- Ned Travis is a reporter for the New York Herald who's made something of a career for himself writing about Jason McCord and Bitter Creek. He wants McCord to tell him the truth about what it's like to be the most hated man in the territory and what really happened at Bitter Creek. McCord won't talk so Travis goes to Mrs. Pritchett whose husband Lt. John Pritchett was killed at Bitter Creek. She shows him letters which could tell the true story of the incident once and for all but McCord has reasons of his own for not wanting the truth to be revealed.—tomtrekp
- In the voice of Jason...
was just getting into town from a long, hot cattle drive. I was hugry, thirsty, and in need of a good shave. The last thing I needed was to run into that no-good, rotton reporter by the name of Ned Travis. He was always trying to get me to give him the "real" story. There was little he would try to get my story. He asked me what happened that day, and I couldn't stop my mind from going back once again to that day at Bitter Creek.
I was talking to General James Reed. We were suddenly attacked. A fireball came into the camp and chaos errupted. I told the soldier I was talking to to get all the exploves away, then I ran into action. The men were all in postion, fighting against the Indians. I advised General Reed that we should retreat. We didn't stand a chance! He wouldn't listen! He seemed to go somewhere, so I had no choice but to relieve him of his duties due to medical reasons. I called to the Sergeant and told him we were moving out. We had to stop this before every last person died! But the General wanted to kill every last Apache. I tried to tell the Sergeant I had relieved the General of his duties. I didn't have time to argue. I had to save these men! I had to!
Thirty-one men died. There were thirty-one of us against 140 Apaches with repeating rifles. All my men died except for me and this nosey news reporter wanted to know why. I didn't want to tell him everything. I wanted it left alone for a reason.
Travis went to visit Sue Pritchett. Her husband had been third in command after General Reed and me. Travis was willing to pay ten dollars for any information she could give him on Bitter Creek. Mrs. Pritchett had some letters her husband had written, and she allowed Travis to read them. He found out the secret about the General. He found out the General was beginning to loose his mind, that I was covering for his mistakes. If the truth were known, I was more of a General than the General.
Travis wasted no time in telling me all about his discovery either. He told me his headline would read, "The Villan wore stars." I told him that was a tough accusation to make without knowing everything. I was the only one who knew the truth about Bitter Creek. I told him to forget about what he'd heard, but he refused. He was going to print the truth - that the General was senile and incompitent.
I found out about Mrs. Pritchett and the letters, and I went to talk to her. She was going to allow her letters to be photographed. She didn't want to stand in my way of being cleared. I asked her to not let her letters be photographed. I was afraid it would destroy the peace we had with the Indians. I was afraid about the men in Washington finding out the truth. I feared that if they knew the truth, they would go back on their word with the Indians. Then we'd have an all-out war with the Indians. I didn't want that to happen. It took some doing, but I talked her into destroying the letters.
So, when the reporters showed up, there was nothing for them to see. My secret was safe, and Mrs. Pritchett allowed everyone to believe I was the monster everyone thought I was. But that's how I wanted it.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content