He then mounted a horse, rode to Fort Wallace, and reported me to General Bankhead and Captain Laufer, and obtained a guard to return with and protect him.
The next morning I secured a horse from Perry, and proceeding to Fort Wallace demanded my horse and mule from General Bankhead, on the ground that they were quartermaster Hays’ property and belonged to General Carr’s command, and that I had obtained permission to ride them to Sheridan and back. General Bankhead, in a gruff manner ordered me out of his office and off the reservation, saying that if I didn’t take a hurried departure he would have me forcibly put out. I told him to do it and be hanged; I might have used a stronger expression, and upon second thought, I believe I did. I next interviewed Captain Laufer and demanded of him also the horse and mule, as I was responsible for them to Quartermaster Hays. Captain Laufer intimated that I was a liar and that I had disposed of the animals. Hot words ensued between us, and he too ordered me to leave the post. I replied that General Bankhead had commanded me to do the same thing, but that I had not yet gone; and that I did not propose to obey any orders of an inferior officer.
Seeing that it was of no use to make any further effort to get possession of the animals I rode back to Sheridan, and just as I reached there I met the quartermaster’s agent coming out from supper, with his head tied up. It occurred to me that he had not received more than one half the punishment justly due him, and that now would be a good time to give him the balance—so I carried the idea into immediate execution. After finishing the job in good style, I informed him that he could not stay in that town while I remained there, and convinced him that Sheridan was not large enough to hold us both at the same time; he accordingly left the place and again went to Fort Wallace, this time reporting to General Bankhead that I had driven him away, and had threatened to kill him.
That night while sleeping at the Perry House, I was awakened by a tap on the shoulder and upon looking up I was considerably surprised to see the room filled with armed negroes who had their guns all pointed at me. The first words I heard came from the sergeant, who said:
“Now look a-heah, Massa Bill, ef you makes a move we’ll blow you off de farm, shuah!” Just then Captain Ezekiel entered and ordered the soldiers to stand back.
“Captain, what does this mean?” I asked.
“I am sorry, Bill, but I have been ordered by General Bankhead to arrest you and bring you to Fort Wallace,” said he.
“That’s all right,” said I, “but you could have made the arrest alone, without having brought the whole Thirty-eighth Infantry with you.” “I know that, Bill,” replied the Captain, “but as you’ve not been in very good humor for the last day or two, I didn’t know how you would act.”
I hastily dressed, and accompanied Captain Ezekiel to Fort Wallace, arriving there at two o’clock in the morning.
“Bill, I am really sorry,” said Captain Ezekiel, as we alighted, “but I have orders to place you in the guardhouse, and I must perform my duty.”
“Very well, Captain; I don’t blame you a bit,” said I; and into the guardhouse I went as a prisoner for the first and only time in my life. The sergeant of the—guard who was an old friend of mine, belonging to Captain Graham’s company, which was stationed there at the time—did not put me into a cell, but kindly allowed me to stay in his room and occupy his bed, and in a few minutes I was snoring away as if nothing unusual had occurred.
Shortly after reveille Captain Graham called to see me. He thought it was a shame for me to be in the guardhouse, and said that he would interview General Bankhead in my behalf as soon as he got up. The Captain had a nice breakfast prepared for me, and then departed. At guard-mount I was not sent for, contrary to my expectations, and thereupon I had word conveyed to Captain Graham, who was officer of the day, that I wanted to see General Bankhead. The Captain informed me that the General absolutely refused to hold any conversation whatever with me.
At this time there was no telegraph line between Fort Wallace and Fort Lyon, and therefore it was impossible for me to telegraph to General Carr, and I determined to send a dispatch direct to General Sheridan. I accordingly wrote out a long telegram informing him of my difficulty, and had it taken to the telegraph office for transmission; but the operator, instead of sending it at once as he should have done, showed it to General Bankhead, who tore it up, and instructed the operator not to pay any attention to what I might say, as he was running that post. Thinking it very strange that I received no answer during the day I went to the telegraph office, accompanied by a guard, and learned from the operator what he had done. “See here, my young friend,” said I, “this is a public telegraph line, and I want my telegram sent, or there’ll be trouble.”
I rewrote my dispatch and handed it to him, accompanied with the money to pay for the transmission, saying, as I did so: “Young man, I wish that telegram sent direct to Chicago. You know it is your duty to send it, and it must go.”
He knew very well that he was compelled to transmit the message, but before doing so he called on General Bankhead and informed him of what I had said, and told him that he would certainly have to send it, for if he didn’t he might lose his position.
