USA > Kansas > A standard history of Kansas and Kansans, Volume I > Part 26
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Each man in the moving throng is in force a platoon. He makes a farm on the outer edge of the settlements, which he oceupies for a year. He then sells to the leading files pressing up to him from behind. He again advances 24 miles, renews his farm, is again overtaken and again sells. As individuals fall ont from the front ranks, or fix themselves permanently, others rush from behind, pass to the front, and assail the wilderness in their turn.
Previous to the recently concluded war with Mexico, this energetic throng was engaged at one point in occupying the Peninsula of Florida and lands vacated by emigrant Indian tribes. At another point in reaching the copper region of Lake Superior; in absorbing Iowa and Wisconsin. From this very spot had gone forth a forlorn hope to occupy Oregon and California. Texas was thus annexed-the Indian country pressed upon its flanks, spy companies reconnoitered New and Old Mexico.
Even then, obeying the mysterious and inserutable impulse which drives our nation to its goal, a body of the hardiest race that ever faced varied and unnumbered dangers and privations, embarked upon the
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KANSAS AND KANSANS
trail to the Pacific coast. They forced their way to the end, encounter- ing and defying difficulties unparalleled, with a courage and success the like to which the world has not heretofore seen.
Thus, then, overland sweeps this tidal wave of population, absorbing in its thundering march the glebe, the savages, and the wild beasts of the wilderness; sealing the mountains, and debouching down upon the seaboard. Upon the high Atlantic sea-coast, the pioneer foree has thrown itself into ships, and found in the ocean fisheries food for its creative genius. The whaling fleet is the marine force of the pioneer army. These two forces, by land and by sea, have both worked steadily onward to the North Pacific.
They now re-unite in the harbors of California and Oregon, about to bring into existence upon the Paeifie a commercial grandeur identical with that which has followed and gathered to them upon the Atlantic.
HIenee have already come these new States; this other seaboard; and the renewed vivacity of progress with which the general heart now palpitates !
Will this eease or slaeken? Ilas the pouring forth of the stream from Europe ever eeased since the day of Columbus? Has the grass obliterated the trails down the Alleghanies, or across the Mississippi ? Rather let him who doubts seat himself upon the bank of the supreme Missouri River and await the running dry of its yellow waters! For sooner shall he see this, than a cessation in the crowd now flowing loose to the Western seaboard.
Gold is dug-lumber is manufactured-pastoral and arable agricul- ture grow apaee-a marine flashes into existence-commerce resounds- the fisheries are prosecuted-vessels are built-steam pants through all the waters. Each interest stimulating all the rest, and perpetually creating novelties, a career is commenced, to which. as it glanees aeross the Pacific, the human eye assigns no term!
ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON
Of the military expeditions over the Oregon Trail, only that of Albert Sidney Johnston will be mentioned in this work. After the establish- ment of Fort Laramie there were many military tours to the westward from Fort Leavenworth. In 1857 there was an uprising in Utah known as the Mormon Rebellion, and the United States sent out a military foree to put it down. This force was commanded by Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston. Colonel E. V. Sumner had been assigned to this com- mand, but the troubles in Kansas demanded that some officer be put in charge of the troops the Border-Ruffians hoped to have the Government use against the Free-State people of the Territory. Colonel Sumner was transferred to this latter service. It was then that Colonel Johnston, of the Second Cavalry, was ordered to take charge of the Army intended to establish order in Utah. The first detachment of troops consisting of eight companies of the Tenth Regiment, and all the Fifth Regiment infantry-left Fort Leavenworth on the 18th of July, 1857, under the immediate command of Colonel E. B. Alexander. Later the two remain- ing companies of the Tenth were dispatched. under command of Colonel C. F. Smith. With these troops were the two batteries of Phelps and Reno. On the 16th of September six companies of the Second Dra- goons, left Fort Leavenworth, commanded by Colonel Philip St. George
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KANSAS AND KANSANS
Cooke. The following day Colonel Johnston started from Fort Leaven- worth with his staff, and with forty dragoons as an escort. Colonel Johnston and staff traveled in a light spring-wagon. All this foree went out over that branch of the Oregon Trail from Fort Leavenworth.
This expedition had been well provided with provision-trains and herds of cattle for beef. A Mr. Chiles of Independence, Missouri, had a con- tract to furnish eighteen hundred head of eattle at some point beyond Fort Bridger. William Clarke Quantrill, the guerrilla, was a herder with this bunch of eattle. He wintered in Utah, but news of the dis- covery of Gold at Pike's Peak took him to that region, from whence he returned to Kansas.
The movement of the army to suppress the Mormon uprising do not come under the history of Kansas, and only the fact that it went out over the Oregon Trail can be set down here. The command of this expedition was the last service Colonel Johnston rendered the United States. He became an officer in the Confederate Army, and was killed at Pittsburg Landing.
THE OVERLAND MAIL
There were no established mail routes across the Great Plains until the Mormons settled in Utah and gold had been discovered in California. These events caused the two great settlements of Americans to be made west of the Rocky Mountains. The first was in the valley of the Great Salt Lake, and the second was on the Pacific Coast. There had been emigration to Oregon and California before either of the events referred to had occurred, but the settlers were not numerous enough to cause the establishment of a mail service to accommodate them. While the Mormons were hostile to the United States and had started to settle in the Salt Lake Valley when the country still belonged to Mexico, there were many among them who looked back to the United States as a mother-land. They desired news from home. And it was but a few months until the country to the Pacific Ocean fell to the United States by the fortunes of war, and the Mormons found themselves again citizens of the country they had foresworn. The settlement in California, the stupendous production of wealth there, the enterprises of the country projected on so enormous a seale, made it necessary to furnish means of communication with the Government at Washington and relatives and friends in every state. Ships did indeed bring mail around the cape and some soon found its way across the isthmus, but Americans exalted with more money than the world had ever known were not to remain content with so slow a process. It became necessary to found the Over- land Mail.
The first contract for an overland mail service was made with Samuel H. Woodson, of Independence, Missouri. It was for a monthly service between that point and Great Salt Lake, and was called "The Great Salt Lake Mail." The contract was awarded in 1850, the service to begin July 1, 1850, and continue to June 30, 1854. The distance was
165
KANSAS AND KANSANS
more than eleven hundred miles, and the amount to be paid Woodson was $19,500 per annum. This mail was carried on horses and mules. In 1854, the contract was awarded to W. M. F. MeGraw, of Maryland, for $13,500 per annum. Three mules were used in this service, each carrying a sack of mail and ridden by an agent fantastically garbed in fringed buckskin and other ornamental mountain attire. There was a line from Salt Lake City to San Francisco, and MeGraw had helped to carry passengers overland at the rate of $180 to Salt Lake City and $300 to the California terminal. For some time he was not equipped for his passenger business. The Mormon War inereased the volume of business and the mail was transported in wagons drawn by mules. As this was but a monthly mail it was found insufficient for the needs of the Govern- ment. In 1858 John M. Hoekaday, of Missouri, was given a eontraet for a weekly mail over the same route for $190,000 per annum. The start- ing point was St. Joseph, Missouri. The Government paid a like sum for carrying the mail from Salt Lake City to San Francisco. The returns from this service amounted to very little, being only $5,412.03 for the first year. This contraet was sold to the great freighting firm of Russell, Majors & Waddell in the year 1859.
The Government immediately prior to the Civil War was in the hands of the South. The great overland mail was directed and carried through Southern territory-from Memphis and St. Louis by Little Rock and El Paso to Sau Francisco. When the administration changed to loyal hands the mail was carried from St. Joseph, Missouri, to which point the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad had been completed. The Southern route was discontinued in March, 1861. This contract was soon annulled. It was decided to put on a daily mail from St. Joseph, by Salt Lake City to Placerville, California. As soon as the railroad reached Atehison, Kansas, that town was made the initial point of this route. From this time there were abundant mail facilities provided for the Western settlers. The overland stage was soon an established institution on the Oregon Trail, and the coaches always carried mail.
OVERLAND FREIGNITING
After the establishment of Fort Laramie, the Government was under the necessity of contracting for the transportation of freight to that point. Some of the first supplies were hauled by the Government, per- haps, but the practice of employing private parties to perform this ser- vice was always in favor. When Fort Kearny was erected supplies were hauled to that point. The freighters who first took contraets for transporting supplies over the Oregon Trail had mostly gained their experience in this overland business on the Santa Fe Trail.
In 1855 Alexander Majors and William II. Russell, both of Western Missouri, formed a partnership for freighting across the plains under the name of Majors & Russell. This firm carried all the freight to the posts west of Fort Leavenworth that year. Cholera prevailed on the plains, especially between Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley. Major
16€
KANSAS AND KANSANS
A. E. Ogden, Quartermaster at Fort Leavenworth, died at Fort Riley of the disease. Many emigrants died of this scourge, which followed all the trails over the plains. The cholera affeeted the freighting busi- ness, but Majors & Russell made profits amounting to three hundred thousand dollars in 1855 and 1856. This will serve as an index to the volume of the freighting done over the Oregon Trail in those years. For there were many other freighting firms in the business over the trail, transporting goods to Utah. The amount of hauling required by the Government was more than doubled by the Mormon War, though freighting to Utah for the Mormons was stopped for the time.
Majors & Russell added another partner in the spring of 1858, the style of the firm being then Russell, Majors & Waddell (the last name pronounced Wad'-dle, not Wad-dell'). The Government contracted with this company to transport sixteen million pounds of freight over the Oregon Trail for the years 1858 and 1859. To perform this enor- mous contraet it was necessary for the company to purchase thirty-five hundred wagons and forty thousand oxen. This immense ontfit was separated into earavans and pushed ont constantly from Fort Leaven- worth heavily laden. Floods hindered them early in the year 1858. The contract was faithfully performed. Many of the caravans got into the Salt Lake Valley too late to return to Fort Leavenworth. The wagons would not be required for the next year. They were parked on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, where they covered several aeres of ground. They remained there more than a year, and were finally sold to the Mormons for ten dollars cach, the purchasers breaking them up for the iron used in their construction. These wagons had eost the company more than one hundred and fifty dollars each. The oxen were driven into Skull Valley, where they wintered on the dried grass. Thirty-five hundred of the best ones were selected to be driven to Cali- fornia. They were driven to Ruby Valley, in what is now Nevada, to winter on the dried grass found there in plenty. A heavy snow, how- ever, covered the grass until the eattle could not get to it. They starved and froze to death, only two hundred being saved. This loss footed up about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The Indians stam- peded one thousand head of oxen on the Platte the same year. Not- withstanding these losses, the company made large profits on this con- tract.
These caravans of freighters were called "trains." Each wagon was drawn by six yoke of oxen-twelve oxen. Twenty-five wagons eom- posed a train. The captains of these trains were instructed to keep two or three miles apart on the trail. If the grass had been eaten closely along the road, or if water became scarce, they were to remain six to eight miles apart. The captains of the trains acted as wagon- masters. There was an assistant wagon-master, and there was a herder to attend the oxen at night. Extra oxen for each train were driven along to replace those who might from any cause become disabled, and there was an attendant for these. There was a driver for each team or wagon. The number of men for each train footed up thirty-one. On
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KANSAS AND KANSANS
the plains these trains were known as "bull-trains" and the drivers were known as "bull-whackers." Every man was armed for the pro- tection of the trains. The route of this great business followed the Oregon Trail from Fort Leavenworth to Kennekuk, in the northwestern corner of Atchison County, thenee by Seneca to the Big Blue, in Marshall County, thenee up the Big Blue bearing to the west, entering Jefferson County, Nebraska, near its southeast corner; thence up the Little Blue to the Platte, at Fort Kearny. Mr. Majors said of the Oregon Trail :
"There is no other road in the United States, nor in my opinion else- where, of the same leugth, where such numbers of men and animals could travel during the summer season as eould over the thoroughfare from the Missouri River up the Platte and its tributaries to the Rocky Mountains." At one time, the firm of Russell, Majors & Waddell employed in their business seventy-five thousand oxen and used six thou- sand two hundred and fifty wagons. These wagons were especially constructed for this business according to specifications furnished by Mr. Majors, and they would carry seven thousand pounds of merchan- dise.
After the Mormon War was over the freighting of the Mormons to supply their own wants was resumed. Their supplies had to come from points on the Missouri River. Many converts passed over the trail every year to settle in Utah-gather in Zion. The population of the Great Salt Lake Valley inereased rapidly, and many other parts of Utah were explored and settled. Another event which gave impetus to the business of freighting over the Oregon Trail was the discovery of gold on Cherry Creek, a tributary of the South Platte, in the western portion of Kansas-now Colorado. It was in the fall of 1857, that it beeame generally known that there was gold to be found in the streams heading under Pike's Peak. Early in 1858, expeditions left Kansas for these gold fields. Atchison became one of the points on the Missouri from which the parties of gold-hunters outfitted. A eitizen of that town sent out a competent engineer to study the best routes to the gold-diggings. It was found that it was six hundred and twenty miles from Atchison to Denver. It was six hundred and eighty-five miles from Leavenworth to Denver. For five hundred miles over this route there was not a house. Various roads were laid out from Missouri- River points to Denver, all branching from some route to the Oregon Trail. The heavy travel finally settled to the one over the trail to Julesburg, on the South Platte, thenee along that stream to Denver. The rates per pound for transporting freight to the Cherry Creek region were as follows:
Flour
9 (ts. Crackers 17
ets.
Tobacco
121. "
Whiskey
18 ..
Sugar
1313 66 Glass
1915
Bacon
15
Trunks 25
Dry Goods 15
Furniture 31
On other artieles-necessaries of life-the charges were about the same. While many of the gold hunters returned disappointed, others
168
A TABLE SHOWING THE NUMBER OF TRAINS WHICH HAVE LEFT ATCHISON THIS SEASON. FOR SALT LAKE CITY AND OTHER POINTS ON THE PLAINS, TOGETHER WITH THE NUMBER OF MEN, CATTLE, MULES, HORSES AND WAGONS ENGAGED IN TRANSPORTING, AND THE AMOUNT OF THE FREIGHT SHIPPED
Owners
Residenca
Freightera
Residence
Destination
Wagona
Men
Oxen 480
Horsea
Mules
Pounds Merchandisa
Radford. Cabot & Co ........ St. Louis ...
.. P. M. Chateau & Ce ..
Kansas City.
... Salt Lake City.
.S. L. M. Stations.
10
20
.....
...
5
21
315.000
Dyer. Mason & Co ..
.. Independence .. W. H. Dyer & Co ...
.Independence
.Salt Lake City ...
27
35
350
3
6
149,000
Radford, Cabot & Co.
.. St. Louis
.J. B. Doyle
. New Mexico
. Salt Lake City ...
38
43
460
13
....
198.500
John M. Hockady & Co ...
.Mail Contractors .... Second Supply Train
.Independence
.S. L. M. Stations.
36
380
12
6
145.500
C. C. Branham ..
Weston
.C. C. Branham .
.. Weston
.Salt Lake City ...
28
123
1,080
7
18
500.501
C. A Perry & Co.
Weston
.C. A. Perry & Co.
. Weston ..
.Salt Lake City ..
91
38
456
4
7
212,800
R. H. Dyer & Co ..
.Fort Kearney
.R. H. Dyer & Co ..
.Fort Kearney.
.Fort Kearney ..
25
280
1
3
120.000
F. J Marshall ..
. Marysville
.F. J. Marshall.
.Marysville
Palmetto
..
.Salt Lake City ..
32
40
384
1
7
160,000
Irvin & Young.
, Independence
.Irvin & Young ..
.Independence
Independence
.Salt Lake City ..
52
59
624
2
15
234.017
J. M. Guthrio & Co.
Weston, Mo.
.S. M. Guthrie & Co.
. Weston
Salt Lake City ..
50
60
700
3
8
252.000
Curtas Clayton
.Leavenworth
.C. C. Branham .
Westen
.. Salt Lake City ..
12
380
1
12
66.000
Reynald & McDonald.
.Fort Laramie
. Reynald & McDonald
Fort Laramie
.Fort Laramie ..
9
15
163
6
49.000
(. Martin
.. Green Biver .
.C. Martin ..
.Green River.
.Green River ..
12
84
6
1
35.000
Livingston, Kinkead & Co .... New York ..
. Hord & Smith.
.Independence
.Salt Lake City.
50
5
325
159,400
Hord & Smith
.Independence
.Hord & Smith.
.Independence
.Do and Way Points.
10
15
2
85
37.400
Bisonette & Lazinette.
Deer Creek ..
Bisonette & Lazinette.
.Deer Creek
.Labonto
13
20
156
6
....
67,600
Ballord & Moralle.
Marysville
J. S. Watson ..
.Marysville
. Marysville
13
108
3
45.000
R. H. Dyer & Co. .Fort Kearney.
R. H. Dyer & Co.
.Fort Kearney.
13
20
158
2
....
68.100
John M. Hockady & Co ... .Independence
.Third Supply Train ...
.S. L. M. Stations.
57
60
.....
6
312
204.000
Geo. Chorpoening ..
.. California
.A. J. Schell ..
.Pennsylvania
.. Cal. & S. L. Stat's.
12
20
.....
....
80
21.000
Hockady, Burr & Co ..
... Salt Lake City.
. Hockady, Burr & Co.
. Utala
.Salt Lake City.
105
225
1,000
50
200
465.500
775
1,114
7.963
142
1.286
3,730,905
Freedom's Champion: October 30, 1858.
KANSAS AND KANSANS
S. G. Mason & Co ...
.Independence .E. C. Chiles
. Independence
. Salt Lake City.
70
720
80
23.000
John M. Hockaday & Co. .... Mall Contractors .... First Supply Train
.Independence
40
8
12
181,587
18
85
21,000
20
Livingston, Kinkead & Co .... New York ..
.Irvin & Young ..
25
..
..
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KANSAS AND KANSANS
remained as permanent settlers. Denver grew rapidly, It was the county seat of Arapahoe County, Kansas, and the headquarters of the gold-seekers-the point about which the Pike's Peak gold excitement centered. It absorbed much of the freight passing out over the Oregon Trail, and in a few years was known as the "Queen City of the Plains."
As showing the volume of the freighting business from one point on the Missouri River, the statistics of it from Atchison for the year 1858 are copied from the Champion, of October 30, 1858. (See opposite page.)
THE OVERLAND STAGE
It was to be expected that the contractors to transport the mails overland to Salt Lake City, and later to Denver, should engage in the business of carrying passengers in their wagons. Hoekaday & Liggett put on a line of stage coaches from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Salt Lake City in connection with their mail contract. As the mail went out but twice a month this was a slow line, and if a passenger barely missed a departing coach he was doomed to a wait of two weeks.
In the winter of 1858 the Pike's Peak gold excitement was at its most intense period. Denver was growing much as Jonah's gourd had flourished. Two members of the firm of Russell, Majors & Waddell, Messrs. Majors and Russell were in Washington City in the winter of 1858-59. With them was one John S. Jones, of Pettis County, Missouri. Russell and Jones decided to establish a daily stage line from Leavenworth to Denver. It was proposed to have Mr. Majors inter- ested in that line, but he said it would not pay, and declined to enter the new venture. The mules and coaches for the new stage line were bought on a eredit of ninety days, notes being given to secure indebted- ness. The route was quickly established. Stations were ten to fifteen miles apart-average, about twelve miles. The route was from the City of Leavenworth to Denver, striking the Kansas River about Indian- ola, a station three miles northwest of Topeka. Thenee it followed the river-up the Smoky Hill-to the plains east of Denver, thenee direct to that eity. The service was good. The coaches made about one hun- dred miles every twenty-four hours, taking the mails and passengers the entire distance in six days. The eastern terminus was soon changed to Atchison, as much of the patronage of the line came to that town by the Hannibal railroad. The first coach over this line entered Denver May 17, 1859.
The judgment of Mr. Majors was soon confirmed. When the notes executed in payment for the coaches and mules fell due Russell & Jones could not take them up. Majors was appealed to in this erisis, and he consented to the payment of the notes by the firm of Russell, Majors & Waddell, who became by this transaction owners of the line. The service was continued. Having engaged in the passenger traffic, it was believed to be to the interest of their new line to add to it the old line of Hoekaday & Liggett, from St. Joseph to Salt Lake City. It was accordingly bought. It was reorganized. The old coaches were
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KANSAS AND KANSANS
inferior in quality and poor in arrangement. The plan had been to start out a coach and drive it several hundred miles without a change of mules or horses. The coach was halted and the team permitted to graze at stated intervals. The time from St. Joseph to Salt Lake City was often twenty days-sometimes longer. The new proprietors put up good stations every ten to fifteen miles. These stations were fur- nished with good stables where horses were kept to change the teams drawing coaches. Attendants were in waiting with fresh teams, and the time required to take out the tired team and hitch up the new team was redneed to a few minutes. It was sometimes accomplished in five minutes. A stage coach was started each day from each terminus. The time from St. Joseph to Salt Lake City was reduced to ten days.
The mail contract between these points was later awarded to the pro- prietors of the stage line, but not in time to prevent their suffering immense loss. The amount to be paid for carrying the mail was four hundred thousand dollars annually. The stage line was sold to Ben IIolladay just before the first quarterly payment of one hundred thou- sand dollars was made.
Holladay became the great Overland Stage man. He, was born on the old Blue Licks battlefield, in Kentucky, in 1824. He came as a young man to Western Missouri. For a time he kept a saloon or liquor- shop at Weston. He was a good business man. With three associates he bought the Union Mills at Weston, and also a large body of land. The plains were familiar to him for he had gone with Doniphan in the Mormon War in Missouri as courier and express videt. He was a con- tractor to deliver rations to General Kearny and Doniphan's expedition. At the close of the War with Mexico he purchased from the Government a large amount of war material, inelnding wagons and oxen. In 1849 he organized the first trading expedition to Salt Lake City ever taken out by a gentile. The train consisted of fifty wagons. In this venture he had for partner Hon. Theodore F. Warner, who is said to have used his credit to buy the goods. How he succeeded in Salt Lake City is told by one who knew him in those days :
IIe was the first Gentile trader to the Mormons. He had a letter from Gen. A. W. Doniphan, to whom Joseph Smith and Brigham Young sur- rendered at Far West, in 1838, reciting that IFolladay, as a boy, had been one of his orderlies at that surrender, and had then expressed sympathy for them, and had helped to render the condition of the women and children more comfortable after the leaders had been imprisoned.
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