The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-06-15

- enne, ArapanOe ana Nova 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.
Although It was a relatively unimportant affair
from the point of view of numbers engaged, cas-
ualties on either side its results, yet 1t had
certain picturesque aspects which have given 1t
enduring fame. The story Of Adobe Walls has
been told and retold many times Around 1t has
clustered the same collection of myths legends
and Just plain bunk" that has become associated
with many other notable frontier engagements
Characteristic Of its ranking 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 a buffalo hunter the South
western plains in the '70s 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 anthem
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
The account which follows is based upon the
versions OF two white NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Johnson Tin an interview given at the fiftieth
anniversary celebration held in 1920 and Billy
Dixon Tin his book Life and Adventures of
Billy Dixon of Adobe Walls, Texas Panhandle"
published by his widow Mrs. Olive K. Dixon of
Miami, Texas, in 1910; upon an interview with
Thunder Bird a son of Chief Bull Bear Of the
Southern Cheyennes, who claimed that q
boy Of seventeen he fought with the warriors
of his tribe at Adobe Walls; and upon the &C
count given in the book "The Fighting Chey-
ennes" by George Bird GrinneI who had his
information at frst-hand from some Of the Chey-
ennes who were there.
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 int 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
80 great that the buffalo had been virtually
wiped out near Dodge City. So A. G. Myers, who
was in the general merchandise business In
Dodge, organized an expedition to establish a
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 a party Of 20-odd frontiersmen, Myers
set out for the forbidden Indian country
Among the members of the party Jim
HanrahaR, an old buffalo hunter who was going
along to open a saloon at the new trading post
Thomas O'Keefe blacksmith; and two young
buffalo hunters destined for future fame-Billy
Dixon and Bat Masterson. After journey Of
$50 miles the expedition reached a 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 unloaded
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 a picket house. 20
by 60 feet In size; Hanrahan put up sod house,
Is by CO. and OKeefe opened his blacksmith
shop in a picket structure, Is feet square. Ny
ers and Leonard also built a stockade corral by
setting big cottonwood logs on end in the ground.
A short time later. Rath and Wright, leading
merchants of Dodge City, decided to establish
a branch store at Adobe Walls and built sod
house, 16 BY 20 feet leaving James Langton in