The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1913-04-03
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CHAPTER I.
An UNPLEASANT Situation.

CHAPTER I.
Al Unpleasant 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
ficially termed Fort Devere. he nat
urally considered It 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 vari-
GUS tribes Of the plains were causing
no unusual trouble to military authord-
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
well-traveled trail, protected by scat
tered posts along its entire route, fire.
quently patrolled by troops, and mere
~ 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 hts daughter long
letter. describing in careful detail the
route. set an exact date for her de-
parture, and then, satisfied all was
we'll arranged, set forth with his
small command on the long march
overland He had not seen hts 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 I'M
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.
and the Anal decision to have her join
him there. Why not? II she remain
ed the same high-spirited army girl.
she would thoroughly enjoy the un-
usual experience Of few months Of
real frontier life, and the only hard
shin involved would be the long stage
ride from Ripley. This. however. was
altogether prairie travel, monotonous
enough surely, but without special
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 Pecos, and
scarcely wild tribe remained disaf-
.fected. Arapahoe, 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
it was from the main route Of travel
(the Santa Fe stages still following
the more northern traiD, heard mere
~ 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.
tiers at Fort Wallace, kept constantly
scouting as far south as the fork OF
the Red river, and then west to the
mountains. Squads from the single
cavalry company guarded the few
caravans venturing still to cross the
Cimarron desert or bore dispatches
to Fort Dodge. Thus the few soldiers
remaining on duty at the home sta
ton became slowly aware that this
outburst of savagery was no longer q
mere tribal affair. Outrages were re
ported from the Solomon. the Repub
lican. the Arkansas valleys. A settle
ment was raided on Smoky Fork:
stages were attacked near the Caches
and one burned: a wagon train waf
ambushed in the Ration pass. and only
escaped after desperate lighting. AL
together the situation appeared ex
tremely serious and summer promised
war in earnest
Mcdonald was rather slow to ap
preciate the real facts. His knovl
edge Of Indian tactics was exceeding
AWAY WITH CLASS HATRED