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Mr. Sedivy's
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Highlands Ranch High School - Mr. Sedivy
- Colorado History - The following passage is a Cheyenne
War Story: About the year 1839 ten or twelve men, under Standing On The Hill as their leader, set out on the warpath from the camp on the South Platte River. They went south and on the way stopped at Bent's Old Fort on the Arkansas, and there obtained guns, ammunition, blankets, and new knives.
Colonel Bent usually gave the Cheyenne these things on credit. He did not know all the Indians, but he knew the chiefs, and the leader of any war party commonly vouched for the men with him, giving Colonel Bent the names and relatives of the different men and saying that if the men were killed these relations would pay their debts. As a matter of fact, they always did pay.
This party crossed the Arkansas and the Cimarron and
when they reached Wolf Creek turned off a little to the east. While
crossing the divide between the Arkansas and the Cimarron rivers they
lived on horseflesh, for on the divide wild horses were everywhere.
Standing On The Hill, a man of great experience, told his young men
that before they went into an enemey's camp to capture horses they
should wash themselves with mud, in order to rid themselves of the
odor of horseflesh that they had been using. Horses greatly feared
this smell, and if the men entered the camp smelling of horseflesh,
the horses would be afraid of them and would be hard to catch. When the Kiowa turned off the trail, the scouts crept up a little side ravine and under a bank over which the Kiowa would be likely to come. Presently they saw him approaching. He was looking all over the country, far off, trying to see people, and rode within twenty or thirty feet feet of them without seeing the scouts. All three shot at him with arrows. Walking Coyote shot his horse, Wolf Road's arrow struck in the pommel of the saddle, and Sun Maker's passed through the Kiowa's heart under his arm. The horse gave a great plunge, the man fell off, and the three scouts rushed forward to count coup. Wolf Road reached him first, and then Sun Maker, who also received credit for knocking him off his horse. They dragged the man into the ravine, got his horse and led it down there. They scalped the man and shot the horse again. The Kiowa was wearing silver hair plates and the horse a good bridle. The scouts recovered their arrows and taking these things started down the creek as they had come. When they had walked to the flat they looked back and could see some Kiowas still cutting up animals, and a few buffalo running. When the reached an open space which they were obliged to cross they got close together one behind the other, stooped down and hung a blanket over themselves and walked across the flat, looking like a buffalo. When they again came to the brush they ran on as fast as they could. They reached the stream where their party was and found everyone asleep, except one man, who was watching on the hill. They reported what they had done, and Standing On The Hill said to Wolf Road: "Now, my friend, you are the fastest runner; you must stay behind and watch the trail and we will go back. These people will look for the man who is dead and may find our tracks. It will be too dangerous to go on further." They started back. Wolf Road waited until the party had disappeared over the farthest hill and then seeing nothing, he ran on and at length overtook his people. They ran all that night, slept a little in the morning, and then ran on until late that night, when they rested for a short time. When they reached the Arkansas River they met a war party going south and talked for some time with friends, learning that the main camp was near by, on the north side of the river. For a little while they said nothing about what they had done, but at length Standing On The Hill drew out the scalp and said: "Friend, this is what we have done. If you will come back with us, we will have a dance." As he said this, Wolf Road snatched the scalp out of his hand and ran toward the main camp, and the others of the party ran after him. No one could overtake him, for he was swiftest of all. He ran about the camp circle singing, and then, going to the lodge where the medicine arrows were kept, he hung the scalp on the bundle as an offering.
Interpret the meaning of the above Cheyenne War Story - Colorado History In Depth
- | The Cheyenne Migration
to Colorado | The Cheyenne Social Club
Fort Union Americans from the East Colorado's Role in the US Civil
War Cripple Creek District Labor Strikes More Colorado History
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