| Show I OIlY FOllY OF AN OFFICER I Cause of th Massacre at the Ranch I I THoSE THOSE THOSE who are familiar with the te 1 1 history of the great geat west have more than once had occasion to regret the absence of or any detailed and ad deft definite def nite information on the subject of the massacre masacre of ot ranch Students Student o of of the te history of that tat section of the republic have long suspected that at atthe atte atthe time of writing their work on the the te te western country Mark Twain Twan and other writers were unable to t secure s cur sufficient information in regard to this event to give It more than passing mention and this conclusion is i borne menton out In more ways than tan one by certain er tain tam things that have occurred of late tended to throw years and which nave some year light on the te subject subject says sas the te Washington Wahington Post You are Quite right In what you quie say about the lack of historical information information mation on the subject of the massacre maton of ranch said an old fron frontiersman frontiersman It was Post reporter to a I an terman event fully as important as that of the Custer massacre yet for some which students of American reason leason student di divine divine divine never been able to history have ben t have of the authorities on oa vine not one western history 01 has ever been heen able to to tell ten the cause of the trouble or state whether the Indians IndIan or the te whites However I have were in the wrong I I thin been more Americans r for forin forIn forin run of than the general generl tan to in 1858 I had the good go d fortune learn the full ful and complete details of lear te what caused it to together the massacre gether masacre with wih all al what facts as to when and how hov it originated i Fort Forr rt In 1858 1 was ws stationed at Bridger Wyo where I was wa a mem member member ber of the Tenth infantry forming a apart a apart part of the thu th army o of General Gener Albert Sydney Johnson sent by the govern government Johnsn for the th thI chastise the Mormons ment to te in the Mountain part they played I I II II I Meadow massacre of 1856 While there I the acquaintance of an old j I formed Cn forme I halfbreed a trapper of the name of a Pinto and in the course of time became quite quie friendly frendly with wih to mention him One day I happened menton the B ranch manh massacre which took place In 1854 1654 the locality in ques question que question tion lying at no no great geat distance from front Fort ton Laramie He replied that tat he be was wason wason wason on the spot sot at the te time that he knew know all the facts In regard to the matter matterand matterand matterand fact al and that if it I cared cred to listen to him himbe he be would relate the te story of the mas massacre massacre massacre sacre just as it occurred Early in 1854 1354 he said the Sioux Siou and encamped at al awaiting the te arrival of com corn commissioners commissioners missioners from Washington to pay them their annuities and distribute rations The winter whiter preceding had been ben unusually severe and the te In Indians Indians Indians were hungry hung and on short ra ma rations r While they were thus waiting a tons Mormon Wie appeared on the scene in ina ina Ina I a wagon drawn by three oxen which in the west est we used to call can a a spiked team and the Indians Indian crowded about him eager to trade ponies for the te ex cx extra e of their sign lan language language tra ox ox By means sig la lagage guage they offered him first frt one then gage two and then thea as many ninny ponies as he liked for the ox but the Mormon was obdurate and ox refused reused to part pat with wih the animal at any price Whereupon the Indians took the ox by force giving him hint to understand that they would re me repay r pay pay him several times over as soon as a they received their money oney from the te commissioners and were able to buy hn t v V liked n But B t the the Mormon orIon was not only un unusually unusually usually stupid but out unnecessarily pig pigheaded pigheaded pigheaded headed as a well wel and instead of of relying on the honesty of the redskins who most assuredly would have repaid the te value of at the ox several times over he went to Fort For Laramie Larmie and there laid the matter mater before Lieutenant Grattan who was as then in command of the small smal garrison grion at the te fort for con consisting slating of some thirty men under arms arS together with wih about twenty others em am employed In divers diver capacities other than tan that of f soldiers tat Now If anything Grattan was twice as stupid as the Mormon and worse wore still sun was a a confirmed confred sot one of the class of officers who in the history of American and English col colonization have have been the cause of more mor wars war with wih the savage and aboriginal races maces than tan nIt all l other things combined With that tat Dutch courage which a man mn feels when under unde the te Influence of liquor he be ordered ord red out his small gas gar garrison gr rison nison rIon and taking the two twelve the only artillery artier at the fort for marched marche down do to BO nes ranch much to bring bEIng the Indians to terms He e had hd as as an pit p interpreter a half halt breed bred and through him hint he called cled upon the te chief of the Sioux a very er old and I man for an explanation of the affair with wih the Mormon Mind you this was wa going on in a camp of 00 Indians India The Te chief told him that the Indians Indiana IndIan were much distressed for want of food that they offered the Mormon all al the ponies he could drive away for the one one ox ox and that tat on h his s shaving having refused to trade they tey had hd taketa takeki tk the animal anim I by force but stood ready read to make good god the te loss 1058 as a soon as a they received their money from the com commissioners commissioner commissioners missioners missioner He had barely finished when said Grattan between hiccoughs I 4 There do Weve We heard herd enough out of you yott Now old man you trot tot that ox out here party purt d dd d quick or Ill Il turn tur my artillery ar ier loose I Ion on you The chief replied that such a a thing thing was impossible as the ox ox had been killed kled cooked and eaten some time before but his reply made no effect ef t ton on Grattan Finally FInaly the matter mater be became became came so ridiculous that the chief laughed in s face whereupon the latter late drew his pistol and shot him dead Then he gave g e the order to t tire fire fe but before the report of the thirty rifles had died away the 30 Indians Indias were upon Grattan and his command and in a few moments all aU bad had been killed kled The interpreter made his escape but was captured brought back aCk and flayed fayed alive alve The Indians Indian had an a idea that he be was wa responsible for the te whole trouble as they were unable to be be e that any man could be so fool foolish foolish foolish ish as to insist on another producing an animal when he knew new that It I had been killed and eaten eten Every member of ot the command was wa killed kle except a a t little drummer boy who in fleeing front from fron the Indians stumbled and fell fel A I squaw to whom time and again he be had given food at the fort fell fel upon I him and tried tred to protect aria and and save his hi life in return for the kindnesses she had received at his bands but the In ln Indians diana dragged her away killed the boy and compelled the squaw to eat Oral tans heart as a punishment for hay hav having lug ing tried to shield one of the whites Well of waiting for the commissioners the Indians went on the warpath and did considerable until finally beaten by a force pf f gov government troops sent against them from They could just as well have taken Fort Laramie but the company surgeon Dr Snyder dressed the chambermaids housekeepers and man laun laundresses dresses of the fort up In soldiers cloth clothIng clothing Ing armed them and made them per perform perform form guard duty during the day while the few men left at the post went on onas onas as pickets during the night In this way he fooled the Indians into think thinking thinking ing that the fort was heavily garri garrisoned garrisoned and thus saved it from falling their hands When steps were taken to reward him he said that all he desired was an extra allowance of whisky which of course was cheerfully granted Thus the story got out which has hns been re me repeated time and again in army circles with all manner of elaborations and embellishments that for having saved Fort Laramie the government allowed Snyder a drink for each and every star starin starin in the flag every day in the week ex ox except Sunday when he be got a drink not hut 3 1 Ty strips stripe in the American flag as well |
