09/06/2026
Stray Shots
Third Installment
June 8
Red Hollow, 15 miles from Supply. We had quite an exciting engagement with the Indians yesterday evening about five o’clock while we were making an evening drive. Our train is composed of two parts one containing 16 wagons and the other 14. I am in the one of 14 wagons and our part was in the lead and the other was following up closely. Jim and I were walking along and talking with Lieutenant Baltimore when all at once I heard the cry of Indians and I looked back and there I saw about from 75 to 100 Indians charging down upon the hind end of the train and then the fun commenced. Such diving into wagons after guns, running here and there and everywhere, banging away all the time. I was in the front of the train and my gun and other arms were in a wagon at the hind end the Indians were coming up along the train but I was bound to have my gun and said legs do your duty and ran. Bet I never ran faster in my life. The Indians all the time towards me but I got into the wagon safe and got my gun and ammunition. When I got out the whole front of the train was deserted entirely I being the only man there. I stood a minute to see what I should do when here came 3 big Indians toward me full tilt. I saw in an instant that it was nothing but fight so I waited until they got within about 300 yard and I let the first one have it and as my gun does not usually go back on me at that distance down come his pony and the other seeing this went on the one whose pony I shot, stopped a moment to look at his pony and then ran away from me over the prairie. I up and let him have another and his arms instantly dropped leaving all his things fall then ran a little farther when he came to a walk and a slow one at that but one of the other two seeing how it was fixed came sweeping around and stopped a second, grabbed him, pulled him up in front of him and off he went. I shot 4 times at him but missed him every time. I then ran up where his pony was and captured the things he had dropped. There was one Re*****on revolver, one spear, 14 arrows, a red blanket, and piece of Buffalo robe used as a saddle. The Indians then made another dash and I saw a one going a flying on a beautiful gray pony about 400 yards from the train and I let him have it and his pony dropped and never kicked. The Indian was not hurt and ran away on foot until he met one of tribe with a horse. After the fight I went over to see the pony and I had hit him right below the ear. There was two of our es**rt slightly wounded, 6 of the cattle and one horse hit on our side and 4 ponies killed and ___ Indians unhorsed, 2 killed instantly and they so bad they could hardly get them away. We expected another attack this morning and the Lieutenant sent a man through last night after reinforcements but it now 8 Oclock and we have not seen anything of them yet. Sullivan shot at the chief and dropped him but he got away. He went over where he fell after the fight and got some feathers that was in his hat. I have just seen the object of the Indians attacking us where they did about 6 hundred yards farther than the place where we corralled was several very deep ravines where the road wound around high embankments. They wanted to stampede our cattle into that place and of course our wagons would have been smashed and probably some men killed but the cattle using the language of one of the Bullwackers wouldn’t worth a dam. They are now pulling out. I must go. A few minutes ago, we looked back on the road and saw 3 wagons coming and the Lieutenant remarked at the time they looked as if they were coming very fast. A couple of minutes after we looked back and the plains were just covered with Indians all around the wagons. I guess there was more than a hundred. We watched them a few minutes and the Lieutenant asked who would go to there and rescue 6 Negro and one white soldier. Sullivan and myself volunteered to go and help them out so we formed a line so that we would not be in a bunch and advanced toward them while they were coming to a fast as they could. The Indians on seeing us slowly fell back and we got them out without a scratch and one Indian knocked off his horse. We are now camped for dinner. As the mail was with the outfit we just helped out Jim has just received a pack of letters. Two o’clock in the afternoon the mail consist of 7 men has just came up to us and tell us they were run upon by about 25 a few miles back. Five O’clock, we have just a whole company of men sent from Supply to bring us in. The Indians are so bold that they dash through the Post on their ponies nearly every day. (Lieutenant “Baltimore” was Bodamer. The three wagons were the mail detachment from Fort Dodge. The white officer was Captain John Page, Third U.S. Infantry returning to Camp Supply.)
June 10
We are now within a mile of Supply camped for breakfast on this Beaver Creek. The Post looks to be rather a nice place situated in the angle formed at the confluence of Beaver and Wolf Creeks both being branches of the Canadian River. I have been down on Beaver Creek eating Mullberries. They are very plenty, but a fellow has to keep his gun ready for Indians. The berries are the same as we have in Pennsylvania and tasted very good to a hungry fellow.
June 11
Well, we are at Camp Supply at last. We got here last evening about 5 o’clock and Jim and I went up to the Post. There we met Lieutenant Bodamore who took us to a photograph gallery, and we bought quite a number of pictures of the prominent chiefs of the different tribes. We then went up to the quarters of the Lieutenant where we met several officers of the fort among whom were Lieu(tenant). Smither, Lieu. Maxon, Major Armes, Mr. Lee and some others and we had a very pleasant evening. When we wanted to go to camp they would not leave us go but made us stay there and gave us each a good bed which we have not had since we have been in this country. This morning as we were walking around we thought we would go and have our photograph taken so we went and had two negatives taken in different postures.
This afternoon about 3 O’clock a band of Indians run in an got 5 horses. I got a few shots but did not hit any. The cavalry went out and they are now 5 miles from the Post and have been fighting for an hour and a half. There seems to have been a very large number for they took a piece of artillery out and we can see they are using it by the puffs of smoke. I tried to get a horse to go out with the troops but I could not get one. The Indians run off our wagon masters horse and came very near getting our herders and some of the herd. The troops have come back with two ponies, arrows, blankets, and other things. They also killed 4 or 5 Indians but could not get any of them. (Lieutenants Bodmer, Smith, Maxon, and Captain Armes were Tenth Cavalry officers. W.M.D. Lee was a partner in Lee & Reynolds Company, the civilian post trader firm.) (The Battle of Camp Supply was the largest attack on the post in which Indians attempted to capture horses and mules grazing outside of the post. Tenth Cavalry troopers chased the Indians up the Beaver and Wolf Creeks with the aid of Third Infantry soldiers manning a small artillery piece, a twelve-pounder Mountain Howitzer.)
June 12
Last night we stayed again with Bodamore. I was very sick during the night. I was part of the night vomiting, and I still feel rather sick. It is the first time I have felt the least sick since I have been on the plains. We intended to leave this morning with the train but the train went off without us early this morning so we have to lay over until 12 o’clock when the mail will go which will overtake the train tonight some time. We saw a few Indians at a distance, but they were afraid to come at us.
June 13
This is one of the beautiful mornings on the plains. We are camped in Simerone Bottom where there is two streams of water of which one is salt water. We overtook the train yesterday afternoon and I tell you I was very glad to get back with the old outfit. We are making better time on the way back than we did on the way down. We make 20 miles, where we made 5, 10 and 12.
June 14
Last night we camped on the Simerone (sic) which is 36 miles from Supply. We are now through the worst of the Indian country I think but we are by no means safe, anything but safe though we have passed the place where we were attacked by them before. Our wagon master got the horse that the Indians run off. He was too fast, they could not catch him and as luck would have it he took the road toward Dodge, and the mail overtook him and left him at the mail station until we got there. (The remainder of the diary consists of entries concerned with the return trip to For Hays and a visit to Fort Harker. W.C. Irvine would eventually settle in Wyoming where he became a prominent rancher and citizen.)
