From the "Boulder Creek Angler" by way of a suggestion by HJB
It's a short story about 'that night' from my dear and departed friend Gordon Wickstrom. Gordon was a 'rennaissance' man of sorts - a professor of Theatre and English at Franklin and Marshall College but also an accomplished writer and fly fisherman. He wrote many short essays like this one in his two blog posts - The Boulder Creek Angler and The Boulder Creek Actor. He was a good friend, we having met through our interest in Fly Fishing. Gordon professed to be a 'non-believer', but he wrote prayers, he quoted scripture and had a funeral in church with the 'good old songs' and readings. I never got to ask him how much of this story was true or how he came to write it. HJB
A December Story originally published Dec 21, 2012
A bad piece of country lay ahead. We should have got across and delivered the packs we carried hours earlier. But the going on this brute of a barren mountain had been slow and hard. Now the night was coming down, darker and colder by the minute. Going on was more than we were up for. We thought we had not been doing too bad, the four of us with our packs and our dog, until the dark and cold stopped us in our tracks. And,to make things worse, we felt half lost, unsure of how to go on. So, we began to look for a place, protected, out of the punishing wind, where we could make camp-- such as it might be--and hunker down for the night.
A little scratch of a draw on the hillside would have to do in which to wait out the night and go on in the morning. We got a pitiful little fire going that the wind soon blew out, leaving us to pull our sougins around us against the cold and try to get some sleep.
We were pretty miserable. Things felt out of whack. The dog was acting crazy-- maybe the way, they say, animals behave before an earthquake.
But, anyhow, we slept fitfully, with no rest to it. Never was a night of such starless jet. Never, in all our years out in these territories, had any of us come as near to being frightened.
Then, after midnight, it happened. We came to our feet, rubbing our eyes at something going on in the sky: vertical shafts of faintly colored light shimmering up and down and across, gracefully, out there beyond us, but coming our way, around the lee, eastern side of the mountain. Beautiful. We weren’t scared any more, but excited out of our wits.
And the wind changed-- no longer coming down our backs, hacking at us, but shifted now clear around and coming toward us, gentle and warming, out of the East. The long bars of delicate light danced, sailing, in on us. But what got us was the sound that the wind-- or something-- was now making. Sort of in harmony with the lights.
Those lights, the wind, the harmony. I was shaking and felt like a fool. Things like this don’t happen. At least not to the likes of poor bastards like us. We must be seeing things.
I glanced around and saw one of us on his hands and knees staring into the lights. Another standing, shielding his eyes with his hands, locked in on the lights. Another of us just sat there on the ground dumb-founded. I cowered among the packs with the dog, hiding from the sight, yet unable to take my eyes off it. What was I doing here! In a flash of panic, I wanted to run.
But the lights swept up and over us, to pause for a moment-- like… I don’t know what… like something caring for us. And the sounds increased in an even more tremendous harmony. Like singing! We heard it! We saw it!
Then it was gone, over with, nothing left. The black night swallowed us up. The wind wheeled back around, roared up like before, slashing at us.
In our confusion, we tried to talk about what had happened, but soon gave up and bedded down again hoping maybe to sleep. We wanted only to get through the night, see the day again, and get on our way. Me, I couldn’t sleep. I lay there freezing, going over what had happened, trying to remember it exactly. At last, the dawn came up, rough and ugly, promising nothing. We chewed on some stuff we carried, drank icy water, and set out again over the great barrier mountain. We finally got across around midday.
There was no one to whom we could deliver our packs. No one would take them or talk to us. No one knew anything. They just drifted away. Everything was changed. We heard some strangers with a kid were trying to find a place to stay. When we found them with the baby, they didn’t try to avoid us. It was nice. It reminded us of last night and the lights.
But, we figured we’d better get out of there before someone got on to us. We wouldn’t say anything to anybody about what had happened, how we felt changed-- but couldn’t explain. Only that something big had happened. Something wonderful went with us, protecting us, as we hurried back the way we came.
I'm reminded of Isaiah 9:2 "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." DT
A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Bob Seger - "Little Drummer Boy" - 1950/1988
Little Drummer Boy was written in 1941 by Katherine Davis but first recorded by the Trapp Family (Sound of Music) in 1951. It became popular with a 1958 recording by Harry Simeone. The Simeone version hit the Top40 for 5 years.
Bob Seger recorded the song in 1987 for his album "Ultimate Hits: Rock & Roll Never Forgets" but as a personal side note, I had heard Bob Seger play this song at several live concerts including a performance at the opening of a suburban Detroit mall in 1968 (Bob Seger was the headliner but that was one of the best concerts I've been to).
Up along I-70 near on 50 miles west of Denver, up the hill from Georgetown, is the small town of Silver Plume. 640 feet elevation change in 2 miles. Once rich with silver mines, the railroad made it up this far. Although long gone, a small segment of the old railroad was rebuilt on the original roadbed between Georgetown and Silver Plume.
The town was formed in 1864, one of the earlier settlements in Colorado. Once having a population of just over 1000, there are now only about 200 people that live here. Much of the town and the railroad facilities were torn up when I-70 was built through the narrow pass. The historical Georgetown Loop Railroad has the engine house and related facilities located in Silver Plume which is the major business in town.
Silver Plume is a very small, old, rural mining town dating from the Colorado gold and silver rush of the last four decades of the 19th century. Most people don't know the story behind the Colorado Ghost town that never dies. Located near historic Georgetown, historic Silver Plume is a former silver mining camp that was originally incorporated in 1880.
So up from town a ways off what I suspect was a section of old US6 or possibly the end of the old railroad grade was this Christmas tree. Although right next to I-70 (up the embankment in the photo), it was not visible from the Interstate and few people travel the old roadway.
But someone put up this piece of Christmas joy for the few to enjoy.
Any burden of my being should rest with me alone. Not add to other's sighing when the weight of their life pulls. Expect no gifts or service be handed without price. The life I make, the path I choose, is my own sweat and soul.
A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Leon Redbone & Dr John - "Frosty The Snowman" - 1950/1988
Frosty The Snowman was first recorded by Gene Autry in 1950, followed by Jimmy Durante the same year. Autry had success with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and looked to have another Christmas song.
The song has been covered many times through the years; a TV version came out in 1969 with Jimmy Durante as the narrator.
Leon Redbone performed a duet of the song with Dr John on Redbone's 1988 album "Christmas Island"
Does the end begin sometime during this next two weeks of supposed joy and celebration? I seem to wake up every morning checking the news ... just in case.
"So, in my its-worth-what-you-paid for it opinion, there’s a lot of horses at the starting line and their just waiting for the starting shot. I’ve been wrong before, and I'm probably wrong on this too, but it sure looks like everyone is just waiting for the music to start."
Can't say I don't feel the same way. And Christmas/New Years seem obvious target dates.
As of 8:03AM in God's preferred time zone, the days begin to get longer. Unfortunately, the days also tend to get colder. The last new moon of 2025 was yesterday (12/20) at 6:43PM. So last night (Dec 20/21) was the darkest night of the year.
December 21, 1866: Second only to Custer's misadventure 10 years later
Monument on the site of the Fetterman fight It was a cold and lonely day when I was there
Background
The Bozeman Trail was an offshoot of the Oregon Trail, leading from just west of Fort Laramie, crossing the North Platte River, heading north through central Wyoming, east of the Bighorn Mountains, to the gold diggings at Virginia City, Montana. Four military forts were established along the route, the first three in Wyoming, the fourth in Montana: Forts Reno, Phil Kearney, and CF Smith on the Wyoming/Montana border, and Fort Ellis near Bozeman Pass just east of today's city of Bozeman. I-25 from Casper north roughly follows the old trail. The trail was rough; travel took about 2 months from Fort Laramie to Virginia City, MT. Passage with a wagon train cost about $5 but the route was primarily a freight road.
The trail saw heavy use in the mid-1860s and travelled through Indian lands.
The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 gave the US the right to establish roads and forts in the territory; it also designated the region as Crow territory. Even though the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe accepted the treaty, they began to ignore it and the Crow, whose land this was by treaty, were pushed west and the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe took control of these hunting grounds. Although the land by treaty (also agreed to by the Sioux) was Crow land, the Sioux claimed the land east of the Powder River but attacked the route and forts which were west of the river. The Crow tended to side with the whites in conflicts with other tribes; it was their land they fought for and the whites tended to defend the treaty.
The Sioux were recent newcomers to the land, having been pushed out of the northern Great Lakes country, pushed west into Minnesota, then into the Dakotas in the 1850s. They obtained horses in the 1700s and by the mid-1800s, had become the most powerful tribe of the Plains. The name "Sioux" is derived (by the French) from the Ojibwa from a term meaning "enemy" or "little snakes". They eventually moved to the Black Hills in the late 1700s, pushing the resident Cheyenne to the Powder River country of Wyoming by 1860.
The most dangerous section of the trail was the roughly 250 miles between Fort Laramie and the crossing of the BigHorn River where the trail started to head west.
In the summer of 1866, Colonel Carrington established the three Wyoming forts with Fort Phil Kearney as his headquarters. All three were nominally on Crow territory but the Sioux and allies fought the Crow to take over the fine hunting grounds of the region. The whites ended up in the middle of an inter-Indian war. In total, there were about 700 soldiers and 300 civilians spread among the three with Fort Kearney having about 400 soldiers and almost all civilians stationed there. About 3500 whites used the trail in the few years it was open
The forts were under frequent Indian attack during construction with groups of 50 or more Indians in each attack. By November, a company of cavalry arrived along with two Civil War veteran captains, Bingham and Fetterman.
Capt Fetterman
Although respected for his Civil War service, he was not familiar with Indian tactics. Fetterman continuously criticized his commanding officer's defense strategy and bragged that with 80 men he would ride through the Sioux nation.
He would get his chance.
To The Battle
In mid November, Carrington gave Fetterman permission to conduct an ambush but the Indians didn't fall for the ruse. Later, Fetterman was commanding an escort for a timber gathering party. An Indian appeared nearby, enticing Fetterman to pursue. The more experienced officer commanding the wood gathering group took cover behind the wagons instead, avoiding the mass of Indians out of sight beyond the hill where the individual first appeared.
Carrington's superior, Gen Cooke, told Carrington to take the offensive. On Dec 6, reports came back that a wood party about 6 miles west of the fort was under attack. Fetterman was ordered to move west to assist the wood party; Carrington led a detachment north to circle around the Indians. The Indians retreated when the two forces joined up. Carrington was guided by Jim Bridger who commented: "The soldiers don't know anything about fighting Indians".
On Dec 20, Captains Fetterman and Brown were denied a request to attack a Sioux village about 50 miles away.
Red Cloud decided to attack Fort Kearney in a major operation before heavy snows caused the tribes to disperse for the winter. With about 1000 warriors, they laid a trap on either side of Lodge Trail Ridge, a few miles north of the fort but out of sight. The Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe split their forces on either side of the ridge and a group of Indians under Crazy Horse were chosen as the bait.
The nearest source of timber was about 5 miles NW of the fort. About 10AM, Carrington dispatched another wood party along with 90 soldiers to guard them. Shortly after the train left the fort, pickets on a hill nearby signaled the train was under attack. Fetterman was now a brevet Lt Colonel and was given command of the relief party. Two other Carrington critics, Lt Grummond and Captain Brown, along with two civilians joined Fetterman's command, now totaling 81 men.
His chance had come.
Orders were that "under no circumstances was the relief party to pursue over Lodge Trail Ridge". The orders were given twice; as the party was organized and when the party passed the fort gates. Grummond's wife confirmed that the orders were given and heard by everyone present.
Fetterman immediately headed north for Lodge Pole Ridge rather than NW to the wood party under attack. It was assumed that Fetterman intended to circle around and attack the Indians from the rear. However, signals came that the wood party was no longer under attack as Fetterman disappeared out of site over the ridge line of Lodge Trail Ridge, chasing about 10 Indians acting as decoys who apparently mooned him.
Fetterman disobeyed orders; rather than go to the relief of the wood party, he chased the decoys north below the ridge. Mixed troops of cavalry and infantry got separated; the calvary unit leaving the infantry behind as they pursued the decoys. At the time the trap was sprung, the cavalry was about 1 mile ahead of the infantry.
Heavy gunfire to the north was soon heard at the fort. Carrington sent 75 men on foot up the ridge under command of Capt Ten Eyck to see what was happening. Ten Eyck cautiously advanced up the ridge and from the top at about 12:24PM, he saw a large party of Indians in the valley below. Another 42 men were dispatched up the ridge and the taunting Indians slowly retreated.
All 81 men under Fetterman's command were dead; stripped and mutilated bodies scattered just below the ridge. It had taken the Indians about 20 minutes to kill the infantry and another 20 to finish off the cavalry. Only 6 soldiers were killed by bullets. Fetterman and Brown suposedly committed suicide by shooting each other but some Indian accounts dispute that. Carrington reported: "eyes torn out and laid on rocks, noses and ears cut off, teeth chopped out, brains taken out and placed on rocks, hands and feet cut off, private parts severed."
The last to die was the bugler who had used his bugle as a weapon until overcome. His was the only body not mutilated.
Estimates of Indian dead varied; as few as 10, perhaps as many as 160. The lower figure is considered more likely. Only the Custer fight 8 years later was more damaging.
Aftermath:
Carrington prepared the fort for a major attack. All excess ammo and explosives were placed in the magazine along with the women and children - to be blown up if the Indians broke through.
One can only imagine the fear permeating the fort's inhabitants that long cold night ...
In one of the more heroic and little known events of the Indian wars, a civilian, Portugee Phillips, took off in a deep winter night to carry a distress message to Fort Laramie, some 250 miles away. It took him 4 days riding through hostile territory through a blizzard. He arrived at Fort Laramie late in the evening on Christmas Day during the fort's Christmas party
The bodies of those killed were buried in a common grave on December 26. Carrington was relieved of command and left the fort with the women and children on Jan 23 in weather reaching -38 degree to Fort Laramie. Carrington was absolved of blame but the public opinion had been settled. It was noted that Fort Laramie, a region of peace, was manned by 12 companies, while Foprt kearney, in war country, only had five.
The result of the Fetterman fight convinced the government to quit defending the Bozeman Trail and an 1868 treaty conceded the forts and Powder River to the Indians ... which only lasted until 1876. The Indians destroyed the forts.
There remain 3 controversial items: Carrington's orders Carrington claimed that Fetterman "was arrogant, insubordinate, and inexperienced in fighting Indians and that he gave Fetterman explicit orders not to venture beyond the summit of Lodge Trail Ridge." The orders were given and emphasized several times with witnesses present. Fetterman's supporters claim Carrington and Fetterman had planned on an offensive movement and such orders were not given. Other than Carrington's accusations, "there is no evidence indicating that Fetterman was anything but a professional officer and a perfect gentleman with a distinguished combat record."
Lt Grummond, commanding cavalry Carrington explicitly told Grummond to stick with Fetterman's infantry. Grummond was an experienced combat officer but had also been court-martialed for drunkenness and abuse of civilians. he had obviously disobeyed Carrington's orders; the cavalry unit was found about a mile away from Fetterman's troops
Captain Ten Eyck The captain was sent to the relief of Fetterman when large scale gunfire was heard at the fort. Ten Eyck was accused of being slow to Fetterman's aid, taking a more roundabout path to the fighting. Although his actions were deemed appropriate, he was accused of cowardice and drunkenness and was "allowed" to retire from the army. There is no evidence Ten Eyck could have reached Fetterman in time to provide aid no matter the route and speed taken.
Fetterman, like Custer 8 years later, was considered a valiant hero and opinions to the contrary were not enjoyed. Walking the battleground - still an empty expanse, studying the history of other skirmishes in the area - the "Wagon Box fight", the "Hayfield Fight", and other goings on up and down the remnants of the Bozeman Trail, one can come to the conclusion that like Custer, Fetterman was overly impressed with himself, disdainful of his enemy, and willing to obey orders only when he agreed with him. It's too bad he took so many down with him.
It's been many a year since I travelled that country. I followed the actual trail where I could. Fort Kearney is now a state historical park and apparently has been somewhat reconstructed since I was last there.
Fort Reno, 1865-1868, built on a bluff above the Powder River, is marked by a monument but has reverted to prairie grassland. It was burned by Cheyenne in 1868, but again used as a supply base for 15 days in 1876. Only a few adobe walls existed of the old fort at that time. Those buried in the fort's cemetery were disinterred in 1880 and moved to the Custer Battlefield National Cemetery. Debris is scattered around but nothing of significance remains.
Fort CF Smith was built in 1866 and was abandoned in 1868. The fort location is on private land within the Crow Reservation. "Melted" adobe walls remain, sufficient to outline the positions of structures. A monument exists but I've not been to the location
