the passing of the frontier-第15部分

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　punitive　campaign　he　had　his　hands　full　for　many　a　long　and　weary　day。

Events　following　the　close　of　the　Civil　War　did　not　mend　matters　in　the　Indian　situation。　The　railroads　had　large　land　grants　given　to　them　along　their　lines；　and　they　began　to　offer　these　lands　for　sale　to　settlers。　Soldier　scrip　entitling　the　holder　to　locate　on　public　lands　now　began　to　float　about。　Some　of　the　engineers；　even　some　of　the　laborers；　upon　the　railroads；　seeing　how　really　feasible　was　the　settlement　of　these　Plains；　began　to　edge　out　and　to　set　up　their　homes；　usually　not　far　from　the　railway　lines。　All　this　increase　in　the　numbers　of　the　white　population　not　only　infuriated　the　Indians　the　more；　but　gave　them　the　better　chance　to　inflict　damage　upon　our　people。　Our　Army　therefore　became　very　little　more　than　a　vast　body　of　police；　and　it　was　always　afoot　with　the　purpose　of　punishing　these　offending　tribesmen；　who　knew　nothing　of　the　higher　laws　of　war　and　who　committed　atrocities　that　have　never　been　equalled　in　history；　unless　it　be　by　one　of　the　belligerents　of　the　Great　War　in　Europe；　with　whom　we　are　at　this　writing　engagedonce　more　in　the　interest　of　a　sane　and　human　civilization。　The　last　great　struggle　for　the　occupation　of　the　frontier　was　on。　It　involved　the　ownership　of　the　last　of　our　open　lands；　and　hence　may　be　called　the　war　of　our　last　frontier。

The　settler　who　pushed　West　continued　to　be　the　man　who　shared　his　time　between　his　rifle　and　his　plough。　The　numerous　buffalo　were　butchered　with　an　endless　avidity　by　the　men　who　now　appeared　upon　the　range。　As　the　great　herds　regularly　migrated　southward　with　each　winter's　snows；　they　were　met　by　the　settlers　along　the　lower　railway　lines　and　in　a　brutal　commerce　were　killed　in　thousands　and　in　millions。　The　Indians　saw　this　sudden　and　appalling　shrinkage　of　their　means　of　livelihood。　It　meant　death　to　them。　To　their　minds；　especially　when　they　thought　we　feared　them；　there　was　but　one　answer　to　all　thisthe　whites　must　all　be　killed。

Red　Cloud；　Crazy　Horse；　Roman　Nose；　American　Horse；　Black　Kettlethese　were　names　of　great　Indian　generals　who　proved　their　ability　to　fight。　At　times　they　brought　into　the　open　country；　which　as　yet　remained　unoccupied　by　the　great　pastoral　movement　from　the　south；　as　many　as　five　thousand　mounted　warriors　in　one　body；　and　they　were　well　armed　and　well　supplied　with　ammunition。　Those　were　the　days　when　the　Indian　agents　were　carrying　on　their　lists　twice　as　many　Indians　as　actually　existedand　receiving　twice　as　many　supplies　as　really　were　issued　to　the　tribes。　The　curse　of　politics　was　ours　even　at　that　time；　and　it　cost　us　then；　as　now；　unestimated　millions　of　our　nation's　dearest　treasures。　As　to　the　reservations　which　the　Indians　were　urged　to　occupy；　they　left　them　when　they　Iced。　In　the　end；　when　they　were　beaten；　all　they　were　asked　to　do　was　to　return　to　these　reservations　and　be　fed。

There　were　fought　in　the　West　from　1869　to　1875　more　than　two　hundred　pitched　actions　between　the　Army　and　the　Indians。　In　most　cases　the　white　men　were　heavily　outnumbered。　The　account　which　the　Army　gave　of　itself　on　scores　of　unremembered　minor　fieldswhich　meant　life　or　death　to　all　engagedwould　make　one　of　the　best　pages　of　our　history；　could　it　be　written　today。　The　enlisted　men　of　the　frontier　Army　were　riding　and　shooting　men；　able　to　live　as　the　Indians　did　and　able　to　beat　them　at　their　own　game。　They　were　led　by　Army　officers　whose　type　has　never　been　improved　upon　in　any　later　stage　of　our　Army　itself；　or　of　any　army　in　the　world。

There　are　certain　great　battles　which　may　at　least　receive　notice；　although　it　would　be　impossible　to　mention　more　than　a　few　of　the　encounters　of　the　great　Indian　wars　on　the　buffalo…range　at　about　the　time　of　the　buffalo's　disappearance。　The　Fetterman　Massacre　in　1866；　near　Fort　Phil　Kearney；　a　post　located　at　the　edge　of　the　Big　Horn　Mountains；　was　a　blow　which　the　Army　never　has　forgotten。　〃In　a　place　of　fifty　feet　square　lay　the　bodies　of　Colonel　Fetterman；　Captain　Brown；　and　sixty…five　enlisted　men。　Each　man　was　stripped　naked　and　hacked　and　scalped；　the　skulls　beaten　in　with　war　clubs　and　the　bodies　gashed　with　knives　almost　beyond　recognition；　with　other　ghastly　mutilations　that　the　civilized　pen　hesitates　to　record。〃

This　tragedy　brought　the　Indian　problem　before　the　country　as　never　before。　The　hand　of　the　Western　rancher　and　trader　was　implacably　against　the　tribesmen　of　the　plains；　the　city…dweller　of　the　East；　with　hazy　notions　of　the　Indian　character；　was　disposed　to　urge　lenient　methods　upon　those　responsible　for　governmental　policy。　While　the　Sioux　and　Cheyenne　wars　dragged　on；　Congress　created；　by　act　of　July　20；　1867；　a　peace　commission　of　four　civilians　and　three　army　officers　to　deal　with　the　hostile　tribes。　For　more　than　a　year；　with　scant　sympathy　from　the　military　members；　this　commission　endeavored　to　remove　the　causes　of　friction　by　amicable　conference　with　the　Indian　chiefs。　The　attitude　of　the　Army　is　reflected　in　a　letter　of　General　Sherman　to　his　brother。　〃We　have　now　selected　and　provided　reservations　for　all；　off　the　great　roads。　All　who　cling　to　their　old　hunting…grounds　are　hostile　and　will　remain　so　till　killed　off。　We　will　have　a　sort　of　predatory　war　for　yearsevery　now　and　then　be　shocked　by　the　indiscriminate　murder　of　travelers　and　settlers；　but　the　country　is　so　large；　and　the　advantage　of　the　Indians　so　great；　that　we　cannot　make　a　single　war　and　end　it。　From　the　nature　of　things　we　must　take　chances　and　clean　out　Indians　as　we　encounter　them。〃

Segregation　of　the　Indian　tribes　upon　reservations　seemed　to　the　commission　the　only　solution　of　the　vexing　problem。　Various　treaties　were　made　and　others　were　projected　looking　toward　the　removal　of　the　tribesmen　from　the　highways　of　continental　travel。　The　result　was　misgiving　and　increased　unrest　among　the　Indians。

In　midsummer　of　1868　forays　occurred　at　many　points　along　the　border　of　the　Indian　Territory。　General　Sheridan；　who　now　commanded　the　Department　of　the　Missouri；　believed　that　a　general　war　was　imminent。　He　determined　to　teach　the　southern　tribesmen　a　lesson　they　would　not　forget。　In　the　dead　of　winter　our　troops　marched　against　the　Cheyennes；　then　in　their　encampments　below　the　Kansas　line。　The　Indians　did　not　believe　that　white　men　could　march　in　weather　forty　below　zero；　during　which　they　themselves　sat　in　their　tepees　around　their　fires；　but　our　cavalrymen　did　march　in　such　weather；　and　under　conditions　such　as　our　cavalry　perhaps　could　not　endure　today。　Among　these　troops　was　the　Seventh　Cavalry；　Custer's　Regiment；　formed　after　the　Civil　War；　and　it　was　led　by　Lieutenant…Colonel　George　A。　Custer　himself；　that　gallant　officer　whose　name　was　to　go　into　further　and　more　melancholy　history　of　the　Plains。

Custer　marched　until　he　got　in　touch　with　the　trails　of　the　Cheyennes；　whom　he　knew　to　belong　to　Black　Kettle's　band。　He　did　not　at　the　time　know　that　below　them；　in　the　same　valley　of　the　Washita；　were　also　the　winter　encampments　of　the　Kiowas；　the　Comanches；　the　Arapahoes；　and　even　a　few　Apaches。　He　attacked　at　dawn　of　a　bleak　winter　morning；　November　27；　1868；　after　taking　the　precaution　of　surrounding　the　camp；　and　killed　Black　Kettle；　and　another　chief；　Little　Rock；　and　over　a　hundred　of　their　warriors。　Many　women　and　children　also　were　killed　in　this　attack。　The　result　was　one　which　sank　deep　into　the　Indian　mind。　They　began　to　respect　the　men　who　could　outmarch　them　and　outlive　them　on　the　range。　Surely；　they　thought；　these　were　not　the　same　men　who　had　abandoned　Forts　Phil　Kearney；　C。　F。　Smith；　and　Reno。　There　had　been　some　mistake　about　this　matter。　The　Indians　began　to　think　it　over。　The　result　was　a　pacifying　of　all　the　country　south　of　the　Platte。　The　lower　Indians　began　to　come　in　and　give　themselves　up　to　the　reservation　life。

One　of　the　hardest　of　pitched　battles　ever　fought　with　an　Indian　tribe　occurred　in　September；　1868；　on　the　Arickaree　or　South　Fork　of　the　Republican　River；　where　General　〃Sandy〃　Forsyth；　and　his　scouts；　for　nine　days　fought　over　six　hundred　Cheyennes　and　Arapahoes。　These　savages　had　been　committing　atrocities　upon　the　settlers　of　the　Saline；　the　Solomon；　and　the　Republican　valleys；　and　were　known　to　have　killed　some　sixty…four　men　and　women　at　the　time　General　Sheridan　resolved　to　punish　them。　Forsyth　had　no　chance　to　get　a　command　of　troops；　but　he　was　allowed　to　enlist　fifty　scouts；　all　〃first…class；　hardened　frontiersmen；〃　and　with　this　body　of　fighting　men　he　carried　out　the　most　dramatic　battle　perhaps　ever　waged　on　the　Plains。

Forsyth　ran　into　the　trail　of　two　or　three　large　Indian　villages；　but　none　the　less　he　followed　on　until　he　came　to　the　valley　of　the　South　Fork。　Here　the　Cheyennes　under　the　redoubtable　Roman　Nose　surrounded　him　on　the　17th　of　September。　The　small　band　of　scouts　took　refuge　on　a　brushy　island　some　sixty　yards　from　shore；　and　hastily　dug　themselves　in　under　fire。

They　stood　at　bay　outnumbered　ten　to　one；　with　small　prospect　of　escape；　for　the　little　island　offered　no　protection　of　itself；　and　was　in　pointblank　range　from　the　banks　of　the　river。　All　their　horses　soon　were　shot　down；　and　the　men　lay　in　the　rifle　pits　with　no　hope　of　escape。　Roman　Nose；　enraged　at　the　resistance　put　up　by　Forsyth's　men；　led　a　band　of　some　four　hundred　of　his　warriors　in　the　most　desperate　charge　that　has　been　recorded　in　all　our　Indian　fighting　annals。　It　was　rarely　that　the　Indian　would　charge　at　all；　but　these　tribesmen；　stripped　naked　for　the　encounter；　and　led　at　first　by　that　giant　warrior；　who　came　on　shouting　his　defiance；　charged　in　full　view　not　only　once　but　three　times　in　one　day；　and　got　within　a　hundred　feet　of　the　foot　of　the　island　where　the　scouts　were　lying。

According　to　Forsyth's　report；　the　Indians　came　on　in　regular　ranks　like　the　cavalry　of　the　white　men；　more　than　four　hundred　strong。　They　were　met　by　the　fire　of　repeating　carbines　and　revolvers；　and　they　stood　for　the　first；　second；　third；　fourth；　and　fifth　fire　of　repeating　weapons；　and　still　charged　in！　Roman　Nose　was　killed　at　last　within　touch　of　the　rifle　pits　against　which　he　was　leading　his　men。　The　second　charge　was　less　desperate；　for　the　savages　lost　heart　after　the　loss　of　their