The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-19
James M. Hagaman was at wt

James NJ. Hagaman was at work on
a history of Cloud county at the time
of his death. He was setting the type
for the book with his own hands.
Mr.. Hagaman settled in western Kan
sas before the civil war and he was
considered an authority on the history
of western Kansas. He knew good
deal about Indians, too and he remem-
bered well his first experience.
1t was Hagaman and August FenSk1e,
neighbor, started on a buffalo hunt to
the southwest. Their outfit was two
yoke of oxen. horse and wagon and
plenty of grub. The third day out, and
when near the buffalo, they were 'gOD-
bled' by party of Indians and rough
ly treated. Few people realize what
this means. Think, first, of your Situa-
tion-60 miles from living soul, and in
the clutches of being who care no more
for your life than does tiger for his
prey A savage bruteI less civilized
than when first found on the shores OF
Lake Michigan 200 years before, whose
tribe would feast upon your death anh
honor your murderers for heroesi And
as you think" you can almost feel
the scalping knife encircling your head.
Unlocked for-least expected" said
Mr.. Hagaman was their presence and
imagine our discontinue, our astonish
ment, on seeing them rise up out of the
ground, as it We're less than half a
mile in front of us,
Formed in two lines, with military
the feetness of the wind Their bows
are strung and the arrows fixed, and
the lancerS poise their lanceS The ri
f1emen bring the breeches of their guns
to their shoulders and raise the barrel
to a firing attitude as they come near
us. Accompanying these actions is that
terrible savage yelli that has no equal
among human beasts as evidencing
fiendiSh hate, and who would not be
frightened? To say 1 was not frighten-
ed would be lying, but not an Indian
knew it. Did they. at first, intend to
kill us, or did they intend only to
frighten us? No one knows. No one
but those cowardly brutes knew their
intention. I believe that, had we given
/ them the slightest affront, shown
the least fear, they would have dis
patched us at once. We went home
without any buffalo meat; and much
less grub than we took with u.s.
Mr. Hagaman's buffalo hunt might
have turned out differently, as did the
hunt of the illfated Cassel party in
May, 1866 on the Little Cheyenne.
Mr. Hagaman gives the first authentic
/ account of this massacre in his history.
Lewis Cassel, Walter Haynes, Roberts
! for a week or ten days. They had q
team of horses, a wagon and We're well
before he was in the midst of the Min
resota massacre and was therefore en-
trusted with the leadership of the party.
His Judgment, however, was wrong for
! he looked to the northeast for enemies
rades to their fate. He perished with
! his party and with William and Henry
Collins, whom they accidentally found
in their flight
The party went into camp on the east
side of Browns creek in Mitchell coun-
ty. The next day they were visited by
a party of Cheyennes and the trouble be-
gan. The Indians left and Cassel and
his party started for home They over
took the Collins brothers. The Indians
overlook the party and all perished af-
ter a stubborn fight. 1t was some time
afterward that the searching party found