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®8lpommB  Annals 


Vol.  11 


January,  1939 


No.  1 


JBRARY 

OF   THS; 

OF  WYOMING 


si^V^   I 


Published  Quarterly 

by  the 

TATE    DEPARTMENT    OF    HISTORY 

NINA  MOBAN 

State  Librarian  and  Historian  Ex-offlcio 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


MpominB  Annals 


Vol.  11 


January,  1939 


No.  1 


Yellow  Calf 
Brock,   A.   L. 

Bale,  George  Justin 
Farlow,  Edward  J. 


Smith,  E.  Willard 
Burrage,  Frank  Sumner 


Farlow,  Edward  J. 


Armstrong,   Paul  J. 


CONTENTS 

Portrait  3 

Early  experiences   of   a   mail   carrier 5 

Wyoming  Firsts   8 

A  History  of  tbe  development  of  Territorial 
Public  Education  in  the  state  of  Wyo- 
ming, 1869-1890 1. 9 

Powder  River,  Let    'er  Buck 21 

Edward   J.   Farlow 's   Memoirs 25 

Chief  Washakie 's  Obituary 30 

Journal,   1839-1840    (Excerpts) 31 

Bill  Nye,   1850-1896 42 

Orchids    49 

William  Edwards   Chaplin 49 

Sam  Berry,  an  outlaw  who  killed  for  money.. ..50 

Wyoming   Bo.ok   Shelf 52 

History  of  the   Post   Office   at  Laramie, 

Wyoming 52 

Necrology — 

Mrs.    Glafcke .....'. 60 

Mrs.  Emlie  Allen  Patten.. 60 

William   A.    Miner 6L 

Colonel   W.   F.   Hooker 61 

Charles  F.    (Dad)    Caldwell 62 

Chief  Yellow  Calf 63 

Accessions 66 


Published  Quarterly 

by  the 

STATE     DEPARTMENT     OF     HISTORY 


NINA   MORAN 

State  Librarian  and  Historian  E.\-officio 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


STATE   HISTOEICAL   BOAED 

Governor  Nels  H.   Smith 

Secretary  of  State Dr.  Lester  C.  Hunt 

State  Treasurer Mart  T.  Christensen 

State  Auditor Wm.  "Scotty"  Jack 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction      .      Esther  Anderson 
Historian  Ex-officio Nina  Moran 

MES.  MAEIE  H.  EEWIN,  Assistant  Historian 


The  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Advisory  Committee 
and  the  State   Historical  Department  assumes  no   responsi- 
bility for  any   statement   of  fact   or   opinion   expressed  by 
contributors  to  the  Wyoming  Annals. 


Publighed  Quarterly  in  January,  April,  July  and  October 

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Single  Copies   35c 


'  ta^  >■- 


CHIEF  YELLOW  CALF 
Colorful  Tribal  Head  of  the   Arapalioes 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

LYRASIS  IVIembers  and  Sloan  Foundation 


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OTpoming  ^nnalg 


Vol.  11  January,  1939  No.  1 

EARLY  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  MAIL  CARRIER 

By  A.  L.  Brock,  of  Buffalo,  Wyoming 

During  the  latter  part  of  March  1892  Sam  Stringer  was 
carrying  the  U.  S.  Mail  from  Buffalo  via  Mayoworth  across 
the  Big  Horn  Mountains  to  Ten  Sleep,  Wyoming.  The  snow 
at  that  time  was  rather  deep  on  the  mountains  between  Mayo- 
worth and  Ten  Sleep.  While  Mr.  Stringer  used  only  one 
team  of  mules  from  Buffalo  to  MayoAvorth,  he  used  four  to 
carry  the  mail  over  the  mountains  when  the  snow  was  deep. 

After  leaving  Mayoworth  and  reaching  his  cabin  on  the 
head  of  Pass  Creek  on  the  mountains,  he  left  his  mules  tied 
to  a  light  wagon  and  continued  on  snow  shoes  to  Ten  Sleep 
pulling  a  toboggan  loaded  with  the  mail.  After  an  absence  of 
seven  days  from  Mayoworth,  W.  W.  Morgareidge,  J.  R.  Mor- 
gareidge,  W.  S.  Jones  and  myself  started  out  to  ascertain  why 
he  had  not  returned.  After  going  as  far  as  was  possible  on 
the  mountains  with  horses,  the  writer  looked  after  the  horses 
while  the  other  three  men  went  on  snow  shoes  to  the  cabin 
on  Pass  Creek  where  they  found  the  mules  tied  to  the  wagon 
still  wearing  the  harness.  The  mules  had  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing the  hay  and  grain  on  the  wagon  and  had  gnawed  quite  a 
bit  of  the  wagon  box  including  the  hickory  wagon  bows. 

The  three  men  spent  the  night  at  the  cabin,  while  I  stayed 
over  night  with  the  horses,  three  miles  back  on  the  trail. 
During  the  night  the  wind  blew  my  camp  fire  away  and  I  put 
a  saddle  and  blanket  on  one  of  the  horses,  which  was  accus- 
tomed to  being  in  the  stable,  to  keep  him  from  getting  so  cold. 
I  might  add  that  I  passed  a  very  disagreeable  night  as  care- 
taker of  the  horses. 

The  three  men,  after  their  night  at  the  cabin,  turned  the 
mules  loose  and  brought  them  to  where  they  could  get  feed 
and  then  came  to  where  I  was  with  the  saddle  horses.  We 
concluded  that  Mr.  Stringer  had  perished  and  was  under  some 
snow  drift.  We  then  returned  home,  this  being  the  ninth  day 
since  Mr.  Stringer  had  left  Mayoworth. 

We  learned  later  that  Mr.   Stringer,   on  the  return  trip 


6  WYOMING  ANNALS 

from  Ten  Sleep  broke  one  of  his  snow  shoes,  became  very  sick 
and  was  about  three  miles  from  the  cabin  on  the  night  that  the 
three  men  stayed  there.  He  crawled  on  his  hands  and  knees 
most  of  the  way  from  there  to  his  cabin  as  he  was  sick  and  had 
only  one  snow  shoe.  When  he  reached  the  cabin  he  didn't 
have  any  matches  and  in  order  to  start  a  fire  he  picked  his 
handkerchief  to  pieces  and  made  a  pile  of  lint  and  then  cov- 
ered this  with  fine  shavings  and  shot  into  it  with  his  six 
shooter. 

After  staying  there  several  days  while  recovering  from 
his  illness  and  eating  Avhat  provisions  he  had,  including  tallow 
candles,  he  started  for  Mayoworth  with  the  mail  sack.  When 
he  reached  the  point  Avhere  he  found  the  mules  he  took  some 
cord  from  his  snow  shoes,  tied  the  mail  sack  on  one  of  the 
mules  and  tried  to  bring  them  with  him.  but  the  mule  got  away 
and  he  could  not  catch  him  again. 

Mr.  Stringer  was  so  very  weak  that  he  started  on  for 
Mayoworth  leaving  the  mail  sack  on  the  mule.  Soon  after 
leaving  the  mules  a  severe  storm  struck  him.  He  went  into  the 
timber  and  while  sleeping  by  the  fire  his  clothing  caught  and 
he  burned  a  large  hole  in  the  back  of  his  coat.  He  ate  pitch 
from  the  trees  during  the  three  days  storm.  At  one  time  a 
gray  wolf  was  following  him  and  kept  getting  closer  and 
closer.  Stringer  wanted  the  wolf  for  food.  When  it  ap- 
proached as  near  as  he  thought  safe  he  drew  down  on  it  with 
his  trusty  six  shooter,  fired,  but  missed  the  wolf,  and  it  ran 
away.  Stringer  stated  that  he  felt  so  badly  that  he  wept.  He 
then  continued  his  journey  and  finally  reached  what  was  at 
that  time  the  Cochie  Ranch,  about  four  miles  west  of  Mayo- 
worth, in  a  very  weak  condition  and  his  feet  badly  frozen. 
Cochie  saturated  his  feet  with  coal  oil  which  probably  saved 
them  from  having  to  be  amputated  later. 

Mr.  Stringer  told  me  that  while  he  was  sick  and  delirious 
he  could  hear  people  talking  in  Buffalo  and  recognize  their 
voices. 

George  B.  McClellan  and  Tom  O'Day  came  across  the 
mountains  on  snow  shoes  and  seeing  the  mule  with  the  mail 
sack  on  him,  took  the  sack  and  brought  it  in  with  them.  The 
mules  were  later  brought  in  by  Jerry  Morgan.  The  rivets  on 
the  leather  mail  pouch  had  made  sores  on  the  mule,  causing  the 
hair  to  be  white  when  healed. 

After  the  harrowing  experiences  of  Mr.  Stringer,  it  was 
found  that  the  mail  sack  contained  but  one  lonely  letter. 

It  is  commendable  as  well  as  an  example  of  the  loyalty 
and  trustworthiness  in  trying  to  keep  the  mail  sack  with  him 


WYOMING  ANNALS  7 

when  he  thought  he  was  facing  possible  death  from  sickness 
and  hunger  and  exposure. 

After  recovering  from  his  serious  adventure  he  again  re- 
sumed his  duties  as  mail  carrier.  He  had  carried  U.  S.  Mail 
for  many  years  and  over  various  routes,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  had  the  mail  contract  from  Buffalo  to  Sussex,  Wyoming. 

He  was  a  good  citizen,  loyal  to  his  Government,  true  in  his 
friendships,  and  during  his  last  illness,  he  being  a  Mason,  was 
cared  for  by  the  Masonic  Fraternity. 

A.  L.  Brock, 
Buffalo,  Wyoming, 

September,  1935. 

It  might  be  permissible  to  mention  a  few  things  in  regard 
to  Sam  Stringer's  past  history,  a  part  of  which  he  told  m.e 
over  forty  years  ago. 

When  a  young  man  he  was  a  teamster  in  the  Confederate 
Army  and  at  the  Wilson  Creek  battle  near  Springfield,  Mis- 
souri, he  lost  his  entire  outfit.  He  came  as  a  teamster  with 
General  Carrington  in  1866  to  where  Fort  Phillip  Kearney  was 
established  in  what  is  now  Johnson  County,  Wyoming,  in  1866. 
He  told  me  he  would  have  been  with  the  wood  train  when  it 
was  attacked  by  the  Indians  had  it  not  been  that  his  wagon 
was  at  the  Fort  at  the  time  for  repairs.  He  was  one  of  the 
men  from  the  Fort  who  assisted  in  bringing  in  the  bodies  of 
the  dead  soldiers  killed  by  the  Indians  at  what  is  now  known 
as  Massacre  Hill,  where  Fetterman  with  seventy-eight  soldiers 
and  two  civilians  were  killed  December  21st,  1866. 

Mr.  Stringer  drew  a  small  pension  for  fighting  Seminole 
Indians  in  Florida  as  a  volunteer. 

He  was  also  with  General  George  A.  Custer,  as  a  team- 
ster, in  1868  when  Custer  left  Camp  Supply,  December  7th, 
1868,  with  about  fifteen  hundred  soldiers  to  fight  Indians. 
Custer  located  a  large  camp  of  Cheyennes  with  Medicine 
Arrow  a?  principal  Chief,  on  Sweetwater,  a  tributary  of  Red 
River,  December  17th.  Custer  was  trying  to  locate  two  white 
women  who  had  been  captured  by  the  Cheyennes  while  raid- 
ing Salina,  Soloman,  and  Republican  Valleys  in  Kansas  during 
the  summer  and  fall  of  1868.  One  of  the  women,  19  years  old, 
was  Mrs.  James  S.  Morgan  (formerly  Miss  Brewster)  who  was 
a  bride  of  less  than  a  month.  The  other  was  a  Miss  Sarah 
White,  18  years  old.  When  Custer  ascertained  that  these  two 
women  were  in  this  camp  and  knowing  what  their  fate  might 
be  if  he  attacked  the  camp,  after  meeting  some  of  the  Indians 
with  a  flag  of  truce,  he  used  strategy  to  get  possession  of  the 


8  WYOMING  ANNALS 

women.  After  four  or  five  days  of  dickering  and  holding  some 
of  the  Chiefs  as  hostage  for  their  safe  delivery,  he  succeeded 
in  having  the  women  turned  over  to  him.  Daniel  A.  Brewster, 
a  brother  of  Mrs.  Morgan,  was  with  Custer  and  the  first  one 
to  meet  his  sister.  Mr.  Stringer  was  with  Custer  at  this  time 
and  also  the  late  W.  G.  Angus  of  Buffalo,  Wyoming.  Each  of 
these  men  related  to  me  some  of  the  happenings  of  this  par- 
ticular event.  I  was  informed  that  the  bands  played  "Home, 
Sweet  Home"  while  these  two  women  were  approaching  the 
soldiers,  and  Mr.  Angus  said  he  thought  it  was  the  sweetest 
music  he  had  ever  listened  to.  Mr.  Stringer  gave  me  rather 
a  vivid  account  of  this  entire  affair.  On  their  departure  for 
their  former  home  the  soldiers  took  up  a  collection  and  pre- 
sented to  the  two  women,  over  seven  hundred  dollars. 

I  might  say,  also  in  conclusion,  that  Mr.  Stringer  at  one 
time  had  several  mule  teams  and  did  construction  work  in 
railroad  building,  and  at  one  time  was  robbed  of  several  thou- 
sand dollars. 

Mr.  Stringer  worked  for  the  Government  as  a  civilian 
teamster  for  several  years.  He  also  carried  the  U.  S.  Mail  for 
a  number  of  years,  over  various  routes,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  he  had  the  mail  contract  from  Buffalo,  Wyoming,  to 
Sussex,  Wyoming. 

A.  L.  Brock, 
Buffalo,  Wyo. 


WYOMINa  FIRSTS 

Frank  S.  Lusk  was  first  treasurer  of  Niobrara  County 
(from  Pioneer  Record  of  the  State  Wide  Historical  Project) 

Patrick  Sarsfield  Keene,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Keene,  was 
born  June  21,  1868,  and  was  the  first  child  born  in  Laramie 
City,  (for  additional  information  see  History  and  Directory 
of  Laramie  City,  Wyoming  Territory,  by  J.  H.  Triggs,  pg.  17) 

The  first  newspaper  published  in  Laramie  City  was  the 
Frontier  Index  by  Fred  K.  Freeman  and  Bro.  This  was  also 
the  pioneer  newspaper  of  the  Territory,  being  published  at  Ft. 
Sanders,  during  the  latter  part  of  the  winter  of  1867-68,  as  a 
weekly,  (see  History  and  Directory  of  Laramie  City,  Wyoming 
Territory,  by  J.  H.  Triggs,  pg.  40-41.) 


WYOMING  ANNALS 


EXCERPTS  FROM 


A  HISTORY  OF  THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF 

TERRITORIAL  PUBLIC  EDUCATION  IN  THE  STATE 

OF  WYOMING 

1869-1890 

By  George  Justin  Bale,  B.  A. 
Yankton  College,  1929 

A  Thesis  submitted  to  the  Faculty  of  the  Graduate  School  of  the  Uni- 
versity  of   Colorado   in   partial  fulfillment   of   the   requirements   for   the 
Degree,  Master  of  Arts.     Department  of  Education,  1938 
Eeprinted  by  permission   of  the  author 

EARLY  BACKGROUNDS 

A.     First  Schools 

The  first  school  in  Wyoming  was  conducted  by  the  Post 
Chaplain,  the  Reverend  Richard  Vaux,  at  Fort  Laramie  in 
1852  for  the  officers'  children,  and  was  purely  an  army  school 
such  as  might  be  conducted  at  any  frontier  outpost.  The  next 
school  was  of  a  slightly  different  nature.  It  was  located  at  Fort 
Bridger  where  in  1860  Judge  W.  A.  Carter,  who  had  come  to 
that  place  with  General  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  erected  a  build- 
ing for  school  purposes  and  allowed  other  children  to  share  with 
his  own  the  teaching  by  a  governess  whom  he  had  brought  to 
Wyoming  from  the  East.  ^  An  excerpt  from  a  letter  written  by 
Mr.  W.  A.  Carter,  Jr.  of  Fort  Bridger  gives  interesting  data 
about  this  school  which  he  attended  follows : 

"The  first  school  at  Fort  Bridger  was  a  private  one  main- 
tained by  my  father,  Judge  William  A.  Carter  for  his  own 
children,  but  to  which  a  few  children  of  other  families  were  ad- 
mitted without  charge.  It  was  kept  in  the  beginning  in  one  of 
the  rooms  in  our  house  and  the  teacher  was  a  Miss  Fannie 
Foote,  employed  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  and  brought  out  by  my  fa- 
ther and  mother  in  their  own  private  conveyance. 

''My  two  older  sisters,  Ada  and  Annie,  were  the  first 
pupils ;  to  whom  were  added  later  several  children  of  officers 
in  the  army,  whose  names  I  do  not  know. 

"Our  little  school  house,  which  still  stands  in  the  grounds 
of  the  Wyoming  State  Historical  Commission  at  Fort  Bridger, 
was  built  in  1866. 


1.     Jessup,  A.  S.     "Early  Schools  of  Wyoming"  (Manuscript) 
Administrative  Office,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  1933,  p.  2 


10  WYOMING  ANNALS 

"I  was  not  old  enough  to  attend  the  school  until  1870,  and 
have  no  recollections  before  that  time.  Miss  Dana  McAlphine, 
who  was  engaged  in  New  York  City  and  whose  experience  ex- 
tended from  her  home  in  New  Englacl,  was  my  first  teacher, 
and  continued  to  conduct  the  school  until  1875.  She  was  a  hand- 
some young  woman,  with  a  charming  manner  and  disposition, 
versatile  and  devoted  to  her  work,  and  was  loved  by  all  the  chil- 
dren with  whom  she  came  in  contact.  She  was  also  very  popular 
socially  with  the  officers  and  ladies  of  the  garrison  at  the  post. 

"But  she  was  a  strict  disciplinarian.  If  you  worked  you  re- 
ceived all  of  the  help  and  praise  that  she  could  give  you.  But 
a  shirk  spent  much  extra  time  in  the  school  house,  making  up 
his  deficiencies.  She  was  a  very  successful  instructor  in  elemen- 
tary mathematics,  including  algebra  and  geometry,  and  she 
also  aroused  an  interest  in  ancient  and  modern  literature  that 
was  of  great  advantage  to  her  pupils  in  later  life. 

"About  this  time  a  post  school  was  also  started  by  the 
army,  which  all  of  the  children  of  the  fort  who  had  no  other 
instruction,  attended.  It  was  located  in  one  of  the  barracks,  and 
was  taught  by  some  enlisted  man  who  had  the  necessary  quali- 
fications. 

"The  next  teacher  at  our  private  school  was  a  Miss  Emma 
Lefferts,  a  woman  of  German  parentage ;  experienced  in  the 
public  school  in  New  York;  competent  in  all  branches  of  ele- 
mentary schools ;  and  an  excellent  German  scholar.  She  taught 
us  the  German  language  and  gave  us  a  good  introduction  to 
German  literature.  She  was  also  a  skillful  and  earnest  teacher 
but  she  lacked  the  charm  which  would  have  endeared  her  to 
her  pupils. 

' '  Our  last  tutor  was  a  Mr.  Hans  Jansen ;  a  chemist  by  pro- 
fession and  a  graduate  of  Kiel  University  in  Schleswig-Holstein. 
Although  unsuccessful  in  obtaining  employment  in  his  profes- 
sion, he  proved  a  capable  instructor  and  in  the  following  four 
years  fitted  us  for  entrance  in  eastern  colleges  in  1880.  My  sis- 
ters entered  Vassar  and  I,  Cornell  University  in  New  York. 

"In  conclusion,  I  think  that  a  strong  feature  of  our  small 
private  school  was,  that  we  had  to  learn  the  lessons  assigned  to 
us  each  day,  even  if  it  was  necessary'  to  stay  in  the  schoolroom 
after  hours  long  enough  to  accomplish  it,  in  which  undertaking 
our  teacher  was  expected  to  stay  with  us  and  help  us.  So  there 
was  always  a  strong  inducement  to  prepare  the  task  in  ad- 
vance."^ 


Carter,  W.  A.     Excerpt  from  a  letter  written  from  6671  Neptune 
Place,  La  Jolla,  Calif.,  November  30,  1937 


WYOMING  ANNALS  11 

B.     Early  Interest  in  Public  Education 

The  first  interest  in  or  record  of  any  public  school  in  the 

state  of  Wyoming  appears  in  the  Cheyenne  Daily  Leader  under 

date  of  October  15,  1867. 

"For  the  position  of  Superintendent  of  common 
schools,   J.    H.    Gildersleeve   received    1456   votes    and 
George  Mc  Mullin  254  votes.  "^ 
According  to  this  account,  the  school  superintendent  must 

have  been  elected  by  popular  vote. 

The  first  definite  interest  in  education  was  shown   in   a 

letter  published  in  the  Leader  for  October  19,  1867.  The  letter 

follows : 

"Mr.  Editor: 

"What  are  we  going  to  do  about  a  school  this 
winter?  I  know  there  are  many  things  requiring  the 
attention  of  the  enterprising  citizens  of  Cheyenne  and 
I  know  there  are  many  public  expenses  to  be  borne. 
But  it  is  not  indispensable  that  we  should  have  a 
school.  I  see  children  in  every  alley  and  street  and 
no  doubt  there  are  more  coming;  and  although  I  am 
neither  a  parent  or  guardian  in  any  case,  nor  yet  a 
teacher,  I  believe  I  speak  the  sentiments  of  three 
fourths  of  the  citizens  of  Cheyenne  when  I  say  let  us 
have  a  school.  If  a  schoolhouse  was  provided  by  the 
city  in  some  way,  it  is  quite  likely  that  a  school  could 
be  established  mainly  by  subscription.  At  any  rate  it 
is  high  time  that  an  effort  be  made  and  the  writer 
would  suggest  to  those  that  find  interest  in  the  matter 
to  meet  with  the  council  at  their  next  meeting  and  see 
what  can  be  done." 

"A  Cheyenner"^ 
In  the  Leader  for  October  24th,  the  following  news  item 

appeared : 

"Gildersleeve  and  a  group  of  citizens  appeared  before  the 

city   council    concerning   the    matter    of   starting^    a    school    in 

Cheyenne.    The  mayor  appointed  J.  B.  Whitehead,  H.  E.  Tal- 

pey,  0.  B.  Thompson  to  procure  a  schoolroom  by  renting  one 

or  building  one." 

And  again  the  Leader  reported  in  its  issue  for  November 

5,  1867  that : 


1.  Cheyenne   Leader  News   of  Interest   October   15,   1867, 
State  Historical  Files,  p.  4. 

2.  Ibid.,  October  19,  1867,  p.  1. 

3.  Ibid.,  October  24,  1867,  Council  Proceedings,  p.  1. 


12  WYOMING  ANNALS 

"The  census  showed  that  there  were  120-125  children  in 
Cheyenne  of  school  age.  "^ 

The  dedication  of  the  school  house  is  chronicled  in  the  issue 
of  Monday,  January  6,  1868,  headed  '^Interesting  Event — 
Dedication  of  the  First  School  Building  in  Wyoming  to  the 
Cause  of  Free  Education."  The  article  reports: 

"A  large  assemblage  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  this  city 
congregated  at  the  new  school  building  on  18th  street  last  eve- 
ning to  witness  the  dedicatory  exercises  upon  the  completion  of 
the  first  school  edifice  in  this  city.  The  evening  was  bitter  cold, 
the  thermometer  indicating  25  degrees  below  zero,  but  notwith- 
standing this  the  large  room  was  densely  crowded  with  an 
anxious  assemblage  of  our  best  citizens. 

' '  We  doubt  not  that  nearly  all  present  felt  that  it  was  good 
to  be  there  and  were  forcibly  impressed  with  the  importance  of 
the  undertaking  and  that  herein  lies  the  germ  that  is  speedily 
to  grow  to  a  giant  in  moral  effects  that  shall  at  an  early  date 
redeem  our  city  from  the  rule  of  crime  and  vice."^ 

A  letter  from  Rev.  Joseph  W.  Cook,  the  first  Episcopal 
Missionary  to  Cheyenne,  to  his  Bishop,  the  Rt.  Rev.  George  M. 
Randall,  substantiates  the  information  already  given  about  the 
school.  Writing  in  February,  1868  he  says,  "The  school  at  the 
city  schoolhouse  has  been  started  and  there  are  one  hundred 
twelve  scholars."^ 

C.    Letters  of  County  Superintendents 

Letters  written  in  1870  by  the  county  superintendents  in 
their  reports  to  the  Commissioner  of  Education  give  a  truthful 
account  of  what  really  existed  in  the  newly  organized  territory. 

From  South  Pass  City  under  date  of  June  6,  1870,  J.  W. 
Wardman  wrote  of  the  early  situation  in  Sweetwater  county : 

"  ....  There  is  no  school  of  any  kind  in  this  county ;  and 
as  yet  no  steps  have  been  taken  toward  the  establishment  of 
schools  or  organization  of  school  districts.  The  total  population 
of  this  territory  will  not  exceed  eight  thousand,  of  which  there 
should  be  about  six  hundred  attending  public  schools  daily. 
This  county  alone  should  have  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty 
old  enough  to  attend  school  and  too  young  to  work,  which  latter 
seem  to  be  regarded  by  too  many  parents  as  the  chief  end  of 
man  and  the  main  object  of  boys.  The  educational  interests  of 
the  territory  are  generally  neglected  either  from  indifference 


1.  Ibid.,  November  5,  1867,  "Interesting  News,"  p.  4. 

2.  Ibid.,  January  6,  1868,  "Interesting  Event,"  Dedication  of  the 
First  Schoolhouse  in  Wyoming,  p.  1. 

3.  Jessup,    A.    S.,    "Early    Schools    in    Wyoming"     (Manuscript) 
Opus,  cit.,  p.  4. 


WYOMING  ANNALS  13 

on  the  part  of  the  parents  or  an  avaricious  disposition  to  make 
the  propagation  of  children  return  early  profits,  or  their  super- 
stitious dred  that  a  little  learning  is  a  more  dangerous  thing 
for  their  sons  and  daughters  than  blasting  a  mine,  driving  an 
ox  team,  or  taking  in  washing  and  marrying  early.  I  believe 
that  in  the  cause  of  education  the  Territory,  of  Wyoming  is  be- 
hind all  other  states  and  territories  in  the  union  except  perhaps 
Alaska."  i 

Later  Mr.  "Wardman  noted  that  schools  vrere  increasing  in 
number  and  were  making  progress : 

"There  are  two  public  schools  in  the  territory  at  present. 
The  Cheyenne  school  attendance  at  first  varied,  from  75  to  100 
pupils  from  about  four  to  fourteen  years  of  age.  A  Protestant 
Episcopal  church  school  reduced  this  number  but  the  total 
number  of  children  under  15  years  of  age  who  should  attend 
school  in  Cheyenne  will  be  at  present  about  200.  Originally  a 
male  principal  with  female  assistant  teachers  were  employed. 
After  the  opening  of  a  parochial  school  one  teacher  was  found 
sufficient. 

''A  second  school  at  Laramie  was  established  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1868.  The  attendance  was  about  40  in  the  primary  class 
as  were  most  of  those  in  Cheyenne. 

"In  Sweetwater  county  during  the  year  Mr.  Robert  Barker 
opened  in  South  Pass  a  private  or  rather  a  public  school  with 
a  charge  of  a  dollar  a  week  for  each  child.  Attendance  was  20 
regular  scholars  during  the  summer. 

"This  year  a  parochial  school  established  by  the  Episcopal 
rector  and  a  private  school  were  opened  but  neither  of  them 
were  well  attended  so  it  might  be  said  that  there  is  no  school  of 
any  kind  in  the  country. ' ' 

A.  B.  Donnelly  writing  from  Rawlings  Springs  said : 

"The  population  of  Carbon  county  is  about  3,000,  school 
population  400.  The  average  attendance  of  schools,  200,  number 
of  schools  2,  number  of  teachers,  2.  There  is  not  one  public 
school  within  the  limits  of  the  county,  the  two  schools  referred 
to  being  entirely  private  enterprises.  The  financial  condition  of 
the  county  has  rendered  it  impossible  thus  far  to  spend  any 
money  for  school  purposes."^ 

J.  D.  Davis  of  Laramie  county  stated  that: 

"The  population  of  the  county  is  3,500,  school  population. 
200,  number  of  schools,  one,  number  of  teachers,  one,  amount 
raised  for  school  purposes  last  year  about  $2,800.00.  Two  teach- 

1.  Annual  Eeport  of  Commissioner  of  Education  (1870  -  1871) 
p.  334. 

2.  Annual  Eeport  of  Commissioner  of  Education,  (1870  -  1871) 
Forty-first  Congress,  House  of  Eepresentatives,  Executive  Docu- 
ment 1.     Government  Printing  Office,  p.  334-335. 


14  WYOMING  ANNALS 

ers  were  employed  last  year  during  the  whole  school  term.  One 
is  now  teaching  a  summer  school  of  eight  weeks.  There  are  other 
■public  schools  in  the  territory  at  Laramie,  Rawlings,  and  At- 
lantic City. 

''Few  children  come  with  the  first  population  of  the  new 
west.   The  mass  of  people  take  but  little  interest  in  schools."^ 

A  description  of  one  of  these  schools  in  Sweetwater  county 
is  given  in  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Peter  R.  Sherlock  of  South 
Pass  City,  who  attended  the  first  public  school  to  be  established 
in  that  place.    He  wrote  : 

""  "The  first  public  school  at  South  Pass  was  started  by  the 
teacher,  James  Stilman,  in  the  early  part  of  1870,  following  the 
organization  of  the  Territory  of  Wyoming  and  before  there  was 
any  money  available  from  school  taxes  with  which  to  pay  the 
salaries  of  teachers.  Mr.  Stilman  started  the  school  on  his  own 
initiative,  taking  chances  on  receiving  pay  for  his  services  after 
the  collection  of  funds  from  the  levy  of  school  taxes.  His  salary 
was  later  paid  after  these  funds  had  been  collected. 

"The  first  school  house  was  a  log  building  about  18  feet 
in  length  and  about  15  feet  in  width,  with  one  window  and  a 
dirt  floor.  It  was  heated  by  means  of  a  rock  fireplace  built  into 
the  rear  wall.  The  furniture  was  rather  crude,  homemade 
benches  and  desks,  with  a  small  table  for  the  teacher,  all  of 
which  served  its  purpose  very  well.  I  was  one  of  the  pupils  who 
attended  this  school. 

"There  was  a  private  school  for  boys  conducted  here  for 
a  short  time,  in  1869,  by  an  Episcopal  minister  by  the  name  of 
Pitman,  but  I  did  not  attend  this  school. 

"James  Stilman,  the  teacher  of  the  first  public  school  here, 
was  a  rather  elderly  man,  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  who  had 
gone  to  California  with  the  early  rush  of  gold  seekers  to  that 
State.  He  was  well  educated  and  became  the  first  editor  of  the 
San  Francisco  Call,  one  of  the  pioneer  newspapers  of  California. 
He  and  his  wife,  with  their  two  small  twin  sons  came  here  in 
1868  or  69.  Mr.  Stilman  went  from  here  to  Green  River,  Wyo- 
ming, where  he  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  a 
number  of  years  and  where  he  died  along  in  the  80 's."^ 


Annual    Eeport    of    Commissioner    of    Education,     (1870-1871), 
Forty-first  Congress,  House  of  Eepresentatives,  Executive  Docu- 
ment, Government  Printing  Office,    (1872),  p.  155. 
Sherlock,    Peter    R.,    Letter    written    November    21,    1937,    from 
South  Pass  City,  Wyoming. 


WYOMING  ANNALS  15 

D.    Religious  Influence 

During  the  early  territorial  years  of  Wyoming  the  private 
schools  exceeded  in  importance  the  public  schools.  They  had 
larger  income  and  employed  more  teachers  than  the  public 
schools.  The  territorial  census  of  1870  listed  four  public  schools 
with  a  total  of  four  teachers  (2  men  and  2  women)  whereas  it 
listed  five  day  and  boarding  schools  with  a  total  of  eleven  teach- 
ers (5  men  and  6  women).  The  former  had  an  income  of  $2,876 
derived  from  taxation  and  public  funds  whereas  the  latter  had 
an  income  of  $5,550.00  from  tuition  fees  and  other  sources.  The 
public  schools  were  attended  by  175  pupils  and  the  private 
schools  by  130.  The  greater  amount  of  revenue  in  addition  to 
the  relatively  large  number  of  teachers  and  small  number  of 
pupils  probably  indicates  a  higher  quality  of  educational  serv- 
ice on  the  part  of  private  schools.^ 

With  improvement  in  the  standard  of  public  education, 
the  private  schools  for  a  period  became  of  less  significance.  One 
of  the  few  to  survive  for  a  time  was  the  Wyoming  Institute,  a 
Baptist  school  at  Laramie  of  which  the  Reverend  D.  J.  Pierce, 
A.  M.,  was  the  first  and  only  principal.  This  institution  in  1872 
had  a  total  of  four  teachers  (2  men  and  2  women)  and  16  or  18 
students.  The  next  year  it  had  only  three  teachers  but  the  at- 
tendance was  21  boys  and  18  girls.  Two  students  were  prepar- 
ing for  college.  A  four-year  college  preparatory  course  had 
been  outlined.  In  writing  of  the  opening  of  the  "Institute" 
and  calling  it  a  university  the  editor  of  the  Laramie  Daily  Se- 
tinel  said: 

"Yesterday  the  Wyoming  University  was  duly  opened  and 
its  first  term  commenced.  ,  .  .  Great  credit  is  due  the  Reverend 
C.  W.  Freeman,  the  superintendent,  for  the  indomitable  energy 
he  has  manifested  in  bringing  about  and  accomplishing  this 
important  work,  and  when  six  months  ago  he  told  us  he  would 
have  it  ready  and  opened  by  the  middle  of  September,  we  con- 
fess to  have  been  very  skeptical.  "^ 

The  editor  continued  by  enumerating  some  of  the  "many 
causes  which  will  conspire  to  make  this  institution  a  popular 
one ' ' : 

"It  is,  thanks  to  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  easy  of  access 
to  all  parts  of  the  country.  The  romance  of  sending  the  youth 
into  the  heart  of  this  great  wilderness  is  not  the  least.  We  have 
the  most  salubrious  and  delightful  climate,  the  purest  air 
and  water,  and  the  most  grand  and  magnificent  scenery  to  be 

1.  Jessup,    A.    S.      "  Early    Schools    in    "Wyoming. ' '      Manuscript 
(19<i3j   Administrative  Office,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  p.  2. 

2.  Laramie  Daily  Sentinel,  September  15,  1870.     Carnegie  Library, 
Laramie,  Wyoming. 


16  WYOMING  ANNALS 

found  on  the  globe.  Here  the  sickly  effeminate  of  the  over- 
crowded cities  of  the  East  can  at  the  same  time  acquire  an  ed- 
ucation and  recuperate  their  wasted  energies  and  failing  health. 
Young  men  can  amuse  themselves  during  their  vacations  in 
visiting  the  mountains  and  the  parks  in  this  vicinity,  catching 
trout  from  the  mountain  streams,  bathing  in  the  hot  and  min- 
eral springs,  hunting  the  deer,  elk  and  bear  and  chasing  the 
antelope  over  the  plains.  They  can  amuse  themselves  studying 
geology  and  mineralogy  from  the  hills,  'rock-ribbed  and  ancient 
as  the  sun'  while  rare  and  curious  speciments  of  plants  and 
flowers  carpet  the  ground  beneath  their  feet.  "^ 

A  very  optimistic  advertisement  was  published  each  day 
for  some  time  before  and  after  the  school's  opening.  It  stated 
that  special  attention  was  to  be  given  to  classical  and  business 
studies  and  there  was  to  be  a  normal  course  for  the  "special 
benefit  of  those  designed  to  teach."  No  pains  or  expense  was 
to  be  spared  to  render  the  school  complete  in  all  the  accessories 
for  a  thorough  education.  The  school  year  was  to  be  divided 
into  three  terms  of  14,  14,  and  12  weeks  respectively.  Tuition 
per  term  was  to  be :  Primary  Department,  $5.00 ;  Intermediate 
Department,  $7.00 ;  Academic  Department,  $9.00 ;  French  and 
German,  each  $5.00;  Music,  $15.00;  and  Incidentals  $1.00.2 

On  October  12,  the  editor  of  the  Sentinel  appealed  to  the 
people  of  Laramie  for  places  where  the  students  could  get 
board.  He  said,  "Our  high  school  is  beginning  to  attract  con- 
siderable attention  abroad,"  and  that  he  had  received  several 
letters  making  inquiry  about  the  institution  and  "more  espec- 
ially to  ascertain  the  facilities  for  board. ' '  He  took  special  pride 
in  saying  that  Laramie  being  "only  about  two  years  old  had 
built  five  fine  churches  and  two  school  buildings,"  which  must 
be  supported,^  and  that  the  building  of  the  WYOMING  INSTI- 
TUTE cost  about  $6,000.00,  over  half  of  which  was  contributed 
by  the  people  of  "Laramie  City. "^ 

The  first  term  closed  December  16,  1870,  with  oral  exam- 
inations. Mr.  Pierce,  the  principal,  invited  "all  who  are  inter- 
ested in  education  to  join  us.  Humble  as  our  beginning  may 
be."^  The  second  term  began  with  about  thirty-five  pupils, 
which  was  100  per  cent  increase  over  the  year  before.  This  was 
encouraging.  This  term  a  much  smaller  advertisement  appeared 
in  the  Sentinel  than  the  previous  one  had  been.  It  read : 


1. 

Ibid., 

September  15,  1870. 

2. 

Ibid., 

September  7,  1870. 

3. 

Ibid., 

October  12,  1870. 

4. 

Ibid., 

February  17,  1871. 

5. 

Ibid., 

December  15,  1870. 

WYOMING  ANNALS  17 

''Wyoming  Institute 
The  Second  Term  Begins 
Wednesday,  January  4,  1871 
Board  in  good  families  at  reasonable  rates 
For  particulars  address  D.  J.  Pierce, 
Principal."^ 
Later  the  Reverend  Pierce  proposed  to  start  a  ''geological 
cabinet."  "We  intend,"  he  wrote,   "the  WYOMING   INSTI- 
TUTE to  be  no  ephemeral  insect  to  flit  about  for  a  day  but  by 
libraries,  apparatus  and  cabinets  and  above  all  by  confidence 
and  patronage  of  the  people"  he  wished  "to  lay  a  deep  founda- 
tion for  the  institute."^ 

But  one  day  the  editor  of  the  Sentinel  wrote : 
"We  hear  that  Reverend  D.  J.  Pierce  is  about  to  leave 
Laramie.    We  very  much  regret  this.    Mr.  Pierce  has  so  long 
been  identified  with  the  religious  and  educational  interests  of 
our  city  that  his  loss  will  be  deeply  felt." 
The  editor  continued: 

"No  man  that  we  ever  saw  would,  we  believe,  have  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  up  and  maintaining  such  a  school  as  he  has 
done  under  such  a  complication  of  adverse  circumstances.  "^ 

And  so  WYOMING  INSTITUTE  was  ended.  The  educa- 
tional traditions  of  Laramie,  however,  were  maintained  by  St. 
Mary's  School,  a  Roman  Catholic  institution,  organized  as  far 
back  as  1870  but  not  apparently  making  any  headway  until 
1880.  By  the  year  of  1881  it  had  four  teachers  (women)  and 
73  pupils.  In  1885  it  was  moved  to  Cheyenne.  In  1890  there 
were  eight  teachers  and  sixty  pupils  and  in  statehood  it  has 
continued  to  increase.'^ 

E.     Summary  (First  Schools) 

The  first  schools  of  Wyoming  were  private  schools  estab- 
lished by  the  army  to  take  care  of  the  children  especially  those 
belonging  to  the  officers.  These  schools,  however,  gave  way 
to  private  schools  established  by  the  church  which  resulted  in 
an  early  foundation  for  the  public  schools  of  the  territory. 
During  this  beginning  period  the  private  schools  assumed  more 
importance  than  did  the  public  schools  but  they  did  not  ade- 
quately solve  the  school  problem  since  many  children  were  not 
provided  with  a  school  of  any  kind.     .     .    . 


1.  Ibid.,  January  3,  1871. 

2.  Ibid.,  January  7,  1871. 

3.  Ibid.,  May  15,  1874 

4.  Dale,  H.  C.     A  Sketch  of  the  History  of  Education  in  "Wyoming. 
Department  of  Public  Instruction  Bulletin  No.  2   (1916)  p.  17. 


18  WYOMING  ANNALS 

M.     Summary  (Legislation) 

The  basis  of  the  school  laws  of  AVyoming  goes  back  to  the 
Dakota  Territory  Statutes  of  1862.  The  statutes  at  that  time 
vested  many  school  duties  in  the  Board  of  County  Commis- 
sioners such  as  appointing  county  superintendents  of  public 
instruction  and  dividing  counties  into  school  districts.  All 
territorial  voters  could  vote  at  school  meetings  and  these 
voters  were  empowered  to  determine  such  matters  as  the 
length  of  school  term  and  amount  and  purpose  for  which 
school  money  was  to  be  used.  Besides  prescribing  the  duties 
of  the  members  of  the  school  board  the  statutes  prescribes  ex- 
pressly what  subjects  should  be  taught  in  the  common  schools 
of  the  territory.  Consolidation  of  schools  could  be  accom- 
plished either  from  one  or  more  than  one  school  district.  In 
1864  the  Dakota  Territorial  Assembly  gave  more  power  to  the 
county  superintendents  in  school  affairs  by  repealing  the  pre- 
vious enactment  that  had  formerly  given  these  powers  to  the 
boards  of  County  Commissioners. 

In  1866  statutes  were  in  force  when  Wyoming  territory 
was  organized  and  continued  in  force  until  the  nev/ly  organ- 
ized territory  enacted  laws  of  its  own. 

The  first  session  of  the  territorial  assembly  of  Wyoming 
provided  at  its  first  meeting  in  1869  for  the  regulation  and 
maintenance  of  education.  This  legislation  made  the  terri- 
torial auditor  the  ex-officio  superintendent  of  public  instruc- 
tion, his  pay  to  be  five  hundred  dollars  per  year.  His  duties 
were  to  be  almost  identical  to  those  of  the  present  superin- 
tendent as  outlined  in  the  statutes  of  the  constitution  of  1889, 
now  in  force,  except  that  apportionment  was  made  by  aggre- 
gate attendance  instead  of  on  the  school  census  basis. 

A  further  act  of  the  assembly  created  the  office  of  county 
superintendent  of  schools  though  no  direct  provision  was  made 
for  manner  of  election.  County  superintendents  were  re- 
quired to  report  annually  to  the  territorial  superintendent  of 
public  instruction.  Failure  to  report  forfeited  one  hundred 
dollars  from  the  salary  of  the  county  superintendent,  but  the 
provision  was  never  enforced.  A  fine  of  twenty-five  dollars 
could  also  be  imposed,  but  the  provision  also  was  never  carried 
out. 

The  boards  of  directors  controlled  school  building  con- 
struction and  site  expenditures,  but  they  worked  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  county  superintendent  as  far  as  the  curriculum 
was  concerned.  School  treasurers  were  compelled  to  keep  two 
funds — the  teacher  fund  and  the  school  house  fund. 


WYOMING  ANNALS  19 

In  1871,  the  territorial  auditor  was  relieved  of  his  er- 
officio  duties  and  the  office  of  territorial  superintendent  of 
public  instruction  was  abolished  for  the  time  being.  County 
superintendents  were  to  make  their  reports  directly  to  the 
governor.  By  the  act  of  1873,  the  state  librarian  became  ex- 
officio  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction  with  duties 
similar  to  those  prescribed  by  the  act  of  1869.  He  was  paid 
four  dollars  a  day  not  to  exceed  thirty  days  in  any  one  year 
and  expenses. 

The  act  of  1869  forbade  discrimination  against  sex.  There 
was  no  uniformity  of  textbooks,  but  in  1873,  the  selection  of 
textbooks  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  teachers'  institutes. 
In  1888  the  assembly  gave  the  power  to  the  county  and  city 
superintendents ;  but  the  next  year  the  constitution,  which 
was  ratified  by  the  people  for  statehood,  declared  that  neither 
legislature  nor  state  superintendent  should  prescribe  text- 
books. Otherwise  the  territorial  enactment  of  1888  was  held 
valid. 

The  law  of  1873  authorized  the  county  superintendent  to 
issue  certificates  to  persons  qualified  to  teach.  Enactments 
of  1876  gave  the  territorial  superintendent  similar  power.  The 
law  of  1873  had  prescribed  a  territorial  teachers'  institute, 
but  compulsory  attendance  and  payment  for  such  attendance 
did  not  come  until  1887.  Before  this  time  its  principal  func- 
tion was  to  select  textbooks  but  in  1876  the  institute  was  em- 
powered to  prescribe  "studies"  of  all  the  common  schools  in 
the  territory.  In  1888  repeal  of  the  law  provided  for  county 
institutes.  The  county  superintendents  were  given  power  to 
divide  "the  settled  parts  of  each  county"  into  school  districts 
and  to  organize  them.  Joint  districts  were  empowered  to  con- 
solidate. Since  Dakota  territory  jurisdiction  the  county  su- 
perintendents have  issued  certificates  to  teachers  but  the  stat- 
utes of  1876  transferred  this  power  also  to  the  territorial 
superintendent  of  public  instruction. 

A  compulsory  school  attendance  law  was  passed  in  1873, 
which  provided  for  a  three  months'  term  of  school  for  all  chil- 
dren between  seven  and  sixteen  years  of  age,  enforcement  of 
the  law  to  be  in  the  hands  of  all  police  officers.  Colored  chil- 
dren were  to  be  provided  for  separately  when  there  were  fif- 
teen or  more  such  children  in  a  district. 

The  school  tax  levy  under  Dakota  territorial  statutes  was 
one-half  of  one  per  cent  on  all  taxable  property  but  the  Wyo- 
ming Assembly  in  1873  changed  this  rate  to  two  mills  on  the 
dollar.  This  rate  continued  until  1886  Avhen  the  rate  was 
changed  to  three  mills  and  in  1888  it  was  again  changed  to  five 


20  WYOMING  ANNALS 

mills.  An  appropriation  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  the  pay- 
ment of  each  teacher  was  passed  in  1884  and  two  years  later 
the  amount  was  increased  to  one  hundred  fifty  dollars,  which 
amount  remained  the  same  in  1888  and  later  when  the  terri- 
tory became  a  state. 

By  territorial  enactment  the  University  of  "Wyoming  was 
established  in  1886.  A  building  to  cost  not  more  than  fifty 
thousand  dollars  was  to  be  constructed  at  Laramie.  Bonds 
were  to  be  issued  for  this  purpose  and  a  building  commission 
appointed  by  the  governor  was  in  charge.  The  maintenance 
and  regulation  of  affairs  were  entrusted  to  a  Board  of  Trustees 
and  the  faculty  was  empowered  to  carry  out  all  rules  and  reg- 
ulations adopted  by  the  Board  of  Trustees.  Administration 
and  supervision  must  be  strictly  non-sectarian  and  tuition  was 
free  to  all  students  chosen  by  the  Boards  of  County  Commis- 
sioners. A  Board  of  Visitors  was  appointed  by  the  governor 
to  inspect  personally  and  submit  a  report  to  the  legislature 
twice  a  year.  An  income  was  to  be  provided  from  a  tar  of  one- 
fourth  of  one  per  cent.  This  rate  was  changed  to  one-third  of 
one  per  cent  in  1888  and  deficiencies  could  be  provided  for  out 
of  territorial  funds  when  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  requested  them. 

University  lands  were  leased  under  the  Act  of  Congress 
of  August  9,  1888,  but  the  territory  received  no  benefit  from 
common  school  lands.  These  leases  were  divided  into  two 
classes,  agricultural  and  grazing.  Residents  or  occupants  were 
to  have  preferential  rights.  The  boards  of  county  commission- 
ers were  to  act  as  a  board  to  settle  disputes.  When  residents' 
leases  expired  they  were  to  remove  improvements  but  "leave 
all  water  rights  of  way."  Residents  had  the  right  to  sell  im- 
provements to  the  next  occupant. 

When  the  Constitution  of  1889  was  adopted  it  retained 
almost  to  the  letter  many  school  laws  that  had  been  tested  and 
improved  during  the  years  that  Wyoming  had  been  a  territory, 
and  still  remains  the  fundamental  legal  basis  for  the  school 
laws  of  Wyoming. 


WYOMING  ANNALS  21 

POWDER  RIVER,  LET  'ER  BUCK* 

Famous  World  War  Slogan  Came  from  Lips  of  One  Missouri  Bill 

'    By  Edwakd  J.   (Ed.)   Farlow 
Lander,  Wyoming 
Pioneer 

The  perennial  question  concerning  the  origin  of  "Powder 
River,  Let  'er  Buck,"  has  been  revived  by  an  eastern  publica- 
tion, which  has  been  set  aright  by  E.  J.  (Ed.)  Farlow,  former 
mayor  of  Lander  and  state  representative-elect. 

The  expression  gained  universal  recognition  during  the 
days  of  the  World  AVar  as  it  was  sounded  time  and  again  by 
western  outfits  on  French  soil. 

Farlow  delved  into  the  files  of  the  old  Cheyenne  Leader 
to  sustain  his  contention  that  the  expression  originated  in 
Wyoming.  Here's  the  way  Farlow,  an  authority  on  Wyoming 
history,  tells  the  story : 

''In  the  fall  of  1893,  the  L  outfit.  Four  Jay,  Horse-collar 
and  IX  outfits  pooled  their  herds  of  1,600  beef  steers  and  dry 
cows  to  be  driven  to  the  railroad  and  shipped  east  to  market 
at  the  Double  Dives,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Big  Wind  Kiver, 
just  south  of  where  the  town  of  Riverton  now  stands.  These 
cattle  had  been  gathered  on  the  fall  roundup,  and,  I  may  as 
well  tell  you  what  a  roundup  was  like  in  those  days. 

On  the  Trail  of  the  Roundup 

''The  Cheyenne  Leader  of  April,  1893,  had  a  notice  in  it 
that  read  as  follows :  Roundup  No.  22  will  meet  at  Sage  Creek 
meadows  near  Fort  Washakie,  May  10,  and  work  up  the  south 
side  of  Big  Wind  River  to  the  mouth  of  Horse  Creek.  Thence 
cross  Big  Wind  River  and  work  doAvn  north  side  to  mouth  of 
Dry  Creek.  Thence  up  Dry  Creek  to  head,  thence  to  head  of 
Muddy  and  down  to  mouth.  Thence  to  canyon  on  Big  Wind 
River,  thence  up  Big  Wind  River,  on  north  side  to  mouth  of 
Little  Wind.  Then  split  and  work  up  both  sides  of  Big  Wind 
to  Merritt's  crossing.  Then  unite  and  work  to  head  of  canyon 
on  Little  Wind.  Then  down  to  junction  with  Big  Wind. 
Then  to  mouth  of  Big  Popo  Agie,  up  said  stream  to  head, 
cross  to  Little  Popo  Agie,  then  down  to  mouth,  then  up  Beaver 


*See  two  columns  by  Harry  Hansen,  page  seven,  second  section  of 
Eocky  Mountain  News,  Denver,  Colorado,  Sunday,  December  11,  1938, 
regarding  Struthers  Burt's  Powder  River:  Let  'er  Buck  (Farrar  &  Eine- 
hart,  New  York;  $2.50), 


22  WYOMING  ANNALS 

to  head,  then  down  Twin  Creek  to  mouth.  Fall  roundup  to  be 
same,  start  on  Sept.  10,  foreman,  H.  (Henry)  M.  Farlow. 

"This  roundup  was  composed  of  seven  wagons  and  about 
100  men  riders  and  about  700  head  of  saddle  and  work  horses. 
The  principal  brands  represented  were  Jules  Lamoreux,  L. 
Horsecollar  and  Four  Jay,  (brands)  ;  Farlow,  Seventy-Four, 
(brand)  ;  Lee  and  Noble,  Half  Circle  L.  (brand")  :  E.  H.  Hall. 
Square  and  Compass,  (brand)  ;  John  "Werlen,  OX  (brand)  ; 
Col.  and  Captain  Torrey,  M — ,  (brand)  ;  Billie  O'Neal  Half 
Circle  Cross,  (brand);  Louie  and  Edmo  Leclare,  Louble 
Wrench  (brand)  ;  and  Clay,  Robinson  and  Co.,  with  the  71 
Quarter  Circle  outfit. 

"This  roundup  would  move  from  six  to  eight  miles  a 
day  and  the  riders  following  a  leader,  or  three  or  four  leaders 
would  spread  out  like  a  giant  fan  and  gather  all  the  cattle 
on  each  side  of  the  route  taken  and  bring  them  in  to  the  next 
camp.  These  riders  would  all  get  in  by  noon  with  their  drives 
and  after  dinner  and  changing  horses,  the  afternoon  was  spent 
in  working  the  cattle,  cutting  out  for  holding  and  branding 
calves.  Always  there  was  a  herd  carried  along,  known  as  the 
cavy,  into  which  any  cattle  were  thrown  that  were  to  be  held. 
This  herd  was  day  and  night  herded,  and  carried  to  be  dis- 
posed as  the  owners  saw  fit,  and  in  this  way  the  calves  were 
branded  and  the  beef  gathered.  Sometimes  at  the  beef  round- 
up the  calves  were  not  branded,  just  the  beef  gathered  and 
the  range  was  again  worked  later  in  the  fall  and  the  calves 
all  branded. 

Casper  Chosen  for  First  Time 

"When  this  roundup  was  over,  the  beef  bearing  the 
brands  I  mentioned  above  were  all  put  in  one  herd,  and  the 
outfit  shaped  up  for  the  long  drive  to  the  railroad.  This  time 
to  Casper,  as  we  had  never  shipped  from  Casper  before,  and 
this  was  our  first  trip  and  the  trail  was  new  to  all  of  the  cow- 
boys but  myself.  The  mess  wagon  was  unloaded  of  all  beds, 
slickers,  cooking  utensils  and  camp  outfit  and  sent  to  Lander 
to  be  loaded  with  30  days  grub  for  10  men  for  the  trip  to  the 
railroad,  a  distance  of  about  135  miles,  and  we  made  an  aver- 
age of  about  five  miles  a  clay. 

"The  outfit  trimmed  up  for  the  trail  consisted  of  eight 
cowboys,  one  cook  and  one  horse  wrangler,  and  the  boss,  which 
in  this  case  was  E.  J.  (Ed.)  Farlow.  Always  before  these  beef 
herds  had  been  trailed  to  some  point  on  the  U.  P.  Railroad, 
generally  to  Rawlins,  but  sometimes  Medicine  Bow  or  Rock 
Creek,  and  once  to  Laramie  as  the  feed  was  good.    It  was  the 


WYOMING  ANNALS  23 

boast  of  the  foreman  of  a  beef  herd  that  he  could  put  fat  on 
his  herd  on  the  trail,  and  it  was  not  unusual  to  lay  over  a  f ew 
days  when  a  good  patch  of  feed  was  found,  and  any  cowboy 
found  driving  any  of  the  herd  faster  than  a  slow  walk  got  a 
good  calling  down  from  the  boss. 

"The  riders  were  reduced  to  five  saddle  horses  for  the 
trip  and  four  good  work  horses  on  the  mess  wagon  and  a 
couple  of  good  work  horses  for  extras.  The  outfit  started  for 
Casper,  and  there  was  seldom  more  than  two  men  with  the 
herd  at  one  time.  Just  letting  them  graze  toward  the  next 
camp,  the  men  worked  in  pairs  and  were  with  the  cattle  day 
and  night,  standing  night  guard  in  four  shifts  of  two  men 
each.  The  night  we  camped  on  the  divide  between  the  head 
of  Poison  Creek,  near  where  the  town  of  Hiland  now  stands, 
and  the  headwaters  of  Dry  Powder  River,  I  told  the  boys  we 
would  water  the  herd  in  Powder  River  at  about  10  o'clock 
next  morning. 

"None  of  them  had  ever  seen  Powder  River  and  they  were 
all  excited.  In  the  morning  when  they  were  catching  horses 
for  the  day,  I  called  out  to  them  to  get  their  swimming  horses 
as  we  were  going  to  cross  Powder  River  several  times  before 
night.  Missouri  Bill,  who  already  roped  his  horse,  turned 
him  loose,  muttering  that — 'this  damn  buckskin  couldn't  even 
wade  a  river.' 

"About  10  o'clock  the  lead  of  the  herd  reached  the  river 
and  it  was  almost  dry,  the  water  standing  in  holes  and  barely 
running  from  one  hole  to  the  other.  The  herd  followed  down 
the  stream  for  a  distance  of  about  two  miles  before  they  were 
watered,  and  we  crossed  it  many  times. 

Famous  Cry  Coined  by  Punchers 

"When  Missouri  Bill  saw  it  he  looked  at  it  very  seriously 
for  some  time,  and  then  said,  'So  this  is  Powder  River.'  and 
that  night  in  camp  he  told  us  he  had  heard  of  Powder  River, 
and  now  he  had  seen  Powder  River,  and  he  kept  referring  to 
Powder  River  nearly  every  day  until  we  reached  Casper,  which 
we  did  in  28  days. 

"In  the  evening  before  we  were  going  to  load  for  ship- 
ping, and  the  cattle  were  all  bedded  down  near  the  stock- 
yards, the  boys  all  adjourned  to  the  saloon  for  a  social  drink, 
and  Missouri  Bill  said,  'Boys,  come  and  have  a  drink  on  me; 
I  have  crossed  Powder  River.'  They  had  the  drinks  and  a 
few  more  and  were  getting  pretty  sociable. 

"When  Missouri  Bill  again  ordered  he  said  to  the  boys, 
'have  another  drink  on  me;  I  have  swum  Powder  River,'  this 


24  WYOMING  ANNALS 

time  with  a  distinct  emphasis  on  the  words  'Powder  River,' 

'Yes,  sir,  by Powder  River,'  a  little  stronger  emphasis. 

When  the  drinks  were  all  set  up  he  said,  'WELL  HERE'S  TO 
POWDER  RIVER,  LET  'ER  BUCK.' 

"Soon  he  grew  a  little  louder  and  was  heard  to  say, 
'Powder  River  is  comin'  up  .  .  .  eeyeepe !  .  .  .  Yes,  sir. 
Powder  River  is  risin'  '  and  soon  after  with  a  yip  and  yell,  he 
pulled  out  his  old  six-gun  and  threw  a  few  shots  through  the 
ceiling  and  yelled,  'Powder  River  is  up,  come  and  have  another 
drink.'  Bang!  Bang!  'Yeow,  I'm  a  wolf  and  it's  my  night 
to  howl.  Powder  River  is  out  of  her  banks.  I'm  wild  and 
wooly  and  full  of  fleas,  and  never  was  curried  below  the 
knees ! ' 

"Bill  was  loaded  for  bear,  and  that  is  the  first  time  I  ever 
heard  the  slogan,  and  from  there  it  went  around  the  world. 
Bill's  right  name  was  William  Shultz,  and  I  have  not  heard  of 
him  for  more  than  20  years.  He  was  a  good  cow  hand  and 
while  here  he  worked  for  the  L  Outfit  most  of  the  time. ' ' 


WYOMING  ANNALS  25 

EDWARD  J.  FARLOW'S  MEMOIRS 

Lander,  Wyoming  Pioneer 

From  manuscripts  sent  in  by  field  intervie^Yers  under  the  statewide 
"PIONEEES"  project. 

Arapahoes  Became   Unwelcome  Gwests  of  Shoshones  for  They 

Had  No  Home 
Once  Proud  Indian  HumMed  and  Afraid  Through  Heavy 

White  Hand  Laid  Upon  Him. 


No  person  in  this  section,  or  perhaps  in  all  "Wyoming  and 
the  West,  has  had  closer  association  and  contact  with  the  In- 
dians than  Edward  J.  Farlow  of  Lander,  who  in  1887  met 
with  the  Arapahoes  when  they  first  came  onto  the  reservation 
and  were  allowed  to  remain  through  the  great  kindness  of  the 
mighty  Chief  Washakie  of  the  Shoshones,  to  whom  the  reser- 
vation in  Fremont  County  had  been  allotted. 

The  Shoshones  despised  the  Arapahoes,  and  would  have 
driven  them  out  of  the  country  had  they  been  allowed  to  do 
so.  They  called  them  beggars  and  dog-eaters,  railed  at  them 
when  they  came  to  the  Agency  for  their  rations  and  made  all 
manner  of  fun  of  them.  The  Arapahoes,  once  proud  fighting 
warriors,  had  lost  heavily  in  the  many  conflicts  with  the  whites 
and  other  tribes:  their  horses  were  few  and  their  warriors 
wounded  in  battle.  It  was  but  a  remnant  of  the  once  great 
tribe  which  had  to  be  reckoned  with  in  conflict  upon  the 
American  plains.  In  the  development  of  the  Indian  reserva- 
tions no  provision  had  been  made  for  the  Northern  Arapahoes, 
as  was  done  for  the  Southern  Arapahoes,  who  were  given  large 
areas  of  land  in  Oklahoma.  There  was  no  place  for  them  to 
go  and  Chief  Washakie  was  prevailed  upon  to  give  them  shel- 
ter temporarily  until  their  cause  could  be  heard.  The  placing 
of  these  two  tribes — enemies  of  many  conflicts — was  like 
bringing  two  bulldogs  together.  The  matter  was  never  ad- 
justed and  the  unwelcome  visitors  became  permanent  residents, 
much  to  the  disgust  and  disapproval  of  the  Shoshones  and  the 
humiliation  of  the  Arapahoes. 

So  bitter  became  the  antagonism  between  the  tribes  that 
about  1890  it  was  found  necessary  to  establish  a  sub-agency 
at  what  is  now  called  Arapahoe.  The  rations  and  annuities 
were  issues  from  there  and  the  Arapahoes  were  no  longer  sub- 
jected to  the  humiliating  experience  of  going  to  Fort  Wash- 
akie and  meeting  up  with  their  enemies.     These  agencies  were 


26  WYOMING  ANNALS 

about  twenty  miles  apart,  and  served  two  tribes  of  about 
eighteen  hundred  Indians. 

Mr.  Farlow  as  a  young  man  was  in  the  employ  of  Jule 
Lamoreaux,  who  ranged  about  two  thousand  cattle  on  the  res- 
ervation. He  says  that  he  learned  to  know  the  Arapahoe 
young  men  real  well ;  rode  with  them  and  found  them  to  be  ex- 
pert horsemen.  He  induced  Mr.  Lamoreaux  to  hire  the  Indian 
boys  as  cattlemen.  He  put  a  few  to  work  and  they  gave  ex- 
cellent satisfaction.  Other  stockmen  gave  them  work  and  the 
Arapahoes  were  counted  dependable  men. 

Lamoreaux  was  a  colorful  figure  of  the  early  days.  He 
was  a  typical  westerner,  and  could  have  been  an  artist's  model 
of  the  old  cow  days.  He  had  married  a  Sioux  woman  and  set- 
tled on  the  Sweetwater,  where  he  developed  a  fine  cattle  ranch 
and  raised  an  interesting  family.  The  three  daughters  were 
belles  of  the  early  days.  Lizzie,  the  eldest,  became  the  wife  of 
Mr.  Farlow,  and  through  the  years  of  their  married  life  until 
her  death  in  1932  they  were  happy  in  each  other's  confidence 
and  affection. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  esteem  in  which  young  Farlow  was 
held  by  the  Arapahoes,  expression  of  it  was  made  at  an  Arapo- 
hoe  dance  he  attended,  and  they  inducted  him  into  their  tribe, 
giving  him  the  name  of  Wa  "Wou  Nacha,  meaning  Working 
Chief.  No  official  record  was  made  of  this,  but  among  the 
tribesmen  he  was  always  considered  one  of  them  because  of 
mutual  interest.  During  these  same  years  old  Chief  Washakie 
learned  to  know  him  and  conceived  a  great  liking  for  the 
young  white  foreman  of  the  cattle  outfit.  When  he  came  to 
Lander  Washakie  would  stop  at  the  Farlow  home  for  a  meal 
and  often  stay  overnight.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  he  al- 
ways declined  the  spare  bed,  and  wanted  to  sleep  out  of  doors. 
Mr.  Farlow  had  a  couple  buffalo  robes  and  a  pair  of  blankets, 
and  these  made  an  ideal  bed  for  the  Chief.  He  would  roll  up 
in  them  and  the  next  morning  bright  and  early  would  be  astir. 
After  breakfast  he  would  be  most  profuse  in  his  thanks  for  the 
hospitality  and  praise  for  Mrs.  Farlow  for  kindness  to  him. 

It  was  this  association  which  resulted  in  Mr.  Farlow 's 
acquiring  land  on  the  reservation.  To  better  handle  stock  a 
reservation  base  for  operation  was  necessary.  He  talked  it 
over  with  Chief  Washakie,  with  Shoshone  Interpreter  Norkuk 
(One  Eye)  and  other  head  men  of  the  tribe.  Chief  Washakie 
took  him  out  to  the  lower  valley  of  the  Little  Wind  and  then 
and  there  gave  him  the  land  that  is  now  4J  ranch.  The  old 
Chief  in  the  presentation  said:  "You  are  a  white  man,  but 
you  have  an  Indian  woman  for  a  wife  and  we  have  made  you 
one  of  us  because  your  heart  is  as  an  Indian's.     Maybe  some- 


WYOMING  ANNALS  27 

one  will  ask  you  why  you  are  here,  and  if  they  do  tell  them  that 
Washakie  put  you  here  and  Washakie  is  chief  of  the  land." 

Speaking  further  of  the  adaptability  of  the  Indian  to  do 
livestock  work,  Mr.  Farlow  relates  that  when  the  railroad  built 
into  the  Wind  River  valley  shearing  pens  were  built  at  Arapa- 
hoe. When  the  Indians  wanted  to  work  they  were  ruled  out 
by  the  sheep  shearers'  union.  Three  years  later  Mr.  Farlow 
secured  control  of  the  pens  and  he  put  forty  Arapahoes  to 
work  shearing,  branding,  tossing  and  sacking  the  wool  and  do- 
ing all  the  work  of  a  shearing  outfit.  Working  under  instruc- 
tions they  had  no  trouble  in  learning.  From  this  start  the 
Arapahoes  are  employed  many  months  of  the  shearing  season, 
earning  thousands  upon  thousands  of  dollars,  of  which  money 
they  are  always  in  need. 

He  found  that  the  Indian  was  able  to  adapt  himself  to 
modern  demands,  and  was  particularly  pleased  with  the  man- 
ner in  which  his  friends  of  the  tribe  were  able  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  the  motion  picure  producers.  They  took  readily  to 
the  instructions  of  the  director  and  entered  into  the  business 
as  if  it  was  a  game.  They  readily  caught  the  idea  that  each 
was  a  character,  and  that  just  to  act  natural  was  to  be  an  In- 
dian. They  did  so  much  better  than  the  extras  that  could  be 
painted  up  and  dressed  like  Indians  that  those  who  knew  their 
Indians  could  readily  see  the  difference  and  demanded  the  real 
article. 

Nothing  in  all  history  has  caught  the  popular  fancy  as  has 
Indian  life.  Everywhere  the  Indians  go  they  are  the  center  of 
attraction,  says  Mr.  Farlow.  In  a  period  of  twenty-five  years 
he  has  taken  Indians  off  the  reservation  twenty-eight  times  for 
rodeos,  fairs,  expositions,  educational  and  motion  picture  pur- 
poses. There  were  never  less  than  eight  and  sometimes  three 
hundred.  Whole  families  went  on  these  trips,  for  the  women 
and  children  were  of  even  greater  interest  than  the  sturdy 
bucks.  The  Indian  will  go  with  one  he  knows  and  trusts  and 
remain  for  months  off  the  reservation  if  necessary.  They  ap- 
preciate fair  dealing  and  those  who  are  concerned  with  their 
welfare,  but  are  quick  to  detect  deceit  and  concealed  desires 
to  take  advantage  of  them. 

When  asked  about  the  trips  Mr.  Farlow  said  that  each  one 
was  a  story  all  by  itself  and  it  would  take  hours  to  relate  them. 
The  trip  to  London  and  Paris  with  the  prologue  of  ''The  Cov- 
ered Wagon"  was  the  major  journey,  and  the  Indians  Avere 
much  concerned  for  fear  that  when  they  went  out  on  the  great 
water  the  captain  of  the  boat  would  miss  the  little  island  of 
England  and  they  would  be  forever  lost.  In  England  they 
created  a  sensation.     The  same  was  true  of  New  York,  Boston, 


28  WYOMING  ANNALS 

Chicago,  and  other  large  cities  they  visited.  Even  in  Casper 
and  Rawlins  the  people  were  glad  to  see  the  Indian  and  have 
him  dance  the  tribal  dances.  "When  asked  if  the  Indians  got 
sick  on  him  or  he  lost  any  of  them,  Mr.  Farlow  said  that  know- 
ing them  as  he  does,  their  habits  of  food  and  shelter,  he  had 
never  lost  an  Indian. 

One  time  when  he  was  in  Casper  he  came  upon  a  bunch  of 
Arapahoes  who  had  been  induced  to  come  there  for  a  rodeo  on 
the  promise  that  they  would  be  paid  well.  One  of  the  Indians, 
White  Plume,  died,  and  they  were  without  funds  in  a  strange 
place  and  not  a  dollar  among  them,  for  the  promoters  had 
failed  to  make  good  and  had  not  paid  them.  It  was  a  sorry  pic- 
ture which  met  his  eyes,  and  the  Indians  greeted  him  like  a 
long-lost  brother.  Arrangements  were  made  for  the  care  of 
the  body  and  its  return  to  the  reservation.  The  Indians  call 
one  kind  of  association  Good  Medicine  and  name  the  opposite 
Bad  Medicine.    They  got  the  latter  at  Casper. 

Mr.  Farlow 's  interest  in  the  Indian  and  his  welfare  has 
placed  him  in  a  position  to  counsel  with  the  Indian  agents 
through  the  fifty  years  he  has  been  here.  Some  are  good,  oth- 
ers indifferent,  and  some  are  bad,  said  Mr.  Farlow.  The  serious 
problem  of  making  the  Indian  a  white  man  finally  failed,  for 
you  cannot  change  his  nature, — there  is  too  much  behind  him 
in  tradition.  Being  a  child  of  the  mountain  and  plain  the  In- 
dian is  best  adapted  to  pursuits  most  nearly  like  his  natural 
life.  He  is  for  this  reason  a  lover  of  animal  life.  He  can  be 
taught  the  livestock  business,  and  in  this  he  can  become  self- 
supporting.  For  many  years  the  Indian  agents  endeavored  to 
make  farmers  of  the  Indians,  and  in  some  ways  they  succeed- 
ed. It  was  Agent  Norris  who  worked  out  the  plan  for  a  tribal 
herd.  To  one  who  knows  the  possibilities  of  grazing  cattle  on 
the  Indian  lands  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  maintaining 
not  five  or  ten  thousand  head,  but  as  many  as  twenty-thousand 
head  of  cattle.  The  herding  and  care  naturally  falls  to  the 
Indians,  and  they  are  best  suited  for  this  work.  It  was  a  most 
grievous  mistake  that  this  fine  bunch  of  well  bred  white-faces 
was  dispersed,  and  especially  at  a  time  when  the  market  was 
at  a  low  ebb  and  ready  to  rise.  It  has  cost  the  tribe  many 
thousands  of  dollars,  and  in  many  families  there  has  been  want 
and  dire  poverty  as  a  result. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Farlow  was  United  States  Commis- 
sioner, and  scores  of  Indians  came  before  him  charged  with 
offences.  He  found  punishment  to  fit  the  wrong  doing,  and 
the  Indians  were  repentant  and  willing  to  do  the  right  thing 
under  fair  treatment.  He  has  urged  upon  them  to  let  liquor 
alone,  and  to  engage  in  industrial  pursuits  to  the  fullest  extent. 


WYOMING  ANNALS  29 

When  asked  if  the  Indian  of  today  is  the  same  as  he  was 
a  half  century  ago  there  was  a  strange  look  in  the  old  pioneer's 
eyes.  No,  he  said  emphatically.  The  miserable,  despised, 
humbled  and  begging  Indian  today  is  no  more  like  the  proud, 
haughty,  arrogant  and  independent  Indian  of  fifty  years  ago 
than  night  is  like  day.  His  contact  with  the  whites  has  not 
improved  him,  and  until  those  in  places  of  leadership  realize 
that  the  Indian  is  the  Indian  with  his  own  way  of  thinking,  his 
own  habits  and  customs,  and  can  best  be  trained  to  run  parallel 
with  his  natural  inclinations,  he  will  be  more  and  more  of  a 
liability  and  never  come  back  to  the  place  of  independence  he 
once  knew. 

Mr.  Farlow  is  a  man  of  fine  physique.  He  stands  six  feet, 
weighs  a  solid  two  hundred,  is  straight  as  an  arroAv  in  spite 
of  his  years,  and  looks  one  in  the  eye  as  he  speaks.  You  can 
almost  hear  his  heart  throb  as  he  discusses  the  Indian,  and  his 
warm,  sympathetic  understanding  of  the  redman  is  evident  in 
the  temper  of  his  voice.  His  regal  bearing  and  pleasing  ad- 
dress mark  him  as  a  man  in  a  thousand,  the  one  who  gets  a 
second  look.  On  a  platform  he  holds  his  audience  with  'bated 
breath.  They  hang  on  every  word.  He  speaks  both  Shoshone 
and  Arapahoe  to  some  extent,  and  is  able  to  hold  a  well-un- 
derstood conversation  in  the  sign  language,  with  which  he 
is  very  familiar.  Being  a  member  of  these  tribes  as  well  as  of 
the  Sioux  since  his  marriage  to  Lizzie  Lamoreaux,  he  has  been 
in  close  touch  with  all  their  interests,  representing  them  on 
many  occasions  before  the  authorities,  and  frequently  holding 
council  with  them  to  understand  how  he  may  carry  out  their 
wishes.  In  some  instances  he  has  more  influence  over  them 
than  agents  or  other  white  men,  and  has  employed  this  for  the 
good  of  the  Indians,  conferring  with  the  agent  as  to  their  in- 
terests and  welfare.  ]\Iost  agents  have  appreciated  his  s^nn- 
pathetic  attitude  and  much  good  has  resulted.  He  has  the 
prayers  of  the  Medicine  men  to  the  Great  Spirit  to  bless  him 
and  make  his  days  long  with  them,  for  they  call  him  their  good 
friend. 

"As  for  our  boasted  religion,"  he  says,  "this  I  know,  and 
this  i  have  seen  more  than  once  with  my  own  eyes.  When  the 
hour  of  death  has  arrived  and  the  prayers  and  medicine  of  the 
white  man  have  failed,  I  have  seen  them  turn  from  the  white 
man's  God  and  pray  with  all  their  heart  and  all  their  soul  and 
all  their  understanding  to  their  own  Great  Spirit  to  take  the 
spirit  of  the  dying  one  to  their  own  happy  hunting  grounds 
and  to  the  home  of  the  spirits  of  their  forefathers.  I  also 
know  that  they  have  greater  faith  and  confidence  in  the  Great 
Spirit — you  may  call  it  superstition  or  what  you  may — but  the 


30  WYOMING  ANNALS 

Indian  has  a  stronger  and  more  abiding  faith  in  his  own  Great 
Spirit  and  the  happy  hunting  grounds  than  has  the  average 
Christian  of  today  in  his  own  God  and  life  after  death. 

"For  the  last  fifty  years  I  have  said  'How'  to  the  Amer- 
ican Indian  almost  as  often  as  I  have  saluted  those  of  my  own 
kind,  and  if  from  my  long  contact  with  the  red  man  of  the 
west  I  have  come  to  know  him  intimately  and  understandingly 
I  have  earned  the  right  to  speak  of  him  as  I  know  him.  I  be- 
lieve I  know  the  Indian,  I  believe  the  Indian  was  a  man  before 
outrage  and  oppression  made  of  him  a  savage.  I  have  known 
him  as  a  savage,  as  a  fighting  man  in  the  pride  and  insolence 
of  his  strength,  I  have  known  him  as  a  monarch  whipped  into 
submission,  I  have  known  him  as  a  sage  in  council,  and  I 
have  known  him  as  a  beggar  with  the  pride  starved  out  of  him. 

"I  have  smoked  with  the  Indians  the  pipe  of  peace  and  I 
have  sat  with  them  at  their  feasts  and  in  their  councils,  and 
when  I  compare  them  calmly  in  my.  own  mind,  the  red  and 
white  races,  their  vices  and  virtues,  their  sterling  worth  and 
their  shortcomings,  the  Indian  does  not  suffer  by  comparison. 
When  you  see  an  Indian  sitting  on  the  curb  or  standing  on  the 
corner  with  that  faraway  expression  upon  his  countenance, 
indifferent  to  the  fate  or  progress  of  the  world,  remember  that 
the  white  man  has  taken  his  country  and  made  him  what  he  is 
today — a  nation  conquered,  and  a  people  dispossessed.  His 
pride  is  humbled  and  his  spirit  is  subdued,  his  heart  is  broken, 
and  as  a  race  his  sun  has  set." 


CHIEF  WASHAKIE'S  OBITUARY 

General   Order,   issued  by   the   Post   Commander   at   Fort   Washakie, 
Wyoming,  February  22,  1900.     Contributed  to  the  State  Department  of 
History  by  Mrs.  Sara  Becker,  bom  Dec.  14,  1862  at  Port  Hope,  Ontario 
and  a  pioneer  at  Arapahoe,  Lander  and  Eiverton,  Wyoming. 
General  Order  ) 

)  Fort  "Washakie,  Wyo., 

No.  2  )  February  22,  1900.' 

1.  With  sorrow  is  announced  the  death  of  Washakie. 
For  fifty  years,  as  Chief  of  the  Shoshones,  he  has  held  the 
confidence  and  love  of  his  tribe.  His  friendship  for  the  whites 
began  with  their  earliest  settlements  in  this  section  almost  that 
long  ago.  Washakie  was  bom  in  the  early  years  of  1800  so 
that  his  life  covered  almost  a  century  with  its  changes.  His 
great  influence  preserved  his  tribe  not  only  a  friend  but  an 
ally  of  our  people  in  their  struggles  here.     It  was  his  pride 


WYOMING  ANNALS  31 

that  he  had  never  allowed  a  white  man's  blood  to  be  shed  when 
he  could  prevent  it. 

Washakie  was  of  commanding  presence,  and  his  resem- 
blance in  face  to  "Washington  often  remarked.  His  counte- 
nance was  one  of  rugged  strength  mingled  with  kindness.  His 
military  service  is  an  unbroken  record  for  gallantry,  and  offi- 
cers now  wearing  a  star  fought  with  him  in  their  subaltern 
days.  The  respect  and  friendship  of  these  former  commanders 
was  prized  to  the  day  of  his  death.  Washakie  was  a  great 
man,  for  he  was  a  brave  man  and  a  good  man.  The  spirit  of 
his  loyalty  and  courage  will  speak  to  soldiers;  the  memory 
of  his  love  for  his  own  people  will  linger  to  assist  them  in  their 
troubles,  and  he  will  never  be  forgotten  so  long  as  the  moun- 
tains and  streams  of  Wyoming,  which  were  his  home,  bear  his 
name. 

The  Post  Commander  directs  that  Washakie  be  buried 
with  military  honors  in  the  Post  Cemetery  at  2  :00  P.  M.  to- 
morrow, and  that  a  copy  of  this  order  announcing  his  death  be 
mailed  to  officers  under  whom  he  served  the  government. 

By  order  of 

Clough  Overton 
1st  Lieutenant  1st  Cavalry, 
Commanding  Post 
(Signed) 

Aubrey  Lipponcott, 
2nd  Lieutenant  1st  Cavalry, 
(Official)  Adjutant. 

The  following  letter  to  the  Historian  Ex-Officio  explaining 
the  circumstances  which  brought  the  journal  of  E.  Willard 
Smith  to  Mr.  J.  Neilson  Barry  may  be  of  interest  to  our  read- 
ers: 

BARRYCREST 

J.  Neilson  Barry  3852  S.  W.  Greenleaf  Drive 

Green  Hills 
Portland,  Oregon 
February  4,  1939. 
Miss  Nina  Moran, 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 
Dear  Miss  Moran : 

i  enclose  the  extracts  from  the  journal  of  E.  Willard 
Smith,  as  I  promised.  It  covers  a  period  and  locality  which 
makes  it  of  great  value.  I  was  careful  to  indicate  exact  quota- 
tions, but  greatly  condensed  some  passages,  as  are  indicated. 


32  WYOMING  ANNALS 

and  omitted  the  usual  descriptions,  with  accounts  of  buffalo 
hunting,  etc. 

It  may  interest  you  how  I  found  this  valuable  journal.  A 
personal  friend  in  Washington,  D.  C.  had  three  little  boys,  and 
at  Christmas  time  went  to  visit  his  mother.  One  child  was  sick, 
so  could  not  go.  They  were  weighed,  and  one  boy  put  the 
paper  with  the  weights  in  his  overcoat  pocket. 

The  local  train  stopped  at  Terra  Cotto  Station  at  the  edge 
of  the  city,  and  just  as  it  started  an  express  train  ran  into  it, 
telescoping  several  cars  crowded  with  passengers,  many  stand- 
ing up.  The  momentum  caused  the  local  train  to  go  two  miles 
before  it  could  be  stopped.  The  fragments  of  the  cars,  were 
dragged,  leaving  screaming  passengers,  and  mangled  bodies 
along  the  track  for  two  miles.  A  very  large  number  were 
killed.    This  at  Christmas  time,  1912. 

Part  of  the  body  of  my  friend  was  found,  and  portions  of 
one  boy.  In  a  mass  of  crushed  flesh  and  rags  was  found  the 
slip  of  paper  which  gave  the  weights  of  the  two  boys,  and 
thereby  identified  the  remnants  of  the  other  son.  The  pieces 
of  the  three  were  buried  in  one  coffin. 

His  widow  told  me  that  her  grandfather,  E.  Willard 
Smith,  as  a  young  man  had  made  a  trip  West,  and  loaned  me  his 
journal,  which  I  published  in  full.  The  sick  boy  escaped,  the 
only  child  surviving,  Norvell  Belt.  If  I  can  locate  him,  he 
might  be  pleased  to  have  a  copy. 

I  am  sending  a  carbon  to  Mr.  R.  S.  Ellison,  who  may  desire 
to  write  a  supplementary  article  in  regard  to  the  geographical 
and  other  features. 

With  best  wishes  and  cordial  regards,  and  thanks  for  the 
extra  copies  of  my  Colter  article,  I  am, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

(Signed)  J.  Neilson  Barry. 

E.  Willard  Smith,  Journal  1839-1840. 

Mr.  E.  Willard  Smith  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.  1814  and 
became  an  architect  and  civil  engineer  in  Washington,  D.  C. 
where  he  died.  He  married  Miss  Charlotte  Lansing,  of  Lan- 
sing, Mich.  Their  daughter  Margaret  married  Edwin  Forest 
NorveU,  son  of  Senator  John  Norvell  of  Michigan.  This  jour- 
nal was  most  courteously  loaned  by  her  daughter  Mrs.  E. 
Oliver  Belt,  of  Washington,  D.  C.  It  was  printed  in  full  in 
the  Oregon  Historical  Quarterly,  September  1913,  26  pages. 
This  abstract  gives  the  more  important  particulars. 

J.  Neilson  Barry, 
Portland,  Oregon. 


WYOMING  ANNALS  33 

August  6th,  1839  the  party  started  from  Independence, 
consisting  of  32  persons,  four  more  joined  in  the  16th.  The 
leaders  were  Vasquez  and  Sublette.  With  them  was  a  Mr. 
Thompson  who  had  a  trading  post  on  the  western  side  of  the 
mountains.  Also  two  half-breed  hunters,  one  of  whom  was 
Mr.  Shabenare,  (Charboneau),  ''A  son  of  Captain  Clark,  the 
great  western  traveler  and  companion  of  Lewis.  He  had  re- 
ceived an  education  in  Europe  during  seven  years."  There 
were  four  wagons,  drawn  by  six  mules  each.  "The  men  were 
French,  American,  Spanish  and  half  breeds." 

August  15th  passed  a  grove  called  Council  Grove. 

August  17th  reached  the  Arkansas  River,  and  traveled 
parallel  to  it. 

(Details  of  daily  routine,  hunting,  and  descriptions  usual 
in  such  journals  are  omitted.)  "We  stand  guard  by  turns, 
each  one  being  on  duty  three  hours."  "We  had  several  moon- 
light nights  to  cheer  the  guard." 

August  21st,  (Began  to  see  buffalo,  with  much  description 
of  hunting.) 

August  23d,  "We  passed  a  great  number  of  buffaloes,  the 
prairie  being  actually  alive  with  them.  They  extended  prob- 
ably about  four  miles,  and  numbered  nearly  two  hundred  thou- 
sand." 

August  26th,  "Encamped  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansas." 
We  shall  continue  to  travel  along  the  Arkansas  for  ten  or 
twelve  days.  The  river  here  is  the  boundary  between  Mexico 
and  Missouri  Territory." 

August  27th,  "We  are  getting  along  rapidly,  traveling 
about  twenty-five  miles  a  day."  "During  the  last  week  we 
passed  several  places  Avhere  men  belonging  to  former  parties 
had  been  killed  by  Indians.  The  other  day  we  passed  a  place 
where  Mr.  Vasquez  had  a  narrow  escape. ' '    from  Pawnees. 

August  30th,  overtook  Mr.  Lupton,  a  mountain  trader,  on 
his  way  to  the  trading  post  on  the  river  Platte.  "He  had  six 
wagons  drawn  by  oxen.  They  had  started  about  twelve  days 
before  us." 

August  31st,  "Mr.  Lupton  encamped  Avith  us  today  as  well 
as  last  night.  He  is  trying  to  keep  in  company  with  us,  but 
probably  will  not  succeed,  as  our  mules  can  travel  much  faster 
than  his  oxen." 

September  1st.  "Today  we  came  in  sight  of  what  is 
called  Big  Timber,  sixty  miles  from  Bent's  Fort  on  the  Arkan- 
sas." 


34  WYOMING  ANNALS 

September  2d.  "Today  we  left  Big  Timber  at  noon." 
"We  had  a  view  of  the  mountains  this  afternoon,  but  they  are 
still  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  distant. ' ' 

September  3d.  "Today  we  passed  Bent's  Fort,  which 
looks  quite  like  a  military  fortification.  It  is  constructed  of 
mud  bricks  after  the  Spanish  fashion,  and  is  quite  durable.  Mr. 
Bent  had  seventy  horses  stolen  from  the  fort  this  summer." 
By  Comanchee  Indians. 

September  4th,  "Today  we  passed  a  Spanish  fort  about 
two  miles  from  Bent's.  It  was  also  built  of  mud,  and  inhabited 
by  a  few  Spanish  and  French.  They  procure  flour  from  Taos, 
a  town  in  Mexico,  eight  days'  travel  from  this  place.  They 
raise  a  small  quantity  of  corn  for  their  own  use.  "We  shall 
continue  along  the  Arkansas  River." 

September  5th.  "Today  we  came  in  sight  of  Pike's 
Peak." 

September  6th.  "We  are  still  approaching  the  mountains, 
which  have  a  very  fine  appearance.    The  peak  is  very  high. ' ' 

September  7th.  "We  ate  oar  dinner  'beside  a  stream 
called  Fontaine  qui  bouille,  boiling  spring,  called  so  on  account 
of  the  manner  in  which  it  boils  from  the  mountains."  "The 
traders  have  houses  here  for  trading  in  winter,"  with  the 
Arapahoos  and  Shian  Indians. 

September  10th.  ' ' Today  and  yesterday  we  passed 
through  some  strips  of  pine  timber,  the  first  I  have  seen  in  this 
part  of  the  country. ' '  Mr.  Vasquez  smoked  with  some  Arapoos 
Indians. 

September  12th.  "In  the  evening  we  arrived  at  the  Platte 
river  and  encamped." 

September  13th.  "We  passed  Mr.  Lupton's  Fort,"  A 
little  more  than  an  hour  later,  "We  reached  the  fort  of  Messrs. 
Sublette  and  Vasquez,  the  place  of  our  destination."  "A  great 
many  free  trappers  are  here  at  present.  The  fort  is  quite  a  nice 
place,  situated  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  River  Platte.  It  is 
built  of  adobies,  or  Spanish  bricks,  made  of  clay  baked  in  the 
sun."  "The  fort  is  opposite  Long's  Peak,  and  about  twenty 
miles  distant.    We  slept  all  night  at  the  fort. ' ' 

September  14th.  "Today  I  moved  my  quarters  to  Mr. 
Thompson's  camp,  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  fort." 

September  16th.  "Today  we  left  our  encampment,  and 
started  to  cross  the  mountains.  Our  party  consisted  of  eight 
men,  two  squaws  and  three  children.  One  of  the  squaws  be- 
longed to  Mr.  Thompson,  the  other  to  Mr.  Craig.  They  are 
partners,  and  have  a  trading  fort  at  Brown's  Hole,  a  valley  on 
the  west  of  the  mountains." 


WYOMING  ANNALS  35 

September  17th.  Crossed  a  branch  of  the  Platte  river. 
Camped  on  a  small  stream  cache  la  Poudre. 

September  19th.  ''Today  we  began  to  travel  among  the 
hills  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains."  "The  road  we  are  travel- 
ing now  is  surrounded  by  hills  piled  on  hills,  with  mountains 
in  the  background." 

September  20th.  "Today  the  road  became  more  rough. 
We  had  some  very  high  and  steep  hills  to  climb."  "Messrs. 
Thompson  and  Craig  went  before  us  and  killed  three  buffaloes. ' ' 

September  21st.  "We  have  been  climbing  more  hills." 
"We  are  encamped  in  a  beautiful  valley.  It  is  probably  more 
than  sixty  miles  long,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  The  view 
from  the  surrounding  mountains  is  grand.  The  valley  is  sur- 
rounded by  high  hills,  with  mountains  in  the  background." 
"There  is  a  large  stream  flowing  through  it,  called  Laramie's 
Fork,  tributary  to  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte."  "In  this 
plain  there  is  a  very  large  rock,  composed  of  red  sandstone  and 
resembling  a  chimney.  It  is  situated  on  a  fork  of  the  Laramie 
called  Chimney  Fork. ' ' 

September  23d.  "This  morning  the  road  was  very  rough. 
At  noon  we  entered  a  very  large  valley,  called  the  Park,  at  the 
entrance  of  which  we  crossed  the  North  Fork  of  the  River  Platte, 
a  very  fine  stream." 

September  24th.  "Today  we  are  still  traveling  in  the 
park. ' ' 

September  25th.  "Today  we  have  had  a  very  rough  road 
to  travel  over,  and  at  evening  encamped  on  a  ridge  called  The 
Divide." 

September  27th.  "We  passed  a  place  where  the  Whites 
had  encamped  a  few  days  previous,  for  the  purpose  of  killing 
buffalo  and  drying  the  meat.  From  the  signs  around  us,  we 
thought  they  must  have  had  a  fight  with  the  Indians."  "We 
saw  the  skeletons  of  four  horses,  killed  in  the  fight.  The 
Whites  had  thrown  up  a  breastwork  of  logs  for  a  defense. 
Tonight  we  put  our  horses  in  an  old  horse-pen  we  found  at  our 
camping  place,  which  is  on  Snake  River,  a  tributary  of  the 
Colorado  of  the  West." 

September  28th.  "Today  we  had  a  good  road  and  got 
along  well.    We  are  still  on  Snake  River. ' ' 

September  29th.    "Today  we  left  Snake  River." 

"We  encamped  at  some  sulphur  springs." 

September  30th.  (Mr.  Smith's  horse  gave  out,  and  he  had 
to  walk,  and  camped  by  himself  on  the  Vermilion.) 


36  WYOMING  ANNALS 

October  1st.  "I  left  my  lonely  camp  and  walked  rapidly 
over  the  gravel  and  prickly  pears  that  lay  in  my  path. ' ' 
"After  traveling  two  miles"  (he  reached  the  party)  "En- 
camped by  a  small  lake  in  a  valley.  My  pleasure  can  easily 
be  imagined.  They  were  just  eating  breakfast  of  which  I  par- 
took with  delight,  having  eaten  nothing  the  day  before.  At 
evening  we  arrived  at  Brown's  Hole,  our  place  of  destination. 
This  is  a  valley  on  Green  River  in  which  is  a  fort. 

October  2d.  "Today  I  heard  from  Kit  Carson  the  par- 
ticulars of  the  fight  at  the  breastworks  at  Snake  River." 
(Seven  men  and  two  Squaws  went  from  Brown's  Hole  and 
were  drying  meat  when  they  were  attacked  by  twenty  Sioux 
Indians.)  "The  attack  was  made  toward  morning  while  it 
was  yet  dark.  The  Indians  fired  principally  at  one  man, 
named  Spillers,  as  he  lay  asleep  outside  of  the  horse-pen,  and 
they  pierced  him  with  five  balls,  without  wounding  anyone  else. 
This  awakened  the  rest  of  the  men,  and  they  began  to  stren.gthen 
a  horse-pen  they  had  made  of  logs,  to  form  it  into  a  breast- 
work. They  digged  some  holes  in  the  ground  for  the  men  to 
stand  in,  so  as  to  protect  them  as  much  as  possible.  As  soon 
as  it  became  light,  they  commenced  firing  at  the  Indians,  of 
whom  they  killed  and  wounded  several.  After  exchanging 
several  shots  the  principal  Indian  chief  rode  up  toward  them 
and  made  offers  of  peace.  One  of  the  white  men  went  out,  and 
induced  him  with  several  others  to  come  toward  them,  when 
they  were  within  shooting  distance,  he  fell  back  behind  some 
trees,  and  gave  the  signal  to  his  companions,  Avho  fired  and 
killed  the  head  chief.  The  Indians  kept  up  a  firing  for  a  short 
time  and  then  retreated.  "When  the  chief  was  shot  he  jumped 
up  and  fell  down,  the  others  were  very  much  excited,  and 
raved  and  tore  around.     He  was  a  distinguished  chief." 

October  3d.  ' '  Still  at  the  fort  which  is  situated  in  a  small 
valley  surrounded  by  mountains,  on  Green  River,  a  tributary 
of  the  Colorado.  This  is  quite  a  stream,  about  three  hundred 
yards  wide.  It  runs  through  a  narrow  passage  or  canyon  in 
the  mountains,  the  rocks  forming  a  perpendicular  wall  on  each 
side,  five  hundred  feet  high." 

October  6th.  "I  had  intended  to  go  to  Fort  Hall  .  .  . 
but  the  party  disappointed  me." 

October  10th.  (A  party  went  on  a  buffalo  hunt  on  Snake 
River  at  mouth  of  Muddy.  They  killed  100  buffalo  and  dried 
the  meat,  also  killed  six  grizzly  bears  quite  near  the  camp.) 

November  1st  they  returned  to  the  fort  and  remained 
until  the  8th.  "On  the  evening  of  the  first  there  were  one 
hundred  and  fifty  head  of  horses  stolen  from  the  vicinity  of 
the  fort  by  a  party  of  Sioux."    "A  party  of  twelve  men  went 


WYOMING  ANNALS  37 

over  to  Fort  Hall,  belonging  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 
and  stole  several  horses  from  that  company,  notwithstanding 
they  had  been  very  well  treated  by  the  man  who  had  charge 
of  the  fort.  On  their  return  they  stopped  at  a  small  encamp- 
ment of  Snake  Indians,  consisting  of  three  lodges.  One  of 
them  belonged  to  a  very  old  man  who  invited  them  to  eat  with 
him  and  treated  them  with  great  hospitality.  At  evening  the 
whites  proceeded  on  their  journey  taking  with  them  all  the  old 
Indian's  horses.  On  returning  to  Green  River,  the  trappers 
remaining  at  the  fort  expressed  their  displeasure  so  strongly 
at  this  act  of  unparalleled  meanness  that  they  were  obliged  to 
leave  the  party  to  go  to  a  trading  post  of  the  Eutaw  Indians. 
The  whites  in  the  valley,  fearing  that  the  Snake  Indians  might 
retaliate  for  the  loss  of  their  horses  pursued  the  thieves  and 
compelled  them  to  restore  the  stolen  property." 

November  8th.  "We  moved  up  the  river  a  short  distance 
to  a  log  cabin,  built  by  some  young  man,  who  had  come  to  the 
mountains  last  spring,  intending  to  remain  there  until  the  fol- 
lowing spring. 

December  20th.  (Visit  of  twenty  lodges  of  Snake  Indians, 
trading  skins.)  "There  is  a  large  salt  lake  in  the  mountains 
about  four  days  travel  from  Brown's  Hole.  This  lake  is  a  hun- 
dred miles  long  from  north  to  south  and  thirty  miles  wide. 
.  .  .  There  are  several  fresh  water  streams  rmming  into  this 
lake,  one  of  which  is  Great  Bear  River.  .  .  .  Near  the  head- 
waters of  the  Missouri  is  a  valley  filled  with  mounds,  emitting 
smoke  and  vapor,  the  ground  composing  this  valley  is  very  soft, 
so  much  so  that  a  horse  will  sink  to  his  girths  in  the  ground. 
On  the  west  side  of  the  mountains  are  streams  that  seem  to 
ebb  and  flow  like  the  tide.  In  the  mornings  their  banks  are 
overflowing,  at  noon  they  are  perfectly  dry,  the  next  morning 
flowing  again.  The  country  around  the  headwaters  of  the 
Yellowstone,  a  tributary  of  the  Missouri,  abounds  in  Natural 
curiosities.  There  are  volcanoes,  volcanic  productions  and  car- 
bonated springs.  Mr.  Vasquez  told  me  that  he  went  to  the  top 
of  one  of  these  volcanoes,  the  crater  of  which  was  filled  -with 
pure  water,  forming  quite  a  large  lake.  There  is  a  story  told 
by  an  Arapahoe  chief  of  a  petrified  buffalo  standing  in  the 
lake  on  the  east  side  of  the  mountains.  It  was  in  a  perfect 
state  of  preservation,  and  they  worship  it  as  a  great  medicine 
charm.  There  are  also  moccasin  and  buffalo  tracks  in  the  solid 
roclc  along  the  side  of  the  lake.  Nothing  would  induce  this 
Indian  to  tell  where  this  sacred  buffalo  is  to  be  found.  Great 
presents  were  offered  to  him  in  vain.  There  is  a  party,  going 
in  boats  from  this  valley  in  the  spring  down  Grand  River,  on 


38  WYOMING  ANNALS 

the  Colorado  of  the  "West,  to  California.  They  will  be  led  hy 
Mr.  Walker  who  was  with  Bonneville  in  the  mountains.  They 
intend  trapping  for  beaver  on  the  way. ' ' 

' '  We  intended  to  spend  the  winter  in  the  valley  of  Brown 's 
Hole,  but  soon  had  reason  to  fear  an  attack  from  the  Sioux. 
The  party  before  mentioned,  who  lost  their  chief  in  an  en- 
counter with  some  whites,  had  returned  to  their  principal 
tribe  and  intend  coming  in  numbers  to  attack  us  in  the  spring. 
We  therefore  thought  it  unsafe  to  remain  until  then."  We 
left  the  valley  of  Brown's  Hole  on  the  24th  of  January,  1840. 
.  .  .  Our  party  consisted  of  twenty  persons,  fourteen  men, 
four  squaws,  wives  of  the  trappers,  and  two  children.  There 
were  two  traders  in  the  company,  one,  Mr.  Biggs,  who  was  a 
trader  for  Sublette  and  Vasquez,  the  other,  Mr.  Baker,  a  trader 
for  Bent  and  St.  Vrain.  There  were  also  three  free  trappers. 
The  others  were  men  hired  to  the  two  traders." 

January  27,  1840.  "We  arrived  at  Snake  River  and  re- 
mained there  four  days.  While  there  the  snow  fell  two  feet 
deep.  We  had  three  Indian  lodges  with  us,  in  which  we  slept 
at  night." 

February  2d.  "We  encamped  at  a  creek  called  Muddy. 
We  found  considerable  difficulty  in  traveling  through  the 
snow  during  the  day." 

February  4th.  "The  snow  became  very  deep,  and  in  a 
few  days  .  .  .  six  feet  deep  .  .  .  our  stock  of  provisions 
was  nearly  exhausted." 

February  17th.  "We  encamped  on  a  high  hill,  and  one 
of  the  horses  gave  out,  being  unable  to  carry  the  load  any  far- 
ther. Here  we  encountered  one  of  the  most  severe  storms  I 
ever  witnessed.  Considerable  snow  fell,  and  the  wind  blew 
for  two  nights  and  a  day.  During  the  night  one  of  the  lodges 
blew  down,  and  its  occupants  were  obliged  to  remove  to  one  of 
the  others  to  prevent  being  frozen.  We  started  mth  thirty- 
nine  horses  and  mules,  all  in  good  order.  Some  of  them  were 
noAv  dying  daily  for  want  of  food  and  water.  We  traveled  but 
three  or  four  miles  a  day,  on  account  of  the  depth  of  snow. 
By  this  time  many  of  us  were  on  foot  and  were  obliged  to  go 
before  and  break  the  way  for  the  horses.  Our  provisions  were 
being  exhausted,  we  were  obliared  to  eat  the  horses  as  thev 
died.  In  this  way  we  lived  fifteen  days,  eating  a  few  dogs  in 
the  meantime.  In  a  few  days  we  were  all  on  foot.  We  suf- 
fered greatly  from  want  of  wood.  We  were  obliged  to  burn 
a  shrub  called  sage.  .  .  .  We  obtained  no  water  except  by 
melting  snow.  During  this  time  we  had  some  very  severe 
storms  of  wind  and  snow.  .  .  .  We  were  obliged  to  make  a 
scaffold  of  some  trees  which  we  found,  and  leave  our  beaver 


WYOMING  ANNALS  39 

skins  on  it,  with  all  the  furs  we  had  collected."  (All  the 
horses  died)  "except  two,  and  they  were  so  weak  as  to  be  al- 
most unable  to  drag  the  tents." 

February  23d.  Our  hunters  killed  a  buffalo  which  was 
very  poor,  the  meat,  however,  was  very  pleasant  to  us,  after 
having  lived  so  long  on  poor  horse  meat." 

February  24th.  ''The  hunters  killed  three  fat  buffalo, 
which  was  the  first  fat  meat  we  had  seen  for  twenty  days. 
.  On  the  afternoon  of  this  day  we  encamped  on  the 
North  Fork  of  the  River  Platte,  which  runs  through  a  small 
valley  surrounded  by  mountains.  At  this  place  there  was 
scarcely  any  snow  to  be  seen,  and  the  weather  was  quite 
warm.  We  were  still  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the 
trading  fort.  This  valley  was  filled  with  herds  of  buffalo. 
After  remaining  here  four  days,  three  of  us  started  on  the  29th 
of  February  to  go  to  the  fort  for  horses.  We  traveled  until 
noon  the  first  day  without  finding  any  snow.  In  the  afternoon 
we  met  pretty  deep  snow,  and  toward  night  it  was  too  feet 
deep,  covered  with  a  very  hard  crust."  (They  went  fifteen 
miles  that  day)  "About  dark  we  stopped  on  the  summit  of  a 
hill."  (It  was  a  wind-swept,  but  there  was  no  fuel  for  a  fire.) 
"We  were  very  wet,  having  traveled  through  the  snow  all  day. 
We  were  obliged  to  lie  down  on  the  bare  ground,  with  only  a 
blanket  apiece  to  cover  us,  and  were  unable  to  sleep  from  the 
severe  cold.  Next  morning  we  started  by  daylight  and  found 
the  snow  deeper  than  the  day  before,  the  crust  was  hard  but 
not  sufficiently  so  to  bear  one,  which  made  walking  very  fa- 
tiguing. Notwithstanding  the  difficulty  we  traveled  fifteen 
miles  that  day.  At  sundown  we  came  in  sight  of  a  stream,  the 
banks  of  which  were  covered  with  timber."  (They  saAV  fresh 
tracks  of  Indians.  One  of  the  three  men  had  been  attacked 
and  robbed  by  Sioux  at  this  place.)  "My  companions  being 
both  afraid  to  proceed,  we  were  obliged  to  return  to  our  party 
on  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte.  .  .  .  We  were  near  what 
was  called  Medicine  Bow  Butte,  which  takes  its  name  from  a 
stream  running  at  its  base,  called  Medicine  Bow  Creek."  (They 
started  to  return  that  same  night)  "We  traveled  all  night  and 
stopped  just  as  daylight  was  appearing,  made  a  fire  and  rested 
half  an  hour.  The  next  night  we  found  ourselves  quite  near 
the  encampment  on  the  Platte.  Our  party  was  very  much  dis- 
appointed to  see  us  return." 

March  7th.  ' '  Mr.  Biggs  and  a  half  breed  started  to  the 
fort  by  another  route.  .  .  .  They  took  a  horse  with  them  to 
carry  their  blankets  and  provisions.  In  the  meantime  the 
party  on  the  Platte  were  hunting  daily,  and  supplied  them- 
selves abundantly  with  provisions."      (Transposed)      "When 


40  WYOMING  ANNALS 

Mr.  Biggs  started  for  the  fort  ...  we  built  a  fort  of  logs 
on  the  Platte  to  protect  us  from  Indians."  "On  the  forty-sec- 
ond day  from  the  time  of  his  starting"  (Mr.  Biggs)  "and  Mr. 
Vasquez  arrived,  bringing  with  them-  horses  sufficient  to  carry 
the  fars,  but  not  enough  to  furnish  saddle-horses  for  all  the 
party,  consequently  some  were  obliged  to  walk.  They  also 
brought  some  men  with  them,  increasing  our  number  to 
twenty-two.  Mr.  Biggs  immediately  started  to  return  for  the 
beaver  that  had  been  left  some  distance  back,  and  was  absent 
five  days." 

April  14th.  (They  left  their  fort  on  the  North  Fork  of 
the  Platte). 

April  16th.     "We  ate  dinner  at  the  Medicine  Bow  Creek." 

April  19th.  "Arrived  at  Laramie  Fork,  a  tributary  of  the 
Platte.  At  the  junction  of  this  stream  with  the  North  Fork 
the  American  Fur  Company  have  a  large  trading  fort,  called 
Fort  Laramie. 

April  24th.  "In  the  afternoon,  we  crossed  the  South 
Fork  of  the  Platte  with  considerable  difficulty,  as  the  water 
was  very  high.  After  traveling  six  miles  we  arrived  at  the 
Fort  of  Sublette  and  Vasquez.  We  remained  at  the  fort  nearly 
two  days." 

April  26th.  "We  started  in  a  mackinaw  boat  which  had 
been  made  at  the  fort  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  This  boat 
was  thirty-six  feet  long  and  eight  feet  wide.  We  had  seven 
hundred  buffalo  robes  on  board  and  four  hundred  buffalo 
tongues.  There  were  seven  of  us  in  company.  The  water  of 
this  river  was  very  shallow  and  we  proceeded  with  difficulty, 
getting  on  sand  bars  every  few  minutes.  We  were  obliged  to 
wade  and  push  the  boat  along  most  of  the  way  for  about  three 
hundred  miles,  which  we  were  forty-nine  days  traveling.  We 
had  to  unload  the  boat  several  times  a  day  when  it  was 
aground,  which  was  very  hard  work." 

May  12th.  "We  killed  the  first  buffalo  we  had  seen  since 
we  left  the  fort." 

May  13th.  "We  arrived  at  the  camp  of  Shian  Indians. 
.  .  .  They  were  headed  by  a  chief  called  the  Yellow  Wolf. 
His  brother  was  of  the  partv  having  a  name  .  .  .  Manv 
Crows." 

June  12th.  "We  arrived  at  the  fork  of  the  Platte.  The 
water  in  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte  was  pretty  high,  and  we 
were  able  to  proceed  quite  rapidly.  We  sometimes  traveled 
fifty  miles  a  day." 

June  14th.  "We  met  five  buffalo,  the  last  we  saw,  as  we 
left  the  country  in  which  they  range." 


WYOMING  ANNALS  41 

June  20th.  "We  passed  the  Loup  Fork  and  also  Shell 
Creek." 

June  21st.  "We  passed  Horse  Creek  ,  .  .  also  Saline. " 
"In  the  evening  we  arrived  at  a  missionary  station,  about  fif- 
teen miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  River  Platte.  .  .  .  We 
went  to  the  missionary  houses  .  .  .  and  were  much  disap- 
pointed at  finding  them  deserted,  the  missionaries  having  re- 
moved to  another  place." 

June  22d.  "We  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Platte. 
.  .  In  the  afternoon  we  stopped  at  a  log  house  on  the  bank 
of  the  river.  Here  we  saw  the  first  whites  who  had  gladdened 
our  eyes  since  leaving  the  mountains." 

June  23d.  "In  the  evening  we  arrived  at  a  settlement, 
where  we  procured  some  fresh  meat,  bread  and  coffee." 

June  24th.  "We  stopped  at  another  settlement  in  the 
State  of  Missouri,  Buchanan  county.  On  the  south  side  of  the 
river  is  Missouri  Territory,  and  on  the  north  side  the  State  of 
Missouri.  .  .  .  We  now  traveled  rapidly,  sometimes  eighty 
miles  a  day. 

July  3d.  "We  arrived  at  St.  Louis,  having  come  two  thou- 
sand miles  from  the  mountains  in  sixty-nine  days." 

Charboneau 

There  is  a  mention  in  an  appendix-note,  of  "Mr.  Shabe- 
nare"  being  with  the  party  in  the  mackinaw  boat,  which  indi- 
cates his  movements  from  Au.gust  6th,  1839  to  July  3.  1840. 
He  was  a  son  of  Touissant  Charboneau  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark 
expedition.  Rufus  B.  Sage,  in  his  Rocky  Mountain  Life,  edi- 
tion 1847,  page  206,  tells  of  meeting  a  party  in  the  employ  of 
Bent  and  St.  Vrain,  August  30,  1842,  on  an  island  of  the  Platte. 
They  had  attempted  to  navigate  and  were  stranded  because  of 
low  water.  Their  "camp  was  under  the  direction  of  a  half 
breed,  named  Chabonard,  who  proved  to  be  a  gentleman  of 
superior  information.  He  had  acquired  a  classic  education 
and  could  converse  quite  fluently  in  German,  Spanish.  French 
and  English,  as  well  as  several  Indian  languages.  His  mind, 
also,  was  well  stored  with  choice  reading,  and  enriched  by  ex- 
tensive travel  and  observation.  Having  visited  most  of  the 
important  places,  both  in  England,  France,  and  Germany,  he 
knew  how  to  turn  his  experience  to  good  advantage."  There 
was  a  quaint  humor  and  shrewdness  in  his  conversation,  so 
garbled  with  intelligence  and  perspicuity,  that  he  at  once  in- 
sinuated himself  into  the  good  graces  of  listeners,  and  com- 
manded their  admiration  and  respect. 


42  ■  WYOMING  ANNALS 


BILL  NYE 

(1850-1896) 

By  Frank  Sumner  Burrage/  deceased 

The  story  of  Bill  Nye  and  his  Boomerang  will  ever  re- 
main one  of  the  most  challenging  as  well  as  interesting  epi- 
sodes in  the  history  of  American  journalism. 

For  it  is  the  story  of  one  of  our  own  kind,  who  despite 
limited  experience  and  an  apparently  exceedingly  limited 
environment,  in  a  few  years,  because  of  an  extraordinary  un- 
derstanding of  and  belief  in  human  kind,  made  a  paper  in  a 
small  western  town  known  and  admired  and  laughed  at  the 
wide  world  around. 

Bill  Nye  was  a  young  man  when  he  came  to  Laramie ;  he 
was  a  young  man  when  he  leapt,  as  it  were,  into  fame,  and  he 
was  still  a  young  man  when  he  died.  Of  course  he  had  only 
'forty-six  human  years  to  his  credit,  but  they  were  years  of 
life  that  were  full  all  the  way,  and  full,  too,  of  that  youthful- 
ness  of  spirit  which  was  never  absent  in  anything  he  said  or 
wrote. 

Edgar  Wilson  Nye,  for  such  was  his  formal  name,  was  a 
native  of  Shirley,  Maine,  where  he  was  born  on  August  25, 
1850.  Writing  of  his  birthplace  he  says:  "A  man  ought  not  to 
criticize  his  birthplace,  I  presume,  and  yet,  if  I  were  to  do  it 
all  over  again,  I  do  not  know  whether  I  would  select  that  par- 
ticular spot  or  not.  Sometimes  I  think  I  would  not.  And  yet, 
what  memories  cluster  about  that  old  house!  There  was  the 
place  where  I  first  met  my  parents.  It  was  at  that  time  that 
an  acquainjtance  sprang  up  which  has  ripened  in  later  years 
into  mutual  respect  and  esteem.  It  was  there  that  a  casual 
meeting  took  place,  which  was,  under  the  alchemy  of  restless 
years,  turned  to  golden  links  forming  a  pleasant  but  powerful 


1.  Mr.  Burrage  was  born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts  where  his  father 
for  many  years  was  a  successful  business  man.  In  January  1898  he 
went  from  Denver,  Colorado  to  Cheyenne  where  he  was  tutor  to  the  son 
of  Governor  Joseph  M.  Carey  and  prepared  the  son  for  college.  He  then 
entered  Judge  Carey's  office  and  remained  there  until  he  went  to  De- 
troit, Michigan  in  1901.  In  1905  he  again  came  to  Wyoming  and  was 
cashier  of  the  Laramie  Eepublican  until  1908.  Then  he  went  to  the 
University  of  Wyoming  as  secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees;  in  1912 
he  was  made  registrar  of  the  University  also  secretary  to  the  president, 
which  important  position  he  filled  five  years.  He  was  splendidly 
equipped  by  educational  training  and  broad  experience  for  the  duties 
which  he  discharged  with  marked  ability.  From  the  University  he  went 
back  to  the  Laramie  city  newspapers,  recognized  until  his  demise  as  one 
of  the  outstanding  newspaper  men  of  Wyoming.  (For  more  complete 
account  see  Bartlett,  vol.  11,  pp.  286-7). 


WYOMING  ANNALS  43 

bond  of  union  between  my  parents  and  myself.  For  that  rea- 
son, I  hope  I  may  be  spared  to  my  parents  for  many  years  to 
come." 

The  family,  when  Edgar  was  still  young,  moved  to  Wis- 
consin, where  he  grew  to  man's  estate,  and  where  he  was  in 
turn,  farmer,  lawyer,  and  teacher.  It  happened  that  Nye  had 
read  law  in  the  office  of  a  firm  in  Chippewa  Falls  of  which 
one  John  J.  Jenkins  was  a  member.  President  Grant  had  ap- 
pointed Jenkins  United  States  attorney  for  the  territory  of 
Wyoming,  and  before  that  gentleman  had  left  for  the  west  he 
received  a  letter  from  his  ex-clerk  in  which  he  said:  "My 
wherewithal  has  been  on  the  rapid  decline  or  I  would  have 
been  to  see  you.  Nevertheless  I  hope  that  you  will  be  able  to 
get  me  some  kind  of  a  place  out  West." 

So  strong,  however,  was  that  call  of  the  wild  that  Jenkins 
had  hardly  gotten  settled  in  Cheyenne  when,  says  Nye's  biog- 
rapher, "returning  to  his  office  one  day,  he  was  told  that  a 
thin  young  man  had  been  waiting  hours  for  him. ' '  The  ' '  thin 
young  man"  was  none  other  than  Edgar  Nye,  and  he  had  ar- 
rived in  the  Wyoming  capital  with  only  thirty-five  cents  in  his 
pocket. 

Mr.  Jenkins  had  always  had  the  idea  that  Nye  could  make 
a  newspaper  man,  and  since  he  happened  to  know  that  J.  H. 
Hayford,  editor  of  the  Sentinel  at  Laramie  City  nearby,  was 
in  need  of  someone  to  share  the  troubles  of  his  sheet,  he  sent 
Nye  over  the  hill  to  find  a  job.  Judge  N.  L.  Andrews,  a  friend 
of  Jenkins,  interceded  with  Hayford  and  Nye  was  soon  run- 
ning the  Sentinel.     That  was  in  May  1876. 

Nye's  own  account  of  his  landing  in  Cheyenne,  and  of  his 
first  associations  with  "Deacon"  Hayford,  are  so  amusing  that 
a  few  paragraphs  of  the  description  follow  herewith : 

"Securing  second-class  passage  and  not  knowing  whither, 
so  that  it  was  west,  I  slept  the  nights  away,  sitting  up  in  a 
coach,  and  landed  in  a  territorial  town  accompanied  by  thirty- 
five  cents,  with  which  I  desired  to  aid  the  flourishing  young 
city  in  her  wonderful  growth.  I  was  also  associated  with  a 
pale  yellow  trunk  which  cost  three  dollars  and  had  been  rained 
on,  so  that  when  I  landed  in  Cheyenne  the  inflated  thing  peeled. 

"i  cannot  think  of  anything  sadder  than  to  be  associated 
with  a  trunk  making  claims  to  respectability  which  it  is  un- 
able to  maintain.  This  trunk  when  new  had  aimed  to  impress 
people  with  the  idea  that  it  was  a  leather  trunk,  but  when  ad- 
versity came,  it  surrendered  and  peeled.  When  the  wallpaper 
came  off  it  was  quite  a  plain  trunk,  and  those  who  came  in 
contact  with  it  did  not  treat  it  with  respect.  I  went  to  the 
best  hotel,   registered,   and   by   some   strange   accident    got   a 


44  WYOMING  ANNALS 

pretty  good  room ;  but  I  had  to  hurry  and  do  it  before  my 
trunk  got  there. 

"It  would  take  some  time  to  tell  how  I  got  the  money  to 
pay  this  bill,  and  how  the  lonely  little  lop-eared,  ecru-colored 
trank  stood  there  in  the  baggage  room  waiting  for  the  day  of 
its  redemption  to  draw  nigh;  but  suffice  it  that  a  lucky  acci- 
dent put  me  in  the  way  of  earning  ten  dollars  by  copying  the 
minutes  of  a  military  court-martial  then  in  session,  and  a  tall 
angel  with  wings  concealed  under  the  cape  of  a  chumly  over- 
coat was  the  means.  His  name  was  Remington,  and  I  earnest- 
ly hope  that  he  will  find,  when  his  life  is  over,  that  suitable 
arrangements  have  been  made  for  his  comfort. 

"If  a  boy  could  be  made  to  believe  that  this  one  hour  or 
day  of  battle  with  adversity  may  be  the  hand-to-hand  fight  of 
his  life,  compared  with  which  all  others  following  it  will  be 
mere  skirmishes ;  if  he  could  only  know  that  the  sky  will  never 
''again  be  so  somber,  or  his  horizon  so  opaque — in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten,  he  would  win ;  but  he  fears  too  often  that  this  is  the 
beginning  only  of  a  long  life  of  despair  and  disappointment. 
At  that  time  I  fully  expected  for  a  few  days  that  I  would  have 
to  assist  in  taking  care  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  as  a 
lawyer  friend  of  mine  had  already  done — going  to  California 
in  considerable  style  and  returning  by  easy  stages  as  a  section 
hand. 

"The  opportunity  to  do  reporting  came  to  the  surface  and 
I  improved  it.  The  salary  was  not  large ;  it  was  not  impres- 
sive. It  was  not  calculated  to  canker  the  soul.  By  putting 
handles  on  it  every  Saturday  evening,  I  was  enabled  to  carry 
it  home  by  myself,  the  distance  being  short.  I  used  it  wisely, 
not  running  through  it  as  some  would  have  done.  In  this  way 
at  the  end  of  the  year  I  had  two  dollars  in  money  and  a  nice 
new  set  of  whiskers.  I  also  had  acquired  a  gum  overcoat 
whose  views  one  could  easily  get  by  being  thrown  in  its  so- 
ciety for  a  few  minutes  on  a  warm  day. 

"The  Sentinel  was  a  morning  paper.  We  printed  it  be- 
fore sundown  and  distributed  it  before  breakfast.  Thus  it  had 
the  appearance  of  extreme  freshness  and  dampness.  Old  Jim 
Hayford  was  the  manager  of  the  paper. 

"He  gave  me  twelve  dollars  a  week  to  edit  the  paper — 
local,  telegraph,  selections,  religious,  sporting,  fashion,  polit- 
ical, and  obituary.  He  said  twelve  dollars  was  too  much  but 
if  r  would  jerk  the  press  occasionally  and  take  care  of  his 
children  he  would  try  to  stand  it.  Perhaps  I  might  have  been 
there  yet  if  I  hadn't  had  a  red-hot  political  campaign  and 
measles  among  the  children  at  the  same  time.     You  cau  't  mix 


WYOMING  ANNALS  45 

measles  and  polities.  So  I  said  one  day  I  would  have  to  draw 
the  line  at  measles. 

"I  collected  my  princely  salary  and  quit,  having  acquired 
a  style  of  fearless  independent  journalism  which  I  still  retain. 
I  can  write  up  things  that  never  occurred  with  a  masterly 
hand.  Then,  if  they  occur  afterward,  I  am  grateful;  if  not,  I 
bow  to  the  inevitable  and  smother  my  chagrin." 

In  the  spring  of  '76  the  town  was  called  Laramie  City  for 
the  reason  says  one  critic,  "that  the  looks  of  Laramie  herself 
would  never  have  suggested  the  appellation."  It  had  only 
about  twenty-five  hundred  people  and  consisted  of  a  few  hun- 
dred frame  houses  and  several  brick  and  stone  buildings  on 
the  Laramie  Plains,  clustered  about  the  railway  station.  "The 
altitude,"  continues  this  critic,  "was  high;  the  assessed  valu- 
ation low.     Liquor  was  plentiful  and  water  scarce." 

But  there  were  many  souls  in  Laramie  congenial  to  Nye 
and  he  liked  it,  and  that  Laramie  was  the  place  to  bring  out 
his  talents  subsequent  events  have  shown.  Writing  of  this 
fact,  his  son,  Frank  Wilson  Nye,  says:  "Nye's  talent  was  a 
new  thing  to  him  and  he  had  found  out  little  about  it  or  about 
himself.  Like  a  nestling  that  tries  its  wings  for  the  first  flight, 
Nye  was  experimenting  with  his  concealed  yet  revealed  gift  in 
the  columns  of  the  Sentinel.  His  touch  was  light.  His  sen- 
sitiveness keen.  Wisconsin  had  been  pioneer,  yet  it  was  al- 
ready grown  too  conservative  to  bring  Nye  out.  Then  there 
was  parental  repression.  Few  are  the  places,  and  fewer  the 
times,  which  could  have  supplied  the  field  for  Nye's  first  trial 
spins. 

"His  readers  were  a  small  and  unspoiled  audience,  many 
of  whom  he  saw  often.  He  was  a  good  mixer.  He  made  a 
host  of  friends.  This  gave  him  the  chance  to  take  frequent 
soundings.  He  knew  quickly  just  how  his  readers  were  react- 
ing to  his  writings." 

Such  was  Laramie,  and  the  Laramie  opportunity.  lim- 
ited to  be  sure,  and  yet  world-wide,  as  we  have  said,  it  after- 
ward became. 

The  next  two  years  gave  Nye  his  wife.  The  Cheyenne 
Sun  of  March  7,  1877,  carried  this  announcement:  "The  mar- 
riage ceremony  of  Miss  Clara  F.  Smith  to  Mr.  Edgar  W.  Nye 
was  performed  here  at  six  o'clock  this  afternoon  by  Bishop 
Spaulding  of  Denver  in  the  presence  of  a  few  friends.  Dr.  J. 
H.  Hayford  gave  away  the  bride.  There  were  some  very 
handsome  presents  bestowed  upon  the  newly  married  pair. 
The  affair  Avas  a  very  solemn  one.  Nye  forgot  all  his  jokes 
suitable  to  the  occasion,  and  will  hereafter  be  known  as  the 
obituary  editor  of  the  Sentinel." 


46  WYOMING  ANNALS 

Nye  himself  said  that  he  thought  there  were  too  many 
Smiths  and  he  owed  a  duty  to  society  to  reduce  their  number 
as  much  as  possible.  Writing  afterward  he  said:  "Thus  I 
married,  and  one  evening  while  the  town  lay  hushed  in  slum- 
ber, and  only  the  mountain  zephyr  from  the  grim  old  Medicine 
Bow  Range  rustled  the  new  leaves  of  the  quaking  aspen  and 
the  Cottonwood,  I  moved.  Not  having  any  piano  or  sideboard, 
I  did  the  moving  myself.     It  did  not  take  long." 

Nye's  marriage  was  a  perfect  union,  and  his  elder  son  in 
speaking  of  it  said  that  he  had  never  known  a  more  happily 
mated  couple. 

Nye  next  added  to  his  journalistic  duties  that  of  justice  of 
the  peace,  a  position  which,  never  very  remunerative,  afforded 
him  many  chances  for  the  exercise  of  his  wit.  Later  he  an- 
nexed the  office  of  United  States  commissioner  and  finally  that 
of  postmaster.^  Two  daughters,  Bessie  and  AVinnifred,  had 
been  born  in  the  meantime,  and  so  further  efforts  were  needed 
to  supplement  the  meager  income.  This  led  Nye  to  send  some 
of  his  work  to  metropolitan  papers,  and  before  long  he  was 
being  copied  everywhere. 

Nye's  associations  with  Hayford  had  grown  distasteful, 
and  the  Sentinel  had  not  been  a  financial  success.  It  was  a  Re- 
publican paper  so  the  Democrats,  perceiving  their  opportunity 
in  1879,  organized  the  Daily  Times.  As  a  consequence  of  these 
changes  Nye  was  no  longer  connected  with  a  daily  paper,  and 
as  a  still  further  consequence  the  Republicans  lost  most  of  the 
county  offices  in  the  election  of  1880.  This  was  something 
not  to  be  tolerated,  so  his  friends  turned  to  Nye  to  back  him 
as  a  good  citizen,  and  a  Republican  and  a  journalist,  rather 
than  a  humorist,  in  starting  a  new  paper. 

This  is  the  way  Nye  himself  put  it:  "A  company  incor- 
porated itself  and  started  a  paper  of  which  I  took  charge.  The 
paper  was  published  in  the  loft  of  a  livery  stable.  That  is  the 
reason  they  called  it  a  stock  company.  You  could  come  up 
the  stairs  into  the  office  or  you  could  twist  the  tail  of  the  iron 
gray  mule  and  take  the  elevator." 

So  the  Boomerang  was  born.  It  was  named  for  Bill  Nye's 
mule.  Boomerang,  of  whose  coming  Mrs.  Nye  wrote  as  fol- 
lows :  ' '  This  funny  little  creature  appeared  on  the  streets  of 
Laramie  from  no  one  knows  where.  It  ambled  up  to  Edgar 
and  rubbing  its  nose  against  his  sleeve,  brayed  earnestly  in  his 
ear.  From  that  time  on,  the  arrival  was  known  as  Bill  Nye's 
mule.  Boomerang." 


1.  Was  also  librarian  of  the  county  library.  This  information  is 
from  an  unpublished  manuscript  by  W.  S.  Ingham  in  the  files  of  the 
Statewide  Historical  Project. 


WYOMING  ANNALS  47 

Three  thousand  dollars  was  subscribed  to  launch  the  new 
paper,  and  in  January,  1881,  Nye  went  to  Chicago  to  buy  his 
outfit.  He  bought  a  Washington  hand-press,  a  Gordon  jobber, 
and  some  type,  and  had  one  thousand  dollars  left.  The  Boom- 
erang's first  home  was  in  the  Kidd  building,  on  the  second 
floor,  and  the  press  was  of  the  type  that  was  known  as  a 
''lemon  squeezer,"  and  its  greatest  output  was  only  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  copies  per  hour,  two  pages  at  a  time. 

With  such  an  outfit  the  Boomerang  came  out,  its  first 
issue,  Volume  1,  No.  1,  bearing  the  date  of  March  11,  1881. 
That  was  shortly  after  the  inauguration  of  President  Garfield. 
The  Boomerang  moved  afterward  into  A.  L.  Haines'  livery 
stable,  at  Third  and  Garfield  Streets.  This  was  the  barn  so 
often  referred  to  by  Nye. 

The  paper  always  had  a  struggle  financially,  although 
subscriptions  poured  in,  and  finally,  to  help  out,  the  job  busi- 
ness was  disposed  of  to  Garrett  and  Chaplin,  and  Nye  had 
about  decided  to  abandon  the  daily  and  run  only  a  weekly 
when  he  was  suddenly  taken  very  ill  and  went  to  Greeley  to 
recuperate.  It  was  then  decided  that  he  never  could  live  in 
this  altitude,  so  in  October,  1883,  after  a  residence  here  of 
about  seven  and  a  half  years,  he  left  Laramie  forever.  Al- 
ready his  stuff  was  being  read  everywhere  and  by  September, 
1883,  three  volumes  of  his  selections  had  been  collected  and 
published.  He  resigned  his  postmastership,^  settled  up  his 
affairs  in  Laramie  as  best  he  could,  sold  his  Boomerang  stock 
for  thirty  cents  on  the  dollar  and  went  to  Wisconsin  to  live. 

Despite  the  fact  that  his  Boomerang  venture  was  an  ap- 
parent failure  his  future  success  was  nothing  short  of  phenom- 
enal. His  name  had  indeed  become  a  national  one,  and  for 
the  rest  of  his  life  his  career,  as  the  Republican  expressed  it 
at  the  time  of  his  death  had  become  "an  open  book  to  the 
American  people."    When  he  died,  on  Washington's  birthday, 


2.  Letter  of  acceptance  as  postmaster  at  Laramie  to  Postmaster 
General  attracted  much  attention  at  Washington,  D.  C.  He  told  the 
Postmaster  General  that,  "in  my  opinion,  my  being  selected  for  the  of- 
fice is  a  triumph  of  eternal  right  over  error  and  wrong.  It  is  one  of 
the  epochs"  he  said  "in  the  nation's  onward  march  toward  purity  and 
perfection.  I  don  't  know  when  I  have  noticed  any  stride  in  the  affairs 
of  state  which  has  so  thoroughly  impressed  me  with  its  wisdom. ' ' 

His  famous  letter  of  resignation  addressed  to  the  President  of  the 
United  States  was  printed  in  part  in  the  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,  vol. 
9,  pp.  739-40,  January,  1933. 

For  complete  text  of  both  letter  of  acceptance  and  letter  of  resigna- 
tion see  manuscript,  pp.  7-12,  of  a  paper  read  before  the  Young  Men's 
Literary  Club  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming  by  William  Edwards  Chaplin, 
some  time  prior  to  April  1922  and  gathered  1935-1937  by  the  Statewide 
Historical  Project  for  the  State  Library. 


48  WYOMING  ANNALS 

in  1896,  being  only  in  his  forty-sixth  year,  he  had  amassed  a 
fortune  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars. 

Nye's  style  of  humor  was  something  peculiarly  his  own. 
Many  have  claimed  the  discovery  and  introduction  of  Bill  to 
the  public,  but  as  Mr.  W.  E.  Chaplin  once  pointed  out  in  writ- 
ing- of  him,  "it  can  be  truthfully  said  that  he  alone  was  entire- 
ly responsible  for  that  measure  of  success  he  attained  in  life.'* 

At  his  death  many  tributes^  came  to  the  family  from  ev- 
ery part  of  the  world,  but  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  most 
discerning  was  an  unsigned  one,  part  of  which  paid  this  trib- 
ute: 

"He  made  men  laugh,  and  that  means  that  his  heart  was 
beautiful  and  his  life  lovely.  It  means  that  all  the  time  he 
loved  his  fellow-man  and  believed  that  life  was  good.  It  means 
that,  above  all  else,  he  managed  every  day,  amid  all  changing 
conditions,  to  keep  on  good  terms  with  himself,  and  very  few 
men  know  how  to  do  that.  Many  people  believe  that  humor  is 
shallow,  and  betokens  lack  of  solidity,  but  they  err.  Laughter 
and  tears  are  very  close  together,  and  that  man  who  lauo-hs 
well  is  easiest  moved  to  tears.  And  the  tears  that  mingle  with 
the  laughter  of  the  heart  make  the  rainbows  of  human  life. 
No  true  humorist  is  very  shallow.  Nay,  rather  it  will  be  found 
that  under  the  rippling  surface  lie  the  calm  waters  of  true 
wisdom  and  philosophy,  the  peaceful  depths  of  true  beauty 
and  true  joy.  I  believe  that  there  was  much  more  to  Mr.  Nye 
than  ever  was  apparent  in  any  of  his  works,  even  the  most 
serious.  But  he  filled  a  divine  mission  in  the  world  for  he  car- 
ried sunshine  with  him  and  scattered  it  everywhere  carelessly, 
extravagantly  and  unconsciously,  as  naturally  as  the  rose  scat- 
ters its  perfume  everywhere.  That  is  the  secret  of  human  in- 
fluence— the  secret  of  the  star's  glory— of  the  sunset's  splen- 
dor." 

Here  in  Laramie  there  are  yet  many  tender  memories  of 
the  man  Nye,  his  friendships,  his  beautiful  family  life,  and  the 


3.  To  the  memory  of  Nye,  his  friend  JAMES  WHITCOMB  EILEY 
penned  the  following:  "Especially  favored,  as  for  years  I  have  been, 
with  close  personal  acquaintance  and  association  with  Mr.  Nye,  his  go- 
ing away  fills  me  with  selfishness  and  grief  that  finds  a  mute  rebuke  in 
my  every  memory  of  him.  He  was  unselfish  wholly,  and  I  am  broken 
hearted,  recalling  the  always  patient  strength  and  gentleness  of  this 
true  man,  the  unfailing  hope  and  cheer  and  faith  of  his  child  heart,  his 
noble  and  heroic  life,  and  pure  devotion  to  his  home;  his  deep  affec- 
tions, constant  dreams,  plans  and  organizataions.  I  cannot  doubt  that 
somehow,  somewhere,  he  continues  cheerily  on  in  the  unbroken  exercise 
of  these  same  capacities."  (From  an  unpublished  manuscript  by  W.  S. 
Ingham  of  Laramie  in  the  statewide  PIONEEES  PEOJECT  material  of 
the  State  Library.) 


WYOMING  ANNALS  49 

human  qualities  with  which  he  invested  every  relationship. 
Laramie  folks  will  never  forget  that  he  was  once  their  post- 
master, as  well  as  their  most  famous  editor.  When  he  resigned 
his  postmastership  he  communicated  his  wishes  to  President 
lArthur  in  a  letter  which  has  now  become  immortal.  It  has 
been  reprinted  again  and  again. 


ORCHIDS 

W.  E.  CHAPLIN 

5502  Woodman  Avenue,  Van  Nuys,  California 

November  22,  1938. 
State  Department  of  History,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 

Many  thanks  for  your  kind  and  most  interesting  letter  of 
the  17th  inst.  I  am  returning  the  personal  record,  with  cor- 
rections, believing  that  for  your  permanent  records  you  would 
like  to  have  the  corrections  made. 

I  appreciate  your  kindness  in  sending  me  Wyoming 
Annals  for  1938.  Herewith  find  my  check  for  one  dollar  for 
Wyoming  Annals  for  1939.  I  desire  to  be  placed  on  your 
permanent  list  and  will  remit  from  year  to  year.  While  in 
Cheyenne  last  summer  I  visited  the  historical  department  of 
the  State  Library  and  was  amazed  at  the  excellence  of  the 
work  performed.  Wyoming  is  indeed  to  be  congratulated 
upon  its  new  quarters  for  its  Supreme  Court  and  Library. 

With  personal  regards  to  you  and  your  most  courteous 
associates,  I  am  very  truly  yours, 

(Signed)  W.  E.  CHAPLIN. 


WILLIAM  EDWARDS  CHAPLIN 

Now  in  his  seventy-ninth  year,  Mr.  Chaplin  is  in  excellent 
health  and  intellectually  as  virile  as  when  he  was  the  foremost 
editorial  writer  of  Wyoming. 

He  is  of  English  descent.  Benjamin  Chaplin  settled  in 
Massachusetts  and  married  Sarah  Edwards,  a  grand-daughter 
of  Jonathan  Edwards ;  their  son  was  Jonathan  Edwards  Chap- 
lin, whose  son  Edwards  Hastings  Chaplin  was  the  father  of 
William  Edwards  Chaplin  born  February  25,  1860  in  Omaha, 
Nebraska. 

Mr.  Chaplin  came  to  Wyoming  in  the  year  1873  and  first 
located  in  Laramie  City.  Necessity  compelled  him  to  leave 
public  school  and  seek  employment.  He  applied  to  Colonel 
E.  A.  Slack,  editor  and  manager  of  the  Laramie  Daily  Inde- 


50  WYOMING  ANNALS 

pendent  and  the  next  morning,  a  bright  day  in  January,  1874, 
found  him  at  work  as  a  printer's  devil.  In  1876  Colonel  Slack 
was  persuaded  to  move  to  Cheyenne  and  an  option  was  given 
to  young  Chaplin  to  go  with  him.  Young  Chaplin  chose  to  re- 
main in  Laramie  City  with  Hayford  &  Gates  of  the  Laramie 
Daily  Sentinel,  and  subsequently  for  about  six  months  with 
C.  W.  Bramel  on  the  Laramie  Daily  Chronicle,  then  changed 
to  Cheyenne  where  he  worked  for  Colonel  Slack  about  two 
years.  Again  at  Laramie  City  Mr.  Chaplin  was  printer,  fore- 
man and  stockholder  of  The  Boomerang. 

Dean  of  Wyoming  newspapermen  today,  Mr.  Chaplin 
founded  the  Laramie  Republican,  edited  it  many  years.  Around 
the  turn  of  the  century  he  and  Mrs.  Chaplin  moved  to  Chey- 
enne where  they  resided  until  1925  when  his  term  as  secretary 
of  state  expired.  He  and  Mrs.  Chaplin  were  prominent  in  so- 
cial affairs  during  their  more  than  a  score  of  years  residence 
in  Cheyenne  and  have  a  large  number  of  friends  in  the 
community. 

Li  1889  he  was  a  member  of  the  Wyoming  Constitutional 
Convention,  served  as  Registrar  in  Cheyenne  of  the  United 
States  Land  Office  1898-1915  and  was  Secretary  of  State  1919- 
1923.  He  might  have  been  Governor  following  his  term  as  sec- 
retary of  state,  but  declined  nomination  for  the  office  because 
he  desired  to  retire  from  public  life. 


SAM  BERRY,  AN  OUTLAW  WHO  KILLED  FOR  MONEY 

By  Edward  J.   (Ed.)   Farlow,  Pioneer,  Lander,  Wyoming 

Sam  Berry  was  a  colorful  character  of  the  old  West.  His 
middle  life  was  spent  in  this  country  and  he  would  always  have 
remained  here  had  he  not  been  convicted  for  killing  Hender- 
son, on  the  Sweetwater.  Some  say  he  didn't  do  it  and  in  fact 
he  was  convicted  on  his  own  statement  given  in  bragadocio 
and  went  to  the  pen  at  Rawlins  for  a  term  of  years. 

When  he  got  out  of  the  penitentiary  he  went  over  into  the 
Big  Horn  basin  country  where  he  was  regarded  as  a  bad  man 
who  had  killed  his  man  and  for  a  consideration  would  take  on 
another.  He  seemed  to  have  no  conscience.  His  deep,  gruff 
voice  struck  terror  to  the  uninitiated  and  he  was  a  show  piece 
for  the  dudes  who  wanted  to  see  a  real  gun  man. 

About  1920  he  got  into  trouble  for  killing  game  out  of 
season  and  the  officers  were  hot  on  his  trail.  He  had  a  camp 
near  the  Yellowstone  Park  line  on  the  North  fork  of  the  Sho- 
shone on  the  Cody  road.  Being  familiar  with  this  country  he 
made  his  Avay  thru  the  mountains  and  drifted  down  the  Wind 


WYOMING  ANNALS  51 

River  Valley.  He  workeci  for  our  sheep  outfit  for  several  years, 
pulling  camp  and  doing  whatever  he  could.  He  had  a  crippled 
hand  and  his  age  was  against  him. 

In  the  middle  of  February  1929  I  went  into  the  Fremont 
hotel  (Lander)  and  sat  down  by  a  feeble,  old  man.  It  was  Sam 
Berry.  I  asked  him  how  he  was  feeling  and  he  said,  "I'm  all 
in.  I  am  going  to  die.  I  want  to  tell  you  something  before  I 
go."  He  had  been  brought  into  Lander  for  treatment.  He 
had  a  little  money,  but  not  much. 

"I  am  so  near  the  end  of  my  rope  now,"  said  he,  "that 
they  (meaning  the  law)  won't  bother  me.  I  have  killed  seven 
men  in  my  time,  all  for  hire.  I  never  robbed  one  of  them  altho 
I  have  taken  part  in  holdups  and  bank  and  train  robberies.  I 
killed  four  Mexicans  and  three  white  men.  John  Tregoning 
and  I  both  shot  about  the  same  time  at  Henderson.  I  got  $100 
for  this  but  was  to  get  $300:  It  cost  me  a  lot  of  time  in  the 
pen,  too.  I  killed  a  white  man  in  Nevada  for  $500,  but  the  one 
that  bothered  me  most  was  Bob  McCoy. 

"I  had  agreed  to  get  three  men,  but  McCoy  was  the  first 
and  only  one  I  got  as  the  other  two  fled.  My  contract  was  for 
$1000  each  and  the  evidence  that  I  had  done  the  job  was  to 
deliver  an  ear.  I  shot  Bob  about  dark  behind  a  little  log 
house.  He  fell  from  his  horse.  I  went  up  to  him  and  he  was 
still  alive  and  recognized  me.  He  gave  me  an  awful  look  and 
it  has  bothered  me  ever  since.  I  drew  to  shoot  him  again  and 
he  said  'don't'.  "When  he  was  dead  I  cut  off  his  ear,  buckled 
a  nosebag  filled  with  rock  about  his  neck  and  rolled  him  into 
the  river  as  it  was  on  the  bank. 

"I  felt  squeamish  about  Bob.  That  look  of  his  followed 
me  all  the  years.  It  haunts  me  at  night  and  I  never  see  a 
stream  nor  a  log  cabin  that  I  don't  think  of  how  I  took  advan- 
tage of  poor,  defenseless  Bob.    He  didn't  have  a  chance. 

"When  I  got  my  money  I  got  on  a  big  drunk  at  Cody.  It 
lasted  a  month  and  when  I  finally  sobered  up  because  I  was 
broke  and  no  one  would  sell  or  give  me  liquor,  I  took  a  look 
for  the  other  fellows  but  they  were  gone  and  I  never  saw 
either  of  them." 

I  asked  Sam  who  these  men  were  but  he  would  not  tell  me. 
I  asked  him  how  much  he  got  for  Bob's  ear  and  he  said  they 
paid  him  the  $1,000  in  cash  as  they  agreed.  When  I  asked  him 
who  paid  him  the  money  he  took  a  severe  coughing  spell  and  I 
helped  him  up  to  his  room,  telling  him  I  would  drop  around 
again  when  he  was  better  and  we  would  have  another  talk.  A 
few  days  later  they  took  him  to  the  county  house  and  I  never 


52  WYOMING  ANNALS 

saw  him  again.  He  died  March  10,  1929,  at  the  age  of  81.  He 
told  me  his  name  was  not  Sam  Berry,  but  that  that  name  was 
plenty  good  enough. 

WYOMING  BOOK  SHELF 

Of  especial  interest  to  Wyoming  readers  is  the  recent  pub- 
lication of  ' '  Powder  River,  Let  'er  Buck, ' '  by  Maxwell  Struth- 
ers  Burt. 

Its  setting  is  in  north  eastern  Wyoming  drained  by  Pow- 
der River  and  its  tributaries,  held  for  seventy  years  by  the 
Sioux  Indians,  then  for  a  decade  by  the  cattle  men  and  finally 
opened  to  farmers  and  today  is  the  location  of  many  Dude 
Ranches. 

Powder  River  is  the  fourth  in  the  series.  Rivers  of  Amer- 
ica, published  by  Farrar  and  Rinehart.  It  is  written  in  a  lively 
style,  with  many  anecdotes  and  songs  which  make  history  es- 
pecially good  reading. 

Ross  Santer's  small  drawings  make  appropriate  illustra- 
tions. 

Struthers  Burt  knows  and  loves  Wyoming  as  he  owns  a 
most  attractive  ranch  near  Moran,  Wyoming  in  the  heart  of 
the  Teton  country.  His  long  contact  with  his  adopted  state 
has  eminently  fitted  him  to  write  about  Powder  River  and  a 
real  treat  is  in  store  for  anyone  who  has  not  already  read 
"Powder  River,  Let  'er  Buck." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  POST  OFFICE  AT  LARAMIE, 
WYOMING 

By  Paul  L.  Armstrong 
1936 

Source  of  data:  From  Former  Postmasters,  Pioneers  and  the  Post 
Office  at  Laramie,  Wyoming.  From  a  Manuscript  gathered  by  an  in- 
terviewer of  the  Statewide  Pioneers  Project  for  the  Wyoming  State 
Library. 

In  the  spring  of  1868,  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  was 
being  put  through  what  was  then  a  part  of  Dakota  Territory, 
but  which  very  soon  became  Wyoming  Territory,  and  later  the 
present  State  of  Wyoming.  The  "Laramie  City"  Post  Office 
came  into  being  about  that  time  and  was  located  in  the  build- 
ing then  at  218  South  Second  Street,  near  the  corner  of  Second 
and  Grand  Avenue.  Laramie  was  soon  a  bustling  town  with 
a  population  of  some  5000,  but  as  the  railroad  work  moved  fur- 
ther west,  this  dropped  down  and  by  1875,  there  were  about 


WYOMING  ANNALS  53 

2600  people  located  here.  Two  newspapers  were  being  pub- 
lished then,  the  Daily  Sentinel  under  J.  H.  Hayford,  who  was 
appointed  postmaster  in  1876,  and  the  Daily  Independent  un- 
der Colonel  E.  A.  Slack,  who  later  moved  to  Cheyenne. 

In  the  spring  of  1875,  there  appeared  one  day  in  the  office 
of  the  Independent  a  small,  white-haired  man  by  the  name  of 
J.  M.  Pattee,  who  placed  with  Colonel  Slack  an  order  for  40,- 
000  circulars,  a  large  amount  in  those  days,  stating  that  he 
was  opening  a  lottery  in  Laramie,  and  requesting  that  Colonel 
Slack  equip  himself  to  handle  a  large  amount  of  printing.  The 
Colonel  did  so,  and  soon  the  Wyoming  Lottery  was  in  opera- 
tion on  the  second  floor  at  201  Second  Street,  southeast  corner 
of  Second  and  Ivinson,  the  post  office  later  occupying  the 
lower  floor  of  the  same  building,  which  still  stands. 

As  the  lottery  sold  no  tickets  locally,  advertising  ran  in 
the  Weekly  Sentinel  which  circulated  outside  of  town,  and  at 
one  time  a  special  edition  for  the  lottery  was  printed  and 
given  a  wide  circulation,  even  though  Hayford  was  a  good 
deacon  in  one  of  the  churches.  However,  in  these  days  it  was 
quite  customary  for  the  churches  to  use  raffles,  lotteries,  etc. 
as  a  means  of  raising  funds  at  their  fairs  and  bazaars.  To  keep 
peace  in  the  family,  so  to  speak,  Pattee  contributed  liberally 
to  the  churches,  but  somehow  or  another  he  overlooked  the 
Baptists  at  one  time.  Their  minister  started  to  create  a  dis- 
turbance, so  a  check  for  $100  was  dispatched,  and  that  settled 
that. 

The  advertising  called  for  two  drawings,  monthly  and 
quarterly,  with  capital  prizes  of  $50,000  and  $100,000.  Tickets 
sold  for  a  dollar,  6  for  $5.00,  and  it  is  reported  that  Pattee 
would  deposit  $4000  and  $5000  a  day  in  the  bank.  Some  twenty 
clerks  were  employed  and  everyone  was  discharged  on  Satur- 
day and  re-hired  on  Monday,  in  order  to  get  around  the  then 
existing  law,  which  made  them  subject  to  prosecution  if  they 
operated  over  30  days,  continuously.  When  the  territorial 
legislature  assembled  in  1877,  a  law  was  passed  which  ended 
this  lottery,  though  such  things  continued  to  operate  in  other 
parts  of  the  country  for  some  years. 

Money  had  rolled  in  from  all  over  the  country,  though 
little  was  paid  out  for  prizes.  However,  the  post  office  had 
been  a  real  beneficiary.  Three  cents  postage  was  used  in  mail- 
ing out  the  circulars  and  stamps  were  purchased  by  the  thou- 
sand-dollar's worth  and  more.  It  was  sometimes  necessary  to 
send  to  Cheyenne  in  order  to  fill  the  demand.  This  caused  such 
an  increase  in  postal  receipts  that  they  claim  the  office  reached 
first  class  rating,  which  necessitates  a  business  of  $40,000.  But 
of  course  when  the  lottery  was  gone,  it  dropped  back  again,  as 


54  WYOMING  ANNALS 

the  town  was  not  large  enough  to  keep  up  that  volume  of  busi- 
ness. However,  it  gradually  built  up  again,  as  the  town  grew, 
and  by  1898,  when  Postmaster  Beltz  went  into  office,  it  had 
become  a  second  class  office,  which  means  a  business  of 
$8000,  though  it  took  careful  management  to  keep  it  there. 
Continuing  to  progress,  it  finally  became  first  class  office 
again  in  1922,  and  so  it  has  remained.  By  1930,  the  post  office 
had  reached  a  business  of  $55,000.  The  depression  was  under 
way  in  the  east  then  but  had  not  yet  reached  this  part  of  the 
country.  The  past  year  shows  a  larger  amount  in  actual  cash, 
but  if  three  cents  postage  had  been  in  effect  in  1930  it  would 
still  be  the  peak  year,  up  to  the  present  time. 

The  sixth  man  to  hold  the  office  of  postmaster  in  Laramie 
was  the  famous  "Bill  Nye"  (Edgar  Wilson  Nye).  Born  in 
the  State  of  Maine,  he  was  reared  and  educated  in  Wisconsin, 
where  he  tried  his  hand  at  various  things,  including  newspaper 
work  and  law.  Failing  to  be  admitted  to  the  bar  there,  he  de- 
cided to  go  further  west,  and  arrived  in  Cheyenne,  W.  T.  in 
1876,  with  just  thirty-five  cents  in  his  pocket.  A  man  by  the 
name  of  Jenkins,  in  whose  office  Nye  had  read  law  back  in 
AVisconsin,  and  who  had  been  appointed  U.  S.  Attorney  for 
the  Territory  of  Wyoming,  was  located  in  Cheyenne.  He 
knew  of  young  Nye's  newspaper  efforts  and  believed  he  would 
make  good  in  that  line.  So  it  was  that  through  his  help  Nye 
was  employed  by  the  Laramie  Daily  Sentinel,  serving  as  city 
editor  till  1879,  when  it  was  discontinued  as  a  daily  paper. 
His  editorial  work  not  requiring  all  his  time,  and  needing  addi- 
tional income,  Nye  again  tried  the  law  and  this  time  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  rather  to  his  own  surprise,  as  law  was  not 
his  strong  forte.  He  then  practiced  law  and  served  as  Justice 
of  the  Peace  and  U.  S.  Commissioner,  in  addition  to  his  edi- 
torial work. 

In  1881,  the  Eepublicans  of  the  town  got  together  on  start- 
ing a  new  newspaper  and  placed  Nye  at  the  head  of  it.  He 
called  it  the  ''Boomerang",  named  for  his  mule,  which  had 
appeared  in  town  one  day  from  nowhere  and  made  friends 
with  him,  for  no  reason  at  all.  His  writings  soon  began  to 
attract  wider  and  wider  attention  and  he  became  correspond- 
ent for  Cheyenne  and  Denver  papers.  In  1882,  Nye  opposed 
the  reappointment  of  Hayford  as  Postmaster.  The  first 
assistant  postmaster-general^,  at  the  time,  had  been  a  news- 


1.  Honorable  Frank  Hatton,  connected  with  the  Burlington  (Iowa) 
Hawkeye,  was  at  one  time  one  of  the  greatest  American  humorists, 
hence  his  friendship  for  Bill  Nye.  (From  the  manuscripts  of  William 
Edwards  Chaplin  in  the  files  of  the  Statewide  Pioneers  Project  of  the 
State  Library.) 


WYOMING  ANNALS  55 

paper  man  and  had  met  Nye.  So  it  was  that  a  telegram  came 
one  day  offering  Nye  the  privilege  of  naming  a  new  man  for 
the  post  office.  W.  E.  Chaplin,  who  later  founded  the  Lar- 
amie Republican,  was  associated  with  Nye  in  the  office  of  the 
Boomerang.  Nye  showed  him  the  telegram  and  he  at  once 
suggested  that  Nye  take  the  office  himself.  Nye  felt  he  did 
not  know  enough  about  the  work,  but  Chaplin  pointed  out 
that  their  bookkeeper,  C.  W.  Spalding,  who  had  been  employed 
in  the  post  office  under  Abbott,  the  first  postmaster  of  Lar- 
amie, could  be  spared  from  the  newspaper  office  and  made 
chief  clerk  under  Nye,  thus  making  it  possible  for  Nye  to  act 
as  postmaster  and  still  continue  with  the  Boomerang^.  So 
Nye  wired  naming  himself  as  postmaster  and  Spalding  as 
chief  clerk.  Spalding  later  acted  as  postmaster,  following 
Nye,  and  served  again  as  chief  clerk  under  Postmaster  Beltz 
in  1898. 

While  serving  as  postmaster,  the  general  delivery  window 
was  always  the  "general  debility  window"  to  Nye.  His  ex- 
periences as  postmaster  furnished  much  copy  for  the  Boomer- 
ang and  in  1886,  after  he  had  left  Laramie  and  was  well  on 
the  road  to  fame,  he  wrote  his  first  play,  "The  Village  Post- 
master", basing  it  on  his  experiences  as  Postmaster  and  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace.  He  himself  was  the  principal  character.  It 
played  for  a  while  in  the  small  towns  of  Illinois  but  was  not  a 
success  and  was  more  or  less  buried  till  Stuart  Robson,  the 
well-known  actor  and  a  friend  of  Nye's,  unearthed  it  in  1891. 
It  was  produced  then  under  the  name  of  "The  Cadi",  and  ran 
125  nights  at  the  Union  Square  Theatre  in  New  York  City, 
with  Thomas  Q.  Seabrooke  in  the  role  of  "Bill  Nye".  It 
then  went  on  the  road,  and  while  not  a  startling  success,  it 
went  over  as  well  as  many  plays  this  country  has  seen  in  the 
years  gone  by.  The  following  excerpts  concerning  Nye's  post 
office  experiences  are  taken  from  the  Boomerang,  one  written 
at  the  time  of  his  appointment,  and  the  other  describing  the 
usual  small  town  post  office  pests. 

"Regarding  the  post  office,  we  wish  to  state  that  we  shall 
aim  to  make  it  a  great  financial  success,  and  furnish  mail  at 
all  times  to  all  who  desire  it,  whether  they  have  any  or  not. 
"We  shall  be  pretty  busy,  of  course,  attending  to  the  office 
during   the   day,   and   writing   scathing   editorials   during   the 

2.  Nye  also  added  the  duties  of  justice  of  the  peace  which  afforded 
him  many  chances  for  the  exercise  of  his  wit.  Later  he  annexed  the  of- 
fice of  United  States  commissioner  and  was  also  librarian  of  the  county 
library.  (Prom  manuscripts  of  Frank  Sumner  Burrage  and  W.  S.  Ing- 
ham, both  of  Laramie,  in  the  statewide  Pioneers  Project  material  of 
the  State  Library.) 


56  WYOMING  ANNALS 

night,  but  we  shall  try  to  snatch  a  moment  now  and  then  to 
write  a  few  letters  for  those  who  have  been  inquiring  sadly 
and  hopelessly  for  letters  during  the  past  ten  years.  It  is,  in- 
deed, a  dark  and  dreary  world  to  the  man  who  has  looked  in 
at  the  same  general  delivery  window  nine  times  a  day  for  ten 
years,  and  yet  never  received  a  letter,  nor  even  a  confidential 
postal  card  from  a  commercial  man,  stating  that  on  the  fifth 
of  the  following  month  he  would  strike  the  town  with  a  new 
and  attractive  line  of  samples. 

"We  should  learn  to  find  such  suffering  as  that,  and  if 
we  are  in  the  post  office  department,  we  may  be  the  means  of 
much  good  by  putting  new  envelopes  on  our  dunning  letters 
and  mailing  them  to  the  suffering  and  distressed.  Let  us,  in 
our  abundance,  remember  those  who  have  not  been  dunned 
for  many  a  Aveary  year.  It  will  do  them  good,  and  we  will 
not  feel  the  loss." 


"The  official  count  shows  that  onh^  two  and  one-half  per 
cent  of  those  who  go  to  the  postoffice  transact  their  business 
and  then  go  away.  The  other  ninety-seven  and  one-half  per 
cent  do  various  things  to  cheer  up  the  postmaster  and  make 
him  earn  his  money.  When  I  go  to  the  post  office  there  is 
always  one  man  who  meets  me  at  the  door  and  pours  out  a 
large  rippling  laugh  into  my  face,  flavored  with  old  beer  and 
the  fragrance  of  a  royal  Havana  cabbage-leaf  cigar  that  he  is 
sucking. ' ' 


"There  is  also  a  boy  who  never  got  any  mail,  and  whose 
relatives  never  got  any  mail,  and  they  couldn't  read  it  if  they 
had,  and  if  someone  read  it  to  them  they  couldn't  answer  it. 
He  is  always  there,  too. 

"When  he  sees  me  he  hails  me  with  a  glad  smile  of  recog- 
nition, and  comes  up  to  me  and  stands  on  my  toes  and  is  just 
as  sociable  and  artless  and  trusting  and  alive  with  childish 
glee  and  incurable  cussedness  as  he  can  be. 

"Someday  when  the  janitor  sweeps  out  the  post  office  he 
will  find  a  short  suspender  and  a  lock  of  brindle  hair  and  a 
handful  of  freckles,  and  he  will  wonder  what  it  means.  It 
will  be  what  I  am  going  to  leave  of  that  boy  for  the  coroner 
to  operate  on." 


"There  is  a  woman  who  playfully  stands  at  the  general 
delivery  window,  and  gleefully  sticks  her  fangs  out  into  the 
subsequent  week,  and  skittishly  chides  the  clerk  because  he 
doesn't  get  her  a  letter.  He  good  naturedly  tells  her,  as  he 
has  done  daily  for  seven  years,  that  he  will  write  her  one  to- 


WYOMING  ANNALS  57 

morrow.     She  reluctantly  goes  home  to  rest  so  she  can  come 
and  stand  there  the  next  day." 


''Then  comes  the  literary  cuss,  who  takes  a  weekly  paper 
from  Vermont  with  a  patent  inside.  He  reads  it  with  the 
purest  unselfishness  to  me,  and  points  out  the  newlaid  jokes 
that  one  always  finds  in  the  enterprising  paper  with  the  pat- 
ent digestion. 

"He  also  explains  the  jokes  to  me,  so  that  I  need  not 
grope  along  through  life  in  hopeless  ignorance  of  what  is  go- 
ing on  all  about  me." 


"There  is  a  woman,  too,  who  comes  to  the  window  and 
lavishly  buys  a  three-cent  stamp,  runs  out  her  tongue,  hangs 
it  over  the  stamp  clerk's  shoulder,  lays  the  stamp  back  against 
the  glottis  and  moistens  it.  She  pastes  it  on  the  upper  left- 
hand  corner  of  the  envelope,  and  asks  the  clerk  to  be  sure  and 
see  that  it  goes.  She  thoughtfully  tells  him  who  is  to  receive 
it  and  gives  a  short  biography  of  the  sendee." 

Though  it  is  claimed  that  Nye  used  to  carry  the  funds  of 
all  his  various  offices  in  the  same  pocket,  sometimes  to  the 
detriment  of  the  activities  concerned,  still  his  many  duties 
brought  ill  health,  and  after  a  year  in  the  post  office,  he  was 
forced  to  resign  and  leave  Laramie.  His  death  in  1896,  was 
the  final  result  of  the  illness  which  started  here  in  Laramie, 
aggravated  of  course  by  the  strenuousness  of  his  later  life. 

The  "Queen  Anne  tomahawk"  referred  to  by  Nye  in  his 
"Post  Office  Divan,  Laramie  City,  W.  T.,  October  1,  1883, 
resignation  To  the  President  of  the  United  States"  was  the 
hachet  kept  in  the  postoffice  with  which  to  chop  wood  or  coal, 
and  the  "Etruscan  waterpail"  was  an  old  galvanized  bucket 
kept  there  also.  The  "black-and-tan  postal  note"  referred  to 
was  a  form  no  longer  used  in  the  post  office.  It  was  a  sort 
of  script,  in  small  denominations,  which  was  issued  instead  of 
money  orders,  when  the  amount  wanted  was  small. 

When  Postmaster  Beltz  took  office  in  1898,  the  govern- 
ment was  experimenting  with  rural  delivery  throughout  the 
entire  country.  Local  delivery  had  been  started  in  Laramie 
with  three  carriers  in  1892.  Experimental  rural  routes  were 
in  operation  in  many  of  the  States  in  1898,  but  Wyoming  was 
one  of  five  states  that  did  not  have  any.  Also,  the  community 
of  Sand  Creek,  nearby,  had  applied  for  a  post  office.  So  Post- 
master Beltz  went  to  work  on  securing  a  rural  route  for  Wyo- 
ming with  the  idea  of  using  Sand  Creek  for  part  of  it. 

The  requirement  then  was  100  families  wanting  delivery, 
the  route  to  follow  a  highway,  and  no  gates.     It  was  quite  an 


58  WYOMING  ANNALS 

undertaking  to  find  the  necessary  100  families  and  to  do  so 
considerable  territory  had  to  be  covered,  as  Wyoming  is  far 
from  thickly  settled,  even  today.  The  route  as  finally  worked 
out  covered  about  66  miles,  and  required  two  days  driving 
with  horse  and  buggy  by  the  carrier.  The  ranchmen  built  a 
cabin  midway  on  the  route  for  the  use  of  the  carrier  over 
night.  This  was  used  from  1899  till  about  1919,  when  the 
service  was  motorized. 

The  requirement  of  no  gates  was  also  something  of  a 
problem,  as  cattle  guards  were  not  in  use  then,  and  gates  were 
even  more  plentiful  than  now.  But  with  sufficient  political  in- 
fluence, and  proper  handling  of  the  inspector  who  went  over 
the  proposed  route,  it  was  approved  and  service  started  in 
1899,  though  the  matter  of  salary  almost  stopped  the  whole 
proceeding,  at  the  last  minute.  In  the  early  years  of  his  ad- 
ministration Postmaster  Beltz  experienced  much  difficulty  in 
getting  help  of  any  kind,  as  the  Government  paid  $40  a  month 
for  clerks,  and  most  any  man  could  get  $60  or  $75  in  the  hay 
fields.  The  rural  job  was  to  pay  $50  and  the  carrier  must  fur- 
nish his  own  horse.  All  would  probably  have  been  lost  had  it 
not  been  that  just  then  the  doctor  had  ordered  the  young  man 
who  became  carrier  to  go  west  for  his  healh,  and  to  work  out- 
side, if  possible.  This  man,  Harry  Sureson,  still  a  resident  of 
Laramie,  had  a  sister  living  here.  She  went  to  Postmaster 
Beltz  about  this  job,  as  it  looked  like  just  the  thing  for  her 
brother,  since  salary  was  not  so  much  an  object  as  outdoor 
work  that  was  not  too  heavy.  To  see  him  today,  one  would 
hardly  think  Mr.  Sureson  had  once  come  to  Wyoming  for  his 
health.  So  much  for  Wyoming's  climate.  The  mailboxes 
were  made  by  a  local  tinsmith  at  a  dollar  each.  The  carrier 
took  them  out  on  his  first  trip  with  instructions  for  the  ranch- 
ers to  put  them  up  and  pay  the  postmaster  for  them  later. 
We  understand  there  are  still  some  dollars  due.  This  route, 
with  modifications,  is  still  the  rural  route  out  of  this  office, 
in  addition  to  star  routes,  terminating  at  other  offices.  It  is 
of  course  covered  by  auto  now  and  the  cabin  no  longer  needed. 

In  the  early  days  of  Laramie,  small  change  w^s  almost 
unknown.  Most  of  all  small-priced  articles  were  priced  on  a 
25  cents  basis,  so  many  for  a  quarter.  Then,  as  nickels  and 
dimes  came  more  into  use,  pennies  were  still  taboo.  Bills  for 
odd  amounts  were  settled  for  to  the  nearest  multiple  of  five. 
All  pennies  that  appeared  were  taken  to  the  posmaster  and 
exchanged  for  stamps.  He  put  them  up  in  rolls  and  shipped 
them  to  Chicago.  They  were  never  given  out  by  the  post 
office  clerks  in  change,  stamps  always  being  given  for  any 
odd  amounts  due.    But  of  course  the  pennies  finally  won  out 


WYOMING  ANNALS  59 

and  are  very  much  in  evidence  now,  especially  since  the  sales 
tax'  has  been  in  force. 

The  early  locations  of  the  Laramie  Post  Office  are 
shrouded  in  considerable  doubt,  especially  as  to  dates.  As 
one  old-timer  puts  it,  the  post  office  seemed  to  be  "on  wheels" 
in  those  days,  it  moved  about  so  much.  But  it  seems  definite 
that  it  was  first  located  in  a  frame  building  at  about  what 
would  now  be  218  South  Second  Street,  near  the  corner  of 
Second  and  Grand  Avenue,  in  a  book  and  stationery  store 
belonging  to  the  postmaster  of  that  time,  T.  D.  Abbott.  Some- 
time about  1873,  L.  Fillmore  became  postmaster,  and  it  ap- 
pears that  the  office  moved  to  the  north  to  about  what  is  now 
204  South  Second  Street.  A  little  over  a  year  later,  Abbott 
again  became  postmaster  and  the  office  apparently  went  back 
to  his  store,  which  was  then  occupying  the  first  brick  build- 
ing in  Laramie,  at  about  the  same  location  as  the  first  office. 
Millard  Fillmore  had  established  a  brick  yard  in  Laramie,  in 
the  meantime,  and  brick  buildings  were  being  erected  instead 
of  frame. 

The  post  office  next  occupied  the  lower  floor  of  the 
building  where  the  lottery  flourished,  southeast  corner  of 
Second  and  Ivinson,  probably  moving  there  about  1876,  when 
Hayford  went  into  office.  Here  Bill  Nye  served,  and  the 
office  remained  at  this  address,  201  South  Second  Street,  till 
1885,  when  it  moved  to  315  South  Second  Street.  Postmaster 
Beltz  was  instrumental  in  getting  John  Symonds  to  erect  a 
one-story  building  with  a  much-needed,  skylight  at  215  South 
Second  Street,  for  the  use  of  the  post  office,  where  it  was 
located  from  1900  to  1906,  when  the  present  Federal  Buildhig 
was  erected.  These  three  buildings  were  of  brick,  and  are 
still  standing  and  in  use  by  business  firms. 

The  credit  for  securing  the  present  Federal  Building, 
constructed  of  limestone  and  located  at  Third  and  Ivinson, 
goes  to  Postmaster  Beltz.  Senator  Warren  introduced  the 
bill  in  Congress,  but  it  had  to  be  introduced  in  two  sessions 
before  it  passed.  $100,000  was  allowed  for  site,  plans  and 
structure.  The  site  cost  $8000,  and  two  sets  of  plans  were 
drawn  at  a  cost  of  $5000  each.  The  first  set  had  to  be  reject- 
ed as  the  balance  in  the  allowance  made  by  Congress  was  not 
sufficient  to  pay  for  erecting  such  a  building.  The  second  set 
of  plans  was  less  elaborate,  but  it  gave  Laramie  a  building 
which  is  still  considered  adequate  for  the  business  of  the  post 
,  office.  Postmaster  Holliday  just  recently  rejected  an  offer 
^from  Washington  for  a  new  building.  It  seems  to  be  con- 
siderably easier  to  get  a  new  post  office  building  these  davs 
than  it  was  thirty  years  ago.    Most  of  the  second  floor  of  this 


60  WYOMING  ANNALS 

building   is   occupied   by  the   offices   of   the  Forest   Service, 
Rocky  Mountain  Region,  Medicine  Bow  National  Forest 


NECROLOGY 

Mrs.  Glafcke  Dies  at  the  Age  of  92 

Death  came  FWday,  Nov.  18,  1938  to  Mrs.  Victorine  Glaf- 
cke, 92,  a  proi^iinent  figure  of  the  territorial  days  of  Wyo- 
ming. 

The  widow  of  Herman  V.  S.  Glafcke,  first  territorial  secre- 
tary of  state  of  Wyoming,  she  died  early  Friday  morning  at 
home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  A.  D.  McKenney,  220  W.  23rd. 

Her  death  was  attributed  to  complications  of  advanced 
age.    She  had  been  blind  for  the  last  14  years. 

Bom  in  Hartford,  Conn.  Jan.  9,  1846,  Mrs.  Glafcke  came 
to  Wyoming  in  1870  shortly  after  her  marriage. 

Her  husband  was  appointed  secretary  of  state  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  Wyoming  by  President  Grant.  Later  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  post  of  collector  of  internal  revenue,  for  Wyo- 
ming, by  President  McKinley. 

He  was  one  of  the  early  day  publishers  of  The  Tribune 
and  published  the  first  edition  of  the  compiled  laws  of  the  state 
of  Wyoming. 

Mrs.  Glafcke  was  prominent  in  the  social  life  of  the  terri- 
tory.   She  was  well  known  throughout  Wyoming. 

She  is  survived  by  her  daughter,  Mrs.  McKenney;  two 
sons,  Ludlow  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  Everett  of  Sacra- 
mento, Cal. ;  a  brother,  Burleigh  Pollard  of  Cheyenne,  and  a 
granddaughter,  Mrs.  Victorine  Lloyd  of  Cheyenne. 

(From  Wyoming  State   Tribune,   Cheyenne,   Wyoming, 
November  18,  1938) 

Founder  of  D.  A.  R.  in  Wyoming- 
Dies  in  Washington,  D.  0. 

Mrs.  Emily  Allen  Patten,  80,  who  died  in  Washington, 
D.  C,  Nov.  14,  1938,  was  the  founder  of  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution  in  Wyoming.  Mrs.  Patten  was  the  wife 
of  Henry  B.  Patten  who  served  in  the  general  land  office  of 
the  interior  department. 

She  was  born  in  East  Windsor,  Conn.,  the  daughter  of  a 
prominent  New  England  family.  After  her  marriage  she 
moved  to  Cheyenne  where  she  made  her  home  for  32  years 
prior  to  going  to  Washington.  While  in  Cheyenne  she  or- 
ganized the  D.  A.  R.  for  the  state  and  served  as  state  regent 
for  several  years. 


WYOMING  ANNALS  61 

Funeral  services  were  held  Tuesday  at  her  home  with  the 
Rev.  Dr.  J.  H.  Hollister  of  Chevy  Chase  Presbyterian  church 
officiating. 

She  is  survived  by  her  husband,  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Henry 
Stockbridge,  Baltimore,  Md. ;  a  son,  Harry  A.  Patten,  New- 
bern,  N.  C,  and  six  grandchildren. 

(From  Wyoming   State   Tribune,   Cheyenne,   Wyoming, 
November  19,  1938) 

Wyoming-  Fl-eighter  in  Early  Days  Dies  in  Greeley 

William  A.  Miner,  82,  western  pioneer  and  father  of  Ray 
Miner  of  Cheyenne,  died  suddenly  at  his  home  in  Greeley, 
Colo.,  Friday  morning. 

He  came  to  Wyoming  from  his  birthplace  at  Lowell, 
Mass.,  in  1870  and  in  1875  started  freighting  by  wagon  from 
Cheyenne  to  Deadwood.  He  operated  freight  lines  from  the 
"end  of  steel"  to  Leadville,  Colo.,  Bismarck  and  Ft.  Pierre, 
S.  D. 

For  a  time  he  worked  for  the  Santa  Fe  railroad  in  con- 
struction work  and  followed  railway  construction  into  Old 
Mexico. 

When  he  went  to  Greeley  in  1881  he  engaged  in  horse 
raising  on  large  scale.  He  became  interested  in  mines  at 
Creede,  and  turned  to  sheep  feeding  and  cattle  raising  on 
large  scale. 

In  1917  his  sales  of  sheep  amounted  to  $170,000.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Elks  and  Masonic  orders. 

He  is  survived  by  his  wife,  Jessie,  and  two  sons,  Ray  of 
Cheyenne  and  Frank  of  Pocatello,  Idaho. 

(From  Wyoming  State   Tribune,   Cheyenne,   Wyoming, 
Saturday,  November  19,  1938) 

Col.  W.  F.  Hooker,  Pioneer  and  Author,  Dies 

Col.  W.  F.  (Bill)  Hooker,  82.  former  newspaper  man. 
Western  pioneer  and  author  passed  away  at  Bartow,  Florida, 
December  24,  1938.  Born  in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin,  May  17, 
1856,  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  he  went  to  Milwaukee  with 
his  parents.  In  1873  he  came  to  Sherman  Station,  Wyoming 
where  he  became  a  bullwhacker.  His  life  was  very  colorful 
and  later  he  wrote  several  books  on  western  pioneer  life : 
"The  Prairie  Schooner",  "Branded  Men  and  Women"  and 
"The  Bullwhacker"  all  of  which  are  in  the  Historical  Depart- 
ment. 

Col.  Hooker  frequently  spoke  of  his  experiences  with 
Buffalo  Bill  and  General  Custer.  He  wore  his  white  hair 
down  to  his  shoulders. 


62  WYOMING  ANNALS 

'Dad'  Caldwell,  Indian  Fig"hter,  Dies  in  Cheyenne 

Charles  F.  (Dad)  Caldwell,  86,  former  Indian  fighter  and 
member  of  General  Custer's  scouting  expeditions  in  Wyo- 
ming, died  of  a  heart  ailment  at  Memorial  Hospital  at  3  A.  M. 
Monday. 

The  ruddy,  blue-eyed  oldster  who  roamed  five  western 
states  as  a  bullwhacker,  miner  and  cook  during  the  romantic 
periods  of  the  seventies  and  eighties  entered  the  Hospital  for 
treatment  on  Nov.  16. 

His  condition  had  been  growing  more  critical  each  day 
and  death  was  not  totally  unexpected. 

He  resided  at  316  W.  22nd. 

Born  at  Collinsville,  Conn.,  April  8,  1852,  Caldwell  came 
west  with  his  parents  when  he  was  five  years  old  and  resided 
at  Leavenworth,  Kan.  When  12  years  of  age  he  was  a  cook  at 
the  Leavenworth  government  farm,  where  the  penitentiary 
now  is  located. 

When  he  was  21,  Caldwell  was  teamstering  with  a  scout- 
ing expedition  commanded  by  General  Custer  in  the  western 
Wyoming  area  where  Thermopolis  now  is  located.  He  was 
with  Caster  again  in  1874,  in  the  government's  expeditions 
in  the  Black  Hills  of  South  Dakota  and  Wyoming  against 
trespassing  gold  seekers  and  the  savage  Sioux. 

In  1878,  Caldwell  was  a  miner  in  the  booming  Colorado 
gold  camps  of  Leadville,  Victor  and  Cripple  Creek.  He  went 
to  Nebraska  four  years  later  as  a  cook  for  a  Union  Pacific 
railroad  engineering  expedition  which  came  westward  thru 
Cheyenne  and  southern  Wyoming. 

Caldwell  returned  to  Cheyenne  in  1911  and  for  10  years 
was  employed  in  the  kitchen  of  the  Plains  Hotel.  From  here 
he  roamed  again,  this  time  to  Thermopolis,  where. he  stayed 
three  years  as  cook  at  the  Carter  Hotel  and  Manhattan  Cafe 
and  later  as  manager  of  the  Washakie  plunge  for  Fred  E. 
Holdredge. 

He  returned  to  Cheyenne  for  the  last  time  in  about  1925 
and  has  resided  here  since. 

Caldwell  is  survived  by  three  sons,  Bernard  and  Fred  of 
Kansas  City,  and  John,  of  Northport,  Neb.,  and  two  daugh- 
ters, Mrs.  Elizabeth  Braddy  of  Manhattan,  Kan.,  and  Mrs. 
Walter  Clausen  of  Leavenworth.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  church. 

(From  Wyoming  State   Tribune,   Cheyenne,   Wyoming, 
November  28,  1938) 


WYOMING  ANNALS  63 

Chief  Yellow  Calf,  Colorful  Tribal  Head  of  the 
Arapahoes,  Is  Dead 

Yellow  Calf,  for  more  than  fifty  years  the  leader  of 
Arapahoes,  is  dead.  Thursday  night,  December  15,  1938,  he 
passed  over  the  western  horizon  and  joined  the  redmen  in  the 
happy  hunting  ground.  He  was  76  years  old.  He  had  been 
tribal  head  since  early  manhood. 

Double  pneumonia  had  him  at  death's  door  for  several 
weeks.  Twice  before  at  the  agency  hospital  he  had  been 
brought  back  to  health  by  medical  skill  but  he  would  not  go 
there  this  time.  Instead,  he  called  the  medicine  men  of  his 
tribe ;  they  brought  him  out  of  it  about  two  weeks  before  his 
passing.  He  clung,  some  would  say  he  turned  back,  to  the 
ancestral  rites  of  death.  Ten  days  prior  to  his  passing,  in  his 
weakened  condition,  in  an  Indian  cabin  near  Ethete.  he  took 
to  his  last  bed.  When  the  end  came  the  great  chief  was 
mourned  by  his  tribesmen. 

Chief  Yellow  Calf  was  the  real  head  of  his  tribe.  He  be- 
longed to  the  past  and  his  active  reign  was  prior  to  the  pres- 
ent way  of  electing  six  members  of  the  tribe  to  be  the  gov- 
erning council.  His  leadership  carried  over  unrecognized  but 
was  a  potent  force  and  influence  beyond  breaking.  He  was 
the  chief  of  war  and  peace.  He  came  out  of  the  past  when 
the  tribe  was  feared  and  hated  but  finally  conquered  by  the 
soldiers  almost  to  extermination.  In  1875  the  remnant  was 
finally  placed  on  the  Shoshones'  reservation  where  they  were 
unwelcome  guests. 

Yellow  Calf  was  a  peace  maker;  the  Shoshones  respected 
him.  Chief  Washakie  paid  him  honor  and  took  him  in  coun- 
cil. When  the  Big  Horn  hot  springs  at  Thermopolis  as  far 
back  as  1896  were  sold  by  Chief  Washakie  and  Sharp  Nose 
was  chief  of  the  Arapahoes  with  Yellow  Calf  next  in  authority, 
Washakie  as  of  record  said  that  he  wanted  the  Arapahoes  to 
have  half  the  money.  Yellow  Calf  in  succeeding  the  great 
Sharp  Nose,  carried  out  his  policies,  and  like  Washakie,  had 
much  to  do  in  building  up  the  standards  of  dealing  ji^stly 
with  all  men. 

Yellow  Calf  was  born  August  13,  1861.  As  a  youth  he 
lived  during  those  stirring  times  when  the  white  men  sought 
to  wrest  the  Indian  lands  and  disobeyed  the  treaties  made  by 
the  Great  White  Father  not  to  molest  their  hunting  grounds. 
He  saw  the  first  iron  horse  and  feared  the  cloud  of  smoke  it 
belched  from  its  throat.  He  was  a  wild  young  brave  of  the 
tribe  when  the  arrangement  was  made  in  1875  for  the  Arapa- 
hoes to  be  settled  on  the  east  half  of  the  Wind  River  or  Shoshone 
reservation  with  the  Shoshones  as  their  neighbors. 


64  WYOMING  ANNALS 

He  was  well  grounded  in  the  Arapahoe  religion  which 
recognizes  one  God,  a  great  spirit,  and  a  devil  that  constantly 
worked  to  the  destruction  of  all  that  was  good.  He  knew  the 
stories  of  the  ancient  days  whose  saga  so  nearly  matched  the 
legends  of  the  Scriptures.  Yellow  Calf  was  always  the  patient, 
earnest  leader  of  his  people.  He  was  a  colorful  figure,  clinging 
to  old  customs  and  old  tribal  dress.  But  he  held  the  respect  of 
young  and  old  in  his  tribe. 

Captain  H.  G.  Nickerson  allotted  Yellow  Calf's  land  hold- 
ings in  1907 ;  the  records  show  that  on  April  29  of  that  year  he 
was  given  a  white  man's  name,  George  Caldwell,  a  name  few 
knew  and  which  he  never  liked  nor  used  save  as  it  related  to  his 
property  rights. 

Yellow  Calf  came  under  the  influence  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. He  lived  at  Ethete.  The  mission  work  carried  on  from 
the  very  first  by  Reverend  John  Roberts  at  St.  Michaels  found 
Yellow  Calf  a  young  man  in  his  teens.  It  had  its  effect  upon 
the  youthful  brave.  Through  the  years  he  gradually  found 
more  of  interest  and  finally  became  a  communicant  of  the 
church.  He  traveled  widely  and  spoke  often  before  great  con- 
gregations of  church  people  pleading  for  support  to  the  mission. 

An  outstanding  figure.  Great  size,  strong  mentally,  a  wise 
leader,  he  wielded  a  force  for  good.  He  accepted  the  best 
methods  of  agriculture.  He  wanted  his  people  to  farm  well 
and  to  have  comfortable  homes.  Yellow  Calf  was  possessed  of 
a  shrewd  mind,  and  in  the  days  before  infirmities  of  age  im- 
paired his  activities,  he  was  frequently  able  to  win  valuable 
concessions  for  his  tribe.  His  counsel  was  always  being  sought 
by  younger  members  who  were  leaders  of  the  Arapahoes  during 
recent  years. 

Chief  Yellow  Calf  liked  the  whites.  He  frequently  went  to 
the  neighboring  towns  of  Lander  and  Riverton.  He  was  well 
known  in  Casper.  He  rode  the  railroad  trains  without  fare, 
unmolested.  He  came  and  went,  was  always  well  fed,  never 
lacked  anything  to  make  himself  comfortable.  He  knew  all  of 
the  pioneers  and  merchants  of  the  Lander  Valley  and  was  a 
welcome  guest  any  time  he  visited  white  people. 

He  had  a  fine  voice  and  knew  the  tribal  songs  as  no  other 
Indian.  On  railroad  trains,  in  hotel  lobbies,  anywhere,  he  would 
break  forth  with  the  buffalo  song,  a  peon  of  joy  for  some  ma- 
terial blessing  which  had  come  to  him.  He  was  known  through- 
out all  the  West;  his  friends  and  acquaintances  among  t^lie 
white  people  numbered  hundreds. 

Yellow  Calf's  death  brought  sorrow  to  a  large  number  of 
relatives  and  the  whole  Arapahoe  tribe,  his  friends.  In  recog- 
nition  of   his   activities   in   the   Episcopal    church   his    friend, 


WYOMING  ANNALS  65 

Bishop  W.  H.  Ziegler  came  from  Laramie  and  assisted  by  Rev- 
erend Doctor  John  Roberts,  missionary  and  friend  for  more 
than  half  a  century,  also  Reverend  Hector  Thompson,  warden 
of  St.  Michaels  Mission  at  Ethete,  officiated  at  his  funeral. 
The  chapel  was  filled  long  before  ten  o'clock  Saturday,  Decem- 
ber 17,  1938.  The  Bishop  told  of  his  life  and  good  deeds  and 
the  warm  friendship  he  had  for  the  chief. 

Death  of  the  old  chieftain  removes  the  last  such  figures 
from  the  Wind  River  or  Shoshone  reservation ;  the  council 
elected  by  the  Indians  is  the  group  which  handles  business  prob- 
lems and  the  relations  of  the  Indians  with  the  Government. 
The  curtain  drops  to  mark  the  line  between  the  romantic  past 
of  the  Indian  of  the  western  prairies  and  the  noble  redman 
placed  on  reservations  to  work  out  his  destiny  and  to  finally  be 
absorbed  by  the  stronger  white  race. 


66  WYOMING  ANNALS 

ACCESSIONS 

October  1,  1938  to  December  31,  1938. 

Museum 

Schillings,  Adam  J. — A  cane  made  from  the  mast  of  the  Reina  Chris- 
tina Flagship  Fleet,  sunk  near  the  Philippine  Islands,  May  1,  1898, 
during  the  Spanish  American  War. 

Bonser,  W.  A. — A  replica  of  the  first  house  built  in  Cheyenne  about 
1867.  A  portion  of  a  house  log  used  in  the  first  house  in  Cheyenne. 
A  piece  of  solid  walnut  supposed  to  be  a  part  of  the  railing  of  the 
first  police  station,  built  about  1873. 

Carson,  Edward — A  double  barrel  shot  gun  found  near  Upton  in   1900. 

State  Planning  Board — An  ECA  record.  Script  and  letter  describing 
the  work  of  the  United  States  Coniniunity  Improvement  Appraisal. 

Hovick,  Louis,  and  Gunderson,  Ole — Banner  of  the  North  Star  Benevo- 
lent Association  which  was  organized  in  1887. 

Fahrenbrush,  John — A  replica  of  a  Russian  ox-yoke  made  by  the  donor. 

Manuscripts 

Evans,  Dave  W. — A  letter  and  snap  shot  of  D.  W.  Adams  and  daughter. 
Three  letters  to  Dave  W.  Evans  and  one  $5  Confederate  bill,  1864. 

A  Friend — A  personal  check  of  Mary  E.  Carter,  wife  of  Judge  John  W. 
Carter  of  Fort  Laramie. 

Doud,  Ben — -A  letter  and  newspaper  clipping  on  the  tracing  of  the 
Astorian  Trail. 

Shaffner,  E.  B. — One  newspaper  clipping  about  Phillipe  Mass's  visit  to 
Cheyenne,  (no  date)  and  one  snap  shot  of  Sibley  Point  near  Horse- 
shoe Station  which  was  burned  in  1868. 

Pamphlets 

Nelson,  Alice  Downey — Biographical  sketches  of  Stephen  Wheeler  Dow- 
ney and  Eva  V.  Downey,  2  copies. 

Books 

Richardson,  James — ^Wonders  of  the  Yellowstone.    Purchased. 
Meredith,   Grace   E.   ed. — Girl   Captives   of   the   Cheyennes.      1927.      Pur- 
chased. 

Pictures 

A  Friend — An  enlarged  snap  shot  of  the  old  Alert  Hose  Company  Man- 
dolin Club,  1897. 
Chapman,  Mark — Copy  of  the  original  lithograph  of   Cheyenne  in  1882. 

Painting 

Dean,  Allen  Moir — "Fork  It  Over".  Purchased  for  the  Department  by 
an  anonymous  donor. 


WYOMING  ANNAL."  67 


ACCESSIONS 

The  DOBBINS  Collection:  Mrs.  Emma  Jane  DOBBINS  and  Gertrude 
Wyoming  DOBBINS,  her  daughter.  From  the  statewide  historical  pro- 
ject sponsored  by  state  librarians  1936-1937. 

Delivered  to  the  State  Historical  Department,  September  28,  1938: 
One  large  card  of  patriotic  songs  for  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
Miss  Josephine  Adams,  teacher.  One  Frontier  Day  Progi-am,  September 
23,  1897,  labeled  Mrs.  Emma  Jane  Dobbins,  115  East  17th  St.,  City 
(Cheyenne,  Wyo.).  One  souvenir  of  Cheyenne — FRONTIER  SHOW— 
August  17,  1912,  labeled  "Mrs.  E.  J.  Dobbins,  115  East  17th"  (Chey- 
enne, Wyoming). 

The  DOBBINS  Collection  (continued):  All  of  the  three  pieces 
described  above  and  the  following  ones,  were  donated  to  the  Wyoming 
State  Library  by  Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins,  Fremont  hotel,  4th  and 
Olive,  Los  Angeles,  California  through  the  Statewide  Historical  project, 
1936-1937.  Those  turned  over  February  7,  1939  to  the  State  Historical 
Department  for  regular  recording  and  preservation  are: 

One  forty  page  scrapbook  of  newspaper  and  other  clippings,  sample 
impressions  of  the  great  seals  of  "Territory  of  Wyoming"  and  "State 
of  Wyoming";  pictures  of  Governors  and  Governor's  wives,  of  Pioneer 
federal  and  public  officials,  Esther  Morris  ' '  Mother  of  Woman  's  Suf- 
frage",  of  old  Cheyenne  buildings  and  streets  also  prominent  citizens; 
an  engraved  invitation  to  launching  of  the  Monitor  WYOMING,  Sep. 
8,  1900,  which  was  christened  by  Frances  H.  Warren,  later  the  wife  of 
Gen.  John  J.  Pershing;  poems  entitled  "Wyoming",  "The  West", 
"Nothing  Like  Wyoming"  also  numerous  others;  a  Cheyenne  directory 
of  1885 ;  the  scrapbook  pieces  were  gathered  by  Mrs.  Emma  Jane 
Dobbins,  who  finished  pasting  them  while  in  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  year 
1929,  when  she  was  75  years  of  age. 

One  seventy  page  scrapbook,  the  second  one,  started  by  Mrs.  Emma 
J.  Dobbins  before  her  death,  March  1932,  and  finished  by  her  daughter, 
Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins  and  the  Statewide  (1936-1937)  Historical 
Project;  contains  numerous  pictures  of  Wyoming  Governors  William  B. 
Ross  and  Nellie  Tayloe  Ross  with  their  children;  Literary  Digest  story 
Nov.  14,  1925  "Calamity  Jane  as  a  Lady  Robin  Hood";  "Roosevelt 
(Theodore)  in  Wyoming";  letter  from  Theodore  Roosevelt  to  his  sister 
Anna  Roosevelt  Cowles,  dated  ' '  Fort  Mc  Kinney,  Wyoming  Territory, 
Sept.  20,  1884"  with  good  pictures  of  "  Teddy "' Roosevelt. 

WYOMING:  a  38  page  text  of  the  play  "Reunion  of  the  States" 
given  over  the  Columbia  Broadcasting  System  4:00  to  5:00  P.  M.,  Sun- 
day, April  4,  1937  by  the  Forest  Lawn  Memorial-Park  xlssociation,  Inc., 
Glendale,  Calif.,  under  the  direction  of  William  Lawrence;  it  is  typical 
of  Wyoming  throughout  with  quartettes  and  octettes  singing  numerous 
Wyoming  songs;  into  it  are  woven  Wyoming  landmarks,  forts,  cowboy 
lingo  and  so  forth. 

Photograph  taken  on  steps  of  statehouse,  very  large  crowd,  1924, 
at  presentation  of  Colliers  Weekly  large  trophy;  includes  Governor 
Nellie  Tayloe  Ross,  her  son  Bradford  and  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Dobbins. 

Photograph  of  special  train  at  Cheyenne  Union  Pacific  station; 
marked  with  an  x  are  president  William  McKinley  in  silk  hat,  Gertrude 
Wyoming  Dobbins,  federal  judge  John  A.  Riner;  the  president's  party 
stopped  twenty-five  minutes  at  Cheyenne,  May  27,  1901. 


68  WYOMING  ANNALS 

Photograph  of  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Dobbins,  her  favorite  of  all  ever 
taken,  1904,  in  Cheyenne,  taken  by  Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins,  her 
daughter;   in  gilt,  oval  frame,  glass  face. 

One  excellent  photograph  autographed:  "To  Mrs.  E.  J.  Dobbins, 
your  friend  Jay  L.  Torrey";  see  song  on  back  "While  We  Go  Eiding 
with  Torrey ' '  dedicated  to  Colonel  Torrey,  Second  U.  S.  Volunteer 
Cavalry  (Torrey 's  Eough  Eiders)  of  the  Spanish-American  War.  Col. 
Torrey  was  co-o-^vner  with  his  brother  Capt.  Torrey,  of  the  famous  M- 
(Embar)  ranch  up  Owl  Creek  from  Thermopolis. 

Photograph,  1872:  Excellent  of  two-story  brick  structure,  two  store 
fronts,  includes  John  Eames  wearing  silk  high  hat,  owner  of  hotel  that 
was  located  where  the  Albany  hotel,  Cheyenne,  now  stands;  Emma  Jane 
Dobbins  and  two  sisters,  Genoa  and  Luella,  first  resided  in  the  hotel 
with  their  father,  John  Eames. 

Photograph,   1872,   of  Asa   C.  Dobbins. 

Photograph,  1878,  of  Emma  Eames  Dobbins,  done  in  Philadelphia. 

Photograph  of  Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins,  age  2i/^  years,  "Prom 
Sawyer's  NEW  AET  GALLEEY,   Cheyenne,  Wyoming,   Ter." 

Photograph  (large),  1894,  of  Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins,  a  matured 
attractive  young  lady,  by  Stimson,  1717   Capitol  Ave.,   Cheyenne,   Wyo. 

Photograph  (large  and  excellent),  1899,  of  the  Enrolling  and  En- 
grossing staff  (nine)  House  of  Wyoming  Legislature,  all  numbered  and 
identified:  Lavina  Granger,  Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins,  chief  enrolling 
and  engrossing  clerk.  Bertha  Mills,  Mamie  Buechner,  C.  C.  Julian,  Mrs. 
Fweness,  Euth  Hammond,  Alice  Eichards,  daughter  of  Gov.  W.  A. 
Eichards,  and  the  grey  bearded  chairman  of  the  engrossing  committee, 
W.  B.  Ogden. 

One  original  sheet,  words  and  music,  "White  Capped  Sea  Waves", 
by  Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins,  published  by  Boston  Music  House, 
Chicago  "Always  the  Best  Hits";  autographed  " Sincerely-Gertrude 
Wyoming  Dobbins." 

One  original  sheet,  words  and  music,  "WYOMING",  the  Wyoming 
State  song;  words  by  Charles  E.  Winter  of  Casper,  Wyoming,  former 
district  court  judge,  also  Congressman  from  Wyoming;  autographed  "to 
Emma  J.  Dobbins,  compliments  of  Charles  E.  Winter." 

Photograph,  post  card,  of  "U.  S.  S.  Wyoming — Pacific  Fleet", 
Welder  Photo. 

Photograph,  an  outstandingly  excellent  likeness  of  United  States 
senator  F.  E.  Warren,  when  he  was  about  75  years  of  age. 

Clippings,  newspaiDer  and  magazine: 

One  brown  10  in.  x   15  in.   envelope,   76   clippings; 

One  brown  envelope,  6%  in.  x  9l^  in.,  27  clippings  including  one 
3  in.  x  7%  in.  picture  of  ex-President  Theodore  Eoosevelt  in  Stetson 
hat,  sweater,  leather  jacket,  riding  breeches,  puttees  and  three  buckle 
overshoes; 

One  brown  envelope  10  in.  x  15  in.,  76  clippings; 

One  brown  envelope   10  in.   x   15  in.,   59   clipj)ings; 

One   brown  envelope   10  in.   x   15   in.,   146   clippings; 

One  white  4  in.  x  9i/^  in.  TJ.  S.  F.  &  G.  envelope,  27  clippings,  all 
regarding  Cheyenne  Pioneer  Club  activities. 

Manual  (a  small  book)  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming,  1911,  Compliments  of  Baptist  Mission  Circle:  Historical — in- 
cludes names  of  pastors  and  years  they  served,  1877-1910;  of  Bible 
school  first  organized,  Jan.  12,  1879;  Willing  Workers  first  organized 
about  1884;  Baptist  Young  Peoples'  ITnion,  first  organized  Nov.  14, 
1888.  Includes  names    (1910)    of  all  officers,   deacons,  trustees;    officers 


WYOMING  ANNALS  69 

names  of  Sunday  School,  B.  Y.  P.  U.,  Willing  Workers,  Mission  Circle, 
also  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  243  members. 

Printed  program  ' '  Union  Memorial  Service  (John  F,  Eeynolds 
Post),  Sunday,  May  27,  1917,  Congregational  Church" — Cheyenne,  with 
words  of  three  hymns  printed  on  back. 

Seven  original  letters,  condolences  and  ' '  In  Memoriam ' '  all  to 
Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins  mourning  the  passing  of  her  mother,  Mrs. 
Emma  Jane  Dobbins,  March  1932;  from  First  Baptist  Church,  Pioneer 
Club,  Officers  and  committees  of  Oak  Leaf  Chapter  No.  6,  0.  E.  S.  and 
the  Worthy  Grand  Matron   (under  official  seal)   of  Wyoming,  O.  E.  S. 

A  pen  and  ink  letter,  unsigned  and  undated,  appears  to  have  been 
written  by  Emma  J.  Dobbins  describes  several  "firsts"  such  as — 
"James  Abney  was  the  first  man  in  the  world  to  sign  a  bill  for  Woman 
Suffrage ' ' — ' '  Cheyenne  was  the  first  city  in  the  world  to  have  electric 
light  and  the  first  building  so  lighted  was  the  store  of  Zines  &  Buech- 
ner,  corner  16th   &   Carey." 

Four  manuscripts  (original  and  carbon  copy)  by  Emma  J.  Dobbins: 
Original  five  page  pencil  draft  "  Inhabitants— Early  Settlers — Pro- 
gressive People  of  Wyoming";  original  (pencil)  three  page  story  "Early 
History  of  Wyoming";  six  typed  carbon  copy  sheets  "The  Indian  of 
the  Plains";  six  typed  carbon  copy  sheets  "Cheyenne  Times,  compiled 

and  edited  by  Emma  J.  Dobbins,  April  8,  1871  to  ",  a  manuscript 

no  doubt  prepared  from  brief  newspaper  locals  of  those  days,  with  re- 
visions and  additions  in  writing. 

One  copy  of  QUARTEELY  BULLETIN,  Historical  Department, 
Wyoming,  Cheyenne,  April  15,  1925:  Includes  "The  Cheyenne  Weather 
Station"  a  story  by  Emma  J.  Dobbins;  a  detailed,  lenghty  description 
of  the  valuable  HUNTON  Collection  of  numerous  pieces  1852-1871,  a 
gift  to  the  State  Historical  Department;  list  of  names  and  addresses  of 
195  members  (subscribers)  in  1925  to  the  QUARTEELY  BULLETIN; 
Accessions  Jan.  1,  1925  to  April  1,  1925  itemizes  one  hundred  thirty- 
eight  (138)  GIFTS  such  as  documents,  historical  books,  letters,  original 
manuscripts  including  one  from  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Dobbins,  several  museum 
pieces,  with  the  name  of  each  and  every  donor;  also  one  collection  of 
160  silver,  nickel,  and  gold  coins  donated  by  Leopold  G.  Cristobal. 

One  printed  story  "A  Nearer  View"  by  Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins 
in  the  publication  Young  People,  Philadelphia,  June   18,  1904. 

One  copy.  Section  Six  only,  Cheyenne  State  Leader,  July  23,  1919, 
featuring  "The  Romance  of  General  Pershing"  a  copyrighted  story  re- 
printed from  the  July  issue  of  Ladies  Home  Journal  upon  consent  of 
that  journal.  Most  all  of  page  one  deals  with  the  romance  of  Helen 
Frances  Warren,  23,  only  daughter  of  United  States  senator  Francis  E. 
Warren,  and  captain  John  J.  Pershing,  43,  Fifteenth  United  States 
Cavalry. 

One  copy,  12  pages  on  magazine  paper  stock,  "Women's  Edition, 
The  Cheyenne  Daily  Sun-Leader,  November  28,  1895,  price  ten  cents": 
includes  j)oem  "Wyoming"  by  B.  A.  Stone;  very  good  pictures  of  Mrs. 
W.  A.  Richards  and  Mrs.  J.  A.  Campbell,  wife  of  former  Governors, 
also  good  pictures  of  Mrs.  Francis  E.  Warren  the  first,  Mrs.  Esther 
Morris  and  Susan  B.  Anthony;  a  25  paragraph  poem  bv  Hattie  Slack 
(Mrs.  Wallace  C.  Bond);  a  SUFFRAGE  DEPARTMENT  page  headed 
"Equal  rights  to  all"  which  has  on  it  a  brief  sketch  of  life  of  Esther 
Morris,  South  Pass  City,  Wyoming,  "mother  of  Woman  Suffrage  in  the 
Western  States"  and  a  story  by  Susan  B.  Anthony  which  begins  with 
"My   first   visit    to    Cheyenne    was    in    company    with    Elizabeth    Cady 


70  WYOMING  ANNALS 

Stanton,  June  1871,  just  after  the  Women  of  Wyoming  had  for  the 
first  time  exercised  their  right  to  vote";  assistant  editor  in  chief  of 
the  Women's  Edition  was  GEETEUDE  WYOMING  DOBBINS,  two  of 
the  "Home  Advertising  Solicitors"  were  Mrs.  Emma  DOBBINS  and 
Mrs.  W.  A.  Eichards;  Hattie  Slack  (Mrs.  Wallace  C.  Bond)  was 
one  of  the  three  "Artists"  and  the  one  reporter  was  Gertrude 
Wyoming  DOBBINS;  there  is  a  short  story  "University  Notions"  by 
Grace  Eaymond  Hebard,  one  by  Gertrude  Wyoming  DOBBINS  ' '  The 
Veiled  Nun",  and  "Wyoming  Historical  Society",  author  not  named. 
Sixteen  (16)  diaries  of  Mrs.  Emma  J.  DOBBINS,  as  follows:  one 
stiff  board  paper  cover,  7%"  x  12",  17pp.  pen-ink,  "Eecollections  of 
Early  Frontier  Life  and  Diary,  1890";  71^"  x  9%"  flexible  black 
leather  cover,  134  pp.  pen-ink,  "Beginning  Oct.  8,  1895";  3%"  x  6" 
flexible  paper  cover,  66  pp.  pencil  "1896";  3%"  x  5%"  black  stiff 
cloth  cover,  94  pp.  pencil,  "1897";  3"  x  6"  flexible  paper  cover,  44  pp. 
pencil,  "1899";  4"  x  6%"  red  leather  flexible  cover,  166  jjp.  pen-ink- 
pencil,  "Beginning  Aug.  1899";  6%"  x  8%",  paper  cover,  124  pp.  all 
pen-ink,  "Jan.  1,  1908";  5%"  x  8%"  paper  cover  note-book,  80  pp. 
pen-ink,  "Little  Notes  on  the  Big  War,  April  1917";  5%"  x  8%", 
paper  cover  note  book,  24  pp.  pen-ink,  "Diary  for  1917,  Oct.  7,  1917"; 
6%"  X  81/4"  flexible  paper  composition  book,  190  pp.  pen-ink,  "Diary — 
1923  &  24";  6V2"  x  Si/g"  red  paper  flexible  cover,  196  pp.  pen-ink, 
"Diary  1924-1925";  6%"  x  8%"  red  paper  flexible  cover,  192  pp.  pen- 
ink,  "Diary  1925-1926";  6^2"  x  SVs"  red  paper  flexible  cover,  87  pp. 
pen-ink,  "Dairy  for  1927";  7%"  x  10%"  red  paper  flexible  cover,  120 
pp.  pen-ink,  "Diary  1928  &  1929";  7%"  x  10%"  red  paper  flexible 
cover,  120  pp.  pen-ink,  "Diary  1929-1930";  7%"  x  10%"  red  paper 
flexible  cover,  17  pp.  pen-ink,  "Diary  1930-1931"  with  these  last  en- 
tries: "October  7,  1931:  This  is  my  78th  birthday  ..."  Entry  by 
Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins,  p.  17:  "This  is  last  entry  I  have  found. 
Mother  was  stricken  with  her  last  illness  on  Oct.  31st  but  lived  until 
March  17,  1932." 


ANNALS  "i  WYOMING 


SUPREME  COURT  and  LIBRARY  BUILDING 
Home  of  the   Historical    Department 


LIBRARY 

jjNWERSiTY  OF  WYOMING 

LARAMIE 

P?  ^    *-  Published    Qu 

bv 


arteriv 


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Cheyenne,   \\'youung 


A.NNALS  4  WYOMING 

Jo\.   11  April,    1939  No.  2 

^onienis 

Page 
JUDGE  WM.  A.  CARTER   (Picture) 

MAP,  SHOWING  ROUTE  OF  JUDGE  CARTER  FROM  ATCHI- 
SON, KANS.,  TO   FORT  BRIDGER  IN   1857. 

DIARY  OF  JUDGE  CARTER  DURING  THE  TRIP 75 

FORT  BRIDGER  IN  THE  SEVENTIES— By  W.  A.   Carter   (son 

of  the  Judge) Ill 

TRADER'S  LICENSE  GRANTED  TO   GENERAL  WILLIAM  H. 

ASHLEY,  IN  1822,  By  Marie  H.  Erwin  _ 114 

FIRST  WAGONS  TO  REACH  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  (1829) 

From  Congressional  Documents  - IIG 

WAGON   TRAIN   BURNED   NEAR  M^ARM   SPRINGS   DURING 

TRAIL  DAYS — From  the  Guernsey  Gazette  117 

DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT 119 

FIRST  WEATHER  BUREAU  ESTABLISHED  IN  W^YOMING 
TERRITORY  AT  CHEYENNE,  1870— By  Gertrude  W.  Dob- 
bins     120 

INDEX  OF  CONGRESSIONAL  DOCUMENTS  CITES  VALU- 
ABLE WYOMING  HISTORY  __ 123 

HISTORY    OF   AVYOMING   NyVTIONAL   GUARD,   TO    1921— By 

Major  C.  G.  Carroll  124 

AN  1858  POLLING  LIST   (From  the  Carter  Collection)   127 

.  HISTORY  OF  THE  OCCIDENTAL  HOTEL— By  Edith   M.  Chap- 
pell  (From  the  Buffalo  Bulletin)  128 

HISTORIAN  REVEALS  WYOMING  INDIAN  WARFARE- 
HISTORY  OF  THE  UTE  EXPEDITION  IN  1906— By  Viola 
R.  Donath  133 

ACCESSIONS,  GENERAL  139 

CARTER  ACCESSIONS  139 

Publislied    Quarterly 
by 
THE     WYOMING     HISTORICAL     D  P  A  R  T  M  E  N  T 
GLADYS    RILEY 

State   Librarian   and   Historian   Ex-Officio 

Che\'enne,  ^^'yoming 


STATE  HISTORICAL  BOARD 

Governor        --------        Nels   H.    Smith 

Secretary  of   State       ------       Lester  C.   Hunt 

State  Treasurer       ------       Mart  T.  Christensen 

State  Auditor       -------       Wm.  "Scotty"  Jack 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction     -     -     Esther  L.  Anderson 
State  Librarian   and   Historian   Ex-Officio        -       Gladys   Rilev 


Mrs.  Marie  H.  Erwin,  Assistant  Historian 


The  original  title,  "ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,"  under  which  this 
magazine  was  published  from  1925  to  September,  1934,  is  resumed,  with 
this  quarterly  issue — having  carried  the  name,  "Wyoming  Annals"  from 
January,   1938,  to   and   including  January,    1939. 


Tlie  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Advisory  Committee  and  the 
State  Historical  Department  assume  no  responsibiliy  for  any  statement 
of  fact  or  opinion  expressed  by  contributors  to  the  Annals  of  Wyoming. 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Department  invites  the  presentation 
of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manuscripts  of 
Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observations  of  those 
familiar  with  important  and  significant  events  in  the  State's  history. 

In  all  ways  the  Department  strives  to  present  to  the  people  of  Wyo- 
ming and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State.  The  ANNALS  OF 
WYOMING  is  one  medium  through  which  the  Department  seeks  to 
gain  this  objective.  All  communications  concerning  the  Annals  should 
be  addressed  to  Mrs.  Gladys  Riley,  Wyoming  Historical  Department, 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 


The  Annals  of  Wyoming  are  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Offi- 
cials, heads  of  State  Departments,  members  of  the  State  Historical 
Advisory  Committee,  Wyoming  County  Libraries  and  Wyoming  news- 
papers. It  is  published  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Subscription 
price,  $1.00  per  year;  single  copies,  35c. 


Copyright,  1939,  by  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


JUDGE  W.  A.  CARTER 


r" 


'laty    Of 
JUDGE  WILLIAM  A.  CARTER 


Describes  Life  on  the  Trail  in  1857 


INTRODUCTION 

One  of  the  most  dramatic  documents  in  the  archives  of  the  Wyo- 
ming Historical  Department,  lieretofore  unpublished  in  full,  is  a  pencil 
diary,  of  Judge  William  Alexander  Carter,  written  day  by  day  between 
September  28  and  November  20,  1857.  The  young  man,  then  thirty- 
seven,  was  enroute  from  Kansas  to  Fort  Bridger,  I'tah  territry  (now 
Wyoming).  The  journey  was  made  with  Col.  Albert  Sidney  Johnston's 
forces  for  the  purpose  of  accepting  a  position  of  sutler  or  storekeeper, 
which  post  he  held  until  his  death. 

Judge  Carter  was  born  in  1820,  in  Prince  William  County,  Virginia, 
later  the  scene  of  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  died  at  Fort  Bridger, 
Wyoming,  November,  1881.  He  was  reared  in  his  native  county,  taught 
school  for  three  years,  and  then  enlisted  in  the  United  States  regular 
Army,  serving  during  the  Seminole  War  in  Florida.  Following  his  army 
service  he  returned  to  Virginia,  married  Mary  Elizabeth  Hamilton,  and 
immediately  moved  to  a  farm  near  Columbia,  Boone  County,  Missouri. 

This  diary  is  an  account  of  his  second  westward  trek,  having  trav- 
eled the  same  route  in  1850,  following  the  gold  discovery  in  California, 
which  lured  his  venturesome  spirit,  and  where  he  stayed  three  years  as 
a  mining  prospector.  He  then  returned  to  his  Missouri  farm  in  Boone 
County,  via  Nicaraugua. 

He  was  a  Republican,  served  as  probate  judge  at  Fort  Bridger  for 
about  six  years,  and  as  justice  of  the  peace.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  His  devoutness  is  evidenced  several  times 
in  the  diary  as  he  expresses  gratitude  for  Divine  protection  while  tra- 
versing the  broad  expanses  of  a  tractless  wilderness  fraught  with  dan- 
gers. He  had  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  beauties  of  nature,  and  a  deep 
esteem  for  his  companions. 

The  diary  is  bound  with  cardboard  covers,  in  the  old-fashioned 
mottled  or  "marble"  design,  which  the  passing  of  82  years  has  left 
faded  and  frayed.  The  pages  picture  a  fascinating,  moving  drama  of 
the  very  beginning  of  a  new  civilization. 

We  left  Atcliin.son  in  Kan.sas  Teri'itory  on  the  evening  of 
the  28th  Sept.  1857  and  after  proceeding  a  short  distance, 
found  that  the  tongue  of  our  baggage  wagon  was  too  short, 
and  were  compelled  to  halt  it  at  a  shop  to  have  a  longer  one 
made,  the  carriage  going  on  a  short  distance  to  camp,  with 
the  Mules.  I  spent  the  night  verry  comfortably  in  the  bag- 
gage wagon.   Our  outfit   consists   of  a   carriage   and  baggage 


NOTE:  In  transcribing  this  diary,  the  text,  spelling,  puntuation  and 
individual  characteristics  of  the  diary-author  have  been  retained  verba- 
tim, as  nearly  as  possible. 


76  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


wagon^  4  mules  attached  to  each,  and  2  extra  mules.  Our 
Party  of  6  Men,  Howard  Livingston,  John  Kerr,  R.  H.  Curti^ 
S.  J.  Terrill,  H.  Southworth  and  myself — Mr.  L.  the  head  of 
our  party,  [is]'  of  the  firm  of  Livingston  Kinkade  &  Co. 
Merchants  of  Salt  Lake  City,  is  a  man  of  great  taste  and  has 
prepared  everything  necessary  to  satisfy  the  palate  of  even 
the  most  fastidious  epicure.  Mr.  K.  is  a  Virginia  [gentlleman] 
in  the  employment  of  Mr.  L.  Southworth  is  a  Mormon  mis- 
sionary just  returning  from  a  proselyting  tour  in  Canada,  to 
the  land  of  the  Spirituals.  Terrill  is  a  little  Englishman  who 
married  in  Salt  Lake  and  carried  his  wife  to  St.  L.  but  she 
proving  inconstant  to  him,  he  applied  to  Mr.  L.  and  he  has 
taken   him   into   his   employment. 

From  the  great  order  with  which  Mr.  L.  conducts  every 
thing,  our  expedition  bids  fair  to  be  a  verry  pleasant  one. 

29th.  Our  wagon  was  ready,  early  in  the  morn- 
ing but  it  was  eleven  O'clock  before  we  left  our  camp.  After 
taking  a  long  took  backward  toward  our  homes,  our  spirited 
mules  rolled  us  swiftly  away.  Our  road  was  over  a  beautifully 
undulating  prairie  for  several  miles.  After  reaching  the  Great 
Mutting  road  6  miles  distant  from  Atchinson,  the  country  be- 
came comparatively  bad  the  soil  being  of  a  rich  dark  mould. 
We  reached  Grasshopper  about  3  o'clock  and  encamped  on 
Clear   Creek   6  miles   from   Grasshopper. 

The  huts  of  the  squatters  are^.... wherever  the 

is  turned,  with  a  few  acres  of  sod  broken  contiguous  to  them. 
We  saw  no  timber  after  passing  Mormon  Grove  until  we 
reached  the  Grasshopper.  The  next  sun  was  on  the  Creek 
where  we  are  at  present  encamped. 

30th:  We  slept  last  night  for  the  first  time  in  the  open 
air.  About  3  o'clock  it  commenced  raining  and  we  were 
forced  from  our  comfortable  pallets  and  hastily  wrapped  up 
our  bed-clothes,  but  the  shower  was  soon  over  and  after  kind- 
ling a  fire  and  chatting  awhile,  we  took  ourselves  to  sleep 
again.  By  daybreak  we  were  up  and  Southworth  &  Terrill, 
our  Cooks,  soon  had  a  delicious  cup  of  Java  prepared  for  us, 
and  we  were  soon  seated  upon  the  grass  and  enjoying  it.  We 
had  just  harnessed  our  mules  and  taken  our  seats  when  a 
carriage  drove  into  our  Camp  containing  Mr.  Dodson  Mar- 
shall  of   Utah    and   two    other   gentlemen.    After   stopping   to 


'Words  in  brackets,  [      ],  were  crossed  out. 

aShort  lines,  ,  indicate  either  that   a  word  was   omitted  by   Mr. 

Carter,  or  is  not  legible. 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  77 


salute  them  we  started  forward,  they  halting  for  breakfast- — 
Our  road  led  over  a  beautiful,  rich  prairie — with  the  Grass- 
hoppers 4  or  5  in  number  winding  their  tortuous  courses,  on 
each  side  of  our  road  being  easily  traced  by  the  trees  that 
fringed  their  banks —  On  tlie  big  Grasshopper  the  largest  of 
the  number  we  found  large  Walnut — Elm — and  Oak  trees.  We 
have  passed  several  large  Ox-trains  today  belonging  to  Rus- 
sell and  Waddell  government  freighters,  one  of  which  owns 
two  hundred  head  of  Cattle  encamped  near  us  last  night.  We 
are  now  nooning  on  the  west  side  of  another  Grasshopper 
which  I  su^Dpose  must  be  the  last.  We  l.ave  had  a  delightful 
day  for  travelling  the  wind  blowing  freshly  from  tiie  South- 
west—  Our  road  is  verry  broad  and  firmly  packed  by  the 
numerous  government  trains  that  have  passed  over  it.  We 
reached  our  cam^Ding  ground  after  sunset  on  a  stream  called 
Muddy.  Mr.  Dodson  and  two  trains  belonging  to  Mr.  Hock- 
erty  of  Independance  driving  in  to  Camp  shortly  after.  There 
is  more  timber  on  this  stream  than  on  any  other  we  have 
passed  since  leaving  Missouri.  I  saw  ten  large  Walnuts,  Oak 
of  several  varieties,  elm  and  shellbark  hicory  but  it  is  of  very 
limited  extent.  There  are  several  good  farms  here  The  best 
improved  of  which  is  owned  by  Lockside.  The  night  was  cold 
the  wind  bloAving  all  night  from  the  North  West  warning  us 
that  Winter  will  be  upon  us  in  all  its  rigor  before  we  reach 
Salt  Lake  City. 

Oct.  1st:  We  were  off  this  morning  just  as  the  sun  began 
to  peep  over  the  hills  and  after  a  rapid  drive  over  a  beautiful 
road  of  10  miles,  we  have  halted  to  get  our  breakfasts  and 
refresh  our  Mules.  The  morning  has  been  cold  and  bracing 
and  has  brought  into  requisition  our  overcoats.  The  country 
is  still  beautifully  diversified  with  long  sloping  hills  and  wide 
valeys  of  a  deep  soil  and  clothed  with  a  luxuriant  grass — 
Kansas  is  indeed  a  lovely  land  and  invites  with  smiling  face 
and  rich  promises  the  coming  husbandman^ —  The  rich  pros- 
pects and  clear  pure  atmosphere  cannot  be  surpassed  by  any 
land.  How  much  better  woidd  it  be  for  those  who  frequent 
fashionable  Avatering  places  for  the  benefit  of  their  health, 
to  make  tours  of  this  region — stop  in  the  open  air  and  enjoy 
wholesome  atmosphere —  After  leaving  camp  in  4  miles  we 
reached  the  Minnehaw  which  flows  away  to  the  south  and 
empties  into  the  Kansas  River.  There  are  a  number  of  settle- 
ments on  this  stream —  We  drove  until  2^  O-clock  and 
turned  out  to  graze  and  to  get  a  snack.  Mr.  Hockerty  &  Mr. 
Garish  have  just  overtaken  us,  and  we  have  concluded  to  wait 


78  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


here  until  Mr.  Forney,  the  Indian  Agent  for  Utah  catches  up 
with  us.  This  will  augment  our  party  so  that  we  will  run  but 
little  risk  in  passing  through  the  Cheyene  Country.  Vermilion 
Creek  is  about  10  miles  distant  and  we  expect  to  breakfast 
there.  We  are  distant  about  30  miles  from  the  Big  [Little] 
Blue —  Our  fare  is  sumptuous  consisting  of  delicious  ham, 
coffee,  Boston  crackers,  pineapple,  cheese,  honey,  potatoes, 
onions  pickle  mustard,  Oysters,  corn,  tomattoes,  guava  jelly 
&c.  &c.  Our  appetites  are  voracious —  Our  drink  is  Bourbon 
&  Monongahala  whiskey,  brandy  &c. —  Our  party  is  a  very 
pleasant  one,  most  of  them  having  crossed  the  plains  a  num- 
ber of  times — The  evening  is  growing  cool  and  is  ominous 
of  frost —  Our  duties  are  not  onorous,  as  soon  as  we  halt  each 
man  springs  to  his  feet.  The  Mules  are  stripped  of  their  har- 
ness in  a  moment.  The  halters,  to  which  are  attached  the 
picket  ropes,  are  fastened  on,  and  they  are  turned  loose  to 
graze.  The  cooks  gather  fuel,  and  get  water  and  proceed  im- 
mediately to  tie  preparation  of  our  meals.  The  same  expedi- 
tion is  used  when  getting  ready  to  start.  We  make  these  drives 
daily. 

2nd  Oct:  We  got  off  a  little  after  sun  rise  this  morning, 
and  are  now  on  Vermilion  making  preparations  for  breakfast. 
The  dew  fell  heavily  upon  us  last  night  and  the  morning  has 
been  keen.  The  sun  however  is  warming  the  atmosphere,  and 
we  are  promised  a  fine  day —  Mr.  Garrish  returned  for  Mr. 
Forney  and  we  will  probably  not  proceed  until  he  comes  up — 
There  is  but  little  timber  on  this  stream  at  least  now.  The 
wolves  were  around  our  Camp  last  night,  l.owling  and  barking 
at  a  furious  rate —  Had  no  idea  of  the  boldness  and  ferocity 
of  these  animals  until  last  night.  While  seated  around  our 
camp-fire  each  man  told  his  wolf  story  to  the  facts  of  which 
he  himself  was  an  eye  witness^ —  One  of  them  stated  that  in 
numerous  instances  he  had  had  all  lis  provisions  stolen  from 
under  his  head  while  asleep  and  that  in  one  instance  being 
surrounded  by  a  hungry  pack  he  became  alarmed  and  com- 
menced a  fire  upon  them  and  as  soon  as  one  was  wounded  the 
rest  would  fall  upon  him  tear  him  in  pieces  and  devour  him. 

Mr.  K.  stated  that  being  in  command  of  a  train  along  the 
North  Platte,  just  as  he  started  from  liis  Camp  in  the  morn- 
ing a  Dutchman  being  in  advance  of  the  front  wagon,  was 
fiercely  assailed  by  a  wolf,  and  having  no  weapon  in  his  hand, 
he  shielded  himself  from  his  tushes  by  taking  a  blanket  from 
his  shoulders  and  forcing  it  into  his  open  mouth,  'till  one  of 
the  party  ran   up   and  placing  the  muzzle   of  his   rifle   at   his 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  79 


neck  fired^  but  the  ball  not  killing  him  he  turned  the  but  of 
his  gun  and  striking  him  across  the  head,  broke  it  off  at  the 
breech.  The  Wolf  still  continuing  to  fight,  he  seized  him  by 
tl.e  head,  &  the  Dutchman  cut  his  throat —  In  another  instance 
he  states  that  while  a  large  train  was  encamping  on  the  Piatt, 
about  day  light  a  wolf  came  into  camp  sprang  upon  a  man 
who  was  asleei^,  and  bit  him  severely  in  the  face,  one  of  his 
teeth  piercing  through  the  bridge  of  his  nose  so  that  the  blood 
spurted  out  at  every  breath — 

After  proceeding  about  12  miles  we  unharnessed  and 
turned  loose  upon  fine  grass —  The  Country  today  has  been 
more  level,  and  less  frequently  cut  by  ravines  or  hollows, 
which  hitherto  have  been  passed  at  every  few  miles —  The  soil 
has  been  much  thinner — the  surface  in  many  places  being 
thickl}^  strewed  with  flint  pebbles  of  different  colors. 

At  3  O'clock  we  were  moving  rapidly  again  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Blue.  About  Sun  Set  the  white  spiral  tents  of  [of] 
a  portion  of  Co.  Summers  Command,  made  their  appearance 
on  a  high  hill  a  short  distance  from  the  Blue — 

Oct.  3rd:  We  are  now  incamped  on  Blue  bottom.  The 
wind  is  blowing  keenly  from  the  east  and  driving  through  us 
a  cold  rain- —  After  breakfast  on  yesterday  morning  we  de- 
termined to  drive  forward  and  wait  here  until  Mr.  Garrish  & 
Forney  came  up  with  us  — A  town  has  been  laid  out  here 
called  Marysville,  but  there  are  no  buildings  as  yet  except  a 
small  store  and  blacksmith  shop —  Garrish  &  Forney  are  in 
sight,  and  I  will  barely  have  time  to  write  a  letter  before  we 
must  be  off.  Our  party  now  numbers  some  20  men,  and  we 
will  proceed  with  more  expidition.  We  have  only  made  some 
115  miles  from  Atchinson — 

We  left  Blue  about  11  O'Clock  and  crossing  the  river  by 
a  good  ford,  and  stretclted  away  across  the  plains  once  more — 
The  rain  continued  to  fall  and  the  wind  to  blow  so  cold  that 
Ave  were  compelled  to  halt  for  the  night  on  a  stream  called 
the  12  Mile  Creek — distant  12  miles  from  the  Blue.  The  rain 
l.as  slackened  a  little  but  the  wind  continues  to  blow  and  there 
is  a  prospect  for  a  dark  and  disagreeable  night.  We  are  shel- 
tered somewhat  from  the  wind  by  the  willow  brush  and  plumb 
bushes  growing  along  the  bank  of  the  stream. 

4th.  Oct.  The  rain  poured  in  torrents  upon  us  last  night. 
The  mules  huddled  closely  around  the  wagons  to  shelter  them- 
selves 'till  morning — when  they  turned  their  heads  home  ward 
and  then  ran  several  miles  before  They  could  be  overtaken. 
We   have   succeeded   with   much   difficultv   in   kindling   a   fire 


80  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


and  in  getting  a  cup  of  coffee.  The  Sun  has  come  out  and  the 
morning  is  pleasant  but  the  clouds  continue  to  hang  in  heavy 
masses  threatening  another  discharge  of  their  fluid —  This 
has  been  a  slight  initiation  to  some  of  our  party  who  are  nov- 
ices in  the  Plain  life —  We  will  be  off- again  in  a  short  time. 

We  are  now  encamped  on  Rock  Creek  having  been  com- 
pelled to  drive  20  miles  before  nooning.  The  face  of  the  coun- 
try has  very  materially  changed  since  we  have  been  in  Nebras- 
ka. The  plains  are  higher.  The  soil  thinner  being  of  a  reddish 
cast  flint  rock,  some  of  considerable  size,  and  of  a  red  color 
are  at  the  descent  of  every  hill.  The  grass  is  much  shorter — 
Rock  Creek  is  about  32  miles  from  the  Big  Blue  and  its  chan- 
nel is  thickly  strewn  with  large  red  flint  stones —  The  timber 
is  plentiful  enough  for  camping  purposes.  There  is  one  soli- 
tary store  on  the  west  side  of  the  stream.  The  Mosquitoes  are 
very  troublesome.  The  clouds  have  gathered  thickly  and  there 
is  a  prospect  of  more  rain. 

Oct.  5tL  :  We  harnessed  our  mules  about  dark  and  drove 
on  some  10  miles  and  encamped  in  the  open  prairie  for  the 
night.  The  wind  blew  keenly  from  the  North  east  and  a  very 
heavy  rain  fell  making  the  mud  verry  slippery —  We  were 
off  this  morning  by  light,  and  in  a  drive  of  about  6  miles 
reached  Little  Sandy  where  we  found  a  train  belonging  to 
Ward  &  Gerry,  Sutlers  at  Larimie  encamped.  We  halted  a 
few  minutes,  and  then  pushed  on  to  Big  Sandy  4  miles  where 
we  are  now  halting  to  get  breakfast.  The  country  between 
the  Sandys  is  broken,  gravelly  and  thin.  There  is  more  timber 
on  these  streams  than  we  have  met  with  in  Nebraska.  Dan 
Patterson  has  a  big  store  here  and  picket  work — he  trades  with 
the  Pawnees  in  whose  country  we  are  now  travelling.  The  day 
is  still  cold  and  cloudy  a  disagreeable  mist  flying  through  the 
air —  A  large  number  of  Pawnees  have  been  encamjjed  here 
but  they  are  now  gone —  Big  Sandy  is  a  fine  stream  of  flowing 
water  fringed  with  Cotton  wood,  Elm,  Willows  &c.  We  will 
make  only  one  more  drive  today  as  the  weather  is  so  disagree- 
able. We  did  not  move  this  morning  as  it  continued  to  rain, 
but  employed  the  day  in  taking  off  the  springs  of  ovir  bag- 
gage wagon  and  in  unloading  it.  The  Little  Blue  and  Sandy 
unite  a  short  distance  from  our  camp  south  of  us,  all  of  these 
streams  flow  away  to  the  South  and  empty  into  tl;e  Kansas 
river.  Danny  Patterson  is  an  old  Prairie  man  well  known  to 
most  of  our  company,  and  has  treated  ils  with  a  great  deal 
of  hospitality. 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  81 


6th.  Oct.  The  morning  is  still  dark  and  threatening,  a 
thick  heavy  mist  falling —  We  have  concluded  to  get  break- 
fast before  we  start.  Mr.  Hockerty,  one  of  our  party,  has  been 
very  unwell,  but  is  now  better  and  will  be  able  to  travel.  We 
have  reached  the  Little  Blue  by  a  drive  of  18  miles.  The  road 
led  between  the  Little  Blue  Si  Sandy  for  one  third  of  the  dis- 
tance, within  sight  of  the  timber  on  each  side  of  us,  but  the 
distance  gradually  widened  'till  it  at  length  disappeared  en- 
tirely and  we  did  not  get  a  view  of  it  again  until  we  got  upon 
the  last  ridge  that  slopes  down  to  the  Blue.  The  Sun  which 
had  been  so  long  obscured  by  thick  clouds  broke  forth  in  all 
his  brillance,  warming  us^  and  imparting  new  life  and  vigor. 
We  soon  made  our  Camp  and  unharnessed,  and  spread  our 
bedding  upon  tl  e  grass  to  dry.  The  Little  Blue  is  a  freshly 
flowing  stream  of  clear  water  with  some  dry  timber  fringing 
its  banks. 

We  met  today  a  portion  of  Col.  Sumner's  Command  re- 
turning to  Kansas  from  the  pursuit  of  the  Chiennes.^  The  Com- 
panies of  the  2d.  Dragoons  under  the  command  of  Col.  Cook 
bound  for  Utah  were  recruited  from  their  ranks.  We  are  now 
distant  from  Fort  Kerney''  about  72  miles  and  will  quite  prob- 
ably reach  there  day  after  tomorrow.  Col.  Cook  expected  to 
reach  there  today.  We  are  anxious  to  overtake  his  Command. 
We  will  make  another  drive  this  evening.  The  Country  is  be- 
coming monotonous  there  being  little  variety  in  the  scenery. 
The  soil  is  thin  and  gravelly —  I  notice  here  for  the  first  time 
the  gramma  grass,  which  resembles  the  Buffalo  grass.  We 
found  delicious  wild  pkimbs  growing  upon  the  Banks  of  the 
Blue. 

7th.  Oct.  We  had  our  Mules  harnessed  by  Sun  Set  and 
set  forward  for  a  night  drive.  The  Clouds  which  1  ad  been 
gathering  all  the  evening  soon  enveloped  us  in  thick  dark- 
ness, and  we  groped  our  Avay  along  by  the  aid  of  a  horseman 
going  ahead.  We  moved  on  for  several  miles  in  silence  and 
with  much  difficulty  'till  at  length  a  bright  star  shoAved  its 
smiling  face  through  an  opening  in  the  Clouds.  Tl  en  another 
-^and  finally  the  beautiful  Moon  shed  a  flood  of  light  over 
the  dense  masses  of  foliage  that  fringed  the  bank  of  the  Blue 
— its  waters  occasionally  throAving  back  the  rich  light  tlirough 
the  openings  in  the  trees —  The  Moon  struggled  for  a  Avhile 
with   the   Clouds,   but  at  length  her   face   Avas   shut   out   from 


3"Chiennes"  undoubtedly  means  "Cheyennes." 
-'"Ft.  Kerney"  evidently  is  "Ft.  Kearney.'" 


82  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


us  again.  We  drove  forward  until  10  O-clock  and  unhar- 
nessed, and  picketted  our  Mules  and  turned  into  our  blankets 
without  kindling  a  fire —  As  we  are  now  in  the  country  oc- 
casionally visited  by  the  Chiennes,  we  stationed  a  guard  for 
the  first  time,  tonight.  By  day  break  we  were  under  headway 
again  and  having  travelled  about  10  miles  are  now  encamped 
for  breakfast.  It  still  continues  to  rain  or  Mist —  The  Ro'ad 
does  not  follow  the  windings  of  the  stream  but  leads  up  the 
valey  from  one  point  of  timber  to  another  in  the  direction  of 
our  course —  The  Gramma  grass  seems  to  be  the  principal 
grass  of  the  valey —  We  started  from  our  breakfast  Camp 
about  1 1  O-clock  and  after  a  drive  of  a  few  miles  the  road 
left  the  Blue  and  turned  away  to  the  North  West  across  the 
plain  in  the  direction  of  the  Piatt  River.  The  road  was  hard 
and  firm,  and  as  we  rolled  rapidly  on,  I  watched  the  fading 
line  of  timber  as  it  slowly  disappeared  in  the  distance,  as  I 
would  the  retreating  form  of  some  old  familiar  friend —  We 
are  nooning  on  the  open  plain.  The  weather  is  not  yet  settled, 
but  the  wind  has  shifted  and  is  now  blowing  keenly  from  the 
South.  My  brother  and  Mr.  Stewart  have  gane  with  red  blan- 
kets wrapped  around  them,  in  pursuit  of  a  herd  of  Antelope, 
that  have  been  for  some  time  skimming  along  the  route  at  a 
respectable  distance —  We  will  halt  only  for  an  hour.  There 
is  not  a  solitary  Shrub  in  sight.  Nothing  but  the  wide  plain 
spread  out  before  us. 

8th  Oct.  After  nooning  for  two  hours  yesterday  evening 
we  were  in  rapid  motion  over  the  level  plain  but  contrary  to 
my  expectation  and  to  the  assertion  of  the  prairie  men  we 
came  in  sight  again  of  the  long  line  of  timber  on  the  Blue 
and  descended  once  more  into  the  valey —  The  prospect  from 
the  ridge  was  really  beautiful.  We  continued  up  the  valey  for 
some  6  miles  when  meeting  an  express  wagon  from  Fort 
Laramie  we  were  informed  that  we  were  still  6  miles  from  the 
point  where  the  road  leaves  the  river  and  60  miles  from  Fort 
Kerney —  We  continued  our  drive  intending  to  reach  the  for- 
mer point,  halt  and  get  our  suppers,  and  when  the  moon  was 
up  drive  on  to  Elm  Creek.  But  night  closing  upon  us,  we  were 
compelled  to  halt  and  in  the  act  of  bringing  our  wagons  into 
line,  (Mr.  Livingston's  carriage  being  in  advance,  and  hav- 
ing halted  with  several  others,)  just  as  we  had  unhooked  the 
check  lines  and  one  trace  of  the  lead  mules.  The  team  of  Mr. 
Dodson's  carriage  took  fright,  darted  off,  [Mr.  Walace]  our 
baggage  team  followed  [took  fright]  next  Mr.  L's  team  then 
Mr.   Walace's,   and   in   a   moments   time   4   teams   were   in   full 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  83 


flight  over  the.  Mr.  Livingston  hanging  to  to  the  reins  of 
his  wheel  Mules,  in  his  efforts  to  check  them,  was  carried  for 
several  hundred  yards  'till  coming  to  the  verge  of  an  abrupt 
descent  was  carried  headlong  down,  and  his  hold  having  been 
broken  loose  from  them —  They  swept  with  headlong  fury 
over  the  plains —  Several  of  us  pursued  them  as  long  as  we 
could  hear  the  rumbling  of  the  wheels^  but  it  was  so  dark  that 
we  could  not  see  the  track  and  were  forced  to  give  up  the 
l^ursuit  and  wait  'till  the  moon  was  up.  As  soon  as  it  was  suf- 
ficiently light  Mr.  Hockerty  got  upon  the  track  and  followed 
up  it.  They  had  taken  a  circle  in  the  prairie  until  they  readied 
the  road  and  took  the  back  track  they  then  made  another 
circle  and  had  stopped,  when  he  came  up  with  them.  The  car- 
riage sustained  no  injury,  but  one  of  our  lead  Mules  became 
detached  from  the  wagon,  and  we  cannot  find  her  although 
we  have  been  searching  in  every  direction.  The  baggage  team 
ran  several  hundred  yards  when  Mr.  Kerr  &  My  brother  suc- 
ceeded in  stopping  them.  The  other  teams  swept  a  circle  or 
two  and  then  halted —  Fortunately  no  accident  happened.  The 
fright  was  occasioned  by  a  verdant  youth  of  our  party  riding 
his  Mules  hastily  up  into  the  Camp —  It  is  now  one  O-Clock 
and  my  brother  and  Mr.  Kerr  who  went  in  search  of  the  Mules 
have  not  yet  returned.  Our  Camp  is  on  the  upper  side  of  a 
beautiful  valey  formed  by  a  semi  Circular  bend  in  the  river. 
We  were  in  a  poor  condition  last  night  to  repel  an  attack  of 
the  Indians  had  one  been  made  upon  us,  and  we  were  seri- 
ously apprehensive  of  it.  The  Sun  has  at  length  come  out  and 
a  strong  wind  is  blowing  from  the  South  east — which  has  dried 
tlie  road  verry  much —  Mr.  Kerr  and  my  brother  returned 
about  3  O-Clock  with  out  having  found  our  little  Mule.  They 
traced  her  to  where  she  had  got  disengaged  from  the  wagon 
by  breaking  her  single  tree.  They  continued  to  pursue  her  by 
following  her  track  until  they  found  both  ends  of  the  single 
tree  and  her  track  then  leading  off  from  the  river  across  a 
wild  desolate  and  broken  Country.  They  left  her  to  her  fate 
and  returned —  I  felt  truly  sorry  that  we  had  to  lose,  so  kind 
and  docile  a  creature  to  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  Wolves  or 
taken  by  the  more  savage  Indians.  We  harnessed  up  with 
some  sadness  but  still  feeling  grateful  that  our  misfortune 
had  not  been  greater.  In  a  mile  or  two  from  our  Camp  we 
crossed  a  straight  Creek  which  ran  from  the  north  directly 
down  from  the  river  and  in  a  mile  or  two  from  this  stream 
the  road  ascended  the  Plain  and  left  the  river  entirely.  We 
drove   on   some   ten   miles  to    a   stream   called   32    Mile   Creek 


84  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


being  that  distance  from   Fort  Kerney. 

9th.  Oct.  We  started  by  daylight  this  morning  and  are 
noAv  getting  our  breakfasts  on  Elm  Creek.  The  wind  is  cold 
from  the  S.  E.  and  clouds  are  gathering  for  more  rain —  After 
a  verry  pleasant  drive  of  some  ten  miles  we  are  now  nooning 
at  what  is  call  the  the  Mud  Hole  a  natural  pond  on  the  right 
of  the  road  which  is  the  only  watering  place  between  [Kerney] 
Elm  Creek  and  Kerney.  The  Sun  has  been  shining  warmly  all 
the  morning,  and  the  wind  has  dried  the  road  verry  much — 
We  have  not  yet  seen  a  single  Buffalo  although  we  have  been 
in  their  range  for  several  days.  I  was  informed  by  Mr.  L 
that  last  fall  while  he  was  at  Kerney  a  party  of  Pawnee^ 
killed  3000  of  these  fated  animals.  The  country  we  have  been 
passing  over  from  the  Blue  has  a  thin  cold  soil  and  I  think 
will  never  be  valuable  for  agricultural  purposes.  There  is 
some  timber  to  be  seen  at  a  distance  before  approaching  32 
Mile  Creek  and  the  banks  of  tliis  stream  and  Elm  Creek  af- 
ford enough  for  the  use  of  the  traveller  but  after  leaving 
these  streams  not  a  bush  can  be  seen.  Nothing  but  alternating 
plains  and  ravines  or  hollows —  We  expect  to  reach  Kerney 
this  evening — 

10th.  Oct.  While  nooning  at  the  Mud  Hole  Lieut.  Bezant 
from  Fort  Kerney  passed  us  with  a  herd  of  broken  down 
[stock]  Mules  which  had  been  left  by  the  various  trains 
bound  for  Utah.  We  started  after  getting  a  snack,  and  after 
a  drive  of  a  few  miles  came  in  sight  of  the  sand  hills  which 
indicate  the  ai^proach  to  Piatt  River.  Next  appeared  the  long 
line  of  timber  along  its  border.  We  were  soon  in  the  broad 
and  beautiful  Valey  and  directing  our  course  directly  West 
in  the  direction  of  Fort  Kernej^  [which].  We  encamped  witli- 
in  4  miles  of  the  Fort  because  the  grass  has  been  so  closely 
grazed  by  the  Government  stock  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Fort. 

We  met  Capt.  Vanvhit  with  his  ambulance  train  just  as 
we  started  from  Camp  this  morning.  He  was  returning  from 
Salt  Lake  to  the  States.  He  told  us  that  on  his  arrival  in  the 
Valey  he  was  called  upon  by  Governor  Brigham  Young  and 
his  dignataries,  and  told  in  most  emphatic  language  that  the 
U.  S.  Troops  should  not  enter  The  Valey  this  Winter —  That 
they  would  destroy  all  the  grass  and  would  lay  waste  the 
lands  and  reduce  the  City  &  every  building  to  ashes  before 
the  troop  should  have  the  benefit  of  them —  He  says  that  he 
refused  to  sell  him  a  single  article.  He  says  that  Col.  Johnson^ 


s"Col.   Johnson"   is    "Col.    Albert   Sidney   Johnston."    mentioned    in   the 
INTRODUCTION. 


AWAI.S   OF    WYOMIN'C; 


85 


is  making  forced  marches  to  overtake  the  Troops  and  that  it 
is  likely  that  he  will  be  compelled  to  winter  on  Ham's  fork 
of  Green  River  or  at  some  other  point  in  its  vicinity.  Col. 
Cook  with  las  6  companies  of  Dragoons  is  several  days  in  ad- 
vance of  us  and  we  will  not  probably  overtake  him  before  he 
reaches  Fort  Laramie —  Where  we  will  Winter  and  wliat  Avill 
be  our  fate  is  yet  a  mistery  to  us.  It  has  been  raining  all  day 
and  we  are  now  encamped  at  the  south  of  the  Fort  and  are 
having  some  work  done  in  the  Blacksmith's  shop.  We  will 
not  leave  here  until  morning.  The  Fort  is  situated  two  miles 
from  the  river  in  a  beautiful  Valey  some  10  miles  wide  there 
is  a  great  abundance  of  grass —  There  are  a  few  comfortable 
buildings  here  for  quarters  for  the  Officers,  and  quarter  mas- 
ter's stores  but  the  others  are  built  of  Sods —  The  rain  has 
ceased  and  the  Sun  has  made  its  appearance  once  more  and 
I  trust  we  will  have  good  weather  tomorrow. 

11  Oct.  The  Sabbath  has  come  again.  The  morning  is 
bright  and  beautiful.  The  wind  which  has  blown  so  long 
from  the  South  and  East,  shifted  last  night  and  lias  swept  all 
the  clouds  far  below  the  horizon.  We  got  our  breakfast  be- 
fore starting  from  the  Fort,  and  are  now  nooning  for  a  short 
time —  We  have  seen  a  number  of  flocks  of  Antelope  bound- 
ing and  skimming  along  our  road.  We  also  saw  two  Buffalo, 
but  on  espying  us  they  fled  away  to  the  bluffs.  There  are 
two  roads  running  along  tl.e  Valey.  We  are  on  the  upper  one 
and  Mr.  Ward,  sutler  at  Fort  Larimie  and  the  mail  which 
overtook  us  yesterday  while  lying  at  the  Fort  have  taken  the 
one  near  the  river. 

We  have  stopped  at  22  Mile  Point  immediately  on  the 
Bank  of  Piatt  and  will  get  our  suppers  and  take  another  drive 
this  evening —  We  have  seen  a  number  of  small  herds  of  Buf- 
falo this  evening  but  have  no  time  to  interfere  with  them.  I 
have  seen  a  number  of  pretty  flowers  growing  in  the  Valey. 
(Mr.  Ward  with  two  carriages  and  the  mail  wagon  have 
joined  us,  which  now  makes  the  number  of  our  carriages  and 
wagons  eleven —  and  the  number  of  our  party  some  thirty). 
The  evening  is  calm  and  delightful,  and  our  party  is  scatter- 
ing about  the  plain  and  along  the  bank  of  the  river  observing 
every  object  that  presents  itself.  The  Bluffs  seem  to  be  grad- 
ually approaching  the  river  although  they  are  still  some  six 
miles  distant — The  Valey  is  as  level  as  if  it  had  been  rolled 
and  is  covered  with  luxuriant  grass — [We] 

12.    Oct.      We  drove  until  nine  last  night  and  encam]jed 


86  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


in  the  open  plain  without  kindling  a  fire — After  giving  our 
Mules  a  little  corn  which  we  got  at  Kerney  and  picketing  them 
we  spread  our  blankets  and  turned  in —  The  wind  blew  cold 
from  the  north  all  night —  We  got  an  early  start  and  are  now 
getting  our  breakfasts  on  Plumb  Creek  37  miles  from  Ker- 
ney—  The  morning  is  dark  and  threatening,  and  gusts  of  rain 
are  occationally  driven  through  the  air  by  the  wind — I  fear 
we  will  have  snow  upon  us  before  many  days. 

The  puddles  of  water  in  the  Valey  caused  by  the  con- 
tinued rain,  are  filled  with  ducks  and  we  occasionally  get 
them —  Tlie  road  has  been  verry  bad  this  morning —  We  have 
stopped  to  noon  on  the  bank  of  the  river  having  [about]  made 
about  8  miles  since  breakfast.  Numerous  herds  of  Buffalo  have 
crossed  our  road  this  morning  going  from  the  river  to  the 
bluffs —  They  are  scarcely  ever  out  of  sight —  The  day  is  still 
dark  and  gloomy.  The  bluffs  have  now  appeared  within  4 
or  5  miles  of  the  river. 

13th  Oct.  We  travelled  yesterday  evening  until  after 
dark.  The  mail  party  being  some  distance  in  advance  of  us 
selected  a  Camp  in  a  verry  inaccessible  place,  and  it  was  late 
before  the  heavy  wagons  got  up —  Two  mules  strayed  off  dur- 
ing the  night,  one  belonging  to  Mr.  Ward  and  one  to  Mr. 
Hockerty.  They  are  now  out  in  search  of  them —  We  hitched 
up  our  Mules  and  drove  a  short  distance  to  get  our  breakfasts 
and  to  wait  for  them^The  mail  party  has  gone  a-head  and 
with  them  Doct  Forney,  Garrish  and  Walace —  We  had  the 
first  frost  last  night,  and  the  morning  is  verry  pleasant  al- 
though it  was  verry  annoying  to  wake  up  at  day  break  and 
wander  about  in  the  wet  grass  to  get  our  Mules —  We  are 
within  30  miles  of  Cottonwood  Spring  and  expect  to  reach 
there  tonight  if  we  can  get  the  Mules  in  time —  We  got  our 
breakfasts  harnessed  up  and  drove  for  a  short  distance  and 
then  turned  out  to  wait  for  Mr.  Bovien  who  went  back  to  take 
a  last  look  for  the  mule  he  has  returned  without  him  and  we 
will  be  off  in  a  few  moments —  We  encamped  this  evening  at 
an  early  hour  in  the  open  plains^  without  wood,  except  a  little 
we  had  brought  with  us  from  a  box  we  had  broken  up —  Buf- 
falo Chips  are  our  only  fuel  and  they  are  so  saturated  by  the 
rains  that  we  have  to  shiver  a  long  time  over  them  before  we 
can  raise  a  fire. 

l-ith.  Oct.  We  started  just  as  the  Sun  rose  and  had  a 
pleasant  though  frosty  drive  of  about   10  miles  and  are  now 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 


getting  our  breakfasts,  not  a  great  way  from  Cotton  Wood 
Spring.  We  are  near  the  junction  of  the  North  and  South 
P'orks  of  the  Piatt.  The  River  is  verry  low.  The  bed  one  con- 
tinued succession  of  sand  bars.  So  far  tliere  is  [a  great]  an 
abundance  of  timber  principally  Cottonwood,  willow  and  white 
thorn  for  fuel,  but  the  wood  does  not  run  near  enough  to  the 
banks  to  make  it  available  at  all  times.  This  is  the  most  de- 
lightful morning  we  have  had  since  starting  on  our  journey, 
the  sun  being  hot  the  wind  not  blowing. 

The  bank  of  the  river  at  this  point  is  steep  resembling 
that  of  the  Missouri  and  tl.e  sand  bluffs  which  are  paralell 
with  the  river,  along  the  Valey  are  not  more  than  two  miles 
distant  from  it.  The  grass  is  short  and  of  an  inferior  quality, 
growing  on  alkaline  flats  which  make  it  rather  dangerous  for 
stock — 

We  are  now  nooning  on  the  border  of  a  Slew  which  sur- 
rounds a  pretty  piece  of  land  of  some  several  hundred  acres, 
covered  with  a  heavy  coat  of  grass  with  an  abundance  of  wil- 
low of  large  'size,  cottonwood  &c.  growing  along  its  edge — 
We  passed  Cottonwood  Spring,  a  few  miles  before  reaching 
this  place —  Major  I.  E.  Johnson  with  a  detachment  of  the 
6th  Inft.  passed  a  short  time  after  we  turned  off  the  road,  on 
his  way  to  Fort  Leavenworth.  We  passed  this  morning  the 
first  town  of  prairie  dogs  which  we  have  yet  seen —  They  are 
not  as  numerous  along  the  road  as  tl  ey  were  in  18  50  when  I 
passed  along  to  California.  They  have  probably  gone  farther 
out  into  the  hills — 

15th  Oct.  Shortly  before  turning  off  the  road  to  encamp 
yesterday  evening,  two  buffalo  bulls  crossed  directly  in  front 
of  us  and  Mr.  Ward  who  is  an  experiecned  Prairie  man. 
sprung  from  his  carriage  with  his  rifle  in  hand,  and  sent  a  bul- 
let throue:h  the  foremost  one,  but  it  did  not  bring  1  im  down, 
and  we  were  all  disappointed  expecting  to  have  a  feast  on 
buffalo  meat.  The  wind  blew  almost  a  gale  during  the  night, 
and  it  was  a  difficult  matter  for  us  to  make  sufficient  fire  out 
of  our  Buffalo  chips  to  keep  us  warm.  They  are  all  saturated 
by  the  continued  rain —  We  started  before  sun  rise  and  got  our 
breakfasts  in  the  open  prairie,  and  then  drove  forward,  and 
in  some  5  or  6  miles  came  to  Fremont  Springs  a  verry  noted 
place  on  the  River.  O'Fallon's  Bluffs  another  noted  place  be- 
ing directly  ahead,  here  we  concluded  by  Mr.  Ward's  sugges- 
tion to  cross  the  River,  expecting  to  meet  witl.  better  grass,  as 
most  of  the  immigration  has  crossed  the  upper  ford  about   50 


88  ANNALS   OF    WYOMING 


miles  above —  The  water  was  shallow  but  the  sand  in  some 
places  was  verry  deep  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  we 
got  our  baggage  wagon  across.  The  fifth  chain  broke  in  the 
middle  of  the  stream  and  while  fixing  it  the  wagon  settled 
down  in  the  sand,  the  hubs  were  filled  and  the  wheels  locked. 
The  leaders  were  almost  mired  down,  but  they  at  length  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  out  with  a  good  ducking  and  a  shattered 
wagon  tongue. 

We  are  now  nooning  immediately  on  the  bank  of  the 
River  on  the  most  luxuriant  grass  that  we  have  met  with  since 
leaving  the  Missouri  river.  The  river  here  is  about  three 
fourths  of  a  mile  wide.  We  grained  up  again  in  about  an  hour 
and  a  half  and  by  noon  in  a  drive  of  about  5  miles  reached 
the  North  Piatt —  Proceeding  up  it  for  a  few  miles  we  en- 
camped for  the  night —  The  soil  on  this  stream  is  of  the  same 
character  as  that  of  the  south  branch  being  sandy  and  the 
grass  verry  short.  The  dog  villages  are  more  numerous  than 
on  the  other  stream.  These  little  animals  are  verrj^  remark- 
able in  their  habits,  living  entirely  in  communities.  Their 
towns  frequently  coming  in  areas  of  several  miles —  Their 
holes  are  at  intervals  of  20  or  30  feet  apart  and  are  said  to 
have  a  regular  subterranean  communication  with  each  other. 
The  dirt  which  is  taken  from  the  holes  is  piled  around  them 
and  serves  as  a  little  breast  work.  Their  little  sentinels  sit  on 
them,  upon  their  hind  legs  and  bark  furiously  at  every  in- 
truder within  their  corporate  limits,  and  then  back  into  their 
holes.  It  is  said  that  the  owl  and  rattle  snake  are  frequently 
found  living  quietly  with  them. 

IGtl;.  We  had  a  j^leasant  drive  of  some  6  or  8  miles 
this  morning  and  we  are  now  getting  our  breakfast  [and]  on  a 
stream  of  good  water  which  flows  from  the  Bluffs.  The  \aley 
along  this  river  varies  from  one  to  two  miles  in  width —  The 
grass  though  short  is  much  better  than  on  the  South  Piatt. 
After  getting  our  breakfasts  we  drove  on  for  an  hour  and  a 
half  and  finding  that  tie  wood  at  this  point  left  the  river  and 
crossed  over  the  sand  bluff  we  have  determined  to  halt  for 
a  while,  fearing  that  we  may  not  be  able  to  get  water  before 
reaching  Ash  Hollow.  We  have  seen  this  morning  for  the 
first  time  Fresh  signs  of  Indians.  A  buffalo  was  lying  dead 
upon  the  road  and  some  of  its  bones  taken  out  and  broken  for 
the  marrow,  Mr.  Ward  informing  us  that  it  is  their  custom  to 
eat  it  raw.  There  are  fresh  pony  tracks  along  the  road  and 
it  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  use  great  precaution.  This  River 
is  not  so  wide  as  the  other  but  still  we  can  see  a  number  of 


ANNALS   OF    WYOMING  89 


sand  bars  in  it.  The  current  also  runs  much  more  rapid.  The 
cactus  is  verry  abundant  here  -and  fragments  stick  in  bunches 
to  our  mules  as  they  roll^  and  they  seem  to  suffer  a  great 
deal  until  the  thorns  are  extracted.  Shortly  after  leaving  our 
nooning  place  the  road  led  up  from  the  river  across  the  bluffs 
and  did  not  approach  it  again  for  14  miles.  The  road  was 
verry  fine  after  getting  upon  the  ridge  but  the  descent  to  the 
river  again  was  wild  and  broken.  The  Bluffs  are  composed 
of  masses  of  Sand  inter  Stratified  Avith  layers  of  porous  rock; 
huge  masses  of  M^hich  having  been  disengaged  by  the  corrod- 
ing influence  of  the  frequent  rains  &  had  rolled  down  and 
were  scattered  along  the  plain.  We  reached  the  river  about 
Sun  Set,  and  discovered  upon  the  opposite  side  a  number  of 
Indian  lodges  and  we  had  scarcely  unharnessed  before  they 
had  waded  across  to  us.  They  proved  to  be  a  band  of  Sioux 
and  manifesting  great  friendship  for  us.  They  remained  with 
us  till  late  and  then  reCrossed  the  river  after  having  taken 
supper  with  every  mess —  We  got  some  verry  fine  Buffalo 
meat  from  them  both  fresh  and  dried,  in  exchange  for  sugar 
and  crackers. 

17th.  This  morning  as  soon  as  we  awoke  we  discovered 
several  squaws  seated  in  the  grass,  near  the  wagons,  with 
Buffalo  meat  which  they  brought  to  make  further  exchanges, 
but  we  were  amply  supplied,  and  as  soon  as  we  could  get  the 
harness  on  our  Mules,  started —  In  a  short  distance  from 
Camp  the  road  led  again  across  the  bluffs,  for  a  short  dis- 
tance and  turned  into  the  Valey  again,  after  driving  for  5  or 
6  miles,  a  part  of  the  time  through  deep  sand.  We  again  halt- 
ed to  get  breakfast  under  a  steep  bluff  the  slopes  of  Avhich 
were  covered  with  grape  vine  and  undergroM'th.  We  had 
scarcely  gotten  through  our  delicious  buffalo  steak,  corn 
bread,  soked  and  buttered  crackers,  and  coffee —  when  we 
heard  a  hal-lo  on  the  other  side  of  the  rim,  and  at  first  sup- 
posed it  to  be  some  white  man,  but  it  proved  to  be  an  Indian. 
In  a  short  time  the  opposite  shore  seemed  to  be  covered  with 
them  and  some  five  or  six  were  seen  crossing  on  horse  back. 
We  secured  our  Mules  as  quick  as  possible  and  commenced 
harnessing  up.  supiJosing  them  to  be  Chiennes  but  they  soon 
came  up  and  we  discovered  that  it  was  the  same  party  of 
Sues^  who  had  visited  us  last  night —  They  made  signs  for 
sugar  and   Tobacco,   but   we    had  strained   our  hosiiitality  too 


6"Sues"   alternates   with    "Sioux"   throughout  the   diary,   in    referring   to 
the  same  tribe. 


90  ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 


much  for  our  own  good,  and  could  spare  them  none.  Two 
of  them  rode  with  us  several  miles  and  then  re  crossed  the 
river  to  join  their  party  who  had  struck  their  lodges  and 
were  moving  up  the  river  opposite  us —  The  Bluffs  along  the 
road  this  morning  have  been  wild  in  the  extreme.  They  have 
been  gashed  and  jagged  by  the  torrents  of  many  centuries 
into  deep  and  ragged  gulches  and  huge  masses  of  porous  lime 
rock,  the  debris  of  a  ledge  wliich  juts  out  continuously  near 
the  summit  of  the  bluff  being  crowned  with  a  deep  bed  of 
sand,  lie  scattered  around —  We  have  crossed  this  morning 
frequent  wide  sandy  flats  which  serve  as  channels  for  the 
floods  of  water  which  are  discharged  upon  the  hills  and  rush 
with  wild  fury  down  into  the  Valey.  The  road  again  leaving 
tie  river  we  determined  to  noon  for  awhile  on  good  grass  be- 
fore taking  the  bluffs  again.  The  road  ascended  the  hill 
by  a  rocky  circuitous  road  and  after  reaching  the  summit  we 
had  a  wide  prosjDCct  before  us  of  the  winding  river  and  the 
deep  and  ragged  ravines  making  down  into  the  river  with  here 
and  there  a  cedar  peering  vip  among  the  rocks —  The  rocks 
seem  to  be  of  recent  formation  and  are  composed  of  Carbon- 
ate of  lime  and  silica.  A  drive  of  about  three  hours  brought 
us  to  the  descent  into  Ash  Hollow.  The  road  led  down  by  a 
more  gradual  slope  than  that  by  the  upper  crossing,  and  was 
the  only  thing  to  console  us  for  taking  the  road  that  Ave  did, 
as  we  had  deep  sand  to  contend  with  and  a  greater  distance 
to  travel —  As  soon  as  we  got  down  into  the  hollow  we 
came  upon  the  fresh  trail  of  Col.  Cook's  Command  witli  6 
Companies  of  Dragoons  and  a  hundred  wagons — They  had 
packed  the  roads  and  we  travelled  on  rapidly.  There  being 
every  prospect  of  a  snowstorm.  We  drove  about  5  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Hollow  and  then  turned  up  into  a  ra- 
vine running  down  between  tall  hills  and  proceeding  some  dis- 
tance up —  We  were  completely  sheltered  from  the  storm, 
and  soon  had  bright  fires  of  dry  cedar  blazing  up  and  illumi- 
nating the  ragged  hills  around — 

18th.  Oct.  This  morning  Mr.  Ward  with  two  wagons 
and  the  Mail  party  determined  to  separate  from  the  rest  and 
go  ahead —  We  wisely  concluded  to  accompany  1  im  and  get- 
ting an  early  breakfast,  althow  the  snow  was  driving  upon 
us  we  set   forward  and  are  now    [nooning]    halting    15    miles 

from   Ash  Hollow   and    10   miles    from   our  own   Camp Ash 

Hollow  is  celebrated  for  the  fight  which  Genl.  Harvy  had  with 


ANNALS   OF    WYOMING  Qi 


the  Sioux  Indians.  It  took  place  on  the  north  side  of  the  Piatt 
on  Blue  Water  some  7  miles  from  the  river.  The  beautiful  trees 
that  were  growing  in  this  delightful  spot  when  I  passed  it  in 
1  850  have  been  all  cut  down  by  the  numerous  parties  that  have 
encamped  here  for  fuel,  and  the  place  has  quite  a  dreary 
aspect —  We  found  fine  bunch  grass  growing  up  tlie  slope  of 
the  hills  where  we  encamped  last  night.  The  sand  has  been 
very  deep  this  morning  and  the  air  keen  and  there  is  every 
prospect  of  a  snowstorm —  We  are  now  nooning  having  driven 
some  12  miles —  The  road  was  not  so  sandy  as  it  was  this 
morning  but  verry  rough —  The  Valey  in  some  places  is  verry 
flat  and  filled  with  holes  of  water  the  mud  in  which  is  deep 
and  difficult  to  pull  through.  In  other  places  there  are  hill- 
ocks of  deep  sand  drifted  up  with  snow  banks —  The  Valey 
from  the  river  to  the  bluffs  varies  in  distance  sometimes  2  or 
3  Miles  and  at  others  not  over  a  mile  in  width —  The  [day] 
snow  clouds  have  disappeared  and  the  sun  shines  warm  al- 
though a  keen  wind  is  blowing  from  the  North.  WhencA'er  we 
halt  to  graze^  we  gather  Buffalo  chips,  and  kindle  a  fire — and 
hover  over  it  until  it  is  time  to  harness  up  again,  we  scarcely 
can  tarry  longer  than  an  hour  Sz  a  half — 

19th.  Oct.  We  drove  late  last  night,  excepting  to  en- 
camp in  Rush  Creek,  but  having  overtaken  a  large  freight 
train,  about  sun  set  we  were  impeded  in  our  progress  and 
after  driving  'till  late  Ave  were  compelled  to  turn  off  to  the 
right  of  the  road  to  search  for  water  and  grass  but  finding 
none,  we  continued  on  to  the  river  but  the  bank  was  so  steep 
that  we  could  get  at  it  and  were  forced  to  drive  up  the  bank 
for  some  distance  and  at  length  encamped  on  verry  poor 
grass  without  water.  The  night  was  severely  cold  and  hud- 
dling our  wagons  together,  we  united  our  wood  and  after 
considerable  difficulty  succeeded  in  getting  a  fire  and  a  large 
camp  kettle  full  of  coffee —  The  water  we  had,  froze  verry 
hard  during  the  night,  but  although  the  morning  was  cold 
we  got  an  early  start  and  in  about  two  miles  crossed  Rush 
Creek  a  stream  of  fine  water  flowing  across  the  plain —  As 
soon  as  we  ascended  the  high  plain  we  got  a  glimpse  of  the 
far  famed  Chimney  Rock  some  thirty  miles  distant  and  in  a 
short  time  saw  Court  House  Rock  which  though  some  15  miles 
nearer  is  not  seen  so  soon.  After  a  drive  of  10  or  12  miles 
we  crossed  Laurence's  Fork  and  encamped  to  get  our  break- 
fasts—  Laurence's  Fork  is  the  largest  tributary  of  the  Piatt 
that  we  have  vet  crossed.      Though  shallow   it   flows   rapidly 


92  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


and  furnishes  an  abundance  of  clear  water.  It  flows  within 
1|  or  2  miles  of  Court  House  Rock  which  looms  np  to  the 
left  of  the  road  some  4  miles  distant —  This  remarkable  rock 
lies  upon  the  level  plain  isolated  from  any  other,  and  resem- 
bling a  large  building,  whence  it  derives  its  name —  We  left 
Laurence's  Fork  or  as  the  French  &  mountaineers  call  it, 
Launa,  about  one  o-clock  and  Lave  travelled  about  10  miles 
turned  out  to  noon  and  to  wash  ourselves  and  change  our 
clothing,  which  we  had  not  done  since  leaving  Atchinson.  We 
then  drove  on,  passing  another  Freight  train  and  encamped 
directly  in  front  of  Chimney  Rock,  in  about  the  same  spot 
where  I  encamped  in   1850 — 

20th.  Oct.      We   started  about  sun   rise.      The  eartli   was 
white  with  frost  but  the  sun  shone  out  warmly  and  we  had  a 
pleasant  drive  of  of   12  miles  although  the  road  was  exceed- 
ingly rough —  We  came  in  sight  of  the  troops  of  Col.  Cooks 
Command  just  as  they  left  their  camp  and  we  are   now  get- 
ting our  breakfasts  where  they  encamped  last  night —  We  will 
overtake   tl  em   sometime   today   although  they   are   travelling 
rapidly  and  are  some   8  miles  in  advance  of  us —  They  have 
left  a  dead  horse  here.     We  are  in  full  view  of  Scotts  Bluffs, 
and  the  scenery  begins  to  assume  a  more  interesting  charac- 
ter—  Before  reaching  Launa,  the  chain  of  Bluffs  which  runs 
along  the  North  Piatt  from  Ash  Hollow  seemed  to  disappear 
but  after  crossing  this  stream   Court  House  Rock  begins  the 
chain   again  and  it  continues  winding  and  twining   along  the 
Valey,    increasing   in   elevation    until     when     reaching     Scotts 
Bluffs  it  rises  in  gigantic  mass,  which  assumes  a  great  vanity 
of  appearance.     In  some  5  or  6  miles  from  our  CamjD  the  old 
road  turned  off  to  the  left  leading  ujd  a  Valey  and  leaving  the 
chain  of  Bluff,     This  road  was  taken  by  tl:e  troops.     We  de- 
termined by  Mr.  Ward's  advice  to  take  the  straight  forward 
road  leading  through  the  chain  of  Bluffs  and  descending  by 
a  nearer  rout  to  the  Piatt  again.     This,  we  afterwards  regret- 
ted as   we  got  through  the  pass   with  great  difficulty—  We 
found  a  large  freight  stopped  in  tlie  pass,  the  mud  being  very 
deep.      The    axle    of   one   wagon   was    broken    &    a   dying   ox 
lying  crippled  in  tie  road- —  The  ■ — — ■ — —  of  the   Ox  which 
reverberated  along  the  bluff —  and  the  croaking  of  the  thou- 
sands of  Ravens  that  were  hovering  over,  had  a  gloomy  and 
ominous   sound.      This   pass    is   truly   a   wonder.      The    Bluffs 

here  form  a  semi  circle  and  - — - — on  each  side 

rise  up  into  huge  towers  which  make  the  head  dizzv  to  look 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  93 


up  at.  The  passage  througl;  is  level,  but  has  been  cut  into 
dee23  ravines  by  the  torrents  Avhich  run  down  the  sides  of  the 
Bluffs.  These  immense  sand  bluffs  must  have  been  thrown 
up  by  the  waves  of  a  vast  Sea  which  once  covered  the  whole 
extent  of  this  country —  On  eacli  side  of  the  chain  the  bluffs 
resemble  the  bastions  of  some  great  Military  structure  but 
upon  a  more  gigantic  scale.  The  bluffs  on  each  are  several 
hundred  feet  high  and  seem  to  have  been  cut  down  as  if  with 
the  hand  of  man  and  the  sand  carried  out  to  form  a  level  pas- 
sage through.  The  road  was  verry  bad  caused  by  the  snow 
wl.ich  had  fallen  and  melted  and  we  halted  as  soon  as  we 
reached  the  river.  After  nooning  for  a  short  time  we  pro- 
ceeded on  and  after  dark  encamped  on  good  grass  a  short 
distance  from  the  river. 

21st.  We  started  by  light  this  morning  and  after  a  drive 
of  several  hours  came  in  sight  of  Horse  Creek,  where  the  two 
roads  came  together  and  at  the  same  time  perceived  Col. 
Cook's  Command  of  Dragoons  and  one  hundred  wagons  ap- 
proaching. We  halted  to  get  breakfast  and  they  came  up 
with  us- —  At  the  same  time  we  saw  Mr.  Landon  the  engineeer 
who  was  sent  out  in  advance  of  McGraw's  road  expedition. 
He  was  direct  from  the  Wind  River  and  informs  us  that  the 
Mormons  had  burned  4  Government  Freight  Trains  and  de- 
stroyed all  the  provisions.  They  stated  that  six  hundred  Mor- 
mons well  mounted,  had  crossed  Green  River  in  different 
parties  and  had  got  in  the  rear  of  the  Troops  who  were  en- 
camped on  Ham's  Fork,  and  gathered  the  wagons  together 
and  after  telling  the  teamsters  to  take  what  they  Avished  for 
their  own  use  and  then  destroyed  them  all.  This  seems  to 
be  an  open  declaration  of  their  intention  to  prohibit  the 
troops  from  entering  Salt  Lake  Valey,  this  Winter.  What 
will  be  their  fate,  and  ours,  is  involved  in  mistery —  After 
getting  breakfast  we  started  again  and  in  a  short  time  came 
up  with  Col.  Cook's  Command,  Avliich  had  passed  us,  and 
halted  on  there  to  wait  for  the  one  hundred  wagons  and  the 
rear  guard  to  come  up —  We  had  a  short  conversation  Avith 
the  Col.  who  is  a  tall,  fine  looking  officer.  About  ten  miles 
from  Horse  Creek  we  passed  the  place  where  Mr.  Kingkade 
was  Avounded  and  all  his  party  killed  by  the  Indians.  They  se- 
creted themselves  behind  some  sand  hills  on  the  north  side  of 
the  road,  and  as  the  party  Avere  ascending  the  hill  through 
the  deep  sand,  took  deliberate  aim  at  them  and  they  all  fell 
at  the   first  fire,  7  in  number.      Mr.   K  Avas  the   only  one  that 


94  ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 


survived  and  he  being  shot  in  a  number  of  places  fell  from 
his  mule  and  the  Indian  who  was  following  him  supposing  to 
be  dead  seized  his  mule  and  hastened  to  the  mail  carriage  to 
get  his  part  of  the  plunder  and  Mr.  K.  crawled  off  unper- 
ceived  by  them  and  made  his  way  back  to  Fort  Laramie.  We 
are  now  nooning  on  the  plain  some  mile  or  two  from  the  river 
and  The  Troops  are  spread  out  along  the  bank  below  us. 
They  will  remain  all  night.  We  will  proceed.  Mr.  Ward  left 
us  early  this  morning  anxious  to  get  home  and  the  Mail  Wagon 
has  dropped  back  with  the  Troops.  We  are  alone  with  our 
wagon  and  carriage  and  6  of  our  party.  Fort  Laramie  is  dis- 
tant about  20  miles.  We  expect  to  reach  there  early  tomor- 
row. A  jDortion  of  the  plain  we  have  passed  over  today  is  lit- 
erally covered  with  Cactus —  The  wind  has  been  blowing 
freshly  all  day  and  together  with  the  warm  sun,  has  dried  the 
road  considerably —  There  is  plenty  of  timber  now  on  the 
Piatt  but  the  road  runs  so  far  from  it  we  cannot  make  it 
available.  The  sand  is  verry  deep  for  4  or  5  miles  after 
crossing  Horse  Creek  and  the  flats  are  verry  soft.  There  is 
another  large  freight  train  just  in  advance  of  us.  We  en- 
camped last  night  at  Major  Driss'  Indian  Trading  Post.  He 
is  an  old  mountain  trader  and  tells  me  that  he  has  been  in 
this  country  for  36  years. 

22nd.  We  are  now  encamped  about  4  miles  from  his 
trading  post  and  have  verry  poor  grass.  We  are  12  miles 
from  Laramie.  The  day  is  bright  and  pleasant —  The  wood 
is  more  abundant  than  we  Lave  yet  found  it  on  the  Piatt. 

While  at  breakfast  this  morning  Col.  Cook's  Command 
passed  us  but  we  hastily  harnessed  up  and  started  and  about 
2  o-Clock  reached  Fort  Laramie —  We  found  all  excitement 
here,  and  had  the  intelligence  confirmed  that  76  wagons 
freighted  with  Government  stores  had  been  destroyed  by  the 
Mormons  on  the  night  of  the  5tli  Inst.  50  in  Green  River  and 
26  on  Big  Sandy.  We  also  learned  that  3  wagons  belonging 
to  Perry  the  sutler  for  the  10th  Infr.  had  been  destroyed — 
After  tarrying  for  a  short  time  at  the  Fort  and  finding  that 
we  could  get  no  grain  for  our  Mules,  we  determined  to  move 
up  on  Laramie's  Fork  the  Stream  on  which  the  Fort  is  situated 
to  get  grass  for  our  hungry  and  much  jaded  animals.  We 
are  now  encamped  about  23  miles  from  the  Fort  in  a  grove  of 
cotton  wood  and  will  probably  remain  here  until  day  after 
tomorrow  to  wait  further  intelligence.     We  passed  to  dav,  12 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  95 


miles  from  the  Fort,  the  grave  of  Trent  Gratton  and  20  odd 
men  wlio  were  shot  by  the  Sioux  Indians,  in  a  rash  attemp 
which  he  made  to  compel  tliem  to  surrender  a  cow  stolen 
from  an  emigrant  About  1500  of  them  were  encamped  in 
the  Valey  around  Bartians  trading  post  where  he  ordered  his 
men  to  discharge  a  six  pounder  at  them^  which  not  taking 
effect  The  Indians  fired  and  killed  him  &  all  his  men.  A 
rough  stone  Avail  filled  with  sand  encloses  and  covers  their 
remains —  The  day  has  been  uncomonly  mild  and  pleasant — 

23rd.  Col.  Cook's  Command  arrived  at  the  Fort  this 
morning.  I  understand  that  he  has  orders  to  proceed  on  as 
rapidly  as  possible  to  join  Col.  Johnson,  but  he  will  be  com- 
pelled to  wait  here  until  a  train  comes  up  with  corn  as  there 
is  none  at  the  Fort. 

Last  night  while  seated  around  our  camp  fire  we  heard 
the  melancholy  wail  as  coming  from  some  one  in  deep  dis- 
tress. I  listened  for  some  minutes  in  great  suspense  and 
supposed  it  was  the  cry  of  some  wild  animal,  but  was  in- 
formed by  Mr.  Kerr  that  it  was  an  Indian  Squaw  Aveeping 
for  the  dead.  He  informs  me  that  it  is  a  custom  among  the 
Sues  to  go  out  at  night  and  Aveep  for  hours  for  their  friends 
Avho  have  been  dead  even  for  years.  They  are  very  super- 
stitutious,  and  evince  great  feeling  for  their  sick,  and  dead- — 
They  build  scaffolds  and  place  the  remains  of  their  friends 
upon  them,  and  CA^en  put  things  in  the  tops  of  trees  and  put 
their  faA'orite  ornaments  Avith  them.  They  sometimes  sacri- 
fice a  favorite  horse  upon  the  occasion —  They  differ  A'erry 
much  in  this  respect  from  the  PaAvnees.  Avho  haA^e  not  a  spark 
of  sympathy,  and  frequently  desert  their  aged  Avomen  Avho  are 
unable  to  traA'el,  to  be  dcA'oured  by  hungry  avoIacs,  and  they 
leaA'e  their  dead  Avherever  they  die. 

2-ith.  (Oct.)  We  are  still  in  Camp  Avaiting  the  move- 
ment of  the  Troops  as  it  Avill  be  necessary  for  the  future  for 
us  to  traA'el  Avith  them  Col.  Johnson  haA'ing  orders  that  no 
one  shall  enter  Salt  Lake —  The  Aveather  is  verry  fine  and 
our  Camp  pleasantly  situated  near  the  River  which  is  a  clear 
mountain  stream  floAving  OA'er  a  pebly  bed,  but  we  haA'e  no 
grass  and  Avill  be  compelled  to  move  higher  up  among  the  hills. 

2  5th.  We  moA'ed  some  tAvo  miles  up  Laramie  yesterday 
evening  and  this  morning  moved  still  higher  but  still  the  grass 
is  verry  poor  and  Ave  Avill  be  compelled  to  change  our  locality. 
It  is  quite  probable  that  Ave  Avill  strike  across  the  hills  in  the 
the  direction  of  the  road  and  Avait    till  the   Troops  come  up. 


96  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


Larimie  Peak  is  in  full  view  and  clouds  seem  to  be  gathering 
around  it  and  indicate  a  coming  snow  storm.  There  are  some 
verry  beautiful  bottoms  on  the  stream  but  the  grass  has  been 
grazed  off  by  the  Government  stock —  This  is  the  Lord's  day 
and  the  first  day  that  I  have  Lad  an  opportunity  of  reading 
his  Holy  Book.  We  are  in  a  state  of  great  suspense  not  know- 
ing what  course  to  pursue  and  fearing  that  we  will  be  over- 
taken by  the  snows  in  the  mountains  and  that  our  Mules  w^ill 
perish  from  cold  and  hunger —  But  we  are  in  the  hands  of 
that  Great  Being  who  rules  the  Universe  and  we  trust  in  his 
goodness  and  mercy —  (I  have  l.eard  that  Col.  Johnson  intends 
returning  for  food  into  the  \  aley  with  the  force  he  now  has 
but  by  a  different  rout  from  that  which  he  just  contemplated — ■ 
I  understand  that  there  are  no  narrow  Caneons  on  the  north- 
ern bank  where  Bear  River  empties  into  the  Lake.  He  has 
Jim  Bridger,  a  celebrated  mountaineer  as  his  guide,  wl;o  has 
lived  for  30  years  in  the  mountains — The  attempt  will  be  one 
of  great  hazard  if  the  Mormons  offer  resistance^  which  they 
evidently  intend  doing — 

26th.  Mr.  Kerr  returned  from  the  Fort  this  eve- 
ning and  informed  us  that  the  corn  train  had  arrived  and  that 
the  Dragoons  had  got  their  supply  and  were  gone —  We  will 
start  early  tomorrow  get  some  corn  and  be  off  in  pursuit^ — 

27th.  Some  of  us  arose  early  and  my  brother  started 
out  as  soon  as  he  got  up^  towards  the  Bluffy  to  drive  up  th^ 
Mules.  We  "waited  for  some  time  for  him  to  return  eat  our 
breakfasts  and  then  Mr.  Kerr  mounted  a  mule  which  he  had 
picketed  in  Camp,  and  started  out  in  search  of  them.  He 
went  in  the  direction  of  the  Fort  thinking  they  might  have 
gone  there,  but  while  he  was  gone  Mr.  Q.  &  myself  discovered 
them  on  a  Bluff  about  2  miles  off  in  the  direction  ray  brother 
had  gone,  and  immediately  took  our  guns  and  started  after 
them.  I  at  first  supposed  that  he  was  driving  them  up,  but 
what  was  misery  of  mind  wl:en  he  was  no  where  to  be 
seen —  I  searched  every  ravine,  called  aloud  for  him,  and  ex- 
pected any  moment  to  find  his  mangled  Corpse  but  all  my 
search  was  fruitless.  Mr.  L.  suggested  that  I.e  might  have 
gone  on  to  the  Fort,  not  having  seen  the  Mules  among  the 
bluffs.  We  returned  to  Camp  and  found  Mr.  Kerr  who  had 
seen  nothing  of  my  brother —  My  state  of  mind  was  wretched 
in  the  extreme.  I  would  have  given  everything  on  earth  that 
I  possessed  to  have  been  sure  that  he  was  alive.  It  was  now 
10  O-Clock  and  I  determined  to  take  one  more  look  for  him. 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  97 


I  got  upon  his  track  and  following  it  about  a  mile  when  I 
discovered  a  mocasin  track  following  his.  I  then  gave  him 
up  for  lost.  While  in  this  state  of  suspense  I  heard  a  voice 
calling  from  our  Camp  and  knew  that  he  w^as  safe —  We 
started  immediately  for  the  Fort  exchanged  our  baggage 
wagon  for  a  lighter  one — got  6  sacks  of  corn  paid  $6.  pr. 
bushel  for  it,  and  started  off  about  an  hour  before  sun  set — ■ 
Travelled  about  3  miles  and  incamped  for  the  night  on  the 
Piatt.  The  Troops  got  off  the  26th  about  2  O-Clock  and  are 
a  day  and  half's  travel  ahead  of  us. 

2  8.  We  started  after  an  early  breakfast  and  after  a 
drive  of  some  two  hours  overtook  our  old  party  Doct.  Forney- 
Hockei'y-Garrish  &  Dodson  &c.  We  have  met  to  day  a  num- 
ber of  men  returning  from  the  seat  of  war — Among  them  the 
men  of  trains  burned  by  the  Mormons.  They  say  that  Col.  J. 
is  at  the  South  Pass  waiting  for  the  Dragoons  to  come  up — 
They  say  that  there  was  some  six  inches  of  snow  in  the 
mountains —  There  is  every  prospect  of  a  snow  storm  although 
the  morning  has  been  pleasant.  Our  road  has  been  verry 
pretty  and  rolling  leading  over  the  Black  Hills  Laramie  Peake 
being  directly  ahead  of  us —  The  Black  Hills  are  so  called 
from  the  apj^earance  they  have  a  at  distance,  being  covered 
with  low  scrubby  pine  &  cedar  -which  afford  excellent  fuel — 
The  grass  is  verry  poor.  We  passed  a  small  Stream  Called 
Bitter  Cottonwood  about  21  miles  from  Fort  Laramie  and  are 
now  nooning  on  another  stream  about  5  miles  further  on — 
The  Troops  are  only  some  8  miles  in  advance  of  us.  We  are 
travelling  with  our  old  party — 

29.  We  travelled  after  nooning  a  short  time,  some  8 
miles  turned  up  to  the  left  along  a  little  stream  which  sinks 
before  crossing  the  road  and  found  the  best  camp  and  grass 
that  we  have  had  since  leaving  the  States.  We  had  an  abun- 
dance of  dry  cotton  wood  and  soon  had  brightly  blazing  fires 
among  the  broad  spreading  cotton  woods  that  sheltered  our 
Camp.  The  Canon  appeared  narrow  on  first  entering  it,  but 
it  soon  opened  into  a  pretty  little  Valey  completely  sheltered 
from  storms  by  high  hills  clothed  with  pine  and  Cedar—  The 
bunch  grass  not  having  been  discovered  by  any  one  had  grown 
into  luxurious  bunches  and  matted  the  ground —  Our  half 
starved  Mules  had  a  rich  feast —  We  were  guided  to  the  spot 
by  Jack  Ferguson  an  old  traveller  on  the  plains,  who  is  re- 
turning with  us  to  Col.  Johnson's  Command  having  taken  an 


98  ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 


express  from  him  to  Col.  Cook  at  Laramie —  He  is  perfectly 
familiar  with  all  the  good  Camping  places  and  has  been  a 
great  acquisition  to  our  party- —  While  nooning  yesterday  Mr. 
T.  Dawson  wagon  master  of  one  of  the  trains  burned  by  the 
Mormons  came  upon  his  return  to  the  States.  He  gave  us  a 
full  detail  of  the  transaction  and  also  told  us  that  they  had 
burned  Fort  Bridger  and  Fort  Supply.  The  Wind  changing 
the  clouds  were  dissipated  and  the  moon  and  stars  shone 
forth  great  briliancy  and  we  had  a  delightful  night,  convers- 
ing around  our  camp  fire  till  late — 

29.  We  got  an  early  start  this  morning  and  are  now 
getting  breakfast  on  Horse  Shoe  a  little  creek  which  flows 
through  a  beautiful  circular  Valey —  The  Mormons  had 
erected  here  some  verry  comfortable  buildings  and  a  verry 
fine  pickit  work,  but  on  our  approach  we  found  them  a  heap 
of  smoking  ruins.  They  were  deserted  by  the  Mormons  on 
the  breaking  out  of  hostilities,  and  though  not  occupied  af- 
forded an  excellent  shelter  to  travellers  from  the  rigors  of 
the  climate.  They  were  set  on  fire  by  some  of  the  teamsters 
belonging  to  the  trains  that  were  burned.  It  was  a  most  dis- 
graceful and  cowardly  act  to  vent  their  courage  on  harmless 
logs  which  if  suffered  to  remain  might  have  afforded  comfort 
to  many  a  suffering  traveler —  The  Valey  would  make  a 
beautiful  farm  the  soil  being  good  timber  and  delightful  water 
abundant  and  the  scene  picturesque — Larimie  Peak  is  in  full 
view  to  the  south  west  and  Hills  covered  with  pine  &  cedar 
almost  surround  it —  The  morning  is  as  mild  and  pleasant  as 
Spring —  We  are  now  in  the  Sage  region  but  are  not  yet  com- 
pelled to  use  it  for  fuel,  there  being  an  abundance  of  pine, 
cedar  and  cotton  wood.  We  see  the  carcasses  of  dead  cat- 
tle all  along  the  road,  a  great  many  having  died  with  some 
disease,  among  the  trains  that  have  gone  ahead.  I  am  in- 
formed that  one  train  lost  over  a  hundred  head —  We  came 
into  the  region  of  the  celebrated  Red  Buttes,  after  leaving 
our  breakfast  camp.  These  remarkable  hills  can  be  seen  at 
a  great  distance  scattered  among  the  hills  of  white  Lime 
Stone.  The  particles  that  have  been  washed  down  into  the 
Valeys  in  their  vicinity  have  given  to  them  the  appearance 
of  having  been  strewn  with  brick —  The  road  led  down  into 
the  Piatt  Valey  again  just  where  it  comes  forth  from  a  deep 
canon,  walled  up  almost  perpendicularly  by  this  red  stone — 
After  proceeding  up  the  Valey  a  short  distance  the  road  led 
again  over  the  bluff  for  a  few  miles  and  then  decended  again 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


99 


into  the  Valey  just  where  the'  river  enters  the  narrow  Canon. 
We  are  now  nooning  here  for  a  short  time  to  wait  for  Mr. 
Hockerty  and  P'erguson  Avho  went  out  in  search  of  some 
game —  I  am  told  that  the  Elk,  black  and  white  tail  deer 
abound  in  this  country.  We  proceeded  forward  about  five 
miles  following  the  trail  of  the  Troops  and  encamped  for 
the  night  near  the  river  where  the  road  crosses  it.  Mr.  H. 
&  F.  came  up  just  as  we  were  encamping  but  brought  no 
game  Avith  them. 

30th.  We  got  under  way  by  sun  rise  this  morning, 
crossed  the  river  without  any  difficulty,  and  are  now  break- 
fasting near  the  bank,  having  travelled  some  5  miles.  After 
leaving  our  breakfast  Camp  the  road  led  off  over  the  Bluffs 
and  entered  a  region  more  sterril  and  wild  than  any  we  have 
yet  passed  over.  Desolation  and  disorder  seemed  to  reign 
supreme.  High  naked  sand  hills  gashed  on  all  sides  by  deep 
fissures  could  be  seen  Avhere  ever  the  eyes  were  turned.  Con- 
fused masses  of  Sand  Rock,  corroded  by  the  rain  floods  and 
loosened  from  their  foundations,  have  rolled  their  shattered 
fragments  into  the  flats  below.  No  vegetation  except  the 
stinted  and  thirsty  sage  gave  a  vestage  of  verdure  to  any 
portion  of  the  scene.  The  cold  bleak  winds  which  constantly 
prevail  here  had  drifted  the  sand  into  heaps. 

We  saw  here  a  flock  of  mountain  Sheep  the  first  we 
have  met  with,  but  they  soon  vanished  among  the  hills,  and 
although  we  were  anxious  to  get  a  taste  of  their  flesh  our 
time  is  so  precious  that  none  would  venture  in  pursuit.  These 
animals  are  most  usually  in  sterril  and  almost  inaccessible 
regions  where  the  Indian  scarcely  ever  pursues  them.  We 
have  travelled  18  miles  this  morning  and  are  now  nooning 
on  the  Piatt  We  will  re  cross  it  in  about  2  miles —  We  are 
travelling  what  is  called  the  River  Road  there  being  two 
others  which  cross  the  hills  nearer  to  Laramie  Peake  and 
unite  at  La-Bonti  a  small  stream  floAving  into  the  Piatt  on 
the  South  Side —  After  Nooning  we  crossed  the  river  and 
proceeding  on  a  beautiful  road  about  i  miles  crossed  La 
Priel,  another  stream  Avhich  has  some  timber  on  it — -  After 
crossing  this  stream  the  channel  of  which  is  now  dry  we 
ascended  the  hill  and  came  in  full  view  of  the  Troops  who 
were  encamped  about  a  mile  beyond  us.  We  then  turned 
down  to  the  River  and  encamped.  The  distance  from  the 
first  to  the  second  crossing  is  20  miles  and  from  there  to  our 
Camp  4  miles,  making  our  travel  to  day  24  miles —  The  day 


100  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


has  been  verry  pleasant. 

31st.  We  spent  a  verry  jDleasant  night  having  an  abun- 
dance of  dry  Cotton  Wood  for  our  fire —  We  did  not  get  off 
to  day  until  9  O-Clock  wishing  the  Troops  to  keep  in  ad- 
vance of  us  a  few  miles  to  prevent  our  stock  from  mixing, 
and  have  the  advantage  of  a  good  road.  The  road  still  con- 
tinues to  run  over  one  interminable  region  of  hills  and  hol- 
lows covered  with  sage,  Cactus  and  flint  stones  of  every  vari- 
ety of  color.  The  soil  is  of  a  light  ashy  color  and  is  so  evan- 
escent tl.at  it  is  carried  about  by  the  slightest  breeze  and  is 
inhaled  into  the  lungs  at  every  inspiration.  It  is  more  dis- 
agreeable to  me  than  lime  dust  Shortly  after  Ave  started  the 
clouds  which  had  been  all  the  morning  gathering,  commenced 
discharging  upon  us  a  fine  rain —  The  wind  was  fortunately 
from  the  North  east  and  made  it  less  disagreeable  than  if  it 
had  been  in  our  faces.  We  travelled  9  miles  and  overtaking 
the  rear  guard  of  the  Troops,  we  baited  on  Box  Elder,  an- 
other fine  stream  of  water.  The  rain  continued  to  fall  but 
after  nooning  two  hours  we  again  threw  on  our  harness  and 
proceeded  on  to  Deer  Creek  which  we  reached  after  dark.  We 
soon  had  a  large  fire  kindled,  and  made  ourselves  tolerably 
comfortable.  The  clouds  broke  away  about  9  O-Clock  and 
we  had  a  clear  pleasant  night —  We  are  now  distant  23  Miles 
from  Piatt  Bridge  whicli  we  expect  to  reach  to  day —  The 
beautiful  trees  that  grcAV  upon  this  pretty  stream  in  1850  Lave 
been  nearly  all  cut  down  to  build  a  Trading  post  kept  by  a 
Frenchman  on  the  west  side  of  the  stream — 

November  1st.  The  morning  is  delightful  and  all  our 
gloomy  forebodings,  with  the  clouds,  have  been  dispelled.  I 
have  taken  a  long  tramp  over  the  hills  toward  the  head  of 
Deer  Creek  in  search  of  our  mules  wliich  strayed  a  consider- 
able distance  last  nigbt.  Tavo  of  ours  and  9  belonging  to  the 
other  parties  are  still  missing  and  it  is  noAV  near  12  O-Clock. 
The  mules  liave  all  been  found  and  Ave  Avill  soon  be  off.  We 
halted  aAvhile  at  the  Trading  Post  kept  by  Bisnett  and  Semino, 
in  hope  of  getting  some  fresh  beef  but  after  Avaiting  some  time 
Avere  disappointed,  and  drove  on  a  fine  road  about  1-i  miles 
and  encamped  at  CroAv  Grove,  a  large  grove  of  young  cotton 
woods  on  the  Piatt.  The  grove  is  so  called  from  a  large  jDarty 
of  Crows  having  Avintered  here  a  fcAV  years  ago.  The  moon 
arose  full  and  large  just  as  the  sun  Avas  setting  and  we  had  a 
mild  and  beautiful  niglit —  The  smoke  of  our  camp  fires  rose 
higl; —  and  in  the  fine  and  transparent  atmosphere. 

Nov.    2d.      The    sky    is    Avithout    a    cloud —    The    sun    has 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  101 


arisen  with  great  briliancy —  Although  we  feel  verry  sensibly 
the  cold  breath  of  the  Larimie  Chain  which  runs  along  the 
Valey  and  is  covered  with  the  white  robe  of  -winter.  We  are 
now  distant  10  miles  from  the  bridge  where  we  have  the  good 
old  Platt^  which  has  been  so  long  our  companion,  and  has  fur- 
nished us  with  its  delightful  water —  We  have  been  truly 
blessed  with  good  weather,  but  cannot  expect  it  to  continue 
much  longer.  We  reached  the  bridge  early  in  the  but  finding 
no  grass  in  its  vicinity  drove  some  2  miles  above  and  en- 
camped—  Here  we  determined  to  remain  until  Ave  could  se- 
cure some  fresh  animals,  finding  that  some  of  our  mules  were 
so  much  exhausted  that  they  could  hold  out  verry  little  longer. 
The  fridge  is  owned  by  a  Mr.  Rishaw  who  has  a  trading  post 
here. ) 


6 


Nov.  3  :  We  did  not  get  off  from  camp  until  1 1  O-Clock. 
Mr.  L.  succeeded  in  purchasing  six  fresh  animals  for  One 
thousand  Dollars  with  the  understanding  that  they  should  be 
sent  after  us  on  the  road,  j  We  proceeded  up  the  Piatt  some 
4  miles,  crossed  over  without  any  difficulty  and  struck  away 
across  tl.e  hills.  We  overtook  the  party  who-  started  some 
time  in  advance  of  while  they  were  nooning.  Here,  some  of 
the  animals  contracted  for  came  up  and  we^  sent  back  a  pair 
of  mules  to  be  wintered  by  Mr.  RishaAv —  lAfter  nooning  a 
short  time  we  set  forward  again  and  drove^  'till  sun  set  and 
halted  at  The  Alkali  Lake  Avithin  a  short  distance  of  the  Red 
Buttes —  The  Avind  has  been  bloAving  a  gale  nearly  all  day 
long  and  SAveeping  the  ligl>t  ashy  soil  through  the  air.  Tie  soil 
here  seems  nothing  but  beds  of  ash  and  lime  and  is  so  strongly 
impregnated  Avith  alkali  that  nothing  but  the  chimesal  or 
greascAvood  and  the  stunted  sage  Avill  grow  upon  it.  A  fcAV 
miles  before  reaching  the  Alkali  Lake  Avhich  is  a  small  ]3ond, 
to  the  right  of  the  wood,  I  saAV  strong  indications  of  coal.  Dark 
strata  jutting  out  in  the  raA'ines.  There  is  sufficient  ashes  in 
this  region,  if  proportionately  mingled  Avith  the  other  por- 
tions of  the  Territory  to  make  Nebraska  (otherAvise  a  Avaste 
desert)  a  fertile  country.  The  Red  Buttes  Avhich  are  tall  hills 
of  red  sand  and  stone,  on  each  side  of  the  Piatt,  serve  as  the 
corner  of  the  territories  of  several  tribes  oi'Indians,  Avho  often 
meet  here  on  their  hunting  expeditions — (-The  Cheyennes  and 
tie  Arapahoes  (a  number  of  Avhom  Ave  saAV  at  RishaAvs)  pAvn- 
ing  the  south  side  of  the  River  The  Sioux  oAvning  the  no^th  of 
the  RiA'er  up  as  high  as  the  Red  Buttes  and  the  CroAvs  and 
Snakes  Avest  of  them —  After  stopping  aAvhile  Ave  determined 
to  make  a  night  driA^e  in  order  to  oA-ertake   the   Troo]3s   Avho 


102  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


were  a  day  in  advance  of  us.  The  night  was  verry  cold,  and 
tl;e  wind  lolew  strong  completely  enveloping  us  in  clouds  of 
alkaline  dust —  We  passed  two  small  streams  which  are  said 
to  be  more  strongly  impregnated  than  any  other  streams 
upon  the  plains.  The  numerous  carcasses  of  animals  that 
that  could  be  seen  in  every  direction  plainly  indicated  their 
poisonous  qualities.  There  are  several  springs  in  this  vicinity 
that  are  called  the  poison  springs  but  I  did  not  see  them. 
We  passed  to  night  through  the  Rock  Avenue  a  verry  re- 
markable  Huge  masses  of  granite  or  gray  sand  rock 

are  piled  up  on  eacl;  side  of  the  road  for  some  distance.  After 
a  very  cold  and  disagreeable  drive  of  some  10  miles  we  turned 
off  to  the  left  of  the  road  and  going  some  mile  and  half  got 
down  on  Willow  Spring  Creek^  and  being  somewhat  sheltered 
from  the  wind  by  the  Sand  Bluffs  unharnessed  our  mules  and 
turned  into  our  blankets  without  kindling  a  fire — 

4  Nov.  We  started  early  without  getting  breakfast,  re- 
traced our  steps  to  the  road.  The  morning  was  severely  cold, 
and  gusts  of  snow  blew  into  our  faces  as  we  crossed  the 
high  ridges  but  it  was  soon  over.  We  passed  Willow  Springs 
and  drove  on  till  12  O-Clock  before  getting  breakfast,  and 
then  stopped  on  verry  poor  grass  within  a  few  hundred  yards 
of  a  verry  pretty  stream  of  fine  water —  We  tLen  drove  for- 
vi^ard  and  encamped  again  about  4  O-Clock  on  Horse  Creek, 
another  beautiful  little  stream,  a  tributary  of  Sweet  Water. 
We  tarried  about  an  hour  here,  and  then  started  for  another 
night  drive — The  night  was  severely  cold,  but  we  finally 
succeeded  in  reaching  Independence  Rock  about  10  O-Clock. 
After  winding  around  it  we  succeeded  in  finding  a  spot  where 
we  were  partially  sheltered  from  the  cold  wind  and  soon  had 
a  bright  fire  burning  close  under  its  shelving  side.  After 
getting  thoroughly  warm  and  eating  a  hearty  supper  of  fried 
buffalo,  coffee  and  crackers,  retired  to  our  blankets  feeling 
verry  comfortable —  TLis  stupendous,  isolated  mass  of  gran- 
ite lies  within  a  short  distance  of  Sweet  Water  where  the  road 
strikes  it,  and  is  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  on  the  road. 
The  road  passes  on  each  side  of  it.  I  should  suppose  that 
it  is  at  least  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  at  its  most 
elevated  point  one  hundred  feet  high.  It  is  distant  from  the 
Devils  Gate  about  5  miles.  Here  commences  the  great  Rocky 
Mountain  Pass,  from  10  to  15  miles  in  width  walled  on  each 
side  by  immense  piles  of  bare  granite  rock.  Tl.e  Sweet 
Water  takes  its  rise  near  the  summit  and  runs  winding  along 
the   Valey   or  Pass.      The   distance   from   Independence    Rock 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  103 


to  the  summit  of  the  Pass  is  said  to  be  one  hundred  and  fif- 
teen miles  by  tlie  road,  but  the  windings  of  the  stream  makes 
its  course  much  further.  The  ascent  is  so  gradual  that  it  is 
scarcely  jDerceptible. 

5th.  We  did  not  start  this  morning  verry  early  as  the 
Troops  were  encamped  in  the  Valey  a  few  miles  above  us 
and  we  did  not  wish  to  travel  in  advance  of  them.  We  passed 
the  Devil's  Gate  about  9  O-Clock  but  as  I  had  visited  it  in 
1850  I  had  not  curiousity  sufficient  to  clamber  over  the 
rocks  again  It  is  a  great  natural  curiousity  and  will  richly 
repay  one  for  the  trouble  of  visiting  it.  It  is  where  the  River 
cuts  its  waj^  through  a  projection  in  the  mountain  on  the 
right  of  the  road.  The  gorge  is  verry  narrow  and  walled  up 
by  perpendicular  rocks  several  hundred  feet  in  height.  The 
River  rushes  through  for  about  half  a  mile  with  great  violence 
dashing  and  foaming  over  the  rocks  that  lie  in  its  channel. 
There  is  a  narrow  jDath  leading  up  the  bank  of  the  River, 
overhung  by  tall  precipices,  but  it  terminates  before  getting 
half  way  through,  the  angry  water  filling  up  the  entire 
space —  The  morning  was  verry  pleasant  and  we  travelled 
some  8  miles  and  turned  loose  to  graze.  Our  stay  was  but 
short  having  some  15  nailes  to  make.  It  was  not  until  near 
sun  set  before  we  came  in  sight  of  the  Troops  encamped  in 
the  Valey  on  the  right  of  the  road  and  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  River —  There  was  ever}^  appearance  of  a  snow  storm 
and  we  determined  to  go  on  a  few  miles  further  and  cross  the 
River  so  that  we  might  get  under  tl.e  shelter  of  the  moun- 
tains and  get  cedar  for  our  fire —  We  succeeded  after  con- 
siderable difficulty  in  crossing  the  River  and  winding  up 
around  a  point  of  the  mountain,  and  found  luxuriant  bunch 
grass,  plenty  of  dry  cedar  and  an  excellent  shelter,  and  soon 
were  seated  around  a  brilliant  fire  and  enjoying  ourselves 
at  seeing  the  grass  extending  far  up  the  sides  of  the  huge 
piles  of  rock  that  hung  far  above  our  heads,  covered  here 
and  there  by  the  dark  cedar.  The  picture  was  worthy  the 
pencil  of  the  artist.  Our  camp  was  near  what  is  called  the 
split  in  the  rock,  a  remarkable  cleft  in  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tain which  can  be  seen  at  a  great  distance  from  either  direc- 
tion. 

6th.  The  snow  is  coming  down  in  heavy  flakes  upon 
us.  It  commenced  about  5  O-Clock  tliis  morning.  I  was  uji 
early  and  had  a  blazing  fire.  The  Troops  have  got  under  way 
and  as  soon  as  they  pass,  Ave  will  follow.  How  long  we  may 
be  able  to  proceed  is  wisely  ruled  in  the  future —  We  travelled 


104  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


till  late  in  tlie  evening,  making  but  one  drive.  The  wind  blew 
a  constant  storm.  The  snow  sweeping  over  us^  but  the  trail 
was  so  well  beaten  down  by  the  Troops  and  their  hundred 
wagons  that  we  got  along  without  much  difficulty —  We  made 
about  15  miles  reaching  what  is  called  the  Three  Crossings, 
but  we  only  crossed  the  River  once  and  proceeding  about  a 
mile  encamped  in  a  thicket  of  willows  being  somewhat  shel- 
tered by  the  mountain  that  wound  its  lofty  mass  of  rock 
around  us.  The  wind  was  still  blowing  furiously  and  the 
snow  drifting  in  every  direction  around  us —  But  we  suc- 
ceeded in  kindling  a  fire  of  dry  willow  brush  and  after  drying 
ourselves  and  getting  supper,  retired  to  our  blankets.  The 
Troops  encamped  some  3  miles  in  advance  of  us.  Our  mules 
are  becoming  verry  feeble  and  were  it  not  for  the  little  corn 
we  have  they  would  soon  be  unable  to  travel  and  leave  us 
to  the  fury  of  the  elements —  Tlie  Indian  horses  that  we  have 
M^ith  us  are  of  great  service  as  they  seem  to  know  by  instinct 
where  grass  can  be  found  and  paAv  it  form  beneath  the  snow. 
The  mules  follow  them  wherever  they  go  — 

7th  Novr.  Difficulties  are  crowding  upon  us.  Under  the 
most  favorable  circums'tances  it  will  require  4  days  to  reach 
the  pass —  It  is  still  snowing  and  we  may  expect  the  weather 
to  grow  worse  as  we  proceed  until  we  cross  the  mountains 
entirely —  We  trust  in  tlie  mercy  of  the  Great  Creator  of  all 
things.  As  soon  as  our  mules  can  be  found  we  Avill  be  off  if 
they  are  able  to  travel.  They  have  strayed  up  the  ravines  of 
the  mountain  for  shelter  and  grass —  We  travelled  14  miles 
and  encamped  in  the  Sage.     No  grass —  Intense!}"  cold  night. 

8  Reached  Sage  Creek  after  dark  Encamped  in  the  sage 
Intensely  cold  Troops  encamped  near  us —  The  mules  all 
dropping  along  the  road —  Severely  cold  and  a  prospect  of 
more  snow —  Our  Animals  cannot  hold  out  much  longer 
without  food- —  Can  we  ever  reach  our  point  of  destination — 

9th.  Verry  cold  this  morning.  Prospect  of  heavy  snow 
storm  today —  2  8  miles  distant  from  South  Pass. 

We  are  halting  for  a  short  time  on  Rocky  ridge  for  our 
mules  to  i^ick  a  little  grass  that  projects  above  the  snow — 
The  sun  came  out  shortly  after  we  started  and  shone  verry 
warmly  until  about  12  O-Clock,  but  the  clouds  have  again 
gathered  and  it  is  growing  verry  cold —  We  are  distant  from 
the  camp  we  intend  making,  about  10  miles —  The  Ther- 
mometer was  12  degrees  below  zero  last  night.  The  Troops 
left  5  wagons  and  8  mules  and  horses  this  morning  to  perish. 
How  long  will  it  be  before  we  are  compelled  to  do  the  same 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  105 


thing?  This  place  is  appropriately  called  the  Rocky.  The 
country  for  miles  is  covered  with  heaps  of  rock  as  if  piled  up 
by  the  hand  of  man —  We  are  on  the  Semino  Cut-off  which 
we  struck  day  before  yesterday  after  passing  the  5th  cross- 
ing of  Sweet  Water. 

It  was  eight  O-Clock  before  we  got  into  a  thicket  of 
willows  and  after  great  difficulty  succeeded  in  getting  a  fire. 
We  could  not  feed  our  mules  and  their  hungry  cries  were 
piteous.  We  saw  the  fires  of  the  Troops  several  miles  before 
we  reached  them  and  the  sight  was  cheering,  as  they  blazed 
far  and  wide  up  the  Valey. 

10th.  Last  night  was  an  awful  night_,  the  most  dis- 
agreeable I  think  that  I  ever  felt.  The  wind  blew  a  storm 
all  night  sweeping  tlie  snow  in  every  direction —  The  piteous 
cries  of  the  famished  mules  was  heart  rending.  They  crowded 
around  our  camp  first,  and  seemed  to  beg  for  food  in  the 
most  supplicating  tones,  but  we  had  none  to  spare  them — 
When  we  awoke  this  morning,  the  storm  was  still  raging  and 
the  air  dark  with  snow.  Mules  were  starved  about  dead  and 
some  in  the  last  agonies  of  death.  It  was  a  difficult  matter 
to  get  them  to  stand  long  enough  to  feed  them  and  put  their 
harness  on —  One  of  the  Government  teamsters  left  5  mules 
mired  in  a  slew  with  all  the  harness  on —  With  great  diffi- 
culty we  succeeded  in  ascending  the  hill.  The  storm  still 
raged  furiously.  We  had  14^  miles  to  make,  but  fortunately 
the  wind  blew  in  our  backs  most  of  the  time.  All  day  the 
wind  swept  with  wild  fury  drifting  the  snow  around  us  and 
deep  across  our  road  .  At  every  half  mile  a  mule  was  turned 
loose  unable  to  proceed  any  further.  We  reached  camp  on 
Sweet  Water  late  in  the  evening  and  winding  among  the  wil- 
low shrubs  and  succeeded  in  finding  a  spot  to  shelter  our- 
selves somewhat  from  the  furious  wind.  We  gave  our  mules 
a  little  corn  and  then  shovelled  away  the  deep  snow  and  suc- 
ceeded in  kindling  a  fire.  It  was  only  by  constant  exertion 
in  cutting  willows  that  we  could  keep  ourselves  from  freez- 
ing. The  night  was  extremely  cold  and  a  great  number  of 
stock  died  and  some  50  loose  mules  and  horses  were  left  in 
camp,  it  being  impossible  to  drive  them.  As  soon  as  they 
reached  tlie  top  of  the  hill  they  would  wheel  about  in  spite 
of  the  efforts  of  the  driver. 

11th.  The  morning,  contrary  to  the  anticipations  of 
all.  was  mild —  We  succeeded  before  night  in  reaching  Dry 
Sandy.  20  miles,  and  encamped  in  the  sage  brush  in  a  gully — 
just  above  the  Command — 


lOG  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


12  Last  night  was  intensely  cold  but  the  sun  is  shining 
warmly —  Poor  Tiny^  our  faithful  mule,  is  dying —  The  Com- 
mand will  not  be  able  to  go  much  further —  We  left  camp 
at  one  O-Clockj  not  being  able  to  collect  our  stock  any  sooner. 
We  left  two  of  our  faithful  animals  lying  in  the  rear  of  our 
Avagons.  They  were  unable  to  rise  and  seemed  to  select  this 
spot  as  their  last  resting  place,  to  be  near  us — 

It  was  with  feelings  of  sadness  that  we  left  them  but  it 
was  out  of  our  power  to  render  them  assistance —  Our  road 
was  beautiful  today,  firm  and  level.  We  reached  Little  Sandy 
12  miles  distant  from  Dry  Sandy  just  as  the  sun  was  setting, 
but  Col.  Cook  had  gone  on  to  Big  Sandy  and  we  were  com- 
pelled to  follow.  He  had  turned  off  from  the  main  road  to 
the  right  and  struck  the  stream  higher  up  about  6  miles  from 
Little  Sandy.  We  did  not  reach  Camp  until  after  dark  but 
although  the  night  was  cold  soon  succeeded  in  kindling  a  com- 
fortable fire  with  sage  brush  and  willow — 

13th.  The  morning  is  pleasant —  We  have  found 
some  grass  a  few  miles  above  camp,  and  Col.  Cook  has 
given  orders  that  we  halt  here  today  to  refresh  the  stock  as 
there  is  only  one  feed  of  corn  left.  We  are  now  distant  from 
Green  River  about  28  miles  and  have  nearly  accomplished  a 
march  which  will  reflect  credit  uiDon  our  gallant  Colonel. 

Under  all  the  circumstances  no  expedition  has  ever  been 
conducted  with  more  sound  judgment  more  order  and  com- 
plete success  than  this —  Under  ordinary  circumstances  and 
under  the  conduct  of  an  inexperienced  officer,  the  expedition 
would  have  proved  a  complete  failure.  A  march  across  this 
desert  country  at  the  most  pleasant  season  of  the  year  is  one 
of  great  toil  and  sacrifice,  but,  at  the  most  rigorous  season 
it  is  almost  a  miracle —  without  the  loss  of  a  single  man  and 
the  sacrifice  of  a  comparatively  small  amount  of  stock —  The 
storm  and  the  intense  cold  the  almost  entire  want  of  fuel, 
grass  and  water,  have  offered  no  impediment  to  the  progress 
of  the  march.  The  Bugle  sounded  to  the  march  and  all  were 
in  motion.  The  brave  Col.  at  the  head  of  his  Command  faced 
the  storm  and  ploughed  through  the  snow  drifts.  Determined 
to  accomplish  the  object  of  his  duty,  he  suffered  nothing  to 
deter  him  from  his  purpose.  The  lives  of  his  soldiers  and  the 
property  of  his  government  were  in  his  l.-ands  and  he  knew  not 
what  suffering  a  day's  delay  might  bring  upon  him.  The 
mountains  had  to  be  crossed  for  return  was  impossible.  The 
forage  for  his  animals  was  nearly  exhausted  and  the  little 
grass  to   be   found  was  buried   beneath   the   snow —  He   per- 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  107 


severed  and  lias  been  crowned  with  success —  Great  credit 
is  due  to  Lieut.  Beaufort  the  Regimental  Quartermaster  who 
never  shrank  from  his  duty —  I  have  often  seen  him  when  a 
wagon  was  overturned  laboring  in  the  snow  to  right  it  again 
and  to  prevent  delay  in  the  march —  Not  a  murmer  was  heard 
from  an  officer  or  soldier,  all  shared  alike  in  the  toils  and 
privations  consequent  ujoon  so  severe  a  march —  No  person 
who  has  not  made  the  trip  across  tl;e  plains  has  any  correct 
notions  in  regard  to  it —  The  descriptions  given  of  it  by  jour- 
nalists are  so  meager  tliat  those  who  Lave  read  these  descrip- 
tions and  then  travelled  over  the  road  acknowledged  that  they 
had  not  the  most  remote  conception  of  the  country —  What 
is  called  the  Pass  in  tl;e  Rocky  INIountains  is  not  as  most  perr 
sons  suppose,  a  narrow  pass  way  through  frightful  over-hang- 
ing mountains  with  wild  streams  dashing  down  tlieir  acclivi- 
ties, but  on  the  contrary  it  is  a  scarcely  perceptible  ascent, 
and  when  the  summit  is  reached  the  traveller  is  not  aware  of 
it  and  frequently  asks  where  is  the  Pass  ?  The  Pass  may  be 
said  to  commence  at  Independence  Rock  on  Sweet  Water  fol- 
lowing the  Valey  through  which  that  stream  flows  more  than 
one  hundred  miles  before  it  reaches  the  most  elevated  point, 
the  Pacific  Spring,  where  the  water  commences  flowing  to 
the  west.  The  Valey  of  Sweet  Water  varies  in  width  from 
12  to  30  miles  and  is  walled  in  on  each  side  by  a  low  chain 
of  Rocky  Moutains  only  some  few  hundred  feet  in  height 
which  give  to  tbe  mountains  their  name.  These  mountains 
are  called  the  Wind  River  Chain  as  they  run  from  Wind  River 
which  flows  into  the  Missouri  on  the  north —  They  are  in 
sight  long  after  crossing  the  south  Pass  as  they  stretch  aAvay 
on  the  north.  Tbere  is  no  road  of  the  same  length  that  is 
more  level,  running  most  of  the  time  over  a  firm  smooth  grav- 
elly surface —  The  descent  on  the  western  slope  is  more  grad- 
ual than  on  the  East  spreading  out  into  a  vast  desert  plain 
covered  with  sage,  which  gives  it  more  the  character  of 
sterillity  than  if  it  had  no  vegetation  at  all  upon  it — 

We  are  now  near  the  place  where  one  of  the  trains  was 
burned  on  Big  Sandy. 

14tl!.  The  day  broke  with  thick  clouds  of  cold  frost 
and  mist  hanging  along  the  horizon  and  flying  through  the 
air,  but  before  we  were  ready  to  start  the  sun  came  forth 
with  unusual  brightness  spangling  the  air  with  myriads  of 
glistening  j^articles.  Our  road  led  down  Sandy  over  a 
smooth  sandy  surface  for  3  miles  before  it  came  into  the 
main  track —  We  crossed  the  stream  on  the  ice  and  proceed- 


108  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


ing  about  10  miles  descended  into  a  small  Valey  and  came 
suddenly  upon  the  smouldering  ruins  of  26  wagons  which 
were  corralled  on  each  side  of  the  road  Avhen  burned  by  the 
Mormons.  The  Big  Sandy  makes  a  considerable  circle  to  the 
south  west  and  empties  into  Green  River  not  a  great  distance 
from  where  we  cross  it.  We  reached  it  again  about  sun  set 
and  encamiaed  on  its  bank  with  plenty  of  willow  and  cottoii 
wood  for  fuelj  having  made  about  20  miles.  We  are  now 
distant  from  Green  River  1 1  miles —  The  country  from  the 
south  Pass  to  Green  River  is  entirely  barren,  having  no  vegeta- 
tion except  the  sage  and  the  chimeseal  or  greasewood.  Tie  for- 
mer seems  to  thrive  best  in  the  sandy  districts  growing  from 
a  foot  to  three  feet  in  height.  The  latter  grows  generally  on 
the  alkaline  flats,  or  in  the  ashy  and  lighter  districts.  It  re- 
sembles somewhat  the  wild  gooseberry,  having  similar  leaves 
upon  its  stocks  it  burns  freely  and  makes  a  hot  fire  while  it 
lasts,  but  like  the  sage,  requires  to  be  constantly  replenished. 
The  only  bird  to  be  seen  is  the  raven  which  preys  upon  the 
thousands  of  carcasses  that  strew  the  plains.  The  sage  hen 
is  also  found  in  great  numbers. 

15th.  We  left  our  Camp  early  this  morning.  The  dav 
was  verry  pleasant.  We  reached  the  long  looked  for  Green 
River  about  1  O-CIock.  The  descent  to  the  river  was  verry 
steep  over  a  surface  covered  with  flint  stones  of  a  great  vari- 
ety of  colors.  Although  detained  in  crossing  the  river  for 
some  time  we  got  a  good  Camp  verry  early —  We  learned  on 
our  arrival  here  from  an  old  French  Trader  that  Col.  John- 
son had  left  here  some  days  ago  for  Fort  Bridger  &  Fort 
Supply,  but  we  have  no  official  intelligence  from  him  yet — 
The  Command  will  leave  10  wagons  here  in  the  morning  and 
their  feeble  stock —  We  are  still  in  a  state  of  doubt  and  un- 
certainty whether  Col.  J.  intends  going  into  the  Valey  or  not. 

16th.  The  morning  Avas  verry  cold  the  wind  blowing 
keenly  from  the  north  west  almost  in  our  faces.  We  travel- 
led some  20  miles  and  reached  Blacks  Fork  of  Green  River 
before  sun  set.  We  found  no  fuel  except  willow  shrubs  and 
a  little  stunted  sage.  The  country  from  Green  River  to  this 
point  presents  the  same  aspect  of  barrenness  as  that  from  the 
South  Pass  to  Green  River.  We  met  this  evening  Semino  the 
expressman  sent  by  Col.  Cook  from  Independence  Rock  to 
Col.  Johnson.  He  brought  intelligence  that  Col.  Johnson  was 
encamped  near  Bridger  on  Blacks  Fork  with  all  his  Com- 
mand—  Ham's  Fork  empties  into  Blacks  Fork  about  two 
miles  above  our  camp. 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  109 


17th.  We  left  Camp  about  8  O-Clock  and  proceeding 
north  west  up  the  stream  crossed  Ham's  Fork  in  about  two 
miles  and  in  about  3  miles  crossed  Blacks  Fork  and  finding- 
some  grass  encamped —  We  found  Capt.  Radford's  train^  tl.e 
sutler  for  the  5  Inftj'  and  Gilbert  &  Garrish's  train^  mer- 
chants of  Salt  Lake  encamped  on  Blacks  Fork.  The  former 
had  3  or  4  head  of  cattle  taken  by  the  Mormons  and  the  lat- 
ter 180.  They  were  corralled  and  unable  to  proceed —  They 
inform  us  that  several  thousand  head  of  cattle  mules  and 
horses  lie  dead  between  this  and  Bridger.  We  can  see  them 
lying  in  heaps  in  every  direction.  We  are  now  distant  about 
2  8  miles  from  Bridger.  News  has  reached  us  that  Col.  John- 
son intends  wintering  his  Army  there  as  the  stock  is  in  so 
feeble  a  condition  and  the  snow  so  heavy  in  tlie  mountains, 
that  he  will  be  unable  to  proceed  any  further  until  Spring. 
This  however  will  be  decided  when  we  reach  him  which  Avill 
be  day  after  tomorrow.  The  snow  still  continues  to  cover  tie 
earth —  We  generally  select  a  gully  or  ravine  for  our  Camp 
and  cut  down  the  bank  to  make  a  place  for  our  fire  and 
clean  away  the  snow  to  spread  our  blankets. 

18th.  We  left  this  Camp  this  morning  at  8  O-Clock  and 
are  again  encamped  on  Black's  Fork  having  travelled  some 
14  miles.  The  sun  has  been  shining  hot  all  day  and  the  snow 
is  fast  disappearing,  filling  the  road  with  water —  The  road 
today  has  resembled  one  vast  slaughter  yard  from  10  to  15 
cattle,  mules  and  l.orses  could  be  seen  in  a  heap  at  a  single 
glance.  We  would  frequenlty  have  to  turn  our  wagons  from 
the  road  to  avoid  running  over  them —  It  Avould  make  the 
most  obdurate  heart  feel  to  see  the  noble  Dragoon  horses  fall- 
ing dead  beneath  their  riders,  worn  out  by  fatigue  and  hun- 
ger—  We  have  found  some  good  grass  on  the  streams  where 
we  are  encamped  and  the  famished  mules  and  horses  are 
ravenously  devouring  it.  We  have  an  abundance  of  fuel  of  wil- 
low and  large  dry  sage.  The  morning  is  as  mild  and  pleasant  as 
spring.  The  camp  is  full  of  life  some  are  pitching  their  tents 
some  cutting  up  sage  for  their  campfire  some  picketting  their 
mules  and  horses.  The  cracks  of  the  teamsters  Avhips  can  be 
heard  as  they  are  encouraging  their  wearied  mules  across  the 
stream. 

19th.  Last  night  was  milder  than  any  night  we  have 
had  since  leaving  Larimie  and  the  morning  is  pleasant  and  tl  e 
rattle  of  the  wagons  as  they  roll  out  of  Camp  is  now  heard. 
We  are  the  only  party  that  are  not  ready  to  start  being  de- 
tained by  our  own  negligence  in  not  getting  up  our  stock  in 


no  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


time.  I  trust  that  we  will  be  able  to  reach  Col.  Johnson's 
Command  today. 

20th.  We  made  Camp  about  sun  set  within  a  mile  of 
Bridger —  Col.  Cook's  Command  turned  off  the  road  and 
encamped  on  the  river  two  miles  below  us  and  Mr.  Dodson's 
party  and  our  carriage  were  all  that  were  able  to  reach 
Camp,  and  our  stock  were  so  much  exhausted  that  they  could 
not  have  made  2  miles  further —  We  have  a  pleasant  Camp 
near  the  banks  of  Blacks  Fork  within  the  sound  of  the  bugle 
and  drums  of  Col.  Johnson's  Command,  which  is  encamped 
one  and  a  half  miles  from  Bridger.  There  is  an  abundance 
of  grass  in  the  Valey  around  us,  and  plenty  of  dry  willow  for 
fuel —  I  spent  a  verry  pleasant  night  it  being  as  mild  as 
spring  although  the  earth  is  still  covered  with  snow.  We  will 
lie  here  until  we  hear  from  the  rest  of  the  party. 

We  have  heard  since  arriving  here  that  2  of  the 

Indians  have  come  here  from  Webber  River  and  report  that 
the  Mormons  have  strongly  fortified  Echo  Canon  40  miles 
distant  from  Salt  Lake,  and  that  tl:ey  have  one  thousand 
men  stationed  there  to  guard  it.  Col.  J.  has  several  Mor- 
mon prisoners —  Col.  Cook  arrested  our  Mormon  cook  on  our 
arrival  at  Green  River.  About  12  O-Clock  we  started  for  Col. 
Johnson's  Camp  and  reached  the  Corral  formed  by  the 
wagons  which  freighted  Mr.  Livingston's  goods  early  in  the 
evening  and  running  our  wagons  into  the  Corral  consoled  our- 
selves that  our  toils  were  over.     The  Camp  presented 

(NOTE:      The   last   sentence    was   never   concluded,    as    the 
writer  was  evidently  interrupted.) 


AN  INTERESTING  EARLY  PUBLICATION 
"The  Yellowstone  Expedition  of  1870" 

"The  Yellowstone  Expedition  of  1870" — under  General 
Washburn,  Lieut.  Doane  and  Lieut.  Langford,  is  one  of  the 
classics  of  western  explorations,  which  records  in  day-by-day 
form,  the  incidents,  adventures  and  observations  of  the  ex- 
pedition. 

This  was  the  first  expedition  to  explore  the  Yellowstone 
country;  the  first  to  name  and  describe  many  of  its  prominent 
features,  and  the  first  to  propose  that  its  natural  wonders  be 
preserved,  untouched,  by  reserving  the  region  as  a  National 
Park. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  111 

FORT  BRIDGER  IN  THE  SEVENTIES  X^ 

By  WILLIAM  A.  CARTER* 

Life  at  a  small  army  post  on  the  western  frontier  was 
generally  a  lonesome  experience,  but  Fort  Bridger  in  western 
Wyoming  furnished  a  striking  exception.  Tl.is  was  due  to 
its  location  on  the  northern  side  of  the  Uinta  Mountains, 
in  full  view  of  their  lofty  peaks  and  forests  and  to  the  great 
amount  of  wild  game  to  be  found  in  the  neighborhood. 

The  elk,  deer,  game  birds  and  mountain  trout  had  not 
been  subjected  to  the  excessive  destruction  that  cleared 
the  country  of  buffalo,  and  many  army  officers,  government 
and  railroad  officials  from  the  east,  as  well  as  friends  of  mem- 
bers of  the  garrison  were  attracted  to  the  fort. 

Judge  William  A.  Carter,  who  come  with  the  Army  to 
Fort  Bridger  on  its  establishment  in  18  57,  as  merchant-sutler, 
and  who  had  engaged  in  lumber^  livestock  and  other  interests 
in  the  vicinity,  was  a  great  lover  of  the  country  and  an  enthu- 
siastic advertiser  of  its  attractions.  From  his  old  home  in 
Virginia  near  Washington,  he  had  spent  much  time  in  that 
city,  and  had  many  friends  among  the  public  men  of  the  day. 

It  was  on  his  annual  visits  to  the  National  Capitol,  that 
he  spread  tl.e  story  of  the  delightful  summer  climate  and  the 
opportunities  for  sport,  with  recreation  that  Fort  Bridger  of- 
fered. His  home  was  filled  in  the  summer  months  with  his 
friends  and  their  ladies,  who  enjoyed  the  gracious  hospitality 
of  his  charming  wife  in  accordance  with  true  Virginia  tradi- 
tions. 

Other  visitors  to  the  post  made  up  camping  parties,  and 
engaged  guides  for  trips  into    the    Uinta    Mountains,    Avhere 


*Mr.  Carter,  now  living  at  La  Jolla,  CaHf.,  was  born  at  Fort  Bridger, 
Uinta  County,  LTtah  (now  Wyoming),  July  26,  1863,  and  has  spent 
practically  all  his  life  in  this  state,  practicing  his  legal  profession  and 
ranching.  He  is  a  son  of  Judge  William  Alexander  Carter  and  Mary 
Elizabeth  Carter.  Received  his  elementary  education  at  Fort  Bridger, 
under  private  tutors,  and  was  graduated  from  the  law  department  of 
Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  with  the  class  of  1900.  Admitted  to 
the  bar  of  Wyoming  the  same  year.  His  university  education  was  inter- 
rupted in  his  sophomore  year  by  the  death  of  his  father,  in  November, 
1881,  and  the  student  returned  to  Wyoming  to  manage  his  father's  es- 
tate, which  comprised  the  largest  raiches  of  the  State  at  that  time,  and 
included  25,000  head  of  cattle.  Mr.  Carter  was  a  member  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  of  the  State  I>egislature  in  1901-1902.  also  in  1915- 
1916,  representing  LTinta  County.  On  December  27,  1887,  at  Atlanta, 
Ga.,  Mr.  Carter  was  united  in  marriage  with  Katherine  Chase,  born  at 
Washington,  D.  C.  They  have  no  children. 


ii2 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


they  were  assured  a  delightful  outing  with  good  sport  to  make 
it  exciting. 

The  discovery  of  some  of  the  most  extensive  and  inter- 
esting fossil  beds  in  the  worlds  in  the  "Bad  Lands,"  nearby, 
also  attracted  scientists  and  students  from  leading  colleges  of 
the  country.  These  "Bone  Pickers,"  as  they  were  called  locally, 
often  brought  their  ladies;  made  these  annual  trips  the  oc- 
casion for  hunting  live  as  well  as  fossil  animals,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  social  life  of  the  fort. 

Horse-back  riding  was  one  of  the  greatest  pleasures, 
and    cow    ponies    for    use    on    the    trails    along    the    mountain 


" V  - "  'v    -      ' 

-^m' 

l^-b"-"  :"-  _ 

"-.-■^             m 

^'l 

^^ .  -= . 

-.  =^."*?a!e*i^.i  ' 

-  .    -   '  ""' 

J^MiL^. 

t.    ...   -     . 

'\^'-f  iu,.»fiSi*'«»*"' 


Home  of  Judge  W.  A.  Carter,  as  it  appeared  in  1870.  Built  in  1858. 


streams  and  across  the  level  mesas  between  were  easy  to  ob- 
tain. So,  horse-back  parties  made  up  part  of  the  daily  life  of 
the  fort. 

There  were  always  good  muscians  among  the  troops,  and 
dances  and  musical  entertainments  were  of  frequent  occur- 
rence. The  result  was  that  Fort  Bridger  was  a  scene  of  con- 
stant activity,  and  a  much  sought  station  by  the  Military. 

Through  his  long  association  with  the  Army  and  the 
marriage  of  two  of  his  daughters  to  army  officers^  Judge  Car- 
ter's home  was  looked  upon  as  a  center  of  social  life. 
His  excellent  library  was  an  attraction  and  his  Steinway 
square   piano   that  had   been   hauled   across   the   plains   by   ox 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  113 


teams,  before  the  building  of  tbe  railroad,  did  service  not  only 
for  dances  at  his  house,  but  also  rendered  music  from  the 
hands  of  local  artists,  as  well  as  distinguished  visiting  musi- 
cians. 

Part  of  his  library  and  the  old  piano  are  now  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  State  University  at  Laramie  to  whom  they  were 
bequeathed  by  Lulie  Carter  Groshon. 

The  little  school  house  which  still  stands  on  the  grounds 
of  the  State  Museum  at  Fort  Bridger,  was  Judge  Carter's  pri- 
vate family  school  house.  High  class  instructors  were  em- 
ployed, and  educational  opportunities  were  given  his  four 
daughters  and  two  sons  to  enable  them  to  enter  college. 

With  the  abandonment  of  all  small  forts  throughout  the 
country  the  troops  were  removed  from  Fort  Bridger  in  1878, 
but  although  it  was  reoccupied  temporarily  in  1880,  on  ac- 
count of  the  Ute  Indian  war,  in  which  Major  Thornburg  and 
soldiers  in  his  command  were  killed,  it  lost  its  attraction  for 
his  friends  on  the  death  of  Judge  Carter  in  1881,  and  the  fort 
and  reservation  were  finally  abandoned  and  thrown  open  for 
settlement  in   1890. 


AN  INTERESTING  EARLY  PUBLICATION 
"Snake,  or  Sho-Sho-Nay  Vocabulary" 

(iebow's  "Snake,  or  Sho-Sho-Nay  Vocabulary":  A  vo- 
cabulary of  the  Snake  or  Sho-Sho-Nay  dialect,  by  Joseph  A. 
Gebow,  interpreter,  was  apparently  the  third  ^^roduct  of  the 
Wyoming  Press;  this  was  preceded  by  "Lacotah  Dictionary"  by 
Hyers  and  Starring,  and  possibly  by  "Guide  and  Directory" 
by  Saltiel.  As  far  as  is  known,  this  is  the  only  specimen  of 
the  Freeman's  Press  to  survive,  and  it  was  published  in   1868. 

Tlie  establishment  was  called  the  "Press  on  Wheels"  be- 
cause the  outfit  was  hauled  in  a  wagon  in  the  van  of  the 
Pacific  Railway  construction. 

It  was  located  at  Green  River  City,  Wyoming  Territory, 
less  than  six  months,  when  it  was  moved  to  Bear  River,  where 
it  was  destroyed  in  the  railroad  riots. 

Gebow,  himself,  had  lived  in  the  Rockies  over  twenty 
years,  and  compiled  his  book  as  an  aid  to  trappers  and  traders. 


114  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


TRADER'S  LICENSE  GRANTED  TO  GENERAL 
WILLIAM  H.  ASHLEY  APRIL  11,  1822 

By  Marie  H.  Erwin 

William  H.  Ashley,  founder  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur 
comjJany,  was  one  of  the  most  promiinent  of  the  traderS;,  and 
also  proved  himself  to  be  very  successful  as  an  explorer  and 
business  man.  He  was  born  in  Poliatan  county,  Va,,  in  1778. 
He  came  to  St.  Louis  in  1802,  and  remained  there  until  his 
death.  For  twenty  years  he  devoted  his  time  to  various  enter- 
prises, the  school  of  frontier  experiences  having  served  him 
well. 

In  1820  he  was  elected  first  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the 
newly  admitted  State  of  Misouri.  The  Rocky  Mountain  Fur 
company  was  first  organized  in  the  early  spring  of  1822,  when 
we  find  Ashley  advertising  for  one  hundred  young  men  to 
ascend  the  Missouri  river  to  its  source,  and  spend  from  two 
to  three  years  trading  and  hunting  under  the  guidance  of 
Major  Henry,  who  was  a  partner  of  Ashley. 

The  first  recorded  license  for  Ashley  to  trap  and  trade 
on  the  upper  Missouri  appears  in  the  American  State  Pajoers 
— 08,  Page  428,  as  follows: 


COPY  OF  THE  LICENSE  GRANTED  TO 

GENERAL  WILLIAM  H.  ASHLEY  TO 

TRADE   WITH   THE  INDIANS   UP  THE  MISSOURI, 

DATED,  APRIL   11,    1822. 

To    all    who    shall    see    the    presents,    GREETING: 

Whereas,  William  H.  Ashley,  of  the  State  of  Mis- 
souri, having  made  application  to  the  Department  of  War 
for  license  to  carry  on  trade  Avith  the  Indians  up  the 
Missouri,  and  hath  given  bond,  according  to  law^  for  the 
true  and  faithful  observance,  by  him  and  his  agents,  of 
all  and  singular  the  regulations  and  restrictions  as  are, 
or  shall  be,  made  for  the  government  of  trade  and  inter- 
course with  the  Indian  Tribes :  Now,  therefore,  be  it 
known  that  the  said  William  H.  Ashley  is  hereby  licensed 
to  carry  on  trade  with  the  Indians  up  the  Missouri  accord- 
ingly, for  the  term  of  one  year  from  the  date  hereof,  un- 
less the  license  hereby  granted  should  be  sooner  revoked. 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  115 

Given  under  my  liand^  and  the  seal  of  the  War  Of- 
fice of  the  United  States,  at  the  city  of  Washington,  this 
11th  day  of  April,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord   1822. 

By  order  of  the  President  of  the  United  States: 

J.  C.  CALHOUN 

Note :  A  license  of  precisely  the  same  tenor  and  date 
was  also  granted  to  Major  Andrew  Henry. 


EXTRACT  OF  A  LETTER  FROM  THE  SECRETARY  OF 
WAR  TO  GENERAL  WILLIAM  CLARK,  SUPERINTEND- 
ENT OF  INDIAN  AFFAIRS  AT  ST.  LOUIS,  DATED 
JULY  1,  1822. 

"I  have  received  a  letter  from  Major  O'Fallon,  in 
which  he  states  that  he  understands  a  license  has  been 
granted  to  General  Ashley  and  Major  Henry  to  trade, 
trap,  and  hunt  on  the  upper  Missouri,  and  expresses  a 
hope  that  limits  have  been  prescribed  to  their  trapping 
and  hunting  on  Indian  lands,  as  he  says,  nothing  is  better 
calculated  to  alarm  and  disturb  the  harmony  so  happily 
existing  between  us  and  the  Indians  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Council  Bluffs. 

"The  license  which  has  been  granted  by  this  Depart- 
ment, by  order  of  the  President,  to  General  Ashley  and 
Major  Henry,  confers  the  privilege  of  trading  with  the 
Indians  only,  as  the  laws  regulating  trade  and  intercourse 
with  the  Indian  tribes  do  not  contain  any  authority  to 
issue  licenses  for  any  other  purpose.  The  privilege  thus 
granted  to  them  they  are  to  exercise  conformably  to  the 
laws  and  regulations  that  are,  or  shall  be,  made  for  the 
government  of  trade  and  intercourse  with  the  Indians, 
for  the  true  and  faithful  performance  of  which  they  have 
given  bonds,  with  sufficient  security ;  consequently,  it  is 
presumed  they  will  do  no  act,  not  authorized  by  such  laws 
and  regulations,  which  would  disturb  the  peace  and  har- 
mony existing  between  the  Government  and  the  Indians 
on  the  Missouri,  but  rather  endeavor,  by  their  regular 
and  conciliatory  conduct,  to  strengthen  and  confirm 
them." 


116  ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 


FIRST  WAGONS  TO  REACH  THE  ROCKY 
MOUNTAINS 

Extract  from  a  letter  from  Messrs.  Smith,  Jackson  and 
Sublette,  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  in  October,  1829,  and 
jmblished  ivith  President  Jackson's  Message,  January  25, 
1831  ^ 

"On  the  10th  of  April  last,  (1829)  we  set  out  from  St. 
Louis  with  8 1  men,  all  mounted  on  mules ;  ten  wagons,  each 
drawn  by  5  mules;  and  two  dearborns,  (light  carriages  or 
carts,)  each  drawn  by  one  mule.  Our  route  was  nearly  due 
west  to  the  western  limits  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  and  thence 
along  the  Santa  Fe  trail ;  about  forty  miles  from  which  the 
course  was  some  degrees  north  of  west,  across  the  waters  of 
the  Kansas,  and  up  the  Great  Platte  River  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  to  the  head  of  Wind  River,  where  it  issues 
from  the  mountains. 

"Here  the  wagons  could  easily  have  crossed  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  it  being  what  is  called  the  Southern  Pass,  had  it 
been  desirable  to  do  so.  For  our  support,  at  leaving  the  Mis- 
souri Settlements,  until  we  should  get  into  the  Buffalo  country, 
we  drove  tAvelve  head  of  cattle,  besides  a  milch  cow.  Eight  of 
them  only  being  required  for  use  before  we  got  to,  the  buf- 
faloes, the  others  went  on  to  the  head  of  Wind  River.  On  the 
4th  of  August,  the  wagons  being  in  the  meantime  loaded  with 
the  furs  which  had  been  previously  taken,  we  set  out  on  the 
return  to  St.  Louis.  All  the  high  points  of  the  mountains  then 
in  view  were  white  with  snow  ;  but  the  passes  and  valleys  and 
all  the  level  country  were  green  with  grass.  Our  route  back 
was  over  the  same  ground  nearly  as  in  going  out,  and  we 
arrived  at  St.  Louis  on  the  10th  of  October,  bringing  back  the 
ten  wagons,  four  of  the  oxen,  and  the  milch  cow,  to  the  settle- 
ments of  the  Missouri,  as  we  did  not  need  them  for  provisions. 
The  usual  weight  in  the  wagons  was  about  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  pounds.  Tlie  usual  progress  Avas  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  miles  per  day.  The  country  being  almost  all  open,  level 
an^  prairie,  the  chief  obstructions  Avere  ravines  and  creeks, 
the  hanks  of  AvhicK  required  cutting  down;" and  for  :this  pur- 
pose a  few  pioneers  AA^ere  generally  kept  ahead  of  the  cara- 
van. This  is  the  first  time  that  wagons  ever  went  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  the  ease  and  the  safety  with  Avhich  it  Avas  done 
prove  the  facility  of  communicating  overland  Avith  the  Pacific 
Ocean." 

•Taken  from  congressional  Documents  of  the  29th  Congress,  First  Ses- 
sion, House  Report  No.  773-Serial  No.  491,  Page  41. 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  117 

WAGON  TRAIN  BURNED  NEAR  WARM  SPRINGS 
DURING  TRAIL  DAYS 

(Appeared  in  Guernsey  Gazette,  July  2,  1937.) 

No  Reference  to  This  Tragedy  of  the  Trail  Is  Made  in  History 

Not  all  the  history  is  told,  nor  all  the  evidence-  gathered 
in  the  migration  westward  of  the  nation.  Thousands  of  men 
fell  by  the  roadside^  with  no  evidence  recorded  of  their  pass- 
ing, nor  is  there  a  crude  stone  to  mark  their  last  resting  place. 
They  were  never  heard  from   again  by  relatives  back  home. 

There  is  history  of  the  catastrophe  to  befall  the  Donner 
party.  Other  tragedies  are  recorded  in  diaries,  etc.,  but  many 
happenings  took  place  to  which  there  is  no  evidence  remain- 
ing, either  physical  or  in  the  crude  notes  of  a  diary  to  tell  us. 

Can  you  picture  in  your  mind  the  elation  of  a  wagon  train 
as  it  pulled  in  sight  of  Old  Fort  Laramie,  last  outpost  on  the 
frontier,  a  halfway  mark  on  their  long  journey  westward.  They 
visioned  that  soon  they  would  see  the  "elephant's  tail."  But 
as  they  left  the  old  Fort,  they  left  behind  all  semblance  of 
civilization,  a  new  land  of  the  "stony  mountains,"  with  the 
Indians  and  other  hazards. 

Either  the  first  or  second  over-night  stopping  place  (ac- 
cording to  their  equipment  to  make  time)  was  Warm  Springs. 
This  warm  spring  is  2^  miles  southwest  from  Guernsey,  lo- 
cated in  tie  Warm  Springs  draw,  a  beautiful  spring,  and  as 
described  in  the  diary  of  the  Brigham  Young  party,  "large 
enough  to  turn  a  mill  wheel."  It  is  also  referred  to  in  a  number 
of  diaries  as  the  "emigrant's  washtub." 

One  leg  of  the  trail  went  on  up  Warm  Springs  draw 
a  short  distance  before  swinging  west  toward  Bitter  Cotton- 
wood creek. 

At  a  location  on  a  knoll  about  a  half  mile  beyond  the 
Springs  was  mute  evidence  of  a  wagon  train  disaster.  Here 
a  train  of  eight  or  ten  wagons  had  drawn  into  its  circle  for 
the  night,  or  for  defense.  Here  tl.ey  witnessed  an  attack  upon 
the  train.  It  was  burned  to  the  ground  by  the  Indians.  For 
many  years  there  lay  the  stark  evidence  of  this  tragedy — old 
wagon  irons  of  each  wagon  and  its  contents  were  in  place, 
with  only  here  and  there  a  piece  of  a  charred  spoke  of  a 
wheel  or  like  fragment  of  charred  wood,  as  evidence  of  what 
took  place. 

This  circle  of  burned  wagons  was  laying  in  place  25  years 


n«-  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


ago  and  many  earl}^  residents  of  the  locality  recall  vividly  its 
appearance.  It  has  all  been  carried  away  as  relics  but  there  are 
manv  here  yet  who  saw  it  as  it  was  left  after  the  attack. 

Exactly  Avhat  took  place  we  can  onl}'  surmise.  Here  was 
complete  evidence  of  a  disaster  to  a  wagon  train.  Were  there 
any  survivors  ?  We  find  no  reference  to  this  train  attack  in 
history.  The  country  Avas  infested  with  the  hostile  Sioux. 

A  few  weeks  ago  Ed  Shoults  of  Horse  Creek,  this  state, 
who  lived  here  as  a  boy  when  the  town  first  started  at  the 
turn  of  the  century,  and  hunted  rabbits  over  the  hills,  investi- 
gating as  boys  will,  all  the  hills  and  crannies  in  the  whole  im- 
mediate territory,  gave  the  writer  a  vivid  description  of  the 
picture  of  the  burned  wagon  train. 

Will  the  l.'istorians  learn  just  what  took  place  at  this  lo- 
cation through  some  yet  undiscovered  diary,  or  will  this  prob- 
able tragedy  of  the  trail  be  erased  completely  with  the  passing 
of  time  } 

Over  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Warm  Springs  wash,  about 
50  yards  west  from  a  point  directly  south  of  the  Springs,  and 
back  on  the  bank  a  short  distance  was  a  little  graveyard  with 
five  or  six  graves,  with  crude  markers  indicating  their  loca- 
tion. Time  has  eroded  all  evidence  of  this  little  burial  ground. 
Warm  Springs  draw  carries  the  run-off  of  a  large  watershed 
and  at  times  a  rolling  torrent  comes  pouring  down  into  the 
Platte.  The  banks  of  the  draw  have  crumbled  away  by  the 
washing  water  until  all  evidence  of  the  last  resting  place  of 
these  emigrants  is  gone,  yet  there  are  some  here  who  re- 
member it.  Were  they  some  of  the  unfortunate  victims  of  the 
wagon  train  attack.''  We  have  no  wav  of  knowing. 


ERRATA: 

Wyoming  Annals,  January,  1939,  p.  8:  Frank  Lusk  was  not 
the  first  County  Treasurer  of  Niobrara  County;  Mr.  P. 
E.  Barber  was  the  first  County  Treasurer,  term    1913-17. 

Wyoming  Annals,  January,  1939,  p.  7:  The  Catholic  Convent 
in  Laramie  was  never  moved  to  Cheyenne,  the  Cheyenne 
Convent  is  an  independent  institution,  first  organized  by 
the  Sisters  of  the  Order  of  The  Holy  Child  Jesus  from 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in    1883. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  119 


DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 

Edward.  Rose  was  the  first  white  man  to  take  up  a  perma- 
nent residence  in  the  Big  Horn  country,  1807.  Lived  with  the 
Crow  Indians  for  many  years.   (Coutant,  Pg.  72.) 

The  first  inhabitants  of  Yellowstone  park  were  Indian 
tribes  of  the  Algonquian^  Siouan  and  Shoshonean  families,  for 
years  before  the  wonders  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone  region  be- 
came known  to  the  white  man.  (Bartlett,  Vol.  1,  p.  45.) 

The  first  U.  S.  Soldiers  in  what  is  now  Wyoming  were 
those  forming  the  little  detachment  of  twenty  men  who  ac- 
companied Fremont  on  his  first  exploration,  in  1842. 

Fort  Laramie  was  the  first  military  station  established  in 
Wyoming  by  the  U.  S.  authorities,  in   1849.  .  . 

The  first  election  in  Cheyenne  was  held  on  August  10, 
18  67j  electing  city  officers:  H.  M.  Hook,  mayor;  Thomas  E. 
McLeland,  clerk  and  recorder;  J.  R.  Whitehead,  city  attorney; 
James  Slaughter,  police  magistrate;  Edward  Melanger, 
marshal;  and  six  councilmen :  R.  E.  Talpey,  A.  C.  Beckwith, 
J.  G.  Willis,  Z.  B.  Thompson,  S.  M.  Preshaw  and  W.  H.  Har- 
low. 

A  proclamation  by  Governor  Campbell,  issued  August 
3,  1869,  called  the  first  election  for  delegates  to  Congress  and 
members  of  the  Territorial  Legislature,  the  election  to  be  held 
on  Sept.  2,  1869.  The  proclamation  also  divided  the  Territory 
into  Council  and  Representative  districts. 

The  first  Territorial  election  was  held  September  2,  1869, 
when  delegates  to  Congress  and  members  of  the  Territorial 
Legislature  were  elected. 

The    first   Territorial   Legislature    convened   October    12, 

1869. 

The  first  State  Legislature  convened  at  Cheyenne,  No- 
vember 12,  1890. 

The  first  State  election  was  held  September  11,  1890.  and 
the  entire  Republican  ticket  elected. 


120  ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 

FIRST     WEATHER     BUREAU     ESTABLISHED     IN 

WYOMING  TERRITORY  AT  CHEYENNE  IN  1870 

By  Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins 

We  read  in  Ancient  History  something  about  the  Weath- 
er. King  (Pharaoh)  Thotma,  who  reigned  about  four  thou- 
sand years  ago^  "Sent  into  far  off  lands  of  the  Earth  his 
wisest  mathematicians  to  observe  the  winds  and  the  droughts, 
fertility  of  different  regions,  years  and  seasons;  to  observe 
famines  and  pestilences  and  all  manner  of  occurrences  on  the 
Earth."  But  it  was  not  until  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War 
that  the  United  States  became  Weather  Minded. 

'  In  1869,  Col.  A.  J.  Meyers,  head  of  the  United  States 
Signal  Service,  suggested  a  scheme  of  weather  reports  and 
signals,  Avhich  was  carried  out  early  the  next  year.  Under  the 
provisions  of  a  Joint  Resolution  of  Congress,  approved  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1870,  the  Weather  Bureau  came  into  being  as  a 
branch  of  the  Signal  Service  of  the  War  Department.  Tliis 
Resolution  authorised  the  Secretary  of  War  to  .take  meteor- 
ological observations  at  Military  stations  throughout  the 
United  States  and  its  Territories  and  to  give  notice  by  tele- 
graph and  marine  signals  of  the  approach  and  force  of 
storms,  etc.  A  number  of  young  men,  mostly  from  the  Signal 
CorjDS,  w€re  instructed  at  Ft.  Myers,  Washington,  D.  C.  Event- 
ually, seventeen  of  these  young  men,  the  first  quota,  were 
sent  out  to  establish  Weather  Stations  throughout,  the  coun- 
try. 

One  of  these  was  my  father,  Asa  C.  Dobbins.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  ran  away  from  his  home  in  New  Jersey  and 
enlisted  in  the  Signal  Corps  of  the  Union  Army,  hoping  ta  see 
action  in  the  Civil  War,  then  nearing  its  close.  Instead,  he 
was  sent  into  Texas  for  border  duty,  being  stationed  at  Ft. 
Sam  Houston  and  Ft.  Bliss.  He  was  among  those  chosen  to 
have  the  training  at  Ft.  Myer,  and  was  extremely  proud  to 
be  among  the  first  contingent. 

He  was  assigned  the  station  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming  Ter- 
ritory, then  a  little  frontier  town  on  the  Union  Pacific  rail- 
road, adjacent  to  Ft.  D.  A.  Russell  (now  Fort  Warren)  and 
Camp  Carlin.  It  was  an  ideal  location  for  a  weather  station, 
lying  high  on  a  plateau  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  over  six  thousand  feet.  Mr.  Dobbins  arrived  October 
15,  1870,  and  set  about  finding  quarters  and  installing  the 
]:)recious  instruments  so  new  and  strange. 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  121 


The  office  was  opened  in  a  two-story  frame  building  at 
the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Hill  Streets  (now  Capitol  Ave- 
nue). The  lower  floor  was  occupied  by  the  Western  Union 
Telegraph  Company.  This  was  handy_,  as  all  observations 
were  telegraphed  by  tl;e  Observer  into  Washington.  The  first 
observation  was  made  November  1,  1870^  from  the  upper 
floor  which  had  been  converted  into  the  weather  station.  The 
equipment  consisted  of  the  following  instruments :  barometer, 
maximum  and  minimum  thermometers,  wet  and  dry  bulb, 
rain  gauge,  3-cup  anemometer,  recording  the  velocity  of  the 
wind  and  a  large  wind  vane  erected  on  the  roof,  with  con- 
nections coming  down  through  the  roof  and  united  to  a  piv- 
oted arrow,  swinging  in  a  circular  plane,  marked  with  the 
cardinal  points  of  the  compass,  which  was  attached  to  the 
ceiling.  The  shifting  arrow,  swinging  from  one  point  to  an- 
other, indicated  the  direction  from  whence  the  wind  was 
blowing.  The  rotating  anemometer,  also  located  on  the  roof, 
was  connected  by  wires  with  an  instrument  in  the  office  upon 
which  wind  velocity  was  automatically  recorded. 

The  furnishings  of  the  office  consisted  of  a  desk,  office 
chair,  two  common  chairs,  a  cot,  washstand,  stove,  brass  kero- 
sene lamp  and  a  clock.  This  constituted  the  Sergeant's  office 
and  home.  The  Weather  Bureau  being  under  Army  and  Navy 
regulations,  all  weather  observers  had  the  rank  of  "Sergeant". 

The  office  and  the  observer  were  regarded  as  a  sort  of 
joke  and  Mr.  Dobbins  was  dubbed  "the  Weather  Clerk,"  and' 
of  course,  was  blamed  for  all  weather  not  pleasing  to  the  in- 
dividual. He  had  only  attained  his  majority  the  April  previ- 
ous, and  here  he  was  in  a  strange  and  not  too-friendly  land 
pioneering  in  a  new  scientific  field;  but  he  loved  his  work 
and  had  great  faith  in  its  future  importance. 

On  February  20,  1872,  the  bureau  or  office  was  moved 
to  the  corner  of  16th  and  Ferguson  Streets  (now  Carey  Ave- 
nue). June  20,  1874,  the  newly  erected  residence  of  Sergeant 
Dobbins,  located  on  the  south  side  of  17th  Street,  between 
Ransom  and  Dodge  (Central  and  Warren)  became  the  offi- 
cial headquarters  of  the  Weather  Bureau,  where  it  remained 
until  December,  1883. 

Quoting  from  Report  Chief  Signal  Officer  War  Dept., 
1874,  we  find  the  following:  "Office  was  removed  to  second 
floor  of  the  building  (home)  17th  between  Dodge  and  Ran- 
som. The  office  this  station  is  located  center  business  por- 
tion of  town  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  telegraph  office. 


122  ANNALS   O?^    WYOMING 


Roof  of  building  is  flat,  and  affords  a  good  exposure  for  vane, 
anemometer  and  rain  guage.  The  instrument  shelter  is  of 
authorized  pattern  with  louver-boarded  sides  and  front,  and 
projects  from  a  window  of  the  office.  Sergt.  A.  C.  Dobbins 
has  been  in  charge  since  station  was  opened  in  1870  and  at- 
tended to  his  duties  faithfully  and  well." 

The  next  move  of  the  Bureau,  in  1883,  was  to  the  Com- 
mercial Block,  218^  West  16th  Street.  This  building  was 
the  property  of  Senator  F.  E.  Warren,  and  there  the  office 
remained  for  twent}'  years  when  it  was  moved  to  the  Citizens 
Bank  Building;  thence  to  the  new  Federal  Building  where  it 
is  now  located,  with  Mr.  F.  L.  Uisterdick  in  charge.  The 
contrast  is  great  betAveen  the  first  office  with  its  crude  fur- 
nishings and  the  commodious  and  elegant  simplicity  of  the 
present  one. 

Observational  work  is  similar  to  years  ago,  except  auto- 
matic instruments  made  througli  the  application  of  electricity 
has  lessened  the  labor  of  keeping  hourly  records  of  sunshine, 
wind  direction,  wind  velocity  and  precipitation.  The  old  rec- 
ords, however,  are  carefully  protected,  and,  Ave  are  told, 
their  Aalue  is  more  apparent  as  time  goes  on,  in  the  wav  of 
establishing  laws  that  govern  the  future  weather  changes  in 
this  locality. 

During  the  time  the  office  was  situated  at  the  corner  of 
16tl(  and  Carey  Avenue,  it  was  inspected  by  Lieut.  A.  W. 
Greely,  who  afterwards  became  Chief  Signal  Officer,  and 
later  conducted  by  the  ill-fated  expedition  to  the  North  Pole. 
In  1881,  Mr.  Dobbins  was  detailed  by  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment to  accompany  Prafessor  Langley  on  a  scientific  ex- 
])edition  to  Mount  Whitney,  Calif.,  as  meteorologist  to  the 
])arty  of  scientific  research. 

As  we  are  dealing  with  the  establishment  of  the  Weather 
Bureau  in  this  article,  it  is  note-worthy  that  this  service  was 
primarily  for  the  benefit  of  navigation  on  the  sea  coast  and 
the  Great  Lakes;  but  under  a  provision  of  the  Appropriation 
Act  of  Congress,  approved  June  10,  1872,  it  was  extended  to 
include  the  Interior  districts  and  the  great  rivers  of  the  cen- 
tral valleys,  and  from  the  Meteorological  Record  of  Septem- 
ber 21,  1872,  we  had  72  Stations  reporting  from  all  points 
in  the  United  States. 

The  benefits  of  the  weather  service  Avere  soon  recog- 
nized by  business  industries  and  the  general  public,  and  its 
enlargement  to  include  ag^riculture  and  commerce  became  nec- 
essary.    This  led  to  the  conclusion  that  as  a  scientific  bureau 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  12a 


it  could  function  better  under  civilian  than  under  military 
control.  Accordingly,  on  July  1,  1891^  the  Signal  Service  of 
the  War  Department  was  relieved  of  its  meteorological  du- 
ties, and  the  Weather  Bureau  of  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture was  organized  and  charged  with  the  future  of  meteor- 
ology in  the  United  States. 

The  end  is  not  yet.  Who  can  "forecast"  the  Weather 
Bureau  and  its  future  ?  It  has  many  powerful  aids  that  were 
unknown  in  1870 — the  telephone^  radio^  aviation_,  aeronautics 
and  numerous  electrical  and  scientific  instruments.  AVill  man 
eventually  capture  the   Weather? 

INDEX  OF  CONGRESSIONAL  DOCUMENTS 
CITES  VALUABLE  WYOMING  HISTORY 

An  interesting  and  valuable  volume  in  the  Wyoming 
State  Library,  is  "Government  Document  Index,  1803-1936," 
a  typewritten  book — being  a  685-page  triple  index  of  histori- 
cal material  on  Wyoming,  gleaned  from  ten  thousand  volumes 
of  Congressional  Documents  in  the  Document  Division  of  the 
Library,   covering  the  period  from    1803  to    1936. 

The  index  was  compiled  by  Mrs.  Marie  H.  Erwin,  Docu- 
ment Librarian  in  the  Wyoming  State  Library  (1928-38),  as- 
sisted in  the  research  work  by  John  Montgomery,  a  Wyoming 
University  student,  and  was  completed  in  June,   1937. 

The  volume  is  the  first  attempt  to  arrange  this  vast 
amount  of  historical  material  in  form  for  ready  reference; 
and  while  some  of  the  data  concerns  surrounding  western 
states,  it  all  bears,  directly  or  indirectly,  on  Wyoming.  Each 
page  of  the  ten  thousand  volumes  was  scanned  for  this  his- 
torical material. 

A  group  of  thirteen  reference  maps  which  show  bound- 
ary developments  and  acquisitions  of  the  lands  which  form 
Wyoming,  are  also  included  in  the  work,  covering  a  period  of 
300  years,   1609-1921,  when  the  last  counties  were  organized. 

In  order  to  make  all  types  of  references  and  citations 
most  easily  available,  the  volume  contains  three  separate  in- 
dices  as,   follows :  Alphabetic,   serial  and   congressional. 


"Emigrant's  Guide  to  California" 

Joseph  E.  Ware  was  the  first  to  attempt  a  complete  de- 
scription of  the  best  route  for  the  forty-niners.  This  guide, 
published  at  St.  Louis  in  the  early  part  of  1849,  was  not  only 
tie  first  adequate  guidebook,  but  for  several  years  continued 
to  be  the  best  in  existence. 


124  ANNALS   OF    WYOMING 


HISTORY  OF  THE  WYOMING  NATIONAL  GUARD 

By  Major  C.  G.  Carroll* 

The  continuous  history  of  the  Wyoming  National  Guard 
dates  from  1888  when  a  return  accounting  for  two  companies 
of  "The  First  Regiment  Wyoming  National  Guard"  was  for- 
warded to  the  War  Department  over  the  signature  of  Francis 
E.  Warren^  now  senior  United  States  Senator,  as  Adjutant 
General.  Before  this,  liowever,  the  frequent  incursions  of 
hostile  Indians  made  necessary  the  banding  together  of  citi- 
zens in  military  organizations  for  tl.eir  mutual  protection. 
The  earliest  record  of  such  a  pioneer  organization  was  in  1870 
when  the  Territorial  Governor  J.  A.  Campbell,  divided  the 
territory  into  three  military  districts,  assigning  a  Militia 
Colonel  to  the  command  of  each  Avith  instructions  to  enroll  a 
regiment  from  the  citizens  of  his  district.  Arms  were  furnished 
by  the  Federal  Government  to  these  troops  under  the  Act  of 
1808.  There  did  not  exist,  however,  any  military  law,  and  the 
troops  were  enlisted,  therefore,  under  the  blanket  authority 
of  the  Territorial  Governor  given  him  by  the  "Organic  Act 
of  the  Treaty,"  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Militia. 

Message  of  Governor  J.  A.  Cambpell  to  the  Second  Legis' 
lature  Assembly  of  Wyoming  Territory,  convened  at  Chey- 
enne, November  7,  1871: 

"  *  *  *  *  earnest'y  inviting  attention  to  tiie  imperative 
necessity  that  exists  for  tiie  passage  of  a  militia  law.  Was 
not  acted  upon  at  the  last  session  of  the  legislature  and 
consequently  citizens  were  left  without  authority  of  terri- 
torial law  for  any  armed  organization  for  protection 
against  the  Indians.  In  April  of  last  year  *  *  *  acting 
under  the  authority  conferred  upon  me  by  the  'Organic 
Act  of  the  Treaty,'  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Militia 
I  issued  an  order  dividing  the  Territory  into  three  militia 
districts,  appointing  a  Colonel  to  command  in  each  one, 
and  investing  him  with  authority  to  organize  a  regiment 
from  the  citizens  within  his  command.  Preliminary  meas- 
ures were  taken  to  effect  these  organizations,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  that  a  sufficient  number  of  citizens  could  readily 
have  been  enlisted  to  protect  the  homes  and  property  of 
the   people   of   the  Territory." 


Major  Cassius  G.  Carroll,  United  States  Property  and  Disbursing 
Officer,  Wyoming  National  Guard,  and  also  State  Quartermaster,  to 
which  he  was  appointed  in  1924,  passed  away  at  Cheyenne,  Wj'oming, 
on  March  24,  1939.  He  served  in  469  Engineers  Railroad  Transporta- 
tion Corps.  Was  awarded  the  Order  of  the  Purple  Heart  for  his 
meritorious  services. 

Major    Carroll    had    written    this    manuscript    for    the    Historical 
Department  preceding  his  death. 


ANNALS   OF    WYOMING  125 


Although  a  Militia  Law  was  requested  by  the  Territorial 
Governor,  John  W.  Hoyt,  in  1882,  no  such  law  was  passed  by 
the  Territorial  Legisalture,  and  no  state  troojDS  were  avail- 
able in  1885  to  suppress  a  riot  between  Chinese  and  white 
miners  in  Rock  Springs.  Military  aid  was  requested  from  the 
Federal   Ciovernment. 

Message  of  John  W.  Hoyt,  Governor  of  Wyoming  to  the 
Seventh  Legislature,  January   12,   1882: 

"Militia  organizations — If  tiiere  be  wisdom  in  tiie  maxim 
'In  time  of  peace  prepare  for  war,'  tlien  it  is  incumbent 
upon  us  to  make  timely  provision  for  an  efficient  military 
organization,  as  a  means  of  greater  security  to  the  lives 
and  property  of  the  people.  As  it  relates  to  the  dangers 
of  Indian  depredations,  we  are  in  better  circumstances  than 
anj^  of  our  neighbors.  We  are  also  as  exempt  as  any  order- 
ly community  from  the  peril  of  lawless  outbreaks  in  our 
midst.  Nevertheless,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  social  dis- 
orders do  sometimes  arise  in  the  best  of  communities,  and 
that  Indian  tribes  still  dwell  *  *  *  with  more  or  less 
liberty  of  range  on  our  hunting  grounds,  it  is  manifest 
that  we  are  still  without  entire  immunity  and  that 
continued  neglect  on  the  part  of  the  Territory  to  make  pro- 
vision of  some  sort  against  such  dangers  will  be  justly 
considered   as  little  less  than  culpable." 

The  most  interesting  contribution  to  early  Wyoming  Mili 
tary  history  was  made  by  the  State's  famous  Indian  scouts, 
William  F.  (Buffalo  Bill)  Cody,  Jim  Bridger,  Jim  Baker  and 
others.  These  old  scouts  led  the  troops  of  the  regular  Army 
over  the  Indian  trails  against  the  hostile  Indians,  and  it  was 
in  a  large  measure  due  to  their  skill  and  judgment  tliat  the 
State  was  so  soon  made  safe  for  the  Pioneers. 

The  first  regularly  organized  militia  under  Territorial 
laws  was  organized  in  1888  with  Company  A  in  Laramie  and 
Company  B  in  Cheyenne.  These  two  companies  were  carried 
in  the  First  Regiment,  Wyoming  National  Guard,  and  were 
organized  and  equipped  as  Infantry.  In  the  year  1890  the 
"First  Regiment  Wyoming  National  Guard"  was  redesignated 
"The  First  Regiment  of  Infantry,  Wyoming  National  Guard." 

When  the  Spanish-American  War  was  declared,  the  First 
Regiment,  Wyoming  National  Guard,  was  mustered  into  the 
Federal  service  as  a  Battalion  of  Infantry,  under  date  of  May 
7,  8  and  10.  1898,  and  was  ordered  shortly  after  to  proceed 
to  San  Francisco  to  report  for  service  overseas,  leaving  Chey- 
enne May  18,  1898.  At  the  same  time,  the  State  of  Wyoming 
furnished  seven  troops  for  the  Second  LT.  S.  Volunteer  Cavalry 
(Torrey's  Rough  Riders)  this  regiment  being  mustered  into 
the  Federal  service  in  May,  1898,  at  Fort  D.  A.  Russell.    The 


]2(j  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


muster  roll  of  this  organization  shows  Major  James  G,  Har- 
bord,  later  Assistant  Chief  of  Staff,  as  commissioned  in  the 
regiment.  On  June  16,  189  8,  the  "Alger  Light  Artillery"  con- 
sistinfi:  of  three  officers  and  122  enlisted  men  was  mustered 
into  the  Federal  service  as  the  last  Wyoming  Troops  to  become 
federalized. 

Torre}''s  Rough  Riders  were  sent  to  Florida  while  the 
Battalion  of  Infantry,  made  up  from  the  Wyoming  National 
Guard,  and  the  Alger  Light  Artillery,  went  to  the  Philippines. 
These  two  units  served  with  distinction  in  the  Islands,  seeing 
much  service.  The  Battalion  of  Infantry  was  engaged  in  the 
Manila  Malolos  campaign  in  the  fall  of  Manila  and  Luzon, 
1898-1899. 

After  the  Spanish-American  War,  the  Battalion  of  In- 
fantry was  mustered  out  of  service,  and  the  Second  Regiment 
of  Infantr}",  Wj^oming  National  Guard,  Avas  formed  there- 
from. In  1903,  this  regiment  Avas  reorganized  and  redesignated 
the  Third  Regiment,  Wyoming  National  Guard. 

On  July  4,  1916,  the  Third  Regiment.  Wyoming  National 
Guard,  was  mustered  into  the  Federal  service  at  Fort  D.  A. 
Russell  and  was  sent  to  Camp  Deming,  New  Mexico,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1916,  for  service  on  the  Mexican  Border.  The  regi- 
ment was  mustered  out  of  the  Federal  service  on  March  9, 
1917.  at  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  Wyoming. 

On  the  25th  of  March,  1917,  Companies  B.  F,  G  and  H 
Avere  again  mustered  into  the  Federal  service  for  the  World 
War.  On  the  25th  of  July,  1917,  tie  balance  of  the  Third 
Infantry  was  mustered  into  the  service.  The  Regiment  Avas 
then  sent  to  Camp  Greene,  South  Carolina,  and  Avas  there  di- 
vided, the  command  forming  the  nucleus  for  the  llSth  Field 
Artillery  and  the    116th  Ammunition  Train. 

The  148th  Field  Artillery  saw  service  in  four  major  en- 
gagements overseas,  the  Aisne-Marne  Offensive,  St.  Mihiel 
Offensive,  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive,  Champagne-Marne  De- 
fensive, Champagne  Offensive,  and  participated  in  the  cap- 
ture of  Sedan.  This  organization  formed  a  jDart  of  the  Army 
of  Occupation  stationed  near  the  famous  fortress  of  Ehren- 
brietstein  at  the  junction  of  the  Rhine  and  Moselle  Rivers. 
Its  headquarters  was  located  at  Hoer,  Germany.  The  standard 
of  the  regiment  was  decorated  by  the  French. 

The  148th  Field  Artillery  Avas  mustered  out  of  the  Fed- 
eral Service  in  June,  1919.  The  116th  Ammunition  Train  Avas 
mustered  out  in  March  of  tlie  same  year.  Upon  the  demobiliza- 
tion of  these  units,  they  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  formation 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  121 


of  the  First  Regiment  of  Cavalry^  Wyoming  National  Guard, 
in    1919. 

In  1921,  the  First  Regiment  of  Cavalry,  Wyoming  Na- 
tional Guard,  was  redesignated  in  accordance  with  the  War 
Department  allocation  under  the  National  Defense  Act,  "The 
115th   Cavalry." 


AN  1858  POLLING  LIST 

An  interesting  document  found  in  Judge  W.  A.   Carter's 
collection  of  personal  manuscripts,  which  was  donated  to  the 

Statewide  Historical  Project,  is  a  list  of  "No.  of  votes  polled 
at  the  Fort  Bridger  Precinct,  Green  River  County,  Utah  Ter- 
ritory, August  2nd,  18  58." 

R.  T.  Cecil  O.  H.  Oneal 

Alexander  McMaster  John  Taylor 

John  Eder  George  Pflane 

Peter  Tomeney  T.  H.  Slover 

James  Kelly  Eli  Dufort 

Edward  Eaton  J.  G.  Wiednaan 

Henry  Buhl  Thos.  Pipe 

Francisco  Archivalle  J.  Wolfe 

John  Miller  Joseph  Connors 

Barney  O.  Connor  W.  J.  Osborne 

Joseph  Carter  Charles  Sorrell 

George  Mordent  Patrick  Austin 

Michael  Gallagher  George  Harris 

Wm.  St.  John  John  Robertson 

Jeremiah  Mahoney  J.  C.  Fergusson 

James  Stavens  John  H.  Gerrish 

Jefferson  Anthony  Frank  Baker 

Jackson  Brown  Thos.  Baker 

Patrick  Hughes  Thos.  Pepper 

R.  H.  Durand  John  A.  Lobb 

C.  B.  Clark  Edward  Kerr 
Robert  Latham 


128  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 

HISTORY  OF  THE  OCCIDENTAL  HOTEL 

(From    Buffalo    Bulletin    March    16,    1939) 
By  Edith  M.  Chappell 

No  hotel  in  Wyoming  is  better  known  to  history  and 
romance  than  the  Occidental  hotel  in  Johnson  County.  It  is 
famed  as  the  scene  where  tlte  Virginian,  the  hero  of  Owen 
Wister's  well  known  story  "got  his  man"  and  though  there  is 
no  particular  incident  in  Buffalo  history  of  the  famous  hostel- 
ry on  which  Mr.  Wister  founded  his  thrilling  picture,  it  is 
characteristic  of  frontier  life. 

The  legend  of  tlie  founding  of  the  Occidental  relates 
that,  in  1869,  a  company  of  emigrants  over  the  Bozeman  trail 
stopped  on  the  banks  of  Clear  Creek  for  a  noon  meal  which 
had  been  cooked  in  such  appetizing  style  by  one  their  number, 
Mr.  Charles  Buell  of  Wisconsin,  that  he  was  immediately 
urged  to  found  a  road  ranch  or  a  hotel  for  travelers  over  the 
recently  reopened  trail. 

There  is  nothing  inherently  improbable  in  the  tale.  Mr. 
Buell,  a  very  reliable  and  popular  man,  certainly  remained 
on  the  spot  where  the  hotel  now  stands  and  began  taking 
boarders  in  a  tent,  using  as  a  safe,  a  hole  in  the  ground  in 
which  he  deposited  the  valuables  of  his  guests,  covering  them 
with  a  buffalo  robe.  When  he  was  digging  the  hole  he  is  said 
to  have  unearthed  a  skull  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  the 
remains  of  one  of  the  first  or  original  settlers  of  the  town 
of  Buffalo. 

The  original  Occidental  hotel  was  built  of  logs  in  two 
stories  having  dormer  windows  on  the  north  and  south  sides. 
Back  of  the  little  hotel  was  a  stable  built  in  an  excavation  in 
the  banks  of  Clear  Creek.  The  original  establishment  was 
scarcely  more  than  a  stage  station  on  the  soon  established 
Rock  Creek-Junction  City  stage  line,  but  it  was  well  situated. 
It  was  near  the  recenth^  built  Fort  McKinney  as  was  possible 
without  encroaching  on  the  post  reservation,  and  it  was  also 
a  convenient  stopping  place  on  the  Bozeman  trail. 

xMr.  Buell  acquired  a  partner  in  Mr.  Alvin  McCray,  like 
himself  a  reliable  and  Avell  liked  man  and  it  soon  became 
necessary  to  enlarge  the  hotel  accomodations.  My  husband, 
Mr.  J.  E.  Chappell,  who  passed  over  the  trail  in  1882,  told  me 
that,  at  that  date,  tlie  frame  addition  was  already  being  built 
and  that  he  mended  watches  under  a  tent  fly  in  the  incomplete 
building. 


ANNALS   OF    WYOMING  129 


The  legal  title  to  the  ground  was  first  acquired  in  1884, 
after  Mrs.  Juliet  Hart,  widow  of  Major  Verling  K.  Hart,  had 
completed  her  title,  under  the  desert  act,  to  the  town  site  of 
Buffalo.  On  October  14th,  therefore,  Juliet  W.  Hart  deeded 
the  land  to  Alvin  J.  McCray  and  Charles  E.  Buell,  copartners. 

Many  famous  names  were  inscribed  on  the  hotel  register, 
too,  in  those  early  days.  Morton  Frewen  and  Richard  Frewen, 
scions  of  a  noble  English  house.  Sir  Horace  Plenkett,  since 
noted  for  his  work  for  Irish  agriculture;  Theodore  Roosevelt 
(on  hunting  trip  from  his  Dakota  ranch)  Mr.  Owen  Wister, 
and  later  his  nephew,  William  Heywood,  the  distinguished 
historian  and  many  others  too  numerous  to  mention. 

If  Guy  V.  Henry,  General  Sheridan  and  other  dis- 
tinguished soldiers  are  not  on  the  list,  it  is  because  they  could 
claim  the  hospitality  of  Fort  McKinney. 

Calamity  Jane  and  other  lady  wildcats  have  often  made 
the  Occidental  their  headquarters.  It  was  perhaps  to  avoid  the 
sound  of  too  much  revelry  by  guests  of  this  latter  description 
that,  about  1885,  Buell  and  McCray  acquired  possession  of  a 
small  hotel  in  south  Buffalo  begun  by  Mr.  Brunhaus  and  con- 
verted it  into  a  family  hotel  for  guests  of  more  quiet  proclivi- 
ties. The  name  Occidental  had  been  chosen  by  Mr.  Buell  be- 
cause of  its  meaning  of  "western." 

Mr.  Charles  Buell  was  also  Buffalo's  first  postmaster  and 
since  he  needed  a  name  for  the  postoffice  it  was  in  the  Occi- 
dental that  Buffalo  received  its  baptism.  Several  men  placed 
names  in  a  hat  with  the  understanding  that  the  name  drawn 
from  the  hat  should  be  conferred  on  the  infant  town.  Buffalo 
was  tie  name  that  was  drawn  and  it  is  said  to  have  been 
placed  in  the  hat  by  a  native  from  Buffalo,  New  York. 

Among  the  early  attractions  of  the  Occidental  had  been 
an  orchestra  of  Italian  musicians  and  many  dances  were  given 
there.  Later  the  string  band  from  the  post  was  sometimes 
secured  for  the  dances.  Even  when  dances  were  held  in  the 
court  house  or  in  Hasbrouck's  hall,  supper  was  often  served 
at  the  Occidental  or  at  Myer's  House. 

In  1888,  Charles  E.  Buell  had  secured  the  beautiful  ranch 
on  which  he  passed  the  remaining  days  of  his  life  and  on 
March  10,  1888,  the  copartners  deeded  the  Occidental  to  Alvin 
J.  McCray  and  Vinnie  McCray,  his  wife,  who  continued  its 
owners  and  managers  till  1891.  On  August  16,  1890,  McCray 
was  running  in  the  Buffalo  Echo,  the  following  advertisement : 


130  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


"Occidental   Hotel 

The  Largest  and  Best  Hotel  in 

Western  Wyoming 

Rates  $2.50  a  Day 

Open  Day  and  Night 

Meals  at  All  Hours 

Does  business  expressly  to  accommodate  the  public 

and  the  Occidental." 

The  Northwestern  extension  of  the  Burlington  railroad 
changed  the  entire  situation  at  the  Occidental.  Would  the 
Burlington  railroad  pass  through  Buffalo.''  Mr.  McCray  evi- 
dently thought  not,  for  he  decided  to  establish  a  buisness  in 
Sheridan,  and  on  June  29,  1891,  Alvin  J.  McCray  and  Vinnie 
McCray,  husband  and  wife,  deeded  the  Occidental  to  William 
E.  Hathaway  and  Annie  Hatliaway,  husband  and  wife;  Mr. 
Hathaway  had  long  been  the  proprietor  of  the  saloon  and 
store  at  the  Powder  river  crossing  on  the  old  Rock  Creek- 
Junction  City  road  which  the  railroad  was  now  putting  out 
of  business. 

Mr.  Hathaway  advertised  the  "Burlington  hotel,  formerly 
the  Occidental"  and  no  doubt  hoped  that  Buffalo  would  se- 
cure the  favor  of  t];e  Burlington  railroad  and  become  the 
metropolis   of  Northern  Wyoming. 

The  cattlemen's  invasion  and  the  choice  of  a  route  for 
the  railroad  unfavorable  to  Buffalo,  combined  to  ruin  Mr. 
Hathaway's  business.  Accordingly,  on  September  22,  1892, 
the  Hathaways  were  forced  to  deed  the  Occidental  to  Bernard 
Beer  who  had  probably  furnished  the  money  for  the  Hatha- 
way purchase.  Mr.  Beer  had  an  extensive  money  lending  busi- 
ness in  Johnson  County,  and  for  some  years  though  he  retained 
the  ownership  of  the  hotel,  he  leased  the  active  conduct  of  the 
business  to  a  succession  of  local  managers,  not  all  of  whom 
are   remembered. 

A.  A.  Frame,  according  to  an  advertisement  which  ap- 
peared in  the  Buffalo  Bulletin  in  1894.  was  then  man^^orer  of 
the  "Burlington  hotel  formerly  the  Occidental." 

By  1896,  Tom  Smith,  the  founder  of  Hazelton,  an^i  his 
brother  Henry  Smith,  were  running  the  hotel  once  more  called 
the  Occidental.  Possibly  "Red"  Angus,  who  had  been  sheriff 
of  Johnson  county  during  the  cattle  troubles  was  for  a  time 
its  lessee.  More  certainly  he  was  for  several  years  in  charge 
of  the  Occidental  bar. 


ANNALS   OF    WYOMING  131 


In  1896  occurred  the  one  tragedy  in  the  history  of  the 
Occidental  hotel,  the  killing  of  Hugh  Smith.  During  the  dinner 
Lour,  Smith,  employed  in  the  kitchen  of  the  Occidentalj  en- 
gaged in  an  altercation  with  Mrs.  Z.  M.  French,  who  was  act- 
ing as  waitress,  in  the  course  of  \vhich  Smith  struck  Mrs. 
French.  Her  husband,  from  his  jDost  as  hotel  clerk,  rushed  to 
his  wife's  defense  and  shot  Smith  twice,  the  second  time  after 
he  had  fallen  to  the  floor  and  when,  as  French  believed,  Smith 
was  striving  to  draw  his  own  weapon.  French  was  discharged 
at  the  preliminary  examination,  the  grounds  of  self-defense. 
It  was  while  Angus  was  tending  bar  at  the  Occidental  that  he 
shot  Andrew  "Arapahoe"  Brown,  an  ex-confederate  soldier, 
a  man  of  formidable  strength  and  one  inclined  to  be  quarrel- 
some when  drinking.  He  shot  him  in  the  side  and  arm,  but 
fortunately  without  fatal  results. 

It  was  also  during  the  Tom  Smith  regime,  on  July  80, 
1895,  that  Clear  Creek^  swollen  by  a  sudden  mountain  flood, 
poured  through  the  Occidental  dining  room  and  carried  out 
the  tables  all  set  for  a  meal.  This  flood  also  took  with  it  the 
little  wooden  building  then  serving  as  a  city  hall  and  contain- 
ing all  the  earlier  part  of  the  city  records.  These  last  were 
never  recovered.  It  demolished  as  well  the  wooden  bridge 
across  Clear  Creek,  but  such  was  the  promptitude  with  which 
citizens  of  the  day  met  an  emergency  that,  before  nightfall, 
stringers  for  a  new  bridge  were  in  place  and  by  noon  the  next 
day  could  be  driven  across  much  as  usual. 

On  March  26,  1903,  Beer  deeded  half  interest  in  the  Oc- 
cidental hotel  to  Oscar  N.  Quick  who  promptly  deeded  one- 
fourth  interest  in  the  hotel  to  Ora  A.  Gilkey.  May  19,  1905, 
Bernard  Beer  deeded  his  remaining  half  interest  in  the  hotel 
to  Quick  and  Gilkey  and  12  days  later,  May  31,  Quick  and 
Cilkey  deeded  one-tl.ird  interest  in  the  hotel  to  Fred  Waegele. 
This,  it  will  be  noticed,  gave  Ora  Gilkey,  O.  N.  Quick  and 
Fred  Waegele  each  a  third  interest  in  the  Occidental  hotel.  On 
June  11,  190G,  Ora  A.  Gilkey  deeded  his  third  interest  in  the 
hotel  to  Oscar  N.  Quick  and  Fred  Waegele,  who  then  became 
sole  owners. 

'^  ,  the  three  men  named  in  these  transfers — and  one  par- 
ticula"ly  O.  N.  Quick,  is  due  the  transformation  of  the  primi- 
tive .frontier  hotel  to  the  modern  Occidental  as  we  know  it 
now.  . 

^he  first  part  of  the  hotel  to  be  modernized  was  the  so- 
callc^l  "Occidental  Annex"  with  the  Stock  Growers  bank 
downstairs  and  modern  reception  rooms  and  bed  rooms  above. 
Tlie  entire  block  was  finally  modernized  at  a  cost  of  approxi- 


132  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


matel}^  $65,000,  having-  in  the  first  story  the  Occidental  office, 
dining  room,  and  kitchen,  a  barber  shop,  the  Occidental  Bar, 
and  several  modern  store  rooms.  The  entire  second  story  was 
devoted  to  sleeping  rooms  and  bath  rooms.  A  laundry  and 
sleeping  quarters  for  help  were  built  on  the  back  of  the  lot. 

All  these  improvements  occupied  a  series  of  years.  The 
annex  was  begun  in  1906.  The  central  part  of  the  structure 
was  built  in  1908 — and  the  south  part  not  until  1909. 

Nearly  all  men  of  note  in  Wyoming  political  life  and 
many  men  of  national  prominence  l.ave  occupied  rooms  in  the 
rebuilt  Occidental.  Indeed  the  erection  of  a  modern  hotel  for 
a  city  of  less  than  2,000  inhabitants  was  a  notable  achieve- 
ment and  remains  a  monument  to  the  enterprise,  business 
acumen  and  good  taste  of  Messrs.  Quick,  Gilkey  and  Waegele. 
It  testifies  also  to  the  workmanlike  abilities  of  Mr.  C.  M.  Gulp, 
who  was  the  contractor  under  whom  the  several  parts  of  the 
new  hotel  were  built. 

On  June  11,  1912,  the  hotel  was  severely  injured  by  a 
flood  caused  by  a  cloudburst  in  the  mountains  which  carried 
the  hotel  laundry  to  the  new  cement  bridge  and  then  washing 
away  tlie  supports  of  the  bridge,  acted  as  a  dam.  The  flood, 
carrying  also  trees  of  some  size,  poured  through  all  the  lower 
parts  of  the  Occidental  and  the  store  rooms  belonging  to  it. 
At  least  $20,000  damage  was  done  to  the  hotel  and  though 
the  physical  ruin  was  repaired  the  financial  loss  was  more 
lasting  in  its  effects.  The  partners.  Quick  and  Waegele  de- 
termined to  sell  the  hotel  and  business. 

Finally,  on  Ai:>ril  2,  1917,  Quick  and  Waegele  deeded 
each  his  own  part  of  the  business  to  Alfred  M.  Smith  and 
George  E.  Smith.  Tie  widow  of  Alfred  M.  Smith  still  carries 
on  the  business. 

The  dining  room  and  kitchen  have  been  closed  and  a 
row  of  rooms  with  baths  takes  up  part  of  the  space  on  the 
south  side,  thus  doing  away  forever  with  the  reproach  which 
led  one  businessman  of  Buffalo  to  write  his  brother  who  had 
asked  him  to  reserve  a  room  with  a  bath  at  the  leading  hotel 
"there  is  the  creek,  ain't  it?" 

Mrs.  Smith  has  also  established  under  the  excellent  man- 
agement of  Mrs.  Erhart,  a  coffee  shop  with  a  cocktail  bar. 

Visiting  authors  like  Clare  Sheridan  and  Struthers  Burt 
still  praise  the  beauty  and  comfort  of  the  Occidental  hotel  on 
the  banks  of  the  beautiful  "clear  fork  of  Powder  river." 

My  thanks  are  especially  due  to  Mrs.  W.  J.  Thorn  and 
Mr.  George  Adams,  without  whose  help  accuracy  would  have 
been  impossible. 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  133 


HISTORIAN  REVEALS  WYOMING 
INDIAN  WARFARE 

How  many  Wyoming  residents  realize  that  as  late  as 
only  33  years  ago,  there  was  Indian  warfare  within  this  State, 
while  Bryant  B.  Brooks,  still  living  at  CasjDer,  Wyoming,  was 
Governor  of  the  State? 

The  following  document  is  a  "HISTORY  OF  THE  UTE 
EXPEDITION"  in  1906,  compiled  by  Viola  Ransom  Donath, 
National  Historian,  United  Indian  War  Veterans,  U.  S.  A. : — 

The  following  paragraph  is  quoted  from  a  letter,  written 
February  11,  1935,  by  James  F.  McKinley,  Major  General, 
the  Adjutant  General's  Office,  Washington,  D.  C,  and  ad- 
dresed  to  Honorable  Richard  J.  Welch,  House  of  Representa- 
tives : — 

"In  June,  1906,  the  War  Department  directed 
that  seven  Camps  of  Instruction  be  established  at 
certain  places  for  the  assembly  of  troops  for  instruc- 
tions in  target  practice  and  maneuvers.  The  troops 
located  at  Fort  Meade,  S.  D.,  were  ordered  to  re- 
port at  Camp  of  Instruction  near  Fort  D.  A.  Russell, 
Wyoming.  The  troops  were  marched  to  and  from  the 
Camp  of  Instruction,  the  Infantry  to  be  approxi- 
mately 200  miles  and  the  Cavalry  and  Artillery  2  50 
miles  each  way.  The  records  show  that  Troop  D,  6th 
U.  S.  Cavalry  left  Camp  of  Instruction  near  Fort  D. 
A.  Russell,  Wyoming  for  Fort  Meade,  S.  D.,  Septem- 
ber 15,  1906,  and  was  in  the  field  in  Wyoming,  Neb- 
raska, South  Dakota  and  Montana  until  November 
24,   1906,  when  it  arrived  at  its  home  station." 


The  following  news  dispatches  are  copied  verbatim  from 
the  SAN  FRANCISCO  BULLETIN,  San  Francisco,  California, 
of  1906,  dates  given: — 

September  23,  1906: — 

CAVALRY  WILL  DRIVE  BACK  INDIANS 

Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  Sept.  22  —  Ute  Indians  en- 
camped near  Casper,  Wyo.,  must  return  to  their  res- 
ervation. If  they  do  not,  there  will  be  trouble,  as  the 
President  and  Thomas  Ryan,  acting  Secretary  of  the 


134  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Interior,  have  assured  Governor  Brooks  that  the  10th 
Cavalry  will  drive  them  back  unless  they  consent  to 
return. 

Governor  B.  B.  Brooks  has  been  notified  that 
Inspector  McLaughlin  has  been  sent  to  Casper  to 
confer  with  the  chiefs  and  endeavor  to  persuade  them 
to  return  to  the  reservation.  If  they  do  not,  troops 
will  be  sent  to  the  scene. 

The  situation  has  been  tense  ever  since  the 
Indians  camped  near  Casper,  nearly  a  month  ago, 
and,  fearing  bloodshed,  Governor  Brooks  appealed  to 
the  Department  of  the  Interior,  September  17th. 
The  Indians  have  been  killing  livestock,  violating 
game  laws  and  robbing  ranches,  the  county  authori- 
ties being  powerless.  Settlers  have  been  threatening 
summary  vegeance. 

October  24,  1906  (Wednesday)  :— 

INDIANS  REFUSE  TO  GO  BACK— 

UTES  LEAVE  THE  RESERVATION  AND 

SAY  THEY  WILL  GO  ON  TO  DAKOTA 

Omaha,  Nebr.,  Oct.  24 — Word  was  received  here 
today  from  tl;e  scene  of  the  Indian  depredations  in 
Wyoming,  to  the  effect  that  Captain  C.  P.  Johnson, 
of  Major  Grierson's  command,  with  an  orderly  and 
a  scout,  overtook  the  Utes  on  Little  Powder  River, 
about  forty  miles  north  of  Gillette. 

It  is  said  the  Indians  absolutely  refused  to  re- 
turn to  their  reservation  and  declared  they  were  go- 
ing to  Dakota. 

Major  Grierson,  it  is  said,  has  determined  to 
await  reinforcements  before  trying  to  force  the  re- 
moval of  the  band,  as  cowboys  report  that  the  Utes 
are  holding  nightly  dances  and  are  in  a  mood  for 
trouble. 

October  30,  1906  (Tuesday)  :— 

INDIANS  REFUSE  TO  GO  BACK— EFFORTS  OF 

THE   TROOPS  TO   FORCE  WANDERING  UTES 

BACK   TO   RESERVATION   MAY   RESULT  IN 

BLOODSHED  AND  SLAUGHTER 

Sheridan,  Wyo.,  Oct.  30  —  Colonel  Bob  Augur 
and  tl.e   Third  Squadron   of  the    10th   Cavalry  from 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  13c 


Fort  Robinson  arrived  last  night  and  detrained  at 
Arvada^  the  troop  soon  afterwards  taking  the  field 
for  the  front:  It  is  understood  that  Colonel  Augur 
is  in  command  of  all  military  forces,  and  as  soon  as 
his  troops  arrive  at  the  Indian  camp  a  demonstration 
will  be  made.  The  scout  sent  in  from  the  front  to 
meet  Colonel  Augur  reports  the  arrival  of  Colonel 
Rogers,  commanding  the  6th  Cavalry,  who  came 
overland  from  Fort  Meade.  The  demonstration 
against  the  Indians  now  only  awaits  the  arrival  of 
Colonel  Augur's  command,  which  should  reach  the 
vicinity  of  the  Indian  camp  by  night. 

The  Indians  are  becoming  bold.  Dick  Spear  and 
E.  H.  Gottings  who  encountered  a  band  of  thirty  In- 
dians, were  fired  upon  and  one  of  their  horses  killed. 
The  Spear  roundup  wagon  was  looted  by  another 
band  of  Utes,  who  left  the  camp  cook  bound  and 
gagged  and  carried  off  all  supplies  and  bedding.  Old 
settlers  near  Moorhead,  Montana,  are  sending  the 
women  and  children  to  places  of  safety.  Colonel  Hen- 
sel,  who  was  a  Government  scout  and  interpreter  in 
the  battle  at  Wounded  Knee,  says  tl.e  Indians  mean 
fight,  and  gives  it  as  his  opinion  that  they  have  sent 
messengers  to  seek  the  assistance  of  the  warlike 
Cheyennes. 

The  Indians  say  they  want  President  Roosevelt 
to  give  them  the  Powder  River  Valley  for  a  hunting 
ground  and  persist  in  their  determination  not  to  be 
taken  back  to  Utah. 

The  settlers  along  the  Powder  River  say  that 
if  the  Indians  are  allowed  to  remain  in  that  vicinity, 
they  will  organize*  and  exterminate  the  redskins. 

The  following  news  dispatches  are  copied  verbatim  from 
the  SAN  FRANCISCO  EXAMINER,  San  Francisco,  Califor- 
nia, of  the  1906  dates  given: — 

October  19,  1906  (Friday):— 

UTE  INDIANS  AND  COWBOYS  BATTLE  IN  WYOMING; 

SEVERAL   KILLED  AND   FEDERAL  TROOPS 

MAY  BE  ORDERED  TO  THE  SCENE 

Omaha,  Neb.,  Oct.  19  —  The  big  body  of  700 
Ute  Indians  which  left  the  Ute  Reservation  in  Idaho 
and  Utah  several  months  ago,  and  which  has  been 


136  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


wandering  over  Wyoming  since  then,  last  night  had 
a  clash  with  cowboys,  near  the  Kayline  ranch,  at  Gil- 
lette, Wyoming,  and  two  of  the  wLites  were  killed. 
A  number  of  Utes  are  supposed  to  have  been  wound- 
ed. Further  trouble  is  expected  hourly,  as  the  Indians 
are  practically  destitute  and  are  killing  stock  for 
food.  Cowboys  and  ranchers  only  leave  town  when 
in  large  bodies,  and  unless  Federal  troops  are  sent 
shortly  a  bloody  clash  is  likely  to  occur  at  any  time. 
This  is  received  in  Omaha  tonight  through  private 
dispatches. 

The  700  Indians  are  divided  into  three  great 
bands  and  their  camps  extend  for  many  miles  over 
eastern  Wyoming.  Last  niglit's  clash  was  when  the 
cowboys  attempted  to  prevent  a  band  of  Utes  from 
killing  cattle  over  which  they  had  charge.  The  In- 
dians were  determined  to  secure  the  cattle  and  a  fight 
followed  in  which  two  of  the  whites  were  killed  and 
several  Indians  shot.  The  Utes  captured  a  herd,  killed 
seven  steers  and  returned  to  their  camp  with  the 
meat. 

General  Greeley,  commander  of  this  Depart- 
ment, is  in  Omaha  tonight,  ready  to  send  troops  when 
ordered  by  the  President. 

The  nearest  trops  are  at  Fort  Robinson,  Nebras- 
ka, and  Fort  McKinney,  Sheridan,  Wyoming.  From 
either  fort  troops  could  reach  the  scene  of  the  trou- 
ble within  eight  or  ten  hours.  Governor  Brooks,  of 
Wyoming,  has  already  made  an  official  request  for 
Federal  aid,  saying  the  situation  is  beyond  his  con- 
trol. 

October  20,  1906  (Saturday): — 

CAVALRYMEN  WILL  ROUND  UP  THE  RENEGADE 

UTES;     PRESIDENT    DIRECTS    TROOPS    OF 

REGULARS  TO  BE  SENT  TO  WYOMING 

Washington,  Oct.  19.- — Upon  the  application  of 
Governor  Brooks  of  Wyoming,  Secretary  Taft,  by 
direction  of  the  President,  has  instructed  Major- 
General  Greely  to  dispatch  a  troop  of  cavalry  to 
Wyoming,  to  round  up  and  return  to  their  reserva- 
tions the  Ute  Indians,  who  are  now  causing  a  disturb- 
ance in  Wyoming. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  137 


General  Greely  is  supposed  to  be  in  Omaha. 
The  selection  of  the  troops  is  left  to  his  discretion, 
but  it  is  believed  it  %vill  be  ordered  from  Fort  Meade, 
North  Dakota,  about  100  miles  distant  from  the 
scene  of  the  trouble. 

October  25,  1906  (Thursday)  : — 

DIE  FIGHTING,  IS  RESOLVE  OF  UTES.   TELL 

THEIR  WOES  AND  OFFER  TO  BECOME 

SLAVES  OF  THE  SIOUX. 

Omaha,  Nebr.,  Oct.  24.- — ^Another  detachment 
of  400  U.  S.  Cavalrymen  have  been  ordered  to  inter- 
cept the  runaway  Ute  Indians  in  Wyoming,  and  the 
soldiers  leave  Fort  Meade,  South  Dakota,  tonight. 

With  the  two  detachments  of  the  10th  Cavalry 
which  have  been  sent  from  Fort  Robinson,  Nebraska, 
there  are  nearly  1,000  soldiers  now  out  after  the 
Utes. 

From  Gillette,  Wyoming,  today  telegrams  were 
received  that  Captain  Johnson  who  is  in  command 
of  the  first  detachment,  has  paid  a  visit  to  the  rene- 
gades and  that  he  did  not  succeed  in  getting  them  to 
surrender.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Utes  told  him  that 
they  would  all  die  fighting. 

Johnson  returned  to  Gillette  where  he  tele- 
graphed for  more  troops. 

A  pathetic  story  was  today  told  Thomas  H. 
Tibbies  of  Omaha,  by  a  Sioux  interpreter.  Accord- 
ing to  this  story  several  days  ago  the  Ute  runners 
sent  to  the  Sioux  Indian  reservation  in  South  Dako- 
ta bearing  the  complaint  of  the  Utes.  They  told 
the  Sioux  that  Utes  were  actually  starving  and  so 
desperate  was  their  situation  that  the  entire  tribe 
offered  themselves  as  slaves  to  the  Sioux  provided 
they  were  permitted  to  come  to  the  Sioux  reservation 
and  live. 

The  Sioux  replied  that  if  they  came  they  could 
not  be  permitted  to  starve,  but  tliat  they  did  not  want 
slaves  and  the  Government  would  not  permit  them 
to  give  their  lands  away. 

The  following  news  dispatches  are  copied  verbatim  from 
THE  BULLETIN,  San  Francisco,  California,  of  the  1906  dates 
given : — 


138  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


November  2,  1906,  Friday: — 

DEPOSE  BIG  CHIEF  WHO  SOUGHT  PEACE 
Sheridan,  Wyo.,  Nov.  2 — There  has  been  no 
clash  between  the  Cheyennes  and  the  soldiers.  Fort 
Keough  troops  are  now  patrolling  Tongue  River  val- 
ley between  Birney  and  Ashland,  and  have  not  seen 
any  Cheyennes.  Colonel  Augur  left  Birney  today 
for  AsMand.  Reports  of  the  burning  of  a  ranch  build- 
ing at  the  "O.W."  ranch  are  not  credited.  The  Ute 
chief  Appah  is  reported  deposed  by  his  tribe  be- 
cause he  favored  a  pow-wow  with  the  troops.  It 
is  said  he  was  supplanted  by  Black  Whiskers  and 
Red  Cap,  who  favor  union  with  the  Cheyennes,  and 
offering  resistance.  American  Horse,  an  Indian 
scout  employed  by  the  Government,  will  take  part  in 
a  conference  between  Indians  and  soldiers  this  af- 
ternoon. 

November  3,  1906,  Saturday: — 

INDIANS  ARE  WILLING  TO  GO  BACK  HOME 
Sl.eridan,  Wyo.,  Nov.  3. — A  conference  be- 
tween the  Indians  and  troops  today  resulted  in  an 
agreement  on  the  part  of  the  Utes  to  return  with 
Colonel  Rodgers  to  Fort  Mead  to  be  taken  care  of 
there  by  the  Government,  while  Chiefs  Red  Cap  and 
Black  Whiskers  go  to  Washington  to  talk  the  matter 
over  with  President  (Theodore)  Roosevelt.  The 
Utes  will  go  overland  with  the  troops  of  the  6th  Cav- 
alry. Tl:e  Indians  have  not  been  disarmed  and  will 
not  be  as  long  as  they  make  no  threatening  actions. 

November  6,  1906,  Tuesday  :^ — 

PRESIDENT  WILL  HEAR  UTE  COMPLAINT 

Washington,     Nov.     6 :  —  President     Theodore 
Roosevelt  has  approved  arrangement  made  by  Col- 
onel Rodgers  for  the  settlement  of  the  grievances  of 
the  Ute  Indians.     He  has  instructed  the  officials  of 
the  War  Department  to  inform  the  Indian  chiefs  that 
he  will  give  them   an  audience   at  the  White   House 
on  Lis  return  from  Panama. 
NOTE  :   The   remainder  of  this   document   consists   of  corres- 
pondence  between  the   War   Department   and   applicants 
for  pensions. 


.ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  139 

ACCESSIONS 

January  2,   1939,  to  March  31,   1939. 

Museum 

Woolcott,  Mrs.  Mary — A  metal  statute  of  an  Indian  wliicli  came  from 
tlie  Eli  Whitconib  home. 

Fredericlv,  Mrs.  Charles — A  mouse  trap,  used  in  about  1899,  at  Fort 
Laramie. 

Myers,  Mrs.  William — A  letter  from  President  Theodore  Roosevelt's 
secretary  to  Mrs.  Myers.  Picture  of  the  old  William  Myers  Home, 
808  E.  17th  St.  Cheyenne.  Picture  of  an  overland  stagecoach. 
Picture  of  the  Women's  Club  taken  at  Chamber  of  Commerce 
Building  1890.  Picture  of  Knights  Templar,  Souvenir  of  Chey- 
enne Frontier  Show  1908.  Picture  of  Frontier  Days.  Small  pic- 
ture of  Frontier  float,  "Hiram's  Dance  Hall."  A  small  mirror  used 
when  traveling.  Flowers  made  from  hair  of  different  members  of 
the  Myers  family.  A  skull  cap  worn  by  Mr.  Myers.  Necklace  and 
charm  made  of  India  rubber  about  70  years  old.  A  metal  replica 
of  a  European  castle,  souvenir  from  France.  Large  framed  por- 
trait of  Mrs.   Myers. 

Pictures 

Hayes,  Denver  Frank — A  framed  group  of  twenty  pictures  of  Cliey- 
enne  and  Roedel  Drug  Store,  showing  the  changes  in  the  last  fifty 
years. 

C'ick:  National  Pictures — A  group  of  ten  pictures  of  the  Chapel  of 
the  Transfiguration,  Jackson  Hole,  Wyoming. 

Miscellaneous 

Johnson,  Albert  W. — Five  Confederate  pieces  of  paper  money,  one 
Villa  paper  money,  and  one  Montgomery  Ward  Refund  for  one 
cent,  and  a  letter  from  Mr.  Johnson  telling  about  this  currency. 

CARTER  ACCESSIONS 

The  CARTER  Collection,  received  from  the  Statewide  Historical  Proj- 
ect  sponsored   by   The    State   Library. 

Donor,  W.   A.   Carter,   La  JoUa,   Calif. 

One  ORIGINAL  DIARY  OF  JUDGE  W.  A.  CARTER,  describing  trip 
from  Atchinson,  Kans.,  to  Fort  Bridger,  L'tah  Territory,  which  is 
now  Wyoming,  September  to  November,  1857.  (See  diary  pub- 
lished in  full  in  this  issue  of  the  Annals  of  Wyoming.) 

One  handwritten  invoice,  dated  April  16,  1859,  St.  Louis,  totalling 
$585.58,  merchandise  bought  by,  W.  A.  Carter,  Fort  Bridger,  Utah, 
Ty.,  from  Bryan,  Hardcastle  &  Co. 

One  im-oice,  dated  April  11,  1859,  merchandise  totalling  $348.66,  pur- 
chased by  W^  A.  Carter,  Fort  Bridger,  Utah  Territory,  from  L.  A. 
Carr,  St.  Louis. 

One  instrument,  an  affidavit  of  C.  E.  Fostier,  dated  January  1,  1861, 
with   original   signatures.  .....    .  :  v  .■.'   . 


140  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


One  affidavit  of  appraisers,  dated  Jan.  3,  1861;  original  signatures. 
One   complaint    for   theft,   dated   Oct.    6,    1863,   Ter.    Utah,    County    of 

Green  River,  of  two  grey  mules  from  Overland  Stage  Line,  signed 

by  W.  A.  Carter  as  Probate  Judge. 
One  transcript  of  proceedings  of  above  case,  dated  Oct.   9,   1863. 
One  order  of  court  to  John  Roberts,  Adm.  of  Michael  Martin's  estate, 

to  pay  to  Annie  Rascoe,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  $1,394.82,  signed,  "W.   A. 

Carter,   Probate  Judge,"   and  dated  Aug.    15,   1864. 
One  invoice  to  Ham's  Fork  Store,  dated  May  8,  1868,  Fort  Bridger,  on 

merchandise  bought  of  W.  A.  Carter. 
One  invoice,  dated  July   18,  1868,  to   Ham's  Fork   Store,  bo't  of  W.  A. 

Carter. 
One  Invoice,   dated   Aug.    16,    1868,   Ham's   Fork   Store,   bo't   of   W.    A. 

Carter. 
One   complaint,   dated    Fort   Bridger,   Territory   of    WYOMING,    Uinta 

County,  Edward  Alton  vs.  John  Henry,  Nov.   16,   1871,  before  W. 

A.  Carter,  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
One   affidavit   of   garnishee,  Edward   Alton   vs.   John   Henry,  Territory 

of  Wyoming,  LTinta  county,  subscribed  and  sworn  to  Nov.  16,  1871, 

before  W.  A.  Carter. 
The    following    four   pieces,    found   in    Fort   Bridger    during    May,    1933, 

were    given   to    Jennie   Harvey    of   Rock    Springs,   Wyo.,    who    pre- 
sented them  about  March,  1936,  to  the  Statewide  Historical  Project: 
One  lithographed  check,  No.  70,  on  First  National  Bank,  Omaha,  Nebr., 

in  sum  of  $100.00,  dated  Aug.  28,  1883,  to  order  of  W.  A.  Carter, 

signed  Mary  E.  Carter,  Executrix  Estate  W.  A.  Carter,  Dec'd. 
One  invoice  of  H.  L.  Griffin,  wholesale  fruit  dealer,  Ogden,  Utah,  for 

merchandise   bought  by   M.   E.   Carter    (brother   of   W.    A.    Carter), 

dated  July  22,  1884. 
One  lithographed   check   for   $100.00   on   First   Nat.    Bank,   Omaha,   "M. 
E.   Carter,   Post  Trader,"  July  24,  1884,  to  order  of  Robert  Hereford, 

signed  by  Mary  E.  Carter,  widow  of  W.  A.  Carter. 
One    subpoena    for  people's    witness,   Ricliard    Armstrong,    dated    Marcli 

16,  1858. 
One  list  of   "Amounts   due   W.   A.   Carter  from   Mail  Emplovees,"   total 

$365.20.   (No  date.) 

One  list  of  "Amounts  Collected  bv  J.  E.  Eaton  from  Mail  Emplovees," 
total  $1,414.08.   (No  date.) 

One  letter,  signed,  "W.  A.  Carter  per  Dean,"  dated  Jan.  16,  1863,  Ft. 
Bridger,  Utah,  to  Thos.  J.  Wilson,  at  Ogden. 

Tlie  following  six  pieces  in  CARTER  Collection  came  to  the  State- 
wide Historical  Project  from  Donor  Effie  Widdop,  Mountain 
View,  Wyo.,  with  memorandum,  "From  collection  of  Albert  Fillin": 

One  complaint.  People  of  Utah  vs.  Flin,  Territory  Utah,  Green  River 
County,  dated  June  13,  1858,  signed  by  Augustus  Greissler,  for 
alleged  theft  of  several  articles  and  Two  Hundred  Dollars  in  gold. 

One  list  of  42  names  of  men,  entitled,  "No.  of  Votes  Polled  at  the 
First  Bridger  Precinct,  Green  River  County,  UTAH  Territory, 
August  2nd,  1858." 

One    tabualted    "List    of   a/cs    to   Collect   from    Overland    Stage    Line," 

Sept.   5,   1862,  containing   16  accounts  totalling  $892.58. 
One  list  of   nine   accounts,  totalling  $785.46,   "Collected  by   Mr.  David 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  141 


Street  going  west  from  Bridger  in  January  18C3." 
One  receipt  for  $8.25,  dated  February  U,  1863,  at  Fort  Bridger,  Utah, 

from  "T.  M.  Robbins  for  J.  Poinsett"  to  W.  A.  Carter. 
One  garnishee  form,  printed,  for  State  of  Nebraska,  corrected  with 
ink  for  Territory  Wyoming,  Uinta  County,  before  W.  A.  Carter, 
Probate  Judge  and  ex-officio  Justice  of  the  Peace,  dated  Novem- 
ber 16,  1871. 
One  "List  of  Amounts  due  from  Overland  Stage  Line"  for  fourth 
iiuarter  of  1861   and  part  of  first  quarter  of  1862,  total,  $4,470.21. 


CHEYENNE      PRINTING      COMPANY 


\NNALS  "t  WYOMING 


^ol.  11 


July.  1939 


No. 


.    |cjDARY^^''t'''t's  Impression  of  Fort  Bridger,  1873. 
OF  THE 

NIVERSITY  OF  WYOMING  hfb  a  rd  COLLECTION 

LARAMIE 


Published  Quarterly 

by 
The  Wyoming  Historical  Department 

Cheyenne,   Wyoming 


VNNALS  oj  WYOMING 

ol.  11  July,  1939  No.  3 


^on 


ienis 


JESSE  \V.  CROSBY   (Picture) 


HISTORY  AND  JOURNAL  OF  THE  LIFE  AND  TRAVELS 

OF   JESSE   W.  COSBY  (Introduction) 145 

HISTORY  AND  JOURNAL  OF  THE  LIFE  AND  TRAVELS 

OF  JESSE  W.   CROSBY U7 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  JESSE  W.  CROSBY  FROM 

CLOSE   OF  JOURNAL  TO  TIME  OF  HIS  DEATH 218 

OLD    FORT    BRIDGER 219 

LAST  BLACK  HILLS  COACH  LEAVING  CHEYENNE   (Picture)   222 

CAREER  OF  CHEYENNE-BLACK  HILLS  STAGE  LINE  OWN- 
ER, COLORFUL  STORY  OF  THE  "OLD  WEST"^By  Inez 
Babb  Taylor  222 

WYOMING  WOMEN  CONGRATULATED  BY  BRITISH  WOMEN 
.IN   1891 — By  Agnes   K.   Snow 227 

YOUR   STATE   MUSEUM 229 

INTERESTING  MUSEUM  ACCESSIONS 23 1 

ACCESSIONS   (Listed)    234 


Published  Quarterly 

by 

THE     WYOMINGHISTORICAI>      DEPARTMENT 

GLADYS  F.  RILEY 

State  Librarian  and  Historian  Ex-Officio 


STATE  HISTORICAL  BOARD 


Governor  --------       Nels  H.   Smith 

Secretary    of    State  -------  Lester   C.    Hunt 

State  Treasurer     ------       Mart  T.   Christensen 

State    Auditor       ------       Wm.    "Scotty"    Jack 

Superintendent   of   Public  Instruction     -     Esther   L.   Anderson 
State  Librarian  and  Historian  Ex-Officio     -     Gladys  F.  Riley 


Inez  Babb  Taylor,  Assistant  Historian 


The  original  title,  "ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,"  under  which  this 
magazine  was  published  from  1925  to  September,  1934,  was  resumed. 
with  the  April,  1939  issue — having  carried  the  name,  "Wyoming  Annals" 
from  January,  1938,  to  and  including  January,  1939. 


The  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Advisory  Committee  and  the 
State  Historical  Department  assume  no  responsibility  for  any  statement 
of  fact  or  opinion  expressed  by  contributors  to  the  Annals  of  AVyoming. 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Department  invites  the  presentation 
of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manuscripts  of 
Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observations  of  those 
familiar  with  important  and  significant  events  in  the  State's  history. 

In  all  ways  the  Department  strives  to  present  to  the  people  of  Wyo- 
ming and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State.  The  ANNALS  OF 
W^YOMING  is  one  medium  through  which  the  Department  seeks  to 
gain  this  objective.  All  communications  concerning  the  Annals  should 
be  addressed  to  Mrs.  Gladys  F.  Riley,  Wyoming  Historical  Department, 
Cheyenne,   Wyoming. 


The  Annals  of  Wyoming  are  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Offi- 
cials, heads  of  State  Departments,  members  of  the  State  Historical 
Advisory  Committee,  Wyoming  County  Libraries  and  Wyoming  news- 
papers. It  is  published  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Subscription 
price,  !?1.00  per  year;  single  copies,  35c. 


Copyright,  1939,  by  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


JESSE  W.  CROSBY 
Born,  1820— Died,  1893. 


THE  HISTORY  AND  JOURNAL  OF  THE  LIFE 
AND  TRAVELS  OF 

JESSE  W.  CROSBY 


INTRODUCTION 


Old  diaries  and  .iournals  of  early  Western  settlers  and  travelers 
furnish  later  generations  with  valuable  historical  data  and  informa- 
tion which  serve  to  create  a  greater  appreciation  for  the  hardships 
and  sacrifices  made  by  those  sturdy  pioneers. 

Danger  was  their  constant  companion;  suffering  was  their  regular 
portion;  tragedy  stalked  every  footstep;  and  hard  work  was  a  daily 
necessity  shared  by  all.  With  the  weapons  of  industry  and  resourceful- 
ness they  proposed  to  carve  a  civilization  from  the  wilds  of  alternating 
mountains  and  plains — and  neitlier  by  the  fear  of  God,  man  nor  beast 
were   they   deterred  from  their   worthy  purpose. 

Such  a  pioneer  was  JESSE  W.  CROSBY  when  he  traveled  across 
the  trackless  stretch  now  known  as  M'^yoming  and  into  Utah  in  1847. 
An  ardent  adherent  of  the  Mormon  faith,  he  was  inspired  by  a  religious 
fervor  which  gave  him  a  placid  outlook  upon  the  turmoil  and  strife 
with  which  he  was  surrounded.  He  was  one  of  the  very  first  settlers 
in  the  Valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  Mormon  community  founded  by 
Brigham  Young,  following  persecutions  by  the  Gentiles  in  the  east, 
and  is  the  ancestor  of  three  successive  generations  of  progressive  citi- 
zens of  Utah  and  Wyoming. 

His  journal  is  a  record  of  events  from  his  birth  in  Yarmouth,  Nova 
Scotia,  November  25,  1820,  to  the  time  of  final  entries  at  Salt  Lake 
in  1859,  when  "slavery"  and  "polygamy"  were  vying  for  headline  prom- 
inence in  Eastern  newspapers.  It  includes  a  description  of  his  conversion 
to  Mormonism  in  his  home  State,  New  York,  at  the  age  of  eighteen;  his 
ordination;  his  leavetaking  to  join  the  body  of  the  Church  in  west 
Missouri  when  the  "Mormon  War"  was  at  its  height;  a  special  mission 
journey  to  the  British  Provinces  of  nearly  two  year  duration;  the  west- 
ward emigration  trek  to  Utah;  tlie  building  of  a  town;  a  three-year 
mission  journey  to  England  and  return;  troubles  with  the  United  States 
Government;  Indians  and  crickets  and  miraculous  delivery  from  the 
latter. 

The  day-by-day  notes  of  the  journal  author  during  the  laborious 
journey  to  his  Utah  destination  wtih  an  oxen-drawn  wagon  train,  paint 
a  graphic  panoramic  view  of  the  Wyoming  and  Utah  of  nearly  a  cen- 
tury ago. 

While  Jesse  W.  Crosby  lived  in  Wyoming  only  a  short  time  at  Fort 
Supply,  a  Mormon  supply  station  located  south  of  Fort  Bridger  near 
the  present  town  of  Millburne,  Uinta  County,  he  provided  Wyoming 
with  two  of  his  sons,  namely,  George  H.  Crosby,  Sr.,  and  Jesse  W. 
Crosby,  Jr.,  who  were  among  the  founders  of  the  town  of  Cowley,  Big 
Horn  County,   and   otherwise   were   active   and   valuable  citizens   of  the 


NOTE. — Acknowledgment  is  made  to  Mr.  Kent  M.  Crosby  of 
Basin,  Wyoming;  Dr.  Lawrence  C.  Snow  of  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  and  to  Mr.  Jesse  Crosby  III  of  Cowley,  Wyoming,  for 
biographical  data  and  information  supplementing  the  Journal. 


Big  Horn  Basin  and  of  the  Stale.    Four  other  children  by  his  first  mar- 
riage were  Samuel  Obed,  Thankful  Amelia,  Joseph,  Joshua  A.  and  Elida. 
Brief   biographical   sketches   of   the  two  sons   who    were  AVyoming 
pioneers,  follow: 

GEORGE  HENRY  CROSBY,  SR.,  born  October  25,  1846,  was 
married  to  Sarah  H.  Brown  in  1869.  He  lived  at  St.  George  and  other 
localities  in  Utah,  as  well  as  in  Arizona,  and  in  1901  he  moved  to  the 
Big  Horn  Basin  to  make  his  home  at  Cowley  until  1914,  after  which 
he  returned  to  St.  George  to  do  Temple  work  and  died  in  1916.  In 
1885  he  married  a  plural  wife,  Amelia  Laney,  and  by  this  marriage  he 
had  a  son  and  daughter,  Fred  Crosby  and  Elizabeth  Crosby  Partridge, 
the  late  Mrs.  Clayton  Partridge,  both  of  Cowley. 

The  majority  of  the  children  by  his  first  wife  live  in  Arizona, 
though  a  son,  George  H.  Crosby,  Jr.,  moved  to  Wyoming  where  he 
lived  at  Evanston  and  Lyman  and  practiced  his  legal  profession.  He 
died  in  a  Salt  Lake  City  hospital  in  January,  1938.  His  son,  Kent  M. 
Crosby,  great  grandson  of  the  journal  author,  is  an  attorney  at  Basin, 
Wyoming. 

The  following  children  of  George  H.  Crosby,  Sr.,  and  grandchil- 
dren of  the  writer  of  the  journal  now  live  in  Wyoming:  Fred  Crosby, 
rancher  at  Cody,  and  Josh  Crosby,  Thermopolis.  A  number  of  others 
have  died,  including  George  S.  Crosby  for  whom  the  town  of  Crosby 
(about  eight  miles  north  of  Thermopolis)  was  named.  There  are  also 
several  great  grandchildren,  besides  Kent  M.  Crosby,  living  throughout 
the  State. 

During  his  life,  George  H.  Crosby,  Sr.,  was  Bishop  of  four  separate 
Ivatter  Day  Saints  Wards.  He  was  the  first  patriarch*  of  the  Big  Horn 
Stake  of  the  Mormon  Church. 

JESSE  W.  CROSBY,  JR.,  was  born  on  June  22,  1848,  in  Salt  Lake 
Citv.  He  died  at  Cowley,  Wyoming,  in  February,  1915.  In  1900,  from 
Panguitch,  Utah,  where  he  had  become  wealthy,  he  was  sent  to  the 
Big  Horn  Basin  as  a  leader  of  the  Mormon  settlers.  He  was  Counselor 
to  the  Stake**  President  of  the  Mormon  Church  from  1877  to  1882,  when 
he  became  the  President  and  served  to  1900.  He  served  as  Counselor  to 
Byron  Sessions  in  the  Big  Horn  Stake  Presidency  until  1901  and  then 
as  its   President  until   1911. 

He  was  head  of  the  firm  of  Crosby,  Willis  and  Welch  which  built 
a  large  portion  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad  in  the 
Big  Horn  Basin  and  has  been  referred  to  as  "a  great  pioneer  and  busi- 
ness man  of  the  Big  Horn  Basin." 

In  1877  he  married  Sarah  Frances  Jacobs  as  a  plural  wife,  who 
is  still  living  and  resides  at  Cowley,  Wyoming.  Several  of  his  children, 
and  grandchildren  of  the  journal  author,  moved  to  the  Big  Horn  Basin. 
Amelia  Crosby  Keats  lives  in  Worland,  Wyoming,  Marion  Willis  and 
Jesse  Crosby  live  at  Cowley  and  other  descendants  also  live  in  this  State. 


*An  honorary  position  conferred  by  the  Mormon  Church  on 
one  of  its  members  whose  age  and  experience,  as  well  as  service 
and  leadership,  make  him  a  suitable  representative  of  the 
Church  at  all  times  and  on  special  occasions. 


**  A  major  territorial  unit  of  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  in  the 
Mormon  Church,  comprising  an  indefinite  number  of  wards. 
At  the  head  is  a  Stake  Presidency,  consisting  of  the  president 
and  two  counselors  and  a  High  Council  of  twelve.  Called 
more  fully  stake  of  Zion. 


THE  HISTORY  AND  JOURNAL  OF  THE  LIFE 
AND  TRAVELS  OF 

JESSE  W.  CROSBY 


Story  of  Conversion  to  the  New  Mormon  Faith  at  Age  of  18 
(1838),  in  New  York  State — Migration  to  Join  Main  Body 
of   Church,    Kirtland,    Ohio — Delayed    by    Accident — A 
Miraculous    Healing — Kirtlamd    Reached — Journey   to 
Commerce,  Missouri,  Another  Mormon  Settlement — 
Persecutions — Petition  by  Joseph  Smith  and  Dele- 
gation   to    President    Van    Buren    Unheeded — 
Nauvoo,  Illinois,  Incorporated  as  a  City  and 
Mormon  Temple  Begun,  1840. 


When  between  one  and  two  years  of  age  my  parents,  with 
my  two  brothers  John  and  Obed,  and  my  three  sisters  Hannah, 
Eliza  and  Fanny,  emigrated  to  Chautauqua  County,  New  York, 
then  a  new  country  bordering  on  the  State  of  Pennsylvania 
on  the  West,  and  Lake  Erie  on  the  North,  situated  in  Lat.  42' 
30'  north. 

In  the  midst  of  these  wilds,  and  accustomed  to  the  toils 
and  hardships  of  a  new  country,  I  spent  the  days  of  my  boy- 
hood. 

As  for  religious  teachings  and  ceremonies.  I  knew  but 
little,  having  a  mind  free  and  untrammeled  by  the  idolatries 
of  the  19th  century.  I  was  accustomed  to  think  for  myself, 
yet  my  parents  were  of  a  religious  turn  of  mind  and  I  was 
taught  especially  by  my  mother.  Avhose  tender  care  was  al- 
M-ays  over  me,  for  good,  from  the  earliest  period  of  my  recol- 
lection, to  practice  virtue  and  lead  an  upright  and  honest  life : 
to  speak  the  truth  and  deal  justly  Avith  all  men.  In  connection 
with  this  I  was  also  taught  to  pray,  to  believe  in  and  worshiii 
God  as  the  Maker  and  Preserver  of  all  things,  and  as  I  in- 
creased in  years  faith  and  s]nritual  strength  increased  Avithin 


NOTE. — The  .iournal  is  copied  verbatim  and  witliout  any 
cliansres  in  text,  spellinc:  or  punctuation,  from  tlie  ori.sinal  now 
on  file  in  the  offices  of  the  Historian  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  Salt  Lake  City,  I'tah.  In  its  prep- 
aration for  publication,  the  .iournal  has  been  interspersed  witli 
group  heading  giving  iiighlights  of  succeeding  pages — for  the 
convenience   and    pleasure    of   the   reader. 


148  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


me,  till  I  learned  to  call  upon  the  Lord,  in  faitli,  who  heard 
and  answered  my  prayers,  visibly  and  sensibly,  at  various 
times,  and  my  whole  soul  was  filled  with  love  and  gratitude 
toward  God  the  Father  of  the  Spirits  of  all  men. 

By  this  time  I  had  arrived  at  the  16th  year  of  my  age^ 
and  I  began  to  see  and  feel  the  necessity  of  joining  some  peo- 
ple, and  belonging  to  some  church.  I,  as  it  were,  awoke  from 
sleep,  looked  around  me  and  beheld  the  state  of  the  religious 
Avorld,  and  meditated  upon  it  for  the  first  time  in  my  life. 
Said  I  to  myself,  which  of  all  the  churches  is  the  Church  of 
the  Living  God  who  has  heard  and  answered  my  prayers  ?  Let 
me  see  and  hear  for  myself.  I  attended  churches  of  different 
persuasions  with  a  prayerful  heart,  but  there  %vas  an  aching 
void  still.  I  retired  day  after  day  to  the  woods  and  there, 
where  no  human  eye  could  behold.  I  poured  out  my  prayers 
and  supplications  to  Almighty  God  that  He  would  send  some 
kind  messenger,  called  and  ordained  of  Him  to  guide  my 
footsteps  in  the  path  of  truth. 

In  answer  to  repeated  supplications.  I  received  that  as- 
surance that  calmed  my  mind  and  gave  me  to  understand  that 
the  truth  in  its  fulness  should  be  unfolded  to  me.  My  feelings 
were  known  to  God  and  to  Him  alone,  for  I  told  them  to  no 
one   on   earth. 

The  time  passed  on  till  the  summer  of  1838;  I  was  no%v 
in  my  eighteenth  year  when  two  Elders  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-Day  Saints  '  came  into  my  father's 
neighborhood.  I  went  to  hear  them  preach,  what  was  my  as- 
tonishment when  I  heard  the  speaker  declare,  that  God  had 
sent  them  by  special  revelation,  and  that  a  dispensation  of 
the  Gospel  was  now  revealed  from  God  to  man.  by  the  instru- 
mentality of  Holy  Angels,  and  by  the  voice  of  God  to  man; 
to  be  preached  as  a  witness  to  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and 
people,  and  then  should  be  the  end  of  the  wicked. 

I  paused,  I  considered,  I  thought  upon  the  prayers  and 
desires  I  had  poured  out  to  God,  and  of  the  visions  of  my 
mind,  and  as  the  speaker  proceeded  to  the  Spirit  of  God 
fastened  the  truth  upon  my  heart,  and  though  many  mocked 
and  cried  out  "Delusion,"  I  felt  within  me  that  the  message 
was  true,  that  it  was  from  the  great  Jehovah,  and  that  it 
would  penetrate  the  darkest  corners  of  the  earth,  that  no 
power  could  stand  against  it.  In  this  joyful  news  I  beheld  an 


1  The  Church  was  organized  on  April  6,  1830,  by  Joseph  Smith, 
The  Prophet,  and  six  others,  inchiding  an  older  jjrother,  Hyrum, 
and  a  younger  brother,  Samuel  H.,  in  the  house  of  Peter  Whit- 
mer.  in  Fayette,  Seneca  County,  N.  Y.  It  was  called  the  "Church 
of  Christ." — "The  Rocky  Mountain  Saints,"  by  Stenhouse. 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  U9 


answer  to  my  prayers,  and  that  the  words  of  insi^iration  had 
saluted  my  ears  which  brought  peace  and  joy,  I  straightway 
obeyed  the  message,  and  realized  its  power.  Many  others  fol- 
lowed the  examiDle,  and  a  branch  of  the  Church  was  organ- 
ized. The  Holy  Ghost  was  poured  out,  insomuch  that  many 
were  healed  of  their  infirmities,  some  prophesied,  some  saw 
visions,  others  spoke  different  languages  by  the  gift  and 
power  of  God  as  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  The  language,  or 
dialect  of  various  tribes  of  the  American  Indians  was  spoken, 
and  that,  too,  by  persons  who  had  never  spoken  with  an  Indian 
in  their  lives.  I  will  own,  that  though  I  believed,  I  was  much 
astonished,  but  will  add  that  I  have  since  traveled  among 
various  tribes  of  Indians  in  the  Central  and  uncultivated  parts 
of  America  and  have  recognized  not  only  the  language  but 
the  gestures  and  ver}'  manner  in  which  it  was  spoken.  One 
may  inquire  why  it  was  that  the  spirit  of  God  dictated  these 
individuals  to  speak  in  the  language  of  these  wandering  out- 
casts. Oh,  here  is  the  mystery  that  the  world  hath  not  seen. 
These  are  a  remnant  of  Israel,  the  decendants  of  Joseph,  and 
heirs  to  the  promises  made  to  their  fathers;  See  Book  of  Mor- 
mon. But  I  must  return  to  the  thread  of  my  narrative. 

It  was  now  the  Autumn  of  1838 — I  determined  to  go  west 
to  join  the  body  of  the  Church,  then  located  in  West  Mis- 
souri. The  doctrine  of  the  "gathering"  was  strongly  grounded 
in  my  mind,  and  I  set  to  Avork  with  my  might  to  prepare  for 
the  journey;  in  this  I  was  prospered,  for  means,  almost  mira- 
culously came  into  my  hands.  The  S])ring  drew  near  and  the 
time  of  our  departure  approached  when,  one  day  as  I  Avitli 
my  brother  and  brother-in-law  was  working  in  the  forest,  the 
wind  being  high,  a  branch  from  a  high  tree  some  six  inches  in 
diameter  fell,  and  struck  one  end  upon  the  ground,  the  other 
upon  my  head  which  struck  me  lifeless  to  the  earth.  I  was 
taken  up  for  dead  and  conveyed  to  my  father's  dwelling.  The 
family  Doctor  was  sent  for.  but  my  mother  and  others  of  my 
friends  being  firm  in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  sent  a  messenger 
for  the  Elders  of  the  Church,  living  some  six  miles  distant. 
The  Doctor  came  first,  examined  my  Avounds  and  said  in  my 
hearing  of  Witnesses  "that  my  case  was  a  doubtful  one.  and 
that  without  medical  aid  I  could  not  recover."  But  my  mother 
begged  him  to  let  me  alone,  and  said  "that  when  the  Elders 
came  f  should  come  to  myself  and  live,  and  not  die."  The 
Doctor  accordingly  left,  not  a  little  surprised  and  Avith  all  of- 
fended. The  Elders  came,  annointed  me  Avith  oil  and  laid  their 
hands  upon  me  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  and  prayed.  When 
my  reason  returned  I  recognized  the  inmates  of  the  room, 
and  on  being  asked  if  I  kncAv  anyone,  I  replied,  "that  I  kncAv 


(150  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


them  all."  This  was  the  first  that  I  had  seemed  to  know  or 
understand  since  the  accident.  I  found  that  I  had  been  severe- 
ly injured  and  that  I  was  extremely  weak^  but  the  whole  af- 
fair seemed  like  a  dream.  However^  I  was  able  in  about  three 
weeks  to  follow  my  former  avocation,  and  driving  teams.  The 
time  passed  it  was  now  April ;  and  all  things  being  ready  we 
set  about  for  Missouri  one  thousand  miles  (1,000)  distance, 
traveling  by  land  with  horse  teams  and  lodging  in  our  wagons ; 
but  before  leaving  our  neighbors  called  often  and  remon- 
strated with  us  for  taking,  as  they  thought,  such  a  random 
journey.  One  said,  "Have  you  read  the  News?  Why,  the 
Missourians  and  the  Mormons  are  at  war;  they  are  killing 
and  destroying,  and  will  you  persist  in  going,  and  running 
into  danger  and  death?"  The  reply  was,  "We  have  warned 
you  by  words,  we  now  warn  you  by  flight."  If  danger  or 
death  gets  in  our  way,  we  intend  by  the  help  of  God  to  face 
the  same  like  men  of  God,  and  show  all  men  by  example  that 
we  have  embraced  no  friction  but  an  eternal  reality,  and 
when  the  secrets  of  all  hearts  are  revealed;  then,  if  not  till 
then,  you  shall  know  that  we  are  not  deceived." 

We  are  now  under  way,  April  13th^  1839.  Our  wagons 
were  so  arranged  with  boxes  some  12  feet  in  length,  and  "vvith 
projections  over  the  wheels,  as  to  make  them  commodious 
eating  and  sleeping  rooms.  In  this  manner  we  moved  on,  and 
at  the  rate  of  about  25  miles  per  day,  meeting  reports  con- 
stantly, that  the  Mormons  were  driven,  broken  up,  and  de- 
stroyed, and  that  if  "we  persisted  in  going  to  the  seat  of  \var, 
we  should  meet  with  the  same  fate.  But  nothing  could  daunt 
our  courage ;  Our  course  \vas  on^w^ard,  and  we  at  leng"th  ar- 
rived at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  the  first  place  of  gathering  for  the 
Saints  as  pointed  out  by  revelation  from  God  to  be  a  strong- 
hold for  five  years;  here  stood  a  fine  stone  building  with 
these  words  neatly  engraved  in   front: 

"HOUSE  OF  THE  LORD" 

Built  by  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints. 
It  was  now  unoccupied,  together  with  most  of  the  private 
dwellings  of  the  town.  The  Saints  had  previously  left  for  the 
same  locality  to  which  we  were  journeying.  We  entered  the 
Temple,  and  beheld  the  fixtures,  the  curtains,  the  seats,  etc. 
with  astonishment  being  so  different  from  anything  we  had 
before  seen,  and  being,  as  we  believed  built  by  revelation 
and  commandment  of  God.  Here  the  Saints,  though  few  in 
number  and  poor,  in  the  infancy  of  the  Church  surrounded 
by  opposition,  neverthe  less,  rich  in  faith  and  in  the  knowl- 
edge  of  Godj  united  their  efforts,   some  toiling  for  a  whole 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  151 


year  together^  without  pay  and  with  scanty  food  until  this 
fine  edifice  was  completed,  being  the  first  building  on  the 
face  of  the  earth  at  that  time  built  by  revelation  from  Heaven. 
Our  hearts  were  filled  with  gratitude  to  God,  that  we  thus 
highly  favored  to  live  in  the  day  when  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
was  again  heard  out  of  the  Heavens,  and  with  bosoms  burn- 
ing with  the  intelligence  of  God,  we  still  prosecuted  our  jour- 
ney westAvard  in  order  to  join  the  jDresidency  and  main  body 
of  the  Church  with  whom  the  oracles  of  God  had  been  en- 
trusted. We  now  came  into  prairie  country.  The  first  we  en- 
tered is  in  extent,  about  16  miles  wide  and  100  miles  in  length; 
we  drove  through  a  fine  forest  for  several  miles  and  then  at 
once  came  into  the  mighty  "Fields  of  the  Woods,"  a  vast 
plain,  stretching  out  before  us  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
Not  a  tree,  not  a  shrub  met  our  eye ;  no  abrupt  hills  or  rock, 
naught  but  a  rich  luxuriant  growth  of  grass  and  flowers  of 
almost  every  hue.  which  presented  themselves  on  every  hand. 
Men,  women  and  children  might  be  seen  running  in  every 
direction  to  gather  themselves  a  nosegay.  We  passed  on 
through  these  beauties  of  Nature  till  we  arrived  near  the  cen- 
ter of  the  prairie  when  we  met  with  some  trouble  in  crossing 
a  streani  of  water  here.  Night  overtook  us,  and  we  pitched 
our  tents  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  water.  We  here  made 
our  horses  secure  by  tying  them  with  long  ropes  attached 
picket  pines  driven  in  the  ground,  and  spent  the  night  in  the 
midst  of  this  wonderful  garden  of  Nature.  Before  going  to 
bed  a  wild  deer  came  near  the  camp,  and  seemed  to  look 
anxious  as  though  he  would  like  to  know  what  stranger  had 
invaded  his  territory  and  had  taken  possession  of  his  pleasure 
ground.  But  the  crack  of  two  or  three  rifles  at  the  same  time 
gave  him  to  understand  that  he  was  in  imminent  danger,  and 
he  immediately  took  his  departure.  We  separated,  everyone 
to  his  tent  or  wagon,  and  were  soon  in  the  embraces  of  sleep. 
The  stillness  of  night  universally  prevailed  till  towards  morn- 
ing when  we  M-ere  a  little  disturbed  by  the  howling  of  some 
wolves  that  came  near. 

The  morning  came  and  the  sun  arose  with  its  usual  bril- 
liancy. When  our  camp  duties  Avere  done,  breakfast  over,  and 
the  usual  devotions  passed,  we  were  again  under  way,  con- 
tinuing our  course  westward  with  the  intention  of  crossing 
the  Mississippi  at  Quincy  City;  but  ujion  arriving  within  two 
or  three  hundred  miles  of  that  place,  we  met  several  of  our 
brethern,  traveling  east  of  Missions,  and  that  they  were 
authorized  to  consul  all  Saints  traveling  west  to  direct  their 


152  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


course  to  Commerce, ^  situated  on  the  East  bank  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north  of  St.  Louis,  where 
the  Saints  had  commenced  a  settlement  and  purchased  large 
tracts  of  land,  etc. 

After  the  dreadful  persecutions  throue:h  which  they  had 
just  passed,  called  the  "Missouri  Prosecution,"  wherein  11,000 
persons  had  been  driven  from  their  homes  w^hich  they  had 
purchasd  with  their  own  money,  and  compelled  to  leave  a 
Republican  State,  robbed  of  their  all,  while  many  were  mar- 
tyred and  many  others  died  of  exposure,  having  been  com- 
pelled to  leave  their  homes  in  the  dead  of  winter — All  this 
for  Christ's  sake  and  the  Gospel's.  We  accordingly  turned 
our  course  two  or  three  points  and  arrived  at  Commerce  June 
6,  1839.  HerCj  instead  of  meeting  the  Saints  in  comfortable 
circumstances  as  we  had  expected  to  find  them  in  Missouri, 
they  were,  as  many  as  had  been  able  to  get  through,  living 
in  tents  and  wagons  for  want  of  houses,  some  400  miles  from 
the  place  whence  they  had  been  driven — many  in  straightened 
circumstances,  some  sick  and  overcome  with  hardships  and 
fatigue.  I  walked  about  the  place.  The  sight  was  beautiful. 
Though  uncultivated  and  for  the  most  part  covered  ^vith  tim- 
ber, brush  and  grapevines,  I  concluded  to  stop  and  share  with 
the  people  of  the  Lord,  while  some  of  the  company  chose 
rather  to  go  where  they  could  fare  better.  I  procured  a  lot 
and  commenced  to  build  a  house  for  myself,  mother  and 
sister,  who  had  journeyed  with  me,  a  short  distance  back 
from  the  Mississippi  and  near  the  residence  of  Joseph  Smith. ^ 
Here  in  the  midst  of  these  wilds  with  but  little  of  earthly  sub- 
stance, I  toiled  and  assisted  in  opening  some  of  the  first 
streets  in  that  part  of  the  city  with  my  own  hands,  by  cutting 
down  the  timber  and  underbrush  which  was  so  interwoA'en 
with  grape  vines  that  it  was  difficult  to  get  one  free  to  fall 


zExiled  from  Missouri,  the  Saints  selected  a  favored  spot  on 
the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi  river  in  Illinois,  20  miles  south- 
east of  Burlington,  Iowa.  On  high  ground  in  a  bend  and  com- 
manding a  magnificent  view  of  the  winding  river,  the 
group  of  huts  and  houses  was  named  COMMERCE,  but  later 
was  changed  to  "NAUVOO," — the  beautiful.  The  foundation 
of  the  first  house  was  laid  in  1839  and  in  less  than  two  years 
over  two  thousand  dwellings  were  erected,  in  addition  to 
schools  and  other  buildings.  By  revelation  the  scattered  Saints 
from  Missouri  and  from  all  parts  of  the  earth  were  now  com- 
manded to  gather  at  this  New  Zion. 


3joseph  Smith  was  born  on  December  23,  1805,  at  Sharon, 
Windsor  County,  Vermont,  into  a  family  of  six  sons  and 
three  daughters.    When  he  was  ten  years   old  the   family  mi- 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  153 


until  several  were  cut  off.  However,  the  brush  and  incum- 
brances soon  melted  away  before  the  persevering  hand  of 
industry,  and  houses  sprung  into  being  on  every  hand.  At 
length  we  were  checked  a  little,  for  the  sickness  season  came 
on  and  many,  very  many  felt  its  withering  influence.  The 
place  had  been  known  years  before  to  be  very  sickly  and  our 
enemies  had  been  known  to  say  that  we  would  die,  all  of  us, 
if  attempted  to  settle  there.  Such  was  not  the  case;  but  yet 
many  who  on  account  of  their  g-reat  exposures  were  easily 
overcome  and  fell  victims  to  the  destroyer,  amongst  whom  was 
my  mother  and  brother,  and  for  months  together  there  were 
not  well  ones  enough  to  administer  to  the  sick.  I,  myself,  was 
taken  sick  in  July  and  was  laid  up  till  late  in  September,  and 
the  house  which  I  had  commenced  was  not  finished  for  the 
season.  By  and  by  the  scene  changed  more  favorably.  As  the 
Winter  approached  the  sickness  disappeared,  and  plans  were 
laid  for  draining  some  parts  of  the  land  which  lay  low,  etc. 
In  the  Spring  of  1840  our  strength  was  greatly  augmented 
by  the  arrival  of  Saints  from  various  parts,  and  the  City,  for 
so  it  had  become,  grew  apace.  Large  tracts  of  land  were  pur- 
chased on  both  sides  of  the  great  Father  of  Waters,  and  set- 
tlements were  arriving  from  various  parts. 

During  this  season  a  delegation  was  sent  to  Washington 
to  the  President  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  \'an  Buren ;  Joseph 
Smith  and  several  other  Brethren  comprised  the  delegation. 
They  presented  in  legal  form  (affidavits,  etc.)  an  impartial 
statement  of  all  the  enormities  that  had  been  perpetrated 
against  the  Latter  Day  Saints-  After  a  hearing,  which  was  dif- 
ficult to  obtain,  The  President  replied:  "Gentlemen,  your 
cause  is  just,  you  have  been  deprived  of  your  lawful  rights 
as  American  Citizens;  but  it  is  an  individaul  State  affair,  and 
does  not  come  under  the  supervision  of  the  General  Govern- 
ment;" Thus  our  petition  Avent  unheeded,  and,  though  prop- 
erty was  destroyed  to  the  amount  of  millions  and  hundreds  of 
lives   sacrificed,   vet  no    remuneration    has    been   made   to   this 


grated  to  Palmyra,  Ontario,  now  Wayne  County,  New  York, 
and  four  years  later  moved  to  Manchester  in  the  same  county. 
In  his  fifteenth  year  occurred  the  beginning  of  his  religious  ex- 
perience and  his  first  vision  in  1820,  followed  by  many  visions 
which  gave  him  the  incentive  to  establish  a  new  religion.  While 
incarcerated  in  jail  at  Liberty,  Mo.,  the  last  three  months  of 
1838  and  the  first  three  months  of  1839,  he  received  three  of 
liis  revelations,  embodied  in  the  "Doctrines  and  Covenant"  of 
the  Mormon  faith.  He  ran  for  President  of  the  United  States, 
April  25,  1844,  and  his  dramatic  career  came  to  a  tragic  end 
the  same  year,  when  he  and  his  brother,  Hyrum,  were  taken 
from  jail  at  Carthage,  Mo.,  and  killed  by  a  mob. 


t5i  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


day ;  yet  the  petitions  which  were  presented  from  time  to  time 
answered  the  requirements  of  the  revelation  which  says ; 
"Petition  at  the  feet  of  the  judges ;  if  they  heed  you  not  peti- 
tion at  the  feet  of  the  governor;  if  he  heed  you  not  Petition 
at  the  feet  of  the  President,  and  if  he  heed  you  not  I  will  come 
out  of  my  hiding-place  and  vex  the  nations.''  (The  word  of 
the  Lord  to  Joseph). 

But  to  return.  During  the  Summer  of  1840  a  Charter  was- 
obtained  and  Nauvoo*  became  an  incorporated  City  and  began 
to  answer  to  its  name,  - — Fair — Beautiful,  and  a  site  was  select- 
ed for  a  Temple,  and  the  1 9th  of  October  was  pitched  upon 
to  commence  the  work  of  opening  a  quarry.  I  was  present  to 
assist.  Joseph  the  Prophet  was  also  there  and  assisted,  in  com- 
pany with  some  200  or  300  brethren,  in  opening  a  beautiful 
quarry  of  lime  rock  almost  as  white  as  marble. 

April  6,  1841,  the  Corner-Stones  were  laid  in  the  pres- 
ence of  many  thousands  of  people.  It  was  a  day  long  to  be  re- 
membered. 


Mission  Journey  to  British  Provinces,  April  to  June,  1841 — 
Demand  by  Missouri  on  Illinois  For  Surrender  of  Joseph 
Smith  and  Others^ — Sent  By  *QuorUm  of  the  Twelve'  on 
Second  Journey  to  British  Provinces  on  Special  Mission 
—  Difficulties  Encountered  and  Overcome  —  Sub- 
jected to  Mob  Violence — Safe  Return  to  Maine — 
Destructive  Fire  Witnessed  at  Lowell,  Mass. 


April  13th,  1841.  Having  been  called  and  previously  or- 
dained (October  1840)  I  left  on  a  mission  to  the  East,  to  the 
British  Provinces,  journeyed  by  land  through  Illinois,  Indiana 
and  Ohio,  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  by  the  way. 

At  Toledo  took  steamboat  for  Cleveland,  thence  to  Kirt- 
land  and  thence  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  preaching  as  I  went;  thence 
to  New  York  City,  thence  by  shipping  to  Yarmouth,  Nova 
Scotia;  carried  a  quantity  of  books  which  I  circulated,  and 
after  stopping  with  my  friends  during  the  Winter  of  1841 
and  preaching  round  about  tidings  of  Salvation,  I  again  took 
shipping  for  Boston ;  the  whole  distance  from  Nauvoo  to  New 
York  is  1400  miles,  thence  to  Yarmouth  600  miles;  Entire 
distance,  2000  miles,  distance  across  the  Bay  of  Fundi,  from 
thence  home  by  way  of  New  York  City,  Albany,  Erie  Canal, 
thence  up  the  lakes  to  Chicago,  thence  to  Nauvoo, — arrived  in 
August  1842,  journey  home  2000  miles  long.    During  this  mis- 

*  See  Footnote  2,  Page  152. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  155 


sion — baptized  a  number.  About  the  time  of  my  arrival  there 
was  a  demand  from  Missouri  on  Illinois  to  surrender  Joseph 
Smith  and  others. 

In  September  a  special  conference  was  called  upon  to  go 
abroad,  preach  the  Gospel  and  endeavor  to  allay  excitement, 
etc.  I  set  off  in  N.  E.  course  towards  Michigan,  crossing  the 
head  waters  of  the  Illinois  at  Ottawa,  thence  up  the  Kankakee 
River,  preaching  in  every  village,  and  all  the  principal  settle- 
ments as  I  passed,  and  contending  earnestly  for  the  consti- 
tutional rights  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints.  I  was  remarkably 
prospered,  and  this  undertaking  resulted  in  lasting  good,  for 
the  Lord  was  with  me  in  word  and  in  every  deed.  Arrived 
in  Ypsilanti,  Michigan,  30  miles  from  Detroit  and  500  miles 
from  Nauvoo.  Here  I  was  tarried  and  labored  for  a  time 
around  about  with  some  success,  initiated  such  as  received  the 
word  into  the  Kingdom.  Thence  on  a  more  southern  route 
through  the  north  of  Indiana  and  interior  of  Illinois  to  Nau- 
voo; arrived  in  March,  1843.  In  this  mission  I  traveled  rising 
of  one  thousand  miles,  much  of  it  through  a  prarie  country. — - 
Five-eighths  of  Illinois  is  said  to  be  composed  of  Praries; 
Indiana  also  abounds  with  the  same.  The  north  of  Indiana  as 
Avell  as  Michigan  abounds  with  small  lakes  and  frequent  sandy 
plains.   But  to  return  : 

After  my  arrival  in  Nauvoo,  sometime  in  June,  there  was 
a  general  excitement  raised  in  consequence  of  an  attempt  to 
take  Joseph  Smith  and  others  to  Alissouri.  He  happened  at  the 
time  to  be  on  Rock  River,  one  hundred  miles  from  home. 
The  attempt  was  fruitless,  for  Joseph  returned  in  triumph  to 
Nauvoo,  and  was  met  in  the  ]:)rairie  by  a  great  many  of  the 
inhabitants  who  went  out  on  horses  and  in  carriages — a  great 
company — with  colors  flying,  and  music  ]:)laying  to  Avelcome 
the  prophet.  The  scene  was  animating  in  the  extreme  ! 

About  this  time  I  was  called  upon  to  accept  a  mission, 
but  declined  being  some%vhat  worned  down  with  traveling.  I 
accordingly  tarried  in  Nauvoo  until  July  when  a  special  mis- 
sion was  tendered  me  by  the  Quorum  of  the  Twelve  to  go  in 
company  Avith  Elder  B.  Brown  ''  to  the  Britisli  Provences  and 
such  places  as  seemed  expedient.  We  accordingly  made  ready, 
and  having  been  directed  by  the  Conference  to  stop  in  Cook 
County,  we  accordingly  directed  our  course  towards  Chicago. 
We  left  Nauvoo  August  1st,  1843,  set  off  by  land  c°'-riage  in 
company  with  brethren  traveling  to  the  north,  proceeded 
directly   to    Cook    County,   there    stopped     for     a     while     and 


4  George  H.  Crosby,  Sr.,  the  eldest  son  of  JESSE  W.  CROSBY, 
SR.,  married  Sarah  H.  Brown,  daughter  of  "Elder  Brown." 


156  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


labored;  but  as  there  was  not  an  effectual  field  upon  here, 
and  our  mission  being  to  the  east,  we  accordingly  proceeded 
to  Chicago,  took  steamboat  "Illinois"  bound  to  Buffalo,  got 
under  way  in  the  morning  of  the  24th  of  August.  The  lakes 
were  calm,  and  we  had  a  very  agreeable  passage  in  company 
with  Bros.  P.  P.  Pratt  and  O.  Hyde.^  At  Mackinaw  had  a  view 
of  a  great  body  of  Indians,  who  had  assembled  for  the  pur- 
pose of  receiving  a  payment  from  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment. They  had  pitched  their  tents  all  along  from  miles 
near  the  shore.  We  went  on  shore,  examined  the  Fort  which 
stands  on  a  very  high  bluff,  thence  pursuing  our  course  to 
Lake  Huron,  arrived  at  Fort  Gratiot,  which  presented  a  beau- 
tiful ai^pearance  a  row  of  field  pieces  stood  along  the  bank^ 
and  the  soldiers  were  on  parade;  our  band  on  board  the  boat 
played  briskly  as  we  passed  down  the  narrow  outlet.  All  was 
well  calculated  to  enliven  the  heart,  and  add  joy  to  pleasure. 
The  scenery  along  this  route  is  wild  and  romantic — the  Can- 
ada side  is  particularly  so.  We  frequently  saw  groups  of 
Indians  in  places.  We  stopped  in  Detroit  a  short  time;  thence 
through  Lake  Erie,  passed  on  to  the  Canada  side.  Brother 
O.  Hyde  preached  under  the  awning  of  the  Hurricane  Deck 
to  the  passengers.  As  we  passed  my  former  home,  all  I  could 
discern  in  the  distance  was  a  mist  or  smoke.  Arrived  in  Buf- 
falo August  28,  1843.  I  have  traveled  these  Lakes  three  times, 
each  time  they  have  been  still  and  calm,  comparatively  speak- 
ing. 

Here  we  jDarted  with  our  Brother  and  set  off  for  Lewis- 
ton.  We  did  not  stop  to  examine  the  Cataract  of  Niagara, 
as  I  had  visited  the  Falls  before.  At  Lewiston  we  had  a  vicAV 
of  "BROCK'S  MONUMENT"  standing  a  little  above  Queens- 
town  on  the  Canada  side.  This  is  as  high  up  the  River  or  as 
near  the  Falls  as  boats  can  approach.  Thence  bj'^  steamboat, 
Rochester.  Just  before  we  entered  Lake  Ontario  we  had  a 
view  of  two  Forts,  situated  on  each  side  of  the  river,  which 
forms  the  National  Boundary.  Crossed  the  head  of  the  lake 
to  Toronto  City,  the  seat  of  Government  for  upper  Canada. 
This  place  is  singularly  situated — the  Harbor  is  formed  by  a 
neck  of  land  extending  a  great  distance,  in  shape  like  an 
Elipse ;  thence  across  the  Lake,  which  was  still  and  quiet, 
arrived  in  Rochester  in  the  morning.  Calling  at  intermediate 
Ports,  arrived  in  Sacket's  Harbor  September   1st,   1843.  This 


s  A  coincidence  holding  special  interest  for  this  generation  is 
the  fact  that  Kent  M.  Crosby,  of  Basin,  Wyo.,  great  grandson 
of  the  Senior  Crosby,  married  Miss  Janice  Hatch,  great  grand 
daughter  of  O.  Hyde  mentioned  here  and  several  other  times  in 
the  journal.    He  was  Orson  Hyde,  president  of  "The  Twelve." 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  157 


is  1450  or  1500  miles  from  Nauvoo ;  Here  commenced  our 
ministerial  labors.  At  first  there  was  but  little  opening,  but 
prejudice  gave  way  directly,  and  our  field  of  labor  extended 
far  and  wide  until  the  cry  from  all  parts  of  the  country  was; 
"Come  over  and  hel]5  us."  We  labored  incessantly  day  and 
night,  sparing  no  pains.  I  frequently  had  12  or  15  appoint- 
ments out  at  a  time,  extending  a  long  distance.  Assembled  in 
Conference  December  30.  and  31.  1843,  in  Jefferson  Co.  at 
that  time  had  baptized  50  persons  into  the  Kingdom  and  or- 
ganized a  number  of  Churches.  Conference  now  over,  we  de- 
signed prosecuting  our  journey  to  the  Provinces,  but  pressing 
invitations  called  us  into  the  field,  from  time  to  time  our 
influence  was  increased  and  our  labors  extended  still  wider. 
Held  a  number  of  public  debates.  One  in  particular,  which 
was  published,  being  held  with  the  Champion  of  the  Country 
and  resulted  greatly  in  favor  of  the  Saints.  Thus  passed  the 
Winter  and  Spring ;  but  a  few  days  passed  without  meetings. 
My  circuit  was  large  and  required  much  traveling,  which  I 
estimated  at  2500  miles. 

Assembled  in  Conference  May  25th  and  26th,  1844,  in 
^^  dams,  Jeferson  Count}^,  New  York.  There  were  present  on 
that  occasion  about  three  hundred  Saints,  seven  or  eight  hun- 
dred spectators;  A  number  of  Elders  were  present  and 
branches   were    represented   as    follows : 

Adams    Branch — 63    Members:    Elisburgh — 52. 
Indian     Rivei- — 44  ;     Clayton — 9  ;     Lime — 39  ;     Black 
River — 54;    Pillar    Point— 12;     Therese — 17;     Alex- 
andria— 23;  Scattering  Members  besides. 
During  our  sojourn   here   Ave   baptized   one   hundred   and 
fifty  souls    (150)   there   about;   Ordained  eight  or  ten   Elders, 
etc. 

Conference  noAv  over,  time  would  not  permit  us  to  stay 
longer,  consequently  we  prepared.  May  29th.  to  leave. 

Proceeded  to  Lockport.  thence  to  Alexandria  Bay.  here 
took  passage  on  board  steamboat  "Rochester"  June  3rd.  I 
left  at  6:00  P.  M.  and  arrived  at  Ogdensburgh  at  ten.  Thirty 
miles  from  Kingston.  (75)  miles.  The  River  presents  a  rugged 
appearance,  being  interspersed  with  numerous  rocky  islands 
producing  low  shrubs,  etc.  Current  moderate  ;  passed  Chippe- 
wa and  other  small  towns.  At  12  O'clock  took  passage  on 
board  the  small  steamer  "CHARLOTTE"  belonging  to  a  line 
of  small  boats  that  ply  between  Kingston  and  Montreal ;  they 
pass  down  the  St.  LaAvrence  and  up  the  Redean  Canal, 
touched  at  Prescott,  a  fine  toAvn  opposite  Ogdensburgh.  thence 
down  the  river,  passed  CornAvall.  a  fine  toAvn  on  the  Canada 
side, — here  the  river  is  more  rapid;  thence  through  Lake  St. 


158  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


Francis,    twenty-five    miles    long;    here    the    prospect   is   more 
pleasant. 

Passed  Carto,  French  town,  and  rapids  of  the  same  name. 
The  quick  descent  causes  a  tremendous  confusion  of  the  water. 
The  Country  here  is  inhabited  by  French  people,  small  French 
houses,  quite  compact,  appear  on  either  side.  From  here  to 
Montreal  the  river  is  interspersed  with  islands  and  rapid  cur- 
rents. Catholic  steeples  appear  frequently :  huge  crosses  are 
seen  occasionally  in  front  of  individual  doors.  Passed  Cedar 
Town  and  rapids ;  here  the  water  appears  to  be  literally  mad 
for  three  miles,  presenting  a  mass  of  w^hite  foaming  water. 
Next,  came  to  the  Cascades,  another  rapid  two  miles  long; 
up  this  it  seemed  impossible  for  our  boat  to  live,  but  she  strug- 
gled through  the  foaming'  water  and  brought  us  safely  through. 
Next  came  LaChine,  a  town  principally  French ;  opposite  is  an 
Indian  town  called  Cocknawagon,  11  miles  from  Montreal; 
thence  Lachine  rapids,  w^hich  surpass  any  and  everything  of 
the  kind  I  ever  saw-  Here  all  the  waters  of  no  less  than  eight 
lakes,  the  greatest  chain  on  the  globe,  draining  a  vast  country 
of  three  thousand  miles,  are  hurried  over  rocks,  forming  al- 
most a  second  cataract.  Our  boat  passed  through  a  narrow 
Channel,  at  times  almost  buried,  while  rocks  were  visible  at 
no  great  distance  on  either  side.  After  a  struggle  of  three  min- 
utes, came  through  safe.  For  some  distance  the  mighty  river 
goes  foaming  along  towards  is  great  reservoir;  passed  La- 
Prarie  on  the  right  and  arrived  in  Montreal  June  4,  1844,  at 
3  :00  P.  M.  Our  boat  was  locked  into  the  canal  immediately, 
we  landed,  passed  through  the  City  to  the  lower  part,  pro- 
cured a  house   in  which  we  preached  twice  while  there. 

June  5th,  1844:  spent  the  day  in  viewing  the  city;  passed 
through  the  principal  streets;  they  are  narrow  and  irregular; 
in  the  best  parts  the  buildings  are  high  and  covered  with  tin ; 
all  the  back  part  is  inhabited  by  French.  Their  buildings  are 
small,  irregular  and  compact.  The  incorporation  extends  three 
miles  (three  miles  square)  ;  contains  fifty  thousand  inhabit- 
ants— two-thirds    French. 

One  trait  in  the  history  of  this  city  is  that  a  four-wheeled 
carriage  is  scarcely  ever  seen,  while  calashes  ^  and  cabs  stalk 
the  streets  and  hedge  up  the  way ;  w^e  thoroughly  examined 
everything  of  note,  particularly  the  Parish  Church,  the  largest 
building  of  the   kind   in  America — 260   by   130   feet;    It   con- 


6  A  CALASH  is  a  light  carriage  with  low  wheels,  having  a  top 
or  hood  that  can  be  raised  or  lowered,  seats  for  four  inside,  a 
separate  seat  for  the  driver,  and  often  a  movable  front,  so  that 
it  can  be  nsed  as  either  an  open  or  a  closed  carriage. 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  159 


tains  1363  pews,  cajjable  of  seating  15,000  persons.  The 
Sanctuary  is  adorned  in  superior  style,  tinged  with  gold. 
We  ascended  the  tower — 260  feet  high,  by  means  of  2  5  stair 
cases  forming  285  steps;  from  this  observatory  the  whole 
city  is  seen  at  one  glance.  Sp}^  glasses,  etc.  are  at  hand;  the 
square-rigged  vessels,  about  100  in  number,  lay  along  the 
shore  in  full  view.  Men,  horses,  etc.  hurry  to  and  fro  along 
the  streets,  appear  like  swarms  of  Ants.  Having  satisfied 
ourselves  in  viewing  the  City,  we  next  examined  the  monster 
bell.  .  it  weighs  about  ten  tons,  cast  in  London  at  an  expense 
of  twelve  hundred  pounds  sterling.  It  is  suspended  in  the 
Western  Tower;  the  opposite  one  contains  thirteen  smaller 
bells.  This  Fabric  is  built  of  hewn  stone,  and  exclusive  of 
bells  cost  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds  in  sterling. 
June  6th,  1844,  left  our  lodgings  Mr.  Griffis's  Hotel 
and  repaired  to  Parish  Church;  saw  High  Mass  performed 
and  other  Catholic  ceremonies — great  splendor  was  exhibited. 
Two  or  three  hundred  wax  candles  were  burning,  some  of 
them  six  feet  long ;  one  or  two  hundred  priests  were  present, 
some  of  them  dressed  in  garments  gilded,  others  in  white 
robes.  Next  visited  the  "Grey  Nunnery."  The  day  was  spent 
agreeably.  At  6  :00  P.  M.  took  passage  on  board  the  "CHARL- 
VOX"  for  Quebec;  Bid  farewell  to  the  Catholic  Metropolis, 
probably  forever.  I  viewed  the  country  very  carefully.  It  is 
level,  inhabited  entirely  by  French,  Houses  Avhite,  very  com- 
pact; along  the  banks  of  the  river  Catholic  steeples,  crosses, 
are  seen  as  we  pass  along.  The  river  is  broad  and  beautiful 
the  whole  way — ,  180  miles.  Arrived  in  Quebec  at  9  A.  M. 
June  7th,  put  up  at  Meriams  Hotel;  proceeded  to  examine 
the  City.  The  lower  town  is  situated  along  the  water's  edge, 
under  a  high  cliff  on  which  is  situated  what  is  called  the 
Upper  Town.  Besides  these  there  are  three  suburbs  of  entire 
French.  The  Upper  Town  is  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  twenty 
or  thirty  feet  in  thickness.  We  passed  through  Prescott  Gate, 
obtained  a  pass  from  the  commanding  officer,  and  attended 
by  a  soldier  entered  the  citadel;  it  contains  military  stores, 
etc. — six  thousand  stand  of  arms,  three  thousand  barrels  of 
powder,  and  provisions  for  seven  years.  One  thousand  five 
hundred  troops  are  stationed  here.  The  walls  are  mounted 
with  thirty-two-pounders,  etc.  not  only  around  the  citadel, 
but  around  the  entire  Upper  Town;  two  hundred  and  fifty 
heavy  pieces  on  the  walls,  besides  hundreds  of  heavy  cannon, 
and  scores,  if  not  hundreds,  of  cords  of  shot  or  balls  and 
bombs  of  all  kinds  in  the  citadel  ready  for  use.  Magazine 
batteries,  etc.  all  numbered  in  regular  order.  This  fortress 
is   to    all    appearance    impregnable. 


160  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


After  spending  some  hours  in  our  search,  passed  out 
through  a  strong  gateway.  Next,  examined  the  old  French 
ruins,  then  proceeded  to  the  Plains  of  Abraham.  The  clash 
of  arms,  the  groans  of  the  dying  had  long  since  ceased — all 
was  silence.  The  roar  of  the  cannon  the  crack  of  musketry 
no  longer  fill  the  plains  with  blood  and  carnage;  Here  fell 
two  brave  warriors — Wolfe  and  Montcalm.  I  seated  myself 
beside  a  monument  bearing  this  inscription:  "Here  died  brave 
Wolfe."  We  passed  over  the  battle-ground  and  descended  the 
bluff  where  Wolfe  and  his  men  ascended,  dragging  their 
cannon  after  them.  All  was  silent  and  lonely. 

June  8th,  1844,  Spent  the  day  in  reviewing  the  citadel  and 
all  Military  works,  public  buildings. 

June  9th,  1844,  being  Sunday  attended  Catholic  services 
in  the  afternoon;  thousands  of  Catholics  were  assembled  and 
formed  a  grand  procession  displaying  much  pomjo  and  show. 
The  ]4rocession  commenced  their  march  from  the  Church 
w^hich  was  adorned  in  the  greatest  splender,  the  sanctuary 
with  its  images  tinged  with  gold  was  lighted  up  with  h'  '■- 
dreds  of  wax  candles;  the  Priests,  some  in  gilded  garments^ 
others  in  robes  of  white;  ahead  went  boys  dressed  in  white — 
some  with  pots  of  incense,  others  with  baskets  of  flowers  to 
strew  the  street;  then  followed  the  Altar,  the  Ark  of  the  Cov- 
enant, then  the  Bishop  and  a  long  train.  Smoke  issued  from 
the  i^ots  and  the  Altar  as  they  passed.  The  streets  were 
adorned  with  bushes  and  flowers  and  filled  with  thousands 
of  people.  We  visited  two  Churches  in  Montreal,  two  in  Que- 
bec. They  were  all  built  in  similar  style^  being  built  in  a  very 
grand  and  extravagant  manner,  especially  the  sanctuary — 
thirty  or  forty  feet  high,  twenty  broad,  forming  a  concave 
front  in  the  middle,  stands  at  the  height  of  twelve  feet  the 
Virg'in  Mary  with  the  Infant  in  her  arms,  next  above  is  Jesus 
on  a  Cross,  on  either  side  around  about  stand  the  Twelve 
Apostles,  while  above  all  on  the  top  of  the  Sanctuary  stands 
God,  on  a  ball,  representing  the  earth  as  his  footstool,  hold- 
ing a  sceptre  in  His  hand.  The  whole  front  is  regularly  ar- 
ranged with  candles,  when  lit  up  the  whole  appears  like  a 
mass  of  gold. 

Quebec  is  a  large  city,  but  meanly  built;  quite  populous^ 
wealth  and  poverty,  pride  and  misery  abound  there.  There 
were  three  to  five  hundred  square-rigged  vessels  lying  in 
port;  the  aspect  is  rather  gloomy.  Cabs  and  calashes  are  in 
use  instead  of  four-wheeled  carriages,  plenty  of  good  teams 
may  be  seen  running  to  and  fro  through  the  streets.  After 
a  stop  of  four  days  we  engaged  a  passage  on  board  a  French 
vessel — not   a   soul   could   speak   English;   set   off   June    11th 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  iCl 


with  ebb  tide  sun  down  with  a  fine  breeze  until  flood  tide, 
then  down  anchor,  held  on  till  ebb,  thence  on ;  the  country 
below  Quebec  is  gloom}'^,  lofty,  and  precipitious  banks,  while 
blue  ranges  of  mountains  are  seen  in  the  distance,  their  small 
white  spots  scattered  over  the  hills  and  mountains.  Arrived 
at  St.  Andre  June  12th.  This  is  one  hundred  miles  from  Que- 
bec— here  the  country  is  rockj'^  and  very  broken ;  thence  to 
River  DeLoup,  15  miles.  This  is  a  great  place  for  fishing  with 
wiers;  the  tide  rises  at  rapidly  and  high,  extends  one  hundred 
miles  above  Quebec  to  Three  Rivers,  rises  at  Quebec  15  feet. 
From  River  DeLoup  proceeded  back  from  the  St.  Lawrence, 
crossed  the  Lake  15  miles,  thence  down  the  Madwaska  to  its 
junction  with  the  St.  John  at  Little  Falls,  twenty-two  miles 
thence  by  means  of  our  canoe  to  Grand  Falls;  36  miles,  hired 
it  drawn  around  the  Falls,  thence  on  our  journey  as  before. 
Inhabitants  nearly  all  French,  till  we  reached  the  Grand  Falls; 
below  that  English  people;  lumbering  is  the  chief  employ- 
ment; the  river  is  rapid  and  we  passed  down  swiftly;  arrived 
at  Fredericktown  June  19th,  1844.  Distance  from  Grand  Falls 
to  Fredericktown  130  miles;  whole  distance  from  Kingston 
768  miles.  On  our  arrival  invitations  were  received  for  preach- 
ing. We  accordingly  entered  the  field  of  labor.  We  were  the 
first  Latter-Day  Saints  that  ever  journeyed  that  way.  Our 
undertaking  was  an  arduous  one.  We  had  to  clear  the  ground 
of  heaps  of  superstition  before  any  seed  could  be  sown  to 
advantage.  Priestcraft  had  reigned  predominant  and  had  be- 
come strongly  rooted.  At  first  it  seemed  impossible  that  any 
of  these  captives  should  be  made  free  through  the  truth. 

Hireling  priests  labored  to  save  their  craft.  One  modern 
Pharisee  prophecied  that  we  would  not  find  one  individual 
Avho  would  receive  our  testimony  in  the  Province.  One  or 
two  preachers  attempted  to  discuss,  as  challenges  were  given 
by  us,  but  were  put  to  flight  and  shame.  Those  who  prophe- 
sied against,  were  soon  proved  to  be  liars,  for  about  the  15th 
of  July,  twelve  individuals  who  had  received  our  testimony 
in  Queensbury  County  of  York,  came  forward  for  baptism. 
The  Lord  confirmed  the  word  with  signs  following  according 
to  promise.  By  this  time  certain  persons  seeing  that  none  dare 
stand  before  us  and  that  we  were  likely  to  prosper  notwith- 
standing all  their  exertions,  were  moved  to  anger  against  us, 
and  began  to  lay  plots.  The  first  thing  was  to  enter  complaints 
to  the  Govei-nor  against  us,  such  as  that  we  were  baptizing 
those  who  had  once  been  baptized,  influencing  the  people 
to  leave  the  Province  and  go  to  the  States,  believing  in  spir- 
itual gifts,  speaking  against  the  established   church   common 


162  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


prayer  book,  tearing  down  churches,  going  against  British 
laws,  etc  etc. 

At  first  we  paid  but  little  attention  to  them ;  continued 
JD reaching  till  we  had  baptized  twenty,  when  we  were  in- 
formed that  the  Governor  had  ordered  the  Magistrates  to 
meet  in  Council  and  inquire  into  the  truth  of  these  complaints. 
Consequently  three  met, — their  names  were  Parent,  Earls  and 
Morehouse, — having  given  public  notice  previously  for  all  who 
knew  of  our  being  guilty  of  the  before-mentioned  charges  to 
attend.  Two  only  were  sworn;  two  testified  to  what  we 
acknowledged  our  names,  place  of  residence,  to  what  nation 
we  belonged,  etc  etc.  The  other,  a  negro,  testified  to  all  inten- 
tions and  purposes  that  we  preached  false  doctrine,  such  as ; 
that  we  had  power  to  raise  the  dead,  cast  out  devils^  also  that 
we  were  building  a  temple  that  should  not  be  thrown  down 
somewhere  in  the  States,  a  place  of  safety,  while  the  residue 
of  mankind  should  be  destroyed.  The  proceedings  of  this  meet- 
ing were  forwarded  to  the  Governor.  Things  having  arrived 
at  this  pitch  we  thought  it  wisdom  to  take  some  steps  to 
counteract  their  proceedings.  We  accordingly  prepared  our- 
selves with  documents  from  Judge  Beardsley  and  Doctor 
Shelton.  We  repaired  to  Fredericktown,  appeared  before  his 
Excellency,  the  Governor;  Our  names  were  recorded  and  our 
place  of  residence.  Our  documents  underwent  an  investiga- 
tion. The  Governor  Avas  very  inquisitive.  I  was  somewhat 
surprised  that  the  Governor  should  enter  into  a  debate  with 
us,  but  this  he  did,  and  it  lasted  about  two  hours.  Many  points 
of  our  doctrine  were  taken  up ;  At  last,  finding  himself  hard 
run  for  arguments  accused  us  of  being  acquainted  with  the 
dead  languages.  Thus  closed  our  interview  without  any  posi- 
tive answer;  wether  we  should  be  allowed  our  rights  or  not. 
Lawyer  Wilmot,  the  Governor's  chief  counselor,  treated  us 
kindly,  and  told  us  that  there  was  no  law  that  could  harm 
us.  This  blowed  up  the  whole  affair,  and  frustrated  their 
plans.  We  returned  to  our  labors  and  continued  preaching 
and  baptizing.  Many  were  reports  were  flying  abroad  about 
warrants,  prisons,  etc.  The  whole  country  was  greatly  agi- 
tated. 

Elder  Brown  went  to  Maine  a  short  time.  During  his  ab- 
sence there  was  some  mob  talk.  These  desperadoes,  finding 
themselves  defeated  in  all  their  plots,  were  determined  to  have 
revenge.  Brother  Brown  soon  returned.  Our  number  had  by 
this  time  increased  to  twenty-five. 

September  the  2nd,  1844:  Soon  after  Dr.  Shelton  and  his 
family  were  baptized,  he  being  a  man  of  influence  and  a  Magis- 
trate in  the  County  of  York.  The  excitement  seemed  to  rise 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  163 


higher  than  before,  and  things  appeared  to  converge  to  a 
point.  The  11th  of  September  is  a  day  long  to  be  remembered. 
In  the  afternoon  I  preached  in  Dr.  Shelton's  neighborhood; 
Text,  Rev.  12;  14,  and  labored  to  show  all  the  fallen-away, 
the  rise  of  great  Babylon  and  the  coming  forth  of  the  great 
work  of  God  in  the  last  days.  I  had  great  liberty  and  spoke 
at  leng'th.  Brother  Brown  and  others  bore  testiniony.  The 
spirit  of  God  was  there.  The  meeting  closed  about  sunset.  We 
repaired  to  the  Doctor's  house  for  Supper,  everything  did  not 
appear  just  right.  Some  designing  persons  walked  up  street, 
made  use  of  some  hard  speeches,  and  appeared  to  manifest 
a  hostile  spirit.  Supper  over.  Brother  Brown  left  the  house 
and  walked  down  street  towards  Mr.  Foster's.  Just  before 
he  reached  the  house,  he  was  met  by  seven  or  eight  ruffians 
Avho  knocked  him  down  and  beat  him  most  inhumanly,  mang- 
led his  body  by  jumping  on  him,  etc.  etc.  On  the  appearance 
of  a  friend  the  mob  ran  off.  Brother  Brown  was  brought  back 
half  dead  covered  with  blood  and  dirt.  I  "w^ashed  his  wounds, 
found  him  cut  and  bruised  in  a  horrible  manner,  got  him  in 
bed  in  a  front  room  in  the  lower  story.  About  twelve  o'clock 
at  night  I  laid  down  with  him,  fell  into  a  drowse  for  a  moment, 
to  be  roused  by  a  prowling  mob.  I  sprang  from  my  bed,  seized 
a  chair  and  held  over  the  bedroom  door.  The  mobbers  had 
possession  of  the  front  room  and  attempted  to  open  our  door, 
but  I  withstood  them.  At  this  moment  by  means  of  stones  and 
rails  our  windows  were  broken  in  with  a  noise  like  that  of 
thunder.  This  gave  me  to  understand  that  there  was  no  other 
alternative.  We  must  either  fall  into  the  hands  of  a  merciless 
mob,  or  I  must  do  my  best.  Elder  Brown  was  scarcely  able 
to  get  out  of  bed;  all  the  weapons  we  had  were  a  chair  and 
cane ;  The  chair  appeared  to  be  the  heaviest,  so  I  drew  it 
and  stood  ready  for  a  charge  ;  but  none  dared  to  put  his  head 
in  my  reach.  I  am  thankful  that  they  did  not.  I  stood  there  in 
suspense  not  knowing  what  my  fate  might  be,  but  was  deter- 
mined to  defend  myself  to  the  last ;  for  there  was  no  hope  of 
mercy  if  once  in  their  hands.  Our  room  was  small,  about  ten 
feet  square;  stones,  rails,  etc.  Avere  thrown  into  the  room,  but 
as  good  luck  would  have  it,  we  were  not  hurt  by  them.  By 
this  time  Mrs.  Shelton  broke  through,  for  the  mob  before  they 
commenced  their  operations  crept  in  and  fastened  the  family 
into  their  rooms  to  prevent  them  from  lending  a  hand  of  as- 
sistance, and  came  to  our  door.  Her  voice  was  as  the  voice  of 
an  angel;  she  bid  us  come  quickly;  we  did  so,  and  tliat  too 
was  undiscovered  by  the  mob.  The  night  was  spent  in  this 
deplorable  manner.  However,  about  the  time  we  left  the  bed- 
room the  Doctor  left  the  house  bv  a   back  door,  and  after  a 


164  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


while  returned  with  twelve  men  to  protect  the  house.  On 
examination  found  the  windows  broken  in  a  most  deplorable 
manner.  Our  bed  from  which  we  had  escaped  was  covered 
with  stones^  rails^  etc.  One  room  in  the  second  story  had  all 
the  windows  broken  thinking  we  might  be  there.  The  room 
in  which  I  had  taken  refuge  was  searched  once,  but  in  vain; 
the  chief  enmity  seemed  to  center  in  me_,  but  miraculously  I 
escaped  unhurt.  For  months  the  least  noise  would  disturb  me, 
and  I  would  imagine  that  I  heard  the  breaking  of  glass,  etc. 
My  feelings  were  such  as  are  not  easily  described.  The  mob 
consisted  of  about  thirty  men.  The  next  day  we  attended  our 
appointments,  some  miles  below,  but  Elder  Brown  was  not 
able  to  appear  in  public  for  some  time.  All  this  did  not  dis- 
courage us,  or  the  Saints  we  continued  to  preach  and  baptize. 
For  some  days  we  preached  and  baptized  during  the  day,  and 
slejDt  in  the  woods  in  the  night-time.  During  all  this  we  had 
many  more  invitations  for  preaching  than  we  were  able  to 
fill.  ' 

Having  an  appointment  up  the  river  some  riiiles,  our 
friends  assembled  for  meeting.  As  we  were  detained  later 
than  was  expected,  and  having  heard  that  a  mob  was  lying 
in  wait  for  us,  thirty  or  forty  of  our  friends  armed  themselves 
with  clubs  and  whatever  came  to  hand,  and  came  rushing  to 
meet  us.  wether  there  was  a  mob  or  not,  I  never  learned,  how- 
ever. We  returned  with  them,  had  a  good  meeting,  large  and 
attentive  congregation  who  treated  us  with  all  the  kindness 
in  their  power.   We  did  not  lack  for  friends. 

The  Summer  was  now  spent,  and  the  time  drew  near  for 
us  to  depart.  We  called  the  Saints  together  and  organized 
them  into  two  branches — forty  seven  in  all.  We  were  in  the 
Province  about  three  months.  Some  had  seen  us  in  visions 
six  months  before  our  arrival,  and  after  hearing  the  Word 
convinced  of  the  truth  and  testified  that  all  was  fulfilled  to 
the  letter;  even  our  dress  and  appearance  they  recognized. 

All  things  being  now  ready  we  set  off  for  Houlson, 
Maine;  were  cordially  received  preached  a  few  times;  pro- 
cured a  passage  with  the  Teamster,  and  set  off  October  9th 
for  Bangor,  120  miles;  thence  by  steamboat  to  Portland, 
thence  by  cars  to  Boston,  400  miles. 

October  15th,  1844.  Found  the  Saints  in  good  spirits,  be- 
tween two  and  three  hundred  in  Boston ;  was  cordially  re- 
ceived. 

After  a  short  time  was  called  upon  to  go  and  visit  the 
Saints  in  New  Hampshire  on  business,  70  or  80  miles  dis- 
tance. Returned  again  to  Boston  being  much  worn  down  with 
excessive  labors ;   concluded  to   tarry  during  the  Winter   and 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  165 


recruit  my  health.  By  invitation  consented  to  take  the  Presi- 
dency of  a  small  branch  in  LoAvell^  City  30  miles  from  Bos- 
ton, and  to  take  up  my  abode  there.  Came  into  the  City  Decem- 
ber Ist^  1844;  kept  up  regular  meetings  during  the  Winter, 
gave  my  attention  partly  to  the  studying  of  some  useful 
sciences ;  baptized  a  number  during  my  stay. 

On  the  20th  of  January,  1845,  paid  Andover  a  visit.  This 
is  a  village  about  ten  miles  from  Lowell;  went  in  Company 
with  about  200  persons —  ten  large  sleighs.  I  had  the  privi- 
lege of  examing  a  very  large  library  containing  nearly  fif- 
teen thousand  Volumes.  I  examined  one  that  was  published 
in   1492  in  English. 

On  the  25th,  we  had  a  dreadful  storm  during  the  night : 
the  snow  drove  through  the  air  in  almost  solid  columns.  About 
three  o'clock  we  were  aroused  by  the  ringing  of  bells — every 
one  in  the  city  was  ringing,  the  cry  was  fire:  fire:  I  dressed 
myself  and  went  out  to  witness  the  most  terrific  scenery  that 
my  eyes  ever  beheld.  Fire  engines  were  in  the  street  but  buried 
in  snow;  it  was  impossible  to  get  them  to  the  fire.  The  Wind 
blew  a  hurrican;  the  air  was  full;  It  was  difficult  to  breathe. 
The  reflection  caused  everything  to  appear  red;  the  build- 
ings burned  down — no  assistance  could  be  rendered;  the  in- 
habitants escaped  with  their  lives. 

Lowell  is  a  manufacturing  town — 33  Mills,  looms  6304; 
Spindles  204,076;  Number  of  Persons  employed  8735 — Fe- 
males 6.320.  Yards  of  cloth  manufactured  weekly.  6.459,100 — - 
Annually   75,873,200. 

Made  a  visit  to  Boston;  had  the  opportunity  of  ascend- 
ing the  Bunkerhill  Monument,  the  State  House  and  all  other 
objects  of  note  in  the  town.  Saw  a  number  of  small  brass 
cannon  that  were  used  on  Bunker  Hill  during  the  first  hos- 
tilities with  England.  Spent  the  Winter  very  agreeably  up  to 
this  date. 


166  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


RETURN  TO  NAUVOO,  APRIL  25,  1845— Crosby  Joined 
'Second  Quorum  of  Seventies'  —  Brigham  Yoimg  Elected 
President  of  Quorum  —  Work  on  Temple  and  Nauvoo 
House  Rushed — Marly  Settlement  South  of  Nauvoo  At- 
tacked and  Burned — Plan  of  Removing  *As  a  Church 
and  People  Into  the  Wilderness,'   1845  —  Com- 
panies of  Hundreds,  Fifties  and  Tens  Organized 
for  General  Exodus  —  Crosby  Left  in  June, 
1847,  With  Wagon  Train  for  West — Camp- 
Groimd  of  'Pioneers'  Reached  —  Prairie 
Dog  Villages  are  Curiosity  —  Thou- 
sands   of    Buffalo    Seen  —  Wagon 
Train  Visited  by  Indians  —  The 
Oregon   'Track'    Struck   at   Ft. 
Laramie 


March  12th,  1845,  Left  Lowell,  March  29,  proceeded  to 
Boston,  thence  to  N.  Y.  thence  to  Philadelphia,  thence  to 
Pittsburgh,  thence  down  the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi; 
arrived  in  Nauvoo  April  the  25th,  1845. 

By  council  of  P.  P.  Pratt  nearly  all  the  Elders  were  called 
in  at  that  time.  Journey  home  2168  miles^,  found  all  things 
quiet.  On  the  29th  of  May  was  present  at  the  laying  of  the 
last  stone  of  the  Temple. 

On  the  19th  of  June  184-5,  had  a  settlement  with  Temple 
Committee — Paid  Tithing  up  to  that  date  from  the  12th  of 
October  1840,  at  which  time  the  Temple  was  commenced. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1845,  joined  the  Second  Quorum  of 
Seventies. "^  After  the  death  of  Joseph  the  Prophet,  the  respon- 


7  During  February,  1835,  the  Twelve  Apostles  were  chosen  and 
another  organization,  "The  Seventies,"  was  introduced  by  the 
prophet  and  leader,  Joseph  Smith.  This  was  to  be  a  "Quorum" 
composed  of  seventy  elders,  the  first  seven  members  of  which 
were  to  be  seven  presidents  over  the  whole  quorum,  and  the 
first  of  these  seven  to  preside  over  all;  "The  Seventies"  to  be 
the  auxiliaries  to  the  Twelve  Apo.stles,  and  to  form  a  sort  of 
minor  apostleship.  Joseph  Smith  issued  the  following  instruc- 
tions to  the  President  of   "The  Seventies": 

'If  the  first  Seventy  are  all  employed,  and  there  is  a 
call  for  more  labourers,  it  will  be  the  duty  of  the  seven 
Presidents  of  the  first  Seventy  to  call  and  ordain  other 
seventy,  and  send  them  forth  to  labour  in  the  vineyard, 
until,  if  need  be,  they  set  apart  seventy  times  seventy, 
and  even  until  they  are  one  hundred  and  forty-four 
thousand.' 

— "The  Rocky  Mountain  Saints,"  by  Stenhouse. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  IGl 


sibility  of  leading  and  bearing  off  the  Church  and  Kingdom 
fell  upon  the  12  who  proceeded  to  organize  and  set  all  things 
in  order.  The  names  of  the  Quorum  are  as  follows: 

President  of  the  Quorum,  Brigham  Young;  Heber  C- 
Kimball,  John  Ta3^1or,  Wilford  Woodruff,  P.  P.  Pratt,  Orson 
Pratt,  Willard  Richards,  John  E.  Page,  Lyman  White,  George 
A.  Smith_,  William  Smith. 

During  the  Summer  of  1845  the  work  of  organization 
continued  till  30  quorums  were  set  in  order.  I  remianed  at 
home  and  worked  on  the  Temple  this  season.  There  were  but 
very  few  Elders  sent  abroad  this  Summer — the  main  object 
of  the  Church  being  to  build  the  Temple  and  Nauvoo  House, 
which  works  were  rushed  on  with  great  spirits. 

The  season  glided  away  swiftl}^  while  all  was  peace  and 
quietude,  until  all  at  once,  without  any  notice,  or  the  least 
cause,  while  the  Saints  were  pursuing  their  common  associa- 
tions, a  gang  of  ruffians  on  the  10th  of  September,  1845, 
commenced  an  attack  upon  a  settlement — Marly  settlement, 
South  of  Nauvoo,  by  burning  their  houses  and  driving  defense- 
less families  from  their  homes.  This  burning  continued  and 
spread  in  the  Country  branches,  until  70  or  80  houses  were 
consumed.  During  all  this  insult  the  Sheriff  (Backentas) 
thinking  that  forbearance  was  no  longer  a  virtue,  organized 
a  posse,  set  off  for  the  burning  district;  found  a  company  en- 
gaged in  firing,  and  attacked  them,  killing  some  and  driving 
the  rest  over  the  River,  or  rather  they  rushed  over  through 
fear.  The  Sheriff,  at  one  time  on  his  route  from  Warsaw  to 
Nauvoo  escaped  narrowly,  being  pursued  closely  by  four  or 
five  Ruffians  on  horseback;  the  sheriff  coming  up  with  friends 
called  on  them  to  save  his  life,  whereupon  one  man,  P.  Rock- 
well, fired  and  killed  a  ruffian  dead  by  the  name  of  Warrell. 
Upon  this  they  retreated.  The  sheriff  with  his  possee  took 
possession  of  the  principal  parties  in  the  country.  The  Govern- 
or, seeing  we  were  likely  to  overcome  our  enemies,  sent  a 
force  of  400  men  who  paraded  the  county,  and  instead  of 
bringing  the  burners  to  justice  they  came  to  Nauvoo  in  search 
of  stolen  goods,  dead  bodies,  etc.  At  length  troops  were  dis- 
missed, except  50  men  who  remained  at  Carthage  to  protect 
the  mob.  The  destruction  of  property  ceased  after  10  or  12 
thousand  dollars  loss  on  our  part,  and  all  things  remained 
quiet. 

On  the  6th  of  October  1845;  we  had  a  General  Confer- 
ence in  the  Temple.  The  main  business  of  the  Conference  was 
to  lay  before  the  Brethren  the  propriety  of  removing  as  a 
Church  and  people  into  the  Wilderness,  out  of  reach  of  Gen- 


168  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


tile  Christians.^  Measures  were  adopted  for  organizing  the 
people  into  companies  of  hundreds^  companies  of  fifties^  and 
companies  of  tens^  whose  interest  was  to  be  One,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  removing  all  rich  and  poor.  A  vote  was  taken  to  the  ef- 
fect that  all  our  means  should  be  expended,  if  necessary,  or 
that  all  should  go  as  far  as  our  means  and  influence  will  ex- 
tend. Much  interesting  instructions  and  influence  were  deliver- 
ed from  the  Christian  mobs.  President  B.  Young  asserted  that 
we  owed  the  United  States  nothing,  not  a  farthing,  not  one  ser- 
mon; they  have  rejected  our  testimony,  killed  our  prophets, 
our  skirts  are  clear  from  their  blood.  We  will  go  out  from 
them,  let  them  see  to  these  matters. 

At   the   opening   of  the    Conference   the    standing   of  the 
Officers   throughout   the   entire    Church   was   tested   by   vote; 


a  The  only  written  revelation  given  to  the  Saints  by  Brigham 
Young  was  issued  from  his  head  quarters  on  January  14,  1847, 
entitled,  "The  Word  and  W^ill  of  the  Lord  concerning  the  Camp 
of  Israel  in  their  Journeyings  to  the  West."  The  revelation 
follows,   in  part: 

"Let  all  the  people  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Lat- 
ter Day  Saints,  and  those  who  journey  with  them,  be  or- 
ganized into  companies,  with  a  covenant  and  a  promise  to 
keep  all  the  commandments  and  statutes  of  the  Lord  our 
God.  Let  the  companies  be  organized  with  captains  of 
hundreds,  and  captains  of  fifties,  and  captains  of  tens, 
with  a  president  and  counsellor  at  their  head,  under  direc- 
tion of  the  Twelve  Apostles:  and  this  shall  be  our  covenant, 
that  we  will  walk  in  all  the  ordinances  of  the  Lord. 

"Let  each  company  provide  itself  with  all  the  teams,  wag- 
ons, provisions,  and  all  other  necessaries  for  the  journey, 
that  they  can.  When  the  companies  are  organized,  let  them 
go  to  with  all  their  might,  to  prepare  for  those  who  are  to 
tarry.  Let  each  company,  with  their  captains  and  presi- 
dents, decide  how  many  can  go  next  spring;  then  choose 
out  a  sufficient  number  of  able-bodied  and  expert  men  to 
take  teams,  seed,  and  farming  utensils  to  go  as  PIONEERS 
to  prepare  for  putting  in  the  spring  crops.  Let  each  com- 
pany bear  an  equal  proportion,  according  to  the  dividend 
of  their  property,  in  taking  the  poor,  the  widows,  and  the 
fatherless,  and  the  families  of  those  who  have  gone  with 
the  army,  that  the  cries  of  the  widow  and  the  fatherless 
come  not  up  into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  against  his  people. 
"Let  each  company  prepare  houses,  and  fields  for  rais- 
ing grain  for  those  who  are  to  remain  behind  this  season; 
and  this  is  the  will  of  the  Lord  concerning  this  people. 

"Let  every  man  use  all  his  influence  and  property  to  re- 
move this  people  to  the  place  where  the  Lord  shall  locate 
a  stake  of  Zion;  and  if  ye  do  this  with  a  pure  heart,  with 
all  faithfulness,  ye  shall  be  blessed  in  your  flocks,  and  in 
your  herds  and  in  your  fields,  and  in  your  houses,  and  in 
your  families  ...*** 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  1G9 


All  stood  fast  excejot  Lyman  Wight  and  William  Smith;  the 
former  was  laid  over,  but  the  latter  lost  his  standing  either 
as  an  Apostle  or  Patriarch,  and  directly  after  was  cut  off  from 
the  Church.  Nothing  strange  or  important  transpired  in  Nau- 
voo,  during  the  Autumn  and  Winter;  the  Companies  turned 
their  attention  to  building  wagons,  etc.  The  Nauvoo  House 
being  discontinued  immediatelj^  after  the  commencement  of 
the  Hancock  riots;  the  whole  force  was  turned  to  the  comple- 
tion of  the  Temple,  as  also  every  necessary  preparation  for  our 
contemplated   removal   in   the   spring. 

I  continued  as  a  regvilar  laborer  on  the  Temple  and  wit- 
nessed the  completion  of  the  Upper  Room  in  which  the  En- 
dowments commenced  about  the  1st  of  December,  1845.  From 
this  period  the  Temple  was  thronged,  things  being  rushed  on 
with  the  greatest  haste.  As  many  as  500  went  through  in 
twenty-four  hours,  this  not  common.  Received  my  endow- 
ments in  January,  1846.  The  work  continued  till  the  8th  of 
February  when  all  was  stopped ;  and  immediate  preparations 
entered  into  for  a  removal.  The  crossing  commenced  on  or 
about  the  2nd  of  February,  1846,  and  continued  till  the  16th; 
as  fast  as  they  crossed  removed  back  four  or  five  miles  and 
camped,  waiting  for  all  to  cross. 

April  24,  1846:  The  ferrys  are  crowded;  the  Brethren 
are  crossing  with  all  diligence  and  going  on  to  join  the  main 
camp.  The  works  on  the  Temple  ceased  April  23rd,  1846; 
that  is,  the  Joiner  Avork — the  painters  and  masons  continued 
a  few  days  longer. 

Since  June  1845  I  have  labored  202  days  on  the  Temple. 

May  24th,  1846;  we  packed  our  things  and  removed  to 
the  river-bank;  on  the  25th  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  moved 
back  in  the  Territory  2  or  3  miles  and  camped. 

May  26,  1846:  we  ascended  the  bluffs,  and  some  six 
miles  from  Nauvoo  we  found  ourselves  on  a  high  and  sightly 
place  where  we  had  a  most  splendid  view  of  the  Temple  and 
every  house  almost  in  Nauvoo;  this  was  a  farewell  view; 
thence  proceeded  on  our  journey,  slowly,  at  the  rate  of  12 
miles  a  day.  Perhaps  reached  the  Des  Moines  River  on  the 
28th,  crossed  the  29th,  then  onward  slowly,  found  a  great 
number  of  brethren  on  the  road,  as  many  as  forty  wagons, 
tents,  herds  of  cattle,  flocks  of  sheep  were  seen  in  abundance; 
moving  onward  we  traveled  through  a  country  interspersed 
with  small  prairies  well  adopted  to  husbandry,  and  somewhat 
improved. 

June  5th,  1846;  we  entered  a  large  prairie  about  one 
hundred  miles  from  Nauvoo  and  very  nearly  beyond  Avhite 
settlements.  This  prairie  continued  all  the  way  to  the  camp. 


170  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


We  traveled  on  a  high  deviding  ridge  heading  the  streams 
and  passing  near  points  of  timber. 

June  15th,  1846;  About  8  miles  from  camp,  Mount  Pis- 
gah,3  I  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  an  ox,  which  broke  up  my 
team  and  frustrated  my  calculations,  as  I  had  not  more,  nor 
means  to  buy. 

June  16th;  reached  the  camp,  crossed  Grand  Eiver  and 
pitched  tent;  here  are  many  jDeople  camped  in  every  direc- 
tion,  many   ploughing,   planting,   etc. 

On  Sunday  June  21st,  1846;  two  messengers  returned 
from  the  camp  of  the  Twelve  on  the  Missouri  River,  and 
brought  favorable  tidings  of  the  journey  to  the  Mountains, 
plenty  of  Buffalo.  The  principal  men  at  Council  Bluffs  as  well 
as  the  big  Chief  of  the  Pottawatamies  are  favorable.  One  hun- 
dred men,  mounted,  armed  and  equipped  were  called  for  to 
go  from  this  place  with  baggage  wagons,  provisions  to  serve 
as  a  front  and  rear  guard,  flanking  parties,  buffalo  hunters, 
etc.  etc.   for  the  camp  that  moved  on  this  Spring. 

June  26th,  1846;  Captain  Allan  attended  by  some  four 
or  six  soldiers,  arrived  here  from  Leavenworth  with  docu- 
ments from  General  Kearney  of  the  West,  who  had  received 
similar  orders  from  the  President  of  the  United  States,  calling 
for  500  Mormons  to  volunteer  to  serve  U.  S.  and  operate 
against  the  Republic  of  Mexico  in  the  now  existing  war,  the 
declaration  of  which  is  dated  May  13th,  1846.  They  were 
told  after  a  hearing  that  all  our  men  ^vere  needed  to  carry 
out  our  own  measures,  but  were  referred  to  the  Authorities 
of  the  Church  then  to  Council  Bluffs. 

July  3rd,  1846:  owing  to  the  disappointments,  etc-  found 
myself  unable  to  go  and  consequently  set  out  on  my  return 
to  the  settlement  to  procure  means  at  the  time  of  our  depart- 
ure. The  Brethren  were  moving  on  by  scores  and  hundreds. 
Arrived  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  on  the  lOtli,  where  and  when  my 
wife  set  off  for  the  State  of  Maine,  the  home  of  her  father. 
She  went  on  business  expecting  to  return  in  September,  but 
was  taken  sick,  the  news  of  which  reached  me  by  means  of 
letter. 

On  the  23rd  of  September  I  immediately  packed  my 
goods,  and  took  them  with  me  to  St.  Louis,  stored  them,  pro- 

9  "Mount  Pisgah,  Garden  Grove,  Kanesville  and  Winter  Quar- 
ters were  necessary,  resting-places  for  the  weary,  where  they 
might  recruit  their  strength  and  replenish  their  stores  of  grain 
for  the  preservation  of  themselves  and  cattle.  It  was  a  hard  life. 
The  best  among  them  had  nothing  too  much,  and  many  of  them 
lacked  the  ordinary  necessities  of  life;  but  it  was  suffering  for 
the  faith,  and  they  bore  their  privations  with  heroism." 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  .171 


ceeded  on  my  journey  to  her  relief.  There  was  at  that  time 
a  considerable  number  of  Saints  in  St.  Louis;  some  60  families 
arrived  during  my  stay.  There  were  a  part  of  the  remnant 
left  in  Nauvoo,  lately  exiled  by  September  mob.  Proceeded 
by  way  of  Illinois  River,  the  chain  of  Lakes,  Canal^  Railroad, 
steamboat^  to  Clinton,  Maine,  200  miles  from  Boston.  Whole 
journey  from  Iowa  2400  miles.  Arrived  on  the  21st  of  October 
at  5  :00  o'clock.  In  consequence  of  her  previous  illness,  was 
of  course  some  time  in  gaining-  strength  sufficient  to  return 
to  the  West,  and  even  when  recov^ered  we  found  it  impossible 
to  get  the  means  we  expected  because  of  rascality  in  those 
who  should  have  been  our  friends;  finding  it  impossible  for 
us  to  get  our  rights  we  set  off  on  our  way  Westward.  January 
14th,  1847,  as  a  company  intended  leaving  Boston,  March  1st, 
1847.  I  thought  it  best  to  tarry  in  Lowell  for  company,  freight 
and  passage  being  increased;  the  time  of  our  departure  was 
again  postponed  till  April  12th.  Proceeded  by  land  across 
the  country  by  way  of  Philadelphia,  Pittsburg,  etc.  arrived 
in  St.  Louis  May  1st,  Here  detained  for  a  boat  to  the  Bluff 
till  May  nth;  whole  distance  from  Maine  to  the  Bluff  2900 
miles.  Arrived  there  May  24th.  and  prepared  immediately  for 
a  tour  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  Church  is  in  a  scattered 
state,  yet  a  strong  body  organized  themselves  and  called  the 
town  Winter  Quarters. '°  During  our  stay  I  cruised  around  and 
to  my  astonishment  found  the  Saints  with  extensive  fields  of 
cultivated  land.   All  accomplished  within  one  year. 

A  company  of  Pioneers  left  Winter  Quarters  April  1st, 
300  strong  to  open  the  Avay  and  select  a  spot  for  a  resting- 
place  for  the  people  of  God.  All  things  now  ready  I  set  off 
June  5th,  in  company  with  about  50  wagons,  and  arrived 
at  the  Horn,  built  a  raft  and  prepared  to  cross.  9th,  all  across, 
but  more  coming.  On  the  14th,  about  200  wagons  camped  side 
by  side;  here  we  burned  coal,  set  fires,  built  bridges,  remained 
in  camp  till  the  19th;  thence  to  the  Platte  there  stopped  for 
all  to  come  on.  The  same  day  of  our  encampment  some  men 
on  their  way  to  Winter  Quarters  Avere  attacked  by  thi*ee  In- 
dians— Omahaws — one  named  Weatherby  was  shot  through 
and  died  soon  after.  On  the  first  wagon  arriving  on  the  Platte 
the  relics  of  a  man  were  found.  By  means  of  a  letter  found 
with  him,  he  was  found  to  be  a  bearer  of  dispatches  from 
the  Indian  accent  at  the  Bluffs  to  the  Pawnee  station,  evidentlv 


'o  A  stopping  place  establislied  hy  tlie  main  body  of  Mormon 
emigrants,  located  about  six  miles  northwest  of  the  present  site 
of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  called  Winter  Quarters.  It  was  a  city  of 
approximately  700  log  huts  and  dugouts. 


172  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


an  Indian.   It   was  not   ascertained   by   whom   he   was   killed. 

While  in  Camp  on  the  Platte  our  organization  was  com- 
pleted; we  kept  up  a  guard  by  day  and  night;  our  cattle  are 
herded  in  compacts;  and  the  cattle  of  each  50  by  themselves. 
We  are  numbered,  men  and  boys  from  12  years  and  upwards, 
the  whole  body  being  organized  into  hundreds,  fifties  and 
tens  " — each  fifty  by  themselves,  five  wagons  abreast,  or  as 
close  as  may  be.  But  finding  this  order  inconvenient  we 
traveled  two  abreast;  afterwards  our  order  of  camping  was 
by  fifty.  On  stojDping  the  wagons  we  formed  into  two  half- 
moons,  with  an  open  space  between  at  the  extremities.  In 
this  our  cattle  are  kept  safe.  In  this  order  we  traveled  up  the 
Platte  at  the  rate  of  8  to  15  miles  a  day.  The  country  through 
which  we  passed  is  quite  level,  so  much  so  that  no  lock  chains 
are  needed;  the  soil  quite  sandy,  somewhat  dry,  and  barren 
in  places,  but  good  grass  and  plenty  of  rushes  along  the 
Platte,  the  land  as  we  pass  seems  to  under  lake  more. 

25th,  1847;  Came  to  Loup  Fork,  camped  on  its  banks  in 
the  evening.  Five  men  from  Pawnee  passed  on  their  way  to 
Council  Bluffs. 

Sunday,  June  28,  1847:  Remained  in  Camp — 130  miles 
from  Winter  Quarters;  six  miles  from  Pawnee  village.  The 
country  through  which  we  pass  is  quite  destitute  of  timber, 
level  and  quite  sandy,  for  the  most  part.  There  are  some  small 
streams  to  pass,  but  none  of  magTiitude.  The  village  of  the 
Pawnees  seemed  a  work  of  some  magnitude,  but  now  in  ruins, 
being  burned  by  the  Sioux  last  year.  The  roofs  of  their  wig- 
wams are  round,  formed  of  poles,  covered  with  grass  and 
earth.  We  saw  and  examined  the  cells  in  the  earth  where  they 
conceal  their  corn.  We  saw  no  Indians  yet  some  few  seemed 
lurking  around.  A  calf  which  had  lagged  behind  came  up  with 
an  arrow  shot  through  his  back.  A  few  whites  at  the  station 
forming  for  the  Indians. 

June  30,  1847:  Still  on  the  north  side  of  Loup  Fork — but 
finding  deep  ravines  we  determined  to  cross. 

July  1st,  1847:  All  on  the  side,  south,  of  Loup  Fork — 18 
miles  above  the  Pawnee  station  a  few  buffalo  seen  for  the 
first  time. 

Sunday,  July  6th,  1847,  camped  on  the  Platte  at  Grand 


"  The  journal  author  was  a  member  of  the  first  ten  of  the 
first  fifty  of  the  first  hundred  wagons  of  Mormons  that  came 
into  Salt  Lake  Valley  under  the  leadership  of  Brigham  Young. 
His  signature  appears  with  27  others  in  a  book  of  registration 
which  is  on  exhibition  in  the  office  of  the  Historian  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints  in  Salt  Lake  Ctiv, 
Utah. 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  1T3 


Island — 170  miles  from  Winter  Quarters.  The  whole  camp  of 
near  600  wagons  arranged  in  order  on  a  fine  plain,  beauti- 
fully adorned  with  roses.  The  plant  called  the  prickly  pear, 
grown  spontaneously;  our  cattle  are  seen  in  herds  in  the 
distance ;  the  whole  scene  is  grand  and  delightful.  Good 
health  and  good  spirits  prevail  in  the  camp.  Our  labors  are 
more  than  they  otherwise  would  be,  on  account  of  the  scarcitj' 
of  men — 500  being  in  the  army,  and  about  200  Pioneers  ahead 
of  us.  We  were  one  day  going  from  Loup  Fork  to  the  Platte, 
the  land  somewhat  broken. 

July  6th,  camped  on  the  old  camping-ground  of  the  Pio- 
neers ;   found  a  guide-board  with  inscription  as   follows: 

"April  29th,  30th,  1847,  Pioneers  all  well,  short  grass, 
rushes  plenty,  fine  weather,  watch  Indians,  217  miles  from 
Winter  Quarters." 

July  7th,  1847,  saw  herds  of  antelopes,  very  Avild;  shot 
one.  Fine  camping  ground,  good  grass. 

Jiily  8th,  1847:  Weather  fine,  for  three  days  we  have 
passed  multitudes  of  Prairie-dog  villages — they  are  certainly 
a  curiosity  to  the  traveler;  they  live  in  cells,  the  entrance  of 
which  is  guarded  against  the  rain.  Thousands  of  these  little 
creatures  dwell  in  composts,  and  as  we  pass  great  numbers 
of  them  set  themselves  up  to  look  at  us ;  they  resemble  a 
ground-hog,  or  wood  chuck,  but  smaller.  Passed  another  Pio- 
neer camping  ground;  found  inscriptions  on  Buffalo  Heads, 
or  skulls.  They  had  killed  11  Buffalo  250  miles  from  Winter 
Quarters. 

July  10th,  1847:  Camped  on  the  Platte  which  I  crossed: 
found  it  one  mile  wide,  three  feet  deep,  one  foot  on  an  aver- 
age, current  three  miles  an  hour. 

July  11,  1847:  Killed  six  buffalo.  It  was  supposed  that 
1500  hundred  were  seen  at  one  time.  The  grass  in  places  is 
eaten  close  by  them.  Those  killed  weighed  from  four  to  ten 
hundred  each,  one  thing  worthy  of  notice.  The  ground  here 
and  a  ■wreck's  journey  back  is  in  many  places  covered  with  a 
something  called  Salt  Petre ;  the  ground  is  crushed  with  it. 
Weather  warm,  good  health. 

July  15th,  1847:  Camped  by  a  large  spring  of  water  200 
or  300  miles  from  Winter  Quarters.  Buffalo  in  abundance; 
killed  all  we  wanted.  Two  horses  found  some  distance  back 
and  obtained;  one  had  a  bridle  on,  the  other  a  halter.  Two 
found  yesterday  but  could  not  be  taken.  With  the  exception 
of  the  Platte  bottom  the  coimtry  on  this  side  north  of  the  river 
is  a  continual  succession  of  sand-hills,  small  valleys  between. 

July  16th,  1847:  216  miles  from  Fort  Laramie,  15  miles 
from  the  Forks  of  the  Platte;  have  seen  today  many  thousand 


174  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


head  of  buffalo.  On  each  side  of  the  river  hills  and  valleys 
were  literally  covered  with  them.  Their  meat  is  good  and 
wholesome.  At  evening  while  our  herd  was  feeding  on  the 
plain,  some  tAventy  buffalo  came  running  to  them;  our  cattle 
were  frightened  and  ran.  In  the  meantime  our  men  fired  ujDon 
them,  killed  one  and  wounded  three. 

July  17,  1847:  Traveled  14  miles  and  camped;  at  noon 
killed  one  buffalo. 

Sunday,  July  18th,  1847:  Remained  in  camp;  were  some- 
what troubled  to  keep  the  buffalo  out  of  the  herds.  During 
the  night  they  bellowed  about  us  and  an  alarm  was  given  by 
the  guard  to  keep  the  buffalo  out  of  camp.  News  reached 
us  that  75  head  of  cattle  were  strayed  from  the  third  hundred, 
who  were  some  twenty  miles  behind;  they  broke  out  on  the 
night  of  the  16th,  being  frightened.  Men  being  called  for  to 
search  after  them  we  were  still  detained  in  camp  during  the 
19th.  We  are  now  in  a  country  entirely  destitute  of  timber- — • 
buffalo  dung  dried  on  the  plain  is  our  only  substitute.  Yes- 
terday six  stray  horses  were  seen,  one  taken.  Some  letters 
reached  us  from  the  Morman  Ferry,'^  ug  miles  above  Fort 
Laramie,  North  Fork  of  the  Platte.  The  Pioneers  left  men 
there  to  await  our  arrival.  The  bearers  of  these  letters  were 
bound  to  the  States  from  Oregon — they  report  40  head  of 
oxen  seen  with  a  herd  of  buffalo — they  were  lost  by  the  Ore- 


'zMokler,  in  his  "Fort  Caspar,"  pg.  9,  states  concerning  the 
ferry  that  the  Mormons  established  it  in  June,  1847,  and  that 
for  the  "succeeding  twelve  years  it  was  known  as  the  Mormon 
Ferry.  Then  in  1859  it  was  given  the  name  of  Platte  Bridge 
Station,  (a  U.  S.  Army  post)  because  of  the  fact  that  a  bridge 
had  been  built  across  the  river  at  this  point  during  the  fall  and 
winter  of  1858-1859.  This  was  considered  of  such  importance 
that  the  name  of  the  post  was  changed  to  the  dignity  of  a  bridge 
rather  than  a  ferry.  *  *  *  This  little  military  station  was  first 
built  in  the  summer  of  1858,  and  was  occupied  by  the  soldiers 
on  July  29  of  that  year,  'for  the  propose  of  keeping  open  the 
communication  with  Salt  Lake  City,  and  to  aid  in  the  prompt 
forwarding  of  supplies.'  The  soldiers  remained  here  less  than  a 
year,  for  on  March  23,  1859,  the  post  was  ordered  to  be  aban- 
doned, and  the  troops  were  withdrawn  on  April  20,  of  that 
year." 

The  site  was  reoccupied  during  the  Civil  War  and  re-named 
Fort  Caspar  by  General  Pope  in  honor  of  Lieutenant  Caspar 
Collins,  killed  in  action  with  Indians  at  Platte  Bridge  on  July 
26,  1865.  The  site  was  abandoned  on  October  19,  1867,  when 
the  troops  withdrew. 

The  fort  ,  located  three  miles  west  of  the  present  city  of  Casper, 
has  been  reconstructed  in  exact  replica  of  the  original  build- 
ings and  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  spots  on  the  route  of 
the  old  Oregon  Trail. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  175 


gon  Emigrants.  Our  men  found  four  oxen  and  drove  them  in — 
.strays. 

July  20th,  1847:  Concluded  to  raise  the  oxen  lost  from 
other  comi^aniesj  and  go  on  as  no  trace  of  the  70  head  had 
been  found.  Traveled  8  miles  to  find  grass,  camped,  crossed 
Rugged  Bluffs.  Talk  of  crossing  the  Platte;  for  many  days  we 
have  scarcely  been  out  of  sight  of  herds  of  Buffalo. 

July  21st,  1847:  Country  sandy,  while  crossing  some 
Rugged  Bluffs  we  at  once  came  in  sight  of  Buffalo,  almost 
without  number,  the  river  for  miles  swarming  with  them;  as 
we  apijroached  they  ran  in  multitudes  over  the  Bluffs;  trav- 
eled  12   miles,  ■ — camped. 

July  22,  1847:  Saw  the  carcasses  of  13  Buffalo  just 
killed,  which  gave  us  to  understand  that  a  large  body  of 
Indians  Avere  near.  At  mid-day  we  came  in  sight  of  100  or  110 
Indian  Lodges.  We  were  no  sooner  in  camp  at  evening,  than 
they  came  running  on  horseback  to  our  camp,  about  100  in 
number.  Report  rang  through  the  camp  that  a  body  of  Indians 
were  coming  with  a  red  flag,  but  on  near  approach  it  proved 
to  be  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  They  are  of  the  Sioux  nation — 
the  neatest  and  most  cleanly  Indians  I  ever  saw.  They  were 
friendly;  we  gave  them  a  feast  of  bread,  etc.  after  firing  a 
cannon,  the  Indians  retired  to  their  lodges  about  2  miles  dis- 
tance. 

July  23rd,  1847:  remained  in  camp  awaiting  the  arrival 
of  the  third  hundred.  The  Indians  again  visited  us  in  greater 
numbers;  our  people  traded  with  them — gave  them  bread, 
meal  and  corn,  etc.  for  the  Moccasins  Buffalo  robes,  and 
after  the  usual  feast  was  over  the}^  commenced  a  dance.  That 
over,  our  people  got  up  a  dance  also  with  martial  music.  After 
firing  two  cannons  they  returned  to  their  lodge  in  peace. 

July  24th,  1847:  Traveled  12  miles.  As  soon  as  Ave  Avere 
under  way  the  Indians  Avere  Avith  us  by  scores  to  trade.  They 
folloAved  us  for  some  miles;  some  of  our  men  went  OA^er  to 
their  lodges  and  were  kindly  receiA-ed  and  inA'ited  to  dine, 
Avhich  invitation  they  accepted.  Their  meal  consisted  of  dried 
meat  pounded.  Our  men  bought  some  oxen  of  them  Avhich 
they  had  found  Avith  the  Buffalo.  All  the  dishes  Avhich  the 
Indians  had  Avere  earth  shells;  skins  of  beasts  are  used  to 
carry  Avater,  corn,  etc.  This  nation  can,  Ave  are  told,  mount 
thirty  or  forty  thousand  Avarriors — very  Avealthy  in  horses. 
This  body  of  Avhich  Ave  speak  is  merely  a  hunting  party,  2  or 
3  hundred  strong,  Avith  considerable  number  of  horses,  for 
pack-horses. 

July  25th,  1847:  Lay  in  camp.  Brethren  met  us  from  Pio- 
neers; brought  us  cheering  tidings; 


176  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


July  26th,  1847:  Traveled  20  miles;  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  Indians  were  seen  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  going 
on.  No  timber  except  some  small  cedars.  We  have  seen  no 
buffalo   for  some  days. 

July  27th,  1847:  Traveled  18  miles.  Country  level  with 
some  exceptions.  Met  another  body  of  Indians.  Seemed  friend- 
ly; good  grass. 

July  28th,  1847:  Traveled  17  miles;  saw  timber  to  our 
left  across  the  river.  For  some  da}^s  rocks  have  shown  them- 
selves in  the  bluffs,  but  today  Lodges  appear  in  some  places 
20  feet  high;  at  evening  we  had  a  gale  and  thunderstorm — • 
and  rain. 

Jiily  29th,  1847:  Traveled  20  miles;  camped  near  Chim- 
ney rock  about  90  miles  from  Ft.  Laramie:  met  a  party  of 
men  from  Oregon  on  horseback.  Saw  High  Bluffs  in  the  dis- 
tance;  weather   fine. 

July  30th,  1847:  Traveled  18  miles  through  a  country 
almost  barren  and  camped  on  a  fine  bottom  of  rich  grass  and 
rushes.  Exceeding  high  Bluffs,  and  shelving  rocks  found  some 
creatures  and  killed  them ;  that  they  called  Mountain  Goats ; 
they  resemble  our  sheep  except  the  wool. 

July  31st,  1847:  Traveled  15  miles.  This  high  range  con- 
tinues and  places  resemble  wind  castles  and  towers  of  immense 
magnitude.  Some  timber  about  two  miles  from  the  river  in 
the  Bluffs,  Pine  Cedars,  etc. 

August  1st,  1847:  Sunday  lay  in  camp;  some  of  our  cat- 
tle sick,  supposed  to  be  poisoned  with  Saltpetre  spoken  of, 
two  died.  General  health  with  people.  2nd:  Traveled  25  miles 
- — jDoor  grass,  sandy  plain.  3rd:  Traveled  12  miles,  going 
sandy  very  hard;  came  in  sight  of  some  high  peaks  of  the 
Black  Hills.  Auguist  4th:  Traveled  12  miles  over  sandy  plains; 
some  men  passed  us  from  California  on  their  way  to  the 
States — about  fifty  in  number.  General  Kearney  and  his  at- 
tendents  horse  back,  many  pack  horses,  camped  within  a 
few  miles  of  Laramie,  thence  up  the  south  side ;  not  enter 
the  Black  Hills:  5th:  Traveled  8  miles,  crossed  the  Platte  at 
Laramie^  thence  up  the  south  side;  now  enter  the  Black  Hills, 
a  range  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  These  heights  are  covered 
with  a  groAvth  of  small  pitch-pine;  valleys  small,  land  very 
broken,  grass  poor,  and  but  little  of  it.  Fort  Laramie,  so 
called,  is  on  the  Platte.  At  the  foot  of  the  Black  Hills,  occupied 
by  some  Frenchmen.  They  build  for  dwellings  of  some  kind 
of  Ft.  built  of  unburnt  brick.  This  does  well.  As  some  of  our 
cattle  gave  out  we  exchanged  with  the  traders  for  fresh  ones 
— they  sell  and  buy  cattle.  At  Laramie  we  struck  the  Oregon 
track. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


August  6th,  1847:  Traveled  6  miles.  August  7th  remained 
in  camp  to  recruit  and  repair  for  the  mountains. 

August  8th,  1847:  Moved  four  miles;  some  men  in  search 
of  g-ame  saw  a  bear  who  returned  to  his  den  with  threatening 
hard  to  give  battle.  The  land  with  the  exception  of  the  valleys 
along  the  river  is  one  continual  succession  of  hills,  rugged  in 
their   appearance. 

August  9th,  1847:  Traveled  16  miles;  broke  two  wagons, 
crossed   rugged  hills   and   craggy   rocks. 

August  10th,  1847:  Traveled  18  miles;  we  obliged  to 
travel  so  far  and  no  farther  on  account  of  stopping  places. 
Since  we  left  the  Platte  on  the  9th  we  have  no  water  except 
at  these  places  where  there  are  brooks  and  springs ;  some 
timber.  Pitch-pine  on  the  hills,  a  species  of  willow  on  the 
water  courses,  the  grass  what  little  there  is,  is  as  dry  as  if 
cured  like   hay. 

August  11th,  1847:  Ascended  a  very  high  hill  and  camped 
on  the  top,  having  broke  two  wagons ;  found  some  grass  in 
deep  ravines,  gravel  roads,  some  stone  and  rocks,  wearing  on 
our  cattle's  feet.  Traveled  three  miles. 


New  Species  of  Fowl  Seen,  Called  the  'Sage  Bird' — *A  Plant 
Called  Sage'  Is  About  the  Only  Vegetation — Traveling  Dif- 
ficult— Wagons  Broken — Water  Sceu-ce — News  Received 
of  Selection  of  Site  Near  Salt  Lake  for  City  and  Tem- 
ple, 450  Miles  Away — Camped  at  Mormon  Ferry  on 
the  Platte — Journeyed  Toward  the  Sweetwater  50 
Miles  Distant — Illness  of  Cattle  Caused  by  Salt- 
petre— Arrival  at  Saleratus  Lake,  a  Wonder 
to  the  Traveler — Independence  Rock. 


August  12th,  1847:  Traveled  17  miles — one  continual  suc- 
cession of  hills,  quite  difficult,  lofty  blue  peaks  are  seen  in 
the  distance;  new  species  of  fowl  was  brought  in  called  the 
sage  bird. 

August  13,  1847:  Traveled  18  miles;  arrived  at  our 
camping  grounds  late  in  the  evening;  roads  very  bad,  broke 
two  wagons,  camped  on  a  creek  of  spring  water,  some  timber, 
good  grass  a  mile  up  the  creek ;  country  very  broken  and 
rocky,  a  plant  called  sage  is  about  the  only  thing  seen  grow- 
ing except  the  water  course. 

August  14  and  15th,  1847:  Lay  in  camp  to  repair  and 
recruit.  Killed  three  buffalo,  saw  hundreds,  almost  the  1st 
for    some    weeks.    A    man    from    the    Alormon    Ferrv    met    us. 


178  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


broug^ht  tidings  from  the  Pioneers  that  they  had  pitched  upon 
a  place  for  the  Saints  to  locate —  had  laid  off  a  City  and 
Temple  lot  near  Salt  Lake,  450  miles  from  us. 

August  16th,  1847:  Traveled  12  miles;  arrived  at  the 
Platte — roads  a  little  more  level;  met  E.  T.  Benson;  he  con- 
firmed the  tidings  from  the  Pioneers. 

August  17th,  1847:  Traveled  12  miles  on  the  Bank  of  the 
Platte. 

August  18th,  1847:  Traveled  13  miles  and  camped  at 
the  Mormon  Ferry,  120  miles  from  (Fort)  Laramie,  400  miles 
from  Salt  Lake.  Grass  very  scarce,  rainy  weather,  quite  cool. 

August  19th,  1847:  Traveled  7  miles,  crossed  the  Platte, 
and  camped  on  the  north  bank ;  here  met  five  men  waiting  for 
us. 

August  20th,  1847:  Traveled  14  miles,  left  the  Platte, 
w^hicli  here  is  quite  a  small  stream,  and  struck  off  for  the 
Sweetwater  50  miles  distant.  Saw  Buffalo  plenty,  killed  two; 
camped  by  a  spring,  saltpetre  here.  Three  oxen  died,  one  cow, 
numbers  sick;  timber  seen  on  the  mountains,  said  to  be  none 
on  the  road  for  200  miles.  Sage  used  for  fuel;  ledges  of  rock 
seen  here  and  there;  roads  hard  and  good;  camped  on  a 
brook  two  miles  and  a  half  from  its  head. 

August  21st,  1847:   Traveled  12  miles;  roads  sandy. 

August  22nd,  1847:  Traveled  14  miles  and  camped  on  a 
fine  creek  well  stored  with  fish.  Grass  scarce;  the  country 
begins  to  look  mountainous  and  rocky. 

August  23rd,  1847:  Lay  in  Camp.  24th,  traveled  12  miles 
at  12  o'clock  arrived  at  Saleratus  Lake — was  found  dried  down 
to  a  crust  of  from  one  to  six  inches  in  thickness,  which  we 
broke  with  axes  and  gathered  all  we  wanted,  tons  of  white 
and  pure,  so  far  as  we  know,  Saleratus  lay  here  a  wonder 
and  an  astonishment  to  the  passersby.  The  earth  under  this 
crust  appeared  to  us  like  potash,  equally  as  strong.  There  is 
considerable  heat  in  it.  Two  miles  further  we  arrived  at 
Independence  Rock,  a  place  of  moment  with  travelers,  where 
hundreds  of  names  are  painted  or  engraved;  here  we  enter 
the  pass  to  the  mountains,  rocky  points  appear  on  every  side 
with  a  narrow  defile.  Before  arriving  at  this  rock  we  strike 
the  Sweetwater — a  branch  of  the  Platte. 

August  25th,  1847:  Traveled  14  miles  up  the  Sweetwater. 
After  going  two  miles  passed  thru  the  Devils  Gate,  a  defile 
with  rocky  heights  on  either  side ;  here  the  river  passes  thru 
a  split  in  a  high  rock  or  mountain. 

August  26th,  1847:  Traveled  10  miles;  roads  very  sandy, 
a  heavy  white  frost ;  saw  camp  grounds  where,  to  appearance, 
near  one  hundred  Indians  had  been  a  few  days  since. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  175 


Companies  in  Rear  Request  Help    for    Their    Sick    Cattle — 

Through  South  Pass — Tar  Springs  Provide  Substitute  for 

Axle    Grease — Echo    Canyon    Reached — Pratt's    Pass — 

First  View  of  the  Salt  Lake  Valley  for  Mountain  Top 

— ''Behold  a  Resting   Place   Prepared   and   Had   in 

Reserve  for  the  Saints." 


August  27th,  1847:  Frost;  traveled  10  miles.  28th:  Trav- 
eled 10  miles;  traced  the  Sweetwater  thru  deep  defiles  with 
very  high  rocky  summits  on  either  side.  A  messenger  from 
companies  behind  came  up  with  us  with  dispatches  from 
Brother  Taylor,  stating  tliat  their  cattle  were  sick  and  dying, 
and  requesting  help,  but  as  we  could  render  none,  we  moved 
on.  This  mineral,  whatever  it  may  be,  proves  to  be  destructive 
to  cattle.  At  one  time  being  turned  out  to  feed^  our  cattle  came 
in  nearly  all  sick;  Some  died;  early  in  the  Season  this  dif- 
ficultj^  is  avoided,  but  now  the  streams  are  low  and  the  grass 
short,  so  that  cattle  eat  the  salt-petre  with  grass;  the  waters 
are  tinctured  with  it  also. 

August  29th,  1847:  Traveled  18  miles,  roads  sandy,  with- 
out feed  or  water,  met  about  fifteen  pioneers  on  their  return  ; 
Ascertained  the  distance  to  be  less  than  Ave  expected. 

August  30,  1847:  Traveled  10  miles;  camped  at  the  foot 
of  a  large  hill. 

August  31,  1847:  Traveled  8  miles;  camped  by  a  springs; 
snowy  mountains  seen  in  the  distance;  met  more  Pioneers 
on  their  return. 

September  1st,  1847:  Traveled  15  miles.  2nd:  Traveled 
12  miles;  went  through  South  Pass,  the  waters  turn  toward^; 
the  Pacific;  camped  by  the  Pacific  Springs,  very  miry.  3rd: 
Traveled  24  miles  without  water  or  grass;  passed  the  Oregon 
road.  We  turn  South  on  the  California  track;  camped  on  Little 
Sandy.  4th:  Lay  in  camp.  The  Twelve  and  others  came  up 
with  us;  in  the  evening  had  an  interesting  meeting  where  they 
gave  full  description  of  the  land,  a  good  report.  5th:  Traveled 
8  miles  and  camped  in  Big  Sandy ;  country  level  and  sandy. 
6th:  Traveled  17  miles.  Big  Sandy  again.  7th:  Traveled  12 
miles  and  camped  on  Green  River,  snow  and  rain — cold.  8th: 
Lay  in  camp  to  recruit  and  repair,  and  dry  goods  wet  in 
crossing — found  an  abundance  of  black  currants  on  other 
streams;   also  we  found  and  dried  putty. 

September  9th,  1847:  Traveled  15  miles  and  camped  on 
Ham's  Fork.  10th:  Traveled  10  miles.  11th:  Traveled  15  miles 
and  camped  on  Black's  Fork,  18  miles  from  Fort  Bridger,  a 
trading  post  occupied  by  some   French  traders.   This   is  near 


180  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


two  small  rapid  streams  of  pure  cold  water.  The  traders  keep 
a  considerable  number  of  cattle  and  horses^  very  good  horses 
which  are  used  for  riding  and  carrying  burdens  from  place 
to  place.  Furs  are  carried  in  this  way  to  water  navigation  on 
the  Yellowstone;  goods  bought  in  this  way  and  sold  at  a  very 
high   price. 

September  14th,  1847:  Traveled  13  miles  and  camped  on 
Muddy  Creek  about  100  miles  from  the  valley.  The  country 
is  somewhat  broken,  sandy  and  barren ;  some  scrub  cedars  on 
the  high  lands^  some  timber  on  the  creeks,  the  weather  is 
quite   cool ;   hard   frost  last  night. 

September  15th,  1847:  Traveled  10  miles  and  camped 
on  a  mountain  ;  night  overtook  us  there. 

September  16th,  1847:  Traveled  10  miles  and  camped  on 
Bear  River.  One  mile  and  a  half  before  arriving  at  our  camp 
ground  we  passed  a  Tar  Spring;  it  is  an  oily  substance  re- 
sembling tar  which  we  use  on  our  wagon  axles. 

Sept.  17,  1847:  Traveled  5  miles;  had  trouble  about  find- 
ing our  cattle  in  thickets.  Came  over  a  mountain  and  camped 
by  spring  in  a  deep  defile.  Traveled  10  miles  and  camped  at 
a  cave  rock;  killed  some  antelope;  grass  somewhat  dried  and 
frost-bitten,  yet  plenty.  The  country  appears  more  beautiful 
after  crossing  the  Bear  River  Mountains. 

Sept.  19,  1847:  Traveled  10  miles  and  nearly  all  day  in 
a  narrow  defile  with  high  mountains  on  either  side;  camped 
on  the  head  waters  of  a  small  stream  leading  into  Weber 
River. 

Sept.  20,  1847:  Traveled  15  miles  in  the  before  named 
canyon.  Echo ;  very  high  rocks,  which  in  places  tower  for 
hundreds  of  feet  above,  and  in  places  nearby  over  us  as  we 
passed  in  or  near  the  bed  stream.  Toward  evening  struck 
Weber  River  and  followed  it  down  to  our  camp  ground.  This 
is  a  small  rapid  river,  well  stored  with  fish;  some  timber 
called  "Balm  of  Gilead."  Met  men  and  oxen  on  their  way 
from  the  valley  to  meet  the  camj)s. 

Sept.  21,  1847:  Entered  Pratt's  Pass,  traveled  9  miles, 
having  been  troubled  to  find  our  cattle;  got  a  late  start,  con- 
sequently was  out  late  in  the  evening.  Broke  three  wagons, 
tipped  one  over  by  moonlight,  which  with  its  load  rolled  down 
hill.  In  the  morning  it  was  considered  best  to  break  up  into 
small    companies,    which   we    did. 

Sept.  22,  1847:  Traveled  9  miles  and  broke  one  wagon, 
left  it;  roads  very  bad  and  dusty. 

Sept.  23,  1847:  Traveled  10  miles,  bad  roads;  crossed 
a  high  mountain;  saw  the  Valley  from  its  top;  camped  at  the 
foot  of  another  mountain;  grass  plenty;  our  view  of  the  Valley 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  181 


just  named  reminded  me  of  the  space  between  mighty  bil- 
lows at  sea. 

Sept.  24,  1847:  Ascended  the  second  mountain,  very  high 
and  steep ;  in  descending  it  were  compelled  to  chain  two 
w^heels.  At  sunset  found  ourselves  camped  within  the  bounds 
of  Great  Salt  Lake,  in  the  Great  Basin  of  North  America — 
22  miles  from  Salt  Lake.  This  valley  is  said  to  be  about  100 
by  20  miles  in  extent,  with  a  deep  rich  soil  covered  with  grass, 
the  w^hole  being  beautifully  diversified  with  springs  and 
streams  of  the  very  best  of  water,  the  largest  of  which  runs 
West  of  the  City,  and  is  called  Western  Jordan.  This  Valley 
is  on  or  near  the  boundary  between  the  Utah  and  Snake  or 
Shoshone  nations  of  Indians.  There  are  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  City  warm  and  hot  springs  of  both  fresh  and  salt 
Avater ;  four  measures  of  water  out  of  Salt  Lake  make  one  of 
the  very  best  salt,  when  evaporated,  an  abundance  of  salt  is 
procured  about  the  sliore  at  this  time  of  the  year.  I  was  led 
to  exclaim  when  first  viewing  this  beautiful  space,  hemmed 
in  with  lofty  mountains,  "Behold  a  resting  place  prepared  and 
had  in  reserve  for  the  Saints."  There  is  but  little  timber  in 
the  valley  ,and  that  little  is  found  along  the  streams  and  is 
called  "Cottonwood"  or  "Balm  of  Gilead;"  in  the  Canyons 
or  deep  cuts  between,  we  find  Oak.  Maple,  Balsam,  Fir.  etc. 
This  last  named  timber  resembles  Pine:  from  these  Canyons 
we  have  to  haul  nearly  all  our  wood  and  timber  from  6  to  10 
miles.  The  weather  continued  warm  until  the  20th  of  October, 
when  a  little  snow  fell  in  the  Valley  and  made  the  mountains 
appear  white ;  from  this :  the  cold  increased  very  fast.  The 
1st  day  of  November  the  snow  fell  about  four  inches  deep, 
but  soon  melted.  November  16tli,  snow  fell  four  or  five  inches 
deep,  frost  j^retty  severe.  Thus  far  in  November,  since  our 
arrival  all  have  been  busily  engaged  in  hauling  wood,  timber, 
building  houses,  sowing  wheat.  In  October  a  part  of  the  Breth- 
ren in  the  Battalion  arrived;  some  continued  their  journey 
to  Winter  Quarters,  others  remained  with  us.  About  the  mid- 
dle of  November  a  company  fitted  out  for  lower  California 
to  procure  seed,  shrubs,  etc.  etc. 

Dec.  15,  1847:  Weather  cold.  Many  men  con\plaining  of 
frost  bitten  feet,  though  the  weather  thus  far  has  changed, 
after  cold  a  few  daj's,  pleasant  again. 


182  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


1848 — Public  Meeting  on  New  Year    and    First    Ordinances 
Passed  for  Great  Salt  Lake  City — Harvest  Festivity  Held 
and  Liberty  Pole  Raised — Appearance  of  Crickets,  De- 
struction by  Gulls — A  Hard  Winter — Anniversary  of 
Pioneers*  Entrance  Into  Valley  Celebrated,  July  24, 
1849 — Skirmishes  with  Indians — Crosby  Called  on 
Missions  to  England — Blessing  Pronounced  by 
Brigham  Young — En  Route — Fort  Bridger — 
"Gold  Diggers"  on  Move  to  California,  In- 
cluding Man  with  Wheelbarrow — Eight- 
Day  Pause  on  the  Platte  to  Build  Fer- 
ry— Report    at    Fort     Laramie    on 
Number  of  Emigrants. 


Jan.  2,  1848:  Weather  cool,  though  pleasant  for  winter 
weather;  the  ground  being  dry  at  the  commencement  of  cold 
weather  did  not  freeze^  but  is  now  frozen  to  the  depth  of 
8  inches  or  more,  being  moistened  by  melting  snow. 

Some  Indians  have  been  in  and  out  of  camp,  but  as  yet 
have  done  no  harm.  Yesterda3%  New  Year's,  a  public  meeting 
was  held- — a  few  laws  framed  by  a  committee  and  sanctioned 
by  the  High  Council,  were  presented  to  the  people,  and  adopt- 
ed for  the  time  being.  They  are  as  follows:  ORDINANCE  1st. 
Respecting  Vagrants,  that  no  exertion  be  spared  respecting 
cultivating  the  earth.  ORDINANCE  2nd.  Respecting  dis- 
orderly persons  or  disturbers  of  the  peace,  to  be  punished 
■with  stripes  not  exceeding-  thirty-nine  or  fined  at  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  judges.  ORDINANCE  3rd.  Respecting  Adult- 
ery or  Fornification.  Any  persons  or  person  convicted  of  the 
above  crime  to  receive  on  the  bare  back  lashes  not  to  exceed 
thirty  nine,  or  to  be  fined  in  the  sum  of,  not  to  exceed  $1,000. 
ORDINANCE  4th.  Concerning  stealing,  robbing,  housebreak- 
ing, etc.,  any  person  or  persons  convicted  of  any  of  the  above 
crimes  to  be  punished  with  lashes  not  exceeding  thirty  nine, 
and  to  restore  four  fold.  ORDINANCE  5th.  Respecting 
drunkenness,  swearing,  cursing,  etc.,  any  person  or  persons 
convicted  of  these  charges  to  be  fined  not  to  exceed  $2  5.00 
nor  less  than  $1.00-  Passed  in  behalf  of  the  High  Council 
and  people  of  Great  Salt  Lake  City,  Dec.  27,   1847. 

Through  February  and  March  we  had  considerable  fall- 
ing weather.  Heavy  rains  and  frosts  in  April.  A  somew^hat 
severe  frost  on  the  27th  of  May  destroyed  all  our  gardens. 
Light  rains  on  the  first  of  May;  about  the  middle,  the  dry 
season   set  in. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  183 


June  22nd[,  1848:  Jesse  Wentw^orth  Crosby  born.  When 
harvest  was  over  a  public  feast  was  held — A  Liberty  Pole 
raised  on  which  a  sheaf  of  wheats  one  of  barley^  rye,  and 
oats  were  raised.  Public  thanks  offered  and  all  the  people 
with  one  accord  shouted  HALLELUAH  TO  GOD  AND  THE 
LAMB";   The  entertainment  closed  with  music  and  dancing. 

We  had  to  dejjend  mostly  on  irrigation,  though  we  had 
light  rains,  during  the  season  of  raising  crops.  A  kind  of 
cricket,  which  are  our  greatest  annoyance,  destroyed  or  more 
of  all  planted;  and  would  have  destroyed  more  or  all,  had  it 
not  been  for  the  timely  interference  of  the  Gulls  who  came 
in  Myriads,  and  dispelled  the  enemy,  to  our  great  joy,  which 
was  considered  a  direct  interposition  of  Providence. 

The  High  Council  convened  and  made  it  a  fineable  of- 
fence to  shoot  one,  not  withstanding  our  harvest  was  quite 
abundant. 

The  emigration  came  on  in  the  Fall,  some  600  or  800 
wagons  strong.  They  brought  us  news  of  great  revolution  in 
Europe;  no  particular  change  in  the  U.  S.  Our  Winter  for 
1848  came  on  early  and  quite  severe,  which  was  very  hard 
on  the  Brethren — manj^  of  whom  lived  in  wagons,  tents,  etc. 
during  the  Winter.  The  snow  fell  deep  which  increased  the 
suffering  of  the  people.  The  winter  finally  broke  and  the 
Spring  opened  pleasantly.  Things  moved  on  harmoniously, 
except  a  few  dissenting  spirits  who  left  us  for  California  Gold 
Mines.  Some  Indians  killed  some  of  our  cattle  and  on  refusing 
to  give  themselves  up  four  of  them  were  killed  by  a  party  of 
our   men. 

On  the  24th  of  July,  1849:  a  public  anniversary  was  held 
in  honor  of  the  day  on  which  the  Pioneers  entered  the  Valley ; 
several  thousand  persons  jvere  present  and  a  public  dinner 
was  prepared,  and  all  invited  to  partake,  rich  and  poor,  black 
and  white.  The  day  was  spent  very  magnificently  and  the  fir- 
ing of  cannon,  etc.  etc.  24  Bishops  with  as  many  banners 
with  very  appropriate  mottoes,  such  as 

"TRUTH  IS  MIGHTY  AND  WILL  PREVAIL" 

"HAIL  TO  OUR  MARTY 

"HAIL  TO  OUR  CHIEFTAN" 

"HOLINESS  TO  THE  LORD" 

"FREE  SOIL" 

"EQUAL  RIGHTS  ' 

"GOD  AND  LIBERTY"  etc.  etc. 

I  had  the  honor  of  acting  as  captain  of  our  division  of 
the  people  of  the  17th  ward.  Many  strangers  were  present  on 
their  way  to  the  Gold  Mines,  who  were  invited  to  come  and 


184  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


partake  ^vithout  money  or  price  of  the  sumptuous  dinnei'^ 
which  consisted  chieflj^  of  the  fruit  of  the  valley. 

Many  thousand  men  passed  through  the  Valley  this  sea- 
son on  their  way  to  the  Gold  regions^  which  the  Saints  dis- 
covered in  1847^  but  they  received  as  little  credit  for  their 
discovery  as   Columbus  did  for  his  discovery  of  America. 

Very  great  improvements  "vvere  made  on  every  hand  and 
an  abundance  was  raised  to  supply  ourselves  and  the  thous- 
ands of  Saints  that  come  to  our  standard.  All  things  passed 
on  steadily  till  towards  spring  1850.  A  company  of  renegade 
Indians  committed  depredations  on  a  company  of  the  Saints 
settled  in  Utah  Valley.  These  grievances  had  been  of  long 
continuance^  and  could  be  born  no  longer.  The  Indians  were 
a  company  of  thieves  and  murderers  collected  out  of  several 
Tribes  and  universally  hated  by  their  own  people.  A  company 
of  men  were  ordered  to  go  in  search  of  these  desperadoes  to 
hunt  them  out  and  destroy  them.  There  were  several  hard 
fights — in  one  of  these  one  of  our  men  ^vere  killed,  some  two 
or  three  wounded  slightly.  The  skirmishes  continued  some 
two  or  three  weeks ;  and  ended  in  the  almost  entire  destruc- 
tion of  the  Indians  except  the  women  and  children  who  were 
brought  to  the  city  as  prisoners  of  war.  They  were  kept  for 
a  while  and  then  set  at  liberty.  Throughout  this  affair  the 
Providence  of  God  was  manifested  to  a  great  degree,  for  the 
Indians  were  well  armed  and  had  plenty  of  ammunition;  some 
40  of  them  were  killed,  and  only  one  of  our  men,  and  that 
by  his  own  imprudence 

Spring  came,  and  at  the  April  Conference,  I  was  called 
in  company  with  seven  others,  to  go  on  Missions  to  England. 
We  had  16  days  notice  to  get  ready  for  a  journey  of  some 
8,000  miles.  I  accordingly  set  about  the  work  and  made  every 
provision  within  my  reach  for  my  wife  q,nd  children,  three  in 
number,  the  youngest  Samuel  Obed,  born  August  26th,  1849, 
but  8  months  old.  I  got  ready  to  leave  my  family,  my  farm, 
city  lot,  house,  etc.  that  I  had  toiled  so  hard  to  improve;  and 
on  the  19th  of  April  bid  farewell  to  the  beautiful  Valley, 
and  left  all  for  Christ's  sake,  and  the  Gospel's  to  go  to  a 
foreign  nation  and  travel  without  purse  or  script,  in  the  midst 
of  this  unfriendly  and  uncharitable  generation,  far  away  from 
kind   friends   and   Happy   Home. 

Our  first  day's  journey  took  us  over  the  first  mountain, 
on  the  top  of  which  we  found  snow  some  10  feet  deep — a 
great  change  from  the  City,  only  some  8  or  10  miles  distance; 
garden  vegetables  were  up  and  thriving.  We  were  compelled 
to  stop  two  days  and  break  a  road  with  our  feet,  forming  our- 
selves into  two  lines  (there  being  some  30  men  in  all  traveling 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  185 


east  with  us)  Treading  the  snow  with  our  feet  in  the  middle 
of  the  day  when  the  snow  was  soft.  Then  at  night  the  frost 
formed  a  hard  road,  especially  where  we  had  trodden,  so  as 
to  bear  our  horses,  oxen  and  wagons.  By  this  means  we  crossed 
over  snoAv  at  least  20  feet  deep,  and  Avith  safety  scaled  the 
summit  of  the  second  mountain,  and  proceeded  on  our  jour- 
ney, but  with  much  toil,  as  we  often  found  ourselves  in  deep 
snow  and  were  compelled  to  shovel  our  way^  that  is,  throwing 
the  snow  before  our  teams  and  wagons  for  miles  together, 
thus  heaping  up  the  snow  on  either  side  so  that  the  teams 
could  pass.  It  seemed  a  great  undertaking  being  rather  early 
in  the  season.  But  as  we  had  started,  all  to  a  man  refused  to 
turn  back,  calling  to  mind  the  promises  of  God  made  to  us 
through  his  servants  when  we  were  set  apart  by  the  laying 
on  of  hands  to  go  on  the  mission.  (I  will  here  insert  a  copy  of 
the  blessing  pronounced  upon  my  head  by  President  Brigham 
Young,  at  the  time  I  was  set  apart  for  mv  mission  to  England: 

"BROTHER  JESSE  W.  O.  CROSBY:  We  bless  and  set 
thee  apart  to  go  on  the  mission  to  England  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ;  and  we  pray  our  Heavenly  Father  to  enlighten 
thy  mind  that  thou  mayest  comprehend  all  the  arts  and 
sciences.  Thou  shalt  have  power  over  the  wicked.  Thy  enemies 
shall   flee   before    thee. 

Lift  up  thy  voice  to  the  nations  of  the  earth  and  the 
Lord  will  give  thee  language  that  thou  shalt  be  able  to  con- 
found the  wisdom  of  the  wise. 

The  Angel  of  the  Lord  shall  go  before  thee  that  thy  feet 
slip  not.  Thou  shalt  have  all  that  thy  hear  desires  in  right- 
eousness, and  thou  shalt  return  to  thy  family  in  peace  and  be 
mighty  in  Israel;  The  elements  will  be  subject  to  thee,  and 
thy  soul  will  be  satisfied. 

We  seal  these  blessings  upon  thee  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  AMEN." 


Those  on  missions  with  me  to  Euro]3e  are  as  follows : 
Moses  Clawson,  William  Burton,  James  Works,  I.  C.  Haight, 
Appleton  M.  Harmon,  Robert  Campbell.  John  O.  Angus,  C.  V. 
Spencer.  Some  were  of  weakly  constitutions  and  our  toils  were 
very  great,  but  every  man  nerved  himself  up  and  bared  his 
breast  to  the  storm.  Brother  Thomas  Grover  traveled  with  us. 
and  had  his  family,  but  the  remainder  of  the  company  soon 
left  us,  being  stronger  handed.  We  had  several  snow-storms, 
and  on  the  28th  we  were  compelled  to  leave  the  road  on  ac- 
count of  the  snow  and  take  to  the  hills,  which  were  so  soft 
that  our  wheels  cut  in  half  way  to  the  axle-trees.  Some  of  our 


186  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


oxen  tired  out. 

April  29th,  1850:  Came  to  the  Weber  River;  forded  it 
and  camped  to  let  our  teams  rest^  having  come  forty  miles  in 
eleven  days,  by  incessant  toil.  In  the  afternoon  drove  four 
miles  and  camped  at  the  mouth  of  the  Red  Fork  of  the  Weber. 

April  30,  1850:  Came  up  Red  Fork  15  miles  and  camped 
near  a  deep   ravine;   Teams  weak;   Feed  poor,  weather   fine. 

May  1st,  1850:  Came  about  nine  miles,  roads  soft,  snow 
deep  in  places;  some  complaining  of  ill  health. 

May  2,  1850:  Came  over  a  hill  divide  one  and  one-half 
miles,  and  camped  in  a  snow  storm. 

May  3,  1850:  Snow  deep;  in  places  deep  mud,  heavy 
roads  ;  camie  about  9  miles  and  camped  without  Avater,  ^vood 
or  grass  of  any  consequence.  Weather  cold;  shoveled  half 
mile  through  snow  after  camping. 

May  4,  1850:  Came  to  Bear  River,  crossed  it  and  same 
up  with  a  party  that  had  left  us ;  weather  clear  and  fine. 

May  5,  1850:  Sunday  remained  in  camp.  80  miles  from 
home;  having  been  17  days  performing  the  journej^:  All  hands 
wearied  and  fatigued,  and  our  teams  somewhat  worn  down, 
yet  all  in  good  spirits.  We  have  our  devotions  morning  and 
evening,  singing  and  prayer. 

May  6,  1850:  Left  Bear  River,  came  5  miles  and  camped 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  ;  roads  bad,  had  to  travel  on  the 
sides  of  the  hills.  Snow  deep. 

May  7,  1850:  Traveled  16  miles,  crossed  the  mountains 
and  camped  on  Spring  Creek;  roads  rather  better,  not  much 
snow  ;  weather  fine  ;  all  well. 

May  8th,  1850:  Traveled  10  miles;  came  to  Fort  Bridger, 
113  miles  from  Salt  Lake  City.  Thus  after  20  days  of  hard 
and  incessant  toil  we  found  ourselves  out  of  the  snow  and  in 
little  better  footing.  After  trading  a  little  with  the  mountain- 
eers;  moved  onto  a  camping  place  of  some  Frenchmen,  w^ith 
whom  we  traded   cattle,   bought  provisions,  etc. 

May  9,  1850:  Came  to  Muddy  Creek  "and  camped;  125 
miles  from  the  Valley.  The  snow  has  disappeared;  roads 
good,  but  streams  very  high. 

May  10th,  1850:  Came  15  miles;  crossed  several  creeks, 
very  high ;  camped  on  Ham's  Fork. 

May  11th,  1850:  Crossed  Ham's  Fork;  had  to  raise  our 
wagon  beds  and  crossed  by  means  of  stretching  chains  across 
the  stream  and  hitching  our  teams  on  the  opposite  side.  Came 
13  miles  and  camped  without  water. 

May  12,  1850:  Came  10  miles  and  camped  on  Green 
River;   weather  fine;   traveling  good. 

May  13,  1850:    Crossed,  water  almost  over  our  wagons. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  187 


goods  and  provisions  wet.  Met  a  large  body  of  Snake  Indians. 
Came  17  miles  and  camped  on  Big  Sandy;   feed  poor. 

May  14,  1850:  Traveled  12  miles  and  camped  on  Little 
Sandy.  Feed  poor. 

May  15,  1850:  Traveled  20  miles;  met  a  company  of 
"Gold  Diggers"  on  their  way  to  the  mines.  Camped  on  Pacific 
Creek,  so  called  from  the  fact  that  from  this  divide  the  stream 
runs  westward  toward  the  Pacific. 

May  16,  1850:  Came  4  miles  and  were  caught  in  a  thunder 
storm,  very  violent.  Storm  over,  moved  on — 16^  miles  in  all; 
camped  on  the  Sweetwater;  rain  storm;  A  large  company 
of  "Gold  Diggers"  camped  with  us,  from   100  to   150  men. 

May  17,  1850:  Came  four  miles  and  camped  on  Small 
Creek. 

May  18,  1850:  Traveled  down  Sweet  Water,  crossed 
stream,   deep   and   rapid. 

May  19,  1850:  Sunday,  thought  best  to  travel  as  there 
was  but  poor  grass  for  our  teams.  Crossed  a  very  bad  "Alkali" 
swamp  and  by  reason  of  taking  a  wrong  road  camped  at  Al- 
kali  Springs,    after  traveling    10 1    miles. 

May  20,  1850:  Traveled  7  miles  and  camped  on  the  River 
Bank. 

May  21st,  1850:  Road  very  sandy,  and  a  large  train  of 
Emigrants  for  the  mines.  Amongst  others  we  saw  a  man  with 
a  wheelbarrow,  which  he  had  rolled  some  800  and  was  still 
in  good  spirits  moving'  on,  having  some  1200  miles  before  him 
yet  through  the  wilds  of  nature,  carrying  with  him  his  scanty 
supply  of  provisions,  bedding,  arms  and  ammunition,  etc. 
Traveled  8  miles  and  camped  at  Gravel  Bluffs. 

May  22,  1850:  Wind  high,  road  sandy;  came  19^  miles 
and  camped  two  miles  west  of  Devils  Gate.  At  this  gate  the 
Sweet  Water  River  passes  through  a  mountain  of  rocks  which 
rise  some  hundreds  of  feet  on  either  side,  in  perpendicular 
form;  the  sight  is  grand,  standing  on  a  level  with  the  river 
and  viewing  men  on  the  summit  they  seem  but  mere  specks. 

May  23rd,  1850:  Traveled  17  miles;  met  several  trains 
of  "Gold  Diggers"  ;  camped  on  Grease  Wood  Creek. 

May  24,  1850:  Came  19  miles;  passed  Alkali  Swamp  and 
Creek,  and  camped  on  dry  creek.  Brother  Grover  very  sick  : 
the   road   thronged   with   gold   diggers. 

May  25,  1850:  Came  21  miles  to  the  Platte;  wind  high, 
very  dusty. 

May  26,  1850:  Resolved  to  stop  a  few  days  and  recruit 
and  exchange  our  oxen  for  horses,  etc.  In  the  meantime  all 
went  to  work,  except  two  that  were  appointed  to  trade  Avith 
the  Gold   Diggers,   and   helped  the  Ferrymen.  Sixteen   of  the 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Brethren  who  came  from  the  Valley  for  the  purpose  of  estab- 
lishing a  ferry^  to  build  two  boats_,  which  was  done  by  going 
to  the  mountains  for  timber  some  miles  distant  and  hewing 
large  trees  down  to  four  inches  gunwales,  for  the  sides,  and 
sawing  boards  with  pit-saws  for  the  bottom,  etc.  These  boats 
were  managed  by  means  of  large  ropes  stretched  across  the 
stream,  then  with  pully  blocks  working  on  the  before  named 
rope,  then  Guy  ropes  attached  to  each  end  of  the  boat,  and  to 
the  two  blocks  with  pulleys,  then  drop  one  end  of  the  boat 
so  that  the  force  of  the  current  pressing  against  it  will  push 
the  boat  across,  then  reverse  the  process  and  the  boat  will 
recross  and  make  in  about  five  minutes.  The  stream  is  very 
deep  and  rapid.  After  a  stop  of  eight  days,  having  assisted 
the  Brethren  till  the  last  boat  was  launched,  and  our  wagons 
(having  left  the  most  of  our  camp,  equipage  and  wagons, 
except  one)  and  teams  constituted  the  first  load. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  June  3rd,  1850:  bid  farewell  to 
our  friends  and  two  of  our  party,  Father  Eldredge  and  Molen, 
who  had  journeyed  thus  far  with  us  on  their  way  to  the  States, 
but  concluded  to  return  to  the  Valley,  not  able  to  stand  the 
journey,  and  we  prosecuted  the  journey  with  good  horse 
teams:  All  were  well  pleased.  Traveled  13  miles  and  camped 
on  Muddy  Creek. 

June  4,  1850:  Came  24  miles;  camped  on  a  creek. 

June  5,  1850:  Came  27  miles  and  camped  on  the  Labonte. 
Roads  good,  and  all  pleased  to  be  able  to  expedite  our  jour- 
ney onwards. 

June  6,  1850:  Came  30  miles;  Camped  on  Horse  Creek: 
The  road  swarming  with   "Gold   Diggers." 

June  7,  1850:  Arose  early  in  the  morning;  horses  gone; 
camp  rallied;  bought  a  horse  to  search  for  the  missing.  One 
of  the  party  mounted  the  horse  and  rode  several  miles  on  the 
road  west  but  could  get  no  trace  of  the  lost;  diligent  search 
was  made,  and  at  length  a  trail  \vas  found  leading  into  the 
mountains  which  we  followed  with  all  diligence  and  came 
up  with  the  horses  in  the  evening.  All  very  thankful  that  we 
were  again  able  to  move  on. 

June  8th,  1850:  Came  24  miles  and  camped  on  the  Platte. 

June  9th,  1850:  Sunday,  remained  in  camp — eight  or  ten 
miles  west  of  Ft.  Laramie. 

June  10th,  1850:  Traveled  18  miles,  passed  the  Fort 
which  is  now  a  government  post,  it  is  surprising  to  see  the 
whole  country  teeming  with  "gold  diggers." 

The  whole  number  that  have  passed  this  Fort  are  as  fol- 
lows : 

16,915  Men,  235  Women,  242  Children,  4^627  Wagons, 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  189 


4,642  Mules,   14,974   Horses,   7,475  Oxen,   1,052   Cows, 
as  reported  to  us  officially. 

This   was   not   supposed  to   be   more   than   one-fourth   of 
the  emigration  on  the  move. 


Cholera   Plague   Encountered   Among   Hordes   of   Westward 
Travelers — Women    Left    Alone    on    Trail    with    Teams — 
Saints  Practically  Escape  the  Disease — Reached  Kanes- 
ville  and,  Though   111,  Enibarked  by  Steamer    to    SL 
Louis,  Thence  to   New  York  and  to   England — Ex- 
periences of  Three  Years  and  Four  Months  De- 
scribed— World's  Fair  Visited,  London,  1851 — 
Return    to    Salt    Lake,    September    10,    1853. 


June  11th,  1850:  Traveled  half  the  day  and  stopped  to 
recruit. 

June  12th,  1850:  ^let  with  two  cases  of  cholera,  both 
fatal;  reports  of  sickness  and  death  before  us;  great  press 
of  wagons  insomuch  that  we  seldom  see  the  road. 

June  13th,  1850:  Traveled  about  24  miles.  Great  number 
sick. 

June  14th,  1850:  Still  traveling  down  the  south  side  of 
the  Platte;  the  stream  too  high  to  ford. 

June  15th,  1850:  Passed  two  new  graves;  were  told  of 
dreadful  havoc  with  Cholera  ahead,  one  man  died  near  us  at 
night;  one  of  the  Brethren  dreamed  he  saw  destroying  angels 
in  great  numbers  traveling  west,  with  the  gold  diggers;  he 
saw  that  we  were  compelled  to  meet  these  destroyers  and  he 
wondered  within  himself  how  Ave  should  escape,  but  was  told 
that  they  had  charge  not  to  liarm  us.  he  saw  that  as  we  met 
them  and  came  in  close  contact  they  turned  out  and  gave  us 
the  road,  etc. 

June  17th,  1850:  Traveled  20  miles;  heavy  trains  passing 
on  both  sides  of  the  river,  almost  continually,  were  saluted 
with  reports  of  great  mortality  ahead,  and  seldom  pass  a  train 
but  what  has  lost  from  one  to  six  men — more  sick.  Avhich 
they  have  faith  to  believe  will  die  soon.  This  I  infer  from 
their  own  answer.  I  ask:  "Have  you  lost  men?"  "Yes,  six, 
and  three  more  sick,  Avhich  Ave  think  Avill  die  today."  One 
company  of  tAvelve  lost  5  and  the  rest  turned  back;  one  com- 
pany from  Ohio  lost  6  men ;  one  small  company  of  men  all 
died:  some  Avomen  left  alone  Avith  teams. 

June  18th,  1850:  Traveled  some  20  miles,  camped  on  the 
South  Fork  of  the  Platte;  passed  several  neAV  graves  interred 


190  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


today,  yesterday  and  day  before,  as  we  learn  from  inscrip- 
tions. 

June  19th,  1850:  Crossed  the  South  Platte,  all  safe;  sev- 
eral emigrant  wagons  became  unaccupied  and  went  rolling 
down  the  stream  with  the  current.  Quite  unwell,  several  of 
the   Brethren   complaining. 

June  20th,  1850:  Traveled  25  miles;  passed  many  graves 
— five  new  ones  in  one  place.  We  had  regular  hours  of  devo- 
tion, prayer  and  singing  morning  and  evening:  thousands 
looked  upon  us  with  astonishment,  wondering  how^  we  escaped 
the  destroyer  to  a  man  having  little  or  no  sickness,  and  cheer- 
fully united  in  singing  the  songs  of  Zion  to  the  multitudes  that 
came  to  talk  to  us. 

One  day  as  we  passed  a  large  train  the  Brethren  united 
in  singing  as  we  traveled ;  all  faces  were  turned  towards  us ; 
many  observations  was  heard;  one  said,  "They  are  a  cheerful 
lot,  and  the  first  that  I  have  seen  for  weeks;  who  are  they?" 

June  21st,  1850:  Traveled  some  30  miles.  Passed  some 
graves  that  had  been  opened  by  wolves.  Passed  several  heavy 
trains  belonging  to  Government,  bound  for  Fort  Hall,  also 
100  mounted  men,  soldiers.  Most  of  the  emigrants  that  we 
meet  now  are  bound  for  Oregon;  the  great  mass  of  the  gold 
diggers  have  passed  the  Cholera ;  still  bad,  nearly  every  wagon 
has  lost  some;  one  wagon  of  3  men  had  lost  tv^^o ;  one  woman 
said  she  had  lost  her  father,  mother  and  sister;  herself  and 
another  sister  remained  alone. 

June  22nd,  1850:  All  well;  met  Holiday's  train  from 
Western  Missouri,  some  families  of  Saints,  all  bound  for  the 
Valley.  Traveled  18  miles;  very  few  emigrants.  The  road  quite 
clear. 

June  23rd,  1850:  Traveled  16  miles.  Roads  good. 

June  24th,  1850:  Traveled  20  miles;  met  a  company  of 
Saints  from  St.  Louis  and  elsewhere ;  camped  with  Lorenzo 
Young  and  two  other  families  traveling  in  company  with  men 
bound  for  the  mines.  Brother  Young  had  some  427  head  of 
sheep,  and  70  head  of  cattle  bound  for  the  Valley, 

June  25th,  1850:  Met  Captain  Milo  Andrus'  company,  50 
wagons  strong,  from  Kanesville,  bound  for  the  Valley,  all 
well  and  in  good  spirits,  Traveled  20  miles  and  camped  at 
Fort  Kearney  200  miles  from  the  Bluffs.'^ 

June  26th,  1850:  Heavy  rain  during  the  night,  the  earth 
covered  with  water.  Met  with  Captain  Lake's  company  of  50 
Saints ;  met  another  train  of  merchandise,  Keincades'  all  bound 


•sProbably  refers  to  what  is  today  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  191 


for  the  Valley  of  the  Saints.  Camped  with  a  company  of  the 
Saints — 63  wagons.  Captain  Thomas  Johnson  from  Kanesville. 

June  27th,  1850:  Met  Captain  Aaron  Johnson  and  com- 
pany of  100  organized  men,  Saints  all  bound  for  the  Valley; 
they  had  lost  some  by  sickness — the  first  we  heard  of  among 
the  Saints.  Met  Avith  Brother  William  Cameron,  Brother 
Moses  Tracy,  Calvin,  etc. 

June  28th,  1850:  Met  Brother  Flemming's  Company  of 
23  wagons,  including  Blair's  goods,  all  for  the  Valley;  also 
met  Captain  James  Pace  and  Sessions'^  with  36  wagons;  like- 
wise David  Evans  with  54  wagons;  they  had  lost  4  by  Chol- 
era; also  met  David  Bennetts'  company  57  wagons;  they  had 
lost  11  mostly  children;  traveled  2  8  miles;  experienced  a 
severe  thunder  storm  with  high  wind.  Met  Captain  Otis  L. 
Terry  and  company  of  50  camped  with  Captain  William  Wall's 
company  of  50  ;  met  my  brother  and  sister  traveling  to  the 
Valley;  some  sickness — there  had  been  eleven  deaths. 

JiUie  30th,  1850:  Traveled  27  miles  along"  a  A'ery  wet 
bottom;  j^assed  Captain  Moss  and  2  5  men,  13  wagons_,  and 
camped  with  Brother  Roundy  and  company  of  30  wgaons. 

July  1st,  1850:  Traveled  27  miles;  met  9  wagons  belong- 
ing to  Brother  Snow's  company  of  100  organized  men,  and 
camped  with  Captain  Woodruff's  company  of  62  wagons. 

July  2nd,  1850:  Met  Brother  Snow's  company  of  62 
wagons;  Brother  Stephen  Markham's  company  of  50  wagons, 
Saints  bound  for  the  Valley;  traveled  25  miles  and  camped 
at  Salt   Creek. 

July  3rd.  1850:  Started  on  as  usual:  met  5  wagons- — 
Government  Stores  bound  for  Fort  Kearney.  Met  15  wagons 
loaded  with  goods  for  the  Valley,  Middleton  &  Riley's.  Passed 
15  wagons,  camped  off  the  road;  Government  train,  some 
of  the  men  had  died,  some  had  run  away,  and  had  the  train 
unable  to  move,  crossed  Weeping  Water  and  stopped  to  Noon; 
passed  nine  graves  in  a  row,  all  dated  from  June  15th  to  29th. 

July  4th,  1850:  Started  on  in  good  season;  met  Brother 
Hunter,  Woolley  and  Heywood  with  27  wagons,  18  of  them 
loaded  Avith  merchandise  for  the  Valley — 2  8  tons  weight; 
stopped  to  dinner  with  them,  came  on  and  crossed  the  Missouri 
River  at  Bethlehem.  The  weather  intensely  warm;  fed  our 
horses  and  came  on  ten  miles  and  stopped  at  Brother  Jona- 
than Browning's  with  Brother  O.  Hyde,  who  started  that  day 
for  the   Valley. 

July  5th,  1850:  Arrived  in  Kanesville;  all  well. 


"»An  ancestor  of  Byron  Sessions  of  Byron,  Big  Horn  County, 
AV\oming. 


192  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


July  6th,  1850:  Sold  our  teams  and  got  ready  to  ship  for 
St.  Louis  per  steamer,  but  were  obliged  to  stop  on  account  of 
Boat  which  was  every  day  expected,  in  this  way  we  were  de- 
tained till  the  15th,  when  all  hands  tired  of  delay,  we  hired 
a  man  with  a  team  to  take  me  to  St.  Joseph  150  miles. 

July  15th,  1850:  Got  under  way  and  traveled  some  20 
miles  to  Keg  Creek  and  stopped  with  some  Brethren. 

July  16th,  1850:  Traveled  33  miles  and  stopped  with 
Squire  Palmer,  a  worthy  man  and  well  situated. 

July  17th,  1850:   Traveled  35  miles. 

July  18th,  1850:  Crossed  the  Nediway  and  camped  five 
miles  west  of  Savannah;  here  we  heard  of  the  death  of  Presi- 
dent Taylor,  that  happened  eleven  day  since;  also  of  the  com- 
motion in  Cuba.  This  is  a  good  country,  well  improved. 

Jiily  19th,  1850:  Friday  morning;  very  sick,  started  on, 
though  unable  to  travel;  high  fever  and  severe  pain  in  right 
side ;  at  length  arrived  in  St.  Joseph  and  went  to  bed  till 
evening.  Thence  on  board  the  Steamer  "SACRAMENTO" 
bound  for  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  As  I  walked  down  to  the  Steam- 
er a  gentleman  walked  by  my  side  and  wished  to  converse 
with  me  about  the  mountain  country ;  as  we  were  about  to 
part  he  said:  "I  understand  you  are  on  your  way  to  England." 
I  replied  in  the  affirmative.  Said  he,  "Are  you  aware  that  the 
Cholera  is  very  bad  below  ?  Said  I,  "It  cannot  be  ^w^orse  than 
what  we  have  already  passed  through."  "Well,"  said  he,  "I 
have  just  come  up  and  would  not  return  to  St.  Louis  at  this 
time  for  the  whole  city.  I  would  advise  you  to  stop  awhile." 
"No,  I  said,  "I  think  we  shall  not  stop;  we  started  on  a  mis- 
sion to  England,  whither  we  were  sent."  He  said,  "Well,  I 
think  there  is  ten  chances  for  some  if  not  all  of  you  to  die 
where  there  is  one  for  all  to  get  to  England."  I  said,  "All 
you  say  may  be  true  but  we  shall  go  on  or  die  trying."  "Well, 
well,"  said  he,  "you  have  good  courage."  "Well,  we  are  en- 
gaged in  a  good  cause,"  replied  I.  These  were  my  feelings, 
though  at  the  same  time  I  was  scarcely  able  to  sit  up,  and  as 
soon  as  I  had  bid  the  gentleman  and  others  "goodbye"  re- 
turned to  my  state  room  and  kept  it  most  of  the  way  down 
to  St.  Louis,  and  for  whole  days  scarcely  got  out  of  my  berth. 
Our  gallant  boat  run  down  that  night  to  Weston  (June  19th) 
lay  up  till  morning;  got  under  way  about  ten  A.  M.,  touched 
at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Independence,  and  the  Missouri  at  a 
good  height  of  water. 

July  21st,  1850:  Passed  Jefferson  City. 

July  22nd,  1850:  After  touching  at  St.  Charles  (where 
we  got  some  ripe  apples,  the  first  we  had  seen  for  three  years) 
arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  at  7  A.  M.,  and  to  St.  Louis 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  193 


at  Nine.  Stopped  till  evening;  got  passage  on  board  the  "SEN- 
ATOR." bound  for  LaSalle^  Illinois  River.  Left  St.  Louis  at 
6  P.  M.  having  parted  with  four  of  our  company  there. 

July  23rd,  1850:  Passed  fine  scenery^  fine  towns.  Naples^ 
]\Ieridotia,  Beardstown^  etc.  Met  several  boats  on  their  way  to 
St.    Louis. 

July  24th,  1850:  Arrived  at  daylight  at  Peoria^,  beautiful 
prairie  bordering  on  the  river;  rich  farms;  the  scenery  still 
more  delightful ;  arrived  at  LaSalle  at  4  P.  M.  Got  on  board 
the  evening  "Packet"  "PRAIRIE"  State  drawn  by  three 
horses  on  Canal;  left  at  6   P.  M.,  made  good  speed. 

July  25th,  1850:  Heat  oppressive,  health  poor;  arrived 
at  Chicago  6  P.  M.  Put  up  at  the  New  York  House;  in  the 
evening  searched  out  a   few   Saints  that  lived  in  the  town. 

July  26th,  1850:  Brother  Haight  and  Spencer  left  on 
board  the  "JULIUS  MORTON"  via  Central  Railroad  to  Buf- 
falo. Myself  in  company  with  Brother  A.  M.  Herman  took 
passage  on  steamer  "CANADA"  for  Southport  and  arrived 
in  the  evening.  July  27th  and  2  8th,  remained  at  Southport 
with  Brother  Herman's  friend.  A  beautiful  country,  elegant 
farms,  etc.  but  the  chastening  hand  of  God  seems  to  be  on 
the  track.  The  potato  crop  is  cut  off  with  the  Rot;  The  wheat 
is  diseased,  it  rots  in  the  head ;  the  cholera  is  amongst  the  peo- 
ples. Six  died  the  day  we  left;  we  heard  of  30  cases  in  a  day 
at   Chicago. 

July  29th,  1850:  Took  passage  on  board  the  "LOUISI- 
ANA" bound  for  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Got  under  way  at  6  P.  M. 
All  things  went  off  smoothly  till  the  night  of  the  31st.  About 
ten  P.  M.  Stern  struck  on  a  ledge  of  rock;  all  was  confusion 
for  a  moment;  gamblers  forsook  their  games  and  ran  with 
consternation  to  the  main  deck.  Attempts  Avere  made  to  back 
off  but  to  no  effect.  The  Captain  then  ordered  the  deck  load 
thrown  over  board.  The  order  was  obeyed — 300  barrels  of 
flour,  150  bbls.  of  fish,  beside  potash  and  other  freight  was 
discharged  with  all  possible  speed;  she  then  by  help  of  the 
Engine  backed  off,  and  our  noble  and  gallant  steamer  glided 
onward  through  the  Lake  and  River  till  we  were  about  to 
enter  Lake  St.  Clair,  when  we  were  hailed  by  the  steamer 
"NIAGARA"  lying  aground.  We  were  detained  7  hours  in 
getting  her  afloat ;  thence  onward  we  glided,  touched  at 
Detroit ;  thence  to  Cleveland. 

AUGUST  2nd,  1850:  Repaired  to  the  house  of  Brother 
Williams,  tarried  here  till  2  P.  M. 

August  5th,  1850:  Preached  once;  baptized  two;  iVIary 
Elizabeth  Logan,  and  Lucy  Ann  Brown.  I  was  well  received 
and  treated  with  the  utmost  kindness;  the  brethren  and  sis- 


194  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


ters  and  friends  manifested  their  faith  by  their  works  in  as- 
sisting me  on  my  mission;  they  gave  me  some  $22.00.  Thomas 
Wilson,  President  John  Hawkins,  and  William  Copener  and 
others  set  off  per  Steamer  and  arrived  in  Buffalo  next  morn- 
ing. 

August  6th,  1850:  At  5  A.  M.  waited  here  for  Elder  Har- 
man  till  next  day.  Elder  Harman  had  called  at  Sandusky  to 
see  his  friends. 

August  7th,  1850:  Took  the  train  for  New  York,  via 
Seneca  Lake,  got  off  at  6:30  A.  M.  and  arrived  in  New  York 
on  the  8th.  The  brethren  constituting  the  delegation  for  Eng- 
land, though  they  had  taken  different  routes  from  St.  Louis 
through  the  States,  and  ready  to  take  passage  on  the  same 
ship.  We  accordingly  engaged  our  passage  on  board  the  new 
and  splendid  ship  "LADY  FRANKLIN"  of  two  thousand 
tons  burden,  first  trip  to  sea.  Ship  not  ready  for  Sea  till  14th. 

I  will  now  give  a  summary  of  distances  and  first  class 
fare  so   far  as  steamers  and  railroads  go  : 

From  Salt  Lake  City  to  New  York  City,  from  Great  Salt 
Lake  City  to  Kanesville,  Council  Bluffs  on  Missouri  River, 
from  1000  to  1060  miles.  Land  carriage  journey  performed 
with  oxen,  mules,  or  horses;  road  leads  through  the  territory 
of  six  Indian  tribes, — 500  tribes,  mountainous,  abounding  with 
game;  the  remainder  of  the  distance  mostly  a  level  country, 
abounding  with  buffalo,  etc.  Journey  performed  "with  horses, 
in  rare  cases  in  16  days;  heavy  trains  require  three  months; 
from  the  Bluffs  to  St.  Louis  800  miles  by  water,  fare  Ten  dol- 
lars; from  St.  Louis  to  LaSalle  300  miles — fare  3  dollars  by 
steamer;  from  LaSalle  to  Chicago,  100  miles  by  packet  on 
canal,  $4.00;  from  Chicago  to  Buffalo  by  steamer,  1000  miles 
— fare  $8.00;  from  Buffalo  to  New  York  by  railroad,  500 
miles,  fare  $10.  Thence  to  Liverpool,  3,500 — common  passage 
per  sail  ship,  30  days;  Steamship  from  10  to  30  days;  fare 
from  $150.00  down  to  $15.00,  to  return. 

August  14th,  1850:  Ship  now  ready;  we  hauled  off  into 
the  stream  next  morning,  towed  by  steamer  out  of  harbor 
and   put   to   sea. 

August  16th,  1850:  Somewhat  stormy;  high  wind  sprang 
up;  large  school  of  porpoises  along  side. 

August  17th,  1850:  Strong  wind  in  our  favor;  shoal  of 
porpoises  working  with  the  v\rind ;  sail  seen  far  to  windward; 
the  wind  increased  to  a  gale,  continued  all  night;  two  sails 
to  seaward. 

August  18th,  1850:  Becalmed  with  heavy  sea  rolling; 
nearly  all  seasick ;  dull  music,  the  blue  ocean  beneath,  the 
blue  sky  above,  not  else  to  be  seen    except    a     few    Mother 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  195 


Carey's  chickens  sporting  about  the  vessel.  Toward  evening 
the  wind  sprang  up  from  the  West;  a  passenger — a  Mr.  Roach 
— died  and  was  buried  in  the  Ocean  after  being  sewed  up  in 
a  strong  can,  with  50  pounds  of  sand  attached  to  his  feet, 
then  laid  on  a  plank — one  end  of  which  was  raised  till  the 
body  slipped  into  the  briny  deep,  and  in  a  moment  disap- 
peared. 

August  19th,  1850;   Becalmed;  wind  toward  evening. 

August  20th,  1850:  Wind  favorable;  22nd,  fine  gale; 
drawing  near  the  grand  banks  of  Newfoundland. 

August  23,  1850:  Brisk  wind;  sail  seen  to  windward,  and 
two  or  more  whales  spouting  water  to  leeward. 

August  24th,  1850:  Fine  wind;  sail  seen  to  windward. 
25th:  Weather  pleasant.  26th  Wind  fair;  sea  smooth  and  de- 
lightful;  passengers  all  on  deck;    107   souls  on  board. 

August  27th,  1850:  Wind  still  favorable;  two  sails  seen 
during  the  day. 

August  28th,  1850:  Three  sails  seen,  one  ship  with  the 
topmast  carried  away. 

August  29th,  1850:  Wind  from  the  north;  shij^  to  the 
windward. 

August  30th,  1850:  Wind  a  little  more  westerly;  ship 
passed  hard  by  to  windward;  a  large  shoal  of  porpoises  sport- 
ing about  our  ship  delightfully ;  they  were  in  the  height  of 
enjoyment,  while  our  gallant  ship  dashed  through  the  foam- 
ing brine  with  great  rapidity. 

August  31st,  1850:  Strong  east  wind,  two  barques  seen 
to  windward. 

SEPTEMBER  1,  1850:  Wind  the  same;  Captain  Yeaton 
and  Mates — Ward  and  Noon,  fearing  a  long  voyage,  put  pas- 
sengers on  rations  of  2  quarts  of  water  per  day  each. 

September  2nd,  1850:  Falling  of  mercury  in  the  baro- 
meter foretold  an  approaching  storm,  which  proved  to  be 
more  rain  than  wind;  Avind  easterly,  ship  heading  east  by 
north. 

September  3rd,  1850:  Strong  head  wind;  weather  dreary; 
several  ships  and  barques  seen.  4th.  Head  wind,  sail  to  wind- 
ward,  several  shoals  or  porpoises. 

September  5th,  1850:  Wind  the  same.  A  British  Barque. 
"SIR  HENRY  SMITH."  on  the  larboard  tack;  passed  hard 
by,  showed  colors ;  our  Captain  in  turn  showed  Stars  and 
Stripes;  and  another  flag  with  ship's  name  "LADY  FRANK- 
LIN." 

September  6th,  1850:  Wind  increased  to  gale;  sea  tem- 
pestuous, but  our  lovely  ship  spread  her  canvas  to  the  gale 
and  rides  proudly  on  the  troubled  bosom  fearless  of  the   rag- 


196  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


ged  deep^  striking  the  minds  with  awe  and  portraying  power 
and  greatness  almost  divine. 

September  7th,  1850:  Passed  several  sails;  wind  the 
same;  tacked  ship  at  4  P.  M.  in  full  view  of  Calloway,  Ireland. 
The  shore  seemed  to  consist  of  rugged  rocks  of  a  most  gloomy 
aspect,  yet  all  rejoiced  to  see  "Terra  Firma;"  ship  standing 
off  an  hour  or  two,  hid  the  land  from  our  view. 

September  8th,  1850:  Wind  the  same  beating  against 
each  starboard  tack  brings  us  in  sight  of  land;  steamship 
passed  bound  to  New  York.  Great  numbers  of  sails  in  view- 

September  9th,  1850:  Wind  the  same  at  12  o'clock  on 
starboard  tack,  made  Cape  Clear,  the  whole  coast  so  far  as 
we  have  seen  presents  a  rocky,  barren  waste;  Off  Cape  Clear 
is  a  rugged  rock  rising  out  of  the  sea  with  lighthouse, in  course 
of  erection ;  several  pilot  boats  hailed  us,  others  seen  driving 
about  entered  the   Irish  Channel. 

September  10th,  1850:  Wind  ahead  as  usual;  made  slow 
progress  up  the  Channel;  Ireland  in  full  view;  on  the  west 
farms  and  fields  of  grain  in  the  distance.  At  night  wind  in- 
creased to  a  gale;  sea  very  tempestuous.  Retired  to  our  room; 
attended  to  our  usual  devotions  and  turned  in  for  the  night. 

September  11th,  1850:  Wind  more  favorable;  sailed  well 
till  evening;  becalmed. 

September  12th,  1850:  Breeze  till  Noon;  becalmed  off 
Holy  Head,  Coast  of  Wales  in  full  view ;  on  the  east  fine 
fields  of  grain_,  and  a  high  range  of  mountains  stretching  along. 
A  Yawl  came  along  side,  told  of  a  ship  being  lost  the  night 
before  by  running  on  rocks.  Steamers  cross  from  here  to  Dub- 
lin in  five  hours.  At  evening  was  hailed  by  ship  "MONTE- 
ZUMA" that  left  two  days  after  us  from  New  York;  all  well. 
At  4  A.  M.  fired  two  Cannon  for  a  signal;  late  in  the  day  got 
a  steam  tug-boat;  the  Captain  fearing  that  he  would  not  get 
over  the  bar.  Hired  a  second  one  so  as  to  pass  before  the  tide 
went  down;  got  into  the  stream  all  safe. 

September  14th,  1850:  Hauled  into  the  dock  early  in  the 
morning,  and  all  over  joyed  and  hearts  filled  with  gratitude, 
to  God  that  we  all  had  arrived  in  safety  to  the  end  of  our 
long  and  tedious  journey,  and  were  once  more  permitted  to 
set  foot  on  "Terra  Firma;"  repaired  to  the  house  of  C.  Pratt's, 
Wilton  Street;  was  well  received,  and  after  a  few  days  stop 
at  Liverpool,  we  repaired  to  our  friends  of  labor; — mine  in 
Warwickshire,  center  of  England.  This  Conference  extends 
over  several  shires,  includes  several  large  towns  and  cities, 
and  contains  21  branches  of  the  Church.  Immediately  on  my 
arrival    commenced   traveling  and     preaching     the     Gospel   to 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  197 


Saints  and  sinners;  traveled  through  most  parts  of  the  Con- 
ference preaching  almost  every  night,  twice  and  three  times 
on  Sunday,  baptizing  too,  up  to  October  10th.  Went  to  Rugby 
to  attend  my  appointment  there,  and  on  hearing  that  Queen 
Victoria  would  pass  that  day,  went  in  company  with  several 
Saints  to  get  a  sight  of  Her  Majesty.  Thousands  assembled 
waiting  the  arrival;  at  length  the  royal  train  arrived  at  the 
station.  Her  Majesty  with  Prince  Albert  and  the  children, 
six  in  number,  all  rode  in  a  very  fine  carriage  prepared  for 
their  accomodation.  The  train  was  detained  some  twenty 
minutes,  during  which  time  the  Queen  was  cheered  with  loud 
voices  which  rent  the  air,  Avliile  she  stood  erect  in  the  carriage 
and  bowed  gracefully  to  the  assembled  thousands.  She  is  a 
plain  looking  pei'son  and  dresses  plainly.  Thence  to  Leaming- 
ton, thence  through  the  south  part  of  the  conference,  called 
Stratford-dn-Avon,  the  birthplace  of  Shakespeare.  I  visited 
his  birthplace,  a  round  old  house,  likcAvise  his  burying  place 
in  the  old  church.  The  spot  is  covered  with  a  flat  stone  slab 
with  these  words  inscribed  in  ancient  English:  "Good  friend, 
for  Jesus'  sake  forbear,  to  dig  the  dust  enclosed  here:"  "Bless- 
ed be  the  man  that  laid  these  stones ;  Cursed  by  the  man  that 
moves  my  bones."  The  slab  forms  part  of  the  church  floor. 
This  town  and  church  are  very  ancient,  dates  back  to  the 
Conquest.  Many  gravestones  date  back  to  the  beginning  of 
the  Sixteenth  century.  Some  ten  or  twelve  miles  beyond  this 
is  a  very  ancient  place  called  Reggley ;  near  Alcester;  it  was 
once  the  abode  of  the  Kings  of  England;  it  has  as  many  win- 
dows as  there  are  days  in  the  year.  The  present  owner,  it  is 
said,  came  into  possession  of  the  property  by  the  shedding 
of  blood,  so  they  are  compelled  to  this  day  to  wear  a  hand 
painted  bloody  on  their  carriages  Everything  about  the 
country  seems  to  indicate  age  ;  altogether  it  seems  like  an  old 
garment  nearly  worn  out.  The  life  and  mirth  of  the  land  is 
gone,  and  the  people  in  fulfillment  of  the  words  of  Jesus 
Christ  are  looking  for  these  things  that  are  coming  on  the 
earth;  yet  they  are  zealous  of  the  traditions  of  their  fathers, 
and  are  slow  to  hearken  to  the  revelations  of  God.  Great 
exertions  are  being  made  to  bring  the  truth  within  the  reach 
of  all.  Tracts,  illustrative  of  the  principles  of  the  Gospel  and 
the  mind  and  will  of  God  respecting  this  generation  are  being- 
carried  from  house  to  house  through  the  country  so  far  as 
possible,  thus  fulfilling  the  command  of  God.  that  w'here  we 
cannot  go  we  are  to  send,  and  many  of  the  aristocracy  of  this 
land  will  not  go  to  hear  anything  that  is  unpopular  in  the 
eyes  of  this  wicked  generation.  There  are  many  hundred  of 
thousands  of  tracts  that  are  carried  from  house  to  house,  ex- 


198  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


changed  weekly  in  England  in  this  Conference  alone_,  con- 
sisting only  of  some  800  Saints.  We  have  some  twelve  or  fif- 
teen thousand  tracts  in  circulation^  which  are  exchanged 
weekly.  In  spite  of  all  opposition^  the  truth  gaining  ground^ 
and  is  established  in  the  hearts  of  thousands  notwithstanding 
the  discord  of  the  sectarian  world,  and  the  jarring  elements  of 
Christendom.  Some  time  in  October  England  was  divided  into 
twelve  Bishoprics  by  the  Roman  Catholics  under  the  super- 
vision of  Cardinal  Wiseman  and  twelve  Suffragans.  This,  of 
course,  gave  great  offense  to  the  Clergy  of  the  Church  of 
England  and  other  parties;  petitions  ^vere  sent  to  her  Majesty, 
calling  on  her  loudly  to  put  down  Popery.  The  poor  Pope  was 
burned  in  effigy  in  all  the  towns ;  on  every  wall  may  be  seen 
these  Words:  "Down  with  Popery,"  "Down  with  the  Pope," 
"No    Pope." 

December  25th,  1850:  Assembled  in  Conference  at  Leam- 
ington;  much  business  of  interest  disposed  of,  thence  to  Cov- 
entry to  attend  a  Tea  Party ;  thence  to  Birmingham  to  attend 
a  conference,  at  which  time  some  1600  persons  assembled  in 
Livery  Street  Chapel,  mostly  Saints.  After  Conference  a  Tea 
Meeting  Avas  held;  much  valuable  instruction  w^as  given  to  il- 
lustrate the  necessity  of  obeying  counsel  strictly.  The  story 
was  related  of  a  man  hiring  two  laborers  to  work  in  his  gar- 
den ;  he  set  them  at  work  setting  out  cabbage  plants,  with  or- 
ders that  they  should  be  set  out  with  leaves  downwards  and 
roots  upwards.  One  man  thinking  this  to  be  wrong,  said  to 
the  other,  "Let  us  reverse  the  plants  and  set  them  out  prop- 
erly" but  not  being  able  to  prevail  on  his  comrade,  he  set 
about  it  alone.  But  the  master  returned  shortly  and  discharged 
one  for  his  disobedience,  but  told  the  other  he  had  done  well 
and  was  to  continue,  but  was  now  to  go  to  w^ork  and  set  the 
plants  properly.  The  hearts  of  the  Saints  were  comforted  and 
all  went  off  well.  The  season  is  now  very  disagreeable  and 
dreary,  a  deal  of  rain  and  fog.  The  Hall  in  Birmingham  was 
lighted  with  gas  till  11  A.  M.  and  again  at  2  P.  M.  The  day 
was  so  dark,  and  this  is  a  common  thing  in  this  country  during 
the  winter  season;  yet  the  winter  is  very  mild  indeed,  little 
or  no  snow,  but  little  frost ;  some  leaves  hung  on  the  hedges 
all  winter.  During  the  winter  some  2000  Saints  emigrated  to 
America.  About  100  were  from  Warwickshire  Conference,  of 
which  I  have  charge.  The  last  Ship  with  Saints  sailed  in  Febru- 
ary, and  took  Brother  C.  Pratt  from  our  midst;  his  labors  in 
England  have  been  productive  of  much  good.  He  is  succeeded 
by  Brother  F.  D.  Richards.  The  half  Annual  Report  showed 
42  Conferences,  and  32,000  Saints  in  England.  The  Gosj^el 
was  first  introduced  into  France  early  in   1850,  and  a  church 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  199 


organized  on  the  6th  of  April,  consisting  of  six  members.  The 
Gospel  was  introduced  by  Brother  John  Taylor^  he  having 
been  appointed  to  open  the  door  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  to 
the  French  Nation.  The  Gospel  was  also  introduced  into  Italy 
in  1850,  by  Brother  Lorenzo  Snow,  and  others.  The  Gospel 
Avas  also  introduced  into  Denmark  by  Brother  Erastus  Snow, 
same  year.  Much  opposition  has  been  manifested  against  the 
truth  in  France,  Italy,  Switzerland,  Denmark  and  Norway, 
yet  the  Elders  have  been  preserved  from  harm  and  have  been 
able  to  establish  tlie  truth  in  these  benighted  regions,  and  set 
up  the  standard  of  Zion.  A  few  humble  souls  gathered  around 
it. 

Some  time  in  February  I  saw  a  most  beautiful  panorama 
of  the  Mississippi,  Missouri  and  Ohio  Rivers  exhibited,  painted 
on  canvas,  one  mile  in  length;  also  panorama  of  the  Falls  of 
Niagara,  of  the  Mammoth  Cave,  several  prairie  views,  prairie 
on  fire. 

April  6th,  1851:  Attended  a  Conference  in  Birmingham; 
Brother  John  Taylor  was  present  and  F.  D.  Richards.  The 
Church  was  declared  to  be  of  age. 

May  14th,  1850:  Assembled  in  Conference  in  Leaming- 
ton— over  60  had  been  baptized  during  the  quarter.  The 
dreary  winter  had  passed  away  and  all  nature  had  assumed 
a  more  lively  aspect.  I  still  continue  my  labors,  preaching 
almost  every  day  from  city  to  city  and  from  town  to  town, 
but  my  health  has  been  second  rate,  as  the  climate  does  not 
agree  with  me,  it  being  too  damp  and  consumptive. 

June  1st,  1851:  Went  to  London  to  attend  a  Festival  to 
which  all  the  Elders  in  England  and  Europe  were  invited. 
The  Presidents  of  40  Conferences  were  present,  4  of  the 
Tweh'e,  viz  :  John  Taylor,  Lorenzo  Snow,  Erastus  SnoAV  and 
F.  D.  Richards.  The  Conference  represented  a  little  more  than 
2000  Saints.  Meeting  came  off  well.  The  Festival  was  held 
on  Monday,  June  2nd,  in  the  Masonic  Hall,  Queen  Street. 
London;  1100  persons  were  present  and  as  many  excluded 
for  want  of  room.  The  meeting  was  opened  by  prayer  and 
singing;  a  band  was  in  attendance;  several  songs  Avere  sung 
as  the  performances  of  the  day  were  being  carried  into  effect. 
Twenty-four  Young  Ladies  marched  round  the  room  dressed 
in  white,  with  wreaths  of  flowers  on  their  heads;  Twenty- 
four  Young  Men  with  staves  in  their  hands  marched  in  like 
manner,  while  the  Mountain  standard  was  sung:  "Lo,  the 
Gentile  chain  is  broken ;  Freedom's  banner  waves  on  high ; 
List  ye  nations,  by  this  token,  know  that  your  redemption  is 
nigh. 


200  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


2 

"See  on  yonder  distant  mountain,  Zion's  standard  wide  un- 
furled; Far  above  Missouri's  fountain,  let  it  wave  for  all  the 
world. 

3 
"Freedom,  peace  and  full  salvation,  Are  the  blessings  guar- 
anteed ;   Liberty  to   every   nation,    Every    tongue    and    every 
creed. 

4 
"Come  ye  Christian  sects  and  Pagan ;  Pope  and  Protestant  and 
Priest;  Worshipers  of  God  or  Dragon;  Come  ye  to  fair  free- 
dom's feast. 

5 
"Come  ye  some  of  doubt  and  wonder;  Indian,  Moslem,  Greek 
or  Je^v ;   All  your  shackles   burst   asunder,  Freedom's   banner 
waves  for  you. 

6 
"Cease  to  butcher  one  another;  Join  the  covenant  of  peace; 
Be  to  all  a  friend,  a  brother.  This  will  bring  the  world  release. 

7 
"To  our  Kind  the  Great  Messiah;  Prince  of  Peace  shall  come 
to   reign;   Sound  again  ye   heaA^enl}^   choir;    "Peace   on  earth, 
good   will  to   men. 

Then  12  young  men  with  the  Bible  in  the  right  hand  and 
Book  of  Mormon  in  the  left,  then  12  young  ladies  with  bou- 
quets of  flowers;  then  12  aged  men  with  staves.  A  piece  was 
sung  "Say  What  Is   Truth." 

"Oh,  Say  what  is  truth,  'Tis  the  fairest  gem. 

That   the   riches   of   worlds    can   produce; 

And  priceless  the  value  of  truth  will  be  when 

The  proud  monarch's  costliest  diadem 

Is  counted  but  dross  and  refuse. 

2 

"Yes,  say  Avhat  is  truth;  This  the  brightest  prize 

To  which  mortals  or  Gods  can  aspire; 

Go  search  in  the  depths  where  it  glittering  lies 

Or  Ascend  in  pursuit  to  the  loftiest  skies, 

'Tis  an  aim  for  the  noblest  desire. 

3 

The  sceptre  may  fall  from  the  despot's  grasp. 

Then  with  winds  of  stern  justice  he  copes; 

But  the  pillar  of  truth  will  endure  to  the  last 

And  its  firm-rooted  bulwarks  outstand  the  rude  blast. 

And  the  wreck  of  the  fell  tyrant's  hopes. 
4 

"Then  say  what  is  truth !  This  the  last  and  the  first. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  201 


For  the  limit  of  time  it  steps  o'er; 

Though  the   heavens   depart,   and  the   earth's 
fountains  burst, 

Truth  the  sum  of  existence  will  weather  the  worst, 

Eternal,  Unchanged,  evermore." 
Refreshments  were  served  up  consisting  of  oranges, 
raisins,  cakes  ,and  cold  water.  Several  speeches  were  made — 
one  in  favor  of  the  young  men — and  of  the  assembly,  wherein 
a  synopsis  of  the  history  of  the  Church  was  given,  its  rise 
and  organization,  which  took  place  April  6,  1830,  Ontario 
County,  and  State  of  New  York,  its  rapid  progress  and  spread 
throvighout  the  United  States,  the  building  of  a  Temple  in 
Kirtland,  Ohio,  settlements  and  improvements  in  Missouri, 
the  persecution,  the  removal  of  the  Church  to  Illinois;  the 
building  of  Nauvoo  City;  the  death  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
and  Hyrum  Smith,  martyred  in  Carthage  Jail,  June  27tli, 
18't't;  the  completion  of  the  Nauvoo  Temple,  etc. 

The  introduction  of  the  Gospel  into  England  in  1837  by 
Elder  Heber  C.  Kimball  and  others  who  landed  in  Liverpool 
in  the  month  of  July,  1837,  in  a  land  of  strangers  without  a 
farthing  in  their  pockets  and  proceeded  to  several  parts  of 
England.  Preston  was  the  first  place  thus  highly  favored  to 
receive  the  Gospel  in  England ;  multitudes  hearkened  and 
scores  were  baptized,  as  many  as  130  at  one  time  is  men- 
tioned. Thus  the  work  prospered  mightily,  so  that  at  the  end 
of  the  three  months  700  Saints  met  in  Conference.  The  work 
of  God  also  prospered  in  other  parts  to  which  the  Elders  went 
till  1840,  three  years  from  the  time  it  was  first  introduced, 
there  were  represented  at  Conference  assembled  in  Man- 
chester 4,019  Saints,  and,  tliough  the  combined  powers  of 
earth  and  hell  have  brought  a  storm  of  persecution  unpara- 
lelled  upon  the  Saints,  yet  truth  has  gained  a  ground  steadily 
and  thousands  have  enlisted  under  its  banner,  until  32  Con- 
ferences have  been  organized  consisting  of  about  33,000 
Saints,  including  some  2000  Elders. 

A  young  lady  spoke  in  favor  of  the  Young  Ladies;  much 
useful  instruction  was  given  by  several  of  the  Elders  present, 
and  a  fair  account  of  the  whole  appeared  in  the  "Daily  Times" 
tlie  next  day,  as  taken  by  a  reporter  present. 
June  3rd,  1851:  Went  to  the  Chrystal  Palace,  and  viewed  the 
wonderful  exhibition  of  all  nations.  The  building  was  built 
by  royal  commission,  and  is  a  wonder  to  behold,  bearing  flags 
of  all  nations,  waving  to  attract  the  assembled  multitude  from 
every  portion  of  the  habitable  globe.  No  less  than  one  hun- 
dred different  nations  were  contributors.  It  was  commenced 
early  in  the  winter  of  1850,  and  finished  in  May  1851.     The 


202  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


materials  used  in  the  construction  of  this  building  were  iron, 
Avood,  glass;  of  the  first  about  4000  tons  were  used,  and  about 
1200  loads  of  timber  were  required  for  the  wood-work.  The 
weight  of  glass  in  the  roof  and  upright  sash-frames  is  about 
400   tons. 

The  following  account  is  taken  from  the  "Illustrated 
Exhibitor"  for  1851  :  "This  building,  designed  by  Mr.  Paxton, 
is  1851  feet  long  by  456  broad  and  66  feet  high.  The  number 
of  columns  varying  in  length  from  14  feet  to  6  inches  to  20 
feet,  is  3,300.  There  are  2,224  cast-iron  girders  for  supporting 
galleries  and  roofs,  besides  1128  intermediate  bearers  of 
binders;  358  wrought-iron  trusses  for  supporting  the  roof; 
34  miles  of  gutter  for  carrying  water  to  the  columns;  205 
miles  of  sash'  bars,  and  900,000  superficial  feet  of  glass.  The 
building  occupies  about  18  acres  of  ground.  The  Gallery  is 
24  feet  wide,  and  extends  nearly  a  mile.  The  length  of  tables 
or  table  space  for  exhibiting,  is  about  8  miles.  Any  idea  may 
be  formed  of  the  unprecedented  quantity  of  materials  em- 
jDloyed  in  the  edifice  from  the  fact  that  the  glass  alone  used 
weighs  upwards  of  400  tons.  The  total  amount  of  the  con- 
tract for  use,  waste,  and  maintenance  "was  70,000  pounds. 
The  total  value  of  the  building,  if  it  be  permanently  retained_, 
is   150,000  pounds." 

It  is  the  only  building  in  the  world  that  permits  the  rays 
of  the  sunlight  to  penetrate  to  it  from  every  part  without  in- 
terruption. 

It  is  situated  in  Hyde  Park,  London,  which  is  the  largest 
city  on  the  Globe  and  by  far  the  most  conspicuous  in  elegance, 
wealth,  and  trade,  containing  no  less  than  2,600,000  inhabit- 
ants, and  is  now  on  the  increase,  notwithstanding  there  are 
nearly  one  thousand  deaths  recorded  in  it  weekly.  There  are 
many  scenes  of  interest  in  London,  such  as  the  British  Mu- 
seum, containing'  the  greatest  collection  of  curiosities  in  the 
world,  being  a  vast  building  and  requiring  more  than  one  day 
to  go  through  all  the  departments  and  take  but  a  hasty  glance 
at  all  the  objects  which  have  required  ages  to  collect,  from 
ev^ery  part  of  the  Globe  known  to  the  world.  The  space  al- 
lotted to  books  contains  500,000  or  half  a  million  volumes. 
Admission   free   to   this   wonderful   place  of  Wonders. 

The  Tower  of  London,  and  the  Thames  Tunnel  are  also 
marks  of  admiration.  The  Tower  contains  Coats  of  Arms  of 
every  ancient  date,  numerous  instruments  of  cruelty  such  as 
was  in  use  centuries  ago.  One  was  noticed  by  all;  it  was  taken 
from  the  Spaniards  and  lodged  in  the  Tower  as  a  specimen  of 
"Catholic  Court  Inquisition."  It  was  iron;  there  were  screws 
so   arranged   as   to    confine    each   thumb,   the  limbs    could   be 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  203 


stretched  and  joints  dislocated^  etc.  Immense  quantities  of 
arms — small  arms   and   cannon. 

The  Zoological  Gardens  and  the  Kew  Gardens  are  also 
Avorthy  of  attention.  The  former  contains  animals  from  every 
part  of  the  Globe  from  the  inferior,  creeping  lizard,  up  to 
the  King  of  animals  and  the  King  of  birds,  with  all  the  varied 
species  of  insects,  serpents,  quadrupeds  and  amphibious  ani- 
mals. The  Gardens  are  extensive,  abounding  with  shrubs  and 
evergreens;  They  were  got  up  and  are  kept  in  repair  at  great 
expense. 

The  Kew  Gardens  contain  vegetables  of  every  species 
and  flowers  of  every  hue;  here  may  be  seen  fruits  growing 
from  every  clime  and  every  zone.  This  interesting  garden  is 
situated  in  the  Thames  below  London  ;  artificial  heat  is  ex- 
tensively used  by  means  of  coal  fires  and  flues. 

During  my  stay  in  London  of  about  three  weeks  my  at- 
tention was  much  taken  up  with  new  objects  of  interest,  such 
as  the  multitude  of  assembled  people  from  almost  every  na- 
tion under  Heaven  who  had  come  hither  to  see  the  World's 
Fair — the  greatest  exhibition  that  the  world  ever  saw  in  all 
probability.  The  city  was  thronged  and  the  multitudes  were 
barbarians   one  to   another,   as   many  languages   were   spoken. 

I  spent  two  days  in  the  Crystal  Palace,  and  looked  upon 
the  work  and  specimens  of  art  from  no  less  than  one  hun- 
dred different  nations,  with  interest.  Here  wealth  and  beauty 
presented  itself  on  every  hand.  Thence  to  Brighton.  50  miles, 
situated  on  the  Channel  that  separated  France  from  England. 
This  is  a  beautiful  town  of  some  70,000  inhabitants.  After 
a  stop  of  one  week,  during  which  time  I  met  with  the  Saints 
several  times;  they  are  a  good  people  and  my  visit  (designed 
particularly  for  the  improvement  of  my  health,  to  bathe  in 
the  ocean  and  get  the  sea  breeze)  was  an  agreeable  one. 
Thence  my  return  to  London,  where  I  spent  some  4  or  5 
days;  took  another  view  of  the  Exhibition;  made  a  visit  to 
Buckingham  Palace,  the  Queen's  residence  when  in  London. 
It  is  a  great  edifice,  built  at  the  expense  of  the  Government, 
and  cost  much  merely  to  enlarge  it. 

The  daily  expenses  of  this  establishment  saying  nothing 
of  Windsor  Castle,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames  about 
40  miles  from  London,  which  is  the  residence  of  the  Royal 
Family  when  out  of  London.  These  two  establishments  are 
kept  up  at  an  enormous  expense,  which  I  am  informed  is  paid 
by  the  Government,  independent  of  the  salaries  paid  to  the 
Queen  and  her  royal  consort  Prince  Albert  and  their  children. 

From  London  I  proceeded  by  train  to  Coventry  about 
100  miles   distant,  in  time  to   attend  a   festival  of  the   Saints 


204  7\NNALS   OF  WYOMING 


held  in  that  ancient  city,  said  to  be  the  oldest  except  tAvo  in 
England,  and  numbers  about  40,000  inhabitants.  The  chief 
occupation  of  the  people  are  Watch  and  Ribbon  making. 
Three  very  ancient  churches  with  immense  spires,  the  tallest 
of  which  is  303  feet  in  height,  make  this  city  conspicuous. 
These  churches  like  most  of  the  ancient  ones  were  built  by 
the  Catholics,  and  taken  from  them  during  or  immediately 
after  the  reign  of  "Henry  the  Eighth." 

1851 — On  the  24th  of  June,  the  Coventry  Fair  took  place, 
which  is  celebrated  once  in  three  years  in  memory  of  a  most 
singular  occurence  that  is  said  to  have  transpired  in  the  fourth 
century.  England  was  then  divided  into  districts;  this  city  is 
in  that  part  that  was  called  Meria  and  Earl  Laffrick  imposed 
a  grievous  tax  upon  the  people,  who  besought  him  in  vain  to 
release  them  from  the  annoyance.  His  wife  was  then  appealed 
to,  and  she  begged  of  him  time  after  time  to  grant  the  people's 
request.  At  last  he  hastily  said,  "If  you  will  ride  round  and 
through  the  town  naked  it  shall  be  done."  Contrary  to  his  ex- 
pectations the  lady  agreed  to  ride;  an  order  was  then  issued 
that  all  houses  were  to  be  closed  and  no  one  to  look  out  on 
pain  of  death.  The  lady  rode,  and  one  man  notwithstanding 
the  order  ventured  to  look  out  and  was  struck  blind.  He,  or 
his  bust,  stands  in  one  of  the  most  popular  streets  of  the 
town  looking  out  to  this  day.  At  these  fairs,  in  memory  of  this 
transaction,  two  ladies  ride  as  nearly  naked  as  possible  and 
not  be  so.  Those  who  rode  upon  the  occasion  of  which  w^e 
speak  were  French  ladies.  It  was  considered  a  moderate  esti- 
mate to  say  that  100,000  persons  were  present.  This,  in  a 
manner,  shows  the  state  of  morals  in  the  old  world.  It  is 
startling  to  look  abroad  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  and  see  the 
state  of  things  in  their  true  light. 

It  is  estimated  that  there  are  in  England  alone  200,000 
public  prostitutes,  out  of  25,000,000  inhabitants.  France  and 
other  parts  are  still  worse.  It  is  admitted  by  all  that  crime  is 
on  the  increase  to  a  wonderful  extent.  Mothers  cutting  their 
childrens  throats  and  then  their  own  is  no  unusual  thing; 
secret  and  public  wholesale  murders,  assassinations,  wars,  and 
commotions  make  up  a  great  portion  of  the  news  of  the  day. 
A  little  addition  to  the  present  enormities  will  fulfill  the  say- 
ing of  the  Prophet,  viz.  "It  is  a  vexation  only  to  understand 
the  report." 

The  present  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  variously  esti- 
mated from  8  to  960,000,000,  and  the  number  that  die  an- 
nually at  18,000,000,  and  the  weight  of  this  mass  of  human 
bodies   annually  cast  into  the  grave  is  no  less  than  624,400. 

Human  life  is  but  slightly  valued,  especially  by  the  rulers 


ANXALS   OF   WYOMING  205 


who  control  the  mass  of  the  people. 

I,  as  before,  continued  traveling  through  the  Conference, 
preaching  the  word  and  baptizing,  etc.,  till  September  when 
I  went  to  Tifton  iron  and  coal  where  the  country  is  literall}'^ 
dug  hollow,  and  is  settling  down  frequently,  to  the  great  peril 
of  the  people.  Near  here  is  the  Dudley  Castle,  the  old  "Fort- 
ress" of  great  strength,  but  ruined  by  Oliver  Cromell,  by 
cannonading  and  is  situated  on  a  hill  of  some  magnitude, 
which  is  dug  hollow,  there  being  subterraneous  passages 
through  for  some  miles.  I  spent  two  days  with  the  Saints 
here,  thence  on  my  way  to  Liverpool — 100  miles — spent  a  few 
days,  thence  to  my  field  of  labor  again.  Continued  till 
January  4,  1852;  when  I  resigned  the  Presidency  of  the  War- 
wickshire Conference  in  favor  of  William  Speakman,  and  as 
soon  as  arrangements  could  be  made  I  proceeded  to  Liverpool, 
thence  by  ship  "EMPIRE  STATE,"  Captain  Russell,  for  New 
York  City.  After  going  on  board  was  detained  in  the  Channel 
seven  days  by  a  head  wind.  Finally  we  got  under  way  on  the 
21st  of  February,  and  after  a  voyage  of  33  days  arrived  in 
New  York  in  safety,  though  much  worn  down  with  fatigue  and 
sickness.  After  a  few  days'  stop  I  proceeded  to  Lowell, 
Massachusettes,  about  200  miles  distance,  to  transact  some 
business  and  try  and  get  some  friends  started  for  the  Valley. 
April,  1852  From  thence  by  Packet  to  Yarmouth,  Nova  Scotia, 
to  fulfill  my  appointment  as  published  in  the  Star,  No.  1, 
Volume  14,  January  1st,  1852,  viz.  "To  go  on  a  Gospel  to 
strangers,"  etc. 

T  will  now  return  to  some  general  remarks  on  my  mission 
to  England.  I  was  in  that  country  from  the  14th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1850,  till  the  14th  of  February,  1852 — in  all  518  days. 
The  climate  was  trying  to  my  constitution,  and  my  health  for 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  time  —  was  but  second-rate. 
However,  I  made  the  best  use  of  my  time  I  could  under  the 
circumstances  and  traveled  according  to  my  daily  journal 
while  in  England;  by  railway  train  2939  and  walked  2735 
miles,  meaning'  only  journeys  from  town  to  town  and  from  vil- 
lage to  village  and  preached  during  said  time  over  400  public 
discourses,  saying  nothing  of  those  of  a  more  private  nature  ; 
and  some  300  were  baptized  under  my  direction,  though  most- 
ly by  those  Elders  laboring  under  my  charge,  my  calling  be- 
ing more  particularly  to  preach  the  Gospel,  to  counsel  and 
direct  those  under  my  charge,  etc. 

But  to  return,  I  arrived  in  Yarmouth,  Nova  Scotia,  April 
26,  1852;  and  labored  about  three  weeks  with  tolerable  suc- 
cess, holding  meetings  almost  daily,  and  much  valuable  seed 
was  sown  as  I  have  reason  to  believe,  though  but   few  were 


206  ANNALS   OF   WYOMING 


baptized.  Thence,  by  brig  "Thetis"  Captain  Kenaby  to  St. 
John,  N.  B.;  thence  by  steamer  up  the  St.  John  River  to 
Southampton,  150  miles  to  visit  a  branch  of  the  Church  there. 
After  a  few  days  stop,  back  to  St.  John  150  miles,  thence 
to  Boston,  4-90  miles,  and  New  York,  250  miles.  There,  after 
some  deliberation,  resolved  on  giving  up  going  home  till  an- 
other spring,  for  though  anxious  to  go  home- yet  felt  that  my 
labor  was  not  thoroughly  done  and  commenced  getting  up 
a  company  to  go  through  with  me  to  the  Valley,  and  therefore 
took  a  cruise  through  the  States  to  inform  the  scattered  Saints 
of  my  intent  and  to  invite  them  to  fall  in  the  ranks,  and  went 
as  far  south  as  Toms  River,  New  York,  thence  visited  through 
some  parts  of  New  York,  thence  through  New  England  some 
200  miles,  and  thence  by  Steamer  "Wail  of  Erin"  to  St.  John. 
On  our  trip  down  had  frolic  with  two  whales,  who  gave  us 
chase  and  made  much  sport  for  the  passengers.  During  my 
short  stay  in  the  States  I  aroused  many  who  expressed  a  firm 
desire  to  renew  their  covenants  and  gather  up  for  Zion ;  also 
baptized  several.  I  arrived  in  St.  John  June  25,1852;  thence 
to  Sackville,  120  miles- — in  all  from  Boston  to  Sackville,  520 
miles.  Remained  till  July  5th  1852;  preached  several  times 
and  baptized  four.  There  is  a  small  branch  of  the  Church 
here ;  thence  by  carriage  to  Shediac — 30  miles ;  thence  to 
Bedeck  by  Schooner,  preached  twice ;  thence  to  Charlotte 
Town,  about  40  miles,  stopped  one  day,  had  much  conversa- 
tion with  some  lawyers,  Masons,  etc.  They  offered  me  a  home 
and  their  Hall,  but  I  declined  thinking  to  come  again;  took 
passage  on  board  the  "MARGARET"  for  Halifax  some  400 
miles  distance — -was  nine  days  on  the  passage ;  several  times 
becalmed,  twice  went  on  shore  and  preached.  Arrived  on  the 
19th  of  July,  1852;  Got  the  Saints  together  and  held  several 
meetings. 

August  3rd,  1852;  Left  Halifax  in  schooner  "MARY  ANN" 
for  Popes  Harbor,  40  miles  to  the  eastward,  over  40  miles; 
one  family  of  Saints  here.  Remained  till  the  12th,  thence  to 
Halifax  by  schooner  and  arrived  the  same  day — 40  miles; 
stopped  one  day,  thence  to  Chester,  40  miles^  and  arrived 
the  same  day  by  coach. 

August  13th,  1852:  Preached  once  at  Brother  Calkum's, 
walked  one  day  10  or  12  miles  to  get  a  hall  in  Chester  but 
without  effect. 

August  18th,  1852:  Returned  to  Halifax  by  carriage,  40  miles. 
Next  day  received  a  parcel  of  books  from  Liverpool,  $55.00 
worth. 
August  25th,  1852:  Crossed  the  river  and  went  five  miles  by 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  207 


carriage,  held  meeting,  blessed  some  children;  returned  to 
Halifax. 

August  26th,  1852:  Went  by  coach  to  Windsor,  40  miles;  got 
Temperance  Hall  and  lectured  at  night;  next  day  lectured 
again,  thence  by  coach  and  packet  to  SackviUe,  by  way  of 
Parsboro  and  Amherst,  in  all  100  miles;  stopped  several  days, 
preached  and  baptized,  thence  by  private  carriage  50  miles 
to  Wallace  River,  stopped  several  days,  preached  and  bap- 
tized, thence  again  to  Sackville  — :  50  miles  —  stopped  and 
preached  on  the  way  at  Amherst,  traveled  to  Herbert  River 
and  several  small  towns  and  held  meetings  some  70  miles 
journey;  baptized  and  ordained,  and  prepared  to  leave  per 
steamer  for  St.  John,  120  miles.  Procured  a  hall  and  preached 
several  times,  thence  to  Eastport  69  miles  and  delivered  a 
course  of  lectures;  thence  to  St.  Andrew's  per  steamer  in 
search  of  my  wife's  people;  lectured  at  Algers  Hall  in  the 
evening  and  at  some  private  houses  for  several  days;  thence 
to  St.  George  by  schooner.  20  miles,  ])reached  in  Temperance 
Hall  several  times  to  wife's  friends  and  a  promiscuous  crowd 
of  hearers  ;  thence  to  St.  John. 

October  23rd,  1852:  Per  Schooner  "CAPTAIN  HALLAM" 
60  miles,  thence  up  the  St.  John  River  to  Southampton^ — 150 
miles — Reorganized  the  branch,  held  several  meetings,  bap- 
tized several  persons,  was  threatened  by  mob  violence,  thence 
per  steamer  to  Fredrickton — 50  miles;  thence  per  carriage 
with  Benjamin  Hanson,  wife's  uncle,  to  his  home;  talked 
nearly  all  night  with  the  family,  thence  next  day  to  Fredrick- 
ton  12  miles,  tried  for  a  Hall — failed — thence  to  St.  John, 
100  miles,  procured  a  Hall  and  delivered  a  course  of  lec- 
tures; prejudice  strong;  thence  to  Yarmouth,  N.  S.,  per 
Schooner  LaSalle. 

November  24th,  1852:  Encountered  a  heavy  gale  and  snow 
storm;  dare  not  make  the  land;  stood  out  for  the  open  sea, 
and  lay  too.  The  night  was  terrible;  the  sea  broke  over  us 
Avith  great  violence  and  swept  the  deck;  in  the  morning 
nothing  remained  but  one  barrel  crammed  between  the  cam- 
panion  way  and  the  bulwarks,  even  the  levers  for  working  the 
capstan  were  gone.  However,  w^e  made  the  port  the  next  day 
in  safety,  100  miles,  labored  till  about  the  20th  of  January 
1853;  Baptized  two  of  my  mother's  sisters:  Thankful  Amelia 
Bancroft  and  Sarah  Shaw,  and  a  few  others.  Thence  to  St. 
John  per  Brig,  velocity  100  miles;  thence  to  Sackville  per 
coach,  130  miles;  met  Avith  the  Saints,  counselled  and  helped 
them  to  sell  their  property  prior  to  leaving  in  the  spring. 
Delivered  a  course  of  lectures  at  Amherst  and  Herbert  River 
and  other  places  around  about;  thence  to  Halifax,  from   100 


208  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


to  150  miles  bj^  coach.  Arranged  some  matters  with  the 
Saints  there  and  agreed  to  meet  all  the  Saints  from  the  prov- 
ince at  New  York  City,  April  20th,  1853;  there  organize  for 
our  journey  to  Utah,  thence  intended  to  go  directly  to  Boston, 
but  the  Steamer  had  quit  the  route  and  I  was  obliged  to  go 
by  way  of  St.  John  by  coach  to  Digby ;  thence  by  Steamer 
from  150  to  200  miles;  thence  to  Portland,  300  miles;  thence 
to  Bloomfield,  Essex  County,  Vermont,  distance  about  100 
miles.  Arrived  some  time  in  March;  did  some  business  for 
parties  in  Utah;  preached  several  times  to  crowded  houses; 
thence  by  way  of  Portland  to  Boston;  called  together  the 
Saints  and  met  with  them ;  went  to  Lowell  and  did  the  same ; 
thence  to  Boston,  60  miles  in  all.  Thence  to  New  Bedford, 
Fall  River,  and  other  places  where  a  few  Saints  were  resid- 
ing; thence  to  New  York;  in  all  including  roundabout  300 
miles  or  more.  Thence  to  Haverstraw ;  held  meeting;  thence 
to  New  York,  80  miles;  waited  a  few  days  for  the  arrival  of 
the  Saints  from  the  East,  thence  on  our  way  to  Utah.  Left 
New  York  April  20,  1853,  per  steamer  to  Albany;  thence  to 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Got  the  families  and  goods  on  board  the 
steamer  for  Cleveland,  and  thence  I  proceeded  by  cars 
through  the  country.  Stopped  at  dear  old  Portland  where  I 
spent  my  early  days ;  expected  my  father  to  accompany  me 
but  he  had  gone.  Thence  to  Cleveland,  200  miles,  waited  one 
day  for  the  steamer  to  arrive,  thence  to  St.  Louis  700  miles; 
thence  to  Keokuk,  about  200  miles;  brought  our  wagons  per 
steamer;  here  we  joined  the  English  emigration.  Proceeded 
to  Illinois  arid  bought  our  cattle,  and  as  soon  as  convenient 
commenced  our  move  through  Iowa.  While  in  Illinois  stopped 
two  nights  as  the  Mansion  House  at  Nauvoo ;  conversed  with 
Emma  Smith, '^  while  she  cooked  our  supper,  found  her  mind 
soured  against  the  Saints.  The  house  seemed  desolate;  the 
furniture  defaced ;  the  west  wall  of  the  Temple  alone  re- 
mains, and  the  place  is  wonderfully  changed. 

To  return;  we  left  Keokuk  in  advance  of  the  trains,  ex- 
cept one  that  was  two  weeks  ahead  of  us ;  we  passed  that  on 
Wood  River,  and  beat  them  about  four  w^eeks  into  the  Valley 


'sEmma  Hale  was  married  to  Joseph  Smith  on  January  18, 
1827,  and  to  her  he  was  warmly  devoted,  notwithstanding  the 
number  of  his  other  wives.  Persuaded  by  some  of  the  Saints 
to  use  her  influence,  he  was  induced  to  return  to  Nauvoo  by 
a  scourging  letter  in  which  she  reproached  Joseph  and  Hyrum 
as  "shepherds"  leaving  their  "sheep"  in  danger.  Joseph  was  not 
a  coward,  and  "though  he  seemed  to  fully  comprehend  the 
danger  of  his  position,  he  resolved  at  once  to  return  to  Nauvoo 
and  give  himself  up  to  the  officers  of  the  law." 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  209 


of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  and  arrived  at  my  home  September 
10th,  1853,  having  been  absent  from  my  mountain  home  three 
years,  four  months  and  22  days,  and  traveled  according  to 
Journal  by  land  and  w^ater,  by  cars,  steamers,  sailing  packet, 
canals,  coaches,  wagons,  etc.,  24,744  miles,  and  if  small  jour- 
neys were  counted  the  figures  would  be  increased  to  30,000 
in  all  probability. 

The  Utah  Indians  had  been  troublesome  during  the  sum- 
mer previous  to  my  arrival,  set  on  by  Mountaineers  who 
sought  the  downfall  of  the  Saints.  Many  of  the  Brethren 
were  under  arms  at  the  time  of  our  arrival.  One  or  two  com- 
panies we  met  on  Green  River  in  search  of  Desperadoes. 
Walker  was  the  leading  Chief  at  the  time — a  great  War  Chief 
— since  dead.  The  troubles  were  brought  to  a  close  and  peace 
restored  that  fall.  The  winter  passed  smoothly  but  was  hard 
on  stock;  the  spring  brought  its  usual  cares. 


Grasshoppers,    1854 — First   Hand-Cart   Company  Arrived  in 

Salt  Lake,  September,  1856 — Press  and  Pulpit  Accused  of 

Spreading  Falsehoods — U.  S.  Army  Troop  En  Route  to 

Salt  Lake;    Mormons  Barricade   Echo  Canyon  Under 

Col.  Burton — Burning  of  Fort  Bridger  in  September, 

1857 — Peace     Proclamation,      Preceding     Which 

Mormons  Evacuated  the  Valley  and  Migrated 

South,  Called  the  'Grand  Move' — Returned  to 

Their     Homes     After     the     Army    Passed 

Through,  1858— AVar  of  Words'  Ended 

— Polygamy  Bill  Passed- 


I  engaged  in  farming  to  the  extent  of  my  means;  the 
season  seemed  favorable  till  some  time  in  the  month  of  June, 
as  I  was  at  work  with  my  hired  man  and  little  boys,  we 
noticed  something  occasionally  dropping  near  us,  on  examin- 
ing it  it  was  "GRASSHOPPERS,"  and  before  evening  of  that 
day  the  air  literally  swarmed  with  them ;  day  after  day  they 
continued  to  increase  till  the  air  was  filled  to  that  extent  that 
at  times  it  was  difficult  to  breathe.  Our  crops  and  every 
green  thing  was  threatened  with  entire  destruction,  but  before 
they  had  completed  their  work,  they  had  miraculously  dis- 
appeared, leaving  us  barely  enough  to  supply  the  wants  of 
the  people,  including  the  emigration  and  a  small  detachment 
of  U.  S.  troops  under  Colonel  Steptoe  who  wintered  with  us 
and  left  in  the  spring  for  California.  In  October  of  this  year, 
1854,  was  married  to  Ann  Shelton,  of  New  Brunswick.  De- 
cember 30,  1854,  ELIDA  was  born. 


210  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


The  next  year^  1855  was  a  trying  year  to  the  Saints. 
The  "GRASSHOPPERS"  in  great  numbers  appeared  every- 
where; hatched  in  the  fields,  and  commenced  their  depreda- 
tions. As  soon  as  the  gain  had  fairly  commenced  to  grow, 
field  after  field  was  laid  waste  and  destroyed,  root  and 
branch;  even  after  the  grain  had  obtained  the  height  of  a 
foot  or  more  they  moved  like  armies,  sweeping  the  country 
of  every  green  thing.  And  the  courage  of  many  failed.  My 
crop  was  entirely  destroyed ;  and  late  in  June  I  plowed  my 
wheat  land  and  planted  it  to  corn.  The  corn  was  all  we  had 
to  subsist  on.  We  depended  much  on  our  cattle,  but  the  Lord 
seemed  determined  to  try  us.  The  winter  was  dreadfully 
severe  and  our  stock  died  at  wholesale.  I  lost  one-half  of  all 
I  had.  Many  were  reduced  to  straightened  circumstances ; 
even  Bran  bread  was  used  and  famine  seemed  to  stare  us  in 
the  face,  but  those  that  had  jjrovisions  divided  with  those  who 
had  nothing  and  none  died  of  want.  Some  of  the  eastern  pa- 
pers rejoiced  at  our  calamities  and  speculated  upon  seeing  the 
Mormon  bones  bleaching  upon  the  Plains;  but  the  Lord  or- 
dered it  otherwise ;  he  did  not  wish  to  destroy  but  to  make  us 
feel  after  him.  He  effectually  removed  the  grasshoppers 
with  a  great  wind  which  swept  them  en  masse  into  Salt  Lake 
as  they  arose  in  the  air  in  the  middle  of  each  day.  The  de- 
struction was  so  great  winrows  of  dead  grasshoppers  were 
seen  along  the  shores  of  the  Lake  for  scores  of  miles.  Thus 
was  the  army  removed  effectually,  and  the  heavens  seemed 
to  smile  upon  us  again. 

The  Spring  of  1856  opened  delightfully;  our  crops  grew 
well  and  we  had  a  good  harvest. 

April  30th,  1856:  THANKFUL  AMELA  was  born,  the  sum- 
mer was  one  of  scarcity,  but  the  autumn  brought  us  plenty, 
and  our  enemies  in  the  States  and  throughout  the  world  were 
again  disappointed  and  the  Saints  rejoiced. 

It  is  strange  to  see  the  growing  prejudice  against  the 
Saints;  the  papers  teem  with  foul  misrepresentations,  and 
plots  are  being  laid  in  Congress  to  bring  the  Saints  into 
trouble. 

In  September,  1856,  the  first  Hand-Cart  company  arrived 
— men,  women  and  children  walked  all  the  way  and  drew 
their  provisions,  clothing,  etc.,  on  carts  1000  or  1200  miles. 
This  fall  a  reformation  was  commenced;  the  effects  thereof 
w^as  felt  in  the  world  abroad  as  well  as  at  home ;  the  Saints 
drew  nearer  to  the  Lord  and  their  enemies  raged  the  more. 

There  was  a  catechism  got  up  and  the  people  questioned 
as  to  their  morality^  their  general  course  of  life,  love  for  the 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  211 


truth,  etc.  And  while  this  was  going  on  and  the  Saints  labor- 
ing most  diligently  to  correct  their  ways  and  live  their  re- 
ligion, our  enemies  waxed  worse  and  worse;  Memorials  were 
sent  to  Congress,  but  were  treated  with  contempt,  and  it 
seemed  that  we  were  approaching  an  important  crisis,  for  the 
Nation  seemed  drunk  with  rage  against  the  Saints ;  and  from 
one  end  of  the  United  States  to  the  other,  one  continual 
stream  of  lies  proceeded  from  the  press  and  pulpit.  All  that 
could  be  said  was  said  and  done  to  break  up  the  Mormons. 
The  Overland  Mail  contract  had  been  let  to  a  Mormon  between 
Great  Salt  Lake  City  and  the  States,  and  when  the  men  went 
down  with  the  July  Mail  they  were  threatened  with  Mob 
violence  at  Independence,  and  not  allowed  to  bring  the  mail, 
but  were  told  an  army  was  on  the  way  to  hang,  kill  and  break 
up  the  Mormons.  The  men  returned  and  brought  the  news. 
July  24th,  1857,  It  was  resolved  that  this  army  should  not 
enter  the  Valle3^  A  small  company  of  horsemen  under  R.  T. 
Burton  were  sent  to  meet  them,  watch  their  movements,  stam- 
pede their  animals,  etc.  The  army  was  regarded  as  a  mob. 
Governor  Young  having  had  no  official  information  of  troops 
being  sent. 

I  will  here  observe  that  on  the  24th  of  July,  1857,  the 
news  arrived  at  the  approach  of  the  hostile  army.  Governor 
Young  issued  a  proclamation  declaring  the  Territory  under 
Martial  law,  and  ordering  the  entire  militia  to  be  ready  at  a 
moments  warning  to  proceed  to  any  point  to  check  the  in- 
vaders and  forbidding  the  troops  to  enter  the  territory. 

Tlie  Company  under  Burton  met.  the  troops  kept  out  of 
their  way,  and  by  means  of  flanking  parties  kept  strict  walcli 
of  them  day  by  day  and  reported  to  us  by  expresses,  constant- 
ly going  to  and  from  over  the  road.  It  was  thought  our  ene- 
mies intended  to  separate  and  approach  at  different  points, 
but  they  did  not  attempt  it.  At  or  near  the  Pacific  Springs, 
our  boys  prepared  with  horses,  cowbells,  etc.,  rode  into  the 
enemies  camp,  making  all  sorts  of  noises  in  their  power.  They 
rode  through  and  through  the  camp  before  any  one  could  be 
aroused.  The  bugles  at  length  made  a  faint  noise,  and  the  men 
began  to  turn  out.  It  was  at  night  and  the  horses  and  mules 
seemed  inclined  to  run  to  the  tents  and  wagons  instead  of 
running  awa}^ ;  the  plan  of  stampeding  was  therefore  aban- 
doned. The  officer  in  command  fearing  for  the  safety  of  his 
baggage,  which  was  in  advance,  commenced  a  forced  march. 
and  made  the  best  of  their  way  to  Ham's  Fork  of  Green  River 
undisturbed;  here  overtaking  their  baggage  trains  they  en- 
camped to  wait  orders.  At  this  period  some  thousand  of  our 
men  M-ere  ordered  out  and  pitched  upon  Echo  Canyon  as  the 


212  ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 


best  place  to  attack  the  invaders  temporary  breast-works 
were  thrown  up,  batteries  of  rocks  made  on  high  precipies 
and  two  deep  ditches  dug  across  the  canyon  to  fill  with  water. 
Here  the  enemy  could  be  raked  from  all  our  positions,  and  im- 
mense rocks  were  pried  up  and  fixed  in  readiness  to  down 
some  hundreds  of  feet  at  a  given  signal;  here  the  main  body 
of  our  men  took  up  their  quarters;  but  the  horse  companies 
formed  themselves  into  scouting  parties  and  proceeded  near 
the  enemies  camp.  Myself  and  the  company  to  which  I  be- 
longed left  Salt  Lake  City  September  25th,  1857;  we  were 
called  in  haste  and  left  at  12  o'clock  at  night,  and  proceeded 
to  the  mouth  of  Emigration;  thence  at  night  on  our  way  and 
camped  at  night  on  the  east  side  of  Big  Mountain.  Our  horses 
were  troublesome,  and  we  passed  the  night  without  sleep.  At 
daylight  got  under  way  and  reached  Echo  Canyon  and 
camped  for  the  night.  It  was  Sunday  night;  we  had  a  meet- 
ing and  retired  to  rest,  or  some  of  us  had,  when  an  express 
arrived  stating  that  the  troops  were  approaching  rapidly.  We 
immediatley  got  under  way  and  rode  all  night.  We  arrived 
at  Cache  Cave  early  in  the  morning,  chilled  with  cold;  our 
guns,  stirrups,  etc.  covered  to  some  extent  with  frozen  mud 
and  ice.  Here  we  stopped  a  short  time,  gathered  what  little 
fuel  we  could  find,  and  made  some  fires,  those  that  had  no 
balls,  ran  some,  etc.  Here  we  left  our  baggage  and  every- 
thing except  what  could  be  carried  about  our  persons  and 
again  pressed  our  way  and  reached  the  "Muddy"  after  a  long 
and  weary  march  at  dark,  having  traveled  100  miles  without 
sleep  on  horseback.  Next  morning  reached  (Fort)  Bridger  and 
found  it  in  possession  of  a  few  men  that  had  come  out  before 
us-  They  received  us  most  gladly,  being  few  in  number  and  be- 
ing within  a  few  hours  march  of  several  thousand  disciplined 
troops  in  hostile  array.  Scouting  parties  out  constantly  to 
reconnoiter  the  enemy  and  burn  the  grass  in  all  directions 
as  near  their  camp  as  practicable.  I  went  to  Fort  Supply  with 
a  small  company  of  men  to  help  take  care  of  the  crops,  and  to 
make  ready  to  burn  everything  if  found  necessary.  After 
finishing  the  third  day's  labor  and  posting  our  guards  we  re- 
tired to  rest,  but  were  soon  disturbed  by  the  arrival  of  an 
Express  from  Bridger,  ordering  everything  destroyed.  We 
took  out  our  wagons,  horses,  etc,  and  at  12  o'clock  set  fire 
to  the  buildings  at  once,  consisting  of  100  or  more  good 
hewed-log  houses,  one  sawmill,  one  grist  mill  and  thrashing 
machine;  and  after  going  out  of  the  Fort,  we  did  set  fire  to 
the  Stockade  work,  straw  and  grain  stacks,  etc.  After  looking 
a  few  minutes  at  the  bonfire  we  had  made,  thence  on  by  the 
light  thereof. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  213 


I  will  mention  that  owners  of  property  in  several  cases 
begged  the  privilege  of  setting  fire  to  their  own,  which  they 
freely  did,  thus  destroying  at  once  what  they  had  labored  for 
years  to  build,  and  that  without  a  word.  Thence  on  the  way 
a  few  miles  we  stopped  and  set  fire  to  the  City  Supply — a  new 
place  just  commenced  —  10  or  16  buildings  perhaps,  and 
warmed  ourselves  by  the  flames.  Thus  was  laid  waste  in  a 
few  hours  all  the  labor  of  a  settlement  for  three  or  four  years, 
with  some  500  or  600  acres  of  land  fenced  and  improved. 

Our  work  of  destruction  was  now  finished  and  we  moved 
silently  onward  and  reached  Bridger  a  little  after  daylight 
and  found  it  in  ashes,  having  been  fired  the  night  before.  We 
now  joined  our  companions  in  arms,  who,  with  us,  after  some 
deliberation  evacuated  the  place  and  moved  back  in  the  brush 
to  await  orders  on  tlie  ap]5roach  of  the  enemy.  After  waiting 
some  myself  and  a  small  division  of  men  with  disabled  horses 
we  left  for  the  main  camp  in  Echo,  and  again  joined  Col. 
Burton's  command.  We  were  drilled  in  climbing  the  Bluffs 
and  occupying  the  batteries,  going  through  the  maneuvers  of 
an  engagement,  etc.  At  this  time  we  had  about  5000  men  in 
and  about  Echo  watching  the  movements  and  ready  for  any 
emergency  should  the  troops  persist  in  coming  in.  All  were 
determined  to  stop  them,  and  firm  in  the  faith  that  we  could 
do  it  and  not  half  try,  but  Me  waited  and  waited  in  vain.  No 
enemy  approached;  express  after  express  arrived  stating  that 
the  troops  were  moving  up  Ham's  Fork,  and  it  was  supposed 
that  they  intended  to  go  down  the  Weber  and  enter  the  Valley 
that  way;  we  expected  to  be  called  to  go  around  and  stop 
them.  At  length  we  got  an  express  stating  that  they  were 
going  down  Ham's  Fork  again;  our  scouting  parties  were 
then  all  the  time  watched  and  reported  every  move,  and  oc- 
casionally drove  off  what  cattle  and  mules  they  could  which 
came  to  our  canip,  and  thence  on  to  the  Valley  to  the  amount 
of  1000  or  thereabout  in  all.  The  troops  fired  at  our  men 
several  times,  but  the  fire  was  not  returned,  strict  orders 
having  been  given  to  that  effect. 

At  length,  the  rear  companies  having  come  up  they  took 
the  common  trail  for  Bridger,  and  after  two  or  three  days 
spent  in  getting  ready  for  fight,  reconnoitering  the  place,  etc. 
they  came  up  in  order  of  battle  and  deliberately  shot  some 
old  clothes  stuffed  with  straw  stuck  about,  and  finally  took 
possession  of  the  desolate  stone  walls  of  Bridger  and  went  into 
Winter  Quarters.  When  this  was  ascertained  most  of  our 
troops  returned  home  and  finally  all,  except  a  few  companies 
that  remained  till  spring.  I  was  out  some  four  weeks  and  re- 
turned with  Col.  Burton's  command.    On  our  arrival  the  peo- 


^14  ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 


pie  came  out  in  groups  to  welcome  us  home ;  all  were  glad  to 
get  home^  and  the  excitement  gradually  subsided. 
December  15th,  1857,  Joseph  Avas  born;  the  winter  was 
spent  agreeably  in  our  usual  avocations.  Many  social  dances 
were  indulged  in  throughout  the  country ;  and  but  little  was 
said  about  the  army,  although  they  were  encamped  within  113 
miles  from  us — full  of  hell,  and  breathing  out  threats  against 
the  Mormons,  about  whose  real  character  they  knew  but  lit- 
tle, and  while  all  was  peace  and  harmony  with  us,  all  was 
strife  and  bitterness  with  our  enemies,  who  must  have  passed 
a  very  unpleasant  winter,  as  their  animals  nearly  all  died  from 
the  severity  of  the  winter  and  tlie  poverty  of  their  stock  as 
they  were  very  late,  near  the  first  of  December,  when  they 
arrived  at  Bridger.'^ 

President  Young  sent  them  a  load  of  salt  on  hearing  they 
were  out,  but  they  would  not  receive  it,  and  our  men  scattered 
it  in  the  snow  outside  their  guards,  and  returned  home.  Salt 
was  sold  at  Ten  dollars  per  handful. 

President  Young  caused  it  to  be  published  that  all  who 
wished  to  go  to  the  army  should  have  an  escort  and  a  carriage 
to  ride  in.  One  woman  only  expressed  a  ^vish  to  go  to  their 
camp,  although  the  army  was  sent  to  rescue  the  oppressed. 

During  the  winter  Dr.  Osborn  (Col  .Kane)  arrived  from 
Washington  via  California,  as  a  Peacemaker,  and  finally  two 
gentlemen  direct  from  Washington — McCulloch  and  Powell 
arrived  with  a  Proclamation  from  President  Buchanan  to  the 
Mormons — an  Oracle  to  Govern  Them.  The  Peace  Commis- 
sioners, in  making  peace  with  the  Mormons,  said  Proclamation 
consisted  of  a  routine  of  slanders  and  abuses,  accusing  us  of 
murder,  treason  and  all  kinds  of  meanness,  and  finally  grant- 
ing us  a  full  and  free  pardon  unasked  for  on  our  part.  The 
object  of  this  seemed  to  be  to  justify  the  Administration  in 
their  blunder  and  make  the  world  believe  they  had  committed 
no  blunder.  Yet,  it  was  easy  to  see  they  felt  whipped 
and  anxious  to  get  out  of  the  scrape.  After  two  or  three  days 
council  with  the  leading  men  of  the   Church  all  was  settled. 


'6  This  comment  refers  to  Col.  Albert  Sidney  Johnston's  forces 
who  left  for  the  west  from  Atchinson,  Kansas  Territory,  on 
September  28,  1857,  and  arrived  at  Fort  Bridger  on  November 
20 — after  suffering  extreme  hardships  when  overtaken  by  the 
rigors  of  winter  many  miles  from  their  destination.  The  story 
of  the  wearisome  journey  is  related  in  the  diary  of  William  A. 
Carter  which  was  published  in  the  April  issue  of  the  ANNALS. 
Judge  Carter  made  the  trip  with  the  government  wagon-train 
and  lived  the  remainder  of  his  life  at  Fort  Bridger.  He  was  one 
of  Wyoming's  most  outstanding  pioneer  citizens. 


ANNALS  OF  AVYOMING  21: 


and  an  Express  was  sent  to  Camp  and  to  the  States  with  the 
tidings  of  Peace.  Governor  Powell  and  President  Buchanan 
would  give  more  to  hear  of  peace  being  made  with  the  Mor- 
mons than  any  other  one  thing  in  the  world.  All  this  about 
nothing.    For  there  was  no  war,  only  on  their  part. 

Before  it  was  known  how  the  thing  would  terminate,  the 
Saints  were  counselled  to  move  south  some  time  in  March 
and  the  Move  commenced  about  the  1st  of  April,  1858,  when 
I  took  my  first  load  of  goods.  By  counting  it  would  appear 
there  were  about  600  loads  daily  moving  from  the  north 
around  the  point  of  the  mountain,  separating  Utah  and  Great 
Salt  Lake  Counties.  This  continued  two  months  or  more. 
Night  and  day  the  roads  were  thronged  with  wagons  and  loose 
herds.  To  guess  from  what  I  saw  there  could  not  have  been 
less  than  75,000  wagon  loads;  it  might  have  exceeded  100,000 
loads  of  grain,  goods  and  household  furniture,  etc.,  taken 
south  during  the  "Grand  Move"  of  all  moves  of  the  kind  since 
the  world  was  !  So  that  when  the  army  came  in  the  entire 
people  except  what  was  called  the  "detailed  guard,"  to  which 
body  I  belonged  and  was  in  the  City  when  the  Army  came  in 
and  passed  through  the  City  with  their  big  brass  cannon, 
ammunition,  Avagons,  shining  sabers,  and  rifles,  all  designed 
for  our  destruction,  but  the  Lord  ruled  it  otherwise.  They 
passed  harmlessly  on  to  their  camp,  disturbing  nothing,  and 
paying  a  big  price  for  all  they  got  of  us.  They  moved  on  to 
Camp  Floyd  40  miles  southwest  of  the  City,  and  there  took 
up  their  abode.  When  this  was  done  permission  was  given  for 
us  to  return  to  our  homes,  and  a  complete  rush  ensued.  Salt 
Lake  City  and  the  Northern  settlements  were  soon  thronged 
with  their  former  inhabitants.  A  Gentile  paper  was  started  in 
Salt  Lake  City.  Freight  wagons  to  the  amount  of  4004  came  in 
during  the  fall  with  five  or  six  yoke  of  oxen  to  a  Avagon  and 
bringing  all  sorts  of  supplies  to  the  amount  of  60  or  70  hun- 
dred to  the  wagon;  this  beside  the  supply  wagon  sent  out  in 
1849  with  the  troops,  some  of  which  our  men  burned  to  con- 
vince them  we  were  in  earnest.  Thus  terminated  the  first  and 
second  year  of  this  war  of  words  wherein  the  Nation  was 
impoverished  and  the  Administration  disgraced,  while  the 
Mormons  were  made  rich  by  this  useless  outlay  of  money — 
^Millions. 

Thus  the  Lord  can  make  the  wrath  of  man  to  j^raise  him 
and  the  remainder  of  wrath  He  will  restrain. 

While  the  troops  were  at  Bridger  the  excitement  through- 
out the  States  was  immense,  and  all  sorts  of  speculations  was 
indulgled  in  with  regard  to  the  issue.  The  prejudice  finally 
gave  way;  and  I  believe  the  Nation  is  ashamed  of  the  affair. 


216  ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 


Yet  many  are  and  have  been  laboring  to  keep  up  the  excite- 
ment and  bring  about  the  destruction  of  the  Mormons. 
In  1859  more  supplies  arrived.  Whole  acres  of  big  wagons 
are  to  be  seen  here  and  there  in  the  City  and  Camp.  Of  all 
crusades  against  any  people  since  the  World  was  this  is  the 
most  singular  wherein  the  power  of  God  was  most  wonder- 
fully displayed  that  all  who  had  any  knowledge  of  God  might 
see  His  work  and  acknowledge  His  care  for  His  covenant 
people.  But  it  is  written :  "The  righteous  shall  understand  but 
the  Avicked  shall  none  of  them  understand."  And  thus  it 
seems,  for  our  enemies  are  not  satisfied  but  still  seek  to 
stir  up  new  subjects  of  strife  and  fill  the  papers  with  the  lying 
slanderous  abuses  to  excite  the  Nation  to  further  acts  of 
wickedness  for  the  destruction  of  this  people.  Some  excite- 
ment continued  at  Camp  Scott,  supposing  the  Mormons  might 
suddenly  attack  and  destroy  them.  But  on  our  part  all  have 
attended  to  their  own  business,  except  a  few  who  have  par- 
taken of  the  spirit  of  the  army  and  its  followers  and  are  con- 
verted to  the  habit  of  swearing,  drinking,  stealing,  etc. 

When  it  was  known  that  the  Army  was  to  be  sent  here, 
the  Elders  abroad  were  called  home,  and  but  few  have  been 
sent  out  since ;  yet  the  gathering  has  continued,  and  thousands 
of  Elders  have  continued  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  nations 
of  the  earth,  notwithwstanding  the  jarring  elements,  and  the 
faithful  Saints  have  been  able  to  see  most  clearly  the  hand  of 
a  kind  and  merciful  God  in  turning  the  evil  designs  of  our 
enemies  into  good,  inasmuch  as  they  have  supplied  us  to  over- 
flowing with  good  mules,  oxen,  wagons,  and  iron  in  abund- 
ance, and  money  to  purchase  them  with.  Big  wagons  that  cost 
$150.00  have  sold  here  for  ten  to  forty  dollars  each;  oxen, 
mules,  etc.  for  half  of  the  first  cost.  Money,  which  was  very 
scarce  when  the  Army  came  in  was  soon  so  plenty  that  any 
man  with  industry  could  fill  his  pockets  with  gold.  This  done, 
a  general  sale  of  mules  was  ordered,  and  our  people  bought 
themselves  good  mule  teams  at  half  or  less  than  the  first  cost. 
Iron,  which  was  hard  to  get  at  $10  per  hundred  weight,  was 
now  offered  at  $2.50  and  much  less  than  that.  In  similar  ways 
has  the  Lord  sustained  this  people  from  the  beginning  and  it 
is  indeed  mysterious  to  all  beholders,  and  as  wonderful  as 
the  leading  of  Israel  in  ancient  times. 

The  Nation,  seeing  that  they  had  accomplished  nothing 
by  this  vain  endeavor  to  civilize  the  Mormons,  new  subjects 
arose.  The  U.  S.  Judges  tried  hard  to  bring  the  Troops  and 
the  Mormons  in  collision.  Soldiers  were  in  attendance  to  guard 
prisoners  at  their  courts,  and  many  ivere  taken  to  Camp  Floyd, 
the   head   quarters   of   the   judges   and   their  associates,   their 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  211 


families,  etc.,  who  came  to  civilize  or  destroy  us;  but  after 
trying  in  vain  they  began  to  leave.  Towards  the  close  of  the 
season  of  1859,  Judge  Eccles  alone  remained  to  do  what  he 
could  among  us  by  releasing  prisoners  convicted  by  the  Pro- 
bate courts  for  stealing,  etc.,  not  acknowledging  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  said  court.  Several  individual  encounters  occurred — 
one  in  which  a  Sergeant  was  killed  in  open  daylight  by  a 
young  man  who  enquired  his  name  and  then  shot  him.  The 
Sergeant  had  before  struck  this  young  man  over  the  head  in 
Rush  Valley.  This  caused  a  great  excitement  at  camp;  they 
mustered,  ground  their  swords,  and  made  ready  to  come  to 
Salt  Lake  City  and  kill  the  Mormons,  but  General  Johnson 
quashed  the  move.  The  eastern  papers  teem  with  reports  from 
lying  scribblers  at  Camp  Floyd.  The  sutlers  and  other  Gentile 
merchants  fanned  the  flame  to  keep  up  the  excitement  and 
cause  more  and  more  money  to  be  expanded  here,  but  the 
Administration  determined  to  remove  the  troops  as  it  threw 
money  into  the  Mormons'  hands  and  done  no  good,  as  nothing 
was  accomplished.  Orders  reached  us  some  time  in  March  of 
1860  for  the  removal  of  the  troops  to  New  Mexico  and  other 
points,   except  ten  companies. 

The  great  Mormon  War,  which  with  the  subject  of  Slav- 
ery has  occupied  the  public  attention  since  1847,  but  now 
seems  to  be  winding  up,  it  is  said,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000,000. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Congress  in  December,  1859,  the  House 
spent  about  eight  weeks  quarreling  and  disputing  before  the 
House  was  organized  by  choosing  a  Speaker. 

The  Harper's  Ferry  affair  seemed  first  in  their  minds, 
and  "Mormons"  and  "Polygamy"  next.  This  Harper's  Ferry 
came  up  in  the  fall  of  1859,  and  was  led  by  one  John  Brown, 
a  Northern  man,  who  with  a  few  followers  undertook  to 
liberate  the  slaves  of  the  South.  He  privately  conveyed  arms 
and  ammunition  to  this  place  and  got  possession  of  one  of 
the  U.  S.  Armories,  and  could  not  be  dislodged  till  the  U.  S. 
Marines  came  down  from  Washington  City.  He  was  then 
taken  prisoner  and  with  those  who  were  not  killed  was  af- 
terwards hung.  The  affair  cost  Virginia  a  deal  of  trouble  and 
expense,  and  has  been  among  the  most  interesting  topics  of 
this  day.  Congressmen  have  several  times  come  near  a  gen- 
eral fight. 

Some  time  in  April  one  Love  joy  from  Illinois  got  so  ex- 
cited over  the  subject  of  Slavery  in  his  speech  that  he  pro- 
nounced it  the  leading  sin  in  the  world,  and  advanced  to  the 
opposite  side  of  the  House  with  doubled  fists.  A  general  row 
ensued,  and  the  most  bitter  language  made  use  of.    The  Polyg- 


21»  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


amy  bill  was  also  warmly  discussed^  and  finally  passed,  sup- 
porters being  Methodist  preachers. 

William  H.  Hooper,  our  Delegate,  inquired  if  this  Con- 
gress was  prepared  to  enforce  the  bill  in  case  it  becomes  a 
law,  as  the  entire  people  of  Utah  would  refuse  to  allow  Con- 
gress to  meddle  with  their  private  affairs. 


Biographical  Sketch  of  Jesse  W.   Crosby  from  the  Time  of 
Final  Entries  in  the  Journal  to  Time  of  Death,  1893. 


The  author  of  the  journal  lived  in  Salt  Lake  City  four- 
teen years  (1847-1861)  when  he  sold  his  property  and  moved 
to  Utah's  "Dixie"  (St.  George  and  vicinity)  making  his  home 
at  St-  George.  Having  gained  renown  as  a  molasses  maker 
he  had  been  called  by  Brigham  Young  to  that  place  to  teach 
the  art  to  others,  molasses  being  a  valuable  commodity  on 
the  Frontier.  Previous  to  discovery  of  cane  as  a  source  of 
the  molasses  product,  Mr.  Crosby  utilized  carrots,  beets  and 
parsnips.  His  two  eldest  sons,  Jesse  W.,  Jr.,  and  George  H. 
accompanied  him  to  the  new  location,  spending  the  winter  at 
Toquerville  and  continuing  to  St.  George  in  the  spring.  Later 
they  were  joined  by  the  remainder  of  the  family. 

It  was  said  of  him  that  he  was  the  hardest  working  man 
in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Region,  retiring  at  11:00  P.  M.  and 
arising  at  3  :00  A-  M.  The  Crosby  home  in  St.  George  was 
for  many  years  considered  the  finest  residence  in  the  com- 
munity. 

He  was  navigator  of  the  expedition  sent  by  the  Mormon 
Church  to  investigate  the  possibility  of  steam  boat  traffic 
on    the    Colorado    River,    having    gained    his    experience    on 


An  unfortunate  incident  occurred  in  connection  with  the  Mor- 
mon settlement  at  Overton.  Under  the  mistaken  idea  that  they 
were  living  in  Utah,  the  Colonists  organized  a  county  and  for 
approximately  eight  years  paid  taxes,  after  which  Nevada 
brought  suit  to  collect  taxes  from  the  Mormon  citizens  for  that 
period.  Had  this  claim  been  made  for  State  taxes  alone,  it 
would  not  have  worked  such  a  hardship,  but  the  demand  in- 
cluded county  taxes,  also.  By  the  time  the  lawsuit  was  settled 
in  favor  of  the  State,  the  panic  of  1895  was  beginning  to  make 
itself  felt  and  the  settlers  determined  to  abandon  the  town. 
It  is  supposed  that  a  compromise  settlement  was  reached  in  this 
tax  matter,  later. 


WYOMING   ANNALS  2i9 


Lake  Erie  and  on  fishing  boats  while  living  in  Nova  Scotia- 
The  report  of  the  expedition  was  unfavorable  because  of  silt 
and  sand  bars. 

In  1882  he  married  a  plural  wife,  Minnie  Karl^  and  by 
this  marriage  two  children  were  born  who  now  reside  in  Los 
Angeles,  Calif.  In  the  same  year  he  moved  his  family  to  Over7 
ton,  Nevada,  where  he  lived  until  his  death.  Due  to  ill  healtli 
occasioned  by  the  hot  climate  he  left  his  home  in  Overton,  ac- 
companied by  a  small  son,  Nephi,  for  a  visit  at  Panguitch, 
Garfield  County,  Utah,  with  his  sons,  Jesse  W.,  Jr.,  and  Sam- 
uel- Enroute  they  became  lost  in  the  desert  and  the  elderly  mail 
nearly  died  of  thirst.  Probably  due  to  this  tragic  experience 
he  suffered  a  paralytic  stroke  the  day  after  reaching  his  sons 
and  passed  away,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three. 


"OLD  FORT  BRIDGER" 

On  June  16,  1873,  the  following  article  appeared  in  ''THE 
DAILY  GRAPHIC,  An  Illustrated  Evening  Newspaper''  un- 
der the  above  headline,  and  gives  impressions  of  a  visitor  at 
the  Fort  more  than  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago.  The  sketch 
on  the  front  of  this  issue  of  the  ANNALS  appeared  with  the 
article  and  is  an  artist's  idea  of  the  '  'Frontier.  Fort. "     .     • 

"An  Old  Fur-Trading  Post — A  Motley  Population-^Mormons 
— A  Mountaineer  Dispossessed — Pure  Streams — Moun- 
tain Sports  —  Fairy  Lakes  —  Coming  Events" 

Fort  Bridger,  June  10. — In  this  out-of-the-way  portion  of 
the  world  we  are  glad  to.  see  anj^thing  fresh  and  new,  and 
THE  DAILY  GRAPHIC  is  a  never-ending  source  of  pleasure 
to  us,  not  only  on  account  of  the  excellent  pictures  it  eonr 
tains,  but  also  on  account  of  the  character  of,  the  rea-iing 
matter  which  is  both  interesting  and  instructive. 

The  place  where  I  write  this  letter  is  one  of  the  oldesv 
settlements  made  by  white  men  in  this  whole  mountain  region, 
and,  being  situated  in  the  handsomest  portion  of  Wyoming, 
is  a  point  of  especial  interest  to  the  tourist.  James-  Bridger, 
an  old  mountaineer,  who  came  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. under 
the  auspices  of  General  Ashley  in  1832.  built  a  trading  post 
here  in  1841;  and  since  that  time  it  has  always  been^  occupiqd 
by  the  whites.  The  first  post  was  built  on  a  bold  bluff,  some 
distance  from  Black's  Fork  of  Green  River;  but  the  Sioux  In- 
dians  having   come   in   and   made   a   raid  upon   the  little   fort, 


220  WYOMING   ANNALS 


in  which  affair  two  Snake  Indians  were  killed,  it  was  moved 
down  to  the  place  Avhich  is  now  occupied  by  the  United 
States  garrison-  For  years  it  was  a  fur-trading  post^  and  here 
were  congregated  a  motley  crew  of  hunters  and  trappers; 
Snake  and  Ute  Indians,  tricked  out  in  all  the  barbaric  pomp 
of  savage  finery;  squaws  were  wrapped  up  in  bright  colored 
blankets,  and  Indian  children  looking  like  the  sprites  of  the 
mountains.  Occasionally  there  was  a  grand  "blow  out,"  or 
jollification,  in  which  all  hands  particpated,  and  the  hills 
round  about  re-echoed  their  shouts  and  laughter.  It  was  not 
a  very  refined  pastime,  but  served  to  please  the  rough  moun- 
taineers and  the  not  over-delicate  Indian  women. 

A  few  travellers  came  across  the  mountains  in  1842,  and 
still  more  in  1843;  and  so  on  it  continued  until  1847,  when 
the  Mormon  prophet.  Brigham  Young,  with  his  horde,  came 
along,  and  wended  his  way  to  the  Salt  Lake  Valley,  one 
hundred  miles  farther  West.  Then  the  gold  mines  in  Cali- 
fornia were  discovered  in  1848-49,  and  a  tide  of  immigration 
swept  across  the  country,  and  the  fort  became  a  noted  place. 
Hundreds  and  hundreds  of  wagons,  drawn  by  horses,  mules. 
oxen  and  cows,  rolled  over  the  road,  and  a  partner  of  Bridger, 
named  Vasquez,  used  to  air  his  fur-trading  dignity  in  a  coach 
drawn  by  four  horses.  This  state  of  things  continued  until 
1854,  when  the  Mormons  thought  Bridger  had  made  enough 
money  and  ought  to  be  dispossessed-  Accordingly,  he  was  paid 
eight  thousand  dollars  for  his  cattle  and  "improvements,"  and 
told  to  leave  the  country. 

After  his  departure,  the  Mormons  built  a  high  wall  of 
cobblestones  laid  up  in  mortar,  and  erected  some  cabins  inside 
the  enclosure  of  the  fort.  Here  they  held  high  carnival,  and 
the  high-toned  saints  are  said  to  have  more  than  enjoyed 
themselves  on  Jim  Bridger's  whiskey.  They  had  things  all 
their  own  way  until  the  arrival  of  the  United  States  soldiers, 
which  were  sent  out  for  the  invasion  of  Utah,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Albert  S-  Johnston,  in  the  fall  of  1857.  At 
the  approach  of  the  soldiers  they  burnt  the  buildings,  and 
destroyed  everything  they  could,  and  then  escaped  to  Salt 
Lake  Valley.  Bridger  acted  as  guide  to  the  soldiers,  and  was 
a  valuable  one,  as  he  is  acquainted  with  all  the  passes  in  the 
mountains. 

When  the  troops  moved  on  to  Salt  Lake  in  the  spring  of 
1868,  a  considerable  command  was  left  at  the  fort,  who  built 
new  buildings,  and  made  the  best  post  on  the  overland  route. 
Major  Canby  was  then  in  command. 

When  the  war  of  the  rebellion  broke  out  the  regular  gar- 


WYOMING  ANNALS  221 


rison  was  withdrawn,  and  volunteers  held  the  place  until  the 
return  of  peace,  when  the  regular  soldiers  were  again  sent 
back.  In  the  meantime  houses  had  gone  to  ruin,  and  the 
fences  had  been  destroyed.  These,  however,  were  speedily 
repaired,  and  everything  again  assumed  a  neat  appearance. 
The  overland  stage  passed  daily  and  large  immigrant  trains 
toiled  slowly  along  the  excellent  roads  on  the  mountains.  The 
valley  of  Black's  Fork  was  always  a  favorite  camping  ground 
of  these  movers,  the  water  therein  being  as  pure  and  bright 
as  any  in  the  world,  and  altogether  unlike  the  sour  and  alka- 
line waters  of  many  of  the  streams  that  wend  their  way  along 
the  slopes  of  the  Rockies. 

Then  came  the  era  of  the  Pacific  Railroad,  M^hich  passes 
along  eleven  miles  from  the  post.  The  echo  of  the  whistle  of 
the  locomotive  can  now  be  heard,  where  but  a  short  time  since 
the  shrill  war-cry  of  the  savages  broke  upon  the  air,  mingled 
with  the  gruff  tones  of  the  grizzly  bear,  and  the  wild  wailings 
of  the  cougar. 

To  the  lover  of  mountain  sports  no  better  place  than  Fort 
Bridger  can  be  found.  The  streams  are  full  of  speckled  trout; 
and  the  lakes  in  the  mountains^ — twenty-five  or  thirty  miles 
distant — beautiful.  On  seeing  these  lakes,  which  are  from 
half  a  mile  to  a  mile  in  diameter,  one  is  apt  to  exclaim:  "Karth 
has  no  fairer  scene  than  this."  The  dark  pines  are  reflected 
in  the  water  as  in  a  great  mirror,  and  geese  and  ducks  fiy 
about  and  disport  themselves  upon  the  placid  surface.  There 
are  several  old  mountain  men  living  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fort 
who  have  succeeded  in  raisng  considerable  herds  of  cattle, 
and  some  Snake  Indians  have  gathered  quite  a  number  of 
horses  and  cows.  The  garrison  is  admirably  located,  being 
about  equi-distant  from  the  reservations  of  the  Eastern  Sho- 
shonees  and  the  Uintah  Utes,  and  ready  to  strike  in' any  direc- 
tion that  may  be  required.    Algebra. 


In  another  column  of  the  same  paper,  special  attention  is 
called  to  the  above  article  and  sketch  as  follows: 

"An  interesting  article  will  be  found  in  our  reading  col- 
umns apropos  of  our  sketch  of  Fort  Bridger.  in  Wyoming 
Territory.  In  the  hurry  of  busy  life  we  pay  little  attention 
to  the  romance  that  clusters  around  these  frontier  posts.  But 
some  day  it  will  be  written  up,  and  our  children  will  wonder 
that  there  was  no  Cooper  of  our  time  to  catch  and  transfer 
to  print  the  adventurous  life  of  the  frontiersman  of  1873." 


222 


WYOMING   ANNALS 


CAREER  OF  CHEYENNE-BLACK  HILLS  STAGE  LINE 
OWNER,  COLORFUL  STORY  OF  THE  "OLD  WEST.' 

By  INEZ  BABB  TAYLOR 

On  Wyoming's  extended  lionor-roll  of  illustrious  and 
courageous  i^ioneers  is  one  Avorthy  of  special  tribute^  Russell 
Thorp,  Sr.,  who  Avas  born  in  Ncav  York  in  184-6,  and  at  the 
age    of    52    met   an   untimely    death   in   a   runaAvav    accident    a 


LAST  BLACK  HILLS  COACH  LEAVING  CHEYENNE, 
FEBRUARY  19,  1887 

Pushed  to  points  beyond  the  rails,  the  old  Black  Hills  "coach 
and  six"  pause  for  the  photographer  before  leaving  their  Cheyenne 
starting-place  for  the  last  time.  George  Lathrop,  the  proud  driver, 
said  of  the  occasion  in  his  "Memoirs  of  a  Pioneer,"  published  in 
1927:  "I  would  not  have  changed  places  with  Grover  Cleveland.  It 
was  a  great  day!"  W.  S.  Jenks  is  beside  the  driver,  and  on  the 
ground  by  the  wheel  horses  is  the  owner,   Russell  Thorp,  Sr. 


NOTE. — Acknowledgment  is  made  to  Mr.  Russell  Thorp,  Jr., 
of  Cheyenne,  for  his  generous  cooperation  with  the  State  His- 
torical Department  in  furnishing  data  and  information  on  the 
life  and  career  of  his  father,  the  subject  of  this  article.  Highly 
interested  in  pioneer  history  himself,  Mr.  Thorp,  Secretary  of 
the  Wyoming  Stockgrowers  Association,  owns  a  voluminous 
collection  of  valuable  relics  illustrative  of  early  Wj'oming  days 
and  especially  those  related  to  the  oldtime  tran.sportation  busi- 
ness  and  cattle  industry. 


WYOMING   ANNALS  223 


mile  from  Lusk,  Wyoming,  on  September  8^  1898^  having 
spent  a  third  of  a  century  in  this  wild,  sparsely  settled  west- 
ern   country   during   its  most   difficult   and   dangerous   times. 

He  was  directly  connected  with  two  of  the  most  import- 
ant historical  chapters  of  the  State — the  stage-coach  era  and 
the  cattle  industry. 

During  the  Civil  War  he  served  as  a  private  in  the  Union 
Army,  and  after  his  discharge  at  Clouds  Mill,  Va.^  in  1865, 
he  journeyed  to  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  where  he  accepted  employ- 
ment freighting  potatoes  with  mule  teams  from  that  point 
to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

After  engaging  in  overland  freighting  for  a  time  he 
located  at  Beartown  on  Bear  River  near  Myers  Crossing,  ap- 
proximately eight  or  nine  miles  east  of  what  is  noM'  Evanston. 
Wyoming,  on  the  old  Overland  Stage  route,  and  was  one  of 
the  town's  citizen-defenders  in  the  notorious  and  terrorizing 
"Beartown  Riot"'     in   18(i8. 

Upon  completion  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  in  1868, 
Mr.  Thorp  settled  at  the  new  toAvn  of  Evanston,  where  he 
conducted  a  livery  business  and  engaged  in  other  enterprises. 
At  that  place,  in  1872,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Josephine 
Brooks,  principal  of  the  Evanston  grade  school-  During  the 
previous  year  she  had  taught  the  first  Gentile  school  in  Utah, 
at  Corrine. 

Cheyenne,  thriving  "Queen  of  the  Plains,"  next  beckoned, 
and  in   1875,  with  his  bride  of  three  years,  he  moved  to  the 


'Bear  River  City  sprang  \ip  during  construction  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad,  was  abandoned  upon  completion  of  the  road 
and  is  now  an  unmarked  site.  Its  story  of  tragedy,  murders, 
battles,  hangings,  the  Vigilantes  and  final  complete  destruction, 
reads  like  a  thrilling  novel. 

The  "riot'  on  November  20,  1868,  was  one  of  those  hair-raising 
episodes  concerning  which  a  newspaper  reporter  "on  location" 
wrote  special  stories  for  the  weekly  CHEYENNE  LEADER 
of   November  21   and   27: 

A  reign  of  mob  violence  held  forth  for  a  day,  beginning  at 
eight  o'clock,  a.  m.,  when  the  populace  was  startled  by  the 
riotous  entry  into  the  city  of  from  two  to  three  hundred  "law- 
less invaders  convened  from  adjacent  camps  along  the  line  of 
the  U.  P.  Railroad  for  the  purpose  of  retaliating  for  injuries 
claimed  to  have  been  sustained  by  the  operators  of  the  shovel, 
by  the  execution  of  two  or  three  'notables'  recently"  at  that  city. 
The  prisoners  in  the  city  jail  were  freed  by  the  invaders  and 
the  jail  building,  together  with  the  Frontier  Index  newspaper 
plant,  were  burned;  whereupon,  the  "citizens  armed  themselves 
and  fired  into  the  gang  killing  twenty-five  and  wounding  fifty 
or  sixty."  The  city  was  placed  under  martial  law,  soldiers  from 
Fort  Bridger  were  summoned  and  by  eight  o'clock  the  follow- 
ing morning  "tranquility"   was  restored. 


224  WYOMING   ANNALS 


capital  city  where  he  ag-ain  conducted  a  Ifveiy  business,  and 
where  his  son,  Russell  Thorp,  Jr.,  was  born  in  1877.  The  busi- 
ness was  located  west  of  the  old  Inter-Ocean  hotel  on  Six- 
teenth  Street. 

During  the  heig^ht  of  the  Black  Hills  gold  rush  in  1876, 
the  senior  Mr.  Thorp  trailed  horses  to  Deadwood,  S.  D,.  and 
in  succeeding  years  he  was  occupied  variously. 

fin  the  winter  of  1882  he  purchased  and  operated  a  dar- 
ing enterprise  in  the  form  of  the  old  Cheyenne-Black  Hdlb 
Stage  and  Express  Line,  object  of  numerous  road-agent  hold- 
ups and  Indian  depredations,  and  one  of  the  most  spectacular 
pioneer  undertakings  of  the  West.  The  line  operated  between 
Cheyenne,  the  Black  Hills  and  intermediate  points  until  the 
building  of  the  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Missouri  Valley  Rail- 
road (now  the  Chicago  and  North  Western  Railroad)  and 
the  Cheyenne  Noi;thern  Railroad  (now  the  Colorado  and 
Southern)  in  1889./ 

But  the  new  and  swifter  and  safer  means  of  transporta- 
tion meant  the  ultimate  and  inevitable  doom  of  the  faithful 
old  stage-coach  (the  price  exacted  by  Progress),  along  whose 
trail  exciting  and  tragic  incidents  formed  the  theme  for  hun- 
dreds of  colorful  tales  of  adventure,  daring  and  romance  of 
the  Old  West. 

;  First  curtailment  in  the  activity  of  the  fame-crowned 
stagife  line  took  place  on  February  19,  1887,  when  from  the 
midst  of  a  great  assemblage  of  watching  citizens,  the  stage- 
coach, with  its  splendid  six-horse  team,  departed  for  the  Black 
Hills  on  its  last  run  from  the  Cheyenne  terminal-  That  day 
marked  the  deleting  of  50  miles  from  the  southern  end  of  the 
200-mile  route  and  the  establishment  of  its  southern  terminal 
at  Chugwater.2  ) 

The  waiting  crowd  at  the  old  Inter-Ocean  Hotel  experi- 
enced a  sadness  as  all  eyes  focused  on  the  familiar  stage- 
coach in  shining  readiness  for  its  last  noisy  leave-taking  from 
Old  Cheyenne.  It  was  a  tense  moment  and  a  dramatic  scene.  A 
newspaper  reporter  on  the  Cheyenne  Tribune  sensed  the  im- 

2A   granite   monument   has   been   erected   at   Chng^vater,   upon 

which   is   carved    the    following   inscription: 

CHUGWATER 

DIVISION  STAGE  STATION 

CHEYENNE— BLACK  HILLS   TRAIL 

ESTABLISHED   MARCH   18,   1876 

ABANDONED  SEPTEMBER,  1887 

RUSSELL   THORP,   OWNER 

ERECTED  BY  THE  HISTORICAL  LANDMARK 

COMMISSION  OF  WYOMING 

1937 


WYOMING   ANNALS  225 


portant  historical  significance  of  the  occasion^  as  well  as  the 
restrained  emotions  of  the  multitude,  as  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing excerpts  from  that  day's  issue: 

"Tlie  stage  line  from  Clieyenne  to  Deadwood  has  been  com- 
pelled to  give  way  to  better  and  more  substantial  improve- 
ments. The  last  stage  has  departed  from  the  city.  It  was  like 
bidding  adieu  to  an  old  and  cherished  friend,  as  attested  by 
the  hundreds  of  people  tliis  morning  who  filled  the  streets  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  Inter-Ocean  Hotel, 

"'One  of  the  fine  and  substantial  coaches  recently  built  by  Mr. 
Russell  Thorp,  the  genial  stageman  and  proprietor  of  the  line 
north,  rolled  down  the  street  with  the  old-time  sound.  George 
Lathrop,3  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  stage  drivers  in  the  west, 
was  upon  the  seat  holding  the  ribbons  over  six  as  fine  horses 
as  were  ever  headed  toward  the  gold  fields  of  the  Black  Hills 
over  200  miles  to  the  north. 

"A  stop  was  made  in  front  of  the  Inter-Ocean,  when  Mr.  Thorp 
made  the  announcement  that  the  coach  was  ready  to  depart. 
At  this,  a  general  rush  was  made  to  secure  choice  seats,  and 
within  a  minute  the  stage  was  crowded  and  some  six  or  eight 
gentlemen  occupied  places  on  the  top.  Trunks  were  strapped 
upon  the  boot  and  there  was  every  evidence  that  the  parties 
so  seated  were  prepared  for  the  long  journey  to  Deadwood." 

(The  article  continued  by  reciting  previous  history  con- 
nected with  the  stage  line  and  referred  to  establishment  of 
the  line  on  April  5,  1876,  when  a  coach  and  six  horses  owned 
by  Messrs.  Salisbury.  Patrick  and  Luke  Voorhees  was  one 
of  the  three  stages  carrying  18  passengers  each  which  made 
the  trip  between  Cheyenne  and  the  Black  Hills.  Mr.  Voorhees 
was  made  superintendent  of  the  line  at  its  beginning"  and  con- 
tinued in  that  capacity  until  its  sale  to  Mr.  Thorp.  Numerous 
tragedies  had  attended  the  enterprise.  Two  weeks  after  its 
establishment,  an   old   stage   driver.   H.   E.    Brown,   was  killed 


3A  noted  stage  driver  on  the  old  Cheyenne-Black  Hills  line, 
who  numbered  among  his  acquaintances  some  of  the  most  im- 
portant personages  of  the  day.  He  died  at  Manville,  Wyoming 
on  December  24,  1915.  In  his  memory,  at  Lusk,  Wyo- 
ming, is  a  handsome  stone  marker  with  inscription  describing 
him  as  a  "Pioneer  of  the  West,  Indian  Fighter,  Veteran  Stage 
Driver.  *  *  *  A  Good  Man  Whose  Life  Was  Filled  Witli  Stir- 
ring Events." 

Close  beside  the  Lathrop  memorial  stone  is  a  beautiful  monu- 
ment marking  the  Cheyenne  and  Black  Hills  Trail,  erected  in 
memory  of  the  operators  of  the  line  "and  the  pioneers  who 
traveled  it."  The  inscription  includes  the  names  of  Luke  Voor- 
hees and  Russell  Thorp,  Sr.,  respective  operators  of  the  busi- 
ness, and  indicates  that  both  monuments  were  "Done  by  popu- 
lar  subscription   and   unveiled   on   May   30,   1930." 


226  WYOMING   ANNALS 


by  the  Indians  an  Indian  Creek''  when  the  coach  was  attacked, 
and  during"  the  following'  summer  the  redskin  marauders  con- 
tinued to  molest  the  line-  Six  employees  of  the  company  were 
killed  and  at  one  time  98  head  of  horses  were  stolen.  The  In- 
dians finally  were  brought  to  order  by  the  troops  but  a  ne^v 
foe  presented  itself  to  the  stage  company  and  its  passeng-ers, 
with  the  advent  of  desperate  outlaws  who  flocked  into  the 
country,  so  that  each  journey  was  begun  with  misgivings  and 
uncertainties.  *  *  *  "Two  stage  drivers,  Slaughter  and  Camp- 
bell, were  heartlessly  shot  down  and  much  property  appro- 
jDriated  by  the  outlaws.  The  robbery  of  coaches  was  almost 
a  daily  occurrence,  notwithstanding  the  utmost  precaution 
taken  by  the  officials  of  the  line.",) 

But  that  particularly  trying  period  was  almost  over  and 
the  newspaper  scribe,  struck  with  a  sense  of  deep  appreciation 
for  the  unconquerable  spirit  of  resolute  pioneers  who  dared 
risk  life  and  possessions  that  these  wild  Western  expanses 
mig^ht  be  tamed,  changed  from  a  reminiscent  mood  to  one  of 
reflection,  and  concluded  with  the  following  tribute : 

"*  *  *  The  country  north  is  free  from  the  Indian  pests;  the 
road  agents  are  no  more  and  the  country  is  settled  up  with 
happj%  prosperous  people.  Railroads  are  pushing  through  and 
the  fertile  valleys  are  being  utilized  and  the  mountains  of  ages 
commanded  to  give  up  their  hidden  wealth.  Such  is  the  change 
of  a  few  years  and  for  the  result  we  are  much  indebted  to 
the  energy  and  enterprise  of  a  citizen  well  respected  by  all — 
a  gentleman  of  sterling  qualities  and  one  who  has  ever  labored 
for  the  advancement  of  our  every  interest. /We  refer  to  Mr, 
Russell  Thorp,  Sr.,  who  will  hereafter  run  nis  line  of  stages 
.from  Chugwater  instead  of  from  Cheyenne."j 

(  In  1883,  Mr.  Thorp  moved  his  family  to  the  headquarters 
on  the  stag'e  line  at  Rawhide  Buttes,^  Wyoming,  at  about  which 
time  he  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  at  that  point  and  re- 
mained in  that  industry  after  the  "staging"  was  discontinued. 
He  continued  to  operate  his  stage  line  until  the  early  90's. 
the  last  route  being  between  Merino®  and  Sundance,  in  eastern 
Wyoming.  In  the  meantime,  he  conducted  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington and   Quincy   Railroad  dining  stations     from    Lincoln^ 


■^Indian  Creek  is  about  10  miles  east  of  the  old  Hat  Creek  Stage 
Station,  which  was  approximately  15  miles  northeast  of  Lusk. 


sRawhide  Buttes  was  a  stage  station  on  Rawhide  Creek  130 
miles  north  of  Cheyenne  and  30  miles  north  of  Fort  Laramie, 
also  on  the  stage  route. 


sMerino  was  the  terminus  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and 
Quincy  Railroad,  but  no  longer  exists.  It  was  situated  near  the 
present  town  of  Upton  in  Weston  County. 


WYOMING   ANNALS  22t 


Nebraska,  to  Billings,-J»Iontana,  prior  to  installation  of  dining- 
cars  on  that  railroad,    j 

Thus  ends  the  partial  story  of  a  noteworthy  Wyoming 
l^ioneer  whose  resourcefulness  and  industry  not  only  contrib- 
uted to  the  progress  and  well  being  of  the  State  he  chose  for 
his  home,  but  also  broadened  and  made  more  complete  liis 
own  range  of  experience  as  he  merged  himself  successfully 
with  t'le  restless  tide  of  a  swiftly  changing  woi'ld.        .     - 


WYOMING  WOMEN  CONGRATULATED 
BY  BRITISH  WOMEN  IN  1891 

By  AGNES  K.  SNOW 

The  Wyoming  Historical  Department  in  Clieyenne  has 
lately  received  from  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  United  States 
National  Museum,  Washington,  D.  C,  two  messages  of  "Con- 
gratulations to  the  Women  of  Wyoming,"  on  attaining  state 
suffrage  in  1890.  They  were  brought  to  the  National  Ameri- 
can Suffrage  Association  meeting  in  Washington,  D-  C,  in 
February  of  1891,  by  the  appointed  delegate  of  a  number  of 
British  women's  societies,  for  presentation  to  "the  women  of 
Wyoming." 

The  delegate.  Miss  Florence  Belgarnie,  must  have  pre- 
sented these  on  that  memorable  occasion,  but  in  searching  the 
records,  the  only  mention  made  of  her  is  at  one  of  the  sessions 
she  addressed  the  convention  on  "The  Status  of  British 
Women." 

It  does  not  appear  that  Wyoming  had  a  delegate  at  that 
convention  which  probably  explains  why  these  messages  of 
congratulation  were  never  received  by  the  newly  formed  State 
of  Wyoming. 

P^rom  the  wording  of  the  messages,  we  surmise  that  the 
British  suffragettes  did  not  know  at  the  time  Wyoming  wa^ 
admitted  as  a  State  with  the  equal  suffrage  provision,  that  the 
Territory  of  Wyoming  had  enjoyed  "Women's  Rights"  for 
twenty-one  years.  They  were  correct  in  saying  that  Wyoming 
was  the  first  government  in  the  Avorld  to  so  honor  its  Avomen, 
but  they  did  not  know  that  the  first  Territorial  Legislature 
had  passed  a  bill  which  was  signed  by  Governor  John  A. 
Campbell,  December  10,  1869,  known  as  the  "Equal  Suffrage 
Bill,"  giving  the  women  of  Wyoming  the  right  to  vote  and 
hold  office.  '    '  ■ 

Because    of    this    successful    experiment    in    government, 


228  WYOMING   ANNALS 


Wyoming's  Territorial  Representatives  in  Congress  fought  in 
debate  for  the  inclusion  of  the  equal  provision  in  the  new 
State  Constitution  when  asking  for  admission  into  the  Union. 
These  men  made  declaration,  in  effect,  that  Wyoming  Avould 
either  become  a  State  with  the  desired  provision,  or  stay  out. 
These  debates  in  Congress  and  the  publicity  given  the 
matter  by  the  press  in  Great  Britain  as  well  as  in  our  own 
country,  probably  encouraged  the  suffragettes  of  Great  Brit- 
ain to  believe  that  Wyoming's  victory  as  a  State,  was  com- 
parative to  that  victory  for  which  they  were  struggling. 

After  the  National  Suffrage  Amendment  was  ratified  in 
1920,  the  National  American  Women's  Association  loaned  to 
the  United  States  Museum  three  cases  of  documents  and  suff- 
rage souvenirs  among  Avhich  Avere  these  two  hand  printed 
cards.  The  exhibit  was  placed  in  the  Smithsonian  Institute, 
one  of  the  United  States  National  Museums  in  Washington. 

The  writer,  while  visiting  in  Washington  in  the  spring 
of  1935,  happened  upon  the  exhibit  Avhile  sight-seeing  and 
upon  observing  the  cards  of  congratulation  to  the  "women  of 
Wyoming,"  wondered  why  they  had  not  been  received  by 
Wyoming-  Learning  that  photographs  could  be  taken,  the 
writer  asked  the  office  of  Senator  Joseph  C.  O'Mahoney  to 
arrange  for  securing  them.  Soon  afterward  they  were  re- 
ceived from  the  Senator. 

Later,  in  conference  with  Mrs.  Mary  Bellamy  of  Laramie 
and  Mrs.  John  L.  Jordan  of  Cheyenne,  it  was  decided  to  at- 
tempt to  bring  the  original  messages  to  Wyoming.  Letters  to 
the  Smithsonian  Institute  Avere  requested  from  the  GoA-ernor 
of  the  State,  Leslie  A.  Miller  and  Senator  O'Mahoney,  among 
others.  Miss  May  Hamilton,  of  Casper,  historian  of  the  Wyo- 
ming Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  made  a  similar  request 
by  correspondence,  in  behalf  of  her  organization. 

Letters  addressed  to  The  Smithsonian  Institute  Avere  an- 
SAvered  by  Director  Graf  Avho  replied  that  he  Avas  referring 
the  matter  of  sending  the  cards  to  Wyoming  to  Mrs.  Carrie 
Chapman  Catt,  President  of  the  National  American  Women's 
Suffrage  Association,  as  the  exhibit  had  been  a  loan  from  that 
Association- 
Mrs.  Catt  then  advised  this  Avriter  that  she  kncAv  nothing 
of  the  cards  but  Avould  look  into  the  matter  of  their  oAvnership. 
A  long  and  friendly  correspondence  resulted  while  records 
Avere  searched,  both  by  Mrs.  Catt  and  those  interested  in 
Wyoming,  to  ascertain  Avhether  some  person  in  authority  from 
Wyoming  could  have  giA'en  them  to  the  National  American 
Women's  Suffrage  Association.  It  Avas  found  that  no  one  had 
even    mentioned    the    existence    of   the   cards^    in    any    knoAvn 


WYOMING   ANNALS  229 


record,  and  a  few  months  ago  Mrs.  Catt  advised  her  Wyoming 
correspondents  that  her  organization  was  relinquishing  all 
rights  to  the  cards,  together  with  the  fact  that  she  had  re- 
quested Director  Graf  to  kindly  forward  the  documents  to 
Wyoming.  They  arrived  on  May  11,  1939,  and  are  now  hang- 
ing on  the  walls  of  the  State  Museum  in  the  Supreme  Court 
and  State  Library  Building,  at  Cheyenne. 

It  is  the  ambition  of  those  responsible  for,  at  last,  acquir- 
ing these  historical  messages  for  this  State,  after  forty-eight 
years,  that  they  may  become  the  nucleus  for  a  fine^  large 
exhibit  of  suffrage  souvenirs  by  next  "Wyoming  Day,"  De- 
cember 10,  when  the  State  of  Wyoming  celebrates  its  Seventi- 
eth Anniversary  of  equal  suffrage.  It  is  hoped  that  the  Women 
of  Wyoming  and  the  State  Historical  Department  will  cooper- 
ate in  this  highly  interesting  and  worthwhile  project. 


YOUR  STATE  MUSEUM 
HUNDREDS  OF  VISITORS  ATTRACTED 

Visitors  and  travelers  from  practically  every  State  in  the 
Union,  as  well  as  several  from  foreign  lands,  have  poured 
into  the  State  Museum  during  the  summer  season  and  have 
sjDent  hours  amusing  and  informing  themselves  by  inspecting 
mementoes   of  Wyoming's   romantic  and  colorful  past. 

During  June  nearly  seven  hundred  visitors  signed  the 
guest-log,  and  a  probable  high  for  the  season  was  reached  in 
July  when  practically  a  thousand  names  were  added  to  the 
"log-"  A  fair  proportion  of  these  were  from  towns  in  Wyo- 
ming, but  the  majority  were  from  distant  points. 

Two  Chinese  travelers  affixed  their  signatures,  both  in 
English  and  in  the  peculiar  script  of  their  own  language. 
Also  a  young  war-chemical  scientist  from  Manchester,  Eng- 
land, who  had  just  heard  of  Cheyenne  for  the  first  time  while 
on  a  vacation  trip  en  route  by  rail  across  the  country  to  the 
University  of  California  at  Berkeley,  and  stopped  off  a  day 
for  sight-seeing.  A  large  percentage  of  visitors  failed  to  sign 
the  register. 

Descendants  of  early-day  Governors  of  Wyoming  were 
among  other  visitors,  including  Audray  Hale,  of  Oskaloosa, 
Iowa,  a  great-nephew  of  Wyoming's  fourth  Territorial  Gov- 
ernor, WILLIAM  HALE,  who  died  on  January  13,  1885.  The 
Iowa  visitor  made  notes  from  old  newspaper  files  in  the  His- 
torical Department  concerning  the  death  and  burial  of  his 
ancestor,  at   the   request    of  the    former's    75-year-old    father. 


230  WYOMING  ANNALS 


Albert  F.  Hale,  also  of  Oskaloosa,  a  nephew  of  the  former 
Governor  and  a  son  of  John  Hale,  a  brother  of  Governor  Hale. 

Robert  Richards  Granger,  of  Chicago,  a  great-nephew 
of  WILLIAM  A.  RICHARDS,  Governor  of  Wyoming  from 
1895  to  1899,  was  also  a  Museum  visitor.  The  Governor  and 
his  brother,  Alonzo  V.  Richards,  surveyed  the  western  and 
southern  boundaries  of  the  State  of  Wyoming-  The  visitor's 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  Alonzo. 

This  was  the  first  visit  of  these  two  descendents  of  for- 
mer Governors  of  Wyoming  to  the  State,  and  each  was  accom- 
panied by  his  wife- 

"GOVERNORS'  CORNER,"  ADDED  FEATURE 

Improvements  of  various  kinds  have  been  going  on  in  the 
Museum  in  recent  weeks,  most  important  of  which  is  the  ar- 
rangement of  a  "Governors'  Corner."  Photographs  of  all  the 
Governors  of  Wyoming  Territory  and  State,  beginning  with 
John  A.  Campbell,  who  was  appointed  by  President  Grant  and 
served  from  1869  to  1875 — to  and  including  Governor  Nels 
H.  Smith,  who  began  his  term  on  January  1,  1939 — have  been 
assembled  on  the  west  wall  at  the  south  end  of  the  room. 
The  pictures,  26  in  number,  are  reproductions,  in  beautiful 
silver  and  gray  frames,  and  are  identical  in  size.  The  display 
attracts  interested  attention  of  all  Museum  visitors. 

NEW   SHOW   CASES   PROVIDE   ADDITIONAL    EXHIBIT   SPACE 

Two  handsome  new  glass  display  cases  have  been  added 
to  the  Museum  equipment,  and  coats  of  paint  and  varnish  have 
given  a  fresh  appearance  to  other  furnishings  in  the  spacious 
show-room. 

In  the  larger  case,  which  is  six  feet  long  by  six  feet  high 
and  twenty-seven  inches  wide,  of  heavy  plate  glass  with  triple 
shelving,  there  is  housed  among  other  items  a  display  of  gavels 
and  pens  used  in  connection  with  important  Wyoming  his- 
torical occasions,  for  which  heretofore  there  have  been  no 
suitable  facilities  for  exhibiting- 

An  attractive  exhibit  of  special  interest  to  children  has 
been  arranged  in  the  other  new  case,  which  is  six  feet  long 
by  twenty-three  inches  wide  and  forty-one  inches  high,  with 
double  shelving. 

***** 

Another  piece  of  work  just  completed  in  the  Museum  is. 
the  re-labeling  of  all  the  articles  on  display,  i.  e.,  new  identi- 
fication cards  have  been  typed  and  general  "house-cleaning" 
has  been  done.    In  the  elegant  Lusk  collection  of  Indian  bas- 


WYOMING   ANNALS  231 


ketry  and  bead-work,  alone,  there  are  approximately  four 
hundred  items,  and  in  the  extensive  World  War  collection  of 
trophies  of  Sergeant  Robert  O.  Pennewill,  a  gift  to  the  His- 
torical Department  by  Wm.  R.  Coe,  there  are  several  hundred 
articles. 


INTERESTING  MUSEUM  ACCESSIONS 

TOM  HORN'S  HANDICRAFT  IS  ON  DISPLAY 

Diiring  the  past  quarter,  several  gifts  have  been  pre- 
sented to  the  Museum,  among  the  most  interesting  of  which 
are  a  horse-hair  lariat  and  a  woven  leather  watch  guard,  be- 
ing gifts  of  Mrs.  Nannie  Clay  Steele,  of  Cheyenne.  The  ar- 
ticles were  owned  by  her  late  brother,  William  L.  Clay,  and 
were  made  about  the  year  1913  by  the  famed  Tom  Horn,  a 
Pinkerton  detective  in  the  employ  of  the  Wyoming  Stock 
Growers'  Association  during  a  cattle  rustling  period.  Horn 
was  delayed  for  a  few  days  by  a  storm  at  the  Clay  Ranch  on 
Mule  Creek  60  miles  from  Cheyenne,  and  whiled  away  his 
time  with  this  handicraft.  The  lariat  is  woven  with  black  and 
white  hair  from  the  tails  of  two  horses  belonging  to  his  host- 
In  reminiscing  recently  on  earlier  Wyoming  days.  Mrs. 
Steele,  who  is  92  years  old,  was  reminded  that  she  served  as 
nurse  to  Horn  on  one  occasion  when  he  was  ill  for  several 
weeks,  and  though  later  he  was  hung  for  the  murder  of  a 
child,  she  has  never  been  convinced  of  his  guilt.  "He  was  a 
perfect  gentleman  in  every  sense  of  the  word."  she  declared. 

Mr.  Cla}'  was  born  in  Virginia  on  March  28,  1855,  and 
died  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  on  April  17.  1939.  He  spent  his 
childhood  on  a  plantation  near  Lynchburg,  where  his  mother 
died  when  he  was  a  small  child.  He  and  his  sister,  Mrs.  Steele. 
were  reared  by  a  Negro  mammy  and  a  governess,  and  Henry 
Clay  is  among  their  famous  ancestors.  Mr.  Clay  came  to  Wyo- 
ming in  1875  and  settled  at  Chugwater;  worked  as  a  bull- 
whacker  and  mule-skinner  in  freighting  between  Cheyenne, 
Red  Cloud,  Ft.  Fetterman.  Ft.  Laramie,  Ft-  Robinson.  Dead- 
Avood  and  Custer  City;  for  five  years  was  employed  by  the 
Two-Bar. 

In  1878  he  entered  the  stock  business  at  Chimney  Rock 
near  Chugwater,  and  later  he  located  on  Mule  Creek  25  miles 
west  of  Chugwater,  where  Horn  made  the  visit  referred  to 
above. 

His  fraternal  affiliations  included  the  Chugwater  ]\Li- 
sonic  lodge  and  the  Wvoming  Consistorv  No.   1   of  Chevenne. 


232  WYOMING   ANNALS 


Mr.  Clays'  death  marked  the  passing  of  one  of  Wyoming's 
most  typical  Western  pioneers  of  the  colorful,  old  adventur- 
ous days. 

EARLY  WYOMING  EDUCATOR'S   COLLECTION 
IS  A  RECENT  GIFT 

The  Edith  K.  O.  Clark  collection  consisting  principally  of 
items  in  connection  with  her  overseas  Y.M-C.A.  work  during 
the  World  War  has  been  arranged  ensemble  on  an  individual 
shelf.  Miss  Clark  came  to  Wyoming  from  Washington,  D.  C, 
in  1906,  served  six  years  as  superintendent  of  schools  at  Sheri- 
dan County  beginning  in  1908,  and  in  1914  was  elected  State 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction ;  was  not  a  candidate  for 
re-election.  In  1918  she  served  overseas  in  the  recreational 
division  of  the  Y.M.C.A.,  returning  from  France  in  1919. 
After  serving  the  same  organization  in  Mississippi,  she  re- 
turned to  Cheyenne  in  September  of  1922  and  in  partnership 
with  Miss  Maud  Buford  operated  a  tea-room  at  "The  Gables," 
old  Territorial  Mansion  on  Eighteenth  Street,  following  which 
she  filed  on  a  homestead  in  Johnson  County,  where  she  passed 
away  on  June  2,  1936.  Burial  took  place  at  Cheyenne-  Miss 
Clark  was  a  past  president  of  the  Cheyenne  unit  of  the  Ameri- 
can Legion  Auxiliary,  and  pall-bearers  at  her  funeral  services 
were  members  of  the  Francis  E.  Self  Post  of  the  American 
Legion. 

Concerning  Miss  Clark's  contribution  to  the  educational 
progress  of  the  State,  it  is  stated  in  Mrs.  Beach's  "Women  of 
Wyoming"  that  "she  was  a  member  of  the  School  Code  Com- 
mission created  by  the  Thirteenth  Legislature  which  revised 
the  school  laws  and  submitted  to  the  following  session,  in 
1917,  a  plan  to  create  a  State  Department  of  Education,  under 
a  State  Board  of  Education  employing  a  Commissioner  of 
Education  whose  professional  qualifications  were  fixed  by 
statute.  This  legislation  was  enacted  in  February,  1917."  Miss 
Clark  was  one  of  Wyoming's  later-day  outstanding  women. 

48-YEAR-OLD    MANUSCRIPTS    REACH   WYOMING 

Among  the  most  unique  of  recent  additions  to  the  Museum 
are  two  congratulatory  messages  from  the  women  of  Great 
Britain  to  the  women  of  Wyoming  and  dated  "February, 
1891."  The  interesting  story  of  their  origination,  their  dis- 
covery four  years  ago,  and  their  ultimate  removal  to  this 
State  is  told  by  Agnes  K.  (Mrs-  Wm.)  Snow  in  this  issue  of 
the   ANNALS.' 

Each   document   is   beautifully   hand-lettered,   artistically 


WYOMING   ANNALS  -I'M 


ornamented,  encased  in  a  gilded  frame,  and  the  two  are  simi- 
larly headed,  "Congratulations  to  the  Women  of  Wyoming." 
One  of  the  messages  is  signed  by  Central  National  Society 
for  Women's  Suffrage,  Westminster,  England,  and  represents 
12  organizations  of  women,  while  the  other  is  from  the  Wom- 
en's Liberal  Association  and  is  signed  by  its  executive  com- 
mittee. The  two  manuscripts  are  almost  identical  in  composi- 
tion, therefore,  only  the   former  is  quoted  below : 

"We,  the  undersigned  women  of  Great  Britain,  representing  the 
Societies  named  below,  desire  to  send  by  our  appointed  dele- 
gate. Miss  Florence  Balgarnie,  our  cordial  congratulations  to 
the  Women  of  Wyoming  on  the  triumph  they  have  won  for  all 
Women  in  all  the  World,  by  the  emancipation  of  the  Women 
of  their  State  from  political  serfdom. 

We  believe  that  the  status  of  the  Women  of  a  Nation  is  the 
measure  of  the  progress  attained  by  the  Men  of  that  Nation, 
and  that  the  Men  and  Women  of  Wyoming,  therefore,  who 
stand  on  the  solid  basis  of  political  equality  and  full  right  of 
citizenship  irrespective  of  sex,  command  the  righest  respect  and 
gratitude  of  all  civilized  peoples. 
"We  believe  also  that  the  enfranchisement  of  the  Women  of  the 
State  of  Wyoming  is  but  a  step  to  the  enfranchisement  of  the 
W^omen  of  all  other  States,  and  Nations;  and  we  therefore  of- 
fer our  sincere  homage  to  that  noble  womanhood  on  whose 
brow  Victory  has  placed  the  crown  of  electoral  freedom  and 
equality." 


234  WYOMING   ANNALS 


ACCESSIONS 

April  1  to  June  30,  1939 

MUSEUM 

Miscellaneous  Gifts 

Brown,  Miss  Mary  A.,  Omaha,  Nebraska. — Collection  of  the  late  Edith 
K.  O.  Clark,  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  prominent  Wyoming  educator 
and  Y.  M.  C.  A.  worker  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  in 
France  during  the  World  War,  1919.  Collection  includes  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
overseas  uniform,  prayer-book,  sewing-kit,  four  small  silk  flags, 
canteen,  china  drinking  mug,  several  insignia,  package  of  Y.M.C.A. 
business  correspondence  and  photograph  of  Belleau  Wood,  being 
approximate!}''  38  items  in  all. 

Anderson,  James  E. — 3317  Cribbon  Ave.,  Cheyenne.  Old  wool  carder, 
candle  mold,  large  old  rifle,  Ray's  Arithmetic,  dated  1857;  and 
Mitchell's  School  Atlas,  dated  1872. 

Ferguson,  John  B. — Hagerstown,  Maryland.  Seven  small  kodak  pic- 
tures of  construction  crews  and  camp-sites  of  C.  B.  &  Q.  railroad 
during  construction  into  Wyoming,  December,  1899,  to  March,  1900. 
Donor  was  Assistant  Division  Engineer. 

Mondell,  Hon.  Frank  W.,  Washington,  D.  C. — Scrap-book  of  newspaper 
serial,   "My  Story,"   an   autobiography. 

Steele,  Mrs.  Nannie,  Cheyenne,  Wyo. — Horsehair  lariat  and  braided 
leather  watch-chain  owned  by  her  late  brother,  William  L.  Clay, 
prominent  pioneer,  who  died  in  Cheyenne  on  April  17,  1939.  Both 
items  made  by  the  notorious  Tom  Horn. 

Pictures 

Thorp,  Russell,  Jr. — Large  oil  painting  of  his  father,  Russell  Thorp,  Sr., 
prominent  Wyoming  pioneer,  in  beautiful  gold-leaf  frame. 

Smithsonian  Institution — Two  f rained  docviments,  congratulatory  mes- 
sages sent  to  the  Women's  Suffrage  convention,  Washington,  D.  C, 
in  February,  1891,  from  the  women  of  Great  Britain;  size,  15x19 
inches. 

Fort    Bridger    Museum. — Large    framed   picture    of    Judge   William   A. 
Carter,  pioneer  and  early  day  Fort   Bridger  resident. 
Maps  —  Gifts 

Four  maps  from  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Co.,  showing  the  original 
Union  Pacific  road  through  Wyoming  before  any  changes  were 
made. 

Museum  Purchases  by  the  Department 

Meadow-Lark  (Wyoming  State  Bird),  mounted.  Pair  and  nest,  with 
eggs. 

Gray  Pine  Squirrel,  three  movinted  specimens.   Native  of  Wyoming. 

Pack  Rat,  mounted.   Native  of  Wyoming. 

Black  Cap  Night  Heron,  mounted.    Native  of  Wyoming. 

BOOKS 
Purchased  by  the  Department 

Kelly,  Charles — Outlaw  Trails:  A  History  of  Butch  Cassidy  and  his  wild 
bunch.    337  pp.    Illustrated;  copyright,   1938. 

Van  de  Water,  Frederic  Franklin — Glory-Hunter;  A  life  of  General 
Custer.    394  pp.    Frontispiece,  etc.    1934. 

Wheeler,  Eva  Floy — A  Bibliography  of  Wyoming  Authors. 

0.strander,  A.  B. — "After  Sixty  Years."    Copyright,   1925. 

Kelly,  Charles — "Old  Greenwood."    1936. 

Pamphlet 

Henderson,  Kenneth  A. — "The  Wind  River  Range  of  Wyoming."  Sup- 
plement.   Gift. 


OUPLICK^^ 


ANNALS  4  WYOMING 


Vol.   11 


October,   1939 


No.    1- 


UNIVERSITY  OF  WYOMING 

LARAMIE 


CIIEYENNE-DEADWOOD   STAGE   AND   STATION,  SILVER   CLIFF,  WYO- 
MING,   1876.      THE   STATION   WAS   ONE   AND   ONE-HALF   MILES   Yx'EST 
OF  THE   PRESENT   TOWN   OF   Ll\SK,   NIOBRARA   COL^NTY. 


Piihlislied   Oiiarterly 
In 

The  Wyoming  Historical  Department 

Clieyeiine,  \\'y(>miiiji- 


y^on 


tents 


TERRITORIAL  GON'KltNORS   (Pictures) 

WYOMING   TERRITORIAL   GOVERNORS -.... 237 

By  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr. 

PIONEER    PATCHWORK 251 

By  Mrs.  George  H.  Gilland 

DO   YOU   KNOW   THAT— 270' 

Ice-Boating,  Thrilling  Sport  at  Old  Fort  Fred  Steele,  1881 27(i 

FALLEN   LEAF    (Poem) 277 

By  Miss  Alice  Kenney 

MAPS   OF  EARLY  WYOMING  TELL   FASCINATING   STORY... .281 
By  Marie  H.  Erwin 

JAMES  BRIDGER,  A  MEXICAN  CITIZEN 292 

WYOMING  TROOPS  RAISED   FIRST   AMERICAN   FLAG  IN 

MANILA,  AUGUST    13,    1898 29q 

By  E.  G.  Gnyer 

ACCESSIONS 297 

ACTIVITIES  OF  WYOMING  HISTORICAL  LANDMARK 
COMMISSION: 

Six  Monuments  Dedicated  by  the  Commission 301 

L^tah  Organization   Dedicates   Plaque   in   Wyoming 30') 

Minutes  of  Special  Meeting  of  the  Commission 307 

Published  Quarterly 

THE     \\'  Y  O  M  I  N  G     H  I  S  T  O  R  I  C  A  L      D  1-:  P  A  R  T  M  E  N  T 

GLADYS  F.  RILEY 

State   Li))rarian  and   Historian   Ex-Officio 


STATE  HISTORICAL  BOARD 


Governor  __.___-_       Nels   H.   Smith 

Secretary    of    State  -------  Lester   C.    Hunt 

State  Treasurer     -       -       -       -       -       -       Mart  T.  Christensen 

State  Auditor  ------  Wm.  "Scotty"  Jack- 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  -  Esther  L.  Anderson 
State  Librarian  and  Historian  Ex-Officio     -     Gladys  F.  Riley 


Inez  Babb  Taylor,  Assistant  Historian 


The  original  title,  'ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,"  under  which  this 
magazine  was  published  from  1925  to  September,  1934,  was  resumed, 
with  the  April,  1939  issue — having  carried  the  name,  "Wyoming  Annals" 
from  January,  1938,  to  and  including  January,  1939. 


The  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Advisory  Committee  and  the 
State  Historical  Department  assume  no  responsibility  for  any  statement 
of  fact  or  opinion  expressed  by  contributors  to  the  Annals  of  Wyoming. 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Department  invites  the  presentation 
of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manuscripts  of 
Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observations  of  those 
familiar  witli  important  and  significant  events  in  the  State's  history. 

In  all  waj's  the  Department  strives  to  present  to  the  people  of  Wyo- 
ming and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State.  The  ANNALS  OF 
WYOMING  is  one  medium  through  which  the  Department  seeks  to 
gain  this  objective.  All  communications  concerning  the  Annals  should 
be  addressed  to  Mrs.  Gladys  F.  Riley,  Wyoming  Historical  Departn^ent, 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 


The  Annals  of  Wyoming  are  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Offi- 
cials, heads  of  State  Departments,  members  of  the  State  Historical 
Advisorj^  Committee,  Wyoming  County  Libraries  and  Wj'oming  news- 
papers. It  is  published  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Subscription 
price,  i^^l.00  per  year;  single  copies,  35c. 


Cojiyright,  1939,  by  tlie  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


TERRITORIAL  GOVERNORS 
Left  to  right:  John  A.  Canijibell,  April  15,  1869  to  February  10,  1873; 
John  M.  Thayer,  February  10,  18T5  to  April  10,  1878;  John  W.  Hoyt, 
April  10,  1878  to  August  3,  1882;  William  Hale,  (died  in  office)  August 
3,  1882  to  January  13,  1885;  Francis  E.  Warren,  February  27,  1885  to 
November  6,  1886;  George  W.  liaxter,  November  6,  1886  to  December 
20,  1886;  Thomas  Moonlight,  December  20,  1886  to  March  27,  1889; 
Francis  I-:.  Warren,  March  27,   1889  to  October   11,   1890. 


yowling     "  ^^yerritorial    ^Jovernors 

By  Harry  B.  Henderson 

The  area  now  comprising  the  State  of  Wyoming  was 
first  claimed  by  Spain  in  1493  by  virtue  of  the  Grant  of  the 
Pope.  This  claim  was  superseded  in  1682  by  LaSalle's  claim 
of  the  Territory,  waters  of  which  reached  the  Mississippi 
River,  as  a  dependency  of  France.  In  1762  France  ceded  the 
Teri-itory  claimed  by  LaSalle  to  Spain  and  again  in  1800  it 
changed  hands  back  to  France.  France  in  1803  sold  part  of 
the  holdings  to  the  United  States.  Mexico  as  a  Spanish  de- 
pendency claimed  the  southwestern  part  of  the  Territory 
whose  waters  drained  into  the  Pacific  Ocean.  In  February, 
1848,  the  United  States  concluded  a  treaty  with  Mexico  for 
all  Spanish  territory  north  of  the  Rio  Grande  River  for  $15,- 
000,000.00.  At  that  time  a  large  area  of  what  is  now  Texas 
and  Colorado  was  claimed  as  Spanish  holdings  and  extended 
into  and  comprised  much  of  the  area  now  embraced  in  Al- 
bany and  Carbon  counties.  That  part  of  the  Territory  now 
called  Wyoming,  north  and  west  of  the  Spanish  possessions, 
that  is  frona  the  headquarters  of  Green  River,  Avas  Oregon 
Territoi'y.  Later  all  that  part  of  the  territory  lying  east  of  the 
Continental  Divide  and  south  of  the  North  Platte  River  be- 
came part  of  Nebraska  Territor^^,  Avhile  that  area  north  of 
the  Platte  River  and  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  was  desig- 
nated as  part  of  Dakota  Territory.  Idaho  took  over  the  area 
north  of  the  Snake  River  and  east  of  the  Continental  Divide. 
Utah  claimed  the  area  in  what  is  now  known  as  southwestern 
Wyoming,  as  far  north  as  the  Snake  River. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH.— Born  and  raised  on  a  farm  iK-ar 
Elderton,  Pennsylvania,  Harry  B.  Henderson  acquired  all  the  education 
available  at  that  time  in  the  Country  Public  School  of  Armstrong 
County.  This  was  augmented  by  a  short  course  in  a  business  college. 

In  April,  188i,  he  purchased  a  ticket  at  Pittsburgh  for  Rawlins, 
Wyoming,  where  he  arrived  on  May  1st.  He  began  work  the  next  day 
as  a  clerk  in  a  large  merchandising  establishment  and  was  shortly 
placed  in  charge  of  the  bookkeeping  office.  Rawlins  at  that  time  was 
the  supply  and  distributing  point  of  goods  destined  for  all  settlements 
North  to  the  Wyoming-Montana  line  and  South  into  Colorado  as  far 
as  Meeker  and  Steamboat  Springs.  Later  Mr.  Henderson  was  employed 
as  book-keeper  and  cashier  of  a  local  bank,  served  the  L^nion  Pacific 
Railroad  Company  as  Chief  Clerk  at  Rawlins,  and  subsequently  because 
of  his  ability  as  an  accountant  and  his  knowledge  of  government,  he 
was  appointed  State  Examiner.  In  the  mean  time  he  had  married  Vivia 


238  ,  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


The  Act  of  Congress  finally  determining  Wyoming  Terri- 
tory and  its  boundaries  was  approved  July  25th,   1868. 

After  the  United  States  concluded  its  treaty  with  Mexico 
the  government  began  a  policy  of  entering  into  negotiations 
with  Indian  tribes  for  treaties.  Wyoming  was  strategically 
located  for  such  conferences  and  two  military  posts  became 
the  sites  of  council  meetings.  Ft.  Laramie  and  Ft.  Bridger,  al- 
ready historic,  were  selected,  the  former  being  the  important 
one.  A  grand  council  was  called  to  meet  in  September,  1851. 
to  which  delegations  were  invited  from  the  Sioux,  Chej'enne, 
Arapahoe,  Assiniboin,  Crow,  Arikara,  Gros  Ventre,  Mandan 
and  other  tribes.  It  was  estimated  that  10,000  Indians  came 
to  this  conference  which  continued  in  session  for  23  days  and 
at  which  Colonel  Mitchell,  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs, 
presided.  An  agreement  was  reached  whereby  the  government 
through  Colonel  Mitchell  promised  to  pay  to  the  Indians  fifty 
thousands  dollars  per  annum  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  for  a 
right-of-way  for  trail  purposes  tlirough  Indian  claimed  lands. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting  a  banquet  was  served  to  the 
Indians  consisting  of  wild  game  meats,  garnished  with  bread 
and  molasses. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1868  another  council  was  held  at 
the  historic  point  which  was  attended  by  the  Sioux  and  several 
other  tribes  and  by  High  Commissioners  General  W.  T. 
Sherman,  Gen.  W.  S.  Harney,  Gen.  C.  C.  Augur,  Gen.  Alfred 
H.  Terry,  John  B.  Sanborn,  Samuel  F.  Tappan,  Nathaniel  G. 
Taylor  and  J.  B.  Henderson.  The  council  met  on  April  29th 
and  a  treaty  was   entered   into   whereby   the   Sioux   ceded   all 

Ada  Buck  of  Albany,  New  York,  and  to  them  was  born  one  son,  Harry, 
Jr. 

The  family  moved  to  Cheyenne  in  1893.  On  October  5th,  1895,  it 
took  up  its  residence  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  the  Warren  Livestock 
Company,  which  became  a  center  of  social  activity  because  of  its  com- 
modious dimensions  and  the  popularity  of  Mrs.  Henderson  in  many 
circles. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Henderson  as  State  Examiner  had  supervision 
of  all  public  accounts  and  state  banks.  He  prepared  a  uniform  system 
of  accounting  for  which  a  first  prize  was  awarded  in  a  national  contest. 
Traveling  by  rail,  stage  coach,  and  buck-board  from  year  to  year  gave 
him  a  wide  acquaintance  during  the  years  of  historic  importance  to  the 
State.  His  friends  were  in  every  county  and  town.  It  was  his  privilege 
to  have  a  personal  acquaintance  with  more  than  a  majority  of  the  dele- 
gates who  framed  and  signed  the  state  constitution  adopted  in  1889. 
He  had  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  resources  and  industries  of  every 
section  of  the  state. 

Because  of  his  ability,  fairness  and  sincerity  of  purpose  he  was 
kept  in  office  under  several  state  administrations,  finally  resigning  to 
accept  the  position  of  cashier  and  manager  of  the  Wyoming  Trust  and 
Savings  Bank.  This  bank  was  operated  by  him  for  many  years  and  still 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  ?3<J 


lands  north  of  the  North  Platte  River  and  east  of  the  Big 
Horn  Mountains.  Red  Cloud,  with  other  important  person- 
ages, signed  for  the  Indians.  On  May  7th  the  commissioners 
concluded  a  treaty  with  the  Crows  whereby  all  their  lands 
except  a  small  strip  in  the  Big  Horn  Mountain  country  was 
ceded.  On  May  10th  the  commissioners  reached  an  agreement 
Avith  the  Cheyenne  and  Arapalioe  Indians  for  their  Wyoming 
lioldings. 

The  commissioners  then  moved  to  Ft.  Bridge r  where  a 
council  had  been  called  to  negotiate  with  the  Shoshones  and 
Bannock  tribes.  An  agreement  was  reached  and  signed  July 
3rd,  1868,  Avhereby  the  tribes  ceded  to  the  government  all 
lands  claimed  by  them  south  of  the  Sweetwater, 

On  September  26th,  1872.  another  treaty  was  entered 
into  whereby  the  Indians  granted  to  the  government  the  lands 
south  of  the  Popo  Agie  River,  thereby  releasing  the  areas  of 
South  Pass,  Atlantic  City  and  Miners  Delight  and  removing 
the  dangers  attendant  to  miners  engaged  in  mining  in  these 
localities. 

The  Act  of  Congress  creating  the  Territory  of  Wyoming- 
failed  to  carry  an  appropriation  for  organization  of  the  ter- 
ritorial government  and  it  became  necessary  to  await  the 
meeting  of  the  succeeding  Congress  in  1869  to  make  such  ap- 
propriation. Territorial  officers  were  appointed  April  7th. 
1869.  During  the  territorial  regime  eight  Governors  were  ap- 
pointed, consisting  of  seven  ]^ersonages. 

Governor  Campbell 

John  A.  Campbell.  Wyoming's  first  territorial  governor, 
was  born  at  Salem.  Ohio.  May  10th.  1835.  He  served  from 
April,  1869,  to  1875.  when  he  resigned  to  accept  the  position 


retains  its  individual  chai'ter  although  it  merged  with  the  Stock  Growers 
National  Bank  of  Cheyenne.  It  was  a  profitable  institution  to  the  de- 
positors as  well  as  the  stockholders.  During  this  period  Mr.  Henderson 
served  as  secretary  of  the  ^^'yonling  Bankers  Association,  assisted  in 
organizing  and  was  a  director  in  tlie  Wyoming  Stockmens  Loan  Com- 
pany during  its  existence;  an  institution  that  rendered  great  services 
to  the  Wyoming  Livestock  interests.  He  also  assisted  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  First  Joint  Stock  Land  Bank  and  for  years  was  associated 
with  its  management,  took  an  active  part  in  commimity  and  state  affairs 
and  is  now  associated  in  business  with  his  son,  Harry  B.  Henderson,  ,Tr., 
at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 

Mr.  Henderson  is  often  consulted  b\'  those  who  are  collecting  in- 
formation on  the  resources  and  history  of  the  State.  His  keen  recollec- 
tion of  men  and  events  enables  him  to  narrate  Mitli  accuracy  some  of 
the  early  Wyoming  history. 

Mrs.  Henderson  passed  away  on  Dccendier  Kith,  1938,  leaving  ;) 
host  of  friends  througliout  the  state  who  continue  to  feel  the  loss  of 
her  wonderful  personality  and  kindness. 


240  ANNAI.S  OF  WYOMING 


of  third  assistant  secretary  of  state.  He  learned  the  art  of 
printings  became  a  newspaper  publisher  and  during  the  War 
of  the  Rebellion  was  a  publicity  writer.  He  was  breveted  a 
Brigadier  General  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Soon  after  assuming 
the  duties  of  Governor  he  ordered  a  census  to  be  taken  by 
the  United  States  marshal  which  was  completed  July  31st, 
1869.  On  August  2nd,  1869,  he  issued  an  election  proclama- 
tion for  an  election  of  legislative  members  and  county  offi- 
cers to  be  held  September  2nd.  At  this  election  there  were 
5266  votes   cast. 

Governor  Campbell  delivered  his  first  message  to  the 
first  territorial  legislative  assembly  October  13th,  1869.  You 
will  bear  in  mind  he  was  not  35  years  of  age.  He  relates  at 
the  outset  of  his  message  his  action  concerning  the  census, 
the  call  for  an  election  and  the  election  being  held.  His  next 
paragraph  refers  to  the  security  for  the  people  within  the 
borders  of  the  Territory.  Shortly  after  his  arrival,  the  Sioux 
Indians  made  an  incursion  into  the  Wind  River  Valley  May 
10th,  killing  four  white  men.  The  fight  occurred  just  east  of 
where  the  Fremont  County  court  house  now  stands.  At  this 
fight  the  mother  of  Rev.  Coolidge'  was,  with  her  two  boys, 
taken  prisoner.  Another  fight  took  place  on  Beaver,  September 
14th,  while  a  third  fight  at  or  near  the  site  of  Atlantic  City 


'  Canon  Sherman  Coolidge,  an  Arapahoe  Indian  who  rose  to  na- 
tional renown  in  the  Episcopal  Church,  was  born  on  the  Tongue  river 
near  Sheridan  on  February  22,  1862,  and  spent  23  years  in  religious 
service  on  the  reservation  at  Wind  River,  Wyoming. 

His  father,  Bas  Banasta,  was  killed  in  a  battle  between  the  tribes 
when  the  son  was  four  years  old,  and  Sherman,  at  seven  was  taken  pris- 
oner following  a  battle  in  a  bend  of  the  Popo  Agie  river  on  the  site 
where  Lander,  Wyoming,  is  now  situated.  Rescued  by  Lt.  Charles  A. 
Coolidge,  officer  at  Fort  Brown,  (later  Ft.  Washakie)  the  boy  was 
adopted  by  his  benefactor  and  his  wife,  and  educated  to  the  ministry 
which  he  chose  as  his  profession.  Ordained  to  the  deaconate  in  the 
Cathedral  at  Faribault,  Minn.,  in  1884,  he  became  a  priest  at  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming,  in  1886. 

Rev.  John  Roberts,  of  Wind  River,  witnessed  the  meeting  of  the 
young  man  and  his  own  almost-blind  mother,  Ba  Ah  Noce  (Turtle 
Woman)  following  a  separation  of  14  years  while  the  young  man  was 
receiving  his  education. 

In  1902,  Rev.  Coolidge  was  married  to  an  eastern  young  woman  en- 
gaged in  missionary  work  at  Wind  River,  in  a  ceremony  performed  by 
Rev.  Roberts.  The  former  was  rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer 
at  Wind  River,  before  the  St.  Michaels  Mission  was  founded. 

Later,  he  was  transferred  to  Denver,  Colorado,  and  spent  the  last 
25  years  of  his  life  in  that  city  and  Colorado  Springs  in  active  service 
of  his  Church.  He  was  ordained  a  canon  of  St.  John's  Cathedral  at 
Denver  and  retained  that  position  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at 
Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  in  January,  1932. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  241 


took  place  September  2  8th.  You  will  at  once  recognize  that 
the  Governor  stepped  into  a  real  active  position.  He  called 
upon  the  commanding  officer  at  Ft.  Bridger  for  troops^  arms 
and  munitions  for  the  miners.  The  raids  finally  terminated 
with  the  signing  of  the  peace  treaty  in  1872. 

One  can  make  a  fair  estimate  of  the  man  when  his  letters 
and  writings  have  been  carefully  read.  My  estimate  of  the 
Governor  is  that  he  was  a  man  of  real  ability.  He  was  more 
than  a  politician.  He  was  credited  with  only  a  public  school 
education  but  he  was  able  to  express  himself  fully  as  well 
as  the  average  college  man,  and  had  the  capacity  to  observe 
and  to  reach  conclusions. 

He  said  "Our  climate  presents  the  most  agreeable  condi- 
tions of  climatic  influences  on  earth.  It  is  impossible  to  esti- 
mate the  agricultural  possibilities  of  the  soil.  Large  quanti- 
ties of  petroleum  have  been  discovered  rendering  it  certain 
it  will  be  one  of  our  greatest  sources  of  wealth."  The  only  oil 
then  discovered  was  the  Bonneville  Lakes  southeast  of  Lander 
but  the  Governor  learned  of  them  and  wanted  the  world  to 
know  of  the  resource.  Truly  oil  has  been  a  great  source  of 
wealth,  but  it  is  unfortunate  that  Wyoming  people  did  not 
benefit  more  largely. 

Again  the  Governor  says  "It  is  our  duty  to  carefully 
watch  the  strong  box  of  the  country,  because  once  carried 
away,  its  treasures  can  never  be  replaced.  Other  sources  of 
wealth  can  be  retarded  in  development  but  never  destroyed. 
Wool  will  be  the  means  of  bringing  a  manufacturing  popula- 
tion in  our  midst.  The  engines  and  looms  will  be  made  from 
the  hidden  iron  in  our  soil  and  propelled  by  the  coal  taken 
from  our  vast  deposits.  The  building  of  school  houses  is 
urged.  The  organization  of  religious  bodies  and  the  construc- 
tion of  churches  is  also  urged." 

"Righteousness  Exalteth  a  Nation." 

He  recommended  the  enactment  of  game  laws  and  the 
creation  of  a  territorial  library.  He  discussed  the  Indian  sub- 
ject at  some  length.  Finally  this  fine  counsel  was  given:  "Let 
us  incur  no  debt  that  can  possibly  be  avoided.  Let  each  day 
bear  its  own  burden." 

The  most  important  legislation  enacted,  and  yet  perhaps 
not  so  regarded  at  the  time,  was  the  act  granting  to  Avomen 
the  right  of  suffrage  and  to  hold  office,  which  act  Avas  ap- 
proved December  10th.  1869. 

The  act  to  incorporate  the  City  of  Cheyenne  was  also 
passed  at  the  first  legislative  assembly  session. 

Governor  Campbell  in  his  second  message  delivered  No- 
vember  9tli.    1871.    calls    attention    to    tlie   discoveries   of  new 


242  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


mineral  wealth,  the  value  of  our  lands  for  grazing  and  agri- 
culture. "The  farmers  of  our  valleys  can  by  a  system  of  irri- 
gation reap  rich  rewards  for  their  labor."  Thus  he  presents 
a  subject  little  known  at  that  time  either  in  Wyoming  or  else- 
where in  the  mountain  region.  He  recites  his  unsuccessful 
efforts  to  effect  a  treaty  with  several  tribes  of  Indians  for 
ceding  areas  south  of  the  Popo  Agie  river.  He  recommends 
the  enactment  of  laws  authorizing  the  organization  of  a  terri- 
torial militia.  He  cites  that  crime  meets  no  tolerance  at  the 
hands  of  the  courts  and  that  vigilance  committees  are  no  long- 
er necessary.  "Among  the  most  potent  auxiliaries  in  bringing' 
about  this  condition  are  the  churches  and  school  houses  erect- 
ed in  so  many  places  throughout  the  territory." 

Referring  to  woman  suffrage  he  says,  "It  is  but  simple 
justice  to  say  that  the  women  entering  for  the  first  time  in  the 
history  of  our  country  upon  these  new  and  untried  duties  have 
conducted  themselves  in  every  respect  with  as  much  tact,  good 
judgment  and  good  sense  as  men." 

The  entire  message  suggests  the  keen  observation,  con- 
structive genius  and  loyalty  of  the  Governor  to  the  interests 
he   served. 

In  his  message  of  November  6th,  1873,  he  says,  "I  have 
no  promises  to  make,  but  leave  my  past  to  indicate  my  future 
course.  Conscious  that  the  success  of  my  administration  de- 
pends largely  upon  the  support  and  good  will  of  the  people. 
I  bespeak  from  you  and  from  the  people  only  such  a  degree 
of  support  and  confidence  as  I  may  be  found  entitled  to  and 
such  free  and  just  criticism  of  my  acts  as  each  and  every  man 
would  ask  for  his  own." 

The  assessed  valuation  of  propei'ty  for  the  year  1873 
was  $7,022,000.00  upon  Avhich  a  levy  of  three  mills  for  Terri- 
torial i^urposes  was  made.  He  urged  an  act  to  simplify  the 
collection  of  taxes  and  thereby  remove  much  of  the  expense 
then  made  necessary  by  reason  of  the  sheriff  being  the  col- 
lector. 

Again  he  says,  "The  future  of  Wyoming  is  assured.  We 
who  have  made  our  homes  in  this  the  youngest  of  Territories, 
know  that  we  are  living  in  a  region  of  boundless  wealth  and 
inexhaustible  resources  where  labor  and  true  endeavor  are 
bountifully  rewarded." 

You  will  recall  he  mentioned  the  subject  of  irrigation  in 
his  second  message.  Evidently  it  found  favor  for  in  his  third 
message  he  says,  "The  subject  of  artificial  irrigation  has  of 
late  received  a  great  deal  of  attention  and  has  been  widely 
discussed.  With  water,  our  lands  Avill  yield  abundantly  of  the 
kindlv  fruits  of  the  earth.    I   recommend  a  memorial  to  Con- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  243 


gress  setting  forth  our  wants  and  necessities  and  praying  for 
assistance  in  some  national  plan  of  irrigation." 

The  entire  message  is  constructive  in  its  suggestions  and 
reflects  credit  ujDon  its  author. 

I  have  given  much  space  to  Governor  Campbell  for  the 
reason  that  he  seems  to  have  been  the  rgiht  man  to  formulate 
a  constructive  policy  for  the  new  territory. 

Governor  Thayer 

The  next  succeeding  Governor  of  the  Territory  was  John 
M.  Thayer,  born  in  Bellingham^  Massachusetts,  educated  in 
the  public  school,  studied  law  and  located  in  Omaha  in  1854. 
He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War.  He  was  appointed  Gov- 
ernor of  Wyoming  February  10,  1875  and  continued  until 
April  10,  1878,  at  which  time  he  went  back  to  Omaha 
and  was  elected  Governor  of  Nebraska  in  1886  and  again  in 
1888  and  thereafter  elected  United  States  Senator  from  that 
State. 

Governor  Thayer  delivered  his  first  assembly  message 
November  4,  1875.  He,  too,  had  some  very  constructive  sug- 
gestions. He  says  "Special  legislation  should  be  avoided  ex- 
cept where  imperative.  Laws  should  be  passed  for  the  bene- 
of  all  the  people  alike.  It  is  your  duty  to  reduce  taxation 
consistent  with  the  public  welfare.  The  expenses  of  county 
governments  are  too  large  and  in  some  cases  are  excessive. 
County  commissioners  should  not  incur  expense  except  where 
public  necessity  demands  it.  The  idea  is  too  prevalent  that 
the  office  is  possessed  for  the  advantage  it  confers  on  the 
incumbent.  Every  officer  should  be  taught  to  feel  that  he  is 
to  fill  the  position  for  the  benefit  of  the  people,  not  for  him- 
self." 

Recommends  the  repeal  of  the  act  establishing  the  Immi- 
gration Bureau.  Suggests  further  legislation  relating  to  the 
preservation  of  game  animals  and  stocking  lakes  and  streams 
with  fish.  The  law  should  be  amended  permitting  the  wife  to 
convey  her  property  with  the  concurrence  of  her  husband. 
Recommends  legislation  abating  taxes  for  a  limited  number 
of  years  on  new  manufacturing  enterprises  and  industries.  At- 
tention is  called  to  the  extensive  and  fertile  lands  in  the  dis- 
tricts of  the  North  Platte.  Wind,  Powder  and  Big  Horn  Rivers. 
Grazing  and  pasturage  resources  are  recognized  as  the  great 
source  of  wealth  of  the  settler  and  stockman.  He  said,  "It  is 
the  land  for  stock  which  on  the  wide  and  healthy  ranges  are 
free  from  disease.  It  is  impossible  that  stock  raising  where 
limitless   quantities   of  nutritious  grasses   are   produced   spon- 


244  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


taneously  every  year  as  grow  here  can  fail  to  be  an  element 
in  material  prosperity." 

The  Indian  Treaty  of  1868  is  freely  discussed  and  recom- 
mendations made  for  a  memorial  to  Congress  for  its  abroga- 
tion. The  Indian,  he  said,  should  be  taught  to  labor  and  earn 
his  living.  "Labor  is  the  law  of  life  and  there  is  no  reason  why 
the  Indian  should  be  exempt." 

The  assessed  valuation  of  propei'ty  had  increased  to 
$8,684,000.00  on  which  there  was  a  tax  levy  of  three  mills. 

On  November  7,  1877  Governor  Thayer  delivered  his  sec- 
ond message  to  the  Legislature.  This  message  follows  closely 
in  constructive  recommendations  to  those  in  the  message  of 
1875.  The  Governor  refers  to  labor  troubles  and  the  conflict 
that  had  flared  up  between  the  civil  authorities  and  elements 
of  law^lessness.  I  am  assuming  such  troubles  were  outside  our 
Territory.  He  said  "Corporations  and  their  employees  should 
be  brought  into  a  nearer  relationship  with  each  other  and  led 
to  appreciate  that  the  interests  of  eacli  are  the  interests  of  the 
other.  No  combinations  of  men  can  be  permitted  to  accom- 
plish their  purposes  by  unlawful  procedure.  Resistance  to  ci^il 
power  can  remove  no  wrong,  violations  of  la^vv  can  work  no 
remedies,  acts  of  disorder  can  improve  no  conditions.  The 
law  must  be  maintained  at  all  times  and  under  all  circum- 
stances for  in  this  rests  the  security  of  society,  the  mainte- 
nance of  government. 

References  are  made  to  the  expense  of  keeping  prisoners 
at  Laramie  where  $1.00  per  day  is  charged  by  the  Federal 
government.  Recommends  that  the  fee  system  in  county  of- 
fices be  abolished  and  that  reasonable  salaries  for  county  of- 
ficers be  established  by  law  enactment.  Recommends  that  for 
larceny  of  $25.00  or  less  the  court  fix  the  penalty.  It  is  also 
recommended  that  Western  Dakota  be  annexed  to  the  Terri- 
tory of  Wyoming.  The  interests  of  that  section  being  quite 
similar  to  those  of  Wyoming,  should  become  part  of  the  Wyo- 
ming area. 

There  was  shipped  for  the  Territory  in  1877,  1,649  cars 
of  cattle  and  346,280  pounds  of  wool.  An  expression  of  ap- 
preciation of  the  service  of  General  Cook  and  those  serving 
under  him  for  efficiency  in  protecting  Wyoming  people  and 
their  interests  is  urged. 

Governor  Thayer  was  a  lawyer  and  if  we  are  to  judge 
from  the  wisdom  of  his  utterances,  he  had  real  ability. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  245 


Governor  Hoyt 

John  W.  Hoyt  of  Worthington,  Ohio,  was  appointed  Gov- 
ernor April  10,  1878,  and  delivered  his  message  November  6, 
1878.  He  was  born  October  31,  1831  and  was  graduated  from 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University  as  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  became 
an  editor  and  publisher.  He  promoted  and  urged  the  enact- 
ment of  the  Morrill  Agricultural  College  Act,  which  was  to  be 
a  grant  to  state  universities,  the  funds  appropriated  to  be 
matched  by  the  state.  This  I  think  was  the  first  matching  ap- 
propriation made.  We  have  had  several  since.  Dr.  Hoyt  was 
a  member  of  the  Wisconsin  Railway  Commission,  commission- 
er to  the  exposition  in  London  in  1862,  commissioner  to  the 
Paris  Exposition  in  1867,  commissioner  to  the  Vienna  Expo- 
sition in  1873,  commissioner  to  the  Philadelphia  Exposition  in 
1876  and  to  the  Chicago  Exposition  in  1893,  member  of  the 
Wyoming  Constitutional  Convention,  president  of  the  Wyo- 
ming Development  Company  and  first  president  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Wyoming.  What  more  can  I  say  ?  He  was  one 
whose  supi^ort  for  the  necessities  of  life  seemed  to  come  from 
his  fellowmen. 

I  became  acquainted  Avith  Governor  Hoyt  after  my  com- 
ing to  Wyoming.  He  was  what  I  would  term  a  professional 
seeker  of  public  position.  Was  fastidious  in  dress,  silk  tie  and 
kid  gloves  being  part  of  his  wearing  apparel.  In  his  first  mes- 
sage to  the  legislature  he  said,  "Looking  backward  and  not 
forAvard  Ave  find  much  occasion  for  gratitude  to  God.  The 
financial  distress  and  business  stagnation  Avhich  haA'e  so  af- 
flicted our  OAvn  in  common  Avith  other  countries  are  passing" 
aAvay.  Wyoming  has  escaped  those  trials,  dangers  and  loss 
from  Avhich  our  neighboring  states  and  territories  have  severe- 
ly suffered.  We  are  ready  for  adAancement  with  energies 
unimpaired  and  Avith  a  ncAV  liope." 

The  assessed  valuation  of  1878  Avas  $10,603,000.00.  Under 
the  subject  of  taxation  the  GoAernor  urges  first  an  act  to 
bring  all  taxable  property  in  the  light.  Second,  to  equalize 
values  so  there  shall  be  no  injustice  to  any  citizen.  Third. 
Avhether  or  not  it  be  possible  to  reduce  public  expenditures  by 
a  more  rigid  economy  of  management.  Four,  uniformity  in 
the  system  of  keeping  accounts.  Fifth,  exposing  faulty  and 
erroneous  managements  to  public  criticism. 

Mining  is  pointed  out  as  the  primary  industry  that  Avill 
strengthen  and  encourage  agriculture,  manufacturing  and 
commerce.  Agriculture  must  be  sIoav  because  of  remote  mar- 
kets and  sparse  population.  The  forest  should  be  protected 
against  hazards  of  fire  and  destructive  slashing.     The  buffa- 


246  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Joes  have  disappeared.  The  elk,  deer,  mountain  sheep  and 
antelope  are  following  the  extinction.  A  fish  and  game  en- 
actment for  the  protection  of  the  game  and  fish  is  urged.  It 
is  urged  by  the  Governor  that  a  law  be  enacted  by  providing 
for  a  public  highway  from  some  point  on  the  railroad  to  the 
Yellowstone  National  Park.  It  was  cited  that  the  expense  of 
keeping  prisoners  was  now  at  the  rate  of  forty  cents  and  a 
dollar  per  day.  Sixty-eight  were  confined  at  Lincoln  and  ten 
at  Laramie.  There  were  fourteen  persons  in  the  Iowa  hospital 
for  the  insane. 

In  reference  to  the  Indians,  the  Shoshone  and  Arapahoes 
are  stated  to  have  conducted  themselves  in  commendable  man- 
ner. This  particular  message  comprised  about  10,000  wordf^ 
and  in  my  judgment  was  not  at  all  comparable  with  the  mes- 
sages of  previous  governors.  Notwithstanding  that  Govei'nor 
Hoyt  was  doubtless  the  better  educated. 

In  the  Governor's  message  of  1880  he  reported  there 
were  2,090  school  children,  49  teachers  and  36  schools  in  the 
territory.  The  average  cost  per  pupil  was  $3.32  a  month.  The 
average  wage  to  teachers  in  Laramie  County  was  $54.57, 
Albany  County  $58.00,   Carbon   County  $53.21. 

In  the  Governor's  third  message  of  1882.  he  said  "The 
dawn  of  a  new  era  for  the  nation  has  become  the  brightening 
day  of  a  great  prosperity.  National  finances  have  at  last 
found  a  solid  and  satisfactory  basis.  In  duty  bound  to  guard 
against  the  tendency  material  under  such  circumstances,  tc' 
extravagant  expenditures,  and  yet  clearly  privileged  to  en- 
gage in  undertakings  which  by  the  newness  and  poverty  of 
the  territory  were  denied  our  predecessors,  it  behooves  us  to 
act  not  only  with  care  and  prudence  but  also  with  wise  fore- 
sight and  courage."  These  were  words  of  wisdom  but  I  think 
they  were  intended  for  the  public  rather  than  for  the  prin- 
ciples privately  entertained  by  the  Governor. 

The  assessed  valuation  of  property  in  1881  was  $13,- 
866,000.00.  The  Governor  calls  attention  to  the  discrepancy 
between  the  number  of  cattle  in  the  Territory  and  the  assess- 
ment roll.  It  was  estimated  there  were  at  that  time  600,000 
cattle  and  400,000  sheep.  He  maj'  have  been  in  error  in  his 
estimate. 

Rawlins  and  Ft.  Washakie  had  been  united  by  a  wagon 
road  and  a  telegraph  line.  A  new  and  shorter  route  had  been 
discovered  to  North  Park,  Colorado,  and  sixty  miles  of  the 
Oregon  Short  Line  had  been  constructed. 

A  wagon  road  was  urged  from  Ft.  Washakie  to  the  Yel- 
lowstone National  Park.  A  survey  had  been  made  by  the 
Governor  in  person  and  the  War  Department  by   Two-Gwo- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  247 


Tee  Pass.  The  estimated  expense  to  the  upper  Geyser  Basin 
as  fixed  by  Colonel  Mason_,  the  engineer  at  $1'0,000.00.  The 
return  route  was  by  the  Stinking  Water  Pass.  He  said,  "The 
route  leads  through  some  of  the  finest  scenery  on  the  contin- 
ent." Strange  indeed  that  these  two  routes  are  now  those 
traversed  by  the  tourist  of  today. 

The  population  in  1880  is  reported  at  20,788.  Johnson 
County,  the  first  northern  county  was  organized  in  1881. 

Public  schools  continue  to  prosper.    There  were  57  teachers 
receiving  an  average  compensation  of  $59.31  per  month. 

In  regard  to  woman  suffrage^  he  said,  "It  commands 
more  and  more  public  attention  in  many  portions  of  our  land 
and  in  other  countries  whose  political  institutions  look  for- 
ward to  freedom  of  the  people.  Today  Wyoming  is  the  only 
spot  on  earth  where  the  political  privileges  of  women  are 
equal  and  identical  with  those  of  men." 

Governor  Hoyt  covered  in  his  messages  almost  every- 
thing that  pertained  to  Wyoming.  He  used  with  one  exception 
more  words  than  any  other  governor. 

William  Hale 

The  next  Governor  Avas  Hon.  William  Hale,  born  at  New 
London,  Iowa,  November  18,  1837.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools,  studied  law  and  practiced  at  Oskaloosa,  Iowa. 
He  Avas  a  presidential  elector  for  Iowa  in  1868.  His  appoint- 
ment as  Governor  of  Wyoming  is  dated  July  18,  1882.  This 
man  was  very  loyal  to  Wyoming.  In  his  message  of  January 
16,  1884,  he  said,  "When  men  meet  to  make  laws  for  a  Ter- 
ritory which  is  but  a  day  old  in  point  of  national  existence, 
the  labor  must  necessarily  engage  every  human  energy.  It  is 
a  work  involving  the  greatest  responsibility  an  individual  may 
assume.  To  have  had  something  to  do  or  say  in  the  perform- 
ance of  a  work  like  this  and  where  every  effort  you  make  in 
history  will  be  to  you  a  pleasure  and  a  glory,  or  not.  as  your 
efforts  may  be  wisely  and  judiciously  put  forth." 

"Among  the  wealth  resources  of  the  Territory  may  be 
found  vast  deposits  of  petroleum  noAV  waiting  a  suitable  com- 
mercial advantage  to  warrant  the  tap])ing  of  the  basins."  At 
that  time  there  was  not  a  single  hole  drilled  in  all  Wyoming. 
The  prophecy,  if  such  it  was,  proved  true. 

The  large  deposit  of  soda  west  of  Laramie  is  referred  to. 
Perhaps  it  is  not  generally  known  that  these  soda  deposits 
were  regarded  of  so  much  importance  that  the  Union  Pacific 
Railway  Company  constructed  a  fourteen  mile  spur  to  the 
lakes.  For  some  unaccountable  reason  the  industry  failed,  but 
there  are  yet  great  soda  deposits. 

The  Governor  said.  "Coal  of  superior  quality  is  reported 


248  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


throughout  the  Territory  while  precious  metals^,  copper  and 
iron  are  in  unlimited  quantities."  Rather  a  bold  statement, 
but  in  a  measure  it  is  true.  He  recommended  that  measures 
be  provided  for  the  building  of  a  railway  line  from  Cheyenne 
to  Montana  and  from  a  point  on  the  Union  Pacific  to  the  Yel- 
lowstone Park.  Such  transportation  is  urged  because  of  what 
it  Avould  mean  to  development  of  industries  and  the  using  of 
the  great  grazing  fields  of  the  Sweetwater^  the  Wind  River 
and  the  Big  Horn  Valleys.  We  need  capital  and  reasonable 
business  courage.  Agriculture,  with  or  without  irrigation  is 
possible  in  large  areas.  Ground  when  broken  and  suitably  pre- 
pared for  planting  produces  cereals  of  all  kinds  far  in  excess 
of  what  was  conceded.  The  rights  of  the  people  who  produce 
from  the  soil  must  have  all  the  safeguards  the  law  will  grant 
or  confer.    They  must  not  be  encroached  upon. 

The  Territorial  tax  levy  for  1881  was  4  mills,  for  1882, 
2  mills,  for  1883,  1  mill  and  there  was  money  in  the  treasury. 
The  Governor  suggests  that  elections  should  be  safeguarded 
by  the  enactment  of  a  judicious  registry  law.  He  complains 
bitterly  concerning  the  incursions  of  Indians  and  the  running 
off  of  livestock.  Montana's  delegate  in  Congress  sought  to 
obtain  cong'ressional  legislation  giving  to  that  Territory  civil 
and  criminal  jurisdiction  over  the  Yellowstone  Park.  This 
action  stirred  Governor  Hale  and  he  proceeded  to  the  Park 
in  person  and  established  the  jurisdiction  of  Wyoming  Terri- 
tory. He  said  of  the  Park,  "It  is  a  royal  spot  of  surpassing 
beauty  and  grandeur.  Its  game,  scenery  and  wonders  should 
be  preserved.  It  is  a  high  privlege  to  be  permitted  to  pass 
laws  to  protect  a  place  abounding  with  such  matchless  and 
all  inspiring  magnificence." 

Governor  Hale  was  greatly  admired  by  the  people  of  the 
Territory.  He  died  January  13,  18  85.  The  legislature  appro- 
priated $500.00  to  defray  his  funeral  expense  and  to  con- 
struct a  monument  to  his  memory. 

Governor  Warren 

Francis  E.  Warren,  a  Wyoming  resident,  was  next  ap- 
pointed Governor,  he  having  reached  Cheyenne  in  1871.  He 
was  bom  at  Hinsdale,  Massachusetts,  June  20,  1844.  His  an- 
cestor. Dr.  Joseph  Warren,  was  one  of  the  first  men  in  the 
American  Colonies  to  advocate  Independence.  He  was  killed 
in  the  Bunker  Hill  engagement.  Governor  Warren  was  edu- 
cated at  the  Hinsdale  Academy,  an  institution  comparable  to 
the  high  school  of  the  present  day.  He  enlisted  in  the  Fed- 
eral Army  in  1861,  Company  C,  49th  Massachusetts  Infantry. 
He  was  promoted  to  Corporal.    He  came  to  Iowa  in  1868  and 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  24!> 


became  foreman  of  a  construction  gang  for  the  R.  R.  I.  &  P. 
Ry.  After  coming  to  Cheyenne  he  formed  a  business  partner- 
sliip  with  A.  R.  Converse  in  general  merchandising  and  suc- 
ceeded to  the  firm's  business  in  1878.  He  entered  into  the 
livestock  business  and  continued  in  that  line  until  his  death. 
He  was  elected  one  of  the  city  trustees  in  1872;,  a  member  of 
the  assembly,  mayor  of  Cheyenne,  appointed  Governor  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1885,  removed  by  President  Cleveland  in  1886  be- 
cause he  was  alleged  to  have  fenced  part  of  the  public  do- 
main; was  appointed  Governor  a  second  time  in  March  1889 
and  elected  the  first  state  Governor  in  1890.  I'lected  United 
States  Senator  in  1890  and  again  in  1895  and  continuing  as 
Senator  until  his  death,  November  24,  1929. 

Governor  Warren  was  a  j)J'actical  business  man  and  his 
message  of  January  18,  1886,  may  be  called  a  business  ad- 
dress to  his  associates. 

He  first  calls  attention  to  the  assessed  valuation  of  prop- 
erty as  $30,717,000.00  upon  which  the  tax  levy  for  territorial 
purposes  was  one  mill  on  the  dollar. 

Federal  expense  made  it  necessary  to  house  Territorial 
prisoners  in  Illinois  and  Nebraska.  The  Governor  points  out 
that  the  resources  of  the  Territory  cannot  be  developed  with- 
out transportation.  That  the  limited  homestead  area  is  not 
ample  for  an  agriculturist  to  engage  either  in  farming  or  stock- 
raising.  He  urges  that  Congress  be  memorialized  upon  the 
subject.  He  says,  "The  oj^en  range  system  of  stock-raising- 
must  gradualh'  recede  from  our  more  fertile  districts  as  agri- 
culture receives  attention  and  invites  investments." 

There  were  4,405  school  children  enrolled  in  1885.  The 
average  cost  per  pupil  was  $4.14  per  month  while  teachers' 
salaries  averaged  $5  8.06. 

It  was  during  the  fall  of  1885.  September  2.  that  Wyo- 
ming had  a  most  regrettable  tragedy  when  about  200  white 
miners  at  Rock  Springs  attacked  the  Chinese  miners  employed 
by  the  coal  company,  killing  about  fifty  Chinese.  The  Gov- 
ernor said,  "The  assault  was  one  made  by  men  and  women 
who  perhaps  had  no  more  rights  than  did  the  Chinese.  All 
were  born  outside  Wyoming  borders.  The  inhuman  and  heart- 
less attack  bv  white  miners  showed  such  utter  disresrard  of 
law  that  it  deservedly  received  the  severest  condemnation 
throughout  the  country.  The  Chinese  were  entitled  under  ex- 
isting treaties  to  the  same  protection  of  life  and  property  as 
any  other  class  of  foreigners.  The  white  miners  were  not 
justified  in  murdering  hel]iless  victims.  It  is  the  duty  of  the 
Govex-nor  to  see  that  the   laws   are   faithfullv  executed.     The 


250  ANNyVLS   OF  WYOMING 


recent  trouble  at  Rock  Springs  has  convinced  me  that  the 
power  of  the  Executive  would  be  greatly  strengthened  if  pro- 
vision was  made  for  a  territorial  force.  A  measure  offering 
moderate  encouragement  of  military  companies  would  stimu- 
late zeal  and  marshall  spirit  in  our  community." 

The  Governor  refers  to  the  University  and  jjublic  school 
lands  and  recommends  that  legislation  be  enacted  to  make 
them  contribute  to  the  benefits  of  the  institutions  for  which 
they  were  set  aside.  He  also  says  restrictions  on  gambling 
and  an  observance  of  Sunday  are  questions  deserving  thought- 
ful consideration. 


Governor  Baxter 

Governor  George  W.  Baxter  was  the  sixth  Governor 
in  line  of  the  territory  and  Avas  appointed  by  Grover  Cleve- 
land on  November  6th^  1886.  Governor  Baxter  was  born  at 
Sewanee^  Tennessee,  January  7th,  1855.  He  graduated  from 
West  Point  in  1878  and  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  regular  army 
for  three  years.  He  resigned  and  came  to  Wyoming  in  1881. 
He  was  the  youngest  of  all  territorial  governors,  being  less 
than  32  years  of  age  when  commissioned.  Governor  Baxter 
was  a  rich  young  man  and  shortly  after  coming'  to  Wyoming 
purchased  from  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company  about 
50,000  acres  of  land  lying  south  of  the  railway  line  in  Laramie 
County.  After  acquiring  these  holdings  he  fenced  large  areas 
thereby  enclosing  the  even  numbered  sections  of  land  which 
enabled  him  to  graze  government  sections  free  of  charge  for 
each  sction  he  owned.  The  President  learned  of  the  lands 
being  enclosed  and  requested  him  to  resign  which  he  did  on 
December  20th,    18  86. 

Mr.  Baxter  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion. He  was  a  candidate  for  Governor  at  the  first  state 
election  and  was  defeated  by  Governor  Warren.  He  was  a 
candidate  for  U.  S.  Senator  in  1893  and  was  most  active  in 
his  campaign  with  legislative  members.  At  that  time  the  Sen- 
ators were  elected  by  the  Legislature.  Mr.  Baxter  was  a  like- 
able fellow.  He  had  ample  funds  to  finance  himself  and  had 
an  able  lieutenant  by  the  name  of  Ed  Patrick,  who  managed 
his  campaign.  Mr.  Baxter  Tiad  a  fine  family  and  was  recog- 
nized as  a  good  citizen.  His  only  crime  so  far  as  I  can  learn 
was  that  of  having  fenced  government  lands.  He  moved  to 
Knoxville,  Tennessee,  after  his  defeat  for  the  Senatorship, 
There    he    became    an    important   business    and    railroad    man. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  251 


Governor  Moonlight 

Governoi*  Thomas  Moonlight  was  appointed  by  Presi- 
dent Cleveland  upon  the  resignation  of  Governor  Baxter  in 
December,  1886.  He  was  born  November  10th,  1833,  in  For- 
farshire, Scotland.  He  ran  away  from  home  when  13  years  of 
age  and  came  to  America  as  a  forecastle  hand  on  a  sailing 
ship  and  landed  in  Philadelphia  penniless.  He  found  employ- 
ment in  a  glass  factory.  In  1853  he  enlisted  in  Company  D, 
Fourth  United  States  Artillery,  and  served  in  the  Seminole 
War  in  Florida.  He  was  mustered  out  of  the  army  in  1859  and 
thereafter  came  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  He  was  mustered 
into  the  United  States  \'olunteers  as  a  battery  captain  June 
7th,  1861,  and  was  engaged  in  battles  on  the  frontiers.  He 
was  appointed  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  for  the  State 
of  Kansas  in  1867.  elected  Secretary  of  State  of  Kansas  in 
1868,  was  chairman  of  the  State  Democratic  Convention  in 
1880.  nominated  for  Governor  in  1886  and  a  few  days  after 
his  defeat  was  appointed  Governor  of  Wyoming  Territory 
and  served  until  March,  1889.  He  vetoed  university,  asylum 
and  penitentiary  bills  authorizing  the  issue  of  bonds  for  con- 
struction. 

The  message  by  Governor  Moonlight  January  10th,  18  88. 
was  the  longest  message  written  during  the  Territorial  regime. 
He  said,  "The  feeling  is  general  that  taxes  are  becoming 
high.  Good  business  sense  suggests  to  the  authorities  to  hold 
down  expenses."  He  called  attention  to  the  salaries  being 
paid  to  County  officers  and  those  paid  to  the  Territorial 
officers.  The  former  salaries  quadrupled  some  of  those  of  the 
Territorial  officers.  He  also  recited  that  County  officers  were 
able  to  perpetuate  themselves  in  office  because  of  the  princely 
pay.  That  this  policy  was  an  injury  to  every  taxpayer.  That 
the  policy  was  not  confined  to  any  political  party.  "Public 
servants  are  deserving  of  no  more  for  their  service  and  re- 
sponsibilities than  private  individuals  holding  equally  respon- 
sible places.  Business  men  are  willing  to  be  taxed  to  pay  a 
liberal  salary  to  public  officers  but  not  a  dollar  more.  The 
time  has  come  to  revise  the  laws  of  fees  and  salaries  and  place 
public  officers  upon  the  same  plane  with  those  in  ])rivate 
life."  The  Governor  recited  there  Avas  not  enough  attention 
given  to  the  election  of  County  Commissioners.  He  called  at- 
tention to  the  permission  of  Commissioners  to  create  indebt- 
edness when  there  was  no  money  available  to  pay  the  claims, 
and  said.  "It  is  a  dangerous  policy  and  will  sooner  or  later 
bring  the  counties  which  practice  it  into  a  condition  which 
will   compel    them    to  pay   one-half   more    for   evervthing  ]5ur- 


252  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


chased  or  service  rendered."  "I  recommend  that  Counties 
be  permitted  to  fund  their  indebtedness  and  make  it  a  mis- 
demeanor, punishment  by  imprisonment,  for  the  allowance  of 
any  bill  when  the  money  is  not  in  the  treasury  to  pay  it."  The 
Governor  referred  to  a  large  portion  of  the  property  escaping 
taxation  by  reason  of  the  assessors  in  unfaithfully  performing 
their  duties.  He  said,  "The  assessor  is  paid  more  in  propor- 
tion for  the  time  employed  and  the  work  performed  than  any 
other  county  officer."  The  Governor  called  attention  to  the 
destructiveness  of  fire  in  timber  sections  and  suggested  that 
there  should  be  an  officer  to  make  inquests  as  to  crooked  and 
straight  fires.  I  imagine  that  he  referred  to  incendiary  fires 
and  fires  caused  by  lightning. 

The  University  was  opened  September  1,  1887.  John 
W.  Hoytj  former  Governor  of  the  Territory,  was  elected  Pres- 
ident; Aven  Nelson,  professor  of  biological  science;  J.  F. 
Soule,  instructor  in  Latin.  The  total  pay  roll  estimated  for 
1888  was  $11,700.00  and  total  expenses  for  the  year  1889 
was  estimated  at  $24,000.00.  The  Governor  recommended  an 
appropriation  for  two  years  of  $35,000.00.  He  recommended 
the  building  of  a  dormitory  at  a  cost  of  $50,000.00.  He  also 
recommended  the  construction  of  an  insane  asylum  at  Evans- 
ton  and  an  appropriation  and  bonds  to  pay  the  expenses  of 
construction  and  management. 

For  the  year  1887  there  were  5,284  pupils  in  the  public 
schools,  with  231  teachers  employed.  He  called  attention  to 
the  Capitol  and  University  bonds  of  $200,000.00.  bearing  in- 
terest at  6%,  having  been  sold  at  a  premium  of  $51.31  per 
thousand.  The  valuation  of  property  for  the  year  1887  was 
$32,089,000.00,  while  the  Territorial  tax  levy  was  fixed  for 
Territorial  pvirposes  at  3.2  mills. 

Governor  Warren  submitted  his  last  Territorial  message 
in  January,  1890.  "With  a  bill  before  Congress  for  our  admis- 
sion as  a  state  and  with  a  reasonable  assurance  of  its  passage 
during  the  present  session  it  is  necessary  for  you  to  deliberate 
with  two  prosjDects  in  view.  A  transformation  from  a  depend- 
ency to  a  sovereign  State  and/or  a  continuance  of  a  Terri- 
torial government.  Statehood  involves  new  conditions  and 
laws.  Our  Territorial  laws  will  be  State  laws,  until  altered  or 
repealed. 

The  valuation  of  Wyoming  for  1889  was  $31,431,000.00. 
The  Counties  had  an  indebtedness  of  approximately  $575,- 
000.00.  The  public  buildings  of  the  territory,  counties  and 
schools  were  estimated  at  two  million  dollars  valuation. 

Our  office  of  the   State  Engineer  had  been   created  and 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  253 


reference  to  the  duties  of  the  office  and  wliat  had  been  ac- 
complished was  given  considerable  comment  by  the  Governor. 
The  State  Engineer  asked  for  $2^000.00  for  clerical  Avork  in 
his  office. 

He  rejaorted  that  the  Capitol  Building  Commission  had 
submitted  a  report  together  with  its  recommendations  as  to 
further  activities.  The  University  of  Wyoming  reported  77  in 
attendance.  A  recommendation  was  made  for  dormitory  build- 
ing hall,  chemical  laboratory  and  museum.  The  Governor  said. 
"We  take  great  pride  in  our  public  school  system.  We  have 
provided  liberally  for  its  support.  Our  people  wish  that  we 
maintain  a  high  standard  of  educational  efficiency.  Complaints 
have  been  made  of  extravagance.  School  trustees  in  some  dis- 
tricts do  not  adhere  to  the  spirit  of  the  law.  While  every  child 
in  Wyoming  should  receive  an  education,  it  cannot  be  ex- 
pected that  a  teacher  should  be  employed  at  public  expense 
to  teach  only  one  or  two  scholars.  Some  other  way  of  educat- 
ing them  should  be  afforded." 

The  Governor  recommended  game  laws  that  would  pro- 
tect the  animals.  He  recommended  the  enlargement  of  the 
militia  and  that  Wyoming  make  it  possible  to  make  an  exhibit 
at  the  Chicago  World's  Fair.  The  Governor  commented  on 
the  compensation  of  officers  and  said,  "The  amount  paid 
should  in  some  degree  correspond  with  the  amount  paid  for 
similar  services  rendered  to  private  individuals."  The  Gov- 
ernor recommended  the  creation  of  the  office  of  public  exam- 
iner and  cited  the  provision  of  the  Constitution  already  ap- 
proved by  the  electors  that  there  sliould  be  a  state  exaxminer 
appointed  by  the  Governor.  He  recommended  interest  payable 
on  public  moneys  deposited  at  banks  and  reasonable  appro- 
priations for  public  buildings  and  grounds. 

"The  general  desire  throughout  the  Territory  is  for  exer- 
cise of  great  prudence  in  public  expenditures.  I  am  heartily 
in  accordance  Avith  this  sentiment."  He  urged  the  building 
of  a  government  wagon  road  to  the  Yellowstone  National 
Park.' 

Brief  biographical  sketches  of  the  several  Territorial 
Governors  undoubtedly  would  have  been  interesting,  but  to 
me  the  study  of  men  is  in  what  they  thought,  wrote  and  did. 

I  am  indebted  to  legislative  journals.  Governors'  Mes- 
sages and  Bartlett's  History  of  Wyoming  for  much  of  the 
information  contained  in  this  article — all  through  the  coux-- 
tesv  of  the  State  Librarian. 


254  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

PIONEER  PATCHWORK 

by 
Mrs.  George  H.  Gilland 


FOREWORD 


To  those  characters  herein  depicted  who  are  still  living  and  to  the 
memory  of  the  many  others  who  have  "crossed  the  range,"  this  article 
is  dedicated. 

They  were,  in  the  main,  a  sturdy  lot  who  accepted  life  as  they 
found  it  and  "played  the  game"  as  they  saw  it.  Potential  readers  whose 
sensitive  natures  are  too  finely  attuned  to  the  niceties  of  life,  might  do 
well  to  stop  here.  Those  who  read  with  an  open  mind  and  a  will  to 
understand  circumstances  and  conditions  as  they  then  existed,  I  trust 
will  find  enjovment  in  the  perusal  of  these  pages. 

— C.  B.  G. 


The  razing^  of  the  Cheyenne  Chamber  of  Commerce  build- 
ing in  June^,  1936.  to  make  room  for  the  erection  of  a  modern 
structure  suitable  to  the  needs  of  our  growing  city,  calls  to 
mind  the  hectic  days  of  the  1880's  when  it  was  the  rendezvous 
of  the  local  elite  and  the  cattle  barons  who  came  from  various 
ranches  to  the  north,  east  and  west  to  do  their  trading,  ship 
their  cattle  and  discuss  problems  of  the  range.  Many  were 
residents  of  the  state  who  owned  their  herds,  others  capital- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH.  —  Mrs.  Cora  Belle  Gilland,  of 
Cheyenne,  is  a  typical  Wyoming  pioneer.  She  was  born  on  June 
24,  1863,  in  Sheboygan  County,  W^isconsin,  and  came  west  with 
her  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alonzo  Martin,  in  1873,  arriving  in 
Cheyenne  on  January  20.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  Denver,  but  returned  to  Wyoming  in  the  summer 
the  following  year,  and  the  father  acquired  a  ranch  south  of 
Egbert,  Wyoming,  about  thirty  miles  east  of  Cheyenne. 
In  November,  1885,  Cora  Belle  Martin  was  married  to  George 
H.  Gilland,  a  young  man  who  had  come  to  this  section  from 
Vermont  in  the  spring  of  1877,  began  work  at  the  Martin  ranch 
where  he  soon  became  foreman  and  subsequently  entered  the 
cattle  business  on  his  own  account.  The  couple  began  housekeep- 
ing in  a  new  five-room  home  in  Cheyenne,  which  still  stands  at 
408  West  Twenty-third  street. 

Following  Mr.  Martin's  death  in  1889,  Mr.  Gilland  purchased 
the  old  home  ranch,  and  it  was  there  the  three  daughters  and 
son  of  the  Gillands  were  reared.  However,  all  the  children  were 
born  in  Cheyenne.  In  1909  the  Gillands  purchased  a  more 
commodious  home  at  2116  Carey  Avenue,  then  Ferguson  Street, 
where  Mrs.  Gilland  still  lives,  and  where  her  daughters  were 
married:  Ida,  to  Dr.  Galen  A.  Fox,  of  Cheyenne;  Vera  (now- 
deceased)  to  Bruce  Jones,  also  of  Cheyenne;  and  Helen  to  Dr. 
Robert  C.  Shanklin  of  South  Bend,  Ind.,  now  of  Chicago.  The 
son,  George,  Jr.,  also  lives  in  Chicago. 

Mrs.  Gilland  is  proud  of  her  one  grand  daughter,  Kathryn  Fox, 
of  Chevenne. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  255 


ists  from  the  East,  from  England  and  Scotland  who  saw  a 
great  future  for  the  livestock  industry  on  Wyoming's  vast 
expanse  of  free  range  with  its  nutritious  and  then  abundant 
grasses,  and  while  true  western  hospitality  flourished  and 
champagne  flowed,  many  a  gigantic  deal  was  consummated 
within  the  walls  of  the  old  club  house  between  Wj^oming  citi- 
zens and  foreigners,  sometimes  of  a  noble  birth,  who  in- 
vested vast  sums  in  Texas  longhorns  and  trekked  them  over 
the  famous  Texas  Trail  to  range  in  what  is  now  Wyoming, 
Montana  and  the  Dakotas.  Companies  were  formed,  large 
ranches  acquired,  corrals  and  buildings  of  logs,  adobe  brick 
or,  in  rare  instances  lumber  were  built  and  cattle  by  the  thou- 
sands driven  in,  all  the  preliminaries  arranged  at  the  Chey- 
enne Club,  which  probably  witnessed  more  deals  of  vital  im- 
portance to  the  development  of  the  territory  and  entertained 
more  guests,  great  and  near-great,  than  any  other  structure 
in  Wyoming. 

Its  fame  spread.  Why,  we  rural  youngsters  when  we 
came  to  town  looked  upon  it  with  awe.  Who  knew  but  that 
monocled  gentlemen  on  the  porch  surrounded  by  local  celeb- 
rities might  not  be  an  English  earl,  or  that  ruddy-faced 
foreigner  in  tw^eeds  talking  to  a  group  of  cowboys  in  range 
garb  a  Scottish  lord  .^  I  can  yet  feel  the  tingle  of  importance 
which  just  walking  past  gave  me,  for  those  were  the  days 
Avhen  titled  foreigners  inspired  awe.  So  it  was  something 
greater  than  brick  walls  that  were  razed ;  it  was  the  symbol 
of  a  colorful  phase  of  life  which  will  never  return,  and  de- 
struction of  an  important  link  in  Wyoming's  history.  Truly, 
that  corner  is  historic  and  a  marker  should  be  placed  to 
commemorate  the  famous  building  and  the  period  for  which 
it  stood. 

But  it  was  not  of  that  I  meant  to  talk.  Rather,  to  tell  of 
specific  incidents,  little  human  experiences  which  cropped  up 
in  the  lives  of  various  people  in  those  far-off  days.  For  life 
is  a  patch-work  of  events,  the  trifles  sandwiched  in  like  sand- 
wich spread,  to  give  spice  to  the  whole. 

A  dear  old  lady  once  told  me  that  she  came  here  a  bride 
in  1867  and  located  in  a  frame  dwelling  near  Crow  Creek 
west  of  the  present  railroad  yards.  Her  husband  was  foreman 
of  the  Union  Pacific  bridge  gang  and  she  cooked  for  the 
crew.  Hard,  out-of-door  work  produced  keen  appetites  Avhicli 
required  heart}'  food  three  times  a  day.  Therefore,  breakfast 
was  much  like  the  other  meals.  One  morning  when  she  opened 
the  oven  door  to  take  out  a  roast  of  beef  she  had  left  in  the 
night  before,  the  meat  was  gone.    A  band  of  Indians  of  a  tribe 


256  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


then  fi-iendly  was  encamped  not  far  away.  The  squaws  were 
notoriously  light-fingered  and  the  theft  was  laid  to  them.  Mrs. 
F.'s  hired  girl  had  brought  from  the  East  a  hoop  skirt  which 
she  persisted  in  wearing.  Mrs.  F.  protested  for  the  kitchen 
was  small  and  the  hoops  large.  So  one  morning  when  the 
hoops  were  missing,  the  girl  accused  her  mistress  who  shook 
her  head  and  said,  "Watch  the  Indians  tonight."  Sure  enough; 
after  the  evening  camp  fires  were  built  out  from  one  of  the 
teepees  came  a  squaw  attired  in  a  hoop  skirt  over  which  was 
draped  a  gay  plaid  shawl.  Thereafter  the  kitchen  door  was 
kept  bolted. 

Much  of  the  picturesqueness  of  life  hereabout  had  de- 
parted when  Father,  Mother,  brother  Hobart  (then  "Bertie"), 
Aunt  Caroline  and  I  arrived  via  the  Union  Pacific  on  a  January 
day  in  1873,  but  enough  remained  to  often  shock  and  some- 
times amuse  us  eastern  "tenderfeet."  Father  had  twice  before 
visited  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  and  refused  to  be  sur- 
prised at  anything.  But  for  the  rest  of  us  the  West  began  at 
Pine  Bluffs  where  "Nigger  Sam"  was  I'iding  a  bucking  bron- 
cho. Passengers  flocked  to  the  windows.  "He's  tied  to  the 
saddle  or  he  couldn't  stick  on,"  declared  one.  "No,  his  feet 
are  tied  together  under  the  horse's  stomach  and  he's  holding 
on  to  the  saddle  horn,"  from  another.  "He  ain't  tied  on  and 
he  ain't  pullin'  leather,"  retorted  a  burly  plainsman.'  What 
did  "pulling  leather"  mean  ?  And  of  course  he  was  tied  on 
and  would  be  dashed  to  death  !    Shock  number  one. 

The  next  came  when  a  little  girl  in  the  neighborhood  in 
which  we  had  settled  remarked  innocently,  "This  candy  is 
mighty  nice."  Mighty !  Why,  that  was  like  taking  the  name 
of  the  Lord  in  vain.  Should  I  be  permitted  to  play  with  her.^ 
But  we  were  soon  enlightened;  the  word  was  often  used  here 
but  without  sacrilegious  intent.    So  our  play  went  on. 

Father  was  a  great  lover  of  horses.  When  we  left  the 
Leach  farm  in  Illinois  he  shipped  out  our  household  goods 
and  also  several  carriage  teams  in  charge  of  an  hostler.  They 
were  fine  animals  and  when  unloaded  here  caught  the  eye  of 
the  proprietor  of  the  Bon  Ton  livery  stable  situated,  with  the 
Cheyenne-Deadwood  stage  depot,  on  the  corner  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Plains  Hotel,  and  he  and  Father  entered  partner- 
ship. But  the  agreement  proved  unsatisfactory  and  Father 
sold  all  his  horses  except  Fan  and  Nell,  our  buggy  team,  which 
we  drove  to   Denver  in  the   fall  and  the    following  spring  to 

'  It  is  a  disgrace  for  a  real  cow  puncher  to   grasp  the  saddle 
horn,  or  "pull  leather"  as  a  safety  measure. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  25^ 


our  ranch  on  the  Muddy  Creek  south  of  Egbert^  Wyoming. 

One  day  before  leaving  Cheyenne  in  the  fall  of  '73, 
Father  engaged  a  livery  rig  from  the  Bon  Ton  to  take  us  to 
see  our  first  roundup  at  the  Hay  ranch,  now  the  Hereford 
Ranch,  six  miles  southeast  of  Cheyenne.  Mother's  feelings 
were  outraged  by  the  way  the  cowboys  literally  spurred  their 
ponies  to  top  speed  until  they  panted,  and  vowed  she  would 
complain  to  the  humane  officer.  She  was  shocked  again  when 
told  there  was  no  such  person  in  the  territory.  We  rode  in  an 
open  barouche  that  day  behind  a  spanking  team  of  blacks 
driven  by  Johnny  Slaughter.  He  became  a  famous  stage  driver 
and  three  years  later  was  killed  by  road  agents  between 
Cheyenne  and  Deadwood. 

If  there  were  no  humane  officers  by  that  name,  at  least 
there  were  good  policemen  who  kept  order  in  the  town  not- 
withstanding wide-open  saloons,  gambling  dens  which  lured 
the  riffraff  and  a  "Red  light"  district  whose  inmates  were 
not  forbidden  the  streets.  They  could  be  told  by  their  chalk- 
white  faces,  scarlet-painted  lips  and  cheeks,  sometimes  with 
a  red  feather  or  red  bow  on  their  hats  and  leading  a  little 
dog  on  a  leash.  For  at  that  particular  time  only  "fallen  wom- 
en" appeared  in  public  with  rouge  on  their  faces,  red  on  their 
garments  or  paraded  little  dogs  on  leash.  Verily,  times  have 
changed. 

An  incident  occurred  that  winter  which  rocked  church 
societies  to  their  foundations  and  temporarily  split  the  con- 
gregation of  one.  A  girl  from  the  "red  light"  district  ran 
away  and  appealed  to  the  clergy  for  protection.  According 
to  her  story  her  lover  had  betrayed  her,  and  upon  his  promise 
to  marr}^  her  she  had  come  with  him  to  Cheyenne  where  he 
had  taken  her  to  a  house  of  ill  fame,  entered  her  under  an 
assumed  name  then  disappeared,  forcing  her  into  a  life  of 
shame  for  self  suj^port.  Desperate,  she  determined  to  throw 
herself  on  the  mercy  of  the  clergy,  one  of  whom  more  broad- 
minded  than  the  rest,  feeling  that  she  was  more  sinned  against 
than  sinning  and  supported  in  that  opinion  by  his  wife,  took 
her  into  his  home.  A  battle  royal  over  the  morals  and  ethics 
of  the  situation  raged  within  and  Avithout  the  pulpit  and 
finally  waned.  But  whether  the  girl  was  persuaded  to  reveal 
her  identity  and  return  to  her  home,  I  do  not  remember. 

At  that  time  the  Railroad  House  and  the  Planter's  Hotel 
on  the  south  side  of  Sixteenth  Street  were  the  principal  hos- 
telries.  Later,  the  Inter  Ocean  was  built  on  the  present  site 
of  the  Hynds  Building.  The  Inter  Ocean  bus  met  every  ar- 
riving passenger  train,  Ben,  the  big,  jovial  but  dignified  color- 


258  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


ed  driver  standing  on  the  platform  ringing  a  bell  and  calling 
in  stentorian  tones,  "The  In-ter  O-cean  Ho-tel,"  intoning  his 
words  to  the  swing  of  the  bell.  Another  established  figure 
was  "Apple  Annie/'  a  small,  bleary-eyed  old  woman  in  shabby 
clothes  and  calico  sunbonnet  who  greeted  alighting  passengers 
with^  "Buy  my  apples,  please?"  Her  living  must  have  been 
meager  notwithstanding  the  nickels,  dimes  and  quarters  drop- 
ped into  her  basket.  At  one  time  nothing  under  a  nickel  was 
handled  in  change;  pennies  were  considered  too  "small  fry" 
to  bother  with  in  this  expansive  atmosphere. 

Speaking  of  money,  friends  of  ours  once  came  in  from 
their  ranch  to  shop  and  put  up  at  the  old  American  House. 
The  man  of  the  family  gave  his  wife  a  ten  dollar  gold  piece 
which  she  absent-mindedly  handed  to  their  small  daughter 
sitting  in  her  lap  before  a  window.  The  child  immediately 
stuffed  it  into  a  crack  in  the  window  sill  and  it  rattled  down 
through  a  hollow  place  in  the  wall,  beyond  retrieve. 

Which  calls  to  mind  an  experience  of  ours  some  years 
later.  My  husband,  three  small  daughters  and  I  had  come  to 
town  to  attend  a  political  rally,  engaged  rooms  at  the  Nor- 
mandie  Hotel,  above  the  present  Forbes  Pharmacy,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  see  the  sights.  Returning  after  supper  to  put  the 
children  to  bed,  we  were  unable  to  open  our  satchel;  the  key 
didn't  fit  and  the  lock  wouldn't  give.  Finally  George,  my  hus- 
band, found  a  locksmith  who  came  to  our  room,  opened  the 
bag  and  lo  !  Instead  of  "nighties"  out  tumbled  rolls  and  bun- 
dles of  papers  and  accounts.  The  proprietor  was  summoned 
and  it  developed  that  the  bellhop  had  exchanged  two  un- 
marked satchels  of  identical  appearance,  taking  ours  to  the 
room  of  a  gentleman  also  just  arrived  and  his  to  ours.  Ex- 
planations were  in  order,  the  man  in  question  who  had  noticed 
the  mistake,  fortunately  possessed  a  sense  of  humor^  and  all 
Avas  well. 

But  to  return  to  my  own  youth :  After  leaving  Cheyenne 
in  the  fall  of  '73  Father  located  a  ranch  thirty  miles  east  of 
here  on  the  Muddy,  built  a  home,  corrals,  etc..  bought  cattle, 
and  the  following  summer  sent  for  his  family  who  had  spent 
the  intervening  months  in  Denver.  One  evening  before  leav- 
ing there  Bertie  and  I  sat  on  the  door  step  watching  a  band 
of  Utes  Avho  were  riding  through  town,  when  a  blanket  worn 
by  one  of  the  squaws  slipjoed  from  her  shoulders  revealing 
her  bare  back.  Shocking  —  in  1 87  t  !  That  squaw  Avas  born 
sixtv  vears  too  soon. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  259 


The  Ute  Indians  were  then  friendly, ^  unlike  the  Sioux 
who  gave  ranchmen  so  much  concern  that  they  went  armed 
and  kept  twenty-four  hour  vigil  over  the  stock,  homes  and 
families.  This  was  particularly  true  after  the  Custer  massacre 
in  '76.  Our  valley  wasn't  raided  but  cowboys  returning  from 
roundups  told  of  skirmishes  and  escapes.  Southeast  of  us 
lived  a  ranchman  called  Ranger  Jones,  who  cooked  for  round- 
up outfits  and  was  quite  a  character.  His  devotion  to  one 
particular  frying  pan  brought  foi'th  many  a  good-natured  jibe 
from  the  boys.  Once  while  eating  supper  beside  their  evening 
camp  fire,  an  alarm  was  sounded  that  Indians  were  coming. 
Hastily  hitching  his  team  to  the  camp  wagon  and  throwing 
in  bed  rolls  and  cooking  utensils  indiscriminately,  Ranger  was 
off,  the  wagon  careening  as  he  lashed  the  team  into  a  run, 
the  mounted  cowboys  keeping  pace,  guns  ready  for  action. 
"Hey,  Ranger,"  shouted  one,  "there  goes  your  frying  pan  !" 
"Humph,"  snorted  Ranger,  "it's  nary  a  frying  jDan  I  want 
now !" 

After  the  marauding  Indians  were  captured  by  govern- 
ment troops  and  returned  to  their  reservations,  old  Spotted 
Tail,^  a  Sioux,  came  or  was  brought  to  town.    A  reception  was 


2  For  an  account  of  the  Ute  uprising  of  1906,  see  article  con- 
taining the  "History  of  the  Ute  Expedition"  in  the  ANNALS 
of  WYOMING,  April   1939  issue,  page  133. 

3  "Spotted  Tail  (Sinte-galeshka).  A  Brule  Teton  Sioux  chief 
born  about  1833  near  Ft.  Laramie,  W^yo.  He  was  not  a  chief  by 
birth,  but  rose  by  dint  of  his  fighting  qualities.  He  won  his  wife 
in  a  duel  with  a  subchief  and  proved  his  prowess  in  battle,  so 
that  when  the  head  chief  died  the  tribe  passed  over  the  heredi- 
tary claimant  and  aspirants  of  riper  years  and  experience  in 
favor  of  the  young  warrior.  He  had  borne  a  conspicuous  part 
in  the  destruction  of  Lieut.  Grattan's  detachment  in  1854  when 
it  entered  the  Brule  camp  to  arrest  an  Indian  who  had  taken  an 
old  cow  abandoned  by  some  emigrants,  and  in  the  subsequent 
depredations  on  the  Oregon  trail.  After  signal  punishment  was 
inflicted  on  the  tribe  by  Gen.  Harney  at  Ash  Hollow,  w.  Nebr., 
Spotted  Tail  and  two  others  of  the  murderers,  whose  surrender 
was  demanded,  surprised  the  soldiers  at  Ft.  I^aramie  by  march- 
ing in,  arrayed  in  war  dress  and  chanting  their  death  songs,  to 
give  themselves  up  in  order  that  the  tribe  might  be  spared.  He 
regained  his  freedom  and  was  chief  of  the  Lower  Brules  in 
1865,  when  commissioners  treatied  with  the  Sioux  for  a  right  of 
way  through  Montana,  and  was  in  favor  of  the  treaty,  though 
neither  he  nor  any  other  proininent  chief  signed,  while  Red 
Cloud,  the  Ogalala  chief,  led  the  party  that  opposed  the  cession 
of  the  overland  route  to  the  Montana  mines.  WMth  the  other 
chiefs  he  signed  the  treaty  of  Apr.  29,  1868,  accepting  for  the 
Teton  a  reservation  embracing  all  the  present  South  Dakota  w. 
of  Missouri  r.,  and  assenting  to  the  construction  of  a  railroad, 
the  Government  acknowledging  as  unceded  Indian  territory  the 
sections  of  Wvoming  and  Montana  n.  of  the  North  Platte  as  far 


260  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


held  for  him  at  the  Inter  Ocean  and  many  called  out  of  curi- 
osity. We  were  in  town  and  went  in.  To  our  surprise  five- 
year-old  Bertie  squared  his  shoulders,  stepped  up  to  the  chief 
and  declared  defiantly,  "You  can't  scalp  me!"  When  inter- 
preted to  him  Old  Spot  shook  Avith  laughter.  That  surprised 
me  as  I  hadn't  supposed  that  an  Indian  could  laugh. 

"Maudlin  sentiment/'  was  the  verdict  of  many  toward  the 
attention  shown  him,  an  opinion  shared  by  Miss  Sawyer,  sis- 
ter of  W.  W.  Sawyer,  the  photographer,  who  had  come  west 
for  her  health  fired  with  sympathy  for  the  "poor  Red  Men." 
She  went  to  a  ranch  on  Horse  Creek,  twenty-five  miles  north 
of  Cheyenne,  to  spend  the  summer  with  her  brother  who, 
rather  than  leav^e  her  alone  when  the  rest  were  away,  would 
hide  her  in  the  under-brush  of  the  creek  banks  where,  with 
her  reading  and  a  lunch,  she  would  spend  weary  and  anxious 
hours.  Once,  as  she  told  it,  she  was  so  near  that  she  saw  a 
band  of  Indians  raid  the  ranch,  set  fire  to  some  of  the  build- 
ings and  run  off  stock.  When  safe  to  travel  she  returned  to 
town,  her  zeal  for  their  cause  dampened.  Yet  in  the  begin- 
ning they  were  right  and  did  what  we  would  have  done,  de- 


w.  as  Bighorn  nits,  and  abandoning  the  road  to  the  mines,  with 
Ft.  Phil.  Kearny,  where  the  massacre  of  Lieut.  Col.  William  J. 
Fetterman's  command  had  occurred  on  Dec.  21,  1866,  and  Ft. 
Reno  near  the  head  of  Powder  r.  When  gold  was  discovered  in 
the  Black  Hills,  Spotted  Tail  and  Red  Cloud,  who  were  recog- 
nized as  the  chiefs  at  the  respective  agencies  called  by  their 
names,  arranged  to  go  to  AVashington  to  negotiate  a  sale  of  the 
mineral  rights;  and  thoroughly  to  inform  himself  of  the  value 
of  the  minerals,  Spotted  Tail  visited  the  hills,  hung  around  the 
camps  of  the  prospectors,  listened  to  their  talk,  and  conceived 
the  idea  therefrom  that  the  mines  were  immensely  valuable. 
Under  the  treaty  of  1868  the  chiefs  could  not  make  treaties  for 
sale  of  lands,  hence  commissioners  were  sent  to  the  Indians, 
finding  that  Spotted  Tail  had  raised  the  Indian  expectations  so 
high  that  sixty  million  dollars  were  demanded  for  the  conces- 
sion. The  Government  could  not  agree  to  this,  hence  no  treaty 
was  made  that  year,  and  miners  were  permitted  by  the  troops 
to  pass  into  the  Black  Hills  without  hindrance.  Then  all  the 
young  men  on  the  reservations  joined  the  hostilities.  Red  Cloud 
was  suspected  of  disloyalty,  and  in  the  course  of  the  campaign 
that  followed  the  Custer  disaster  in  1876,  Spotted  Tail  was  ap- 
pointed chief  of  all  the  Indians  at  both  agencies,  and  negotiated 
the  settlement  by  which  his  nephew.  Crazy  Horse,  came  in  from 
Powder  r.  and  surrendered  in  the  spring  of  1877.  Spotted  Tail 
was  killed  near  Rosebud  Agency,  S.  Dak.,  Aug.  5,  1881,  by  a 
tribesman  named  Crow  Dog.  The  facts  relating  to  the  killing 
are  in  dispute,  but  there  is  not  much  question  that  Spotted  Tail, 
at  the  time,  was  leading  a  hostile  party  against  Crow  Dog,  who 
deemed  his  life  in  peril  and  shot  in  self  defense." — Bureau  of 
American   Ethnology,  Bulletin   30,   Part   2,  pp.    626-627. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  261 


fended  what  they  considered  their  lands  from  invasion.  Their 
crime  lay  in  their  atrocities  inflicted  on  the  innocent.  To  live 
in  hourly  dread  of  the  scalping  knife  is  a  horror  never  to  be 
forgotten.  But  life  goes  on  and  Mrs.  Cora  M.  Beach  tells  in  one 
of  her  books  of  a  picnic  once  held  at  Sherman  Monument 
under  protection  of  a  cavalry  escort  from  Fort  Russell. 

That  was  soon  after  Wyoming  became  a  territory,  in  the 
"horse  and  buggy  days."  Before  the  appearance  of  automo- 
biles Cheyenne  boasted  a  street  car  line  which,  if  not  one 
Imndred  per  cent  efficient,  was  at  least  accommodating.  One 
day  Avhen  Father  was  in  town  from  the  ranch,  he  was  invited 
by  Mr.  Frank  "Rainwater"  Jones  to  go  home  with  him  to  din- 
ner. Starting  up  Ferguson  street  (now  Carey)  they  met  the 
street  car  (I  believe  they  was  only  one  on  the  line)  coming 
down.  Mr.  Jones  hailed  the  conductor.  "Hitch  the  horse  to 
the  other  end  of  that  car  and  take  us  up  the  hill,  won't  you?" 
And  he  did. 

Speaking  of  picnics,  until  the  late  1890's  our  trips  to 
town  were  usually  made  either  in  a  lumber  wagon,  if  a  load 
of  grain  or  groceries  was  to  be  taken  back,  or  a  light  spring 
conveyance,  both  open  to  the  elements.  The  sight  of  the 
twelve-mile  crossing  on  Crow  Creek  where  we  usually  stopped 
to  eat  and  to  feed  and  water  our  team,  still  calls  to  mind  de- 
licious rice  puddings  and  buttermilk  biscuits  Mother  would 
bring  for  our  lunch,  and  the  pail  of  tea  brewed  over  a  hasty 
camp  fire,  for  Father  seldom  drank  coffee.  Another  route 
we  sometimes  took  was  a  cutoff  to  Hillsdale,  Wyoming,  15 
miles  northeast  of  Cheyenne,  and  thence  along  the  railroad. 
One  cold  day  when  Father  made  a  hasty  trip  to  town  and  I 
came  with  him.  Mother,  unprepared  for  a  lunch,  put  up  for 
us  all  she  had,  a  bottle  of  tea  and  some  cold  suet  cake,  which 
we  ate  on  the  way  near  Hillsdale,  taking  turns  with  the  driv- 
ing. To  this  day  I  cannot  pass  Hillsdale  without  sensing  the 
Avoolly  taste  of  cold  suet  in  the  roof  of  my  mouth. 

For  seA'eral  years  it  was  the  family  custom  to  meet  the 
general  roundup  the  last  of  June  or  first  of  July  at  its  rendez- 
vous on  Crow  Creek  near  Areola,  ten  miles  south  of  our  ranch 
on  the  Muddy.  For  six  weeks  the  cowboys  who  worked  on 
various  ranches  had  ridden  the  range  which  encompassed  hun- 
dreds of  square  miles,  rounding  up  cattle  and  finally  bringini; 
them  to  this  appointed  place  where  the  creek  afforded  water, 
the  grass  was  abundant  and  the  valley  wide.  Many  thousands 
of  head  were  thus  collected,  each  outfit  cutting  out  its  own 
cattle  and  helping  other  units  until  the  entire  herd  had  been 
"worked"  and  each  bunch  of  riders  started  with  its  cattle  for 


262  ANNALS   OF  WYOMINCx 


their  home  range.  This  sometimes  required  several  days  or  a 
week  of  the  most  strenuous  and  hazardous  work.  Each  unit 
carried  its  own  branding  irons  to  be  used  as  needed.  Once 
George  and  Bert  White,  one  of  his  riders,  had  roped  a  steer 
and  with  the  help  of  another  man  were  trying  to  throw  it  to 
brand,  when  it  broke  away,  the  loose  end  of  the  rope  took  a 
flying  twist  around  Bert's  ankles  and  away  he  went,  feet  first, 
in  the  wake  of  the  frantic  bovine.  George  hastily  mounted  his 
horse  and  gave  chase.  Opening  his  jackknife  he  caught  up 
with  them  and  with  his  pony  still  running  at  top  speed,  leaned 
far  down  and  cut  the  taut  rope.  Bert  was  scratched  by  cactus 
and  bruised  by  stones  but  not  seriously  hurt. 

Such  incidents  were  all  in  the  day's  work.  Whether  vic- 
tims of  an  accident  or  hero  of  a  rescue  "the  boys"  appeared 
unconcerned.  Drudgery  and  danger  may  have  ruffled  their 
appearance  but  did  not  harden  their  hearts.  Yet  the  idea 
persisted  in  the  East  that  cowboys  were  a  race  apart  like 
Indians,  or  "like  farmers,"  Father  laughingly  remarked,  re- 
calling an  experience  of  our  own  in  Illinois.  He  had  gone 
from  our  farm  there  to  Kenosha,  Wisconsin,  as  a  delegate  to 
a  dairyman's  convention,  taking  Mother  and  me  with  him. 
Because  of  meager  hotel  accommodations  we  were  assigned 
by  prearrangement  to  the  house  of  a  resident.  At  the  supper 
table  that  night  the  young  son  of  our  hosts,  looking  anxiously 
out  the  window  exclaimed,  "We  were  expecting  some  farmers 
tonight  but  they  don't  seem  to  come."  He  was  puzzled  by  the 
laughter  which   followed. 

Once  we  met  the  roundup  on  Mother's  birthday,  which 
was  the  anniversary  of  one  of  "our  boys."  By  way  of  cele- 
bration Mother  made  and  took  over  a  large  cake  baked  in  an 
eight-quart  milk  pan,  frosted  in  white  with  trimmings  tinted 
yellow  with  carrot  juice.  She  had  intended  it  for  our  own 
boys  but  when  word  spread  that  there  was  a  "cake  in  camp" 
a  general  rush  ensued  until  every  crumb  was  gone.  Home 
cooking  tasted  good  after  several  weeks  of  camp  fare. 

The  passing  of  those  great  general  roundups  ended  an 
epoch  in  the  valley  of  the  Crow  and  all  the  country  around. 
First  came  the  "thundering  herds"  of  buffalo  which  literally 
darkened  the  horizon  (the  wagon  train  in  which  Father  first 
crossed  the  plains  in  1860  once  narrowly  escaped  annihilation 
by  a  stampeding  herd),  then  the  large  bands  of  wild  horses, 
the  Indians,  and  finally  the  immense  herds  of  Texas  longhorns 
trekked  up  the  trails  and  apportioned  among  different  own- 
ers, all  to  range  on  the  great,  unfenced  public  domain.  Round- 
ups came   as   an   in  -vitable   sequence.     But   in   time  these,  too. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  263 


yielded  to  changing  conditions  in  those  regions  where  ranch- 
men turned  to  small  herds  and  enclosed  pastures. 

Father,  who  pioneered  in  a  small  way  on  the  Muddy  in 
the  raising  of  grain  under  irrigation,  liked  to  envision  the  time 
when  the  Crow  and  Muddy  Creek  valleys  would  be  dotted 
with  small  farms  raising  pedigreed  stock  and  growing  their 
own  grain.  Once  when  we  were  returning  to  Cheyenne  he 
audibly  visualized  such  a  time.  We  had  driven  up  the  day 
before  in  an  open  wagon  which  he  had  loaded  with  provisions. 
He  Avas  also  taking  back  two  young  men  to  work  in  the  hay 
field.  They  were  newcomers  and  perhaps  the  more  to  impress 
them,  he  became  a  little  too  expansive  in  his  predictions  and 
a  trifle  too  enthusiastic  over  the  beauties  of  our  summer  cli- 
mate. The  boys  appeared  interested  until  a  storm  which  had 
arisen  in  the  west  overtook  us,  first  a  few  drops,  then  a  shower 
and  finally  the  deluge,  accompanied  by  wind  and  hail  which 
riddled  the  men's  straw  hats,  turned  my  umbrella  wrong  side 
out  and  soaked  my  lovely  new  stiffly-starched  green  gingham 
sunbonnet  until  I  took  it  off  and  wrung  it  out.  (My  Sunday 
hat,  always  taken  along  to  be  put  on  just  before  reaching  and 
just  after  leaving  town,  was  safely  tucked  away  in  a  box  under 
the  seat).  At  last  Father  stopped  the  frightened  team  before 
the  cabin  on  our  sheep  camp  at  the  Beaver  Dams.  The  wife 
of  the  herder  gave  us  some  hot  tea  to  drink  and  with  the  first 
lull  in  the  storm,  we  started  on,  ten  more  long  shivery  miles, 
for  home.  Even  Father's  spirits  were  subdued.  "Boys,"  said 
he,  "This  streak  of  weather  is  very  unusual.  "  Twenty-five 
years  later  my  husband,  George  Jr.  and  I  made  our  first  visit 
to  "Sunny  California."  Said  a  friend  after  several  days  of 
hard  rain  and  chilling  breezes,  "This  weather  is  very  un- 
usual." Instantly  my  mind  flew  back  over  the  years  to  that 
ride  "with  Father.  Incidentally,  one  of  the  boys  who  was  with 
us  that  day  in  Wyoming  had  settled  in  Los  Angeles  and  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  business.  I  wondered  if  he,  too,  re- 
membered Father's  remark  and  had  introduced  it  there.  How- 
ever that  may  be,  Los  Angeles  is  still  having  spells  of  "very 
unusual"  weather.    So  are  we. 

Father  sometimes  told  of  his  boyhood  days  in  Maine 
where  he  and  his  brothers  helped  their  father  fell  and  haul 
logs  on  sleds  drawn  by  oxen  over  corduroy  roads.  They  slept 
in  the  attic  Avhere  snow  sifted  in  through  chinks  in  the  logs 
and  they  shook  it  out  of  their  clothes  in  the  morning;  milked 
the  cows  before  their  six  o'clock  breakfast,  then  walked  two 
or  three  miles  to  school,  often  through  b  tter  cold  and  deep 
.snow  to  build   a   fire  and   lieat   the   school   >oom  for  ''teacher" 


264  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


and  the  "sissies"  as  they  called  those  who  came  later.  But 
all  the  boys  took  turns  at  this,  a  week  about.  One  winter  when 
Father  went  to  school  in  Augusta  he  boarded  with  an  elderly 
couple  whose  favorite  supper  dish  was  brown  bread  and  milk, 
and  as  they  were  practically  toothless  they  ate  the  inside  of 
the  loaf  and  gave  him  the  crust.  Here  too,  he  slept  in  the  attic, 
bvit  the  chill  was  supposed  to  be  taken  off  by  the  heat  from 
the  stove-pipe  which  extended  from  the  stove  in  the  room  be- 
neath up  through  his  room  to  the  roof.  He  was  allowed  one 
tallow  dip;  this  must  last  two  evenings  to  study  by  and  two 
mornings  to  dress  by. 

Tallow  dips  were  used  in  New  York,  too,  in  Mother's 
girlhood  and  in  Wisconsin  in  my  childhood.  Kerosene  lamps 
also,  probably,  but  my  first  recollection  of  them  is  when  we 
moved  to  Illinois  in  1867  and  Father  leased  the  Leach  farm 
two  and  a  half  miles  from  Rockford.  When  we  called  to  look 
at  the  house  the  three  youngest  Leach  daughters  were  busily 
rolling  paper  fagots  to  save  lucifer  matches  which  Avere  "so 
expensive."  The  house  was  large,  each  room  lighted  by  one 
or  more  lamps  which  Avere  collected  in  the  morning,  wicks 
trimmed  and  smoky  chimneys  washed.  At  night  the  first  lamp 
was  lighted  with  a  match,  others  by  a  long  fagot  rolled  very 
tight  and  tapering  at  one  end.  There  were  two  long  halls  up- 
stairs, each  dimly  lighted  by  a  suspended  lantern.  But  you 
either  groped  your  way  up  the  dark  stairAvay  or  carried  a 
lamp.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leach  also  owned  a  large  house  in  town 
into  which  they  moved.  I  was  sometimes  invited  to  visit  the 
youngest  Leach  daughter,  near  my  own  age,  and  it  was  there 
that  I  first  saw  lamps  grouped  in  a  chandelier;  in  Wisconsin 
candles  had  been  used. 

Kerosene  was  also  used  to  light  Pullman  cars  when  we 
came  west  in  '73.  But  candles  were  still  popular,  only  now 
they  were  molded  instead  of  dipped,  and  for  additional 
smoothness  and  durability  Mother  added  a  little  beeswax 
melted  with  the  tallow.  After  stringing  several  dozen  molds 
with  candle  wicking,  a  fussy  and  particular  task,  you  begin 
to  appreciate  the  value  of  even  the  lowly  tallow  candle. 

No  one  then  was  overburdened  with  conveniences,  yet 
to  Grandfather  we  lived  in  a  wonderful  age- — railroad  trains 
to  ride  on,  kerosene  lamps  to  burn.  He  would  tell  of  going- 
courting  in  his  youth  and  sitting  up  by  the  light  of  one  tallow 
dip.  When  the  wick  began  to  sputter  in  the  saucer  about  mid- 
night it  was  time  to  take  leave.  If  neither  the  young  lady  nor 
her  parents  made  objection  to  his  first  call  he  went  again 
the  next  Saturday  and  sat  up  all  night.    At  the  end  of  the  third 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  265 


call  the  young  lady  capitulated  and  the  engagement  was  an- 
nounced. "What  did  we  talk  about  ?  Why,  there  wasn't  much 
to  say;  we  just  sat."  Could  that  have  been  the  beginning  of 
"sit-down"  strikes.'' 

Then  followed  the  wedding  as  soon  as  the  prospective 
bride  could  spin,  weave  and  make  her  trousseau  and  enough 
linen  to  complete  her  hope  chest.  She  was  also  supposed  to 
bring  to  her  husband  a  workable  knowledge  of  cooking  and 
housekeeping.  "And,"  chuckled  Grandpa,  "Lydia  filled  the 
bill."  Dancing  was  sometimes  indulged  in  at  weddings  but 
no  gifts  were  given  the  bridesmaids. 

Grandmother  baked  in  a  large  brick  oven  heated  by 
hickory  knots,  then  the  coals  were  raked  out  and  the  baking 
put  in — bread,  pies,  cake,  beans,  ham — the  door  closed  and 
banked  and  not  opened  until  everything  was  supposed  to  be 
done.  If  the  time  were  winter  and  the  pies  mince,  they  were 
stacked  in  a  tight  trunk  in  the  wood  shed  to  freeze  and  taken 
out  to  heat  as  needed.  On  Sundays  Grandpa  and  Grandma 
marshalled  their  numerous  family  to  church  in  the  big  wagon, 
they  siting  on  the  one  spring  seat  in  front,  the  little  girls 
behind  on  a  board  across  the  box  and  the  boys  in  the  rear. 
In  jogging  over  the  two  or  three  miles  of  rough  country  road, 
sometimes  one  end  of  the  board  slipped  off  and  the  little  girls 
in  their  quaker  bonnets,  pink  calico  dresses,  pantalets  and 
copper-toed  shoes  landed  in  a  heap  in  the  bottom.  But  their 
squeals  of  delight  were  quickly  hushed  by  Grandmother's  ad- 
monition that  it  was  "wicked  to  laugh  on  the  Lord's  day." 
And  if,  during  the  two-hour  sermon,  either  boys  or  girls  grew 
tired  of  sitting  on  the  hard  benches  fighting  flies  in  summer 
or  rubbing  chilblains  in  winter  (the  church  was  unheated  ex- 
cept by  a  small  wood  stove  and  the  warming  pans  brought 
from  home)  their  lack  of  attention  to  the  sermon  showed  dis- 
respect to  the  minister  and  like  other  misdemeanors  commit- 
ted on  Sunday,  brought  punishment  on  Monday.  This  usually 
meant  a  switching  administered  by  Grandfather.  He  didn't 
enjoy  it.  "Perhaps  I  wasn't  always  as  strict  with  the  children 
as  I  should  have  been,"  he  would  say.  "If  their  mother  didn't 
catch  them  in  some  miscliief.  it  seemed  to  escape  my  ob- 
servation too." 

Sometimes  Aunt  Helen,  the  eldest,  was  left  at  home  to 
start  dinner  when  company  was  expected.  Then  the  children 
wei'e  never  permitted  to  eat  at  the  table  with  the  guests  but 
must  stand  respectfully  back  against  the  wall  awaiting  their 
turn,  and  taking  what  was  left  without  complaint,  a  Spartan 
training.     But  their   reward   came  Avhen   the  dinner  work  was 


266  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


done;  they  they  were  permitted  to  take  a  "quiet  walk"  in  the 
yard.  If  their  walk  became  a  riot  Grandmother  was  usually 
too  busy  with  her  guests  to  take  notice  and  Grandfather  had 
onlj^  to  appear  on  the  piazza  to  send  the  youngsters  scamper- 
ing beyond  hearing. 

In  the  fall  of  1847  the  family  moved  to  Wisconsin,  em- 
barking at  Canojoharie  on  the  Erie  Barge  Canal  for  Buffalo, 
thence  across  the  Great  Lakes  to  Sheboygan.  The  voyage  was 
rough  and  particulars  are  lacking;  also  of  the  slow,  tedious 
ride  in  a  towboat  through  the  canal.  But  just  to  throw  a  lit- 
tle light  on  that  epoch,  let  me  quote  from  an  article  in  a  com- 
jDaratively  recent  Denver  Post  article  concerning  Hennesy's 
Hotel  in  Rome,  New  York,  said  to  have  been  "the  most  famous 
tavern  along  the  route  of  the  canal."  Some  of  the  rules  of  the 
tavern  were, 

'Four  pence  a  night  for  bed.' 
'Six  pence  for  supper.' 
'No  more  than  five  to  sleep  in  one  bed.' 
'Organ  grinders  to  sleep  in  the  wash  room.' 
'No  beer  in  the  kitchen.' 
Verily,  "manners  aren't  what  they  used  to  be." 

Many  years  after  leaving  the  Mohawk  Valley  homestead 
as  a  child.  Aunt  Caroline  returned  for  a  visit.  Her  cousin, 
Charles  Button  who  had  bought  the  place,  still  thrashed  his 
buckwheat  with  a  flail;  the  old  parlor  was  still  kept  closed 
and  darkened,  to  be  opened  on  the  occasion  of  a  wedding  or 
a  funeral ;  cousin  Hannah  still  cherished  a  black  silk  dress 
folded  away  in  a  bureau  drawer  for  her  burial  robe.  And  when 
Auntie  inquired  at  the  post  office  for  some  paper  Avrappers 
the  bewildered  post  master  brought  forth  some  brown  wrap- 
ping paper. 

The  Wisconsin  community  in  which  the  Phelps  family 
settled  offered  better  opportunities.  Grandmother  thought, 
for  bringing  up  a  family.  Grandmother  Avas  deeply  religious 
and  a  leader  in  religious  circles.  But  the  early  death  of  little 
William,  the  youngest  child,  coupled  with  her  own  failing 
health  proved  fatal  and  she  survived  him  less  than  a  year. 

At  first  Grandfather's  grief  overshadowed  his  sense  of 
responsibility  toward  his  family.  But  as  time  passed  each  of 
his  three  daughters  took  her  place  in  turn  at  the  head  of  his 
household,  so  the  home  was  not  broken  up.  "Life  was  becom- 
ing complicated,"  Grandfather  Avould  say,  "and  it  was  some- 
times hard  to  tell  which  pleasures  to  permit  and  which  to 
forbid  the  young  folks,  what  with  kissing  bees,  singing  bees^ 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  267 


spelling  bees,  dances  and  festivals."  Once  a  rural  swain  in- 
vited one  of  the  sisters  to  a  strawberry  festival  and  ordered 
one  dish  of  berries  with  two  spoons. 

The  dances  were  always  chaperoned,  if  small  by  one 
married  Avoman,  if  large  by  two.  Aunt  Caroline  liked  to  tell 
of  a  ball  once  held  at  the  largest  hotel  in  Oconomowoc.  A 
sleigh  load  of  young  people,  duly  chaperoned,  went  from  their 
town,  each  girl  carrying  a  satchel  or  bandbox  containing  two 
ball  dresses  and  accessories  such  as  reticules,  slippers,  fans 
and  lace  mitts.  When  they  arrived  they  were  shown  to  the 
dressing  room  where  they  changed  from  their  warm  merinos 
to  their  first  ball  dresses.  Auntie's  on  this  occasion  was  a 
sprigged  delaine.  Her  second,  donned  at  midnight  for  supper 
and  the  dancing  which  followed  till  dawn,  was  of  brown  nuns 
veiling  made  very  long  and  full  and  worn  over  a  large  hoop 
skirt,  two  starched  petticoats  and  a  bustle.  Imagine  a  ball 
room  filled  with  swirling  hoop-skirted  figures,  bustles  bobbing 
and  chignons  too,  as  they  waltzed  'round  and  'round  the  room 
in  one  direction  !  For  the  reverse  step  had  not  yet  been  in- 
troduced and  they  danced  one  way  until  dizzy.  They  schotti- 
sched,  too,  and  polka'd  and  vesuvianna'd,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  square  dances  and  cotillions  which  Avere  more  in  favor. 

That  was  in  the  1850's  and  before  my  time.  But  twenty 
years  later  I  went  to  my  first  dance  at  Pine  Bluffs,  Wyoming, 
a  thousand  miles  from  there,  and  Aunt  Caroline  chaperoned 
the  party  from  our  ranch.  No  one  enjoyed  it  more  than  she 
and  she  danced  divinely  still.  The  music  that  evening  was 
furnished  by  a  cottage  organ  and  a  jewsharp.  As  the  organ- 
ist pumped  the  treads  her  bustle  worked  around  under  one 
arm.  It  was  w^hispered  that  many  a  rural  bustle  was  merely 
a  tin  can  with  a  string  running  through  it  to  tie  around  the 
waist.  That  was  never  verified,  but  it  was  a  fact  that  the 
brand  of  flour  used  on  many  a  ranch  could  be  told  by  the 
washing  on  the  line.  For  flajDping  in  the  breeze  were  aprons 
and  undergarments  as  well  as  tea  towels,  all  made  out  of  flour 
sacks  inscribed  with  "Pride  of  the  West"  or  some  other  trade 
mark  in  red  and  blue  letters  emblazoned  across  their  length 
or  breadth  for  all  who  would  to  see. 

No  "lingeries"  then;  nor  did  we  wear  evening  dresses. 
for  the  good  reason  that  we  didn't  have  them.  But  we  strove 
to  make  the  best  possible  appearance  in  what  we  had  and  O. 
the  time  we  spent  curling  our  bangs  with  a  slate  pencil  heated 
over  a  lamp  chimney  !  We  even  dusted  a  little  corn  starch  on 
our  noses,  but  that  was  a  profound  secret. 

A  friend  who  came  west  as  a  bride  many  years  ago  and 


268  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


settled  on  a  ranch  far  from  town  and  neighbors,  told  me  of 
her  quandry  over  what  to  wear  to  the  first  dance  to  Avhich 
they  were  invited.  Ignorant  of  the  local  custom  and  beyond 
the  reach  of  advice,  she  finally  chose  from  her  quite  elaborate 
eastern  trousseau  a  gray  velvet  evening  gown,  low-necked, 
short-sleeved  and  long-trained !  She  was  undisputably  the 
"bell  of  the  ball." 

To  return  to  the  Pine  Bluffs  district :  The  first  family  to 
make  a  permanent  residence  between  Cheyenne  and  Fort 
Sidney  was  said  to  have  been  that  of  Judge  D.  C.  Tracey 
who  lived  in  an  adobe  house  west  of  Pine  Bluffs  station. 
Judge  Tracey  had  been  an  agent  for  the  Overland  Stage  Com- 
pany and  was  a  genuine  "old  timer."  In  later  years  he  built 
a  brick  residence  in  Cheyenne  on  Sixteenth  street ;  this  was 
torn  down  several  years  ago  to  make  room  for  a  filling  sta- 
tion. On  his  trips  between  his  home  in  town  and  his  ranch 
at  Pine  Bluffs,  Judge  Tracey  occasionally  stopped  at  our 
ranch  on  the  Muddy,  and  always  had  something  interesting  to 
relate  about  his  early  life  on  the  plains.  Once,  before  our 
valley  was  settled,  he  was  ambushed  by  Indians  at  the  Black- 
stone  Place,  a  point  of  rocks  a  mile  west  of  our  ranch  build- 
ings, and  escaped  only  because  his  pony  was  fleetest  and  his 
gun  more  deadly  than  their  arrows.  After  hearing  that  story 
I  never  passed  that  ledge  without  subconsciously  looking  for 
Indians.  Many  arrow  heads  were  found  on  the  bluffs  border- 
ing our  valley. 

Among  other  settlers  of  the  Pine  Bluffs  region  were 
Major  and  Mrs.  Garland,  maternal  grandparents  of  Mark 
Chapman,'*  the  Holcomb  and  Park  families  and  the  J.  R. 
Gordons.  Mr.  Gordon  who  had  been  a  young  Union  Pacific 
surveyor,  was  one  of  the  first  station  agents  at  Pine  Bluffs. 
He  is  said  to  have  had  the  first  garden  in  eastern  Wyoming. 
He  planted  it  back  of  the  station  and  kept  it  watered  from 
the  Union  Pacific  engines.  Many  years  later  he  wrote  a  let- 
ter to  his  sister  and  published  at  the  time,  *  *  *  "The  garden 
proved  such  a  success  that  the  railroad  wished  me  to  experi- 
ment with  it  further  and  gave  me  enough  lumber  from  the 
snow  fence  to  enclose  five  acres,  which  was  afterward  in- 
creased to  fifteen.  This  venture  was  considered  so  remark- 
able that  people  came  to  see  it  from  all  parts.    J.  M.  Carey^ 

4  Engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  at  222  West  nineteenth 
Street,  Cheyenne. 

s  Joseph  M.  Carey,  Governor  of  Wyoming  from  Jantiary  2,  1911, 
to  January  4,  1915,  the  only  Governor  of  the  State  whose  son 
also  held  the  same  position.  Robert  D.  Carey  served  as  Govern- 
or of  the  State  from  January  2,  1919,  to  January  2,  1923. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  •2G9 


was  greatly  interested  and  wandered  about  the  patch  at  his 
own  sweet  will." 

Mr.  Gordon  brought  his  bride,  Sophia  Parks,  out  from 
Iowa.  Young,  beautiful  and  charming,  she  was  also  vivacious. 
Mr.  Gordon  wrote,  "She  was  intrepid  and  a  skillful  horse- 
woman and  had  the  reputation  of  being  able  to  handle  any- 
thing in  the  way  of  horseflesh.  On  one  occasion  she  was  driv- 
ing a  pretty  liA-ely  pair  wnth  the  intention  of  going  to  the 
Martin  ranch,  when  she  Avas  bantered  by  the  train  men  just 
as  the  train,  consisting  of  some  emigrant  coaches  and  several 
freight  cars,  was  leaving  for  Egbert.  As  the  wagon  road  at 
that  time  followed  the  railroad  and  she  herself  was  as  spirited 
as  a  seventeen  year  old  young  woman  of  those  stirring  times 
could  be,  she  at  once  started  out  for  a  neck  and  neck  race 
wath  the  train,  *  *  ^  and  contrived  to  cross  the  tracks  at  Eg- 
bert just  as  it  approached.  ^^  *  *  declared  the  winner  by  the 
gallant  train  crew  and  cheered  by  the  passengers." 

Mr.  Gordon  was  no  less  daring.  Tall  and  commanding, 
he  had  been  schooled  in  hard  knocks  on  the  plains.  Once, 
recogTiizing  a  fugitive  from  justice  by  the  description  tele- 
graphed from  Cheyenne,  he  armed  himself  with  a  short 
crooked  stick  which  he  thrust  inside  his  coat  front  with  his 
hand  placed  as  if  on  the  butt  of  a  revolver,  walked  up  to  the 
fellow^  ordered  "hands  up"  and  placed  him  under  arrest. 
He  then  confined  him  under  guard  until  the  arrival  of  the 
sheriff. 

Indian  raids  occurred  and  twice  men  were  killed  within 
a  few  miles  of  the  station.  Finally,  in  '76  about  the  time  of 
the  Custer  massacre,  a  couple  of  Indians  evidently  friendly 
to  Mr.  Gordon  entered  the  Bluffs  ahead  of  a  raiding  party 
and  warned  him  that  he  and  his  "white  squaw"  had  better 
leave.  After  spreading  the  word  they  did,  ]\Ir.  Gordon  wrote. 
Temporarily,  how^ever,  for  Mr.  Gordon  owned  a  ranch  on  or 
near  the  site  of  the  present  J.  R.  Wilkinson  ranch,  near  Pine 
Bluffs,  where  he  and  his  family  lived  until  the  early  '80's. 
They  then  went  to  Central  City,  Nebraska,  and  later  settled 
in  Pueblo.  Incidentally,  Mr.  M.  J.  Galligan,  the  first  Union 
Pacific  agent  at  Egbert  and  a  friend  of  Mr.  Gordon,  also  went 
to  Pueblo,  became  "Judge"  Galligan  and  settled  in  the  same 
block. 

Mrs.  Gordon  and  Mother  became  warm  friends  notwith- 
standing the  difference  in  their  ages.  They  often  exchanged 
visits  and  also  quilt  material,  for  silk  crazy  quilts  and  log- 
cabin  patterns  were  then  in  vogue.  In  1933,  almost  a  half 
centurv  later,  while  visiting  in  California  I  was  shown  one  of 


270  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


those  quilts  which  Mrs.  Gordon  had  made,  and  in  it  was  a 
piece  of  one  of  my  wedding  dresses^  neatly  feather-stitched 
among  others. 

When  we  settled  on  the  Muddy  in  the  summer  of  '74, 
there  were  only  three  families  in  the  valley,  the  T.  C.  Dick- 
sons  at  the  head  of  the  creek  two  and  a  half  miles  west,  the 
William  Dolans  three  miles  east  and  the  William  Rolands  six 
miles  farther  down.  Later  came  the  William  Dunstans,^  An- 
thony Wilkinsons  and  others,  all  excellent  neighbors,  and  good 
friends  still.  Mr.  Dickson,  or  "Dickey"  as  he  was  called,  was 
reported  to  have  been  a  "gentleman  gambler,"  now  "thor- 
oughly reformed,"  according  to  the  opinion  of  his  friends. 
White-haired,  ruddy-faced  and  genial,  he  was  an  ideal  host 
and  a  good  neighbor.  Although  he  no  longer  gambled  he  did 
retain  enough  of  the  "gentleman"  complex  to  shun  work  him- 
self and  "permit"  his  wife  to  shoulder  the  heavy  burdens  of 
running  the  ranch.  Of  this  she  was  fully  capable  however 
distasteful  some  of  her  duties  must  have  been.  She  could 
lariat  a  calf  and  haul  it  out  of  the  muddy  bottom  of  the  creek; 
round  up  cattle  and  drive  any  team  the  men  could  handle. 
And  when  all  other  methods  of  starting  them  had  failed,  she 
could  swear  at  a  team  of  balky  mules  with  such  talent  that 
they  eagerly  lunged  forward.  "Why,  Mrs.  Dickey !"  Mother 
once  protested.  "Well,"  she  replied,  "that's  the  way  the  men 
do  and  it's  the  only  language  these  critters  understand." 

That  was  one  side  of  Mrs.  Dickey's  nature.  The  other 
side  shown  forth  as  an  angel  of  mercy  in  sickness  and  trouble, 
a  loyal  friend  and  a  woman  of  keen  intelligence  whose  hope 
was  some  day  to  retire  from  ranch  life,  build  a  house  in  town 
and  possess  a  black  silk  velvet  dress  and  diamond  brooch ! 
And  her  dream  was  realized.  For  after  Mr.  Dickey  sold  his 
Muddy  Creek  ranch  and  the  one  on  Pole  Creek  where  they 
lived  for  a  couple  of  years,  he  built  a  house  in  town  just  west 
of  the  old  Cheyenne  Club;  when  it  was  torn  down  several 
years  ago,  there  went  another  link  with  the  past.  For  it  was 
there  that  Mrs.  Dickey  spent  the  few  remaining  years  of  her 
life  and  it  was  my  privilege  to  have  seen  her  in  her  velvet 
dress  and  diamond  brooch,  a  handsome,  dignified  woman,  un- 
bowed by  the  trials  of  earlier  years. 

One  morning  while  they  still  lived  on  the  Muddy  word 
came  that  Mrs.  Dickey  was  ill.    True  to  the  unwritten  law  of 


6  Father  of  Mrs.  D.  .J.  O'Connell,  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  271 


the  community,  Mother  at  once  laid  aside  her  own  work  and 
began  to  pack  emergency  articles  in  the  pockets  of  her  three- 
horned  side  saddle.  But  first  she  killed  a  chicken  and  put  it 
on  to  cook.  In  time  she  was  off,  bridle  reins  in  one  hand  and 
a  pail  of  stewed  chicken  in  the  other,  and  with  each  lope  of 
the  pony  one  could  see  daylight  between  her  and  the  saddle. 
For  while  Mother  was  a  skillful  driver  she  was  not  a  graceful 
rider.  If  half  the  broth  in  the  pail  spilled  out  on  that  uncom- 
fortable two  and  a  half  mile  ride,  Auntie  and  I  who  had 
watched  the  start  from  the  west  window  in  our  sitting  room, 
were  none  the  wiser. 

So  many  memories  center  around  that  cheerful  west  win- 
dow !  It  was  there  that  we  used  to  gather  to  watch  the  gor- 
geous sunsets;  there  that  we  watched  for  Father  returning 
from  Cheyenne,  or  for  our  men  folk  when  riding  the  range 
in  a  blizzard  or  when  late  to  a  meal.  Often  they  would  fail 
to  return  to  their  mid-day  dinner  until  three  or  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  With  the  first  sign  of  their  appearance  in 
the  distance  the  kitchen  fire  was  replenished  and  the  victuals 
put  on  to  heat.  How  ravenously  they  ate !  And  six  o'clock 
usually  found  them  ready  to  eat  again.  The  amount  of  cook- 
ing and  baking  accomplished  was  a  wonderment  when  you 
consider  that  it  all  had  to  be  done  in  one  small  kitchen  over- 
supplied  with  inconveniences — no  running  water,  no  refriger- 
ation, no  egg  beater,  the  nearest  market  many  miles  away; 
where  housekeeping  at  all  was  a  daily  challenge  to  one's  in- 
genuity and  company  arriving  unexpectedly.  Always  welcome 
though  and  room  on  the  floor  for  extra  beds.  Flies  so  thick 
from  May  to  October  that  round  screens  were  used  to  cover 
cold  food  on  the  table  and  "swishers"  wielded  by  the  cook  to 
keep  them  away  from,  the  rest.  Butter  served  in  a  covered 
dish,  condiments  in  cruets  set  in  a  revolving  caster,  each  tight- 
ly corked.  After  the  meal  was  cleared  away  the  room  Avas 
darkened  except  one  outlet  toward  which  the  flies  were 
driven.  This  was  repeated  in  the  kitchen.  Then,  with  a  satis- 
fied look  around  the  rows  of  shinging  pans  on  shelves  neatly 
covered  with  nicked  and  scalloped  newspapers,  the  clean 
white-washed  walls,  and  the  kitchen  was  left  to  its  fate  until 
time  to  start  another  meal. 

Once  its  "fate  "  was  rather  surprising.  AVe  had  gone  for 
a  ride  that  Sunday  afternoon,  leaving  a  newly-arrived  man 
cook  to  get  supper  for  the  hay  crew.  Upon  returning  we 
found  the  walls  covei'ed  with  pink  "Police  Gazettes,"  a  sports 
publication  permitted  in  the  bunkhouse  but  not  in  the  house. 
The  apologetic  cook  spent  the  evening  tearing  them  down  and 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


in  the  morning  covered  the  soiled  places  with  more  white 
wash. 

Mother  was  partial  to  calsomine;  she  could  have  fresh 
walls  often  and  delicately  tinted  they  were  attractive.  Then^ 
with  unbleached  muslin  lambrequins  on  the  beds  and  over  the 
tops  of  the  windows  trimmed  to  match  the  tint  of  the  walls^ 
the  effect  was  pleasing. 

Housecleaning"  was  an  event ;  even  the  pictures  on  the 
walls  were  taken  apart,  for  dust  and  flies  would  creep  in.  No 
screens  then,  but  mosquito  netting  tacked  over  the  windows 
and  strips  of  newspapers  fastened  above  the  doorways  to 
rustle  in  the  breeze,  maj"  have  frightened  a  few  flies  away. 
There  was  always  a  piece  of  netting  handy,  too,  to  pull  over 
your  head  when  you  lay  down  on  the  couch.  Palmleaf  fans 
were  another  luxury  and  as  much  of  an  institution  in  summer 
as  crocheted  fascinators  to  wrap  around  your  head,  a  hot 
soap  stone  at  your  feet  and  a  baked  ])otato  in  your  muff  in 
winter.  When  the  edges  of  the  fans  became  frayed  you  bound 
them  with  velvet.  As  a  matter  of  courtesy  you  always  offered 
them  to  guests. 

Canning  time  presented  few  problems  because  there  was 
little  fruit  to  can.  We  depended  largely  on  dried  fruit,  in- 
ferior to  the  evaporated  product  we  have  now,  but  very  palat- 
able once  the  art  of  cooking  it  was  mastered.  But  in  the  hands 
of  a  novice —  Well,  a  woman  then  recently  arrived  from  Eng- 
land was  once  engaged  to  cook  on  a  sheep  ranch.  She  was 
unfamiliar  with  dried  apples,  but  finding  some  in  the  cupboard 
she  essayed  to  make  an  American  pie.  She  had  made  English 
tarts,  so  the  pastry  part  offered  no  difficulty.  Carefully  wash- 
ing the  apples  she  added  sugar  and  spice,  a  little  water,  and 
put  the  pie  in  to  bake.  When  she  opened  the  oven  door  some 
time  later,  the  two  crusts  had  parted  company  and  in  between 
bulged  a  swollen,  wabbly  mass  of  tough  dried  apples. 

Speaking  of  cooks :  One  summer  Mother  engaged 
through  a  Cheyenne  employment  agency  a  woman  to  help  in 
the  house  through  haying.  She  came,  pleasant  and  buxom,  so 
buxom  in  fact  that  Mother's  suspicions  were  aroused.  But 
Matilda  declared  that  she  was  "only  dropsical  and  subject 
to  such  attacks."  On  Monda}'  morning,  however,  she  left  the 
kitchen.  Not  returning  soon  Mother  Avent  in  search  of  her 
and  found  her  outside,  helpless.  How  Mother,  Aunt  Caroline 
and  Mrs.  Wilkie,  our  school  teacher,  got  her  to  the  house  and 
into  her  room  is  a  story  in  itself.  But  with  the  aid  of  a  wheel- 
barrow they  did  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours  a  bright 
baby  girl  appeared  on  the  scene.    Meanwhile  Mrs.  Wilkie  had 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  273 


admonished  me  to  keep  the  other  pupils^  all  younger  than  I^ 
in  the  school  room  which  was  several  yards  from  the  house, 
and  amuse  them  as  best  I  could  as  she  was  needed  elsewhere. 
Aunt  Caroline  was  in  the  kitchen  cooking  dinner  for  the  hay 
crew  when  into  the  yard  drove  Reverend  J.  Y.  Cowhick,  pas- 
tor of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Cheyenne,  and  Mrs.  D.  C. 
Tracey  who  was  on  her  way  to  join  her  husband  at  their  ranch 
at  Pine  Bluffs.  Well,  they  were  friends  of  the  family  and 
Auntie  met  the  emergency  by  saying  that  Mrs.  Martin's  hired 
girl  was  "a  little  indisposed"  and  would  Elder  Cowhick  please 
drive  up  into  the  hay  field  and  tell  Mr.  Martin  that  dinner 
would  be  a  little  late  ?  He  did  so.  Auntie  then  took  Mrs. 
Tracey  into  the  house,  explained  the  situation  and  since  it 
was  a  hot  day  and  Pine  Bluffs  still  twelve  miles  away,  invited 
her  to  stay  for  lunch.  She  then  prepared  it  and  when  Elder 
Cowhick  returned  he  and  Mrs.  Tracey  ate  a  picnic  lunch  on 
the  bank  of  the  creek  under  the  shade  of  an  umbrella ! 

After  the  baby's  birth  Mother  delved  into  Matilda's  trunk 
and  became  convinced  that  Mathilda  was,  in  truth  "subject 
to  such  attacks"  for  she  found  a  complete  layette  which 
showed  previous  use.  Little  sympathy  was  felt  for  Matilda 
who  was  a  woman  well  past  thirty,  but  during  the  three  weeks 
that  Mother  kept  and  cared  for  her  and  the  baby,  the  latter 
won  a  place  in  all  hearts.  They  were  sent  to  Laramie  where 
Matilda  claimed  she  had  friends. 

Our  next  "hired  girl"  was  Mary  from  Nebraska.  She  was 
young  and  appeared  rather  flighty ;  the  boys  liked  to  tease 
her  and  Mother  felt  apprehensive.  But  Mary  soon  proved  she 
could  take  care  of  herself.  One  morning  early  Mother  saw 
her  leave  the  kitchen  carrying  a  large  dipper  of  water.  Cau- 
tiously approaching  the  sleeping  form  of  one  of  the  boys 
rolled  in  his  blanket  in  the  yard,  (in  the  summer  the  boys 
often  slept  out  of  doors)  she  dashed  the  cold  water  on  his 
head.  He  was  subject  to  rheumatism  and  wore  red  flannels. 
With  a  yell  he  ran  into  the  bunkhouse,  followed  by  the  laugh- 
ter and  jeers  of  the  rest.    Mary  rose  in  their  respect. 

Many  of  the  boys  on  ranch  and  range  were  educated  and 
refined,  others  cast  in  coarser  mold,  but  the  majority  were 
worthy  of  the  trust  reposed  in  them.  Their  religion  was  of 
deeds,  not  words,  and  they  despised  hypocrisy.  Once  an 
anemic  looking  fellow  applied  for  work  as  a  "hand,"  but  a 
few  days  of  his  soap-box  oratory  so  annoyed  the  others  that 
Father  assigned  him  duties  around  the  building,  one  of  which 
was  to  cut  and  carry  in  wood  for  the  kitchen  stove,  for  which 
he    showed    little    zeal.     On    Sundav    mornino-    after   breakfast 


274  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Father  reminded  him  that  the  wood  box  was  empty  and  that 
fuel  would  be  needed  with  which  to  cook  dinner.  Rolling  his 
eyes  he  replied,  "Mr.  Martin,  Jesus  never  commanded  his  dis- 
ciples to  chop  wood  on  the  Sabbath."  Father  told  him,  very 
well;  he  was  entitled  to  his  convictions,  but — "no  wood,  no 
dinner,"  and  handing  him  his  week's  wages,  turned  on  his  heel. 
Crestfallen,  the   fellow  departed. 

Quite  in  contrast  was  N.  D.  Hillis,  then  a  very  young 
man,  who  stopped  over  night  at  our  ranch  in  the  summer  of 
1881  while  traveling  through  the  country  for  the  purpose  of 
establishing  Sunday  Schools.  He  had  met  with  some  success 
in  eastern  Iowa  but  found  conditions  very  different  on  the 
plains  of  Nebraska  and  Wyoming  where  ranches  and  settle- 
ments were  too  far  apart  and  the  population  too  sparse  to 
support  them.  But  he  felt  that  as  the  country  settled  up  and 
the  population  increased,  church  societies  would  follow.  In 
that  he  was  right.  The  "silent  immensity"  of  the  plains,  the 
majesty  of  the  mountains  and  the  spirit  of  courage  in  the  face 
of  difficulties  everywhere  manifest  seemed  to  impress  him 
and  he  said,  "I  came  to  teach;  I  am  staying  to  learn."  He 
thought  he  could  understand,  he  said,  why  men  who  led  such 
a  strenuous  existence  six  days  of  the  week  wanted  to  rest  in 
their  own  way  on  the  seventh.  Thus,  even  then.  Mr.  Hillis 
showed  the  broadmindedness  which,  years  later,  was  said  to 
have  characterized  his  pastorate  of  the  Plymouth  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  Brooklyn,  New  York.  Incidentally,  Rever- 
end John  C.  Blackman^  recently  told  me  that  he  once  con- 
ducted services  with  Dr.  Hillis.  That,  I  understand,  was  in 
Mr.  Blackman's  seminary  days,  since  Mr.  Hillis  was  a  much 
older  man  than  he. 


Back  now.  to  that  little,  old  west  window  in  our  ranch 
sitting-room  of  blessed  memory.  I  see  myself,  a  small  im- 
pressionable little  girl,  sitting  before  it  turning  the  pages  of 
Godey's  Lady  Book  and  gazing  enraptured  at  the  picture  of 
a  tall,  stately  lady  in  a  gorgeous  blue  silk  dress,  and  tight- 
fitting  basque  buttoned  from  neck  to  hem,  flowing  sleeves 
with  frilled  lace  undersleeves,  long,  full,  flounced  skirt  which 
swept  the  floor —  "That,"  I  declared  with  conviction  to  a 
skeptical  mother  and  Aunt,  "is  the  way  I  shall  look  on  my 
wedding  day."  In  the  course  of  years  the  wedding  day  ar- 
rived but  alas  !  the  tall   statelv   form  and  the  blue   silk  dress 


a  Pastor  of  the  First  Congregation.il  Church,  now  being  re-con- 
structed at  Chevenne. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


with  its  twenty  yards  of  material  were  missing. 

But  some  of  the  pictures  framed  by  that  old  west  window 
were  very  real.  There  were  the  hail  storms  sweeping  down 
the  valley  and  beyond,  levelling  alfalfa  and  garden  truck, 
pelting  young  colts  and  calves  and  sending  chickens  squawk- 
ing to  shelter.  One  vivid  memory  is  of  a  long  line  of  five 
hundred  black  cattle,  Galloways,  stringing  tandem  over  the 
snow  at  a  certain  time  every  afternoon  to  the  hay  stacks  in 
the  upper  meadow  where  the  men  awaited  them,  for  the  snow 
was  so  deep  that  for  six  weeks  they  had  to  be  fed.  The  habit 
of  coming  for  feed  had  grown  so  strong  that  long  after  the 
hay  was  gone,  the  snow  melted  and  green  grass  appeared  in 
the  spring,  they  had  to  be  turned  back  to  graze  on  the  range. 

Another  vision  seen  through  that  window  is  of  a  couple 
in  an  open  wagon  hurrying  down  the  valley  in  the  teeth  of 
a  blizzard,  the  man  urging  on  his  team,  the  woman  struggling 
to  hold  a  bed  quilt  around  her  shoulders.  For  bed  quilts 
played  their  valiant  part  in  the  "Winning  of  the  West."  Not 
always  the  "Star  of  Bethlehem"  and  "Rose  of  Shannon"  pat- 
terns placed  by  our  grandmothers ;  they  were  held  too  sacred 
for  such  use;  but  more  often  Montgomery  Ward's  dollar  and  a 
quarter  red  calico  comforts  whichj  with  Arbuckle's  coffee, 
Avere  undeniably  "Standard  Brands"  of  those  days.  But  those 
comforts  while  warm  were  not  color  fast,  and  after  a  soaking 
by  rain  or  snow  stained  everything  they  touched.  And  the 
drying   out   process — 

Then  Mother  had  an  idea :  Why  not  use  the  good  parts 
of  the  men's  cast  off  woolen  garments  for  quilt  tops  and  line 
them  with  Montgomery  Ward's  gray  outing  flannel  blankets  .'^ 
That  met  with  instant  approval  from  the  children  for  then 
Papa's  coats  needn't  be  made  over  into  jackets  for  them  and 
perhaps  they  could  have  some  ncM' ! 

Followed  a  time  washing  and  ripping  up  old  clothing, 
sending  to  town  after  cotton  batting,  ravelling  the  tops  of 
old  Avoolen  stockings  for  "tying"  yarn  and  lo !  two  "wool" 
comforts  blossomed  forth,  something  out  of  nothing,  and  so 
neat  and  warm  they  were  used  both  for  robes  and  for  bed 
covering  in  a  blizzard.  What  they  lacked  in  beauty  they  sup- 
plied in  weight,  and  to  sleep  under  one  you  arched  it  over  you 
like  a  tunnel. 

In  later  years  my  husband  trapped  wolves  and  coyotes  and 
Ave  made  fur  robes.  These,  too,  were  often  put  over  our  beds 
to  protect  us  from  wintry  winds  whistling  through  drafty 
walls.  Let  me  assure  you  that  there  is  no  greater  satisfaction 
than  to  nestle  into  a  warm   bed   on  a   stormv   niffht   knowing 


276  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


that  all  your  family  are  safely  at  home,  well  fed  and  comfort- 
able, after  battling  blizzards  or  constantly  feeding  poor  fuel 
into  old  stoves  and  striving  to  keep  one  or  two  lively  young- 
sters up  off  cold  floors,  their  ears  never  warm.  Yet  they  were 
not  particularly  subject  to  colds;  generations  survived  similar 
conditions  through  all  the  ills  children  are  supposed  to  be 
heir  to,  to  say  nothing  of  the  remedies  used — mustard  plasters 
on  their  chests,  onion  poultices  on  the  soles  of  their  feet,  cas- 
tor oil  and  bitter  mountain  sage  tea  forced  down  unwilling 
throats —    O,  the  good  old  days — 


DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 

The  first  regularly  appointed  Episcopal  clergyman  in 
Cheyenne  was  Rev.  Joseph  W.  Cook  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
arrived  January  14,  1868? 

The  first  session  of  the  Wyoming  Territorial  Assembly 
provided  at  its  first  meeting  in  1869  for  the  regulation  and 
maintenance   of   education  ? 

The  first  public  school  at  South  Pass  City,  Wyoming, 
was  started  by  the  teacher,  James  Stilman,  in  the  early  part 
of  1870,  following  the  organization  of  Wyoming  Territoi*y, 
and  before  money  from  school  taxes  was  available  to  pay 
salaries.^  Mr.  Stilman  took  chances  on  receiving  his  pay  after 
collection  of  levied  funds ;  his  salary  was  paid  after  such 
funds  had  been  collected.  The  first  school  house  in  South 
Pass  was  a  log  building  about  18  feet  long,  and  approximately 
1 5  feet  wide,  with  one  window  and  a  dirt  floor.  The  furni- 
ture consisted  of  crude,  homemade  benches  and  desks. 

The  first  railroad  station  building  in  Cheyenne  was  a 
frame  structure  erected  in  1867  by  the  Union  Pacific  rail- 
road } 


ICE-BOATING,  THRILLING  SPORT,  OLD  FT.  FRED  STEELE,  1881 

The  occasion  of  the  first  and  probably  the  only  ice-boat- 
ing in  Wyoming  is  related  by  John  J.  Clark,  Apartado  15. 
Bis,  Mexico,  D.  F..  in  a  letter  dated  September  23,  1939,  and 
addressed  to  the  Wyoming  State  Historical  Department,  as 
follows  : 

"I  read  in  your  publication  (Annals)  mention  of  many 
(Continued  on   Page  309) 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  277 


AH-HO-APPA— FALLEN  LEAF 

Ah-lio-appa,  better  known  as  Fallen  Leaf,  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Sinte-galeshka  (Spotted  Tail),  a  Brule  Teton  Sioux 
chief.  There  are  many  stories  told  about  this  beautiful  maiden, 
some  in  prose  and  some  in  poetry.  One  of  the  finest  is  the 
poem  written  by  Miss  Alice  Kenney,  who  has  captured  the 
tragic  spirit  of  the  Indian  maiden's  life  in  this  lovely  poem  : 

FALLEN  LEAF' 
By  Alice  Kenney 

Ah-ho-appa,  brown  and  tall, 
Born  to  dying  in  the  fall. 
Born  to  Sioux  Chief  Spotted  Tail. 
Learned  to  love  the  lonesome  trail, 

Learned    from    childhood    loneliness, 

Learned  to  like  the  women  less, 

Sought  to  follow  warrior's  life^ 

Learned  to  use  the  bow  and  knife. 
Daughter  of  an  Indian  chief, 
Ah-ho-appa,  Fallen  Leaf, 
Bore  a  strange  and  lonely  light 
Longing  always  to  be  white. 

Wooed  by  every  warrior's  son. 

Ah-ho-appa  looked  at  none ; 

Ever  walked  in  dignity. 

Saw  what  others  could  not  see : 

(Far  away  where  the  sun  comes  up 
And  the  pale-faced  moon  finds  sleep. 
People  drink  from  a  shell-thin  cup 
And  laugh  both  long  and  deep. 
Birds   sing  there,   and   the   grass   is   lush 
And   crickets   chirp   in   the   evening  hush. 
Berries  grow  in  the  underbrush ; 
Cool   are   the  beds   with  sheeting  white ; 
The   hammocks  slung  between  tall  trees 
Tilt  in  the  wind,  and  through  the  night 
The    lilacs    sway    in    the    drifting    breeze.) 


Reprinted  from  COLLEGE  VERSE  with  permission.  Alice  Kenney 
is  a  former  student  at  the  University  of  Wyoming  where  she  won  two 
A.  C.  Jones  prizes  for  poetry,  1936  and  1937.  She  has  published  in 
COLLEGE  VERSE  and  other  periodicals.  Miss  Kenney  is  now  em- 
ployed on  the  Republican-Bulletin,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 


278  ANNALS  OF  WYOMINCJ 


Ah-ho-appa,  do  not  hide^ 
You  were  born  when  autumn  died;, 
Stranger  to   the   Indian  grief 
— Fallen   Leaf — Fallen   Leaf — 
Leave  the  tree  that  begot  you^ 
Follow  the  free  wind's  call. 
Sail  down  the  rivers  it  taught  you. 
Plunge  with  the  turbulent   fall. 
Leave  it  and  knoAv  with  the  leaving 
Life  has  been  torn  with  the  stem, 
Never  you  bother  with  grieving- — 
Learn  to  sew  a  fine  hem. 

Come  to  this  dying  Avith  laughter. 
Be  as  the  white  women   are. 
What  could  ever  come   after 
Someone  has  reached  for  a  star  ? 

Around  Fort  Laramie  camped  the  friendly  Sioux 

To  traffic  with  the  Great  White  Father's  sons. 

They  traded  wampum  beads  of  turquoise  blue 

And  pottery  and  furs  with  zealous  ones 

For   rusty   muskets,   mirrors,    calico. 

Thus  lovelj'  Ah-ho-appa  learned  to  know 

The  soldiers  from  her  bench  outside  the  store^ 

And  mounting  of  the  guard  was  alwaj^s  made 

More  dashing  for  her  smiles — the  simplest  chore 

Became  a  ceremonial  well  played 

Before  the  maiden  they  were  pleased  to  call 

"The  Princess."  though  her  sweeping  skirt  and  sha^r] 

Paraded  dauntless  yearning  to  be  white. 

Discarding  Indian  ways,  she  strug-gled  still 

To   flee  her  heritage.  It  Avas  her  right, 

Though  skin  be  red,  to  change  her  state  at  will. 

She  swore   she'd   never  be   an   Indian's  wife. 

And    slashed    a    dogging   Blackfoot    with    her    knife. 

Across    the    hills  Can  find  the  world 

the  whippoorwills  a  rose  uncurled 

Are  calling  from  the  East;  And  life  a  pleasant  breath. 

The  red-birds  fly  But  dying  land 

through  limpid  sky  cannot   withstand 

And  there  both  man   and  beast  The   steady   march    of  death. 

O  Fallen  Leaf;,  this  certain  grief 
Should  not  belong  to  you, 
And  yet  it  must,  for  from  this  dust 
Have  ever  sprung  the  Sioux. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  279 


Ah-ho-appa    silent    sat 
On  the   bench  before   the   store, 
Saw  the  soldiers  laughing  at 
Some  recruit  who  knew  no  more 

Than  they'd  known   before  they   came. 
Ah-ho-appa  looked  at  him, 
Knew   a   sudden  inward   flame, 
Seeing  one  so  fair  and  slim. 

(Faster  beat  her  heart  and  her  pulse  beat  fast; 
Fallen  Leaf,  Fallen  Leaf,  he  has  come  at  last. 
Listen  to  your  heart  beat  like  a  white  man's  clock, 
Likely  a  newly  wound  one,  tick-tick-tock. 
Listen  to  your  heart:  He  has  come,  he  has  come, 
Ah-ho-appa  listen:   your  heart  is  like  a  drum.) 
The  days  had  gathered  themselves  to  months  and  through 
This  time   "The   Princess"   Fallen  Leaf  became 
The  friend  of  him  she  loved.   He  never  knew 
Within  her  flickered  up  a  twisted  flame 
That  scarcely   could   be   hidden.   Then   one   day 
They  walked  together  where  the  sunshine  lay 
Across  the  hill  like  corndust.  They  sat  down 
With  golden  backs  turned  toward  the  setting  sun 
And  watched  the  shadows  creep  upon  the  town 
Where   lights  preceding  stars   came   one  by  one. 
Words  that  she  should  have  been  saying 
Caught   in    her   throat   unsaid. 
She   might   very  well  have   been  praying. 
Silently  bowing  her  head. 
What  could  she  say  to  this  right  man  ? 
"Come  to  my  tent  in  the  trees; 
Hunt  me  the  wolf  and  the  whiteman. 
Both  will  be   your  enemies. 
Let  me  build   fires   for  my  master, 
Let  me  raise  sons  for  your  pride; 
Blame   me   for  every  disaster, 
But  sorrow   a   bit   when   I've  died." 
He  stopped  the  silver  silence  then  and  spoke 
Of  home  back  East,  of  slender  candle-sticks 
And  fragile  cups  that  seldom  ever  broke ; 
And  quiet  evenings  when  the  lighted  wicks 
Were  low,  and  how  blackberries,  wet  from  dew, 
Can  look  in  china  dishes ;  how  all  througli 
The  evening  hush  the  crickets  scraped  their  bows 
Across  their  fiddles'  unresined  strings, 
He  told  her  how  the  ladies'  laughter  flows 


280  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


And  tinkles  through  tall  rooms.  He  told  her  things 
About   a    certain    girl   with   golden   head — 
"Someday  I'm  going  to  marry  her^"  he  said. 

Fallen  Leaf,   a   fragile  cup 

Often  breaks   from  simjile  sound. 

Never   may   the   sun   come   up 

When   tomorrow   whirls   around. 

Fallen  Leaf^  you  dreamed  a  dream 

Drifting  from  the  hated  bough. 

You  must  take  the  twisting  stream, 

You  must  drift  with  dead  leaves  now. 

Indian  maiden,  Fallen  Leaf, 

Do  not  weep  a  whiteman's  grief. 

Tie  your  heart  with  a  buck-skin  thong 

And  tread  your  way  in  silent  song. 
The  Sioux  had  made  complete  their  long  exchang^e. 
And  empty  now  of  furs  and  trading  goods^ 
They  left  the  fort  to  seek  an  open  range, 
Beyond  the  Powder  River  Avhere  the  woods 
Go  down  to  meet  the  water's  edge  and  where 
The   level   plains   stretch   out   for   miles    from    there. 
Poor  maiden,  Fallen  Leaf,  would   always   ride 
With  Spotted  Tail.   She  never  laughed  nor  sang 
Nor  spoke  to  anyone.   It  seemed  inside 
She  was  a  withered  leaf.   No   bowstring  twang 
Could  rouse  the  old-time  interest  in  her  eyes. 
She  liked  to  walk  alone  where  g'rey  moss  lies 
And  listen  to  the  lost  wind  in  the  trees. 
So  slowly  Ah-ho-appa  thinner  grew, 
Became  the  victim  of  a  dread  disease, 
That  neither  she  nor  any  tribesman  knew. 

Two  grasses  and  two  snows  had  passed  away 

Along  the  Powder  River.     In  the  pines 

Stood  Ah-ho-appa's  tepee  where  she  lay 

And  watched  with  j^ain  the  turning  ivy  vines. 
First   red 
Then   dead 

Tossed  on  the  top  of  a  chilling  breath 
Up   so  high 
Because   they're   dry 

Dead  and  dry  as  death. 

Soon  the  leaves  of  the  quakers 

Will  fall  in  a  torrent  of  gold 

Leaving  the   arms   of  the   shakers 

Empty   and  withered   and  old. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  281 


(Ah-ho-appa,   this    is    dying, 
This  is  singing,  this  is  sighing, 
This  is  laughing  soft  and  crying, 

Fallen,  Fallen  Leaf, 
Never   think    this    less    than    grieving, 
It  is  giving  and  it's  thieving,, 
This  is  merely  autumn  leaving. 
Fallen,  Fallen  Leaf.) 
Your  eyes  are  tightly  shut  and  your  tongue  is  stricken 

dumb. 
But  your  heart,   O   Ah-ho-appa,  is  beating  like  a  drum; 
A  hundred  Sioux  stand  round  it  from  a  hundred  Indian 

bands, 
And  they're  beating  out  its  rhythm  with  their  copper- 
coloured  hands. 
Couldn't  there  be  a  voice  of  white 
Calling  her  through  the  leafless  night, 
Telling  of  cups  so   fragile   and  broken. 
Calling  her — couldn't  the  words  be  spoken? 
Ah-ho-appa,  chieftain's  daughter, 
Spread  your  wings  across  the  water. 
Bleach  your  feathers,  make  them  white, 
Pale-face  heaven  comes  tonight. 
Ah-ho-appa,  do  not  dread, 
You  have  died  with  love  undead, 
This  is  all  there  is  of  grief. 
Fallen  Leaf — Fallen  Leaf. 


MAPS  OF  EARLY  WYOMING  TELL 
FASCINATING  STORY 

By  Marie  H.  Ervvin 

Maps — frequently  looked  upon  as  prosiac  and  dull — do 
in  reality  picture  a  vivid  and  colorful  drama  of  a  changing 
Avox'ld.  Even  now  in  some  countries  of  Europe  the  boundary 
lines  moA'e  so  rapidly  that  mapmakers  cannot  keep  up  with 
the  SAvift  procedure. 

While  the  circumstances  in  America  always  have  been 
less  extenuating  than  those  of  the  countries  just  mentioned, 
the  United  States  map  has  not  always  shown  the  dignified 
rectangular  square  of  M'hich  all  Wyoming  citizens  are  so  proud 
today. 

As    a    matter    of    fact,    even    before    Wvomine:    Territorv 


282 


ANNALS  or  WYOMING 


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ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  283 


existed,  a  bit  of  what  is  now  this  State  belonged  to  the  Repub- 
lic of  Texas,  which  reached  up  and  took  a  "bite"  out  of  the 
land,  which  at  the  present  time  is  a  portion  of  southern  Wyo- 
ming.   (See  Map  No.  1.) 

The  subject  has  provided  a  topic  of  controversy  among 
historical  writers  in  the  past,  some  of  whom  have  contended 
that  there  is  no  available  documentary  evidence  as  to  old 
boundary  lines — especially  concerning  the  boundaries  within 
the  present  Wyoming. 

That  this  contention  is  erroneous  is  evidenced  by  public 
documents  and  other  reliable  sources  of  information  submit- 
ted in  the  succeeding  pages  : 


1819  TREATY  WITH   SPAIN:  FEBRUARY  22,   1819. 

Treaty  of  amity,  settlement,  and  limits,  signed  at  Wash- 
ington February  22,  1819.   Original  in  English  and  Spanish. 

Art.  3 — The  Boundary  Line  between  the  two  Countries, 
West  of  the  Mississippi,  shall  begin  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  River  Sabine  in  the  Sea,  continuing  North, 
along  the  Western  Bank  of  that  River,  to  the  32d.  degree  of 
Latitude;  thence  by  a  Line  due  North  to  the  degree  of  Lati- 
tude, where  it  strikes  the  Rio  Roxo  of  Nachitoches,  or  Red- 
River,  then  following  the  course  of  the  Rio-Roxo  Wesward 
to  the  degree  of  Longitude,  100  West  from  London  and  23 
from  Washington,  then  crossing  the  said  Red-River,  and  run- 
ning thence  by  a  Line  due  North  to  the  River  Arkansas^  thence, 
following  the  Course  of  the  Southern  bank  of  the  Arkansas 
to  its  source  in  Latitude,  42.  North,  and  thence  by  that  parallel 
of  Latitude  to  the  South-Sea.'  The  whole  being  as  laid  down 
in  Melishe's  Map  of  the  United  States,  published  at  Phila- 
delphia, improved  to  the  first  of  January  1818.  But  if  the 
Source  of  the  Arkansas  River  shall  be  found  to  fall  North  or 
South  of  Latitude  42,  then  the  Line  shall  run  from  the  said 
Source  due  South  or  North,  as  the  case  may  be.  till  it  meets 
the  said  Parallel  of  Latitude  12,  and  thence  along  the  said 
Parallel  to  the  South  Sea,  all  the  Islands  in  the  Sabine  and 
the  said  Red  and  Arkansas  Rivers,  throughout  the  thus  de- 
scribed,  to   belong  to   the   United  States;   but  the   use   of  the 


NOTE. — In  quoting  the  documents  from  tlie  volumes  indicated,  the 
text,  spelling,  capitalization  and  punctuation  have  been  copied  verbatim. 


1  Or  Pacific  Ocean. 


284  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Waters  and  the  navigation  of  the  Sabine  to  the  Sea^  and  of 
the  said  Rivers,  Roxo  and  Arkansas,  throughout  the  extent 
of  the  said  Boundary,  on  their  respective  Banks,  shall  be 
common  to  the  respective  inhabitants  of  both  Nations.  The 
Two  High  Contracting  Parties  agree  to  cede  and  renounce  all 
their  rights,  claims  and  pretensions  to  the  Territories  described 
by  the  said  Line:  that  is  to  say. — The  United  States  hereby 
cede  to  His  Catholic  Majesty,  and  renounce  forever,  all  their 
rights,  claims,  and  pretensions  to  the  Territories  lying  West 
and  South  of  the  above  described  Line;  and,  in  like  manner, 
His  Catholic  Majesty  cedes  to  the  said  United-States,  all  his 
rights,  claims,  and  pretensions  to  any  Territories  East  and 
North  of  the  said  Line,  and,  for  himself,  his  heirs  and  suc- 
cessors, renounces  all  claim  to  the  said  Territories  forever. 

Art.  i- — To  fix  this  Line  with  more  precision,  and  to 
place  the  Land  marks  which  shall  designate  exactly  the  limits 
of  both  Nations,  each  of  the  contracting  parties  shall  appoint 
a  Commissioner,  and  a  Surveyor,  who  shall  meet  before  the 
termination  of  one  year  from  the  date  of  the  Ratification  of 
this  Treaty,  at  Nachitoches,  on  the  Red  River,  and  proceed  to 
run  and  mark  the  said  Line  from  the  mouth  of  the  Sabine  to 
the  Red  River,  and  from  the  Red  River  to  the  River  Arkansas, 
and  to  ascertain  the  Latitude  of  the  source  of  the  said  River 
Arkansas,  in  conformity  to  what  is  above  agreed  upon  and 
stipulated,  and  the  Line  of  Latitude  42.  to  the  South  Sea: 
they  shall  make  out  plans  and  keep  Journals  of  their  pro- 
ceedings, and  the  result  agreed  upon  by  them  shall  be  consid- 
ered as  part  of  this  Treaty,  and  shall  have  the  same  force  as  if 
it  were  inserted  therein.  The  two  Governments  will  amicably 
agree  respecting  the  necessary  Articles  to  be  furnished  to 
those  persons,  and  also  as  to  their  respective  escorts,  should 
such  be  necessary. 2 

1836.  The  Texas  congress  on  December  19,  1836,  passed 
an  act^  by  Avhich  it  marked  the  limits  of  the  Republic  as  fol- 
lows : 

An  Act.  to  define  the  boundaries  of  the  Republic  of 
Texas. 

Sec.  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  senate  and  house 
of  representatives  of  the  republic  of  Texas,  in  con- 
gress assembled,  That  from  and  after  the  passage  of 


2  Miller,  Hunter,  Ed.,  TREATIFS  AND  OTHER  INTERNATIONAL 
ACTS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA,  Doc.  4L  (United 
States  Government   Printing  Office,  Washington.)    1933.. 

3  Gammel,  LAWS  OF  TEXAS,  I,  pp.  1193,  1194. 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  28.'! 


this  act,  the  civil  and  political  jurisdiction  of  this  re- 
public be.  and  is  hereby  declared  to  extend  to  the 
following  boundaries,  to  wit :  beginning  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Sabine  river,  and  running  west  along  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  three  leagues  from  land,  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Rio  Grande,  thence  up  the  principal  stream  of 
said  river  to  its  source,  thence  due  north  to  the  forty- 
second  degree  of  north  latitude,  thence  along  the 
boundary  line  as  defined  in  the  treaty  between  the 
United  States  and  Spain,  to  the  beginning :  and  that 
the  president  be,  and  is  hereby  authorized  and  re- 
quired to  open  a  negotiation  with  the  government  of 
the  United  States  of  America,  so  soon  as  in  his  opin- 
ion the  public  interest  requires  it,  to  ascertain  and 
define  the  boundary  line  as  agreed  upon  in  said 
treaty. 

IRA  INGRAM, 

Speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives. 

RICHARD  ELLIS. 

President  pro  tern,  of  the  senate. 
Approved,  Dec.  19.  1836. 

SAM  HOUSTON. 
IS-iS-lS'iS. — These    boundaries    were     accepted    by    tlu 
L'nited  States  after  Annexation  and  the  Mexican  War.'* 


Sept.  9,  1850. — An  Act  proposing  to  the  State  of  Texas 
the  Establishment  of  her  Northern  and  Western  Boundaries, 
the  Relinquishment  by  the  said  State  of  all  Territory  claimed 
by  her  exterior  to  said  Boundaries,  and  of  all  her  Claims  upon 
the  United  States,  and  to  establish  a  territorial  Government 
for  New  Mexixco. 

PROPOSITIONS  OFFERED  TO  TEXAS,  WHEN  ACCEPTED, 
TO  BE  BINDING  UPON  HER  AND  THE  UNITED  STATES.  PRO- 
VISO. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  United  States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled, 
That  the  following  propositions  shall  be,  and  the  same  hereby 
are.  offered  to  the  State  of  Texaxs,  which,  when  agreed  to  by 
said  State,  in  an  act  passed  by  the  general  assembly,  shall  be 
binding  and  obligatory  upon  the  United  States,  and  upon  the 
said  State  of  Texas:  PROVIDED,  The  said  agreement  bv  the 


^  Harriett    Sinitlier,    Arcliivist,    Texas   Library    anil    Historical    Coniinis- 
sion.    (Letter). 


28()  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


said  general  assembly  shall  be  given  on  or  before  the  first  day 
of  December,  eighteen  hundred  and   fifty : 

BOUNDARY  OF  TEXAS  DEFINED. 

First.  The  State  of  Texas  will  agree  that  her  boundary 
on  the  north  shall  commence  at  the  point  at  Avhich  the  meri- 
dian of  one  hundred  degrees  west  from  Greenwich  is  inter- 
sected by  the  parallel  of  thirty-six  degrees  thirty  minutes 
north  latitude,  and  shall  run  from  said  point  due  west  to  the 
meridian  of  one  hundred  and  three  degrees  west  from  Green- 
wich; thence  her  boundary  shall  run  due  south  to  the  thirty- 
second  degree  of  north  latitude;  thence  on  the  said  parallel 
of  thirty-two  degrees  of  north  latitude  to  the  Rio  Bravo  del 
Norte,  and  thence  with  the  channel  of  said  river  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico. 


CESSION  OF  TERRITORY  TO  THE  UNITED  STATFS. 

Second.  The  State  of  Texas  cedes  to  the  United  States 
all  her  claim  to  territory  exterior  to  the  limits  and  boundaries 
which  she  agrees  to  establish  by  the  first  article  of  this  agree- 
ment. 


TEXAS  RELINQUISHES  ALL  CLAIM  UPON  THE  UNITED 
STATES  FOR  LIABILITY  OF  HER  DEBTS  OR  INDEMNITY,  &C. 

Third.  The  State  of  Texas  relinquishes  all  claim  upon 
the  United  States  for  liability  of  the  debts  of  Texas,  and  for 
compensation  or  indemnity  for  the  surrender  to  the  United 
States  of  her  ships,  forts,  arsenals,  custom-houses,  custom- 
house revenue,  arms  and  munitions  of  war,  and  public  build- 
ings with  their  sites,  which  became  the  property  of  tlie  United 
States  at  the  time  of  annexation. 


$10,000,000  IN  STOCK  BEARING  FIVE  PER  CENT.  INTEREST 
TO  BE  PAID  TO  TEXAS  THEREFOR. 

Fourth.  The  United  States,  in  consideration  of  said  es- 
tablishment of  boundaries,  cession  of  claim  to  territor}^.  and 
relinquishment  of  claims,  will  pay  to  the  State  of  Texas  the 
sum  of  ten  millions  of  dollars  in  a  stock  bearing  five  per  cent, 
interest,  and  redeemable  at  the  end  of  fourteen  years,  the 
interest  payable  half-yearly  at  the  treasury'  of  the  United 
States. = 


s  United   States  Statutes  at  I^arjie,  Vol.   9,  pp.  446-44.7.   (Little,  Brown 
and  Co.,  Boston)   1854. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  281 


1850. — The  southwestern  part  (west  of  the  Continental 
Divide)  of  that  portion  of  Texas  lying  within  the  present 
boundaries  of  Wyoming  became  part  of  Utah  Territory.  The 
remainder  of  the  aforesaid  portion  of  Texas  was  included 
in  "Unorganized  or  Indian  Territory." 


1854. — Nebraska  Territory  was  organized  from  the 
northern  part  of  the  Unorganized  or  Indian  Territory,  with 
the  Continental  Divide  as  its  western  boundarv. 


1861.^ — Dakota  Territory  was  carved  from  the  Nebraska 
Territory  and  embraced  most  of  present  day  Wyoming^  north 
of  the  43rd  parallel.  But  Nebraska  Territory  was  extended 
west  to  embrace  part  of  Utah  Territory  lying  east  of  33° 
longitude^  west  from  Washington.  This  included  all  of  the 
Wyoming  portion   of  the    former  Texas   Republic. 


1863 — Idaho  Territory  was  created  to  embrace  all  of 
Wyoming  with  the  exception  of  the  southwestern  corner  (33°- 
34°  Longitude  west  from  Washington,  between  41st  and  42nd 
Parallel)    Avhich  remained  Utah. 


1864.- — Dakota  Territory  was  created  to  take  in  all  of 
AVyoming  except  Idaho  Territory  (33°-34°  longitude  from 
Washington  between  42nd  parallel  and  Continental  Divide.) 
and  Utah  Territory,  (33°-34°  Longitude  west  from  Washington 
between  41st  and   42nd   Parallel). 


1869.^ — Wyoming  Territory  -was  formed  to  include  all  that 
port iiiJi -o-f  Daketa.  Utah  and  Idaho  Tmituiica  botwoon  tho 
41st  and  45th  Parallels  of  latitude,  and  between  27°  and  34° 
Avest   from  Washington,  the  present  boundaries   of  the   State. 

Thus  the  above  documentary  evidence  removes  all  doubt 
as  to  the  exact  boundaries  of  the  Republic  of  Texas  in  rela- 
tion to  the  present  State  of  Wyoming. 

Note:  Longitude  lines  from  AVasliington  are  approximately  three 
miles  to  right  from  longitude  line  west  from  Greenwich.  For  example: 
the  27°  line  west  from  Washington  is  about  three  miles  right  from  the 
104°   line  west  from  Greenwich. 


288 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


EARLY  WYOMING  TERRITORY  COMPRISED  ONLY 
FIVE  COUNTIES 

Originally,  Wyoming  Territoi'y  contained  only  five  coun- 
ties, in  1869_,  their  generous  proportions  being  separated  by 
four  north-and-south  lines,  a  fact  which  the  beginning  student 
of  Wyoming  history  is  surprised  to  learn. 

However,  the  passing  of  70  years  has  seen  numerous 
changes  in  this  respect  and  the  following  governmental  pro- 
cedure which  created  these  first  five  huge  sections  of  the 
State  gives  an  accurate  and  interesting  account  as  to  how, 
Avhen  and  where  this  was  accomplished:   (See  Map  No.  2.) 

Laramie  County  was  the  only  county  within  the  boun- 
daries of  Wyoming  Territory  which  retained  its  name  from 
that  given  it  by  Dakota  Territorial  Legislature.  When  the 
Wyoming  Territorial  Legislature  in  1869  defined  the  county 
boundaries,  it  left  that  of  Laramie  County  undefined;  how- 
ever, the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Territory  always  had  been 


^^^_ 

^^^H 

III" 

no* 

109*                     108" 

107"                      106*                     105"                     104* 

IS* 

i 

r         1          i          i          1          1         ,1 

45* 

44- 

' 

44* 

43* 



43* 

UINTA 

SWEETWATER 

CARBON 

ALBANY 

LARAMIE 

42- 

- 

- 

42° 

41" 

-J 

" 

— 

41* 

1 

1                       1 

i 

\ 

1 

1 

III*                          1 

0* 

109'                        108" 

107* 

106*                        105"                      104 

;^iiJ 

MADE     BY    STATE    PLANNING    ft    WATER     CONSERVATION     BO. 

WYOMING       1869 
MAP    NO.    2. — Shows    the    first    five-county    division    of   Wyoming 
Territory,    (1869).    This    is    an    interesting   contrast    to    the   23    counties 
which   now  checter-board  the  state. 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  289 


the  eastern  boundary  of  Laramie  County,  and  the  eastern 
boundary  of  Albany  County  formed  the  western  line  of  Lara- 
mie County.  Carter  County  which  was  established  by  the 
Dakota  Territorial  Legislature  was  completely  eliminated  by 
the   first  Wyoming"  Territorial   Legislature. 

LAWS  OF  DAKOTA  TP:RRIT0RY  1867. 

LARAMIE  COUNTY.   (Dakota  Territory.) 

Chapter  14 

AN  ACT  TO  CREATE  AND  ESTABLISH  THE  COUNTY  OF 
LARAMIE. 

Section  1.  That  all  that  portion  of  the  Territory  of 
Dakota  west  of  the  one  hundred  and  fourth  meridian  west. 
be  and  the  same  is  hereby  erected  into  a  county  by  the  name 
of  Laramie. 

Section  3.  The  count}"  seat  of  said  county  is  hereby 
located  at  Fort  Sanders. 


LAWS  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY  1867-68. 
CARTER  COUNTY 
Chapter  7. 

AN  ACT  TO  CREATE  AND  ESTABLISH  THE  COUNTY  OF 
CARTER. 

Section  1.  That  all  the  portion  of  the  County  of  Laramie, 
and  Territory  of  Dakota^  west  of  the  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enth degree  and  thirty  minutes  west  longitude,  be  and  the 
same  is  hereby  erected  into  a  county  by  the  name  of  Carter. 

Section  3.  The  county  seat  of  said  county  is  hereby 
located   at   South   Pass    City. 

Approved   December   27,    1867. 


LAWS  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY  1867-68. 

Chapter  8. 

AN  ACT  TO  RE-ORGANIZE  THE  COUNTY  OF  LARAMIE. 

Section  2.  That  all  that  portion  of  the  Territory  of 
Dakota,  west  of  the  one  hundred  and  fourth  meridian  west. 
and  east  of  the  one  hundred  and  seventh  degree  and  thirty 
minutes  west,  be,  and  the  same  is,  hereby  erected  into  a  county 
by  the  name   of  Laramie. 

Section  5.  The  county  seat  of  said  county  is  liereby 
located  in  the  City  of  Cheyenne. 

Uinta,  Sweetwater,  Carbon  and  Albany  Counties  were 
organized,  and  their  boundaries  defined  by  the  1869  Wyoming- 
Territorial  Legislature  as  follows : 


290  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

LAWS  OF  WYOMING  TERRITORY  1869. 

UINTA  COUNTY. 

Chapter  34. 

AN  ACT  TO  CREATE  AND  ESTABLISH  THE  COUNTY  OF 
UINTA. 

Section  1.  That  all  that  portion  of  the  Territory  of  Wyo- 
ming, bounded  and  described  as  follows,  be_,  and  the  same  i.s 
hereby  erected  into  a  county  by  the  name  of  Uinta:  Com- 
mencing at  the  intersection  of  the  forty-first  parallel  of  lati- 
tude, and  the  thirty-third  meridian  of  Longitude  west  from 
Washington,  running  thence  north  along  said  thirty-third 
meridian  of  longitude,  to  its  intersection  with  the  forty-fifth 
parallel  of  latitude;  thence  west  along  said  forty-fifth  parallel 
of  latitude,  to  its  intersection  with  the  thrity-fourth  meridian 
of  longitude  west  from  Washington ;  thence  south  along  said 
thirty-fourth  meridian,  to  its  intersection  with  the  forty-first 
parallel  of  latitude;  thence  east  along  said  parallel  to  its 
place  of  beginning. 

Section  2.  That  the  county  seat  of  said  county  be  tem- 
porarily located  at  Merrill,  near  Fort  Bridger.  until  the  people 
of  said  county  shall,  at  their  first  election  for  county  officers, 
definitely  fix  upon  a  county  seat  for  said  county. 

SWEETWATER  COUNTY. 

Chapter  35. 

AN  ACT  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE 
COUNTY   OF   SWEETWATER. 

Section  1.  That  all  of  that  portion  of  the  territory 
of  Wyoming  erected  into  the  county  of  Carter,  by  an  act  of 
the  legislative  assembly  of  the  territory  of  Dakota,  approved 
December  27th,  1867,  and  bounded  as  follows:  Beginning  at 
the  forty-fifth  parallel  of  latitude,  where  the  thirty-third  meri- 
dian of  longitude  crosses  the  said  parallel  of  latitude,  thence 
south  along  said  meridian  being  the  eastern  line  of  Uinta 
county,  to  the  forty-first  parallel  of  latitude,  being  the  south- 
ern boundary  of  the  territory ;  thence  east,  along  the  said 
southern  boundary  to  a  point  thirty  degrees  and  thirty  min- 
utes west  from  Washington ;  thence  north  along  said  meridian 
(of)  thirty  (degrees  and)  thirty  minutes  west,  to  the  forty- 
fifth  parallel  to  a  point  thirty  degrees  and  thirty  minutes  west 
from  Washington ;  thence  west  along  said  forty-fifth  parallel 
to  the  place  of  beginning,  shall  be  and  continue  a  county  by 
the  name  of  Sweetwater;  PROVIDED.  That  the  eastern  line 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  291 


of  said  county  shall  be  deemed  to  run  one-fourth  of  one  mile 
west  of  Separation  station  upon  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad, 
until  a  government  or  territorial  survey  shall  prove  said  sta- 
tion to  be  west  of  the  said  east  line.  The  county  seat  of  Sweet- 
water county  shall  be  located  at  South  Pass  City  until  re- 
moved according  to  law. 

CARBON  COUNTY 
Chapter  37. 

AN  ACT  TO  ORGANIZE  THE  COUNTY  OF  CARBON  AND 
TO  ESTABLISH  THE  BOUNDARY  LINES  THEREOF. 

Section  1.  That  all  that  portion  of  Wyoming  territory 
described  as  follows,  be  and  is  hereby  organized  into  a  county 
by  the  name  of  Carbon,  to-wit :  Commencing  at  a  point  one- 
half  mile  east  of  Como  station,  on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad, 
and  running  thence  due  north  to  the  forty-fifth  parallel  of 
north  latitude;  thence  west  along  said  parallel  to  the  one 
hundred  and  seventh  degree  and  thirty  minutes  west  longi- 
tude; thence  south  along  the  eastern  boundary  of  Carter 
county,  (namely:)  the  one  hundred  and  seventh  degree  and 
thirty  minutes  west  longitude,  to  the  forty-second  (forty- 
first)  parallel  of  north  latitude ;  thence  east  along  said  paral- 
lel to  a  point  due  south  of  the  point  of  beginning;  thence 
north  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Section  3.  The  county  seat  of  said  county  is  hereby 
located  at  Rawlins  Springs  until  removed  therefrom  accord- 
ing to  law. 

ALBANY  COUNTY 
Chapter  38. 

AN  ACT  TO  ESTABLISH  THE  BOUNDARY  LINES  OF 
ALBANY    COUNTY. 

Section  1.  That  all  that  portion  of  Wyoming  territory 
embraced  within  the  following  described  boundaries,  shall  be 
known  as  Albany  county;  Commencing  at  Buford  station  on 
the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  thence  due  north  to  the  foi-ty- 
fifth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  thence  west  along  said  parallel 
to  the  eastern  line  of  Carbon  county,  thence  south  along  said 
eastern  boundary  line  of  Carbon  county  to  the  forty-first 
degree  of  noi'th  latitude,  thence  east  along  said  forty-first 
parallel  of  latitude  to  a  point  due  south  of  Buford  station,  and 
thence  north  to  the  point  of  beginning. 

Section  3.  The  county  seat  of  said  county  is  hereby 
located  at  the  town  of  Laramie,  until  removed  therefrom  ac- 
cording to   law. 


292  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Perhaps  the  early  day  Legislators  showed  more  foresight 
in  dividing  the  State  into  a  smaller  number  of  large  counties 
than  have  their  successors  in  making  subsequent  divisions. 
Particularly  one  may  be  inclined  to  arrive  at  this  conclusion 
in  vieAv  of  present-day  discussion  as  to  advisability  of  con- 
solidating a  number  of  the  counties  for  the  purpose  of  de- 
creasing the  cost  of  administration — claimed  by  economists 
as  much  too  high  per  capita  for  the  State's  approximately 
250.000   inhabitants. 


JAMES  BRIDGER,  A  MEXICAN   CITIZEN 


A  Description  of  Fort  Bridger,  1859. 


As  James  Bridger's  declining  years  advanced  and  he 
found  his  finances  becoming  a  problem  to  him,  he  undertook 
to  collect  rentals  and  the  purchase  price  of  Fort  Bridger  from 
the  U.  S.  Government  to  whom  he  had  rented  in  1857.  From 
this  claim  a  struggle  with  the  Government  ensued  which  lasted 
many  years. 

This  claim  was  still  unsettled  at  the  time  of  Bridger's 
death  July  17,  1881.  and  his  daughter.  Mrs.  Virginia  Bridger 
Hahn^  later  carried  on  the  fight,  which  was  finally  settled 
about  eight  years  after  James  Bridger's  death. 

Through  this  controversy  interesting  facts  as  to  the 
method  of  Bridger's  acquisition  of  the  land  and  the  building 
of  his  Fort^  were  brought  to  light. 

In  1843,  when  he  selected  the  site  for  his  fort,  for  the 
"convenience  of  emigrants"'  and  protection  against  Indians, 
this  part  of  the  country  was  then  Mexico.  He  no  doubt  had  to 
have  permission  from  the  Mexican  government  to  build  his 
fort   on   Mexican  soil. 

It  was  therefore  necessary  for  him  to  become  a  Mexican 
subject,  contact  Mexican  authorities,  which  he  must  have 
done,  for  we  find  in  the  Congressional  Documents  :^ 

"In  the  Matter  of  the  Claim  of  James  Bridger. 
Honorable   Committee   on  Claims, 
United  States  Senate : 

"Under  the  auspices  of  the  government  of  Chihuahua, 
in    1843,  before  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.   James   Bridger  was 


t  Alter,  James   Bridger,  p.   178,    (Shepard   Book   Co.,  Salt   Lake,   Utah) 

1925. 
2  52d.  Congress — 1st  Session,  Senate  Report   fi25.  Exhibit   18. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  293 


induced  under  a  promise  by  the  Government  of  a  large  grant 
of  land  to  establish  a  colony  in  Green  River  country^  Utah, 
then  Mexican  territory,  which  he  did  at  great  expense,  and 
erected  Fort  Bridger  for  protection  against  Indians,  at  a  cost 
of  over  $20,000. 

"Under  the  Spanish  rule  he  was  to  plant  said  colony 
and  i-etain  possession  of  the  country  for  a  term  of  years  be- 
fore he  was  to  receive  the  title  to  that  grant. 

"The  Mexican  war  entirely  changed  his  plans,  as  under 
the  treaty  of  2d  February,  1848,  his  possessions  became  a  part 
of  the  United  States  territory.  He  then  felt  easy,  as  he  was 
protected  in  all  his  possessory  rights  by  treaty,  and  as  it  was 
generally  understood  that  the  protective  policy  of  the  United 
States  (which  protected  the  persons  and  property  of  the  Span- 
ish and  French  subjects  in  the  acquisition  of  Florida  and 
Louisiana)  would  be  also  extended  over  all  Avho  came  under 
our  flag  from  Mexico.  In  this  belief  he  rested  contented,  as 
he  believed  himself  under  the  most  liberal  and  just  Govern- 
ment on  earth.  By  treaty  he  became  an  American  citizen  with- 
out doing  a  thing  on  his  part.  Continuing  on  in  possession  of 
his  property,  the  possession  was  guaranteed  to  him  by  said 
treaty,  until,  shortly  after  peace  was  declared,  the  Mormon 
troubles  broke  out,  when  his  relations  were  again  disturbed 
by  the  U.  S.  Army  quartering  in  his  fort  in   1857. 

"Being  an  illiterate  man  (as  will  be  seen  from  making 
his  mark  to  the  lease),  these  intelligent  army  officers  ingeni- 
ously worded  the  lease  of  his  property  to  suit  alone  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Government,  and  got  possession  of  a  property  in 
Avhich  he  had  put  his  earnings  of  a  lifetime — his  all  on  earth. 
Two  years  after  this  possession  by  the  army,  the  President, 
in  violation  of  the  sacred  treaty  stipulations,  as  will  be  seen 
hereafter,  declared  it  a  military  reservation,  thus  defeating 
all  efforts  to  complete  his  title,  commenced  under  the  Span- 
ish laws  and  to  be  completed  under  ours. 

"This  ruined  him  completely;  it  was  his  financial  death- 
blow, from  which  he  never  afterward  recovered.  He  died  dis- 
heartened, leaving  a  destitute  family,  at  the  lack  of  good 
faith   on   the   part   of  the   United  States    Government. 

"The  fact  that  the  Government  officers  leased  this  prop- 
ei'ty  in  question  at  $600  per  year,  and  were  to  pay  $10,000 
for  it  if  they  purchased,  shows  tliat  it  was  regarded  as  very 
valuable  and  of  great  use  to  the  Army.  The  strong  and  well^ 
built  stone  wall,  well  laid  in  cement,  was  1 8  feet  high  and  5 
feet  thick  around  an  area  of  100  feet  square,  and  was  pro- 
nounced   the    strongest    fort    of   the    kind    in    the    West.      The 


294  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

transportation  of  the  cement  some  thousand  of  miles  over  a 
wild  country,  with  which  to  construct  that  cemented  stone 
structure,  cost  alone  several  thousand  dollars.  The  construc- 
tion of  this  fort — the  wall  alone — in  the  wilderness,  where 
material  was  so  costly  and  so  inaccessible,  would  be  rea- 
sonably worth,  from  builders'  estimates,  $18,000. 

As  a  former  citizen  of  Mexico  he  is  entitled  to  have  his 
rights    respected    and   protected    by    treaty    of    2d    February, 

1848  ..." 

*      *      *      * 

The  following-  description  of  the  Fort  is  given  by  Assist- 
ant Surgeon  Robert  Bartholow^  who  accompanied  the  Utah 
Expedition : 

"The  fort  originally  consisted  of  an  irregular  collection 
.sf  log  houses,  surrounded  by  a  stockade,  arranged  in  j^art 
for  defense  against  the  Indians,  in  part  for  the  kind  of  trade 
here  carried  on.  When  the  Mormons  occupied  the  valley  of 
Salt  Lake,  and  grew  into  a  formidable  community,  the  fort 
came  into  their  possession,  and  was  further  strengthened  by 
the  erection  of  a  quadrangular  wall.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the 
army,  in  the  fall  of  1857,  nothing  remained  of  Fort  Bridger 
but  this  wall,  all  the  wooden  structures  having  been  burned 
by  the  Mormons  Avhen  they  could  no  longer  maintain  posses- 
sion. 

"The  erection  of  the  necessary  quarters  for  a  garrison 
of  five  companies  commenced  immediately  after  the  advance 
of  the  army  in  June,  1858;  but,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  the 
indispensable  materials,  the  buildings,  though  in  a  state  of 
considerable  forwardness,  are,  as  yet,  uncompleted.  The  hos- 
pital was  so  far  advanced  toward  completion  as  to  be  con- 
sidered habitable  in  December  last,  and  the  company  quarters 
a  few  weeks  later.  In  this  half  finished  state,  the  officers' 
quarters  were  occupied  in  January.  The  quarters  are  built 
in  a  substantial  manner  of  logs.  The  work  of  completing  them 
is  still  going  on  as  vigorously  as  the  coldness  of  the  weather 
will  permit:  they  make  haste  slowly  .  ,  . 

"On  the  hills,  five  miles  distant,  grow  groves  of  stunted 
cedar  trees,  from  which  the  fort  is  supplied  with  fuel.  The 
buildings  recently  erected  are  arranged  in  a  quadrangle,  the 
wall  of  old  Fort  Bridger  forming  one  side.  Through  the  parade 
ground,  and  in  front  of  the  line  of  officers'  quarters,  runs 
one  of  the  numerous  branches  into  which  Black's  fork  is 
divided  at  this  point.  .  . 

Between    1857    and    the    abandonment    of    the    Fort,    the 


3  36th.   Congress — 1st   Session — Senate  Ex.   Doc.   52 — pp.   30ti-307. 


ANNALS   OF  WYOMING  295 


history  of  Fort  Bridger  concerns   the   Military. 

In  Brigadier-General  John  R.  Brooks'  Report-Letter'' 
September  5,   1891,  the  following  statement  occurs: 

"November  6,  (1890)  Fort  Bridger^  Wj'oming,  finally 
abandoned." 


WYOMING  TROOPS  RAISED  FIRST  AMERICAN 
FLAG  IN  MANILA,  AUGUST  13,  1898 


By  E.  G.  Guyer 


Aly  attention  has  recently  been  called  to  articles  in  the 
newspapers  and  other  publications  regarding  the  raising  of 
the  American  flag  in  Manila  on  August  13,  1898,  after  the 
entrance  of  Anierican  troops  into  that  city.  Since  Wyoming 
furnished  at  least  four  and  one-half  times  her  quota  of  volun- 
teers for  the  Spanish-American  War  and  many  of  her  citizens 
were  members  of  the  first  organization  to  get  into  action 
both  in  the  Philippines  and  in  Cuba,  I  have  felt  that  our 
Historical  Dejoartment  should  have  in  its  records  a  correct 
and  concise  statement  by  those  who  participated  in  the  events 
of  that  war.  I  shall  confine  my  interest  in  this  article  to  the 
circumstances  surrounding  the  raising  of  the  Wyoming  Bat- 
talion of  Infantry  flag  which  it  was  my  privilege  to  carry 
into  Manila  on  that  memorable  day  forty-one  years  ago  on 
the   13th  of  August. 

The  Battalion  was  encamped  at  Camp  Dewey,  south  of 
Manila.  Bright  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  13th  day  of 
August,  the  Battalion  was  started  on  the  march.  We  followed 
a  road  not  far  from  the  Bay.  On  our  left  between  this  road 
and  the  Bay  and  somewhat  in  front  of  us  were  the  Colorado 
troops.  At  times  Ave  were  deploj^ed  and  at  other  times  where 
the  way  was  clear,  we  marched  in  columns  of  four.  Upon 
reaching  the  Pasig  River  we  saw  the  flag  of  the  Colorado 
regiment  flying  over  old  Fort  San  Antonio  on  the  point  be- 
tween the  river  and  Bay  and  commanding  a  view  of  the  Bay. 
Quickening  our  time.  Ave  rapidly  advanced  into  the  residential 
part  of  the  city  and  Avere  soon  alongside  the  moat  and  the 
old  Availed  city,  close  to  the  south  entrance  and  in  the  immedi- 
ate A'icinity  of  the  Luneta  Barrjicks  Avhich  had  lioused  the 
73rd  Spanish  Regiment  of  the  line.  The  adAancing  American 
troops  had  couAcrged  at  this  }>oint  and  Avere  massed  in  front 
of   the   Availed   city   Avhicli    Avails    Aveve    croAvded    Avith    Sjianish 


4  .52d  Congress — 1st  Session — H.  Kx.  Doc.   I — Pt.  2  -pp.  2.')  1-2.51.. 


296  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


soldiers  fully  armed.  About  the  time  we  arrived  at  this  pointy 
the  white  flag  was  displayed  in  the  most  prominent  point 
on  the  parapet  where  it  could  not  fail  to  be  seen.  The  various 
regiments  were  soon  set  in  motion  and  assigned  positions  in 
and  around  the  city.  The  Wyoming  troops  were  made  the 
Headquarters  guard  for  General  x\nderson  and  were  assigned 
to  the  Luneta  Barracks  in  front  of  which  he  had  been  halted. 
Immediately  upon  taking  possession  of  the  barracks^  we  raised 
our  flag.  As  Color  Sergeant,  it  was  my  duty  to  do  this.  At 
our  first  attempt  to  raise  the  flag  the  rope^  being  old,  broke. 
Some  one  soon  found  new  rope  which  we  spliced,  and  at  4:45 
P.  M.  the  flag  was  raised — the  first  flag  raised  near  the  center 
of  Manila.  The  official  flag  of  Admiral  Dewey  was  raised  at 
5  -AS  P.  M.  on  the  walls  of  the  old  city,  almost  one  hour  after 
the  Wyoming  flag  had  been   raised. 

There  is  no  controversy  over  who  raised  the  first  flag 
at  Manila.  It  is  conceded  that  the  first  flag  was  flown  over 
Fort  San  Antonio  on  the  outskirts  of  Manila  and  that  that 
Fort  fell  before  the  Colorado  troops,  but  by  advancing  rapidly 
and  due  to  the  fortunate  circumstance  of  being  appointed 
Headquarters  Guard  for  General  Anderson,  the  Wyoming 
troops  undoubtedly  raised  the  first  flag  in  the  City  of  Manila 
proper.  Comrade  Chriss  Hepp  of  C  Company,  Buffalo  Wyom- 
ing, now  deceased,  was  the  most  active  in  assisting  me  in  rais- 
ing the  flag  although  there  were  many  of  the  boys  around  the 
flag  pole  at  the  time. 

A  few  w^ords  as  to  the  history  of  the  flag.  The  purchase 
price  was  given  by  citizens  of  Wyoming — just  who  initiated 
the  idea  I  do  not  know  but  to  the  best  of  my  recollection  it 
was  the  women  of  Wyoming.  The  flag  Avas  presented  to  the 
Battalion  while  in  camp  at  Camp  ^lerritt  on  the  Military 
Reservation  called  "The  Presidio  at  San  Francisco."  The 
presentation  was  made  either  by  Governor  Richards  or  some 
one  delegated  by  him.  The  acceptance  speech,  as  I  remember, 
was  made  by  First  Sergeant  C.  H.  Burritt  of  C  Company, 
Buffalo,  Wyoming,  and  Sergeant  Fuer  of  Company  G,  Sheri- 
dan,   now   deceased,    received    the    flag.    The    flag   is   now   in 

possession  of  the  Historical  Department  of  the  State'. 

*      *      *      * 

The  above  article,  written  by  Mr.  Guyer  on  August  13, 
1939,  from  Sheridan.  Wyoming,  and  sent  to  the  State  His- 
torical  Department,    Cheyenne,  was   accompanied  by  a   certi- 


'  The  flag,  whose  silken  folds  are  somewhat  tattered  and  broken,  is  on 
public  view  in  the  State  Museum  in  the  Supreme  Court  Building, 
Cheyenne,   Wyoming. 


ANNAI.S  OF   WYOMING  297 


ficate  signed  by  six  of  the  author's  comrades,  as  follows: 
"We^  the  former  members  of  Company  G,  Wyo- 
ming Volunteer  Infantry,  and  now  residents  of 
Sheridan  County,  Wyoming,  attest  to  the  correctness 
of  the  statement  made  above  and  hereby  endorse  by 
our   signatures. 

(Signed)   NILES  R.  COLEMAN 
GEO.  N.  AKIN 
W.  D.  JUNE 
HENRY  GEORGE 
HENRY  T.  RULE 
CHARLES  J.  SCHUBERT." 

INIr.  Guyer  was  a  "member  of  Company  G  and  discharged 
as  Sergeant-Ma j or  of  the  Battalion." 


ACCESSIONS 

June  30  to  September  30,   1939 

MUSEUM 
Miscellaneous 

Finfrock,  Mrs.  W.  E.,  14.02  Custer,  Laramie,  Wyomina-. — Gentleman's 
old-fashioned  key-winder  gold  watch,  given  to  donor's  husband 
the  late  W.  E.  Finfrock,  a  pioneer,  of  Laramie,  by  his  aunt,  Mrs. 
John  White,  of  Ohio;  souvenir  of  nuptial  anniversarv  April  21, 
1869. 

Morton,  Mrs.  B.  B.,  210  Fast  20th  St.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. — One  huge 
coffee  cup,  white  china,  brought  by  donor's  mother,  Mrs.  M.  S. 
Lockhart,  of  Cheyenne,  from  Iowa  in  1894.  Family  lived  many 
years  at  Bonanza,  Wyo.,  near  Basin  and  Hyattville.  Cup,  one  of 
set  of  six,  with  floral  design  and  individual  verse  on  each.  Probably 
made  in  1889  or  earlier  date. 

Stewart,  Mrs.  Olive  L.,  Hat  Creek,  Wyoming. — One  "Lusk.  Wvo.,  Pio- 
neer Scrap  Book,  1886-1887,  Lusk  Herald  Items."  A  6x5 1'2  in. 
stenographer's  note  book,  34  pp.  in  which  are  pasted  newspaper 
clippings.    One  2^-  in.  photo  of  Olive  L.  Stewart  on  inside  of  cover. 

Harvev,  Jennie,  Rock  Springs,  Wvomina:.  —  One  .5^x9  in.  shipping 
label;  in  ink— "U.  S.  Ex.  E.  D.  Woodruff,  M.  D..  Rock  Springs,  Wyo. 
From  Arkinson  &  Wormwood,  Tailors,  Rockford,  111.,  Aug.  21,  1883. 

Carroll,  Theresa  E. — One  Testimonial  of  Graduation,  Laramie,  Wyom- 
ing, High  School,  Julv  1,  1881,  issued  to  Tlieresa  Evangeline  Car- 
roll. 

Hancock,  John  J.,  Casper,  Wyoming. — One  specimen  each,  antelope  and 
deer  heads,  from  Natrona  County. 

Harvey,  J.,  Rock   Springs,  Wyoming. — Pieces   found  in    193.5    at   site   of 
old  Fort  Stambaugh,   near  Atlantic  City,  Wyoming. 
One  "H"  shell  with  bullet,  about  4.5  calibre. 
Four  3  in.  square  hand  made  nails. 
One  metal  piece  Jxi  in. 
One  H  in.  diameter  gear  wheel. 
One  round  nozzle  from  U.  S.  Army  canteen. 
One  round  metal  U.  S.  Armv  canteen,  liattered  and  rustv. 


298  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


DeLoney,  N.  J.,  Jackson,  Wyoming. — Thirteen  photos  by  S.  N.  Leek. 
One  4x7^  in.,  about  200  Elk  being  fed  linseed  cake. 
One  5ix8  in.  dead  starved  elk;  live  mate  standing  near. 
One  6x8  in.  close-up  of  about  1,000  Elk  being  fed  hay. 
One  6ix8i  in.  close-up  of  large  Elk  herd  packed  together. 
Two  antlered  bulls  high  on  hind  legs  to  fight. 
One  6tx8  in.,  baby  elk  lying  calmly  behind  trees,  petted  by  man, 

labeled  "Hand  of  Protection." 
One    7x10    in.,   six    men    including    State    Game   Warden    and    State 

Veterinarian  dissecting  diseased  elk. 
One  8x10  in.,  six  colors,  11  elk  being  fed  hay  on  top  of  snow. 
One   8x10  in.,  bull  elk  shot,  six  point  antlers;   Gov.   B.   B.   Brook.s, 

Mr.   Burke,  pure   food   commissioner,   and   state   veterinarian  ex- 
amining carcass  for  scab. 
One  8x10  in.,  live  elk  bedded  in  snow,  and  Com.  Burke. 
One    6ix8i    in.,   S.    N.   Leek,  photographer-author   standing  before 

big  camera  on  tripod  on  "Elk  sland"  in  Jackson  Lake,  Mt.  Moran 

in  distance. 
One   6^x8i    in.,   beautiful    mountain    stream,    close    timber,   peak    in 

distance. 
One  8x10  in.,  five  different  colored  mountain  views. 
12-stanza  poem  by   S.   N.   Leek,  "Where  Old   Snake  River  Flows," 

all  photography. 
One  7fxlO  in.,  colored,  five  fishermen,  two  boats,  two  strings  fisli, 

shore  Jackson  Lake. 
One  genuine  black  leather  brief  case. 
Portfolio  of  Clarence  D.  Clark. 
Badges  of  Hon.  Chas.  DeLoney. 
Three   photos,   one,    Colorado-Wvoraing    Grand   Encampment,    190& 

G.  A.  R. 
Golden    Wedding    Anniversary    of    Charles    and   Clara    Burton    De- 
Loney, Jackson,  Wyo.,  Nov.  27,  1921. 
DeLoney  family  tree  and  branches. 
One  gold-plated  G.  A.  R.  badge. 
One  gold  plated  crossed  swords  badge. 
One  round  cloth  gold  braid  badge. 
Loby,   Mr.   Septimus,   Verbob,  British   Columbia,   Canada;   former   cow- 
puncher  in  northeastern  Wyoming. 
One  5x8  in.  photo,  S.  Loby  on  cow-horse,  lariat. 
One  32X.5  in.  mount,   (two  pictures) ;  one  on  reverse  side. 
One   unmounted    3fx.5-f    in.    brown    commercial    photo    of    S.    Loby, 

Canadian  Army  Officer,   World  War,  1914-1918. 
One  mounted  5x7  in.  photo  S.  Loby. 
Two  views — "Cowboy,  white  bronco,  corral,  camps,''  banks  of  Yel- 

stone. 
One   handwritten  ink  letter,    19th   April,    1917,  signed  by   Septimus 

Loby. 
Reitz,  Mrs.  Minnie  A. — 

One  2:1x4  in.  newspaper  clipping-  on   Capt.  Wm.  J.  Fetterman,  am- 

bushed-massacred  by  Indians  Dec.  21,  1866. 
One  commercial  photo  SixS]   in.,  1896,  of  Hugh  Cramer. 
One    5x7    in.   commercial    photo    of   Ruth    Elizabeth    Griffin,    age    6 

mos.,  granddaughter  of  Mrs.  Reitz;  styles  of  1881-1912. 
One  commercial  photo  of  Ruth  Elizabeth  Griffin,  age  3. 
Blueprint  of  plans  and  specifications  of  four  U.  S.  stations  (camps) 

Platte   River   Station,  Deer    Creek    Station,   La    Bonte    or   Camp 


ANNALS   OF   WYOMING  299 


Marshall  Station,  Horse  Shoe  Station. 
Kelly,    Ed.    S.,  Guernsey   Lake    Museum,   Guernsey,    Wyo. — Hand-made 

letter-opener  of  red  cedar  from  a  pole  of  the  first  telegraph  line 

built  across  the  plains  in  1861,  by  Edward  Creighton.    Opener  made 

by  donor,  Wyoming  pioneer,  in  charge  of  Guernsey  Lake  Museum. 
Collections 
M'yley,   Mrs.   Elizabeth  O'Brien,   Douglas,   Wyoming. — John   D.    O'l'rien 

collection: 

One  white  parchment  appointment  John  D.  O'Brien  to  "ind  Prin- 
cipal Musician. 

One  white  parchment  appointment  John  D.  O'Brien  to  Co.  Qr. 
Mstr.  Sergeant  in  Company  "H"  Fourth  Reg. 

One  white  parchment  appointment  to  Principal  Musician  in  Non 
Com'd.  Staff  &  Band,  4th  Reg.  of  Infantry. 

One  flexible  covered  packet,  sewed  at  top,  "Army  Enlistment  and 
Character  Manuscripts." 

One  U.  S.  A.  certificate  of  citizenship. 

One  two  sheet  pen-ink  handwritten  letter,  Dec.  26,  1888,  addressed 
to  John  D.  O'Brien,  Doualas,  Wvo.,  signed  bv  Thomas  Moon- 
light. 

One  original  pen-ink  handwritten  letter,  "Elizabethtown,  Kentucky, 
Sept.  10,  1872,"  to  Major  V.  W.  Howard,  3rd  Artillery,  Fort 
Pulaski,  Ga.,  signed  John  D.  O'Brien,  citing  enlistments,  etc. 

One  Homestead  Certificate  No.  32,  application  21,  March  17.  1892. 
favor  John  D.  O'Brien,  1.50.0.5  acres.    Benj.  Harrison,  Pres.  U.  S. 

One  U.  S.  Armv  Discharge,  Sept.  23,  1899,  John  D.  O'Brien,  Capt. 
Co.  H.  Fir.st  Battalion,  Wyo.  Inf. 

One  Special  Account  War  with  Spain,  In\aiid  Pension  increase, 
March  7,  1906. 

One  6x8:1  in.  photo  John  D.  O'Brien  (1838-1915)  who  helped  build 
Ft.  Fetterman  in  1867. 

Pictures  —  Framed 

Deming,  William  C,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Six  pictures. 

Grenville  Dodge  Memorial  Inn,  first  building  erected  at  the  sum- 
mit, head  of  Telephone  Canyon,  by  William  C.  Deming  and  Les- 
lie A.   Miller.    81x10]   inches.     (Framed) 

Bunk  House  and  Ranch  Home,  Warren  Livestock  Company,  Col. 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  former  president;  Hon.  B.  B.  Brooks,  for- 
mer governor  of  Wyoming;  Hon.  James  R.  Garfield,  former 
Sec'y  of  Interior;  Robert  D.  Carey;  Senator  Warren;  Charles 
Irwin;  W.  C.  Deming.  Picture  taken  in  1910  at  North  Warren 
Ranch.    SixlOi  inches. 

Robert  Burns  Statue,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  Mrs.  Andrew  Gilchrist, 
donor,  and  others.    10§xl2|  inches. 

Commissioner  as  Receiver  of  Public  Moneys  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming, 
February  25,  1907,  from  President  Theodore  Roosevelt  to  Wil- 
liam C.  Deming.     (Framed)    201x24 1   inches. 

Early  day  Cheyenne  street  scene.  1902.  10x12  inches,  tinted, 
mounted. 

Scene   of   Frontier    Days    at    Fair   grounds,  Cheyenne,    1902.     10x12 
inches,  tinted,  mounted. 
Eklund,  Mrs.  Bertha  B.,  Green  River,  Wyo. — Five  post-card  size  photos: 

1849  Overland  Stage, 

Two-seated  buggy;  two  horses  and  harness. 

Two  wheeled  "pulled"  hand-cart. 

Wagon  and  four  horse  team. 


300  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Man  on  horseback,  representing  Thomas  Fitzpatrick,  Trapper,  dis- 
coverer of  South  Pass  Oregon  Trail,  Green  River,  Apr.,  1824. 
One  photo  7x8^^  in.  pair  child's  shoes. 

Scanlon,  Miss  Stella,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. — One  outstanding  picture 
9x11  in.,  by  J.  E.  Stimson,  Cheyenne,  excellent  likeness  of  Percy 
Holt,  horseback;  autographed  by  Hoyt  who  was  famous  pioneer- 
benefactor-philanthropist. 

Ingham,  Mrs.  Maud,  Laramie,  Wyoming.- — Two  copies  5x7|  in.  photos; 
one  of  Josiah  J.  Fisher;  one  of  Fannie  Smith  Fisher,  his  wife,  Lara- 
mie City,  Wyo.  Ter.,  father  and  mother  of  Mrs.  Ingham.  One  5x81 
in.  mounted  photo  of  Old  Keystone  Mine,  Douglas  Creek;  standing 
against  veranda  of  frame  building  are  18  men  in  clothing  of  the 
time   (1885). 

Irvine,  Bob,  Douglas,  Wyoming. — One  6'}x9  in.  enlarged  snapshot  of 
"Bob"  Irvine  on  Paddy,  summer  1897.  Robert  Lawrence  Irvine, 
age  14. 

Warren,  Frederick  E.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. — Photograph  of  residence 
of  Francis  E.  Warren,  200  East  17th  St.,  Cheyenne,  Wyo.  7x9 J  in. 
Built  in  early  80's  by  Major  Glafke.  Purchased  by  Francis  E.  War- 
ren prioif  to  1884.  Birthplace  of  Frederick  E.  Warren  and  other 
members  of  the  family.  Changes  made  in  roof  and  other  remodel- 
ing. Since  1927  the  house  has  been  used  as  an  office  by  the  War- 
ren Livestock  Co.  and  Warren  Mercantile  Co.,  the  latter  handling 
the  real  estate  business  of  the  Warren  interests. 

Anderson,  Miss  Esther  L.,  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction, 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming. — Thirty-five  pictures  of  Historical  Landmark 
Dedication  trip  July  2  to  6,  1939,  when  six  monuments  were  dedi- 
cated. 

Books  —  Gifts 

Rankin,  M.  Wilson,  Boulder,  Colo. — One  74x11  in.  volume,  Reminiscen- 
ces of  Frontier  Days,  including  authentic  account  of  Thornburg 
and  Meeker  Massacre,  by  Wilson  Rankin. 

Newspapers 

Greenburg,  Daniel  W.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. — One  paper  cover  6x9  in. 
"Fort  Bridger  Wyoming,  a  brief  history  comprising  Jim  Bridger's 
Old  Trading  Po.st^  Etc."  Cover  picture  "Old  Fort  Bridger  1843-57." 
Schmehl,  Walter  T.,  Wind  River,  Wyoming. — 

One  copy  "The  Arapahoe  Agency  Courier."    Published  for  John  C. 

Burnett,  Arapahoe  County,  Wyo. 
One    copy    "The    Shoshoni    Capital,"    first    newspaper    at    Shoshoni, 

Wyoming,  Saturday,  Feb.  24,  1906. 
One  copy  "The  Miner,"  Hudson,  Wyo.,  Nov.  7,  1913. 
One  copy  "Wind  River  Mountaineer,"  Lander,  Wyo.,  June  4,  1885. 
One  copy   "The   Fremont   Clipper,"   holiday   edition.  Lander,  Wyo., 
Dec.  29,  1893. 
Jensen,  Mr.   and  Mrs.   S.   G.,   Green   River,   Wyoming. — One  4  pp.   well 
preserved  copy   "Rock   Springs  Miner,"   Rock   Springs,  Wvo.,  Nov. 
9,  1892. 
Law,  Mrs.  Nora  Moss,  1001  Sierra  Street,  Berkeley,  Calif. — Three  num- 
bers   of   "Pony   Express    Courier,"    Placerville,    Calif.     (Historical) 
November  and  December,  1938,  and  January,  1939,  containing  the 
diary  of  the  donor's  father,  William  Cartier  Moss,  entitled  "Over- 
land to  California  in  the  Earlv  Sixties." 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  301 


Purchases  —  Pictures 

Two  sets  pictures  purchased  from  Walter  Schmehl,  Wind  River,  Wyom- 
ing. 

One  set  "General  oldtime  Indian  pictures"  taken  about  1882-1883.  44 
photos  in  the  set. 

One  set  of  82  pictures,  "Ft.  Washakie  Group"  taken  about  1890-1892. 
Purchases  —  Maps 

Map  of  Wyoming  (Official). — Purchased  from  George  Cram  &  Ci>.. 
730  East  Washington  St.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.  41x48  inches.  In 
color. 


ACTIVITIES  OF 

WYOMING  HISTORICAL  LANDMARK 

COMMISSION 


SIX  MONUMENTS  ARE  DEDICATED  BY  THE  COMMISSION 

Visible  evidence  of  Wyoming's  appreciation  of  her  out- 
standing' pioneers,  the  impress  of  whose  lives  and  work  will 
mark  the  future  of  this  land  for  all  time,  is  gradually  spread- 
ing itself  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  State 
with  the  installation  and  dedication,  from  time  to  time,  of 
handsome  monuments   to   their  everlasting  memory. 

Such  meritorious  activity  has  been  the  definite  program 
of  the  Wyoming  Historical  Landmark  Commission,  of  which 
Warren  Richardson,  of  Cheyenne,  is  chairman;  John  C. 
Thompson,  of  Cheyenne,  treasurer;  and  Joseph  F.  Weppner, 
of  Rock  Springs,   secretary. 

Six  such  markers  Avere  dedicated  with  approj^riate  and 
impressive  ceremonies  during  the  week  of  July  2,  1939,  Avhen 
a  motor  caravan  tour  was  conducted  by  the  members  of  tlu- 
Commission,  in  M'hich  State  officers  and  other  prominent  per- 
sonalities  participated. 

The  starting  point  was  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  on  Sunday 
morning  of  July  2  at  eight  o'clock,  and  tlie  party  consisted  of 
the  following:  Mr.  Richardson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  C.  Thomp- 
son, and  their  sons;  Miss  Esther  Anderson,  state  superintend- 
ent of  public  instruction;  James  B.  (Griffith,  Commissioner 
of  Public  Lands  and  Farm  Loans,  and  Mrs.  Griffith:  Frank 
Kelso,  Superintendent  of  the  State  Highway  Department, 
and  Mrs.  Kelso;  George  O.  Houser.  secretary  of  the  State 
Department  of  Commerce  and  Industry,  and  Mrs.  Houser; 
Charles  Seifried.  Chief  Engineer  of  the  State  Highway  De- 
partment, Mrs.  Seifried  and  daughters:  Dr.  Marshall  C. 
Keith,  State  Health  Officer,  and  Mrs.  Keith;  William  Taylor, 
a  member  of  the  State  Highway  Commission;  Captain  William 


302 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Harwood^  of  the  State  Highway  Patrol,  and  P.  S.  Orr^  photo- 
grapher, from  the  State  Department  of  Education. 


— Courtesy  State  Department  of  Commerce  and  Industry, 

THE  HISTORICAL  LANDMARK  COMMISSIONERS  AND 
GOVERNOR  NELS   H.  SMITH 

(Left  to  right):   John  Charles  Thompson,  Governor  Smith, 
Joseph  S.  Weppner  and  Warren  Richardson. 


Owen  Wister  Monument 

Arriving  at  Medicine  Bow,  Wyoming,  at  12  o'clock  noon, 
for  dedication  of  the  Owen  Wister  monument;,  the  caravan 
was  joined  by  several  others,  including  Joseph  S.  Weppner, 
secretary  of  the  Landmark  Commission,  and  Mrs.  Weppner 
of  Rock  Springs;  former  Governor  Bryant  B.  Brooks  and  his 
daughter  and  son-in-law,  Mr.   and  Mrs.   Roy  Spurlock,  all   of 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  303 


Casper:  Hon.  Charles  W.  Moore,  a  member  of  the  Legislature, 
of  Dubois,  and  Mrs.  Moore;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  W.  Spaulding, 
of  Evanston,  Wyoming;  and  some  out-of-state  sisitors,  includ- 
ing Mr.  Henry  Joy,  Jr.,  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  Mrs.  Helen 
Joy  Lee  of  Wjitchill,  Rhode  Lsland. 

Promptly  at  12  o'clock  the  ceremony  was  opened  by  Mr. 
Worth  Garretson,  the  mayor  of  Medicine  Bow,  and  chairman 
of  the  program  committee,  and  the  invocation  was  given  by 
C.  D.  Williams,  of  Hanna,  Wyoming. 

Former  Governor  Brooks  gave  a  splendid  dedicatory  ad- 
dress and  also  read  a  personal  letter  received  from  Mr.  Wis- 
ter  a  few  months  before  he  passed  away.  Preceding  the  ad- 
dress, Mr.  Garretson  made  a  short  talk  in  behalf  of  the  Lions 
Club  and  the  City  of  Medicine  Bow,  and  the  high  school  band 
provided  several  musical  numbers.  Following  a  few  talks  by 
local  oldtimers,  the  party  adjourned  to  the  Virginian  Hotel 
for  a  chicken  dinner. 

The  Joy  Monument 

The  caravan  continued  Avestward  on  the  Lincoln  High- 
way, after  dinner  at  the  Virginian,  to  a  point  on  the  Contin- 
ental Divide  between  Rawlins  and  Wamsutter,  where  at  4  'AB 
o'clock,  p.  m.,  a  progam  dedicating  the  Joy  monument  "was 
presented. 

Governor  Nels  H.  Smith  and  Mrs.  Smith  joined  the  party 
here,  having  just  returned  to  the  State  from  an  eastern  trip, 
and  the  dedicatory  program  was  presided  over  by  Mr.  P.  W. 
Spaulding,  a  close  friend  of  the  Joy  family.  The  first  speak- 
er was  Governor  Smith,  followed  by  Hon.  Cliarles  W.  Moore, 
of  Dubois,  Avho  as  a  personal  friend  of  Mr.  Joy's,  talked  on 
the  many  memories  of  days  gone  by  Avhich  he  had  spent  Avith 
Mr.  Joy  in  Wyoming. 

Mr.  Richardson,  Avho  also  had  been  a  close  friend  of  Mr. 
Joy's,  made  the  formal  dedicatory  address,  and  related  the 
many  experiences  of  himself  and  ]\Ir.  Joy  when  laying  out 
the  original  Lincoln  Highway.  Henry  Joy.  Jr.,  then  read  a 
telegram  from  his  mother  telling  of  her  illness  and  disa])- 
pointment  in  not  being  able  to  be  present,  after  which  ^Irs. 
Helen  Joy  Lee,  the  daughter,  made  a  fcAv  remarks  folloAving 
her  introduction,  and  placed  a  beautiful  Avreath  sent  by  her 
mother,  Mrs.  Joa'.  at  the  base  of  the  moniiment. 


The  party  then  left  for  Rock  Springs,  Wyoming,  Avhere 
they  spent  the  night,  and  the  folloAving  morning.  Monday. 
July  3,  the  caraA'an,  headed  by  Captain  HarAvood.  dei^arted 
for  Fort  Bridger,  Avhere   the   group  arrived   at    10::iO   o'clock. 


304  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


a.  m.  A  complete  tour  of  the  Fort  was  enjoyed^  and  after 
luncheon  the  party  left,  by  wa}'  of  Kemmerer,  for  the  Star 
Valley,  which  they  reached  at  5:30  p.m. 

Lander  Cut-Off  Monument 

A  large  assemblage  greeted  the  touring  party  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  valley  at  the  Lander  cut-off  monument, 
where  Senator  Lester  Barrus,  of  Lincoln  County,  was  chair- 
man of  the  program. 

John  Charles  Thompson  made  the  dedicatory  address  fol- 
lowing introduction  of  individual  members  of  the  party  by  the 
chairman,  and  the  remainder  of  the  program  included  a  talk 
by  Governor  Smith,  a  selection  by  the  Afton  high  school 
band,  a  number  by  a  mixed  quartet,  and  an  invocation. 

The  party  and  the  crowd  then  continued  to  Afton,  Wyo- 
ming, twelve  miles  distant,  where  the  new  Valleon  Hotel  was 
headquarters  for  the  caravan.  The  Governor  and  his  party 
were  entertained  by  a  local  boxing  program,  followed  by  a 
grand  opening  of  the  hotel  and  a  ball. 

Snake  River  Canyon  Road  Monument 

On  Tuesday  morning,  July  4,  the  dedicatory  party,  which 
had  been  joined  the  previous  evening  by  Mr.  Mart  Christen- 
sen.  State  Treasurer,  and  Mrs.  Christensen,  left  for  the  scene 
of  the  Snake  River  Canyon  Monument,  about  thirty-five  miles 
distant  into  the  lower  valley. 

The  monument  marks  the  site  where  the  returning  As- 
torians,  led  by  Robert  Stuart,  were  attacked  by  Indians  and 
their  horses  stolen  in  September,   1812. 

Senator  Barrus  was  chairman  again,  and  promptly  at 
10:30  o'clock_,  a.m.,  the  program  began  with  an  invocation  by 
Bishop  Dana,  of  Thayne,  Wyoming,  after  which  the  dedica- 
tory address  was  given  by  Bishop  Fluckiger.  of  Aetna_,  Wyom- 
ing. 

Other  speakers  were  Mr.  Peterson,  chairman  of  the  Utah 
State  Highway  Commission,  representing  Governor  Blood,  of 
Utah,  who  made  a  short  address,  followed  by  Senator  William 
Taylor,  of  Montpelier,  Idaho,  representing  the  Governor  of 
that  State,  and  Governor  Smith,  who  expressed  the  apprecia- 
tion of  Wyoming  to  both  representatives  of  the  Governors  of 
the  neighboring  states.  Several  selections  by  the  Afton  high 
school  band  preceded  the  departure  of  the  assemblage  for  the 
official  opening  of  the  Snake  River  Canyon  road  some  twenty 
miles  up  the  canyon  in  a  beautiful  park,  large  in  area. 

The  celebration  opened  with  a  series  of  races,  and  there 
were  two  soft  ball  games  by  selected  teams,  together  with 
numerous  other  sports. 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING  305 


Approximately  twenty-one  or  twenty-two  hundred  auto- 
mobiles entered  the  canyon  after  the  opening,  and  it  was  esti- 
mated that  there  were  between  six  and  seven  thousand  people 
at  the  celebration. 

John  Colter  Monument 

At  2  :00  p.  m.,  the  same  day.  July  4_,  the  caravan  left  for 
Jackson,  Teton  County,  where  it  arrived  at  5  :00  o'clock^  and 
promptly  at  6  :00  o'clock,  the  program  began  for  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  John  Colter  monument  in  the  city  park.  Mayor 
Harry  Clissold  was  the  chairman  and  Governor  Smith  was 
the  first  speaker^  while  Mr.  Weppner,  secretary  of  the  Land- 
mark Commission  made  the  dedicatory  address,  which  in- 
cluded a  sketch  of  the  life  and  history  of  John  Colter,  the 
first  white  man  to  enter  the  Jackson  Hole  country,  and  the 
discoverer  of  Yellowstone  Park. 

After  dinner  the  party  enjoyed  dancing  and  other  en- 
tertainment. 

Grave  of  Sacajaewa  Visited 

The  following  morning.  Wednesday,  July  5,  at  10:00 
o'clock,  the  caravan  proceeded  to  Teton  National  Park,  and 
thence  to  the  top  of  Signal  Mountain,  where  they  viewed  the 
inspiring  panorama  of  the  Jackson  Hole  country.  They  then 
continued  over  Two-Gwo-Tee  Pass  to  Dubois  and  the  Charles 
Moore  ranch,  where  they  were  gviests  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore 
at  a  chicken  dinner.  Leaving  the  ranch  about  5  :00  o'clock, 
p.  m.,  the  party  drove  to  Fort  Washakie,  and  the  home  of  Dr. 
John  Roberts,  who  accompanied  them  to  the  grave  of  Saca- 
jawea,  upon  which  her  great,  great  grand  daughter  placed  a 
wreath,  furnished  by  Miss  Esther  Anderson,  preceding  which 
Dr.  Roberts  miade  brief  remarks. 

In  the  same  cemetery  the  i^arty  paused  at  the  grave  of 
Chief  Washakie,  where  Dr.  Roberts  spoke  on  some  of  his 
memories  of  Washakie,  and  the  oldest  son,  Dick  Washakie, 
who  is  approximately  ninety  years  of  age.  placed  a  wreath  on 
the  grave  of  his  father. 

The  day  was  brought  to  a  close  at  Riverton.  Wyoming, 
where  a  dinner  given  by  the  Lions   Club  was  enjoyed. 

Esther  Morris  Monument 

The  concluding  ceremony  of  the  spectacular  tour  took 
place  at  South  Pass  City,  a  picturesque  ghost  town  and  relic 
of  colorful  mining  days,  in  Fremont  County,  on  Thursday, 
July  6,  at  12  o'clock  noon,  with  the  dedication  of  the  Esther 
Morris  monument.  Mrs.  Harnsberger  Stone  was  chairman 
of  the  program,  which  was  opened  with  an  invocation  followed 
bv  an  address  bv  Governor  Smith.    Mrs.  Stone  then  introduced 


30(i  ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 


several  of  the  oldtimers  ranging  in  age  from  eighty  to  ninety 
years,  who  had  been  at  South  Pass  when  the  town  was  the 
largest  city  in  Wyoming.  A  number  of  these  pioneers  riiade 
interesting  remarks  and  comments  on  their  memories  of  the 
early  days,  some  of  whom  were  personally  acquainted  with 
Esther  Morris,  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  the  world,  and 
co-author,  with  W.  H.  Bright,  of  the  Equal  Suffrage  Bill. 

Miss  Esther  L.  Anderson,  State  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction,  gave  an  excellent  dedicatory  address,  and  Mr. 
Robert  Dubois,  of  Cheyenne,  a  great  grandson  of  Esther 
Morris,  placed  a  Avreath  at  the  base  of  the  monument. 

The  caravan  then  proceeded  to  Lander,  where  it  arrived 
at  3  :00  o'clock,  p.  m.,  and  the  group  was  entertained  in  Pio- 
neer Park  by  the  Business  and  Professional  Women's  club 
and  other  civic  organizations  of  Lander,  during  which  a  pro- 
gram of  early-day  reminiscences  by  oldtimers  was  presented, 
followed  by  a  picnic  luncheon.  The  party  dispersed  at  about 
5  :00  o'clock  and  all  proceeded  to  their  respective  homes. 


UTAH  ORGANIZATION  DEDICATES  PLAQUE 
IN  WYOMING 

In  a  program  conducted  under  the  direction  of  the  County 
Camp  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Utah  Pioneers,  a  plaque  on  the 
first  school  house  erected  in  Wyoming  at  Fort  Bridger  in 
1866,  was  dedicated  on  August  25,  1939. 

The  Lyman  High  school  band_,  under  the  direction  of 
Blaine  Blonquist,  opened  the  program  at  2  :00  o'clock  with  a 
concert,  followed  by  an  invocation  by  Chaplain  Eliza  Roberts. 

Mrs.  J.  W.  Slade,  County  President,  was  chairman,  and 
the  marker  was  unveiled  by  H.  J.  B.  Taylor,  one  of  the  oldest 
jiioneers  living  in  the  valley. 

Mrs.  Henrietta  Slade  then  made  a  brief  address  in  behalf 
of  the  organization,  in  which  she  described  the  work  of  the 
Chapter,  and  concluded  her  remarks  with  the  presentation  of 
the  plaque  as  a  gift  from  her  organization  to  the  State  of 
Wyoming. 

Acceptance  of  the  gift  was  made  by  Mr.  Joseph  Weppner, 
in  behalf  of  the  Historical  Landmark  Commission,  who  ex- 
pressed the  thanks  of  the  Commission  to  the  Daughters  of  the 
Utah  Pioneers  for  their  beautiful  token. 

Other  speakers  on  the  occasion  Avere  Mrs.  Ida  B.  Kirk- 
liam,  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  president  of  the  Daughters  of 
the  Utah  Pioneers,  whose  address  was  followed  by  an  ovation, 
and  Mrs.   Kate   B.  Carter,  of  Salt  Lake   Citv.  historian  of  the 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  30^ 


Central    Camp,     whose    talk    also     was    appreciated     by    the 
asseniblag'e. 

In  conclusion  of  the  ceremony^  a  dedicatory  prayer  was 
offered  by  Ida  M.  Hamblin,  of  Fort  Bridger  Valley,  and  there 
were  several  selections  bv  the  band. 


Minutes  of  a   Special   Meeting   of  the   Historical   Landmark 

Commission  of  Wyoming,  Held  on  Sept.  25,  1939,  in 

the  Office  of  Warren   Richardson   in   the 

Hynd's  Building,  Cheyenne,  Wyo. 


A  special  meeting  of  the  Historical  Landmark  Commis- 
sion of  Wyoming  was  held  on  September  25.  1939_,  in  the 
office  of  Warren  Richardson  in  the  Hj'^nd's  Bldg.;,  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming. 

The  meeting  was  called  at  2  :30  j).  m.,  and  the  following 
Commissioners  were  present: 

Warren  Richardson.  Chairman 
J.  S.  Weppner,  Secretary 
J.   C.   Thompson,  Treasurer 

The  first  matter  of  business  brought  up  by  Mr.  Weppner 
was  the  water  situation  at  Fort  Bridger,  Wyoming.  He  ex- 
plained to  the  Commission  that  for  the  past  three  months 
there  were  times  when  there  was  no  water  at  all  in  the  mains 
of  the  water  system  at  Fort  Bridger,  and  that  the  water  had 
been  diverted  into  the  Lyman  ditch  about  four  or  five  miles 
up  the  creek.  Mr.  Richardson  stated  that  he  had  called  at  the 
office  of  the  State  Engineer  some  weeks  before  and  he  had 
been  promised  that  a  full  supply  of  water  Avould  be  had  at 
Fort  Bridger.  The  Commission  authorized  Mr.  Weppner  to 
make  a  personal  call  on  the  State  Engineer  and  find  out  why 
this  condition  exists  at  Fort  Bridger. 

The  next  routine  of  business  was  brought  up  by  Mr. 
Thompson,  which  was  a  tentative  dedicatory  program  for 
next  year  in  conjunction  with  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
Wyoming  statehood.  Mr.  Weppner  informed  the  other  mem- 
bers that  the  Oregon  Trail  Memorial  Association  would  hold 
its  national  convention  sometime  in  the  month  of  August  next 
year  at  the  Jackson  Lodge  near  Moran.  Mr.  Dan  Greenburg 
had  told  Mr.  Weppner  that  at  the  meeting  in  Sacramento  he 
had  been  successful  in  getting  the  convention  for  Wyoming- 
next  year. 

Mr.  Weppner  then  made  a  motion  that  a  plaque  with 
proper  data  be  furnished  by  the  Commission  to  be  placed  on 
the  Old  Trappers'  Trail  monument  on  the  shores  of  Jackson 


308  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Lake  at  Leek's  camp.  This  motion  was  seconded  by  Mr. 
Thompson,  and  Mr.  Richardson  was  authorized  to  order  the 
same. 

The  following  item  of  business  was  brought  up  by  Mr. 
Richardson,  regarding  the  acquisition  of  the  Woodruff  cabin 
on  Owl  Creek,  west  of  Thermopolis.  After  much  discussion, 
the  Commission  authorized  Mr.  Weppner  to  contact  organiza- 
tions at  Thermopolis  and  to  meet  with  them  in  the  near  future 
to  see  if  a  plan  of  obtaining  the  cabin  and  moving  it  into  the 
city  park  of  the  town  of  Thermopolis,  could  be  carried  out. 
The  Commission  also  authorized  Mr.  Weppner  to  go  on  to 
Buffalo  and  meet  with  the  local  Pioneer  Association,  regard- 
ing the  erection  of  a  monument  on  the  highway  near  Lake 
DeSmet,  in  memory  of  Father  DeSmet,  who  discovered  the 
lake  in  1840,  the  100th  anniversary  of  which  will  be  cele- 
brated next  year.  He  was  also  instructed  to  go  from  there  on 
to  Sundance  and  meet  with  the  civic  organization  there,  re- 
garding marking  the  old  Pioneer  Trail  at  that  point  leading 
into  the  Black  Hills. 

Mr.  Richardson  gave  Mr.  Weppner  a  small  bronze  plaque 
which  was  ordered  by  the  Commission  to  be  placed  on  the 
Esther  Morris  monument  at  South  Pass,  commemorating  the 
dedication  of  same. 

Each  member  of  the  Commission  then  received  a  supply 
of  the  Sixth  Biennial  report  from  Mr.  Richardson,  which  he 
had  received  from  the  printer,  and  the  report  was  checked 
over  by  each  member  and  accepted  as  satisfactory.  Mr. 
Weppner  then  proceeded  to  the  State  Capitol  where  he  called 
on  Mr.  Bishop,  the  state  engineer  and  found  that  he  was  out 
of  town.  He  then  contacted  Mr.  Bennett,  the  assistant  en- 
gineer to  Mr.  Bishop,  who  had  very  recently  been  over  to 
Fort  Bridger  and  had  checked  the  water  situation  over,  and 
he  admitted  that  the  entire  situation  was  very  poorly  handled 
this  summer,  and  he  assured  the  Commission  that  it  would 
be  taken  care  of  in  the  proper  way  next  year.  Mr.  Weppner 
then  reported  this  to  Mr.  Richardson. 

There  being  no  further  business,  the  meeting  was  ad- 
journed. 

(Signed)      J.  S.  Weppner, 

Secretary. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  309 


ICE-BOATING,  THRILLING  SPORT,  OLD  FT.  FRED  STEELE,  1881 

(Continued  from  Page  276) 

of  Wyoming's  'firsts'  and  want  to  have  included  in  the  record 
one  that  I  believe  has  not  been  touched  upon. 

"I  refer  to  ice-boating. 

"In  January,  1881,  Captain  Edwin  M.  Coats,  com- 
manding officer  at  Fort  Fred  Steele^'  then  a  garrisoned 
post,  built  and  sailed  an  ice  boat  on  the  North  Platte 
River,  x^n  early  thaw  had  swelled  that  stream  far  out- 
side its  banks  and,  at  a  point  a  little  below  the  Union 
Pacific  bridge,  it  attained  a  width  of  tM  o  and  three  hun- 
dred 3'^ards,  across  which  the  Captain's  craft  made  light- 
ning trips,  attaining  a  speed  of  considerablj'  over  sixty 
miles  per  hour  on  the  short  sweep  before  the  sail  was 
released  and  the  ship  stopped  and  started  back  with 
startling  suddenness.  Had  the  distance  been  greater  it 
was  estimated  that  over  one  hundred  miles  per  hour 
could   have   been    reached. 

"It  was,  nevertheless,  ice-boating  par  excellence  with 
all  the  thrills  that  characterize  that  bizarre  sport.  The 
rapid  acceleration,  the  terrific  speed,  the  shifting  boom, 
the  breath-taking  slur  and  reversal  of  direction  each  con- 
tributed to  make  it  an  almost  dramatic  diversion  and  not 
withoiit  an   element   of  danger. 

"Among  those  whom  I  can  remember  as  having,  like 
myself,  been  favored  by  Captain  Coats  with  invitations 
to  participate  in  the  pastime  were  Captain  Dewees.  Lieu- 
tenants Lovering,  Beach  and  Rawolle,  Mr.  J.  W.  Hugus. 
merchant  and  post  trade  and  my  brother.  Edward  H. 
Clarke,  Union  Pacific  Station  agent,  any  of  whom,  if  now 
living,  can  verify  the  correctness  of  the  foregoing. 

"Although  a  resident  of  Wyoming  from  1874  most 
of  the  time  until  1891,  I  have  never  heard  of  another  in- 
stance of  ice-boating,  and.  considering  the  conditions  of 
those  primitive  days,  have  little  doubt  that  this  was  the 
eai'liest  occasion  of  its  having  been  practiced  there.  Any- 
one who  may  know  of  an  earlier  case  should  inform  your 
department  and  have  the  record  corrected." 


'  Fort  Fred  Steele  was  the  tiiird  military  post  to  be  established 
along  the  LTnion  Pacific  right-of-way,  and  was  located  at  the 
point  where  the  railroad  survey  crossed  the  North  Platte  River, 
in  Carbon  County.  Established  in  June,  1868,  by  four  com- 
panies of  the  30th  Infantry,  under  command  of  Brevet  Col. 
R.  1.  Dodge,  Major,  30tii  Infantry,  it  was  occupied  until  Aug- 
ust  7,  1886.