Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains: An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far WestDrannan, William F.
History
Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains: An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West
Drannan, William F.
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Indians of North America -- Wars
"Why, Lieutenant, don't you know who that is you are talking to?"
she said. "I do not," he replied. "Why," said she, "that is the
boy scout."
It is useless to say that we were taken in to dinner and our
horses taken care of, and while at the dinner table I told the
Lieutenant our business there. I told him that I had come there
with the intention of getting a position as chief of scouts, and
that I would not accept a position unless my friend Mr. Jones
could get a place with me. He told me that he had no doubt but
that we would both be able to get a position, as they had lost
five scouts inside of the last month.
After dinner Lieut. Jackson excused himself, and telling us to
remain at his quarters until he returned, he took a walk to the
General's quarters. He returned in about an hour, saying Gen.
Crook wished to see us both at once at his quarters, and we, in
company with the Lieutenant, walked over to the General's tent,
and to my astonishment, I was introduced as Capt. Drannan.
The General's orderly and the officer of the day were both in his
room and he told them he wished to speak to us on private
business, and they at once withdrew. Then the General commenced to
question me in regard to fighting Indians, and I did nothing for
the next two hours but answer questions.
Like all other successful officers, he did not want any dead-heads
around him, and I presume that is why Gen. Crook was such a
successful Indian fighter.
He requested us to call at his quarters at nine o'clock the next
morning, after which he called his orderly and told him to show us
quarters for the night and also to care for our horses. That
evening while George was away looking after our horses I was
taking a stroll around the fort, when by chance I met Gen. Crook
taking his evening walk, and he asked me what I knew about this
friend of mine. I told how I had seen him tried on various
occasions and that I had never seen any signs of his weakening
yet. I also told him that if I accepted a position as scout, I
wanted George Jones with me, for I knew that I could depend on him
under any and all circumstances. The General told me that he had
been having very hard luck this summer, having lost all his best
scouts by their falling in the hands of the Apaches. He also told
me that he had one scout that fell into their hands and was burned
at the stake. The next morning at nine o'clock Jones and I were on
hand at the General's quarters. The first question he asked me was
on what conditions I wished to go to work and what I expected per
month. I told him that heretofore what scouting I had done I had
gone as an independent scout, and that I would go to work under no
other conditions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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