USA > Kansas > Wabaunsee County > Early history of Wabaunsee County, Kansas, with stories of pioneer days and glimpses of our western border.. > Part 10
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAS.
them. I racked right out for home. I couldn't stand the rest of them joshing me about being so small.
But if I couldn't do one thing I would try another. So I hired to a wagon-master of a freight train and made a trip to New Mexico and back. Freighting in that day and age was a hard racket for a kid and I didn't grow much on the trip. 1 measured myself but didn't come up to the standard of a soldier.
In the spring of '62 I was still below the standard, and I took an- other trip freighting to Santa Fe. I got back Augut 21, '62, and found the fighting still going on in dead earnest. Each side had found they had a big job on hand. Greck had met Greek.
The soldiers of the hardest fighting nation in the world had met on several bloody fields and had demonstrated that one side had no advantage of the other as far as fighting qualities were concerned. The American is a foe worthy of any man's steel-let him be Russian, Prussian, Briton or Turk.
The country was needing soldiers and now was my chance. I hadn't got big enough yet to fill the standard, but necessity sometimes compels the government to vary a little in regard to height and weight.
They were recruiting now for the 11th Kansas Infantry, so I just footed it to Fort Leavenworth and enlisted in Co. E. The mustering- in officer scrutinized me pretty close. He said I was pretty small but as I had footed it one hundred miles to enlist he thought I had pluck enough for a soldier if I didn't have the size. So he said he guessed he would have to take me in.
I felt awful proud of being a Kansas soldier then and I can say I have no reason to be ashamed of it yet. The Kansas soldier is one of the best that tramps the earth. He has few equals and no superior. He has been tried on over one hundred hard fought battle-fields and has never been found wanting.
When the war commenced the Kansas soldier had his record to make and he was subjected to a good deal of ridicule and derision from regiments from older states that had former records as soldiers.
But when the war was over the Kansas soldier's fighting qualities were not questioned by either friend or foe.
Well, the regiment was drilled about four weeks at Fort Leaven- worth and then we were sent to the front on a forced march-on a four hundred mile trip.
The large boys and men had a good deal of fun at my expense be- cause I was small. They said I couldn't carry a gun, and forty rounds of amunition, and my blanket and knapsack and keep up on the march. They said I would have to be hauled in one of the wagons or an ambu- lanco.
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAS.
I had nothing to say but I did a whole lot of thinking. I thought I knew who would have to crawl into a wagon. That spring and sum- mer I had footed it from Fort Leavenworth to Santa Fe and back, and from Leavenworth home, and from home to Leavenworth to en- list, and I thought I knew what walking meant.
The first day out the command made about forty-five miles and the next day about twenty miles. The second day when we got into camp the big boys and men were strung out for about five miles, limping along with sore feet or stealing a ride in the wagons when they could get in.
The next day it was the same, only worse. Then I had the laugh on them. I asked them who had to be hauled in the wagon? I was used to walking and could run the best of them down. But they got all right after they got used to walking.
When we got down into Arkansas we camped close to a rebel woman's house and near our regiment three soldiers belonging to the 6th Kansas-dispatch bearers-were encamped. The sergeant of the squad was a large, coarse looking old man. He went to the house and asked the woman for a skillet to fry his meat in. I was drawing a bucket of water at the well near the door and heard the conversation.
She told the sergeant that she wouldn't lend him anything-that soldiers would lie and steal everything they could lay their hands on. The old sergeant said: "Madam, I am as honest as I am ugly; I will bring your skillet back !" She looked him all over and then handed him the skillet without saying another word.
Thinks I, old man, if you are as honest as you are ugly, your word ought to be as good as your bond. He took the woman's skillet back as soon as he got his meat fried and borrowed it again next morning, again taking it back.
Soon after that my father (Allen Hodgson) wrote me that he had a cousin in the 6th Kansas Cavalry by the name of Jonathan Hodg- son and if I ever got a chance I had better go and see him. The first time I ran across the 6th Kansas I inquired for him and when I found him who should it be but the old sergeant that borrowed the skillet. We had a good laugh over the first time we met in Arkansas.
At Pea Ridge we met General Scofield's command going North, but we pushed on and joined General Blunt in North Western Arkan- sas. In a few days we marched to Fort Wagner in the Cherokee Nation. Here were about 7000 rebels and Indians. General Blunt pitched into them with the 2nd and the 11th Kansas and Rabb's bat- tery. The 2nd Kansas charged their battery and captured it before the balance of our command got up.
When we got there on the run the Indian regiment followed them up and killed and scalped a good many of them. Our next shindy was
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at Cane Hill, Arkansas. The rebels were ready for us and had every- thing fixed. They had a six gun battery in position. The 2nd Kan- sas, with Rabb's battery and the 11th Kansas were in the advance. Rabb's battery charged up within 400 yards of the rebel battery. The rebel battery was already in position and Rabb's battery had to go into position under fire, and before it could get ready for action it was pretty badly used up. The first shot from Rabb's battery knocked one gun off of the wheels. They done them up in short order when they got at it.
The first man I saw when we came up was one of the battery boys leaning up against a tree with his under jaw shot clean off. We had a running fight through the mountains for about 11 miles. Night came on and that stopped the fight for that day.
We stayed at Cane Hill till the 7th day of December, '62 The 5th day of December, General Hindman made a feint on Cane Hill. On the 6th he renewed the attack. His idea was to fight us there with part of his army and move the main part around on the wire road to Rhea's mills where our supply train was.
Blunt had a scout on that road but neglected his business and let Hindman go around the night of the 6th. We were fighting on picket line all night and looking for a hard battle the next day, but a little after sunrise we heard a heavy artillery fire to the north west.
We knew then what was up-Hindman was after our supply train. As luck would have it, General Herron was on his way to reinforce Blunt and met Hindman at Prairie Grove and then the fight com- menced.
Herron had four regiments of infantry and one of cavalry, which with Blunt's command made about 8000 men. When we heard the cannon at Prairie Grove we started on the double quick and got there about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. They had Herron's men pretty badly done up. Hindman had about 5000 reinforcements come onto the field the same time we got in. We could hear Herron's men cheering. . When they heard us open on the left they went in again in dead earnest.
It was a pitched battle from then till after dark. Finally both sides fell back. We knew we were badly used up but expected to try it again the next day. We stayed in line of battle all night but we found the next morning the rebels had retreated. .
As near as I can recollect we lost about 2000 men, killed and wounded.
The next day we buried the dead and moved the wounded to Fayetteville. The 9th of December we started back to Cane Hill. The rebels had moved their wounded to that place and they we in our lines.
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The government furnished them rations as long as we stayed there.
The last of January we started for Van Buren and Fort Smith. From the bluff above Van Buren we could see the streets filled with soldiers. A charge by the 2nd Kansas resulted in the capture of about 300 confederates and the town.
Next we took Fort Smith, capturing three steamboats loaded with supplies. We then returned to Huntsville and thence to Vernon county, Mo.
Another short trip South was followed by a furlough-just in time to join U. S. Marshal Mc Dowell's posse in pursuit of Bill Anderson on his raid through his old stamping ground. Bill got within speaking distance of our sentries near the Cottonwood crossing of the Santa Fe Trail, but he wheeled about and in a few days was hack in old Missouri without losing a man.
Was It a Mistake ?
On Oct. 3, 1865, a petition signed by H. J. Loomis and nine others was presented to the board of county commissioners, praying for the voting of bonds to the amount of $100,000, to aid the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.
The petition was rejected, but a few months later the sum of $50,000 was asked for and an election ordered-to be held Feb. 24, 1866. But again the proposition was rejected by a vote of 127 to 49.
The Santa Fe was then in its swaddling clothes and in view of the gigantic undertaking it was but natural that the company should seek assistance to enable it to accomplish what then seemed a problem impossible of solution.
Whether or not the residents of Osage and Lyon counties were more far-seeing than ourselves is an undetermined question but at any rate they voted the bonds asked for and secured for themselves ad van- tages in the way of railroad facilities that we might have had for the asking.
Considering the fact that after long and weary waiting we voted nearly three times the amount that had been asked for, in bonds, for a feeder to what has proven to be a great National highway the question
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
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as to the mistake made could be correctly answered only by a reply in the most emphatic affirmative.
Our enthusiasm in the matter of railroads was aroused at an hour detrimental to our material interests, but it came, nevertheless.
Not at Home.
Our short story refers to an occasion when absence from home possibly saved the life of the early settler, who, fortunately, was not at home when the stranger called to pay, what the circumstances seemed to indicate, an unfriendly visit.
In the early days of 1857 the elder Mr. Crafts was keeping batch in the Gilbert house (our first home) on Dragoon creek. He had shoul- dered his rifle and at the time referred to was sitting on the ridge about a quarter of a mile east of the house hoping to get a stray shot at a deer that frequented the patch of timber near the old "mill pond."
While watching for deer Mr. Crafts kept his weather eye on the house and to his surprise saw an Indian, with rifle in hand, "creeping -in a crouched position -towards the old house-expecting, probably, to find the old gentleman at home.
Cautiously and stealthily the Indian crept toward the cabin. Arriving near the house he appeared to be listening for some sound from within that might indicate the presence of the one whom he was evidently seeking for no good purpose
It is needless to say that the elder Crafts was a close observer as to the Indian's movements and it is more than probable that in this instance the old pioneer derived considerable satisfaction from the fact that more than a quarter of a mile of space intervened between his own person and that of the wily Mr. Lo.
Mr. Crafts often congratulated himself that for once in his life- time he was fortunate in being "Not at home."
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
On the Ground Floor.
All are familiar with the story of the agent, who, having sunk a fortune in speculating with his employer's capital held out promising inducements in a "sure thing" by assuring his supposed easy victim that he would be let in "on the ground floor." That is all right, said Mr. Go-easy, but my experience has been of a kind to induce the belief that the ground floor would be a mighty good place but for the - that I have invariably found ahead of me in the cellar.
But there is no cellar in the comparison involving the reputation of Charley and Chris Rath for getting in on the ground floor. These two enterprising German boys came to Wabaunsee county in the fifties and at once proceeded to make things come their way. With com- mendable foresight the boys set about preparing for the influx of that immigration they felt assured would seek out the good farming lands in the Mill creek valley.
With prophetic vision they beheld the conditions that should con- trol in the years to come. It was clear to them that with the advent of prosperity the customs of the people would undergo a change. While in those days a diet of pumpkins was more than acceptable waving wheat fields and cribs brimming full of corn would induce aristocratic tendencies and create a demand for the wherewith to manufacture brown bread and biscuits galore.
The boys would anticipate the advent of the Utopian era by erect- ing a mill. Before bidding adieu to the Fatherland they had seen the overshot mills of the Upper Rhine and had copied in miniature with a jack-knife what they now proposed to put to a practical test in the waters of Mill creek.
Stone was quarried and hauled to a point on the Droege farm, one and a half miles south of Alma. The wheel was put in place and the day dreams of the sturdy boys were all but realized when the big flood of June, 1858, blasted their hopes of making a fortune in the mill- ing business, forever.
But the young men were not altogether discouraged. They drifted west and with Grifenstein made a good living poisoning wolves on the Walnut-and here is where the boys proved good their proverbial aptness for getting in on the ground floor.
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
Peacock, with Allison, had made a big fortune trading with the Indians, trappers, and overland freighters, at their trading post at the month of the Walnut. They had no banks in which to deposit their hordes of gold other than the sandy banks of Walnut creek and the Arkansas river. Holes were dug within the stockade and here was buried their treasure, taken in exchange for such barter as was accept- able to their plainsmen customers.
But with all Peacock's shrewdness he was indiscreet enough to warn those crossing the plains against the treachery and double deal- ing of Satank. the terror of the plains in the sixties. Taking offense at the contents of a begging paper given him by Peacock, Satank went with a band of his followers to the ranch and expressed to Peacock the fear that soldiers were coming. Peacock's assurance to the contrary was in vain. Peacock must see. At Satank's urgent request the ranchman mounted the stockade and scanned the horizon with his long spyglass. While looking for the soldiers-with one eye closed- an arrow from Satank's strong bow sank deep in the socket of the other eye-and the life of one of the most daring of the pioneers of the plains went out forever.
Then followed a horrible and indiscriminate slaughter-only one life was spared. A man with the smallpox was not disturbed. Not mercy, but fear of the dreaded scourge, was responsible for the seem- ing act of lenience on the part of Satank and his minions that day.
In vain the Indians sought the hiding places of the treasure they hoped to find. They prodded the ground but digging holes was too much like work.
Not so with Charley and Chris Rath. True to their punctual methods they were on hand in time and a little digging in the soft sand was easy as compared with digging the mill race while residents of Wabaunsee connty.
During the war Charley Rath was a freighter and hay contractor at Fort Dodge and if Rumor is to be credited his good luck dated from bis digging holes in the sand on the banks of the Walnut.
The boys had got in on the ground floor.
In the early history of Kansas people adapted themselves to sur- rounding circumstances. The story goes that three families lived together in a house ten feet square, notwithstanding the generally accepted statement that no house is big enough to hold two women one and the same time. And it is alleged that in this instance that harmony prevailed until one of the families concluded to take in boarders. Then there was music in the air
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
MR. GEO. L. HORTON, Harveyville.
MR. AND MRS. M. P. EARLY, Harveyville.
MR. M. JESTER, Eskridge.
MR. JOHN N. BARLOW, Harveyville.
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
MR. E. N. MANN, Alma.
MR. HARRY NEWMAN, Alma.
MR. AUGUST ĮBEUTEL,“Alma.
MR. C. M. ROSE, Alma.
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
CAPT. E. C. D. LINES (dec'd), Wabaunsee.
MR. G. S. BURT, Wabaunsee.
MR. LOUIS UNDORF, Alma.
MR. W. S. WHITLOCK, Kaw Township. County Surveyor.
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
MR. L. J. WOODARD (former Probate Judge) and Wife, Alta Vista.
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MR. GEORGE BERROTH (dec'd) and Wife, Wabaunsee Township.
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM DIEBALL, West Branch.
MR. AND MRS. KETTERMANN, Near Alma.
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
MR. ED. KRAPP, Alma.
MR. ABE WELFELT, Tecumseh, I. T.
MR. CHET DAVIS, Alma.
MR. S. G. CANTRILL, Harveyville.
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
MR. ISAIAH HARRIS (dec'd ), Harveyville.
MRS. ISAIAH HARRIS. Harveyville.
M. E. CHURCH, Harveyville.
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CHRISTIAN CHURCH, Harveyville.
EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
REV. D. B. SCOTT.
DR. ED. F. MOORE, Eskridge.
ORCHARD ON THE FREEMAN FARM, near Bradford. E. STURDY, Manager.
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
MR. HERMAN MESEKE (deceased ), Templin.
MR. H, G. LICHT, Topeka. Former county clerk.
RESIDENCE OF J. J. MITCHELL, ESKRIDGE.
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
MR. MARTIN MUCKENTHALER, Newbury.
MR. CHAS. MUCKENTHALER,; Paxico.
HOTEL PAXICO.
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAN.
MR. WM. PROTHROW, WILMINGTON.
MR. FRANK HODGSON. HARVEYVILLE.
E.MEYER
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MRS. E. MEYER'S STORE, ALMA.
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EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAS.
A Pawnee Raid.
In the Spring of 1859 the Dragoon Creek settlement was considera- bly alarmed on account of a raid from a band of seven Pawnee Indians. The Indians were not looking for scalps particularly, though had the opportunity presented the probability is it would by no means have been neglected.
The Pawnees were deadly enemies of the Pottawatomies and had come into the country to steal some of their ponies. The Indians were afoot, but as they came by Sam Devaney's one morning before day- light they couldn't resist the temptation to take his old blind horse picketed near his log cabin on the slope just east of where Mr. Eli Walton now lives. There wasalso a two-year-old colt that the Indians couldn't catch, but the colt would follow, thus depriving Sam of his last horse.
A man named McCray lived on the Henry Easter place then and that night his wife was sick. To this fact was due the timely discov- ery of the raiding Indians. While on his way to Sam Devaney's for medi- cine he heard the Indians coming. Hiding till the Pawnees passed, MeCray, recognizing the horses hurried to Devaney's and gave the alarm.
The sun was hardly up before Devaney had got together three of his neighbors, Sam Harvey, Ira Hodgson and William Beebe, who with himself were soon hot on the trail. Devaney's party were well mounted-on four of the tive only remaining horses in the neighbor- hood-there being but seven horses, all told, in the settlement.
The ground being soft from recent rains the pursuing party had no difficulty in keeping track of the thieving Pawnees. The trail was followed up the creek and over the ridge to the John Copp place-now the Allendorph ranch.
From a clump of bushes near the head of a steep, stony, ravine, a tiny column of smoke ascended. Feeling assured that a scrap was com- ing the pursuing party made a hasty examination of their arms-and such arms-for three men and a boy to give battle to seven Indian
102 EARLY HISTORY OF WABAUNSEE COUNTY, KAS.
warriors. There were just two guns and three single-barreled pistols.
But there was no backing out. The boys were after Devaney's stolen horses and didn't propose to return without them. Making for the mouth of the ravine the pursuing party were confronted by the Indians, who had evidently been on the lookout for just such a contin- gency.
As the Indians emerged from the ravine they began shooting, their first shot being aimed at Ira Hodgson. the boy of the party, Ira being a lad of but 13 years of age. Ira returned the Indian's fire and his shot probably saved Devaney's life, as the Indian dodged as he tired. Though but thirty yards distant every shot fired by the Indians went wild. But the Indians were not so fortunate. As they ran, Sam Devaney shot one big Indian through the lungs and he fell to the ground with a thud. The boys said when the ball struck the Indian's buffalo robe it sounded like a drum.
Supposing the Indian who fell had been killed, the boys gave the other Pawnees a hot chase for three miles, shooting whenever the opportunity offered, but owing to rough ground and brush six of the Indians got away.
Returning to the Indians' camp Devaney and his party found the blind horse picketed out in a near-by ravine and the colt close at hand. They then examined the Indian and though the ball had passed entire- ly through his breast there was a possibility that with good care he might live. Arrangements were made with John Copp to haul the In- dian down to his place and take care of him till he could send word to the Kaws, it never for a moment being suspected that the wounded Indian was a Pawnee.
John Copp made the Indian a comfortable bed down by the hay stacks and sent word to the Kaws to come and take charge of the wounded Indian.
In a few days the Kaws came over-about thirty of them, but John was away. Then for the first time it was learned that the wounded Indian was a Pawnee, The way the Indians took care of him left no doubt on that point -they scalped him alive and left him in his bed by the haystacks.
But John wouldn't have it that way. He followed the Kaws and told them they must return and kill the Indian they had scalped and purposely left to die a lingering death.
But the Kaws were in an accommodating mood and they not only killed the Indian but proceeded to perform the last sad rites after their own peculiar fashion in the case of a dead Pawnee-knowing full well a band of Pawnees would gladly return the compliment should one of their number fall into their hands under similar circumstances.
After cutting the Pawnee's throat the Kaws tied one end of a lar- iat about his neck and the other to the tail of the wildest pony in the
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herd. Then the work of preparing the body for burial commenced. With spear points and sharp sticks thrust into his flank ; and rear that pony was soon made to know the part he was expected to play in the program and the demoniac yells from thirty Indian throats caused the pony to put such energy into his movements that when that part of the ceremony was over there were pieces of Pawnee scattered all about the stony hills of Mill Creek, but mighty little flesh left on the bones for the coyotes.
The Indians then cut off the head of the dead Pawnee and used it for a foot-ball, after which they dumped the now denuded skeleton into a ravine and covering it over with stones the Kaws with grunts of satisfaction declared the funeral ceremonies ended and at once took up their march for their reservation.
The six remaining Pawnces had no idea of returning to their vil- lages without a dozen or more ponies belonging to their more affluent neighbors, the Pottawatomies. There was a big village down on the cast side of Kuenzli Creek, on what is now the Frank Rickershauser farm, and the hills and ravines were dotted with ponies. The Paw- nees succeeded in cutting out a few fine ones, but the Pottawatomies were on the alert and after a running fight of ten miles or more six Pawnee scalps furnished the best proof that the Pottawatomies were amply able to look after their herds.
But there was mourning in the Pawnee villages for the seven braves who never returned.
NOTE .- Mr. John Copp, near whose place the above tragic scene was enacted, was an eye witnes to the cruel manner in which the Kaws disposed of their Pawnee victim. What had been intended as an act of kindness on his part proved a sad disappointment to himself and a terrible closing act in the life of the raiding Pawnee. After the open- ing of the Pottawatomie lands to settlement Mr. Copp located just north of the Paxico mill. He served several terms as County Commis- sioner. Mr. Samuel Harvey moved to Colorado in 1876, where he was elected County Clerk of Gunnison County. Mr. Ira Hodgson, the boy of the pursuing party, now lives at Frisco, Ok. Devaney returned to Missouri and Beebe's whereabouts are unknown.
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