Fort Wallace

On the 29th of that month, all the preliminaries for taking the field having been completed and their surgeon joined, they marched out of the fort on their perilous mission.

After scouting over a large area for several days without meeting any sign of the Cheyennes, they concluded to go to Wallace to recuperate and refit.

Sometime during the second week in September, the Indians made a raid on the government wagon train near Sheridan Station on the Kansas Pacific Railroad, about twelve miles east of Wallace.

As soon as the news reached the fort over the wires, Forsyth and his little band of scouts started to intercept the savages on their retreat.

Next morning the little command struck the fresh trail of the Indians, and by forced marches came so close that they compelled them to separate into insignificant detachments, but night coming rapidly on, the general lost the trail.

The spot selected for the bivouac had some slight strategic value, and was for that reason chosen by the general after it had been pointed out by two of his men, Tom Murphy and Jack Stillwell, though he had no idea at the time that any benefit would result from their judgment in this particular.

It was an elongated low mound of sand, such as are seen at intervals in the Arkansas, which the Ariki Fork of the Republican at this time embraced, as the Cheyenne does the Black Hills, forming an island.

If this trail had not been struck, it was the intention to have gone back to Wallace for provisions, as only sufficient for one day remained.

On the twenty-ninth of that month, all the preliminaries for taking the field having been completed and their surgeon joined, they marched out of the fort on their perilous mission.

After scouting over a large area for several days without meeting any sign of the Cheyennes, they concluded to go to Wallace to recuperate and refit.

Sometime during the second week in September, the Indians made a raid on the government wagon train near Sheridan Station on the Kansas Pacific Railroad, about twelve miles east of Wallace.

As soon as the news reached the fort over the wires, Forsyth and his little band of scouts started to intercept the savages on their retreat.

Next morning the little command struck the fresh trail of the Indians, and by forced marches came so close that they compelled them to separate into insignificant detachments, but night coming rapidly on, the general lost the trail.

The spot selected for the bivouac had some slight strategic value, and was for that reason chosen by the general, after it had been pointed out by two of his men, Tom Murphy and Jack Stillwell, though he had no idea at the time that any benefit would result from their judgment in this particular.

It was an elongated low mound of sand, such as are seen at intervals in the Arkansas, which the Ariki Fork of the Republican at this time embraced, as the Cheyenne does the Black Hills, forming an island.

If this trail had not been struck, it was the intention to have gone back to Wallace for provisions, as only sufficient for one day remained.

Pursuing the Sioux.

When the Fifth Cavalry was ordered to the Department of the Platte, we moved from Fort Wallace down to Sheridan, and in a few days started on another expedition after the hostile Indians.

The second day out, on reaching the north fork of the Beaver and riding down the valley toward the stream, I suddenly discovered a large fresh Indian trail.

Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing.

At sunrise we saw hundreds where the night before they had only been dozens.

From this point on to Fort Wallace we were never out of sight of these nomads of the great American desert.

From the higher points of our route, where the horizon was distant from ten to twenty miles, hundreds of thousands were visible at the same instant.

They were not bunched together as cattle are in droves, but were spread out with great regularity over the entire face of the land.

We finished our supper without having any more such close calls.

at daylight next morning we struck out on the trail and soon came to the spot where the indians had camped the day before we could see that their village was a very large one consisting of about five hundred lodges and we pushed forward rapidly from this point on the trail which ran back toward prairie dog creek about two o'clock we came in sight of the retreating village and soon the warriors turned back to give us battle they set fire to the prairie grass in front of us and on all sides in order to delay us as much as possible we kept up a running fight for the remainder of the afternoon and the indians repeatedly attempted to lead us off the track of their flying village but their trail was easily followed as they were continually dropping tepee poles camp kettles robes furs and all heavy articles belonging to them they were evidently scattering and it finally became difficult for us to keep on the main trail when darkness set in we went into camp it being useless to try to follow the indians after nightfall next morning we were again on the trail the indians soon scattered in every direction but we followed the main trail to the republican river where we made a cut-off and then went north toward the platte river we found however that the indians by traveling night and day had got a long start and the general concluded that it was useless to follow them any farther the general told me that the next day's march would be toward the headwaters of the beaver and asked me the distance i replied that it was about twenty-five miles and he said he would make it the next day getting an early start in the morning we struck out across the prairie my position as guide being ahead of the advanced guard about two o'clock general cart overtook me and asked me how far i supposed it was to water i thought it was about eight miles although we could see no sign or indication of any stream in front papoon scouts say you are going in the wrong direction said the general and in the way you are bearing it will be fifteen miles before you can strike any of the branches of the beaver and that when you do you will find no water for the beavers are dry at this time of the year at that point general i think the scouts are mistaken said i for the beaver has more water near its head than it has below and at the place where we will strike the stream we will find immense beaver dams large enough and strong enough to cross the whole command if you wish well cody go ahead said he i'll leave it to you but remember that i don't want a dry camp no danger of that said i and then i rode on leaving him to return to the command as i had predicted we found water seven or eight miles farther on where we came upon a beautiful little stream a tributary of the beaver hidden in the hills we had no difficulty in selecting a good halting-place and obtaining fresh spring water and grass the general upon learning from me that the stream which was only eight or nine miles long had no name took out his map and located it and named it cody's creek which name it still bears we pulled out early next morning for the beaver and when we were approaching the stream i rode on ahead of the advance guard in order to find the crossing just as i turned a bend of the creek bang went a shot and down went my horse myself with him i disentangled myself and jumped behind the dead body looking in the direction whence the shot had come i saw two indians and at once turned my gun loose on them but in the excitement of the moment i missed my aim they fired two or three more shots and i returned the compliment wounding one of their horses on the opposite side of the creek going over the hill i observed a few lodges moving rapidly away and also some mounted warriors who could see me and who kept blazing away with their guns the two indians who had fired at me and had killed my horse were retreating across the creek on a beaver dam i sent a few shots after them to accelerate their speed and also fired at the ones on the other side of the stream i was undecided as to whether it was best to run back to the command on foot or hold my position i knew that within a few minutes the troops would come up and i therefore decided to hold my position the indians seeing that i was alone turned and charged down the hill and were about to recross the creek to corral me when the advance guard of the command put in an appearance on the ridge and dashed forward to my rescue the redskins whirled and made off when general carr came up he ordered company i to go in pursuit of the band i accompanied lieutenant brady who commanded and we had a running fight with the indians lasting several hours we captured several head of their horses and most of their lodges at night we returned to the command which by this time had crossed the creek on the beaver dam we scouted for several days along the river and had two or three lively skirmishes finally our supplies began to run low and general carr gave orders to return to fort wallace which we reached three days afterward and where we remained several days very soon after general carr received orders from general sheridan for a winter's campaign in the canadian river country instructing him to proceed at once to fort lyon colorado and there to fit out for the expedition Leaving Fort Wallace in November, 1868, we arrived at Fort Lyon in the latter part of the month without special incident, and at once began our preparations for invading the enemy's country.

General Penrose had left his post three weeks previously with a command of some three hundred men.

He had taken no wagons with him, and his supply train was composed only of pack-mules.

III.

Pursuing the Sioux.

When the fifth cavalry was ordered to the department of the Platte, we moved from Fort Wallace down to Sheridan, and in a few days started on another expedition after the hostile Indians.

The second day out, on reaching the north fork of the Beaver and riding down the valley toward the stream, I suddenly discovered a large fresh Indian trail.

At sunrise we saw hundreds where the night before they had only been dozens.

From this point on to Fort Wallace we were never out of sight of these nomads of the great American desert.

From the higher points of our route, where the horizon was distant from 10 to 20 miles, hundreds of thousands were visible at the same instant.

They were not bunched together as cattle are in droves, but were spread out with great regularity over the entire face of the land.

On the 29th of that month, all the preliminaries for taking the field having been completed and their surgeon joined, they marched out of the fort on their perilous mission.

After scouting over a large area for several days without meeting any sign of the Cheyennes, they concluded to go to Wallace to recuperate and refit.

Sometime during the second week in September, the Indians made a raid on the government wagon train near Sheridan Station on the Kansas Pacific Railroad, about twelve miles east of Wallace.

As soon as the news reached the fort over the wires, Forsythe and his little band of scouts started to intercept the savages on their retreat.

Next morning the little command struck the fresh trail of the Indians, and by forced marches came so close that they compelled them to separate into insignificant detachments, but night coming rapidly on, the general lost the trail.

The spot selected for the bivouac had some slight strategic value, and was for that reason chosen by the general, after it had been pointed out by two of his men, Tom Murphy and Jack Stilwell, though he had no idea at the time that any benefit would result from their judgment in this particular.

It was an elongated low mound of sand, such as are seen at intervals in the Arkansas, which the Ariki Fork of the Republican at this time embraced, as the Cheyenne does the Black Hills, forming an island.

If this trail had not been struck, it was the intention to have gone back to Wallace for provisions, as only sufficient for one day remained.

"A buffalo hunter found the burned remains of a wagon on the Smoky Hill River.

Lieutenant Hewitt took a detail from the Nineteenth Infantry out from Fort Wallace to clear the site."

General Pope looked down at the two small, quiet girls huddled near the hearth.

"Hewitt's men found four bodies buried in the ash.

And a little lonely.

It was a hard two-day ride back from Fort Wallace, where I'd gone on government business.

And I was pretty saddle-weary when I reached Dodge late the second night.

So I went straight to bed without seeing anybody.