Satanta and Big Tree were tried and convicted in Texas and sentenced to the penitentiary for life. It was reported in the papers some years afterwards that Satanta jumped out of a window at the prison and killed himself and it was rumored that Big Tree had hung himself, but so far as I know this was not confirmed.
CHAPTER VII.
The first time I saw General Sherman was at Rome, Georgia, during the Civil war. I was in the field hospital there at that time and was in the dispensary one day when my attention was called to some military procession on the street. It turned out to be only General Sherman and his staff, the general riding alone in front, his orderly a few yards behind, and a few yards farther back the general staff officers. The procession, if it could be so called, impressed me; first the isolated position of the commanding officer. I thought of pictures I had seen of Napoleon, always alone, and while I could not see the general's face to advantage, for he looked neither to the right or left, I thought him a stern, unbending, self-centered, iron-hearted military despot, without sentiment or generous impulse. I saw him often thereafter, for I was with his command from "Atlanta to the Sea" and up through the Carolinas, and he was always alone on horse-back and in the order mentioned. I never saw him in company with anybody. I had occasion to change my impression regarding him somewhat at the battle of Bentonville. We had marched all night to reach the battlefield in time to take part in the engagement, and arrived on the ground early in the afternoon. As it happened, we stopped near the general's headquarters. The battle was in progress and as we could not go into the trenches until night, I had a good opportunity of observing him during the afternoon. He was walking back and forth along a space of ground a hundred feet or more in extent and when there was a lull in the firing he would slow up to a very moderate walk, but when it became heavy his pace would increase and when it became a roar, as it did several times in the afternoon, he would go at great strides back and forth, back and forth, until it would again quiet down, when he would slow up in harmony with the lull in the battle. From this I learned that he was at least impressionable. Officers would arrive from different parts of the field and report, and instantly receive orders and return at full speed as they came.
From that time I never saw him until at Fort Sill at a "hop" given by Colonel Carpenter in his new quarters at the post. Here I had to again change my impression of the general. He was one of the most cordial of men; he seemed to know everybody, and I was told seldom forgot a name or a face. He had the remarkable gift of making everyone feel that he was an old acquaintance, and he entered into the amusements of the evening, mostly dancing, with zest, and after supper went with the officers to the front porch to smoke and talk. He ridiculed the idea of being a candidate for the presidency, saying he did not possess the temperament or disposition that seemed necessary to qualify one for holding an office where there were so many adverse interests to consider, and where they were so frequently presented from questionable motives, but as far as I remember he admitted no preference for political parties. However, he did express a desire to pass his old age in a quiet way, and free from political strife. He left the crowd on the porch before all were through smoking, and joined the ladies with whom he seemed to enjoy himself as much or more than with the men. I though him a rather awkward dancer but he took part with apparent enthusiasm.
After General Sherman and his party had left the post the feeling of uneasiness increased in the camp, and General Grierson ordered the remaining officers into the new post which was being built. It fell to our lot to be quartered with Mr. Spencer and wife and except for losing a good servant we found it a pleasant change, and were relieved of all apprehension regarding Indians.
There was a band-stand in the center of the parade ground and the Tenth Cavalry band was an excellent one, and in the summer evenings when retreat had been sounded by the buglers and the signal gun fired "just as the sun went down," the band struck up and gave us very delightful music for an hour or so. At such times the families of the officers would be sitting on the front porches of their quarters or visiting with others and chatting and listening to the music.