was

the spot and make it fairly representative may be imagined by the reader as the susof the time of the battle of the Washita. pensory time before the fighting com

The Washita flows down from the West mences, when the hearts beat quicker, against a high cut-bank, which forms the when the breath comes irregularly and break of the high prairie on the south as it the teeth have a custom of setting hard descends suddenly to the level with the together. Just as the pearly dawn rifted river valley, and then the stream turns the darkness, Custer gave the order for northward and flows for about a thousand the attack, and the tense silence yards, then returning to the wall-like prai- broken by the crash of the opening bars rie embankment (the goose-neck spoken of of Custer's favorite martial tune whirlabove), and this tract, thus circumscribed ing through the crisp air. The horses, by the river, was the place where the vil- that had been impatiently chafing under lage was situated. Northwest of the vil- the restraint and the bitter cold, sprang lage ran two ridges between which Cus- forward exultantly, because they were in ter led his troops, remaining quiescent motion, and so impetuously that many of and concealed until the Osages and scouts the musicians were carried into the thick had made a more careful survey. They of the melee. The men

were also exsoon reported the undoubted presence of hilarated at the termination of their large numbers of Indians and a very frozen inactivity, and shouted jubilantly large herd of ponies; this report being at the arrived opportunity of having a verified by Custer and his staff, who whack at the Indians. General Custer, scrupulously inspected the village (from as usual, was in the lead, riding a magplaces of concealment) and its reasonably nificent black stallion, and, clearing the vulnerable points. Bitterly cold as was trail crossing the ashita at one jump, was that night, the command rested as best greeted by the Indians shouting "Tse they could on the snow; the while Custer mokh-e ve-yune He-yo-vi-e !” (The Big formulated his plan of attack, after Chief, Yellow Hair); yellow hair being which the troops were quietly moved to Custer's sobriquet derived from his flowthe various points whence they were to at- ing hair of that hue. By the side of Custack the camp.

ter rode Ben Clark (*Red Neck-Mi-e, Captaiu Edward S. Meyer was assigned red; No-to-wah, neck; from the ruddy to the right to occupy the elevated ground hue of his neck and breast, sunburned by south of the village and to cut off any exposure), and as the Indians recognized possible retreat of the hostiles. He cau- him they warned one another: "Tan-uttiously took up the position that he was tse-vome, Mi-e-no to-wah tah-hah-to-om," to occupy, fording the stream close to

Look out for Red Neck, he's a dead shot. where a small affluent from the south It has been the pleasure of the writer to empties in and following up this tribu- meet many scouts and trailers, but assurtary for several hundred yards to the edly one of the bravest, most competent higher plateau. Captain Louis M. Ham- and unassuming is Ben Clark, now Post ilton and Captain Albert Barnitz took Guide and Interpreter at Fort Reno, Oktheir detachments into the heavy timber lahoma, and completing the fiftieth year northwest from the Indian camp, while of his service with the Government. First Lieutenant William W. Cook's The unpreparedness of the Indians for sharpshooters were located on the north the assault resulted in great confusion side of the Washita, and on a level tract and slaughter among them, and as the of land that is now a cotton field, half troopers swirled hither and thither reapa mile north and west of the Indians. ing the harvest of death, Custer also General Custer had five troops with him placed a few “good” Indians to

his to charge the village at the early dawn, credit. After the primary recurrent the signal for the charge being the tune charges he occupied a little knoll that of “Garry Owen,” to be played by the commanded a view of the battle-field, Seventh Cavalry band, that always ac- and thence issued his orders. On that companied the regiment in its campaigns. knoll, a brown sandstone monument, comEverything is prepared for the memorative of the

engagement, slaughi, and the preliminary description erected some years ago by Major Hugh

on

was

named

L. Scott, formerly of the Seventh Cav- (Charge on them, kill them !) Elliott alry.

fought his way back toward the small As the Indians fled from their village creek-since

Sergeant-Major they tried to pass down the river to the Creek—until within rifle range of it, camps below, that stretched

for some when he was blocked by Indians who had miles, and were met by the detachments taken position in its bed, whence they commanded by Hamilton and Barnitz. leisurely picked off his men. The latter The junction of the opponents was the then formed a little circle, prepared to occasion of heavy fighting, during which kill as many of the hostiles as possible ere Hamilton was shot squarely between the being killed themselves (true soldier

( eyes and instantly killed, and Barnitz fashion), and around this circle their dead was shot through the lungs, from which and horribly mutilated bodies were found. wound he never recovered and was retired None of those back with the regiment on December 15, 1870, on account of knew of Elliott's party having followed wounds received while in the line of duty. the Indians; none heard the noise of

The loss to the Indians was their village their contest, and none knew of their precaptured and destroyed, one hundred and cise fate until they were discovered subthree warriors killed, and fifty-three wo- sequently and then cut and gashed almost men and children captured, and the pony beyond recognition. herd taken and sent to the happy hunting Ben Clark thus epitomizes the fight grounds. The soldiers lost one officer and from the time of the killing of Captain three men killed, and three officers and Louis McLane Hamilton, as it came uneleven men wounded.

der his immediate observation: While this engagement was being prose- “In making its sharp bend around the cuted, the Indians for a distance of fifteen village, the Washita river had cut into miles down the Washita comprehending its north bank, until heavy portions of the Comanches, Kiowas and Cheyennes, as- bank fell away and made a natural breastsembled in force and attacked Custer, work in the river below. About twenty shouting the while: "Shiv-e nah-ho tse men, women and children (Tse-ot, warmokh-e ve-yun-a,” try and kill the big riors; Ha-a-yo, squaws; Is-sun, boys, and chief; but the big chief turned the tables Ik-sun, girls) took refuge in this place, on them and drove them on the back trail and hid from sight during the heaviest some five miles down the river, until ap- fighting. When a lull came, they were proaching darkness constrained the

discovered, and, on their refusal to surlinquishment of the chase. During the render, were all killed. I saw a Cheyenne pursuit, Major Joel H. Elliott, Seventh (Tsis-tah) woman, the last survivor, kill Cavalry, seeing some young bucks escap- her child with a butcher knife and then ing, followed them with the regimental bury the blade in her own breast. Cheysergeant-major, and fifteen men. The enne babies are almost as fair as white bucks were recaptured, but Elliott and children, hence several of the soldiers his party, on their way back, were sur- thought she had murdered a white child. sounded by hostiles and killed. He had and one of them poked his carbine over the followed the young Indians (bucks, in embankment and sent a bullet into her Western parlance) taking a course due brain. Even General Custer shared the south and nearly at right angles to the opinion that a white child had been killed, Washita. After following this direction and so stated in his account of the battle. for a mile and a half,

"While standing on the knoll to which branch of the river was crossed and an Custer had ridden, I saw a large number open prairie reached; on this prairie the of women and children near two buttes on bucks were captured and were being the prairie, south of the village, pursued brought back, when the party was at- by Meyer's men, who were killing them tacked by some of the hostiles from down without mercy. General Custer immedithe river, supposedly numbering from one ately ordered me to instruct Meyer to thousand to fifteen hundred warriors. stop the slaughter, and the remaining woThey joyously velled at seeing the little men and children were taken captive and party, “Shiv-e-ie-yo-tsit tah-nah-ho!” placed in a big tepee under guard.

re

а

а

very small

а

Major Joe Elliott was standing on a Sheridan. The Indians were subdued and large mound further east, and, looking compelled to return to their reservations, ” down the river with a field-glass, discov- —to recuperate and prepare for more devered a number of Indian men and boys iltry; while General Sheridan made his skulking in the timber. He called for celebrated killing of wild turkeys, wheremen to go with him, and disappeared from the locality acquired the name ,

of never, to return.

Warriors were coming Sheridan's Roost. up the Washita to engage the troops. Lest the men under Meyer be too Sergeant-Major Creek and the Washita harshly criticised for the vengeance they run parallel for nearly a quarter of a were taking on the women and children, mile before they join, and the streams an extract from an official report is subare almost within a stone's throw of each, joined: other. A big band of these Indians “The blow that Custer struck was went from the Washita to the Sergeant- hard one, and fell on the guiltiest of all Major and were in the timber when they the bands, that of Black Kettle. It was saw Elliott and his men approaching this band, with others, that, without provo

, The Indians charged from the timber in cation, had massacred the settlers on the overwhelming numbers, killed every man Saline and the Solomon, and perpetrated in the detachment and afterwards muti- cruelties too fiendish for recital. In this lated them at a war-dance. (This Red camp were found numerous articles recNeck learned afterwards.) In later years ognized as the property of the unfortunate I was told by Indians that Chief Left victims of the butcheries above described ; Hand, an old Arapahoe chief, now living also a blank book with Indian illustrations on the Canadian River, in Blaine County, of the various deviltries they hed perpewas in command of this hostile band.

trated. They had spared neither age nor “The very flower of the hostile tribes sex.” massed themselves on the buttes north of It can also be recited that cursory rethe battleground in the afternoon. There ports of Indian depredations during the were twelve or fifteen hundred warriors latter half of the year 1868 state that armed with guns (mi-i-tun), lances (wa- one hundred and fifty-seven persons were hu-ke-zi), bows (matsk) and

killed (not including soldiers), fifty(mah-huts.) They wore a profusion of

wounded, including forty-one metal trinkets, wristlets and armlets

armlets scalped, fourteen women outraged and which glistened in the sunlight. They murdered, one man, four women and taunted the soldiers and dared them to

twenty-three children taken into captivfight, but seldom approached within ity; one thousand six hundred and twentyrange. When the herd of nearly one thou- seven horses, mules and cattle stolen; sand ponies was driven in and shot to twenty-four ranches or settlements dedeath by the troopers, so as to set the stroyed, eleven stage coaches attacked and Indians afoot, the warriors on the hills

four wagon trains annihilated. The Inyelled with vehement rage, shouting one dian casualties during this carnage were to the other relative to the soldiers: “Tah- eleven killed and one wounded. now-oh, mi-e-mi-e ha-e-yuto, mop-ve-tsin,' It is a common result of reprisal that (Kill them and let their blood run like it falls on the wrong persons; in this case water) only they didn't do it.

the guilty were punished. It is often the "In a forced march that night, General case, also, that in the lust of bloodshed Custer met his wagon-train coming from and fury of battle soldiers were not perthe Antelope Hills to join him, and the haps extremely affected with particularity danger of a greatly diminished supply of of discrimination, and squaws could and ammunition was obviated. He had not did handle a Winchester with deadly expected to find the Indians in such num- effect. bers; and returned to Camp Supply to

*Red Neck is one of the most proficient of outfit for a larger campaign, and came Cheyenne scholars now living, and

long

arrows

seven

has

THE DIVINE PROGRAM

VI-ITS EPOCHS AND DISPENSATIONS

BY C. T. RUSSELL

PASTOR BROOKLYN TABERNACLE

RDER IS heaven's first world.” This, to the average reader, sig

law, and whoever nifies a general collapse of the earth—its would understand the destruction, in fact, or, as a habitation for divine program must man. No such thought attaches to the study it in an orderly Greek word, aeon, however. An aeon is an manner. Irregular and epoch or age. The Lord declared that the disorderly minds are

present aeon or age would end, ushering in at a disadvantage in a new age or “world to come. As a matBible study. On the other hand, orderly ter of fact, three different worlds are minds are disadvantaged by the mis- brought to our attention in the Bible representations of the Bible by many and the Millennium will be in the beginof its friends of disorderly minds. ning of the third. The Scriptural declaraAs a consequence, those lacking mental or- tion is that “the earth abideth forever"der are confused and misunderstand the "seed time and harvest, cold and heat, Scriptures, while those of orderly minds, summer and winter, as long as the sun disgusted with the misrepresentations and and moon endure.”—Eccl. 1:4; Gen. 8:22. inconsistencies, will not even examine the These three "worlds" or three dispensaBible Revelation.

tions noted in the Bible are so distinctly Whoever opens his Bible expecting it to different and so accurately described that describe the ages and dispensations as we none need mistake them. The first disshall here attempt to portray them will pensation or world lasted from Eden to be disappointed. The Lord declares His

The Lord declares His the flood. It was marked as the period of Plan to be shrouded in Mystery and under- the administration of the angels, and in it, standable only from the one standpoint of as we have already seen, some of them fel] consecration and illumination by the holy from their first estate of loyalty and obedSpirit. This, of course, refers mainly to ience, further corrupting the world of the "deep things of God." There are also mankind. Following the flood a new dissurface truths of great value connected pensation began, marked by the fact that with the Divine Revelation. The extent the fallen angels no longer were permitted of our ability to understand is dependent of the Lord full liberty of association with upon faith, obedience and the observance Man was permitted to have control of order. In proportion as we have or .

of the earth, and Divine providence have not this ability we may understand

worked little interference except to preor misunderstand the Bible.

vent sin from going to such extremes as

would have defeated the Divine plans to Three Worlds and Three Dispensations.

be developed later. This period from the The English reader is somewhat disad- flood to the Second Coming of Christ is vantaged by the fact that in our common Scripturally designated “this present evil version the word “world” does duty for world”—not because there has been noththree distinctly Greek words. Thus, for ing meritorious during its forty-four huninstance, when our Lord mentions the end dred years, but because God has perof the age or dispensation our common mitted evil to dominate the earth during version Bible renders it “the end of the this period. As we have already seen, God

men.