The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-01-11

Denver, Colo.
THE WAGON BOSS.
Comrade Peck Tells Of the Death of Tom
Adkins, the Scout.
Editor National Tribune: I have
been subscriber of The National Trib-
une a number of years, and / am
very much interested In the recitals
and "reminiscences Of the old comrades
of '61-'65. l was especially interested
in Peck's STORY of a Wagon Boss" as
l served during the war in that de-
partment Grams ississippD. / was
all over the ground that he speaks of,
and names he mentions were very
familiar to me, and = one especially,
Thomas Adkins, with whom I was per-
sonally acquainted. He was a scout
for Gen. Thayer on the Red River cam
l was, and kept at Camden, Ark, for
some time. The rebels chained Adkins
and Maj. McCaulley together for some
time. If COmrade Peck sees this and
knows what became of Adkins 1 will be
very thankful to him if he will answer
through The National Tribune.
=! indorse the straight SIP pension
Dill for all old soldiers and their
widows.-W. S. Harris, Montour, Iowa.
Editor National Tribune In an
swer to the inquiry of Comrade W. S.
Harris as to what became of Tom Adj
klns. the scout, whom I mentioned in
the Wagon Boss" I will say that Tom
died with his boots on" at one of
Uncle Sans frontier posts in western
kansas-Fort Harker, I think, about
1868; shot from behind, and killed by
man whom Tom and others had re-
garded as too insignificant to be con-
SldGred at all Il Go
dying words, as related to me subse-
quently. were: II never feared death,
Dut It's hard fate that, after the
many dangers I've passed through.
must be killed by a cowardly skunk
who hasn't the sand to face a coyote"
l was well acquainted with Tom, and
ne was considered one of our bravest
and most reliable scouts in the "Army
OF the Frontier" He was a man Of
fair educatiOn-above the average of
men of his class
just after the close of the war he
passed through Baxter Springs, Kan,
where l was then living, on his way
from Fort Gibson. Cherokee Nation, to
Fort LeavenwOrth, Kan, and stopped
over night with me. This was the last
time l ever saw him. Subsequently 1
heard of him occasionally as a scout
on the plains, where the Indians were
making times lively.
The circumstances that led to his
death, as related to me by comrade
who was near by at the time are these:
Adkins had given up scouting and
accepted job as Wagon Master Of a
fine four-mule freighting train, belong
ing to man whose name am not sure
OF. but think 1T was Bannon. Adkins
was something Of a poker player, as
was also Bannon, his employer; and
during game between the two Ban
non, In a streak Of bad luck, lost all
his ready money to Tom, and then bet
and lost. one after another, of his fine
four-mule teams until Tom had ac-
quired in this manner one-half of the
train, thus becoming a halloween
with Bannon in the outfit
This, is Toms story, which, however,
was said to have been corroborated by
others who were present and knew the
terms of the deal.
Shortly after this transaction Ban
non took sick and died.. and Adkins,
while awaiting the arrival Of brother
Of the deceased Bannon. who was COM
ing out to settle up the affairs of the
dead man. continued to run the train
and was generally recognized as the
deceased lannon's partner.
Taking advantage of the fact that a
gambling debt is not considered a
legitimate obligation in law, when the
brother of Bannon arrived he refused
to recognize Adkins's ownership Of any
part OF the train, although Tom pro-
duced an attested bill of sale from the
deceased Bannon. The brother de-
manded of Adkins that he turn over
all the teams, relinquish all claim of
ownership, and accept in full satisfac-
ton merely his salary as Wagon Mas
ter.
This arrangement Adkins emphati-
cally rejected, and some angry words
passed between the two men: Tom re-
ftnSx
to have the controversy settled by due
process of law.
A day or SO later. while Adkins was
playing billiards in saloon, the Ban
non brother came in and demanded Of
him whether he was going to turn
over those teams to him, Bannon.
Tom by this time had acquired rath-
er contemptuous opinion Of the man,
and replied fndifferently, but emphati-
ally. that he intended to do nothing Of
the kind, and did not want to hear any
thing more from Bannon about It, and
turned to the billiard table to continue
his game.
AS Tom turned his back on Bannon
the latter drew his pistol quickly and
shot Adkins, who lived several hours
after being wounded.
/ got this account Of the affair from
a comrade who claimed to have been
on the ground and knew all the cir
some particulars, but / have never
heard contrary statement never
heard what. If anything, was done with
the man who shot Tom.
Comrade Harris. who makes the in
oNiry about the ultimate fate of Adj
kfns, mentions his having been cap
tured by the rebels along with Tom.
on the Red River expedition. / heard
Tom tell of that affair afterwards at
Fort Gibson, but cannot now recall all
the particulars. ! renembe" that he
told Of being chased by rebels. and his
horse falling with him, resulting in his
capture; and that he was harshly
treated while a prisoner: was tried as
a spy, and sentenced to be SHOT; but
by some streak Of good luck. or the in
tercession OF some influential persons
among the rebels, he was finally re-
leased.
Will comrade Harris please give us
the particulars of that affair as he re-
members them ?-Robert Morris Peck.
Whittier. Cal.
Hattie Of Franklin.
Editor National Trihupa. Al1oup a