Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-07-27
THE STARS AND STRIPES.
How They Were Honored In the Ole
Time Fourth-of-July Celebrations.

How They We're Honored in the Old
Time Fourth-of-JuIy Celebrations.
L. W. Cutler In the lnter.Ocenn.
In 1S43-just thirty-nine years ago
the anniversary of our national indie
pendence was celebrated in a becom
ing manner in Colorado, or rs It was
then called, the desert of America"
for the first time in the western half of
the continent. The participants in the
celebration were few, but none the less
patriotic. At the dawn of the morn
ing of the Fourth, 1S43, on the Platte
river at Fort st. Vrain, Colonel John
c. Fremont, Governor William Gilpin,
Kit Carson, Lucien Maxwell, old Jim
Baker, and coterie of the boys in
blue, hoisted the stars and stripes, and
fired the first salute with artillery that
had ever sounded among the crags and
through the glens of the great rockies.
At that early day civilization had not
crossed the Missouri river, but was con-
fined to the Mississippi valley and to
the east. Here and there was trader
and trapper on these plains with two
millions of hostile Indians and nothing
more. At Santa Fe, Armijo-a native
of the manor born-was governor and
military dictator. Gold had not been
found in the Sacramento, and the bay
onet of Santa Ana still guarded the
harbor of San Francisco.
In 1S42. Mr.. FremontIhad been made
chief of Typographical engineers, and
ordered to explore the Rocky noun
tains, and find a pathway to the Pacific.
He called about him such aids and
friends os he desired. and early in the
snrinp of '43 left ST. Louis for wears
cruise. At Westport he was Joined by
William Gilpin, then u Young officer in
the army. Lucien Maxwell, 4 trader of
Toos. and eypert Interpreter of Indian
lanpuaocs. and Kit Carson, the bold
and daSbinc scout. The last traces of
civilization they left behind them at
Westport. where Kansas CITY now
stands. and proceeded up the Republic
can river. and arrived on the Platte on
the goth day of June, and there went
into camp at Col. ST. Vrain's sod fort.
If was here they were ioined by jim
Baker. who thence after became one
OF Their number, ana rendered mucn
service in plotting the way to the Co.
lumbian river on the western slope.
Colonel Saint Yrain had preceded this
marty a wear or two in the interest of
The HudSon Bay company. TO buy furs
and trade with thc Indians He had
constructed of sods this rude fort to
protect himself and men AGAINST the
sayapes. who in those days had but
few Guns and less ammunition. A por-
tion of thc walls of the old fort are still
standing at what is known as the Big
Bend in the Platte, thirty-fye miles
below Denver.
Fremont had brought with him one
run-a small mountain howitzer-with
which to scare the Indians and not to
xiii them
II wos oclormincd ON tbe evening" of
tbo tbim that thn Fourth shouId he
cnlobrntod in a nronor manner. Al
dovlirht in tbc morning the American
Gog iootoJ for tbn frs7 ,imo from tbe
toTeT of tho Iittln fort and os the sun
came IN from thc silent nloin. the III.
flo ~un sent its how-wow greetingi--
which yos answered hack with an
ocho IRON, Ionp's majestic neak
Ono more tnTn in tbe wheel of time.
and forty vcors will he marked upon
the rrcai mile-boord since the stars
and strimcs first noated from the faO-
STAFF in Colorado The scenes have
chnnged somewhat since that first
crlnhrotion nt 81. Vrain, ON tbe Platte.
a rrcot rcpublic has crown up in the
onSa Gescrt of America and another ON
thc far off Pacific. Six millions of
Anglo-Soyon nconle now work the
mines. monipuIate the commerce. and
till tbc soil where roamed the half
sta,vrd Indians forty vears o0o