A DESPERATE FIGHT.
On leaving camp, the command took a westward course up the Republican,
and Major North with two companies of his Pawnees and two or three
companies of cavalry, under the command of Colonel Royal, made a scout to
the north of the river. Shortly after we had gone into camp, on the Black
Tail Deer Fork, we observed a band of Indians coming over the prairie at
full gallop, singing and yelling and waving their lances and long poles.
At first we supposed them to be Sioux, and all was excitement for a few
moments. We noticed, however, that our Pawnee Indians made no hostile
demonstrations or preparations towards going out to fight them, but began
swinging and yelling themselves. Captain Lute North stepped up to General
Carr and said:
"General, those are our men who are coming, and they have had a fight.
That is the way they act when they come back from a battle and have taken
any scalps."
The Pawnees came into camp on the run. Captain North calling to one of
them--a sergeant--soon found out that they had run across a party of
Sioux who were following a large Indian trail. These Indians had
evidently been in a fight, for two or three of them had been wounded and
they were conveying the injured persons on _travois_. The Pawnees had
"jumped" them and had killed three or four more of them.
Next morning the command, at an early hour, started out to take up this
Indian trail which they followed for two days as rapidly as possible; it
becoming evident from the many camp fires which we passed, that we were
gaining on the Indians. Wherever they had encamped we found the print of
a woman's shoe, and we concluded that they had with them some white
captive. This made us all the more anxious to overtake them, and General
Carr accordingly selected all his best horses, which could stand a hard
run, and gave orders for the wagon train to follow as fast as possible,
while he pushed ahead on a forced march. At the same time I was ordered
to pick out five or six of the best Pawnees, and go on in advance of the
command, keeping ten or twelve miles ahead on the trail, so that when we
overtook the Indians we could find out the location of their camp, and
send word to the troops before they came in sight, thus affording ample
time to arrange a plan for the capture of the village.
After having gone about ten miles in advance of the regiment, we began
to move very cautiously, as we were now evidently nearing the Indians. We
looked carefully over the summits of the hills before exposing ourselves
to plain view, and at last we discovered the village, encamped in the
sand-hills south of the South Platte river at Summit Springs. Here I left
the Pawnee scouts to keep watch, while I went back and informed General
Carr that the Indians were in sight.
The General at once ordered his men to tighten their saddles and
otherwise prepare for action. Soon all was excitement among the officers
and soldiers, every one being anxious to charge the village. I now
changed my horse for old Buckskin Joe, who had been led for me thus far,
and was comparatively fresh. Acting on my suggestion, the General made a
circuit to the north, believing that if the Indians had their scouts out,
they would naturally be watching in the direction whence they had come.
When we had passed the Indians and were between them and the Platte
river, we turned to the left and started toward the village.
By this manoeuver we had avoided discovery by the Sioux scouts, and we
were confident of giving them a complete surprise. Keeping the command
wholly out of sight, until we were within a mile of the Indians, the
General halted the advance guard until all closed up, and then issued an
order, that, when he sounded the charge, the whole command was to rush
into the village.
As we halted on the top of the hill overlooking the camp of the
unsuspecting Indians, General Carr called out to his bugler: "Sound the
charge!" The bugler for a moment became intensely excited, and actually
forgot the notes. The General again sang out: "Sound the charge!" and
yet the bugler was unable to obey the command. Quartermaster Hays--who
had obtained permission to accompany the expedition--was riding near
the General, and comprehending the dilemma of the man, rushed up to
him, jerked the bugle from his hands and sounded the charge himself in
clear and distinct notes. As the troops rushed forward, he threw the
bugle away, then drawing his pistols, was among the first men that
entered the village.
The Indians had just driven up their horses and were preparing to make a
move of the camp, when they saw the soldiers coming down upon them. A
great many of them succeeded in jumping upon their ponies, and, leaving
every thing behind them, advanced out of the village and prepared to meet
the charge; but upon second thought they quickly concluded that it was
useless to try to check us, and, those who were mounted rapidly rode
away, while the others on foot fled for safety to the neighboring hills.
We went through their village shooting right and left at everything we
saw. The Pawnees, the regular soldiers and the officers were all mixed up
together, and the Sioux were flying in every direction.
General Carr had instructed the command that when they entered the
village, they must keep a sharp look out for white women, as he was
confident the Indians had some captives. The company which had been
ordered to take possession of the village after its capture, soon found
two white women, one of whom had just been killed and the other wounded.
They were both Swedes, and the survivor could not talk English. A
Swedish soldier, however, was soon found who could talk with her. The
name of this woman was Mrs. Weichel, and her story as told to the
soldier was, that as soon as the Indians saw the troops coming down upon
them, a squaw--Tall Bull's wife--had killed Mrs. Alderdice, the other
captive, with a hatchet, and then wounded her. This squaw had evidently
intended to kill both women to prevent them from telling how cruelly
they had been treated.
[Illustration: INDIAN VILLAGE.]
The attack lasted but a short time, and the Indians were driven several
miles away. The soldiers then gathered in the herd of Indian horses,
which were running at large over the country and drove them back to the
camp. After taking a survey of what we had accomplished, it was found
that we had killed about one hundred and forty Indians, and captured one
hundred and twenty squaws and papooses, two hundred lodges, and eight
hundred horses and mules. The village proved to be one of the richest I
had ever seen. The red-skins had everything pertaining to an Indian
camp, besides numerous articles belonging to the white settlers whom
they had killed on the Saline. The Pawnees, as well as the soldiers,
ransacked the camp for curiosities, and found enough to start twenty
museums, besides a large amount of gold and silver. This money had been
stolen from the Swedish settlers whom they had murdered on the Saline.
General Carr ordered that all the tepees, the Indian lodges, buffalo
robes, all camp equipage and provisions, including dried buffalo meat,
amounting to several tons, should be gathered in piles and burned. A
grave was dug in which the dead Swedish woman, Mrs. Alderdice, was
buried. Captain Kane, a religious officer, read the burial service, as
we had no chaplain with us.
While this was going on, the Sioux warriors having recovered from their
surprise, had come back and a battle took place all around the camp. I
was on the skirmish line, and I noticed an Indian, who was riding a
large bay horse, and giving orders to his men in his own
language--which I could occasionally understand--telling them that they
had lost everything, that they were ruined, and he entreated them to
follow him, and fight until they died. His horse was an extraordinary
one, fleet as the wind, dashing here and there, and I determined to
capture him if possible, but I was afraid to fire at the Indian for
fear of killing the horse.
I noticed that the Indian, as he rode around the skirmish line, passed
the head of a ravine not far distant, and it occurred to me that if I
could dismount and creep to the ravine I could, as he passed there,
easily drop him from his saddle without danger of hitting the horse.
Accordingly I crept into and secreted myself in the ravine, reaching the
place unseen by the Indians, and I waited there until Mr. Chief came
riding by.
When he was not more than thirty yards distant I fired, and the next
moment he tumbled from his saddle, and the horse kept on without his
rider. Instead of running toward the Indians, however, he galloped toward
our men, by one of whom he was caught. Lieutenant Mason, who had been
very conspicuous in the fight and who had killed two or three Indians
himself, single-handed, came galloping up to the ravine and jumping from
his horse, secured the fancy war bonnet from the head of the dead chief,
together with all his other accoutrements. We both then rejoined the
soldiers, and I at once went in search of the horse; I found him in the
possession of Sergeant McGrath, who had caught him. The Sergeant knew
that I had been trying to get the animal and having seen me kill his
rider, he handed him over to me at once.
Little did I think at that time that I had captured a horse which, for
four years afterwards was the fastest runner in the state of Nebraska,
but such proved to be the fact.
[Illustration: THE KILLING OF TALL BULL.]
I jumped on his back and rode him down to the spot where the prisoners
were corraled. One of the squaws among the prisoners suddenly began
crying in a pitiful and hysterical manner at the sight of this horse,
and upon inquiry I found that she was Tall Bull's wife, the same squaw
that had killed one of the white women and wounded the other. She stated
that this was her husband's favorite war-horse, and that only a short
time ago she had seen Tall Bull riding him. I gave her to understand
that her liege lord had passed in his mortal chips and that it would be
sometime before he would ride his favorite horse again, and I informed
her that henceforth I should call the gallant steed "Tall Bull," in
honor of her husband.
Late in the evening our wagon train arrived, and placing the wounded
woman, Mrs. Weichel, in the ambulance--she having been kindly attended to
by the surgeons,--and gathering up the prisoners--the squaws and
papooses--and captured stock, we started at once for the South Platte
River, eight miles distant, and there went into camp.
Next morning General Carr issued an order that all the money found in the
village should be turned over to the adjutant. About one thousand dollars
was thus collected, and the entire amount was given to Mrs. Weichel. The
command then proceeded to Fort Sedgwick, from which point the particulars
of our fight, which took place on Sunday, July 11th, 1869, were
telegraphed to all parts of the country.
We remained at this post for two weeks, during which General Augur, of
the Department of the Platte, paid us a visit, and highly complimented
the command for the gallant service it had performed. For this fight at
Summit Springs General Carr and his command were complimented not only in
General Orders, but received a vote of thanks from the Legislatures of
Nebraska and Colorado--as Tall Bull and his Indians had long been a
terror to the border settlements--and the resolutions of thanks were
elegantly engrossed and sent to General Carr.
The wounded white woman was cared for in the hospital at this post, and
after her recovery she soon married the hospital steward, her former
husband having been killed by the Indians.
Our prisoners were sent to the Whetstone Agency, on the Missouri River,
where Spotted Tail and the friendly Sioux were then living. The
captured horses and mules were distributed among the officers, scouts
and soldiers. Among the animals that I thus obtained were my Tall Bull
horse, and a pony which I called "Powder Face," and which afterwards
became quite celebrated, as he figured prominently in the stories of
Ned Buntline.
One day, while we were lying at Fort Sedgwick, General Carr received a
telegram from Fort McPherson stating that the Indians had made a dash on
the Union Pacific Railroad, and had killed several section-men and run
off some stock near O'Fallon's Station; also that an expedition was going
out from Fort McPherson to catch and punish the red-skins if possible.
The General ordered me to accompany the expedition, and accordingly that
night I proceeded by rail to McPherson Station, and from thence rode on
horseback to the fort. Two companies, under command of Major Brown, had
been ordered out, and next morning, just as we were about to start, Major
Brown said to me:
"By the way, Cody, we are going to have quite an important character with
us as a guest on this scout. It's old Ned Buntline, the novelist."
Just then I noticed a gentleman, who was rather stoutly built, and who
wore a blue military coat, on the left breast of which were pinned
about twenty gold medals and badges of secret societies. He walked a
little lame as he approached us, and I at once concluded that he was
Ned Buntline.
"He has a good mark to shoot at on the left breast," said I to Major
Brown, "but he looks like a soldier." As he came up, Major Brown said:
"Cody, allow me to introduce you to Colonel E.B.O. Judson, otherwise
known as Ned Buntline."
"Colonel Judson, I am glad to meet you," said I; "the Major tells me that
you are to accompany us on the scout."
"Yes, my boy, so I am," said he; "I was to deliver a temperance lecture
to-night, but no lectures for me when there is a prospect for a fight.
The Major has kindly offered me a horse, but I don't know how I'll stand
the ride, for I haven't done any riding lately; but when I was a young
man I spent several years among the fur companies of the Northwest, and
was a good rider and an excellent shot."
"The Major has given you a fine horse, and you'll soon find yourself at
home in the saddle," said I.
The command soon pulled out for the South Platte River, which was very
wide and high, owing to recent mountain rains, and in crossing it we had
to swim our horses in some places. Buntline was the first man across. We
reached O'Fallon's at eleven o'clock, and in a short time I succeeded in
finding the Indian trail; the party seemed to be a small one, which had
come up from the south. We followed their track to the North Platte, but
as they had a start of two days, Major Brown abandoned the pursuit, and
returned to Fort McPherson, while I went back to Fort Sedgwick,
accompanied by Buntline.
During this short scout, Buntline had asked me a great many questions,
and he was determined to go out on the next expedition with me, providing
he could obtain permission from the commanding officer. I introduced him
to the officers--excepting those he already knew--and invited him to
become my guest while he remained at the post, and gave him my pony
Powder Face to ride.
By this time I had learned that my horse Tall Bull was a remarkably fast
runner, and therefore when Lieutenant Mason, who was quite a sport and
owned a racer, challenged me to a race, I immediately accepted it. We
were to run our horses a single dash of half a mile for one hundred
dollars a side. Several of the officers, and also Reub. Wood, the
post-trader, bantered me for side bets, and I took them all until I had
put up my last cent on Tall Bull.
The ground was measured off, the judges were selected, and all other
preliminaries were arranged. We rode our horses ourselves, and coming up
to the score nicely we let them go. I saw from the start that it would be
mere play to beat the Lieutenant's horse, and therefore I held Tall Bull
in check, so that none could see how fast he really could run. I easily
won the race, and pocketed a snug little sum of money. Of course
everybody was now talking horse. Major North remarked that if Tall Bull
could beat the Pawnees' fast horse, I could break his whole command.
The next day the troops were paid off, the Pawnees with the rest, and for
two or three days they did nothing but run horse-races, as all the
recently captured horses had to be tested to find out the swiftest among
them. Finally the Pawnees wanted to run their favorite horse against Tall
Bull, and I accordingly arranged a race with them. They raised three
hundred dollars and bet it on their horse, while of course, I backed Tall
Bull with an equal amount, and in addition took numerous side bets. The
race was a single dash of a mile, and Tall Bull won it without any
difficulty. I was ahead on this race about seven hundred dollars, and the
horse was fast getting a reputation. Heretofore nobody would bet on him,
but now he had plenty of backers.
I also made a race for my pony Powder Face, against a fast pony
belonging to Captain Lute North. I selected a small boy, living at the
post to ride Powder Face, while an Indian boy was to ride the other pony.
The Pawnees as usual wanted to bet on their pony, but as I had not yet
fully ascertained the running qualities of Powder Face, I did not care
about risking very much money on him. Had I known him as well then as I
did afterwards I would have backed him for every dollar I had, for he
proved to be one of the swiftest ponies I ever saw, and had evidently
been kept as a racer.
The race was to be four hundred yards, and when I led the pony over the
track he seemed to understand what he was there for. North and I finally
put the riders on, and it was all I could do to hold the fiery little
animal after the boy became seated on his back. He jumped around and made
such quick movements, that the boy was not at all confident of being able
to stay on him. The order to start was at last given by the judges, and
as I brought Powder Face up to the score and the word "go" was given, he
jumped away so quickly that he left his rider sitting on the ground;
notwithstanding he ran through and won the race without him. It was an
easy victory, and after that I could get up no more races. Thus passed
the time while we were at Fort Sedgwick.
General Carr having obtained a leave of absence, Colonel Royal was given
the command of an expedition that was ordered to go out after the
Indians, and in a few days--after having rested a couple of weeks--we set
out for the Republican; having learned that there were plenty of Indians
in that section of the country. At Frenchman's Fork we discovered an
Indian village, but did not surprise it, for its people had noticed us
approaching, and were retreating when we reached their camping-place. We
chased them down the stream, and they finally turned to the left, went
north, and crossed the South Platte river five miles above Ogallala. We
pushed rapidly after them, following them across the North Platte and on
through the sand-hills towards the Niobrara; but as they were making much
better time than we, the pursuit was abandoned.
While we were in the sand-hills, scouting the Niobrara country, the
Pawnee Indians brought into camp, one night, some very large bones, one
of which a surgeon of the expedition pronounced to be the thigh-bone of a
human being. The Indians claimed that the bones they had found were those
of a person belonging to a race of people who a long time ago lived in
this country. That there was once a race of men on the earth whose size
was about three times that of an ordinary man, and they were so swift and
powerful that they could run along-side of a buffalo, and taking the
animal in one arm could tear off a leg and eat the meat as they walked.
These giants denied the existence of a Great Spirit, and when they heard
the thunder or saw the lightning they laughed at it and said that they
were greater than either. This so displeased the Great Spirit that he
caused a great rain-storm to come, and the water kept rising higher and
higher so that it drove those proud and conceited giants from the low
grounds to the hills, and thence to the mountains, but at last even the
mountain tops were submerged, and then those mammoth men were all
drowned. After the flood had subsided, the Great Spirit came to the
conclusion that he had made man too large and powerful, and that he would
therefore correct the mistake by creating a race of men of smaller size
and less strength. This is the reason, say the Indians, that modern men
are small and not like the giants of old, and they claim that this story
is a matter of Indian history, which has been handed down among them from
time immemorial.
As we had no wagons with us at the time this large and heavy bone was
found, we were obliged to leave it.