UNITED STATES-SOUTHERN PliAlNS IN )IAK REUTIO^:^j 1865-1868 by AVOHLEE FENTRESS ENGLISH, B.A. A THESIS IN HISTORY Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Technological College in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER a? ARTS Approved May, 1962 f ACKNa\^L5DGMENTS I am deeply indebted to Dr. Ernest V/allace for his Invaluable assistance as thesis director and to Dr. David Vigness and Dr. Everett A. Oillis for their suggestions in writing the paper. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLSDCmSNTS 11 I. INTRODUCTION I RELATIONS BEFORE I865 • . 1 II. THE TREATIES OF THE LITTLE ARKANSAS ... 13 III, THE INVESTIGATION PERIOD 59 X\r. THE TREATIES OF MEDICINE LOD(ffi CREEK ... 8I V. PEACE AT LAST 132 BIBLIOGRAPHY , l4l ill CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: RELATIONS BEFORE 1865 The close of the Civil War marked a new era in the developmsnt of the American West. The relentless conquering spirit of the new nation had incited settlement to the Miaalaalppl River, which, after Jumping the Plains, developed along the Pacific coast. A sudden burst of expansionism into the undeveloped area at the end of battle was to be ex­ pected. The broad Great Plains, ruled coo^letely by nature's will, still remained in possession of the Indians. When migration over the old and the newly-developing traila aharply Increaaed and settlers moved onto the Plains, the tribes retaliated with devastating force. A bitter and long- laatlng struggle ensued to determine who would gain undis­ puted possession of the territory. Althoiigh the conflict lasted many years, the Imn^dlate events from I865 to I868 marked the termination of the reign of the powerful tribes' on the laat frontier. The conteated land was abundant in nature's roya- terlea. The High Plains, extending roughly from the Platte River to the Caprock in Texas and from the 98th to the 104th meridian, has three main characteristicsi its comparative level and treeless surface, and Its sub-humidity. The rain­ fall averagea from thirty Inches yearly along the eastern border to ten on the west, and the rate of evaporation is 1 exceedingly high. The almost incessant wind, which blows harder and stronger than any where else in the United States except along the coast, dominates the extremely cold winters and excessively hot summers. The principal vegetation cover­ ing the vaat surface was one of the varieties of short grasses known as grama, buffalo, or meaqulte. The buffalo. Jack rabbit, antelope, prairie dog, wolf, and coyote were the principal animals that ranged ita wide expanse. The major tribes inhabiting the aouthem Plaina in 1865 were the Comanchea, Kiowas, Apachea, Arapahoea, and Oieyennea. The Cheyennes and Arapahoea, both belonging to the Algonquin llnguiatic family, held the territory between the upper North Platte and the upper Arkansas rivers east of the mountaina to about the ninety-eighth meridian. Their location placed them adjacent to the Oregon and Santa Pe^ roads and astride the newer route to Denver. The area south­ ward to the Rio Grande between the cross timbers on the east and the Pecoa River on the weat waa the hunting grounda of the fierce Comanchea, who were divided into several bands. Their warlike allies, the Kiowas and Apaches, Jointly with them occupied the region between the Arkansas and Red rivers. Walter Prescott Webb, The Great Plains (Boatons , pp. 3-^*37 ntheae Apaches, aometiraea called Kiowa-Apaches, formed one band In the Kiowa camp circle. Long before the arrival of the white men, these non- agriottltitral and noBMEMllc Zndiane, dependent on the buffalo for all their neceaeltiea, had oucceaafully adapted their oiilturaX patterns to their environment.^ The aarllaet whlta men with whom the southern Plains trlbas were associated were the traders. Xn I828 William Bent established a trading post, later known as Bent's Fort, on the upper Arkansas, near present La JUnta, Colorado, and from there carrlsd on an extensive trade with all the above named tribes. He sent representatives to the Canadian River, who built two posts, one across from the mouth of White Dear Creek and another at the mouth of Red Deer Creek. Because of his fair dealings and Just treatoent of the Indians, Bent h and his men maintained their reciprocal good relations. Sven before the 1820's the Plains tribes felt the effects of the westward migration. Bands living along tha aastsm High Plains moved west into the Arkansas Valley and southimrd because of white settlers taking their land. The increased pressure caused the warriors to strike back at the 3jamss Mooney, ''Calendar History of the Kiowa In­ dians,** Bureau of American Sthnology aaventaenth Jtopual He- port* Part X (Washington, 1898); Ernest Wailace and s. AiSCm- SSnnoebel, the Coroanches* Lords of the i^th Plains (Normans tM.versi^ orTJkianoina hr^sa, 1^52). ^Qsonge Bird Chrinnell, **Bsnt's Old Fort and its Builders,** Kounsas Historical Society Collections, Vol. XV ll^opakm, 1922), p. 42, footnote 22, cited by Rupert Nerval growing number of whites croaaing their region. Not only did they attack outlying defenseless settlements; they also harz^asaed the wagon trains on the westward trails. The raids became so devastating that at times commmication be­ tween the east and west was almost broken as the warrlora looted property and killed men, women, and children.^ The Plains problem was unique. Elsewhere the In­ dians had been pushed westward by the white migration. John C. Calhoun, Secretary of War in 1823> had initiated the' policy of setting apart a big reaervatlon on the Plains aa a permanent home for many eaatem tribea. The banda, how­ ever, were not left alone there in peace. The frontier moved toward this region frcmi the west as well as from the east. More and more roads were opened across the great hunt­ ing groxinda. Since there was no other land to which the nations could be mo\red, the government could not handle the questlcm in the way it had in the past. Although aome lead­ ing figurea advocated the total destruction of all who stood in the white men's path, this impractical and irresponsible view waa against Christian teachinga and could be done only 6 at great expense to the moral prestige of the country. 5 "^John W. Whitefield, Indian agent, to Commiasioner of Indlaui Affairs, September 4, 1855^ 34 Cong., 1 sess.. House Sxec. Doc. I, Part 1, p. 437* Secretary of Interior, **Report," I865, 39 Cong., 1 sesa.. House Exec. Doc., I, p. viii. The Uhited States finally in I85I adopted a new In­ dian policy. It decided to locate the tribes on large reaer- vatlons away from the major transcontinental roads and encourage them in the ways of farming. The task of effect­ ing tha new plan was assigned to Thomas Pitzpatrlck, former trapper and now Indian agent on the upper Arkansaa and Platte, under the Superintendent of Indian Affairs at St. Louis. Pitzpatrlck aought to bring under treaty regulationa all the tribes residing on the Plaina. He was the first agent to establish regular c<»amunication with the northern Kiowaa and Comanchea,'^ and adviaed them at Fort Sumner (later called Fort Atkinson, a few miles up the Arkansas frc»n present Dodge City,) that the Preaident wanted to pay for damagea done by the whltea while Journeying through their country. They re­ fused, however, his Invitation to a council at Fort Laramie on the Platte, and he departed to hold a council with the 8 northern Indians. At the meeting at Port Larasiie, Pitzpatrlck made an agreement with the Cheyennes and Arapahoea. The treaty, signed on September 17> 1851# established the boundaries of 7 Thomas Pitzpatrlck to Superintendent of Indian Af­ fairs, September 24, I850, 3I Cong., 2 sess.. House Exec. Doc. X, p. 32. 8 Pitzpatrlck to Superintendent of Indian Affairs, November 24, 1851, 32 Cong., 1 sess.. House Exec. Doc. X, Part XXX, p. 332. the two tribes. Their posaeasion of the land west of the Santa Fe Trail between the headwaters of the North Platte and the AiHcansas rivers was recognized. Having completed a compact to his satisfaction, Pitzpatrlck returned south to try again his skill in dipl(Mnacy with the ComancheB and Kioims. During the agent'a abaence theae two tribea and the Apaches had congregated around Fort Atkinson (formerly Fort Sumner). They wanted to make an agreement in order to re­ ceive presenta. Pitzpatrlck, with aix Kiowa, four Apache, and six Comanche chiefs met and decided on the terms. The Treaty of Fort Atkinson, I853, obligated the Indiana to ter­ minate their raida into Mexico to permit the United States to biiild roads and establish military posts throiagh their countz*y. On its part the government pledged to give the tribea annuities valued at eighteen thouaand dollars for at least ten years. After only a brief peace resulting from the Treaty of Fort Atkinson, conditions on the Plaina became turbulent. Wagon trains within two years were forced to pay toll in order to cross the region. Since the border Indiana, 9 Pitzpatrlck to Superintendent of Indian Affaire, November 24, I851, in ibid., pp. 333-336. 10 QharlSB J. Kappler (ed.), Indian Affairs^ Laws, and Treaties (2d ed., 3 vols.), II, 57 Cong., l sess., ^nate Pocument 432 (Washington, 1903)# PP. 600-602. including the Osage and Delaware, were pushed west by the frontiersmen, they hunted on the ground of the Plains tribes. The buffalo supply, consequently, rapidly declined. Paced with the choices of stealing, killing their animals, or starving, the tribes chose to plunder the pack trains. Their raids were especially severe since traders including Jesse Chisholm, Journeying far Into the prairies to bargain for buffalo pelts or horses, provided the Comanches and their allies rifles and ammunition.