Cantonment, Cowboys, and Robert Bent

A 1925 issue of the Chronicles of Oklahoma included the article "My Experiences With The Cheyenne" by author Henry C. Keeling. The article is available online at:

http://digital.library.okstate.edu/chronicles/v003/v003p059.html

The article describes Keeling's activities as the post trader at Cantonment, beginning in 1879:

"In the winter of 1879 I was appointed post trader at Cantonment, in what was then known as the Indian Territory. The post is described in the official records as "Cantonment on the west side of the North Fork of the Canadian River." This post was established a short time after the raid of Dull Knife, through western Kansas, in 1878. The site preferred for the post by General Sheridan was at what was known as Sheridan’s Roost, where he had been very successful in killing wild turkeys during the winter of 1868-9, although he finally selected a location in the hills at what is known as Barrel Springs. Col. Richard I. Dodge was in command of the Twenty-third Infantry at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, at the time the post was establishsed [sic]. He with a detachment of his regiment, left the cars at Dodge City and marched in by way of Fort Supply. When he reached Barrel Springs he was not satisfied with the location, it being in the sand hills, and he considered the place unhealthy. Colonel Dodge therefore located the cantonment about eight miles south, on the North Fork of the Canadian."

This incident was an example of some of the conflict taking place:

"In the spring roundup of 1881, I was with a party of cattlemen who were gathering cattle belonging to Robert Bent, a brother of George and Charlie Bent, and in some way a dispute arose between George Jones, foreman of the Dickey Brothers’ ranch, and an old Indian by the name of Gray Wolf, as to the branding of a cow. Jones was cutting out this cow for the Dickey brand when Gray Wolf claimed that it was his. The majority of the cattlemen at that time were not armed, and an Indian who had an old rifle handed it to Gray Wolf for the purpose of shooting Jones. We expected trouble right there, but through Bob Bent, who was a very cool-headed halfbreed , trouble was averted. It was a very tight place while it lasted, as Indians in the surrounding camps mounted their horses and came toward us with the intention of mixing in the fight should there be one."

The author also tells this story about Robert Bent:

"Speaking of Bob Bent, he was a son of Col. William Bent, of old Fort Bent, on the Arkansas River, and was educated in St. Louis. At one time he was at the Cantonment when quite a number of cowboys who were returning to Texas after delivering beef herds to the raliroad at Caldwell had stopped at the post and were telling what bad men they were, and more particularly as to their prowess in killing Indians. One party whom they had nicknamed "Milliner Bill," was very loud in his talk as to his being such a bad man. Bob Bent, speaking to Lieut. M. C. Wessells, of the Twenty-fourth Infantry, who was quartermaster at the post at the time, and myself, said that it would be a good joke on the cowboys to make a charge into the room and give the Cheyenne war whoop at the same time. He believed he could make it very interesting for them. So Lieutenant Wessells and myself, with Bent, mounted out horses and rode up the river, possibly half a mile. We then came back, riding very rapidly, and rode on into the room in which the cowboys were, Bob Bent and Lieutenant Wessells shooting and giving the Indian war whoop. These brave Indian killers; did not wait to go through the door but jumped through the windows, taking the sash and all with them. The last we saw of them they were on their way to Texas, not waiting to say "Good-bye.""

Robert Bent was the brother-in-law of Edmund Guerrier. Robert was the brother of Julia Bent, Mary Bent, George Bent, and Charles Bent.