Original subtitles

[ telegraph clicking ]

Mr. Stanley!

Mr. Stanley!

Mr. Stanley, sir!

Your reply is coming through from the East.

[ telegraph clicking ]

War Department...

...advises H...

...unwilling...

...to guarantee personal safety...

...in Indian country...

TELEGRAPHER: ...around Fort Larned.

Advise...

Go it alone.

[ telegraph clicking ]

Interview...

...General...

...Hancock.

Ascertain...

...whether...

...General is...

...a hero...

...a madman...

...or a thief.

Bennett.

N...

...Y...

...Herald!

Hero.

Madman.

Thief.

♪♪ [bugle]

Howdy folks, I'’m the Old Ranger.

We'’re at the command office

of General Winfield Scott Hancock

at Ford Larned, Kansas on the Indian frontier of 1867.

Now ugly rumors are put that Hancock,

a former civil war hero,

is secretly trading army guns and supplies

for Indian land, for himself.

Now no one knows for sure what the truth is.

Reporter Henry Morton Stanley has been sent out West

in hopes that he can become...

And the next time you give me any trouble,

add that to the stable with you.

SERGEANT: Who is that man?

What does he want?

Said he'’s a newspaper man, looking for the General.

Probably a land speculator like all the rest.

You two!

Hey, you!

What'’s your business here?

I'’m a newspaper reporter.

I have a letter of introduction to the general.

I don'’t know anything about newspapers

or letters of introduction.

That is no way to treat a gentleman of the press,

sergeant.

MAN 1:May I see your credentials, sir?

Certainly.

Seems to be an order, sergeant.

Oh well, at ease, men.

You know, you can'’t be too careful

with these land speculators.

They'’ll try any kinda trick to get on the post.

I'’ll take you to see the General myself, sir.

Thank you.

Well, get back to the post.

My name'’s James Hickok, they call me Wild Bill.

Oh, Henry Stanley.

What was he talking about?

The sergeant?

He'’s an army old-timer.

He suspects every civilian he meets

is tryin'’ to work some kind of dirty deal

to get Indian land.

Satanta, the Kiowa chief would be here in 5 days

to parley, and sign a treaty of peace.

Meanwhile, you can reassure the settlers,

they'’ll be absolutely safe.

There'’ll be no Kiowa attacks.

Your orders, Colonel Custer.

Oh, Bill.

Fellow name'’s Stanley.

From the New York Herald.

New York?

Well.

Won'’t you sit down, Mr. Stanley?

Thank you.

Just what is it you wanted to know, Mr. Stanley?

Frankly, your plans for the Indian Wars.

Wars?

There'’ll be no Indian Wars, Mr. Stanley, if I have my way.

What way would that be, General?

A good military man does not reveal his moves.

To the enemy, sir,

but the New York Herald is not the enemy.

The enemy has many faces.

I prefer to be cautious.

The stakes are very high out here in Kansas, Mr. Stanley.

Millions of acres of land and millions of dollars,

millions.

Take a look at this map, for example.

[ horses trotting ]

Yeah, whoa!

General, don'’t the Indians interpret

your desire to negotiate as a sign of weakness?

No, I believe in mutual respect.

What about the reports that some of the tribes,

Kiowas particularly, are getting guns?

MAN 2: General Hancock.

Oh!

Anthony.

This is Mr. Stanley, the New York Herald.

Mr. Anthony is the Indian agent for Kansas.

How do you do?

How are you, sir?

General, I came on private business

of an urgent nature.

Sounds like news.

No need to keep the press in the dark.

ANTHONY: Very well, General.

It'’s about Gonigle Crossing.

Folks there, especially those in the remote parts,

like the Dixon family,

are becoming increasingly nervous

and justifiably so.

I urge you to send an armed patrol out there

to protect it.

I'’ve told you before, Satanta'’s given me his word

his braves will make no attacks

on the settlement pending our negotiations.

If I were to send a patrol to Gonigle Crossing

at the present time,

it would constitute a breach of faith.

Hancock, you can'’t buy peace indefinitely.

Settlers will be murdered in their beds.

It will be your responsibility.

Now that'’s the way I see it

and that'’s the way I'm gonna report it to Washington.

Good day to you, sir, and good day to you, General.

Mr. Stanley, I'’m glad you are present.

You can see now what I'’m up against out here.

These warmongers.

What if Satanta does not sign a peace treaty?

I have the necessary force to impose peace.

But an imposed peace is no peace at all.

If this treaty is to have any meaning for the Kiowas,

a treaty they can be proud of,

they'’ve got to be treated with mutual respect, as equals,

and you can print that in your paper.

I will, sir, thank you.

Any other questions?

Anthony'’s reference to buying peace...

An ugly insinuation, sir.

Utterly baseless.

And the Kiowas are not receiving arms?

Mr. Stanley, why would I deliberately arm

the very people with whom we most want peace?

Bill, Mr. Stanley'’s in your hands.

He'’s to have the freedom of the post.

Good day, sir.Thank you, General.

♪♪ [ bugle playing ]

The outcome of the negotiations

with Kiowa chief Satanta,

a few days hence,

will determine what kind of man

General Hancock is proving to be.

[ knock at the door ]

Come in.

Evening, Stanley.

Good evening, Mr...Roy Anthony.

Oh, yes, of course.

About this afternoon with the General.

Frankly, I was glad you were there.

It'’s exactly what the General said.

Oh?

Well, you know, when I walked over there,

I was all prepared to find that you were a land snake.

Oh, that'’s what we call land speculators out here.

I'’ve been doing my best to keep them out of army camps.

Can'’t the army take care of that?

The army has a way of taking care of itself,

Mr. Stanley, if you get what I mean.

Not quite, Mr. Anthony.

Kiowas have arms. Acquired them from where, Mr. Stanley?

Most of the Indian tribes

are always short of food supplies,

but the Kiowas always have their bellies stuffed--

and they'’re the only tribe on the plains

that have more food than they need.

Now, why, Mr. Stanley?

I'’m not in a position to answer that, sir.

Because it'’s coming to them, arms and food.

You see, I believe that Satanta has made a deal

with someone to get supplies.

In return for peace?

Land!

General Hancock...

General Hancock talks peace, he talks it inaccessibly.

But he knows, as well as I do,

that war with the Indians is inevitable.

The longer we wait, the bloodier it will be.

What'’s your solution?

Move '’em all on the reservation, right now,

where we can keep an eye on them.

And now that our settlements and trails in the West

are absolutely safe.

Wouldn'’t General Hancock's peace treaty

accomplish the same thing?

Why, a peace treaty is just a stall.

The longer he parleys, the more land

he'’ll acquire for Satanta.

Then by the time the big blow-out comes,

he'’ll own an empire in the West.

Now you wanted the truth, Mr. Stanley

and I'’ve given it to you.

If your paper prints it, Hancock will be replaced,

because we want a general here who'’ll act--

or at least one that wasn'’t a land snake.

[ crowd shouting outside ]

I can'’t believe it.

A blatant Gonigle Crossing attack.

Uh, it'’s true, General.

I got it from one of my scouts.

Station-keeper and his whole family

were taken prisoner.

And he'’s sure the raiders were Kiowas.

Satanta.

Mr. Anthony recommends we send a fully-equipped platoon

to the Kiowa camp to rescue the prisoners,

if they'’re still alive.

And demand immediate punishment for the guilty raiders.

Any contrary opinions?

Before that platoon gets halfway to the Kiowas,

you'’ll have a full-scale Indian War.

And you haven'’t got any choice

but to wait for the day the chief said he'’d come in

to Ford Larned to parley.

Well, after Gonigle Crossing, he won'’t come in.

I must admit, it looks bad.

It might have been a renegade Kiowa.

Cheyenne or Arapaho, hopin'’ you'd blame the Kiowa.

Nonsense, the Cheyenne and the Arapaho

haven'’t been in Kansas for months.

They were Kiowas.

I warned you, General.

We don'’t have all the facts yet.

We won'’t make a move until we do.

I was sent out here to secure a peace

and that'’s what I'm going to do.

There'’ll be an official report of the incident--

and your refusal to act

is on its way to Washington in the morning.

[ door shuts ]

Hickok?

Sir.

Take two scouts back to Gonigle Crossing

and return with a full report on your findings.

The mission will be completely without military character.

No rifles, no visible side arms.

But, General--I know this is hazardous,

but I want every move we make to mean peace.

As you know, Kiowas will be watching you

every foot of the way.

Well, I'’ll try, General, but--

Good!

That means you can do it.

All right, gentlemen, that'’ll be all for tonight.

General?

Yes?With your permission, sir,

I would like to accompany that mission.

Out of the question, it'’s much too hazardous.

General Hancock, I'’m sure you know why I'’m here,

and what they'’re saying about you back East.

Yes, I know why you'’re here, and what they'’re saying.

Perhaps my eyewitness report can justify

whatever action you take.

If I let you go and anything happened to you,

they'’ll say it was an act of madness.

If you don'’t, they'll wonder

what it is you are trying to hide.

It'’s so quiet.

Mm-hmm.

I'’ll look around back.

[ glass rattling ]

Nearest neighbors would be 10, may be 15 miles from here

if they'’re still alive.

Do you think it was Kiowas?

I do.

I found some sacks of potatoes and some corn in the shed,

and some flour.

Cheyenne and the Arapaho would have carried off

all the food they could lay their hands on.

What about the people who lived here?

The Kiowas carry their prisoners back to camp.

Torture them to death.

Cheyenne or Arapaho kill right on the spot.

But don'’t all Indians, even Kiowas,

burn places to the ground?

Mm-hmm.

But, braves might have been surprised themselves,

run off.

Perhaps, Mr. Hickok.

If the raiders, and before them the settlers,

were taken by surprise,

there was one person who was not.

A little girl about 8 or 9.

Well, that'’s right.

It was a little girl.

What does this prove?

That the girl took her dolls with her,

so she couldn'’t have been seized and carried off

in too much of a hurry.

Another question, Mr. Hickok.

Presuming the Kiowas did seize these settlers,

how would they take them out of here?

Tie them to their own horses or Kiowa ponies.

The Kiowa camp is north, about...

a day'’s ride from here.

Well, there are wheel tracks leading from the shed

out to the road and turning west.

They look fresh.

They'’re not the wheel tracks of a stagecoach.

No, the tracks of a...

flatbed wagon.

Oh, I get your drift, Mr. Stanley.

These people got out, but not because they had to.

If they did, it wasn'’t Kiowas that forced them.

I suggest we start looking for...

a little girl with some dolls who missed their tea.

Four grown men?

No, just two.

You and me, I think, will learn more that way.

I agree with you.

Why don'’t you send your scouts back to Fort Larned

with word that your report is not yet completed?

What we suspect, we'’ll keep to ourselves.

Mr. Stanley,

you have the instincts of a good Indian scout.

Of a reporter, Mr. Hickok.

Of a reporter.

[ sobs ]

Ah, hush your bawling, we'’re doin' the best we can.

You gotta forget about the old house and the furniture.

We'’re luggin' all the stuff in the wagon

we can get in there.

I even had to leave some food behind.

I told you, as soon as we get to California,

we'’ll buy everything new.

We got the money, ain'’t we?

Stay right where you are.

Mind if we warm up a bit before we ride on?

It ain'’t that cold.

Just tryin'’ to be sociable.

If it'’s food you're after,

we ain'’t got barely enough for ourselves.

Just the two of you?

MAN 3: We got a kid.

A little girl?

What are you after, mister?

This is bad country.

Thought you might like a little sociability.

Sam.

The strangers are hungry.

The least decent folk can do is feed '’em.

HICKOK: Thank you, ma'’am.

Where you headed?

California maybe.

Hmm.

Where are you from?

SAM: Back East.

All the way to California and in that wagon, hmm?

SAM: Hey, you!

You get your nose out of there.

Now what are you so edgy about, mister?

I don'’t want no strangers pokin'’ around in my wagon.

Just keep that squirrel shooter calm.

You'’re a farmer, you'’re no hunter,

I can see that.

Child'’s sleeping.

Now what are you two up to?

We think you'’re the folks from Gonigle Crossing.

And we wanna know what happened back there.

That'’s what we're up to.

You ain'’t got no right to.

All right.

And tell us all about it.

I don'’t know what you'’re talkin' about.

Tell them, Sam.Shut your mouth!

We was paid to get out.Shut up!

They told us to burn the home, but I wouldn'’t let him.

I couldn'’t burn my own home.

You could-- Any folks could use that house.

It'’s a sin to burn a home!

[ sobbing ]

We didn'’t mean nobody no harm.

All right, start from the beginning.

What'’s your name?

Sam Dixon.

This here'’s my wife, Sarah.

[ gunshot ]

Oh!

I don'’t want any live witnesses, understand?

[ gunshots ]

Ever fire a gun, Mr. Sammy?

No.

[ gunshot ]

Here.

Shoot while you'’re learnin'.

[ gunshot ]

♪

[ gunshot ]

♪

[ gunshot ]

[ gunshot ]

[ gunshot ]

There'’s one more, we got two!

[ gun clicks ]

Don'’t try to reload, Anthony.

There isn'’t time.

I want you alive.

ANTHONY: No, now, listen.

Listen to me.

Listen to me, I can make you all rich.

Millions, do you hear me, millions!

Just see it my way.

We'’ll drive out the Indian, move onto his land.

There'’s only one way, it's war!

War, I tell you, it'’s war!

Tell us about it on the way home.

[ telegraph clicking ]

From James Gordon Bennett.

Complimenting me on my part in the Indian peace treaty?

He'’s got another job for you.

He wants to know if you can find a missing man

in central Africa, a Dr. Livingstone.

Africa?

Dr. Livingstone?

Livingstone.

Wire back, "I presume so."

Presume so?

Presume so.

Yes, that was reporter Stanley'’s next assignment,

which made him immortal.

As for General Hancock,

he remained such a hero in the eyes of the nation

that in 1880 he was nominated

for the presidency of the United States

and came within 10,000 votes of winning

and defeating James Garfield.

Here is a copy of the treaty,

now in the National Archives in Washington,

with the list of signatories.

Satanta, his mark.

And as one of the witnesses, Henry Stanley, correspondent.

And finally, the signature of Andrew Johnson,

president of the United States.