The National tribune., 1901-05-16

enter protest against such a sacrilege.
Such simple description of military
poorly convey to those who have not wit
messed such affairs the real impressiveness
of this solemn ceremony.
''PIKE's PEAK OR BUST" PEOPLE.
During the past year QS5S), having
been on the Utah Expedition, we had
heard but little of the excitement created
throughout the country by the reports of
gold discoveries in the Pixies Peak region.
1t will be remembered that | mentioned
the meeting of our command with the
party of prospectors who first made known
the discovery on Cherry Creek, near Pixies
Peak, in June, 81, while we were on the
Cheyenne expedition.
Tho reports made by these prospectors
on l:,eir return to the States had rapidly
spread, and set the people wild. Many
gold-seekers had gone out to the noun
tains the following season C5S), and the
reports sent back by these, probably
greatly exaggerated, had been scattered
over the country, so that by the Spring
of % nearly everyone seemed to have the
gold fever, and a cOrrespOndingly mad
rush was made for the land that was said
to be teeming with silver and gold.
There were now three main routes Of
travel to the auriferous region. In addi-
ton to the old routes of the Santa Fe road
and Upper Arkansas River, on the South,
and the Salt Lake road and South Platte
route on the North, new and more direct
course had been laid ont from Fort
Leayenworth. by way of Fort Riley, up
the Smoky Hill River.
Before the grass was fairly up in the
Spring of SO gold-hunters by the score
came pouring out from the States past
Fort Riley, seeming to expect (many of
them that all they had to do was to
shovel up the pure stuff off the top of the
ground when they got to the mountains,
and that there were no difficulties in the
way of getting there.
Some Of them were well enough pro-
vided for the trip, but very many seemed
to have no conception of the hardships
and dangers of such an undertaking.
Quite number of them had no other
than hand-carts, cart
being capable of holding the baggage and
provisions Of FIVE or six men. When the
wind was behind them some would rig I'D
sails on their hand-carts, thus relieving
themselves of considerable labor in draw
ing them. | remember to have seen one
man who was trundling a wheelbarrow
continuing all his provisions for the trip
Another had all his effects packed on an
old OK. which he drove along in front of
him. But the lightest equipped outfit that
| remembered to have noticed was a
couple of fellows afoot, one carrying, be-
sides his rifle and ammunition, a coffee
pot, tin cup and a sack containing about
20 pounds of flour: the other had about
half side of bacon, and frying-pan, be-
sides his tin cup, gun. etc.
Such were the outfits and provisions of |
many of these crazy people for trip OF |
400 or 800 miles across an almost un-
known and barren plain, infested by hos |
tile Indians
Poor foolsl They little dreamed Of the
privatiOns and dangers before them, and |
seemed to think we were joking when we
Of I,ar .T-r,
asked what they were going to live on |
while crossing the plains, they replied |
Game, of courser' not knowing, and re- |
fusing to believe when told, that there |
were miles and miles of dreary plains |
where they would not see so much as n |
coyote, and long distances to be Travelled |
where there was no water, and in addi- |
ton to this the ever-treacherous redskin |
to be encountered now and then.
One fellow boastingly asserted that all |
the provisions he wanted for the trip was
a box of matches, little salt, his rife and |
THE CAVALRY To THE RESCUE
1t was only Il few days after lot of |
these crazy goldseekers had passed Fort
Riley that word came to the commanding |
officer, Maj. Sedgwick, that many of them |
were in destitute circumstances on the |
plains, and when company Of cavalry |
was sent out with supplies to relieve their |
wants and to bring them back to the Fort |
it was found that some had already died |
of starvation and exposure. The remain |
ing ones were brought back TO the post,
and some died after reaching there. We |
heard of several parties being killed by |
Indians.
AS soon as the grass was up. we got
orders TO go out on the Santa Fe road. |
along the Upper Arkansas River, and |
spend the Summer there, moving about
md - 81
was, as they have been somewhat turbu-
lent OF late, and aa outbreak is liable to
occur at any time. The commander OF
the Department seems TO think that the
presence of the troops on the plains will
prevent the threatened trouble
SO about the middle of May three com
panies of US. +, K and II of the 1st
Cav, start out on the Arkansas River.
while Co. G is sent up the Smoky Hill to
protect emigrants in that direction.
The two companies of 4th Art. are left
to garrison the post. Our company
women, laundresses, are to be left at the
post We pack away our best uniforms
and other things that we don't wish to
take on the march, and leave them with
the laundreSses, or "hay-bags," as the
men usually call them.
We struck the old Santa Fe trail at
Lost Springs, about 80 miles west of
Council Grove. Found the first buffalo
we seemed to be about the center of their
range this year. Some seasons they range
farther east or west than others. Since
our last trip out here, in 81, we find a
ranch has been established at Cow Greek
by one DIR. Beach. We also find that the
old ranch at the mouth of Walnut Greek
has changed hands. Then Alison kept it.
now n man named Peacock has it. These
two ranches, Beach's and Peacock's, are
the only settlements between Council Grove
and Bents Fort on the Upper Arkansas
near the mountains. These ranches are
merely Indian trading posts. There Is
a narrow strip of timber along the banks
of Walnut Creek, and some on the islands
on the Arkansas at this point; also some
timber along Pawnee Fork, which is the
next creek emptying into the river, about
35 miles west of Walnut
We moved along by easy marches up
the road, along the north bank of the |
Arkansas till we reached a point near
the ruined walls of old Fort Atkinson, or
Mackey, as it is variously called. (About |
where Fort Dodge now stands)
Here Maj. Sedgwick concluded to estab- |
lish camp, as 1t is supposed to be near |
the center of the range of the turbulent
and on one of the most Travelled |
routes to Pixies Peak.
Here we can also be some protection
to the Santa Fe mails, which pass each |
way semi-monthly. About 15 miles west |
of this camp the Santa Fe trail crosses |
the river, and leaving the Arkansas runs |
nearly due south for 60 miles to the Cimar- |
ron River.
Fort Atkinson we established our camp |
ha han MI nf thn riu