Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-05-01
An unpIeasant situation.

When. late In May, 1868, Major
Daniel Mcdonald. Sixth Infantry. was
FIRST assigned to command the new
three company post established south
west OF Fort Dodge, designed to pro-
tect the newly discovered Cimarron
trail leading to Santa Fe across the
desert. and, purely by courtesy. Of
hcially termed Fort Dovere. he nat.
urally considered 1t perfectly safe to
invite his only daughter to join him
there for her summer vacation. In
deed, at that time. there was ap-
parently no valid reason why he
should deny himself this pleasure.
Except for certain vague rumors re-
garding uneasiness among the Sioux
warriors north of the Platte, the yari-
Gus tribes Of the plains were causing
ties, although. of course, there was
no time in the history of that country
utterly devoid OF peril from young
raiders, usually aided and abetted by
outcast whites. However, the Santa
Fe route. by this date, had become a
well-traveled trail, protected by scat
tered posts along It's entire route. fire.
quently patrolled by troops. and mere
ly considered dangerous for small par
ties, south of the Cimarron, where row
ing Comanches in bad humor might
be encountered.
Fully assured as to this by officers
met at Fort Ripley. Mcdonald. who
had never before served west OF the
Mississippi, wrote his daughter long
letter, describing in careful detail the
route, set an exact date for her de-
parture, and then, satisfied all was
well arranged. set forth with his
small command on the long march
overland He had not seen his daugh-
ter for over two years. as during her
vacation time (she was attending
Sunnycrest school, on the Hudson),
she made her home with an aunt In
Connecticut. This year the aunt was
IN Europe, not expecting to return un.
til fall. and the father had hopefully
counted on having the girl with him
once again in Kentucky. Then came
his sudden, unexpected transfer west,
anu tbC hhdi uCCAblOh W nave hCA JOlu
him there. Why not? II she remain
ed the same high-spirited army girl.
she would thoroughly enjoy the IN
usual experience Of few months of
real frontier life. and the only hard.
ship involved would be the long stage
ride from Ripley. This, however, was
altogether prairie travel. monotonous
81 alu hut ND al
danger, and he could doubtless ar
range to meet her himself at Kansas
City, or send one Of his officers for
that purpose.
This was the situation in May, but
by the middle OF June conditions had
greatly changed throughout all the
broad plains country. The spirit of
savage war had spread rapidly from
the Platte to the Rio Peeos. aid
scarcely a wild tribe remained disaf-
fected. A-apahoe. Cheyenne. Pawnee,
Comanche. and Apache alike espoused
the cause of the Sioux, and their
young warriors, breaking away from
the control of older chiefs, became
ugly and warlike. Devere. isolated as
Il was from the main route of travel
1.-THE Santa Fe stages still following
the more northern traiD. heard mere
ly rumors OF the prevailing condition
through tarrying hunters. and posi-.
bly, an occasional army courier, yet
soon realized the gravity of the stu.
alton because of the almost total
cessation of travel by way OF the
Cimarron and the growing insolence
of the surrounding Comanches. De
tails from the small garrison were,
under urgent orders from headquar-
ters at Fort Wallace. kept constantly
scouting as far south as the fork OF
the Red river. and then west to the