The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-03-28
p !.
An Unpleasant Situation

An Unpleasant Situation.
When, late in May. 1868, Major
Daniel Mcdonald. Sixth Infantry. was
nrst assigned to command he 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
f1cially termed Fort Devere. he nat
urally considered it perfectly safe to
invite his only daughter to join MIN
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 ureasiness among the Sioux
warriors north of the Platte, the vari-
ous tribes Of the plains were causing
no unusua trouble to military authori-
6es. 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 its 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 a 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
S~unnycrest 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 final decision to have her join
him there. Why not? II she remain
ed the same h~igh-spirited army girl.
she would thoroughly enjoy the IN
usual experience of a 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
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 wal had spread rapidly from
the Platte to the Rio Pecos, ant
s~carcely a wild tribe remained disaf
fected. Arapahoe. Cheyenne. Pawnee
Comanche, and Apache alike espouset
the cause Of the Sioux. and theil
young warriors, breaking away from
the control OF older chiefs, became
ugly and warlike. Devere. isolated Al
II was from the main route OF trave
1.-THE Santa Fe stages still following
the more northern trail). heard mere
" rumors Of the prevailing condition
through tarrying hunters, and possi
bly, an occasional army courier, ye
soon realized the gravity Of the stu
alton because of the almost tota
cessation Of travel by way Of tn
Cinnamon and the growing insolenc
OF the surrounding Comanches. d.
tails from the small garrison wert
under urgent orders from headquaa
ters at Fort Wallace, kept constant
scouting as far south as the fork {
the Red river, and then west to tn
mountains. Squads from the singl
cavalry company guarded the fe'
venturing still to cross tn
Cimarron desert. or bore ~dispatche
to Fort Dodge. Thus the few soldier
remaining on duty at the home ST.
ton became slowly aware hat TIL
,outburst OF savagery was nc longer
mere tribal affair. Outrages were r
ported from the Solomon, the Repu'
ltcan, the Arkansas valleys. A setti
meat was raided on Smoky Forl
a were attacked near the Cache
and ore burned; a wagon train W;
escaped after desperate fighting. A
together the situation appeared e
trenely serious and summer promise
wal In earnest.
Mcdonald was rather slow to a
preciate the real facts. His know
edge Of indian tactics was exceedin