WINNING THE "TWO BARS."
General Miles[9] slept, as did the great Napoleon, with one eye open,
so to speak, for he was always awake to any call, the arrival of a
scout, or courier at the agency, where his headquarters were located,
and ready to take the saddle at a moment's notice.
So it was when an orderly told him that one of "Captain Carey's scouts
had arrived," he was at once ready to have him enter, though it was
just before dawn of day.
"Me Flying Fox, white captain's good Indian. Come with talking paper to
big white chief," said the redskin courier.
"Where did you leave your captain, Flying Fox?" asked the general.
"Over in Bad Lands."
"Ah! has he gone there?"
"White captain no know afraid; he brave chief; go as medicine man into
camp; come back, and give Flying Fox talking paper for big chief."
"When did you leave him?"
"Six hours ago, big chief."
The general at once turned to the paper he held in his hand, and
glanced rapidly over it.
Then he sent the orderly to request the presence of his
adjutant-general, and that officer promptly put in an appearance.
"Major, I have here a note from Carey, brought by Flying Fox here, who
left him six hours ago in the Bad Lands. He states that Red Hatchet was
really the cause of the trouble at Wounded Knee, and escaped. That he
went on a raid with thirty braves immediately afterward and captured
the daughter of Settler Vance Bernard, who has been so stubborn,
against all urging and orders, to remain at his ranch. Red Hatchet
escaped to the Bad Lands with his captive, though pursued by Carey,
and the latter unable to come up with him, and knowing that an ambush
awaited him, scattered his scouts, and disguising himself as a Brule
medicine chief, entered the camps of the hostiles."
"Carey is too reckless, and he'll never escape, I feel sure, sir,
without detection," the adjutant said.
"Well, he came out of the retreat to write me this letter, and send
it by his redskin scout here, who tells me that he has a comrade in
hiding at the place where Carey joined him and sent him from. Then
Carey returned to the retreat of the hostiles, but you see here is a
full list of their forces, chiefs, warriors, and women and children,
and a description of their camp and its approaches. This is most
valuable information, and wins for Carey a brevet captaincy, given on
the field, until he can get his promotion. The captive girl, he says,
is there, and Red Hatchet also, while he hints at a discovery which
will be a surprise, and says that I may send his man back again, and
he will dispatch his other courier to-morrow night, or as soon after
as possible, if he gleans other news, or will come himself if he can
escape with the settler's daughter."
"Carey does, indeed, deserve his captaincy, general, and I only hope he
will live to get it," said the adjutant.
After some further conversation upon the subject the general ordered
the Indian soldier to be ready to start upon his return to his white
captain in time to get near the Bad Lands by nightfall, so as to gain
the hiding-place unseen where his comrade was, and where Kit Carey was
to meet him.
Well rested and fed, and mounted upon a fresh horse, Flying Fox started
upon his return at the appointed hour, and in a letter that he carried
to the cavalry officer occurred these words:
"Your indomitable pluck shown in the execution of your perilous duties
during this campaign thus far, allow me the pleasure of appointing you
in the field as special scouting officer, with the rank of captain."
Then followed some instructions as to the positions of the various
forces, as a guide to Captain Carey, should he need quick aid from any
one of the commanders who were narrowing the circle about the hostiles'
retreat.
The positions described were as follows, and to each commander word
was sent to be ready to obey a call from Captain Carey, who was allowed
discretionary powers in requesting an advance from any one column:
General Carr, with nine troops of the Sixth Cavalry, one company of the
Seventeenth Infantry, and two Hotchkiss guns at the junction of Wounded
Knee Creek and White River; Colonel Offley, with two troops of the
Eighth Cavalry and six companies of the Seventeenth Infantry, will be
on White River, about four miles south-west of Big Grass Creek; Colonel
Sanford, with four troops of the Eighth Cavalry, four companies of the
Second Infantry and one Hotchkiss gun, will be at the junction of White
Clay Creek and White River; Colonel Wheaton, with four troops of the
Ninth Cavalry, four companies of the Second Infantry and two Hotchkiss
guns, will be on White River, three miles north of Lower Lime-Kiln
Creek, and about eight miles from the hostile camp; Major Whitney,
with three troops of the Ninth Cavalry and one company of the Eighth
Infantry, will be on Wounded Knee Creek, a short distance from the
late battle-field; Captain Illsley, with four companies of the Seventh
Cavalry, will be on Lower Lime-Kiln Creek.
So back to the daring young officer, who had dared take his life in
his hands and enter the camp of the hostiles, disguised as a medicine
chief, though none knew better than he the terrible tortures that would
be inflicted upon him if he was discovered by the redskins.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 9: General Miles is the youngest Major-General in the
army--the only Major-General who did not receive a military education.
He entered the Union army as a captain of volunteers, but fought his
way up to be a commissioned Major-General at the close of the war. He
was in every battle of the Army of the Potomac, where he received three
wounds, one in the throat--a close call. Custer was the youngest West
Point Major-General in the army, yet Custer did not graduate from the
military academy. He entered the army somewhat under a cloud, as he
went out in search of Indian adventures, when he met the northern bands
on the banks of the Little Big Horn. General Miles has the best record
as an Indian fighter of any officer in the army and a splendid record
in the late war. He is well versed in men and affairs. He is a man of
good judgment and great energy.]