The Plainsmen Who Dealt With The Cheyennes

In 1923 the Oklahoma Historical Society published an article in the Chronicles of Oklahoma titled "REMINISCENCES OF THE WASHITA CAMPAIGN AND OF THE DARLINGTON INDIAN AGENCY." The author was John Murphy, who dictated these reminiscences in 1918. He concluded the article with the following description of men he had been acquainted with on the frontier:

"Most of the men with whom I was associated while in the Indian Service have long since crossed the Great Divide. Ed Guerrier, the French-Cheyenne half-breed, for whom the town of Geary, in Blaine County, was named, still lives at Porcupine, South Dakota. His wife was a daughter of Colonel William Bent, of Bent’s Fort on the Arkansas. Her brother, Robert, died just at the time of the opening of Oklahoma to settlement, in 1889. Her brother, George Bent, died at Colony, in May, 1918. Dick Curtis, whose wife was a Sioux woman, but who was an adopted member of the Cheyenne tribe, died about 1872. Phil McCusker, who was a noted scout, lost his life during the great blizzard, in Jauary 1886. But little is known of his antecedents and early life, though he was said to have been a soldier in the Regular Army, before the Civil War, and was reputed to have been an officer in the Confederate Army. Jimmie Morrison was another old timer who died long since. He had been a clerk and interpreter for Agent Wynkoop, at Fort Larned. His wife was a daughter of Big Mouth, a leading chief of the Arapahoes. Jimmie was a prominent cattleman during the early ’eighties. David Tramp, a Creole-French trapper, one of the last survivers of the Rocky Mountain fur-trade era, died at Colony, about twenty-five years ago. John Seger still lives at Colony and Agent Miles is yet living in Texas. Practically all of the leading men of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of forty years ago are dead."

This is a pretty good list of names, but of course it does not include many other important plainsmen. These were men who were involved with the Cheyennes as interpreters, scouts, traders, or agency officials.

One name, David Tramp, is not familiar to me. Looks like some research is called for.

Scout William Comstock

Just a couple of newspaper articles that I have located relating to Comstock:

Winona Daily Republican, Winona, Minnesota, February 6, 1867
From the Plains
Frightful Massacre by Indians
Fifty-Nine Men Killed Out of a Party of Sixty-Three
A dispatch from Junction City, Kansas, Feb. 2, says:
A man came into Salina, about fifty miles west of here, yesterday, and reported a frightful massacre of white men by Cheyenne Indians, near the head of Smoky Hill River, a few days since, under the following circumstances:
Wallace’s train, with sixty-three men, were in camp. A party of fourteen Indians came begging. The teamsters refused to give them anything, whereupon the Indians fired upon them, but without affect. The teamsters returned the fire, and killed eight Indians. About 8 o’clock, that night the camp was surrounded by two hundred Indians, who massacred fifty-nine out of sixty-three men.
The man that brought the news had an arrow-hole through his shoulder, and another wound in the hip. He claims to be one of four men that escaped.
A party of Omahas and Kaws made a thieving raid on the Cheyennes, a few days since, on the Salina. Several head of Cheyenne stock were captured. One Kaw was killed.
Wm. Comstock, the famous interpreter, Government scout, and guide, says the Cheyennes and Arrapahoes[sic] of the Arkansas and Smoky Hill appear friendly, but part of the northern Indians are now moving southward, and have already committed many murders and other outrages. Comstock believes they mean war.

Liberty Weekly Tribune, September 4, 1868, pg. 2
A Colorado paper says that the death of Comstock is more than a passing event in the history of the far west. Every year the Indians take the life of someone whose life has been spent with and among them, and whose services to the whites of the plains cannot be estimated in money. Bill Comstock was one of the few worthy the name of “scout,” and his compeers may be summed up in half a dozen names. The Indians glory in the death of one of his stamp. They fear him and count his death a hostly gain to themselves.

Wired.com has published "June 25, 1876: Was Custer Outgunned at Little Bighorn?" at it's website. The article is very informative and well worth reading.

Medicine Bill Comstock article

Edmund Guerrier is pictured in this drawing (seated on horse at right) in an article appearing in Wild West magazine. The article is about the scout named William Averill “Medicine Bill” Comstock.

In August 1866 Comstock had become chief of scouts at Fort Wallace, Kansas.

A Granddaughter of Black Kettle

ADA BENT BURNS was quite a unique person of the southern plains. Mentioned in a previous post (Caddo Springs and Concho Cemetery), Ada is buried in the Concho cemetery near El Reno, Oklahoma. According to the book “Halfbreed” by David F. Halaas and Andrew E. Masich, Ada was the child of George Bent and his Cheyenne wife, Magpie.

Magpie was a niece of Cheyenne chief Black Kettle but was raised in his lodge as if she were his own daughter. Magpie and George were married in 1866, and their daughter Ada was born the next year out on the Great Plains along the banks of Medicine Lodge creek.

It was during the 1867 Medicine Lodge peace council, in which Black Kettle was a participant. Magpie had grown to adulthood in the lodge of Black Kettle, and now the Cheyenne chief shared the joy of the birth of his granddaughter Ada.

Edmund Guerrier was present at the Medicine Lodge peace council, as were interpreters Philip McCusker and Margaret Fitzpatrick Adams.