The movements, since our last "Record," of the column of troops under General Hancock against the Indians of the Plains have been very important, though quietly made. The difficulties between the settlers of Colorado and Kansas and the Cheyennes and Arapahoes have been going on for over three years. The first breach of the peace occurred on April 11, 1864, and was precipitated by the whites. Peace had previously existed between the Indians and whites since 1857, in which year a peace had been made with them, and a reservation in the southeast corner of Colorado assigned them, with certain annuities and the right to fish and hunt on the Smoky Hill and Arkansas rivers. The Indians were very weak after the war which closed in 1857, and were glad to accept and observe peace. Colorado and Kansas were rapidly settled during this era of peace, railroads were extended toward the plains, and telegraph and express lines were established across them. At last, having two or three regiments of Territorial troops organized and in the service of the Government, doing garrison duty at the various forts in the Territory, the people of Colorado, anxious to possess the land on which the Indians were located, began hostilities against them. On April 11, 1864, a band of friendly Cheyennes were accused of stealing cattle, and though they denied the charge and explained that the Kiowas had committed the outrage, the Colorado troops attempted, in obedience to orders from their Captain, to disarm the Indians. The latter resisted, and in the fight which ensued the Colorado men were worsted. Colonel Chivington, then commanding, as an officer of United States Volunteers, the District of Colorado, gave orders to his various subordinates to commence a regular series of operations against the Indians. In obedience to these orders Major Downing attacked and destroyed an Indian camp near Fort Dodge, killing forty men, women, and children. The Indians at once attempted to bring about an understanding, expressing themselves anxious for peace, and making efforts to secure it. Left-Hand, a chief of the Cheyennes, and Little Raven, a chief of the Arapahoes, with their bands, made their appearance simultaneously before Fort Larned and Fort Lyon, and made overtures of peace. Little Raven was kindly received at Fort Lyon by Major Wynkoop, commanding at that point, who told him that Colonel Chivington was at Fort Dodge, and would settle the terms of peace with Left-Hand. But that chief, on approaching Fort Larned, was fired upon by orders of Colonel Chivington and compelled to fly for safety. When Little Raven heard of this affair he abandoned his camp in front of Fort Lyon, and moving north on the Smoky Hill Overland Route began to depredate on the trains and committed several outrages, in which the rest of the Arapahoe and all the Cheyenne tribes refused to engage, and which all condemned. Subsequently Lieutenant Ayres encountered a band of peaceful Indians near Fort Larned; invited their chief into his camp, shot him, and then attacked the band, killing many. The Indians did not abandon their attempts at securing a peace, though they seemed to have lost all hope of success. They had confidence in Major Wynkoop and Colonel Colley, their agent; these officers had been steadfastly friendly to them, and two thousand of the two tribes under the principal chief of the Cheyennes, Black Kettle, made application on September 10, 1864, to them to bring about a council at which peace might be concluded. Major Wynkoop met the Indians near Fort Lyon; told them he had no power to conclude a peace; but promised the tribe the protection of the United States while the principal Chiefs went with him to Denver City and conferred with Governor Evans. This protection the tribes finally accepted; they pitched their camp near Fort Lyon, while Black Kettle and other Chiefs called on the Governor. They were referred by him to Colonel Chivington, who decided that he could not make peace without consulting his superiors. He advised the Indians to return to Fort Lyon, remain there under Major Wynkoop's protection, while he consulted with the Commander of the Department. Accepting his assurances of safety they returned to Fort Lyon, and remained in camp under the care of Major Wynkoop. This officer was soon relieved by Major Anthony, under orders from Colonel Chivington, and he repeated every assurance of protection. Here the Indians remained in camp for two months, protected and fed by Major Anthony. In the mean time Colonel Chivington had collected about a thousand men from various forts in the territory, and on November 28, 1864, made his appearance at Fort Lyon. At daylight on the next morning, against the entreaties and protests of Major Anthony, he marched out of Fort Lyon, attacked the Indian camp, and put (as he claims) over five hundred men, women, and children to the sword under circumstances of great cruelty. From this time forward all efforts at conciliation were abandoned. The Indians began their depredations

in earnest; an alliance of the five principal tribes of the Plains, the Comanches and Kiowas of Arkansas, the Cheyennes and Arapahoes of Colorado, and the Sioux and their numerous adherents of Nebraska and Dakota, was formed; and the war began in earnest. The routes to the west were continually interrupted, and hundreds of emigrants fell victims to the vengeance of the Indians. At last the "Chivington massacre" was avenged by the slaughter, on December 21, 1866, of a portion of the garrison of Fort Philip Kearney. Then the Government began to take steps for the protection of its troops and the Overland routes and railroads; and the present expeditions of Generals Hancock and Sully were planned. Our previous "Record" gave a summary of their movements up to April 19. General Hancock has since that time been engaged in holding councils with the Indians, but while doing so has gradually placed his forces on the upper Arkansas River, and thus interposed between and separated the Comanches and Kiowas from their allies, the Cheyennes and Arapahoes. The forces moving along the Platte River have succeeded in interposing in the same manner between the Sioux and Cheyennes and Arapahoes; and thus the allied Indians are debarred from concentration, and indeed from co-operative action. But while the presence of these troops has had the effect of keeping the Indians along the railroads quiet, the Sioux to the north and their allies in Dacotah and Montana have engaged in a regular campaign against the forts in those Territories and along the Upper Platte River.

Source:

Unknown, "Monthly Record of Current Events, The Indian War", Harper's New Monthly Magazine, New York, Harper & Bros., Volume 35, Issue 206, (July, 1867), pp. 263-264