Wellington's Quest by Robert F. Clifton (best books to read now .TXT) 📕

"How far from where I stand now to that village?", asked the General.

"About ten miles", Jim answered.

“Alright gentlemen, I want the cavalry moving just as soon as you can get your men in the saddle. Once you arrive I want the village surrounded. The rest of us will be coming on the run. I want to hit them hard. You can expect artillery, cavalry and mounted infantry to be in place. Nonetheless, exercise caution. I don't want any friendly fire causalities. Major Howser, you may move when ready sir “, said Sully.

Major Howser saluted, turned and rant to his horse and men all ready to mount on command.

“Good job, mister? Mister?”, said the General.

“Wellington and thank you sir”, Jim replied.

An old, white, gelding was brought forward and Jim removed the tack from the Cayuse and saddled the old animal. “Make sure somebody looks after my horse”, Jim said to an orderly. He then watched as the Cayuse was led away.

General Sully gave the order and sixteen hundred men, horse drawn artillery, and wagons began the march to the Sioux village. Once in motion the sounds of hoof beats and groaning wagon wheels in need of grease resonated across the grassland mixed with the cursing of the teamsters as they urged the mule teams forward, forward to a place called “White Stone Mountain”.

A cavalryman rode up and reported to General Sully. “Sir, Major Howser sends his compliments and reports that his troops are in position as ordered. Several Sioux approached with a white flag, but the Major suspects that the white flag was used as a method to allow many Sioux women and children to escape”.

“Very well. Return to your unit”, said Sully. Then speaking to his adjutant said, “Now, let's see what the enemy is actually doing”, as he peered through his binoculars. “Howser is right. The women are dismantling the lodges. I want to close their escape routes. Colonel Wilson. Take your troops and protect my right flank. Colonel Furnas, you and your men will occupy the ravines. Once both of you are in position I will engage the enemy,” ordered Sully.

The Commanding Officer Of Artillery saluted and asked, “Where would you like me to position my guns, sir?”.

“Major, I have the village surrounded. I dislike the thought of shell fire falling on my own troops that are on the far side of the battlefield. You and your guns and men will follow me into the village and I hope to heaven that I won't need your support”, answered Sully

As the daylight faded and darkness approached Cahill joined Colonel Furnas. Fearing casualties from friendly fire Furnas took up a defensive position. His infantry carried the issued standard Springfield rifle, excellent at long range unlike the carbine. The Sioux he engaged were armed with old muskets, shotguns and bow and arrow. The Colonel's infantrymen were able to hit far targets when the Sioux exposed themselves.

Yet, in the darkness dead and wounded blue-clad soldiers lay on the battlefield. Sioux warriors crept through the night taking scalps from dead troopers. Occasionally, a horrible scream would be heard as the enemy found and first scalped and then killed wounded cavalry and infantrymen.

After entering the village General Sully stood watching the numerous fires started by his troops for their evening meal. Two Indian Chief's were brought before the General, “Big Head” and “Little Head”. Also taken were one hundred and fifty Sioux, some of them warriors, but most were old men and women and some children. However, much to Sully's dismay the majority of the warriors had escaped during the night.

In the early morning daylight the next day the troops found the village now empty, except for the dead, a few dogs and the Sioux prisoners. Army patrols were sent out to locate the escaping Sioux. Meanwhile, other troops began the destruction of Indian property. Two hundred tipi's were burned. A thousand pounds of dried buffalo meat went into the flames. Of the total amount of prisoners only thirty two were male fighters. These were questioned. Jim sat, watched and listened as Barney Mathis acted as interpreter for General Sully. In the Santee language Barney asked why the tribe had crossed back over the Missouri River and camped. The Sioux being questioned answered, “We cross water, after long knives leave”. Next, Barney asked,” Why did you come back?”

“We hunt buffalo for winter meat, near big hill”, the man answered.

“Well, we took care of that. Tell him the buffalo meat is gone. Tell him that if his people want to eat they must come to terms peacefully and sign a new treaty. Tell him that after they do that they must move to a reservation”, said Sully.

“Anything else General?”,asked Mathis.

“No. What I want to know is where are those that ran away, and these prisoners won't tell me”.., said Sully as he stood and walked out of the tent.

The prisoners were removed and the officers left the tent leaving only Barney, Cahill and Jim. “Say Barney, you once told me that you would ask about Virginia if and when the opportunity presented its self”, mentioned Jim.

“That I did. That I did. Well, come on. I'll talk to the old ones, the women, maybe I'll get something out of them”.

The three men walked outside. Barney looked over the many women and children sitting on the ground, most wrapped in blankets. Seeing a particular old woman Barney walked up to her and spoke, speaking to her in her native tongue. “Grandmother, I am a friend. I look for a white woman with yellow hair taken a long time ago. Her name is. Virginia”.

Looking up at the white man towering over her the old woman held out her cupped hands and said, “Too-bac. Too-bac”.

“Tobacco Grandmother?” Barney removed his tobacco pouch from his shirt pocket, opened it and poured a small amount into the cupped hands of the old woman. She took a pinch, placed it in her mouth and began to chew. “Tishina pte. Tishina pte”, she said.

“What does that mean”, asked Jim.

“Buffalo robe”, said Cahill.

Barney asked the old woman to explain.

“She with family that keeps in place, the buffalo robe”, the old woman said in Sioux and Barney translated. “Well, now all we have to do is find which family is keeping the buffalo robe. That should narrow it down to about a thousand Sioux in about seven nation camp fires amounting to maybe a couple of hundred clans”, said Barney.

“Ask her what she knows of Matosapa”, said Jim.

“I search for Matosapa”, said Barney.

“See if there is a connection between Matosapa and the Buffalo robe keeper family', suggested Cahill.

“Is Matosapa a relative of the buffalo robe keeper?”, Barney asked.

“He is cousin Medicine man, One Horn”, the old woman answered.

“Well, there you have it. Now, all you have to do it examine every lodge of the bands of Sioux trying to find a medicine man named, One Horn. Good luck. Ifin you want my advice you should give up this here search you be on. In all probability the gal is either dead, or wishes she was”, said Mathis as he walked away.

“He may be right”, said Sandy

“I don't think so. This is the first piece of information that I've received since I started looking for her. I won't rest until I either find her or what happened to her, Jim replied.

The dried buffalo meat, corn, hides and trappings burned for two days.

As it did the captured Sioux women cried and sang their prayer songs knowing that the on coming winter would be one of hunger.

Jim stood sipping his morning, hot, black coffee from a tin cup, watching and listening to the cries of the women and children. “What we're doing right now, isn't right. Now, we're punishing women and children.”, He said, complaining.

Sandy, seated in front of a morning fire looked up at Jim and said, “Seems to me that back in Minnesota it was the Sioux that punished white women and children”.

“That don't mean we have to act like barbarians. We're a Christian nation”, Jim replied.

“Christian nation? Don't the good book say, an eye for an eye? This so called Christian nation you refer to at this very moment is divided with each side killing each other everyday and both sides are Christian, “Cahill answered.

Jim tossed the now empty tin cup on to his blanket roll and walked away. As he walked towards the remuda where his horse was kept he saw Barney Mathis walking towards him. “Just the man I'm a lookin for. I just got the causality report. We lost twenty two men killed. Not too bad considerin that we counted near two hundred Sioux dead. How some ever, one of our dead was Herb Beckman. Poor bastard took an arrow in the eye. He were one of my scouts. I ain't got time nor the access to a telegraph in order to request a replacement, so I'm offering you the job. You get twenty dollars a month and three issued rations per day. You can sell your ration back to the army for nineteen cents. Ifin you take the job, you sign an army contract back at Fort Pierre. I'll make sure the contract starts today. Course that deputy job you have you do on your own time. Well? Are you in or out?”, asked Mathis.

“I'm in. Thanks Barney”.

“You're welcome. Now, saddle that Cayuse of yours and get your ass out on the prairie”, Mathis ordered.

“What am I looking for?”, asked Jim.

“Seems to me that since we just fought the Sioux you'd be a lookin for Indians”, said Mathis as he walked away.

As he rode out on to the grassland he heard the scolding, barking of the prairie dogs that stood erect on their hind legs looking at him and the horse. Others searched the sky for hawks, owls and eagles, then all of them quickly entered their tunnel homes as he neared the rodent village. A lone vulture rode the air currents high in the sky looking for carrion down below. Bees searched for nectar from the wild flowers. Most now absent of blooms as fall and winter approached. In the distance a young coyote chased field mice that he found in the dry grass.

By noon he had found nothing to indicate that Sioux war parties or a lone rider had had been or was in the area. He rode the Cayuse to the top of a small knoll. Dismounted then sat eating a lunch of dried buffalo meat, meat that the army had taken from the Sioux. Occasionally, he took swigs of water from his canteen. As he ate his thoughts as usual turned to Virginia. “So, she was with the keeper of the buffalo robe. Tashina pte, the old woman had called it, buffalo robe. What's so important about a buffalo robe? He would ask Sandy or Barney when he got back to camp”.

At dusk Jim and Sandy cooked their army ration of salt pork and beans. Sandy did most of the cooking while Jim boiled the coffee, watching the pot, judging the strength of the brew by time and experience.

“I'll tell you something Jim. I'm damn tired of breaking my teeth on this army hardtack. I think tonight I'll make some bannock”.

“Never heard of it. What's bannock”, Jim said.

“It's a type of fired bread. French fur trappers have made it for years.

What you need is lard, flour to make the dough and a frying pan to fry it in. how about you go see what you can get from the cooks”, said Sandy.

Twenty minutes later Jim returned carrying a large scoop of lard inside a used, tomato can. “Here you are. Listen. I want you to tell me everything you know about this buffalo thing. Like, why is it so important to the tribes”.

Sandy placed the lard in the frying pan and then