Campaigning with Crook, and Stories of Army LifeKing, Charles
History
Campaigning with Crook, and Stories of Army Life
King, Charles
Crook, George, 1829-1890; Indians of North America -- Wars -- 1866-1895; United States. Army. Cavalry, 5th
It is in New England, the land of the Pequots and the Iroquois, that
the most violent partisans of the peace policy are to be found to-day.
There is method in their cultured mania, for the farther removed the
citizen finds himself from the Indian the better he likes him. Year
after year, with the westward march of civilization, the Indian has
found himself, in the poetic and allegorical language ascribed to him by
Cooper and others who never heard him use it, "thrust farther towards
the fiery bosom of the setting sun." Each state in turn has elbowed him
on towards the Mississippi, and by the time the struggling aborigine was
at the safe distance of two or three states away, was virtuously ready
to preach fierce denunciation of the people who simply did as it had
done. It is comical to-day to hear Mr. Conger, of Michigan, assailing
Mr. Belford, of Colorado, because the latter considers it time for the
Utes to move or become amenable to the laws of the land; and when we
look back and remember how the whole movement was inaugurated by the
Pilgrim Fathers, is it not edifying to read the Bostonian tirades
against the settlers--the pilgrims and pioneers of the Far West?
Our march to Laramie was without noteworthy incident. We reached the
North Platte on Friday afternoon, July 21, spent Saturday in busy
preparation, and early Sunday morning, six o'clock, the trumpets were
sounding "the General," the universal army signal to strike your tent
and march away. The white canvas was folded into the wagons, and in a
few moments more the column of horse was moving off on the
long-anticipated march to join General Crook. Captain Egan and
Lieutenant Allison of the Second Cavalry rode out from Laramie to wish
us godspeed. By eight the sun was scorching our backs and great clouds
of dust were rising under our horses' feet, and Laramie was left behind.
Many and many a weary march, many a week of privation and suffering,
many a stirring scene were we to encounter before once again the
hospitable old frontier fort would open its gates to receive us. At
half-past two we camped along the Platte at Bull Bend, and had a
refreshing bath in its rapid waters; at four a violent storm of wind and
rain bore down upon us, and beat upon our canvas during the night, but
morning broke all the better for marching. A cold drizzle is far
preferable to thick dust. We sped along briskly to the "La Bonté," and
from there hastened on to Fetterman, where the main command arrived at
noon on the 25th, the wagons and rear guard, of which I was in charge,
coming in two hours later, fording the Platte at once, and moving into
camp some distance up stream.
[Illustration: FORT FETTERMAN.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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