commander in this fight. They claim that there was great provocation. Women and children, as well as men, had been killed by Indians and their bodies horribly mutilated. The white people had reached a condition of terror and they must either flee from the country or rise up in their might and destroy these Indians root and branch. Major E. W. Wynkoop, First Colorado Veteran Cavalry, claimed at the time that the Sand Creek affair cost the lives of hundreds of white people, who were afterwards killed in revenge by the savages, but this officer proves by his voluminous writings on the subject that he was fond of notoriety, as well as having an exalted opinion of his own ability as a military commander. For the sake of brevity, I will confine the Sand Creek affair to the official report of Commander Chivington, which reads as follows:

"Having ascertained that the hostile Indians had proceeded south from the Platte and were almost within striking distance of Fort Logan, I ordered Colonel George L. Shoup, Third Regiment Colorado Volunteer Cavalry, 100days' service, to proceed with the mounted men of his regiment in that direction. On November 20th I left Denver, and at Booneville, Colorado Territory, on the 24th of November joined and took command in person of the expedition, which had been increased by battalion First Cavalry of Colorado, consisting of detachments of Companies C, E and H. I proceeded with the utmost caution down the Arkansas River, and on the morning of the 28th ultimo arrived at Fort Lyon, to the surprise of the garrison of that post. On the same evening I resumed my march, being joined by Major Scott J. Anthony, First Cavalry of Colorado, with 125 men of said regiment, consisting of detachments of Companies D, G and K, with two howitzers. The command then proceeded in a northeasterly direction, traveling all night, and at daylight of 29th November striking Sand Creek, about forty miles from Fort Lyon. Here was discovered an Indian village of 130 lodges, comprised of Black Kettle's band of Cheyennes and eight lodges of Arapahoes with Left Hand. My line of battle was formed with Lieutenant Wilson's battalion, First Regiment, numbering about

men, on the right; Colonel Shoup's (Third) regiment, numbering about 450 men, in the center, and Major Anthony's battalion, numbering 125 men, First Regiment, on the left.

The attack was immediately made upon the Indian camp by Lieutenant Wilson, who dashed forward, cutting the enemy off from the herd, and driving them out of their camp, which was subsequently destroyed. The Indians, numbering from 900 to 1,000, though taken by surprise, speedily formed a line of battle across the creek, about three-fourths of a mile above the village, stubbornly contesting every inch of ground. The commands of Colonel Shoup and Major Anthony pressed rapidly forward and attacked the enemy sharply, and the engagement became general, we constantly driving the Indians, who fell back from one position to another, for five miles, and finally abandoned resistance and dispersed in all directions, and were pursued by my troops until nightfall. It may perhaps be unnecessary for me to state that I captured no prisoners. Between 500 and 600 Indians were left dead upon the ground; about 550 ponies, mules and horses were captured, and all their lodges were destroyed, the contents of which have served to supply the command with an abundance of trophies, comprising the paraphernalia of Indian warfare and life. My loss was eight killed on the field and forty wounded, of which two have since died. Of the conduct of the Third Regiment, 100 days' service, I have to say that they well sustained the reputation of our Colorado troops for bravery and effectiveness, were well commanded by their gallant young Colonel, George L. Shoup, ably assisted by Lieutenant-Colonel L. L. Bowen, Major Hal Sayr, and Captain Theodore G. Cree, commanding First, Second and Third Battalions of that regiment. Of the conduct of the two battalions of the First Regiment, I have but to remark that they sustained their reputation as second to none, and were ably handled by their commanders, Major Anthony, Lieutenant Wilson and Lieutenant Clark Dunn, upon whom the command devolved after the disabling of Lieutenant Wilson from wounds received. Night coming on, the pursuit of the flying Indians was of necessity abandoned and my command encamped within sight of the field. On the 1st instant, having sent the wounded and dead to Fort Lyon, the first to be cared for, the last to be buried upon our own soil, I resumed the pursuit in the direction of Camp Wynkoop, on the Arkansas River, marching all night of the 3rd and 4th instant, in hopes of overtaking a large encampment of Arapahoes and Cheyennes under Little Robe Little (Raven), but the enemy had been apprised of my advance, and on the morning of the 5th instant, at 3 o'clock, precipitately broke camp

and fled. My stock was exhausted. For 100 miles the snow had been two feet deep, and for the previous fifteen days (excepting on November 29th and 30th) the marches had been forced and incessant. Under these circumstances, and the fact of the time of the Third Regiment being nearly out, I determined for the present to relinquish the pursuit. Of the effect of the punishment sustained by the Indians you will be the judge. Their chiefs, Black Kettle, White Antelope, One Eye and Knock Knee were among the killed, and their bands almost annihilated. I was shown the scalp of a white man found in one of the lodges, which could not have been taken more than two or three days previous. The evidence is most conclusive that these Indians are the worst that have infested the routes on the Platte and Arkansas Rivers during the last spring and summer. Amongst the stock captured were the horses and mules taken by them from Lieutenant Chase, First Cavalry of Colorado, last September. Several scalps of white men and women were found in their lodges; also various articles of clothing belonging to white persons."

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE BLOODY YEAR ON THE PLAINS.

INDIANS BECOME EXPERTS IN KILLING AND ROBBING-HOSTILITIES OPEN ON JANUARY 7-CAPTAIN O'BRIEN'S DESPERATE FIGHT AGAINST OVERWHELMING NUMBERS-THE BURNING OF JULESBURG STATION—THE ATTACK ON MUD SPRINGS STATION-COLONEL COLLINS BRINGS RELIEF-FIGHT AT RUSH CREEK-DESTRUCTION OF THE TELEGRAPH LINE-COLONEL COLLINS RETURNS TO FORT LARAMIE-HIS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT-ORGANIZATION OF THE DepartMENT OF THE PLAINS-GENERAL CONNOR PLACED IN COMMANDINDIANS ATTACK DEER CREEK STATION-Colonel MOONLIGHT'S ExPEDITION ΤΟ WIND RIVER-RENEWED TROUBLE AT JULESBURG— CAPTURE OF TWO FACE AND BLACKFOOT-THEIR EXECUTION AT FORT LARAMIE RESCUE OF MRS. EUBANKS-THE SCHUYLER COLFAX PARTY.

I now come to that important year of Indian troubles in this section, 1865. The hostiles were in arms in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, the greater part of Wyoming, and in what is now North and South Dakota. The Indians did not wait for grass for their ponies, but subsisted their forces on the goods they could capture along the mail and passenger routes running west from the Missouri River. They were successful in their marauding expeditions and consequently were encouraged to push their hostility to the farthest limit. That will ever be known as the bloody year on the plains. There was trouble on the Smoky Hill road in Kansas, also along the Arkansas and on the Republican in the same state. Hostile bands were prowling along all roads leading into Denver and along the Platte River. By some means they possessed themselves of plenty of arms and ammunition and an encounter with them was by no means an event devoid of danger. The hostile attitude of the savages and their intention to wage a bloody war that season was well known to the government. Captain Nicholas J. O'Brien had been sent the fall before to the mouth of Pole Creek with instructions to build a post in that vicinity. The lo

cality was in the neighborhood of Julesburg, an important station on the Overland, as it was a distributing point for stores. The new post when completed was called Fort Sedgwick and Captain O'Brien was made the commander. This post, like others on the road, sent out escorts with freight trains and coaches and the garrison was kept busy during the winter.

The Indians had by this time become experts in killing and robbing. They had learned the value of government trains loaded with clothing, blankets, ammunition, subsistence and supplies and they made strong efforts to capture these, together with the teams of fine government mules. The stage stations also contained a large amount of choice goods, a fact that was well known to the Indians.

On January 7th, 1865, a large force of Indians under Man-Afraid-of-His-Horses and other chiefs made an attack on an incoming stage and came very near capturing it, but fortunately it escaped to the station, having one man and one horse killed. Captain O'Brien discovered the Indians and hastily mounted thirty-seven men and leaving twelve at the fort in charge of two pieces of artillery, he dashed down on the savages. Riding to a bluff about half a mile from the fort, they discovered that the Indians were in strong force, but the little band was not dismayed at this. The charge was sounded and the gallant heroes, with the clatter of hoofs and shouts, were soon in the midst of the savages, fighting, as never soldiers fought before, the large force opposed to them. The Indians in their turn, with overwhelming numbers, charged back upon the white men and for a time the carnage went on. At last Captain O'Brien, finding nearly half of his men killed, ordered the remainder to fall back, which they did, but kept up a fire which prevented the Indians from cutting them off from the fort, which the now exulting foe were attempting. Fourteen of the thirty-seven enlisted men lay dead on the field. The Indians, with savage shout and maddened fury, now attempted to storm the fort. Fortunately the garrison possessed two pieces of artillery and these were brought out