of a quiver is above the winter mark. This winter is so called on
account of a notable war expedition made by the old men into Mexico,
they equipping themselves with old bows and quivers of buffalo skin, as
all the younger warriors had already gone against Mexico, carrying all
the more efficient weapons and ornate quivers. The latter were usually
of panther skin or Mexican leather, but never of deer, antelope, or
buffalo skin if it could be avoided.
[Illustration: FIG. 83--Winter 1840-41--Hide-quiver war expedition.]
SUMMER 1841
As the Kiowa were constantly moving about this summer, no sun dance was
held. The Arapaho met and attacked a party of Pawnee at _T'aíñ Dóhá_,
"White bluff," on the upper South Canadian, near the line of New Mexico,
and killed all of them. The Pawnee threw up breastworks, but, according
to the Kiowa account, an Arapaho medicine-man who knew the proper
medicine song sat down facing the breastworks and sang the song, moving
his hands as in the hand game, and thus "drove them out," when they were
killed in line one after another as they ran. The Kiowa were not present
at the fight, but met and joined the Arapaho just afterward, when a
final treaty of peace was concluded between the two tribes.
Stumbling-bear visited the spot some years afterward and saw the
skeletons of the dead Pawnee warriors still lying as they fell.
[Illustration: FIG. 84--Summer 1841--Pawnee fight.]
The figure represents the bluff with the Pawnee below it, the tribe
being indicated by the peculiar Pawnee scalplock and headdress (see
winters 1849-50 and 1852-53, and summer 1851). The breastwork is
omitted, perhaps through oversight. As there was no sun dance this
summer, the medicine lodge is not represented. It will be noted that the
"white bluff" is drawn only in outline, i. e. white, while the figure of
the "red bluff" (summer 1840) is filled in with red.
WINTER 1841--1842
_´dalhabä´-k`ia Ehótal-de Sai_ "Winter that ´dalhabä´k`ia was killed."
_´dal-habä´_ or _âdl-habä´_, "sloping, or one-sided hair," is the name
applied to a style of wearing the hair shaved close over the right side
of the head, so as to display the ear pendants, and at full length on
the left. The hair is not braided, but is sometimes tied, and the
scalplock is worn as usual. The man killed, who was a noted war chief,
wore his hair in this fashion, hence his name. The picture is intended
to represent the style of hair dress, with the mark of a wound on the
body to show where he was shot. The bird on top of his head is intended
to represent an ornament of red woodpecker feathers, which he wore on
the left side of his head. Another Kiowa chief present on this occasion
was K'adógyä´`tó, "Old-man-of-the-sun-dance," so called because
consecrated to the _taíme_, the sacred image of the sun dance.
[Illustration: FIG. 85--Winter 1841-42--´dalhabä´k`ia killed.]
The fight occurred in the fall of 1841 on a small stream called by the
Kiowa _Tóñ-zó`gódal P'a_, "Swift-water river," or _Päbo P'a_,
"American-horse river," south of Red river, near the Staked plain, and
apparently a head branch of Pease river in northwestern Texas. The whole
Kiowa tribe was camped on the stream when a party of Texan soldiers
advanced against them. Five scouts who were in advance of the soldiers
were killed by the Kiowa and their horses captured, but with the loss of
´dalhabä´k`ia. Abandoning their camp, the Kiowa fled, but returning a
few days later, they found the soldiers still there and succeeded in
killing another. On account of the number of large American horses
captured by the Kiowa in this encounter the stream was afterward called
by them "American-horse river."
The party encountered by the Kiowa on this occasion was the Texan Santa
Fé expedition, and the fight occurred on August 30, 1841. The whole
story as given by Kendall corresponds remarkably with the Indian
account, which was obtained without any knowledge of the printed
statement on the part of either the author or his informants, having
been handed down orally for over half a century. The affair occurred, as
already stated, on the edge of the Staked plain while the party was
searching for Red river and near a stream which Kendall calls the
Quintufue. Several days previously the expedition had met a number of
Kiowa, who had acted insolently, and were apparently responsible later
on for several missing horses and mules.
On the 28th the Texans had crossed the stream and come suddenly upon the
main camp of the Kiowa, who fled at their approach.
Scarcely had we unsaddled our horses and turned them loose before
one of our hunting parties came in and reported that a large body
of Indians were in our immediate vicinity, and that they had driven
off an immense _cavallada_ or drove of horses. Soon another party
arrived with information that they had met a small body of Indians,
one of whom spoke Spanish. They said that they were Caygüas, and on
being interrogated concerning the direction towards Santa Fé, gave
equivocal answers. They pointed to the southwest, however, to what
appeared a passage through the hills, and said that was the
direction to Chihuahua. They pretended to know nothing about Rio
Colorado or Red river. These Indians were mounted on fine horses,
were dressed in buckskin, and armed with lances and bows and
arrows.
The stream upon which we were now encamped appeared to have its
source in the long chain of hills upon our left and ran in nearly a
northeast direction. A short distance above us, occupying a
beautiful situation on the same stream, the main camp of the
Indians in our neighborhood was discovered. It had apparently been
just deserted, the inhabitants in their great haste to drive off
and secure their horses not having time even to cache their other
property. Tent poles, skins, numerous rough utensils, besides a
quantity of dried buffalo, mustang, and deer meat were found
precisely as they had left them. The latter we appropriated to our
own use, and in our half-starving condition was found extremely
palatable....
Two days later they were preparing for their morning start, when
suddenly a young man came dashing into camp from the northward,
evidently much agitated, and announced that a large body of Indians
were pursuing a party of our men directly towards us. Scarcely had
he finished speaking before firing was heard but a few hundred
yards distant, a slight roll of the prairie concealing the
combatants from our sight. Fast as they could mount horses a party
of some fifty of our men dashed off toward the scene of strife,
while the wagons were drawn up in square, the cattle and horses
brought inside, and every preparation made to resist an attack,
which was now considered certain. The first impression was that the
scouting parties had been entirely cut off and that these successes
would induce the Indians to attack our main body.
Just as the party of our men who had gone out to the relief of
their companions reached the spot the Indians retreated; but their
bloody work was done. Scattered about within the circumference of a
few yards were the dead bodies of Lieutenant Hull and four of our
men, stripped, scalped, and horribly mutilated, while the
appearance of the ground gave strong evidence that manfully and
with strong hearts they had resisted the attack of their
adversaries. They had left camp but a short time previous, probably
with the hope of finding water, and in returning had been thus
cruelly murdered. But one look at their mangled bodies was
sufficient to stir deep feelings of revenge in every heart, and
madly did our men spur their horses in pursuit, with the vain hope
of avenging the death of their companions. The Indians were at
least four times their number, yet they retreated, and being far
better mounted were able to keep out of the way. So near, however,
were our men that they could plainly see the dead bodies of several
of the Indians packed upon extra horses they had with them for that
purpose. The prairie warriors always have horses trained especially
to carry off their dead or wounded companions, which they take with
them on going into action, and it is considered one of the greatest
calamities that can befall them if they are compelled to leave one
of their number in the hands of an enemy.
The pursuit of the bloodthirsty Caygüas, for such the Indians
proved to be, was continued by our men until it was evident that
they could not be overtaken, and then reluctantly given up.
Several times during the chase the Indians reined up their
well-trained horses on the higher rolls of the prairies and formed
in line as if intending to give battle; but before our men could
get within gunshot they were off again with lightning speed across
the plain. On returning to the spot where our men had fallen, a
closer examination showed how hard and desperate had been the
struggle. Lieutenant Hull had received no less than thirty arrow
and lance wounds before he fell, and the broken stock of one of
Colt's rifles was still retained in the grasp of a stout man named
Mayby, plainly telling us that he had fought to the last, and that
after discharging the piece he had still continued the combat. The
heart of one of the men was cut out, and had not the Indians been
driven off the other bodies would have been mutilated in the same
way. Two of the horses of our unfortunate comrades were lanced
close by; the others were probably in better condition and more
able to run, and had been taken off as spoils by the savages. It
was evident enough that Lieutenant Hull and his men had retreated
from the Indians until they had found it impossible to elude them,
and that they had then thrown themselves from their horses in a
body and sold their lives at a fearful rate. The resistance they
made had probably terrified their adversaries and induced them to
fly when they saw our party coming up, although they outnumbered
the Texans at least as three to one.
A party of fifty well-armed men, taking with them shovels, were
sent out immediately on the melancholy errand of burying our
murdered companions, while the main body retraced their steps
toward the Quintufue...
They [the Kiowas] appear to be on terms of peace with the New
Mexicans so far as it suits their interest and convenience--no
further; at one time trading and exchanging their skins in amity,
and almost in the same breath making a descent upon the unprotected
frontiers, plundering and frequently murdering the inhabitants.
When we passed through their country a party of Mexican traders
were among them bartering meal, blankets, and trinkets for buffalo
and deer skins. Some of these Mexicans we afterward saw, and from
them learned that ten of their warriors, besides a principal chief,
were killed by Lieutenant Hull and his brave companions before they
were overpowered. The traders also gave us an account of their
ceremonies on returning to camp with their scalps and trophies. A
wild dance was executed by the braves in celebration of their
victory, while the women tore their hair and faces and ran naked
through the prickly pear and thorn bushes in token of their grief
for the loss of their husbands and brothers (_Kendall, 2_).
[Illustration: FIG. 86--Summer 1842--Repeated sun dance.]
SUMMER 1842
_Ä´dăldä K`ádó_, "Repeated sun dance." The summer is called by this name
because, as indicated in the figure, it was remarkable for two sun
dances held at the same place on _K`ádó P'a_, or "Sun-dance creek"
(Kiowa Medicine-lodge creek, which enters the North Canadian near 100°).
This could happen only when two individuals in succession had been so
instructed in dreams. In this instance the two dreamers belonged to
different camps and made their requests of the _taíme_ keeper almost
simultaneously. After the first sun dance, when the _taíme_ priest had
gone home, instead of taking down the medicine lodge and building a new
one, they decked it with fresh leaves and held the second dance in it.
WINTER 1842-43
_Gaá-k`ódălte Hém-de Sai_, "Winter that Crow-neck died." The chief
Gaá-k`ódălte, or "Crow-neck," died in the late fall of 1842 at _Gómgyä
Dan_, "Wind canyon," above _Gáñta P'a_, "Trading river," an upper branch
of Double-mountain fork of Brazos river in Texas. He was a Kiñep with a
Crow wife (see summer, 1836), and was the adopted father of the German
captive, Bóiñ-edal, already mentioned. The figure shows him in
connection with a crow, to indicate his name.
SUMMER 1843
_Ä´ntsenkúădal-de K`ádó_, "Nest-building sun dance." The figure is
intended to show a bird's nest at the top of the center pole of the
medicine lodge. This dance, like the last, was held on _K`ádó P'a_,
which was a favorite resort for the purpose, as the name indicates, at
least five Kiowa sun dances having been held there. The occasion is
rendered memorable by the fact that a crow built her nest and laid her
eggs upon the center pole of the medicine lodge after the dance was
over.
[Illustration: FIG. 87--Winter 1842-43--Crow-neck died.]
After the dance a war party under (the former) Big-bow and Kicking-bird
went into Texas and captured a number of horses. On their return they
met a party of soldiers carrying American flags, and believing them to
be Americans (i. e., Northerners, as distinguished from Texans), whom
they regarded as friends, they shook hands with them and gave them back
the horses. They afterward learned that the whites were Texans, who had
adopted this stratagem to deceive them. The Texans also had with them a
captive Comanche and a Mexican. The Kiowa rescued the Comanche, but left
the Mexican, as no one wanted him.
WINTER 1843-44
The event here recorded occurred at or immediately after the sun dance
in the summer of 1843, but is indicated above the winter mark as a
matter of convenience. The figure represents a woman wounded in the
breast.
After the women have cut down the trees for the medicine lodge they drag
them to the place where the lodge is to be erected, escorted by a body
of warriors in front and on each side. A warrior frequently invites a
woman to get up and ride behind him, and the invitation is generally
accepted. Among some tribes a procession in which the women ride behind
the men is a feature of the ceremony. Although this is customary, it
sometimes gives rise to jealous feelings on the part of husbands or
lovers. On this occasion, at the invitation of the chief Dohásän, a
woman got upon his horse behind him, which so enraged her husband that
he stabbed her. The woman recovered, and the husband received no other
punishment than a rebuke from Dohásän, who told him that he ought to
have better sense, as he (Dohásän) was a great chief and an old man--too
old to be running after girls.
[Illustration: FIG. 88--Summer 1843--Nest-building sun dance.]
Immediately after the dance, a war party under Gíădedéete
(Faces-the-line), went against the _Ä´-t'a`ká-i_ (Timber Mexicans) or
Mexicans of Tamaulipas. They killed a number of people and destroyed
houses, but on recrossing the Rio Grande encountered a body of Mexican
troops when Gíădedéete and two others were killed.
In the following winter K`ódal-aká-i, "Wrinkled-neck," a clerk of the
Bents, built a log trading house about a mile below _Gúadal Dóha_, "Red
bluff," on the South Canadian, near the mouth of Mustang creek and a few
miles above Adobe Walls, in the Texas panhandle (see winters 1845-46 and
1864-65). It is also stated that the same man, at a later period, built
another trading post at a fine spring a few miles above this one at
_Gúadal Dóha_ on the same (north) side of the river.
[Illustration: FIG. 89--Winter 1843-44--Woman stabbed.]
SUMMER 1844
_K`ódalpäk`iä K`ádó_, "Dakota sun dance." A number of mounted Dakota
paid a friendly visit to the Kiowa to dance and receive presents of
ponies, while the Kiowa were engaged in the sun dance, which was held,
like the last two preceding, on _K`ádó P'a_ or Kiowa Medicine-lodge
creek. Although the Dakota had been at war with the Kiowa when the
latter lived in the north, the two tribes had now been friends for a
long time, so long that the old men do not remember when the peace was
made.
[Illustration: Fig. 90--Summer 1844--Dakota sun dance.]
The Dakota are represented by the figure of a man's bust, wearing a
_k`ódalpä_ or necklace bracelet of long shell or bone tubes, popularly
known among the traders as Iroquois beads. The Kiowa call the Dakota the
_K'ódalpä-k`íägo_, "Necklace people," and say that the Dakota were the
original wearers of such necklaces.
The explanation appears to be a myth founded on a misconception of the
tribal sign for Dakota, which is the same as for necklace, i.e., a
sweeping pass of the hand across the throat, but commonly translated
"beheaders" when applied to that tribe.
WINTER 1844-45
_Ä´-tahá-ik`í Ehótal-de Sai_, "Winter that War-bonnet-man was killed."
The figure shows a man wearing a war-bonnet (_ä´-tahá-i_) and with a
wound in his breast. He is further distinguished by the crosses (stars)
with which his war shirt is ornamented. This "medicine shirt" was
covered with dark-blue stars, with a green moon in front, in addition to
which he wore a fine war-bonnet. He was also called Sét-k`ódalte,
"Bear-neck."
The brother of Zépko-eéte (Big-bow, grandfather of the present old
Big-bow, from whom he takes his name) had been killed in Tamaulipas, and
at the last sun dance Big-bow had "given the pipe" to the Kiowa and
their allies to revenge him. A large party of over two hundred warriors,
including a number of Apache and Comanche, set out under Big-bow, and
after crossing the Rio Grande and approaching the Salado (_Señ P'a_,
"Cactus river") they reached a stone fort, in which a small number of
Mexicans, not soldiers, had taken refuge. The Mexicans had with them
their families, also two Indians, who wore feather crests upon their
heads. The fort was so provided with loopholes that they could fire upon
the attacking party, themselves remaining concealed. The first attack
was repulsed, and Ä´-tahá-ik`í was killed; but the besiegers succeeded
in piling wood against the log walls of the fort and setting fire to it,
when all the defenders were either burned or killed as they tried to
escape. ´dalpepte took part in this affair. After this fight the Kiowa
warriors went farther into Mexico and had another encounter, in which
Big-bow, the leader, was killed, in consequence of which the war party
returned home.
[Illustration: FIG 91--Winter 1844-45--Ä´-tahá-ik`í killed.]
"Giving the pipe" is the ceremonial way of enlisting recruits for a
large war party. For small expeditions the invitation is given as
described in treating of the _Gúa-dágya_ (winter 1862-63). At the time
of the annual summer assemblage for the sun dance the organizer of the
expedition, who must necessarily be a person of some prominence,
sends a pipe to the leaders of each of the principal warrior
orders--_Kâ´itséñko_, _T'äñpéko_, etc.--in turn. If these leaders
sanction the enterprise, they themselves smoke and present the pipe to
the members of their orders at their next meeting, and all who smoke
engage themselves by this act to join the expedition at the time
appointed by the original giver of the pipe. No one is obliged to smoke
against his will, but when a sufficient number have determined upon the
expedition, it takes precedence of all others, and no other parties or
individuals may start out against the enemy in any direction until this
expedition is concluded.
[Illustration: FIG. 92--Giving the war pipe (from the Dakota
calendars).]
SUMMER 1845
_Tsó-`k`ódal K`ádó_, "Stone-necklace sun dance." The figure above the
medicine lodge is intended to represent a girl, distinguished by short
sleeves, with a stone hanging from her neck.
This dance, like the three preceding, was held on _K ádó P'a_ (Kiowa
Medicine lodge creek), which was a favorite stream for the purpose, on
account of the abundance there of cottonwoods, of which the medicine
lodge was constructed. The event which distinguished the dance was
the death of a girl named Tsó-k`ódalte (for Tsó-k`ódalpä-te),
"Stone-necklace," who was much beloved by her father, and the consequent
wailing for her during the season of the ceremony.
[Illustration: FIG. 93--Summer 1845--Stone-necklace sun dance]
WINTER 1845-46
In this winter K`ódal-aká-i, "Wrinkled-neck," built a trading post on
the South Canadian. The picture is sufficiently suggestive. This post
was in the panhandle of Texas, on the north bank of the South Canadian
(_Gúadal P'a_, "Red river"), just above Bosque Grande creek and about 2
miles above the entrance of Red-deer creek (_Ko`gá-i P'a_, "Elk creek").
It was in a swampy and well-timbered location, just west of one of the
main trails from Arkansas river southward. It was owned by William Bent,
called by the Kiowa Máñtahák`ia ("Hook-nose-man," "Roman-nose") who, in
the spring of 1844, had built a trading post, as already noted, at
_Gúadal Dóha_, higher up on the same river. Both were in charge of a
clerk known to the Kiowa as K`ódal-aká-i, "Wrinkled-neck."
The removal of Bent's base of operations from the Arkansas to the
Canadian seems to have marked the southward drifting of the tribes, in
consequence of the destruction of the buffalo and the encroachments of
the Dakota, as noted by Frémont and other western explorers of this
period. At the same time the Kiowa had dealings with another trading
post, kept by William Allison, known to them as Tsódal-héñte, "No-arm,"
on Arkansas river at the junction of upper Walnut creek, in Kansas. As
has been stated, the first trading post ever established in their
country was built by Chouteau, on Cache creek, near the present Fort
Sill.
[Illustration: FIG. 94--Winter 1845-46-Wrinkled-neck's trading post]
SUMMER 1846
_Pá-guñhéñté Äópäñ-de K`ádó_, "Sun dance when Hornless-bull was made a
Kâ´itséñi-k`ia." The figure beside the medicine lodge represents a man
with the feather headdress and paint of the Kâ´itséñko, the chief order
of the warrior society. There is nothing to indicate the name of the
individual, which is carried in the memory of the artist. This dance was
held on a small tributary of the North Canadian, a short distance above
Kiowa Medicine-lodge creek.
The Yä´`pähe or military organization of the Kiowa has been already
noted. The highest order was the Kâ´itséñko, or "Real dogs (?)," a
select body of ten of the bravest warriors, who were pledged to lead
every desperate charge and to keep their place in the front of battle
until they won victory or death. With this purpose in view, their leader
carried a ceremonial arrow, with which he anchored himself to the ground
by means of a broad sash of elk-skin, which encircled his neck like a
collar and hung down at his right side to the earth; at the lower end,
where it trailed upon the ground, there was a hole, and when forming
line for the charge it was his duty to dismount in front of his
warriors, and, by thrusting the arrow through this hole, to fix himself
in this position, there to remain until his party was victorious, or
until, seeing that all was lost, they gave him liberty to retreat by
pulling out the arrow from the ground. Should they forget this in the
hurry of their flight, he must remain and die at his post. During the
action, also, he was obliged to remain stationary, without endeavoring
in any way to avoid the danger.
[Illustration: FIG. 95--Summer 1846--Hornless-bull initiated.]