Pawnee Indian Scouts in the United States Army, 1864-1877
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WARPARTY IN BLUE: PAWNEE INDIAN SCOUTS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY, 1864-1877 By MARTINUS JOHANNES MARIA VAN DE LOGT Bachelor of Arts Kruisheren Kollege Uden, The Netherlands 1989 Master of Arts Utrecht University Utrecht, The Netherlands 1995 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August, 2002 COPYRIGHT By Martinus Johannes Maria van de Logt August, 2002 WARPARTY IN BLUE: PAWNEE INDIAN SCOUTS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY, 1864-1877 Thesis Approved: Thesis Advisor a . ~ Sb. <iJq,u,,,,,;kY l V ~j~._,l!:;;c ii PREFACE ,.~, .,.•,.•,.r-;. '~ ... f'l-~· ~-. -· . This study relates the contributions of.several-hundred--Ra~"Ilee Indians wh0,""' served as scouts in the United States Army between 1864 and 1877. Under the command of Major Frank J. North, these Indians assisted the frontier army in the military pacification of the West. They led missioils deep into contested territory, tracked hostile bands and guided the army to their camps, spearheaded attacks into enemy villages, carried messages and dispatches between different commands, guarded construction crews of the Union Pacific Railroad against Indian raiders, and, on more than one occasion, saved American troops from disaster in battle. The scouts were part of Major North's Pawnee Battalion. This unit soon established a reputation as highly effective and disciplined fighting force. This dissertation studies the reasons why the Pawnees were such successful allies of the United States. It argues that the Pawnees applied their knowledge and experiences of Plains Indian warfare to their new role as scouts for the frontier army. Although some officials in the War Department argued that military service would have a "civilizing" effect on the scouts, their service, in fact, reinforced many of their traditional war-related values and customs. As scouts they continued to fight their traditional enemies, the Sioux and the Cheyennes. Military service allowed them to exact revenge on these enemies with the approval and the guns of the Great Father in Washington, and be paid for doing so as iii well. Their mode of warfare, based on stealth and surprise, changed little, if at all. They also continued to count coups, take scalps, and practice their war-related ceremonies. Although they wore the uniform of the United States Cavalry with pride, they never ceased to be Pawnees. The Pawnee Battalion was, in many regards, a war party in blue. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS History is notwritten-in avacumniHming the process of writing this dissertation, I received the help and encouragement of many people. I owe a great debt to the following people: My fellow graduate students at OSU, Kevin Sweeney, James and Teresa Klein, Carter Mattson, Shelly Lemons, Lisa Guinn, Tom Jorsch, Hyun Hong, Aaron Christensen, Stacy Reeves, Stefanie Decker, Todd Leahy, Krista Schnee, and H. Greg Maphet. They have been of greater help and support than they could ever imagine, and I feel proud to be able to call them my friends. The Faculty of the History Department at OSU, particularly Dr. William S. Bryans, Dr. Elizabeth A. Williams, and Dr. Ronald A. Petrin, for taking the risk of accepting me into the program and offering me an assistantship on top of it. I hope I did not shame their confidence in me. Also, the Raymond D. Estep, LeRoy H. Fischer, Berlin B. Chapman, and Townsend Memorial foundations for their financial support. Their funds enabled me to travel to distant archives and institutions to do research. Special thanks to Susan Oliver and Diana Hover, our departmental secretaries, who helped me on numerous occasions and always did so with a smile. The staff of the Edmond Low Library at OSU. particularly John Philips and his staff in Government Documents, Helen Clements and her colleagues at the Reference Desk, David Peeters and his staff in Special Collections, and, finally Micki White, and Kenda Hill, and all the other wonderful people in Inter-Library Services. This dissertation V could never have been accomplished without their patient aid and suggestions. Ramona Osborn and Mattie and Elmer Fish of"Little Eagle and Associates," placed their confidence in me when they hired me to do some research on the Pawnee Scouts. I hope to return the gift with this dissertation. The staffs of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, the Western History Collections of the University of Oklahoma, the -- ~-·-······· .,,~,,--;,!vieFarlin Library·in·'.ful:sa, Oklahoma, and the Nebraska S-tate--Historieal·Society;-biricbln,·· Nebraska. The Harrison family in Stillwater, Lynn and Kathy, for their trust and support, and Mike, for reminding me that there was another world outside of history books. Most of the credit for this work should go to the members ofmy committee. Without the support and encouragement of Dr. L. G. Moses, my advisor, I probably would never have finished this dissertation. I thank him for his patience, wise counseling, and the occasional push whenever I needed it. I will also miss those Friday evening gatherings at his house with the other graduate students, and wonder who will throw the ball for Spunky (the dog) now. Dr. Michael M. Smith and his wife Lynn "adopted" me after my arrival in Stillwater. They made me feel at home even though I was thousands of miles away from friends and family. I will always treasure their friendship. Dr. Joseph A. Stout, my fellow "Dutchman," never failed to make me laugh even while he kept my feet close to the fire at all times. Dr. Donald N. Brown, of the Sociology Department at OSU, whose suggestions encouraged me to explore new directions. But most thanks are due to my father, mother, and my brothers back home. My father and mother never enjoyed a secondary education as their help was needed in rebuilding the country after the war. But they saw to it that I always got what I needed, and more. Although they never uttered a complaint, they never quite understood what I was doing and why it was necessary to vi travel thousands of miles to do it. I hope this dissertation may explain. It is, after all, dedicated to them. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................... 1 .•-·· .· ~~··. ,--·-.-~· .. r. v~........ ___ ,,- 2. PAWNEE DIPLOMACY AND WARFARE, 1550-1864 ................. 12 3. AWARRIOR'S LIFE CYCLE: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PAWNEE WAR COMPLEX, 1550-1864 ...................................... 38 4. U.S. MILITARY STRATEGY AND THE RECRUITMENT OF THE PAWNEE SCOUTS ...................................................... 65 5. ONTHEPOWDERRIVERCAMPAIGNWITHCONNOR, 1865 ..........95 6. GUARDINGTHEUNIONPACIFICRAILROAD, 1867-1868 ........... 123 7. THE REPUBLICANR..TVEREXPEDITION AND THE BATTLE OF SUMMIT SPRINGS, 1869 ................................................ 158 8. FREELANCE SCOUTING OPERATIONS, 1870-1874 ................. 206 9. THE POWDER RIVER CAMPAIGN WITH CROOK AND MACKENZIE, 1876-1.877 ..................................................... 249 10. HOMECOMING ................................................ 309 11. CONCLUSION ................................................. 317 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................... 324 APPENDICES .......................................................... 345 viii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION " ~-., . .: ._.,._.,,., .,~ - In 1867, General Christopher C. Augur defended his use of Indian Scouts against the criticism of officials in the Interior Department, who believed that military service \.' retarded efforts to "civilize" these Indians. According to Augur, Indian scouts were not only effective military allies, but their service would prepare them for entrance into white society as well. "It opens to those people a useful career, [and] renders them tractable and obedient, educating them more effectually than can be done in any other way." General William T. Sherman agreed. "Ifwe can convert the wild Indians into a species of organized cavalry," Sherman mused,"... it accomplishes a double purpose, in talcing them out of temptation of stealing and murdering, and will accustom them to regular habits and discipline, from which they will not likely depart when discharged."1 1 General Christopher Columbus Augur quoted in Robert Bruce, The Fighting Norths and Pawnee Scouts: Narratives and Reminiscences ofMilitary Service on the Old Frontier (New York: Privately Published, 1932), 10. General William T. Sherman quoted in Robert Wooster, The Military and United States Indian Policy, 1865-1903 (Lincoln: University ofNebraska Press, 1988), 128. General George Crook, who commanded the Pawnee Scouts during the Powder River Expedition of 1876, also believed that military service had a positive effect on Indians: "One thing is certain, [military service] is the entering wedge by which the tribal organization is broken up, making way for civilizing and Christianizing influences. As a soldier the Indian wears the unifonn, draws rations and pay, and is in all respects on an equal footing with a white man. It demonstrates to his simple mind in the most positive manner that we have no prejudice against him on account of his race, and that while he behaves himself he will be treated the same as a white man. Returning to his tribe after this service he is enabled to see beyond the old superstition that has governed his people, and thinks and decides for himself." General George Crook to General Philip H. Sheridan, October 30, 1876. The letter was published in