A few miles outside of Ellis, Kansas is Round Mound. It is, yes, a "round mound" that measures 2300 feet above sea level, but only perhaps 200 feet above the surrounding plain. There used to be a country school, Round Mound School, at its base.
The story goes that some railroad workers had been killed by Indians, and were buried on top of Round Mound. Some years ago, you could (barely) see the outline of crosses on the summit, though these were likely placed later.
I passed this off as legend, but it turns out the story might be true. In August of 1867, P.S. Ashley and a crew of six were surveying for the railroad when they were attacked by a small band of Cheyenne warriors. Six were killed. One, William Gould, survived long enough to get to nearby Fort Hays and tell the story.
Captain Henry Corbin, commander of the post, ordered Captain George Ames and Company F of the Tenth Cavalry after the Cheyenne. The Tenth Cavalry were also known as the "buffalo soldiers," or "Negro Cavalry."
Not long after leaving the fort, Armes called for reinforcements. The 38th Infantry was sent out in support. They didn't find Ames, but on the north fork of Big Creek, a few miles from present day Hays, they encountered about 50 Cheyenne which they quickly dispersed.
Meanwhile, Armes and the Tenth Cavalry had continued on to the Saline River about 25 miles northwest of Hays. They were quickly surrounded by about 400 Cheyenne. Armes had the men dismount and fight on foot. He ordered the unit to form a "hollow square" around the horses and march back to Hays, all while under attack.
The battle continued for about six hours, but this manuever, somewhat miraculously, worked. About 10 miles outside of Hays, the Cheyenne disengaged. In about thirty hours, the Tenth Cavalry had traveled 113 miles, fifteen of them under attack. Casualties, surprisingly, were light--six Indians and one cavalryman. Said Armes: "It is the greatest wonder in the world that my command escaped being massacred."
The legend of Round Mound might well be true. Those railroad workers would have been buried somewhere, and Round Mound would be a magnificent and somewhat ironic spot--the Indians used to use it to scout the area.
In any case, General George A. Custer should have read Armes' notes before heading out from Fort Hays to go to Montana. He might have learned something about proper defensive positioning when faced with overwhelming numbers.
Image: Officers' quarters at Fort Hays, c. 1867.