the passing of the frontier-第19章

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n。　Each　man　was　stripped　naked　and　hacked　and　scalped；　the　skulls　beaten　in　with　war　clubs　and　the　bodies　gashed　with　knives　almost　beyond　recognition；　with　other　ghastly　mutilations　that　the　civilized　pen　hesitates　to　record。〃

This　tragedy　brought　the　Indian　problem　before　the　country　as　never　before。　The　hand　of　the　Western　rancher　and　trader　was　implacably　against　the　tribesmen　of　the　plains；　the　city…dweller　of　the　East；　with　hazy　notions　of　the　Indian　character；　was　disposed　to　urge　lenient　methods　upon　those　responsible　for　governmental　policy。　While　the　Sioux　and　Cheyenne　wars　dragged　on；　Congress　created；　by　act　of　July　20；　1867；　a　peace　commission　of　four　civilians　and　three　army　officers　to　deal　with　the　hostile　tribes。　For　more　than　a　year；　with　scant　sympathy　from　the　military　members；　this　commission　endeavored　to　remove　the　causes　of　friction　by　amicable　conference　with　the　Indian　chiefs。　The　attitude　of　the　Army　is　reflected　in　a　letter　of　General　Sherman　to　his　brother。　〃We　have　now　selected　and　provided　reservations　for　all；　off　the　great　roads。　All　who　cling　to　their　old　hunting…grounds　are　hostile　and　will　remain　so　till　killed　off。　We　will　have　a　sort　of　predatory　war　for　yearsevery　now　and　then　be　shocked　by　the　indiscriminate　murder　of　travelers　and　settlers；　but　the　country　is　so　large；　and　the　advantage　of　the　Indians　so　great；　that　we　cannot　make　a　single　war　and　end　it。　From　the　nature　of　things　we　must　take　chances　and　clean　out　Indians　as　we　encounter　them。〃

Segregation　of　the　Indian　tribes　upon　reservations　seemed　to　the　commission　the　only　solution　of　the　vexing　problem。　Various　treaties　were　made　and　others　were　projected　looking　toward　the　removal　of　the　tribesmen　from　the　highways　of　continental　travel。　The　result　was　misgiving　and　increased　unrest　among　the　Indians。

In　midsummer　of　1868　forays　occurred　at　many　points　along　the　border　of　the　Indian　Territory。　General　Sheridan；　who　now　commanded　the　Department　of　the　Missouri；　believed　that　a　general　war　was　imminent。　He　determined　to　teach　the　southern　tribesmen　a　lesson　they　would　not　forget。　In　the　dead　of　winter　our　troops　marched　against　the　Cheyennes；　then　in　their　encampments　below　the　Kansas　line。　The　Indians　did　not　believe　that　white　men　could　march　in　weather　forty　below　zero；　during　which　they　themselves　sat　in　their　tepees　around　their　fires；　but　our　cavalrymen　did　march　in　such　weather；　and　under　conditions　such　as　our　cavalry　perhaps　could　not　endure　today。　Among　these　troops　was　the　Seventh　Cavalry；　Custer's　Regiment；　formed　after　the　Civil　War；　and　it　was　led　by　Lieutenant…Colonel　George　A。　Custer　himself；　that　gallant　officer　whose　name　was　to　go　into　further　and　more　melancholy　history　of　the　Plains。

Custer　marched　until　he　got　in　touch　with　the　trails　of　the　Cheyennes；　whom　he　knew　to　belong　to　Black　Kettle's　band。　He　did　not　at　the　time　know　that　below　them；　in　the　same　valley　of　the　Washita；　were　also　the　winter　encampments　of　the　Kiowas；　the　Comanches；　the　Arapahoes；　and　even　a　few　Apaches。　He　attacked　at　dawn　of　a　bleak　winter　morning；　November　27；　1868；　after　taking　the　precaution　of　surrounding　the　camp；　and　killed　Black　Kettle；　and　another　chief；　Little　Rock；　and　over　a　hundred　of　their　warriors。　Many　women　and　children　also　were　killed　in　this　attack。　The　result　was　one　which　sank　deep　into　the　Indian　mind。　They　began　to　respect　the　men　who　could　outmarch　them　and　outlive　them　on　the　range。　Surely；　they　thought；　these　were　not　the　same　men　who　had　abandoned　Forts　Phil　Kearney；　C。　F。　Smith；　and　Reno。　There　had　been　some　mistake　about　this　matter。　The　Indians　began　to　think　it　over。　The　result　was　a　pacifying　of　all　the　country　south　of　the　Platte。　The　lower　Indians　began　to　come　in　and　give　themselves　up　to　the　reservation　life。

One　of　the　hardest　of　pitched　battles　ever　fought　with　an　Indian　tribe　occurred　in　September；　1868；　on　the　Arickaree　or　South　Fork　of　the　Republican　River；　where　General　〃Sandy〃　Forsyth；　and　his　scouts；　for　nine　days　fought　over　six　hundred　Cheyennes　and　Arapahoes。　These　savages　had　been　committing　atrocities　upon　the　settlers　of　the　Saline；　the　Solomon；　and　the　Republican　valleys；　and　were　known　to　have　killed　some　sixty…four　men　and　women　at　the　time　General　Sheridan　resolved　to　punish　them。　Forsyth　had　no　chance　to　get　a　command　of　troops；　but　he　was　allowed　to　enlist　fifty　scouts；　all　〃first…class；　hardened　frontiersmen；〃　and　with　this　body　of　fighting　men　he　carried　out　the　most　dramatic　battle　perhaps　ever　waged　on　the　Plains。

Forsyth　ran　into　the　trail　of　two　or　three　large　Indian　villages；　but　none　the　less　he　followed　on　until　he　came　to　the　valley　of　the　South　Fork。　Here　the　Cheyennes　under　the　redoubtable　Roman　Nose　surrounded　him　on　the　17th　of　September。　The　small　band　of　scouts　took　refuge　on　a　brushy　island　some　sixty　yards　from　shore；　and　hastily　dug　themselves　in　under　fire。

They　stood　at　bay　outnumbered　ten　to　one；　with　small　prospect　of　escape；　for　the　little　island　offered　no　protection　of　itself；　and　was　in　pointblank　range　from　the　banks　of　the　river。　All　their　horses　soon　were　shot　down；　and　the　men　lay　in　the　rifle　pits　with　no　hope　of　escape。　Roman　Nose；　enraged　at　the　resistance　put　up　by　Forsyth's　men；　led　a　band　of　some　four　hundred　of　his　warriors　in　the　most　desperate　charge　that　has　been　recorded　in　all　our　Indian　fighting　annals。　It　was　rarely　that　the　Indian　would　charge　at　all；　but　these　tribesmen；　stripped　naked　for　the　encounter；　and　led　at　first　by　that　giant　warrior；　who　came　on　shouting　his　defiance；　charged　in　full　view　not　only　once　but　three　times　in　one　day；　and　got　within　a　hundred　feet　of　the　foot　of　the　island　where　the　scouts　were　lying。

According　to　Forsyth's　report；　the　Indians　came　on　in　regular　ranks　like　the　cavalry　of　the　white　men；　more　than　four　hundred　strong。　They　were　met　by　the　fire　of　repeating　carbines　and　revolvers；　and　they　stood　for　the　first；　second；　third；　fourth；　and　fifth　fire　of　repeating　weapons；　and　still　charged　in！　Roman　Nose　was　killed　at　last　within　touch　of　the　rifle　pits　against　which　he　was　leading　his　men。　The　second　charge　was　less　desperate；　for　the　savages　lost　heart　after　the　loss　of　their　leader。　The　third　one；　delivered　towards　the　evening　of　that　same　day；　was　desultory。　By　that　time　the　bed　of　the　shallow　stream　was　well　filled　with　fallen　horses　and　dead　warriors。

Forsyth　ordered　meat　cut　from　the　bodies　of　his　dead　horses　and　buried　in　the　wet　sand　so　that　it　might　keep　as　long　as　possible。　Lieutenant　Beecher；　his　chief　of　scouts；　was　killed；　as　also　were　Surgeon　Mooers；　and　Scouts　Smith；　Chalmers；　Wilson；　Farley；　and　Day。　Seventeen　others　of　the　party　were　wounded；　some　severely。　Forsyth　himself　was　shot　three　times；　once　in　the　head。　His　left　leg　was　broken　below　the　knee；　and　his　right　thigh　was　ripped　up　by　a　rifle　ball；　which　caused　him　extreme　pain。　Later　he　cut　the　bullet　out　of　his　own　leg；　and　was　relieved　from　some　part　of　the　pain。　After　his　rescue；　when　his　broken　leg　was　set　it　did　not　suit　him；　and　he　had　the　leg　broken　twice　in　the　hospital　and　reset　until　it　knitted　properly。

Forsyth's　men　lay　under　fire　under　a　blazing　sun　in　their　holes　on　the　sandbar　for　nine　days。　But　the　savages　never　dislodged　them；　and　at　last　they　made　off；　their　women　and　children　beating　the　death　drums；　and　the　entire　village　mourning　the　unreturning　brave。　On　the　second　day　of　the　fighting　Forsyth　had　got　out　messengers　at　extreme　risk；　and　at　length　the　party　was　rescued　by　a　detachment　of　the　Tenth　Cavalry。　The　Indians　later　said　that　they　had　in　all　over　six　hundred　warriors　in　this　fight。　Their　losses；　though　variously　estimated；　were　undoubtedly　heavy。

It　was　encounters　such　as　this　which　gradually　were　teaching　the　Indians　that　they　could　not　beat　the　white　men；　so　that　after　a　time　they　began　to　yield　to　the　inevitable。

What　is　known　as　the　Baker　Massacre　was　the　turning…point　in　the　half…century　of　warfare　with　the　Blackfeet；　the　savage　tribe　which　had　preyed　upon　the　men　of　the　fur　trade　in　a　long…continued　series　of　robberies　and　murders。　On　January　22；　1870；　Major　E。　M。　Baker；　led　by　half…breeds　who　knew　the　country；　surprised　the　Piegans　in　their　winter　camp　on　the　Marias　R