The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-28

winter all their horses starved to deatf
and many of their people died from wan
and sickness. In their distress they
sought aid from the Usage Indians, wtht
at that time owned nearly all of south
ern Kansas, including millions of Ibuf
| faIo, and secured their permission tt
move 10 the mouth of the Little Ar.
! kansas Gnu Snusta Shinka'D and sub
| si5t on the buffalo. So in the summer
Of 1863 they set out for their new home
| afoot, hungry, almost naked, and estab-
| lished their temporary camp in the
| dense timber at the mouth of the Little
River just across from the present Oak
street bridge, Wichita. They managed
| to kill enough buffalo without horses or
guns. to subsfst, and lay up scant sup
| ply for winter, when the men went south
I to their old homes and gathered up what
| horses they could find. Others visited
the Comanches, who gave them presents
Of many horses, a custom among the
Indians to their less fortunate brothers.
By spring they were mostly mounted
and able to take care OF themselves
They could make their saddles and
equipments, arms and clothing. while
the women were nidustriously at work
planting gardens, which in time yielded
aoundantly.
Here along the Little River they iiv-
ed and prospered until the summer OF
1867 brought fresh woes. Hancock's in
experience involved the wild tribes of
the plains in war. Troops from st. Louis
We're scattered along the old Santa Fe
trail IN small detachments With them
came the cholera, which spread over the
plains OF Kansas and the Indian terri
tory. White men and Indians alike died.
A small company of sol3iers were sent
TO the mouth OF the Little Arkansas-an
uncalled for and useless move. Soon
the cholera commenced its deadly work
among the Wichitas. Scattered over the
northern part OF our city are the graves
OF probably hundred Wichitas, in
cluding o Wa He hereditary war
chief; Sam Houston, a noted Indian. and
many others. In the latter part of the
summer orders came from Washington
TO remove the Indians 10 their old homes
on the Washita, but no provision was
made for their removal They refused
TO go until their crops were gathered,
and supply OF food prepared for the
winter. Along in the fall they started
down the ole Chisholm trail. Their first
camp was on the Ne Ne Skaw,' where
misfortune again overlook them. They
ho5bled their horses one night in the
tall grass in a bend OF the river on the
north side. During the night a nOrther
set in driving doyn upon them a furious
prairie fire, burning eighty-ive head Of
their best horses. This left large
number afoot. as many OF their horses
had been stolen and driven of by white
outlaws who rad begun to infest the
country that summer. The Indians were
10 cache a large part Of their |
provisions, which were afterwards stolen
by white men, and proceeded on their |
journey, many of them afoot. The
cholera Vas still with them. They died |
al along the trail Some were buried |
on the Ne Ne Ska.. At Skeleton |
creek 60 many died they laid on the l
ground unburie3. and their bleaching !!
skeletons gave a name TO TIE stream. |
Whole families diei in the lodges after /
their arrival on the Washita, and the /
lodges were burned with the bodies and /
all their belongings. From Skeleton |
creek were scattered our in every di- \
rection, osme parties who had ID horses
Stopping on the Red Fork. subSisting on /
he black jack aco-ns and Wild turkeys.
u which there were thousands Tocco-