The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18
Stops in Hutchinson the Second
Time i'm 20 Years.
Was Kansas Character When
Buffalo Were Many.
HEADS WAR VETERANS
Has Been in Washington to Help
Get Pensions.
Came to State When Young and
Helped Build It.

Hutchinson. Kan, Feb. 1s.-Colonel
Henry Hegwer. pioneer of Hutchinson
Indian fighter. buffalo hunter and
plainsman. was in Hutchinson today for
the second time since he moved away
% years ago.
Colonel Hegwer. who now lives in
Denver. is on his way home from
Washington, where as national COM
mander of the National Association
of Indian War Veterans, he has been
endeavorlng to obtain the passage of
a pension bill granting pensions to
such veterans
committee about February 1 which at
tracted much attention. He is conf
dent the next session of congress will
pass his bill.
Hutchinson looks prosperous. 1t
looks good he said, as he walked
crutch and cane to get around, being
crippled as result of wounds received
in Indian engagements in years gone
By.
Colonel Hegwer located in Hutchin-
son when the town was first establish
ed in 1872. Here in the boom days of
the sos he built the houses which are
still known as the HegWer houses. He
built in all about $50 houses, selling
them on payments. He had a crew of
% Ut ~ IlSIl at WOTh constantly COH-
structing houses, and one summer
built Sc houses within 80 days, which
holds the record.
Later he constructed the Western
salt plant and operated it until he was
forced out of the salt business by what
he always maintained was manipula-
ton of freight rates by the railways.
After that he moved to Denver.
Colonel Hegwer is one of the pio-
neers of central Kansas. having roca-
ted in Chase county in 1857. He spent
many years as an Indian fighter, buff
He was wounded three times in a bat
tie with Ute Indians in Wyoming, dur
ing the SOS. AS a buffalo hunter he
had the distinction of killing the last
buffalo slain in Chase county.
Colonel Hegwer had many thrilling
experiences in Indian fighting in Kan
SaS.
1.-The last war party of Indians to
pass through where Reno county is
now was chased by my company of
a quarter breed Cheyenne, whose faith
er was Colonel Bent, an army officer,
had led a war party of Cheyennes on
a raid against the Kansas settlements,
in the fall of 1867.
'On their raid they attacked a camp
above Fort Hays and killed IL men
and stole 40 horses. We took after them,
lay in ambush and in two different en-
gagements gave them heavy slaugh-
ter, finally driving them back from the
settlements on the Saline and Repub-
lican.
"They were driven south and cross
ed the Arkansas river about two miles
east of where Nickerson is now. We
chased them clear on out of the state.
That was the last Indian raid through
this section of the state
In the spring and summer of 1857
Hegwer was engaged in buffalo hunt
ing having a contract to furnish buff
falo meat for Fort Harker and for
the railway construction gangs on the
Kansas Pacific.
con June 10, 1867 the Indians at
tackled us. There We're five in our
party and we were IS miles from the
fort There were "a Indians in the
attacking party. We started, as fast
as our horses could run, for the fort,
fighting as we proceeded.
From daylight until l o'clock in the
afternoon the fight kept up, and they
got Is of my Is head of horses, but
we escaped, although some of the boys
had close calls. The Indians left US
when we got about half way to Fort
Harker and went to the grading camp
on the Kansas Pacific, where they
killed "a men in the construction crew
at a cut eight miles from the fort not
more than an hour after thev left us.
Colonel Eegwer was wounded several
ever, which MANNED his leg and made
him a cripple for life was received
from a desperado.
In the civil war "Bill Anderson's
gang as it was known did many dep
relations in central and eastern Kan
sas. 1t was composed of gang of
bushwhackers and desperadoes.
one of the men in the gang was
neighbor of Hegwer's in Chase coun-
ty before the war. Hegwer brought
ahont his capture and arrest. After
the war the desperate returned to
Chase county, hunted up Hegwer, his
old neighbor, and shot him, manning
him He escaped to Texas where he
-,-oe Io4oy- 1vnChed