personal memoirs-2-第54章

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trouble。　　If　such　a　road　could　be　made；　I　hoped　to　get　up　enough

rations　and　grain　from　the　cornfields　purchased　to　send　out　a

formidable　expedition　against　the　Cheyennes；　so　I　set　out　for

Arbuckle　accompanied　by　my　quartermaster；　Colonel　A。　J。　McGonigle。

〃California　Joe〃　also　went　along　to　guide　us　through　the　scrub…oaks

covering　the　ridge；　but　even　the　most　thorough　exploration　failed　to

discover　any　route　more　practicable　than　that　already　in　use；　indeed；

the　high　ground　was；　if　anything；　worse　than　the　bottom　land；　our

horses　in　the　springy　places　and　quicksands　often　miring　to　their

knees。　　The　ground　was　so　soft　and　wet；　in　fact；　that　we　had　to　make

most　of　the　way　on　foot；　so　by　the　time　we　reached　Arbuckle　I　was

glad　to　abandon　the　new　road　project。



Finding　near　Arbuckle　more　fields　of　corn　than　those　already

purchased；　I　had　them　bought　also；　and　ordered　more　of　the　horses

back　there　to　be　fed。　　I　next　directed　every　available　mule　to　be　put

to　hauling　rations；　having　discovered　that　the　full　capacity　of　the

transportation　had　not　yet　been　brought　into　play　in　forwarding

stores　from　Gibson；　and　with　this　regulation　of　the　supply　question　I

was　ready　to　return　immediately　to　Camp　Sill。　　But　my　departure　was

delayed　by　California　Joe；　who；　notwithstanding　the　prohibitory　laws

of　the　Territory；　in　some　unaccountable　way　had　got　gloriously　tipsy；

which　caused　a　loss　of　time　that　disgusted　me　greatly；　but　as　we

could　not　well　do　without　Joe；　I　put　off　starting　till　the　next　day；

by　which　time　it　was　thought　he　would　sober　up。　　But　I　might　just　as

well　have　gone　at　first；　for　at　the　end　of　the　twenty…four　hours　the

incorrigible　old　rascal　was　still　dead　drunk。　　How　he　had　managed　to

get　the　grog　to　keep　up　his　spree　was　a　mystery　which　we　could　not

solve；　though　we　had　had　him　closely　watched；　so　I　cut　the　matter

short　by　packing　him　into　my　ambulance　and　carrying　him　off　to　Camp

Sill。



By　the　time　I　got　back　to　Sill；　the　Arapahoes　were　all　in　at　the

post；　or　near　at　hand。　　The　promised　surrender　of　the　Cheyennes　was

still　uncertain　of　fulfillment；　however；　and　although　Little　Robe　and

his　family　had　remained　with　us　in　evidence　of　good　faith；　the

messages　he　sent　to　his　followers　brought　no　assurance　of　the　tribe's

coming　inthe　runners　invariably　returning　with　requests　for　more

time；　and　bringing　the　same　old　excuse　of　inability　to　move　because

the　ponies　were　so　badly　off。　　But　more　time　was　just　what　I　was

determined　not　to　grant；　for　I　felt　sure　that　if　a　surrender　was　not

forced　before　the　spring　grass　came；　the　ponies　would　regain　their

strength；　and　then　it　would　be　doubtful　if　the　Cheyennes　came　in　at

all。



To　put　an　end　to　these　delays；　Custer　proposed　to　go　out　and　see　the

Cheyennes　himself；　taking　with　him　for　escort　only　such　number　of　men

as　could　be　fairly　well　mounted　from　the　few　horses　not　sent　back　to

Arbuckle。　　At　first　I　was　inclined　to　disapprove　Custer's

proposition；　but　he　urged　it　so　strongly　that　I　finally　consented；

though　with　some　misgivings；　for　I　feared　that　so　small　a　party　might

tempt　the　Cheyennes　to　forget　their　pacific　professions　and　seek　to

avenge　the　destruction　of　Black　Kettle's　band。　　However；　after

obtaining　my　approval；　Custer；　with　characteristic　energy；　made　his

preparations；　and　started　with　three　or　four　officers　and　forty

picked　men；　taking　along　as　negotiators　Yellow　Bear　and　Little　Robe；

who　were　also　to　conduct　him　to　the　head…waters　of　the　Red　River；

where　it　was　supposed　the　Cheyennes　would　be　found。　　His　progress　was

reported　by　couriers　every　few　days；　and　by　the　time　he　got　to　the

Witchita　foot…hills　he　had　grown　so　sanguine　that　he　sent　California

Joe　back　to　me　with　word　that　he　was　certain　of　success。　　Such

hopeful　anticipation　relieved　me　greatly；　of　course；　but　just　about

the　time　I　expected　to　hear　that　his　mission　had　been　achieved　I　was

astonished　by　the　party's　return。　　Inquiring　as　to　the　trouble；　I

learned　that　out　toward　the　Staked　Plains　every　sign　of　the　Cheyennes

had　disappeared。　　Surprised　and　disappointed　at　this；　and　discouraged

by　the　loneliness　of　his　situationfor　in　the　whole　region　not　a

trace　of　animal　life　was　visible；　Custer　gave　up　the　search；　and　none

too　soon；　I　am　inclined　to　believe；　to　save　his　small　party　from

perishing。



This　failure　put　a　stop　to　all　expeditions　till　the　latter　part　of

February；　by　which　time　I　had　managed　to　lay　in　enough　rations　to

feed　the　command　for　about　thirty　days；　and　the　horses　back　at

Arbuckle　having　picked　up　sufficiently　for　field　service　they　were

ordered　to　Sill；　and　this　time　I　decided　to　send　Custer　out　with　his

own　and　the　Kansas　regiment；　with　directions　to　insist　on　the

immediate　surrender　of　the　Cheyennes；　or　give　them　a　sound　thrashing。

He　was　ordered　to　get　everything　ready　by　March　1；　and　then　move　to

the　mouth　of　Salt　Creek；　on　the　North　Fork　of　the　Red　River；　at　which

place　I　proposed　to　establish　a　new　depot　for　feeding　the　command。

Trains　could　reach　this　point　from　Camp　Supply　more　readily　than　from

Arbuckle；　and　wishing　to　arrange　this　part　of　the　programme　in

person；　I　decided　to　return　at　once　to　Supply；　and　afterward　rejoin

Custer　at　Salt　Creek；　on　what；　I　felt　sure；　was　to　be　the　final

expedition　of　the　campaign。　　I　made　the　three　hundred　and　sixty　miles

from　Sill　to　Supply　in　seven　days；　but　much　to　my　surprise　there

found　a　despatch　from　General　Grant　directing　me　to　repair

immediately　to　Washington。　　These　orders　precluded；　of　course；　my

rejoining　the　command；　but　at　the　appointed　time　it　set　out　on　the

march；　and　within　three　weeks　brought　the　campaign　to　a　successful

close。



In　this　last　expedition；　for　the　first　few　days　Custer's　route　was　by

the　same　trail　he　had　taken　in　Januarythat　is　to　say；　along　the

southern　base　of　the　Witchita　Mountainsbut　this　time　there　was　more

to　encourage　him　than　before；　for；　on　getting　a　couple　of　marches

beyond　old　Camp　Radziminski；　on　all　sides　were　fresh　evidences　of

Indians；　and　every　effort　was　bent　to　strike　them。



》From　day　to　day　the　signs　grew　hotter；　and　toward　the　latter　part　of

March　the　game　was　found。　　The　Indians　being　in　a　very　forlorn

condition；　Custer　might　have　destroyed　most　of　the　tribe；　and

certainly　all　their　villages；　but　in　order　to　save　two　white　women

whom；　it　was　discovered；　they　held　as　captives；　he　contented　himself

with　the　renewal　of　the　Cheyennes'　agreement　to　come　in　to　Camp

Supply。　　In　due　time　the　entire　tribe　fulfilled　its　promise　except

one　small　band　under　〃Tall　Bull；〃　but　this　party　received　a　good

drubbing　from　General　Carr　on　the　Republican　early　in　May。　　After

this　fight　all　the　Indians　of　the　southern　Plains　settled　down　on

their　reservations；　and　I　doubt　whether　the　peace　would　ever　again

have　been　broken　had　they　not　in　after　years　been　driven　to

hostilities　by　most　unjust　treatment。



It　was　the　2d　of　March　that　I　received　at　Camp　Supply　Grant's

despatch　directing　me　to　report　immediately　in　Washington。　　It　had

been　my　intention；　as　I　have　said；　to　join　Custer　on　the　North　Fork

of　the　Red　River；　but　this　new　order　required　me　to　recast　my　plans；

so；　after　arranging　to　keep　the　expedition　supplied　till　the　end　of

the　campaign；　I　started　for　Washington；　accompanied　by　three　of　my

staffColonels　McGonigle　and　Crosby；　and　Surgeon　Asch；　and　Mr。　DeB。

Randolph　Keim；　a　representative　of　the　press；　who　went　through　the

whole　campaign；　and　in　1870　published　a　graphic　history　of　it。　　The

day　we　left　Supply　we；　had　another　dose　of　sleet　and　snow；　but

nevertheless　we　made　good　time；　and　by　night…fall　reached　Bluff

Creek。　　In　twenty…four　hours　more　we　made　Fort　Dodge；　and　on　the　6th

of　March　arrived　at　Fort　Hays。　　Just　south　of　the　Smoky　Hill　River；　a

little　before　we　got　to　the　post；　a　courier　heading　for　Fort　Dodge

passed　us　at　a　rapid　gait。　　Suspecting　that　he　had　despatches　for　me；

I　directed　my　outrider　to　overtake　him　and　find　out。　　The