222                     During Two Indian Campaigns

The Change at Larned--"Bummers"--An Indian Agent is relieved of his Duties--The train of the Peace Commission--Buffalo Herds--The Encampment of the Tribes--Multitudes of Olive-Skinned Warriors--The Muster of the Indians.

A COMPLETE change has been effected at Fort Larned since Hancock's army swept by in pursuit of "Roman Nose" and "Tall Bull's" tribes. The shabby, vermin-

                   Satanta and Little Raven                  223

breeding adobe and wooden houses have been torn down, and new and stately buildings of hewn sandstone stand in their stead. The comfort of the troops has been taken into consideration by the architect and builder. The fort is now garrisoned by six companies of infantry and one company of cavalry. Major Kidd is the commandant.
    Generals Harney and Sanborn paid a visit to the fort accompanied by the correspondents. Like many other institutions, this place has also a whole squad of "bummers," who seemingly do nothing but imbibe a wretched infusion of rye, and smoke "Virginia" and "Birds-eye" tobacco.
    While we were in the private room of the sutler, a number of Indians, among whom were the redoubtable Satanta; Little Raven, head sachem of the Arapahoes; Stumbling Bear, and two fine-looking Apache chiefs, walked in.
    Satanta, or White Bear, gave me a bear's hug as his greeting. He was introduced to the other members of the press, who looked upon him with some awe, having heard so much of his ferocity and boldness. By his defiant and independent bearing he attracted all eyes. He would certainly be a formidable enemy to encounter alone on the prairie. It is said that he has "killed more white men than any other Indian on the plains."
    Little Raven is a fat, good-natured sachem; one who loves to smoke his pipe peacefully in his lodge, surrounded by dusky concubines. There was one

224                     During Two Indian Campaigns

Apache chief, a tall, wiry fellow, and, if I may trust to my knowledge of physiognomy, cunning and unprincipled.
    A little fire-water was given to them, which opened their hearts. For the nonce White Bear, ever ready with his tomahawk, allowed his enmity of the paleface to sleep, and laughed gleefully like a child.
    Three of the reporters were introduced to Major Wynkoop, the agent for the Cheyennes and Sioux. The Major narrowly escaped with his life two or three days ago at the camps of the Indians now on Medicine Lodge Creek. Roman Nose, with ten warriors, rode up to the lodge in which Wynkoop was then staying. Wynkoop heard that Roman Nose, a Sioux sachem, had threatened his life, and was even then hurrying to his lodge for that purpose. Though there were then at the camp three or four thousand warriors kindly disposed towards Wynkoop, still it was evident that Roman Nose, with his fierce eloquence, could command aid, and carry his point. Behind the lodge was a fast horse, which he quickly mounted, and, putting spurs to him, left the village at the very moment Roman Nose had a revolver drawn on him. The animosity of this chief towards Wynkoop originated from a suspicion that he was the person who informed Hancock of the whereabouts of his people's lodges, and thus became the cause of their destruction.
    After a brief examination of the fort we started for camp, and, for the first time, crossed the celebrated

                   Large Herds of Buffalo                     225

Arkansas River, three miles south of Fort Larned. At this point the river was very shallow, at no place over two feet in depth. The southern bank of the river was covered with luxuriant grass, into which the pedestrian sunk to his waist.
    Here our train was increased by sixty waggons, containing stores and presents. The number of waggons and ambulances with the expedition is now one hundred and sixty-five. Six mules to each waggon, and two hundred cavalry horses, make the number of animals twelve hundred and fifty. The number of men on this trip, including the camp followers, is six hundred. When on the march we present quite a formidable appearance.
    In our company are the Indian agents Colonel Leavenworth, Major Wynkoop, Superintendent Murphy, Colonel Rankin, Captain John W. Smith, interpreter, with a host of camp followers, who pretend to have special commissions, but who really follow out of mere curiosity, and to live on the bountiful rations doled out by the Peace Commission.
    Until to-day we were not prepared to accept all the statements we heard about the numbers of buffalo on the plains, for prairie folk are like sailors, fond of embellishing the truth. When we were told that the prairie has been seen so packed with them, that one might walk on their backs for ten miles, we set it down to the narrator's desire to express a countless number, rather than as a literal fact. When they swore that, not many years ago, military expe-

226                     During Two Indian Campaigns

ditions were compelled to mow a passage through them with grape shot from their howitzers, we thought they were taking advantage of the credulity of youth, and inwardly lamented their depravity. We are becoming wiser every day, however. We think of all the bales of buffalo robes annually exported East, of the many thousands of hides required by the 150,000 Indians of the plains, for their wigwams, of the thousands of robes in use among the military and civilians out West; and we are not so skeptical as formerly.
    We have seen many herds at various times, but today we had the pleasure of seeing ten great herds, of about a thousand head each, guarded by their sentries and videttes, which suspiciously watched our advance, and continually snorted the alarm to the respective hosts. It was to me a thrilling sight.
     At night we fared on buffalo steak and hump. Jack Howland, Harper's artist, mounted on a bay nag, brought down a fine buffalo expressly for the special mess.
    The next day we came to a place where the prairie was on fire. But we travelled through the smoke and fire, lost for a short time to each other, but our advent from the cloud was hailed with gratitude.
    General Augur caught up with us at night. He was ordered by the President to join the Indian Commission vice General Sherman, the latter having received a telegram to return to Washington. The press has already conceived an opinion as to the

                   The Great Indian Encampment.               227

reasons of his recall, and all doubts upon this subject have been satisfied by this time.
    The country south of the Arkansas, through which we now travel, has been selected by the Commissioners for the Indian reservation. There promises, however, to be a difficulty about this. The State of Kansas stretches away over one hundred miles to the southward of Medicine Lodge Creek, and this portion south of the Arkansas is about as fertile a country as the State can boast of. The representatives, now with the Commissioners, object to the division of their State. The proposed Indian reservation, they say, must be selected somewhere in the neighbourhood of the salt plain, so that no collision between the Indians and the State authorities can take place.
    Monday morning about ten o'clock we came in sight of the great encampment of the Southern Indians. A natural basin, through which meandered Medicine Lodge Creek, between gracefully wooded banks, was the place selected for their winter camp. On the extreme right was the Arapahoe camp, consisting of 171 lodges. Next to this, and almost buried in a dense grove of fine timber, was the camp of the Comanches, numbering 100 lodges; adjoining which was the Kiowa camp, 150 lodges. At the western extremity of the basin were the camps of the Apaches, numbering 85 lodges, and the Cheyennes, 250 lodges.
    Thousands of ponies covered the adjacent hills,

228                     During Two Indian Campaigns

while in the valley grazed the cattle. The camps resembled a cluster of villages. All these camps were pitched so as to form a circle, in the centre of which sported the boys and girls, and little papooses in a complete state of nudity.
    Quite a multitude of olive-skinned warriors, braves, young bucks, papooses, damsels, and squaws, from the different villages, hurried up to see the Commissioners. The escorts were left to come on after us in an hour or so. This was a wise plan, as so many treacherous deeds have been done whenever the troops have come up, that the Indians are extremely suspicious. By this seeming confidence, we found all the Indians quite willing to see us.
    During the march several little things occurred which many feared would disturb the peace. The vagabondish followers, who insisted on joining the expedition at Fort Larned, on the pretence that they had special commissions for some business not down on the list issued, shot down buffaloes in the most reckless manner. This multitude of bummers not only entailed expense upon the Government at the rate of a good round sum, but by their indiscriminate shooting of game foster ill-will between the Indians and the whites at a time when so much tact and diplomacy are needed to reconcile both parties.
    Satanta, never backward of speech to assert his rights, burst forth at last, and said:--
    "Have the white men become children, that they

                   Satanta Rebukes Our "Bummers"              229

should kill meat and not eat? When the red men kill, they do so that they may live."     This speech produced the desired result. Two or three of the bummers were put under arrest, and the Major commanding the battalion was also arrested for not preventing the shooting. Satanta is a plainspeaking chief.
    When we arrived at the camp the Indians were engaged in the important ceremony of "making medicine." Shields of tanned buffalo hides were slung on poles facing the sun, with the view of propitiating it. The unsophisticated aboriginals believe that the sun will aid them if they turn their shields towards it while it shines, and cover them by night from dew. The medicine man, whom they revere so much, and regard as priest, is absent, engaged in his incantations.
    There are five thousand Indians in the encampment, and their chiefs are named as follows:--
Parry-wah-sahmer, or Young Bear, head Chief of the Comanches; Tip-pah-pen-nov-aly, or Painted Lips; Ponen-e-weh-tone-you, or Iron Mountain; Para-er-ehve, or Wise Shield; Za-nah-weah, or Without Wealth--100 lodges.
    Satanta, or White Bear, head sachem; Black Eagle, Sitemgear, Stumbling Bear, Satank, or Sitting Bear, Ton-a-enko (Kicking Bird), Sitting Man--150 lodges.
    Little Raven, head sachem; Spotted Wolf, Stone, Yellow Bear, Powder Face, Ice; 171 lodges.

230                     During Two Indian Campaigns

    Wolf Sleeve, head sachem; Poor Bear, Iron Shirt, Crow--85 lodges.
    Black Kettle, head sachem of the Cheyenne Nation; Big Jake, Bull Bear, chief of the Dog Soldiers, Tall Bull, Heap of Birds, Slim Face, Black White Man, Grey Head--250 lodges. Medicine Arrow, their peace chief, is absent.
    We are camped within half a mile of the Indian villages.
    At this point the departure of the courier makes it necessary to break off short. Will resume in my next.

Source:

Stanley, Henry M., D.C.L., My Early Travels and Adventures in America and Asia, Vol. 1, New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1905, pp. 222-230.