GENERAL VAN COUVNOR. Galled upon to assist – An unexpected drama.
Quite different was the scene enacted on the following day At the military post in the vicinity. While Satanta and his associate chiefs were engaged in " peace talk " with the unsuspecting agent, the wily warriors of the tribe had felt it a befitting occasion to steal forth on a raiding expedition, in which they securely bagged the mules of the post quartermaster's department. At the same time news was received at the post that the same warriors, in a raid into Texas, had killed a worthy settler, and carried off his wife and children as prisoners, as is the custom of the Kiowas, expecting a liberal ransom for their surrender. The scene opens with the sentinels of the post, who proclaim the usual hourly "AWs well" Agent Broadbrim, on hearing of the occurrence, repairs in haste to the military headquarters in the interests of peace.
The Indian attack, as is usual with them, was made at daybreak, as the herd was being driven out to grass. The herder, Squills, rushes to the post nearest the carrol, to give the alarm. The sentry is found asleep at his post, but awakes to the emergency of the case, in time to arouse the corporal of the relief guard.
Post No. 2, Sentinel. Twelve o'clock, and all is well. Post No. 1.
Post No. 2. Twelve o'clock, and all is well. Post No. 2.
Post No. 3. Twelve o'clock, and all is well. Post No. 3.
Herder [excited]. Corporal of the guard ! Corporal of the guard! Get out here! The Indians are running off the mules! Get out here ! All the mules are captured by the Indians!
Corporal. Hallo, Squills! what's the matter with the mules? Wha-wha-what's the matter, anyway ? Say ! See here, old pard; don't for heaven's sake report me for being asleep!
Squills. Oh, that's all right, old pard. You know I'm all O. K. on that score. We'll all keep mum. You know mum is the word with us old veterans.
Corporal. Yes, you know how it is yourself, old pard. I'll run up to headquarters and report Blast the dirty redskins, I wish they would make their steal on us in the day^ time, when we are awake. This hunting after Injuns at mid^ night is no good joke for soldiers. [Corporal of the guard hastens to the commandants quarters to give the alarm.
General. Hallo! Who is there ? What do you want ?
Corporal. General, the Indians have made a raid on the mule corral, and run off the herd, just as it was going out to graze.
General. How do you know they were Indians. Do you know certainly whether they were Indians or white men ? Ring that bell for my orderly.
Corporal. All I know, General, is what the herder said. He called the guard, and said the Indians had captured the herd.
General. Do you know, Corporal, whether the herder was awake or asleep when this happened ?
Corporal. He was certainly awake, General, when he called me.
General. Orderly! [Orderly appears.] Call the Drum-Major, and have him beat the long-roll, and get my field horse and orderly here quick. [Exit Orderly.] Corporal, go and call the Indian scouts, and have them mounted at once. [Exit Corporal.
Re-enter Orderly.
Orderly. General, your field horse and orderly are waiting at the door.
General. I will leave matters with you for a while, adjutant. [Exit General.
Enter Mr. Broadbrim.
Adjutant Good morning, Mr. Broadbrim. Be seated, sir. We had a little raid on our mules last night. I thought those Indians acted and talked like peace at your council yesterday.
Mr. B. I really thought so myself. Did thee think they would act in this manner on such short notice ?
Adjutant. Well, I will tell you, Mr. Broadbrim, we must expect more or less of this kind of trouble. Those wild, thieving fellows have never been punished very severely yet.
Mr. B. Don't thee think we can make peace without fighting? You know it is bad to bring war upon ourselves. Don't thee think so ?
Adjutant. Yes, I know war is bad : but we must give those fellows a good, sound thrashing, and teach them to behave themselves.
Mr. B. Dost thee think the General will have to fight them to-day ?
Adjutant. He will surely give them a fight if he catches them. That is just what he intends to do.
Mr. B. I am really sorry ; I thought I would be able to arrange some kind of terms for peace, in a day or two. [Rising to go.] I will be over again, and see what will have to be done. [Exit.
Enter Captain Winecoop, officer of the day. •
Adjutant. Well, Captain Winecoop, how is the garrison this morning ? All quiet since the raid on the mules ?
Capt. TV. Well, if I don't think that was the finest piece of strategy that I have seen in a long time. It was a most successful game played on the part of the red-skins.
Adjutant. What was it, Captain? let us hear.
Capt. W. Why, don't you know the Broadbrim agent held
a sort of a peace council yesterday, over oh the Washita Biver, and all the while he was entertaining them, and making propositions for peace with old Satanta, their young warriors were getting ready to steal the mules.
Adjutant I am satisfied in my own mind, and I think all of our military men are of the same opinion, that we never will have any peace until we give those warriors amp; good whipping, and make them stay on a reservation, and take their ponies away from them.
Capt. W. That is just what we have got to do. That is General Van Couvner's plan, and he openly and boldly says so. [Enter Mb. Littlejohn, a citizen of Texas.] Be seated, sir; what is the news down in Texas ?
Mr. L. We have had plenty of news down thar; an' most horrid news it is for us citizens: The young Kiowas war down thar yesterday, mounted on theer fleetest ponies, an' run off a lot uv fine blooded horses, an' killed one honest settler, an' tuk his wife an' two children, an' tied all three of 'em on a mule tha'd stole uv nabor Peppersnapps, an' then put 'em 'tween two big buck Injuns, who'd whip the mule first from one side an' then from tuther, an' kep' the mule a kickin', an' a snortin', an' a howlin' as if the hid Texas cavalry wer' arter 'em. They kep' up a big laugh an' a hollerin' all the while, an' thur fleet ponies was a runnin' thur best speed, an' I can tell yer, Capt'in, 'twas a horrid sight to look on-to.
Adjutant. It seems as though the Indians selected yesterday and last night to make their raid. They run off sixty-five mules from our herd last night, and the General is out after them now. You can see him when he returns, and he will render you and your citizens in Texas all the assistance in his power.
Mr. L. [rising to go.] I cen tell yer, Mr. Capt'in, if sum-thin' ain't done to keep them ar savages away from our settlers in Texas, we'll turn our Bangers on-to 'em with our shot-guns, and we'll pepper'em clean through the Brazos tu the Gulf of Mexico, an' will niver let one on 'em cum back here alive; now you may 'pend on thai Good-bye; I'll see the Gin'ral when he comes. [Exit Mb. L.
Enter General.
Adjutant Well, General, what success?
General. Not any success; the pesky red-skins had too much the start of us.
Adjutant. A citizen from Texas came in to-day and reported the Kiowas had been down there and killed one man and captured his wife and two children, and tied them on a mule, and forced it to run and keep up with their fleet ponies, and also stole a lot of fine blooded horses.
General. I heard they had made a raid there. The fact is, the whole Kiowa tribes have got to be surrounded, and the leading chiefs and warriors have got to be whipped. They may have peace councils, and smooth talk, and build school-houses; but I can tell them the warriors have got to be made to stay on their reservations, and stop this murdering and horse-stealing. [Enfer Mr. Broadbrim.] Good morning, Mr. Broadbrim. How are your pet Indians progressing in the way of farming and going to school ?
Mr. B. Well, I don't know why we can't make a complete success of it. The leading chiefs were at the council yesterday, and expressed a very strong desire to settle on farms and have their children go to school.
General Did you hear about the raid they made in Texas yesterday ?
Mr. B. Yes, sir. I hardly know what to do in the premises. Could thee make some suggestions in the case ?
General. Yes, sir; when my cavalry returns I will go out and surround the whole tribe, and make them surrender that woman and her two children, or else whip them right then and there, on the ground.
Mr. B. But you know it would be cruel for thee to bring a on a war!
General. We either want to do that, or take six leading chiefs and hold them as hostages, and then, if they refuse to surrender the captives, we will hang three of the chiefs, and make the warriors select which three they prefer to have hung. That is my way of handling Indians when they commence murdering men and capturing women and children.
Mr. B. But, G-eneral, I believe I can persuade them to bring in the captives for a small sum of money, or some goods in lieu thereof.
General. You may possibly ransom them for a good round price ; but it is a dangerous policy to pursue. My plan is, subjugation by whipping them-that is, if they persist in going on the war-path.
Mr. B. I will talk with the three leading chiefs when they come for rations, and see what can be done.
[Exit Mr. Broadbrim.
Enter General's Wife.
Wife. What pleases you, my dear ? How is it that you are so good-natured all at once ? Have the Kiowas done something to please you ?
General. No; but their school-teacher has. He is beginning to teach school among them before we can stop them from murdering and horse-stealing.
Adjutant [laughingly]. I think Mr. Broadbrim is a good man, and means all for the best; and will, in the outcome, make a very good Indian agent.
Wife. Why, yes; you know he has been here but a few weeks, and has had very little opportunity to get acquainted with them. You officers that have been in the service here for years, have learned their ways, and know better how to manage them.
General. I think he is making splendid progress with his new acquaintances. As Governor Wise would say, " I don't think he has been properly introduced." While he was introducing himself among the leading war chiefs at the council, the young .warriors were on one of their regular tours of rapine and murder. Their system of brigandage has been tolerated too long, and they must be made to desist. The fact is, I will have to take the cavalry and give them a good thrashing.
Enter Mr. Broadbrim.
Mr. B. General, Satanta, Lone Wolf, and Kickingbird are at the agency, for the purpose of drawing their rations, and I think it will be well to make them a proposition to bring
SUBJUGATING
in that woman and her two children they hold as captives ; also, to bring in those mules. What dost thee think about it ?
General. All the proposition you want to make to them is, that they will get no more rations for themselves nor their tribes, and they may look for a fight at any time, if they refuse to surrender that woman and her children, and drive back those mules they stole. Tell them you will withhold their rations until they comply with your demands. You never want to propose to the Indians; you must always make a formal demand, and then make them comply. That is the easiest and the quickest way to settle matters with them.
Mr. B. Dost thee think, General, I had better have the leading chiefs come in and talk with thee ? Dost thee think thee can have a better impression upon their untutored minds ?
General. We don't want to simply make an impression, we must make them comply with every demand that we may be pleased to make upon them. That policy rigidly enforced will soon settle the Indian troubles. They never will want whipping but once, you may depend.
Mr. B. All right. I will go and invite the chiefs here, to confer with thee. [Exit
General. Now we shall have a renewal of the farce. But I, for one, am resolved upon stern measures to force complete compliance on the part of the Indians with our demands.