Ben Clark; General Creel; Some Observation in Conclusion.
In concluding the little work, I deem it impossible to close without
paying tribute to two men who have done so much in the way of settling the
difficulties of the west, and making it possible for the white settlers to
live in peace and prosperity, freed entirely from the haunting spectre of
an Indian raid. Many have contributed their share to the important work,
and credit must be given them, nevertheless in any undertaking, there are
men who seem by nature to be better adapted to the work than others; so it
was in the closing days of the Indian troubles of the West, when the
Indian had good cause for looking on the white man with suspicion, and the
result as shown in those numerous raids upon the white settlements during
the decade of 1870 and 1880.
In the long array of men who endeavored to bring the difficulties that
disturbed the West to a satisfactory close, we find two who played an
important part within the scope of their opportunities, and the results of
their work are manifest at this date.
Ben Clark was a scout. The term to the ordinary man of affairs does not
mean much, but if one could ask General Sheridan's opinion of the man and
scout, he would place him in the very first rank of all scouts of the
West. He was a man particularly gifted by nature with the endowments
requisite to achieve success in his calling. He seemed to have an uncanny
knowledge of the plains. Like an open book he read her every mood. On his
knowledge of that vast trackless plain depended the success of many an
expedition, and there yet remains no failure to mar the brilliant record
of his achievements. Not only soldiers, but generals placed themselves
unreservedly in his hands and felt safe. He was not a soldier, but no
soldier ever showed greater qualities of generalship than he. Generals
commanded the armies, he commanded the generals and they gladly obeyed
him. Amid all the trials and vicissitudes of his life of hardship, he ever
maintained an evenness of temperament that carried him down to the present
day, to a ripe old age, after more than fifty years of service in the
Army, not a soldier, but as a scout, respected and retaining the
confidence of the men with whom he spent days and years of hardship on the
plains.
Associated with Ben Clark in the later days was one who has risen by dint
of devotion to duty to a very high position in the sphere of military
affairs. I refer to General Creel, as he is now called. Among the many
positions that General Creel has held was that of adjutant general of his
state, North Dakota, where he raised the national guard of his state from
chaos to such a degree of efficiency that the war department after full
inspection and field maneuver of the guard with regulars declared ninety
per cent fit for duty in the field on a par with the regular army. General
Creel on his own request was highly complimented by the governor for his
distinguished services, and retired with the rank of major general as
provided by law. Of his soldierly qualities there is not much need of
making the record here, as it is open to all who wish to consult the
archives of the army. Fighting qualities are expected in a soldier,
otherwise he would be out of place in the ranks, but there are other
qualities that set a man apart from his fellows. Some men have
administrative ability, some diplomacy, others skill in various lines, but
a man must have a special adaptation by nature who can take the rough,
untamed spirits of the plains away from their native heaths, from all that
is dear to them, and at the same time make them love him. Some could do it
by force, but the result would not be lasting, as is instanced in the
case of Dull Knife; others could do it by love of justice and fair play
and convert the savage into a high-class citizen of the state. The latter
was the method used by General Creel, and to show that they have not
forgotten the spirit of fairness that characterized the man, one would but
have to visit the Darlington Agency, Oklahoma, when the general makes a
trip to the scene of his early efforts as an Indian pacifier, and see how
they gather around him and show marks not merely of respect, but of real
affection. To the work of his office he added occupations of his own
choice. He devoted himself to a thorough study of the Cheyenne tongue, and
his efforts resulted in a grammar and dictionary of that language. Not
only is the general an authority on the Cheyenne dialect, but his work on
the sign language is masterly. He is not only a man well versed in Indian
affairs, though that itself would be sufficient for most men, but is one
of the directors of the 1914 Chatauqua institute. One would be inclined to
think that with all the successes that attend his efforts, and the title
of general that he bears, that he would be inclined to be swelled with the
sense of his own importance, but not so. You will not find a more modest
man in the whole range of activity than the general. He is the last man
that you would take to be one of the great geniuses of the West if you
were to estimate him by his general behavior.
In conclusion, much might be written about the complex nature of the
Indian and the trouble he created for the white man during the last half
century. But if the white man were to put himself in the place of the
Indian I doubt if he would act differently. One cannot see an intruder
come into one's domain and lay waste the very foundation of one's
existance without finding that trouble has originated that is likely to be
far reaching. That was the situation. The Indian had been master of the
plains from time immemorial, and like every possessor of territory; he
had no idea of yielding up his home, his life, without a struggle. He had
not admitted the sovereignty of the government when the white man came
among the tribes. Any territorial extension that had been made on the part
of the government was made by treaty, and any one conversant with history
well knows how faithlessly the truces and pacts with the Indians have been
kept. In fact, it is one of the standing disgraces to our country that so
many of the agreements with the original holders of the land have been
broken. It looks as if the principle that "might makes right" were the
only one in vogue when dealing with the Indian. He has not only been
deceived frequently in the past, and treaties with him violated, but he
has also been plundered in ruthless fashion by those whom the government
sent to look after his affairs. Scandal upon scandal has occured among the
agents in charge of the different reservations, with the result that the
Indians not only became disgusted with the treatment they received, but
broke away from their locations and went on the warpath. If the different
tribes that surrendered had been treated with the proper amount of
justice, half or more of the blood-curdling atrocities of the latter part
of the decade of 1870 would not have occured. What was wanted was more men
like General Sheridan, and General Creel, and less of the grafters and
boodlers who looked upon the Indian as lawful prey to be robbed and
pillaged with ruthless abandon.
The government, I have no doubt was willing to do the right thing, but was
frequently unfortunate in the choice of the means adopted. The Quakers who
came upon the scene early in the management of Indian affairs, meant well,
but their peaceful measures were not adapted to the nature and character
of the tribes of the plains. They did not understand the nature of the
Indians who were wont to travel with unrestrained freedom over the vast
plains, living their lives according to their lights and traditions. The
Quaker method of curbing their dauntless spirit was about as effective as
trying to tame a wildcat by saying, "pussy." As I said, they meant well,
did their best, but their efforts caused the Indian to smile on more than
one occasion.
The methods frequently used by the war office to bring the Indians into
subjection did not always meet with the success that the efforts exerted
would warrant. True, it was a novel kind of warfare for civilized men to
undertake, but I do not think that the utmost care was always exercised in
carrying out the different campaigns. There is much to show that there
must have been considerable laxity in different places, as is shown in the
ease with which Dull Knife marched, by, past, and around, different forts
in his way north, and with a mere handful of men set at naught the efforts
of several regiments. There is no question about the willingness of the
private soldier to do his duty, for he was usually found at his post and
fighting to the last ditch, but there were men wearing the garb of
officers who did not exercise the judgment of skilled fighters in handling
a difficult situation, or in following an efficient plan of campaign. All
this naturally tended to give the Indian an opportunity he was looking
for, and the blows he dealt in return were of considerable heft.
The day is coming slowly but surely when the last red man will have
disappeared from the domain wherein he roamed a monarch. He does not seem
to be able to thrive on the white man's mode of life. It may be that the
veneer of civilization that he had acquired in recent years is more of a
restraint than a benefit to him. The vices of the white man have had their
effect upon him also. Whatever the causes, the race seems to be doomed to
extinction, the buffalo and the Indian seemed to be an essential part of
the plains. The buffalo is practically only a memory, and the red man is
following his trail toward the setting sun, soon to disappear over the
horizon of time.
AFTERWORD
Before taking leave of my readers, I cannot refrain from expressing the
appreciation I feel for the assistance I have received from numerous
reliable sources. The best authority for an account of any happening is
the chief actor in the drama, and this is undoubtedly true when the
authors themselves are men of integrity, reliability, modesty and truth.
Men of this type necessarily leave the impression of truthfulness and
reliability, on any narration of events they may make. Such men I have
consulted in my work to guarantee the authenticity and veracity of my
narrative. I take a great pleasure in acknowledging my indebtedness to
General H. M. Creel, Ben Clark and Mr. John Murphy. Others who have
assisted me in compiling the preceeding chapters, I have mentioned in
various parts of the book, but those I enumerate here, have assisted me in
a special manner and I feel it a duty to thank them abundantly for their
favor in directing me in setting down the correct narrative of events
described. As these gentlemen are still living, it is a very easy matter
for any one to consult them in regard to the historical events of the
preceeding chapters, but any one who knows the character of these
gentlemen will deem it sufficient that they have placed the stamp of their
approval on the pages of the preceeding work.
To my wife, who so faithfully kept the light in the window as a beacon to
insure my safe return, this little volume is most respectfully dedicated.
THE AUTHOR.