by Dee Brown
Black Kettle immediately held a council and all the chiefs in camp agreed to comply with the governor's requirements for peace. George Bent, who had been educated at Webster College in St. Louis, was asked to write a letter to agent Samuel Colley at Fort Lyon, informing him that they wanted peace. “We heard that you have some prisoners in Denver.
We have seven prisoners of yours which we are willing to give up, providing you give up yours. . . . We want true news from you in return." Black Kettle hoped that Colley would give him instructions as to how to bring his Cheyennes across Colorado without being attacked by soldiers or roving bands of Governor Evans' armed citizens. He did not entirely trust Colley; he suspected the agent of selling part of the Indians' allotment of goods for his own profit. (Black Kettle did not yet know how deeply involved Colley was with Governor Evans and Colonel Chivington in their scheme to drive the Plains Indians from Colorado.) On July 26, the agent had written Evans that they could not depend on any of the Indians to keep the peace. "I now think a little powder and lead is the best food for them," he concluded.
Because of his distrust of Colley, Black Kettle had a second copy of the letter written out and addressed to William Bent. He gave the separate copies to Ochinee (One-Eye) and Eagle Head, and ordered them to ride for Fort Lyon. Six days later, as One-Eye and Eagle Head were approaching the fort, they were suddenly confronted by three soldiers.
The soldiers took firing positions, but One-Eye quickly made signs for peace and held up Black Kettle's letter. In a few moments the Indians were being escorted into Fort Lyon as prisoners and handed over to the commanding officer, Major Edward W. Wynkoop.
Tall Chief Wynkoop was suspicious of the Indians' motives.
When he learned from One-Eye that Black Kettle wanted him to come out to the Smoky Hill camp and guide the Indians back to the reservation, he asked how many Indians were there. Two thousand Cheyennes and Arapahos, One-Eye replied, and perhaps two hundred of their Sioux friends from the north who were tired of being chased by soldiers. Wynkoop made no reply to this. He had scarcely more than a hundred mounted soldiers, and he knew the Indians knew the size of his force. Suspecting a trap, he ordered the Cheyenne messengers imprisoned in the guardhouse and called his officers together for a council. The Tall Chief was young, in his mid-twenties, and his only military experience was one battle against Texas Confederates in New Mexico. For the first time in his career he was faced with a decision that could mean disaster for his entire command.
After a day's delay, Wynkoop finally decided that he would have to go to the Smoky Hill-not for the sake of the Indians, but to rescue the white prisoners. No doubt it was for this reason that Black Kettle had mentioned the prisoners in his letter; he knew that white men could not abide the thought of white women and children living with Indians.
On September 6 Wynkoop was ready to march with 127
mounted troops. Releasing One-Eye and Eagle Head from the guardhouse, he told them that they would be serving as both guides and hostages for the expedition. "At the first sign of treachery from your people," Wynkoop warned them, "I will kill you."
"The Cheyennes do not break their word," One-Eye replied.
"If they should do so, I would not care to live longer."
(Wynkoop said afterward that his conversations with the two Cheyennes on this march caused him to change his long-held opinions of Indians. "I felt myself in the presence of superior beings; and these were the representatives of a race that I heretofore looked upon without exception as being cruel, treacherous, and bloodthirsty without feeling or affection for friend or kindred.") Five days later, along the headwaters of the Smoky Hill, Wynkoop's advance scouts sighted a force of several hundred warriors drawn up as though for battle.
George Bent, who was still with Black Kettle, said that when Wynkoop's soldiers appeared the Dog Soldiers "got ready for a fight and rode out to meet the troops with bows strung and arrows in their hands, but Black Kettle and some of the chiefs interfered, and requesting Major Wynkoop to move his troops off to a little distance, they prevented a fight."
Next morning Black Kettle and the other chiefs met Wynkoop and his officers for a council. Black Kettle let the others speak first. Bull Bear, a leader of the Dog Soldiers, said that he and his brother Lean Bear had tried to live in peace with white men, but that soldiers had come without cause or reason and killed Lean Bear. "The Indians are not to blame for the fighting,” he added. "The white men are foxes and peace cannot be brought about with them; the only thing the Indians can do is fight.”
Little Raven of the Arapahos agreed with Bull Bear. "I would like to shake hands with the white men," he said, “but I am afraid they do not want peace with us." One-Eye asked to speak then, and said he was ashamed to hear such talk. He had risked his life to go to Fort Lyon, he said, and pledged his word to Tall Chief Wynkoop that the Cheyennes and Arapahos would come in peacefully to their reservation. "I pledged the Tall Chief my word and my life," One-Eye declared. "if my people do not act in good faith I will go with the whites and fight for them, and I have a great many friends who will follow me."
Wynkoop promised that he would do everything that he could to stop the soldiers from fighting the Indians. He said he was not a big chief and could not speak for all the soldiers, but that if the Indians would deliver the white captives to him, he would go with the Indian leaders to Denver and help them make peace with the bigger chiefs.
Black Kettle, who had been listening silently through the proceedings ("immovable with a slight smile upon his face,"
according to Wynkoop), arose and said he was glad to hear Tall Chief Wynkoop speak. "There are bad white men and bad Indians," he said. "The bad men on both sides brought about this trouble. Some of my young men joined in with them. I am opposed to fighting and have done everything in my power to prevent it. I believe the blame rests with the whites. They commenced the war and forced the Indians to fight." He promised then to deliver the four white prisoners he had purchased; the remaining three were in a camp farther north, and some time would be required to negotiate for them.
The four captives, all children, appeared to be unharmed; in fact, when a soldier asked eight-year-old Ambrose Archer how the Indians had treated him, the boy replied that he "would just as lief stay with the Indians as not."
After more parleying it was finally agreed that the Indians would remain camped on the Smoky Hill while seven chiefs went to Denver with Wynkoop to make peace with Governor Evans and Colonel Chivington. Black Kettle, White Antelope, Bull Bear, and One-Eye represented the Cheyennes; Neva Bosse, Heaps-of-Buffalo, and Notanee the Arapahos. Little Raven and Left Hand, who were skeptical of any promises from Evans and Chivington, remained behind to keep their young Arapahos out of trouble. War Bonnet would look after the Cheyennes in camp. Tall Chief Wynkoop's caravan of mounted soldiers, the four white children, and the seven Indian leaders reached Denver on September 28. The Indians rode in a mule-drawn flatbed wagon fitted with board seats. For the journey, Black Kettle mounted his big garrison flag above the wagon, and when they entered the dusty streets of Denver the Stars and Stripes fluttered protectively over the heads of the chiefs. All of Denver turned out for the procession.
Before the council began, Wynkoop visited Governor Evans for an interview. The governor was reluctant to have anything to do with the Indians. He said that the Cheyennes and Arapahos should be punished before giving them any peace. This was also the opinion of the department commander, General Samuel R. Curtis, who telegraphed Colonel Chivington from Fort Leavenworth that very day: "I want no peace till the Indians suffer more." "
Finally Wynkoop had to beg the governor to meet with the Indians. "But what shall I do with the Third Colorado Regiment if I make peace?" Evans asked. "They have been raised to kill Indians, and they must kill Indians." He explained to Wynkoop that Washington officials had given him permission to raise the new regiment because he had sworn it was necessary for protection against hostile Indians, and if he now made
peace the Washington politicians would accuse him of misrepresentation. There was political pressure on Evans from Coloradans who wanted to avoid the military draft of 1864 by serving in uniform against a few poorly armed Indians rather than against the Confederates farther east. Eventually Evans gave in to Major Wynkoop's pleadings; after all, the Indians had come four hundred miles to see him in response to his proclamation.
The council was held at Camp Weld near Denver and consisted of the chiefs, Evans, Chivington, Wynkoop, several other Army officers, and Simeon Whitely, who was there by the governor's order to record every word said by the participants. Governor Evans opened the proceedings brusquely, asking the chiefs what they had to say. Black Kettle replied in Cheyenne, with the tribe's old trader friend, John S. Smith, translating:
"On sight of your circular of June 27, 1864, I took hold of the matter, and have now come to talk to you about it. . . .
Major Wynkoop proposed that we come to see you. We have come with our eyes shut, following his handful of men, like coming through the fire. All we ask is that we may have peace with the whites. We want to hold you by the hand. You are our father. We have been traveling through a cloud. The sky has been dark ever since the war began.
These braves who are with me are willing to do what I say.
We want to take good tidings home to our people, that they may sleep in peace. I want you to give all these chiefs of the soldiers here to understand that we are for peace, and that we have made peace, that we may not be mistaken by them for enemies. I have not come here with a little wolf bark, but have come to talk plain with you. We must live near the buffalo or starve. When we came here we came free, without any apprehension, to see you, and when I go home and tell my people that I have taken your hand, and the hands of all the chiefs here in Denver, they will feel well, and so will all the different tribes of Indians on the plains, after we have eaten and drunk with them."
Evans replied: "I am sorry you did not respond to my appeal at once. You have gone into an alliance with the Sioux, who are at war with us."
Black Kettle was surprised. "I don't know who could have told
you this," he said.
"No matter who said this," Evans countered, "but your conduct has proved to my satisfaction that was the case."
Several of the chiefs spoke at once then: "This is a mistake; we have made no alliance with the Sioux or anyone else."
Evans changed the subject, stating that he was in no mood to make a treaty of peace. "I have learned that you understand that as the whites are at war among themselves," he went on, "you
think you can now drive the whites from this country, but this reliance is false. The Great Father at Washington has men enough to drive all the Indians off the plains, and whip the Rebels at the same time. . . . My advice to you is to turn on the side of the government, and show by your acts that friendly disposition you profess to me. It is utterly out of the question for you to be at peace with us while living with our enemies, and being on friendly terms with them."
White Antelope, the oldest of the chiefs, now spoke: "I understand every word you have said, and will hold on to it. . . . The Cheyennes, all of them, have their eyes open this way, and they will hear what you say. White Antelope is proud to have seen the chief of all the whites in this country. He will tell his people.
Ever since I went to Washington and received this medal, I have called all white men as my brothers. But other Indians have been to Washington and got medals, and now the soldiers do not shake hands, but seek to kill me. . . . I fear that these new soldiers who have gone out may kill some of my people while I am here."
Evans told him flatly: "There is great danger of it."
"When we sent our letter to Major Wynkoop," White Antelope continued, "it was like going through a strong fire or blast for Major Wynkoop's men to come to our camp; it was the same for us to come to see you."
Governor Evans now began to question the chiefs about specific incidents along the Platte, trying to trap some of them into admitting participation in raids. "Who took the stock from Fremont's Orchard," he asked, "and had the first fight with the soldiers this spring north of there?"
"Before answering that question," White Antelope replied boldly, "I would like for you to know that this was the beginning of the war, and I should like to know what it was for. A soldier fired first."
"The Indians had stolen about forty horses," Evans charged.
"The soldiers went to recover them, and the Indians fired a volley into their ranks."
White Antelope denied this. "They were coming down the Bijou," he said, "and found one horse and one mule. They re- turned one horse before they got to Gerry's to a man, then went to Gerry's expecting to turn the other one over to someone. They then heard that the soldiers and Indians were fighting down the Platte; then they took fright and all fled."
"Who committed depredations at Cottonwood?" Evans demanded.
"The Sioux; what band, we do not know."
"What are the Sioux going to do next?"
Bull Bear answered the question: "Their plan is to clean out all this country," he declared. "They are angry, and will do all the damage to the whites they can. I am with you and the troops, to fight all those who have no ears to listen to what you say. . . . I have never hurt a white man. I am pushing for something good. I am always going to be friends with whites; they can do me good. . . . My brother Lean Bear died in trying to keep peace with the whites. I am willing to die the same way, and expect to do so."
As there seemed little more to discuss, the governor asked Colonel Chivington if he had anything to say to the chiefs.
Chivington arose. He was a towering man with a barrel chest and a thick neck, a former Methodist preacher who had devoted much of his time to organizing Sunday schools in the mining camps. To the Indians he appeared like a great bearded bull buffalo with a glint of furious madness in his eyes. “I am not a big war chief," Chivington said, “but all the soldiers in this country are at my command. My rule of fighting white men or Indians is to fight them until they lay down their arms and submit to military authority. They [the Indians] are nearer to Major Wynkoop than anyone else, and they can go to him when they are ready to do that.”
And so the council ended, leaving the chiefs confused as to whether they had made peace or not. They were sure of one thing-the only real friend they could count on among the soldiers was Tall Chief Wynkoop. The shiny-eyed Eagle Chief, Chivington, had said they should go to Wynkoop at Fort Lyon, and that is what they decided to do.
"So now we broke up our camp on the Smoky Hill and moved down to Sand Creek, about forty miles northeast of Fort Lyon,” George Bent said. "From this new camp the Indians went in and visited Major Wynkoop, and the people at the fort seemed so friendly that after a short time the Arapahos left us and moved right down to the fort, where they went into camp and received regular rations.” Wynkoop issued the rations after Little Rave, and Left Hand told him the Arapahos could find no buffalo or other wild game on the reservation, and they were fearful of sending hunting parties back to the Kansas herds. They may have heard about Chivington's recent order to his soldiers: "Kill all the Indians you come across."
Wynkoop's friendly dealings with the Indians soon brought him into disfavor with military officials in Colorado and Kansas. He was reprimanded for taking the chiefs to Denver without authorization, and was accused of "letting the Indians run things at Fort Lyon." On November 5, Major Scott J. Anthony, an officer of Chivington's Colorado Volunteers, arrived at Fort Lyon with orders to relieve Wynkoop as commander of the post.
One of Anthony's first orders was to cut the Arapahos'
rations and to demand the surrender of their weapons.
They gave him three rifles, one pistol, and sixty bows with arrows. A few days later when a group of unarmed Arapahos approached the fort to trade buffalo hides for rations, Anthony ordered his guards to fire on them.
Anthony laughed when the Indians turned and ran. He rem
arked to one of the soldiers "that they had annoyed him enough, and that was the only way to get rid of them."
The Cheyennes who were camped on Sand Creek heard from the Arapahos that an unfriendly little red-eyed soldier chief had taken the place of their friend Wynkoop. In the Deer Rutting Moon of mid-November, Black Kettle and a party of Cheyennes journeyed to the fort to see this new soldier chief. His eyes were indeed red (the result of scurvy), but he pretended to be friendly. Several officers who were present at the meeting between Black Kettle and Anthony testified afterward that Anthony assured the Cheyennes that if they returned to their camp at Sand Creek they would be under the protection of Fort Lyon. He also told them that their young men could go east toward the Smoky Hill to hunt buffalo until he secured permission from the Army to issue them winter rations.
Pleased with Anthony's remarks, Black Kettle said that he and the other Cheyenne leaders had been thinking of moving far south of the Arkansas so that they would feel safe from the soldiers, but that the words of Major Anthony made them feel safe at Sand Creek. They would stay there for the winter. After the Cheyenne delegation departed, Anthony ordered Left Hand and Little Raven to disband the Arapaho camp near Fort Lyon. "Go and hunt buffalo to feed yourselves," he told them. Alarmed by Anthony's brusqueness, the Arapahos packed up and began moving away. When they were well out of view of the fort, the two bands of Arapahos separated. Left Hand went with his people to Sand Creek to join the Cheyennes. Little Raven led his band across the Arkansas River and headed south; he did not trust the Red-Eyed Soldier . Chief Anthony now informed his superiors that "there is a band of Indians within forty miles of the post. . . I shall try to keep the Indians quiet until such time as I receive reinforcements."