The Diaries of John Gregory Bourke Volume 4: July 3, 1880--May 22, 1881

12: The Poncas Before Removal

218 Chapter 12 ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ The Poncas Before Removal J anuary 8th 1881. Reached Fort Omaha, Nebr., Mr. Stickney going to Genl. Crook’s Qrs., Mr. Allen to Major Roberts’ and Captain Huggins to mine; the other members are to meet us at Council Bluffs. This night was fearfully cold—on our way to the Fort, the thermometer indicated -25°Fahr., but fortunately there was no wind. In the papers to-day appeared a telegram to Presdt. Hayes, purporting to have come from the Ponca Commission, announcing that at the convention held in Indian Territory, the Poncas had “enthusiastically and unanimously approved agreement made with the delegation lately in Washington”. This telegram it appears emanated from Mr. Stickney who endeavored to palliate his lack of discretion by saying that he had sent it to the President as a “personal ” message. At 9 P.M., this day the thermometer indicated -28°Fahr. January 9th 1881 Remained at HdQrs. during morning, attending to official business &c. Day very cold. Left in the afternoon for Council Bluffs, Iowa, where we staid overnight at the U.P.R.R. dépôt, meeting the others of our party, Indians and all. This night was so cold that mercury froze in the Bulb. January 10th , 1881. Left Council Bluffs, Iowa for Running Water, The Poncas Before Removal 219 Dakota, going by way of Chicago and North-Western R.R., to Missouri Valley Junction, thence by Sioux City & Pacific to Sioux City, Iowa, and from that point following along branches of the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul R.R. As I was seated alongside of Revd. Mr. Riggs and Revd. Mr. Dorsey, our conversation naturally drifted to Indian matters and especially to Indian therapeutics. I gave them an account of the sickness and cure of Chimahuevi-Sal, one of the prominent chiefs of the Apache-Yuma tribe in Arizona, living at Camp Date Creek1 in that Territory. This Indian, a handsome specimen of physical strength and beauty, was “taken down” with a violent attack of inflammation of the lungs, complicated with every variety of pulmonary and bronchial trouble, fever and indigestion. There were two or three Army Doctors at the post who jumped at the chance of experimenting with the case. They certainly displayed no niggardliness in the amount of medicines they gave their patient: commencing with a syrup of squills and parejovis[?], they put him through the whole Dispensatory, now giving him a dose of ipecae, now a little Tolns Cod liver oil in larger quantities to furnish heat inwardly and Croton Oil to furnish it on the outside. Then they gave him warm baths and applied mustard poultices to his feet. But no effect was perceptible—the sick man kept getting worse and worse, his cheeks were hollow, his voice tremulous and his eyes shone with the gleam of approaching dissolution . More than that, most wonderful thing of all, the poor Indian had no appetite. After swallowing half a bottle full of cod-liver oil, three or four teaspoonsfull of ipecae, taking four (5) [sic] grains quinine pills, having a pint of Croton oil rubbed on his chest and experiencing the stimulating effects of a mustard foot bath, Chimahuevi’s system “failed to respond”, as the medical men termed it, and he refused to notice the food set before him. There was but one thing for our gentlemanly Sawbones to do and they did it; they declared Chimahuevi’s time had come; that he hadn’t many more hours to live and that he should settle up all his mundane affairs and turn his thoughts to the joys awaiting him on the Shining Shore. But Chimahuevi-Sal didn’t seem to enter very enthusiastically into the Shining Shore business; to be candid, he most decidedly “bucked” 1. Camp Date Creek, originally designated Camp McPherson, was established sixty miles southwest of Prescott to guard the reservation for the Yavapais, Mojaves, and affiliated groups. It was abandoned after the reservations and military posts were consolidated. Atlshuler, Starting with Defiance, 25–26. 220 The Ponca Question Continues against the idea of joining the Angel Band. This world was plenty good enough for the likes of him and he purposed remained [sic] in it to the very utmost limit of possibility. So he summoned the “head medicine man” of his nation. It must be understood that among the Indians of Arizona, a medicine man can “pitch in” and slay with...