War on the Plains

During 1864, Major General Samuel Ryan Curtis, commanding the Department of Kansas, in addition to defending Kansas was also responsible for protecting the settlers in central and western Kansas and the commercial and immigrant traffic along the Santa Fe, Oregon and Smokey Hill River Trails from the "Plains Indians" who would periodically go on the "warpath!" The following letters indicate some of the difficulties General Curtis faced as he attempted to conduct a "War on the Plains" of Kansas in late 1864.

Headquarters Department of Kansas, Fort Leavenworth, Dec. 2, 1864.

(To) Major B. S. Henning, Fort Riley, Kan. Dear Major: I am in receipt of many letters from you concerning your command which I cannot answer in detail. I must generally approve your exertions to keep matters right and hope you will keep me advised. The treaty operations at Lyon greatly embarrass matters and I hope you have disposed of Major Wynkoop and directed a change for the better. Indians must be kept at arm's length. Even if they come in as prisoners of war we are not obliged to receive them or feed them or allow them inside the forts. The old and infirm and lazy will come in, while the wicked are allowed to go on with their devilment. I suppose Left Hand and some of the Indians who have been in, may be sincere, but they must evince their fidelity by strong proofs, such as turning over the culprits, arms, horses, andc., (sic.) and becoming the foes of (the) hostile bands, ready willing to fight them. I am going to send troops forward with a view of further operations at the proper time, but do not desire the public to know my purposes and therefore will not dilate upon them. Of course, I have my eyes on the matter of (the) Indian Troubles.

I remain major, very truly yours,

S.R. Ryan, Major General

Skirmish with Indians on Cow Creek, near Fort Zarah, Kan.

Fort Zarah was located on the Santa Fe Trail, not far from Great Bend, Kansas and was named after Major H. Zarah Curtis who was the son of Major General Samuel Ryan Curtis that was killed by "Bloody Bill Anderson or George Todd at the Battle of Baxter Springs, Kans., on Oct. 6, 1863

Fort Zarah, December 6, 1864

Lieutenant: I have the honor to report on the evening of the fourth of December, just after dark, four men of the 7th Iowa Cavalry, forming an escort to a six-mule team and wagon loaded with ammunition for this post, were attacked by Indians while in camp on Cow Creek, 15 miles east of this post and the driver killed and one of the escort wounded in the arm. They had camped within 30 feet of the bank of the creek which at that place is 20 or 30 feet high and while eating their supper, the Indians crept up along the bed of the creek, within 50 feet of them and fired under the cover of the bank. From one of the party who was picked up by the stage which came along about 4 hours later, I gather this, that upon being fired into the men dispersed, first firing several shots in return; that the teamster fled across the creek, the Indians in pursuit, where his body was found pierced with arrows and 100 yards or more from the wagon.

Three of the escort made their escape and returned to Fort Ellsworth on foot, reaching that post at 3 o'clock in the morning. The 4th man composing the escort hid himself near by and remained concealed until the stage and escort came along, when he was picked up and brought to this post at 1 o'clock in the morning.

I immediately dispatched a force of 25 mounted men to the place designated and there awaited the coming of daylight. As soon as it became sufficiently light, the country was patrolled for several miles around in search of the 3 missing men belonging to the escort, who we supposed at that time to have been killed. An overcoat was found half a mile from the camp which was the only trace of them to be discovered. At daylight I sent out another party of ten men and a team to bring in whatever might be found by the 1st party sent out, which returned in the afternoon with the wagon and about half of the ammunition in good condition and considerable in a damaged state. One horse came in with the stage escort slightly wounded with arrows and one was found dead upon the ground near the camp. The other two (horses) were probably captured by the Indians and also the mules. The harness was cut up and portions abstracted. Last night Lieutenant Hutchings with 16 men arrived at this post with intelligence that the 3 missing men from the escort had arrived safely at Fort Ellsworth.

I would respectfully beg leave to suggest that the escort furnished at Fort Ellsworth, for the safe transportation of valuable ordnance stores over a route known to be swarming with hostile Indians, was entirely inadequate.

The loss of the stores may lead to serious results and disasters, while a neglect of proper care to prevent their falling into the hands of an unrelenting savage foe becomes a crime.

Theo. Conkey Captain, 3rd Wis. Cavalry, Commanding Post.

Headquarters District of Upper Arkansas, Fort Riley, Kan. Dec. 7, 1864.

(To) Maj. C. S. Charlot, Assistant Adjutant General, Department of Kansas.

Major: I have the honor to suggest to the General commanding the propriety of directing Major Anthony, in command of Fort Lyon, to arrest and send to this post or Fort Leavenworth Left Hand, Little Raven, Storms, Nervah and Knock Knee and other influential members of the Arapahoe Indians, now fed as prisoners at that post.

Such hostages might result in keeping that tribe quiet, but as it as at present the government is feeding all the old men, women and children, while the young men are on the warpath, killing and destroying (at) every opportunity. Major Anthony reports that he has disarmed them, but it is unofficially reported that only a few arms (weapons) were given up and also that the horses returned are broken down and worthless. There is no doubt that the different tribes are making preparation for a vigorous prosecution of hostilities in the spring and have adopted a system of action, the most important of which is to cripple the Government, by stealing and destroying all the horses and mules possible so as to prevent the rapid movement of troops.

Most of the leading chiefs of the different tribes have been to Washington, some as late as the summer of 1863 and are as fully posted in regard to the strength of the government as it is possible for them to be; but for all that, they began these hostilities without provocation and solely because they expected to be benefited.

There is no doubt that they are influenced by secession sympathizers, not placed among them for that purpose, but nevertheless are quite as dangerous. George Bent, a son of Old Bent by a Cheyenne woman, was educated in the East and at the time of the breaking out of the war was engaged in farming in Missouri, but left there and is now foremost in leading those wild tribes in their depredations. He is a noted rebel and ought to have been killed long ago.

If the commanding general will direct Major Anthony to arrest the Indians above mentioned we can soon tell if they are in reality desirous of peace, but it is my opinion that they will refuse to give up their chiefs and in that case it will lead to driving them from the post and relieve the Government from feeding them.

B. S. Henning , Major, 3rd Wis. Cavalry, Commanding District.

It is not known if the named chiefs were arrested and sent to Fort's Riley or Leavenworth, but the "hostilities" and the "War on the Plains" did occur in 1865 just as Major Henning predicted that it would!