The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-15
An Unfortunate Family.

children, arrived at the Union Denot
from Lawrence by the Kansas Pacific.
being on her way to st. Louis. Her
object in coming here was to procure.
if possible, pecuniary aid to enable her
and her children to proceed on their
way to st. Louis, where she had friends
who would assist her. Arrivinp late
in the evening, and not knowing which
way to 90 to find her friends in this
city, she sat in the waiting-room with
her little ones, when Officer Yerkes.
seeing that she was a stranger and an.
parently in trouble, approached her
and offered any assistance in his power.
She told him where she wanted to 90,
and through the kind-hearted officers
efforts she was enabled to see her
friends and obtain from them the aid
she so much needed. Her story. Oh
rather that of her family, as told the of.
ficer, is peculiarly sad one, and tends
to show how bad luck will follow some
people, and how the gods will some.
times deny those favors which they Sc
lavishly bestow upon others. In the
spring of 1873 her husband, herself
and their six children came to Kansas
from Evansville, Ind, and settled in
Lyon County. That being a bad YEA
for crops, they were enabled BIZ tn
most strenuous efforts to keep Neon
and bodies of the family togHther III
having heard glowing stories am 10
scriptions of the sunny cline ard fers
tile soil of Texas resolved to erligrate
to that State as soon as tie spring
opened. From this time untithe pres
ent an avenging Nemesis eemed to
follow them. One day, ne young
est child, a little girl aged tree years,
was out in the woodward paying, her
elder brother, who was choping wood,
not noticing the wee one asshe played
around him, accidentally struck her
upon the head with his X, cleaving
the skull, death ensuing instntaneously.
The little one, as he lifted the AK, had
darted Immediately in ront of the
deadly weapon to pick upa chip which
had been hewn out of tie log he was
cutting, and, unable to tay the course
of the murderous instrument, he unwit-
tingly became his sisters murderer.
This unforeseen accident nearly drove
the fond parents wild, as the little girl
was the pride and pet If the household.
In the following spring the family
packed up their worldly goods and
placed them in a couple of wagons, the
husband taking charge of one and the
eldest boy the other, the vehicles serv-
ing the double duty of a means of trans
portation during the da7 and shelter
at night. They journeye1 on, day after
day, until the Texas Panhandle was
reached. 1t will be remembered that
the year 1874 was a fearful one in that
region, the Southern Indians being
upon the war-path, and Staying without
mercy every white man they came
across. This was the year the famous
battle of the Adobe Walls was fought,
where twenty-siX brave and intrepid
white men kept at bay over 1000 of the
screeching, shrieking red tiends, VINO
all day long circled around the impD
vised fortress, meeting deserved deah
whenever they showed their cowardy
carcasses to the sight of the unerr3g
ritlemen behind the stockade. The ht-
tie of the Adobe Walls took place on
the 9th of June, and the Indians, being
with loss of 100 of their best
and bravest warriors, were naturallyn
not a pleasant or cheerful mood, and it
was by a wandering band of the de-
feated and chagrined CheyenneS that
Davidson and his family were met. 1t
was shortly after shutdown, when the
family were seated around the cloth
which served as an improvised table,
upon which was spread the frugal
meal, when the Indians were first
sighted. To hurry the wife and the lit
tie ones into the wagons, which served
as a stockade, was but the work of a
moment, and with their guns in their
hands the intrepid father and brave
son awaited the attack. The red raS-
Gals, anticipating an easy victory, came
on with flourish, and, not apprehend
ing defense, pressed onward to secure
what they deemed an easy prey. When
within 100 yards of the wagon, the clear
and ringing report of two deadly
rifles rang out, and Il brace of the
miscreants were sent to the
happy hunting grounds. This was en-
tirely unlocked for, and halt was
made, after a short retreat out of the
range of the rifles, which they had dis
covered, to their cost, the two brave de-
tenders knew so well how to use The
darkness came on, and hope died with
in the breasts of the family as they re-
allied the situation. 1t was evidently
the intention of the reds to make the
attack at night, under cover of dark
ness, when the little band of wayfarers
would be at their mercy. At about
nine O clock the supreme moment came,
as, after volley INTO the wagons, which
killed son, aged eight years, and
the father in the left shoulder,
the Indians charged, yelling and boot
ing like mad. 1t seemed as if al
were lost, when above the internal
din rose the wild and inspiring
cheer of the frontiersmen, partv
of which were then on their way
from Adobe Walls, after the fight there,
to Dodge City. BY a most fortunate
accident they had happened along at
the time they were most needed, and as
the volley from the rifles of the red
men rang out they answered with a
cheer, as they knew somebody was in
danger and in need of their assistance.
They rushed into the little camn and
met the arrogant foe, who, after a short
and feeble show of fight, made their
retreat, leaving two of their number
dead and one wounded. one froutiors.