USA > Nebraska > Nebraska history and record of pioneer days, Vol. III > Part 2
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Mrs. Marie Antoinette Newberry Filley, resident of Auburn, Nebraska, in the early sixties, died in Portland, Oregon, January 1st.
Gus B. Speice, born in Columbus, Nebraska, July 16, 1864, died January 4th; son of Charles A. and Katherine Becker Speice, pio- neers of Platte county; was active in business and political life; held the offices of clerk of the district court, mayor, and city treasurer.
Mrs. Sarah Waite, Beatrice, died January 5th; settled at Brown- ville, Nebraska, in October, 1867.
John Rhoden, Dixon county, pioneer of 1856, died January 5th.
Mrs. Martha Nicholson Thorp, Nebraska City, died January 6th; married to Edwin F. Thorp, October 19, 1862; in 1863 moved to Ne- braska City.
William Henry Kerns, resident of Nebraska since 1867, died in Table Rock, January 6th.
James T. Munson, resident of Lancaster county since 1866, died January 8th.
Mrs. Rosina Uhlig, Falls City, died January 8th; settled in Nem- aha county in 1857.
Mrs. Achte Margaretha Neemann, resident of Otoe county since 1862, died January 9th.
Aaron Wilson, pioneer of Burt county in 1866, died in Tacoma, Washington, January 9th.
MIA, Cospor E. Yost, rosident of Omaha since 18GG, diod at Long Boach Cal., about January 10th.
'Mr. Yost died November 22, 1920. He was the principal founder of the Nebraska Telephone Company, and when he retired from business, in 1919, he was president of the company and also of the Iowa Telephone Company and the Northwestern ,Telephone Ex- change Company.
Mrs. Bridget Bourke, resident of Nemaha county since 1862, died Jauuary 10th.
Mrs. Mary Costin a resident of Nebraska since 1857, died at her home near Gothenburg, January 11th.
James McKenna, 85 years old, resident of Omaha since 1865, died Jauuary 11th.
Mrs. Anna Marie Ramseyer, daughter of Rev. William Hamilton, noted missionary to the Indians, died ahout January 11th, in Mls- souri Valley, Iowa.
Father Hamilton, as he was commonly called, was a missionary among Indians of the west-of-the-Missouri plains during the larger part of his life. He was a teacher at the Sauk and Fox mission, Great Nemaha agency, from 1841 to 1853, when h became superin- tendent of the Crow and Omaha mission on separate reservations, in mained until these tribes were placed on separate reservations, in 1855. He was superintendent of the Omaha mission under the pat- ronage of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, from July, 1867, uutil 1869, when the mission was superseded by the new policy through which the Indian agencies were put uuder control of the sev- eral religious denominations, those in Nebraska falling to the Society of Friends.
John S. Ellison, a farmer for fifty-five years near Liberty, Ne- braska, died Jaunary 13th.
Mrs. Mary Buskirk, resident of Cass county, near Murdock for fifty-three years, died January 15th.
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Claudius P. Douglass died at his home near Melba, Platte county, January 16th; freighted from Nebraska City to Fort Laramie in 1866; settled permanently in Nebraska in 1883.
Joseph [William Martin, born in Pawnee county, Nebraska, No- vember 8, 1867, died January 18th; graduated from the college of medicine of the University of Nebraska in 1903.
Peter Freese died in Nebraska City January 19th; said to have been fireman on the first train that ran from Nebraska City to Lin- coln on the Midland Pacific railroad; was an engineer in the em- ploy of that railroad for many years; and a resident of Nebraska from 1866.
Barney Mullen, aged eighty-three years, resident of Nebraska since 1860, died at Shreveport, Louisiana, January 23rd; enlisted for service in the Civil War in the Sixth Illinois Cavalry, Company C, September 3, 1861; was mustered out at Nashville, December 16, 1865. After the war he resumed farming near Stella and left an estate of 1080 acres in Richardson county.
Mrs. Hannah M. Beatty, resident of Johnson county since 1866, died January 24th.
Peter E. Iler, resident of Omaha since 1866, died January 25th; engaged in the wholesale liquor business until 1902; president of the Wlilow Springs distillery and leader in antl-prohibition movements, was one of the promoters of the Omaha Stock Yards company; organ- ized with others the South Omaha Land .company; built many sub- stantial. buildings in Omaha among which was the Iler Grand Hotel.
Mr. Iler was a very influential citizen of Omaha for about forty Enoch W. Bline died January 26th in Omaha; crossed the in 1849; resided permanently in Nebraska since 18GG.
Eli Plummer, Lincoln, died January 27th; born Novemb 1835; settled in Plattsmouth in March 1863; engaged in wh grocery business in Lincoln in 1879; had a large part in the ¿ and development of Lincoln.
Mrs. Emily Jane Conover Deweber, resident of Nebraska 1859, died at her home near Pawnee City January 28th.
Mrs. Margaret Jane Strop Wise died at Heartwell, J: 28th; came to Nebraska in 1867.
Mrs. Martha Jane Brown Selby, resident of Nebraska 1865, died January 28th in Wauneta.
Augustus Lockner, resident of Nebraska since 1866, d Omaha January 29th, Mr. Lockner was a soldier of the Civ and also aided in guarding General Dodge and his party agai: dians during the building of the Union Pacific railroad.
John Stevenson, resident of Florence and Omaha since dicd January 29th; born in Scotland; came with his father, A der Stevensou, to Florence in July 1856.
Henry Schmidt, a member of the firm of Fred Schmi Brother, and a resident of Laucaster county for over fifty year January 29th.
William G. Hail, born in Nebraska City, July 23, 1856, C. C. and Susan Hail, died January 30th in Omaha.
Mrs. Elizabeth Catherine McCorkle Wiles, who settled i county in 1856, died January 31st. She was the mother of to and four daughters.
Mrs. William Daily, resideut of Auburn and Nemaha since 1861; died February 5th. other of Mrs. A. K. Goudy, state superintendent 1891-95.
Elmer E. Davis, native of Colfax county, born Noveml 1860, died February 5th.
W. L. E. Green, Independent, died February 5th; resided braska for fifty-four years.
Miss Margaret L. McCheane, Omaha, died February 5th : Beach, California; came to Omaha with her parents in 1857; 1 third woman employed by the Union Pacific railroad company ing in 1873 and was retired with a pension in 1909. .
.Mrs. Johannal Hinney, resident of Platte county In 18℃ February 6th at her home near Richland.
V. W. Darling, ninety-three years old, a resident of Nebra sixty-five years, died in Auburn, February 7th.
Milton M. Harney, resident of Burt county since 1857, di. ruary 10th; in 1862 enlisted in the 2nd Nebraska Cavalry and on the western frontier to protect the settlers from Indian d tions.
Richard Dunning, born in Richardson county, July 3, 18: at his home in Indianola, February 11th.
Daniel D. Johnson, Scottsbluff, died February 11th; se Cass county in 1867; born in Crawford, Pennsylvania, A; 1843; removed to Iowa and enlisted for service in the Civil Company A 29th Iowa Volunteers.
George W. Brown, a resident of Otoe county hefore 181 Fehruary 15th.
Mrs. Mary Cummings, eighty-six years old, resident of since 1865, died February 15th
Mrs. Lucy Helen Glover Tower, resident of Nebraska sin died at her home in Lincoln, February 17th.
William Blair, a soldier of the Civil War, died Februa in Brainard where he had lived since 1867.
Michacl Brannen died in Auburn, February 21; settled braska City in 1855; enlisted for service in the Civil War i: souri regiment of infantry; at the close of the war returned to ka, settling at St. Deroin, later lived at Shubert. Mrs. Bran on February 26th. She had endured all the hardships of life on the western frontier and was with her husband at the was campaigning with the Union army in Kansas, one chi born at that time.
Mrs. W. Albert Heikes, resident of Dakota City since 18 February 21st.
James Firmon Harris, soldier of the Civil War, residen braska since 1866, died in Hildreth, February 22nd.
William H. Turner, who freighted between Omaha and in the sixties and helped to build the Union Pacific raliroad Wyoming, died in Fremont February 27th; came to Nebrask. 1859.
Mrs. Cornelia Olson, who settled on a farm five miles Herman in 18GG, where she had since resided, died March 2 "T. M. Wimberly of University Place, resident of Nebr almost sixty years, died March 7th,
Lewis H. Laflin soldier of the Civil War, died at his f: denoe near Crab Orchard, March 7th, where he had settled 1857; served three years in Company I, First Regiment } Volunteers (afterward First Nebraska Cavalry and First ] Nebraska Veteran Volunteers); member of the Nebraska ] Representatives of 1873, and held many offices of respons Johnson county.
August Stark, pioneer Cuming county in 1863, died n net, March 8th,
Horace Dutton, Dakota City, resident of Nebraska for . years, died March 8th; was a member of Company D, Fi Cavalry in the Civil War; was noted for the fact that althoug had four years active service in the war he was never knov a war story ..
GENEALOGY DEPT.
OCT 2 0 1994
NEBRAS pu Public bry AND RECORD
HISTORY PIONEER DAYS
NEBRASKA HISTORY AND RECORD OF PIONEER DAYS
Published Quarterly by the Nebraska State Historical Society
Editor, ADDISON E. SHELDON Associate Editors The Staffs of the Nebraska State Historical Society and Legislative Reference Bureau
Subscription $2.00 Per Year
q All sustaining, members of the Nebraska State Historical Society receive Nebraska Ilistory without further payment.
qEntered as second class mail matter, under act of July 16, 1894, at Lincoln, Nebraska, April 2, 1918,
VOLUME III. APRIL-JUNE, 1920 NUMBER 2
GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL
GRINNELL WRITES ABOUT THE PAWNEE
George Bird Grinnell long ago established a reputation as an authoritative historian of the Pawnec, the most important tribe of Indians of whom Nebraska was the principal habitat. On the second of March, 1920 Mr. Grinnell sent the secretary of the Historical Society the following story of an interesting incident in the life of this once powerful tribe of the Nebraska plains.
In my book-Pawnee Hero Stories and Folk Tales-New York
1889-I tell something about the way In which the Skldi tribe came to be taken into the then large village, situated at one time on the Platte near Fremont, and later, up to the year 1874, on the Loup River in Nebraska ahout where the town of Genoa now stands. A long time ago I received some details of the fighting described on pages 233 and 234 of the Pawnee book, details which have never been published and which possess for me a certain interest in con- nection with rather ancient Panl history. The account was given abont 1876 to Major Frank North and his brother by a very old C'haui Indian. The book says "There was a sharp rivalry between the Chaui and the Skidi and their disputes finally culminated in an unprovoked attack by the Skidi on some Pani while they were hunting buffalo."
The Pani who were attacked were, as the hook suggests, Chaui, and it is said that perhaps two hundred were killed-all men, for it was a hunting party from the Chaui village which was then on the south side of the Platte River just below the Lone Tree, or where Central City, Nebraska, now is. The Chaui, who escaped, returned to their village. This was probably in the winter.
It is supposed that at this time the Chani and the Skidi were about equal in numbers, and the Chaui did not feel strong enough alone to attack the Skidi. The Kitkehahki were then living on the Republican River, and the Pitahanerat on the Smoky Hill River. The Skidi village was on the Loup River, about where Fuller- ton, Nebraska, now is.
The Chaui sent the pipe to the two other villages, teld them what had happened, and asked their assistance. Councils were held ahout the matter, and the two tribes determined to help the Chaui. The two villages were moved up to the Platte River and camned with the Chaui. and the warriors of all three villages made prepara- tions to attack the Skidi. The men erossed the Platte River in bull boats, made of green buffalo hides in the usual way-a detall which shows that the time must have been early summer when the Platte River was full from the melting snows of the mountains, and so not fordable.
The allies made a night march, as already stated, and sent out warriors to represent buffaloes to induce the Skidi to come out of their village. The supposed huffaloes filed down toward the river, over the sand-hills at a point helow the old village where the Skidi then lived, but on the other-sonth-side of the river. Other Pant war- riors hid themselves along the river, a part in the timber of the river bottom, and a part behind the ridge of sand-hills back from the river. All these were above-further up the river than-the supposed buffaloes, so that when riding down to ent off the buffaloes, the Skidi must pass between the two lines of Pani warriors.
The Skidi naturally crossed the Lonp River opposite their own village to ride down the river to eatch the buffaloes as they were run- ning back from the river to the sand-hills. As soon as they had crossed, they galloped down the river on the south side toward the place where the buffaloes had entered the timber to drink. The Pani waited and as soon as the Skidi had fairly come within their lines, the Pani charged on them from in front, behind, and on both sides, aud attacked them with fury. The Skidi, surrounded and outnum- bered, at once attempted to return, and broke through the lines wherever they could, trying to get hack to their village; but the Pani followed and killed them all the way un the valley. The old Chaui who told the story said that more than twice as many Skidi were killed as had been killed of the Chani.
The Skidi crossed the river to their village and all the men who had not gone out to chase the buffaloes came out of the village and joined the buffalo linnters, and prepared to make a stand on the south side of the village. The Panl stopped on the south side of the river and gathered there. The Chaui and the Pitahanerat wished to cross over and exterminate the Skidi, but the Kitkehaki said "No. They are the same people as ourselves, they speak a language nearly like ours; and they must not be destroyed." The dispute about this among the Pani tribes was sharp and angry, but the Kitkehaki were firm and finally said, "Let us take them over to the Platte and from now on make them live with us." To this the Pani finally agreed. They made signs to the Skidi that they did not want to fight any more; they wished to talk. They crossed the river, told the Skidi what they had decided on, and the latter agreed to it. The Pani took much of the property of the Skidi, many horses. They also made many of the Skidl women marry into the other bands, so as to establish close relations with these bands.
The old Chaui who gave this account said that his father was a small boy when these events took place. This would throw them back Into the eighteenth century. Many years ago ancient Skidl and Chanl told me that they remembered fights between the Skidt and the other bands, but these memories refer to much later quarrels
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Nebraska History and Record of Pioneer Days
between the bands, in which disputes, however, there was no loss of life.
The western states are now collecting and putting on record a wonderful lot of historical matter, and the men who have the oppor- tunity lo do this are to be congratulated on having such an inter- esting work to perform.
I am glad to become a member of the State Historical Society for i have been a traveller in Nebraska for lifty years and in close touch with a number of its citizens for all that time. I am enclosing in this a check for six dollars to pay for the two volumes that you sent me, and also for membership in the State Ilistorical Society for the coming year. i hope that this is right; if not, yon will, I am sure, let me know so that i can adjust things.
Thank you for your pleasant words ahont my books. I am extremely interested to know that you knew something about the Pawnee. I always felt that my book about the Pawnce was one of the two or three things that I have done that was worth doing. Of course it has been superseded perhaps by other things but I do hope that it has the real aboriginal flavor. of those early people.
You are no donbi familiar with the fact that Mr. John B. Dun- bar had prepared a vocabulary and a grammar of the Pawnee lan- guage. The vocabulary he possessed. I think, at the time of his death, and many years before that he loaned it to me and I had it copied. That copy I still have. It should be possible to get hold of his original and print it as bis. This grammar was lost many years ago.
REMINISCENCES BY LUTHER H. NORTH
I am returning yon Mr. Grinnell's letters and want to thank yon for the papers you sent. The medal is very interesting. I think perhaps I know as much about the old Skidi village that was located np near Spring Creek as any man living or dead. I discovered it . in 1871 and on my trip home to Columbus stopped at the Skidi vil- lage and had a long talk wilh Eagle Chief about it. The walls of the dirt lodges were some three feel high in this old village and one of them was so large (two hundred ten feet in diameter) that I wondered how they could have covered it and asked Eagle Chief about it. He said it must have been a conneil house and that per- haps it had no roof on it. He said the Skidi lived there at two different periods. 1. was from this village that The Skidi got separ- ated and part of them went north and never came back. This band are now the Arickara. This happened when they lived there the first time. They then abandoned that village and moved up the North Loup but Iater came back to the Spring Creek village but he had no idea how long it might have been. I should like to say some- thing about the name of Pita Leshara but it is too hard for me to write. There might have been a Skidi who took that name but there never was a Skidl that was bead chief of the Pawnee tribe after the consolidation of the Tour bands. ] guess I had beffer stop before 1 pnf my foot In if as I am too old to get into an argument with anyone.
I saw by the paper that you were in Columbus not very long ago. I would be very pleased to have you conte to see me whenever you are in Columbus. I took Mr. Grinnell on a buffalo hunt with the lawnce in 1872. Thanking you again for the papers and also for the invitation to accompany yon and Mr. Grinnell next summer which I should very much like to do. 1. 11. NORTHI.
THE FOUNDER OF FORT ATKINSON
Following is the address by Colonel B. W. Alkinson at the centennial celebration of the founding of Fort Alkinson, on October 11, 1919. The punctuation, capitalization, etc., are just as the colonel wrote them.
It is my intention to make a brief response to the sentiment "General Atkinson, founder of Fort Atkinson"; to really give a brief outline of the military services of the man who founded this well known old fort.
Before making these remarks, I wish to express my great grat- ilication at being present here today, and my appreciation of the efforts of the Nebraska. Historical Society to have me present.
General Henry Atkinson was born in North Carolina, and ap- pointed Captain of the 3rd Inf. the first of July, 1808. He was ap- pointed Colonel in the Inspector General's Department the 25th day of April, 1813. Appointed Colonel of 4th Inf. the 15th day of April, 1814. and transferred to the 37th Inf. the 22nd of April, 1814, and again to the 6th Inf. the 17th of May 1815. He was appointed a Brig. General the 13th of May, 1820. On the list of June, 1821, he was appointed a Colonel and Adjutant General, which he declined. He was then appointed as the Colonel of the 6th Inf. upon the reduction of the Army, and retained that position with the rank of Brig. Gen- oral. He died at Jefferson Barracks the 14th of Inne, 1842, and is hnried at Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky.
Prior to the War of 1812-1815, Gen. Atkinson had service at different military posts, and on August 27th, 1815, he assumed com- mand of the 6th Inf., at Ft. Lewis, N. Y. Upon assuming command of the Regiment, Gen. Atkinson issued the following order: "As- sume the command of the 6th Regt. of Inf. which the President of the United States has been pleased to confide to my care. In enter- ing upon his duty he is not unconscious of the importance and re- sponsibility of the charge, hut. he embraces it with confidence, reiy- ing as he does upon the aid which he will derive from the ability and experience of his field, staff and platoon officers, as well as upon the good character of the troops composing tho Regiment." Such was Gen. Atkinson's faith in the fifth Inf. which playd such an important pari with him In the Yellowstone Expedition, and in the founding of Fort Atkinson.
The Regiment moved from Plattsburg, N. Y. to St. Louis, Mo., March, 1819, and in an order preparatory to the movement of the Regiment up the river to Council Bluffs, Gen. Atkinson says: "Council Bluffs are situated in the finest climate and district of eommitry in America, and may be justly assnmed the most desirahlo post on the continent." The command left St. Louis July 4, 1819, on the transports "Jefferson," "Expedition", and "Johnson". Major
Gad Humphreys was in command of the regiment and Gen. Alkinson, who at that time was the Commander of the 9th Military District, accompanied the Expedition in command. In a personal letter Gen. Atkinson states, "We were greatly retarded by the steamboats, which formed the part of our transportation, not being able to navigate in the Missouri with any facility. There were three, neither of which reached any given point. One ascended only 150 miles, another 350 miles, and the third 450 miles. The cargoes of all having after- wards to be carried up in keel boats. The difficulties, of course, kept back the progress of troops as it would not have done to have proceeded and left our supplies unprotected, and besides It was nec- esary to have them to subsist on. Notwithstanding all the embar- rassments wo reached Connell Bluffs, a point 700 miles above tho month of the river, on the list of October. Here, from the vicinity of several powerful tribes of Indians, it became necessary to erect a post. The troops were landed and put to work to cover themselves for the winter, and erect the necessary defenses, all of which were completed in season, and we remained contented with the prospect of sending one of the regiments to the month of the Yellowstone early in the Spring. The Rille Regiment which was stationed at a point 450 miles np the Missouri was joined to my command." In another personal letter. Gen. Atkinson writes, "As the troops were halted at the Bluffs our military duties consisted in looking after The conduct and movements of the Indians, and to maintain proper discl- nline. Much idle time of course might have been expended, but in- stead of indulging in it, we turned our attention to farming and rais- ing stock." In December, 1822, Gen. Atkinson again wrote in a private letter, "The first season we made 12,000 bushels of corn, the second 15,000 bushels, and the third 20,000 bushels. Besides more potatoes and all sorts of garden vegetables than can be devoured. We have a stock of 300 cattle, and the troops have the milk of 100 cows. We have a saw mill, and a grist mill, and I think in another year we shall subsist ourselves withont drawing upon the interior." Thus was started the first post west of the Missouri, and the first settle- ment in Nebraska. From Chittenden's History of the American Fur Trade of the Far West, the following relating to Gen. Atkinson is copied: "He conducted the Expedition with the practical good sense with which this officer was distinguished." Chittenden also states that Gen. Atkinson devised and nsed on the trip down the Ohio River from Pittsburg to St. Louis, a form of stern wheel paddle boat, the wheel of which was worked by the troops aboard, and that this method of propulsion proved such a success that he adopted the samo method of propelling a number of keel boats up the river to Conneil BInffs.
Gen. Atkinson was recalled to Jefferson Barracks in 1822, where he commanded the First Western Department for a number of years, and organized and commanded the Infantry School of Practice, which was organized in 1827 after the return of the 6th Inf. from the with- drawal of tho troops from Fl. Atkinson. The school may rightfully' be called the father of our schools of Instruction which have since grown into a system now headed by the Army War College of today in Washington.
In 1825, Gen. Atkinson and Major Benjamin O Fallon of St. Louis, were commissioned by the President to conduct treaties with tho Missouri Indians, and proceed with a strong military escort from Ft. Atkinson to a point 120 miles above the month of the Yellowstone River. Gen. Atkinson and Major O'Fallon left St. Louis on March 25, 1825, and arrived at Ft. Atkinson April 19th, The last of the goods to he used by them on this trip arrived May 13th, and they started out May 14th. The records of this Expedition tell us that Gen. Alkinson used on this voyage the same form of paddle wheeled keel boats which he bad adopted on the trip down the Ohio River and on the trip up the river bringing the troops to Ft. Atkinson. Gen. Atkinson and Major O'Fallon arrived back at Ft. Atkinson the 19th of the following Sep- tember, and returned to Jefferson Barracks the 7th of October, hav- ing been absent on this trip for seven mouths. Gen. Atkinson then resumed his command of the Western Department.
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