Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-01-10


as of the militia of Kansas and neigh
boring states. The reservation is ex.
tensive and is considered by army Of
ficers as especially adapted to the
drilling of large bodies of men. The
department has kept up here for sew
eral years a school of instruction in
army cooking.
The best known of all these forts is
Leavenworth. 1t was established in
1847 on bluff overlooking the Mis-
souri, river, and during the years of
the settlement of the great west that
lies between the Missouri and the
Rocky mountains it was the principal
depot of supplies for the posts that
sprang up on the plains for the pro-
lection of the settlers.
From here also were sent out the
military escorts for the wagon trains
that crossed to the gold fields of Cali
fornia and Colorado and to the silver
mines of Mexico, that guarded the
wagon trains along the old Santa Fe
trail and the pony express riders to
Denver and the mountain country.
Here some Of the men who did dis
tinguished service during the civil
war had their first training in actual
field duty. Gen. Lee was one of the
commandments of the post Gen. Grant
served here as a young officer, and
part of the old wall of the reservation
was built under his supervision.
In the army at the present time
there are few officers but have had
experience at Leavenworth, either on
duty there or as students at one of the
officers schools. The town of Leaven-
worth, adjoining the post, is jocularly
known as the "mother-in-law of the
army" for it is a fact that Leaven-
worth has married more of her girls
to officers than any other town in the
country. ~
Land forming part of this reserva-
ton, 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 famous
collection of bankers, as well as of
western desperadoes, is situated here.
chase of additional land to carry out
the plans of the department, and au.
thorization will be asked for the pur-
chase of not more than 5000 acres.
The land that Is desired lies 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 from
tier history are preserved 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
country, in the neighborhood of Little
Big Horn, have been abandoned, for
Clusters red skinned foes are now
peaceful farmers, and the buildings
that sheltered the troopers are in
many instances converted into schools
for their children.
With the capture of Geronimo and
the removal of many of the southwest
tribes to other reservations the USE
fulness of the forts in Arizona and
New Mexico was ended. Fort Grant,
one of the most important in the
southwest, was several years ago
abandoned. and Fort Apache, Arizona,
will soon be evacuated.
Reno Is perhaps the best known of
the Indian territory forts. It was built
years ago in the heart of the Chey-
enne and Arapahoe country, and from
it troops were sent against the many
hostile tribes of northern Texas and
the Territory. Old army registers de-
scribe its situation as 1854 miles south
of Wichita, Kas." The route of the
wagon trains southwark from a rail-
way 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 train of
supplies from Kansas. When about
half the distance to Reno he was set
upon by Cheyennes.
He and his comrades parked their
wagons and for three days held their
enemy at a distance. When troops
finally arrived from Reno for their re-
lief all the men were dead and scalped,
but that they had sold their lives dear.
ly was attested by the number of dead
savages.
BY the side of each mans body was
a nile Of pmDtV cartridge shells NOT
single loaded one was found. Only
when the last shot was fired had the
Indians succeeded in closing in on