The War On The Plains Has Begun In Earnest.
The War On The Plains
Has Begun In Earnest.

Lodges of the Chiefs.
Lodges of the Chiefs in the Indian Village
Captured by General Hancock.--
(Sketched by T. R. Davis.)

May 11, 1867]     HARPER'S WEEKLY     301

The Indian War.

    The war on the plains has begun in earnest. Our previous reports of operations to April 15, announced the conference of General Hancock with the Cheyennes at Fort Larned, and the subsequent abandonment by the Indians of their village near the fort, and their flight westward. The village was occupied, and General Custer was sent in pursuit of the flying savages. Shortly after leaving the vicinity of Fort Larned the Cheyennes made their appearance at "Lookout" and two other stations on the "Smoky Hill Route," burning the buildings and killing three men. The settlers in the vicinity had been apprised of the murderous designs of the Indians, and General Custer's command continued in hot pursuit of the savages. A large force of Indians was at last accounts concentrating in the vicinity of Fort Benton, and a regiment of troops had been sent from Helena, Montana Territory, to oppose them. At Fort Mitchell a party of soldiers crossed the river, surprised an Indian camp, and succeeded in killing seven of the savages. The Indians, however, eventually forced the soldiers to retire within the fort. From all these indications it would seem that we are to have a long and bloody war with the savages.

Ned Wynkoop and Dick Curtis.
Colonel Edward Wynkoop and His Interpreter.--
(Sketched by T. R. Davis.)

Old Sioux Indian.
Old Sioux Indian Captured by General Hancock.--
(Sketched by T. R. Davis.)

    Our correspondence and illustrations relate to the capture of the Indian village near Fort Larned, of which we had previous accounts. Our artist writes:
    "The Indian camp was deserted on the night of April 15. The lodges of the chiefs, which are made of dressed skins with the hairy side within, were almost the only perfect ones in the camp, large pieces having been cut from most of the others, evidently for the purpose of securing a covering that would shelter the Indians in their flight. In the lodges were skins, headmats, and utensils of different kinds. The head-mats are made of small willows strung together with buffalo sinew. The bowls and spoons are made of wood; drums, shaped more like tambourines than any thing else, were strewn about plentifully; an occasional tomahawk, and bags of kinekenic and roots, paint, dried meat, etc., piles of robes - some dressed and ready for market - were found; but the greater number of the skins were undressed.
    "In one of the lodges an old Sioux was found. Curtis, the interpreter, learned from him that he had been left by his band, who told him that they would come back for him as soon as the troops left. The old man was extremely emaciated, and almost unable to move. He stated that the Cheyennes desired to fight; but the Sioux would not accede to the proposition, and left. The Cheyennes soon after became frightened, and also left.
    "This old Indian was placed under the kindly care of Colonel Edward Wynkoop, the Indian agent, who accompanies the Expedition, and whose portrait as well as that of his interpreter, Dick Curtis, I herewith forward. Colonel Wynkoop left Pennsylvania with Governor Geary and came to Kansas during the early troubles. During the war he served with marked distinction in the West. He was the officer selected to arrange with the Indians for the presents given to them to make good their loss at Sand Creek. Since that time Colonel Wynkoop has been appointed agent for the Cheyennes, Arapahoe, and Apache tribes. His management of these tribes has been satisfactory in the highest degree. His knowledge of Indians and their habits is probably more extensive than that possessed by any person that has occupied the position of agent for a long time. His interpreter, Dick Curtis, is a native of Onandagua county, New York, but scarcely remembers when he left the eastern country. He is a shrewd, plain man, up to all the tricks of the Indian, and thoroughly conversant with their dialect. He is one of the features of the expedition."


Source:

Davis, Theodore R., "The Indian War," Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization, New York, Saturday, 11 May 1867, Vol. XI., No. 541, pp. 301-302.


Notes:

    The original title of this article is The Indian War, a title that was used on a weekly basis by Harper's Weekly and even the New York Times during the 1860s and 1870s. To avoid some confusion with these other numerous articles, I've taken the first line of this particular article and used it as a new title.

    Ned's interpreter in this engraving has been variously mis-identified as Edmund Guerrier, or John S. Smith, (both of whom Ned did work with on occasion.) Smith survived the Sand Creek Massacre, although his wife and son, Jack, did not. It's a pleasure to set the record straight on Curtis' identity. This has been a long time coming.

    For more on Theodore R. "Dick" Curtis, I recommend the following article:

The Ranch at the Great Bend.

  

    For those of you interested in such things, here are pictures of the real Edmund Guerrier and John S. Smith for comparison:

Edmund Guerrier.
Edmund Guerrier.

    You will find more information on him at:

True Heart, The Story of Edmund Guerrier.

  

John Simpson Smith.
Camp Weld, 1864
Top Row: Dexter Colley, John Simpson Smith, Heap of Buffalo
Bottom Row: Bull Bear, Black Kettle
Kneeling: Maj. Edward W. Wynkoop.

Photographed by George D. Wakely, Ned's father-in-law.

    For Smith's testimony on the Sand Creek Massacre in front of Congress, please see:

Congressional Testimony of Mr. John S. Smith, Washington, March 14, 1865.

    For those interested in such things, Ned's interpreter in September of 1868, shortly before the Battle of the Washita, was the famous half-breed, George Bent:

George Bent.
George Bent

    In Sept 1868 I crossed the Arkansas River with Cheyennes. Dog Soldiers were camped on Smoky hill River same time I was Maj. Wynkoops Interpreter then I told Wynkoop I was going up to Colorado to see my sister Mary and my brother Robert. After the villages moved across I left it went to Colorado so I was not in the Way but fights when up there I met Wm Cody and Wild Bill. Both of them was Government scouts. At Fort Lyon but I was offered $10oo a day by War department to act as Chief of Scouts I was Employed by Interior department at same time (at $5oo a day and would not except this other) and did not want to go against my own people I will write more right away about other matters

Respectfully
Geo Bent
[1]
    [1] Source:

Colorado Historical Society
Denver, Colorado
Mss # 54
Box # 1
FF # 2
pp. 7-8.

    Enjoy!

    Chris

Created April 29, 2002; Revised March 21, 2004
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