Welcome to the Wild West podcast, where fact and legend merge. We present the true accounts of individuals who settled in towns built out of hunger for money, regulated by fast guns, who walked on both sides of the law, patrolling, investing in, and regulating the brothels, saloons, and gambling houses. These are stories of the men who made the history of the Old West come alive - bringing with them the birth of legends, brought to order by a six-gun and laid to rest with their boots on. Join us as we take you back in history to the legends of the Wild West. You can support our show by subscribing to Exclusive access to premium content at Wild West Podcast + https://www.buzzsprout.com/64094/subscribe or just buy us a cup of coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwestpodcast
Promised insights await as we unravel the tumultuous events of the plains in 1868, from the Indian raids sparked by illegal gun and whiskey traders to the rapid spread of white settlers. You'll discover how Major George A Forsythe led the Battle of Beecher's Island and the 7th Cavalry's efforts to shield Kansas settlements from Indian raids. We shed light on the role of the Dog Soldiers, a courageous group of Cheyenne Indians led by Tall Bull, known for challenging peace. The confrontations between these fearless Dog Soldiers and the 5th and 10th Cavalries on Beaver Creek will have your heart pounding.
Picture the scene - it's October 18th, Lieutenant Silas Papoon's Osage Indian scouts join Major General Carr's 5th Cavalry in the relentless chase of the Cheyenne. We'll recount the thrilling encounters with the Cheyenne and Sioux warriors on Beaver Creek, the cunning warfare strategies employed and the cavalry's dogged pursuit. Hear about the battles, the apprehended supplies destroyed, the capture of seventy ponies, and the casualties on both sides. We promise a captivating journey back in time that you won't want to miss.
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The Indian raids on stage lines, railroads and settlers during the spring and summer of 1868 were attributed to several factors, including illegal gun and whiskey traders applying their peddling along the Arkeansis between Fort Slarnad and Dodge the sale of firearms to the dog soldiers who stayed north in early August of that year possessed firearms from this illegal trade or at old weapons from the Medicine Lodge Treaty distribution. Additionally, a second explanation for the dog soldiers' vicious assaults on white civilians and their families in north central Kansas in August 1868 was the sight of agriculture spreading swiftly across the plains. The appearance of farms north of the Smoky Hill River was an unexpected sight for the Cheyenne, representing the worst possible kind of immediate and all-consuming threat to their way of life. Railroads, forts and stage roads were one thing, but fields of corn and permanently settled white families were another. The unanticipated plowing of the last remaining viable summer buffalo ranges was nothing short of catastrophic destruction of the Cheyenne summer food sources. These Cheyennes considered the presence of new farms and families an illegal but predictable invasion. Although many of the dog soldiers had never put much hope in the treaty, they registered Senator Henderson's assurances on October 1867. They viewed new white settlements as a covert assault on their political flank.
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The violence the retaliatory dog soldiers unleashed in north central Kansas had but one inevitable consequence. The mutual retribution that followed was harsh and the war took a terrible toll on whites and Indians alike. One of Sheridan's aggressions was the September intrusion of a 50-man scouting force under Major George A Forsythe into the Cheyenne Sioux country of the Upper Republican River. It resulted in the classic Battle of Beecher's Island in which the famous warrior Romanos was killed. The dog soldiers under Bull Bear, tall Bull and White Horse were involved in the affair. The combined Cheyenne-Arapaho Sioux force, however, found it too costly to overrun the scouts who had taken up positions on a small island on the Aricari branch of the Republican Wild West Podcast proudly presents Skirmish on Beaver Creek.
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Throughout the fall of 1868, sheridan kept units actively in the field, trying to shield the Kansas settlements from possible Indian raids. The 7th Cavalry, once again under Custer's leadership, patrolled south of the Arkansas River. Sully, sheridan and Sherman had petitioned to have Custer released from his one-year suspension. However, even with the army actively patrolling, the warriors continued to raid north of the Arkansas River. Therefore, sheridan directed other units to operate north of the river. Among the Cheyenne Indians, one of the most important organizations was the dog soldiers, of which Tall Bull was chief. The members were brave warriors. It was considered a great honor to belong to this band.
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Tall Bull, a noted challenger of peace, argued at the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867 that the Whites and the soldiers should stop making war upon the Cheyenne by invading the Cheyenne land and instigating further calamities. Furthermore, they should stop telling the Cheyenne that they should give up their land to have peace. In 1868, tall Bull participated in the Beecher Island battle. During the struggle he warned Roman Nose not to go into action until he fixed his broken medicine and to do it quickly so that he could join the fight. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer described Tall Bull as a fine, war-like-looking chieftain. Tall Bull dressed in his finest, shunning the white man's clothes. Custer described him as having twenty to thirty silver dollars flattened out to the size of saucers, fastened flatwise on a thong about a yard and a half long, one end of which was attached to the crown of his head and the other end floated out behind him as he rode. His moccasins were embroidered with small beads and he was enveloped in a dark blanket.
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The two most notable encounters with the Cheyenne dog soldiers were at Beaver Creek, the 10th Cavalry Fight on October 18th and the 5th Cavalry Fight on 25th and 26th of October. The circumstances leading up to these two skirmishes began in early October when Major William Royal led a large vigil of the 5th Cavalry to patrol the Republican River. These events started on September 29th when seven companies of the 5th Cavalry arrived at Fort Harker from the east After being re-equipped, were sent out under Major WB Royal of the 5th Cavalry to pursue Indians in the country north of Harker. Royal was a veteran cavalryman with a suitable reputation, but they found no Indians. Shortly after this excursion, brevet Major General Eugene Carr, 5th Cavalry, arrived and replaced Royal. The 5th Cavalry was strengthened at Fort Wallace by Graham and Carpenter's companies of the 10th Cavalry and moved north from Fort Wallace based on more relevant information about the enemy. On October 18th Indians attacked Carr's small command as it moved down Beaver Creek. The attacking Indians outnumbered the soldiers, so Carr established a defensive perimeter on a small hilltop. Throughout the day the Indians tormented the soldiers and did not break off the fight until evening. Carr had two men wounded and reported that the Indians lost ten killed. The soldiers also captured one and wounded an Indian who revealed to Carr's scout to the location of a large Cheyenne encampment.
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Carr returned to Fort Wallace after the October 18th fight and joined the 5th Cavalry. Then, on October 23rd, he headed north with seven companies of the 5th Cavalry and Four Size Scout Company, now commanded by Lieutenant Lewis Papoon. His objective was the large Cheyenne encampment identified by his Cheyenne captive. On the afternoon of October 25th the columns skirmished with Cheyenne and Sioux warriors on Beaver Creek. About 200 warriors restrained the soldiers' progress by setting fire to the dry grass and harassing them with long-range fire. The next day Carr continued the advancement. Again. The warriors attempted to divert the soldiers. Finally, carr ordered a battalion to charge and scatter the warriors. The battalion chased the fleeing Indians for about three miles. The Indians countered and charged Again. Carr committed Papoon's scouts to the fight. Unfortunately, carr had caught the Cheyenne in breaking camp and warriors were fighting a delaying major while their families escaped. Nevertheless, carr continued the advance and found many abandoned properties. He destroyed the apprehended supplies and continued the chase for another four days but then lost the trail. Carr had four men wounded in the fight, injured about ten warriors and captured seventy ponies.
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The following is a rewritten excerpt from Sheridan's Troopers on the Borders by DB Randolph Kym on the Osage Indian skirmishes on Beaver Creek from the perspective of Lieutenant Silas Papoon. While the commanding general Sheridan deeply immersed himself in completing his preparations for the contemplated movement towards the Washtaw River in the south, the savages on the Republican were kept in constant alarm and uneasiness. Finally, about the middle of October, a squadron of the 10th Cavalry 150 men left Fort Wallace. With us on this patrol was a new scout, george Brown, who had signed up with us at Fort Hayes under the recommendation of Jack Stillwell. Brown said he had previously served in the Cavalry arm of the Union. Our mission was to act as escort to prevent Major General Carr, major Fifth Cavalry, who en route to his command in the field.
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The incoming information stated Carr had been attacked on the Beaver by a large party of Indians numbering nearly 500 warriors. A report indicated that the savages exhibited great boldness, approached close to the column and fired with deliberate aim. The engagement began early in the morning and ended at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, inflicting a loss of 10 warriors killed. Many were wounded on the part of the savages and three enlisted men were wounded in the command. From a warrior wounded in the fight. Information was obtained that their camp was on the Solomon at Chalk Bluff and that they had left it the night before, that it consisted of 800 lodges of Cheyennes, arapaho and Sioux and stated that a large war party had gone on to the Selene A.
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Hardly had the savages recovered from their shame on the banks of the Beaver then they again found themselves repeatedly confronted by a more powerful force. No sooner had the commanding general learned this sufficient information that he ordered a new movement from Fort Wallace, putting every available man in the field. Fortunately, the Fifth Cavalry under Colonel Royal had just returned to the railroad for supplies. As this was the column in search of which car had moved north with an escort, the general joined it and hastened preparations for a new start, with some reinforcements sent forward. The entire force when it moved consisted of companies A, b, f, h, I, l and M Fifth Cavalry and my scouts, car commanding about 480 men.
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It was Friday, october 23rd, when the troopers started to fresh. The line of march lay in a northwesterly direction, towards the Little Beaver. The weather was delightfully clear and bracing. The plain, hardened by recent rains, rendered demarching less toilsome. Two days had elapsed when the column pushed rapidly forward, the animals instinctively hasting towards watering places, and camp Officers and men scanned the country in every direction, an expectation of spying, some detached band of savages watching their line of march and indicating their nearness to the scene of fresh encounters.
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But the bold horsemen did not appear. On the contrary, enormous herds of buffaloes, with all the appearance of a sense of security, were seen far and near grazing under the broad undulations which swept away on all sides, vanished from the herd like so many trusty sentinels, the old bull sometimes snuffed the air and returned to their accustomed habits and nothing to excite alarm. The cows and their progeny in the inner circle, confiding in the watchfulness of the outposts of the herd, grazed with perfect composure. The antelope started at imaginary dangers could be seen galloping in the distance. The diminutive prairie dogs rushed to and fro, vigorously wagging their stumpy tails, barking fiercely and popping in and out of their underground dwellings. The wolf might be seen waiting for his prey or skulking out of the way of something more formidable than his questionable prowess would tempt him to encounter.
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All of the second day, the column moved onward. The destruction of fifteen wagons accelerated the rapidity of the march. The signs of Indian war parties were growing more frequent, but no hostile warrior had yet been seen. It was four o'clock in the afternoon as the column reached the summit of a divide. Two hundred warriors, mounted and painted with bows strung, now rose, as if by magic. It was evident from the actions that they had no disposition to attack, their object being to retard the movement of the column. They resorted to setting fire to the dry grass, to the windward and as an impediment to the march Detachment of troopers, well-mounted, made several dashes, but the savages, with their usual skill, avoided an encounter. From the persistence exhibited in declining an engagement, it was apparent that their main body had yet to come up, and until they were ready, it was a fruitless task to easy forcing an action. The troops therefore pushed forward, carefully protecting their flanks in rear from surprise.
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On the third day, the column, in battle array with trains in the center, moved out of camp. Early. An engagement was indeed expected, a distance of ten miles having been traversed. A strong party of savages clutched a standing in front, as if determined to quarrel with a firmer decisiveness the further progress of the troops. Accordingly, a cavalry squadron under Cain, shinovsky and Forbrush was ordered forward on the charge. The savages withdrew while the troopers pursued vigorously for three miles. The unit now halted and fell back to the main body. The Indians in turn charged. At this juncture, papoon scouts were also ordered to the front. The engagement now became more general. Several men dismounted and advanced as skirmishers. The savages fought on horseback, galloping along the front of the skirmishers, dodging behind their horses at an imaginary bullet or firing as favorable opportunity offered.
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As the column reached the summit of a commanding eminence, immense dust clouds rising in the distance indicated another large body moving away in great haste. There was now no doubt that the savages in front were a vital covering party to delay the advance of the column, while their families, lodges and stock were being hastened out of the reach of danger. With these inducements ahead, the men used every exertion to overtake and fall upon the moving villages. A dash made at this time brought the troops in possession of hundreds of cedar lodge poles, 400 dried buffalo hides and many other abandoned properties. These were destroyed. The column went end of camp late in the evening, utterly exhausted in the chase During the day the savages sustained a loss of ten warriors and seventy ponies killed, while on the side of the troops but several men were wounded. During the night, by the light of the burning plain, the flight of the savages could be traced for miles in the distance. During the night the savages had withdrawn and were miles away. The country had become more broken and challenging to travel. Further pursuit was in vain. Finally, after several days fruitless marching, the command retraced its steps to Fort Wallace. The success of the troops on the Republican and its tributaries compelled the savages to resort to new mode of tactics. By experience they had taught their inability to cope with any considerable force. Parties numbering twenty-five to a hundred warriors set out on expeditions in different directions but had a common rendezvous point. The following accounts reflect George Brown's story of the skirmishes on Beaver Creek from the life of George W Brown, kansas Historical Society Collections, vol 27.
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Soon after arriving at Fort Wallace, general Carr took command of a force with orders to clear the Republican region of Indians. His force was composed of the tenth cavalry and portions of other organizations. The noted Buffalo Bill accompanied the command. Our scout, lieutenant Papoon, was along. We struck the Republican River about forty miles below its forks, then followed up on the north side of the river. On day three our scouts were in front down on the Republican. We saw them riding back towards the command, closely pursued by hostiles. It was an exciting chase but the scouts escaped without injury.
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The whole force joined in a chase of the Indians but after a protracted effort we failed to catch the fleet-footed pony and his rider. Our horses were too clumsy and unfit for the race. After the command stopped giving up the chase, an Indian returned to sight, riding up to the top of a high ridge. Here the Indian pulled off several stunts with the pony, which seemed fleet and beautiful. His purpose was to irritate and tantalize. The pale-faced command Angered at him. Not wise, a scout with a long nose that had earned him the nickname Nosey, asked one of the soldiers for his long-range Springfield rifle gun, elevating the sight to nine hundred yards its limit. Nosey, making further allowance for distance by elevating the muzzle, drew down on our pony show in Indian and fired. Even quickly. We saw the pony fall from the shot. The late rider jumped to fellow's warrior pony astride and quickly disappeared. It was not long till the pony sprang up and commenced running, finally heading for our lines, being soon caught. We found that the bullet ripped off the bone projecting over the left eye, and after a bit of time he was alright. The pony carried into our lines a regulation Indian saddle which we secured. We took both along to Sheridan, at that time the terminus of the Kansas Pacific. There we sold it for thirty dollars, which afforded us plenty for a gala time frontier jamboree.
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These Indians abandoned the Republican country and headed south. General Carr was now ordered with his forces to Fort Lyon, colorado, and there, united with General Penrose's command, general Sheridan and Guster took over field operations and started a winter campaign. Thereafter, general's Penrose and Carr were ordered to unite with Sheridan and Custer at Fort Supply but got snowed in on the Paladora where they were forced to stay all winter, while Bill Hickock was a scout and guide for General Carr, while Buffalo Bill turned the trick for General Penrose. On November 5th, ten companies of the 19th Kansas Cavalry the volunteer organization 1000 Strong, ordered out for the campaign moved from their rendezvous at Topeka and rout for Camp Beecher at the mouth of the Little Ark, kansas. The next day, two companies of the same regiment 200 Strong, arrived at Fort Hayes. Several days after, the 7th Cavalry under Custer was ordered by a way of Fort Dodge to overtake Sully's column about to move south into the Canadian River Country. The same day, ten Kansas or Caw Indian scouts arrived. On November 13th, the 5th Cavalry under Carr left Fort Wallace for Fort Lyon, colorado Territory, which was fired as the point of departure of an independent column to advance into the Cimarron Country From Fort Bascom. The news was favorable to a start, at the proper moment, into the Wachita country. Instructions were also issued to the commanding officers of post-Salon the Railroad.
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By late November of 1868, everything had been accomplished, necessary for a campaign of six months. The troops assigned to duty in the field were remounted as far as needed to replace horses vilified as unfit for the service before them. Each man of every unit studied with a view of their capacity for maintaining the trial of a hazardous and trying campaign. During winter. Their arms and ammunition were thoroughly inspected to secure the most effective results. The war-like preparation which had been vigorously pushed forward under the immediate supervision of the commanding general Sheridan were now completed. For two months 500 government wagons had been in constant employment, transporting supplies from the railroad line to Fort Dodge on the Arkansas River, accumulating reserves to provide the depots which were to be established in the heart of the Indian country. The novelty and severity of a campaign in a wild and unsettled country and a mid-winter required no little judgment in getting up a suitable outfit, a couple of good horses, and types of equipment warm clothing, buffalo robes, blankets for sleeping, a good rifle, a brace of pistols, plenty of ammunition and the luxury of a pipe and tobacco were provided mainly for the campaign. Non-combatant Indian women and men would suffer as well as whites during the Sheridan Winter Campaign of 1868.
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That's it for now. Remember to check out our Wild West Podcast shows on iTunes or WildWestPodcastBuzzsproutcom. You can also catch us on Facebook at facebookcom slash Wild West Podcast or on our YouTube channel at Wild West Podcast Mike King YouTube. So make sure you subscribe to our shows listed at the end of the description text of this podcast to receive notifications on all new episodes. Thanks for listening to our podcast. If you have any comments or want to add to our series, please write us at WildWestPodcastcom. We will share your thoughts as they apply to future episodes. Next time we invite guest author D Cordray to discuss his new book Children of White Thunder as we further explore the Medicine Lodge Treaty, black Kettle's lack of control over the dog soldiers and Tall Bowl, the great dog soldier leader Later.
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