Colonel Moore's Graphic Description of a Fight with Cheyennes.[1]
That Colonel Milton Moore for a quarter of a century has been a
prominent practitioner at the Kansas City bar, a member of the election
boards, and is now serving as a school commissioner is well known, but
that the old commander of the Fifth Missouri infantry was ever a Santa
Fe freighter in the days when freighting was fighting, was not generally
known until there appeared a month ago in Hal Reid's monthly, Western
Life, a paper written by Colonel Moore for the Kansas Historical Society.
The story is that of an engagement between a party of freighters, with
whom was young Moore, and a band of Indians, in 1864, not far from
Dodge City.
The story as told by Colonel Moore was incomplete in that he admitted he
did not know by what Indians his party was attacked. A week ago the
sequel appeared in the form of a letter from George Bent, at present
residing at Colony, Okla., who has written to Colonel Moore to tell him
that the leader of the Indians he fought with forty-four years ago was
the notorious "Little Robe," no chief at all but a great warrior. With
the Bent letter Colonel Moore's story is complete, and both are
here given:
"After the commencement of the Indian war on the upper Arkansas in 1864
caravans were not permitted to proceed westward of Fort Larned on the
Pawnee Fork, or the confluence of that stream with the Arkansas, near
where the city of Larned now stands, on the river road, in parties of
less than 100 men. In August two trains of Stuart, Slemmons & Co., who
had the general contract for the transportation of government stores for
the posts on the Arkansas and in New Mexico and Arizona that year,
reached the mouth of Pawnee fork, and found awaiting them a Mexican
train bound for some point below the Santa Fe, also a small train of
fourteen wagons under the direction of Andrew Blanchard of Leavenworth.
The name of the wagonmaster of the Mexican train is not remembered, but
he was either a Frenchman or Castilian. The S. S. trains were under the
charge respectively of Charles P. McRea and John Sage, both of whom were
men of experience and tried courage. The four trains having a force of
men numbering more than 100 were allowed to proceed.
"A full train of the period was twenty-five wagons loaded with freight,
and a provision wagon, commonly known as the 'mess wagon,' each drawn by
six yokes of oxen; the freight of each wagon was from 6,000 to 7,000
pounds. There was one wagonmaster, one assistant and one extra man,
denominated the 'extra hand,' who were mounted, twenty-six teamsters and
two night herders. In practice the night herders soon became teamsters,
replacing sick men, or those who for some reason had turned, or were
turned back, and the slavish duty of night herding cattle fell upon the
teamsters.
"Thomas Fields of Jackson County, Missouri, route agent for the S. S.
company, was elected captain of the combined trains. He was a man of
many years' experience on the plains, and had been in more than one
contest with the Indians.
"The rule of travel was: The train having the advance today should go to
the rear tomorrow, and so on. Blanchard, having light wagons, which
could be moved easily and rapidly, was dissatisfied with the rule, and
refused at times to be governed by it, with the result hereinafter stated.
"On Sunday, August 21, the trains, after a hard morning drive, reached
the head of the 'dry route,' which left the river some miles below the
present Dodge City, ran over the hills by old Fort Larned, not touching
the Arkansas valley again until the crossing of Walnut creek. McRea was
in front, followed by Sage, the Mexican, and Blanchard, in the order
named. The region was known to be dangerous because near the great trail
of the Indians in their journeyings from north to south and the reverse.
"McRea went into corral just south of the road about 10 o'clock a.m.,
and Sage and the Mexican in their order, but well closed up. The three
first trains corralled so as to leave room for Blanchard's train with
its rear resting on or near a bayou in such way that it would be
practically impossible for a band of Indians to sweep around it. Instead
of camping at the place designated, Blanchard continued on and went into
corral about half a mile beyond McRea. The cattle were placed south of
the trains, near the river, and guards put out. The trainmen were armed
with Minie rifles, and the order in force required that these be carried
in slings on the left sides of the wagons--a rule but little observed.
As a matter of fact, the guns were usually in the wagons, and
practically inaccessible when needed in an emergency, except as
hereafter stated. The teamsters of McRea's train were largely from
Missouri; and a number of them had seen military service upon one side
or the other in the Civil War. They were a well-controlled and reliable
body. The first mess on the right wing were white men, excepting the
negro cook, Thomas Fry, who was afterwards a ragpicker in Kansas City,
and died there. He was an honorably discharged soldier from the United
States volunteer army on account of the loss of the first two fingers of
the right hand in battle.
"The second mess was wholly negroes, or 'black men,' as the Missourians
of the period termed them. The negroes, possibly from the novelty of
having far-shooting guns in their possession, habitually had their arms
at hand when in camp, practicing at targets as far as allowed by the
rules of the wagonmaster. At about 1 o'clock in the afternoon the camp
was quiet, many of the men asleep; one big fellow was lying on his back
under his wagon singing 'Sweet Eloise,' and three men from McRea's train
were out more than 100 yards towards the ridge, shooting at
prairie dogs.
"Suddenly the cry of 'Indians' came from one of these. A glance at the
ridge not more than half a mile away showed it to be covered with
mounted Indians, and a dozen or more coming down the slope at full run,
evidently intending to overtake the three men before they could reach
the corral, and were in a fair way to do so, and possibly pass between
Sage and McRea. The six negroes of the second mess instead of running
inside the corral and firing from behind wagons, as they would have been
justified in doing, boldly opened fire on the advancing party and walked
out to the road towards them. This turned the Indians and the three men
came in safely. Nevertheless five of the Indians, led by a man on a
yellow pony, dashed through between the trains of McRea and Blanchard
and very near the latter. Probably forty or more passed around the head
of Blanchard's train and came in south of it.
"The ridge was still covered with mounted men who had not then descended
into the valley. When Blanchard saw the five Indians pass by the mouth
of his corral he mounted his pony, drew his revolver, an ordinary
36-caliber, and rode out after them, evidently not noticing those who
had passed around the front of his train. By the time he had gotten
possibly 200 yards from his camp the Indians, who by that time had
concentrated, divided into two parties, and one began to drive off his
cattle and the other to circle around him, lying on the sides of their
ponies and covering their bodies with shields. By this time the train
men in the corrals of McRea and Sage had got their arms and those on the
south side opened fire, but at too great a distance to protect
Blanchard, or to do the Indians serious injury.
"The Indians closed on Blanchard, and either knocked him off his horse
in an effort to get him onto one of their own ponies, to take him out of
the fire or he fell from wounds. As he fell his fourteen teamsters and
one night herder left their corral, and without a word of command formed
a line, and charged the mass of Indians, firing rapidly as they
advanced. The Indians hesitated before giving up their victim, but
finally retreated. Blanchard was able to get on his feet and run to his
men, who brought him to McRea's camp where he died in an hour. He had
been shot one or more times, lanced behind one shoulder, and an arrow
had entered his back near the spinal column and protruded about eight
inches out through the stomach; this he pulled through himself before
reaching his rescuers. When his pistol was found, which he had dropped,
two chambers were empty, but there was no evidence that he had wounded
any of the Indians.
"We buried him by the side of the road, and upon our return in the fall
it appeared that his grave had been opened, but whether by savage
Indians, wolves or loving hands we never knew. After retreating some
distance, driving the cattle of Blanchard's train, four Indians dashed
back into McRea's herd and took out about one-third, and a few belonging
to Sage. This was done under a heavy rifle fire, but so far as ever
known no Indians were hurt. They left two of their ponies down on the
river bank, which probably had been disabled. The Mexicans sustained no
loss. After the skirmish was ended a few well directed shots dispersed
the party that had remained on the hill; and one Indian, not exceeding
800 yards away, who seemed to be acting as a signal man, was directly
fired at--the rifleman resting his piece on a wagon tongue; so far as we
knew no harm happened to him, but he galloped swiftly from his post, and
was not seen again.
"The Indians drove the cattle so captured across the river to a point
two or three miles away, then unsaddled their ponies and rested. About 4
o'clock in the afternoon another herd, consisting of horses, mules and
cattle, the proceeds of other raids, were driven down on the south side
of the river, and added to those taken from Blanchard's train and the
S.S. trains. The combined herds were then driven southward over the sand
hills. We saw no more of this war party. It was anticipated that some
might remain and watch for a messenger that must necessarily be sent
back to Fort Larned; if any were left we had no evidence of it.
"As all of Blanchard's herd except two oxen had been taken it was
necessary to communicate with Fort Larned, the nearest military post.
The distance was estimated to be about sixty-five miles. The night
herder of Blanchard's train expressed a willingness to go upon this
perilous undertaking. While making his preparations at McRea's camp he
was asked if he wanted any money, that a little might be found in the
train. He replied that money would not 'help' him 'on a trip like this,'
but he would be glad to have a small bottle of whisky and some tobacco,
as he might not get anything to eat before the afternoon of the next
day. These having been furnished him, and when it was dark, without a
word of parting, he mounted the pony, off which Blanchard had been shot,
and rode away towards the hills, saying that it was his purpose to keep
away from the road and travel under the 'tops of the ridges.' On the
second morning after his departure, and just at daylight a body of
soldiers arrived, accompanied by the messenger, together with a long
train of wagons. The commanding officer took charge of Blanchard's
wagons, and within an hour McRea, Sage and the Mexican were moving on to
their several destinations under an escort, commanded by Captain
Butcher, Eleventh Missouri Volunteer cavalry. The remainder of the
journey was made by the three trains without incident--Indians having
been seen but once, and that was a short distance below old Fort Lyon;
the party disappeared rapidly, and was evidently traveling and not on
the warpath.
"Returning to the messenger, his courage and boldness stamped him as a
man whose name should be preserved, if possible, in Kansas historical
collections, but I never heard of him again, and do not remember his
name, possibly never knew it. The plainsman of that period, like his
successor, the cowboy, was not inquisitive. He might ask another where
he was from, but rarely his name--never his former business. The
messenger was then of full middle life, rather stout, with sandy colored
hair and beard, and brown eyes. He was simply a night herder, probably
had no other occupation, but like the trapper, the hunter and the
plainsman, he has probably joined his class.
"In 1877 I was at Dodge City several days taking testimony in a case
growing out of the loss of a train of mules near the Cimarron crossing
in the year 1864, and one afternoon, in company with a former member of
the firm of Stuart, Slemmons & Co., drove down to Fort Dodge and below
to identify, if possible, the place where Blanchard was killed, but
could not. From the course of a bayou I was led to believe that the
guard house at Fort Dodge was located at or near the place where the
rear of the Mexican train stood. However, there was no landmark by which
the place could be reasonably identified. In years past I have made many
inquiries to learn if possible what band of Indians made the attack, but
have obtained no satisfaction. It was the opinion of our captain, Thomas
Fields, judging from their mode of attack, that the Indians were
Comanches or Kiowas, or both."
In 1908 I wrote George Bent, a former school mate, and received the
following reply:
"Colony, Okla., Jan. 17, 1908.
"Colonel Milton Moore, Kansas City.
"Sir: I have seen published in a Western periodical your paper now in
the archives of the Kansas Historical Society relating to a battle your
train had with a war party in August, 1864, near where Fort Dodge was.
Cheyennes were camped on the Solomon river. Several war parties started
from this village to make raids on trains. Most of these parties went to
Platte river. The Sioux joined these war parties that went to Platte
river. 'Little Robe,' now dead, was head of this party that your trains
had fight with. There were twenty or thirty warriors in this party. The
man you speak of riding the yellow horse in the lead was 'Bear Man.' He
was no chief; only grand warrior in battles. I was in the Cheyenne
village when these war parties started out and I knew this young man
well. He died at Darlington agency several years ago from an old wound
he got fighting Utes. He was about twenty-five years old when he led
that charge through between the trains. The war party did not drive the
cattle very far out when they left them. Just before this fight, in
July, I think, the Kiowas and Comanches attacked a train or two at
Walnut creek. They killed several teamsters. Brother Charles was at
Charley Rath's ranch on Walnut creek at the time. He told me about it
when he came to the village on Solomon river. The whites started this
war in 1864. As I was with the Cheyennes at the time I knew what took
place. The Kansas Historical Society ought to get the Indian side of the
history of all these wars between the whites and Indians.
"Respectfully yours,
"GEORGE BENT."
[Footnote 1: NOTE.--Colonel Milton Moore, the signer of this Preface, is
a man of unusual legal ability. The confidence reposed in the old
commander of the Fifth Missouri infantry is clearly set forth by the
fact that for more than a quarter of a century he has been a member of
the police and election boards and has served for a long time as school
commissioner and is one of the most prominent practitioners at the
Kansas City Bar, with offices on the third floor, suite 3, Rialto Bldg.,
Kansas City, Mo.]