Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-01-28
THE THOMAS COUNTY CAT.
THOMAS COUNTY.
A vlsIt by D. 3. Long to coIby-What
He Heard and saW there.
COLBY, THOMAS County Kan,
December 80. 1885.

place yesterday at p. m. from Oak
ley, St. John county, facing a snow
storm the whole distance twenty eight
miles, having for my mission the in
stitution of lodge of the Indepen-
dent Order of Odd Fellows. was so
well impressed with the country and
the people, that ! thought the readers
If The TINES, of which I found a
number here, would like to know
something OF the "far west" as l found
it in 1866. As it is now nearly twen-
ty years since soldiered in this part
IF Kansas, | note with pleasure the
western advance of 1.-THE star of en-
pire"
The country at that time was indeed
wild one" 'howling wilderness"
with its savage Indians ready to--scalp
every white man woman and child
they could find unprotected by sutfi-
Gent guard to protect them from their
savage attack. Many were the out
RACES committed on the plains IN 1866
snd 1867 by the Cheyennes and Arap-
ahoes. The 9TH U. S. c., the Sd U. S.
|. and the 9Th L. S. l. took an active
part in Kidding this part of the state
rom these red sayages. At that time
the bison, elk and antelope, followed
BY packs of wolves and coyotes.
grazed and grow fat on the rich
buffalo grass, which is now consumed
by large heards of domestic and Texas
cattle. When | look back at that
Lime and compare it with to-day, you
can not blame me for the enthusiasm
that | feel in the advance Of civiliza-
sion in western Kansas. 1t is but a
short distance from Colby where Col
enel Forsythe with his scouts, in tho
fall of 1868 were surrounded by a
large band of Indian braves, of the
Cheyenne tribe, under Black Kettle.
The attack was made early in the
morning upon Colonel Forsythes
party, the InGians numbering about
800 and the scouts about 90. Colonel
Forsythe got his men into position for
defense on small island, on a dry
greek, and there fought the Indians
for five days. Early in the fglt
Colonel Forsythe was wounded Lieu
tenant Fred Beechcr of the Sd U. S.
infantry was killed, and the surgeon
CT the party was shot and killed while
attending to the wounded The in
dams would advance las | was inform
ed by one of the party, Albert Noon
ey, now assistant engineer of the
state house at Topeka) in good order,
Until within shooting distance and
then with their savage yell, would
rush forword, towards the title band
Of scouts, who had hastily constructed
fort or breast work Of their dead
horses and the sand on the little is
land. Col. Forsythe although wound
ed, having shattered leg, bravely
commanded his men through every
attack, admonishing them to save
their fire, to shoot low and make every
shot count. As fast as scout was
killed or wounded his gun wes made
ready for use by having it loaded and
placed where it could be used. After
\ number of unsuccessful attempts to
capture the fort the Indians withdrew
to safe distance intending to starve
out the little party. The first night
Col. Forsythe called for volunteers to
go to Fort Wallace for help, distance
of forty or fifty miles After an un-
81 :cessful attempt to get through the
Indian lines they returned. The next
night two more were sent out. They
did not return, nor is their fate known.
On the third night little Frenchman,
a scout from Fort Wallace. stole |
through the lines by creeping and
skulking in the darkness of the night.
lie reached Fort Wallace ans inform
cd the commander of the post the sad
of Col. Forsythe's party. A
leilef party was hastily sent to the
rescue. The Indians, no doubt, had
sentinels watching, as on the day tie
relief arrived the Indians left for the
north. The little band WAS ind ed in
= SUFFERING condition They had fonn5