28: A Tribute to General Miles
<< 27: Return of the "Wild West" to America || 29: The "Wild West" at the World's Fair >>
IN view of the success achieved by my brother, it is remarkable
that he excited so little envy. Now for the first time in his life
he felt the breath of slander on his cheek, and it flushed hotly.
From an idle remark that the Indians in the "Wild West"
exhibition were not properly treated, the idle gossip grew
to the proportion of malicious and insistent slander.
The Indians being government wards, such a charge might easily
become a serious matter; for, like the man who beat his wife,
the government believes it has the right to maltreat the red man
to the top of its bent, but that no one else shall be allowed
to do so.
A winter campaign of the "Wild West" had been contemplated,
but the project was abandoned and winter quarters decided on.
In the quaint little village of Benfield was an ancient nunnery
and a castle, with good stables. Here Will left the company in charge
of his partner, Mr. Nate Salisbury, and, accompanied by the Indians
for whose welfare he was responsible, set sail for America,
to silence his calumniators.
The testimony of the red men themselves was all that was required to refute
the notorious untruths. Few had placed any belief in the reports,
and friendly commenters were also active.
As the sequel proved, Will came home very opportunely.
The Sioux in Dakota were again on the war-path, and his help was needed
to subdue the uprising. He disbanded the warriors he had brought
back from Europe, and each returned to his own tribe and people,
to narrate around the camp-fire the wonders of the life abroad,
while Will reported at headquarters to offer his services for the war.
Two years previously he had been honored by the commission
of Brigadier-General of the Nebraska National Guard, which rank
and title were given to him by Governor Thayer.
The officer in command of the Indian campaign was General Nelson A. Miles,
who has rendered so many important services to his country,
and who, as Commander-in-Chief of our army, played so large a part
in the recent war with Spain. At the time of the Indian uprising
he held the rank of Brigadier-General.
This brilliant and able officer was much pleased when he learned that
he would have Will's assistance in conducting the campaign, for he knew
the value of his good judgment, cool head, and executive ability,
and of his large experience in dealing with Indians.
The "Wild West," which had served as an educator to the people
of Europe in presenting the frontier life of America,
had quietly worked as important educational influences
in the minds of the Indians connected with the exhibition.
They had seen for themselves the wonders of the world's civilization;
they realized how futile were the efforts of the children of the
plains to stem the resistless tide of progress flowing westward.
Potentates had delighted to do honor to Pa-has-ka, the Long-haired Chief,
and in the eyes of the simple savage he was as powerful
as any of the great ones of earth. To him his word was law;
it seemed worse than folly for their brethren to attempt to cope
with so mighty a chief, therefore their influence was all for peace;
and the fact that so many tribes did not join in the uprising
may be attributed, in part, to their good counsel and advice.
General Miles was both able and energetic, and managed
the campaign in masterly fashion. There were one or two
hard-fought battles, in one of which the great Sioux warrior,
Sitting Bull, the ablest that nation ever produced, was slain.
This Indian had traveled with Will for a time, but could not be
weaned from his loyalty to his own tribe and a desire to avenge
upon the white man the wrongs inflicted on his people.
What promised at the outset to be a long and cruel frontier
war was speedily quelled. The death of Sitting Bull
had something to do with the termination of hostilities.
Arrangements for peace were soon perfected, and Will attributed
the government's success to the energy of its officer
in command, for whom he has a most enthusiastic admiration.
He paid this tribute to him recently:
"I have been in many campaigns with General Miles, and a
better general and more gifted warrior I have never seen.
I served in the Civil War, and in any number of Indian wars;
I have been under at least a dozen generals, with whom I
have been thrown in close contact because of the nature
of the services which I was called upon to render.
General Miles is the superior of them all.
"I have known Phil Sheridan, Tecumseh Sherman, Hancock, and all
of our noted Indian fighters. For cool judgment and thorough
knowledge of all that pertains to military affairs, none of them,
in my opinion, can be said to excel General Nelson A. Miles.
"Ah, what a man he is! I know. We have been shoulder to shoulder
in many a hard march. We have been together when men find out
what their comrades really are. He is a man, every inch of him,
and the best general I ever served under."
After Miles was put in command of the forces, a dinner was given
in his honor by John Chamberlin. Will was a guest and one of
the speakers, and took the opportunity to eulogize his old friend.
He dwelt at length on the respect in which the red men held the general,
and in closing said:
"No foreign invader will ever set foot on these shores as long
as General Miles is at the head of the army. If they should—
just call on me!"
The speaker sat down amid laughter and applause.
While Will was away at the seat of war, his beautiful home
in North Platte, "Welcome Wigwam," burned to the ground.
The little city is not equipped with much of a fire department,
but a volunteer brigade held the flames in check long enough
to save almost the entire contents of the house, among which were
many valuable and costly souvenirs that could never be replaced.
Will received a telegram announcing that his house was ablaze,
and his reply was characteristic:
"Save Rosa Bonheur's picture, and the house may go to blazes."
When the frontier war was ended and the troops disbanded,
Will made application for another company of Indians to take
back to Europe with him. Permission was obtained from
the government, and the contingent from the friendly tribes
was headed by chiefs named Long Wolf, No Neck, Yankton Charlie,
and Black Heart. In addition to these a company was recruited
from among the Indians held as hostages by General Miles at
Fort Sheridan, and the leaders of these hostile braves were such
noted chiefs as Short Bull, Kicking Bear, Lone Bull, Scatter,
and Revenge. To these the trip to Alsace-Lorraine was a revelation,
a fairy-tale more wonderful than anything in their legendary lore.
The ocean voyage, with its seasickness, put them in an
ugly mood, but the sight of the encampment and the cowboys
dissipated their sullenness, and they shortly felt at home.
The hospitality extended to all the members of the company
by the inhabitants of the village in which they wintered was
most cordial, and left them the pleasantest of memories.
An extended tour of Europe was fittingly closed by a brief
visit to England. The Britons gave the "Wild West"
as hearty a welcome as if it were native to their heath.
A number of the larger cities were visited, London being reserved
for the last.
Royalty again honored the "Wild West" by its attendance, the Queen requesting
a special performance on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The requests of
the Queen are equivalent to commands, and the entertainment was duly given.
As a token of her appreciation the Queen bestowed upon Will a costly
and beautiful souvenir.
Not the least-esteemed remembrance of this London visit was an illuminated
address presented by the English Workingman's Convention. In it the American
plainsman was congratulated upon the honors he had won, the success
he had achieved, and the educational worth of his great exhibition.
A banquet followed, at which Will presented an autograph photograph
to each member of the association.
Notwithstanding tender thoughts of home, English soil was left regretfully.
To the "Wild West" the complacent Briton had extended a cordial welcome,
and manifested an enthusiasm that contrasted strangely with his usual disdain
for things American.
A singular coincidence of the homeward voyage was the death of Billy,
another favorite horse of Will's.
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