The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-16
HISTORIC OLD FORT.
Famous Frontier Post That Is to Give
Place to an Institution OF
Learning.

The most famous military post in the
Kansas frontier has, by the passage Of
the Fort Hays bill by congress, been
wiped out of existence, says the st.
Louis GlObe-Democrat This fort,
which was for many years the central
point Of the army operations against
the redskins, has for years been desert
ed. Its 1000 acres have been leased to
cattlemen and the splendid timber that
is unequaled in western Kansas has
been furnishing the settlers with fuel.
Nineteen big frame cottages, the Off
GERS homes, the barracks and training
quarters, have been unoccupied, and it
will be a great delight to the people of
this section to see them filled with stu
dents of the state normal school and
the state agricultural school, both of
which are under the bill to have
branches here.
This fort was the barrier against the
Indian raids that marked the last at
tempts of the redskins to frightan the
people of the state. When the Chey.
ennes came down from the northwest
the soldiers of Hays, with the assist
ance of those from Wallace and Harker,
met them and drove them back, saving
the lives of thousands of settlers. Gen.
George Forsythe followed Roman Nose
into the Upper Republican country, and
there, with his band of 100 soldiers, was
surrounded by fully 1000 of the red
skins. For three days they were held
there, and then were rescued by sue
cor brought by two scouts who escaped
and went back to the fort. It was found
that the imprisoned soldiers had been
more than victors, for they had killed
more than dozen for every one of their
own number that fell, Roman Nose
himself was among the killed.
There was another scare in the latter
7Os, when the people as far east as
Topeka felt uneasy, but the Indians did
not come SO far as on the earfier ocea-
sions. 1T then became apparent That
there was fhrther need nf the naa n-
te s1es ~ t15s ost and 60 was as
E after Alle
4. +, l,s.;i.5, ood empty ane
AearetalSer has had fhe io1 sf
lool51s SITTER theHI
FqFG Hays has had ah eventfuI his
tory It was originally called Fort
Hletcher, and was located 14 miles /
south of Hays On the Big Muddy, one
day the creek was sweiled BY STORM
and t3e waters drove tile soldiers out |
OF the fort, Several colored soldiers
who, were too slow were drowned, and I
Gen. Pope ordered the location changed |
to the present site. The buildings were
then erected and improvements made. |
The town of Hays City which was
then founded short distance to the
north, was a rough place, being filed
with cowboys and frontiersmen who /
followed the building of the railroad. |
The city council granted 81 saloon IL
censes the first day that II met. There
Were killers" without number, and
on the slopes Of little hill were laid
the victims of their prowess. 1t was
called Boot Hill, and there lie AS of the
distinguished gentry who died with
their boots on, some being known by
their real names and some not. 1t will
never be known who really were laid to
rest in the unceremonious fashion of
the frontier days, for now it is too late
to find out
wild Bill" was marshal of the town
Tor awhile, until one day he shot three
soldiers on the street, and then it was
healthier for him to go hence. He wert,
and was next heard of at Abilene, where
he was again marshal, with predfleC-
tion for killing.
The most famous event in the history
of the fort was the raiding of the army
stores in 1869. The government then
had great many stores here and. the
surplus that could not be cared for at
the fort was piled up along the railroad
track with two watchmen to guard it.
One of them, John Hays, went across
the street one night and entered a sa-
loon to get drink. As he went in he
was met by two soldiers from the fort,
who, without provocation, killed
him. The soldiers were colored and
we're drunk. They went into bar.
Der shop and scared the proprietor to ,
the roof of his shop. He went in to the
.ort and when the men were ranged in
iress parade by order Of the colonel he
picked out the desperadoes. They were
aiken to Hays and shut up in a cellar :
hat served as a jail. That night they
we're taken out by the citizens and
trung up to the railroad bridge. In
874 the Ninth infantry (colored) tried
o get even with the town, but in the
'attle that ensued six of their number .
we're left dead in the street. There
we're many other fatalities in the CON
-icts between the town and fort, and
he soldiers found that they had town
+ fighters to deal with .
The Old-timers, like the late Henry, :
nman and Gen. Forsythe, tried their =
aettle here and found honor. Now it :
7ill be devoted to peace, for the terms
the grant are that the agricultural
ollege and state normal school shall a
ave it for branches of those institu- n
ions, 1t is expected that at least 200 r
tudents will be in attendance when I
be legislature shall have made appro- n
riations for the teachers. The people h
this section are to fit up the build a
lgs and these are so generous that 81
hey viii serve the purposes intended d
7en. There are 5000 acres that are h
Tell fitted for wheat, and if the agri- u