“I KNOW WHERE ROMAN NOSE AND MEDICINE MAN FELL FROM THE PIT IN WHICH JACK STILWELL WAS LYING IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO HAVE FIRED THE SHOT. HE NEVER CLAIMED THE HONOR AND NONE BUT FICTION WRITERS EVER SUGGESTED IT.”
CUSTER CALLED THE BATTLE “...THE GREATEST BATTLE ON THE PLAINS” AND SOME REPORTED HUNDREDS OF DEAD NATIVES, BUT THE NUMBER TODAY IS ESTIMATED BETWEEN NINE AND THIRTY TWO.”
“I KNOW WHERE ROMAN NOSE AND MEDICINE MAN FELL FROM THE PIT IN WHICH JACK STILWELL WAS LYING IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO HAVE FIRED THE SHOT. HE NEVER CLAIMED THE HONOR AND NONE BUT FICTION WRITERS EVER SUGGESTED IT.”
(Lockhard, Frank M. to George Bird Grinnell)
1st letter 1pg., 8x10 inches, on stationary of F.M. Lockhard. Goodland, Kansas. Chairman Republican Committee, Sherman County, Kansas. in full:
Letter in full:
4/27/26
Geo. Bird Grinnell
New York
Dear Sir,
I recently met an Old Buffalo hunter by the name of Vanmeter who says he knew “California Joe” at Dodge in 1868.
He says his name was Joe Faut; you once wrote me his name was Milner. I know nothing of Vanmenter as his reliability & c but pass this information to you for what it is worth. You once wrote me the date of Dull Knife & North and where he is buried & but I cant find the letter so please give me this information again.
And oblige
FM Lockard
“California Joe was Moses Embree Milner who was chief scout for General Armstrong Custer, out of Fort Dodge, Kansas in the 1860’s and 1870’s.
2nd letter, 4 pgs, 8 x 10 inches, written on the letter head stationary of the Sherman County Republican Central Committee, Goodland, Kansas.
Letter in full:
Feb 26. ‘27
Geo. Bird Grinnell
New York
Dear Sir
I am sending copy of story to Col Wheeler and asked for criticism. I shall look for word with interest for his reply. In Col Wheeler’s book he says he had been out with Will Comstock on a Buffalo hunt and having passed over that part of country General Bankhead asked him to act as guide & c & c. Now listen to a little history that I would not write to Col Wheeler, as I am seeking no controversy with him.
Will Comstock was killed in June 1868 about 4 weeks before Col Wheeler came he arrived July 4, 1868.
Now another story which a Forsyth scout told me. Even the relief party was getting off on the night of Sep 22, the post trader decided to send a supply of wet goods along (presumably on the request of General Bankhead). Col Wheeler was in the post trader’s store at the time and was sent along in charge of the wet commissary. On the trip the scouts called him the “jigger Boss”.
I supposed Col Wheeler would be offended if this was told but I have it from a source that I believe is reliable. There was no Buffalo hunting in 68 except close in about the Post if Comstock had been alive he would not have gone to the ____ for Buffalo and of course Col Wheeler had never seen that country. I sent my story to the star but it was returned later Sigmund Schlesinger wrote the star and later sent me his story to the star which I am sending you. Please return it to me as I may need it.
I have been to Beecher Island many times. I have gone over the ground with the scouts. I know approximately where every scout was secreted on the first day of the Battle. I know where Roman Nose and Medicine Man fell from the pit in which Jack Stilwell was lying it would have been impossible for him to have fired the shot. He never claimed the honor and none but fiction writers ever suggested it. My letter is already too long or I would tell you an interesting story about Comstock.
I hope you finish your North & Pawnee scout story I shall watch for it.
I knew Maj, Frank North and lived at same Hotel for several months. I was carrying the mail from N.P. to Fort McPherson.
Major North suffered much that winter with asthma and remained close in all winter. I met Cop. J.H. once he came out to run the Ranch while Frank was recuperating in California he does not remember me but we have been in correspondence for Wrote a Book about Frank, it was not Published I think the ____ has the manuscript.
You no doubt know about it.
I shall send soon for your late Book “Cheyenne Campfires”
Sigmund Schlesinger was a Forsyth Scout. You will note that his story and mine agree in all important points and Neither of us knew the other was writing.
Sometime I will tell you of Comstock he married a cheyenne.
Yours
FM Lockard
3rd letter. 5 pgs. 8 1/2 x 11 inches. Left top corner chip on each of the five pages. Written on Sherman County Republican Central Committee letterhead. Goodland, Kansas.
Letter in Full:
March 8 – 27
Geo Bird Grinnell,
Dear Sir. My own theory of Col. Wheeler. Bull is that when he wrote his book. Not wishing to state the reason he accompanied Col. Forsyth he used the expectant that he went as guide & scout and as he knew nothing of the country having only three months previous left New York he said “I had been out that way on a Buffalo hunt with Comstock.” that was excuse enough for the purposes of his Book and not likely to be questioned he says Comstock’s body was recovered and buried at Wallace, which is not true. Comstock’s body was not recovered and no man knows where or how he was killed nor the date.
Col. Wheeler lived at Wallace Eight years 1868-1876 and the first part of Book is devoted to those years and there are many errors in that part of the Book. I will enclose letter from J.J. Peate. Mr. Peate was a Forsyth scout but when Forsyth left Wallace to relieve a freight train at Sheridan. Peate was absent but later went out with Col Carpenter expecting to meet and Join Forsyth while out he later went with Carpenter to relieve Forsyth and Sep 24 went to hunt for Bankhead. Bankhead knew that some of the scouts were dead and others wounded, that they had no rations and their Doctor also dead. He should have pushed through without a stop his men were all mounted, most of them in wagons two or three stops of less than one hour each for the purpose of watering and feeding the mules some oats. Was all that was necessary. The weather was fine and roads good. The distance he traveled was less than 125 miles at 4 miles per hour he could have gone through in 32 hours. He should have reached Forsyth early on 24 as it was he left Wallace a nice night – 22 and arrived at 1 P.M. on 26. When Peate met them all the officers and Wheeler were Drunk. He refuses to let me quote him, but says in letter I did not make it strong enough. Had Bankhead pushed through Farley and Armstrong might both have been saved...in my opinion Wheeler knew but little of what went on or how the time passed.
Now as to Comstock. The first half of 1868 sheridan was trying to prevent an out break. He employed three men who could speak the Indian Dialect they all had lived among the Indians and had Indian wives Dick Parr, Abner T. Grover known as sharp Grover – Will Comstock. Grover wife was a sioux Comstock married a cheyenne belonging to Turkey Leg band Parr married an Arapaho. These three men were under Fred H. Beecher. In may 1868 Beecher sent Comstock and Grover to the cheyenne camp an Solomon to try and persuade them to come in and meet Sheridan & a & c.
Some time later Grover arrived at Wallace with a bad wound in shoulder he said the Indians killed Comstock and wounded him. Sheridan tells of this in his book so does custer in My Life on the Plains. So does Henry ____ so does Wheeler and others they all got their stories from Grover and all tell it different.
Now something about Comstock. He had the finest saddle in the Plains also a pair of spurs that was different. Also a fine Ivory handled six shooter. This pistol he gave to custer but asked permission to carry it until he had killed one Indian with it.
One of the stories was that the Indians killed him in order to get this Pistol.
In May and June of that year J.J. Peate was scouting on the salomon for a detachment of 5th cavalry one day a messenger arrived bringing word that Kit Carson and Will Comstock were both dead and the messenger said they both died the same day. That is the only time the date of Comstock Death is mentioned.
Grover remained in Hospital at Wallace and came out the first time when he joined Forsyth to go to the relief of Freight train at sheridan it was soon noticed that he was riding the comstock saddle. Also wearing the comstock spurrs and carry the comstock Pistol. Beecher was first to notice it and it was the subject of much gossip on the trip thus it was plain that Grover had lied and the impressions prevailed that Grover had killed Comstock & c.
Beacher had let it be known that he intended to investigate. That gossip and other things made Grover unpopular with Forsyth men Comstock was a half breed. His father was a trapper his mother a Delaware he was born near ____ city about 1820.
read what Custer says about him. I sent my story to Col Wheeler but had heard nothing from him if he writes you I would be pleased to know what he says of the story
yours
F.M. Lockhard
The letters offer a plethora of content relating to the mid century plains wars of the American West. All were written by Francis Marion “Frank” Lockard (1855-1928) who migrated to Kansas in 1874. Lockhard during his life time was a mail carrier, teacher, a member of the Kansas State Senate, teacher and author of the book THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF NORTON COUNTY, KANSAS in 1894.
The letters were written to George Bird Grinnell (1849-1938) one of the foremost students of the plains Indian and Native American life.
Others mentioned in the letters are William “Medicine Bill” Comstock of Comstock, Michigan (1842 – 1868) who was the chief scout of the 7th U.S. Cavalry during the 1867 Expedition into Nebraska and Colorado.
Abner “Sharp” Grover who killed Comstock and took over his profitable Rose Creek Ranch. However Grover himself was killed in 1869 in a drunken saloon brawl.
J.J. Peate was one of the scouts who led the rescue troops to Forsyth’s men on Beecher’s island.
Cephas William “Dick” Parr (1843-1911) At the Sept. 17–19, 1868, Battle of Beecher Island, Dick not only fought as one of Major George Forsyth’s vaunted scouts, but also held namesake Lieutenant Frederick Beecher as the latter lay dying. Later in life he would roam the east in his western garb with his own Rocky Mountain Dick Amusement Company and regal all who would listen with his exploits, real and imagined.
Col. Homer W. Wheeler (1848-1930) was an American military officer and veteran of the Indian Wars and the Spanish American War. As an author he wrote two autobiographical works..THE FRONTIER TRAIL in 1923 and 1925’s BUFFALO DAYS.
Colonel George Forsyth (1837-1915) was the commander of the U.S. Army forces at the Battle of Beecher Island. It was Forsyth who fought the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Sioux under Roman Nose at Beecher Island and won with the arrival of Simpson Everett “Jack” Stilwell (1850-1903). Custer called the battle “...the greatest battle on the plains” and some reported hundreds of dead Natives, but the number today is estimated between nine and thirty-two.