The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-06-14

- IXTY years ago this month there
occurred fight. the story of which
has become one of the classics OF
the Western frontier That was the
Battle of Adobe Walls which began
on the early morning of June II.
1874 when war party of several
hundred Comanche. Kiowa, Chey-
= enne Arapahoe and klowa Apache
Indians attacked a buffalo hunters
camp occupied by % men and one woman,
located on the south fork of the Canadian river
In what is now Hutchinson county In the Texas
Panhandle.
Characteristic of Its ranking as frontier clas-
sic is the number of men who at one time or
another have been called survivors OF the
Adobe Walls fight Seemingly every old-timer
who was ever buffalo hunter on the South
western plains III the 'T0s has been accorded the
distinction OF "He fought at Adobe Walls by
amateur historians and imaginative newspaper
reporters and this. despite the fact that there
has been In existence for many years an authen-
tic list Of the actual participants which might
easily disprove the claim advanced In favor OF
spurious defenders of that outpost OF the from
tier.
Under the terms of the Medicine Lodge treaty
OF 1867 the federal government fixed the Arkan-
sas river as the northern boundary OF the Indian
country for the tribes of the Southwestern
plains and guaranteed that white hunters should
not cross that stream. But they did
In 1872 the mushroom town of Dodge City,
Kan, sprang into existence and became the out
fitting point and center OF activity Of the hide
hunters who with their big sharps buffalo guns.
were constantly Invading the red mans country.
BY the spring Of 1874 the slaughter had been
so great that the buffalo had been virtually
wined out near Dodge City. So A. G. Myers, who
was In the general merchandise business In
Dodge, organized an expedition to establish
trading post farther south where the hunters
could get their supplies and to which they would
bring their buffalo hides which Myers would
freight back to the Kansas hide capital" Form
Ing partnership with Fred Leonard and accom-
panied by party Of 20-odd frontIersmen, Myers
set out for the forbidden Indian country.
Among the members OF the party were Jim
Hanrahan an old buffalo hunter who was going
along to open a saloon at the new trading post
Thomas O'Keefe. a blacksmith; and two young
buffalo hunters destined for future fame-Billy
Dixon and Bat Masterson. After q journey OF
$50 miles the expedition reached spot on the
south fork OF the Canadian where stood the
ruins OF an old trading post, known as Adobe
Walls which had been built by William Bent
and Ceran St. Vrain, some time before 1910
mile or so farther on In a broad valley where
there was a pretty stream called East Adobe
Walls creek Myers and his companions unloadet
their wagons and set about establishing the sec
ond Adobe Walls which was to become even more
famous than the first.
Myers and Leonard built picket house, 2
by go feet In Size Hanrahan put up sod house
% by CO. and 0'Keefe opened his blacksmith
shop In picket structure Is feet square. My
ers and Leonard also built stockade corral b
setting big cottonwood logs on end In the grount
short time later, Rath and Wright leadin
merchants of Dodge City, decided to estabs
a branch store at Adobe Walls and built 80
house. 10 by 20 feet, leaving James Langton
charge OF the new business there. TO Adolf
Walls also came William Olds and his wife
open a restaurant.
For several years the Indians had been watc
ing with increasing alarm the wasteful slaug
ter of the buffalo by the white hunters !
when lib the spring Of 1874 Comanche met
cine man named Isatai announced that he hi
new medicine which would enable them