Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-11-06
MYSTERY OF THE PLAINS

ventures appeal 10 cur aa4uiAtsAAb 49, S''~'s
words Of praise for the pluck and bravery
displayed. while others touch tho heart OF tns
roaghess ulau and bring must to ais eyes
- be hears the particulars related AROUND tns
evening camp nre
During the irst rush 20 the Black mus 80
tion the government posted . small force o.
cavalry on the Loap Fork OF the Platte river
. stream having its rise In wesfefn Nsofss<A
Gold hunrers and immigrants heading Tor Inc
Black Hills from eastern Nebraska, Iowa
Missouri, and eastern Kans.s all followed the
Loup Fork as far as they could 60 The cav
airy numbered only about seventy men,
while the number Of hostile Indians up In
arms to Ause back the tide was fully sou
The command WAS a menace TO the Indians,
however and our camp was half way rally
ing point at which the immigrants could
malt and refresh themselves and repair dam
ages. 1 was the only government scout At
tacbed to this command. AMI had to carry
"A report TO either Fort Laramie or Fort
Kearney once fortnight
One afternoon seven or eight horsemen
and four wagons came into our camp from
the west and told an exciting story. Two
weeks previous a train Of fifteen wagons and
forty men had left Sioux City and struck
across To the Eikhorr river. Following that
I'D for three days, they had bsen attacked by
a large force Of hostiles while strung out 90
the march. They LOST ten men and had live
OF their wagons cut of and captured They
went into camp, threw up breastworks. and
finally beat the Indians CT. Next day over
twenty OF the men, iisheartened and afraid
to continue further, tooE six of the wagons
and started Oh their return to the east. There
we're five wagons and eight men left One
Of the wagons belonged to an immigrant
named John Hosner, who had his family and
all his belongings in the vehicle. He WAS one
of the ten men killed. His family consisted
of his wife who was described as a little
woman weighing less than 100 pounds, a boy
Of 10 and a girl Of q.
Mrs Hosmer was advised to return with
that section OF the party which had decided
to retrace ito steps, but she refused to do 50.
She had Travelled with the smaller party for
i've days, driving her own team and bearing
up in a courageous way. Then, when within
thirty miles OF our camp, a reaction came,
and she suddenly determined TO return to
Iowa. 1t was an embarrassing situation for
the others. They did not wish to return,
and Of course they could not think Of seeing
her go back alone. They argued, coaxed
and pleaded with her, but she was obdurate
When. in her own interest, they decided to
take possession of the team she seized her
dead husbands Winchester rifle and threat
ened to Kill the first man who approached
No one has ever blamed the men for allowing
her TO separate from them and head back over
the trail They believed she was driving to
her death, but she would not listen To them
She had come TO the resolution that she
vould return. and nothing could te said To
change it They were rough fellows. and
she was the only woman and hers uer. the
only children in the party. but she could not
nave been afrari Of them. There wasn't a
man among them who would not have laid
down his life for her When they knew that
Sin. had determined to s4,nrate they con.
spire,I to disable her wagon. but she was ON
tin. watch to prevent. and had anv man at
tempted to ,ietain her by force he would
have periled his life After breakfast on the
morning of the day before the party reached
our camp Mrs Hosmer left them. with a
curt good-by. and headed back over the trail.
This was the story AZ told Us. and no one
had reason to doub, that 1t was the true one.
The first thing the immigrants did was To an
neal to our ma jor TO send OUT a force to over.
toke TN. woman ami brirsr her in The idea
could NOT b.. entertained II was thirty
miles 10 the poiut where she had separateyd.
and if She had not been disturbed in her
Journey. she had made thirty more by that
hour. To expect a squadron to overtake her,
even with the country full of hostil.s. was
almost absurd Our great wonder was that
the marty had come In without being attacked
and il must have So bappen.i that they
silpr,.d letyee,, hostile hand 1t was quick
lv decided that We could d . nothing as a
command. Not a soldier could I've spared
from the post. which might I've invested any
hour. Offered IN cas-. the ma jor would con
sent te take Ave of the best mounted lmmi.
grants and max. The at,empt but he would
not consent. and none of the men cared to en-
counter the peril Fate. however. had a
hand in the matter. Within two hours from
the arrival u the party a courier came in to
us from Fort Laramie, bearing order, which
I must attemrt to transmit to Fort Ran
dali. Nv ride would take ne over a portion
of the trail and il was probable that 7 would
make som. discoveries
II can't ask Won to deviate from YOUR
direct cour,r or tn iuc,,r auy additional
peril.- said tb. ma ior. as was making ready
to 90 "Indeal. if vou get through alive,
with all your skill and cunning. i, will lift "A
rreat load from nv mind | have no doubt
there mr.. a thou.lp,l bostiles between this
and Fort Randall The woman nnd children
" . M 80 n -" -
',e' ~ ~ NV i" -
Az. ~, ,p az ','.,'.,'as w." - ~" ;,r
=, '
~ H., III, . " $500, 49,.
-, o"' '"e' ~ ""'
All, sou' ~. ~ e'l'e' '"1",
ihti 'eiore ie'"i" s''a'i rear" 'ie
ia,e OF '''e woman,
ne ~ ,e''''e'' 10 uhi'' 'hi ',i n"i us ''e
away !" was WAT ne wah'eu' ou' nc "''di
uoa ,,'''i''''.i IT, i.e nov.
s.'i"' :" VI - - ~ NC 49,
Nne" no" us y pa'n'e' "e"' ou' iof ,Ai,
poor oos'''-s'e uio' 'ei "Huii' Hi~i nan
Prooao'y "oth'si 10 S"cn al extent .''a' ner
uino was no' l"i'e ''en' "oon ai'e' uai
Una. "s"' .o-e away " 'ne no' '"e1A>'' o'i'5
nsli, an "our o"',"te s''i''',s lm'' ea'he IN
WIN Tue news t"'' ''i ~ '"n" ~ n'@ehes
"ere approaching 'io'ii rue nor,,' nan l
zen ue''s eu d 'e" ."''''" e'''u mo- ns,e
GOV ou' ioi "eee' wa" yu. ni-"t'
c,ouiy anu '"'e' 'eiil- 'sih. anu ,'oN 'ny
cnahees 'i'u pus"eu area" ~ a CAMP hou'
AFTER noei' ni' lAS pretty ie'ei country
.no" ny count hoi 20 Wrong 'h' ho' IN,
sen, ~ ~" ~" "n % 'ae "aep" u''i
"a. Nv a. 80, ".en u."n .a'"e i,'.lh ~
"''" WI "'''e 'iNu'e' Ni' !" ~ 'e-' 'e"
mi,s. b.sxond the min, ~hsr. Mr. uo~,.-
had seraratei from the Rand In oth.-
vor,ls I had gai,a5 t.r r,;l.s -, ~ -
trail Ihsa h.s., i,,,I,tlo, . ,...,,li.r;.r -.
her wagon which epaI,,sJ ms n, ,,i,,L ~, H.
trail at once On m. tira ~ one ~ ,hs lind
wheels the blacksmith mad STAMPED . rand