Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-01-31


II. C. Barrett, but he would not take
the chances of the long and perilous
trip of more than 700 miles through
the Indian infested plains unless the
government leased the train out
right or gave him an ,indemnifying
bond or assurance against loss. The
bond was given and Barrett proceed
cd to hire teamsters-a hard task On
account of the danger attending the
journey. Young MCGEE was among
the number engaged, and the caravan
started on July l, 1864.
1t took the old Santa Fe trail,
striking the Arkansas river at the
great bend OF that stream near its
confluence with the Walnut. The
region was very rough and called the
dark and bloody ground" for some
of the worst Indian massacres in the
history of the plains were perpetrat-
ed there. Some Insignificant skirm-
ishes with the Indians had taken
place, but nothing to cause any
serious alarm, and now, as the cara
van was approaching the vicinity of
Fort Larned, it's proximity was be-
lieyed to be sufficient protection from
further possible danger.
On the afternoon of July 1S-it
had been an excessively hot day-the
caravan went into camp at an early
hour The escorting troops stacked
arms about half a mile distant, but
In full view of the train. The men
should have kept good lookout for
surprises probably did in a way
but there was q feeling of security in
the knowledge that a regular at
tack by savages is rarely made until
the early hours of the morning, when
sleep is heaviest
About o'clock, however, band of
Brule Sioux, under the lead of Little
Turtle, descended from the sand hills
in all the fury of tornado, uttering
their wild war whoops, and Of all the
small army Of men employed by the
caravan young Robert McGee alone
came out alive TO tell the story of the
massacre. Every individual was shot
dead and scalped as he lay or sat at
the mess table The mules, of course.
went to swell the herd of the savages,
but the wagons were destroyed by
fire, theif canvas covers cut up into
breechcloth and the -four with which
the caravan was loaded emptied from
it's sacks on the prairie.
Young MCGEE was attacked by Lit
tie Turtle himself and knocked to the
ground by one blow of his toma
hawk As he lay there. partially stun
ned and bleeding, Little Turtle fired
two arrows into his body. pinning him
to the earth. Then, in transport
Of fiendishness, he took Roberts own
pistol and shot him. the bullet lodg
ing in his backbone. Not quite
satisfied that he had made good jot
OF II, he stopped over the boys pros
trate body and running his knife
around his head, lifted sixty-four
square inches of his scalp trimming
IL off just back of the ears.
Believing his victim to be dead by
that time, the chief abandoned him
but others OF the band in passing
hacked him with their knives and
poked holes into him with their long
Ilances. All the others in the train
were long since dead. killed outright,
and their bodies .nutilated.
After the savages had completed
their WORK they rode, whooping and
yelling, away. and the troops that had
witnessed the whole affair from their
vantage ground came upon the scene
to investigate and learn whether the
Sioux had been properly met or not by
the III fated men of the caravan. The
officer in command was very properly
i court martialed and dismissed in dis
grace from the service He never
gave any satisfactory reason for his
outrageous and cowardly conduct.
The only part the troops took in
the affair was 10 bury the dead. When
they attempted to put young McGee
under the ground they found very
lively corpse, despite the fact that
he was scalped and had received
fourteen distinct wounds. any one of
which would have terminated the life
of an ordinary man.
After interring the dead the sold.
iers FASTENED to Fort Larned, thirty
miles distant, where young MCGEE
was placed under the care of the post
surgeon. 1t was three months before
he was able to be moved from there
During that time he had fair com.
mand of his mental faculties and was
sufficiently strong to tell all the incl
dents of the attack.
The owner of the caravan. who had
remained in Leavenworth, on hear.
ing what had befallen his property
put in claim for big damages from
the government and was awarded n
sum which made him independent for
llfe' but he persistently refused TO do.
anything for the sole survivor
McGee's claims were laid before
the president, and In October 1864
Mr., Lincoln sent him letter and n
pass by special envoy, directing MIN
10 come to Washington as soon as he