the passing of the frontier-第17章
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we seek history； let us ponder that chance pause of the eastbound family； traveling by motor for pleasure； here by the side of the graves of the travelers of another day； itself so briefly gone。 What an epoch was spanned in the passing of that frontier！
Chapter VII。 The Indian Wars
It might well be urged against the method employed in these pages that； although we undertook to speak of the last American frontier； all that we really thus far have done has been to describe a series of frontiers from the Missouri westward。 In part this is true。 But it was precisely in this large； loose； and irregular fashion that we actually arrived at our last frontier。 Certainly our westbound civilization never advanced by any steady or regular process。 It would be a singularly illuminating mapand one which I wish we might showwhich would depict in different colors the great occupied areas of the West； with the earliest dates of their final and permanent occupation。 Such a map as this would show us that the last frontier of America was overleaped and left behind not once but a score of times。
The land between the Missouri and the Rockies； along the Great Plains and the high foothills； was crossed over and forgotten by the men who were forging on into farther countries in search of lands where fortune was swift and easy。 California； Oregon； all the early farming and timbering lands of the distant Northwest these lay far beyond the Plains； and as we have noted； they were sought for； even before gold was dreamed of upon the Pacific Slope。
So here； somewhere between the Missouri and the Rockies； lay our last frontier； wavering； receding； advancing； gaining and losing； changing a little more every decadeand at last so rapidly changed as to be outworn and abolished in one swift decade all its own。
This unsettled land so long held in small repute by the early Americans； was； as we have pointed out； the buffalo range and the country of the Horse Indiansthe Plains tribes who lived upon the buffalo。 For a long time it was this Indian population which held back the white settlements of Kansas； Nebraska； the Dakotas； Montana； Wyoming； Colorado。 But as men began to work farther and farther westward in search of homes in Oregon； or in quest of gold in California or Idaho or Montana； the Indian question came to be a serious one。
To the Army； soon after the Civil War； fell the task of exterminating； or at least evicting； the savage tribes over all this unvalued and unknown Middle West。 This was a process not altogether simple。 For a considerable time the Indians themselves were able to offer very effective resistance to the enterprise。 They were accustomed to living upon that country； and did not need to bring in their own supplies； hence the Army fought them at a certain disadvantage。 In sooth； the Army had to learn to become half Indian before it could fight the Indians on anything like even terms。 We seem not so much to have coveted the lands in the first Indian…fighting days； we fought rather for the trails than for the soil。 The Indians themselves had lived there all their lives； had conquered their environment； and were happy in it。 They made a bitter fight； nor are they to be blamed for doing so。
The greatest of our Indian wars have taken place since our own Civil War； and perhaps the most notable of all the battles are those which were fought on the old cow rangein the land of our last frontier。 We do not lack abundant records of this time of our history。 Soon after the Civil War the railroads began edging out into the plains。 They brought； besides many new settlers； an abundance of chroniclers and historians and writers of hectic fiction or supposed fact。 A multitude of books came out at this time of our history； most of which were accepted as truth。 That was the time when we set up as Wild West heroes rough skinclad hunters and so…called scouts； each of whom was allowed to tell his own story and to have it accepted at par。 As a matter of fact； at about the time the Army had succeeded in subduing the last of the Indian tribes on the buffalo…range； the most of our Wild West history； at least so far as concerned the boldest adventure； was a thing of the past。 It was easy to write of a past which every one now was too new； too ignorant； or too busy critically to remember。
Even as early as 1866； Colonel Marcy； an experienced army officer and Indian…fighter； took the attitude of writing about a vanishing phase of American life。 In his Army 〃Life on the Border；〃 he says：
〃I have been persuaded by many friends that the contents of the book which is herewith presented to the public are not without value as records of a fast…vanishing age； and as truthful sketches of men of various races whose memory will shortly depend only on romance； unless some one who knew them shall undertake to leave outlines of their peculiar characteristics。。。。 I am persuaded that excuse may be found in the simple fact that all these peoples of my descriptionmen； conditions of life； races of aboriginal inhabitants and adventurous hunters and pioneersare passing away。 A few years more and the prairie will be transformed into farms。 The mountain ravines will be the abodes of busy manufacturers； and the gigantic power of American civilization will have taken possession of the land from the great river of the West to the very shores of the Pacific。。。。 The world is fast filling up。 I trust I am not in error when I venture to place some value； however small； on everything which goes to form the truthful history of a condition of men incident to the advances of civilization over the continenta condition which forms peculiar types of character； breeds remarkable developments of human naturea condition also which can hardly again exist on this or any other continent； and which has； therefore； a special value in the sum of human history。〃
Such words as the foregoing bespeak a large and dignified point of view。 No one who follows Marcy's pages can close them with anything but respect and admiration。 It is in books such as this； then； that we may find something about the last stages of the clearing of the frontier。
Even in Marcy's times the question of our Government's Indian policy was a mooted one。 He himself as an Army officer looked at the matter philosophically； but his estimate of conditions was exact。 Long ago as he wrote； his conclusions were such as might have been given forty years later。
〃The limits of their accustomed range are rapidly contracting； and their means of subsistence undergoing a corresponding diminution。 The white man is advancing with rapid strides upon all sides of them； and they are forced to give way to his encroachments。 The time is not far distant when the buffalo will become extinct； and they will then be compelled to adopt some other mode of life than the chase for a subsistence。。。。 No man will quietly submit to starvation when food is within his reach； and if he cannot obtain it honestly he will steal it or take it by force。 If； therefore； we do not induce them to engage in agricultural avocations we shall in a few years have before us the alternative of exterminating them or fighting them perpetually。 That they are destined ultimately to extinction does not in my mind admit of a doubt。 For the reasons above mentioned it may at first be necessary for our government to assert its authority over them by a prompt and vigorous exercise of the military arm。。。。 The tendency of the policy I have indicated will be to assemble these people in communities where they will be more readily controlled； and I predict from it the most gratifying results。〃 Another well…informed army officer； Colonel Richard Dodge； himself a hunter； a trailer； and a rider able to compete with the savages in their own fields； penetrated to the heart of the Indian problem when he wrote：
〃The conception of Indian character is almost impossible to a man who has passed the greater portion of his life surrounded by the influences of a cultivated； refined； and moral society。。。。 The truth is simply too shocking； and the revolted mind takes refuge in disbelief as the less painful horn of the dilemma。 As a first step toward an understanding of his character we must get at
