Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-16

riders to Denver and the mountain country.
Here some Of the men who did dis
tingushed service during the civil war
had their first training in actual field duty.
General Lee was one of the commandants
of the post. General Grant served here as
young officer, and part of the old wall Of
the reservation was built under his super
vision.
In the army at the present time there
are few officers but have had experience
at Beavenworth, either on duty there or as
students at one OF the officers schools.
The town Of LeavenwOrth, adjoining the
post, is jocularly known as "the mother
in-law Of the army" for it is a fact that
Lsavenworth has married more Of her
girls to officers than any other town in
the country.
Land forming part of this reservation,
which was in the beginning very extensive
has in some cases been sold and in others
Appropriated for various other purposes
The largest OF United States prisons, which
houses a famous collection of bankers, as
well as Of western desperadoes, is situated
here
This has made necessary the purchase of
additional land to carry out the plans Of
the department and authorization will be
/ asked for the purchase of not more than
5000 acres The land that is desired hes
across the Missouri river and is reached
| by an old bridge, one of the first built in
| the Missouri valley.
| OF all the Kansas forts these two are the
only ones that remain. The names Of others
we'll known in frontier history are pre-
served in the names Of the towns which
grew up under their protection, as Fort
/ Dodge, Fort Scott and Hayes, Larned and
| Harker.
Many of the old forts in the Indian coun-
| try, in the neighborhood OF Little Big
/ Horn have been abandoned. for Custer 8
red-skinned foes are now peaceful farmers.
and the buildings that sheltered the troop
/ ers are in many instances converted into
schools for their children.
| with the capture OF Geronimo and the re-
moval Of many Of the southwest tribes to
| other reservations the usefulness Of the
| forts in Arizona and New Mexico was
ended. Fort Grant, one Of the most Inn
portant in the southwest, was several
| years ago abandoned, and Fort Apache,
| Ariz., viii soon be evacuated.
Reno is perhaps the best known OF the
Indian Territory forts. II was built years
ago in the heart Of the Cheyenne and
Arapahoe country and from it troops were
sent against the many hostile tribes OF
! northern Texas and the territory. Old
army registers describe its situation as
'164 miles south Of Wichita, Kan" The
| route OF the wagon trains southwark from
a railway station TO Reno was one Of great
peril, and many trains were captured by
marauding bands OF Indians.
! A tragic incident in the history OF the
| fort was the Hennessey massacre. Pat
Hennessey an old frontiersman, was the
driver in charge Of a train OF supplies from
! Kansas When about half the distance tc
Reno he was set upon by Cheyennes.
He and his comrades parked their wagons
and for three days held their enemy at d
distance. When troops finally arrived from
Reno for their relief all the men were dead
and scalped, but that they had sold their
lives dearly was attested by the number Of
dead savages.
BY the side OF each mans body was q
pile OF empty cartridge shells. Not q single
loaded one was found. Only when the las'
shot was fired had the Indians succeeded il
closing In on them.
With the building Of the first railroad int
the Territory Reno was brought into closs
touch with the rest Of the world, though
still twenty miles from a station One o.
the interesting sights 70 "A traveller a.
| Oklahoma, now Oklahoma City, were tht
Indian messengers and riders who met th'
trains, They could be followed with tn,
eye Cor miles as they rode at fun speed OF
their feet little ponies along the level Cana
dian valley.
The opening Of Oklahoma again gave en-
Vloymentt and most active, too. TO th'