The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-09
THE LODE STAR TRAIN

It was during the TALL OF 1000 CnaC Cne
Lode Star Mining Company sent an outfit
from Nevada, in Iowa, across the plains
from Atchison to Denver. The train
consisted of a dozen covered wagons la
den with various materials, including a
zmall engine, in parts, as we'll as other
machinery. Each vehicle had four mules
with driver and keeper, and altogeth-
sr the train embraced in its connections
about thirty-fve men.
These men were generally armed with
revolvers, and there was also distributed
among them twelve Spencer repeating
rifles, placed in the hands of the best
men, designed to protect the train from
the attacks of those buccaneers of the
prairie, the red skins. The wagons were
heavily loaded, it being necessary to
sarry grain for all the mules, as well as
proyisions for the men, in addition to the
machinery.
The outfit made but about twenty miles
Der day, and when night approached the
teams were corraled-that is driven into
4 circle within which the men and ami
mails were grouped to feed and rest. This
arrangement formed a sort of fort, behind
which the men could fight to advantage,
If they were attacked by the Indians,
which was pretty sure to occur some time
during the long journey across the plains.
The Lode Star Company's outfit had
mot been three days on the route before
they caught sight, now and then, of
Indian scouts in the distance, lowering
first on one flank and then on the other
Of the train, as it wound along the valley
ss the North Platte. The redskins did
not come boldly in sight, but rode up
within long-rihe range behind the favor
ing shelter of some rise iR the long roll
Of the prairie, and throwing themselves
hat upon the ground, raised their heads
high enough for the purpose of inspect
ing the train.
The outfit was in good hands, and
under excellent discipline. There was
no staggering, no tagging behind. The
line was kept compact and perfect, and
all hands always in call of each other.
The Indians, seeing there was no chance
10 pick off any isolated members of the
train by hanging on the skirts of the
travellers, were forced to adopt some
ether tactics. But they were very
cautious, for they were impressed by the
wstchfulness of the leaders of the ex-
Yediton.
The cunning redskins understand per-
fectly the character of those constituting
one of these mining trains, after few
hours of following and observation.
Nothing escapes their vigilant eyes. Any
want of discipline among the men, or any
earelessness in the way of exposure, is
carefully noted and taken advantage Of,
while the train that is kept we'll in hand
by its leader, and conducted with cool
calculation and caution, if attacked at
all, it is only by very superior numbers
and under favorable circumstances of
position.
There were six or eight frontiersnen
with the Lode-Star train who knew very
we'll the Indian tactics, and who ere
prepared for an attack at any moment,
but, in the meantime, they steadily pur-
sued their way across the dreary and
monotonous plains, appearing to take no
notice of the scouts whose heads now
and then appeared over the distant hill
locks.
BY and by the scouts became bolder,
md would dash up to within rife shot
Of the train upon their little wiry ponies,
take good look and then return again.
On the fifth day out from Atchison
swenty-fve or thirty redskins, early in
The morning, came circling about the
train just as it started upon the
days journey, and saluted the whites
with q shower of arrows from good dis
tmce. This onslaught was comparatively
. harmless, with the exception Of slight
wound in the neck of one of the mules.
Not so, however, as it regarded the
Indians, for one of the frontiersmen drew
bead from his Spencer upon Com
snche warrior, and put an ounce of lead
through his heart, while another shot
pony from under his rider. The red
i3ins made hasty retreat, leaving dead
pony on the plains and carrying off their
dead comrade.
The train was not halted at all, hut
kept steadily on its way. However, the
Indians had learned lesson Of caution
for the future. As was afterward
known, they had lost one of their best
chiefs in this useless attack, and though
they had the additional incentive of re-
venge added to that of cupidity, yet
they were held back by wholesome
fear of the Spencer rifles.
Still day after day they followed the
hain, almost wearing out the whites by
the incessant watchfulness which was
necessary for self-protection, and oc-
casionally, when some favorable in
equality of ground occurred, they would
get near enough to launch their arrows
md to send few rifle shots into the
rznks of the whites. One or two of the
men and animals had thus been slightly
wounded, but nothing more serious oc-
Cured until the train had reached the
ford of the Little Blue River.
By this time, the ninth day, the In
dams had increased in numbers so that
the whites made out some fifty or sixty
of them, and. trusting to the disadvan'
tsge necessarily encountered in getting
the animals and wagons over the narro"
h,r+ eononbat swift little stream, the