Fort McPherson, 1871 Th0ugh the old year had ended in relative calm at Fort McPher• son, things were slightly more lively at Fort Sedgwick, Colorado Territory, located on the South Platte, just a few miles from the Nebraska state line. Events there, which relate to Fort McPherson, were reported in the Nebraska press: FT. SEDWICK, C. T. /Wednesday,/ Jan. 4, 1871. To the Editor of the HERALD: Deeming it of sufficient importance, I would res• pectfully invite your attention to the circumstances con• nected with a scout made from this post, consisting of a Seargent and eight men, accompanied by Mr. Reubfn Wood, Will Greenham /sic, Greenbow/, George Larson and Mr. James Miller, his employes, in search of a number of cattle that strayed from the corral of Mr. Wood. The party left here on /Thursday,/ the 28th ult., in fine spirits and in full expectation of success. They took the trail of General Carr's expedition until they struck Frenchman's Fork, following the creek due south /It runs almost entirely in a southeastern direction./ a distance of some fifty miles, when they reached a wooded country which has heretofore not been known. Diligent search was made, but their efforts were not rewarded with success, other than finding the trail of the cattle, and by a sur• prise of Indians, by whom they were surrounded while crossing -- - ~ - -------------------------------,- 1871 - 2 ~ a ravine about fifty miles below the place where they first struck the cre•k, to the number of 75 to 100. The tribe was evidently intent on mischief, but seeing the determined atti• tude of our little party contented themselves with a few "How How's," and withdrew, with a present of a small amount of coffee and sugar, much to our satisfaction. The parley between the two parties was quite amusing. The Indians finding that we were prepared for them displayed a flag of truce, which was answered by Mr. Wood, with a towel fastened to the muzzle -. of a"musket. The Indians were very anxious to approach us in numbers, but were not permitted, more than one at a time •. While in conf-lab with the Chief the contrast was striking, Mr. Wood standing with his musket, with the towel in the muzzle, against the breast of the Chief, at the same time the soldiers with their aim at the others, who were trying to move up after the Indian Chief. The Indiana were then motioned back by the Chief, and withdrew from the ravine, when the Chief was taken to our wagons and given some coffee, sugar and crackers, after which we were enabled to turn back, and go up out of the ravine and reach the table land. We traveled till dark that night, unmolested, but after dark were again made aware of their following us by their fire-lights a half mile in our rear, but keeping up a brisk march, arrived in camp in safety, where we kept a sharp lo0kout until daylight next morning; then, starting for the Platte, and 7 arrived here at this post about 10 o'clock that night, but, 1871 - 3 very much to our dissatisfaction, leaving the trail of our cattle, which we have every reason to believe we would have got that afternoon. rt is now hoped that there will be, at once, men sent out and recover the loss that Mr. Wood has met with. Respectfully J. BURGESS /Omaha Weekly Herald, Wednesday, 11 January 1871./ Mr. Burgess was a greenhorn traveling with the above group, ap• fY-•••~1,, fro._~;t)• parently, from the mixed tone of his letter. Except1 for the experience of Reuben Wood, it~ would have been easy for the confrontation to to the Indian, during negotiations, to Burgess, but it is plain from the rest of the letter that they hurried, if not ran scared, back to Fort Sedgwick. Savages should not be able to do this to superior whites is the message of this letter, not always written between the lines. But, in all probability, the Indians had no more plans than at what they succeeded--the intimidation of the party and the "gifts" of coffee and sugar. Since the encounter with the Indians an~he trail of the cattle had ended in Southwest Nebraska--probably Chase County, word of the event was telegraphed to Headquarters, Department of the Platte, in Omaha, and then forwarded to General Emory at Fort McPherson, requesting that he send troops t@ the area, if feasible. Emory answered: 1871 - - Fort McPherson /Saturday, January/ 7 1871 To Genl C/hristopher/ C/olon/ Augur Cavalry can be sent without harm to Frenchmans fork provided corn is sent to feed the animals and I have wagons enough to feed a squadron ten lays A hunting party of L company came in today which met another party of half breeds from North Platte directly from the Medicine south of O Fallons who saw no tndians The country south has many small parties of whites trapping and hunting and I do not believe there are any Indians but if you say the word I can send a squadron to look without injury to the horses. w. H. Emory Col Comdg I A few hours later, Colonel Emory sent a follow-up telegram to General Augur: I wish to modify my telegram of this date slightly Since sending it information of a letter from a noted Indian E~pert has been received here saying Indians from Red Cloud Reservation have gone South my exact information does not extend south of the Medicine if it is concluded to send out Command please order the man who saw the Indian to accompany & show the locality. I Plans proceeded for an expedition to the Frenchman in search of Wood's cattle. On the 7th, the day it was to depart, the follwwing telegram was sent to the Department of the Platte, 1871 - S Ft McPherson Nebr /Wednesday,f January/ 11 1871 To Maj Geo D Ruggles Two parties of Indians supposed to be Sioux are reported to have crossed the Platte within the last forty eight hours going south the first party twenty five in number with three (3) horses crossed between Willow ~eland and Plum creek the other party twenty two in number with two horses crossed be- tween Brady Island & Willow Island these parties were dis- mounted & the information seems to be reliable. AB Tay.lor Capt 5th Cavalry Comdg I It may be wondered why the above was sent by Captain Taylor, rather than by Colonel Emory. It is likely the Colonel was very busy that day, as explained in the folliwing letter: FT. McPHERSON /Wednesday,/ Jan. 11, 1871. To the Editor of the HERALD: Reuben Wood, post trader at Sedgwick, reached here a few days ago with a telegram from General Augur, asking the commandant of this post to send an esc0rt with him (Wood) into the Indian country to search for eighty-three head of stock which the Sioux had d.riven off, and Company I, in command of Major /Gustavus/ Urban, was to have started after them this morning, but just after the reveille had been sounded the post was thrown into a startle of great excitement by the report that Major Urban had committed suicide, and upon examination, the report was found to be true. His wife states that he arose as usual at about half past six, this morning and soon afterwards she heard the 1871 - & ~ report of a pistol; upon rushing into the parlor she found her husband dead. The deed seemed to have been deliberate, for he had first placed a newspaper under his bead, apparently for the purpose of keeping the blood from staining the carpet, and then inserting the muzzle of a Colt's revolver into his mouth, pulled the trifger, and in an instant was dead. The ball entered the roof of his mouth and passed out through the top of his head. The expedition will probably be delayed until orders can be received from Omaha. Captain /Alfred Bronaugh/ Taylor will, it is thought, be placed in command, General Carr being sick and he (Captain Taylor) being the senior officer at this post. Buffalo Bill, Rube Wood, Will Greenbow andJt myself will accompany the troops. Cody, as guide and scout, Wood, Gree~ow and your humble servant, will probably be of great help to the troops (in keeping their extra ration from spoiling). Should anything of importance occur I will report, from the nearest mail or telegraph station, and if, on our return, I~ can find a fat buffalo calf, I will send you the "hind" quarters. I killed my first buffalo yesterday, and at once secured bis "caudle appendage" as a trophy. Heap big hunter. Yours truly, D. F. POWELL P.s. The report has just eeached here that John Weister, the Indian hunter, has met with a very serious accident. It ➔ seems that while snipe hunting, this morning, his horse threw 1871 - 1 him and fractured his media-externo-superficial faschia. Doctor Home~ Worden is doing all in his power to relieve the suffer. /David Franklin Powell, letter, Omaha Weekly Herald, W~4nesday, 18 January 1871, reprinted from, Paul D. Riley, "Dr. David Franklin Powell and Fort McPherson"; Nebraska H1.story, Vol. 51, No. 2 (Summer 1970), 154-55; hereafter cited as Riley, "Dr. Powell"./ Dr. Elbrey•s report of the suicide adds little to Powell's letter, ~ - only saying that, "The motive that induced the act remains un• known.• He was a man of very temperate habits, he enjoyed excellent health and seemed happy and content." /11P°st Surgeon's Returns", January 1871./ The expedition in search of Wood's cattle was delayed for nearly two weeks, or at least Companies Hand I left for thef,publican on Tuesday, January 24th, returning Thursday, February 2nd.