Campaigning with Crook, and Stories of Army Life — John Shaqi
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
At General Carr's headquarters, among the willows close to the stream, a
white flag, with a centre square of red, is fluttering in the breeze. It
is one of the signal flags, but as the regimental standard had been left
with the band at Fort Hays, the general adopted this for the double
purpose of indicating his own position and of conveying messages to the
distant outposts. Yesterday afternoon a group of our Indian allies,
Crows and Shoshones, surrounded that flag with wondering interest from
the moment of its first appearance. Accustomed to the use of signals
themselves, they eagerly watch any improvement upon their system, and,
learning from Sergeant Center, our standard-bearer and signal sergeant,
that this was a "speaking flag," they hung around for hours to observe
its operation. The herds of the different companies were browsing on the
hillsides half a mile away, strong pickets being thrown out in their
front, and each herd guarded by a sergeant and party from its own
company. So General Carr, to give the Indians an idea of its use and at
the same time secure more room, directed the sergeant to "Flag those
Second Battalion herds to the other side of that ravine." So Center
signalled "Attention" to the outposts, to which they waved "22, 22, 22,
3," the signal for "All right, go ahead, we're ready," and then, with
the staring eyes of a score of swarthy warriors following his every
move, Center rapidly swung his flag to form the message: "General Carr
directs herds Second Battalion cross ravine." Speedily the grays of
Company "B" and the four bay herds of the other companies began the
movement, were slowly guided through the sorrels, blacks, and bays of
the First Battalion, and commenced the descent into the ravine. One herd
lagged a little behind, and the general, gazing at them through his
binocular, quickly divined the cause. "Confound that herd guard; tell
'em to take off those side-lines when they're moving, if it's only a
hundred yards." The message is sent as given, the side-lines whipped
off, the horses step freely to their new grazing-ground, Crow and
Shoshonee mutter guttural approbation and say that flag is "heap good
medicine."
Hours afterwards they are hunting about camp for old flour-sacks and the
like, and several towels, spread on the bushes at the bathing-place
below camp to dry in the sun, are missing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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