Trouble With the Northern Cheyennes; Little Chief Conducted to the Agency
at Reno, I. T.
The year 1878 found the Northern Cheyennes up in arms and on the warpath,
as were the other tribes on the plains and in the mountains. Prominent
among the roving bands of warriors was the Little Chief band of Northern
Cheyennes. They were very active and indications seemed to point out that
they were likely to make things very disagreeable for the troops as well
as for the ranch man in that section.
Little Chief and his band were brought to Fort A. Lincoln in December 1877
and remained there until July 24th, 1878, when they left with the 7th
cavalry for the Black Hills to locate a fort, named later Meade. The
fortunes of war proved very unfavorable for him and he was forced to
surrender early in the season. His whole band consisting of 375 warriors,
with the Little Chief himself at their head, was taken to fort Abraham
Lincoln as prisoners of war and placed in charge of Major Tilford who was
in command of the place at that time. They remained there till the latter
part of July, when he selected Ben Clark, General Sheridan's chief of
scouts and indian interpreter, to take charge of them and take them under
military escort from thence to their destination at Fort Reno reservation,
in the Indian Territory. I herewith give Clark's commission in full.
HEADQUARTERS
Fort Abraham, Lincoln, Dakota,
July 20th, 1878.
To Mr. Ben Clark, in charge of the Cheyenne Indians.
Sir: I am directed by the commanding officer to inform you that it
is his intention to have the Cheyenne Indians, prisoners of war, leave
this post for their destination early next week, and that you will
make the necessary arrangements for their departure at that time. If
you need any assistance or information in this connection, you will
report to the commanding officer in person. Very respectfully, Your
Obedient Servant,
F. M. GIBSON,
1st Lieutenant 7th Cavalry, Post Adjutant.
[Illustration: GENERAL H. M. CREEL]
Ben Clark accepted the appointment and at once began to make the
preparations necessary for the removal of the indians to their destination
at Fort Reno, I. T. It was a perilous undertaking at that season of the
year as the plains were alive with hostile Indians. Another incident arose
about the time to make the journey more hazardous than usual, viz, the
report that Dull Knife had left the reservation at Fort Reno and was on
his way northward to his former hunting grounds. In other words, Dull
Knife was on the warpath and as explained in a former chapter, was
committing all kinds of depredations. It may be easily imagined what would
occur if the tribe that had just broken away from Reno reservation were to
join forces with the Little Chief band on their way to the place the other
had just quitted. Naturally the tensity of the situation exercised its
influence on the whole force accompanying the Little Chief band. At this
juncture Ben Clark received the following telegram:
HEADQUARTERS
Fort Abraham Lincoln,
July 24th, 1878.
Special Order, No. 175.
Companies H and L, 7th Cavalry, will move into camp on the hill in the
rear of the post at one o'clock, p. m., preparatory to taking the
field tomorrow, the 25th of July, 1878, to join troops operating from
Bear Buttes, Dakota, Ter. The Cheyenne Indian prisoners will leave
this post with this command enroute to Camp Robinson under the charge
of Ben Clark who will draw for these Indians thirty-two days Indian
rations, and will attend to the loading, hauling, and issuing of the
same during the march. By command, Major Tilford,
F. M. GIBSON,
1st Lieutenant, 7th Cavalry, Post Adjutant.
When everything was in readiness, and there was considerable difficulty in
the task just accomplished, the expedition set out for Bear Buttes.
General Sam D. Sturgis, Colonel of the Seventh Cavalry, in command.
Captain Benteen, in command of the escort. The journey was rather tedious
as the distance to be traveled each day was limited by Ben Clark to 15
miles. When they reached Bear Buttes they were met by Second Lieutenant H.
M. Creel, of K troop of the 7th Cavalry, and Captain Mathey, who took
charge of the escort from that place to Fort Robinson. Everything went
along as well as the trying conditions of the march would permit, and
through the watchfulness of Ben Clark the Indians had little cause to
murmur, as he looked after their interests and comfort in a manner that
reflects great credit upon him. When they reached Sidney Barracks farther
south, the following telegram was awaiting them.
Omaha, Barracks, Neb.,
Sept. 14th, 1878, 12:35 p. m.
To Ben Clark, in charge of Cheyenne Indians,
In care of Commanding Officer, Sidney Barracks, Neb.
As the Northern Cheyenne Indians who were at Fort Reno, I. T., have
left there and are trying to make their way back north, the Department
Commander desires to know if you think it advisable for the Indians
under your charge to continue their journey south at present. Is there
any liklihood of their trying to join those who have left Fort Reno?
Where do you think those who have left Fort Reno will try to cross the
Union Pacific Railroad? Telegraph reply to this and any other
information or opinion regarding movements of those from Fort Reno
which may be useful. By command,
GEN. CROOK.
(Signed.) R. WILLIAMS,
Ass't Adjut. General.
Major Mauck took charge of the escort under Ben Clark at Sidney Barracks.
Things went along according to the usual routine until they reached the
vicinity of the Red Cloud agency. The close proximity of that agency to
the present position of the prisoners of war, no doubt, had some influence
on the Little Chief band, as they used to belong to that section of the
territory. At this place, Iron Shirt and Black Wolf, chiefs of no mean
repute, decided that they would go no further. They declared that they
preferred to go to the Red Cloud agency and did not want to go any further
south. For a time it seemed as if there was going to be some difficulty in
getting the expedition under way again as Iron Shirt, in particular, who
was looked upon as a military genius by his followers, was quite
determined in his attitude against any further advance towards Reno.
However, the matter was promptly adjusted by the commanding officer, by
the use of a little diplomacy, as he explained matters to them through the
interpreter and put the affair in such a light that it seemed satisfactory
to all concerned. The Indians had been rather loathe to leave Fort Abraham
Lincoln and would in all probably openly resisted were it not for an
agreement made between them and General P. H. Sheridan wherein he promised
them good locations, plenty of rations, good hunting on the North
Canadian, and besides, gave them permission to retain their firearms as
there was an abundance of game in the land to which they were going. The
reader will discover later on how this agreement was respected by the war
department.
The expedition journeyed along from Sidney Barracks under command of
Major Mauck, via Fort Wallace, Fort Dodge, and Camp Supply, without any
interruption of any importance, though it was a very tickelish situation
all the way as they knew not at what time or place they might encounter
the Dull Knife band. It took all the wariness of Ben Clark to keep the
band out of all possibility of meeting their kinsmen who were then on the
warpath. That he did it successfully, is to his credit, and for it he
deserves the highest commendation of not only those immediately concerned
with the expedition, but of the country at large, for if those two bands
of Cheyennes united, there would have ensued another massacre appaling in
its execution.
Little Chief and his band escorted by four troops of the fourth cavalry
under Major Mauck arrived at Camp Supply, I. T., in December, 1878, after
a few days' rest started for Fort Reno, the first day's march brought them
to the junction of Wolf and Beaver Creek, forming the North Fork Canadian
River, where the command camped, the next morning in the midst of a heavy
snow storm Major Mauck came to Lieutenant Creel's tent about five o'clock
with a telegraphic order from General Pope commanding department of
Missouri directing him to disarm and dismount the Northern Cheyennes in
his charge and en route for Fort Reno, as the interior department at the
instigation of the Indian office refused to allow the Indians to enter the
Territory unless this was done--this was done to prevent a repetition of
the Dull Knife raid of that year. General Pope being entirely ignorant of
the promises made by General Sheridan to these Indians that they should
retain their arms and ammunition and he had called their attention to the
excellent hunting in the Indian Territory. Now on this morning the Indians
expected to start out on a great hunt and had asked Lieutenant Creel to go
with them, but immediately after reveille and breakfast were confronted
with the four troops of the Fourth Cavalry mounted and asked to deliver up
their arms and ponies. Lieutenant Creel told Major Mauck of the promises
made the Indians by General Sheridan and pointed to the interpretation
that would be placed upon such treatment and asked Major Mauck if he could
not defer action until they could get into communication with General
Sheridan, Division commander, but due to poor means of communication Major
Mauck was afraid to assume the responsibility. Later when General Sheridan
learned of this action on request of the Indian office, it is needless to
say he was much incensed and it was due to this fact that he in a short
time affected the transfer of all Northern Cheyennes in this band who
desired, to return to their old hunting grounds in Montana.
On the arrival of the expedition at Camp Supply, they were confronted with
a dispatch from the war department through General Pope, demanding the
immediate disarmament of the Indians. When the order was made known to
Little Chief, he at once objected to its enforcement, and with his band,
stood with arms drawn and ready to rebel against such open violation of
their treaty with General Sheridan.
The Indians when asked to surrender their arms and ponies refused, and
formed in battle line in semicircular formation, the women and children in
the center. Iron Shirt exhorting them to die fighting for their rights,
telling them that they had been lied to long enough, during this time had
one gun gone off, it would have been the commencement of a bloody massacre
of women and children. All the women and children that could crowd into
Lieutenant Creel's two tents, thinking that when the firing commenced they
would be immune. Until eleven o'clock the Indians maintained a bold and
relenting attitude, their guns in hand, they stood immovable not yielding
one inch; during this tense interval when any moment one shot would have
precipitated a bloody fight, Lieutenant Creel remained with the Indians in
their midst, walking quietly up and down their line urging carefulness and
pleading for the lives of their women and children until they finally
surrendered. The Northern Cheyennes as Little Wolf said at Washington in
the winter of 1913, had made him an adopted member of their tribe, and the
history of the Cheyenne nation or people would not be complete without his
name in it, that no white man, an officer in the gallant Seventh Cavalry
had when death was near, stood with the Indians in their midst, and on
their side as he had done, every other white man had left the Indian camp
including William Roland, a half-breed Cheyenne interpreter for these
Indians, saying there was going to be a massacre.
It was certainly a very trying situation. There was not a man of the whole
command who did not admit the justice of the Indian Chief's refusal to
turn over the arms which he had been promised to be allowed to keep as he
would need them in his new location for the purpose of killing game. The
cavalry were ordered to mount and enforce the unjust order. At this point
there occured one of those little incidents that oftentimes raises a man
above his fellows and marks him for all time as one to whom the regard for
justice is paramount above all things, even life itself.
The troops had mounted and were holding themselves in readiness for
further orders, when H. M. Creel, second lieutenant of K troop, indignant
at the injustice of the order, went to the Indians and urged them to
refrain from bringing on an engagement which would prove disasterous to
themselves and cause a massacre of their women and children. As the
lieutenant could speak the Cheyenne tongue fluently, and was familiar with
the customs and habits of the tribe, he received a hearing that was
respectful. He succeeded in bringing about a conciliation by becoming
personally responsible for their firearms and anything else which they
might have that was considered contraband of war. By his course of action
in the matter, he at once won the undying gratitude of the Cheyennes,
which endures to this day, and will continue to do so as long as the
traditions of the Cheyenne are handed down to posterity.
[Illustration: BEN CLARK
Gen. P. H. Sheridan's Chief of Scouts]
The trouble being averted, the escort started on its way again, Ben Clark
guiding them down the river. But the danger was not yet past. General Pope
insisted on the order being carried out in spite of the fact that justice
and decency forbade it. However, he succeeded in having it fulfilled, but
when it was carried into effect there were not enough guns of any value to
arm a corporal's guard. I have always been under the impression that the
Indians during the march from where the trouble arose to the place where
they were disarmed, succeeded in secreting the best of their arms, which
was not very difficult as the soldiers were not too strict in trying to
prevent their doing so as they saw that an injustice was being done to
their charges. I do not know what General Sheridan thought or said when he
learned how his treaty of peace with the Indians had been observed by the
war department, but, I am under the impression, that if one could have
taken a kaleidoscopic view of his thoughts at the time, there would likely
have been a very lurid tint about them.
Once the Indians were disarmed, the work trials of the expedition were
practically at an end. It was a very short march down the North Canadian
to the place of their future abode. Ben Clark saw to it that things were
carried out, as far as possible, to the satisfaction of all.
Nor did Lieutenant Creel leave the wards of the government at once. In
fact he remained with them for a considerable length of time in the
capacity of agent, and the confidence they had in him is shown by the
results of his tenure of office among them. He came to be looked upon as a
father to all of them, to whom they might go to have all wrongs righted,
and their rights preserved. The result of such confidential relationship
between Lieutenant Creel and the Indians is manifest today in the
high-class of citizenship that exists among the wards of the government,
and their advancement in the various pursuits of life according to the
white man's ways.
Creel was the man of the hour. He devoted his time, talents, and energy to
the elevation of the children of the plains. He set out to improve their
educational facilities. He wrote a grammar and a dictionary of the
Cheyenne tongue, of which he had a complete mastery. Also work on the sign
language of the North American Indians. His work in this regard was of
such a high order as to be preserved in the Smithsonian Institute in
Washington, D. C.