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Show , The Cannon Now Roar Where Once OnceCarbine OnceCarbine OnceCarbine Carbine Barked Defiance at Lance LanceFort Fort Sill 5.11 511 . , . Okla , OUa Okra , . Where Uncle Sam Trains Trams His Artillerymen Arttferymen , . Was the Scene cene of Manya Many a Stlrrmg Starring StlrrmgEvent StarringEvent StirringEvent the Kiowa , Comanche , Chey Chey- Cheyenne Cheyenne Cheyenne - Event in the Days When His Has Troopers Tried TfJed to Conquer enne , . Arapaho , . and Other Wild Riders of the Southwestern . . , pramse Plains prams e Western Newspoper Union By : CLMO rLI\IO rLI IO \ SCOTT WATSON VATSON VATSONO VATSONN " WATSONE ATSON ATSONON N THE morning mormng of Jan January January January ON O E uary 8 , 1869 , an army armyambulance armyambulance armyambulance ambulance came camesplashmg camesplashing camesplashing splashmg splashing across a muddy muddyflat muddyflat muddyflat flat in 111 m the present state of ofOklahoma ofOklahoma ofOklahoma Oklahoma and drew up be- be before before be before - fore a soldier soldler bivouac blvouac on the thebanks thebanks thebanks banks of Medicine Medlcme Bluff Bluffcreek Bluffcreek Bluffcreek creek Beside the driver dnver sat sata sata o a short legged squatty little littleman littleman littleman man It was Gen PM Phil PhilShondan Shen Sheri Shendan Sheridan dan- dan danLlttle dan - 'Little Little Llttle ' Phil " of ClvlI Civil ClvlIwar Civilwar Civilwar war fame-now fame now fame - - now commander- commander commander-in commander in commanderin - in chief chlef of the forces cam eam- eam cam- eampalgmng campaigning campaigning - paigning palgmng agamst against the hostile hostileIndIans hostileIndians hostileIndians IndIans of the Southwest and andhe andhe andhe he had come here to estab estabhsh establash estabhsh hsh lash a new army post in 111 the theheart theheart theheart heart of their thelr country'It country 'It It ' It was planned by the staff staffto staffto staffto to ha\e ha e hase \ a short ceremony and andsome andsome andsome some speechmakmg speechmaking when the thefirst thefirst thefirst first stake was driven But Shen Sheri Shendan Sheridan Shendan dan was no orator He climbed climbedout climbedout climbedout out of the ambulance with a mer merry merry merry ry grin and a joke for the officers officersgathered officersgathered officersgathered gathered there Then he knelt to tobold tohold tohold bold hold the stake Several officers officersstarted officersstarted officersstarted started forward to drive dnve it InHold inHold in inHold Hold on the general protest protested protested protested ed I want Johnny Murphy to todrIve todrive todrive drIve itWhether it itWhether ItWhether Whether this was an example exampleof of racial solidarity solidanty or whetherSheridan whetherSheridan whether Sliendan Sheridan hought thought that the frontier4f11 frontier frontierwa r- r - rj " - j ! 4 4L L j 4f11 iiVJ . 1i 1t41Jv r T\ T Tr TJ \ r / - \J J \ 1 t4--1-Jv t4 1 Jv - - V \ } rl i1 rli1 " -wa wa - ? 6il 46il j 4 ! ? 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SATAL'iK SATALiK SATANK SATANKyouth ' youth was less likely to mash mashus mashhis mashhis us his ! fingers forgers than one of the unl um unlformed umformed uniformed formed gentlemen is not known knownAt knownAt knownAt At any rate the young Irish Irishambulance Irishambulance Irishambulance ambulance driver dnver wielded the axe axeand axeand axeand and had the honor of drning drising the thefirst thefirst thefirst first stake to mark marIr the site of ofFort ofFort ofFort Fort SillSo SillSo SiU Sill SiUSo So writes wntes Capt W S Nye m in mIus inhis inhis Ius his book Carbine and Lance- Lance LanceThe LanceThe Lance LanceThe - The Story of Old I Fort rort art SiU SIIl Sill one oneof oneof oneof of the recent publ pub ( cations of the theUniversity theUniversity theUniversity University of Oklahoma Press Pressand Pressand Pressand and another of its invaluable mvaluable con contrIbutIons contributions contnbutions trIbutIons to the history of the theAmerican theAmerican theAmerican American frontier . * . * . Few army posts in m the Umted United UmtedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States have had a more colorful colorfulhiStory colorfulhistory colorfulhistory hiStory than this one From that thatWinter thatwinter thatwinter Winter day nearly 70 years ago agoIt agoit agoit It saw a constant procession of offrontier offrontier offrontier frontier notables come and go for gofor duringthat durmgthat the next 40 years and durmg during that time it was the focal pomt point pomtof pointof pointof interestingdramatic Interestmgdramatic of one of the most Interestmg interesting dramatic and sustained sustamed series of ofconflicts ofconflicts ofconflicts conflicts in m the records of west western western western ern warfareFort warfareFort warfare warfareFort Fort Sill \ was as established establ1shed as a aresult aresult aresult result of the failure fallure of the famous famousMedicine famousMedlCme MedlCme Medicine Lodge treaty of 1867 to brmg bring tobring tobrmg peace to the Southern Southernplains Southernplains Southernplains plains The military authorItI authorities authoritiesrecalling authoritiesrecalling s srecallmg offleers officers recallmg recalling that several army of ficers had lecommended recommended that a apost apost apost post be built in m the Wicnita Wlcmta moun mountaIns mountams mountains taIns tams the heart of the Indian Indianrange Indianrange Indianrange range ordered another recon reconnalssance reconnaissance reconnaissance nalssance naissance of that region be made Accordmgly Accordingly madeAccordingly madeAccordmgly Gen B H Grierson Griersonthen Griersonthen Gnersonthen then cavalryset colonel of the Tenth cavalry cavalryset cavalryset set out from Fort Arbuckle In May inMay 1863 1868 and after sloggmg slogging sloggingthrough sloggmgthrough through the ram rain and mud for two twoweeks twoweeks twoweeks weeks MedicineBluff MedlcmeBluff finally reached Medlcme Medicine Bluff He noted from the marks markson markson markson on the trees that the place was wasabove wasabove wasabove above high water m in flood season There seasonThere were ample supplies of ofwood ofwood ofwood wood woodwater water and pasturage Why pasturageWhy look farther ? ' ' The colonel colonelremoved colonelremoved colonelremoved hibhorse hlbhorse removed the saddle from hlb hib horse andsaid threw it on the ground and andsaid andsaid said We will WllI build bUlld the post here hereSoon posthere posthereSoon Soon afterwards Sheridan ar arrived arrived rived arrived to direct a winter wmter " "ampalgn ampalgn campaign m in campaignin "ampalgnm which wIuch wtuch the principal event was the wasthe destruction of the camp of ofChief ofCluef Cheyenneson Cluef Chief Black Kettle Kettles s Cheyennes on the Washita Wasluta by Gen G A Cus ter Custer Br ard and > d his lus Seventhcavalry Seventh cavalry cavalryLater Later Custerwere v/hile v hile whlle while / Sheridan and Custer were at Fort rort Tart Cobb the wmter winter winterrams wmterrams rams began Soon the camp of ofthe the Seventh was a quagmire placeSheridan 'Tlus Tlus Quagmire'Tlus ' This Thus is as a hellof hell ofa of a place I ! Sheridan snorted Gnerson Grierson how about howabout that camp of yours at Medl Medi Medicine Medlcine Medicane cine cane Bluff BluffWhen ? . , When Gnerson Grierson replied replied that It itwas was ideal he was sent senton on a final afinal reconnaissance The report reportv/hich reportv hich reportwhich which / he brought back resulted m in a ina ma visit VlSlt byShendan bySheridan v ho approved approvedthe the approximate site chosen but decided butdecided about300 to build the fort about 300 yards southeast ofwhere of where y ' * ' n ; I A l . < GEN PHIL SHERIDANColonel SHERIDAN SHERIDANColonel Colonel Gnerson Grierson had staked It Itout itout itout out Instead of the stockade fort fortplanned fortplanned fortplanned planned by that officer , Shendan Sheridan Shendanproposed Sheridanproposed Sheridanproposed proposed to erect a permanent permanentpost permanentpost permanentpost post Then follo\\ follo follow followed folloed \ \ ed the hlstonc historic hlstoncoccasion historicoccasion historicoccasion occasion when the young IrIsh IrIshambulance Irishambulance Irishambulance ambulance driver wielded the thea.e theaxe theaxe a.e ae axe : . and Fort Sill came into mto bemgAs beingAs bemg being bemgAs As a matter of fact it was first firstcalIed firstcalled firstcalled calIed called Camp Wichita and it was waslittle waslittle waslittle little more than a collection of ofshacks ofshacks ofshacks shacks made from condemned condemnedtentage condemnedtentage condemnedtentage tentage and wooden frames These Thesev v ere occupied for a time by Cus Custer Custer Custer ter and the Seventh and near here herecamped herecamped herecamped camped Samuel J Crawford thefight thefight the thefight fight ng governor of hansas Kansas hansasand Kansasand Kansasand and his Nmeteenth Nineteenth Kansas cav cavaIry cavalry cavairy cavairyAfter aIry alry aIryAfter alryAfter After the campaign against agamst the thehostiles thehostiles thehostiles hostiles had ended Colonel ColonelGnerson ColonelGrierson ColonelGnerson Gnerson Grierson set about building bUlldmg the thepermanent thepermanent thepermanent permanent post There was some somediscussion somediscussion somediscussion discussion as to the name to be begiven begiven begiven given to it The Seventh cavalry cavalrywanted cavalrywanted cavalrywanted wanted it called calIed Fort Ell ott for forthe forthe forthe the brave young officer who lost lostlus losthis losthis lus his l life e at the Washita Washlta But Gen General General General eral Sheridan Shendan decided upon Fort FortSill FortSill FortSill Sill in honor of Brig Gen Joshua JoshuaW JoshuaW JoshuaW W Sill one of his West Point Pomt class classmates classmates classmates mates who v was , as killed while lead leadmg leading leading mg ing a charge of his brigade bngade In InShendan inSheridan inSheridan Shendan Sheridan s division at the Battle Battleof Battleof Battleof of Stone Rver R ver in m 1862 So it was wasthus wasthus wasthus thus designatedin designated in 111 orders iSsued iSsuedfrom issuedfrom issuedfrom from department headquarters on onJuly onJuly onJuly July 2 1869As 1869 1869As As Fort Sill its importance In Infrontier infrontier infrontier frontier history increased mcreased and It Itcontinued itcontinued itcontinued continued to be a rendezvous of offrontier offrontier offrontier frontier notables One of the thetraders thetraders thetraders traders who set up a post near nearby nearby nearby by was William Mathewson the theorlgmal theoriginal theoriginal orlgmal original Buffalo Bill who had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been known by that sobnquet sobriquet sobnquetseveral sobriquetseveral sobriquetseveral several y ) ears before young Wlll Will WlllCody WillCody WillCody Cody appeared on the scene sceneAmong sceneAmong sceneAmong Among the interpreters mterpreters whob who whoGEN b r rEst Est sfi ' 'sib sib 'sibGEN ' GEN GE'1 GE1 ' B U H GRIEPSOAserved GRIEFSON GRIEI'SOl GRIEISOl GRIEPSOA GRIEFSONserved ' ! . served there were such men as asHorace asHorace asHorace Horace Jones and Phil McCusk McCusker er who had been the principal prmelpal talking talkmg principaltalking prmelpaltalkmg man at the Medlcme Medicine MedlcmeLodge MedicineLodge MedicineLodge Lodge treaty conference And to tothe tothe tothe the agency built neai neal near Fort Sill Sillcame Sillcame Sillcame came Lawni Lawrll Lawru Tatum the first firstagent firstagent firstagent agent for th Kiowas and Co Comanches Comanches Comanches manches QuakerPeace under the new Quaker Peace Policy of President PresidentGrant PresidentGrant PresidentGrant Grant s administrationThe administration admmlstratIon The harassed admmlstratIonI Tatum soon dls dis dlscovered discovered discovered I covered that the peace policy policymight policymight policymight might be popular among the East Eastern Eastern Eastern ern sentu-nentalists sentu nentalists sentimentalists - who grieved grievedover grievedover , over the injustices mJustIces done to Poor PoorI I 1.0 10 Lo . PoorLo but it certainly wasn t popu lar popular with the settlers in m the sur surroundmg surrounding surrounding roundmg rounding country who contmued continued continuedto contmuedto to lose their scalps nor the army armyoff armyoff armyoffcers off cers and men who had the Job Jobof jobof jobof of trying to keep the Kiowas Krowas and Comanches andComanches from jumping the thereservation thereservation thereservation reservation happened whenever they hap hap- - - raidThat pened to feel like making a raid That was frequent enough and due anddue to the activities of such chiefs chiefsas chiefsas as Lone Wolf Big Tree Satanta Satan1 Satank SatantaSatank SatantaSatan1 . and White W1ute Horse of the Kiowas Krowas theKiowas theKrowas and a number of Co Comanche Comanche Comanche manche chiefs of lesser renown the renownthe next five i y } ears were anythmg anything but anythingbut anythmgbut peacefulTo peaceful peacefulTo To Fort S 11also 11 also came Gen W WT T Sherman commander in chief of chiefof the army ( who mCldentally incidentally incidentallyalmost mCldentallyalmost almost lost routeand bis his scalp en route ) FortSill and one of the high lugh spots in m Fort Sill history is his conference with some withsome of the Kiowa chiefs which whichended ended in m tlie the arrest of Satanta SatantaSatank Satank theywere and Big Tree As they were be ng sent away to pnson prison pnsonjn In m Texas Satank suddenly drew a aconcealed aconcealed aconcealed concealed knife kmfe and unmindful unmmdful of ofthe ofthe ofthe the odds against him attacked attackcd his hisguard hisguard hisguard guard Of course he was soon soondisposed soondisposed soondisposed disposed of but not until he had hadwntten hadwritten hadwritten wntten written his name m in western wcstern his history history history tory as one of the bravest men menwhIte menwhite menwhite whIte or red it had ever known knownSatanta knownSatanta knownSatanta Satanta and Big Tree were later laterreleased laterreleased laterreleased released but couldn couldnt t keep out outof outof outof of mischief mlsclue ! Once more Impns impris Impnsoned imprisoned impnsoned oned Satanta the renowned Or Orator Orator Orator ator of the Plains Plams like Sat:1Okchose Satanicchose Satank Sat:1Ok Sat1Ok Satanic Satankchose : chose death to dishonor and andcommitted andcommitted andcommitted committed suicideThe suicide suicideThe The next ne.t net neat : . chapter in Fort Sill s shistory shistory shistory history v . was as the outbreak of the theSouth theSouthw theSoutha South Southw " estern tribes tnbes which resuH result resuHed resulted resulted ed in the campaign of 187475 1874 75 It Itopened Itopened Itopened opened when a Comanche medl medi medlCine medicme medicine Cine cme man Isa tai tal tar promised his histnbesmen histribesmen histribesmen tnbesmen tribesmen an easy victory over overthe overthe overthe the white hunters who had been beenwastefully beenwastefully beenwastefully wastefully slaughtering the buf but buffalo butfalo butfalo falo But Isa tai tal s strong medl medi medlcrne medicane medicine crne cane failed before the heavy buf but buffalo butfalo butfalo falo guns of the hunters at Adobe AdobeWalls AdobeWalls AdobeWalls Walls and the active campaign campaignIng campaigning campaigning Ing of Gen Nelson A Miles and andCol andCol andCol Col Ranald S Mackenzie broke brokethe brokethe brokethe the po pow power " er of the Kiowas Co Comanches Comanches Comanches manches Arapahos and Chey Cheyennes Cheyennes Cheyennes ennes From 1875 they were nev riev never riever never er again a serious senous threat to whIte whItesettlement whitesettlement |