrows and receiving a volley of bullets
in return. No damage was inflicted on either side in the last charge,
and the three were saved.
After bandaging Woods’ wound the train started again, and met with no
further detention or accident, reaching Leavenworth in July, 1858. Wild
Bill had been a special companion of Billy’s during the entire trip,
and so warm had become the attachment between them that the latter gave
him a pressing invitation to go with him to his home for a short visit;
an invitation that was accepted by Wild Bill.