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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:23:23 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:23:23 -0700 |
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diff --git a/old/orig4362-h/p6.htm b/old/orig4362-h/p6.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e32a05c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/orig4362-h/p6.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3843 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>MEMOIRS OF GENERAL SHERIDAN, Vol. II., Part 6</title> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<style type="text/css"> + <!-- + body {background:#faebd7; margin:10%; text-align:justify} + P { + text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; } + HR { width: 33%; text-align: center; } + blockquote {font-size: 95% } + .figleft {float: left;} + .figright {float: right;} + .toc { margin-left: 15%; margin-bottom: 0em;} + CENTER { padding: 10px;} + // --> +</style> + +</head> +<body> + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + + <a href="p5.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="4362-h.htm">Main Index</a> + + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + + +<br><br> + +<center><h1>PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF + +<br>P. H. SHERIDAN</h1></center> + + +<br><br> + + + +<center><h2>VOLUME II.</h2></center> +<br><br> +<h2>Part 6</h2> +<br><br> + + + +<br><hr> +<br> + + + +<br><br> + + + +<center><img alt="Cover.jpg (168K)" src="images/Cover.jpg" height="963" width="650"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<center><img alt="Spines.jpg (76K)" src="images/Spines.jpg" height="1425" width="597"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<br><br> +<a name="Frontpiece2"></a> +<br><br> +<center><img alt="Frontpiece2.jpg (99K)" src="images/Frontpiece2.jpg" height="927" width="650"> +</center> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + + +<a href="#ch12b">CHAPTER XII.</a><br> +At Fort Leavenworth—The Treaty of Medicine Lodge <br> +—Going to Fort Dodge—Discontented Indians<br> +—Indian Outrages—A Delegation of Chiefs—Terrible <br> +Indian Raid—Death of Comstock—Vast Herds of <br> +Buffalo—Preparing for a Winter Campaign—Meeting <br> +"Buffalo Bill"—He Undertakes a Dangerous Task<br> +—Forsyth's Gallant Fight—Rescued<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch13b">CHAPTER XIII.</a><br> +Fitting Out the Winter Expedition—Accompanying the <br> +Main Force—The Other Columns—Struck by a Blizzard<br> +—Custer's Fight on the Washita—Defeat and Death <br> +of Black Kettle—Massacre of Elliott's <br> +Party—Relief of Colonel Crawford<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch14b">CHAPTER XIV.</a><br> +A Winter Expedition—Herds of Buffalo—Wolves<br> +—Blizzards—A Terrible Night—Finding the Bodies <br> +of Elliott's Party—The Abandoned Indian Camps <br> +—Pushing Down the Washita—The Captured Chiefs<br> +—Evans's Successful Fight—Establishing Fort Sill<br> +—"California Joe"—Duplicity of the Cheyennes<br> +—Ordered to Repair to Washington<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch15b">CHAPTER XV.</a><br> +Inspecting Military Posts in Utah and Montana<br> +—Desire to Witness the Franco—German War<br> +—On a Sand-Bar in the Missouri—A Bear Hunt<br> +—An Indian Scare—Myriads of Mosquitoes—Permission <br> +Given to Visit Europe — Calling on President Grant<br> +—Sailing for Liverpool—Arrival in Berlin<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch16b">CHAPTER XVI.</a><br> +Leaving for the Seat of War—Meeting with Prince <br> +Bismarck—His Interest in Public Opinion in America<br> +—His Inclinations in Early Life—Presented to the King<br> +—The Battle of Gravelotte—The German Plan—Its Final <br> +Success—Sending News of the Victory—Mistaken for a Frenchman<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch17b">CHAPTER XVII.</a><br> +Searching for Quarters—Hunting up Provisions <br> +—A Slender Breakfast—Going over the Battle-Field<br> +—The German Artillery—A Group of Wounded <br> +—Dining With the King—On the March—The Bavarians<br> +—Kirschwasser—Urging on the Troops<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch18b">CHAPTER XVIII.</a><br> +After McMahon—The Battle of Beaumont—The French <br> +Surprised—The Marching of the German Soldiers<br> +—The Battle of Sedan—Gallant Cavalry Charges<br> +—Defeat of the French—The Surrender of Napoleon<br> +—Bismarck and the King—Decorating the Soldiers<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch19b">CHAPTER XIX.</a><br> +Riding Over the Battle—Field—Destruction of <br> +Bazeilles—Mistakes of the French—Marshal Bazaine<br> +—On to Paris—A Week in Meaux—Rheims—On the <br> +Picket-Line—Under Fire—A Surrender—At Versailles<br> +—General Burnside and Mr. Forbes in Paris<br> +—Brussels—Deciding to Visit Eastern Europe—Austria <br> +—Down the Danube—In Constantinople—The <br> +Ladies of the Harem—The Sultan—Turkish Soldiers<br> +—A Banquet—A Visit in Athens—King George of <br> +Greece—Victor—Emmanuel—Bedeviled with Cares of <br> +State—Deer Shooting—A Military Dinner—Return <br> +to Versailles—Germans Entering Paris—Criticism <br> +on the Franco-Prussian War—Conclusion<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch20b">CHAPTER XX.</a><br> +Brussels—Deciding to Visit Eastern Europe—Austria<br> +—Down the Danube—In Constantinople—The Ladies of <br> +the Harem—the Sultan—Turkish Soldiers—A Banquet<br> +—A Visit in Athens—King George of Greece—Victor<br> +Emmanuel—"Bedeviled with Cares of State"—Deer Shooting<br> +—A Military Dinner—Return to Versailles—Germans <br> +Entering Paris—Criticism on The Franco-Prussian War<br> +—Conclusion<br> + + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2><br> +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + + +<a href="#Frontpiece2">Steel Portrait—General P. H. Sheridan</a> <br> +<a href="#pb344">Indian Campaign of 1868—1869</a> <br> +<a href="#pb426">Map Showing Parts of France, Belgium, and Germany</a> <br> + + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + + +<br> +<br> + + +<br><br><br><br> + + +<center><h2>VOLUME II.</h2></center> +<br><br> +<h2>Part 6</h2> +<br><br> +<center><h3>By Philip Henry Sheridan</h3></center> +<br><br> + + + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch12b"></a>CHAPTER XII.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>AT FORT LEAVENWORTH—THE TREATY OF MEDICINE LODGE—GOING TO FORT +DODGE—DISCONTENTED INDIANS—INDIAN OUTRAGES—A DELEGATION OF +CHIEFS—TERRIBLE INDIAN RAID—DEATH OF COMSTOCK—VAST HERDS OF +BUFFALO—PREPARING FOR A WINTER CAMPAIGN—MEETING "BUFFALO BILL"—HE UNDERTAKES A +DANGEROUS TASK—FORSYTH'S GALLANT FIGHT—RESCUED.</p> + +<p>The headquarters of the military department to which I was assigned +when relieved from duty at New Orleans was at Fort Leavenworth, +Kansas, and on the 5th of September I started for that post. In due +time I reached St. Louis, and stopped there a day to accept an +ovation tendered in approval of the course I had pursued in the Fifth +Military District—a public demonstration apparently of the most +sincere and hearty character.</p> + +<p>From St. Louis to Leavenworth took but one night, and the next day I +technically complied with my orders far enough to permit General +Hancock to leave the department, so that he might go immediately to +New Orleans if he so desired, but on account of the yellow fever +epidemic then prevailing, he did not reach the city till late in +November.</p> + +<p>My new command was one of the four military departments that composed +the geographical division then commanded by Lieutenant-General +Sherman. This division had been formed in 1866, with a view to +controlling the Indians west of the Missouri River, they having +become very restless and troublesome because of the building of the +Pacific railroads through their hunting-grounds, and the +encroachments of pioneers, who began settling in middle and western +Kansas and eastern Colorado immediately after the war.</p> + +<p>My department embraced the States of Missouri and Kansas, the Indian +Territory, and New Mexico. Part of this section of country—western +Kansas particularly—had been frequently disturbed and harassed +during two or three years past, the savages every now and then +massacring an isolated family, boldly attacking the surveying and +construction parties of the Kansas-Pacific railroad, sweeping down on +emigrant trains, plundering and burning stage-stations and the like +along the Smoky Hill route to Denver and the Arkansas route to New +Mexico.</p> + +<p>However, when I relieved Hancock, the department was comparatively +quiet. Though some military operations had been conducted against +the hostile tribes in the early part of the previous summer, all +active work was now suspended in the attempt to conclude a permanent +peace with the Cheyennes, Arapahoes, Kiowas, and Comanches, in +compliance with the act of Congress creating what was known as the +Indian Peace Commission of 1867.</p> + +<p>Under these circumstances there was little necessity for my remaining +at Leavenworth, and as I was much run down in health from the +Louisiana climate, in which I had been obliged to live continuously +for three summers (one of which brought epidemic cholera, and another +a scourge of yellow fever), I took a leave of absence for a few +months, leaving Colonel A. J. Smith, of the Seventh Cavalry, +temporarily in charge of my command.</p> + +<p>On this account I did not actually go on duty in the department of +the Missouri till March, 1868. On getting back I learned that the +negotiations of the Peace Commissioners held at Medicine Lodge, about +seventy miles south of Fort Larned had resulted in a treaty with the +Cheyennes, Arapahoes, Kiowas, and Comanches, by which agreement it +was supposed all troubles had been settled. The compact, as +concluded, contained numerous provisions, the most important to us +being one which practically relinquished the country between the +Arkansas and Platte rivers for white settlement; another permitted +the peaceable construction of the Pacific railroads through the same +region; and a third requiring the tribes signing the treaty to retire +to reservations allotted them in the Indian Territory. Although the +chiefs and head-men were well-nigh unanimous in ratifying these +concessions, it was discovered in the spring of 1868 that many of the +young men were bitterly opposed to what had been done, and claimed +that most of the signatures had been obtained by misrepresentation +and through proffers of certain annuities, and promises of arms and +ammunition to be issued in the spring of 1868. This grumbling was +very general in extent, and during the winter found outlet in +occasional marauding, so, fearing a renewal of the pillaging and +plundering at an early day, to prepare myself for the work evidently +ahead the first thing I did on assuming permanent command was to make +a trip to Fort Larned and Fort Dodge, near which places the bulk of +the Indians had congregated on Pawnee and Walnut creeks. I wanted to +get near enough to the camps to find out for myself the actual state +of feeling among the savages, and also to familiarize myself with the +characteristics of the Plains Indians, for my previous experience had +been mainly with mountain tribes on the Pacific coast. Fort Larned I +found too near the camps for my purpose, its proximity too readily +inviting unnecessary "talks," so I remained here but a day or two, +and then went on to Dodge, which, though considerably farther away +from the camps, was yet close enough to enable us to obtain easily +information of all that was going on.</p> + +<p>It took but a few days at Dodge to discover that great discontent +existed about the Medicine Lodge concessions, to see that the young +men were chafing and turbulent, and that it would require much tact +and good management on the part of the Indian Bureau to persuade the +four tribes to go quietly to their reservations, under an agreement +which, when entered into, many of them protested had not been fully +understood.</p> + +<p>A few hours after my arrival a delegation of prominent chiefs called +on me and proposed a council, where they might discuss their +grievances, and thus bring to the notice of the Government the +alleged wrongs done them; but this I refused, because Congress had +delegated to the Peace Commission the whole matter of treating with +them, and a council might lead only to additional complications. My +refusal left them without hope of securing better terms, or of even +delaying matters longer; so henceforth they were more than ever +reckless and defiant. Denunciations of the treaty became outspoken, +and as the young braves grew more and more insolent every day, it +amounted to conviction that, unless by some means the irritation was +allayed, hostilities would surely be upon us when the buffalo +returned to their summer feeding-grounds between the Arkansas and the +Platte.</p> + +<p>The principal sufferers in this event would be the settlers in middle +and western Kansas, who, entirely ignorant of the dangers hanging +over them, were laboring to build up homes in a new country. Hence +the maintenance of peace was much to be desired, if it could be +secured without too great concessions, and although I would not meet +the different tribes in a formal council, yet, to ward off from +settlers as much as possible the horrors of savage warfare, I showed, +by resorting to persuasive methods, my willingness to temporize a +good deal. An abundant supply of rations is usually effective to +keep matters quiet in such cases, so I fed them pretty freely, and +also endeavored to control them through certain men who, I found, +because of former associations, had their confidence. These men, +employed as scouts, or interpreters, were Mr. William Comstock, Mr. +Abner S. Grover, and Mr. Richard Parr. They had lived on the Plains +for many years with different tribes of Indians, had trapped and +hunted with them, and knew all the principal chiefs and headmen. +Through such influences, I thought I saw good chances of preserving +peace, and of inducing the discontented to go quietly to their +reservations in the Indian Territory as soon as General Hazen, the +representative of the Peace Commissioners, was ready to conduct them +there from Fort Larned.</p> + +<p>Before returning to Leavenworth I put my mediators (as I may call +them) under charge of an officer of the army, Lieutenant F. W. +Beecher, a very intelligent man, and directed him to send them out to +visit among the different tribes, in order to explain what was +intended by the treaty of Medicine Lodge, and to make every effort +possible to avert hostilities. Under these instructions Comstock and +Grover made it their business to go about among the Cheyennes—the +most warlike tribe of all—then camping about the headwaters of +Pawnee and Walnut creeks, and also to the north and west of Fort +Wallace, while Parr spent his time principally with the Kiowas and +Comanches.</p> + +<p>From the different posts—Wallace, Dodge, and Larned Lieutenant +Beecher kept up communication with all three scouts, and through him +I heard from them at least once a week. Every now and then some +trouble along the railroad or stage routes would be satisfactorily +adjusted and quiet restored, and matters seemed to be going on very +well, the warm weather bringing the grass and buffalo in plenty, and +still no outbreak, nor any act of downright hostility. So I began to +hope that we should succeed in averting trouble till the favorite war +season of the Indians was over, but the early days of August rudely +ended our fancied tranquility.</p> + +<p>In July the encampments about Fort Dodge began to break up, each band +or tribe moving off to some new location north of the Arkansas, +instead of toward its proper reservation to the south of that river. +Then I learned presently that a party of Cheyennes had made a raid on +the Kaws—a band of friendly Indians living near Council Grove—and +stolen their horses, and also robbed the houses of several white +people near Council Grove. This raid was the beginning of the Indian +war of 1868. Immediately following it, the Comanches and Kiowas came +to Fort Larned to receive their annuities, expecting to get also the +arms and ammunition promised them at Medicine Lodge, but the raid to +Council Grove having been reported to the Indian Department, the +issue of arms was suspended till reparation was made. This action of +the Department greatly incensed the savages, and the agent's offer of +the annuities without guns and pistols was insolently refused, the +Indians sulking back to their camps, the young men giving themselves +up to war-dances, and to powwows with "medicine-men," till all hope +of control was gone.</p> + +<p>Brevet Brigadier-General Alfred Sully, an officer of long experience +in Indian matters, who at this time was in command of the District of +the Arkansas, which embraced Forts Larned and Dodge, having notified +me of these occurrences at Larned, and expressed the opinion that the +Indians were bent on mischief, I directed him there immediately to +act against them. After he reached Larned, the chances for peace +appeared more favorable. The Indians came to see him, and protested +that it was only a few bad young men who had been depredating, and +that all would be well and the young men held in check if the agent +would but issue the arms and ammunition. Believing their promises, +Sully thought that the delivery of the arms would solve all the +difficulties, so on his advice the agent turned them over along with +the annuities, the Indians this time condescendingly accepting.</p> + +<p>This issue of arms and ammunition was a fatal mistake; Indian +diplomacy had overreached Sully's experience, and even while the +delivery was in progress a party of warriors had already begun a raid +of murder and rapine, which for acts of devilish cruelty perhaps has +no parallel in savage warfare. The party consisted of about two +hundred Cheyennes and a few Arapahoes, with twenty Sioux who had been +visiting their friends, the Cheyennes. As near as could be +ascertained, they organized and left their camps along Pawnee Creek +about the 3d of August. Traveling northeast, they skirted around +Fort Harker, and made their first appearance among the settlers in +the Saline Valley, about thirty miles north of that post. Professing +friendship and asking food at the farm-houses, they saw the +unsuspecting occupants comply by giving all they could spare from +their scanty stores. Knowing the Indian's inordinate fondness for +coffee, particularly when well sweetened, they even served him this +luxury freely. With this the demons began their devilish work. +Pretending to be indignant because it was served them in tin cups, +they threw the hot contents into the women's faces, and then, first +making prisoners of the men, they, one after another, ravished the +women till the victims became insensible. For some inexplicable +reason the two farmers were neither killed nor carried off, so after +the red fiends had gone, the unfortunate women were brought in to +Fort Harker, their arrival being the first intimation to the military +that hostilities had actually begun.</p> + +<p>Leaving the Saline, this war-party crossed over to the valley of the +Solomon, a more thickly settled region, and where the people were in +better circumstances, their farms having been started two or three +years before. Unaware of the hostile character of the raiders, the +people here received them in the friendliest way, providing food, and +even giving them ammunition, little dreaming of what was impending. +These kindnesses were requited with murder and pillage, and worse, +for all the women who fell into their hands were subjected to horrors +indescribable by words. Here also the first murders were committed, +thirteen men and two women being killed. Then, after burning five +houses and stealing all the horses they could find, they turned back +toward the Saline, carrying away as prisoners two little girls named +Bell, who have never been heard of since.</p> + +<p>It was probably the intention to finish, as they marched back to the +south, the devilish work begun on the Saline, but before they reached +that valley on the return, the victims left there originally had fled +to Fort Harker, as already explained, and Captain Benteen was now +nearing the little settlement with a troop of cavalry, which he had +hurriedly marched from Fort Zarah. The savages were attacking the +house of a Mr. Schermerhorn, where a few of the settlers had +collected for defense, when Benteen approached. Hearing the firing, +the troopers rode toward the sound at a gallop, but when they +appeared in view, coming over the hills, the Indians fled in all +directions, escaping punishment through their usual tactics of +scattering over the Plains, so as to leave no distinctive trail.</p> + +<p>When this frightful raid was taking place, Lieutenant Beecher, with +his three scouts—Comstock, Grover, and Parr—was on Walnut Creek. +Indefinite rumors about troubles on the Saline and Solomon reaching +him, he immediately sent Comstock and Grover over to the headwaters +of the Solomon, to the camp of a band of Cheyennes, whose chief was +called "Turkey Leg," to see if any of the raiders belonged there; to +learn the facts, and make explanations, if it was found that the +white people had been at fault. For years this chief had been a +special friend of Comstock and Grover. They had trapped, hunted, and +lived with his band, and from this intimacy they felt confident of +being able to get "Turkey Leg" to quiet his people, if any of them +were engaged in the raid; and, at all events, they expected, through +him and his band, to influence the rest of the Cheyennes. From the +moment they arrived in the Indian village, however, the two scouts +met with a very cold reception. Neither friendly pipe nor food was +offered them, and before they could recover from their chilling +reception, they were peremptorily ordered out of the village, with +the intimation that when the Cheyennes were on the war-path the +presence of whites was intolerable. The scouts were prompt to leave, +of course, and for a few miles were accompanied by an escort of seven +young men, who said they were sent with them to protect the two from +harm. As the party rode along over the prairie, such a depth of +attachment was professed for Comstock and Grover that, +notwithstanding all the experience of their past lives, they were +thoroughly deceived, and in the midst of a friendly conversation some +of the young warriors fell suddenly to the rear and treacherously +fired on them.</p> + +<p>At the volley Comstock fell from his horse instantly killed. Grover, +badly wounded in the shoulder, also fell to the ground near Comstock +Seeing his comrade was dead, Grover made use of his friend's body to +protect himself, lying close behind it. Then took place a remarkable +contest, Grover, alone and severely wounded, obstinately fighting the +seven Indians, and holding them at bay for the rest of the day. +Being an expert shot, and having a long-range repeating rifle, he +"stood off" the savages till dark. Then cautiously crawling away on +his belly to a deep ravine, he lay close, suffering terribly from his +wound, till the following night, when, setting out for Fort Wallace, +he arrived there the succeeding day, almost crazed from pain and +exhaustion.</p> + +<p>Simultaneously with the fiendish atrocities committed on the Saline +and Solomon rivers and the attack on Comstock and Grover, the +pillaging and murdering began on the Smoky Hill stage-route, along +the upper Arkansas River and on the headwaters of the Cimarron. That +along the Smoky Hill and north of it was the exclusive work of, the +Cheyennes, a part of the Arapahoes, and the few Sioux allies +heretofore mentioned, while the raiding on the Arkansas and Cimarron +was done principally by the Kiowas under their chief, Satanta, aided +by some of the Comanches. The young men of these tribes set out on +their bloody work just after the annuities and guns were issued at +Larned, and as soon as they were well on the road the rest of the +Comanches and Kiowas escaped from the post and fled south of the +Arkansas. They were at once pursued by General Sully with a small +force, but by the time he reached the Cimarron the war-party had +finished its raid on the upper Arkansas, and so many Indians combined +against Sully that he was compelled to withdraw to Fort Dodge, which +he reached not without considerable difficulty, and after three +severe fights.</p> + +<p>These, and many minor raids which followed, made it plain that a +general outbreak was upon us. The only remedy, therefore, was to +subjugate the savages immediately engaged in the forays by forcing +the several tribes to settle down on the reservations set apart by +the treaty of Medicine Lodge. The principal mischief-makers were the +Cheyennes. Next in deviltry were the Kiowas, and then the Arapahoes +and Comanches. Some few of these last two tribes continued friendly, +or at least took no active part in the raiding, but nearly all the +young men of both were the constant allies of the Cheyennes and +Kiowas. All four tribes together could put on the war-path a +formidable force of about 6,000 warriors. The subjugation of this +number of savages would be no easy task, so to give the matter my +undivided attention I transferred my headquarters from Leavenworth to +Fort Hays, a military post near which the prosperous town of Hays +City now stands.</p> + +<p>Fort Hays was just beyond the line of the most advanced settlements, +and was then the terminus of the Kansas-Pacific railroad. For this +reason it could be made a depot of supplies, and was a good point +from which to supervise matters in the section of country to be +operated in, which district is a part of the Great American Plains, +extending south from the Platte River in Nebraska to the Red River in +the Indian Territory, and westward from the line of frontier +settlements to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, a vast region +embracing an area of about 150,000 square miles. With the exception +of a half-dozen military posts and a few stations on the two overland +emigrant routes—the Smoky Hill to Denver, and the Arkansas to New +Mexico—this country was an unsettled waste known only to the Indians +and a few trappers. There were neither roads nor well-marked trails, +and the only timber to be found—which generally grew only along the +streams—was so scraggy and worthless as hardly to deserve the name. +Nor was water by any means plentiful, even though the section is +traversed by important streams, the Republican, the Smoky Hill, the +Arkansas, the Cimarron, and the Canadian all flowing eastwardly, as +do also their tributaries in the main. These feeders are sometimes +long and crooked, but as a general thing the volume of water is +insignificant except after rain-falls. Then, because of unimpeded +drainage, the little streams fill up rapidly with torrents of water, +which quickly flows off or sinks into the sand, leaving only an +occasional pool without visible inlet or outlet.</p> + +<p>At the period of which I write, in 1868, the Plains were covered with +vast herds of buffalo—the number has been estimated at 3,000,000 +head—and with such means of subsistence as this everywhere at hand, +the 6,000 hostiles were wholly unhampered by any problem of +food-supply. The savages were rich too according to Indian standards, +many a lodge owning from twenty to a hundred ponies; and +consciousness of wealth and power, aided by former temporizing, had +made them not only confident but defiant. Realizing that their +thorough subjugation would be a difficult task, I made up my mind to +confine operations during the grazing and hunting season to +protecting the people of the new settlements and on the overland +routes, and then, when winter came, to fall upon the savages +relentlessly, for in that season their ponies would be thin, and weak +from lack of food, and in the cold and snow, without strong ponies to +transport their villages and plunder, their movements would be so +much impeded that the troops could overtake them.</p> + +<p>At the outbreak of hostilities I had in all, east of New Mexico, a +force of regulars numbering about 2,600 men—1,200 mounted and 1,400 +foot troops. The cavalry was composed of the Seventh and Tenth +regiments; the infantry, of the Third and Fifth regiments and four +companies of the Thirty-Eighth. With these few troops all the posts +along the Smoky Hill and Arkansas had to be garrisoned, emigrant +trains escorted, and the settlements and routes of travel and the +construction parties on the Kansas-Pacific railway protected. Then, +too, this same force had to furnish for the field small movable +columns, that were always on the go, so it will be rightly inferred +that every available man was kept busy from the middle of August till +November; especially as during this period the hostiles attacked over +forty widely dispersed places, in nearly all cases stealing horses, +burning houses, and killing settlers. It was of course impossible to +foresee where these descents would be made, but as soon as an attack +was heard of assistance was always promptly rendered, and every now +and then we succeeded in killing a few savages. As a general thing, +though, the raiders escaped before relief arrived, and when they had +a few miles the start, all efforts to catch them were futile. I +therefore discouraged long pursuits, and, in fact, did not approve of +making any at all unless the chances of obtaining paying results were +very evident, otherwise the troops would be worn out by the time the +hard work of the winter was demanded from them.</p> + +<p>To get ready for a winter campaign of six months gave us much to do. +The thing most needed was more men, so I asked for additional +cavalry, and all that could be spareds—even troops of the Fifth +Cavalry—was sent tome. Believing this reinforcement insufficient, +to supplement it I applied for a regiment of Kansas volunteers, which +request being granted, the organization of the regiment was +immediately begun at Topeka. It was necessary also to provide a +large amount of transportation and accumulate quantities of stores, +since the campaign probably would not end till spring. Another +important matter was to secure competent guides for the different +columns of troops, for, as I have said, the section of country to be +operated in was comparatively unknown.</p> + +<p>In those days the railroad town of Hays City was filled with so +called "Indian scouts," whose common boast was of having slain scores +of redskins, but the real scout—that is, a 'guide and trailer +knowing the habits of the Indians—was very scarce, and it was hard +to find anybody familiar with the country south of the Arkansas, +where the campaign was to be made. Still, about Hays City and the +various military posts there was some good material to select from, +and we managed to employ several men, who, from their experience on +the Plains in various capacities, or from natural instinct and +aptitude, soon became excellent guides and courageous and valuable +scouts, some of them, indeed, gaining much distinction. Mr. William +F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill"), whose renown has since become world-wide, +was one of the men thus selected. He received his sobriquet from his +marked success in killing buffaloes for a contractor, to supply fresh +meat to the construction parties, on the Kansas-Pacific railway. He +had given up this business, however, and was now in the employ of the +quartermaster's department of the army, and was first brought to my +notice by distinguishing himself in bringing me an important despatch +from Fort Larned to Fort Hays, a distance of sixty-five miles, +through a section infested with Indians. The despatch informed me +that the Indians near Larned were preparing to decamp, and this +intelligence required that certain orders should be carried to Fort +Dodge, ninety-five miles south of Hays. This too being a +particularly dangerous route—several couriers having been killed on +it—it was impossible to get one of the various "Petes," "Jacks," or +"Jims" hanging around Hays City to take my communication. Cody +learning of the strait I was in, manfully came to the rescue, and +proposed to make the trip to Dodge, though he had just finished his +long and perilous ride from Larned. I gratefully accepted his offer, +and after four or five hours' rest he mounted a fresh horse and +hastened on his journey, halting but once to rest on the way, and +then only for an hour, the stop being made at Coon Creek, where he +got another mount from a troop of cavalry. At Dodge he took six +hours' sleep, and then continued on to his own post—Fort +Larned—with more despatches. After resting twelve hours at Larned, he was +again in the saddle with tidings for me at Fort Hays, General Hazen +sending him, this time, with word that the villages had fled to the +south of the Arkansas. Thus, in all, Cody rode about 350 miles in +less than sixty hours, and such an exhibition of endurance and +courage was more than enough to convince me that his services would +be extremely valuable in the campaign, so I retained him at Fort Hays +till the battalion of the Fifth Cavalry arrived, and then made him +chief of scouts for that regiment.</p> + +<p>The information brought me by Cody on his second trip from Larned +indicated where the villages would be found in the winter, and I +decided to move on them about the 1st of November. Only the women +and children and the decrepit old men were with the villages, however +enough, presumably, to look after the plunder most of the warriors +remaining north of the Arkansas to continue their marauding. Many +severe fights occurred between our troops and these marauders, and in +these affairs, before November 1 over a hundred Indians were killed, +yet from the ease with which the escaping savages would disappear +only to fall upon remote settlements with pillage and murder, the +results were by no means satisfactory. One of the most noteworthy of +these preliminary affairs was the gallant fight made on the +Republican River the 17th of September by my Aide, Colonel George A. +Forsyth, and party, against about seven hundred Cheyennes and Sioux. +Forsyth, with Lieutenant Beecher, and Doctor J. H. Mooers as surgeon, +was in charge of a company of citizen scouts, mostly expert +rifle-shots, but embracing also a few Indian fighters, among these Grover +and Parr. The company was organized the latter part of August for +immediate work in defense of the settlements, and also for future use +in the Indian Territory when the campaign should open there. About +the time the company had reached its complement—it was limited to +forty-seven men and three officers—a small band of hostiles began +depredations near Sheridan City, one of the towns that grew up +over-night on the Kansas-Pacific railway. Forsyth pursued this party, but +failing to overtake it, made his way into Fort Wallace for rations, +intending to return from there to Fort Hays. Before he started back, +however, another band of Indians appeared near the post and stole +some horses from the stage company. This unexpected raid made +Forsyth hot to go for the marauders, and he telegraphed me for +permission, which I as promptly gave him. He left the post on the +10th of September, the command consisting of himself, Lieutenant +Beecher, Acting Assistant Surgeon Mooers, and the full strength, +forty-seven men, with a few pack mules carrying about ten days' +rations.</p> + +<p>He headed north toward the Republican River. For the first two days +the trail was indistinct and hard to follow. During the next three +it continued to grow much larger, indicating plainly that the number +of Indians ahead was rapidly increasing. Of course this sign meant a +fight as soon as a large enough force was mustered, but as this was +what Forsyth was after, he pushed ahead with confidence and alacrity. +The night of the 16th of September he encamped on the Arickaree +branch of the Republican, not far from the forks of the river, with +the expectation of resuming the march as usual next day, for the +indications were that the main body of the savages must be still a +long way off, though in the preceding twenty-four hours an occasional +Indian had been seen.</p> + +<p>But the enemy was much nearer than was thought, for at daybreak on +the morning of the 17th he made known his immediate presence by a +sudden dash at Forsyth's horses, a few of which were stampeded and +captured before the scouts could reach them. This dash was made by a +small party only to get the horses, so those engaged in it were soon +driven off, but a few minutes later hundreds of savages—it was +afterward learned that seven hundred warriors took part in the +fight—hitherto invisible, showed themselves on the hills overlooking the +camp and so menacingly as to convince Forsyth that his defense must +be one of desperation. The only place at hand that gave any hope of +successful resistance was a small island in the Arickaree, the +channel on one side being about a foot deep while on the other it was +completely dry; so to this position a hurried retreat was made. All +the men and the remaining animals reached the island in safety, but +on account of the heavy fire poured in from the neighboring hills the +packs containing the rations and medicines had to be abandoned.</p> + +<p>On seeing Forsyth's hasty move, the Indians, thinking they had him, +prepared to overwhelm the scouts by swooping down on one side of the +island with about five hundred mounted warriors, while about two +hundred, covered by the tall grass in the river-bottom attacked the +other side, dismounted. But the brave little band sadly disappointed +them. When the charge came it was met with such a deadly fire that a +large number of the fiends were killed, some of them even after +gaining the bank of the island. This check had the effect of making +the savages more wary, but they were still bold enough to make two +more assaults before mid-day. Each of these ending like the first, +the Indians thereafter contented themselves with shooting all the +horses, which had been tied up to some scraggy little +cottonwood-trees, and then proceeded to lay siege to the party.</p> + +<p>The first man struck was Forsyth himself. He was hit three times in +all—twice in one leg, both serious wounds, and once on the head, a +slight abrasion of the scalp. A moment later Beecher was killed and +Doctor Mooers mortally wounded: and in addition to these misfortunes +the scouts kept getting hit, till several were killed, and the whole +number of casualties had reached twenty-one in a company of +forty-seven. Yet with all this, and despite the seeming hopelessness of +the situation, the survivors kept up their pluck undiminished, and +during a lull succeeding the third repulse dug into the loose soil +till the entire party was pretty well protected by rifle-pits. Thus +covered they stood off the Indians for the next three days, although +of course their condition became deplorable from lack of food, while +those who were hurt suffered indescribable agony, since no means were +at hand for dressing their wounds.</p> + +<p>By the third day the Indians, seeming to despair of destroying the +beleaguered party before succor might arrive, began to draw off, and +on the fourth wholly disappeared. The men were by this time nearly +famished for food. Even now there was nothing to be had except +horse-meat from the carcasses of the animals killed the first day, +and this, though decidedly unpalatable, not to say disgusting, had to +be put up with, and so on such unwholesome stuff they managed to live +for four days longer, at the end of which time they were rescued by a +column of troops under Colonel Bankhead, which had hastened from Fort +Wallace in response to calls for help, carried there by two brave +fellows—Stilwell and Truedell—who, volunteering to go for relief, +had slipped through the Indians, and struck out for that post in the +night after the first day's fight.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch13b"></a>CHAPTER XIII.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>FITTING OUT THE WINTER EXPEDITION—ACCOMPANYING THE MAIN FORCE—THE +OTHER COLUMNS—STRUCK BY A BLIZZARD—CUSTER'S FIGHT ON THE +WASHITA—DEFEAT AND DEATH OF BLACK KETTLE—MASSACRE OF ELLIOTT'S PARTY—RELIEF +OF COLONEL CRAWFORD.</p> + +<p>The end of October saw completed the most of my arrangements for the +winter campaign, though the difficulties and hardships to be +encountered had led several experienced officers of the army, and +some frontiersmen like Mr. James Bridger, the famous scout and, guide +of earlier days, to discourage the project. Bridger even went so far +as to come out from St. Louis to dissuade me, but I reasoned that as +the soldier was much better fed and clothed than the Indian, I had +one great advantage, and that, in short, a successful campaign could +be made if the operations of the different columns were energetically +conducted. To see to this I decided to go in person with the main +column, which was to push down into the western part of the Indian +Territory, having for its initial objective the villages which, at +the beginning of hostilities, had fled toward the head-waters of the +Red River, and those also that had gone to the same remote region +after decamping from the neighborhood of Larned at the time that +General Hazen sent Buffalo Bill to me with the news.</p> + +<p>The column which was expected to do the main work was to be composed +of the Nineteenth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, commanded by Colonel +Crawford; eleven troops of the Seventh United States Cavalry, under +General Custer, and a battalion of five companies of infantry under +Brevet Major John H. Page. To facilitate matters, General Sully, the +district commander, was ordered to rendezvous these troops and +establish a supply depot about a hundred miles south of Fort Dodge, +as from such a point operations could be more readily conducted. He +selected for the depot a most suitable place at the confluence of +Beaver and Wolf creeks, and on his arrival there with Custer's and +Page's commands, named the place Camp Supply.</p> + +<p>In conjunction with the main column, two others also were to +penetrate the Indian Territory. One of these, which was to march +east from New Mexico by way of Fort Bascom was to be composed of six +troops of the Third Cavalry and two companies of infantry, the whole +under Colonel A. W. Evans. The other, consisting of seven troops of +the Fifth Cavalry, and commanded by Brevet Brigadier-General Eugene +A. Carr, was to march southeast from Fort Lyon; the intention being +that Evans and Carr should destroy or drive in toward old Fort Cobb +any straggling bands that might be prowling through the country west +of my own line of march; Carr, as he advanced, to be joined by Brevet +Brigadier-General W. H. Penrose, with five troops of cavalry already +in the field southeast of Lyon. The Fort Bascom column, after +establishing a depot of supplies at Monument Creek, was to work down +the main Canadian, and remain out as long as it could feed itself +from New Mexico; Carr, having united with Penrose on the North +Canadian, was to operate toward the Antelope Hills and headwaters of +the Red River; while I, with the main column was to move southward to +strike the Indians along the Washita, or still farther south on +branches of the Red River.</p> + +<p>It was no small nor easy task to outfit all these troops by the time +cold weather set in, and provide for them during the winter, but by +the 1st of November I had enough supplies accumulated at Forts Dodge +and Lyon for my own and Carr's columns, and in addition directed +subsistence and forage for three months to be sent to Fort Gibson for +final delivery at Fort Arbuckle, as I expected to feed the command +from this place when we arrived in the neighborhood of old Fort Cobb, +but through some mismanagement few of these stores got further than +Gibson before winter came on.</p> + +<p>November 1, all being ready, Colonel Grawford was furnished with +competent guides, and, after sending two troops to Fort Dodge to act +as my escort, with the rest of his regiment he started from Topeka +November 5, under orders to march straight for the rendezvous at the +junction of Beaver and Wolf creeks. He was expected to reach his +destination about the 20th, and there unite with the Seventh Cavalry +and the battalion of infantry, which in the mean time were on the +march from Dodge. A few days later Carr and Evans began their march +also, and everything being now in motion, I decided to go to Camp +Supply to give the campaign my personal attention, determined to +prove that operations could be successfully conducted in spite of +winter, and bent on showing the Indians that they were not secure +from punishment because of inclement weather—an ally on which they +had hitherto relied with much assurance.</p> + +<p>We started from Fort Hays on the 15th of November, and the first +night out a blizzard struck us and carried away our tents; and as the +gale was so violent that they could not be put up again, the rain and +snow drenched us to the skin. Shivering from wet and cold, I took +refuge under a wagon, and there spent such a miserable night that, +when at last morning came, the gloomy predictions of old man Bridger +and others rose up before me with greatly increased force. As we +took the road the sleet and snow were still falling, but we labored +on to Dodge that day in spite of the fact that many of the mules +played out on the way. We stayed only one night at Dodge, and then +on the 17th, escorted by a troop of cavalry and Forsyth's scouts, now +under the command of Lieutenant Lewis Pepoon, crossed the Arkansas +and camped the night of the 18th at Bluff Creek, where the two troops +of the Nineteenth Kansas, previously detailed as my escort, were +awaiting our coming. As we were approaching this camp some +suspicious looking objects were seen moving off at a long distance to +the east of us, but as the scouts confidently pronounced them +buffalo, we were unaware of their true character till next morning, +when we became satisfied that what we had seen were Indians, for +immediately after crossing Beaver Creek we struck a trail, leading to +the northeast, of a war party that evidently came up from the +head-waters of the Washita River.</p> + +<p>The evening of November 21 we arrived at the Camp Supply depot, having +traveled all day in another snowstorm that did not end till +twenty-four hours later. General Sully, with Custer's regiment and the +infantry battalion, had reached the place several days before, but +the Kansas regiment had not yet put in an appearance. All hands were +hard at work trying to shelter the stores and troops, but from the +trail seen that morning, believing that an opportunity offered to +strike an effective blow, I directed Custer to call in his working +parties and prepare to move immediately, without waiting for +Crawford's regiment, unaccountably absent. Custer was ready to start +by the 23d, and he was then instructed to march north to where the +trail had been seen near Beaver Creek and follow it on the back +track, for, being convinced that the war party had come from the +Washita, I felt certain that this plan would lead directly to the +villages.</p> + +<p>The difficulties attending a winter campaign were exhibited now with +their full force, as the march had to be conducted through a +snow-storm that hid surrounding objects, and so covered the country as to +alter the appearance of the prominent features, making the task of +the guides doubly troublesome; but in spite of these obstacles +fifteen miles had been traversed when Custer encamped for the night. +The next day the storm had ceased, and the weather was clear and +cold. The heavy fall of snow had of course obliterated the trail in +the bottoms, and everywhere on the level; but, thanks to the wind, +that had swept comparatively bare the rough places and high ground, +the general direction could be traced without much trouble. The +day's march, which was through a country abounding with buffalo, was +unattended by any special incident at first, but during the +afternoon, after getting the column across the Canadian River—an +operation which, on account of the wagons, consumed considerable +time—Custer's scouts (friendly Osages) brought back word that, some +miles ahead, they had struck fresh signs, a trail coming into the old +one from the north, which, in their opinion, indicated that the war +party was returning to the villages.</p> + +<p>On the receipt of this news, Custer, leaving a guard with the wagons, +hastily assembled the rest of his men' and pushing on rapidly, +overtook the scouts and a detailed party from his regiment which had +accompanied them, all halted on the new trail awaiting his arrival. +A personal examination satisfied Custer that the surmises of his +scouts were correct; and also that the fresh trail in the deep snow +could at night be followed with ease. After a short halt for supper +and rest the pursuit was resumed, the Osage scouts in advance, and +although the hostile Indians were presumed to be yet some distance +off, every precaution was taken to prevent detection and to enable +our troops to strike them unawares. The fresh trail, which it was +afterward ascertained had been made by raiders from Black Kettle's +village of Cheyennes, and by some Arapahoes, led into the valley of +the Washita, and growing fresher as the night wore on, finally +brought the Osages upon a campfire, still smoldering, which, it was +concluded, had been built by the Indian boys acting as herders of the +ponies during the previous day. It was evident, then, that the +village could be but a few miles off; hence the pursuit was continued +with redoubled caution until, a few hours before dawn of the 27th, as +the leading scouts peered over a rise on the line of march, they +discovered a large body of animals in the valley below.</p> + +<p>As soon as they reported this discovery, Custer determined to +acquaint himself with the situation by making a reconnoissance in +person, accompanied by his principal officers. So, sending back word +to halt the cavalry, he directed the officers to ride forward with +him; then dismounting, the entire party crept cautiously to a high +point which overlooked the valley, and from where, by the bright moon +then shining, they saw just how the village was situated. Its +position was such as to admit of easy approach from all sides. So, +to preclude an escape of the Indians, Custer decided to attack at +daybreak, and from four different directions.</p> + +<p>The plan having been fully explained to the officers, the remaining +hours of the night were employed in making the necessary +dispositions. Two of the detachments left promptly, since they had +to make a circuitous march of several miles to Teach the points +designated for their attack; the third started a little later; and +then the fourth and last, under Custer himself, also moved into +position. As the first light grew visible in the east, each column +moved closer in to the village, and then, all dispositions having +been made according to the prearranged plan, from their appointed +places the entire force to the opening notes of "Garry Owen," played +by the regimental band as the signal for the attack—dashed at a +gallop into the village. The sleeping and unsuspecting savages were +completely surprised by the onset; yet after the first confusion, +during which the impulse to escape principally actuated them, they +seized their weapons, and from behind logs and trees, or plunging +into the stream and using its steep bank as a breastwork, they poured +upon their assailants a heavy fire, and kept on fighting with every +exhibition of desperation. In such a combat mounted men were +useless, so Custer directed his troopers to fight on, foot, and the +Indians were successively driven from one point of vantage to +another, until, finally, by 9 o'clock the entire camp was in his +possession and the victory complete. Black Kettle and over one +hundred of his warriors were killed, and about fifty women and +children captured; but most of the noncombatants, as well as a few +warriors and boys, escaped in the confusion of the fight. Making +their way down the river, these fugitives alarmed the rest of the +Cheyennes and Arapahoes, and also the Kiowas and Comanches, whose +villages were in close proximity—the nearest not more than two miles +off.</p> + +<p>Then of course all the warriors of these tribes rallied to attack +Custer, who meantime was engaged burning Black Kettle's camp and +collecting his herds of ponies. But these new foes were rather wary +and circumspect, though they already had partial revenge in an +unlooked for way by cutting off Major Elliott and fifteen men, who +had gone off in pursuit of a batch of young warriors when the fight +was going on at the village. In fact, the Indians had killed +Elliott's whole party, though neither the fate of the poor fellows, +nor how they happened to be caught, was known till long afterward. +It was then ascertained that the detachment pursued a course due +south, nearly at right angles to the Washita River, and after +galloping a couple of miles over the hills, crossing a small branch +of the Washita on the way, they captured some of the fugitives. In +bringing the prisoners back, Elliott was in turn attacked on the open +prairie by a large number of savages from farther down the Washita, +who by this time were swarming to the aid of Black Kettle's village. +The little band fought its way gallantly to within rifle-range of the +small creek referred to, but could get no farther, for the Indians +had taken up a position in the bed of the stream, and from under +cover of its banks Elliott and all his remaining men were quickly +killed. No relief was sent them, for Custer, not having seen Elliott +set out, knew nothing of the direction taken, and, besides, was busy +burning the villages and securing the ponies, and deeply concerned, +too, with defending himself from the new dangers menacing him. +Elliott and his brave little party were thus left to meet their fate +alone.</p> + +<p>While Custer was burning the lodges and plunder and securing the +ponies, the Indians from the villages down the Washita were gathering +constantly around him till by mid-day they had collected in +thousands, and then came a new problem as to what should be done. If +he attacked the other villages, there was great danger of his being +overwhelmed, and should he start back to Camp Supply by daylight, he +would run the risk of losing his prisoners and the ponies, so, +thinking the matter over, he decided to shoot all the ponies, and +keep skirmishing with the savages till nightfall, and then, under +cover of the darkness, return to Camp Supply; a programme that was +carried out successfully, but Custer's course received some severe +criticism because no effort was made to discover what had become of +Elliott.</p> + +<p>Custer had, in all, two officers and nineteen men killed, and two +officers and eleven men wounded. The blow struck was a most +effective one, and, fortunately, fell on one of the most villianous of +the hostile bands that, without any provocation whatever, had +perpetrated the massacres on the Saline and Solomon, committing +atrocities too repulsive for recital, and whose hands were still red +from their bloody work on the recent raid. Black Kettle, the chief, +was an old man, and did not himself go with the raiders to the Saline +and Solomon, and on this account his fate was regretted by some. But +it was old age only that kept him back, for before the demons set out +from Walnut Creek he had freely encouraged them by "making medicine," +and by other devilish incantations that are gone through with at war +and scalp dances.</p> + +<p>When the horrible work was over he undertook to shield himself by +professions of friendship, but being put to the test by my offering +to feed and care for all of his band who would come in to Fort Dodge +and remain there peaceably, he defiantly refused. The consequence of +this refusal was a merited punishment, only too long delayed.</p> + +<p>I received the first news of Custer's fight on the Washita on the +morning of November 29. It was brought to me by one of his white +scouts, "California Joe," a noted character, who had been +experiencing the ups and downs of pioneer life ever since crossing +the Plains in 1849. Joe was an invaluable guide and Indian fighter +whenever the clause of the statute prohibiting liquors in the Indian +country happened to be in full force. At the time in question the +restriction was by no means a dead letter, and Joe came through in +thirty-six hours, though obliged to keep in hiding during daylight of +the 28th. The tidings brought were joyfully received by everybody at +Camp Supply, and they were particularly agreeable tome, for, besides +being greatly worried about the safety of the command in the extreme +cold and deep snows, I knew that the immediate effect a victory would +be to demoralize the rest of the hostiles, which of course would +greatly facilitate and expedite our ultimate success. Toward evening +the day after Joe arrived the head of Custer's column made its +appearance on the distant hills, the friendly Osage scouts and the +Indian prisoners in advance. As they drew near, the scouts began a +wild and picturesque performance in celebration of the victory, +yelling, firing their guns, throwing themselves on the necks and +sides of their horses to exhibit their skill in riding, and going +through all sorts of barbaric evolutions and gyrations, which were +continued till night, when the rejoicings were ended with the hideous +scalp dance.</p> + +<p>The disappearance of Major Elliott and his party was the only damper +upon our pleasure, and the only drawback to the very successful +expedition. There was no definite information as to the detachment, +—and Custer was able to report nothing more than that he had not +seen Elliott since just before the fight began. His theory was, +however, that Elliott and his men had strayed off on account of +having no guide, and would ultimately come in all right to Camp +Supply or make their way back to Fort Dodge; a very unsatisfactory +view of the matter, but as no one knew the direction Elliott had +taken, it was useless to speculate on other suppositions, and +altogether too late to make any search for him. I was now anxious to +follow up Custer's stroke by an immediate move to the south with the +entire column, but the Kansas regiment had not yet arrived. At first +its nonappearance did not worry me much, for I attributed the delay +to the bad weather, and supposed Colonel Crawford had wisely laid up +during the worst storms. Further, waiting, however, would give the +Indians a chance to recover from the recent dispiriting defeat, so I +sent out scouting parties to look Crawford up and hurry him along. +After a great deal of searching, a small detachment of the regiment +was found about fifty miles below us on the North Canadian, seeking +our camp. This detachment was in a pretty bad plight, and when +brought in, the officer in charge reported that the regiment, by not +following the advice of the guide sent to conduct it to Camp Supply, +had lost its way. Instead of relying on the guides, Crawford had +undertaken to strike through the canyons of the Cimarron by what +appeared to him a more direct route, and in the deep gorges, filled +as they were with snow, he had been floundering about for days +without being able to extricate his command. Then, too, the men were +out of rations, though they had been able to obtain enough buffalo +meat to keep from starving. As for the horses, since they could get +no grass, about seven hundred of them had already perished from +starvation and exposure. Provisions and guides were immediately sent +out to the regiment, but before the relief could reach Crawford his +remaining horses were pretty much all gone, though the men were +brought in without loss of life. Thus, the regiment being dismounted +by this misfortune at the threshold of the campaign, an important +factor of my cavalry was lost to me, though as foot-troops the Kansas +volunteers continued to render very valuable services till mustered +out the next spring.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch14b"></a>CHAPTER XIV.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>A WINTER EXPEDITION—HERDS OF BUFFALO—WOLVES—BLIZZARDS—A TERRIBLE +NIGHT—FINDING THE BODIES OF ELLIOTT'S PARTY—THE ABANDONED INDIAN +CAMPS—PUSHING DOWN THE WASHITA—THE CAPTURED CHIEFS—EVANS'S +SUCCESSFUL FIGHT—ESTABLISHING FORT SILL—"CALIFORNIA JOE"—DUPLICITY +OF THE CHEYENNES—ORDERED TO REPAIR TO WASHINGTON.</p> + +<p>A few days were necessarily lost setting up and refitting the Kansas +regiment after its rude experience in the Cimarron canyons. This +through with, the expedition, supplied with thirty days' rations, +moved out to the south on the 7th of December, under my personal +command. We headed for the Witchita Mountains, toward which rough +region all the villages along the Washita River had fled after +Custer's fight with Black Kettle. My line of march was by way of +Custer's battle-field, and thence down the Washita, and if the +Indians could not sooner be brought to terms, I intended to follow +them into the Witchita Mountains from near old Fort Cobb. The snow +was still deep everywhere, and when we started the thermometer was +below zero, but the sky being clear and the day very bright, the +command was in excellent spirits. The column was made up of ten +companies of the Kansas regiment, dismounted; eleven companies of the +Seventh Cavalry, Pepoon's scouts, and the Osage scouts. In addition +to Pepoon's men and the Osages, there was also "California Joe," and +one or two other frontiersmen besides, to act as guides and +interpreters. Of all these the principal one, the one who best knew +the country, was Ben Clark, a young man who had lived with the +Cheyennes during much of his boyhood, and who not only had a pretty +good knowledge of the country, but also spoke fluently the Cheyenne +and Arapahoe dialects, and was an adept in the sign language.</p> + +<p>The first day we made only about ten miles, which carried us to the +south bank of Wolf Creek. A considerable part of the day was devoted +to straightening out matters in the command, and allowing time for +equalizing the wagon loads, which as a general thing, on a first +day's march, are unfairly distributed. And then there was an +abundance of fire-wood at Wolf Creek; indeed, here and on Hackberry +Creek—where I intended to make my next camp—was the only timber +north of the Canadian River; and to select the halting places near a +plentiful supply of wood was almost indispensable, for as the men +were provided with only shelter-tents, good fires were needed in +order to keep warm.</p> + +<p>The second day, after marching for hours through vast herds of +buffalo, we made Hackberry Creek; but not, however, without several +stampedes in the wagon-train, the buffalo frightening the mules so +that it became necessary to throw out flankers to shoot the leading +bulls and thus turn off the herds. In the wake of every drove +invariably followed a band of wolves. This animal is a great coward +usually, but hunger had made these so ravenous that they would come +boldly up to the column, and as quick as a buffalo was killed, or +even disabled, they would fall upon the carcass and eagerly devour +it. Antelope also were very numerous, and as they were quite +tame—being seldom chased—and naturally very inquisitive, it was not an +unfrequent thing to see one of the graceful little creatures run in +among the men and be made a prisoner. Such abundance of game +relieved the monotony of the march to Hackberry Creek, but still, +both men and animals were considerably exhausted by their long tramp, +for we made over thirty miles that day.</p> + +<p>We camped in excellent shape on the creek and it was well we did, for +a "Norther," or "blizzard," as storms on the Plains are now termed +struck us in the night. During the continuance of these blizzards, +which is usually about three days, the cold wind sweeps over the +Plains with great force, and, in the latitude of the Indian +Territory, is weighted with great quantities of sleet and snow, +through which it is often impossible to travel; indeed, these +"Northers" have many times proved fatal to the unprotected +frontiersman. With our numbers the chance of any one's being lost, +and perishing alone (one of the most common dangers in a blizzard), +was avoided; but under any circumstances such a storm could but +occasion intense suffering to all exposed to it, hence it would have +been well to remain in camp till the gale was over, but the time +could not be spared. We therefore resumed the march at an early hour +next morning, with the expectation of making the south bank of the +main Canathan and there passing the night, as Clark assured me that +timber was plentiful on that side of the river. The storm greatly +impeded us, however, many of the mules growing discouraged, and some +giving out entirely, so we could not get to Clark's "good camp," for +with ten hours of utmost effort only about half a day's distance +could be covered, when at last, finding the struggle useless, we were +forced to halt for the night in a bleak bottom on the north bank of +the river. But no one could sleep, for the wind swept over us with +unobstructed fury, and the only fuel to be had was a few green +bushes. As night fell a decided change of temperature added much to +our misery, the mercury, which had risen when the "Norther" began, +again falling to zero. It can be easily imagined that under such +circumstances the condition of the men was one of extreme discomfort; +in truth, they had to tramp up and down the camp all night long to +keep from freezing. Anything was a relief to this state of things, +so at the first streak of day we quit the dreadful place and took up +the march.</p> + +<p>A seemingly good point for crossing the Canadian was found a couple +of miles down the stream, where we hoped to get our train over on the +ice, but an experiment proving that it was not strong enough, a ford +had to be made, which was done by marching some of the cavalry +through the river, which was about half a mile wide, to break up the +large floes when they had been cut loose with axes. After much hard +work a passage-way was thus opened, and by noon the command was +crossed to the south bank, and after thawing out and drying our +clothes before big fires, we headed for a point on the Washita, where +Clark said there was plenty of wood, and good water too, to make us +comfortable till the blizzard had blown over.</p> + +<p>We reached the valley of the Washita a little before dark, and camped +some five or six miles above the scene of Custer's fight, where I +concluded to remain at least a day, to rest the command and give it a +chance to refit. In the mean time I visited the battle-field in +company with Custer and several other officers, to see if there was a +possibility of discovering any traces of Elliotts party. On arriving +at the site of the village, and learning from Custer what +dispositions had been made in approaching for the attack, the +squadron of the escort was deployed and pushed across the river at +the point where Elliott had crossed. Moving directly to the south, +we had not gone far before we struck his trail, and soon the whole +story was made plain by our finding, on an open level space about two +miles from the destroyed village, the dead and frozen bodies of the +entire party. The poor fellows were all lying within a circle not +more than fifteen or twenty paces in diameter, and the little piles +of empty cartridge shells near each body showed plainly that every +man had made a brave fight. None were scalped, but most of them were +otherwise horribly mutilated, which fiendish work is usually done by +the squaws. All had been stripped of their clothing, but their +comrades in the escort were able to identify the bodies, which being +done, we gave them decent burial. Their fate was one that has +overtaken many of our gallant army in their efforts to protect the +frontiersmen's homes and families from savages who give no quarter, +though they have often received it, and where the possibility of +defeat in action carries with it the certainty of death and often of +preceding torture.</p> + +<p>From the meadow where Elliott was found we rode to the Washita, and +then down the river through the sites of the abandoned villages, that +had been strung along almost continuously for about twelve miles in +the timber skirting the stream. On every hand appeared ample +evidence that the Indians had intended to spend the winter here, for +the ground was littered with jerked meat, bales of buffalo robes, +cooking utensils, and all sorts of plunder usually accumulated in a +permanent Indian camp. There were, also, lying dead near the +villages hundreds of ponies, that had been shot to keep them from +falling into our hands, the scant grazing and extreme cold having +made them too weak to be driven along in the flight. The wholesale +slaughter of these ponies was a most cheering indication that our +campaign would be ultimately successful, and we all prayed for at +least a couple of months more of cold weather and plenty of snow.</p> + +<p>At the Kiowa village we found the body of a white woman—a Mrs. +Blynn—and also that of her child. These captives had been taken by +the Kiowas near Fort Lyon the previous summer, and kept close +prisoners until the stampede began, the poor woman being reserved to +gratify the brutal lust of the chief, Satanta; then, however, Indian +vengeance demanded the murder of the poor creatures, and after +braining the little child against a tree, the mother was shot through +the forehead, the weapon, which no doubt brought her welcome release, +having been fired so close that the powder had horribly disfigured +her face. The two bodies were wrapped in blankets and taken to camp, +and afterward carried along in our march, till finally they were +decently interred at Fort Arbuckle..</p> + +<p>At an early hour on December 12 the command pulled out from its cosy +camp and pushed down the valley of the Washita, following immediately +on the Indian trail which led in the direction of Fort Cobb, but +before going far it was found that the many deep ravines and canyons +on this trail would delay our train very much, so we moved out of the +valley and took the level prairie on the divide. Here the traveling +was good, and a rapid gait was kept up till mid-day, when, another +storm of sleet and snow coming on, it became extremely difficult for +the guides to make out the proper course; and fearing that we might +get lost or caught on the open plain without wood or water—as we had +been on the Canadian—I turned the command back to the valley, +resolved to try no more shortcuts involving the risk of a disaster to +the expedition. But to get back was no slight task, for a dense fog +just now enveloped us, obscuring all landmarks. However, we were +headed right when the fog set in, and we had the good luck to reach +the valley before night-fall, though there was a great deal of +floundering about, and also much disputing among the guides as to +where the river would be found Fortunately we struck the stream right +at a large grove of timber, and established ourselves, admirably. By +dark the ground was covered with twelve or fifteen inches of fresh +snow, and as usual the temperature rose very sensibly while the storm +was on, but after night-fall the snow ceased and the skies cleared +up. Daylight having brought zero weather again, our start on the +morning of the 17th was painful work, many of the men freezing their +fingers while handling the horse equipments, harness, and tents. +However, we got off in fairly good season, and kept to the trail +along the Washita notwithstanding the frequent digging and bridging +necessary to get the wagons over ravines.</p> + +<p>Continuing on this line for three days, we at length came to a point +on the Washita where all signs indicated that we were nearing some of +the villages. Wishing to strike them as soon as possible, we made a +very early start next morning, the 17th. A march of four or five +miles brought us to a difficult ravine, and while we were making +preparations to get over, word was brought that several Indians had +appeared in our front bearing a white flag and making signs that they +had a communication to deliver. We signaled back that they would be +received, when one of the party came forward alone and delivered a +letter, which proved to be from General Hazen, at Fort Cobb. The +letter showed that Hazen was carrying on negotiations with the +Indians, and stated that all the tribes between Fort Cobb and my +column were friendly, but the intimation was given that the +Cheyennes and Arapahoes were still hostile, having moved off +southward toward the Red River. It was added that Satanta and Lone +Wolf—the chiefs of the Kiowas—would give information of the +whereabouts of the hostiles; and such a communication coming direct +from the representative of the Indian Department, practically took +the Kiowas—the village at hand was of that tribe—under its +protection, and also the Comanches, who were nearer in to Cobb. Of +course, under such circumstances I was compelled to give up the +intended attack, though I afterward regretted that I had paid any +heed to the message, because Satanta and Lone Wolf proved, by +trickery and double dealing, that they had deceived Hazen into +writing the letter.</p> + +<p>When I informed the Klowas that I would respect Hazen's letter +provided they all came into Fort Cobb and gave themselves up, the two +chiefs promised submission, and, as an evidence of good faith, +proposed to accompany the column to Fort Cobb with a large body of +warriors, while their villages moved to the same point by easy +stages, along the opposite bank of the river—claiming this to be +necessary from the poor condition of the ponies. I had some +misgivings as to the sincerity of Satanta and Lone Wolf, but as I +wanted to get the Kiowas where their surrender would be complete, so +that the Cheyennes and Arapahoes could then be pursued, I agreed to +the proposition, and the column moved on. All went well that day, +but the next it was noticed that the warriors were diminishing, and +an investigation showed that a number of them had gone off on various +pretexts—the main one being to help along the women and children +with the villages. With this I suspected that they were playing me +false, and my suspicions grew into certainty when Satanta himself +tried to make his escape by slipping beyond the flank of the column +and putting spurs to his pony. Fortunately, several officers saw +him, and quickly giving chase, overhauled him within a few hundred +yards. I then arrested both him and Lone Wolf and held them as +hostages—a measure that had the effect of bringing back many of the +warriors already beyond our reach.</p> + +<p>When we arrived at Fort Cobb we found some of the Comanches already +there, and soon after the rest of them, excepting one band, came in +to the post. The Kiowas, however, were not on hand, and there were +no signs to indicate their coming. At the end of two days it was +plain enough that they were acting in bad faith, and would continue +to unless strong pressure was brought to bear. Indeed, they had +already started for the Witchita Mountains, so I put on the screws at +once by issuing an order to hang Satanta and Lone Wolf, if their +people did not surrender at Fort Cobb within forty-eight hours. The +two chiefs promised prompt compliance, but begged for more time, +seeking to explain the non-arrival of the women and children through +the weak condition of the ponies; but I was tired of their duplicity, +and insisted on my ultimatum.</p> + +<p>The order for the execution brought quick fruit. Runners were sent +out with messages, by the two prisoners, appealing to their people to +save the lives of their chiefs, and the result was that the whole +tribe came in to the post within the specified time. The two +manacled wretches thus saved their necks; but it is to be regretted +that the execution did not come off; for some years afterward their +devilish propensities led them into Texas, where both engaged in the +most horrible butcheries.</p> + +<p>The Kiowas were now in our hands, and all the Comanches too, except +one small band, which, after the Custer fight, had fled toward the +headwaters of the Red River. This party was made up of a lot of very +bad Indians—outlaws from the main tribe—and we did not hope to +subdue them except by a fight, and of this they got their fill; for +Evans, moving from Monument Creek toward the western base of the +Witchita Mountains on Christmas Day, had the good fortune to strike +their village. In the snow and cold his approach was wholly +unexpected, and he was thus enabled to deal the band a blow that +practically annihilated it. Twenty-five warriors were killed +outright, most of the women and children captured, and all the +property was destroyed. Only a few of the party escaped, and some of +these made their way in to Fort Cobb, to join the rest of their tribe +in confinement; while others, later in the season, surrendered at +Fort Bascom.</p> + +<p>This sudden appearance of Evans in the Red River region also alarmed +the Cheyennes and Arapahoes, and their thoughts now began to turn to +submission. Food was growing scarce with them, too, as there was but +little game to be found either in the Witchita Mountains or on the +edge of the Staked Plains, and the march of Carr's column from +Antelope Hills precluded their returning to where the buffalo ranged. +Then, too, many of their ponies were dead or dying, most of their +tepees and robes had been abandoned, and the women and children, +having been kept constantly on the move in the winter's storms, were +complaining bitterly of their sufferings.</p> + +<p>In view of this state of things they intimated, through their +Comanche-Apache friends at Fort Cobb, that they would like to make +terms. On receiving their messages I entered into negotiations with +Little Robe, chief of the Cheyennes, and Yellow Bear, chief of the +Arapahoes, and despatched envoys to have both tribes understand +clearly that they must recognize their subjugation by surrendering at +once, and permanently settling on their reservations in the spring. +Of course the usual delays of Indian diplomacy ensued, and it was +some weeks before I heard the result.</p> + +<p>Then one of my messengers returned with word that Little Robe and +Yellow Bear were on their way to see me. They arrived a few days +later, and, promptly acceding to the terms, promised to bring their +people in, but as many of them would have to come on foot on account +of the condition of the ponies, more time was solicited. Convinced +of the sincerity of their professions I gave them a reasonable +extension, and eventually Yellow Bear made good his word, but Little +Robe, in spite of earnest and repeated efforts, was unable to deliver +his people till further operations were begun against them.</p> + +<p>While these negotiations were in progess I came to the conclusion +that a permanent military post ought to be established well down on +the Kiowa and Comanche reservation, in order to keep an eye on these +tribes in the future, Fort Cobb, being an unsuitable location, +because too far to the north to protect the Texas frontier, and too +far away from where it was intended to permanently place the Indians. +With this purpose in view I had the country thoroughly explored, and +afterward a place was fixed upon not far from the base of the +Witchita Mountains, and near the confluence of Medicine Bluff and +Cash creeks, where building stone and timber could be obtained in +plenty, and to this point I decided to move. The place was named +Camp Sill-now Fort Sill—in honor of my classmate, General Sill, +killed at Stone River; and to make sure of the surrendered Indians, I +required them all, Kiowas, Comanches, and Comanche-Apaches, to +accompany us to the new post, so they could be kept under military +control till they were settled.</p> + +<p>During the march to the new camp the weather was not so cold as that +experienced in coming down from Camp Supply; still, rains were +frequent, and each was invariably followed by a depression of +temperature and high winds, very destructive to our animals, much +weakened by lack of food. The men fared pretty well, however, for on +the rough march along the Washita, and during our stay at Fort Cobb, +they had learned to protect themselves materially from the cold. For +this they had contrived many devices, the favorite means being +dugouts—that is, pits dug in the ground, and roofed over, with +shelter-tents, and having at one end a fire-place and chimney +ingeniously constructed with sod. In these they lived very +snugly—four men in each—and would often amuse themselves by poking their +heads out and barking at the occupants of adjacent huts in imitation +of the prairie-dog, whose comfortable nests had probably suggested +the idea of dugouts. The men were much better off, in fact, than +many of the officers, for the high winds frequently made havoc with +our wall-tents. The horses and mules suffered most of all. They +could not be sheltered, and having neither grain nor grass, the poor +beasts were in no condition to stand the chilling blasts. Still, by +cutting down cottonwood-trees, and letting the animals browse on the +small soft branches, we managed to keep them up till, finally even +this wretched food beginning to grow scarce, I had all except a few +of the strongest sent to Fort Arbuckle, near which place we had been +able, fortunately, to purchase some fields of corn from the +half-civilized Chickasaws and Choctaws.</p> + +<p>Through mismanagement, as previously noted, the greater part of the +supplies which I had ordered hauled to Arbuckle the preceding fall +had not got farther on the way than Fort Gibson, which post was about +four hundred miles off, and the road abominable, particularly east of +Arbuckle, where it ran through a low region called "boggy bottom." +All along this route were abandoned wagons, left sticking in the mud, +and hence the transportation was growing so short that I began to +fear trouble in getting subsistence up for the men. Still, it would +not do to withdraw, so I made a trip to Arbuckle chiefly for the +purpose of reorganizing the transportation, but also with a view to +opening a new route to that post, the road to lie on high ground, so +as to avoid the creeks and mud that had been giving us so much +trouble. If such a road could be made, I hoped to get up enough +rations and grain from the cornfields purchased to send out a +formidable expedition against the Cheyennes, so I set out for +Arbuckle accompanied by my quartermaster, Colonel A. J. McGonigle. +"California Joe" also went along to guide us through the scrub-oaks +covering the ridge, but even the most thorough exploration failed to +discover any route more practicable than that already in use; indeed, +the high ground was, if anything, worse than the bottom land, our +horses in the springy places and quicksands often miring to their +knees. The ground was so soft and wet, in fact, that we had to make +most of the way on foot, so by the time we reached Arbuckle I was +glad to abandon the new road project.</p> + +<p>Finding near Arbuckle more fields of corn than those already +purchased, I had them bought also, and ordered more of the horses +back there to be fed. I next directed every available mule to be put +to hauling rations, having discovered that the full capacity of the +transportation had not yet been brought into play in forwarding +stores from Gibson, and with this regulation of the supply question I +was ready to return immediately to Camp Sill. But my departure was +delayed by California Joe, who, notwithstanding the prohibitory laws +of the Territory, in some unaccountable way had got gloriously tipsy, +which caused a loss of time that disgusted me greatly; but as we +could not well do without Joe, I put off starting till the next day, +by which time it was thought he would sober up. But I might just as +well have gone at first, for at the end of the twenty-four hours the +incorrigible old rascal was still dead drunk. How he had managed to +get the grog to keep up his spree was a mystery which we could not +solve, though we had had him closely watched, so I cut the matter +short by packing him into my ambulance and carrying him off to Camp +Sill.</p> + +<p>By the time I got back to Sill, the Arapahoes were all in at the +post, or near at hand. The promised surrender of the Cheyennes was +still uncertain of fulfillment, however, and although Little Robe and +his family had remained with us in evidence of good faith, the +messages he sent to his followers brought no assurance of the tribe's +coming in—the runners invariably returning with requests for more +time, and bringing the same old excuse of inability to move because +the ponies were so badly off. But more time was just what I was +determined not to grant, for I felt sure that if a surrender was not +forced before the spring grass came, the ponies would regain their +strength, and then it would be doubtful if the Cheyennes came in at +all.</p> + +<p>To put an end to these delays, Custer proposed to go out and see the +Cheyennes himself, taking with him for escort only such number of men +as could be fairly well mounted from the few horses not sent back to +Arbuckle. At first I was inclined to disapprove Custer's +proposition, but he urged it so strongly that I finally consented, +though with some misgivings, for I feared that so small a party might +tempt the Cheyennes to forget their pacific professions and seek to +avenge the destruction of Black Kettle's band. However, after +obtaining my approval, Custer, with characteristic energy, made his +preparations, and started with three or four officers and forty +picked men, taking along as negotiators Yellow Bear and Little Robe, +who were also to conduct him to the head-waters of the Red River, +where it was supposed the Cheyennes would be found. His progress was +reported by couriers every few days, and by the time he got to the +Witchita foot-hills he had grown so sanguine that he sent California +Joe back to me with word that he was certain of success. Such +hopeful anticipation relieved me greatly, of course, but just about +the time I expected to hear that his mission had been achieved I was +astonished by the party's return. Inquiring as to the trouble, I +learned that out toward the Staked Plains every sign of the Cheyennes +had disappeared. Surprised and disappointed at this, and discouraged +by the loneliness of his situation—for in the whole region not a +trace of animal life was visible, Custer gave up the search, and none +too soon, I am inclined to believe, to save his small party from +perishing.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="pb344"></a><img alt="pb344.jpg (133K)" src="images/pb344.jpg" height="791" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/pb344.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>This failure put a stop to all expeditions till the latter part of +February, by which time I had managed to lay in enough rations to +feed the command for about thirty days; and the horses back at +Arbuckle having picked up sufficiently for field service they were +ordered to Sill, and this time I decided to send Custer out with his +own and the Kansas regiment, with directions to insist on the +immediate surrender of the Cheyennes, or give them a sound thrashing. +He was ordered to get everything ready by March 1, and then move to +the mouth of Salt Creek, on the North Fork of the Red River, at which +place I proposed to establish a new depot for feeding the command. +Trains could reach this point from Camp Supply more readily than from +Arbuckle, and wishing to arrange this part of the programme in +person, I decided to return at once to Supply, and afterward rejoin +Custer at Salt Creek, on what, I felt sure, was to be the final +expedition of the campaign. I made the three hundred and sixty miles +from Sill to Supply in seven days, but much to my surprise there +found a despatch from General Grant directing me to repair +immediately to Washington. These orders precluded, of course, my +rejoining the command; but at the appointed time it set out on the +march, and within three weeks brought the campaign to a successful +close.</p> + +<p>In this last expedition, for the first few days Custer's route was by +the same trail he had taken in January—that is to say, along the +southern base of the Witchita Mountains—but this time there was more +to encourage him than before, for, on getting a couple of marches +beyond old Camp Radziminski, on all sides were fresh evidences of +Indians, and every effort was bent to strike them.</p> + +<p>From day to day the signs grew hotter, and toward the latter part of +March the game was found. The Indians being in a very forlorn +condition, Custer might have destroyed most of the tribe, and +certainly all their villages, but in order to save two white women +whom, it was discovered, they held as captives, he contented himself +with the renewal of the Cheyennes' agreement to come in to Camp +Supply. In due time the entire tribe fulfilled its promise except +one small band under "Tall Bull," but this party received a good +drubbing from General Carr on the Republican early in May. After +this fight all the Indians of the southern Plains settled down on +their reservations, and I doubt whether the peace would ever again +have been broken had they not in after years been driven to +hostilities by most unjust treatment.</p> + +<p>It was the 2d of March that I received at Camp Supply Grant's +despatch directing me to report immediately in Washington. It had +been my intention, as I have said, to join Custer on the North Fork +of the Red River, but this new order required me to recast my plans, +so, after arranging to keep the expedition supplied till the end of +the campaign, I started for Washington, accompanied by three of my +staff—Colonels McGonigle and Crosby, and Surgeon Asch, and Mr. Deb. +Randolph Keim, a representative of the press, who went through the +whole campaign, and in 1870 published a graphic history of it. The +day we left Supply we, had another dose of sleet and snow, but +nevertheless we made good time, and by night-fall reached Bluff +Creek. In twenty-four hours more we made Fort Dodge, and on the 6th +of March arrived at Fort Hays. Just south of the Smoky Hill River, a +little before we got to the post, a courier heading for Fort Dodge +passed us at a rapid gait. Suspecting that he had despatches for me, +I directed my outrider to overtake him and find out. The courier +soon turned back, and riding up to my ambulance handed me a telegram +notifying me that General Grant, on the day of his inauguration, +March 4, 1869, had appointed me Lieutenant-General of the Army. When +I reported in Washington, the President desired me to return to New +Orleans and resume command of the Fifth Military District, but this +was not at all to my liking, so I begged off, and was assigned to +take charge of the Division of the Missouri, succeeding General +Sherman, who had just been ordered to assume command of the Army.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch15b"></a>CHAPTER XV.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>INSPECTING MILITARY POSTS IN UTAH AND MONTANA—DESIRE TO WITNESS THE +FRANCO-GERMAN WAR—ON A SAND-BAR IN THE MISSOURI—A BEAR HUNT—AN +INDIAN SCARE—MYRIADS OF MOSQUITOES—PERMISSION GIVEN TO VISIT +EUROPE—CALLING ON PRESIDENT GRANT—SAILING FOR LIVERPOOL—ARRIVAL IN +BERLIN.</p> + +<p>After I had for a year been commanding the Division of the Missouri, +which embraced the entire Rocky Mountain region, I found it necessary +to make an inspection of the military posts in northern Utah and +Montana, in order by personal observation to inform myself of their +location and needs, and at the same time become acquainted with the +salient geographical and topographical features of that section of my +division. Therefore in May, 1870, I started west by the +Union-Pacific railroad, and on arriving at Corinne' Station, the next +beyond Ogden, took passage by stage-coach for Helena, the capital of +Montana Territory. Helena is nearly five hundred miles north of +Corinne, and under ordinary conditions the journey was, in those +days, a most tiresome one. As the stage kept jogging on day and +night, there was little chance for sleep, and there being with me a +sufficient number of staff-officers to justify the proceeding, we +chartered the "outfit," stipulating that we were to stop over one +night on the road to get some rest. This rendered the journey more +tolerable, and we arrived at Helena without extraordinary fatigue.</p> + +<p>Before I left Chicago the newspapers were filled with rumors of +impending war between Germany and France. I was anxious to observe +the conflict, if it was to occur, but reports made one day concerning +the beginning of hostilities would be contradicted the next, and it +was not till I reached Helena that the despatches lost their doubtful +character, and later became of so positive a nature as to make it +certain that the two nations would fight. I therefore decided to cut +short my tour of inspection, so that I could go abroad to witness the +war, if the President would approve. This resolution limited my stay +in Helena to a couple of days, which were devoted to arranging for an +exploration of what are now known as the Upper and the Lower Geyser +Basins of the Yellowstone Park. While journeying between Corinne and +Helena I had gained some vague knowledge of these geysers from an old +mountaineer named Atkinson, but his information was very indefinite, +mostly second-hand; and there was such general uncertainty as to the +character of this wonderland that I authorized an escort of soldiers +to go that season from Fort Ellis with a small party, to make such +superficial explorations as to justify my sending an engineer officer +with a well-equipped expedition there next summer to scientifically +examine and report upon the strange country. When the arrangements +for this preliminary expedition were completed I started for Fort +Benton, the head of navigation on the Missouri River, on the way +passing through Fort Shaw, on Sun River. I expected to take at +Benton a steamboat to Fort Stevenson, a military post which had been +established about eighty miles south of Fort Buford, near a +settlement of friendly Mandan and Arickaree Indians, to protect them +from the hostile Sioux. From there I was to make my way overland, +first to Fort Totten near Devil's lake in Dakota, and thence by way +of Fort Abercrombie to Saint Cloud, Minnesota, the terminus of the +railroad.</p> + +<p>Luckily I met with no delay in getting a boat at Benton, and though +the water was extremely low, we steamed down the channel of the +Missouri with but slight detention till we got within fifty miles of +Fort Buford. Here we struck on a sandbar with such force of steam +and current as to land us almost out of the water from stem to +midships. This bad luck was tantalizing, for to land on a bar when +your boat is under full headway down-stream in the Missouri River is +no trifling matter, especially if you want to make time, for the +rapid and turbid stream quickly depositing sand under the hull, makes +it commonly a task of several days to get your boat off again. As +from our mishap the loss of much time was inevitable, I sent a +messenger to Fort Buford for a small escort, and for horses to take +my party in to the post. Colonel Morrow, the commandant, came +himself to meet us, bringing a strong party of soldiers and some +friendly Indian scouts, because, he said, there were then in the +region around Buford so many treacherous band of Sioux as to make +things exceedingly unsafe.</p> + +<p>Desiring to reach the post without spending more than one night on +the way, we abandoned our steamer that evening, and set off at an +early hour the next morning. We made camp at the end of the day's +march within ten miles of Buford, and arrived at the post without +having had any incident of moment, unless we may dignify as one a +battle with three grizzly bears, discovered by our friendly Indians +the morning of our second day's journey. While eating our +breakfast—a rather slim one, by the way—spread on a piece of canvas, the +Indians, whose bivouac was some distance off, began shouting +excitedly, "Bear! bear!" and started us all up in time to see, out on +the plain some hundreds of yards away, an enormous grizzly and two +almost full-grown cubs. Chances like this for a bear hunt seldom +offered, so there was hurried mounting—the horses being already +saddled—and a quick advance made on the game from many directions, +Lieutenant Townsend, of the escort, and five or six of the Indians +going with me. Alarmed by the commotion, bruin and her cubs turned +about, and with an awkward yet rapid gait headed for a deep ravine, +in which there was brushwood shelter.</p> + +<p>My party rode directly across the prairie and struck the trail not +far behind the game. Then for a mile or more the chase was kept up, +but with such poor shooting because of the "buck fever" which had +seized most of us, that we failed to bring down any of the grizzlies, +though the cubs grew so tired that the mother was often obliged to +halt for their defense, meanwhile urging them on before her. When +the ravine was gained she hid the cubs away in the thick brushwood, +and then coming out where we could plainly see her, stood on the +defense just within the edge of the thicket, beyond the range of our +rifles though, unless we went down into the canyon, which we would +have to do on foot, since the precipitous wall precluded going on +horseback. For an adventure like this I confess I had little +inclination, and on holding a council of war, I found that the +Indians had still less, but Lieutenant Townsend, who was a fine shot, +and had refrained from firing hitherto in the hope that I might bag +the game, relieved the embarrassing situation and saved the credit of +the party by going down alone to attack the enemy. Meanwhile I +magnanimously held his horse, and the Sioux braves did a deal of +shouting, which they seemed to think of great assistance.</p> + +<p>Townsend, having descended to the bottom of the ravine, approached +within range, when the old bear struck out, dashing into and out of +the bushes so rapidly, however, that he could not get fair aim at +her, but the startled cubs running into full view, he killed one at +the first shot and at the second wounded the other. This terribly +enraged the mother, and she now came boldly out to fight, exposing +herself in the open ground so much as to permit a shot, that brought +her down too, with a broken shoulder. Then the Indians and I, +growing very brave, scrambled down to—take part in the fight. It +was left for me to despatch the wounded cub and mother, and having +recovered possession of my nerves, I did the work effectively, and we +carried off with us the skins of the three animals as trophies of the +hunt and evidence of our prowess.</p> + +<p>As good luck would have it, when we reached Buford we found a +steamboat there unloading stores, and learned that it would be ready +to start down the river the next day. Embarking on her, we got to +Stevenson in a few hours, and finding at the post camp equipage that +had been made ready for our use in crossing overland to Fort Totten, +we set out the following forenoon, taking with us a small escort of +infantry, transported in two light wagons, a couple of Mandans and +the post interpreter going along as mounted guides.</p> + +<p>To reach water we had to march the first day to a small lake forty +miles off, and the oppressive heat, together with the long distance +traveled, used up one of the teams so much that, when about to start +out the second morning, we found the animals unable to go on with any +prospect of finishing the trip, so I ordered them to be rested +forty-eight hours longer, and then taken back to Stevenson. This +diminished the escort by one-half, yet by keeping the Indians and +interpreter on the lookout, and seeing that our ambulance was kept +closed up on the wagon carrying the rest of the detachment, we could, +I thought, stand off any ordinary party of hostile Indians.</p> + +<p>About noon I observed that the scouts in advance had left the trail +and begun to reconnoitre a low ridge to their right, the sequel of +which was that in a few minutes they returned to the wagons on a dead +run and reported Sioux just ahead. Looking in the direction +indicated, I could dimly see five or six horsemen riding in a circle, +as Indians do when giving warning to their camp, but as our halt +disclosed that we were aware of their proximity, they darted back +again behind the crest of the ridge. Anticipating from this move an +immediate attack, we hastily prepared for it by unhooking the mules +from the wagon and ambulance, so that we could use the vehicles as a +barricade. This done, I told the interpreter to take the Mandan +scouts and go over toward the ridge and reconnoitre again. As the +scouts neared the crest two of them dismounted, and, crawling slowly +on their bellies to the summit, took a hasty look and returned at +once to their horses, coming back with word that in the valley beyond +was a camp of at least a hundred Sioux lodges, and that the Indians +were hurriedly getting ready to attack us. The news was anything but +cheering, for with a village of that size the warriors would number +two or three hundred, and could assail us from every side.</p> + +<p>Still, nothing could be done, but stand and take what was to come, +for there was no chance of escape—it being supreme folly to +undertake in wagons a race with Indians to Fort Stevenson, sixty +miles away. To make the best of the situation, we unloaded the +baggage, distributing and adjusting the trunks, rolls of bedding, +crackerboxes, and everything else that would stop a bullet, in such +manner as to form a square barricade, two sides of which were the +wagons, with the mules haltered to the wheels. Every man then +supplied himself with all the ammunition he could carry, and the +Mandan scouts setting up the depressing wail of the Indian +death-song, we all awaited the attack with the courage of despair.</p> + +<p>But no attack came; and time slipping by, and we still unmolested, +the interpreter and scouts were sent out to make another +reconnoissance. Going through just such precautions as before in +approaching the ridge, their slow progress kept us in painful +suspense; but when they got to the crest the strain on our nerves was +relieved by seeing them first stand up boldly at full height, and +then descend beyond. Quickly returning, they brought welcome word +that the whole thing was a mistake, and no Sioux were there at all. +What had been taken for a hundred Indian lodges turned out to be the +camp of a Government train on its way to Fort Stevenson, and the +officer in charge seeing the scouts before they discovered him, and +believing them to be Sioux, had sent out to bring his herds in. It +would be hard to exaggerate the relief that this discovery gave us, +and we all breathed much easier. The scare was a bad one, and I have +no hesitation in saying that, had we been mounted, it is more than +likely that, instead of showing fight, we would have taken up a +lively pace for Fort Stevenson.</p> + +<p>After reciprocal explanations with the officer in charge of the +train, the march was resumed, and at the close of that day we camped +near a small lake about twenty miles from Fort Totten. From Totten +we journeyed on to Fort Abercrombie. The country between the two +posts is low and flat, and I verily believe was then the favorite +abiding-place of the mosquito, no matter where he most loves to dwell +now; for myriads of the pests rose up out of the tall rank +grass—more than I ever saw before or since—and viciously attacked both men +and animals. We ourselves were somewhat protected by gloves and +head-nets, provided us before leaving Totten, but notwithstanding +these our sufferings were well-nigh intolerable; the annoyance that +the poor mules experienced must, therefore, have been extreme; +indeed, they were so terribly stung that the blood fairly trickled +down their sides. Unluckily, we had to camp for one night in this +region; but we partly evaded the ravenous things by banking up our +tent walls with earth, and then, before turning in, sweeping and +smoking out such as had got inside. Yet with all this there seemed +hundreds left to sing and sting throughout the night. The mules +being without protection, we tried hard to save them from the vicious +insects by creating a dense smoke from a circle of smothered fires, +within which chain the grateful brutes gladly stood; but this relief +was only partial, so the moment there was light enough to enable us +to hook up we pulled out for Abercrombie in hot haste.</p> + +<p>From Abercrombie we drove on to Saint Cloud, the terminus of the +railroad, where, considerably the worse for our hurried trip and +truly wretched experience with the mosquitoes, we boarded the welcome +cars. Two days later we arrived in Chicago, and having meanwhile +received word from General Sherman that there would be no objection +to my going to Europe, I began making arrangements to leave, securing +passage by the steamship Scotia.</p> + +<p>President Grant invited me to come to see him at Long Branch before I +should sail, and during my brief visit there he asked which army I +wished to accompany, the German or the French. I told him the +German, for the reason that I thought more could be seen with the +successful side, and that the indications pointed to the defeat of +the French. My choice evidently pleased him greatly, as he had the +utmost contempt for Louis Napoleon, and had always denounced him as a +usurper and a charlatan. Before we separated, the President gave me +the following letter to the representatives of our Government abroad, +and with it I not only had no trouble in obtaining permission to go +with the Germans, but was specially favored by being invited to +accompany the headquarters of the King of Prussia:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>"LONG BRANCH, N. J., July 25, 1870. +<br> +<br>"Lieutenant-General P. H. Sheridan, of the United State Army, is +authorized to visit Europe, to return at his own pleasure, unless +otherwise ordered. He is commended to the good offices of all +representatives of this Government whom he may meet abroad. +<br> +<br>"To citizens and representatives of other Governments I introduce +General Sheridan as one of the most skillful, brave and deserving +soldiers developed by the great struggle through which the United +States Government has just passed. Attention paid him will be duly +appreciated by the country he has served so faithfully and +efficiently. +<br> +<br>"U. S. GRANT." +</blockquote> + +<p> +Word of my intended trip was cabled to Europe in the ordinary press +despatches, and our Minister to France, Mr. Elihu B. Washburn, being +an intimate friend of mine, and thinking that I might wish to attach +myself to the French army, did me the favor to take preliminary steps +for securing the necessary authority. He went so far as to broach +the subject to the French Minister of War, but in view of the +informality of the request, and an unmistakable unwillingness to +grant it being manifested, Mr. Washburn pursued the matter no +further. I did not learn of this kindly interest in my behalf till +after the capitulation of Paris, when Mr. Washburn told me what he +had done of his own motion. Of course I thanked him gratefully, but +even had he succeeded in getting the permission he sought I should +not have accompanied the French army.</p> + +<p>I sailed from New York July 27, one of my aides-de-camp, General +James W. Forsyth, going with me. We reached Liverpool August 6, and +the next day visited the American Legation in London, where we saw +all the officials except our Minister, Mr. Motley, who, being absent, +was represented by Mr. Moran, the Secretary of the Legation. We left +London August 9 for Brussels, where we were kindly cared for by the +American Minister, Mr. Russell Jones who the same evening saw us off +for Germany. Because of the war we secured transportation only as +far as Vera, and here we received information that the Prussian +Minister of War had telegraphed to the Military Inspector of +Railroads to take charge of us on our arrival a Cologne, and send us +down to the headquarter of the Prussian army, but the Inspector, for +some unexplained reason, instead of doing this, sent us on to Berlin. +Here our Minister, Mr. George Bancroft, met us with a telegram from +the German Chancellor, Count Bismarck, saying we were expected to +come direct to the King's headquarters and we learned also that a +despatch had been sent to the Prussian Minister at Brussels directing +him to forward us from Cologne to the army, instead of allowing us to +go on to Berlin, but that we had reached and quit Brussels without +the Minister's knowledge.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch16b"></a>CHAPTER XVI.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>LEAVING FOR THE SEAT OF WAR—MEETING WITH PRINCE BISMARCK—HIS +INTEREST IN PUBLIC OPINION IN AMERICA—HIS INCLINATIONS IN EARLY +LIFE—PRESENTED TO THE KING—THE BATTLE OF GRAVELOTTE—THE GERMAN +PLAN—ITS FINAL SUCCESS—SENDING NEWS OF THE VICTORY—MISTAKEN FOR A +FRENCHMAN.</p> + +<p>Shortly after we arrived in Berlin the Queen sent a messenger +offering us an opportunity to pay our respects, and fixed an hour for +the visit, which was to take place the next day; but as the tenor of +the despatch Mr. Bancroft had received from Count Bismarck indicated +that some important event which it was desired I should witness was +about to happen at the theatre of war, our Minister got us excused +from our visit of ceremony, and we started for the headquarters of +the German army that evening—our stay in the Prussian capital having +been somewhat less than a day.</p> + +<p>Our train was a very long one, of over eighty cars, and though drawn +by three locomotives, its progress to Cologne was very slow and the +journey most tedious. From Cologne we continued on by rail up the +valley of the Rhine to Bingebruck, near Bingen, and thence across +through Saarbrucken to Remilly, where we left the railway and rode in +a hay-wagon to Pont-a-Mousson, arriving there August 17, late in the +afternoon. This little city had been ceded to France at the Peace of +Westphalia, and although originally German, the people had become, in +the lapse of so many years, intensely French in sentiment. The town +was so full of officers and men belonging to the German army that it +was difficult to get lodgings, but after some delay we found quite +comfortable quarters at one of the small hotels, and presently, after +we had succeeded in getting a slender meal, I sent my card to Count +von Bismarck, the Chancellor of the North German Confederation, who +soon responded by appointing an hour—about 9 o'clock the same +evening—for an interview.</p> + +<p>When the Count received me he was clothed in the undress uniform of +the Cuirassier regiment, of which he was the colonel. During the +interview which ensued, he exhibited at times deep anxiety regarding +the conflict now imminent, for it was the night before the battle of +Gravelotte, but his conversation was mostly devoted to the state of +public sentiment in America, about which he seemed much concerned, +inquiring repeatedly as to which side—France or Prussia—was charged +with bringing on the war. Expressing a desire to witness the battle +which was expected to occur the next day, and remarking that I had +not had sufficient time to provide the necessary transportation, he +told me to be ready at 4 o'clock in the morning, and he would take me +out in his own carriage and present me to the King—adding that he +would ask one of his own staff-officers, who he knew had one or two +extra horses, to lend me one. As I did not know just what my status +would be, and having explained to the President before leaving +America that I wished to accompany the German army unofficially, I +hardly knew whether to appear in uniform or not, so I spoke of this +matter too, and the Count, after some reflection, thought it best for +me to wear my undress uniform, minus the sword, however, because I +was a non combatant.</p> + +<p>At 4 o'clock the next morning, the 18th, I repaired to the +Chancellor's quarters. The carriage was at the door, also the +saddle-horse, but as no spare mount could be procured for General +Forsyth, he had to seek other means to reach the battle-field. The +carriage was an open one with two double seats, and in front a single +one for a messenger; it had also a hand-brake attached.</p> + +<p> +Count Bismarck and I occupied the rear seat, and Count +Bismarck-Bohlen—the nephew and aide-decamp to the Chancellor—and Doctor +Busch were seated facing us. The conveyance was strong, serviceable, +and comfortable, but not specially prepossessing, and hitched to it +were four stout horses—logy, ungainly animals, whose clumsy harness +indicated that the whole equipment was meant for heavy work. Two +postilions in uniform, in high military saddles on the nigh horse of +each span, completed the establishment.</p> + +<p>All being ready, we took one of the roads from Pont-a-Mousson to +Rezonville, which is on the direct road from Metz to Chalons, and +near the central point of the field where, on the 16th of August, the +battle of Mars-la-Tour had been fought. It was by this road that the +Pomeranians, numbering about 30,000 men, had been ordered to march to +Gravelotte, and after proceeding a short distance we overtook the +column. As this contingent came from Count Bismarck's own section of +Germany, there greeted us as we passed along, first in the dim light +of the morning, and later in the glow of the rising sun, continuous +and most enthusiastic cheering for the German Chancellor.</p> + +<p>On the way Count Bismarck again recurred to the state of public +opinion in America with reference to the war. He also talked much +about our form of government, and said that in early life his +tendencies were all toward republicanism, but that family influence +had overcome his preferences, and intimated that, after adopting a +political career, he found that Germany was not sufficiently advanced +for republicanism. He said, further, that he had been reluctant to +enter upon this public career, that he had always longed to be a +soldier, but that here again family opposition had turned him from +the field of his choice into the sphere of diplomacy.</p> + +<p>Not far from Mars-la-Tour we alighted, and in a little while an +aide-de-camp was introduced, who informed me that he was there to conduct +and present me to his Majesty, the King of Prussia. As we were +walking along together, I inquired whether at the meeting I should +remove my cap, and he said no; that in an out-of-door presentation it +was not etiquette to uncover if in uniform. We were soon in presence +of the King, where—under the shade of a clump of second-growth +poplar-trees, with which nearly all the farms in the north of France +are here and there dotted—the presentation was made in the simplest +and most agreeable manner.</p> + +<p>His Majesty, taking my hand in both of his, gave me a thorough +welcome, expressing, like Count Bismarck, though through an +interpreter, much interest as to the sentiment in my own country +about the war. At this time William the First of Prussia was +seventy-three years of age, and, dressed in the uniform of the +Guards, he seemed to be the very ideal soldier, and graced with most +gentle and courteous manners. The conversation, which was brief, as +neither of us spoke the other's native tongue, concluded by his +Majesty's requesting me in the most cordial way to accompany his +headquarters during the campaign. Thanking him for his kindness, I +rejoined Count Bismarck's party, and our horses having arrived +meantime, we mounted and moved off to the position selected for the +King to witness the opening of the battle.</p> + +<p>This place was on some high ground overlooking the villages of +Rezonville and Gravelotte, about the centre of the battlefield of +Mars-la-Tour, and from it most of the country to the east toward Metz +could also be seen. The point chosen was an excellent one for the +purpose, though in one respect disagreeable, since the dead bodies of +many of the poor fellows killed there two days before were yet +unburied. In a little while the King's escort began to remove these +dead, however, bearing them away on stretchers improvised with their +rifles, and the spot thus cleared was much more acceptable. Then, +when such unexploded shells as were lying around loose had been +cautiously carried away, the King, his brother, Prince Frederick +Charles Alexander, the chief-of-staff, General von Moltke, the +Minister of War, General von Roon, and Count von Bismarck assembled +on the highest point, and I being asked to join the group, was there +presented to General von Moltke. He spoke our language fluently, and +Bismarck having left the party for a time to go to a neighboring +house to see his son, who had been wounded at Mars-la-Tour, and about +whom he was naturally very anxious, General von Moltke entertained me +by explaining the positions of the different corps, the nature and +object of their movements then taking place, and so on.</p> + +<p>Before us, and covering Metz, lay the French army, posted on the +crest of a ridge extending north, and about its centre curving +slightly westward toward the German forces. The left of the French +position was but a short distance from the Moselle, and this part of +the line was separated from the Germans by a ravine, the slopes, +fairly well wooded, rising quite sharply; farther north, near the +centre, this depression disappeared, merged in the general swell of +the ground, and thence on toward the right the ground over which an +approach to the French line must be made was essentially a natural +open glacis, that could be thoroughly swept by the fire of the +defenders.</p> + +<p>The line extended some seven or eight miles. To attack this +position, formidable everywhere, except perhaps on the right flank, +the Germans were bringing up the combined forces of the First and +Second armies, troops that within the past fortnight had already +successfully met the French in three pitched battles. On the right +was the First Army, under command of General Von Steinmetz, the +victors, August 6, of Spicheren, near Saar, and, eight days later, of +Colombey, to the east of Metz; while the centre and left were +composed of the several corps of the Second Army, commanded by Prince +Frederick Charles of Prussia, a part of whose troops had just been +engaged in the sanguinary battle of Mars-la-Tour, by which Bazaine +was cut off from the Verdun road, and forced back toward Metz.</p> + +<p>At first the German plan was simply to threaten with their right, +while the corps of the Second Army advanced toward the north, to +prevent the French, of whose intentions there was much doubt, from +escaping toward Chalons; then, as the purposes of the French might +be, developed, these corps were to change direction toward the enemy +successively, and seek to turn his right flank. But the location of +this vital turning-point was very uncertain, and until it was +ascertained and carried, late in the afternoon, the action raged with +more or less intensity along the entire line.</p> + +<p>But as it is not my purpose to describe in detail the battle of +Gravelotte, nor any other, I will speak of some of its incidents +merely. About noon, after many preliminary skirmishes, the action +was begun according to the plan I have already outlined, the Germans +advancing their left while holding on strongly with their right, and +it was this wing (the First Army) that came under my observation from +the place where the King's headquarters were located. From here we +could see, as I have said, the village of Gravelotte. Before it lay +the German troops, concealed to some extent, especially to the left, +by clumps of timber here and there. Immediately in front of us, +however, the ground was open, and the day being clear and sunny, with +a fresh breeze blowing (else the smoke from a battle between four +hundred thousand men would have obstructed the view altogether), the +spectacle presented Was of unsurpassed magnificence and sublimity. +The German artillery opened the battle, and while the air was filled +with shot and shell from hundreds of guns along their entire line, +the German centre and left, in rather open order, moved out to the +attack, and as they went forward the reserves, in close column, took +up positions within supporting distances, yet far enough back to be +out of range.</p> + +<p>The French artillery and mitrailleuses responded vigorously to the +Krupps, and with deadly effect, but as far as we could see the German +left continued its advance, and staff-officers came up frequently to +report that all was going on well at points hidden from our view +These reports were always made to the King first, and whenever +anybody arrived with tidings of the fight we clustered around to hear +the news, General Von Moltke unfolding a map meanwhile, and +explaining the situation. This done, the chief of the staff, while +awaiting the next report, would either return to a seat that had been +made for him with some knapsacks, or would occupy the time walking +about, kicking clods of dirt or small stones here and there, his +hands clasped behind his back, his face pale and thoughtful. He was +then nearly seventy years old, but because of his emaciated figure, +the deep wrinkles in his face, and the crow's-feet about his eyes, he +looked even older, his appearance being suggestive of the practice of +church asceticisms rather than of his well-known ardent devotion to +the military profession.</p> + +<p>By the middle of the afternoon the steady progress of the German left +and centre had driven the French from their more advanced positions +from behind stone walls and hedges, through valleys and hamlets, in +the direction of Metz, but as yet the German right had accomplished +little except to get possession of the village of Gravelotte, +forcing the French across the deep ravine I have mentioned, which +runs north and south a little distance east of ihe town.</p> + +<p>But it was now time for the German right to move in earnest to carry +the Rozerieulles ridge, on which crest the French had evidently +decided to make an obstinate fight to cover their withdrawal to Metz. +As the Germans moved to the attack here, the French fire became heavy +and destructive, so much so, indeed, as to cause General Von +Steinmetz to order some cavalry belonging to the right wing to make a +charge. Crossing the ravine before described, this body of horse +swept up the slope beyond, the front ranks urged forward by the +momentum from behind. The French were posted along a sunken road, +behind stone walls and houses, and as the German cavalry neared these +obstructions it received a dreadful fire without the least chance of +returning it, though still pushed on till the front ranks were +crowded into the deep cut of the road. Here the slaughter was +terrible, for the horsemen could make no further headway; and because +of the blockade behind, of dead and wounded men and animals, an +orderly retreat was impossible, and disaster inevitable.</p> + +<p>About the time the charge was ordered, the phase of the battle was +such that the King concluded to move his headquarters into the +village of Gravelotte; and just after getting there, we first learned +fully of the disastrous result of the charge which had been entered +upon with such spirit; and so much indignation was expressed against +Steinmetz, who, it was claimed, had made an unnecessary sacrifice of +his cavalry, that I thought he would be relieved on the spot; though +this was not done.</p> + +<p>Followed by a large staff, General Steinmetz appeared in the village +presently, and approached the King. When near, he bowed with great +respect, and I then saw that he was a very old man though his +soldierly figure, bronzed face, and shortcropped hair gave some +evidence of vigor still. When the King spoke to him I was not close +enough to learn what was said; but his Majesty's manner was +expressive of kindly feeling, and the fact that in a few moments the +veteran general returned to the command of his troops, indicated +that, for the present at least, his fault had been overlooked.</p> + +<p>The King then moved out of the village, and just a little to the east +and north of it the headquarters were located on high, open ground, +whence we could observe the right of the German infantry advancing up +the eastern face of the ravine. The advance, though slow and +irregular, resulted in gradually gaining ground, the French resisting +stoutly with a stubborn musketry fire all along the slopes. Their +artillery was silent, however; and from this fact the German +artillery officers grew jubilant, confidently asserting that their +Krupp guns had dismounted the French batteries and knocked their +mitrailleuses to pieces. I did not indulge in this confidence, +however; for, with the excellent field-glass I had, I could +distinctly see long columns of French troops moving to their right, +for the apparent purpose of making a vigorous fight on that flank; +and I thought it more than likely that their artillery would be heard +from before the Germans could gain the coveted ridge.</p> + +<p>The Germans labored up the glacis slowly at the most exposed places; +now crawling on their bellies, now creeping on hands and knees, but, +in the main, moving with erect and steady bearing. As they +approached within short range, they suddenly found that the French +artillery and mitrallleuses had by no means been silenced—about two +hundred pieces opening on them with fearful effect, while at the same +time the whole crest blazed with a deadly fire from the Chassepot +rifles. Resistance like this was so unexpected by the Germans that +it dismayed them; and first wavering a moment, then becoming +panic-stricken, they broke and fled, infantry, cavalry, and artillery +coming down the slope without any pretence of formation, the French +hotly following and pouring in a heavy and constant fire as the +fugitives fled back across the ravine toward Gravelotte. With this +the battle on the right had now assumed a most serious aspect, and +the indications were that the French would attack the heights of +Gravelotte; but the Pomeranian corps coming on the field at this +crisis, was led into action by Von Moltke, himself, and shortly after +the day was decided in favor of the Germans.</p> + +<p>When the French guns opened fire, it was discovered that the King's +position was within easy range, many of the shells falling near +enough to make the place extremely uncomfortable; so it was suggested +that he go to a less exposed point. At first he refused to listen to +this wise counsel, but yielded finally—leaving the ground with +reluctance, however—and went back toward Rezonville. I waited for +Count Bismarck, who did not go immediately with the King, but +remained at Gravelotte, looking after some of the escort who had been +wounded. When he had arranged for their care, we set out to rejoin +the King, and before going far, overtook his Majesty, who had stopped +on the Chalons road, and was surrounded by a throng of fugitives, +whom he was berating in German so energetic as to remind me forcibly +of the "Dutch" swearing that I used to hear in my boyhood in Ohio. +The dressing down finished to his satisfaction, the King resumed his +course toward Re'zonville, halting, however, to rebuke in the same +emphatic style every group of runaways he overtook.</p> + +<p>Passing through Rezonville, we halted just beyond the village; there +a fire was built, and the King, his brother, Prince Frederick +Charles, and Von Roon were provided with rather uncomfortable seats +about it, made by resting the ends of a short ladder on a couple of +boxes. With much anxiety and not a little depression of spirits news +from the battle-field was now awaited, but the suspense did not last +long, for presently came the cheering intelligence that the French +were retiring, being forced back by the Pomeranian corps, and some of +the lately broken right wing organizations, that had been rallied on +the heights of Gravelotte. The lost ground being thus regained, and +the French having been beaten on their right, it was not long before +word came that Bazaine's army was falling back to Metz, leaving the +entire battle-field in possession of the Germans.</p> + +<p>During the excitement of the day I had not much felt the want of +either food or water, but now that all was over I was nearly +exhausted, having had neither since early morning. Indeed, all of +the party were in like straits; the immense armies had not only eaten +up nearly everything in the country, but had drunk all the wells dry, +too, and there seemed no relief for us till, luckily, a squad of +soldiers came along the road with a small cask of wine in a cart. +One of the staff-officers instantly appropriated the keg, and +proceeded to share his prize most generously. Never had I tasted +anything so refreshing and delicious, but as the wine was the +ordinary sour stuff drunk by the peasantry of northern France, my +appreciation must be ascribed to my famished condition rather than to +any virtues of the beverage itself.</p> + +<p>After I had thus quenched my thirst the King's, brother called me +aside, and drawing from his coat-tail pocket a piece of stale black +bread, divided it with me, and while munching on this the Prince +began talking of his son—General Prince Frederick Charles, popularly +called the Red Prince—who was in command of the Second Army in this +battle—the German left wing. In recounting his son's professional +career the old man's face was aglow with enthusiasm, and not without +good cause, for in the war between Prussia and Austria in 1866, as +well as in the present campaign, the Red Prince had displayed the +highest order of military genius.</p> + +<p>The headquarters now became the scene of much bustle, despatches +announcing the victory being sent in all directions. The first one +transmitted was to the Queen, the King directing Count Bismarck to +prepare it for his signature; then followed others of a more official +character, and while these matters were being attended to I thought I +would ride into the village to find, if possible, some water for my +horse. Just as I entered the chief street, however, I was suddenly +halted by a squad of soldiers, who, taking me for a French officer +(my coat and forage cap resembling those of the French), leveled +their pieces at me. They were greatly excited, so much so, indeed, +that I thought my hour had come, for they could not understand +English, and I could not speak German, and dare not utter +explanations in French. Fortunately a few disconnected German words +came to me in the emergency. With these I managed to delay my +execution, and one of the party ventured to come up to examine the +"suspect" more closely. The first thing he did was to take off my +cap, and looking it over carefully, his eyes rested on the three +stars above the visor, and, pointing to them, he emphatically +pronounced me French. Then of course they all became excited again, +more so than before, even, for they thought I was trying to practice +a ruse, and I question whether I should have lived to recount the +adventure had not an officer belonging to the King's headquarters +been passing by just then, when, hearing the threatenings and +imprecations, he rode up to learn the cause of the hubbub, and +immediately recognized and released me. When he told my wrathy +captors who I was, they were much mortified of course, and made the +most profuse apologies, promising that no such mistake should occur +again, and so on; but not feeling wholly reassured, for my uniform +was still liable to mislead, I was careful to return to headquarters +in company with my deliverer. There I related what had occurred, and +after a good laugh all round, the King provided me with a pass which +he said would preclude any such mishap in the future, and would also +permit me to go wherever I pleased—a favor rarely bestowed.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch17b"></a>CHAPTER XVII.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>SEARCHING FOR QUARTERS—HUNTING UP PROVISIONS—A SLENDER +BREAKFAST—GOING OVER THE BATTLEFIELD—THE GERMAN ARTILLERY—A GROUP OF +WOUNDED—DINING WITH THE KING—ON THE MARCH—THE +BAVARIANS—KIRSCHWASSER—URGING ON THE TROOPS.</p> + +<p>While I was absent, as related in the preceding chapter, it had been +decided that the King's quarters should be established for the night +in the village of Rezonville; and as it would be very difficult, at +such a late hour, to billet the whole party regularly, Count Bismarck +and I went off to look for shelter for ourselves. Remembering that I +had seen, when seeking to water my horse, a partly burned barn with +some fresh-looking hay in it, I suggested that we lodge there. He +too thought it would answer our purpose, but on reaching it we found +the unburned part of the barn filled with wounded, and this +necessitating a further search we continued on through the village in +quest of some house not yet converted into a hospital. Such, +however, seemed impossible to come upon, so at last the Count fixed +on one whose upper floor, we learned, was unoccupied, though the +lower one was covered with wounded.</p> + +<p>Mounting a creaky ladder—there was no stairway—to the upper story, +we found a good-sized room with three large beds, one of which the +Chancellor assigned to the Duke of Mecklenburg and aide, and another +to Count Bismarck-Bohlen and me, reserving the remaining one for +himself. Each bed, as is common in Germany and northern France, was +provided with a feather tick, but the night being warm, these spreads +were thrown off, and discovering that they would make a comfortable +shakedown on the floor, I slept there leaving Bismarck-Bohlen +unembarrassed by companionship—at least of a human kind.</p> + +<p>At daylight I awoke, and seeing that Count Bismarck was already +dressed and about to go down the ladder, I felt obliged to follow his +example, so I too turned out, and shortly descended to the +ground-floor, the only delays of the toilet being those incident to +dressing, for there were no conveniences for morning ablutions. Just +outside the door I met the Count, who, proudly exhibiting a couple of +eggs he had bought from the woman of the house, invited me to +breakfast with him, provided we could beg some coffee from the king's +escort. Putting the eggs under my charge, with many injunctions as +to their safe-keeping, he went off to forage for the coffee, and +presently returned, having been moderately successful. One egg +apiece was hardly enough, however, to appease the craving of two +strong men ravenous from long fasting. Indeed, it seemed only to +whet the appetite, and we both set out on an eager expedition for +more food. Before going far I had the good luck to meet a sutler's +wagon, and though its stock was about all sold, there were still left +four large bologna sausages, which I promptly purchased—paying a +round sum for them too—and hastening back found the Count already +returned, though without bringing anything at all to eat; but he had +secured a couple of bottles of brandy, and with a little of this—it +was excellent, too—and the sausages, the slim ration of eggs and +coffee was amply reinforced.</p> + +<p>Breakfast over, the Chancellor invited me to accompany him in a ride +to the battle-field, and I gladly accepted, as I very much desired to +pass over the ground in front of Gravelotte, particularly so to see +whether the Krupp guns had really done the execution that was claimed +for them by the German artillery officers. Going directly through +the village of Gravelotte, following the causeway over which the +German cavalry had passed to make its courageous but futile charge, +we soon reached the ground where the fighting had been the most +severe. Here the field was literally covered with evidences of the +terrible strife, the dead and wounded strewn thick on every side.</p> + +<p>In the sunken road the carnage had been awful; men and horses having +been slaughtered there by hundreds, helpless before the murderous +fire delivered from behind a high stone wall impracticable to mounted +troops. The sight was sickening to an extreme, and we were not slow +to direct our course elsewhere, going up the glacis toward the French +line, the open ground over which we crossed being covered with +thousands of helmets, that had been thrown off by the Germans during +the fight and were still dotting the field, though details of +soldiers from the organizations which had been engaged here were +about to begin to gather up their abandoned headgear.</p> + +<p>When we got inside the French works, I was astonished to observe how +little harm had been done the defenses by the German artillery, for +although I had not that serene faith in the effectiveness of their +guns held by German artillerists generally, yet I thought their +terrific cannonade must have left marked results. All I could +perceive, however, was a disabled gun, a broken mitrailleuse, and two +badly damaged caissons.</p> + +<p>Everything else, except a little ammunition in the trenches, had been +carried away, and it was plain to see, from the good shape in which +the French left wing had retired to Metz, that its retreat had been +predetermined by the disasters to the right wing.</p> + +<p>By this hour the German cavalry having been thrown out to the front +well over toward Metz, we, following it to get a look at the city, +rode to a neighboring summit, supposing it would be a safe point of +observation; but we shortly realized the contrary, for scarcely had +we reached the crest when some of the French pickets, lying concealed +about six hundred yards off, opened fire, making it so very hot for +us that, hugging the necks of our horses, we incontinently fled. +Observing what had taken place, a troop of German cavalry charged the +French outpost and drove it far enough away to make safe our return, +and we resumed possession of the point, but only to discover that the +country to the east was so broken and hilly that no satisfactory view +of Metz could be had.</p> + +<p>Returning to Gravelotte, we next visited that part of the battlefield +to the northeast of the village, and before long Count Bismarck +discovered in a remote place about twenty men dreadfully wounded. +These poor fellows had had no attention whatever, having been +overlooked by the hospital corps, and their condition was most +pitiful. Yet there was one very handsome man in the group—a captain +of artillery—who, though shot through the right breast, was +talkative and cheerful, and felt sure of getting well. Pointing, +however, to a comrade lying near, also shot in the breast, he +significantly shook his head; it was easy to see on this man's face +the signs—of fast approaching death.</p> + +<p>An orderly was at once despatched for a surgeon, Bismarck and I doing +what we could meanwhile to alleviate the intense sufferings of the +maimed men, bringing them water and administering a little brandy, +for the Count still had with him some of the morning's supply. When +the surgeons came, we transferred the wounded to their care, and +making our way to Rezonville, there took the Count's carriage to +rejoin the King's headquarters, which in the mean time had been moved +to Pont-a-Mousson. Our route led through the village of Gorze, and +here we found the streets so obstructed with wagons that I feared it +would take us the rest of the day to get through, for the teamsters +would not pay the slightest heed to the cries of our postilions. The +Count was equal to the emergency, however, for, taking a pistol from +behind his cushion, and bidding me keep my seat, he jumped out and +quickly began to clear the street effectively, ordering wagons to the +right and left. Marching in front of the carriage and making way for +us till we were well through the blockade, he then resumed his seat, +remarking, "This is not a very dignified business for the Chancellor +of the German Confederation, but it's the only way to get through."</p> + +<p>At Pont-a-Mousson I was rejoined by my aide, General Forsyth, and for +the next two days our attention was almost wholly devoted to securing +means of transportation. This was most difficult to obtain, but as I +did not wish to impose on the kindness of the Chancellor longer, we +persevered till, finally, with the help of Count Bismarck-Bohlen, we +managed to get tolerably well equipped with a saddle-horse apiece, +and a two-horse carriage. Here also, on the afternoon of August 21, +I had the pleasure of dining with the King. The dinner was a simple +one, consisting of soup, a joint, and two or three vegetables; the +wines vin ordinaire and Burgundy. There were a good many persons of +high rank present, none of whom spoke English, however, except +Bismarck, who sat next the King and acted as interpreter when his +Majesty conversed with me. Little was said of the events taking +place around us, but the King made many inquiries concerning the war +of the rebellion, particularly with reference to Grant's campaign at +Vicksburg; suggested, perhaps, by the fact that there, and in the +recent movements of the German army, had been applied many similar +principles of military science.</p> + +<p>The French army under Marshal Bazaine having retired into the +fortifications of Metz, that stronghold was speedily invested by +Prince Frederick Charles. Meantime the Third Army, under the Crown +Prince of Prussia—which, after having fought and won the battle of +Worth, had been observing the army of Marshal MacMahon during and +after the battle of Gravelotte—was moving toward Paris by way of +Nancy, in conjunction with an army called the Fourth, which had been +organized from the troops previously engaged around Metz, and on the +22d was directed toward Bar-le-Duc under the command of the Crown +Prince of Saxony. In consequence of these operations the King +decided to move to Commercy, which place we reached by carriage, +traveling on a broad macadamized road lined on both sides with +poplar-trees, and our course leading through a most beautiful country +thickly dotted with prosperous-looking villages.</p> + +<p>On reaching Commercy, Forsyth and I found that quarters had been +already selected for us, and our names written on the door with chalk +the quartermaster charged with the billeting of the officers at +headquarters having started out in advance to perform this duty and +make all needful preparations for the King before he arrived, which +course was usually pursued thereafter, whenever the royal +headquarters took up a new location.</p> + +<p>Forsyth and I were lodged with the notary of the village, who over +and over again referred to his good fortune in not having to +entertain any of the Germans. He treated us most hospitably, and +next morning, on departing, we offered compensation by tendering a +sum—about what our bill would have been at a good hotel—to be used +for the "benefit of the wounded or the Church." Under this +stipulation the notary accepted, and we followed that plan of paying +for food and lodging afterward, whenever quartered in private houses.</p> + +<p>The next day I set out in advance of the headquarters, and reached +Bar-le-Duc about noon, passing on the way the Bavarian contingent of +the Crown Prince's army. These Bavarians were trim-looking soldiers, +dressed in neat uniforms of light blue; they looked healthy and +strong, but seemed of shorter stature than the North Germans I had +seen in the armies of Prince Frederick Charles and General von +Steinmetz. When, later in the day the King arrived, a guard for him +was detailed from this Bavarian contingent; a stroke of policy no +doubt, for the South Germans were so prejudiced against their +brothers of the North that no opportunity to smooth them down was +permitted to go unimproved.</p> + +<p>Bar-le-Duc, which had then a population of about 15,000, is one of +the prettiest towns I saw in France, its quaint and ancient buildings +and beautiful boulevards charming the eye as well as exciting deep +interest. The King and his immediate suite were quartered on one of +the best boulevards in a large building—the Bank of France—the +balcony of which offered a fine opportunity to observe a part of the +army of the Crown Prince the next day on its march toward Vitry. +This was the first time his Majesty had had a chance to see any of +these troops—as hitherto he had accompanied either the army of +Prince Frederick Charles, or that of General Steinmetz—and the +cheers with which he was greeted by the Bavarians left no room for +doubting their loyalty to the Confederation, notwithstanding ancient +jealousies.</p> + +<p>While the troops were passing, Count Bismarck had the kindness to +point out to me the different organizations, giving scraps of their +history, and also speaking concerning the qualifications of the +different generals commanding them. When the review was over we went +to the Count's house, and there, for the first time in my life, I +tasted kirschwasser, a very strong liquor distilled from cherries. +Not knowing anything about the stuff, I had to depend on Bismarck's +recommendation, and he proclaiming it fine, I took quite a generous +drink, which nearly strangled me and brought on a violent fit of +coughing. The Chancellor said, however, that this was in no way due +to the liquor, but to my own inexperience, and I was bound to believe +the distinguished statesman, for he proved his words by swallowing a +goodly dose with an undisturbed and even beaming countenance, +demonstrating his assertion so forcibly that I forthwith set out with +Bismarck-Bohlen to lay in a supply for myself.</p> + +<p>I spent the night in a handsome house, the property of an +exceptionally kind and polite gentleman bearing the indisputably +German name of Lager, but who was nevertheless French from head to +foot, if intense hatred of the Prussians be a sign of Gallic +nationality. At daybreak on the 26th word came for us to be ready to +move by the Chalons road at 7 o'clock, but before we got off, the +order was suspended till 2 in the afternoon. In the interval General +von Moltke arrived and held a long conference with the King, and when +we did pull out we traveled the remainder of the afternoon in company +with a part of the Crown Prince's army, which after this conference +inaugurated the series of movements from Bar-le-Duc northward, that +finally compelled the surrender at Sedan. This sudden change of +direction I did not at first understand, but soon learned that it was +because of the movements of Marshal MacMahon, who, having united the +French army beaten at Worth with three fresh corps at Chalons, was +marching to relieve Metz in obedience to orders from the Minister of +War at Paris.</p> + +<p>As we passed along the column, we noticed that the Crown Prince's +troops were doing their best, the officers urging the men to their +utmost exertions, persuading weary laggards and driving up +stragglers. As a general thing, however, they marched in good shape, +notwithstanding the rapid gait and the trying heat, for at the outset +of the campaign the Prince had divested them of all impedimenta +except essentials, and they were therefore in excellent trim for a +forced march.</p> + +<p>The King traveled further than usual that day—to Clermont—so we did +not get shelter till late, and even then not without some confusion, +for the quartermaster having set out toward Chalons before the change +of programme was ordered, was not at hand to provide for us. I had +extreme good luck, though, in being quartered with a certain +apothecary, who, having lived for a time in the United States, +claimed it as a privilege even to lodge me, and certainly made me his +debtor for the most generous hospitality. It was not so with some of +the others, however; and Count Bismarck was particularly unfortunate, +being billeted in a very small and uncomfortable house, where, +visiting him to learn more fully what was going on, I found him, +wrapped in a shabby old dressing-gown, hard at work. He was +established in a very small room, whose only furnishings consisted of +a table—at which he was writing—a couple of rough chairs, and the +universal feather-bed, this time made on the floor in one corner of +the room. On my remarking upon the limited character of his +quarters, the Count replied, with great good-humor, that they were +all right, and that he should get along well enough. Even the tramp +of his clerks in the attic, and the clanking of his orderlies' sabres +below, did not disturb him much; he said, in fact, that he would have +no grievance at all were it not for a guard of Bavarian soldiers +stationed about the house for his safety, he presumed the sentinels +from which insisted on protecting and saluting the Chancellor of the +North German Confederation in and out of season, a proceeding that +led to embarrassment sometimes, as he was much troubled with a severe +dysentery. Notwithstanding his trials, however, and in the midst of +the correspondence on which he was so intently engaged, he graciously +took time to explain that the sudden movement northward from +Bar-le-Duc was, as I have previously recounted, the result of information +that Marshal MacMahon was endeavoring to relieve Metz by marching +along the Belgian frontier; "a blundering manoeuvre," remarked the +Chancellor, "which cannot be accounted for, unless it has been +brought about by the political situation of the French."</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch18b"></a>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>AFTER MacMAHON—THE BATTLE AT BEAUMONT—THE FRENCH SURPRISED—THE +MARCHING OF THE GERMAN SOLDIERS—THE BATTLE OF SEDAN—GALLANT CAVALRY +CHARGES—DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH—THE SURRENDER OF NAPOLEON—BISMARCK +AND THE KING—DECORATING THE SOLDIERS.</p> + +<p>All night long the forced march of the army went on through Clermont, +and when I turned out, just after daylight, the columns were still +pressing forward, the men looking tired and much bedraggled, as +indeed they had reason to be, for from recent rains the roads were +very sloppy. Notwithstanding this, however, the troops were pushed +ahead with all possible vigor to intercept MacMahon and force a +battle before he could withdraw from his faulty movement, for which +it has since been ascertained he was not at all responsible. Indeed, +those at the royal headquarters seemed to think of nothing else than +to strike MacMahon, for, feeling pretty confident that Metz could not +be relieved, they manifested not the slightest anxiety on that score.</p> + +<p>By 8 o'clock, the skies having cleared, the headquarters set out for +Grand Pre', which place we reached early in the afternoon, and that +evening I again had the pleasure of dining with the King. The +conversation at table was almost wholly devoted to the situation, of +course, everybody expressing surprise at the manoeuvre of the French +at this time, their march along the Belgian frontier being credited +entirely to Napoleon. Up to bed-time there was still much +uncertainty as to the exact positions of the French, but next morning +intelligence being received which denoted the probability of a +battle, we drove about ten miles, to Buzancy, and there mounting our +horses, rode to the front.</p> + +<p>The French were posted not far from Buzancy in a strong position, +their right resting near Stonne and the left extending over into the +woods beyond Beaumont. About 10 o'clock the Crown Prince of Saxony +advanced against this line, and while a part of his army turned the +French right, compelling it to fall back rapidly, the German centre +and right attacked with great vigor and much skill, surprising one of +the divisions of General De Failly's corps while the men were in the +act of cooking their breakfast.</p> + +<p>The French fled precipitately, leaving behind their tents and other +camp equipage, and on inspecting the ground which they had abandoned +so hastily, I noticed on all sides ample evidence that not even the +most ordinary precautions had been taken to secure the division from +surprise, The artillery horses had not been harnessed, and many of +them had been shot down at the picket-rope where they had been +haltered the night before, while numbers of men were lying dead with +loaves of bread or other food instead of their muskets in their +hands.</p> + +<p>Some three thousand prisoners and nearly all the artillery and +mitrailleuses of the division—were captured, while the fugitives +were pursued till they found shelter behind—Douay's corps and the +rest of De Failly's beyond Beaumont. The same afternoon there were +several other severe combats along the Meuse, but I had no chance of +witnessing any of them, and just before night-fall I started back to +Buzancy, to which place the King's headquarters had been brought +during the day.</p> + +<p>The morning of the 31st the King moved to Vendresse. First sending +our carriage back to Grand Pre' for our trunks, Forsyth and I mounted +our horses and rode to the battle-field accompanied by an English +nobleman, the Duke of Manchester. The part of the field we traversed +was still thickly strewn with the dead of both armies, though all the +wounded had been collected in the hospitals. In the village of +Beaumont, we stopped to take a look at several thousand French +prisoners, whose worn clothing and evident dejection told that they +had been doing a deal of severe marching under great discouragements.</p> + +<p>The King reached the village shortly after, and we all continued on +to Chemery, just beyond where his Majesty alighted from his carriage +to observe his son's troops file past as they came in from the +direction of Stonne. This delay caused us to be as late as 9 o'clock +before we got shelter that night, but as it afforded me the best +opportunity I had yet had for seeing the German soldiers on the +march, I did not begrudge the time. They moved in a somewhat open +and irregular column of fours, the intervals between files being +especially intended to give room for a peculiar swinging gait, with +which the men seemed to urge themselves over the ground with ease and +rapidity. There was little or no straggling, and being strong, lusty +young fellows, and lightly equipped—they carried only needle-guns, +ammunition, a very small knapsack, a water-bottle, and a +haversack—they strode by with an elastic step, covering at least three miles an +hour.</p> + +<p>It having been definitely ascertained that the demoralized French +were retiring to Sedan, on the evening of August 31 the German army +began the work of hemming them in there, so disposing the different +corps as to cover the ground from Donchery around by Raucourt to +Carignan. The next morning this line was to be drawn in closer on +Sedan; and the Crown Prince of Saxony was therefore ordered to take +up a position to the north of Bazeilles, beyond the right bank of the +Meuse, while the Crown Prince of Prussia was to cross his right wing +over the Meuse at Remilly, to move on Bazeilles, his centre meantime +marching against a number of little hamlets still held by the French +between there and Donchery. At this last-mentioned place strong +reserves were to be held, and from it the Eleventh Corps, followed by +the Fifth and a division of cavalry, was to march on St. Menges.</p> + +<p>Forsyth and I started early next morning, September 1, and in a thick +fog-which, however, subsequently gave place to bright sunshine—we +drove to the village of Chevenges, where, mounting our horses, we +rode in a northeasterly direction to the heights of Frenois and +Wadelincourt, bordering the river Meuse on the left bank, where from +the crest we had a good view of the town of Sedan with its circling +fortifications, which, though extensive, were not so formidable as +those around Metz. The King and his staff were already established +on these heights, and at a point so well chosen that his Majesty +could observe the movements of both armies immediately east and south +of Sedan, and also to the northwest toward Floing and the Belgian +frontier.</p> + +<p>The battle was begun to the east and northeast of Sedan as early as +half-past 4 o'clock by the German right wing—the fighting being +desultory—and near the same hour the Bavarians attacked Bazeilles. +This village, some two miles southeast of Sedan, being of importance, +was defended with great obstinacy, the French contesting from street +to street and house to house the attack of the Bavarians till near +10 o'clock, when, almost every building being knocked to pieces, they +were compelled to relinquish the place. The possession of this +village gave the Germans to the east of Sedan a continuous line, +extending from the Meuse northward through La Moncelle and Daigny to +Givonne, and almost to the Belgian frontier.</p> + +<p>While the German centre and right were thus engaged, the left had +moved in accordance with the prescribed plan. Indeed, some of these +troops had crossed the Meuse the night before, and now, at a little +after 6 o'clock, their advance could be seen just north of the +village of Floing. Thus far these columns, under the immediate eye +of the Crown Prince of Prussia, had met with no opposition to their +march, and as soon as they got to the high ground above the village +they began extending to the east, to connect with the Army of the +Meuse. This juncture was effected at Illy without difficulty, and +the French army was now completely encompassed.</p> + +<p>After a severe fight, the Crown Prince drove the French through +Floing, and as the ground between this village and Sedan is an +undulating open plain, everywhere visible, there was then offered a +rare opportunity for seeing the final conflict preceding the +surrender. Presently up out of the little valley where Floing is +located came the Germans, deploying just on the rim of the plateau a +very heavy skirmish-line, supported by a line of battle at close +distance. When these skirmishers appeared, the French infantry had +withdrawn within its intrenched lines, but a strong body of their +cavalry, already formed in a depression to the right of the Floing +road, now rode at the Germans in gallant style, going clear through +the dispersed skirmishers to the main line of battle. Here the +slaughter of the French was awful, for in addition to the deadly +volleys from the solid battalions of their enemies, the skirmishers, +who had rallied in knots at advantageous places, were now delivering +a severe and effective fire. The gallant horsemen, therefore, had to +retire precipitately, but re-forming in the depression, they again +undertook the hopeless task of breaking the German infantry, making +in all four successive charges. Their ardor and pluck were of no +avail, however, for the Germans, growing stronger every minute by the +accession of troops from Floing, met the fourth attack in such large +force that, even before coming in contact with their adversaries, the +French broke and retreated to the protection of the intrenchments, +where, from the beginning of the combat, had been lying plenty of +idle infantry, some of which at least, it seemed plain to me, ought +to have been thrown into the fight. This action was the last one of +consequence around Sedan, for, though with the contraction of the +German lines their batteries kept cannonading more or less, and the +rattle of musketry continued to be heard here and there, yet the hard +fighting of the day practically ended on the plateau of Floing.</p> + +<p>By 3 o'clock, the French being in a desperate and hopeless situation, +the King ordered the firing to be stopped, and at once despatched one +of his staff—Colonel von Bronsart—with a demand for a surrender. +Just as this officer was starting off, I remarked to Bismarck that +Napoleon himself would likely be one of the prizes, but the Count, +incredulous, replied, "Oh no; the old fox is too cunning to be caught +in such a trap; he has doubtless slipped off to Paris"—a belief +which I found to prevail pretty generally about headquarters.</p> + +<p>In the lull that succeeded, the King invited many of those about him +to luncheon, a caterer having provided from some source or other a +substantial meal of good bread, chops and peas, with a bountiful +supply of red and sherry wines. Among those present were Prince +Carl, Bismarck, Von Moltke, Von Roon, the Duke of Weimar, the Duke of +Coburg, the Grand-Duke of Mecklenburg, Count Hatzfeldt, Colonel +Walker, of the English army, General Forsyth, and I. The King was +agreeable and gracious at all times, but on this occasion he was +particularly so, being naturally in a happy frame of mind because +this day the war had reached a crisis which presaged for the near +future the complete vanquishment of the French.</p> + +<p>Between 4 and 5 o'clock Colonel von Bronsart returned from his +mission to Sedan, bringing word to the King that the commanding +officer there General Wimpffen, wished to know, in order that the +further effusion of blood might be spared, upon what terms he might +surrender. The Colonel brought the intelligence also that the French +Emperor was in the town. Soon after Von Bronsart's arrival a French +officer approached from Sedan, preceded by a white flag and two +German officers. Coming up the road till within a few hundred yards +of us, they halted; then one of the Germans rode forward to say that +the French officer was Napoleon's adjutant, bearing an autograph +letter from the Emperor to the King of Prussia. At this the King, +followed by Bismarck, Von Moltke, and Von Roon, walked out to the +front a little distance and halted, his Majesty still in advance, the +rest of us meanwhile forming in a line some twenty paces to the rear +of the group. The envoy then approached, at first on horseback, but +when within about a hundred yards he dismounted, and uncovering, came +the remaining distance on foot, bearing high up in his right hand the +despatch from Napoleon. The bearer proved to be General Reille, and +as he handed the Emperor's letter to the King, his Majesty saluted +him with the utmost formality and precision. Napoleon's letter was +the since famous one, running so characteristically, thus: "Not +having been able to die in the midst of my troops, there is nothing +left me but to place my sword in your Majesty's hands." The reading +finished, the King returned to his former post, and after a +conference with Bismarck, Von Moltke, and Von Roon, dictated an +answer accepting Napoleon's surrender, and requesting him to +designate an officer with power to treat for the capitulation of the +army, himself naming Von Moltke to represent the Germans. The King +then started for Vendresse, to pass the night. It was after +7 o'clock now, and hence too late to arrange anything more where we +were, so further negotiations were deferred till later in the +evening; and I, wishing to be conveniently near Bismarck, resolved to +take up quarters in Donchery. On our way thither we were met by the +Count's nephew, who assuring us that it would be impossible to find +shelter there in the village, as all the houses were filled with +wounded, Forsyth and I decided to continue on to Chevenge. On the +other hand, Bismarck-Bohlen bore with him one great comfort—some +excellent brandy. Offering the flask to his uncle, he said: "You've +had a hard day of it; won't you refresh yourself?" The Chancellor, +without wasting time to answer, raised the bottle to his lips, +exclaiming: "Here's to the unification of Germany!" which sentiment +the gurgling of an astonishingly long drink seemed to emphasize. The +Count then handed the bottle back to his nephew, who, shaking it, +ejaculated, "Why, we can't pledge you in return—there is nothing +left!" to which came the waggish response, "I beg pardon; it was so +dark I couldn't see"; nevertheless there was a little remaining, as I +myself can aver.</p> + +<p>Having left our carriage at Chevenge, Forsyth and I stopped there to +get it, but a long search proving fruitless, we took lodging in the +village at the house of the cure, resolved to continue the hunt in +the morning. But then we had no better success, so concluding that +our vehicle had been pressed into the hospital service, we at an +early hour on the 2d of September resumed the search, continuing on +down the road in the direction of Sedan. Near the gate of the city +we came on the German picket-line, and one of the Officers, +recognizing our uniforms—he having served in the war of the +rebellion—stepped forward and addressed me in good English. We +naturally fell into conversation, and in the midst of it there came +out through the gate an open carriage, or landau, containing two men, +one of whom, in the uniform of a general and smoking a cigarette, we +recognized, when the conveyance drew near, as the Emperor Louis +Napoleon. The landau went on toward Donchery at a leisurely pace, +and we, inferring that there was something more important at hand +just then than the recovery of our trap, followed at a respectful +distance. Not quite a mile from Donchery is a cluster of three or +four cottages, and at the first of these the landau stopped to await, +as we afterward ascertained, Count Bismarck, with whom the diplomatic +negotiations were to be settled. Some minutes elapsed before he +came, Napoleon remaining seated in his carriage meantime, still +smoking, and accepting with nonchalance the staring of a group of +German soldiers near by, who were gazing on their fallen foe with +curious and eager interest.</p> + +<p>Presently a clattering of hoofs was heard, and looking toward the +sound, I perceived the Chancellor cantering down the road. When +abreast of the carriage he dismounted, and walking up to it, saluted +the Emperor in a quick, brusque way that seemed to startle him. +After a word or two, the party moved perhaps a hundred yards further +on, where they stopped opposite the weaver's cottage so famous from +that day. This little house is on the east side of the Donchery +road, near its junction with that to Frenois, and stands about twenty +paces back from the highway. In front is a stone wall covered with +creeping vines, and from a gate in this wall runs to the front door a +path, at this time bordered on both sides with potato vines.</p> + +<p>The Emperor having alighted at the gate, he and Bismarck walked +together along the narrow path and entered the cottage. Reappearing +in about a quarter of an hour, they came out and seated themselves in +the open air, the weaver having brought a couple of chairs. Here +they engaged in an animated conversation, if much gesticulation is +any indication. The talk lasted fully an hour, Bismarck seeming to +do most of it, but at last he arose, saluted the Emperor, and strode +down the path toward his horse. Seeing me standing near the gate, he +joined me for a moment, and asked if I had noticed how the Emperor +started when they first met, and I telling him that I had, he added, +"Well, it must have been due to my manners, not my words, for these +we're, 'I salute your Majesty just as I would my King.'" Then the +Chancellor continued to chat a few minutes longer, assuring me that +nothing further was to be done there, and that we had better go to +the Chateau Bellevue, where, he said, the formal surrender was to +take place. With this he rode off toward Vendresse to communicate +with his sovereign, and Forsyth and I made ready to go to the Chateau +Bellevue.</p> + +<p>Before we set out, however, a number of officers of the King's suite +arrived at the weaver's cottage, and from them I gathered that there +were differences at the royal headquarters as to whether peace should +be made then at Sedan, or the war continued till the French capital +was taken. I further heard that the military advisers of the King +strongly advocated an immediate move on Paris, while the Chancellor +thought it best to make peace now, holding Alsace and Lorraine, and +compelling the payment of an enormous levy of money; and these rumors +were most likely correct, for I had often heard Bismarck say that +France being the richest country in Europe, nothing could keep her +quiet but effectually to empty her pockets; and besides this, he +impressed me as holding that it would be better policy to preserve +the Empire.</p> + +<p>On our way to the chateau we fell in with a number of artillery +officers bringing up their guns hurriedly to post them closer in to +the beleaguered town on a specially advantageous ridge. Inquiring +the cause of this move, we learned that General Wimpffen had not yet +agreed to the terms of surrender; that it was thought he would not, +and that they wanted to be prepared for any such contingency. And +they were preparing with a vengeance too, for I counted seventy-two +Krupp guns in one continuous line trained on the Chateau Bellevue and +Sedan.</p> + +<p>Napoleon went directly from the weaver's to the Chateau Bellevue, and +about 10 o'clock the King of Prussia arrived from Frenois, +accompanied by a few of his own suite and the Crown Prince with +several members of his staff; and Von Moltke and Wimpffen having +settled their points of difference before the two monarchs met, +within the next half-hour the articles of capitulation were formally +signed.</p> + +<p>On the completion of the surrender—the occasion being justly +considered a great one—the Crown Prince proceeded to distribute +among the officers congregated in the chateau grounds 'the order of +the Iron Cross'—a generous supply of these decorations being carried +in a basket by one of his orderlies, following him about as he walked +along. Meantime the King, leaving Napoleon in the chateau to +ruminate on the fickleness of fortune, drove off to see his own +victorious soldiers, who greeted him with huzzas that rent the air, +and must have added to the pangs of the captive Emperor.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch19b"></a>CHAPTER XIX.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>RIDING OVER THE BATTLEFIELD—DESTRUCTION OF BAZEILLES—MISTAKES OF +THE FRENCH—MARSHAL BAZAINE ON TO PARIS—A WEEK IN MEAUX—RHEIMS—ON +THE PICKETLINE-UNDER FIRE—A SURRENDER—AT VERSAILLES—GENERAL +BURNSIDE AND Mr. FORBES IN PARIS.</p> + +<p>The Crown Prince having got to the bottom of his medal basket-that is +to say, having finished his liberal distribution of decorations to +his officers—Forsyth and I rode off by way of Wadelincourt to +Bazeilles to see what had taken place on that part of the field, and +the sight that met our eyes as we entered the village was truly +dreadful to look upon. Most of the houses had been knocked down or +burned the day before, but such as had been left standing were now in +flames, the torch having been applied because, as it was claimed, +Frenchmen concealed in them had fired on the wounded. The streets +were still encumbered with both German and French dead, and it was +evident that of those killed in the houses the bodies had not been +removed, for the air was loaded with odors of burning flesh. From +Bazeille we rode on toward the north about two miles, along where the +fight had been largely an artillery duel, to learn what we could of +the effectiveness of the Krupp gun. Counting all the French dead we +came across killed by artillery, they figured up about three +hundred—a ridiculously small number; in fact, not much more than one dead +man for each Krupp gun on that part of the line. Although the number +of dead was in utter disproportion to the terrific six-hour +cannonade, yet small as it was the torn and mangled bodies made such +a horrible sight that we turned back toward Bazeilles without having +gone further than Givonne.</p> + +<p>At Bazeilles we met the King, accompanied by Bismarck and several of +the staff. They too had been riding over the field, the King making +this a practice, to see that the wounded were not neglected. As I +drew up by the party, Bismarck accosted me with, "Well, General, +aren't you hungry? This is just the place to whet one's +appetite—these burning Frenchmen—Ugh!" and shrugging his shoulders in evident +disgust, he turned away to join his Majesty in further explorations, +Forsyth and I continuing on to Chevenges. Here we got the first +inkling of what had become of our carriage since leaving it two days +before: it had been pressed into service to carry wounded officers +from the field during the battle, but afterward released, and was now +safe at the house in Vendresse where we had been quartered the night +of the 31st, so, on hearing this, we settled to go there again to +lodge, but our good friend, the 'cure,' insisting that we should stay +with him, we remained in Chevenges till next morning.</p> + +<p>On September 3 the King removed from Vendresse to Rethel, where he +remained two days; in the mean while the Germans, 240,000 strong, +beginning their direct march to Paris. The French had little with +which to oppose this enormous force, not more, perhaps, than 50,000 +regular troops; the rest of their splendid army had been lost or +captured in battle, or was cooped up in the fortifications of Metz, +Strasburg, and other places, in consequence of blunders without +parallel in history, for which Napoleon and the Regency in Paris must +be held accountable. The first of these gross faults was the fight +at Worth, where MacMahon, before his army was mobilized, accepted +battle with the Crown Prince, pitting 50,000 men against 175,000; the +next was Bazaine's fixing upon Metz as his base, and stupidly putting +himself in position to be driven back to it, when there was no +possible obstacle to his joining forces with MacMahon at Chalons; +while the third and greatest blunder of all was MacMahon's move to +relieve Metz, trying to slip 140,000 men along the Belgian frontier. +Indeed, it is exasperating and sickening to think of all this; to +think that Bazaine carried into Metz—a place that should have been +held, if at all, with not over 25,000 men—an army of 180,000, +because it contained, the excuse was, "an accumulation of stores." +With all the resources of rich France to draw upon, I cannot conceive +that this excuse was sincere; on the contrary, I think that the +movement of Bazaine must have been inspired by Napoleon with a view +to the maintenance of his dynasty rather than for the good of France.</p> + +<p>As previously stated, Bismarck did not approve of the German army's +moving on Paris after the battle of Sedan. Indeed, I think he +foresaw and dreaded the establishment of a Republic, his idea being +that if peace was made then, the Empire could be continued in the +person of the Prince Imperial who—, coming to the throne under +German influences, would be pliable in his hands. These views found +frequent expression in private, and in public too; I myself +particularly remember the Chancellor's speaking thus most unguardedly +at a dinner in Rheims. But he could not prevent the march to Paris; +it was impossible to stop the Germans, flushed with success. "On to +Paris" was written by the soldiers on every door, and every +fence-board along the route to the capital, and the thought of a triumphant +march down the Champs Elysees was uppermost with every German, from +the highest to the lowest grade.</p> + +<p>The 5th of September we set out for Rheims. There it was said the +Germans would meet with strong resistance, for the French intended to +die to the last man before giving up that city. But this proved all +fudge, as is usual with these "last ditch" promises, the garrison +decamping immediately at the approach of a few Uhlans. So far as I +could learn, but a single casualty happened; this occurred to an +Uhlan, wounded by a shot which it was reported was fired from a house +after the town was taken; so, to punish this breach of faith, a levy +of several hundred bottles of champagne was made, and the wine +divided about headquarters, being the only seizure made in the city, +I believe, for though Rheims, the centre of the champagne district, +had its cellars well stocked, yet most of them being owned by German +firms, they received every protection.</p> + +<p>The land about Rheims is of a white, chalky character, and very poor, +but having been terraced and enriched with fertilizers, it produces +the champagne grape in such abundance that the region, once +considered valueless, and named by the peasantry the "land of the +louse," now supports a dense population. We remained in Rheims eight +days, and through the politeness of the American Consul—Mr. Adolph +Gill—had the pleasure of seeing all the famous wine cellars, and +inspecting the processes followed in champagne making, from the step +of pressing the juice from the grape to that which shows the wine +ready for the market. Mr. Gill also took us to see everything else +of special interest about the city, and there being much to look +at—fine old churches, ancient fortifications, a Roman gateway, etc.—the +days slipped by very quickly, though the incessant rains somewhat +interfered with our enjoyment.</p> + +<p>For three or four days all sorts of rumors were rife as to what was +doing in Paris, but nothing definite was learned till about the 9th; +then Count Bismarck informed me that the Regency had been overthrown +on the 4th, and that the Empress Eugenie had escaped to Belgium. The +King of Prussia offered her an asylum with the Emperor at +Wilhelmshohe, "where she ought to go," said the Chancellor, "for her +proper place is with her husband," but he feared she would not. On +the same occasion he also told me that Jules Favre—the head of the +Provisional Government—had sent him the suggestion that, the Empire +being gone, peace should be made and the Germans withdrawn, but that +he (Bismarck) was now compelled to recognize the impossibility of +doing this till Paris was taken, for although immediately after the +surrender of Sedan he desired peace, the past few days had made it +plain that the troops would not be satisfied with anything short of +Paris, no matter what form of Government the French should ultimately +adopt.</p> + +<p>The German army having met with no resistance whatever in its march +on Paris, its advance approached the capital rapidly, and by the 14th +of September the royal headquarters moved by a fine macadamized road +to the Chateau Thierry, and on the 5th reached Meaux, about +twenty-eight miles from Paris, where we remained four days awaiting the +reconstruction of some railroad and canal bridges. The town of Meaux +has a busy population of about 10,000 souls, in peaceable times +principally occupied in manufacturing flour for the Paris market, +having a fine waterpower for the many mills. These were kept going +day and night to supply the German army; and it was strange to see +with what zeal Frenchmen toiled to fill the stomachs of their +inveterate enemies, and with what alacrity the mayor and other +officials filled requisitions for wine, cheese, suits of livery, +riding-whips, and even squab pigeons.</p> + +<p>During our stay at Meaux the British Minister Lord Lyons, endeavored +to bring about a cessation of hostilities, to this end sending his +secretary out from Paris with a letter to Count Bismarck, offering to +serve as mediator. The Chancellor would not agree to this, however, +for he conjectured that the action of the British Minister had been +inspired by Jules Favre, who, he thought, was trying to draw the +Germans into negotiations through the medium of a third party only +for purposes of delay. So the next morning Lord Lyons's secretary, +Mr. Edward Malet, returned to Paris empty-handed, except that he bore +a communication positively declining mediation; which message, +however, led no doubt to an interview between Bismarck and Favre a +couple of days later.</p> + +<p>The forenoon of September 19 the King removed to the Chateau +Ferrieres—a castle belonging to the Rothschild family, where +Napoleon had spent many happy days in the time of his prosperity. +His Majesty took up his quarters here at the suggestion of the owner, +we were told, so that by the presence of the King the magnificent +chateau and its treasures of art would be unquestionably protected +from all acts of vandalism.</p> + +<p>All of the people at headquarters except the King's immediate suite +were assigned quarters at Lagny; and while Forsyth and I, accompanied +by Sir Henry Havelock, of the British army, were driving thither, we +passed on the road the representative of the National Defense +Government, Jules Favre, in a carriage heading toward Meaux. +Preceded by a flag of truce and accompanied by a single, companion, +be was searching for Count Bismarck, in conformity, doubtless, with +the message the Chancellor had sent to Paris on the 17th by the +British secretary. A half-mile further on we met Bismarck. He too +was traveling toward Meaux, not in the best of humor either, it +appeared, for having missed finding the French envoy at the +rendezvous where they had agreed to meet, he stopped long enough to +say that the "air was full of lies, and that there were many persons +with the army bent on business that did not concern them."</p> + +<p>The armies of the two Crown Princes were now at the outskirts of +Paris. They had come from Sedan mainly by two routes—the Crown +Prince of Saxony marching by the northern line, through Laon and +Soissons, and the Crown Prince of Prussia by the southern line, +keeping his right wing on the north bank of the Marne, while his left +and centre approached the French capital by roads between that river +and the Seine.</p> + +<p>The march of these armies had been unobstructed by any resistance +worth mentioning, and as the routes of both columns lay through a +region teeming with everything necessary for their support, and rich +even in luxuries, it struck me that such campaigning was more a vast +picnic than like actual war. The country supplied at all points +bread, meat, and wine in abundance, and the neat villages, never more +than a mile or two apart, always furnished shelter; hence the +enormous trains required to feed and provide camp equipage for an +army operating in a sparsely settled country were dispensed with; in +truth, about the only impedimenta of the Germans was their wagons +carrying ammunition, pontoon-boats, and the field-telegraph.</p> + +<p>On the morning of the 20th I started out accompanied by Forsyth and +Sir Henry Havelock, and took the road through Boissy St. George, +Boissy St. Martins and Noisy Le Grand to Brie. Almost every foot of +the way was strewn with fragments of glass from wine bottles, emptied +and then broken by the troops. There was, indeed, so much of this +that I refrain from making any estimate of the number of bottles, +lest I be thought to exaggerate, but the road was literally paved +with glass, and the amount of wine consumed (none was wasted) must +have been enormous, far more, even, than I had seen evidence of at +any time before. There were two almost continuous lines of broken +bottles along the roadsides all the way down from Sedan; but that +exhibit was small compared with what we saw about Brie.</p> + +<p>At Brie we were taken charge of by the German commandant of the +place. He entertained us most hospitably for an hour or so, and +then, accompanied by a lieutenant, who was to be our guide, I set out +ahead of my companions to gain a point on the picket-line where I +expected to get a good look at the French, for their rifle-pits were +but a few hundred yards off across the Marne, their main line being +just behind the rifle-pits. As the lieutenant and I rode through the +village, some soldiers warned us that the adventure would be +dangerous, but that we could probably get to the desired place unhurt +if we avoided the French fire by forcing our horses to a run in +crossing some open streets where we would be exposed. On getting to +the first street my guide galloped ahead to show the way, and as the +French were not on the lookout for anything of the kind at these +dangerous points, only a few stray shots were drawn by the +lieutenant, but when I followed, they were fully up to what was going +on, and let fly a volley every time they saw me in the open. +Fortunately, however, in their excitement they overshot, but when I +drew rein alongside of my guide under protection of the bluff where +the German picket was posted, my hair was all on end, and I was about +as badly scared as ever I had been in my life. As soon as I could +recover myself I thought of Havelock and Forsyth, with the hope that +they would not follow; nor did they, for having witnessed my +experience, they wisely concluded that, after all, they did not care +so much to see the French rifle-pits.</p> + +<p>When I had climbed to the top of the bluff I was much disappointed, +for I could see but little—only the advanced rifle-pits across the +river, and Fort Nogent beyond them, not enough, certainly, to repay a +non-combatant for taking the risk of being killed. The next question +was to return, and deciding to take no more such chances as those we +had run in coming out, I said we would wait till dark, but this +proved unnecessary, for to my utter astonishment my guide informed me +that there was a perfectly safe route by which we might go back. I +asked why we had not taken it in coming, and he replied that he had +thought it "too long and circuitous." To this I could say nothing, +but I concluded that that was not quite the correct reason; the truth +is that early that morning the young fellow had been helping to empty +some of the many wine bottles I saw around Brie, and consequently had +a little more "Dutch courage"—was a little more rash—than would +have been the case under other conditions.</p> + +<p>I rode back to Brie by the "long and circuitous" route, and inquiring +there for my companions, found Havelock waiting to conduct me to the +village of Villiers, whither, he said, Forsyth had been called to +make some explanation about his passport, which did not appear to be +in satisfactory shape. Accordingly we started for Villiers, and +Havelock, being well mounted on an English "hunter," and wishing to +give me an exhibition of the animal's training and power, led the way +across ditches and fences, but my horse, never having followed "the +hounds," was unsafe to experiment with, so, after trying a low fence +or two, I decided to leave my friend alone in his diversion, and a +few moments later, seeing both horse and rider go down before a ditch +and high stone wall, I was convinced that my resolution was a +discreet one. After this mishap, which luckily resulted in no harm, +I hoped Sir Henry would give up the amusement, but by failure +becoming only the more determined, in a second effort he cleared the +wall handsomely and rode across-country to the villages. Following +the road till it passed under a railway bridge, I there thought I saw +a chance to gain Villiers by a short-cut, and changing my course +accordingly, I struck into a large vineyard to the left, and +proceeding a few hundred yards through the vines, came suddenly upon +a German picket-post. The guard immediately leveled their rifles at +me, when, remembering my Rezonville experience of being taken for a +French officer because of my uniform, I hastily flung myself from the +saddle in token of surrender. The action being rightly interpreted, +the men held their fire, and as my next thought was the King's pass I +reached under my coat-skirt for the document, but this motion being +taken as a grab for my pistol, the whole lot of them—some ten in +number—again aimed at me, and with such loud demands for surrender +that I threw up my hands and ran into their ranks. The officer of +the guard then coming up, examined my credentials, and seeing that +they were signed by the King of Prussia, released me and directed the +recovery of my horse, which was soon caught, and I was then conducted +to the quarters of the commandant, where I found Forsyth with his +pass properly vised, entirely ignorant of my troubles, and +contentedly regaling himself on cheese and beer. Havelock having got +to the village ahead of me, thanks to his cross-country ride, was +there too, sipping beer with Forsyth; nor was I slow to follow their +example, for the ride of the day, though rather barren in other +results, at any rate had given me a ravenous appetite.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="pb426"></a><img alt="pb426.jpg (155K)" src="images/pb426.jpg" height="517" width="650"> +</center> +<a href="images/pb426.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Full Size" src="images/enlarge.jpg"> +</a> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>Late that evening, the 20th, we resumed our old quarters at Lagny, +and early next day I made a visit to the royal headquarters at +Ferrires, where I observed great rejoicing going on, the occasion for +it being an important victory gained near Mendon, a French corps of +about 30,000 men under General Ducrot having been beaten by the Fifth +Prussian and Second Bavarian corps. Ducrot had been stubbornly +holding ground near Mendon for two or three days, much to the +embarrassment of the Germans too, since he kept them from closing a +gap in their line to the southwest of Paris; but in the recent fight +he had been driven from the field with such heavy loss as to render +impossible his maintaining the gap longer. The Crown Prince of +Prussia was thus enabled to extend his left, without danger, as far +as Bougival, north of Versailles, and eventually met the right of the +Crown Prince of Saxony, already at Denil, north of St. Denis. The +unbroken circle of investment around Paris being well-nigh assured, +news of its complete accomplishment was momentarily expected; +therefore everybody was jubilant on account of the breaking up of +Ducrot, but more particularly because word had been received the same +morning that a correspondence had begun between Bazaine and Prince +Frederick Charles, looking to the capitulation of Metz, for the +surrender of that place would permit the Second Army to join in the +siege of Paris.</p> + +<p>Learning all this, and seeing that the investment was about +completed, I decided to take up my quarters at Versailles, and +started for that place on the 22d, halting at Noisy le Grand to take +luncheon with some artillery officers, whose acquaintance we had made +the day of the surrender at Sedan. During the meal I noticed two +American flags flying on a couple of houses near by. Inquiring the +significance of this, I was told that the flags had been put up to +protect the buildings—the owners, two American citizens, having in a +bad fright abandoned their property, and, instead of remaining +outside, gone into Paris,—"very foolishly," said our hospitable +friends, "for here they could have obtained food in plenty, and been +perfectly secure from molestation."</p> + +<p>We arrived at Versailles about 7 o'clock that evening and settled +ourselves in the Hotel Reservoir, happy to find there two or three +American families, with whom, of course, we quickly made +acquaintance. This American circle was enlarged a few days later by +the arrival of General Wm. B. Hazen, of our army, General Ambrose E. +Burnside, and Mr. Paul Forbes. Burnside and Forbes were hot to see, +from the French side, something of the war, and being almost beside +themselves to get into Paris, a permit was granted them by Count +Bismarck, and they set out by way of Sevres, Forsyth and I +accompanying them as far as the Palace of St. Cloud, which we, +proposed to see, though there were strict orders against its being +visited generally. After much trouble we managed, through the "open +sesame" of the King's pass, to gain access to the palace; but to our +great disappointment we found that all the pictures had been cut from +the frames and carried off to Paris, except one portrait, that of +Queen Victoria, against whom the French were much incensed. All +other works of art had been removed, too—a most fortunate +circumstance, for the palace being directly on the German line, was +raked by the guns from the fortress of Mont Valerien, and in a few +days burned to the ground.</p> + +<p>In less than a week Burnside and Forbes returned from Paris. They +told us their experience had been interesting, but were very reticent +as to particulars, and though we tried hard to find out what they had +seen or done, we could get nothing from them beyond the general +statement that they had had a good time, and that General Trochu had +been considerate enough to postpone a sortie, in order to let them +return; but this we did not quite swallow. After a day or two they +went into Paris again, and I then began to suspect that they were +essaying the role of mediators, and that Count Bismarck was feeding +their vanity with permits, and receiving his equivalent by learning +the state of affairs within the beleaguered city.</p> + +<p>From about the 1st of October on, the Germans were engaged in making +their enveloping lines impenetrable, bringing up their reserves, +siege guns, and the like, the French meanwhile continuing to drill +and discipline the National Guard and relieving the monotony +occasionally by a more or less spirited, but invariably abortive, +sortie. The most notable of these was that made by General Vinoy +against the heights of Clamart, the result being a disastrous repulse +by the besiegers. After this, matters settled down to an almost +uninterrupted quietude, only a skirmish here and there; and it being +plain that the Germans did not intend to assault the capital, but +would accomplish its capture by starvation, I concluded to find out +from Count Bismarck about when the end was expected, with the purpose +of spending the interim in a little tour through some portions of +Europe undisturbed by war, returning in season for the capitulation. +Count Bismarck having kindly advised me as to the possible date,</p> + +<p>Forsyth and I, on the 14th of October, left Versailles, going first +direct to the Chateau Ferrieres to pay our respects to the King, +which we did, and again took luncheon with him. From the chateau we +drove to Meaux, and there spent the night; resuming our journey next +morning, we passed through Epernay, Rheims, and Rethel to Sedan, +where we tarried a day, and finally, on October 18, reached Brussels.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch20b"></a>CHAPTER XX.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>BRUSSELS—DECIDING TO VISIT EASTERN EUROPE—AUSTRIA—DOWN THE +DANUBE—IN CONSTANTINOPLE—THE LADIES OF THE HAREM—THE SULTAN—TURKISH +SOLDIERS—A BANQUET—A VISIT IN ATHENS—KING GEORGE OF GREECE—VICTOR +EMMANUEL—"BEDEVILED WITH CARES OF STATE"—DEER SHOOTING—A MILITARY +DINNER—RETURN TO VERSAILLES—GERMANS ENTERING PARIS—CRITICISM ON +THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR—CONCLUSION.</p> + +<p>On reaching Brussels, one of the first things to do was to pay my +respects to the King of Belgium, which I did, accompanied by our +Minister, Mr. Russell Jones. Later I dined with the King and Queen, +meeting at the dinner many notable people, among them the Count and +Countess of Flanders. A day or two in Brussels sufficed to mature +our plans for spending the time up to the approximate date of our +return to Paris; and deciding to visit eastern Europe, we made Vienna +our first objective, going there by way of Dresden.</p> + +<p>At Vienna our Minister, Mr. John Jay, took charge of us—Forsyth was +still with me—and the few days' sojourn was full of interest. The +Emperor being absent from the capital, we missed seeing him; but the +Prime Minister, Count von Beust, was very polite to us, and at his +house we had the pleasure of meeting at dinner Count Andrassy, the +Prime Minister of Hungary.</p> + +<p>From Vienna we went to Buda-Pesth, the Hungarian capital; and thence, +in a I small, crowded, and uncomfortable steamboat, down the Danube +to Rustchuck, whence we visited Bucharest—all who travel in eastern +Europe do so—and then directing our course southward, we went first +to Varna, and from that city by steamer through the Black Sea to +Constantinople.</p> + +<p>We reached the Turkish capital at the time of Ramadan, the period of +the year (about a month) during which the Mohammedans are commanded +by the Koran to keep a rigorous fast every day from sunrise till +sunset. All the followers of the Prophet were therefore busy with +their devotions—holding a revival, as it were; hence there was no +chance whatever to be presented to the Sultan, Abdul Aziz, it being +forbidden during the penitential season for him to receive +unbelievers, or in fact any one except the officials of his +household. However, the Grand Vizier brought me many messages of +welcome, and arranged that I should be permitted to see and salute +his Serene Highness on the Esplanade as he rode by on horseback to +the mosque.</p> + +<p>So, the second day after arrival, the Grand Vizier drove me in a +barouche to the Esplanade, where we took station about midway of its +length an hour or so before the Sultan was to appear. Shortly after +we reached the Esplanade, carriages occupied by the women of the +Sultan's harem began to appear, coming out from the palace grounds +and driving up and down the roadway. Only a few of the women were +closely veiled, a majority of them wearing an apology for veiling, +merely a strip of white lace covering the forehead down to the +eyebrows. Some were yellow, and some white-types of the Mongolian +and Caucasian races. Now and then a pretty face was seen, rarely a +beautiful one. Many were plump, even to corpulence, and these were +the closest veiled, being considered the greatest beauties I presume, +since with the Turk obesity is the chief element of comeliness. As +the carriages passed along in review, every now and then an occupant, +unable or unwilling to repress her natural promptings, would indulge +in a mild flirtation, making overtures by casting demure +side-glances, throwing us coquettish kisses, or waving strings of amber +beads with significant gestures, seeming to say: "Why don't you +follow?" But this we could not do if we would, for the Esplanade +throughout its entire length was lined with soldiers, put there +especially to guard the harem first, and later, the Sultan on his +pilgrimage to the mosque.</p> + +<p>But as it was now time for His Serene Highness to make his appearance +the carriages containing his wives drove off into the palace grounds, +which were inclosed by a high wall, leaving the Esplanade wholly +unencumbered except by the soldiers. Down between the two ranks, +which were formed facing each other, came the Sultan on a white +steed—a beautiful Arabian—and having at his side his son, a boy +about ten or twelve years old, who was riding a pony, a diminutive +copy of his father's mount, the two attended by a numerous +body-guard, dressed in gorgeous Oriental uniforms. As the procession +passed our carriage, I, as pre-arranged, stood up and took off my +hat, His Serene Highness promptly acknowledging the salute by raising +his hand to the forehead. This was all I saw of him, yet I received +every kindness at his hands, being permitted to see many of his +troops, to inspect all the ordnance, equipment, and other military +establishments about Constantinople, and to meet numbers of the high +functionaries of the Empire.</p> + +<p>Among other compliments tendered through his direction, and which I +gladly accepted, was a review of all the troops then in +Stamboul—about 6,000—comprising infantry, cavalry, and artillery.</p> + +<p>They were as fine looking a body of soldiers as I ever saw—well +armed and well clothed, the men all large and of sturdy appearance.</p> + +<p>After the review we attended a grand military dinner given by the +Grand Vizier. At the hour set for this banquet we presented +ourselves at the palace of the Grand Vizier, and being ushered into a +large drawing-room, found already assembled there the guests invited +to meet us. Some few spoke French, and with these we managed to +exchange an occasional remark; but as the greater number stood about +in silence, the affair, thus far, was undeniably a little stiff. +Just before the dinner was announced, all the Turkish officers went +into an adjoining room, and turning their faces to the east, +prostrated themselves to the floor in prayer. Then we were all +conducted to a large salon, where each being provided with a silver +ewer and basin, a little ball of highly perfumed soap and a napkin, +set out on small tables, each guest washed his hands. Adjacent to +this salon was the dining-room, or, rather, the banqueting room, a +very large and artistically frescoed hall, in the centre of which +stood a crescent-shaped table, lighted with beautiful silver +candelabra, and tastefully decorated with flowers and fruits. The +viands were all excellent; cooked, evidently, by a French chef, and +full justice was done the dishes, especially by the Turks, who, of +course, had been fasting all day.</p> + +<p>At the close of the banquet, which consisted of not less than fifteen +courses, we withdrew to a smoking-room, where the coffee was served +and cigarettes and chibouks offered us—the latter a pipe having a +long flexible stem with an amber mouthpiece. I chose the chibouk, +and as the stem of mine was studded with precious stones of enormous +value, I thought I should enjoy it the more; but the tobacco being +highly flavored with some sort of herbs, my smoke fell far short of +my anticipations. The coffee was delicious, however, and I found +this to be the case wherever I went in Constantinople, whether in +making calls or at dinner, the custom of offering coffee and tobacco +on these occasions being universal.</p> + +<p>The temptations to linger at Constantinople were many indeed, not the +least being the delightful climate; and as time pressed, we set out +with much regret on the return journey, stopping a few days at +Athens, whence we made several short excursions into the interior. +King George and Queen Olga made our stay in Athens one of extreme +interest and exceeding pleasure. Throwing aside all ceremony, they +breakfasted and dined us informally, gave us a fine ball, and in +addition to these hospitalities showed us much personal attention, +his Majesty even calling upon me, and the Queen sending her children +to see us at our hotel.</p> + +<p>Of course we visited all that remained of the city's ancient +civilization—the Acropolis, temples, baths, towers, and the like; +nor did we omit to view the spot where St. Paul once instructed the +Athenians in lessons of Christianity. We traveled some little +through the country districts outside of Athens, and I noticed that +the peasantry, in point of picturesqueness of dress and color of +complexion, were not unlike the gypsies we see at times in America. +They had also much of the same shrewdness, and, as far as I could +learn, were generally wholly uneducated, ignorant, indeed, except as +to one subject—politics—which I was told came to them intuitively, +they taking to it, and a scramble for office, as naturally as a duck +to water. In fact, this common faculty for politics seems a +connecting link between the ancient and modern Greek.</p> + +<p>Leaving Athens with the pleasantest recollections, we sailed for +Messina, Sicily, and from there went to Naples, where we found many +old friends; among them Mr. Buchanan Reed, the artist and poet, and +Miss Brewster, as well as a score or more of others of our +countrymen, then or since distinguished, in art and letters at home +and abroad. We remained some days in Naples, and during the time +went to Pompeii to witness a special excavation among the ruins of +the buried city, which search was instituted on account of our visit. +A number of ancient household articles were dug up, and one, a terra +cotta lamp bearing upon its crown in bas-relief the legend of "Leda +and the Swan," was presented to me as a souvenir of the occasion, +though it is usual for the Government to place in its museums +everything of such value that is unearthed.</p> + +<p>From Naples to Rome by rail was our next journey. In the Eternal +City we saw picture-galleries, churches, and ruins in plenty, but all +these have been so well described by hundreds of other travelers that +I shall not linger even to name them. While at Rome we also +witnessed an overflow of the Tiber, that caused great suffering and +destroyed much property. The next stage of our tour took us to +Venice, then to Florence—the capital of Italy—for although the +troops of the King of Italy had taken possession of Rome the +preceding September, the Government itself had not yet removed +thither.</p> + +<p>At Florence, our Minister, Mr. Marsh, though suffering with a lame +foot, took me in charge, and in due course of time I was presented to +King Victor-Emmanuel. His Majesty received me informally at his +palace in a small, stuffy room—his office, no doubt—and an untidy +one it was too. He wore a loose blouse and very baggy trousers; a +comfortable suit, certainly, but not at all conducing to an ideal +kingliness of appearance.</p> + +<p>His Majesty's hobby was hunting, and no sooner had I made my bow than +he began a conversation on that subject, thrusting his hands nearly +up to the elbows into the pockets of his trousers. He desired to +learn about the large game of America, particularly the buffalo, and +when I spoke of the herds of thousands and thousands I had seen on +the plains of western Kansas, he interrupted me to bemoan the fate +which kept him from visiting America to hunt, even going so far as to +say that "he didn't wish to be King of Italy, anyhow, but would much +prefer to pass his days hunting than be bedeviled with the cares of +state." On one of his estates, near Pisa, he had several large herds +of deer, many wild boars, and a great deal of other game. Of this +preserve he was very proud, and before we separated invited me to go +down there to shoot deer, adding that he would be there himself if he +could, but feared that a trip which he had to take to Milan would +interfere, though he wished me to go in any event.</p> + +<p>I gladly accepted the invitation, and in two or three days was +notified when I would be expected at the estate. At the designated +time I was escorted to Pisa by an aide-de-camp, and from there we +drove the few miles to the King's chateau, where we fortified +ourselves for the work in hand by an elaborate and toothsome +breakfast of about ten courses. Then in a carriage we set out for +the King's stand in the hunting-grounds, accompanied by a crowd of +mounted game-keepers, who with great difficulty controlled the pack +of sixty or seventy hounds, the dogs and keepers together almost +driving me to distraction with their yelping and yelling. On +reaching the stand, I was posted within about twenty' yards of a +long, high picket-fence, facing the fence and covered by two trees +very close together. It was from behind these that the King usually +shot, and as I was provided with a double-barreled shot-gun, I +thought I could do well, especially since close in rear of me stood +two game-keepers to load and hand me a second gun when the first was +emptied.</p> + +<p>Meantime the huntsmen and the hounds had made a circuit of the park +to drive up the game. The yelps of the hounds drawing near, I +cautiously looked in the direction of the sound, and the next moment +saw a herd of deer close in to the fence, and coming down at full +speed. Without a miss, I shot the four leading ones as they tried +to run the gauntlet, for in passing between the stand and the fence, +the innocent creatures were not more than ten to fifteen paces from +me. At the fourth I stopped, but the gamekeepers insisted on more +butchery, saying, "No one but the King ever did the like" (I guess no +one else had ever had the chance), so, thus urged, I continued firing +till I had slaughtered eleven with eleven shots—an easy task with a +shot-gun and buckshot cartridges.</p> + +<p>The "hunt" being ended—for with this I had had enough, and no one +else was permitted to do any shooting—the aide-decamp directed the +game to be sent to me in Florence, and we started for the chateau. +On the way back I saw a wild boar the first and only one I ever +saw—my attention being drawn to him by cries from some of the +game-keepers. There was much commotion, the men pointing out the game and +shouting excitedly, "See the wild boar!" otherwise I should not have +known what was up, but now, looking in the indicated direction, I saw +scudding over the plain what appeared to me to be nothing but a +halfgrown black pig, or shoat. He was not in much of a hurry either, +and gave no evidence of ferocity, yet it is said that this +insignificant looking animal is dangerous when hunted with the spear +—the customary way. After an early dinner at the chateau we +returned to Florence, and my venison next day arriving, it was +distributed among my American friends in the city.</p> + +<p>Shortly after the hunt the King returned from Milan, and then honored +me with a military dinner, his Majesty and all the guests, numbering +eighty, appearing in full uniform. The banqueting hall was lighted +with hundreds of wax candles, there was a profusion of beautiful +flowers, and to me the scene altogether was one of unusual +magnificence. The table service was entirely of gold—the celebrated +set of the house of Savoy—and behind the chair of each guest stood a +servant in powdered wig and gorgeous livery of red plush. I sat at +the right of the King, who—his hands resting on his sword, the hilt +of which glittered with jewels—sat through the hour and a half at +table without once tasting food or drink, for it was his rule to eat +but two meals in twenty-four hours—breakfast at noon, and dinner at +midnight. The King remained silent most of the time, but when he did +speak, no matter on what subject, he inevitably drifted back to +hunting. He never once referred to the Franco-Prussian war, nor to +the political situation in his own country, then passing through a +crisis. In taking leave of his Majesty I thanked him with deep +gratitude for honoring me so highly, and his response was that if +ever he came to America to hunt buffalo, he should demand my +assistance.</p> + +<p>From Florence I went to Milan and Geneva, then to Nice, Marseilles, +and Bordeaux. Assembled at Bordeaux was a convention which had been +called together by the government of the National Defense for the +purpose of confirming or rejecting the terms of an armistice of +twenty-one days, arranged between Jules Favre and Count Bismarck in +negotiations begun at Versailles the latter part of January. The +convention was a large body, chosen from all parts of France, and was +unquestionably the most noisy, unruly and unreasonable set of beings +that I ever saw in a legislative assembly. The frequent efforts of +Thiers, Jules Favre, and other leading men to restrain the more +impetuous were of little avail. When at the sittings a delegate +arose to speak on some question, he was often violently pulled to his +seat and then surrounded by a mob of his colleagues, who would throw +off their coats and gesticulate wildly, as though about to fight.</p> + +<p>But the bitter pill of defeat had to be swallowed in some way, so the +convention delegated M. Thiers to represent the executive power of +the country, with authority to construct a ministry three +commissioners were appointed by the Executive, to enter into further +negotiations with Count Bismarck at Versailles and arrange a peace, +the terms of which, however, were to be submitted to the convention +for final action. Though there had been so much discussion, it took +but a few days to draw up and sign a treaty at Versailles, the +principal negotiators being Thiers and Jules Favre for France, and +Bismarck on the part of the Germans. The terms agreed upon provided +for the occupation of Paris till ratification should be had by the +convention at Bordeaux; learning of which stipulation from our +Minister, Mr. Washburn, I hurried off to Paris to see the conquerors +make their triumphal entry.</p> + +<p>In the city the excitement was at fever heat, of course; the entire +population protesting with one voice that they would never, never +look upon the hated Germans marching through their beloved city. No! +when the day arrived they would hide themselves in their houses, or +shut their eyes to such a hateful sight. But by the 1st of March a +change had come over the fickle Parisians, for at an early hour the +sidewalks were jammed with people, and the windows and doors of the +houses filled with men, women, and children eager to get a look at +the conquerors. Only a few came in the morning, however—an +advance-guard of perhaps a thousand cavalry and infantry. The main column +marched from the Arc-de-Triomphe toward the middle of the afternoon. +In its composition it represented United Germany—Saxons, Bavarians, +and the Royal Guard of Prussia—and, to the strains of martial music, +moving down the Champ Elysees to the Place de la Concorde, was +distributed thence over certain sections of the city agreed upon +beforehand. Nothing that could be called a disturbance took place +during the march; and though there was a hiss now and then and +murmurings of discontent, yet the most noteworthy mutterings were +directed against the defunct Empire. Indeed, I found everywhere that +the national misfortunes were laid at Napoleon's door—he, by this +time, having become a scapegoat for every blunder of the war.</p> + +<p>The Emperor William (he had been proclaimed German Emperor at +Versailles the 18th of January) did not accompany his troops into +Paris, though he reviewed them at Long Champs before they started. +After the occupation of the city he still remained at Versailles, and +as soon as circumstances would permit, I repaired to the Imperial +headquarters to pay my respects to his Majesty under his new title +and dignities, and to say good-bye.</p> + +<p>Besides the Emperor, the only persons I me at Versailles were General +von Moltke and Bismarck. His Majesty was in a very agreeable frame +of mind, and as bluff and hearty as usual. His increased rank and +power had effected no noticeable change of any kind in him, and by +his genial and cordial ways he made me think that my presence with +the German army had contributed to his pleasure. Whether this was +really so or not, I shall always believe it true, for his kind words +and sincere manner could leave no other conclusion.</p> + +<p>General von Moltke was, as usual, quiet and reserved, betraying not +the slightest consciousness of his great ability, nor the least +indication of pride on account of his mighty work. I say this +advisedly, for it is an undoubted fact that it was his marvelous +mind that perfected the military system by which 800,000 men were +mobilized with unparalleled celerity and moved with such certainty of +combination that, in a campaign of seven months, the military power +of France was destroyed and her vast resources sorely crippled.</p> + +<p>I said good-bye to Count Bismarck, also, for at that busy time the +chances of seeing him again were very remote. The great Chancellor +manifested more joy over the success of the Germans than did anyone +else at the Imperial headquarters. Along with his towering strength +of mind and body, his character partook of much of the enthusiasm and +impulsiveness commonly restricted to younger men, and now in his +frank, free way be plainly showed his light-heartedness and +gratification at success. That which for years his genius had been +planning and striving for—permanent unification of the German +States, had been accomplished by the war. It had welded them +together in a compact Empire which no power in Europe could disrupt, +and as such a union was the aim of Bismarck's life, he surely had a +right to feel jubilant.</p> + +<p>Thanks to the courtesies extended me, I had been able to observe the +principal battles, and study many of the minor details of a war +between two of the greatest military nations of the world, and to +examine critically the methods followed abroad for subsisting, +equipping, and manoeuvring vast bodies of men during a stupendous, +campaign. Of course I found a great deal to interest and instruct +me, yet nowadays war is pretty much the same everywhere, and this one +offered no marked exception to my previous experiences. The methods +pursued on the march were the same as we would employ, with one most +important exception. Owing to the density of population throughout +France it was always practicable for the Germans to quarter their +troops in villages, requiring the inhabitants to subsist both +officers and men. Hence there was no necessity for camp and garrison +equipage, nor enormous provision trains, and the armies were +unencumbered by these impedimenta, indispensable when operating in a +poor and sparsely settled country. As I have said before, the only +trains were those for ammunition, pontoon-boats, and the field +telegraph, and all these were managed by special corps. If +transportation was needed for other purposes, it was obtained by +requisition from the invaded country, just as food and forage were +secured. Great celerity of combination was therefore possible, the +columns moving in compact order, and as all the roads were broad and +macadamized, there was little or nothing to delay or obstruct the +march of the Germans, except when their enemy offered resistance, but +even this was generally slight and not very frequent, for the French +were discouraged by disaster from the very outset of the campaign</p> + +<p>The earlier advantages gained by the Germans may be ascribed to the +strikingly prompt mobilization of their armies, one of the most +noticeable features of their perfect military system, devised by +almost autocratic power; their later successes were greatly aided by +the blunders of the French, whose stupendous errors materially +shortened the war, though even if prolonged it could, in my opinion, +have had ultimately no other termination.</p> + +<p>As I have previously stated, the first of these blunders was the +acceptance of battle by MacMahon at Worth; the second in attaching +too much importance to the fortified position of Metz, resulting in +three battles Colombey, Mars-la-Tour, and Gravelotte—all of which +were lost; and the third, the absurd movement of MacMahon along the +Belgian frontier to relieve Metz, the responsibility for which, I am +glad to say, does not belong to him.</p> + +<p>With the hemming in of Bazaine at Metz and the capture of MacMahon's +army at Sedan the crisis of the war was passed, and the Germans +practically the victors. The taking of Paris was but a +sentiment—the money levy could have been made and the Rhine provinces held +without molesting that city, and only the political influences +consequent upon the changes in the French Government caused peace to +be deferred.</p> + +<p>I did not have much opportunity to observe the German cavalry, either +on the march or in battle. The only time I saw any of it engaged was +in the unfortunate charge at Gravelotte. That proved its mettle good +and discipline fair, but answered no other purpose. Such of it as +was not attached to the infantry was organized in divisions, and +operated in accordance with the old idea of covering the front and +flanks of the army, a duty which it thoroughly performed. But thus +directed it was in no sense an independent corps, and hence cannot +be, said to have accomplished anything in the campaign, or have had a +weight or influence at all proportionate to its strength. The method +of its employment seemed to me a mistake, for, being numerically +superior to the French cavalry, had it been massed and manoeuvred +independently of the infantry, it could easily have broken up the +French communications, and done much other work of weighty influence +in the prosecution of the war.</p> + +<p>The infantry was as fine as I ever saw, the men young and hardy in +appearance, and marching always with an elastic stride. The infantry +regiment, however, I thought too large—too many men for a colonel to +command unless he has the staff of a general—but this objection may +be counterbalanced by the advantages resulting from associating +together thus intimately the men from the same district, or county as +we would call it; the celerity of mobilization, and, in truth, the +very foundation of the German system, being based on this local or +territorial scheme of recruiting.</p> + +<p>There was no delay when the call sounded for the march; all turned +out promptly, and while on the road there was very little straggling, +only the sick falling out. But on such fine, smooth roads, and with +success animating the men from the day they struck the first blow, it +could hardly be expected that the columns would not keep well closed +up. Then, too, it must be borne in mind that, as already stated, +'campaigning' in France—that is, the marching, camping, and +subsisting of an army—is an easy matter, very unlike anything we, +had during the war of the rebellion. To repeat: the country is rich, +beautiful, and densely populated, subsistence abundant, and the +roads—all macadamized highways; thus the conditions; are altogether +different from those existing with us. I think that under the same +circumstances our troops would have done as well as the Germans, +marched as admirably, made combinations as quickly and accurately, +and fought with as much success. I can but leave to conjecture how. +the Germans would have got along on bottomless roads—often none at +all—through the swamps and quicksands of northern Virginia, from, +the Wilderness to Petersburg, and from Chattanooga to Atlanta and the +sea.</p> + +<p>Following the operations of the German armies from the battle of +Gravelotte to the siege of Paris, I may, in conclusion, say that I +saw no new military principles developed, whether of strategy or +grand tactics, the movements of the different armies and corps being +dictated and governed by the same general laws that have so long +obtained, simplicity of combination and manoeuvre, and the +concentration of a numerically superior force at the vital point.</p> + +<p>After my brief trip to Versailles, I remained in Paris till the +latter part of March. In company with Mr. Washburn, I visited the +fortifications for the defense of the city, and found them to be +exceptionally heavy; so strong, indeed, that it would have been very +hard to carry the place by a general assault. The Germans, knowing +the character of the works, had refrained from the sacrifice of life +that such an attempt must entail, though they well knew that many of +the forts were manned by unseasoned soldiers. With only a combat +here and there, to tighten their lines or repulse a sortie, they +wisely preferred to wait till starvation should do the work with +little loss and absolute certainty.</p> + +<p>The Germans were withdrawn from Paris on the 3d of March, and no +sooner were they gone than factional quarrels, which had been going +on at intervals ever since the flight of the Empress and the fall of +her regency on the 4th of September, were renewed with revolutionary +methods that eventually brought about the Commune. Having witnessed +one or two of these outbreaks, and concluding that while such +turbulence reigned in the city it would be of little profit for me to +tarry there, I decided to devote the rest of the time I could be away +from home to travel in England, Ireland, and Scotland. My journeys +through those countries were full of pleasure and instruction, but as +nothing I saw or did was markedly different from what has been so +often described by others, I will save the reader this part of my +experience. I returned to America in the fall, having been absent a +little more than a year, and although I saw much abroad of absorbing +interest, both professional and general, yet I came back to my native +land with even a greater love for her, and with increased admiration +for her institutions.</p> + + +<br><br> + + + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + + <a href="p5.htm">Previous Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="4362-h.htm">Main Index</a> + + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + + + +</body> +</html> + |