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ol.  15 


January,  1943 


No.  1 


A  HISTORICAL  MAGAZINE 


— Original  photograph  by  Fred  Baker — Copy  by  H.  Brayer 

SWAN,  WYOMING,  OCTOBER  1892— GUY  NICHOLS  STORE  AND  SALOON 

Four  miles  north  of  present  Encampment  on  George  Peryam's  ranch.  Joseph 
Doggett,  clerk,  standing  in  doorway;  Pierce  Culleton  on  sled;  Henry  P.  "Doc" 
Culleton  on  horse.  Nichols  was  appointed  postmaster  when  Swan  was  created 
a  postoffice  in  1884.  All  that  remains  today  to  mark  the  site  is  the  excavation 
which  formed  the  cellar  of  the  store. 


Published  Quarterly 

By 

THE  WYOMING  HISTORICAL  DEPARTMENT 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


HH^ald.  ojj  l4j4fX)4ni4€a 


Vol.  15  January,  1943  No.  1 

v.  I&-/& 

\^A->-A'^    page 

THE   L7   RANCHES 5 

By  Herbert  O.  Brayer 

DO   YOU   KNOW   THAT 37,   67,  84 

FADING   MEMORIES 38 

By  Judge  A.   C.   Campbell 
ROBERT    FOOTE 50 

By  Mrs.  Charles  Ellis 
A  TIMELY  ARRIVAL 63 

By  J.  Elmer  Brock 
LOOKING    BACKWARD 68 

By  H.  B.  Henderson,  Sr. 

WYOMING    STATE    MUSEUM--1943 70 

THOMAS  MORAN'S  JOURNEY  TO  TETONS 71 

By  Fritiof  Fryxell 

WYOMING  PLACE  NAMES 85 

INDEX  TO  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 91 

COLLECTION   AND    PRESERVATION 

OF  WYOMING  WAR  RECORDS 92 

ACCESSIONS    93 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

SWAN,  WYOMING,  OCTOBER  1892— 

GUY  NICHOLS  STORE  AND  SALOON Front  Cover 

WILLIAM  FRANKLIN  SWAN 4 

L7  RANCH  BUILDINGS  10 

SKETCH,  SNAKE  RIVER  RANCH 16 

ROUNDUP  ON  THE  NORTH  PLATTE  IN  THE  EIGHTIES 28 

WYOMING   STATE    MUSEUM— 1943 70 

THOMAS   MORAN 76 

BEAVER  DICK  (RICHARD  LEIGH)   AND  HIS  FAMILY 78 

TETON  MOUNTAINS,   WYOMING ,.80 


Published  Quarterly  by 

THE  WYOMING  HISTORICAL  DEPARTMENT 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


The  State  Historical  Board,  tlie  State  Historical  Advisory  Board 
and  the  State  Historical  Department  assume  no  respomsibiiity  for  any 
statement  of  fact  or  opinion  expressed  by  contributors  to  the 
ANNALS  OF  WYOMING. 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Department  invites  the  presenta- 
tion of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manu- 
scripts of  Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observa- 
tions 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 
Wyoming  and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State.  The  historical 
magazine,  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  Department,   Cheyenne,   Wyoming. 


This  magazine  is  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Historical  Board 
members,  the  State  Historical  Advisory  Board,  Wyoming  County 
Libraries  and  Wyoming  newspapers. 

It  is  published  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Subscription 
price,  $1.50  per  year;  single  copies,  45c. 


Entered   a.s   .second-cla.ss   matter   September   10,    1941,   at   the   Po-st   Office   in    Cheyenne, 
Wyoming,   under  the  Act  of  August   24,    1912. 


Co)>yriKht,    194.'5,   by  the   WyominK   Historical   Depai-tment. 


STATE   HISTORICAL   BOARD 

Lester   C.    Hunt,    President        Governor 

Mart   T.    Christensen Secretary   of    State 

Wm,    "Scotty"    Jack State    Auditor 

Earl  Wright State  Treasurer 

Esther  L.  Anderson     ....     Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
Gladys  F.  Riley,  Secretary     ....     State  Librarian  and  Historian 


STATE   HISTORICAL   ADVISORY   BOARD 

Mrs.  Mary  Jester  Allen,   Cody.  L.  B.  Howard,  Rock  Springs 

Frank  Barrett,  Lusk  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Hunter,  Gillette 

George  Bible,  Rawlins  Mrs.    Joseph    H.    Jacobucci,    Green 
Mrs.   T.   K.   Bishop,   Basin  River 

C.  Watt  Brandon,  Kemmerer  P.  W.  Jenkins,  Big  Piney 
J.  Elmer  Brock,  Kaycee  E.  V.  Knight,  Laramie 
Struthers  Burt,  Moran  W.  C.  Laurence,  Moran 
Mrs.  Elsa  Spear  Byron,  Sheridan  E.  A.  Logan,  Cheyenne 
Mrs.  G.  C.  Call,  Afton  Howard   B.   Lott,   Buffalo 
Oliver  J.  Colyer,  Torrington  Mrs.  Eliza  Lythgoe,  Cowley 
J.  L.  Cook,  Sundance  R.   E.   MacLeod,   Torrington 
Mrs.  Esther  Crook,  Fairview  James  L.  Mcintosh,  Split  Rock 
William  C.  Deming,  Cheyenne  A.  J.  Mokler,  Casper 

Dr.  William  Frackelton,  Sheridan  Mrs.  Elmer  K.  Nelson,  Laramie 

Paul  Frison,  Ten  Sleep  L.  L.  Newton,  Lander 

E.  A.  Gaensslen,  Green  River  R.  I.  dinger,  Newcastle 

Hans  Gautschi,  Lusk  Charles  Oviatt,  Sheridan 

Burt  Griggs,   Buffalo  Mrs.  Minnie  Reitz,  Wheatland 

G.  R.  Hagens,  Casper  E.  B.  Shaffner,  Douglas 

R.  H.  Hall,  Lander  Mrs.  Effie  Shaw,  Cody 

Jack  Haynes,  Yellowstone  Park  Mrs.  Tom  Sun,  Rawlins 

D.  B.   Hilton,   Sundance  John  Charles  Thompson,  Cheyenne 

Russell  Thorp,  Cheyenne 


STAFF  PERSONNEL 

of 

The  Wyoming  Historical   Department 

and 

State  Museum 

Gladys  F.  Riley,  Editor State  Librarian  and  Historian 

Lola  M.  Homsher,  Co-Editor Assistant  Historian 


♦ 


^ 


WILLIAM  FRANKLIN  SWAN 

Taken  in  the  '80s 


*7^c  £7  Rx*nck&i 

AN  INCIDENT  IN  THE  ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT 
OF  THE  WESTERN  CATTLE  INDUSTRY 

By  Herbert  O.  Brayer* 

With  the  construction  and  completion  of  the  trans- 
continental railroad  in  1869,  the  "Great  Western  Cattle 
Industry"  entered  upon  its  first,  and  perhaps  most  color- 
ful, period  of  expansion.  In  the  development  of  the  live- 
stock industry,  the  two  and  one-half  decades  from  1870 
to  1895  might  well  be  labeled  as  the  "Era  of  the  Public 
Domain"  for  there  "can  be  but  little  doubt  that  the  vast 
grass-covered  but  unfenced  and  unsettled  western  ranges 
made  possible  the  first  phenomenal  expansion  of  cattle 
ranching. 

While  it  is  true  that  the  typical  cattle  ranch  utilized 
thousands  of  acres  of  range  upon  which  to  graze  its  stock, 
it  should  be  noted  that  during  this  early  period  the  largest 
part  of  almost  every  ranch  was  actually  public  domain — 
land  owned  by  the  nation  but  freely  utilized  by  the  rancher. 
The  basis  of  the  average  "spread"  v/as  a  small  tract  of 
patented  land,  sometimes  as  small  as  a  quarter  section 
but  usually  amounting  to  a  section  or  two.  In  frequent 
instances,  such  as  those  to  be  found  in  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  L7  ranches,  even  this  basic  tract  was  actually 
part  of  the  public  domain  to  which  no  patent  had  been 
issued. 


^BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH — Dr.  Herbert  O.  Brayer,  born  June 
1,  1913,  in  Montreal,  Canada,  obtained  his  Ph.D.  degree  at  the 
University  of  California.  For  several  years  he  taught  Latin-Amer- 
ican History  at  the  University  of  New  Mexico,  from  which  position 
he  was  called  to  become  State  Director  of  the  Historical  Records 
Survey.  He  was  also  director  of  the  Coronado  Cuarto  Centennial 
celebration  in  New  Mexico. 

Dr.  Brayer  is  now  on  leave  from  his  present  position  as  archivist 
and  historian  for  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Western  Railroad  at 
Denver,  Colorado,  and  is  engaged  in  special  research  for  tne  Com- 
mittee  for  Research  in  Economic  History,  Social  Science  Research 
Council,  Rockefeller  Foundation.  He  is  preparing  for  publication 
a  work  on  the  life  of  William  Blackmore,  English  entrepreneur  of 
the  Southwest.  Dr.  Brayer  is  the  author  of  numerous  articles  and 
books  including  To  Form  a  More  Perfect  Union.  Puehlo  Indian  Land 
Grants  of  New  Meixco  and  Inscription  Rock. 


6  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 

An  adequate  water  supply  and  good  grass  were  the 
two  fundamental  necessities  of  cattle  ranching:  Water  for 
the  stock  and  headquarters,  and  to  foster  the  growth  of 
hay  in  the  bottoms ;  grass  for  the  grazing  of  the  stock. 
With  this  principle  as  a  guide  the  rancher  usually  selected 
a  location  along  a  stream  or  near  a  spring  as  the  site  for 
his  headquarters.  Located  in  the  bottom  land  along  the 
stream  or  below  the  spring  was  the  "hay  lot,"  used  to 
produce  a  small  quantity  of  hay  for  the  horses,  and,  in 
periods  of  crisis,  winter  feed  for  the  cattle.  In  the  latter 
instance,  however,  few  ranches  raised  sufficient  hay  to 
feed  a  large  herd  during  the  winter. 

The  unfenced  public  domain  was  freely  used  by  the 
ranchers — freely  in  the  sense  that  no  payment  was  made 
for  the  use  of  the  tens  of  thousands  of  acres  upon  which 
a  herd  ranged.  In  actuality,  as  will  be  pointed  out  later 
in  this  study,  the  ranges  were  closely  regulated  by  the 
ranchers  through  cooperative  action.  This  regulation,  it 
is  true,  was  in  the  interest  of  those  most  concerned,  and 
when  later  threatened  with  the  loss  of  their  ranges — the 
economic  basis  of  their  livelihood — this  regulation  served 
as  the  basis  for  cooperative  action  against  the  "nestor," 
sheepman,  and  farmer.  The  advent  of  the  latter  and  the 
opening  of  the  public  domain  to  homesteading,  abetted 
by  a  series  of  disastrous  winters,  heralded  the  end  of  the 
"Era  of  the  Public  Domain"  in  the  history  of  the  livestock 
industry. 

The  L7  ranches  in  southern  Wyoming  and  northern 
Colorado  were  representative  of  the  period.  From  various 
sources,  some  admittedly  fragmentary,  it  is  possible  to 
trace  the  organization,  development,  and  eventual  decline 
of  the  L7.  The  purpose  of  this  study,  therefore,  is  to  out- 
line in  a  specific  instance,  the  economy  of  a  typical  western 
cattle  ranch  during  the  initial  period  in  the  founding  of 
this  industry — an  industry  of  vital  importance  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  West. 

William  Franklin  Swan 

William  Franklin  Swan,  the  son  of  Henry  and  Clarissa 
Fuller  Swan,  was  born  June  4,  1848,  on  a  farm  near  Car- 
michaels,  Greene  County,  Pennsylvania.  In  1854  his  parents 
moved  to  a  farm  near  Mount  Vernon,  Ohio,  and  a  short  time 
later  to  Mount  Pleasant,  Iowa.  In  addition  to  attending 
the  public  schools,  William  Swan  spent  one  year  at  the 
Eastman  Business  College,  Poughkeepsie,  Nev/  York. 


THE  L7  RANCHES  7 

In  1873  he  married  Miss  Mary  Ruth  Evans  of  Mal- 
vern, Iowa,  and  shortly  thereafter  went  with  his  father 
to  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  where  the  elder  Swan  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Swan  Brothers,  the  other  members 
being  Alexander  H.  Swan  and  Thomas  Swan.  During  this 
period  William  Swan  operated  a  stock  ranch  at  the  head 
of  the  Chugwater  under  the  name  "W.  F.  Swan  and  Son."' 
Although  his  father  had  withdrawn  from  the  company  on 
April  6,  1878,2  William  Swan  became  a  member  of  Swan 
Brothers  in  1879.  The  arrangement  was  short-lived,  how- 
ever, for  on  January  8,  1880,  the  newspapers  at  Cheyenne 
carried  a  formal  notice  of  the  dissolution  of  the  firm  as 
of  the  sixth  of  January  and  of  the  retirement  of  W.  F. 
Swan  from  the  co-partnership. 3..  Although  the  eh  Seven 
Cattle  Company  was  not  organized  until  1883,  Swan  con- 
tinued to  be  active  in  stockraising.  In  February  1882, 
he  purchased  the  "Hat  Ranch"  on  Pass  Creek  in  the  North 
Platte  Valley,"*  and  within  one  year  was  listed  as  "one 
of  Carbon  County's  cattle  kings. "^ 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Laramie  Cattle  Growers 
Association  from  its  inception  in  1873,  and  served  as  a 
member  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Association. 
When,  in  1878,  this  association  was  reorganized  as  the 
Wyoming  Stock  Growers  Association,  Swan  continued  to 
take  an  active  interest  in  its  affairs.  He  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Executive  Committee  in  1885,  representing 
Carbon  County,  ^  and  in  that  year  served  on  the  committee 
to  equalize  assessments.  This  committee  was  composed 
of  representatives  from  Wyoming,  Colorado,  Nebraska, 
Dakota,  and  Montana.  Swan  and  Ora  Haley  represented 
Colorado.^ 

Although    engaged    in    cattle    ranching,    first    on    the 


1.  Cheyenne  Daily  Sun,  July  31,  1878,  4:3;  Oieyenne  Daily 
Leader,  February  15,  1879,  4:4. 

2.  Cheyenne  Daily  Leader,  April  6,  1878,  4:3. 

3.  Ibid.  January  8,   1880,   4:3. 

4.  Carbon  County  Journal,  February  11,  1882.  The  transcripts 
of  the  Carbon  County  Journal  used  by  the  writer  did  not  contain 
page  and  column  references;  because  of  the  condition  of  the  volumes, 
the  owner  of  the  only  set  available  did  not  desire  them  to  be  further 
handled,  which  accounts  for  the  incomplete  citations  used  herein 
when  referring  to  this  newspaper. 

5.  Ibid.   July  8,   1882. 

6.  Report  of  Mr.  Russell  Thorp,  Secretary-Chief  Inspector,  Wyo- 
ming Stock  Growers  Association,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  to  Mr.  Henry 
Swan,    Denver,    Colorado,    January   28,    1942. 

7.  Carbon  County  Journal,  April  11,  1885;  John  Clay,  My  Life 
on  the  Range,  p.  252. 


8  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

North  Platte  River  in  Wyoming  and  subsequently  on  the 
Snake  and  Bear  Rivers  in  northwestern  Colorado,  Swan 
moved  his  home  to  Denver  in  1882,  leaving  his  ranches 
under  the  management  of  John  Wilcox,  and,  after  1883, 
Emmet  C.  Green.  In  1888,  to  recoup  his  fortunes  after 
the  disastrous  winter  of  1886-7  on  the  North  Platte,  Swan 
went  to  Chicago  and  became  a  buyer  for  Nelson  Morris 
and  Company,  subsequently  moving  to  Mississippi  where 
he  had  a  substantial  body  of  timber  land.  He  died  in 
Biloxi,  Mississippi,  June  17,  1932.8 

Ell  Seven  Cattle  Company  Founded,  1883 

After  severing  his  connection  with  Swan  Brothers  on 
January  6,  1880,^  William  Swan  apparently  operated  inde- 
pendently until  the  founding  of  the  Ell  Seven  Cattle  Company 
in  the  Fall  of  1883.'°  According  to  the  certificate  the  pur- 
poses of  the  company  were: 

".  .  .  The  buying,  selling,  grazing  and  breeding  of  live  stock  in 
the  Territory  of  Wyoming  and  in  the  other  States  and  Territories 
of  the  United  States,  as  the  successful  prosecution  of  the  busi- 
ness may  require,  and  also  to  hold,  purchase,  sell  and  convey 
real  estate,  ranches,  ranges,  water-rights  and  privileges  in  the 
Territory  of  Wyoming,  and  in  other  States  and  Territories  of 
the  United  States  as  may  be  necessary  or  conducive  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  said  company;  also  to  acquire  by  purchase  or  other- 
wise any  interest  in  the  capital  stock  or  other  property  of  other 
corporations  having  like  objects  with  this  corporation;  also  to 
purchase,  sell,  ship  export  and  import  and  otherwise  dispose  of 
dead  meats  or  any  of  the  products  of  manufacturers  of  live 
stock;  also  to  establish  a  butcher  shop  or  shops,  or  any  other 
manufacturing  establishment  for  the  purpose  of  handling  in  any 
form  any  of  the  products  of  live  stock  and  to  operate  and  con- 
duct  the    same    .    .    ." 

Capital  stock  of  the  company  was  placed  at  one  million 
dollars,  consisting  of  ten  thousand  shares  of  a  par  value 
of  one  hundred  dollars  each.  In  addition  to  Swan,  John 
Cudahy,  one  of  the  noted  organizers  of  the  Cudahy  Pack- 
ing Company;  George  Adams,  Wyoming  cattleman;  Emmet 
C.  Green,  Chicago  stockman;  William  W.  Corlett,  Chey- 
enne attorney,  were  listed  as  trustees  of  the  new  company. 
The    official    headquarters    of    the     Ell  Seven  Cattle  Co^npany 


8.  Biographical  material  supplied  by  Mr.  Henry  Swan,  Denver, 
Colorado,  from  family  records.     He  is  the  son  of  W.  F.  Swan. 

9.  Cheyenne  Daily  Leader,  January  8,   1880,  4:3. 

10.  While  the  "Certificate  of  Incorporation"  was  not  notarized 
until  March  7,  1884,  it  would  appear  from  Swan's  official  report  in 
1885  that  the  company  operations  actually  began  on  September 
].    1883. 


THE  L7  RANCHES  9 

was  established  at  Cheyenne,  although  it  was  stipulated 
in  the  certificate  of  incorporation  that,  "A  part  of  the 
business  of  the  said  Company  is  to  be  carried  on  outside 
of  the  Territory  of  Wyoming,  to  wit :  in  the  City  of  Chicago 
in  the  State  of  Illinois."" 

One  year  after  its  founding  the  company  paid  a  12 
per  cent  dividend  on  $530,100  in  paid  up  stock — 6  per  cent 
in  cash  and  6  per  cent  in  stock.  The  annual  report  of 
January  1,  1885,  ^^  summarizing  activities  of  the  company 
from  September  1,  1883,  showed: 

Total  sales   $96,851.02 

Total    expenses    29,321.34 

Total  net  proceeds  $67,529.68 

Reinvested    in    cattle    $31,199.10 

Cash   dividend  paid   31,812.00         63,011.10 

Cash  on  hand   $  4,518.58 

No  other  annual  reports  or  summaries  have  been  found 
for  the  period  subsequent  to  1885.  Emmet  Green,  who 
also  served  as  manager  until  1888,  severed  his  connection 
with  the  L7  in  that  year.^^  Thg  remaining  members  of 
the  company,  Adams,  Corlett,  Cudahy  and  Swan  continued 
their  association  until  the  company  ceased  operations  in 
1895. 


Snake  River  Cattle  Company 

On  October  13,  1883,  Swan  filed  articles  of  incorpora- 
tion in  Cheyenne  for  the  Snake  River  Cattle  Company.  Capital 
was  placed  at  $200,000  and  was  divided  into  two  thousand 
shares  of  a  par  value  of  one  hundred  dollars  each.  Accord- 
ing to  the  certificate  the  company  was  to  engage  in  stock 
growing  within  Laramie  County  and  was  to  maintain  of- 
fices at  Cheyenne,  Denver  and  Chicago.  Named  as  trustees 
of  the  new  company  were  George  Adams,  Emmet  C.  Green, 
George  Baggs,  former  New  Mexico  rancher,  W.  F.  Swan, 
and  Samuel  Rosendale,  Wyoming  stockman  and  broker. '"* 
Unfortunately  additional  records  of  this  company  have  not 
been  found.  It  is  also  apparent  from  official  county  records 
that  Swan's  later  activities  on  the  Snake  were  under  the 


11.  Corporation  Record  No.   19.  Laramie  County,  Wyoming,  pp. 
195-197. 

12.  William  F.  Swan,  "Report  L7  Cattle  Co.  Jan.  1,  85."     Hand- 
written original  in  possession  of  Henry  Swan,  Denver,  Colorado. 

13.  Carbon  County  Journal.  October  12,  1889. 

14.  Cheyenne  Daily  Leader,  October  16,  1883,  4:1. 


10 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


L7  RANCH  BUILDINGS 

Top  to  bottom:  L7  Lake  Creek  Headquarters;  Cow  Creek  Ranch  "71", 

Foreman   John   Wilcox   on   horse,    L7   prize   bulls;    L7    Headquarters 

at   Baggs,   Wyoming;    remains   of  L7   bunk   on   Snake   River    vVinter 

Ranch,  "Maggie's  Nipple"  in  background. 


THE  L7  RANCHES  11 

auspices    of   the  Ell  Seven  Cattle  Company    rather    than   the 

Snake  River  Cattle  Company. '  ^ 

The  Ranches 

HAT   RANCH 

In  February  of  1882  WiUiam  F.  Swan,  whose  legal 
address  was  given  as  "Fort  Steele, "^^  purchased  for  $30,000 
the  so-called  "Hat  Ranch"  from  the  Jones  and  Hawley  Cattle 
Company.^''  Headquarters  of  the  outfit  was  in  the  North 
Platte  Valley  on  Pass  Creek,  near  the  base  of  Elk  Moun- 
tain, about  twenty-four  miles  from  Saratoga,  Wyoming. 
As  in  so  many  other  instances,  this  purchase  carried  no 
land  title  of  any  description,  as  the  ranch  was  then  located 
on  public  domain.  Swan  merely  purchased  the  improve- 
ments, a  small  log  cabin,  and  the  hat  "  n  "  brand  which 
went  with  the  herd. 

With  the  development  of  the  ranch  several  new,  small, 
dirt-roofed,  log  buildings,  including  a  log  barn  and  horse 
corral,  were  constructed  under  the  direction  of  Foreman 
Johnny  Wilcox.  In  the  bunkhouse  the  men  slept  on  wooden 
bunks,  although  there  were  a  few  bedsteads  made  out  of 
boards  or  poles.  Slough  grass  was  used  as  padding  for 
mattresses.  The  usual  cowpuncher's  bed  was  his  own 
blankets  or  quilts  and  a  tarpaulin.  Almost  all  the  furni- 
ture used  in  the  buildings  was  homemade.  Wood  for 
buildings,  furniture  and  fuel  was  cut  in  the  nearby  wood- 
lands where  there  was  plenty  of  pine,  cedar  and  aspen, 
as  well  as  cottonwoods  in  the  bottoms.  Coal  oil  and  candles 
furnished  light  at  night.  The  only  fence  on  the  ranch 
was  that  around  the  hay  meadow  near  the  headquarters, 
where  from  five  to  seven  tons  of  hay  were  cut  annually. '^ 

From  a  headgate  on  the  Hat  Creek,  a  mile-long  ditch 
— "Hat    Ditch" — was    constructed    during    1883    and    the 


15.  County  tax  records:  Routt  County,  Colorado;  Carbon  Coun- 
ty, Wyoming.     See  chart,  pp.  23  and  24. 

16.  Assessment  Record,  Carbon   County.  1882.      (Unpaged). 

17.  Brand  Record  (original,  not  numbered,  lettered,  or  paged). 
County  Clerk's  basement  vault,  Courthouse,  Rawlins,  Wyoming;  A.  D. 
Jones,  partner  of  ex-sheriff  William  Hawley,  resided  in  London, 
England,  Carbon  County  Journal,  May  29,  1880;  "Consideration 
thirty  thousand  dollars,  the  location  of  the  range  was  selected  some 
years  ago,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  best  in  Carbon  County." 
Carbon  County  Journal,  February   11,   1882. 

18.  Charles  W.  Neiman,  "Recollections,"  p.  2,  (cited  hereafter 
as  Neiman);  Mrs.  John  Wilcox,  "Brief  Sketch  of  the  Life  of  John 
Wilcox,  L7  Foreman,"  p.  1,    (hereafter  cited  as  Wilcox). 


12  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

water  appropriated  for  use  at  the  headquarters  and  for 
irrigation  of  a  small  hay  lot.'^  As  this  water  was  insuf- 
ficient and  too  uncertain,  a  second  ditch — "Hat  Ditch  No. 
2" — was  constructed  in  October  of  1883,  and  the  waters 
of  Pass  Creek  were  carried  one  mile  from  the  headgate 
to  the  headquarters. 2o 

Improvements  on  the  ranch  during  1883  increased 
the  value  of  the  property  from  five  hundred  to  fifteen 
hundred  dollars,  and  the  County  Assessor  recorded  that 
the  ranch  possessed  two  carriages  or  wagons  worth  fifty 
dollars  each.  As  yet,  however,  the  official  name  of  the 
company  was  still  that  of  its  owner,  "W.  F.  Swan,"  and 
his  official  residence  had  now  been  changed  from  Fort 
Steele  to  Cheyenne. 2' 

In  the  fall  of  1883  Swan  and  his  associates  incorpor- 
ated the  ^^T'  Seven  Cattle  Comjmny,  and  Emmet  C.  Green  be- 
came manager  for  the  company.  By  the  end  of  the  year 
Manager  Green  and  Foreman  "Johnny"  Wilcox  had  built 
the   second   largest   outfit   in   the   area — ^being   surpassed 

only  by  the  Swan  Land  and  Cattle  Company,    the  latter  owned 
by  the  uncles  of  William  F.  Swan. 22 

Water,  always  a  problem  to  the  Wyoming  ranchers, 
again  troubled  the  L7  in  1885.  During  November,  Fore- 
man Wilcox  directed  the  construction  of  a  third  ditch — 
"The  Swan  Ditch" — the  three-mile  narrow  channel  of 
which  tapped  the  waters  of  Pass  Creek.  23  Swan  recorded 
his  water  right  claims  to  the  three  ditches,  "Hat  Ditch," 
"Hat  Ditch  No.  2,"  and  the  "Swan  Ditch"  in  November 
1886.24 

Although  Swan  had  occupied  the  "Hat  Ranch"  since 
its  purchase  from  Jones  and  Hawley  in  February  1881, 
no  title  to  the  property  had  ever  been  issued  by  the  fed- 
eral government.  In  the  fall  of  1886,  Swan  appeared  at 
the  office  of  the  Registrar  of  the  General  Land  Office 
at  Cheyenne  and  filed  a  desert  claim  to  the  land  upon  which 
the  ranch  and  hay  fields  were  located.  On  January  19, 
1887,  a  patent  to  part  of  section  10,  township  19,  "north 
of  range  83,"  amounting  to  560  acres,  was  issued  and 
registered  in  the  Recorder's  Office  of  Carbon  County.    The 


19.  Book   "L,"  p.  9,  County  Clerk's  Office,  Rawlins,  V^yoming. 

20.  Book  "L,"  p.  8,  County  Clerk's  Office,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 

21.  Assessment  Record,  Carbon  County,  1883.  (Unpaged). 

22.  Ibid. 

23.  Book  "L,"  p.  8,  County  Clerk's  Office,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 

24.  Ibid.  pp.  8-9. 


'  THE  L7  RANCHES  13 

original  patent,  or  a  recorded  copy,  has  not  been  located, 
but  a  record  of  the  patent  can  be  located  in  the  "Range 
Book"  in  the  office  of  the  County  Clerk  at  Rawlins.  Fol- 
lowing the  disastrous  winter  of  1886-7  Swan  decided  to 
sell  the  Platte  ranches  and  move  his  remaining  stock  to 
the  Snake  River  ranges  near  Baggs.  The  patented  portion 
of  the  "Hat  Ranch"  was  sold  to  George  Brenner  for  $2,500 
on  October  19,  1888. ^s  According  to  county  records  Bren- 
ner   mortgaged    the    ranch    to    the     EU  Seven  Cattle  Company 

ten  days  later,  October  29,  1888,  for  $1,900.^6  Of  interest 
is  the  fact  that,  according  to  the  official  records,  this 
mortgage  was  never  paid  off  or  released  and  therefore 
constitutes  a  cloud  on  the  present  title  of  the  property.  ^^ 

A  second  patent  for  the  "Hat  Ranch"  holdings,  issued 
to  William  F.  Swan,  was  signed  by  President  Benjamin 
Harrison  on  March  20,  1889,  and  granted  a  title  to  560 
acres  described  as  "  .  .  .  the  East  half:  the  North  West 
quarter,  and  the  North  half  of  the  South  West  quarter  of 
Section  ten  in  township  nineteen.  North  of  range  Eighty 
Three,  West  of  the  Sixth  Principal  Meridian,  in  Wyoming 
Territory  .  .  ."^s  This  tract  was  also  sold  to  George  Bren- 
ner for  an  unspecified  amount,  on  January  18,  1890.2  9 

cow  CREEK  RANCH,    "71" 

In  1884,  Swan  purchased  the  improvements  on  a  small 
tract  of  land  along  Cow  Creek,  between  Encampment  and 
Saratoga.  This  ranch  subsequently  became  known  as  the 
"71"  ranch.  There  is  some  doubt  as  to  the  title  to  this 
property.  According  to  county  records  no  formal  owner- 
ship existed  until  a  patent  was  issued  in  the  'nineties — 
some  years  after  Swan  had  moved  to  the  Baggs  ranch  on 
the  Snake.  Mrs.  John  Wilcox,  wife  of  the  L7  foreman 
and  a  contemporary  owner  of  a  ranch  below  the  "71", 
states  that  the  ranch  was  obtained  in  1884  from  Grout 
and  Lee,  Eli  Lee — one  of  the  partners — remaining  with 
the  L7  as  foreman  of  the  Cow  Creek  place  under  "Johnny" 
Wilcox.3o  Henry  P.  "Doc"  Culleton,  also  a  contemporary, 
agrees  with  Mrs.  Wilcox  as  to  the  date,  but  is  certain  that 
"Will"  Swan  purchased  the  place  from  Lang  and  Ryan, 


25.  Book  "R,"    p.  31,  County  Clerk's  Office,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 

26.  Range  Book,  County  Clerk's  Office,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 

27.  Miss  Ruth  Petersen,   Deputy  County  Clerk,  Rawlins,   Wyo- 
ming. 

28.  Book  "W,"  p.  268,  County  Clerk's  Office,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 

29.  Book  "26,"  p.  38,  County  Clerk's  Office,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 

30.  Wilcox,  p.  2. 


14  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

whose  stock  Swan  had  bought  in  1881  when  they  were 
ranging  on  the  Cow  Creek  property.  3' 

From  all  available  accounts  this  ranch  was  used  by 
Swan  to  produce  hay,  and  for  late  fall  and  winter  pasture. 
A  log  house  and  corral  had  been  constructed  by  1886.  It 
was  on  this  property  that  "Will"  Swan  kept  a  number  of 
fine  registered  bulls  which  attracted  the  admiration  of  the 
neighboring  stockmen. 

The  Cow  Creek  ranch  was  sold  by  Swan  in  1888  to 
"Bob"  Pilson,  jovial  350-pound  cattleman.  ^^  Swan  had  no 
title  to  the  land  and  therefore  the  sale  included  only  the 
improvements.  This  ranch  was  later  acquired  by  Ed 
Sears  who  obtained  a  patent  to  the  land,^^  and  was  later 
purchased  by  its  present  owner  "Andy"  Anderson,  who 
combined  the  property  with  his  own  adjoining  "A-Bar-A" 
ranch.  A  brush  fire  along  the  creek  destroyed  the  L7 
log  cabin  and  other  structures  several  years  ago.^^ 

LAKE   CREEK  RANCH 

Below  Saratoga  some  four  and  one-half  miles  on  Lake 
Creek,  and  a  half  mile  above  the  United  States  fish  hatch- 
ery, is  the  Lake  Creek  Ranch,  principal  headquarters  for 
the  L7  Cattle  Company  from  1886  to  1888.  "Will"  Swan 
bought  this  property  from  Fred  Wolf  in  1884,  and  within 
a  few  weeks  Foreman  Wilcox  had  constructed  the  most 
elaborate  of  the  several  L7  ranch  headquarters. ^^  It  was 
at  this  ranch  that  Swan,  Green,  and  Wilcox  entertained 
eastern  visitors.  The  L7  occupied  the  Lake  Creek  Ranch 
until  1888,  when  the  headquarters  and  livestock  were 
transferred  to  the  Baggs  ranches  on  the  Snake. 

In  the  late  summer  of  1888  the  Lake  Creek  property, 
which  was  still  part  of  the  public  domain  as  no  patent  had 
been  issued  by  the  federal  government,  was  sold  to  Fred 
Geddes,  Platte  Valley  stockman. ^^  The  old  bunkhouse, 
part  of  the  original  corral  and  the  headquarters  building, 
the  latter  completely  renovated,   are  still  intact  and  oc- 


31.  Interview  with  Henry  P.  "Doc"  Culleton,  July  24,  1942. 

32.  Ibid. 

33.  Wilcox,  p.  2;  the  Wilcoxs'  purchased  an  adjoining  ranch  on 
Cow  Creek. 

34.  Interview,    A-Bar-A   foreman,   July  24,    1942. 

35.  Carbon  County  Journal,  July  26,  1884.  The  sale  included 
the  Wolf  cattle;  the  Journal  mistakenly  credited  the  purchase  to  the 
Swan  Land  and  Cattle  Company  instead  of  to  W.  F.  Swan,  a  fre- 
quent  but   understandable   error. 

36.  Carbon  County  Journal,  August  11,  1888. 


THE  L7  RANCHES  15 

cupied.3^  At  present  the  ranch  is  operated  by  the  Newman 
family  but  the  property  is  owned  by  the  Thomas  Cook 
estate.  3  3 

THE  BAGGS   RANCHES 

VSometime  early  in  1880  George  Baggs,  a  New  Mexico 
cattle  rancher,  entered  the  Snake  River  valley  with  a  small 
trail  herd  and  established  a  ranch  and  headquarters  at 
the  partially  deserted  community  of  "Old  Dixon."  The 
settlement  soon  became  known  as  Baggs,  Wyoming. ^ 9 
Baggs  was  quite  successful  and  his  herd  soon  numbered 
(officially)  around  fifteen  hundred  head  of  cattle. '*°  Dur- 
ing the  summer  and  fall  the  cattle  pastured  near  the  head- 
quarters, ranging  on  the  plateaus  bordering  the  Snake. 
In  winter  the  stock  was  driven  to  a  range  forty-two  miles 
south  of  Baggs  on  the  Snake  River  in  Colorado. 

Domestic  difficulties  beset  Baggs  in  1882,  and  the  fol- 
lowihg  year  he  sold  the  ranch  improvements  for  some- 
thing around  $350  to  the  Eii  Seven  Cattle  Company  and  re- 
turned to  New  Mexico.^'  Although  Baggs  had  filed  a 
desert  claim  to  his  headquarters  ranch  and  to  that  in 
Colorado  used  as  a  winter  ranch,  the  government  disallowed 
his  claim,  and  no  title  to  the  land  passed  from  Baggs  to 
"Will"   Swan  or  the  Ell  Seven  Cattle  Company. 

The  Snake  River  headquarters  was  considerably  more 
improved  than  the  Platte  River  outfit.  Baggs,  the  former 
owner,  had  been  a  hospitable  individual,  putting  up  all 
who  passed  the  ranch  and  desired  a  night's  lodging.  The 
buildings  at  Baggs  were  built  of  logs  with  dirt  roofs. 
"Store  furniture"  purchased  at  Rawlins  gave  the  Baggs 
headquarters  a  comfortable  and  prosperous  appearance. 
A  Concord  stage  coach,  drawn  by  from  four  to  six  horses, 
brought  daily  mail  to  Baggs  from  the  railroad  at  Rawlins. 
There  was  little  if  any  fencing  on  the  Snake  River  when 
the  L7  bought  the  Baggs  ranch.  According  to  Foreman 
Charles  Neiman,  in  1884  there  were  only  two  corrals  on 
the  entire  Snake  and  Bear  River  ranges. 


37.  Identified  as  the  original  structures  by  Mrs.  Johnny  vVilcox. 
for  whom  the  house  was  built  and  who  lived  on  the  Lake  Creek 
ranch  with  her  foreman-husband  from  1884-1888. 

38.  Interview  with  Mrs.  Newman,  July  24,  1942. 

39.  H.  F.  Burch,  "The  L7  at  Baggs,  Wyoming,"  p.  1.  (Here- 
after cited  as  Burch). 

40.  Tax  Assessment  Roll,  1883-1887.  p.  1,  Routt  County,  Colo- 
rado. 

41.  M.  Wilson  Rankin,  Reminiscences  of  Frontier  Days.  p.  120. 


16 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


At  the  winter  ranch  located  on  the  Snake  some  forty 
miles  south  of  Baggs,  and  practically  at  the  foot  of  "Mag- 
gie's Nipple,"  there  was  a  small  log  building  which  served 
as  both  bunkhouse  and  storehouse.  This  building  was  ac- 
tually two  small  log  cabins  connected  by  a  middle  addition 
which  served  as  the  storeroom,  thus  making  a  three  room 
building.  Each  room  was  about  twelve  by  fourteen  feet 
and  had  a  puncheon  floor.  Only  one  entrance  was  pro- 
vided, and  this  was  by  a  door  in  the  center  of  the  store- 
room, doorways  from  the  other  rooms  opening  only  into 
this  storeroom.  In  the  room  on  the  northeast  there  was 
one  window  facing  northwest  toward  the  "Nipple."  The 
cook  stove  stood  against  the  southeast  part  of  the  room, 
and  a  cupboard  was  built  into  the  end  of  the  room.  The 
southwestern  room  contained  two  windows,  one  at  the  end 
of  the  room  and  the  other  facing  toward  the  "Nipple." 
This  was  the  bunkroom  and  had  a  bunk  in  the  west  corner. 
A  fireplace  was  constructed  into  the  south  wall. 


1 

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y^fiKpiAcs 

\                       llxoow^^ 

After  Baggs  met  "Maggie,"  a  dancer  in  a  Chicago 
dance  hall,  he  brought  her  out  to  Wyoming.  Maggie  rode 
everywhere  with  her  "husband"  and  soon  visited  the  lower 
or  winter  ranch  where  the  cabin  described  above  was  lo- 
cated. She  thoroughly  disliked  the  bare  log  walls  of  the 
cabin  and  soon  set  about  papering  them.  The  only  available 
paper  was  a  number  of  copies  of  the  "Police  Gazette," 
brought  from  Chicago,  and  these  soon  covered  the  room  in 


THE  L7  RANCHES  .  17 

which  the  fireplace  was  located.  The  somewhat  lurid  pic- 
tures adorning  the  walls  were  enjoyed  by  both  the  cowboys 
and  the  Indians — the  latter  visited  the  place  frequently. 
The  Indians,  however,  were  interested  almost  entirely  in 
those  picture  showing  horses,  horse  races  and  hunts. 
Maggie  Baggs  also  had  a  large  flagstone  laid  in  front  of 
the  cabin  entrance  to  try  to  keep  the  mud  and  dirt  from 
entering. 

The  storeroom  was  used  to  good  advantage  to  store 
food  for  winter  and  enough  to  carry  through  the  spring 
roundup.  The  freight  teams  didn't  work  in  winter  and 
therefore  it  was  necessary  to  "lay  in"  sufficient  supplies 
for  from  three  to  four  months. 

Provisions,  usually  purchased  at  the  general  store 
of  Hugus  and  Company,  were  freighted  from  Rawlins  to 
Baggs  and  the  "winter  camp."  Sufficient  provisions  were 
bought  in  the  fall  after  the  cattle  were  shipped  to  last 
until  the  following  fall.  )The  foreman  was  responsible  for 
purchasing  the  supplies.  Food  was  basic  on  the  ranch 
and  the  menu  was  very  regular.  Major  supplies  purchased 
included  flour  in  hundred-pound  sacks — the  sacks  v/ere 
very  useful  on  the  ranch;  thick  slab  salt  side  bacon — 
cooked  for  lard  as  well  as  meat;  sacks  of  white  (navy) 
beans ;  canned  corn  and  tomatoes ;  twenty-five  pound  boxes 
of  dried  peaches;  apples;  apricots;  prunes  and  large  cans 
of  baking  powder.  Coffee  was  purchased  in  whole  bean 
form  and  came  in  large  sacks.  The  principal  brands  of 
coffee  used  on  the  L7  were  Arbuckle's  and  Lion's.  The 
beans  were  ground  in  special  coffee  grinders,  one  of  which 
was  always  fastened  to  the  side  of  the  grub  wagon. ^^ 

Just  north  of  the  Snake  River  crossing  at  Baggs,  on 
the  west  side  of  the  present  Rawlins  highway,  is  the  lo- 
cation of  the  old  Baggs  and  L7  ranch  headquarters.  Onlv 
one  building  remains,  and,  unfortunately,  it  too  is  rapidly 
disintegrating.  On  the  o!d  winter  ranch  south  of  Baggs 
no  visible  reminder  of  the  L7  bunkhouse  remains.  Ac- 
cording to  legend  a  hewn-log  cabin  standing  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  Snake,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below  the 
site  of  the  old  L7  winter  headquarters,  is  part  of  the  old 
bunkhouse.  It  was  supposedly  moved  to  its  present  site 
by  a  "sheepherders  outfit"  in  1920  or  1921.4  3 


42.  Neinian,   pp.    3-5,    11. 

43.  Interview  with  J.  Toole.  Baggs,  W^yoming,  July  22,  1942. 
Mr.  Toole  guided  me  over  the  former  L7  property.  A  close  examina- 
tion of  this  deserted  cabin  leads  me  to  question  seriously  the  ac- 
curacy of  the  story. 


18  .  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  severe  winter  of  1889  was  disastrous  to  the  L7. 
Approximately  seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  herd  died  in 
the  snow  on  the  Snake  River  range.  Swan  managed  to 
remain  in  business,  however,  but  the  "L7"  never  fully  re- 
covered from  this  setback.^^  In  1895,  with  only  450  cattle 
reported  on  the  ranch.  Swan  sold  his  interests  in  the 
"L7."^5  The  headquarters  ranch  at  Baggs  was  sold  to 
"Bob"  Temple  for  less  than  four  hundred  dollars,  and  the 
winter  ranch  south  of  Baggs,  in  Colorado,  was  sold  for 
a  reported  $150  to  Charles  E.  Ayer.'^^ 

As  was  the  case  in  the  Platte  River  valley  ranches, 
except  for  the  "Hat  Ranch"  after  1887,  the  Swan  title  to 
the  Baggs  property  in  Wyoming  and  Colorado  was  nebu- 
lous. Baggs,  having  no  title  to  the  land,  could  sell  only 
the  irnprovements,  and  possibly  his  "squatter's  rights." 
Though  the  government  turned  down  his  early  desert 
claim  filings, ^^  a  patent  was  issued  on  March  31,  1888, 
in  the  name  of  George  Baggs,  to  the  winter  ranch  in  Colo- 
rado, describing  the  property  as  160  acres  in  Sec.  23,  T. 
10,  R.  96.^^  Since  Baggs  had  sold  his  interest  and  de- 
parted in  1883,  the  patent  was  of  dubious  value,  and  was 
not  recorded  until  April  5,  1906. ^^ 

"Bob"  Temple  "proved  up"  on  the  old  headquarters 
property  at  Baggs  and  received  a  patent  to  the  property 
from  the  United  States. 5°  The  winter  ranch,  sold  to 
Charles  E.  Ayer,  has  a  more  complicated  record.  Despite 
the  "Baggs  patent"  of  1888,  no  legal  ownership  of  this 
property,  except  as  part  of  the  public  domain,  was  re- 
corded until  1906.  Swan  evidently  sold  Ayer  the  im- 
provements, as  indicated  by  three  factors:  (1)  No  deed 
or  other  title  instrument  to  the  land  bearing  the  name  of 
Swan  or  Eii  Seven  Cattle  Company  was  ever  recorded  in 
Routt  or  Moffatt  Counties,  Colorado,  or  Carbon  County, 
Wyoming;  (2)  Ayer  never  claimed  title  through  sale  from 
Swan;  (3)  the  plat  and  range  records  in  the  aforesaid 
counties  show  no  settlement  of  title  until  1906. 


44.  See  chart,   p.   24. 

45.  Assessment  Roll,  1895. 

46.  Burch,  p.  2.     Burch  lived  next  to  Temple  and  had  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  transaction. 

47.  Ibid. 

48.  Book  "28,"  p.  371,  Routt  County;  Book  "G,"  p.  109,  Moffatt 
County;    described   as   EVs    NE14,   Ei/^    SE14. 

49.  Ihid. 

50.  Burch,  p.   2;   Range  Book,  County  Clerk's  Office,   Rawlins, 
Wyoming. 


THE  L7  RANCHES  19 

There  is  little  doubt,  however,  that  Ayer  claimed  the 
use  of  the  property.  Probably  because  of  the  dubious  char- 
acter of  title  under  the  1888  Baggs  patent,  Ayer  deter- 
mined to  obtain  title  through  a  tax  sa'e.  Aware  of  the 
patent,  though  it  had  not  been  recorded,  the  Routt  County 
Assessor  put  the  property  on  the  tax  roll  in  1901.  Ayer 
failed  to  pay  the  taxes  and  the  property  was  sold  in  1906 
for  the  1901  taxes.  Ayer  bought  the  property  at  the  tax 
sale  and  obtained  a  Treasurer's  tax  deed  on  February  5, 
1906.5  1  On  April  5,  1906,  Ayer  recorded  the  "Baggs  patent" 
of  1888  and  thus  extinguished  any  cloud  on  the  title  that 
may  have  existed  because  of  this  instrument.  ^^  a  year 
later,  July  6,  1907,  Ayer  sold  the  old  "L7"  winter  ranch 

to  the   Willow  Creek  Land  and  Cattle  Company. 

L7  Operations 

MANAGEMENT  AND  PERSONNEL 

After  the  organization  of  the  Ell  Seven  Cattle  company, 
in  1883,  "Will"  Swan  left  the  actual  operation  of  the 
ranches  to  a  manager  and  foreman.  Emmet  C.  Green 
served  as  manager  from  1883  to  1888,  and  Foreman  John 
Wilcox  ably  operated  the  Platte  ranches — "Hat  Ranch," 
"Cow  Creek  Ranch,"  and  "Lake  Creek  Ranch" — until  the 
L7  combined  its  herds  on  the  Snake  River  in  1888.  Wilcox 
had  been  foreman  for  Sv/an  previous  to  the  incorporation 
of  the  Ell  Seven  Cattle  Company.  Charles  Ivey  was  made 
foreman  of  the  Snake  River  ranch  after  that  property 
had  been  acquired  from  George  Baggs  in  1884.  He  served 
until  1888.  The  disaster  of  1886-7,  together  with  the 
withdrawal  of  Green,  made  necessary  a  complete  reor- 
ganization of  the  L7.  The  Platte  ranches  were  sold,  and 
under  a  new  manager,  Mac  Stewart,  and  a  new  foreman. 
Charles  Neiman,  the  L7  continued  to  operate  with  all 
cattle  combined  on  the  Snake  River  Ranch.  Both  Stewart 
and  Neiman  served  until  1890  when  Dow  Doty  became 
manager  and  Kirk  Calvert  undertook  the  duties  of  fore- 
man. Doty  served  until  the  Company  ceased  its  opera- 
tions in  1895,  and,  after  Calvert  resigned  in  1891,  con- 
tinued as  both  manager  and  foreman. 

"Cowpunchers"  received  forty  dollars  a  month  and 
their  food,  such  lodging  as  was  needed,  their  equipment — 
except  for  saddle,   bridle,   and  bedroll — and  their   horses. 


51.  Book  "B,"  p.  547,  certificate  No.  7,  Routt  County,  Colorado. 

52.  Book   "28,"  p.   371,  Routt  County,   Colorado. 


20  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Some  men  owned  their  own  horses,  but  while  at  work  used 
those  belonging  to  the  Company.  A  top-hand,  and  there 
was  at  least  one  in  each  outfit,  received  from  fifty  to 
sixty  dollars  a  month.  The  foreman  was  paid  from  one 
hundred  to  one  hundred  twenty-five  dollars  per  month 
and  was  responsible  to  the  manager  for  the  operations  of 
the  ranch  and  the  execution  of  the  owner's  orders. 

The  men  wore  blue-denim  overalls  and  woolen  shirts. 
Two-piece  "Canton  Flannel"  underwear  were  worn  in 
winter  but  were  exchanged  for  cotton  in  summer.  A 
"wind-breaker"  coat  and  "Stetson"  were  as  necessary  to 
the  cowboy  as  were  his  narrow-pointed,  high-heeled  boots. 
The  latter  were  bought  in  Rawlins  for  five  to  six  dollars 
a  pair.  Many  punchers  had  their  boots  custom  built  at 
from  $15.00  to  $18.00  a  pair,  but  one  pair  would  last  a 
whole  year.  Leather  chaps  were  used  in  brush  country 
and  most  riders  were  provided  with  a  slicker  for  use  in 
wet  weather.  Men  from  Texas,  California,  Idaho,  Nevada, 
Oregon,  Montana,  a  few  from  New  York  and  other  eastern 
states  made  up  the  personnel  of  the  ranch.  Occasionally 
a  Mexican  "puncher"  would  drift  in  with  one  of  the  Texas 
trail  outfits.  Several  negroes  became  cowboys  and,  ac- 
cording to  their  foremen,  they  made  better  than  ordinary 
cowhands. 

After  the  cattle  had  been  shipped  in  the  fall,  it  was 
usual  to  discharge  all  but  two  or  three  men  of  the  ten  or 
twelve  "punchers"  in  the  outfit.  The  remaining  men  would 
take  care  of  the  herds  during  the  winter  and  the  discharged 
men  would  head  for  the  cities  to  spend  their  money.  After 
the  money  was  gone — and  it  usually  didn't  take  very  long 
— many  of  the  men  worked  the  "grub-route."  This  con- 
sisted of  going  from  ranch  to  ranch  in  the  cattle  country, 
stopping  for  a  few  days  at  one  of  the  ranches  and  then 
moving  on  again.  The  cowboys  were  welcome  to  stop  at 
any  ranch  and  stay  at  long  as  they  wanted — at  least  until 
time  for  the  next  spring  roundup  when  they  could  again 
be  placed  on  the  payroll.  It  was  not  unusual  for  the  men 
to  remain  at  the  ranch  where  they  had  been  hired  or  to  re- 
turn to  it  after  they  had  disposed  of  their  year's  earnings. ^^ 

LIVESTOCK 

During  1881,  on  Oregon  trail  herd  of  about  four 
thousand  head  of  short  horned  cattle,  belonging  to  Lang 
and  Ryan,  and  road  branded  "L,"  entered  southern  Wyo- 


53.     Neiman,  p.  8-9,  13. 


THE  L7  RANCHES  21 

ming.  "Will"  Swan  purchased  the  entire  herd,  and,  after 
taking  possession  at  Rock  Creek,  rebranded  the  cattle 
by  reversing  the  Lang  and  Ryan  branding  iron  which 
thereby  added  a  "7"  to  the  road  brand  and  created  the 
«L7  "54  The  new  brand  was  registered  with  the  County 
Clerk  at  Rawlins  on  August  5,  1881.5  5  By  the  end  of  1881 
Swan  was  credited  with  owning  twenty-five  horses  and 
four  thousand  head  of  "Neat  Cattle"  with  an  assessed 
valuation  of  $61,250.5  6 

After    the    organization    of    the  Ell  Seven   Cattle  Company 

the  herds  grew  so  rapidly  that  official  records  showed  the 
company  to  be  the  second  largest  in  Carbon  County,  with 
two  hundred  horses  and  5,200  cattle  valued  at  $111,650.57 
The  L7  herds  were  increased  by  the  purchase  of  trail  herds, 
buying  out  smaller  out-fits,  and  by  encouraging  large  calf 
crops.  One  of  the  largest  recorded  purchases  occurred  in 
April  1884,  when  Swan  bought  for  $40,000,  ^s  the  entire 
herd  belonging  to  Jay  Pettibone.  In  his  annual  report  on 
January  1,  1885,  "Will"  Swan  made  an  official  report  to 
his  co-partners  showing  all  livestock  on  the  LT:^^ 

"Cattle  on  Hand: 

9,041  cows 

1,667  heifers  2  years  old 

1,519  heifers  1  year  old  ^^^^  ^^.^^^  1884  =  3038 

1,519  steers   1   year  old 
1,670  steers  2  years  old 
3,614  steers   3   years  old  and  up 
324  bulls 

19,354  cattle 
345  horses 


Total 19,699" 

Some  idea  of  the  annual  fluctuation  in  the  number  of 
livestock  owned  by  the  L7  on  the  Platte  ranches  can  be 


54.  Information  supplied  by  Henry  Swan  from  recoi'ds  oi  W.  F. 
Swan;   Monte  Blevins,   "Recollections  of  the  L7,"  p.  3. 

55.  Brand  Record   (original,  not  numbered,  lettered  or  paged), 
County  Clerk's  basement  vault.  Courthouse,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 

56.  Assessment  Record,   1881,   Carbon,   County, 

57.  Assessment   Record,   1883,   Carbon   County. 

58.  Carbon  County  Journal,  October  12,  1889;  April  26,  1884. 

59.  William  F.  Swan,  "Report  L7  Cattle  Co.  January  1 ,  85." 


22  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

obtained  by  referring  to  the  chart  showing  yearly  assess- 
ment in  Carbon  County.  ^° 

Cattle  ranching  was  subject  to  frequent  losses  oc- 
casioned by  unseasonable  or  severe  weather.  A  long  dry 
spell  necessitated  winter  feeding,  consequently  increas- 
ing the  costs  of  production  and  cutting  heavily  into  profits. 
The  dry  summer  and  fall  of  1886-1887,  combined  with  a 
record  cold  spell,  hit  the  upper  North  Platte  valley  stock- 
men almost  as  severely  as  it  did  the  ranchers  in  the  rest 
of  Wyoming.  Stockmen  were  forced  to  buy  large  quan- 
tities of  feed  for  their  rapidly  weakening  herds  which  in 
many  places  were  existing  by  browsing  on  willows  and 
sage  brush. 6  1  Early  in  February,  Manager  Emmet  Green 
purchased  one  hundred  tons  of  hay  in  an  endeavor  to 
save  part  of  the  L7  stock.  ^  2  The  company  went  into  the  win- 
ter of  1886-7  with  a  recorded  count  of  6,300  head  of  cattle. 
The  spring  roundup  in  1887  showed  only  2,851  head  on 
the  L7  ranges. 6 3  This  catastrophe  led  to  the  decision  to 
combine  all  the  L7  herds  on  the  Snake  River  property, 
south  of  Baggs,  where  the  severe  effects  of  the  winter  had 
not  been  felt.  The  Saratoga  correspondent  of  the  carbon 
County  Journal  reported  on  July  13,  1887: 

"The  roundup  is  over  and  the  cattle  men  nave  disbanded  and 
gone  home.  From  the  most  reUable  sources  we  learn  that  the 
loss  has  been  far  greater  than  anyone  anticipated — just  hovi^ 
much  no  one  can  tell  exactly.  But  it  is  fair  to  say  that  many 
men  would  be  happy  if  they  could  gather  50  per  cent  .  .  ."64 


60.  Caution  must  be  used  in  analyzing  the  official  county  rec- 
ords cited  in  this  report.  Assessment  figures  on  the  number  of  stock 
on  a  ranch  in  any  given  year  are  subject  to  challenge  as  the  report 
from  which  such  figures  were  obtained  was  made  by  the  owner  of 
the  stock  and  more  often  than  not  was  a  decided  understatement. 
As  a  matter  of  record  it  should  be  pointed  out  that  the  ranchers — 
except  in  unusual  cases — seldom  knew  exactly  how  many  head  of 
stock  they  possessed.  The  assessors  certainly  had  neither  the  time 
nor  money  to  count  personally  the  stock  on  each  ranch.  In  addition, 
it  was  the  general  practice  of  county  officials  of  the  day  deliberately 
to  understate  the  number  of  stock  in  order  that  winter  losses  and 
normal  "depreciation"  would  be  taken  into  consideration.  It  should 
also  be  noted  that  while  some  returns  were  made  before  the  annual 
shipment  to  market  others  were  made  after  shipment.  I  should 
venture  to  guess  that  the  actual  figures  would  have  oeen  from  15% 
to  25'^/r  greater  than  those  shown,  but  I  confess  that  this  is  based 
upon  the  most  flimsy  evidence.  For  example  compare  the  1885 
report  above  quoted  with  the  assessment  record  for  1885,  chart  p.  23. 

61.  Carbon  Countij  Journal,  March  5,  1887;  February  12,  1887. 

62.  Ibid.  February  16,  1887. 

6.3.     Assessment  Record,  1887  and  1888,  Carbon  County. 
64.     Carbon  County  Journal,  July  16,   1887. 


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THE  L7  RANCHES  25 

Unfortunately  the  county  records  of  both  Colorado 
and  Wyoming  fail  to  reflect  the  increase  in  the  Snake 
River  cattle  after  the  combining  of  the  L7  Platte  River 
herds  with  those  on  the  Snake.  According  to  the  Carbon 
County,  Wyoming,  records  there  were  2,851  head  of  stock 
on  the  Platte  ranches  in  1888,  which,  accordingly,  should 
have  either  shown  on  the  Snake  in  1889,  less  those  shipped 
to  market,  or  should  have  been  added  to  the  Routt  County, 
Colorado,  figures  in  that  year.^^  The  Wyoming  records 
fail  to  show  any  L7  stock  in  1889  and  only  one  thousand 
head  at  Baggs  in  1890.  ^^  A  glance  at  the  Colorado  record 
indicates  that  in  1887  the  L7  had  3,075  head  of  cattle  at 
the  winter  ranch,  2,801  head  in  1888,  3,260  head  in  1889, 
thus  providing  no  evidence  of  the  addition  of  the  Wyo- 
ming herd.^^ 

One  vital  fact  gleamed  from  the  official  records  is 
the  effect  of  the  winter  of  1889  upon  the  L7  cattle  on  the 
Snake  River  ranch.  A  drought  had  burned  most  of  the 
forage  by  the  end  of  July.  Fall  and  winter  feed  became 
a  serious  problem.  The  range  was  heavily  overstocked 
and  the  cattle  grew  steadily  weak  and  thin.^s  By  February 
1,  1890,  one  correspondent  reported,  "More  dead  (cattle) 
are  found  on  the  ranges  than  ever  before  and  the  back- 
bone of  the  winter  is  not  yet  broken  .  .  .  Some  stock- 
men predict  that  the  loss  will  be  as  high  as  50  per  cent 
and  extreme  alarmists  place  the  figure  as  high  as  75  per 
cent."69  Almost  one  month  later  there  was  still  no  let 
up  in  the  weather.  From  Dixon,  a  few  miles  from  the  L7 
Baggs  ranch,  it  was  reported  on  February  28  that  the 
snow  was  anywhere  from  eighteen  inches  to  five  feet  in 
depth  and  that  the  temperature  that  morning  had  been 
twenty-eight  below  zero.  "Fine  weather  for  the  annihila- 
tion of  stock. "7o  The  L7,  according  to  official  records,  en- 
tered the  winter  with  approximately  3,260  head  of  cattle 
on  the  winter  range,  south  of  Baggs,  in  northern  Colorado, 
The  loss  was  staggering.  One  neighbor  referring  to  the 
effect  of  the  winter  on  the  L7  stock  commented : 


65.  Assess7nents,   1888,  1889,  Carbon  County. 

66.  Ibid.   1890. 

67.  Assessment  Roll,  1887,  1888,  1889,  Routt  County,  Colorado; 
Neiman,  p.  7. 

68.  Neiman,  p.   16. 

69.  Carbon  Connty  Journal,  February  1,   1890. 

70.  Ibid.  March  8,  1890. 


26  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

"The  loss  of  L7  cattle  .  .  .  has  been  large,  but  they  were 
half  starved  and  in  a  dying  condition  when  they  were  turned 
loose  on  the  range  south  of  town,  and  the  wonder  is  not  that 
so  many  of  them  died,  but  that  any  of  them  are  alive. "7 1 

In  the  Spring  of  1890  the  L7  was  officially  reported 
to  have  only  three  hundred  head  of  stock  left  at  the  winter 
ranch,  and  one  thousand  head  in  Wyoming.  Thus,  out  of 
officially  3,260  head  in  1889,  the  L7  was  able  to  count 
only  1,300  head  after  the  ruinous  winter.'^^ 

"Charley"  Neiman  was  foreman  of  the  L7  during  the 
disaster  of  1889-90,  and  had  charge  of  executing  the 
emergency  drive  which  was  designed  to  save  part  of  the 
herd.  His  description  of  the  episode  gives  further  evi- 
dence of  the  hazards  of  cattle  raising  as  well  as  the  need 
for  competent  judgment  and  immediate  action  on  the  part 
of  the  cattleman: 

"The  winter  of  1889  was  one  of  the  hardest  in  the  history 
of  the  West.  The  range  was  heavily  overstocked  with  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  thousand  head  of  stock  in  each  of  the  three 
largest  outfits — the  L7,  the  Ora  Haley  ranch,  and  the  Leaven- 
worth Cattle  Company — and  a  number  of  smaller  outfits  had 
about  one  thousand  head  each.  The  cattle  became  thin  and 
weak.  A  number  of  cattle  men  decided  to  drive  the  stock  to 
the  Red  Desert  country  north  of  Rawlins.  But  the  decision 
to  undertake  this  program  was  made  by  manager  Stewart  who 
acted  too  late.  It  was  the  middle  of  November  before  the  order 
to  drive  was  given.  Wilson  Rankin,  foreman  of  the  Haley  out- 
fit, was  the  first  to  start.  He  drove  from  the  Snake  River, 
pushing  the  cattle  ahead  as  far  as  he  could  each  day  and  then 
turning  them  loose.  The  stragglers  and  drifters  were  enormous. 
It  sometimes  took  until  two  in  the  afternoon  for  the  men  to 
get  the  cattle  bunched  again  in  order  to  continue  the  drive. 
Rankin  averaged  only  three  miles  a  day.  I  went  next  with 
the  L7  cattle — the  Leavenworth  Cattle  Company  was  not  in 
favor  of  the  drive  but  they  did  send  two  men  with  me.  I  drove 
the  Snake  River  bottom  northward.  By  the  time  I  had  reached 
Baggs,  some  forty-four  miles  north — I  had  ten  thousand  bawling 
cattle  ,many  weak  and  in  no  condition  to  travel,  and  many  with 
calves.  Drifters  and  stragglers  were  numerous.  The  day  before 
Christmas,  somewhere  between  thirty  and  forty  miles  north 
of  Rawlins  toward  the  Red  Desert,  I  turned  the  cattle  loose. 
They  just  couldn't  go  any  further.  Many  died  on  the  drive. 
Many  were  too  weak  to  complete  the  trip  and  dropped  back. 
Many  died  after  we  had  arrived  at  our  destination.  It  was 
the  worst  slaughter  I  had  ever  seen.  That  summer  we  had 
branded  between  3,500  and  four  thousand  head  of  calves;  the 
following  spring  only  174  or  175  calves  were  branded.  I  checked 
this  with  Stewart  myself.  The  loss  of  cattle  during  the  winter 
of  1889  was  estimated  at  75%!  We  also  lost  about  two-thirds 
of  the  saddle  horses. "7 3 

71.  Ihid.   April   19,   1890. 

72.  Assessment  Roll,  1888,   1889,  Routt  County,  Colorado. 

73.  Neiman,  p.   16-17. 


THE  L7   RANCHES  27 

In  two  disastrous  winters — the  first  on  the  Platte  in 
1886-7,  and  the  second  on  the  Snake  in  1889-90— the  L7 
had  been  virtually  "wiped  out."  Failure  of  the  grass  on 
the  range  to  return  to  its  former  condition,^-*  combined 
with  low  cattle  prices  and  the  inability  to  recoup  losses 
sustained,  caused  the  company  to  go  out  of  business  in 
1894. 

THE  ROUNDUPS 

The  annual  Spring  and  Fall  roundups  climaxed  the 
year's  activities  for  management  and  personnel  alike.  In 
the  Spring  the  stock  was  gathered  for  branding  while  in 
the  Fall  the  purpose  of  the  roundup  was  chiefly  to  "cut 
out"  the  stock  to  be  shipped  to  market.  Each  roundup 
was  a  cooperative  affair  joined  in  by  all  ranches  using  the 
range  upon  which  the  roundup  was  to  be  held.  Annually, 
at  an  early  meeting  of  the  Stock  Growers  Association  the 
roundups  were  planned  for  each  range,  a  roundup  foreman 
or  captain  chosen  and  the  dates  for  beginning  the  roundups 
selected.  All  owners,  foremen  and  riders  were  bound  to 
obey  the  orders  of  the  roundup  foreman,  and  his  decisions 
were  final.  At  the  stock  growers  meeting  held  at  Warm 
Springs  (Saratoga)  March  29,  1881,  the  ranchers  agreed, 
"That  we  follow  the  directions  of  the  captain,  and  any 
person  refusing  to  obey  such  orders  be  excluded  from  all 
privileges  of  the  Round-Up."^^  John  Wilcox,  efficient  fore- 
man of  the  L7  for  its  incorporation  until  1888,  was  regu- 
larly chosen  roundup  foreman  for  the  area  in  which  the 
L7  stock  ranged.^ s  At  various  times  one  roundup  crew 
would  join  with  that  engaged  in  working  an  adjoining  area 
and  thus  provide  complete  coverage  of  the  range  for  hun- 
dreds of  miles  in  all  directions.  An  excellent  example  of 
this  practice  occurred  in  1884,  when  "Roundup  No.  25," 
covering  the  area  which  included  part  of  the  L7  range, 
met  at  Fort  Steele,  and  after  working  part  of  the  assigned 
territory  joined  forces  with  "Roundup  No.  26"  for  several 
days  and  worked  a  peripheral  area;  after  completing  this 
part  of  the  range  "No.  25"  left  "No.  26"  and  continued  to 
work  its  assigned  range  alone  until  it  joined  forces  with 
"No.  7"  to  work  a  second  peripheral  territory. ^^ 

74.  Carbon    County  Journal,   February   18,    1893,    and   Februarj' 
3,    1894. 

75.  Carbon  County  Journal,  April  2,  1881. 

76.  Ibid.  April  7,  1883;  April  11,  1885;  April  17,  1886;  April 
16,   1887. 

77.  Ibid.   January  5,   1884. 


JO 


THE  L7  RANCHES  29 

The  Spring  roundup  started  soon  ofter  the  first  of 
May,  after  the  cattle  had  shed  their  winter  hair  and  their 
brands  could  be  easily  read,  and  after  the  horses  had 
"fleshed  up"  so  they  could  be  ridden.  Essential  parts  of 
the  outfit  on  every  roundup  were  the  grub  wagon  and  bed 
wagon.  The  latter  held  the  bed  rolls  and  all  extra  equip- 
ment needed  on  the  roundup.  The  "cavvy,"  which,  on  the 
L7  usually  consisted  of  around  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  horses,  eight  or  nine  mounts  to  a  man,  was  driven  to 
camp  before  breakfast  by  the  horse  wrangler.  Two  ropes 
tied  to  the  wagon  and  held  at  an  angle  formed  a  tem- 
porary corral  in  which  the  horses  were  held  until  after 
breakfast  when  the  men  would  drop  their  ropes  over  the 
heads  of  the  horses  they  were  going  to  ride.  The  various 
outfits  taking  part  in  the  roundup  camped  a  quarter  to 
half  a  mile  apart  in  order  that  the  horses  would  not  be- 
come mixed.  The  foreman  of  the  various  outfits  would 
gather  with  the  roundup  captain  in  the  evening  and  lay 
out  the  work  for  the  following  day.  All  the  outfits  would 
gather  after  breakfast  and  the  roundup  foreman  would 
assign  the  tasks  and  the  men  would  scatter  to  their  ap- 
pointed jobs.  Dinner  and  supper  came  at  irr'egular  inter- 
vals, whenever  the  job  was  finished  or  such  portion  of  it 
that  the  men  could  leave  without  holding  up  the  work. 
Some  would  eat  lunch  at  eleven  in  the  morning,  while  others 
would  only  be  able  to  stop  work  at  two,  or  even  three,  in 
the  afternoon.  Frequently  cattle  had  to  be  held  in  a  herd 
at  night,  and  this  necessitated  night  riding,  two  men  in 
four  shifts.  The  L7  outfit  on  roundup  usually  consisted 
of  eight  or  ten  "cowpunchers,"  a  cook,  day  and  night  horse 
wranglers  and  three  or  four  "reps."  The  "reps,"  or  rep- 
resentatives, were  men  from  other  ranches  whose  cattle 
were  ranged  near  enough  to  become  mixed  with  L7  stock. 
During  the  roundup  period  each  ranch  would  send  "reps" 
to  the  other  nearby  roundups  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  their 
stray  stock.  These  men  also  helped  in  the  roundup  and 
thus  augmented  the  regular  men. 

On  roundup  the  men  had  only  one  regular  meal, 
breakfast,  which  was  eaten  just  before  dawn.  The  cook 
arose  at  3:30  A.  M.  and  prepared  breakfast.  Just  before 
retiring  he  would  grind  the  coffee  beans  and  place  the 
coffee  in  a  large  well-dented  and  brown-stained  pot.  When 
he  arose  the  pot  was  hung  over  the  fire.  The  men  liked 
their  coffee  hot — and  strong.  It  was  the  general  practice 
on  roundup  to  add  just  a  few  fresh  grounds  to  the  al- 
ready cooked  ones  and  reheat  the  pot.     In  dutch  ovens 


30  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  iron  kettles  suspended  from  hooks  attached  to  the 
pot  rack,  salt-side  and  corn,  tomatoes  and  beans  were 
cooked.  The  meals  were  served  in  tin  plates  and  tin  cups. 
Cold  biscuits  and  jam  completed  the  meal.  Biscuits  were 
almost  always  served  cold.  There  was  a  good  reason. 
Hungry  men  could  devour  hot  biscuits  by  the  dozens,  and 
the  time  necessary  to  provide  such  quantities  was  pro- 
hibitive. After  the  men  were  gone  from  camp  the  cook 
usually  prepared  baking  powder  biscuits  by  the  "bushel." 
These  were  kept  in  a  large  tin  and  served  cold  at  meals. 
When  the  supply  ran  low  a  new  batch  was  baked.  Be- 
sides the  cook,  one  other  man,  the  horsewrangler,  was 
kept  at  camp.  It  was  part  of  his  job  to  provide  the  wood 
for  the  cook's  fire. 

The  chief  work  of  the  roundup  was  to  gather  into 
herds  all  the  cattle  that  could  be  found.  This  necessitated 
riding  all  hills,  valleys,  arroyos  and  "draws,"  box  canyons, 
stream  beds  and  the  level  range.  Once  the  cattle  were 
rounded  up  the  real  work  began.  Each  outfit  would  "cut 
out"  from  the  herd  the  stock  bearing  its  brand.  Calves 
were  credited  to  the  brand  carried  by  the  mother  cow, 
and  were  branded  accordingly.  All  other  unbranded  stock 
were  promptly  branded  by  the  outfit  to  which  they  be- 
longed. Mavericks,  calves  or  other  stock  of  unknown 
ownership  were  branded  with  an  "M"  on  the  left  jaw  and 
later  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  Stock  Association. 

Some  variation  of  this  method  arose  on  the  Snake 
River  ranches.  On  the  Snake  and  Bear  Rivers,  upon  and 
between  which  the  L7  cattle  grazed,  there  were  three  large 

outfits,    the    L7,    the    Leavenworth  Cattle  Company     (pot    hook 

brand  "IP"  ),  J.  B.  Insley,  manager  and  the  Ora  Haley  Cat- 
tle Company  (two-bar  brand  on  right  hip).  These  three 
ranches  divided  and  controlled  the  vast  range — almost 
all  of  which  was  part  of  the  public  domain.  The  L7  home 
range  was  on  the  lower  Snake  River;  that  of  the  Leaven- 
worth outfit  was  in  the  upper  Snake  country ;  Haley's  range 
was  in  the  Bear  River  country.  Between  the  three  large 
outfits  and  a  number  of  smaller  ranchers  the  range  was 
efficiently  controlled.  This  division  of  the  range  was  one 
of  convenience  as  actually  the  stock  of  the  three  large 
ranches  roamed  at  will  and  became  quite  thoroughly  mixed. 
The  theoretical  division,  however,  operated  during  the 
joint  spring  roundup,  as  the  manager  of  that  portion  of 
the  range  upon  which  the  roundup  was  held  was  also 
the  manager  of  the  roundup,  and  his  outfit  received  all 


THE  L7   RANCHES  31 

mavericks  found  at  the  roundup.  Thus  when  the  roundup 
was  on  the  L7  portion  of  the  range,  the  L7  foreman  was 
in  charge  of  all  the  men  from  the  other  ranches  as  well 
as  those  from  his  own,  and  the  L7  took  all  mavericks 
found  at  the  roundup.  The  same  circumstances  held 
when  the  roundup  was  on  the  Haley  or  Leavenworth  por- 
tions of  the  range. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  comparison  between  this 
system  and  that  on  the  Platte  ranches  described  above. 
The  three  major  ranches  were  opposed  to  stock  associa- 
tions. Haley  especially  opposed  the  extension  of  the  strong 
and  powerful  stock  association  of  Wyoming.  Under  the 
association  all  mavericks  found  at  the  spring  roundup 
were  "jaw-branded"  and  then  sold  to  the  highest  bidder. 
During  the  winter  small  ranchers  took  all  the  mavericks 
they  could  find.  This  system  naturally  led  to  rustling 
and  numerous  cattle  wars.  The  strange  thing  about  this 
was  that  the  rustlers  would  steal  from  the  association 
members  and  not  harm  the  herds  of  non-association  mem- 
bers living  in  the  same  area."^^ 

BRANDS 

On  July  21,  1884,  Swan  reregistered  all  of  his  brands 
in  the  name  of  his  recently  incorporated  eu  Seven  Cattle 
Company.  In  his  certificate  Swan  stated  that  he  owned  ten 
brands,  and  County  Recorder  D.  H.  Hughes  drew  into  the 
official  county  brand  records  a  sketch  of  each.^^ 

<;?.Q^.^.2l.[lLlxL._i.=. 

On  October  14,  1884,  a  new  brand,  the  "Keystone" —  ^7 

— was  registered  as  having  been  purchased  by  the 
Ell  Seven  Cattle  Company  from  M.  Quealy.s° 

It  is  possible  to  trace  the  origin  and  evolution  of 
some  of  these  brands,  although  the  record  of  their  trans- 
fer or  purchase  by  Swan  is  not  complete. 

With   the  purchase   of  the  Hawley   and   Jones   "Hat 


78.  Information  for  this  section  was  obtained  chiefly  from  the 
unpublished  accounts  of  the  surviving  former  L7  foreman,  Charles 
Neiman  and  Dow  Doty,  and  from  Monte  Blevins,  who  once  rode 
for  the  L7. 

79.  Brand    Record    (unnumbered,    unlettered,    unpaged). 

80.  Ihid. 


32  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Ranch"  and  herd  in  1882,  Swan  obtained  the  "J^"  hat 
brand.  This  brand  was  originally  filed  on  September  11, 
1873,  by  S.  Parkins, si  and  had  been  purchased  from  him 
by  Hawley  and  Jones  and  refiled  on  February  23,  1878.^2 

The  device  "if  "  brand  was  originally  adopted  in 
Carbon  County  by  W.  T.  Davis  of  Warm  Springs  (Sara- 
toga), who  filed  the  brand  on  April  4,  1878.  One  year 
later,  April  7,  1879,  Davis  transferred  the  brand  to  William 
Bangs.  No  record  of  the  brand  was  found  from  that  date 
until  it  was  registered  in  1884  by  the  ''L7."83 

The  "21"  brand,  originally  filed  by  Thomas  Bird  of 
Fort  Stee'e  on  September  29,  1874,  was  transferred  to 
C.  F.  Bean  of  Warm  Springs  (Saratoga),  June  20,  1879.^4 

The  keystone  brand,  filed  by  Swan  in  October  1884, 
was  first  registered  in  Carbon  County  on  June  7,  1878, 
to  John  Roxbury.ss 

When  Swan  bought  out  Vansant  and  Mannhinney  in 
1882  he  took  over  their  brand  and  on  July  10  registered 
the  brand    "__J"  v/ith  the  county  clerk  at  Rawlins. 

Fisher  and  Her,  owners  of  the  s  Mile  Creek  Cattle 
Company,  were  the  first  in  the  county  to  use  the  "two-bar," 
having  recorded  their  mark  on  April  9,  1877. ^^  Their 
title,  however,  was  short-lived.  On  January  5,  1878,  H. 
W.  Eaton  recorded  the  brand  and  no  protest  was  entered 
against  it.8"7 

Oldest  of  the  brands  used  by  the  EU  Seven  Cattle  Company 

was  the  horseshoe,  ••  T  /  "  •     W.  C.  Bangs,  at  one  time  also 

owner  of  the  device  brand,  recorded  the  horseshoe  brand 
on  May  22,  1874.88 

The  L7  experienced  the  usual  brand  difficulties.  News- 
paper accounts,  court  records  and  stock  association  cor- 
respondence show  several  incidents  of  wilful  misbranding 
of  stock  on  the  L7  North  Platte  ranches.  Major  diffi- 
culties arose,  however,  on  the  Snake  River  ranges.     A  dis- 


81.  Brand  Record,  "A,"  Carbon  County,  Wyoming,  p.  23. 

82.  Ibid.  p.   44. 

83.  Ibid.  p.    62 

84.  Ibid.  pp.   10,   65. 

85.  Ibid.  p.  50. 

86.  Ibid.  p.   29. 

87.  Ibid.  p.   38. 

88.  Ibid.  p. 7. 


'      THE  L7  RANCHES  33 

patch  from  Dixon  on  December  24,  1885,  lanconically 
reported : 

"Trouble  is  brewing  between  the  L7  and  the  Pot  Hook  out- 
fits, the.  latter  being"  accused  of  wilful  misbranding  of  grown 
cattle.  Both  outfits  are  wealthy  and  from  reports  in  circulation 
there  will  soon  be  music  in  the  air.'  89 

No  further  record  of  this  difficulty  has  been  located  and 
it  may  be  assumed  that  the  "music"  continued  "sweet  and 
low."  A  possible  explanation  of  this  incident,  although 
no  evidence  is  available  to  support  the  supposition,  might 
possibly  be  found  in  the  fact  that  an  L7  foreman  was 
found  guilty  of  rustling  and  "running  brands"  within  two 
years  after  the  quoted  report  was  printed.  The  "gentle- 
man" in  question  rightfully  owned  a  small  herd  of  about 
fifty  head  of  stock,  but  within  a  short  time  turned  up  with 
several  hundred  head.  Without  the  knowledge  of  Swan, 
or  his  manager,  the  culprit  had  filed  two  private  brands, 

the  -  K^"  (K  face)  and  the  "969."  It  will  be  noted  that 
the  L7  brand  could  easily  be  altered  to  form  either  or 
both  of  these  two  brands,  the  "K  face"  by  adding  only 
two  "backs"  and  the  "969"  by  simply  altering  the  L7  and 
adding  an  altered  "7" — converted  into  a  "9" — ^before  the 
regular  brand. 

Lit.  =  L1        ^^  ■  L^ 

The  guilty  party  was  detected  by  the  men  under 
him.  It  had  been  noticed  that  he  always  carried  a  running 
iron,  which  was  simply  an  iron  ring,  tied  to  his  saddle, 
and  that  he  made  many  unaccounted  for  and  unaccom- 
panied rides  over  the  L7  range.  The  services  of  this 
rustler  were  soon  dispensed  with  and  the  gentleman  handed 
over  to  the  sheriff  for  trial.  3° 

SHIPMENTS— CATTLE    PRICES 

Cattle  were  shipped  to  market  in  the  Fall  after  the 
roundup.  The  stock  was  driven  to  the  most  convenient 
railroad  yards,  which  varied  from  year  to  year,  depending 
on  grass  conditions  en  route  to  the  shipping  point  and 
the  conditions   existing   at  the   yards.     At   various   times 


89.  Carbon  County  Journal.  December  26.  1885. 

90.  David  Wilcox,  p.  2.     Wilcox  was  a  rider  for  the  L7  at  the 
time  and  knew  personally  the  details  of  the  incident. 


34  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

r 

L7  cattle  were  shipped  from  Rawlins,  Fort  Steele,  and 
Medicine  Bow.  After  1888,  a  large  part  of  the  cattle 
were  driven  to  Wolcott  where  they  were  shipped  by  the 
newly-constructed  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad.  Ship- 
ments were  consigned  to  various  commission  agents  at  the 
markets  where  the  sales  were  made.  Cattle  buyers  sel- 
dom, if  ever,  visited  the  ranches  during  the  'eighties.  L7 
cattle  were  usually  consigned  to  Chicago,  but  if  markets 
en  route,  Omaha  and  Kansas  City,  were  good  the  commis- 
sion agents  would  take  advantage  of  them,  or,  if  poor,  the 
cattle  would  continue  to  the  midwestern  market.  ^^ 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  because  of  inadequate  records 
to  present  a  complete  account  of  the  annual  purchases 
and  shipments  of  cattle  from  the  L7  ranches.  Unfortun- 
ately only  a  scattered  record  of  shipments  from  Rawlins 
has  been  preserved.  This  incomplete  record,  however,  pre- 
sents some  indication  of  the  quantity  of  stock  handled  by 
Swan  and  his  associates,  and  since  most  of  the  record  is 
from  1888  to  1894,  it  constitutes  chiefly  a  record  of  ac- 
tivities on  the  Snake  River  ranch. ^^ 

DATE  SHIPMENT  OF  CATTLE  CONSIGNED  TO : 

September  22,    1883 14  cars         George  Allen  &  Burke,  Chicago 

August   27,    1887 16  cars 

October  21,  1891 18  cars                                                         Chicago 

October  22,  1891 2  trains                                                     Chicago 

September  20,    1892 35  cars 

September   16,    1893 12  cars                                                         Chicago 

October  28,  1893 34  cars                                              South  Omaha 

November    11,    1893 1800  head 

August    25,    1894 25  cars 

September   1,    1894 13  cars 

October  13,  1894 10  cars 

November  9,  1895 10  cars                                Kansas  City-Chicago 

But  few  records  are  available  giving  the  actual  re- 
ceipts of  the  L7.  The  1885  annual  report  of  the  Eii  Seven 
Cattle  Company,  prepared  by  William  Swan,  summarizes  re- 
ceipts for  1883  and  1884.^3 


91.  Neiman,  p.   15. 

92.  Carbon  County  Journal,  September  22,  1883;  August  27, 
1887;  October  22,  1891;  September  10,  1892;  September  16,  1893; 
October  28,  1893;  November  11,  1893;  August  25,  1894;  September 
1,    1894;    October   13,    1894;    November  9,   1895. 

93.  William  F.   Swan,   "Report  L7  Cattle  Co.  Jan.  1/85." 


THE  L7  RANCHES  35 

'Sales  in  1883  $30,876.00 

Sales  in  1884 1092  steers 

175  cows 

28  bulls 

1295  cattle    net  $64,410.62 

42  horses  net       1,564.40 


$65,975.02' 


In  1887  and  1888,  however,  the  market  dropped,  depsite 
the  shortage  of  Wyoming  cattle  occasioned  by  the  severe 
winter  of  1886-1887,  and  a  fat  cow  brought  only  fourteen 
or  fifteen  dollars. ^^  The  quoted  market  value  of  southern 
Wyoming  cattle  in  1888  at  Chicago  was  from  $3.75  to  $5.10 
per  hundred  pounds  for  "good,  fat  steers. "^^  During  the 
fall  of  1894,  cattle  sold  at  the  Omaha  market  by  Burke 
and  Frazier  brought  from  $2.95  to  $3.80  per  hundred 
pounds  for  common  Wyoming  steers  averaging  1,287 
pounds,  and  $1.25  to  $3.00  per  hundred  pounds  for  good 
cows  of  medium  weight.  ^^ 


Conclusion 

The  thousands  of  small  ranchers  who  suffered  drought 
and  severe  winter,  prairie  fire  and  disease,  who  fought 
for  the  best  ranges  and  adequate  water,  who  made  one 
loan  only  in  order  to  pay  off  another,  and  who  annually 
competed  for  the  best  markets  in  Denver,  Omaha,  Kansas 
City  and  Chicago,  laid  the  foundation  upon  which  our 
present  meat  industry  was  founded.  The  western  cattle 
industry  of  our  day  is  the  result  of  the  effort  of  those 
pioneer  ranchers  who  were  willing  to  accept  great  risks 
in  order  to  obtain  profits  which  were,  more  often  than 
not,  far  from  what  had  been  anticipated.  Some  of  the  more 
fortunate  became  wealthy  while  others,  less  fortunate 
failed.  The  great  majority,  however,  managed  just  to 
make  a  living,  but  in  so  doing  they  contributed  to  the 
techniques  and  methods  of  modern  cattle  raising.  Even 
those  who  failed  contributed  to  the  extent  that  they  formed 
part  of  the  over-all  pattern  of  a  major  western  industry. 


94.  Neiman,   p.    15. 

95.  Carbon   County   Journal,   September   15,    1888. 

96.  Carbon   County   Journal,   September    1,    1894. 


36  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

In  this  scheme  of  things  Wilham  Frankhn  Swan  earned 
himself  a  rightful  and  deserved  place. ^^ 

Selected  Bibliography 

A.  Manuscripts: 

Charles  Willis  Neiman,  "Recollections."  Unpublished  manu- 
script.     1942.      19    pp. 

Mrs.  John  Wilcox,  "Brief  Sketch  of  the  Life  of  John  Wilcox, 
L7  Foreman."     Unpublished  manuscript.     1942.     3  pp. 

Harry  F.  Burch,  "The  L7  at  Baggs,  Wyoming."  Unpub- 
lished manuscript.     1942.     2  pp. 

Monte  Blevins,  "Recollections  of  the  L7."  Unpublished 
manuscript.      1942.     5  pp. 

Dow  Doty,  "Recollections."  Unpublished  manuscript.  1941. 
4   pp. 

David  Wilcox,  "The  L7."  Unpublished  manuscript.  1942. 
2  pp. 

B.  Official   Records: 

Deed    Record,    Volume    W,    County    Clerk's    Office,    Carbon 

County,   Rawlins,   Wyoming. 
Deed    Record,    Volume    28,    County    Clerk's    Office,     Routt 

County,    Steamboat    Springs,    Colorado. 
"Reception  Journal,"  Books,  4,  7,  A,  B,  H,  L,  R,   vV,  County 

Clerk's  Office,  Carbon  County,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 
Assessment  Record,  1882,  Carbon  County,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 
Assessment  Record,  1883,  Carbon  County,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 
Assessment  Record,  1884,  Carbon  County,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 
Assessment  Record,  1885,  Carbon  County,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 
Assessmeyit  Record,  1886,  Carbon  County,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 
Assessment  Record,  1887,  Carbon  County,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 
Assessment  Record,  1888,  Carbon  County,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 
Assessment     Roll,     1883-1887,     Routt     County,      Steamboat 

Springs,  Colorado. 
Assess77i€nt     Roll,     1888-1889,     Routt     County,      Steamboat 

Springs,  Colorado. 


97.  The  author  acknowledges  the  assistance  of  Mrs.  Agnes 
Wright  Spring  who  made  the  newspaper  transcripts  from  which  the 
citations  used  in  this  article  were  taken;  the  aid  given  by  Mr.  David 
Grammer,  Jr.,  while  the  author  was  surveying  the  records  of  Car- 
bon County  at  Rawlins  is  gratefully  remembered;  Miss  Elizabeth 
Stafford,  secretary  to  the  writer,  gave  unstintingly  of  her  time  in 
typing  the  manuscript.  Throughout  the  many  interviews  with 
pioneer  stockmen  and  in  the  final  preparation  of  the  article  my 
wife  and  assistant.  Garnet  M.  Brayer,  has  labored  long  and  con- 
tributed much  to  whatever  success  the  article  might  attain.  I  am 
immeasurably  indebted  to  Mr.  Henry  Swan  of  Denver,  Colorado, 
who  not  only  made  possible  the  gathering  of  the  material  used  in 
the  article  but  also  provided  the  author  with  the  opportunity  to 
explore  personally  those  areas  of  Colorado  and  Wyoming  on  which 
the  L7  cattle  once  ranged,  fifty  years  ago. 


THE  L7  RANCHES  37 

Assessment    Roll,     1890- [1891],     Routt    County,     Steamboat 

Springs,  Colorado. 
Assessment   Roll,    1892,    Routt   County,    Steamboat    Springs, 

Colorado. 
Assessment   Roll,    1893,    Routt    County,    Steamboat    Springs, 

Colorado. 
Assessment   Roll,    1894,    Routt    County,    Steamboat    Springs, 

Colorado. 

Assessment  Roll,  1895  Routt  County,  Steamboat  Springs, 
Colorado. 

Range  Book,  Carbon  County,  County  Clerk's  Office,  Rawlins, 
Wyoming. 

"Cash  Book,"  Guy  Nichol's  Store  and  Saloon,  Swan,  Wyo- 
ming. 

Brand  Record  [unnumbered,  unlettered,  unpaged].  Carbon 
County,  Rawlins,  Wyoming. 

Brand  Record  "A,"  Carbon  County,   Rawlins,   Wyoming. 

C.  Transcripts   of  Newspapers: 

Carbon  County  Journal,  Volumes   1-16,   1879-1895. 
Cheyenne  Daily  Leader,  1875-1883. 
Cheyenne  Daily  Sun,  1877-1882. 

D.  Family  Records: 

In  the  possession  of  Mr.  Henry  Swan,  Denver,  Colorado, 
is  a  vast  collection  of  papers  gathered  over  many  years  and 
dealing  not  only  with  the  life  and  work  of  his  father, 
William  F.  Swan,  but  also  with  the  cattle  industry  during 
the  last  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

E.  Published  sources  quoted  or  cited: 

John  Clay,  My  Life  on  the  Range.     Lakeside  Press,  Chicago, 

Illinois.      1924.     366  pp. 
Wilson    Rankin,    Reminiscences    of    Frontier-    Days.      Smith 
Brooks,  Denver,  Colorado.     1938.     140  pp. 


DID  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 

Senator  Clarence  D.  Clark  was  Wyoming's  first  rep- 
resentative   in    Congress,    serving    until    March    1893? — 

(Beard,   Wyoming  from  Territorial  Days  to  tlxe  Present,    p.  515.) 

The  first  smelter  in  the  State  was  opened  at  Grand 
Encampment  on  July  27,  1901?  The  ores  of  the  Char- 
ter  Oak   Copper   Mine    were    handled    by    the    smelter. — 

(Wyoviing  Industrial  Journal,  August   1901,   p.   81.) 


By  Judge  A.  C.  Campbell* 

FOREWORD 

"When  Judge  A.  C.  Campbell  of  Cheyenne  responded  to  an 
invitation  from  the  Natrona  County  Bar  Association  to  deliver  an 
address  before  a  joint  meeting  of  the  Bar  Association  and  the  Casper 
Literary  Club  in  Casper  he  chose  for  his  subject  'Fading  Memories'. 

"The  paper  was  so  rich  in  anecdote,  in  whimsical  thought  and 
in  historical  data  of  permanent  worth  that  when  Judge  Camtapell 
had  finished  speaking,  the  two  Societies  appointed  a  joint  committee 
to  arrange  to  have  the  information  and  entertaining  manuscript  put 
into  permanent  form. 

"Accordingly  the  Committee  not  only  offered  the  State  Historian 
the  privilege  of  publishing  this  scholarly  address  in  the  ANNALS 
OF  WYOMING  but  gave  substantial  financial  assistance  to  promote 
this  issue  of  ANNALS. 

"We  take  this  opportunity  to  acknowledge  our  indebtedness  to 
the  Natrona  County  Bar  Association,  the  Casper  Literary  Club  and 
Judge  Campbell  and  to  thank  each  for  the  fine  spirit  of  cooperation 
with  the  State's  Department  of  History." — Mrs.  Cyrus  Beard,  State 
Historian.  1 

In  one  of  his  essays  Lord  Macaulay  said  that  the  "best 
portraits  are  perhaps  those  in  which  there  is  a  shght  mix- 
ture of  caricature;  and  we  are  not  certain  that  the  best 
histories  are  not  those  in  which  a  httle  of  the  exaggeration 
of  fictitious  narrative  is  judiciously  employed.  Something 
is  lost  in  accuracy  but  much  is  gained  in  effect." 

My  pen  portraits  are  not  perfect;  nor  is  there  "a 
slight  mixture  of  caricature"  in  any  of  them.  But  there 
may  be  embroidery  around  some  of  the  events  mentioned. 

Dating  from  the  time  I  began  to  live  I  was  born  in 
Cheyenne,  December  6,  1882,  aged  29  years  and  8  months. 

At  that  time  Wyoming's  heroic  period  had  reached 
its  peak;  its  romantic  era  had  begun  to  decline;  its  con- 
structive epoch  had  commenced.     Cheyenne  had  two  daily 

1.  This  note  by  Mrs.  Beard  was  attached  to  the  original  manu- 
script, which  was  written  in  1931  and  placed  in  the  files  of  the 
Wyoming  Historical  Department.  Since  the  present  State  Historian 
and  Editor  of  the  ANNALS  agrees  with  Mrs.  Beard  as  to  the  his- 
torical worth  and  value  of  the  article,  and  since  it  was  never  pub- 
lished in  the  ANNALS,  it  is  being  presented  here  in  accordance 
with  the  original  plans,  thereby  making  it  available  to  readers  of 
the  ANNALS  and  to  researchers. — Ed. 


FADING  MEMORIES  39 

newspapers.  Bill  Nye  was  the  editor  of  The  Laramie  Boomerang, 

also  Laramie's  postmaster.  In  October,  1883,  he  resigned 
as  postmaster,  and  informed  the  Postmaster  General  that 
the  key  of  the  office  "was  under  the  door  mat." 

The  population  of  the  Territory  did  not  exceed  30,000. 
The  census  of  1880  gave  it  21,000.  Cheyenne  had  less  than 
6,000.  The  Union  Pacific  was  the  only  railway  in  the  Ter- 
ritory. More  than  80  per  cent  of  the  voters  lived  within  30 
miles  on  either  side  of  it.  William  H.  Hale  was  the  Gov- 
ernor; Morton  E.  Post  was  the  delegate  in  Congress. 
Francis  E.  Warren  was  the  Territorial  Treasurer.  Joseph 
M.  Carey  was  the  Mayor  of  Cheyenne. 

The  Judicial  Department  consisted  of  a  Supreme  Court 
and  of  three  district  courts.  The  former  was  composed 
of  a  Chief  Justice  and  two  associate  Justices.  Ex  officio, 
they  were  the  judges  of  the  district  courts.  As  was 
cynically  remarked,  the  three  district  judges  met  in  Chey- 
enne once  a  year,  as  associate  justices,  to  affirm  each 
others  errors. 

James  B.  Sener  was  Chief  Justice  and  Judge  of  the 
First  District,  composed  of  Laramie  County  and  the  unor- 
ganized county  of  Crook;  Jacob  B.  Blair  and  Samuel  C. 
Parks  were  the  associate  justices.  Blair  was  Judge  of  the 
Second  District,  composed  of  Albany  and  Johnson  Coun- 
ties. Parks  was  Judge  of  the  Third  District,  composed  of 
the  counties  of  Carbon,  Sweetwater  and  Uinta.  At  that 
time  there  were  only  six  organized  counties. 

Sener  was  a  Virginian  but  not  of  a  "first  family."  He 
had  been  a  Confederate  but  not  a  soldier.  After  the  Civil 
War  had  ended  he  became  a  "scalawag"  and  was  elected 
to  the  Lower  House  of  Congress  as  a  Republican.  The 
second  time  he  ran  he  became  a  "lame  duck."  In  1878 
President  Hayes  commissioned  him  as  Chief  Justice  of 
Wyoming.  He  was  uncultured  but  not  uneducated.  Na- 
ture had  not  moulded  him  to  shine  in  a  drawing  room,  nor 
to  add  dignity  to  the  Bench.  He  was  unpopular  with  the 
Bar.  He  had  no  intimates  and  but  few  friends.  He  was 
a  miser.  It  is  needless  to  add  he  was  a  bachelor.  Blair 
was  a  widower  and  a  grandfather,  hence,  human.  Much 
of  his  monthly  pay  checks  were  invested  in  mining  stocks, 
which  yielded  "Irish  dividends."  He  was  born  and  reared 
in  that  part  of  Virginia  now  West  Virginia.  In  1861,  after 
Virginia  had  passed  a  secession  ordinance,  and  after  the 
Congressmen  elected  in  1860  from  Blair's  district  had 
had  allied  himself  with  the  Confederates,  Blair  was  elected 


40  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

to  the  Lower  House  of  Congress  as  a  Unionist.  In  the 
creation  of  West  Virginia  he  was  an  important  factor. 
After  its  creation  he  was  again  elected  from  his  district 
serving  until  March  4,  1865.  While  in  Congress  he  became 
intimate  with  James  G.  Blaine.  Blair  afterwards  became 
our  Minister  to  Costa  Rica.  In  1876  President  Grant  ap- 
pointed him  associate  justice  of  Wyoming.  He  had  a 
charming  personality  and  an  amiable  disposition.  He  also 
possessed  a  keen  sense  of  humor  which  was  frequently 
displayed  upon  the  Bench  and  occasionally  savored  a  writ- 
ten opinion.    I  quote  from  one  of  them: 

"We  have  read  with  due  care  the  testimony  given  on 
the  trial  and  find,  as  is  usually  the  case  in  actions  founded 
on  verbal  agreements  or  understandings,  that  the  parties 
had  no  difficulty  in  disagreeing  as  to  all  material  matters." 
(3  Wyo.  163). 

Judge  Parks  was  from  Illinois.  He  succeeded  Judge 
Peck,  who  will  be  hereinafter  referred  to.  Parks  knew 
Lincoln  when  both  were  young.  Parks  preceptor  was 
David  Davis,  who  became  an  associate  justice  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  United  States  by  the  appointment  of 
President  Lincoln.  Before  he  came  to  Wyoming  Parks 
had  been  an  associate  justice  in  Idaho.  A  son  and  a 
nephew  have  been  residents  of  Wyoming  for  many  years. 
Each  is  a  banker. 

Among  the  Cheyenne  lawyers  were  William  W.  Corlett, 
Joseph  W.  Fisher,  William  Ware  Peck,  John  A.  Riner, 
Charles  N.  Potter,  John  C.  Baird  and  Hugo  Donze^mann. 
Corlett  had  distanced  all  of  his  competitors.  I  have  heard, 
in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  and  in  other 
courts,  the  great  lawyers  of  this  generation  and  of  the 
one  preceding.  In  my  opinion  Mr.  Corlett  was  the  peer  of 
most  of  them.  William  Ware  Peck  was  a  finished  scholar, 
finely  cultured  and  widely  read.  His  memory  was  a  marvel. 
He  could  quote  correctly  lengthy  passages  from  the  Old 
Testament  and  from  the  New.  He  could  name  off-hand 
Dickens'  leading  characters.  He  could  repeat  pages  of 
Scott's  poems.  He  could  reproduce  striking  sentences  from 
Webster's  speeches  and  from  the  opinions  of  Marshall,  of 
Taney  and  of  Story.  For  several  years  he  had  practiced 
his  profession  in  Burlington,  Vermont,  his  native  state. 
Later  he  went  to  New  York  City  and  became  a  law  partner 
of  John  Van  Buren,  son  of  President  Van  Buren.  Presi- 
dent Hayes,  a  classmate  of  Peck  at  the  Harvard  Law 
School,  made  him  an  associate  justice  of  Wyoming.  Al- 
though a  learned  lawyer,  as  a  trial  judge.  Peck  was  not 


FADING  MEMORIES  41 

a  success.  Like  Charles  Sumner,  whom  he  greatly  ad- 
mired, he  was  an  idealist,  hence  unfitted  for  a  judicial 
position  in  a  frontier  community. 

Joseph  W.  Fisher  was  Wyoming's  second  Chief  Justice. 
He  was  a  Pennsylvanian.  In  1865,  for  his  gallantry  at 
Gettysburg  in  1863,  he  was  rewarded  by  the  brevet  rank 
of  Brigadier  General.  Grant,  in  his  memories,  referred 
to  him  in  complimentary  terms. 

With  Lee,  at  Gettysburg,  was  a  private  aged  16.  In 
a  Confederate's  account  of  that  battle  he  is  mentioned  for 
his  bravery.  In  1892  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Wyoming.  He  came  to  Cheyenne  from 
Fort  Collins  in  1885,  and  soon  was  justly  regarded  as  a 
very  able  lawyer.  A  school  building  in  Cheyenne  bears 
his  name.     I  refer  to  Honorable  Gibson  Clark. 

During  the  Presidential  campaign  pf  1868  I  heard 
General  Fisher  and  Senator  John  Sherman  speak  from 
the  same  platform.  I  was  then  15  years  of  age.  Fisher 
received  more  applause  than  did  Sherman.  Before  the 
speaking  began  I  carried  a  torch  in  the  parade.  I  was 
decorated  with  a  Grant  and  Colfax  button.  It  was  as 
big  as  the  bottom  of  the  prehistoric  beer  bottle.  I  wore 
a  wool  cap;  a  gray  flannel  shirt;  a  roundabout  coat;  blue 
jean  trousers;  red  topped  boots  with  brass  protected  toes; 
yarn  stockings  which  had  been  knitted  at  the  fireside 
under  the  light  of  a  tallow  candle  by  an  old  lady  who  made 
shrouds  for  the  dead  and  trouble  for  the  living,  whose 
husband  was  the  town  drunk  and  the  devoted  friend  of  a'l 
the  one  gallowsed  bare  footed  boys  in  the  village,  one  of 
whom  I  was.  A  Tom  Sawyer  and  a  Huckleberry  Finn 
could  be  found  in  every  village  in  the  county  in  which  I 
was  born,  and  in  most  of  them  a  "nigger"  Jim  and  a  good 
natured  drunk. 

To  return  to  the  Cheyenne  lawyers  of  1882,  not  the 
least  important  was  John  C.  Baird.  By  his  invitation  I 
came  to  Cheyenne  to  become  his  partner.  He  was  a 
fairly  good  lawyer  and  a  ready  and  impressive  speaker. 
At  the  time  he  died,  December,  1901,  he  was  the  United 
States  Attorney  for  Hawaii.  Bob  Breckons  succeeded  him. 
Breckons  died  in  1919.  Judge  John  A.  Riner,  Judge 
Charles  N.  Potter  and  General  Hugo  Donzelmann  belong, 
in  part,  to  the  present  generation.  The  career  of  each  is 
familiar  to  you  all. 

Among  the  lawyers  of  the  Territory  in  1882.  outside 
of  Cheyenne,   were  M.   C.   Brown,   S.   W.   Downey,   J.   W. 


42  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Blake  and  H.  V.  S.  Groesbeck  in  Laramie;  Homer  Merrill 
and  G.  C.  Smith  in  Rawlins;  A.  B.  Conaway  in  Green 
River,  and  Judge  C.  M.  White  and  C.  D.  Clark  in  Evanston ; 
H.  S.  Elliott  in  Buffalo.  Downey  had  been  delegate  in 
Congress;  Brown  became  President  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention.  Groesbeck  became  Chief  Justice  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  State;  Blake  become  a  District  Judge; 
Merrill  served  two  years  on  the  State  Supreme  Bench; 
Conaway  succeeded  Groesbeck  as  Chief  Justice.  Elliott 
served  as  Judge  in  the  State  of  Washington.  Brown  served 
as  District  Judge  in  the  State  of  Wyoming  for  two  years 
and  later  as  Territorial  Judge  in  Alaska  for  four  years. 
Clark  represented  the  State  in  the  Lower  House  of  Con- 
gress for  two  years,  and  in  the  Upper  House  for  more 
than  22  years. 

As  District  Judge,  Peck's  first  term  was  at  Green 
River.  He  had  an  Episcopal  minister  open  the  court  with 
prayer.  The  citizens  of  that  town  would  have  been  less 
astonished  had  one  of  their  number  had  opened  a  jack  pot 
in  the  same  manner.  As  Associate  Justice  he  sat  with 
Fisher  and  with  Blair.  He  suggested  to  Blair  that  when 
sitting  as  members  of  the  Supreme  Court  they  should  wear 
gowns.  Inwardly  Blair  chuckled;  outwardly  he  approved 
the  proposal  and  asked  Peck  to  submit  the  same  to  Fisher. 

Peck  did  so.    Fisher  replied:  "I'll  be  d if  I'll  ever  wear 

one."  Peck  was  shocked;  Blair  was  amused.  Fisher  and 
Blair  gowned  would  have  been  as  comfortable  and  as  happy 
as  would  now  a  bootlegger  in  a  Presbyterian  pulpit. 

Owing  to  his  impaired  eyesight  I  frequently  assisted 
Judge  Peck  in  preparing  Briefs.  That  is  to  say,  I  would 
read  to  him  decisions  applicable  to  the  questions  involved 
in  the  cause  he  represented.  When  I  had  finished  reading 
an  opinion  he  would  discuss  and  dissect  the  same.  His 
anayls's,  comments  and  sometimes  criticism  were  an  edu- 
cation and  a  revelation  to  me. 

Were  I  asked  what  part  of  my  imperfect  training  has 
counted  most  in  my  professional  life,  the  first  place  wouM 
be  given  to  my  contact  and  comradeship  with  lawyers  of 
superior  minds.  The  second  place  would  be  given  not  to 
the  perusal  of  text  books  or  to  the  study  of  judicial  de- 
cisions but  to  what  I  gained  in  trial  courts  by  observing 
and  by  studying  the  methods  of  able  lawyers  in  handling 
important  cases,  civil  and  criminal,  and  in  listening  to 
knowledged  leaders  arguing  great  causes  in  the  Appellate 
courts,  national  and  state. 

Again  referring  to  Judge  Peck:  None  of  his  family 
came  to  Wyoming  to  live.     During  my  bachelor  days  in 


FADING  MEMORIES  43 

Cheyenne  he  frequently  came  to  my  office  in  the  evening, 
bringing  a  book  or  a  magazine  from  which  I  would  read 
aloud.  After  I  ceased  to  be  a  bachelor  he  would  come  to 
our  home  on  Sunday  evenings  after  having  first  attended 
the  Episcopal  evening  service.  During  these  visits  I  would 
read  aloud  for  about  an  hour  a  magazine  article,  an  essay 
or  a  forensic  argument.  When  I  had  finished  reading, 
then  my  wife,  he  and  I  would  partake  of  a  lunch  which  she 
had  prepared.  While  at  the  table  he  would  illuminate  with 
his  learning  and  enrich  with  his  comments  that  which  I 
had  read.  In  those  days  most  of  us  had  the  simple  life. 
Men  of  family  spent  Sunday  evenings  at  the  fireside  or 
on  the  front  porch.  Some  men,  not  many,  could  be  found 
at  church.  The  house  of  a  young  married  couple,  whether 
mansion  or  cottage,  was  a  home,  and  whether  elaborately 
or  sparingly  furnished,  there  in  could  be  found  the  novels 
of  Dickens,  the  romances  of  Scott  and  the  poems  of  Tenny- 
son. A  hanging  lamp  was  in  the  hallway,  also  a  hat  rack; 
an  album  in  the  parlor;  a  vinegar  cruet  on  the  dining  room 
table;  a  pickle  jar  in  the  pantry;  a  moustache  cup  in  the 
china  closet;  and  within  the  statutory  time  after  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  a  baby  carriage  in  the  sitting  room.  That 
incubator  of  divorce  suits  and  promoter  of  alimony  clubs, 
the  apartment  house,  was  unknown;  the  movies  had  not 
arrived.  Satan  had  not  invented  auction  bridge;  draw 
poker  was  the  diversion  of  gentlemen  and  stud  poker,  now 
masquerading  under  the  name  of  Rubles,  was  a  gambler's 
game. 

The  evening  before  election  day,  1884,  Judge  Blair 
announced  from  the  Bench:  "This  court  stands  adjourned 
until  the  morning  after  James  G.  Blaine  is  elected  Presi- 
dent." The  Judge  called  upon  President  Cleveland  soon 
after  March  4,  1885.  In  one  respect  the  conversation 
between  them  resembled  that  which  took  place  between 
Alexander  of  Macedon  and  Diogenes.  The  President  asked: 
"What  can  I  do  for  you.  Judge  Blair?"  Blair  did  not 
answer  as  did  Diogenes,  "Stand  out  of  my  light,"  but  in 
the  words  of  Jefferson  Davis  uttered  early  in  1861,  "I 
want  to  be  let  alone."  The  President  good  naturedly  re- 
plied that  unless  serious  charges  against  him  were  filed 
and  proved,  he  would  not  be  disturbed.  Blair  then  said: 
"Mr.  President,  the  most  serious  charge  that  I  have  heard 
is  that  I  bet  on  Blaine;  now  no  one  is  more  sorry  for  that 
than  I  am."    He  was  not  removed. 

Judge  Blair  occupied  two  rooms  on  the  first  floor  of 
the  Albany  County  Court  House.     One  of  them  was  his 


44  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

official  chambers,  the  other  his  bedroom.  The  court  room 
was  on  the  floor  above.  Soon  after  I  became  the  United 
States  Attorney  for  Wyoming,  the  government  brought  a 
suit  in  Blair's  court  against  Matt.  Patrick  of  Omaha.  It 
grew  out  of  a  so-called  Star  Route  mail  contract.  John 
L.  Webster,  then  a  leading  lawyer  in  Omaha,  was  Patrick's 
attorney.  Webster  demurred  to  the  complaint.  When  he 
came  to  Laramie  to  present  the  demurrer,  Patrick  accom- 
panied him.  The  argument  lasted  most  of  the  day.  At 
its  conclusion  the  Judge  entered  an  order  overruling  the 
demurrer.  That  evening  the  Judge,  Webster,  Patrick  and 
myself  played  whist  in  the  Judge's  Chambers  until  a  late 
hour.  He  and  I  were  partners.  We  had  extraordinary 
luck.  We  won  every  game.  When  we  had  finished  Judge 
Blair  extended  his  hand  across  the  table  to  me  and  said: 
"Put  it  there;  we  can  beat  them  upstairs  and  we  can  beat 
them  downstairs."  For  the  moment  Webster  lost  his 
temper  and  heatedly  said:  "Yes,  and  damn  you,  you  hold 
the  cards  in  both  places."  About  four  years  ago  I  saw 
Webster  in  the  lobby  of  the  Brown  Palace,  Denver.  He 
was  then  past  80.  I  went  to  where  he  was  sitting  and 
spoke  to  him.  He  did  not  recognize  me  until  I  repeated: 
"Yes,  and  damn  you,  you  hold  the  cards  in  both  places." 

J.  W.  Blake,  afterwards  Judge  Blake,  and  I  were  sitting 
near  each  other  in  Blair's  court  during  the  trial  of  a  crim- 
inal case.  Mr.  Groesbeck,  later  Chief  Justice,  was  the 
Prosecuting  Attorney.  Judge  Blair  rapped  for  order. 
Groesbeck  looked  up  inquiringly.  The  room  "was  full  of 
thick  solemnity  and  silence."  Looking  in  our  direction, 
the  Judge  said:  "Mr.  Groesbeck,  you  were  interrupting 
Mr.  Blake  and  Mr.  Campbell ;  when  they  have  finished  their 
conversation  you  may  proceed."  Later,  I  was  an  onlooker 
in  the  same  court  during  the  trial  of  a  young  man  for 
homicide.  A  gunsmith  was  on  the  witness  stand.  He 
held  in  his  hand  the  defendant's  revolver.  The  witness  sat 
within  a  few  feet  to  the  right  of  the  Judge.  As  the  latter 
turned  to  deposit  a  mouthful  of  tobacco  iuice  in  the  cus- 
pidor, he  saw  the  revolver  pointed  toward  him.  When  he 
had  unloaded  the  cargo  he  inquired:  "Mr.  Witness,  is  that 
gun  loaded?"  "Yes,  your  honor,"  was  the  answer.  The 
judge  then  said:  "Point  it  toward  the  lawyers,  good  judges 
are  scarce." 

Honorable  John  M.  Meldrum,  known  to  his  friends 
as  "Jack,"  and  in  Yellowstone  Park  as  Judge,  and  who  for 
almost  40  years  has  been  the  magistrate  there,  at  one  time 
was  the  clerk  of  Judge  Blair's  court.     It  is  a  delight  to 


FADING  MEMORIES  45 

hear  Jack  describe  unique  and  amusing  instances  which 
occurred  in  that  court  while  he  was  clerk. 

I  can  but  faintly  reproduce  Jack's  description  of  the 
opening  scene  of  the  first  term  of  court  held  in  Buffalo, 
Johnson  County.  Nat  James,  formerly  a  cowboy,  was  the 
sheriff.  He  was  unfamiliar  with  court  proceedings.  The 
evening  that  Judge  Blair  and  Jack  arrived  in  Buffalo  Nat 
called  upon  Jack  to  be  instructed  and  coached.  Jack  told 
him  not  to  appear  in  court  with  his  chaps  and  spurs. 
Jack  also  wrote  upon  a  slip  of  paper  what  Nat  should  say 
when  the  Judge  asked  him  to  open  court.  On  the  Monday 
morning  following,  when  Judge  Blair  entered  the  court 
room,  Nat  arose.  Never  was  Beau  Brummel  so  gor- 
geously attired.  Between  Saturday  night  and  Monday 
morning  Nat  had  assembled  a  greater  assortment  of  colors 
than  were  ever  worn  by  a  yokel  at  a  County  Fair.  The 
Judge  sensed  the  situation.  He  called  upon  the  Sheriff 
to  open  court.  Nat  began:  "Oh,  yea!  O,  yea;  O,  yea!"  Then 
he  stopped,  stammered,  hesitated  and  took  a  fresh  start 
but  did  not  reach  the  quarter  pole.  He  flagged  himself 
back.  He  placed  his  hand  in  his  vest  pocket.  A  pained 
expression  came  over  his  face.  He  turned  toward  Jack 
and  with  trembling  voice  said:  "What  in  hell  did  I  do 
with  that  paper  you  gave  me." 

Early  in  1884  President  Arthur  appointed  Mr.  Perry, 
a  Brooklyn,  New  York,  lawyer  to  succeed  Judge  Sener. 
Perry  did  not  qualify.  He  died  suddenly  at  his  home. 
Shortly  thereafter  John  W.  Lacey  of  Indiana  was  com- 
missioned Chief  Justice  of  the  Territory.  He  resigned  in 
the  fall  of  1886.  President  Cleveland  appointed  William 
L.  Maginnis  of  Ohio  to  succeed  Lacey.  Maginnis  was  but 
28.  Perhaps  the  youngest  of  the  Territorial  judges,  un- 
doubtedly one  of  the  brightest.  That  same  year  Samuel 
T.  Corn  of  Illinois  succeeded  Judge  Parks.  Early  in  1887 
Micah  C.  Saufley  of  Kentucky  succeeded  Judge  Blair.  Late 
in  1889  President  Harrison  appointed  Willis  Van  Devanter 
to  displace  Judge  Maginnis.  Early  in  1890  C.  D.  Clark 
was  named  by  the  President  and  confirmed  by  the  Senate 
as  Judge  Corn's  successor.  Clark  declined  whereupon  A. 
B.  Conaway  of  Green  River  was  appointed.  Van  Devanter, 
Saufley  and  Conaway  were  the  last  to  serve  as  Territorial 
judges.  Van  Devanter  was  the  last  Chief  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  Territory  and  the  First  Chief  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State. 

Before  the  translation  from  territory  into  state  Wyo- 
ming's  colorful  history  had  begun   to   fade,   Sunday  had 


46  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

crossed  the  Missouri  River,  vaulted  over  Julesburg  and 
Sidney  and  had  invaded  the  Rocky  Mountain  region.  Ad- 
venture had  begun  to  lose  the  flavor  of  romance.  The 
hospitality  of  the  pioneer  had  become  an  article  of  sale. 
The  roundup  and  the  chuck  wagon  had  begun  to  vanish 
from  the  picture.  The  stage  coach,  the  mule  team  and  the 
prairie  schooner,  now  to  be  seen  only  in  museums,  mural 
decorations  and  the  movies,  were  being  displaced  by  the 
locomotives  and  the  Pullman  palace  car.  The  mule  skinner 
and  his  blacksnake  whip,  the  stage  coach  driver  and  his  20 
feet  of  lash,  the  cowboy  and  his  lariat  were  disappearing 
as  rapidly  as  were  Keno,  Mexican  Monte  and  the  fine  dis- 
tinctions between  right  and  wrong. 

If  the  advance  during  the  next  70  years  is  as  rapid 
as  it  has  been  the  preceding  70,  the  locomotive,  the  Pull- 
man and  the  auto  may,  before  the  end  of  the  century,  be 
pathetic  reminders  of  a  dead  civilization.  Less  than  70 
years  ago  steam  boats  landed  passengers  at  St.  Joe, 
Missouri;  stage  coaches  carried  them  from  there  to  Sac- 
ramento, California,  a  distance  of  almost  2,000  miles  in 
16  days,  making  125  miles  each  24  hours.  Between  the 
same  points,  Ben  Holiday's  Pony  Express  was  carrying 
the  United  States  mail  at  $5.00  a  letter,  in  8  days,  making 
250  miles  each  24  hours.  That  was  some  speed  at  that 
time.  When  one  of  Ben's  riders  was  told  of  the  marvelous 
feat  of  Moses  in  guiding  the  Children  of  Israel  through 
the  desert,  a  distance  of  300  miles  in  40  years,  he  scorn- 
fully replied:  "300  miles.  Humph!  Ben  Holiday  would 
have  fetched  them  through  in  36  hours." 

I  knew  one  of  Ben's  pony  riders.  I  know  a  pilot  who 
picks  up  mail  at  Cheyenne  in  the  evening.  It  arrives  in 
San  Francisco  the  next  morning.  Friday  afternoon  late 
in  June,  1888,  Willis  Van  Devanter  and  I  left  Cheyenne 
for  Lander,  by  train  to  Rawlins,  and  by  jerky  stage  from 
there.  We  were  not  delayed.  We  arrived  in  Lander  Sun- 
day afternoon.  One  morning  last  August  BiU  Dubois  left 
Cheyenne  for  Lander.  He  was  there  three  hours.  At 
4:30  that  afternoon  he  was  upon  the  Cheyenne  Country 
Club  golf  links.  During  the  life  of  some  one  now  living 
may  he  not  be  transported  from  St.  Joe,  Missouri,  to  Sec- 
ramento,  California,  in  as  many  hours  as  days  as  was  the 
mail  by  Ben  Holiday's  Express?  And  may  not  one  now 
living  in  Cheyenne  go  to  Lander  in  the  morning  and  be 
back  in  Cheyenne  for  breakfast? 

With  an  opportunity  such  as  is  this,  it  is  difficult  to 
suppress  the  urge  to  relate  in  detail  some  personal  exper- 


FADING  MEMORIES  47 

iences  as  a  practicing  lawyer  during  the  80's  and  the  early 
90's.  But  I  refrain  for  the  reason  that  after  one  passes 
the  70th  milepost  it  is  much  easier  to  express  than  to  re- 
press the  ego;  hence,  instead  of  particularizing  any  of 
them  I  will  generalize  a  few. 

Early  in  September,  1885,  28  Chinamen  were  mur- 
dered at  Rock  Springs.  A  few  days  later,  at  the  request 
of  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  Bayard,  I  was  directed  by  At- 
torney General  Garland  to  go  there  and  render  what  ser- 
vice I  could  to  Colonel  Bee,  Chinese  Consul  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  certain  officials  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
Company  who  were  at  Rock  Springs  conducting  an  in- 
vestigation. By  request  of  Governor  Warren,  President 
Cleveland  had  ordered  General  McCook,  then  Commandant 
at  Fort  Douglas,  Utah,  to  proceed  to  Rock  Springs  with 
two  or  three  companies  of  United  States  troops.  Among 
others  that  I  met  there  was  Marcus  A.  Hanna,  then  the 
government  Director  of  the  Union  Pacific.  At  that  time 
he  was  politically  unknown.  He  did  more  listening  than 
talking.    We  occupied  a  private  car.     I  was  there  a  week. 

The  description  of  General  Grant,  written  by  Charles 
Francis  Adams  2d  in  May,  1864,  fits  the  impression  I 
received  of  Mr.  Hanna  in  September,  1885,  namely:  "No 
intelligent  person  could  watch  him  without  concluding  that 
he  is  a  remarkable  man."  But,  "It  would  require  some 
study  to  find  in  his  appearance  material  for  hero  worship." 

Following  that  investigation  Congress  indemnified 
the  Empire  of  China  for  the  loss  of  lives  of  28  of  her  sub- 
jects, and  for  the  value  of  their  property  destroyed  and 
stolen. 

In  1887,  Dan  Bogan,  a  Texas  outlaw,  killed  Charlie 
Gunn  in  a  Lusk  saloon.  For  that  crime  Bogan  was  sen- 
tenced to  be  hanged.  His  counsel  sued  out  a  writ  of  error. 
Before  his  appeal  had  been  perfected  Dan  escaped  from 
the  Laramie  County  jail.  For  several  days  he  was  the 
guest  of  Harry  B.  Hare,  at  the  latter's  ranch  near  Wend- 
over.  In  due  time  Dan  arrived  at  the  ranch  of  Dave  Kemp 
near  Pecos  City,  Texas.  Dan  and  Dave  had  been  jointly 
tried  for  murder  in  that  state.  In  the  early  90's  Dave 
had  migrated  from  Texas  to  Eddy  County,  New  Mexico. 
Later  he  became  its  sheriff.  I  became  a  resident  of  that 
county  in  November,  1895.  While  I  was  there  Dave  killed 
the  sheriff  elect.  For  that  crime  he  was  tried  at  Roswell. 
the  county  seat  of  Chaves  County.  Occasionally  I  was 
present  during  the  trial.  Bogan  was  present  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  trial  to  the  end,  so  I  was  told  by  Dave  after 


48  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

his  acquittal.  Dan  told  Dave  that  I  had  helped  to  con- 
vict him  in  1887  at  Cheyenne  for  the  murder  of  Charlie 
Gunn.  In  this  Dave  was  mistaken.  In  some  matters  pre- 
liminary to  the  trial  I  appeared  for  the  Territory  when  the 
Prosecuting  Attorney  was  "indisposed." 

In  none  of  my  many  conversations  with  Dave  did  he 
indicate  the  whereabouts  of  Dan  except  that  he  was  in 
Texas.  In  one  of  these  conversations  I  asked  Dave  if  Dan 
had  not  broken  his  leg  when  he  jumped  through  the 
Weatherford  Texas  Court  House  window.  "No!"  he  sur- 
prisingly answered,  "that  was  me  whose  leg  was  broke  at 
that  time;  we  were  being  tried  together."  Dave  returned 
to  Texas,  reformed,  joined  the  Republican  party,  became 
an  applicant  for  the  office  of  United  States  Marshal  and 
was  disappointed  that  his  former  attorney,  Albert  B.  Fall, 
would  not  assist  him.  When  I  last  heard  of  Dan  he  had 
married,  owned  a  ranch  some  place  in  Texas,  was  branding 
mavericks  and  raising  Hoover  Democrats. 

In  April,  1901,  I  registered  at  a  Washington,  D.  C, 
hotel.  Above  my  signature  was  that  of  Dutton  Schultke. 
Ten  years  before  I  had  assisted  in  prosecuting  him  for 
killing  a  Lander  druggist.  During  the  trial  the  Doctor 
threatened  to  kill  me.  After  he  had  been  acquitted  I  told 
the  foreman  of  the  jury  that  if  I  had  an  enemy  that  I 
desired  to  get  rid  of  I  would  lure  him  into  Fremont  County. 
In  the  late  80's  and  early  90's  homicide  was  both  an  indoor 
and  an  outdoor  sport  in  Fremont  County  while  cattle  steal- 
ing was  a  pastime.  Petit  juries  discharged  the  bondsmen 
of  those  accused  of  crime  and  emptied  the  jail. 

In  the  early  90's  the  manager  of  a  cattle  company  in 
Fremont  County  was  murdered.  I  assisted  in  prosecuting 
the  two  men  who  had  been  indicted  for  that  crime.  After 
they  had  been  convicted  I  learned  that  in  1875  when  a  law 
student  I  had  been  present  in  a  Pennsylvania  Court  room 
when  the  deceased  was  being  tried  for  manslaughter.  He 
v/as  then  a  Pinkerton  detective  and  a  peace  officer. 

Should  I  be  tapped  I  might  leak  some  facts  concerning 
the  Johnson  County  Raid,  omitted,  unintentionally,  of 
course,  from  Frank  Canton's  Frontier  Trails.  Frank  was  not 
generous  to  a  fallen  foe,  otherwise  he  would  have  paid 
deserved  tribute  to  Nate  Champion,  who,  from  about  day- 
light until  late  in  the  afternoon  held  at  bay  20  Texas  gun- 
men and  20  Wyoming  stockmen.  No  doubt  Nate  was  a 
rustler.  But  none  of  those  who  died  in  the  Alamo  ex- 
hibited greater  courage  than  he  did  in  his  cabin  at  Kaycee, 
Wyoming.      The   stockmen   had   provocation;    so   had   the 


FADING  MEMORIES  49 

Vigilantes  in  San  Francisco,  so  had  the  leading  citizens  of 
New  Orleans  when  they  hanged  the  leaders  of  the  Mafia. 

Were  I  sworn  to  tell  the  truth,  the  whole  truth  and 
nothing  but  the  truth,  I  might  corroborate  the  account  of 
the  lynching  of  Jim  Averell  and  Ella  Watson,  which  may 

be  found  in  Mokler's  History   of  Natrona   County.    I  might  also 

add  a  supplement  to  that  account.  I  knew  all  of  the 
lynchers.  I  was  quite  intimate  with  the  leader  during  the 
later  years  of  his  life.  If  he  had  any  regret  for  that 
atrocious  deed  or  any  remorse,  he  successfully  concealed 
the  same. 

There  are  other  episodes  of  the  late  80' s  and  the  early 
90's  woven  in  the  warp  and  woof  of  Wyoming's  history 
that  might  be  referred  to  and  stripped  of  embroidery. 
But  I  refrain.  Any  audience  can  absord  truth  only  in 
small  doses. 

Wyoming's  first  Governor  was  appointed  in  1869.  I 
knew  all  of  his  deceased  successors.  I  know  all  of  those 
now  living.  I  knew  all  of  the  Territorial  Judges  but  three. 
I  knew  and  have  known  all  of  the  State  Judges.  I  knew 
all  of  the  Territorial  delegates  to  Congress  except  two.  I 
knew  and  know  all  of  Wyoming's  Attorneys  General. 

None  of  the  lawyers  who  came  to  Wyoming  before 
I  did  is  living.  All  of  the  Judges  then  living  are  dead.  Of 
the  45  members  of  the  Convention  who  framed  the  Con- 
stitution only  five  survive.  ^  Four  of  them  live  outside  the 
State.  Two  are  my  seniors;  two  are  my  juniors.  None 
of  my  intimates  of  the  80's  or  early  90's  is  alive  but  one. 

Unless  one  retains  "some  of  the  salt  of  his  youth,"  he 
is  destined  to  have  a  tasteless  old  age.  But,  there  are 
penalties  which  advancing  years  cannot  escape,  most 
poignant  of  which  are  the  loss  of  the  companions  of  his 
early  life,  the  loss  of  the  intimates  of  his  maturing  man- 
hood, and  the  loss  of  the  comrades  of  his  later  years. 

However,  old  age  is  not  devoid  of  compensation  and 
pleasure.  In  retrospect  he  does  not  recall  the  rough  and 
thorny  parts  of  the  path  he  has  trodden.  In  reverie,  when 
the  past  comes  over  him  as  a  dream,  he  sees  beauty  and  a 
smile  in  vanished  faces ;  he  hears  the  music  of  silent  voices. 


2.     Only  one  member  is  now    (1943)    living,  W.   E.   Chaplin  who 
resides  in  California. — Ed. 


HoLeni  ^aote 


By  Mrs.  Charles  Ellis* 

Robert  Foote  was  born  February  2,  1834,  in  Dundee, 
Forfarshire,  Scotland.  When  twenty-two  years  of  age  he 
came  to  America  and  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  He 
was  granted  United  States  citizenship  in  1857,  and  im- 
mediately after  this  he  left  for  the  "wild  west."  He  ar- 
rived at  Fort  Laramie  where  he  enlisted  in  Troop  F,  2nd 
United  States  Cavalry  and  served  the  three  year  term. 
The  work  of  the  western  soldier  at  that  time  was  protect- 
ing the  emigrants  from  attacks  by  Indians.  It  was  risk- 
ing one's  life  to  live  in  Wyoming  then,  and  Mr.  Foote  said 
when  he  left  Fort  Leavenworth  to  come  to  Fort  Laramie, 
"We  left  the  old  Missouri  behind,  and  few  were  the  set- 
tlements then.  We  might  just  as  well  say  we  were  bidding 
farewell  to  the  church  bell,  and  to  me,  who  had  lived  in  a 
crowded  city,  this  new  life  was  a  wonderful  change.  The 
first  night  I  made  my  bed  on  the  open  priarie  I  slept  little, 
for  I  was  thinking  and  wondering  what  the  future  had  in 
store  for  me." 

Robert  Foote  had  learned  the  tailor's  trade  in  his 
native  land,  and  while  a  Cavalryman  at  Fort  Laramie  he 
also  got  in  an  hour  or  so  at  his  trade  each  day  or  evening 
and  made  some  extra  money  in  this  way.  He  traded 
horses  with  the  emigrants  and  had  accumulated  quite  a 


^BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH — Olive  Herman  Ellis  was  born 
February  12,  1879,  at  Chanute,  Kansas,  the  daughter  of  Fred  and 
Ellen  McDonald  Herman.  The  family  moved  to  Wyoming  in  April 
1880,  locating  at  Elk  Mountain.  On  January  4,  1899,  she  was  mar- 
ried at  her  home  to  Charles  Ellis,  also  of  Elk  Mountain. 

Mrs.  Ellis  held  the  office  of  postmistress  at  Difficulty,  Wyoming, 
for  thirty-four  years.  She  has  been  the  secretary  of  the  East  Carbon 
County  Taxpayers  League,  secretary  of  the  Tributary  Platte  River 
Water  Users  Association,  and  for  the  past  three  years  the  secretary 
of  the  Carbon  County  Cattle  Growers  Association.  Several  articles 
written  by  Mrs.  Ellis  have  appeared  in  earlier  issues  of  the  ANNALS 
OF  WYOMING,  and  she  has  contributed  to  the  Cheyenne  Tribune, 
Liaramie  Republican-Boomerang ,  Rawlins  Republican,  Omaha  Daily 
Journal  Stockman,  Wyoming  Stochman-Farmer  and  other  publica- 
tions. 

Mrs.  Charles  Ellis  has  written  the  biography  of  Robert  Foote 
from  stories  which  he  and  his  sister,  Mrs.  Ellis'  mother-in-law, 
told  her. 


ROBERT  FOOTE  51 

valuable  bunch  of  horses,  which,  although  they  were  very 
poor,  foot  sore  and  worn  out  when  he  got  them,  v/ould 
soon  recuperate  when  turned  out  on  the  nutritious  Wyo- 
ming grasses.  He  would  trade  one  good  fat  horse  for  two 
or  three  poor  ones,  or  perhaps  he  would  buy  the  worn  out 
animal  for  a  small  sum.  When  he  received  his  discharge 
he  had  quite  a  nice  herd  of  horses  and  had  employed  a 
half-breed  to  herd  them  just  outside  the  Government  Reser- 
vation. There  had  been  a  crowd  of  "Coffee  Coolers" 
(beggars)  camped  down  on  the  Rawhide,  and  they  were 
generally  a  harmless  outfit.  However,  a  band  of  young 
Bucks  had  joined  them,  and  that  always  made  a  bad  com- 
bination. The  result  of  this  was  that  one  evening  Mr.  Foote's 
horses  failed  to  come  in.  The  half-breed  had  crossed  the 
river  with  them,  and  he,  the  horses  and  the  whole  Indian 
camp  had  faded  away.  Their  trail  pointed  north.  This  is 
the  way  Mr.  Foote  told  the  story: 

"By  the  time  I  could  get  an  outfit  together  to  folow 
them,  they  had  two  days'  start.  John  Hunter  and  Tom 
Maxwell  had  volunteered  to  accompany  me.  The  com- 
mander of  the  Fort  sent  a  squad  of  Cavalry  under  Ser- 
geant Herman  Haas  with  orders  to  go  with  us  as  far  as 
the  Cheyenne  River  Valley.  We  reached  the  breaks  with- 
out any  trouble  or  adventure  worth  telling,  and  by  the 
appearance  of  the  trail  we  were  as  far  behind  them  as 
when  we  started.  The  soldiers  could  go  no  farther — orders 
must  be  obeyed — and  it  looked  like  a  hopeless  task  for 
three  men  to  undertake.  Equipped  as  we  were,  a  great 
many  would  have  called  it  a  fool-hardy  job,  I  do  not  doubt. 

"An  Indian's  wealth  is  counted  by  the  horses  he  owns, 
and  he  will  go  through  hellfire  to  get  or  keep  them,  and 
we  all  know  that  at  this  stage  of  the  game  they  are  almost 
a  necessity  to  a  white  man's  existence,  and  that  is  why 
I  did  not  want  to  give  up  the  chase  now.  So  it  was  with 
my  companions — they  were  not  the  kind  of  men  to  quit. 

"With  many  good  wishes  for  our  success  and  sincere 
regrets  that  they  could  not  accompany  us  and  be  in  the 
fight,  if  battle  it  had  to  be,  Herman  and  his  troop  went 
back  while  we  went  on.  Two  days  and  a  half  we  traveled 
before  we  sighted  their  camp,  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
away.  The  commotion  that  the  sight  of  us  created  in  their 
camp  was  proof  that  they  did  not  expect  to  be  followed. 
Half  a  mile  farther  on  the  half-breed  came  out  to  meet  us ; 
his  tale  of  woe  that  the  young  bucks  had  taken  the  horses 
and  himself  with  them.  When  we  asked  him  if  the  Indians 
would  give  the  horses  up,  he  replied  by  asking  us,  'How 


52  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

many  soldiers  behind?'  We  asked,  'Why  you  think  we 
got  soldiers  with  us?'  and  he  said,  'You  no  got  guns — 
only  big  pistols.'  We  did  not  give  him  any  satisfaction 
on  that  point,  but  told  him  that  the  old  men  had  been 
around  the  Fort  for  a  long  time  and  had  been  well  treated 
there,  and  if  there  was  any  trouble  now,  they  could  not 
come  back  there  any  more.  They  would  have  to  give 
back  my  property  and  make  no  more  trouble.  He  only 
shook  his  head  and  said,  'Too  many  young  men,  they 
want  horses,'  then  added,  'me  go  back  and  make  talk.  If 
give  back,  I  make  sign,  then  come  on — if  no  make  sign 
then  go  back,  too  many  for  you  fight.' 

"Hunter  thought  it  possible  that  the  half-breed  had 
told  the  Indians  that  he  owned  the  horses,  and,  if  that 
was  the  case,  the  old  men  would  be  inclined  to  be  friendly, 
and  if  he  (Hunter)  could  get  in  among  them,  he  could  in- 
duce them  to  give  back  the  horses,  but  it  mostly  would 
depend  on  how  many  young  bucks  were  in  camp.  Hunter 
had  an  Indian  wife  and  family  and  had  been  a  long  time 
among  them.  The  who'e  Sioux  tribe  knew  him  to  be  a 
man  who  always  spoke  the  truth,  and  feared  neither  man, 
beast  nor  evil  spirit.  They  also  believed  faithfully  that 
neither  gun,  spear,  arrow  nor  any  weapon  they  possessed 
could  harm  him.  On  all  this  we  banked  as  a  great  deal 
in  our  favor. 

"However,  in  about  an  hour  an  Indian  rode  out  and 
gave  the  sign  for  us  to  come  in.  Hunter  suggested,  as 
we  rode  in,  that  we  keep  our  hands  on  a  gun,  and  if  they 
meant  treachery,  to  charge  straight  through,  shooting  as 
we  went.  Getting  through  we  could  find  shelter  where 
we  could  stand  them  off.  And  that  was  just  what  hap- 
pened. We  all  three  got  through  alive,  and  must  have 
done  some  damage  in  return  for  what  they  did  for  us, 
which  was  enough.  Tom  and  I  each  got  two  arrows — 
Hunter,  with  his  usual  luck,  untouched,  though  one  buck 
took  a  shot  at  him  with  the  rifle  (which  the  half-breed 
had  taken  with  him)  and  although  he  was  not  more  than 
thirty  feet  from  him.  Hunter  was  missed  completely.  The 
failure  of  the  shot  stopped  the  attack  for  the  time  being, 
otherwise  I  think  that  we  would  have  been  as  full  of 
arrows  as  a  sage  hen  is  of  feathers. 

"About  a  quarter  a  mile  away  we  dove  into  a  patch 
of  willows  and  crossed  a  shallow  chalky  stream  that  bent 
around  under  the  lea  of  a  clay  butte,  which  was  so  perpen- 
dicular that  it  could  not  be  climbed.  It  would  have  been 
a   perfect-  place   for   a   defense   except   for   a   pass   made 


ROBERT  FOOTE  53 

through  the  middle  of  the  butte  by  water  at  flood  times, 
and  the  wash  from  the  Platte  beyond  had  made  an  open 
space  in  front. 

"We  got  rid  of  the  arrows  and  dressed  our  wounds 
as  best  we  could.  The  one  I  got  in  my  neck  lacked  but  a 
small  fraction  of  an  inch  of  being  fatal,  but  the  other 
did  not  do  much  damage.  I  had  learned  something  of  sur- 
gery while  in  the  army  and  it  came  in  handy  now,  other- 
wise our  wounds  might  have  been  dangerous.  But  they 
soon  became  sore  enough  to  suit  the  fiendish  expectation 
of  our  enemies,  whom  we  had  to  prepare  to  fight.  The 
gap  through  which  the  draw  emptied  into  our  retreat 
was  narrow.  We  joined  three  logs  and  laid  them  across 
it — not  much  of  a  fortification,  but  we  thought  it  might 
help. 

"One  piece  of  good  luck  was  that  we  had  our  pack 
horse — pack  came  through  without  a  scratch,  and  by  the 
time  we  had  eaten  our  cold  bread  and  meat,  Hunter  had 
figured  out  just  what  would  happen.  First  they  would 
do  some  scouting  to  see  if  there  were  any  soldiers  com- 
ing, and  satisfied  on  that  score,  if  they  did  make  an  at- 
tack, it  would  be  about  an  hour  before  sundown.  Then, 
if  they  found  us  all  able  to  fight,  it  would  be  mostly  a 
bluff,  but  they  would  consider  it  worth  an  attemDt  to 
get  our  four  horses.  It  would  probably  be  by  the  oM  men 
in  front,  making  a  wild  demonstration  to  draw  our  atten- 
tion, while  the  youns:  bucks  slipped  in  on  us  through  the 
pass.  But  if  they  did  not  succeed  in  killing  one  of  us, 
which  they  might  accidently  do  with  their  old  rifle,  it 
would  all  end  in  a  few  minutes. 

"They  could  not  get  an  arrow  through  the  willows 
at  short  range,  for,  if  they  got  that  close,  our  oM  dragoon 
pistols  were  much  longer  range  than  their  bows  Our 
only  danger  would  be  from  that  young  buck's  rifle,  and 
if  one  of  us  should  be  unlucky  enough  to  get  his  last  cpII. 
he  must  hold  his  breath  until  he  gets  out  of  sight  of  the 
Indians  before  he  drops. 

"  'I  think  either  of  us  has  nerve  enough  to  do  that, 
for  once  I  shot  an  antelope  throusrh  the  heart  and  it  ran 
a  hundred  yards  before  it  fell.  If  they  have  no  success 
on  their  first  attack  they  will  let  us  alone  and  after  dark 
we  can  ride  away  just  as  if  there  was  not  an  Indian  within 
a  hundred  miles!' 

"The  attack  began  as  Hunter  had  predicted,  like  a 
clap  of  thunder  out  of  a  clear  sky.     Dashing  around  the 


54  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

front,  they  sent  their  arrows  from  under  their  horses' 
necks.  None  reached  the  willows  over  which  Tom  and  I 
responded,  doing  damage  to  their  ponies  with  some  care- 
ful shots.  Although  we  had  twenty-four  cartridges  in 
our  guns,  we  did  not  care  to  waste  any.  Hunter  was 
guarding  the  gap  in  the  butte.  Suddenly  the  Indians  in 
front  made  a  dash  as  if  they  were  intending  to  charge  the 
works,  shooting  arrows  into  the  willows.  We  got  in  some 
good  work  and  stopped  them  by  dropping  six  ponies.  While 
that  was  going  on  in  front,  a  party  of  young  bucks  came 
in  at  the  head  of  the  pass.  Hunter  opened  on  them  with 
a  shot  from  each  of  his  guns  while  they  thought  they  were 
almost  out  of  range,  which  caused  them  to  stop  and  dodge 
around.  Then  he  jumped  up  on  the  logs  and  began  shoot- 
ing first  with  one  hand  and  then  the  other.  Just  as  I  got 
there  to  help,  the  buck  with  the  rifle  sent  a  bullet  through 
Hunter's  heart.  Hunter  still  stood  straight,  fired  the 
last  two  bullets  from  his  guns,  jumped  backwards  off  the 
log  and  walked  behind  the  brush  where  he  fell  dead. 

"The  Indians,  believing  they  had  missed  him,  gave  up 
the  game  and  we  saw  them  no  more. 

"After  darkness  had  kindly  spread  its  mantle  over  all, 
we  packed  Hunter's  body  on  his  horse,  then  rode  out  up 
the  gulch  and  onto  the  plain.  Keeping  as  direct  a  course 
as  possible  toward  the  south,  we  went  until  we  judged 
that  we  had  put  eight  or  ten  miles  between  us  and  the 
place  of  our  battle.  The  moon  was  up  high  enough  to 
give  us  light.  With  our  small  camp  shovels  we  made  a 
grave  and  laid  the  remains  of  our  friend  down  into  the 
Bosom  of  mother  earth.  V\^e  covered  and  obliterated  every 
trace  of  a  grave  and  stood  there  and  looked  upon  it  for 
some  time.  Tom  repeated  from  the  burial  of  Sir  John 
Moore : 

"No  useless  coffin  enclosed  his  breast 
Not  in  sheet  nor  in  shroud  we  wound  him, 
But  he  lay  like  a  warrior  taking  his  rest. 
With  his  martial  cloak  around  him." 

"As  we  rode  silently  and  sorrowfully  away,  I  thought 
of  the  one  we  had  left  behind  and  how  many  friends  would 
miss  him.  I  wondered  if  death  is  the  end  of  all  this.  If 
we  live  again  over  in  the  Great  Beyond,  then  our  heroic 
friend  is  there  with  all  the  great  that  have  gone  before  him, 
where  no  king  can  claim  the  right  to  wear  brighter  jewels 
than  he. 

"It  was  a  toilsome  journey  back  to  the  Fort,  but  we 
got  in  about  as  near  dead  as  two  men  could  be  and  yet 


ROBERT  FOOTE  55 

be  alive.  We  were  consigned  to  the  hospital  in  Fort  Lara- 
mie for  six  long  weary  weeks,  and  after  we  got  out  neither 
Tom  nor  myself  seemed  to  feel  ourselves  of  much  account. 

"Some  time  after  this  I  was  lying  down  on  a  bunk  in 
my  cabin  when  my  half-breed  horse  herder  walked  in.  He 
had  no  weapon  but  a  knife  in  his  belt,  and  as  he  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  room,  he  smote  himself  on  the  breast 
and  said,  'Me  good  Indian!' 

"An  old  horse  pistol  lay  on  the  bed  beside  me,  and  I 
grabbed  it  up  and  let  him  have  the  contents.  Then  I  said, 
'Yes,  you  are  a  good  Indian  now!' 

"The  post  commander  said  that  I  was  a  httle  too 
rough  and  locked  me  up  in  the  guard  house.  I  stayed 
there  until  Colonel  Moonlight'  came  with  a  Kansas  regi- 
ment and  took  command  of  the  Fort.  He  turned  me  out 
and  indorsed  my  claim  against  the  Government  for  in- 
demnity for  the  loss  of  my  property,  which  was  paid  by 
making  me  a  post  trader  there.  It  was  perhaps  better  for 
me  than  a  cash  payment  as  claims  against  the  Government, 
if  paid  at  all,  are  delayed  for  years." 

Mr.  Foote  was  post  trader  at  Fort  Laramie  for  a  year 
and  when  Fort  Halleck  was  established  in  1862  he  went 
there.  He  had  charge  of  a  commissary  there,  was  post- 
master and  conducted  a  general  store.  He  operated  a 
freight  train  between  Fort  Halleck  and  Fort  Laramie,  and 
on  almost  all  the  trips  he  drove  one  trail  wagon  himse^.f. 
Each  driver  had  ten  or  twelve  yoke  of  oxen  hitched  to 
two  or  three  wagons  trailed  together.  On  three  different 
occasions  the  entire  train  of  cattle  and  wagons  was  de- 
stroyed, but  the  drivers  managed  to  escape  with  their  lives. 
The  Indians  would  carry  away  some  of  the  goods  with 
them  and  set  fire  to  the  wagons,  burning  the  rest. 

It  would  take  pages  to  tell  of  all  the  narrow  escapes 
in  which  Robert  Foote  figured.  His  life  was  one  of  ad- 
ventures. Very  small  in  stature,  he  was  quick,  wide  awake 
and  alert,  and  he  made  his  mind  work  to  make  up  for 
what  he  lacked  in  size.  He  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  at 
the  Fort  also,  and  he  was  kept  busy  in  his  attempts  to 


1.  Colonel  Thomas  Moonlight  was  the  leader  of  the  Eleventh 
Kansas  Cavalry  which  in  March  1865  endured  the  hardships  of  a 
terrible  march  from  Ft.  Kearny  to  Ft.  Laramie,  where  the  regiment 
was  assigned  to  duty  protecting  the  telegraph  lines  and  the  overland 
stage  route.  Colonel  Moonlight  was  mustered  out  at  Ft.  Kearny 
July  17,  1886,  and  on  December  20,  1886,  was  appointed  Governor 
of  the  Territory  of  Wyoming,  which  office  he  held  until  April  9.  1889. 


56  ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 

preserve  law  and  order.  At  times  many  of  the  soldiers 
would  imbide  too  freely  of  the  firewater  furnished  by  the 
saloon  at  the  Fort,  and  for  a  time  chaos  and  wild  disorder 
reigned.  There  were  many  lawless  characters  around  the 
Fort  also,  and  many  crimes  should  be  written  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  old  Fort.  On  one  occasion  an  Irishman  was 
arrested  after  three  army  blankets  had  been  found  in 
his  possession,  and  the  case  was  brought  to  trial  before 
Robert  Foote.  The  Irishman  had  been  around  the  Fort 
for  several  months  and  was  known  only  as  "Pat,"  and 
although  it  was  suspected  that  he  was  not  entirely  honest, 
nothing  could  be  proven  against  him  until  the  blankets 
were  found  hidden  in  his  bunk. 

"What  is  your  name?"   inquired  the  Judge. 

"Pat  Murphy,  yer  honor,"  replied  the  defendant. 

"How  came  you  in  possession  of  the  blankets,  Mr. 
MurpTiy?" 

"They  are  mine.     I  had  them  made." 

"How  does  it  happen  then  that  these  blankets  are  all 
stamped  with  U.  S.?"  inquired  Mr.  Foote. 

"Those  are  my  initials,  sir,"  replied  Pat. 

"Your  initials?    How  do  you  make  that  out?" 

"Well  sir,  it's  like  this.  U  stands  for  Pat  and  S  stands 
for  Murphy." 

"All  right,  Pat.  You  will  have  to  spend  twenty  days 
in  the  guard  house,  and  if  you  wasn't  such  a  damn  good 
speller  you  would  have  to  stay  thirty  days."  Pat  went 
to  the  guard  house  for  three  weeks. 

On  September  10,  1865,  while  returning  to  Fort  Hal- 
leck  with  two  trail  wagons  loaded  with  flour,  Robert  Foote 
and  Frank  Daley  were  suddenly  attacked  at  the  crossing 
of  a  small  stream  about  two  miles  northwest  of  the  old 
Rockdale  stage  station  by  a  band  of  Indians  who  swooped 
down  upon  them  from  the  hills  on  the  north  and  west. 
The  Indians  were  armed  with  guns  and  immediately  killed 
the  oxen.  The  two  men  sought  refuge  behind  the  wagons, 
and,  sack  at  a  time,  removed  the  flour  from  the  wagons 
and  managed  to  construct  a  rude  protection  for  them- 
selves. The  position  was  very  hazardous,  for,  whenever 
the  Indians  caught  sight  of  them  above  the  wagons  or 
around  them,  they  shot  at  them,  but  at  last  in  the  face 
of  these  dangers  the  two  men  succeeded  in  getting  suf- 
ficient flour  off  the  loads  to  shelter  them,  and  thus  they 
avoided  being  killed.    In  the  melee,  Foote  received  a  bullet 


ROBERT  FOOTE  57 

through  the  shoulder  which  disabled  him  from  active  ser- 
vice, although  he  and  Daley  succeeded  in  killing  a  few  of 
the  ponies  ridden  by  the  Indians.  When  the  savages 
charged  the  rude  fort  they  came  at  full  speed,  rushing 
past  it  sideways  and  always  leaning  over  the  opposite  sides 
of  their  ponies,  shooting  from  beneath  the  horses'  necks. 
All  through  the  night  the  Indians  kept  them  there.  When 
the  freight  wagons  failed  to  arrive  at  the  Fort  on  scheduled 
time,  a  squad  of  soldiers  were  sent  to  look  for  them.  When 
the  Indians  saw  them  coming,  they  rode  away  into  the 
hills  and  did  not  return.  The  two  men  were  taken  back 
to  the  Fort  and  there  the  bullet  wound  in  Foote's  shoulder 
was  dressed  and  he  was  nursed  back  to  his  former  health 
by  his  wife.  The  little  creek  which  was  the  scene  of  the 
disaster  was  named  Foote  Creek  in  honor  of  Robert  Foote 
and  is  still  known  by  that  name. 

While  still  confined  to  his  bed  as  the  result  of  the 
exposure  and  the  wounded  shoulder,  an  Indian  came  to 
the  Fort  and  to  the  Foote  home  and  asked  that  he  be  ad- 
mitted to  Mr.  Foote's  room,  as  he  was  friendly  and  had 
brought  a  hind  quarter  of  antelope  meat  which  he  wished 
to  present  to  Mr.  Foote.  The  Indian  being  slightly  known 
to  them,  Mrs.  Foote  allowed  him  to  go  to  her  husband's 
room.  The  Indian  spoke  a  few  words  and  then  quickly 
drew  a  gun  intending  to  shoot  the  wounded  man,  but  Mr. 
Foote,  seeing  what  he  meant  to  do  and  always  having  a 
gun  beneath  his  pillow,  instantly  jerked  his  own  pistol 
from  its  hiding  place  and  killed  the  Indian. 

Mr.  Foote  started  a  little  store  at  the  crossing  of 
Foote  Creek  on  the  Overland  Trail,  but  during  the  summer 
of  1865  a  large  force  of  Indians  appeared  on  the  Overland 
Stage  Road  and  made  an  attack  on  the  place.  In  escap- 
ing from  the  savages  Mr.  Foote  was  shot  in  the  leg  with 
an  arrow  and  his  store  was  burned.  What  followed  is 
best  described  by  an  emigrant  whose  story  to  W.  H.  Kuy- 
kendall^  foUows,  and  who  cried  like  a  child  at  the  horrible 
recollection  of  the  scene. 

"Our  emigrant  party  of  thirty-five  men,  women  and 
children,  returning  from  the  west  in  wagons,  passed  Foote's 
store  just  before  the  Indians  appeared.  When  we  reached 
Rock  Creek  the  train  moved  on,  while  I  and  two  other 
men  on  horseback  stopped  at  a  tent  in  which  a  Frenchman 
had  a  few  goods.    His  wife  was  a  Sioux  squaw.     She  very 


2.     Frontier  Days  by  Judge  W.  L.  Kuykendall,  pp.  92-94. 


58  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

soon  ran  into  the  tent,  greatly  excited.  We  all  ran  to 
the  door  and  saw  the  Indians  near  at  hand.  They  would 
have  killed  us  at  once  but  for  the  protestations  of  the  squaw 
and  the  Frenchman  that  the  soldiers  would  come  down  from 
Fort  Halleck  and  kill  them.  We  were  directed  to  mount, 
take  the  road  and  we  would  not  be  killed  before  reaching 
the  train.  The  Indians  believed  they  would  soon  overtake 
and  kill  us  and  our  families.  In  anguish  of  mind  we  moved 
down  the  road  a  little  in  advance  of  the  main  body,  with 
a  few  of  the  young  Bucks  surrounding  and  making  life 
miserable  for  us. 

"In  going  over  a  hill  about  three  miles  south  of  Rock 
Creek  we  met  a  wagon  and  saw  another  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill.  The  driver  shot  one  of  the  Indians  and  was  immed- 
iately killed.  Their  stopping  to  plunder  that  wagon  gave 
us  an  opportunity  to  forge  ahead.  In  the  rear  wagon  was 
the  owner  and  with  him  his  wife,  two  daughters  aged 
ten  and  sixteen  respectively,  and  a  son  thirteen  years  old. 
He  and  the  boy  crawled  out  behind  and  running  down  a 
dry  gulch  escaped,  the  man  being  shot  through  the  arm. 
The  woman  and  the  girls  got  out  of  the  wagon  and,  be- 
lieving we  belonged  with  the  Indians,  begged  us  to  save 
them. 

"The  Indians  having  finished  plundering  the  other 
wagon  killed  the  mother  and  the  youngest  girl  in  our 
presence.  While  the  plundering  of  that  wagon  was  in 
progress  we  gained  some  distance  ahead  and  on  reaching 
the  top  of  the  next  hill  were  gladened  with  the  sight  of  a 
large  Bull  train  being  hurriedly  corralled  not  far  away, 
the  wagon  master  thoroughly  understanding  his  business. 

"He  arrested  us,  believing  we  belonged  with  the  In- 
dians, there  being  many  reports  at  that  time  that  white 
men  were  leading  them.  Our  explanation  that  we  belonged 
with  the  emigrant  train  which  he  said  was  camped  at  a 
Quaking  Asp  and  willow  grove  under  the  hill  convinced 
him  and  he  sent  a  few  men  with  us  to  get  our  wives  and 
children  into  his  corral,  where  he  was  preparing  to  stand 
off  the  several  hundred  Sioux  then  in  sight.  The  train 
was  finally  surrounded  and  when  in  range  of  the  Bull- 
wacker's  guns  the  Indians  kept  up  their  yelling  and  shoot- 
ing at  long  range,  being  careful  to  keep  out  of  reach  of 
any  bullet  until  nightfall,  when  they  drew  off  and  dis- 
appeared to  give  their  leader,  who  is  was  claimed  was  the 
wily  Red  Cloud,  time  to  prepare  a  plan  for  an  ambush. 

"We    moved    with    the    train    early    next    morning, 


ROBERT  FOOTE  59 

stopped  and  buried  the  three  mutilated  bodies  and  removed 
the  remains  of  the  burned  wagons  out  of  the  road.  Directly 
after  reaching  Rock  Creek  about  fifty  Indians  appeared 
on  a  hill  across  and  north  of  the  creek,  having  a  white 
woman  (unknown  to  us)  with  them,  whom  they  treated 
in  a  fiendish  manner  in  plain  view  of  all  of  us.  This  so 
enraged  the  men  of  our  emigrant  party  that  we  started 
to  go  over  and  attack  them,  when  the  wagon  master  drew 
his  revolver  and  said  he  would  shoot  the  first  man  who 
attempted  to  leave  the  corral. 

"We  charged  him  with  cowardice  and  he  replied  that 
we  were  the  greatest  pack  of  fools  that  he  had  ever  met 
on  the  plains.  He  wanted  to  know  if  we  had  any  idea,  as 
he  had,  of  where  all  the  other  Indians  were  located  and 
added  that  it  was  well  he  was  present  to  save  the  train 
and  lives  of  our  women  and  children.  When  the  Indian 
chief  found  he  had  a  man  as  wily  as  himself  to  deal  with, 
he  hurriedly  moved  out  of  the  willows  across  the  creek 
where  he  had  secreted  his  men,  called  off  those  on  the 
hill  and  silently  stole  away.  We  saw  them  no  more.  They 
turned  the  woman  loose  because  she  had  gone  crazy  and 
she  managed  to  reach  the  train  in  a  pitiful  condition  but 
was  unable  to  give  any  account  of  herself." 

While  on  one  trip  from  Fort  Laramie  to  Fort  Halleck 
with  their  freight  wagons,  Robert  Foote  and  Frank  Daley 
were  caught  in  a  heavy  rain  which  lasted  for  three  days 
and  nights.  The  roads  were  heavy  and  the  oxen  became 
tired  and  leg  weary.  When  they  camped  for  the  night 
on  these  trips  it  must  be  in  a  deep  ravine,  where  their 
campfire  would  be  obscured  from  the  eagle  eye  of  any 
prowling  Indian.  On  this  particular  night  the  gullies  were 
all  running  water,  the  sagebrush  was  wet  and  the  ground 
muddy.  After  much  difficulty  they  located  a  place  which, 
although  it  was  far  from  nice,  seemed  a  little  better  than 
the  rest  just  then  to  build  a  fire.  Upon  investigation  it 
was  found  that  all  the  matches  Daley  had  were  soaked 
beyond  their  lighting  abilities,  and  Foote  had  but  one 
that  was  not  saturated.  They  felt  discouraged,  for  who 
ever  heard  of  anyone  being  able  to  light  a  fire  with  only 
one  match  when  all  the  circumstances  were  favorable,  to 
say  nothing  of  a  situation  like  this? 

They  decided  after  much  discussion  to  pray  that  they 
might  have  good  luck  with  their  lone  match,  and,  kneeling 
down  in  the  mud  and  rain,  they  fervently  sought  the  help 
of  the  Good  Lord  in  the  fire  question.  It  would  have  been 
an  unusual  sight  to  have  beheld  these  two  men  kneeling 


60  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

there  in  silent  prayer,  far  away  from  civilization  and  in 
such  weather.  They  arose,  got  some  sagebrush  and  with 
their  one  match  kindled  the  fire — and  it  burned!  Mr. 
Foote  often  repeated  this  tale  and  added  that  they  knew 
God  was  with  them  on  that  trip. 

A  lawless  character  named  Bill  Bevins  and  his  partner 
were  camped  among  the  willows  growing  along  the  little 
stream  which  flowed  past  the  Fort.  Bevins  had  a  bad 
reputation  and  on  a  previous  occasion  had  held  Foote 
up,  relieving  him  of  a  sum  of  money.  Their  actions  now 
caused  suspicion,  and  Mr.  Foote  went  to  the  camp  to 
investigate.  As  soon  as  Foote  appeared,  Bevins,  who  was 
a  large  and  powerful  man,  seized  him  and  wrenched  the 
gun  from  his  hands.  Bevins  knocked  him  down  and  pro- 
ceeded to  choke  him.  Mrs.  Foote,  who  had  been  watching 
from  the  open  window,  realized  that  her  husband  was  in 
need  of  assistance.  The  window  of  the  kitchen  was  propped 
open  with  a  heavy  stick,  and  she  leaped  out  taking  the 
stick  with  her  as  she  went.  She  was  a  small  woman,  and 
when  she  rushed  at  Bevins  with  the  stick  he  managed  to 
hold  Foote  down  on  the  ground  by  the  throat,  and,  seizing 
the  lady's  implement  of  defense,  he  threw  it  away  and 
grabbed  her  firmly  by  the  foot.  There  he  had  them  both. 
He  kicked  the  gun  out  of  the  way  so  neither  of  them  could 
reach  it.  Mrs.  Foote  screamed  for  help  and  a  Mrs.  Hansen 
who  lived  at  the  Fort  appeared.  Mrs.  Foote  bade  her 
bring  a  gun  and  in  a  few  minutes  she  returned  with  one, 
handing  it  to  Mrs.  Foote.  Bevins,  well  knowing  that  she 
could  and  would  shoot  him,  turned  them  both  loose  and 
fled.  Mrs.  Foote  shot  at  him  as  he  disappeared  in  the 
brush  but  missed  him.  On  another  occasion  before  this, 
Bevins  and  Foote  had  had  some  trouble  which  ended  in 
a  gun  play  during  which  the  bullet  pierced  the  Foote 
family  Bible,  but  no  one  was  seriously  hurt. 

Two  brothers  named  Lee  were  trappers  near  the  Fort, 
and  Robert  Foote  told  them  that  if  they  would  capture 
Bevins  and  bring  him  back  to  the  Fort  he  would  give 
them  two  hundred  dollars.  The  offer  was  accepted  and 
the  trappers  followed  Bevins  and  his  partner.  Within  a 
few  days  they  returned  with  the  outlaws,  each  tied  onto 
a  horse.  The  Lees  received  the  reward,  but  later  the  two 
men  escaped.  It  was  learned  that  they  had  been  run  out 
of  Montana  by  a  vigilance  committee.  The  two  desperadoes 
were  later  sent  to  prison  for  crimes  they  committed  in 
the  east. 

Another  dangerous  outlaw  with  whom  Robert  Foote 


ROBERT  B'OOTE  61 

had  had  trouble  was  a  man  named  Musgrove,^  who  had 
joined  a  band  of  Indians  and  acted  as  leader  for  one  of 
the  most  dangerous  of  gangs.  Horses  were  stolen,  men 
murdered  and  property  destroyed  by  them.  At  Fort  Steele 
the  safe  was  in  the  Quartermaster's  tent,  and  one  night 
the  tent  was  cut  open,  the  safe  removed  to  a  gulch  where 
it  was  blown  open  and  $1,800  taken.  A  reward  was  of- 
fered for  Musgrove,  dead  or  alive.  One  day  Musgrove 
rode  down  from  Elk  Mountain  to  Percy,  a  station  on  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad.  It  chanced  that  Robert  Foote, 
who  had  run  the  sutler's  store  at  Fort  Halleck,  was  at 
Percy  on  the  morning  of  Musgrove's  arrival  and  visited 
Mrs.  Stimpston's  restaurant  for  his  breakfast.  On  enter- 
ing he  noticed  a  man  at  one  of  the  tables  whom  he  took 
to  be  the  outlaw.  He  studied  the  man's  face  carefully, 
and,  finally  convincing  himself  that  he  was  not  mistaken, 
walked  over  and,  covering  the  stranger  with  a  pistol, 
commanded  him  to  throw  up  his  hands.  The  resolute 
bearing  of  the  little  Scotchman  convinced  the  desperado 
that  it  was  best  to  obey.  It  turned  out  that  Mr.  Foote  had 
not  been  mistaken  in  the  identity  of  his  man.  He  took 
his  prisoner  to  Fort  Steele  where  he  was  ironed  by  the 
blacksmith  at  the  post,  and  a  day  or  two  later  he  was 
sent  to  Denver  where  he  was  placed  in  jail.  A  few  days 
later  he  was  taken  out  by  the  vigilance  committee  which 
formed  on  Blake  Street  and  hanged  to  a  timber  on  the 
Larimer  Street  Bridge. 

Mark  Goad  owned  a  wood  train  which  delivered  wood 
from  a  camp  on  Elk  Mountain  to  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road at  Percy  Station.  Robert  Foote  was  manager  of 
this  train.  The  wood  was  used  to  fuel  the  engines.  Five 
drivers  were  employed  on  this  train,  and  some  of  the 
wagons  were  drawn  by  mu^es  while  others  were  pulled 
by  oxen.  On  a  Saturday  afternoon  in  August  1869,  while 
the  wood  train  was  passing  a  small  lake  near  the  foot- 
hills south  of  Percy,  a  band  of  Indians  suddenly  swept 
down  from  the  breaks,  and  with  bows  and  arrows  waged 
a  wicked  war  against  the  drivers.  Three  of  the  men  were 
killed  while  the  other  two,  though  wounded,  ran  up  the 
draw  just  south  of  the  high  pinnacle  behind  the  lake  and 
made  their  escape  from  the  savages,  who  had  now  turned 
their  attention  to  the  oxen  and  mules.  The  oxen  were 
driven    into    the   lake    and   there    they   were    ham-strung. 


3.     For  a   more   complete   account   of  Musgrove's   activities    see 
Coutant's  History  of  Wyoming,  pp.  616-618. 


62  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

There  they  stood  helpless  and  suffering,  their  blood 
mingling  with  the  waters  of  the  lake,  turning  it  to  crimson. 
The  Indians  then  took  the  mules  and  disappeared  among 
the  hills. 

When  assistance  arrived,  the  rescuers  found  many 
arrows  imbedded  in  the  flesh  of  the  murdered  men,  and 
these  arrows  were  removed  and  were  still  in  the  possession 
of  Mrs.  William  Richardson  at  her  death. 

This  was  the  last  trip  ever  made  over  this  road  by 
the  wood  wagons.  The  lake  has,  since  this  memorable 
day,  been  known  as  "Bloody  Lake,"  and  it  is  near  the 
road  between  Elk  Mountain  and  Hanna. 

Robert  Foote  was  married  at  Fort  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  to  Miss  Amanda  Norris  on  April  10,  1868,  and  to 
them  five  sons  were  born,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 

After  Fort  Halleck  was  abandoned  and  the  soldiers 
transferred,  Robert  Foote  made  his  home  there  for  some 
time,  still  running  a  store  and  acting  as  postmaster.     In 

1880  the  post  office  was  moved  to  Elk  Mountain  Crossing, 
where  it  is  today,  and  after  that  Mr.  Foote  disposed  of  his 
store  goods.  He  made  a  trip  to  Scotland  and  on  his  way 
back  stopped  in  Denver.  There  he  hired  Sam  Barkley  to 
help  him  move  his  belongings  to  Buffalo,  Wyoming.     In 

1881  he  moved  to  Buffalo  where  he  started  the  first  store^ 
in  the  town.  In  March  1892  his  store  and  entire  stock 
of  goods  including  30,000  pounds  of  sugar  were  destroyed 
by  fire.  Mr.  Foote  had  extensive  livestock  interests  in 
Johnson  County  and  served  as  State  Senator  from  there, 
being  elected  to  the  office  in  1892.  His  sons  had  left  the 
old  home  to  shift  for  themselves,  one  to  Idaho,  the  other 
to  Phoenix,  Arizona.  When  Mr.  Foote's  health  began  to 
fail,  it  was  to  the  home  of  his  son  Byron  at  Phoenix  that 
he  went,  and  it  was  there  on  November  12,  1916,  that  he 
passed  away,  leaving  his  wife  and  two  sons,  Byron  and 
Robert  Jr.,  besides  two  grandchildren. 


4.  A  picture  of  the  Robert  Foote  store  on  the  east  side  of  Main 
Street,  Buffalo,  taken  about  1883,  appears  on  the  front  cover  of  the 
April  1940  issue  of  the  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING.  For  additional 
information  see  the  article  on  page  119  of  the  same  issue. 


By  J.  Elmer  Brock* 

Early-day  incidents  of  the  range  country,  trivial 
though  they  were,  are  well  worth  recording.  They  add  a 
tinge  of  color  to  the  romance  of  that  rough  and  ready 
period— those  days  when  a  new  land  was  passing  from  the 
rule  of  the  six-shooter  to  more  tranquil  regulation  by 
courts  of  law. 

Writers  have  filled  countless  volumes  glorifying  the 
man  who  was  quickest  on  the  draw.  Too  little  has  been 
said  about  the  grand  juries  and  primitive  courts  of  law, 
along  with  the  efforts  of  the  pioneer  to  secure  and  maintain 
their  establishment  as  a  safeguard  of  society.  Too  fre- 
quent miscarriages  of  justice  in  early-day  courts  were 
often  a  deterrent  rather  than  an  incentive  to  abandon  the 
old  order  for  the  new.  The  fortitude  of  the  pioneer  in 
bringing  about  the  change  is  deserving  of  more  mention 
than  has  ever  been  made. 

All  this  has  no  bearing  whatever  on  the  incident  I 
am  going  to  write  about  other  than  as  a  preamble  to 
justify  placing  this  story  in  the  historical  files  of  the  Wyo- 
ming Historical  Department  and  the  Wyoming  Stock  Grow- 
ers Association.  The  passage  of  time  may  make  it  of 
interest  to  depict  the  accepted  standards  of  that  era. 

I  am  writing  of  something  that  took  place  in  and  near 
Gillette,  Wyoming,  in  the  middle  nineties.     The  principal 


*BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH— John  Elmer  Brock  was  born  Sep- 
tember 21,  1882,  at  Versailles,  Missouri,  the  son  of  Albert  L.  and 
Julia  A.  Brock.  In  September  of  1884  the  family  moved  to  Wyoming 
and  located  in  Johnson  County  where  they  engaged  in  ranching. 
Mr.  Brock  was  president  of  the  Wyoming  Stock  Growers  Association 
for  1930-33  and  president  of  the  American  National  Livestock  As- 
sociation for  1940-41.  In  1941  he  was  a  member  of  a  party  of  five 
sent  by  the  Carnegie  Foundation  for  International  Peace  to  visit 
Brazil,  Uruguay  and  Argentina.  He  is  a  thirty-second  degree  York 
Rite  Mason,  a  Shriner,  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church  and  the 
Rotary  Club. 

In  1910  he  was  married  to  Janet  Clara  Thom  of  Buffalo,  a 
native  of  Wyoming  and  the  daughter  of  W.  J.  Thom,  pioneer  banker 
of  the  northern  part  of  the  State.  One  son,  Culbertson  Thom,  is 
serving  with  the  armed  forces;  a  daughtei',  Margaret  Julia,  operates 
a  photo  study  in  Buffalo,  Wyoming.  His  eldest  son.  John  E.,  was 
killed  several  years  ago  in  a  hunting  accident. 


64  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

character  is  George  Curry,  later  known  as  "Flat  Nose" 
George  Curry,  an  outlaw  of  considerable  note,  but  not  to 
be  confused  with  another  outlaw  often  using  the  aliases 
of  Kid  Curry,  Harve  Logan,  etc. 

George  Curry  lived  and  ran  cattle  in  the  Hole-in-the- 
Wall  country.  During  the  winter  he  rode  to  Gillette  and, 
leaving  his  horse  in  a  livery  barn,  joined  his  sister,  follow- 
ing which  they  visited  their  parents.  Their  parents,  for- 
merly from  Chadron,  Nebraska,  were  at  that  time  residing 
in  Charlottetown,  Prince  Edward  Island,  in  the  mouth  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  River. 

Curry's  sister  evidently  preceded  him  on  their  return. 
She  left  the  train  either  at  Moorcroft  or  Newcastle,  to 
go  to  Sundance  where  she  was  teaching  school.  Some- 
where along  her  route  she  picked  up  the  rumor  via  moc- 
casin telegraph  that  some  officers  of  the  law  were  intend- 
ing to  kill  George  if  and  when  he  returned  to  Gillette. 
Barbara  Curry  had  been  going  with,  or  at  least  correspond- 
ing with,  Alex  Ghent,  then  owning  a  ranch  in  the  Hole-in- 
the-Wall  country.  She  wrote  Ghent,  telling  him  of  the 
plot  and  giving  the  date  of  her  brother's  arrival.  Ghent, 
Al  Smith  and  Hi  Bennett  immediately  left  for  Gillette. 
They  had  to  make  a  very  long  hard  ride — one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  miles  in  the  bitter  January  cold — to  get  to 
Gillette  by  the  time  Curry  was  due  to  arrive.  In  fact,  the 
train  carrying  Curry  was  whistling  in  as  these  men  entered 
the  outskirts  of  Girette. 

Curry,  on  nearing  Gillette,  had,  as  a  seat  companion, 
an  old  man  who  was  very  interested  in  wild  yarns  about 
the  tough  West.  He  inquired  in  particular  about  a  char- 
acter by  the  name  of  "George  Curry."  Curry  kidded  him 
along  until  they  neared  Gillette.  Then  he  told  him  who  he 
was  and  said,  "They  intend  to  kill  me  when  I  get  off  the 
train  here."  As  the  train  came  to  a  stop,  Curry  pointed 
out  of  the  window  to  a  man  standing  on  the  platform  with 
a  rifle.  He  said,  "There  is  one  of  the  men  who  wants  to 
kill  me,"  whereupon  the  oM  man  started  making  space 
between  himself  and  Curry  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

Curry  took  his  bag  in  his  right  hand,  threw  his  over- 
coat across  his  left  shoulder,  and,  with  his  cocked  six- 
shooter  in  his  left  hand  under  the  tail  of  his  overcoat,  got 
off  the  train  and  started  walking  toward  the  armed  man. 
He  intended  to  shoot  him  if  he  made  a  false  move.  Before 
Curry  had  gone  far,  his  friends,  all  heavily  armed,  stepped 
up  to  him.  This  is  all  that  saved  Curry,  for  another  armed 
man  was  in  the  eating  house  to  the  east  of  him  looking 


A  TIMELY  ARRIVAL  65 

out  through  the  glass  of  the  storm  door. 

Curry's  friends  told  these  officers  they  could  not  kill 
Curry  and  had  as  well  go  home.  These  men  were  John 
Nelan  and  Jim  Ricks.  They  were  both  men  with  notches 
on  their  guns  and  were  colorful  figures  in  their  own  rights. 
According  to  John  Carter,  who  was  town  marshal  in 
Gillette  at  the  time  of  this  incident,  Curry  looked  John 
Nelan  squarely  in  the  eye  as  he  approached  and  Nelan  did 
not  have  the  nerve  to  use  his  gun. 

Curry  and  his  friends  then  went  to  Mrs.  Meserve's 
log  restaurant,  and,  with  one  man  on  sentry  duty,  enjoyed 
a  good  warm  meal.  They  then  picked  up  Curry's  horse 
from  the  livery  barn  where  Curry  had  left  him  and  all 
returned  to  the  Hole-in-the-Wall  country. 

At  some  time  during  Curry's  visit,  he  had  hired  a 
young  cowboy  by  the  name  of  Thompson  and  sent  him  to 
the  Jack  Garner  ranch  to  gather  some  of  Curry's  horses. 

I  digress  here  to  relate  a  recent  conversation  I  had 
with  Mike  Elmore  of  Gillette.  Mike  says  the  old  Garner 
ranch  is  now  a  part  of  his  holdings.  Mike  further  called 
attention  to  the  fact  that  not  far  distant  from  the  Garner 
ranch  was  a  place  known  then  and  still  referred  to  by  old- 
timers  as  the  "Curry  Spring."  It  seems  that  Curry  and 
his  associates  frequently  camped  at  this  spring.  Some 
allege  this  was  while  moving  stolen  horses  from  the 
Dakotas. 

Shortly  after  Curry's  return  to  Gillette  Jim  Ricks 
accidentally  discovered  a  TJ  steer  that  had  been  butchered 
by  Garner.  Garner  had  cut  the  TJ  out  of  the  hide  but 
had  overlooked  the  "safety"  J.  This  gave  Ricks  an  op- 
portunity to  go  to  the  Garner  ranch  in  his  official  capacity. 
Ricks  tried  to  get  Curry's  man,  Thompson,  to  tell  him 
about  the  butchering  of  the  steer  by  Garner,  but  Thomp- 
son just  laughed  at  him  and  would  tell  him  nothing.  Ricks 
then  went  back  to  Gillette,  and,  after  getting  John  Nelan 
to  accompany  him,  returned  to  the  Garner  ranch.  Thomp- 
son was  sitting  at  a  table  when  the  officers  entered  the 
house.  Nelan  shot  Thompson  through  the  neck  v/hile 
Ricks  ran  into  another  room  and  started  shooting  at 
Thompson  through  the  partition,  but  did  no  damage.  The 
officers  then  loaded  the  boy's  body  into  a  buckboard  and, 
with  his  feet  dragging  in  the  snow,  drove  to  Gillette  and 
threw  the  body  into  the  jail.  Here  John  Carter,  the 
marshal,  later  found  it  and  cut  the  boots  off  the  frozen 
feet.    Most  of  the  old-timers  around  Gillette  seem  to  think 


66  ANNALS  OF  WYOMINGr 

the  killing  of  Thompson  nothing  but  a  brutal  murder  com- 
mitted in  retaliation  for  the  officers'  loss  of  nerve  and 
consequent  failure  to  kill  Curry.  The  general  impression 
by  many  at  that  time  and  by  those  still  familiar  with  these 
events  is  that  Thompson  was  an  innocent  young  cowboy 
getting  work  wherever  he  could. 

Garner  was  subsequently  convicted  for  butchering  the 
steer  and  served  a  short  term  in  the  penitentiary. 

Curry  later  became  an  outlaw  of  considerable  note 
and  at  one  time  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  offered  $3,000.00 
for  him  dead  or  alive.  This  was  for  the  Wilcox  train  rob- 
bery where  $60,000.00  in  unsigned  bank  notes  was  taken 
from  the  safe  in  the  express  car.  After  this  robbery 
Curry,  Logan  and  Lonabaugh  came  back  into  this  country 
near  our  ranch,  after  they  had  killed  Joe  Hazen,  Converse 
County  sheriff,  near  the  present  Salt  Creek  oil  field. 

Curry  was  killed  by  officers  near  Price,  Utah,  April 
17,  1900. 

Walt  Monett^  of  Gillette,  Wyoming,  who  furnished  me 
much  authentic  information  for  this  article,  writes  me 
(November  2,  1942)  as  follows,  "Though  his  (Curry's) 
father  claimed  the  body  at  Price,  Utah,  it  is  thought  by 
many  that  it  was  not  George's  body.  C.  P.  Berry^  was 
called  in  to  identify  it,  which  he  could  not  do.  The  sup- 
position was  that  though  the  father  realized  the  mistake 
he  wished  the  authorities  to  think  George  dead." 

I  once  asked  George  Smith,  brother  of  Al  Smith  of  the 
party  who  met  Curry  at  Gillette,  if  he  ever  saw  the  photo- 
graph taken  of  Curry  after  he  had  been  killed.  He  said, 
"yes,  he  had,  and  anyone  who  knew  Curry  would  know 
at  a  glance  that  it  was  a  picture  of  him  from  'those  ears 
set  a  way  down  low  on  the  side  of  his  head'." 

I  knew  Curry  well.  He  was  a  likeable  fellow,  not 
quarrelsome.  He  helped  me  pack  in  the  first  deer  I  ever 
killed  when  I  was  twelve  years  old.  It  was  a  ten-point 
buck  and  I  could  not  load  it  on  a  horse.  My  sister,  three 
years  younger  than  I,  used  to  be  the  recipient  of  much 


1.  Walt  Monett  is  a  successful  cattleman  near  Gillette.  I  rode 
the  roundups  with  him  more  than  forty  years  ago.  He  was  in  the 
Hole-in-the-Wall  fight  the  time  Bob  Smith  was  killed  and  Al  Smith 
had  his  six-shooter  shot  out  of  his  hand.  I  talked  this  over  with 
Monett  during  our  Stock  Growers  Convention  last  June.    (1942). 

2.  C.  P.  Berry  of  Gillette  was  many  years  ago  a  livestock  in- 
spector and  detective  of  the  Wyoming  Stock  Growers  Association. 
At  the  last  annual  convention  of  this  organization,  Mr.  Berry  was 
made  an  honorary  life  member. 


A  TIMELY  ARRIVAL  67 

candy  from  the  cowboys  who  stopped  at  our  place  where 
we  then  had  the  Mayoworth  post  office.  ^  Curry  did  not 
think  so  much  candy  was  good  for  a  little  girl,  so  instead 
he  bought  her  yards  and  yards  of  blue  ribbon.  After  all, 
there  is  a  lot  of  bad  in  the  best  of  us,  and  some  good  in 
the  worst  of  us.^ 


3.  At  this  time  Mayoworth  was  the  line  between  lawlessness 
and  law  and  order.  Peace  officers  did  not  venture  south  of  this  point, 
and  outlaws  did  not  go  north  of  it. 

4.  I  am  much  indebted  to  George  Smith  for  some  of  the  above 
information.  I  also  am  very  grateful  to  Walt  Monett  of  Gillette 
who,  in  addition  to  his  own  information,  contacted  John  Carter  who 
was  town  marshal  of  Gillette  and  owned  a  livery  barn  at  the  time 
of  this  event.  Mrs.  C.  P.  Berry  gave  Mr.  Monett  the  information 
about  Curry's  sister.  Monett  says,  "I  went  to  school  with  Curry's 
two  brothers,  Hugh  and  Don,  in  Chadron;  they  wer^  nice  boys  and 
considered  George  quite  a  hero.  They  thought  he  would  never  be 
caught.  George  Curry's  sister,  Barbara,  taught  near  Chadron  when 
I  was  there  and  near  Sundance  at  the  time  of  this  incident.  She  was 
a  fine  girl  and  very  sensitive  of  George's  shortcomings." -Author. 


DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 

The  first  county  library  in  the  United  States  was  es- 
tablished at  Cheyenne,  Laramie  County,  Wyoming  Terri- 
tory, in  the  fall  of  1886,  the  books  and  quarters  of  the 
Cheyenne   Library   Association   being   its    nucleus? —  (The 

Carnegie  Public  Library,  Memorial  Volume,   1902,  p.    56.) 

When  Wyoming  Territory  was  organized  in  1869  Car- 
ter County  was  one  of  the  four  counties  with  established 
governments  within  the  new  territory?  In  comDh'ance  with 
a  proclamation  by  Governor  Campbell.  Carter  County  went 
to  the  polls  on  September  2,  1869,  and  elected  three  mem- 
bers to  the  council  body  of  the  legislature  and  three  mem- 
bers to  the  House  of  Representatives  which  convened  in 
Cheyenne  October  12,  1869.  Elected  at  that  time  were 
Wm.  H.  Bright,  George  Wardman  and  W.  S.  Rockwell  as 
councilmen;  James  W.  Memefee,  Ben  Sheeks  and  John  Hol- 
brook  as  representatives.  This  is  the  only  legislative  as- 
sembly wherein  Carter  County,  as  such,  ever  had  any  rep- 
resentation or  voice.  Before  the  first  legislative  assembly 
of  Wyoming  Territory  adjourned  it  changed  the  name 
of  this  county  from  Carter  to  Sweetwater. — ^  Laics  of  wyo- 

jning  1869,  Council  Journal  of  1869  and  House  Journal  of  1869.) 


By  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr.* 

Five  and  one-half  decades  residence  in  one's  adopted 
state  offers  an  opportunity  for  observation  as  to  people 
and  the  development  of  its  resources.  This  has  been  my 
privilege. 

Cheyenne  in  1884  was  the  gate  city  to  eastern  Wyo- 
ming, the  Black  Hills  and  was  the  residence  of  many  of 
Wyoming's  then  cattle  barons.  Livestock  might  be  run 
on  the  Sweetwater  or  Cheyenne  Rivers  and  their  owner 
or  the  representative  of  the  owners  have  his  palatial  home 
in  Cheyenne. 

Rock  River  was  the  gateway  to  Fort  McKinney  and 
Buffalo,  the  metropolis  of  northern  Wyoming.  There  was 
a  small  settlement  at  Big  Horn  and  a  post  office,  but 
Sheridan  was  yet  in  the  horning. 

The  first  herd  of  cattle  was  thrown  north  of  the  Platte 
River  by  the  Frewen  Brothers  in  1879.  They  established 
a  ranch  that  year  in  the  Powder  River  country.  Immed- 
iately, the  trail  for  moving  catt^.e  to  Montana  was  opened 
and  eastern  Wyoming  was  the  great  trailway  to  the  Yel- 
lowstone and  Missouri  River  countries. 

Rawlins  was  the  gateway  for  the  central  part  of  the 
state  to  the  Stinking  Water  River,  almost  three  hundred 
miles  north.  It  was  likewise  the  gateway  to  Dixon,  Baggs, 
the  Bear  River  country  in  Colorado  and  as  far  south  as 
the  post  office  of  Rifle. 

Opal  was  the  outfitting  point  for  the  Green  River  and 
its  tributaries,  while  Evanston  was  the  trading  point  of 
the  people  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  state.  Coke- 
ville,  just  a  hamlet,  took  care  of  the  settlers  in  its  im- 
mediate vicinity. 

Lander  had  just  been  made  the  county  seat  of  the 
new  county  of  Fremont,  and  Fort  Washakie  was  the  head- 
quarters for  a  couple  of  companies  of  soldiers  who  were 
needed  to  keep  the  Indian  people  from  committing  depreda- 


*Mr.  Henderson  is  an  eminent  pioneer  of  Wyoming.  For  bio- 
graphical data  see  the  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,  Volume  11,  No.  4, 
October   1939,   pp.   237-9. 


LOOKING  BACKWARDS  69 

tions.  Military  forts  were  maintained  at  Fort  Russell, 
Fort  Steele,  Fort  Bridger,  Fort  Washakie,  Fort  McKinney 
and  Fort  Laramie. 

The  Union  Pacific  Railway  was  the  only  line  of  rail 
transportation.  Travel  to  any  point  north  or  south  of 
this  railway  could  be  accomplished  by  horseback,  by  team- 
drawn  buckboard,  or  the  covered  wagon,  or  by  walking. 
There  was  practically  no  irrigation  of  lands  and  the  only 
effort  to  provide  provender  for  animals  was  the  cutting 
of  native  hay  for  saddle  horses  kept  up  during  the  winter 
months.  The  rural  southern  half  of  the  then  Territory, 
now  State,  had  more  population  at  the  period  of  which 
I  write  than  it  has  today. 

The  Territory  of  Wyoming  was  divided  into  eight 
counties,  all  of  which  were  organized.  There  were  three 
Judicial  Districts  presided  over  by  U.  S.  District  Judges 
who  also  comprised  the  Supreme  Court.  The  Territory 
was  represented  at  Washington  by  a  delegate  in  Congress. 
J.  M.  Carey  and  C.  P.  Organ  were  the  candidates  for  dele- 
gate. There  were  telegraph  lines  from  Cheyenne  to  Fort 
Laramie,  from  Rawlins  to  Fort  Washakie  and  along  the 
Union  Pacific  Railway.  Laramie,  Albany,  Carbon,  Sweet- 
water and  Uinta  Counties  had  court  houses.  Churches 
were  located  at  the  respective  county  seats,  and  schools 
were  opened  at  each  town  or  village.  Generally  speaking, 
the  town  and  village  people  attended  church  on  the  Lord's 
Day  if  services  were  held  in  their  particular  church.  At 
Sunday  morning  service  a  very  large  majority  of  the  people 
attended  worship.  C.  P.  Arnold's  father  was  the  Pres- 
byterian minister,  a  man  by  name  of  Bannister  was  the 
Episcopal  rector,  Dr.  Conway's  brother  was  Priest  at 
Rawlins. 

Our  assessed  valuation  was  $26,000,000.00.  Coal 
mines  were  operated  at  Carbon,  Rock  Springs  and  Almy. 
Cattle  raising  was  the  chief  industry,  but  there  were  some 
sheep.  Raising  good  horses  was  a  paying  business.  Min- 
ing for  precious  metals,  except  by  placering  at  Rock  River 
and  in  Atlantic  City  District,  had  been  abandoned. 

There  were  no  state  buildings  or  institutions.  There 
was  a  territorial  penitentiary  building  at  Laramie.  The 
highways  were  those  built  by  nature.  The  streams  of  the 
state,  except  the  Platte  at  Fetterman,  were  unbridged,  save 
where  the  railway  was  built. 

Doctor  Graff  began  the  drilling  of  an  oil  weU  at  Popo 
Agie.    Jake  Ervay  began  drilling  at  the  Rattlesnake  Range 


70 


ANNALS   OF  WYOMING 


almost  at  the  same  time.  The  doctor  brought  in  a  good 
well,  but  he  was  ahead  of  his  time.  There  was  neither  the 
demand  for  or  transportation  for  oil. 

There  were  twelve  banks,  Cheyenne  supporting  four  of 
them.  There  was  a  rolling  mill  at  Laramie,  but  no  grist 
mills  in  the  Territory.  There  were  no  electric  light  plants, 
no  buildings  with  passenger  elevators  and  no  telephones. 
I  have  told  you  some  of  the  things  we  had  and  of 
some  of  the  things  we  did  not  have  fifty-seven  years  ago. 
You  may  make  the  inventory  of  the  possessions  of  today. 


WYOMING  STATE  MUSEUM— 1943 

Housed  in  the  new  Supreme  Court  and  Library  Build- 
ing in  Cheyenne,  with  vault  space  and  fireproof  protection, 
the  Museum  provides  for  the  preservation  and  display  of 
the  prized  possessions  of  Wyoming  pioneers. 

Perpetuate  your  family  name  by  placing  your  his- 
torical collections  and  relics  in  your  State  Museum,  where 
they  may  be  permanently  preserved  and  enjoyed  by  the 
thousands  of  visitors. 

Everything  that  is  presented  to  the  Museum  is  num- 
bered, labeled,  recorded  and  card  indexed,  thus  insuring 
permanent  identification. 


^Uo'4fiGA.  Man.G4t^6.  ^au^ute4€ 

By  Fritiof  Fryxell* 

(Published  in  Augustana  Historical  Society  Publications, 
Number   2,    1932) 

Thomas  Moran^  was  34  years  of  age  when  he  made 
his  memorable  first  visit  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The 
opportunity  for  this  journey  came  in  1871  when  he  was 
invited  to  become  the  guest  of  the  Hayden  Territorial  Sur- 
veys and  accompany  the  first  of  the  successive  field 
parties  which  were  appointed  by  Dr.  F.  V.  Hayden  to  in- 
vestigate the  scenic  wonders  of  that  portion  of  north- 
western Wyoming  which  a  year  later  was  to  become  cele- 
brated as  Yellowstone  National  Park.     The  most  notable 


*BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH— Fritiof  Melvin  Fryxell  was  born 
at  Moline,  Illinois,  on  April  27,  1900.  A  geologist,  he  took  his  A.B. 
degree  at  Augustana  College,  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  his  M.A.  at  the 
University  of  Illinois,  his  Ph.D.  at  the  University  of  Chicago  and 
has  since  taken  graduate  study  at  the  Universities  of  Colorado  and 
Iowa.  He  has  held  the  position  of  professor  of  geology  at  Augustana 
College  since  1929  and  has  also  acted  as  naturalist  for  the  Grand 
Teton  National  Park,  Wyoming,  from  1929  to  1935.  He  served  on 
the  museum  planning  staff  of  the  National  Park  Service  for  1935-7 
azid  engaged  in  geological  exploration  in  the  Philippine  Islands, 
1939-40.  He  is  the  author  of  Science  at  Augustana  College;  Physio- 
graphy of  the  Region  of  Chicago;  Glacial  Features  of  Jackson  Hole, 
Wyoming;  The  Teton  Peaks  and  Their  Ascents;  The  Tetons:  Inter- 
pretations of  a  Mountain  Landscape.  His  article,  "The  Story  of 
Deadman's  Bar"  appeared  in  the  June  1929,  Vol.  5.  No.  4  issue  of 
the  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,  and  "Placing  the  Grand  Teton  Me- 
morial Tablet"  in  the  January  1930,  Vol.  6,  No.  3  issue. 

Mr.  Fryxell  was  married  to  Regina  Christina  Holmen  on  June 
22,  1928,  and  they  have  three  children:  John  B.,  Roald  H.  and  Thomas 
W.  He  is  at  present  with  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  Washing- 
ton,  D.  C. 


1.  Thomas  Moran,  who  passed  away  on  August  25,  1926,  at  the 
age  of  89  years,  is  conceded  to  have  done  more  than  any  other  artist 
to  make  known  to  the  world  the  scenic  resour'ces  of  the  West.  In 
the  estimate  of  his  contemporaries  "the  dean  of  American  artists" 
and  probably  the  greatest  landscape  interpreter  our  country  has  yet 
produced,  he  is  likewise  entitled  to  an  important  place  among  the 
early  explorers  of  the  Far  West.  No  biography  of  Moran  has  j'et 
been  written,  but  numerous  accounts  of  his  life  and  work  ai'e  avail- 
able.     Unfortunately,    most    of    these    brief    accounts    abound    with 


72  ANNALS  OP  WYOMING 

of  the  works  which  resulted  from  this  first  expedition  was 
the  great  canvass  depicting  "The  Grand  Canyon  of  the 
Yellowstone,"  a  painting  which  was  recognized  as  pos- 
sessing such  national  significance  that  Congress  approp- 
riated ten  thousand  dollars  for  its  purchase  (at  the  time 
considered  a  very  large  sum)  and  arranged  for  its  per- 
manent exhibition  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington. 

Late  in  the  summer  of  1872,  Dr.  Hay  den  wrote  to  his 
now  famous  young  friend,  under  date  of  August  29,  "There 
is  no  doubt  that  your  reputation  is  made.  Still  you  must 
do  much  to  nurse  it.  The  more  you  get,  the  greater  care 
.  .  .  The  next  picture  you  paint  must  be  the  Tetons.  I 
have  arranged  for  a  small  party  to  take  you  from  Fort 
Hall  up  Snake  River,  thence  to  the  Yellowstone,  etc.  .  .  . 
It  will  not  be  difficult  for  you  to  see  all  this  country  next 
year  in  a  few  weeks  and  make  all  the  sketches  you  wish 
.  .  .  Put  on  your  best  strokes  this  summer  so  as  to  be 
ready  for  a  big  campaign  next  summer. "^ 

However,  possibly  because  of  a  change  of  plans  on 
the  part  of  Dr.  Hayden,  whose  1873  activities  centered  in 
Colorado  and  did  not  extend  into  northwestern  Wyoming, 
the  following  summer  found  Thomas  Moran  500  miles 
southwest  of  the  Tetons,  in  company  with  the  intrepid 
John    W.    Powell    among    the    remote    and    little-known 


inaccuracies   so   far  as   his   western   travels   are   concerned.      A   few 
references  may  be  listed : 

Benjamin,  S.  G.  W.,  "A  Pioneer  of  the  Palette,  Thomas  Moran." 
The  Magazine  of  Art,  February,  1882,  pages  89-93. 

Ladegast,  Richard,  "Thomas  Moran,  N.  A."  Truth,  September, 
1900,   pages   209-212. 

Buckley,  Edmund,  "Thomas  Moran,  A  Splendid  Example  of 
American  Achievement  in  Art." — Fine  Arts  Journal,  January,  1909, 
pages  9-17. 

Simpson,  William  H.,  "Thomas  Moran — The  Man." — Fine  Arts 
Journal,   January,    1909,    pages    18-25. 

Buek,  G.  H.,  "Thomas  Moran." — A7nerican  Magazine,  January, 
1913,  pages  30-32. 

Gillespie,  Harriet  Sisson,  "Thomas  Moran,  Dean  of  our  Paint- 
ers."— International   Studio,   August,    1924,    pages    361-366. 

Buek,  G.  H.,  "Thomas  Moran,  N.  A.  The  Grand  Old  Man  of 
American  Art." — The  Mentor,  August,  1924,  pages  29-37. 

Moran,  Ruth  B.,  "Thomas  Moran:  An  Appreciation." — The 
Mentor,  August,  1924,  pages  38-52. 

Butler,  Howard  Russell,  "Thomas  Moran,  N.  A. — An  Apprecia- 
tion."— The  American  Magazine  of  Art,  November,  1926,  pages  559- 
560. 

Parker,  R.  A.,  "The  Water-Colors  of  Thomas  Moran." — Inter- 
national Studio,  March,   1927,   pages  65-72. 

2.     Letters  in  possession  of  Miss  Ruth  B.  Moran. 


THOMAS  MORAN'S  JOURNEY  TO  TETONS  73 

plateaus  of  southern  Utah  and  northern  Arizona. ^  Sum- 
mer after  summer  shpped  by,  golden  seasons  in  Moran's 
life,  during  which  he  traveled  widely  both  in  the  West 
and  abroad;  and  it  was  not  until  1879,  the  year  following 
the  disbanding  of  the  Territorial  Surveys,  that  Thomas 
Moran  finally  found  his  way  into  the  Teton  country,  whose 
grandeur  he  had  for  so  long  been  urged  to  behold  for  him- 
self, and  where,  seven  years  before,  a  splendid  peak  had 
been  named  in  his  honor. ^ 


3.  Moran's  painting,  "The  Chasm  of  the  Colorado,"  was  one  of 
the  products  of  the  1873  expedition  and  was  also  purchasea  by  Con- 
gress as  a  companion  piece  to  "The  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Yellow- 
stone." It  is  most  unfortunate  that  these  great  paintings,  of  such 
historical  and  artistic  significance,  have  never  been  displayed  to 
advantage  in  the  Capitol.  Their  illumination  in  the  niches  which 
they  at  present  occupy  impresses  one  as  being  scarcely  adequate, 
and  it  is  impossible  for  the  observer,  in  viewing  them,  to  stand  as  far 
away  as  is  desirable  due  to  their  size. 

4.  Professor  Frank  H.  Bradley,  geologist  with  the  Hayden  party 
of  1872  in  the  Teton  country,  mentioned  in  connection  with  an  at- 
tempted ascent  of  the  Grand  Teton  that  "To  the  north  of  the  canon 
(probably  Cascade  Canyon)  one  peak  of  the  range,  which  we  have 
called  Mount  Leidy,  has  a  long  wedge-shaped  summit,  upon  the  top 
of  which  a  long  mound,  like  those  erected  so  numerously  by  the 
mound-builders  in  the  valleys  of  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries. 
This  summit,  however,  was  not  visited."  (P.  222  of  the  Sixth  Annual 
Report  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  of  the  Territories.)  This 
name  was  proposed  in  honor  of  Joseph  Leidy,  the  distinguished 
vertebrate   paleontologist  who   served  with  the  Hayden   Surveys. 

The  name  "Mount  Leidy"  actually  appears  on  one  of  the  sketches 
accompanying  Bradley's  report  (page  262).  This  must  have  been 
an  oversight,  however,  for  officially  the  name  was  not  allowed  to 
stand.  On  Bechler's  "Map  of  the  Sources  of  the  Snake  River"  which 
accompanies  Bradley's  report  (opposite  page  255),  as  well  as  on  all 
later  maps,  the  name  "Mount  Moran"  has  been  substituted  for 
"Mount  Leidy,"  the  latter  name  being  transferred  to  a  much  less 
imposing  summit  (altitude  10,317  feet)  twenty  miles  to  the  south- 
east, in  the  highlands  east  of  Jackson  Hole.  Possibly  the  change 
was  made  by  Bechler,  the  topographer,  but  more  likely  by  Hayden 
himself. 

Bechler  gives  the  altitude  of  Mount  Moran  as  12,800  feet;  in 
the  maps  (by  Bechler  and  Clark)  accompanying  the  Twelfth  Annual 
Report  (covering  the  explorations  of  1878)  this  figure  has  been  re- 
vised to  12,441.  Bannon's  triangulations  of  1898  and  1899  for  the 
Grand  Teton  Quadrangle  map  reduced  its  altitude  still  further,  placing 
it  between  12,100  and  12,200  feet.  According  to  this  determination 
(the  most  reliable  now  available)  Mount  Moran  is  exceeded  in  alti- 
tude by  at  least  four  major  Teton  peaks  (each  of  the  Three  Tetons 
and  Mount  Owen)  and  possibly  by  a  fifth,  Teewinot  (which  is  also 
between  12,100  and  12.200  feet). 

Though  by  no  means  the  highest  peak  in  the  range,  as  is  ap- 
parent from  the  above.  Mount  Moran  is  by  far  the  broadest  and 
most  massive  of  the  Teton  peaks,  measuring  as  it  does  no  less 
than   three    miles   in   diameter   at   its   base.      It   is   one   of   the   most 


74  ANNALS  OF   Vv^YOMING 

Little  was  known  concerning  Thomas  Moran's  journey 
to  the  Tetons  in  1879,  other  than  it  was  at  this  time  that 
he  secured  all  of  the  field  sketches  upon  which  are  based 
his  Teton  landscape  paintings,  notably  his  famous  studies 
of  Mount  Moran  (there  being  several,  differing  principally 
in  details)  and  "The  Teton  Range,  Idaho"  (the  latter  title 
and  several  others  are  in  error  in  assigning  the  Teton 
peaks  to  Idaho,  whereas  all  of  them  lie  on  the  Wyoming 
side  of  the  state  line).  Not  a  little  interest,  therefore, 
attaches  to  the  recent  discovery  by  Miss  Ruth  B.  Moran 
of  a  little  journal  kept  by  her  father  on  this  expedition — 
one  of  the  few  documents  from  Moran's  own  hand  relating 
to  his  early  work  and  travels  in  the  West. 

Moran's  journal  is  a  little  notebook  of  vestpocket  size 
containing  a  series  of  day-to-day  pencil  entries.  The  en- 
tries begin  and  end  with  equal  abruptness;  there  is  no 
introduction  or  conclusion.  Most  similar  records  start 
out  bravely  enough  with  detailed  entries  which,  as  the  days 
pass,  become  increasingly  perfunctory,  but  with  Moran's 
the  reverse  is  true,  the  jottings  of  the  first  days  giving 
way  to  ampler  and  more  carefully  written  accounts.  In 
all  liklihood  at  the  conclusion  of  the  expedition  Moran 
laid  his  journal  away^  and  forgot  it,  for  had  he  later  re- 
turned to  it  he  would  very  likely  have  caught  an  obvious 
calendar  error  which  it  contains,  and  he  would  probably 
not  have  left  his  notes  in  their  present  unfinished  state 
(for  the  narrative  ends  with  the  party  camped  on  the  re- 
turn trip,  at  the  junction  of  Willow  Creek  and  Sand  Creek, 
less  than  two  days'  journey  north  of  their  destination). 

From  the  journal  it  appears  that  Thomas  Moran's 
journey  to   the   Tetons   was   made   in   company   with   his 


beautiful  of  mountains,  the  more  so  because  of  its  magnificent 
setting  to  tlie  west  of  Jackson  Lake  in  whose  waters  are  mirrored 
its  great  buttressed  figure  and  the  several  ice  fields  clinging  to  its 
upper  slopes.  The  mountaineering  history  of  Mount  Moran  is  one 
of  considerable  interest  and  has  been  recorded  elsewhere  (in  "Teton 
Peaks  and  Their  Ascents"  by  the  writer.  Grand  Teton  National 
Park,  Wyoming,   1932.     Pages  88-104). 

5.  Moran  appears  to  have  published  only  one  account  relating 
to  his  many  western  expeditions,  that  which  in  1892  he  made  in 
company  with  the  pioneer  photographer,  William  H.  Jackson,  to 
Devil's  Tower,  Wyoming  (The  Century  Illustrated  Magazine,  Janu- 
ary,  1894,   pp.  450-455). 


THOMAS  MORAN'S  JOURNEY  TO  TETONS  75 

younger  brother,  Peter,  the  noted  animal  painter,  ^  the 
two  young  artists  having  evidently  seized  an  opportunity 
to  make  the  expedition  under  escort  of  a  military  detach- 
ment sent  out  from  Fort  Hall,  Idaho,  on  a  scout  into  Teton 
Basin  (Pierre's  Hole)  under  leadership  of  Captain  Augustus 
Hudson  Bainbridge  (Company  A,  14th  U.  S.  Infantry), 
then  in  command  of  the  post  of  Fort  Hall.  No  special 
occasion  for  a  scouting  expedition  at  this  time  is  apparent, 
the  records  of  the  War  Department  simply  noting  (Captain 
Bainbridge's  absence  from  the  post  during  the  12-day 
period  from  August  21  to  September  1;  it  is  probable  that 
the  trip  was  arranged  purely  as  an  accomodation  to  the 
distinguished  Moran  brothers.  The  apprehension  of  a 
hostile  Bannock,  Pam-pigemena,  on  August  29  is  men- 
tioned in  Moran's  journal  but  this  arrest  appears  to  have 
been  an  incidental  episode. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  entire  journey  consumed 
but  twelve  days  time  and  was,  moreover,  made  at  a  sea- 
son when  the  range  was  much  obscured  by  smoke  from 
forest  fires,  it  is  remarkable  that  Moran  was  able  to  secure 
material  for  so  many  important  paintinngs — works  which 
will  forever  link  his  name  with  the  Tetons.  From  his 
journal  it  is  clear  that  he  actually  spent  only  one  day 
within  the  range  itself,  and  did  not  have  an  opportunity 
to  view  the  Tetons  at  all  from  the  far  more  spectacular 
eastern  side  (that  is,  from  any  point  within  the  area  now 
included  in  the  Grand  Teton  National  Park).  Though 
these  mountains  impressed  Moran  as  constituting  "per- 
haps the  finest  pictorial  range  in  the  United  States  or 
even  in  North  America,"  it  is  quite  certain  that  in  all 
his  subsequent  travels  he  never  found  his  way  back  among 
them   again,   nor   beheld,    save   possibly   from   a   distance. 


6.  The  Morans  have  been  compared  to  those  families  "of 
Flanders  three  centuries  ago  or  of  Japan  in  this  century  who  seem 
to  have  the  tendency  toward  art  in  the  name."  While  more  than 
a  dozen  members  of  this  remarkable  family  have  achieved  eminence 
in  the  field  of  art  in  America,  three  brothers  from  the  original 
family  which  came  to  this  country  in  1844  from  Lancashire,  England, 
probably  stand  first:  Edward  Moran,  N.  A.,  (1829-1901),  the  painter 
of  marines;  Thomas  Moran,  N.  A.,  (1837-1926),  the  subject  of  this 
article  and  noted  principally  for  his  landscape  painting;  and  Peter 
Moran  (1842-1914),  an  animal  painter  and  etcher.  A  fourth  brother, 
John  Moran  (1831-1903),  was  one  of  the  first  and  best-known  Amer- 
ican outdoor  photographeis,  and  was  also  a  landscape  painter.  Of 
the  many  Morans  of  later  generations  who  became  artists  the  two 
sons  of  Edward  Moran,  Percy  (1862-)  and  Leon  (1864-),  are  prob- 
ably the  best  known. 


76 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


THOMAS  MORAN 

Portrait  taken  in  1882. 

the  beautiful  mountain  which  bears  his  name.  The  httle 
journal  which  follows  is,  therefore,  a  record  of  Thomas 
Moran's  first  and  only  visit  to  the  Tetons. 

August  21   (1879). 

Left  Fort  HalF  with  Cap.  A.  H.  Bainbridge  &  20  men. 
2  wagons.  On  way  to  Taylors  Bridge^  very  hot.  Mirage. 
Dogs  exhausted.  Pete  sick.  Reached  Taylors  Bridge^  late 
in  afternoon.     27   miles.     Desolation.     Abandoned   town. 


7.  Fort  Hall,  the  old  military  post,  was  located  about  15  miles 
northeast  of  the  present  Indian  Agency  of  that  name  on  the  Fort 
Hall  Indian  Reservation. 

8.  At  approximately  the  site  of  the  city  of  Idaho  Falls. 


THOMAS  MORAN'S  JOURNEY  TO  TETONS  77 

R.  R.  bridge  over  the  Snake.  Andersons  Store.  Dis- 
charged soldier  in  the  morning  came  into  camp  &  made 
disturbance.  Hughes.  Highway  robber.  Dismal  camp. 
Furious  wind  al  night  driving  sand  everywhere.  Almost 
blinding.  Gray  dismal  morning.  Black  basalt.  Abomin- 
ation.   Rushing  river  like  Niagara  Rapids. 

Aug.  22 

Left  Camp  at  Taylors  Bridge  at  7  o'clock.  Cold  & 
windy  with  dust  following  &  blinding  us  all  the  way.  At 
noon  passed  Black  Jacks  on  Willow  Creek.  All  sage  plain 
proposed  irrigation.  Arrived  at  12  at  Buck  from  Con- 
necticut. 7  miles  to  south  fork  of  Snake.  Arrived  there 
at  y_2  past  3.  Two  hours  to  get  across  on  the  opposite 
side.  Had  terrible  time  to  get  the  heavy  wagons  up  the 
embankment  &  through"  the  willows.  40  feet.  12  mules. 
Soldiers  yelling  &  beating  the  mules.  Got  up  all  right  & 
went  into  camp  in  a  beautiful  spot  on  the  north  bank  of 
the  river.  Soldiers  bathing.  Watering  the  stock  near 
Taylors  Bridge.  Had  our  first  sight  of  the  great  Teton 
some  70  miles  away.  Indian  herders  seldom  speak  & 
keep  studiously  apart  from  the  other  men.  The  Stagey 
sergeant.  Amusing  to  see  the  mules  inquisitively  sur- 
rounding the  teamster  who  was  handling  rations.  Fires 
all  over  the  country. 

Aug.  23 

An  early  breakfast  &  cool.  Following  foothills  sur- 
mounted by  basalt  over  a  plain  covered  with  fine  bunch 
grass.  Fine  grazing  &  altogether  a  beautiful  grazing  & 
farming  country  with  means  of  easy  irrigation  from  the 
south  fork  of  the  Snake,  which  is  a  splendid  current  & 
clear  as  crystal.  We  are  directly  opposite  Crater  Buttes 
across  the  Snake  15  miles  distant.  The  Salmon  River 
Range  close  in  the  distance  enveloped  in  a  delicate  blue 
haze.  To  the  east  lies  the  Snake  River  Range,  a  low  line 
of  mountains  separating  us  from  the  Teton  Basin.  ^  -  past 
seven,  5  miles,  a  halt  on  for  10  minutes.  A  good  road  for 
the  wagons.  At  11:20  reached  a  fine  cold  stream,  prob- 
ably Moody  Creek,  where  we  rested  %  hour  to  water  the 
animals.  The  Tetons  are  now  plainly  visible  but  not  well 
defined  ovdng  to  the  mistiness  of  the  atmosphere.  They 
loom  grandly  above  all  the  other  mountains.  An  inter- 
vening ridge  dividing  us  from  the  Teton  Basin  stretcher 
for  miles  to  the  north,  of  a  beautiful  pinkish  yellow  with 
delicate  shades  of  pale  cobalt,  while  the  distant  range  is 
of  an  exquisite  blue  with  but  little  definition  of  forms  on 


78 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


— Courtesy  Augtistana  Historical  Society 

BEAVER  DICK   (RICHARD  LEIGH)  AND  HIS  FAMILY 

Camped  in  Teton  Basin,  Idaho.     From  an  early  photograph. 


their  surface.  Our  Indian,  Jack,  has  just  caught  a  fine 
trout  of  about  3  pounds  weight  and  he  says  the  stream  is 
full  of  them. 

Aug.  24th 

Teton  River  Camp 

Trout  this  morning  for  B.  &  a  wind  blowing  nearly 
as  bad  as  at  Taylors  Bridge,  driving  the  dust  everywhere 
&  covering  our  breakfast.  Cold  but  bright  overhead. 
The  Tetons  from  this  camp  are  very  well  defined  in  a 
directly  easterly  direction  before  the  sun  rose  but  soon 
disappeared  when  the  atmosphere  lighted  up.  Boguy^ 
whose  ranch  we  stopped  at  for  information  yesterday 
drove  over  this  morning  before  we  left  camp  and  partly 
under  guidance  (we)  reached  Canon  Creek  at  11  o'clock 
after  a  15  mile  ride  over  rolling  country  covered  with  ex- 
cellent grass  &  free  from  sage.  We  struck  the  canon  at 
a   point  where   it   is   about   800   feet   in   depth   with   very 

9.     Spelled  "Boqua"  elsewhere  in  the  journal. 


THOMAS  MORAN'S  JOURNEY  TO  TETONS  79 

precipitous  banks  covered  with  the  debris  from  the  basaltic 
columns  with  which  the  upper  edge  is  fringed.  A  large 
porcupine  was  killed  by  Cap.  Bainbridge  a  mile  or  two 
from  the  canon.  Following  a, trail  leading  up  the  edge  of 
the  canon  we  found  that  it  led  down  into  the  canon,  which 
has  a  beautiful  stream  flowing  through  it  fringed  with 
water  elms,  pine,  cottonwood,  etc.  The  captain  &  two 
men  have  gone  up  the  canon  either  to  find  a  (ford  or  a 
camp  sight).  About  a  mile  above  we  found  a  depression 
in  the  side  of  the  canon  down  which  we  could  make  our 
way  to  a  flat  space  containing  a  few  acres  covered  with 
sage  &  grass.  Here  the  wagons  were  unloaded  &  after 
packing  the  material  on  the  pack  mules  the  wagons  with 
a  portion  of  the  mules  &  6  or  8  men  were  sent  back  to 
Boqua's  to  there  camp  until  our  return  from  the  Teton 
Basin.  We  made  our  camp  on  the  flat  in  the  canon. 
Caught  a  few  mountain  trout  and  ascended  the  canon  again 
to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  Tetons  but  from  this  point  only  the 
top  of  Mt.  Moran  is  visible  owing  to  the  slope  of  the  hills 
beyond  the  canon. 

Aug.  25th 

We  were  out  of  bed  this  morning  at  5:30.  It  was  very 
cold  and  ice  had  formed  on  the  tin  cups.  In  another  hour 
we  were  under  way  over  what  appeared  to  be  a  rolling  but 
smooth  country  but  as  we  advanced  we  found  our  mis- 
take. Every  mile  we  found  a  gulch  bordered  with  aspen 
in  depth  from  100  to  200  feet  but  we  found  no  difficulty 
in  crossing  any  of  them.  After  passing  the  divide  between 
the  Teton  Basin  &  our  last  camp  we  found  a  gently 
(rolling)  country  (descending)  to  the  Basin.  The  Tetons 
here  loomed  up  grandly  against  the  sky  &  from  this  point 
it  is  perhaps  the  finest  pictorial  range  in  the  United  States 
or  even  in  N.  America.  After  descending  the  slope  about 
3  miles  we  came  upon  a  small  ice  cold  stream  &  deter- 
mined to  camp.  Leaving  the  main  body  the  Cap.,  Pete, 
myself  &  1  man  proceded  a  mile  or  two  toward  the  Teton 
Valley  but  saw  no  signs  of  water  within  5  miles.  On  our 
return  to  camp  we  saw  a  deer  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
but  failed  to  get  near  enough  to  get  a  shot  at  it.  After 
camp  had  been  finally  disposed  of  3  men  &  the  Indian 
were  sent  out  to  hunt.  They  had  not  been  gone  more  than 
an  hour  before  we  heard  seven  shots  and  concluded  thev 
had  found  something.  Soon  after  they  returned  &  the 
Indian,  Jack,  had  shot  3  out  of  5  deer  they  had  come  upon. 
One  was  lost  in  the  packing  as  the  mules  objected  strongly 
to  carry  dead  animals  so  but  two  were  brought  into  camp. 


78 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


— Courtesy  Augustana  Historical  Society 

BEAVER  DICK   (RICHARD  LEIGH)  AND  HIS  FAMILY 

Camped  in  Teton  Basin,  Idaho.     From  an  early  photograph. 


their  surface.  Our  Indian,  Jack,  has  just  caught  a  fine 
trout  of  about  3  pounds  weight  and  he  says  the  stream  is 
full  of  them. 

Aug.  24th 

Teton  River  Camp 

Trout  this  morning  for  B.  &  a  wind  blowing  nearly 
as  bad  as  at  Taylors  Bridge,  driving  the  dust  everywhere 
&  covering  our  breakfast.  Cold  but  bright  overhead. 
The  Tetons  from  this  camp  are  very  well  defined  in  a 
directly  easterly  direction  before  the  sun  rose  but  soon 
disappeared  when  the  atmosphere  lighted  up.  Boguy^ 
whose  ranch  we  stopped  at  for  information  yesterday 
drove  over  this  morning  before  we  left  camp  and  partly 
under  guidance  (we)  reached  Canon  Creek  at  11  o'clock 
after  a  15  mile  ride  over  rolling  country  covered  with  ex- 
cellent grass  &  free  from  sage.  We  struck  the  canon  at 
a   point  where   it   is   about   800   feet   in   depth   with   very 

9.     Spelled  "Boqua"  elsewhere  in  the  journal. 


THOMAS  MORAN'S  JOURNEY  TO  TETONS  79 

precipitous  banks  covered  with  the  debris  from  the  basaltic 
columns  with  which  the  upper  edge  is  fringed.  A  large 
porcupine  was  killed  by  Cap.  Bainbridge  a  mile  or  two 
from  the  canon.  Following  a  trail  leading  up  the  edge  of 
the  canon  we  found  that  it  led  down  into  the  canon,  which 
has  a  beautiful  stream  flowing  through  it  fringed  with 
water  elms,  pine,  cottonwood,  etc.  The  captain  &  two 
men  have  gone  up  the  canon  either  to  find  a  (ford  or  a 
camp  sight).  About  a  mile  above  we  found  a  depression 
in  the  side  of  the  canon  down  which  we  could  make  our 
way  to  a  flat  space  containing  a  few  acres  covered  with 
sage  &  grass.  Here  the  wagons  were  unloaded  &  after 
packing  the  material  on  the  pack  mules  the  wagons  with 
a  portion  of  the  mules  &  6  or  8  men  were  sent  back  to 
Boqua's  to  there  camp  until  our  return  from  the  Teton 
Basin.  We  made  our  camp  on  the  flat  in  the  canon. 
Caught  a  few  mountain  trout  and  ascended  the  canon  again 
to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  Tetons  but  from  this  point  only  the 
top  of  Mt.  Moran  is  visible  owing  to  the  slope  of  the  hills 
beyond  the  canon. 

Aug.  25th 

We  were  out  of  bed  this  morning  at  5:30.  It  was  very 
cold  and  ice  had  formed  on  the  tin  cups.  In  another  hour 
we  were  under  way  over  what  appeared  to  be  a  rolling  but 
smooth  country  but  as  we  advanced  we  found  our  mis- 
take. Every  mile  we  found  a  gulch  bordered  with  aspen 
in  depth  from  100  to  200  feet  but  we  found  no  difficulty 
in  crossing  any  of  them.  After  passing  the  divide  between 
the  Teton  Basin  &  our  last  camp  we  found  a  gently 
(rolling)  country  (descending)  to  the  Basin.  The  Tetons 
here  loomed  up  grandly  against  the  sky  &  from  this  point 
it  is  perhaps  the  finest  pictorial  range  in  the  United  States 
or  even  in  N.  America.  After  descending  the  slope  about 
3  miles  we  came  upon  a  small  ice  cold  stream  &  deter- 
mined to  camp.  Leaving  the  main  body  the  Cap.,  Pete, 
myself  &  1  man  proceded  a  mile  or  two  toward  the  Teton 
Valley  but  saw  no  signs  of  water  within  5  miles.  On  our 
return  to  camp  we  saw  a  deer  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
but  failed  to  get  near  enough  to  get  a  shot  at  it.  After 
camp  had  been  finally  disposed  of  3  men  &  the  Indian 
were  sent  out  to  hunt.  They  had  not  been  gone  more  than 
an  hour  before  we  heard  seven  shots  and  concluded  they 
had  found  something.  Soon  after  they  returned  &  the 
Indian,  Jack,  had  shot  3  out  of  5  deer  they  had  come  upon. 
One  was  lost  in  the  packing  as  the  mules  objected  strongly 
to  carry  dead  animals  so  but  two  were  brought  into  camp. 


80 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


■%^1 


1.  w 


— Courtesy  Augiistana  Historical  tsociety 
TETON   MOUNTAINS,    WYOMING.    MOUNT   MORAN    IS    THE    CENTRAL    PEAK. 


They  were  the  mule  deer  which  may  have  had  something 
to  do  with  the  objections  of  the  mules  to  carrying  them. 
Later  in  the  afternoon  4  men  were  sent  to  search  for  the 
lost  deer  and  they  soon  after  brought  it  into  camp.  Of 
course  we  enjoyed  our  venison  heartily  at  dinner.  This 
afternoon  vje  made  sketches  of  the  Teton  Range  but  the 
distance,  20  miles,  is  rather  too  far  to  distinguish  the 
details,  especially  as  it  is  very  smoky  from  fires  in  the 
mountains  on  each  side  of  the  peaks.  This  evening  it  is 
quite  cold  but  we  have  a  fine  camp  fire  and  the  Cap.  & 
Peter  are  broiling  some  venison  ribs  on  willow  sticks. 

26th 

From  camp  this  morning  our  way  lay  over  a  smooth 
rolling  country  descending  gently  to  the  bottom  of  the 
Teton  Basin  or  Valley  through  which  the  Teton  River 
flows,  its  banks  deeply  fringed  with  the  willow  common  to 
this  region,  with  here  &  there  cottonwoods  in  small 
groves.  The  Teton  River  can  be  forded  at  almost  any 
point.     Soon  after  crossing  the  stream  we  saw  a  teepee 


THOMAS  MORANS  JOURNEY  TO  TETONS  81 

in  the  willows  a  short  distance  away  and  some  horses 
grazing.  Going  over  there  we  found  it  to  be  Beaver  Dick,'° 
his  Indian  squaw,  &  a  companion  whom  he  called  Tom. 
He  was  evidently  trapping  beaver  as  he  had  several  skins 
stretched  with  pins  on  the  ground.  Leaving  Beaver  Dick's 
camp  we  headed  directly  for  the  canon  of  Teton  River '  ^ 
which  heads  at  the  base  of  the  Tetons.  Dick  said  it  was 
17  miles  to  the  camping  ground  but  we  found  that  it  was 
not  more  than  10  or  12.  At  the  mouth  of  the  canon  we 
found  a  pretty  good  camping  spot^^  q^  the  edge  of  the 
banks  of  the  river  which  are  here  about  14  feet  high.  A 
fine  growth  of  pine  fills  the  river  bottom  &  good  grazing 
for  animals  covers  the  space  between  ourselves  and  the 
hills.  It  is  very  hot  this  afternoon  &  so  very  smoky 
that  the  Teton  peaks  can  scarcely  be  seen  &  at  times  are 
entirely  obscured  so  that  sketching  is  out  of  the  question 
&  we  spend  our  time  working  up  some  of  our  sketches 
made  previously.  As  the  sun  goes  down  it  gets  quite 
cold  but  a  roaring  camp  fire  gives  warmth  &  cheer- 
fulness to  our  camp  &  we  all  feel  in  the  best  of  spirits. 
After  a  good  night's  rest  we  get  up  on  the  morning  of  the 
27th;  &  after  a  substantial  breakfast  of  venison  we  are 
about  to  start  out  on  a  trip  up  the  canon  when  one  of  the 
men  discovered  a  black  bear  coming  down  the  hills  toward 
camp  &  not  more  than  250  yards  distant.  The  bear 
showed  much  curiosity  in  regard  to  our  camp  &  was  de- 
liberating whether  to  come  nearer  when  the  Cap.  sent 
Indian  Jack  and  several  men  out  to  interview  him.  Jack 
got  the  first  shot  and  hit  him  in  the  right  foot  which  seemed 
to  surprise  him  very  much  as  he  threw  up  his  foot  &  stood 
still  a  few  seconds  but  he  was  not  long  in  making  up  his 
mind  to  retreat.     The  men  fired  a  number  of  shots  after 


10.  "Beaver  Dick,"  whose  proper  name  was  Richard  Leigh,  was 
the  most  picturesque  figure  in  the  Teton  region  during  the  decades 
immediately  preceding  settlement.  He  was  called  Beaver  Dick  "on 
account  of  the  striking  resemblance  of  two  abnormally  large  front 
teeth  in  his  upper  jaw  to  the  teeth  of  a  beaver.  The  Indians  called 
him  'The  Beaver'"  (Chittenden).  Beaver  Dick  figures  prominently 
in  the  early  history  of  the  Teton  region,  where  for  most  of  his  life  ( it 
is  said  that  he  was  16  when  he  came  into  the  region)  he  trapped, 
hunted,  and  acted  in  the  capacity  of  guide.  He  is  buried  on  a  hilltop 
at  the  mouth  of  Teton  Canyon.  In  the  Grand  Teton  National  Park 
the  names  of  two  beautiful  lakes,  Beaver  Dick  Lake  and  Leigh  Lake, 
perpetuate  his  memory,  and  an  adjoining  body  of  water,  Jenny  Lake, 
is  named  after  his  first  Indian  wife. 

11.  That  is,  Teton  Canyon,  through  which  Teton  Creek  mot 
Teton  River)    flows. 

12.  Near  Alta,  about  S^o  miles  northeast  of  the  present  village 
of  Driggs. 


82  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

him  as  he  ran  into  the  aspen  grove  at  the  foot  of  the  hill 
but  failed  to  hit  him  &  in  a  few  minutes  he  had  disap- 
peared over  the  top  of  the  hill,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the 
hunters.  After  this  little  event  the  Cap.,  Pete,  myself  & 
two  men  started  on  a  trip  up  the  canon.  We  proceeded 
over  a  not  difficult  way  about  6  miles  and  ascended  to  the 
top  of  a  granite  cliff  about  500  feet  to  get  a  good  view  of 
the  canon  13  that  leads  up  to  the  right  of  the  Tetons.  The 
peaks  of  the  Tetons'^  are  from  this  point  entirely  hidden 
from  view  but  a  number  of  other  fine  peaks  present  them- 
selves in  view.  The  view  is  very  magnificent.  The  op- 
posite mountain  rises  5,000  feet  above  the  river  with  a 
granite  base  surmounted  by  sandstone  &  capped  with 
tremendous  precipices  of  limestone.  The  slopes  are  covered 
in  places  with  a  growth  of  large  pines  but  the  summit  is 
nearly  bare  of  vegetation.  We  remained  on  the  cliff  some 
3  hours  sketching  and  afterwards  amused  ourselves  by  roll- 
ing down  great  granite  boulders  over  the  precipice  upon 
which  we  stood  &  watching  their  descent  as  they  went 
rebounding  from  rock  to  rock  &  crashing  through  the 
brush  &  dead  timber  at  the  base  with  a  noise  like  the  re- 
port of  musketry  &  echoing  through  the  canon.  De- 
scending to  the  valley  we  found  Red  Raspberry  &  B.  Cur- 
rants plentiful  with  which  we  regaled  ourselves.  A  large 
beaver  dam  stretches  across  the  canon  at  this  point  &  the 
animals'  industry  is  here  exhibited  on  a  large  scale,  the 
trees  having  been  cut  by  them  hundreds  of  feet  above  the 
river  and  brought  down  to  the  dam.  Game  of  all  sorts  is 
very  abundant  in  the  canon.  Elk  &  deer  tracks  are  seen 
everywhere.  We  returned  to  camp  early  in  the  afternoon. 
The  fires  in  the  surrounding  mountains  had  become  so 
dense  as  almost  to  obscure  the  peaks  of  the  Tetons  &  the 
sun  went  down  in  fiery  redness.  A  strong  &  cold  wind 
began  to  blow  soon  after  &  during  the  night  a  violent 
thunder  storm  continued  until  nearly  day  break,  accom- 
panied by  rain  in  the  canon  and  snow  on  the  peaks.  Heavy 
storm  clouds  hung  over  the  range  dropping  snow  or  rain 
occasionally  &  a  cold  wind  blew  from  the  S.  W. 

Aug.  28 

We  broke  camp  and  left  the  canon  at  6:30,  after  an 
uncomfortable    breakfast    prepared    under    difficulties    of 


13.  One  of  the  north  forks  of  Teton  Canyon,  probably  the  one 
marked  "Roaring  Creek"  on  the  map  of  Targhee  National  Forest. 

14.  Probably  a  reference  to  the  group  of  principal  peaks  known 
as  the  "Three  Tetons." 


THOMAS  MORAN'S  JOURNEY  TO  TETONS  83 

rain  &  a  cold  wind.  As  we  left  the  canon  &  came  into 
the  open  plain  the  sun  broke  through  the  dense  clouds  that 
overhung  the  mountains  for  a  time  and  showed  his  face 
fitfully  all  day.  On  our  way  back  we  called  at  the  wickiup 
of  Beaver  Dick  &  after  a  little  talk  we  proceeded  to  the 
Teton  River  near  its  junction  with  Bear  Creek  where  we 
intended  to  camp,  but  after  a  rest  of  a  couple  of  hours 
during  which  a  number  of  fine  salmon  trout  were  taken  we 
concluded  to  go  on  some  8  miles  to  our  old  camp  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Teton  Valley  where  we  arrived  about  4 
o'clock,  Beaver  Dick  &  his  companion  Tom  joining  us 
part  of  the  way.  It  was  cold  &  windy  during  the  evening 
&  considerable  snow  fell  on  the  mountain  during  the  day. 
Indian  Jack  as  usual  was  the  luck  hunter  &  and  brought  in 
a  young  Antelope  many  of  which  we  saw  between  Beaver 
Dick's  &  our  camping  ground.  A  roaring  camp  fire  dis- 
pelled the  cold  &  our  camp  being  in  a  sheltered  spot  we 
slept  comfortably  &  next  morning,  Aug.  29, '^  we  followed 
our  trail  toward  Canon  Creek  for  some  time  when  we  were 
again  joined  by  Beaver  Dick  who  guided  over  a  new  route 
to  Boqua's  but  not  an  improvement  over  our  own  as  we 
came  over  to  the  Basin.  The  Cap.  was  very  desirous  of 
bringing  into  Ft.  Hall  a  hostile  Bannock  Indian  named 
Pam-pigemena  who  by  the  way  was  father-in-law  to  Beaver 
Dick  &  Dick  said  he  knew  where  he  was  &  would  bring 
him  to  our  camp  in  the  morning.  We  journey  along  & 
reached  Boqua's  ranch  early  in  the  afternoon  &  found 
that  the  party  we  had  left  in  charge  of  the  wagons  was 
camped  on  Moody  Creek  near  its  junction  with  the  south 
fork  of  the  Teton  River  some  four  miles  further  on.  We 
proceeded  on  our  way  &  reached  there  about  3  o'clock. 
After  dinner  Beaver  Dick  started  out  for  the  Indian  prom- 
ising to  bring  h^'m  in  the  morning.  It  was  very  cold  during 
the  night,  heavy  ice  forming  on  the  water  in  our  buckets. 
On  the  morning  of  the  29th '^  as  we  were  at  breakfast 
Beaver  Dick  came  into  camp  with  the  information  that  his 
father-in-law  &  his  mother-in-law  also  would  be  in  very 
soon.  The  Cap.  ordered  the  start  but  left  3  men  at  the 
camp  to  wait  for  the  Indian  &  his  wife.  We  proceeded 
on  our  way  toward  the  s.  fork  of  the  Snake  River  &  when 
about  8  miles  on  our  wav  we  descried  the  men  with  the 
Indians  coming  along.  We  halted  for  half  an  hour  until 
they  came  up.     They  had   all  their  worldly   goods   with 


15.  Error:    should   read   Aug.   29. 

16.  Ditto:    should  read  the  30th. 


84  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

them  packed  on  3  horses,  consisting  of  beaver,  otter,  deer, 
bear,  &  other  skins.  They  were  about  60  &  50  years  of 
age  &  seemed  entirely  indifferent  to  their  position  as 
prisoners.  We  bought  some  otter  skins  from  them  but  a 
coveted  gray  bear  skin  the  squaw  would  not  part  with  as 
she  said  Beaver  Dick  gave  it  to  her.  We  recrossed  the 
Snake  River  without  accident  &  arrived  at  Willow  Creek 
at  its  junction  with  Sand  Creek  at  3  o'clock  &  went  into 
camp.  Cedars,  cottonwood  in  the  bottoms  &  a  beautiful 
day.  The  ever  present  Crater  Buttes  on  our  right  all  day 
backed  by  the  Salmon  River  Range.  Poor  camp  with  no 
grass  for  our  animals. 


DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 

A  dramatic  performance  was  given  in  Wyoming  as 
early  as  1864?  On  August  second  of  that  year  a  "troupe  of 
play  folk  from  Chicago"  en  route  to  the  gold  fields  of 
California  by  wagon  train  entertained  their  fellow  travelers 
while  camped  in  what  is  now  Snyder  Basin  in  Sublette 
County.  A  stage  was  made  from  the  floor  of  the  old  Lan- 
der (General)  blacksmith  shop  floor  and  wagon  sheets 
were  used  for  curtains.  Logs  were  cut  and  dragged  into 
the  corral  of  wagons  for  pit  seats.  The  orchestra  consisted 
of  violin,  flute  and  guitars,  the  music  of  which  echoed 
from  the  hills.  The  audience  numbered  over  two  hundred 
and  were  very  appreciative.  The  show  consisted  of  a 
short  drama  of  a  young  girl  forced  into  a  repugnant  mar- 
riage by  her  mercenary  parents,  but,  aided  by  her  sweet- 
heart, she  disclosed  the  past  of  her  elderly  suitor  that  sent 
him  on  his  way  defeated  in  his  aims.  The  play  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  vaudeville  of  popular  songs,  instrumental  num- 
bers, acrobatic  performances,  ventriloquist's  entertainment 
and  jig  dancing.  The  next  day  the  trains  pulled  westward 
over  the  Lander  Trail. —  (Mr.  Perry  W.  Jenkins,  Cora,  Wy- 
oming. Taken  from  the  book  Covered  Wagon  Days  by  Arthur 
Jerome  Dickinson,  pp.  149-156.) 


The  first  county  library  law  in  the  United  States  was 
enacted  February  16,   1886,   by  the  Wyoming  Territorial 

Legislature? — (The    Carnegie    Public   Library,   Memorial    Volume, 
1902,    p.  56.) 


IdJifaifiintf,  place  Na4fte6. 


At  the  beginning  of  publication  of  the  Wyoming  Place 
Names  series  in  the  April  1942  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING, 
readers  were  invited  to  send  in  corrections  and  additional 
material  supplementing  that  contained  in  the  files  of  the 
State  Historical  Department.  While  some  responded, 
in  order  to  insur.e  complete  satisfaction  on  the  part  of  the 
Staff  as  to  the  authenticity  of  that  presented  and  the  re- 
mainder of  the  material  to  be  published,  it  was  felt  arrange- 
ments should  be  made  for  further  verification  of  it.  There- 
fore, the  names  of  towns  were  separated  by  county  and  a 
member  of  the  State  Historical  Advisory  Board  in  each 
county,  or  a  historically-minded  citizen  in  counties  where  no 
Board  member  resided,  was  asked  to  verify  the  data  sub- 
mitted. While  all  lists  have  not  been  returned  to  date,  the 
additions  and  corrections  presented  by  the  following  per- 
sons have  been  arranged  and  are  presented  here :  Struthers 
Burt  (S.  B.),  Moran;  Charles  Oviatt  (C.  O.),  Sheridan;  Fen- 
imore  Chatterton  (F.  C),  Arvada,  Colorado;  Dr.  Herbert  O. 
Brayer  (H.  O.  B.),  Denver;  Mae  Cross  (M.  C),  Piedmont; 
Hans  Gautschi  (H.  G.),  Lusk;  Perry  W.  Jenkins  (P.  W.  J.), 
Big  Piney;  Mrs.  Dora  McGrath  (D.  McG.),  Thermopolis; 
Alfred  J.  Mokler  (A.  J.  M.),  Casper;  Mrs.  Minnie  Reitz 
(M.  R.),  Wheatland;  Russell  Thorp  (R.  T.),  Cheyenne;  P. 
W.  Spaulding  (P.  W.  S.).  Evanston. 

Previous  lists  of  Wyoming-  Place  Names  have  ap- 
peared in  the  April  and  July  1942  ANNALS. 

BAIROIL,  Sweetwater  County.  Named  for  Charles 
Bair,  a  prominent  sheep  man  of  Billings.  Montana,  v/ho 
financed  and  Dromoted  the  first  oil  development  in  that 
district. R.  T.' 

BESSEMER.  Natrona  County.  Established  in  1888. 
At  the  first  election  in  Natrona  County  in  1889.  Bessemer 
was  a  candidate  for  the  county  seat.  Six  hundred  sixtv- 
seven  votes  were  cast,  but  the  countv  commissioners  de- 
clared that  more  than  three  hundred  of  them  were  illegal 
and  the  vote  of  the  entire  precinct  was  throvm  out.     It  is 


1.  Persons  who  checked  the  lists  of  place  names  are  given 
credit  by  placing  their  initials  after  each  name  explanation.  Refer 
to  names  given  in  introduction  above. — Ed. 


86  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

now  one  of  Natrona  County's  "ghost  towns."      (Origin  of 
name  not  known.) — A.  J.  M. 

BIG  PINEY,  Sublette  County.  The  names  given  to 
the  three  streams  that  empty  into  Green  River  within  a 
few  rods  of  each  other  were  North  Piney,  Middle  Piney 
and  South  Piney.  North  Piney,  being  the  largest,  was 
called  Big  Piney.  The  first  post  office  was  at  the  Mule 
Shoe  Ranch  near  Green  River  but  later  was  moved  to  the 
home  of  Daniel  B.  Budd  on  the  bank  of  North  Piney  and 
was  called  Big  Piney  Post  Office.  This  was  followed  by 
the  town.  The  first  settler  was  Ed  Swan  and  Otto  Leifer 
in  1878,  followed  by  A.  W.  Smith  and  Daniel  B.  Budd  in 
1879.     The  post  office  dates  from  1882.— P.  W.  J. 

BISHOP,  Natrona  County.  Named  for  Marvin  L. 
Bishop,  an  early-day  postmaster  of  Casper,  who  had  his 
sheep-shearing  pens  at  this  point. — A.  J.  M. 

BUCKNUM,  Natrona  County.  Named  for  Charles  K. 
Bucknum,  an  early-day  mayor  of  Casper  and  owner  of  a 
sheep  ranch  near  the  railroad  station  where  the  town  was 
established  in  1905. — A.  J.  M. 

CAMBRIA,  Weston  County.  Named  by  Kilpatrick 
Bros.,  railroad  contractors,  who  constructed  the  Burling- 
ton Railroad  through  Wyoming  and  developed  the  first 
coal  mine  at  Cambria  on  the  Burlington  in  Wyoming. 
Named  after  Welch  coal  mines. — R.  T. 

CASPER,  Natrona  County.  The  town  was  established 
in  the  early  summer  of  1888,  and  was  named  after  Fort 
Caspar,  a  military  post  first  established  in  1858.  The 
site  of  Fort  Caspar  was  called  Camp  Platte  from  1840  to 
1847.  When  the  Mormons  passed  through  here  in  June 
1847,  they  built  and  operated  a  ferry  across  the  river, 
and  then  the  name  was  changed  to  Mormon  Ferry  or 
Mormon  Crossing.  Louis  Guinard  built  a  bridge  across 
the  river  at  this  point  in  the  winter  of  1858-59,  and  the 
name  was  then  changed  to  Platte  Bridge  Station.  Lieu- 
tenant Caspar  W.  Collins  was  killed  by  Indians  near  the 
fort  on  July  26,  1865,  and  in  October  of  that  year  Major 
General  Pope  ordered  the  name  changed  to  Fort  Caspar. 
When  the  town  of  Casper  was  platted  by  the  land  depart- 
ment of  the  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Missouri  Valley  Rail- 
road Company,  the  engineer,  in  the  original  plat,  used  an 
"e"  in  the  last  syllable  instead  of  an  "a".  After  many 
deeds  for  town  lots  and  other  important  documents  had 
been  issued,  all  spelled  with  an  "e",  a  request  was  made 
to  have  the  spelling  changed,  but  it  was  considered  that 
the  change  would  be  too  expensive. — A.  J.  M. 


WYOMING  PLACE  NAMES  87 

DANIEL,  Sublette  County.  Named  for  and  by  T.  P. 
Daniel  when  the  post  office  was  located  at  his  store  on 
the  present  site  in  1904. — P.  W.  J. 

DICKIE,  Hot  Springs  County.  Named  for  and  estab- 
lished by  David  Dickie  who  was  born  in  Scotland  and  came 
to  Wyoming  via  New  Zealand  and  San  Francisco  in  1884. 
He  engaged  in  the  sheep  business  along  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  until  1896  when  the  range  became  crowded  and 
he  started  to  British  Columbia,  driving  his  sheep  to  that 
region.  He  transferred  his  sheep  across  the  ferry  at  the 
old  town  of  Thermopolis  and  planned  to  next  cross  the 
bridge  at  Meeteetse.  Instead,  however,  he  purchased  from 
Harry  Gunther  the  L.U.  Ranch,  which  had  formerly  been 
owned  by  Governor  Baxter,  and  later  added  to  his  hold- 
ings.— D.  McG. 

DIETZ,  Sheridan  County.  Named  for  the  Dietz 
brothers,  Charles,  Frank  and  Gould,  who  developed  the 
Dietz  coal  mines  on  the  Burlington  Railroad  in  Sheridan 
County.— R.  T. 

ELK  MOUNTAIN,  Carbon  County.  Named  after  Elk 
Mountain,  the  peak  at  the  north  end  of  the  Medicine  Bow 
Range  and  a  few  miles  southwest  of  the  town. — F.  C. 

ENCAMPMENT,  Carbon  County.  U.  S.  Troops,  un- 
der the  command  of  General  Johnston,  on  their  way  to 
Salt  Lake  City  were  snowed  in  near  this  point  and  encamped 
there  for  a  considerable  time.  The  place  was  named  Grand 
Encampment. — F.  C. 

FORT  BONNEVILLE,  Sublette  County.  Fort  Bonne- 
ville was  built  in  1832  by  Captain  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville  but 
was  abandoned  within  a  month  when  he  moved  to  Salmon 
River  for  the  winter.  It  was  here  that  the  Rendezvous 
of  1833  was  held  and  the  fort  definitely  described  by  W.  A. 
Ferris  in  his  .iournal. — P.  W.  J. 

HAT  CREEK,  Niobrara  County.  Named  when  a  de- 
tachment of  soldiers  was  sent  to  establish  a  fort  on  War- 
bonnet  Creek  in  1875.  Thinking  that  they  were  on  the 
right  location  when  they  got  to  Sage  Creek,  they  built 
their  dugout  fort  on  the  site  of  what  became  old  Hat 
Creek  Stage  Station  and  Post  Office  and  called  it  Hat 
Creek,  short  for  Warbonnet.  Warbonnet  Creek  is  in  Ne- 
braska near  the  Wyoming  line  and  the  error  appears  ob- 
vious.— H.  G. 

JACKSON,  Teton  County.  Named  for  Jackson  Lake 
which  had  been  named  for  Captain  David  E.  Jackson  who 
was  in  the  region  with  William  L.  Sublette  in  the  early 
1800's.— S.  B. 


88  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

KNIGHT,  Uinta  County.  Named  by  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  in  honor  of  Judge  Jesse  Knight,  Judge  of  the 
Third  Judicial  District  of  Wyoming,  who  showed  the  rail- 
road engineers  how  to  change  the  line  to  avoid  the  very 
steep  grade  on  Aspen  Hill  and  the  feasibility  of  the  present 
Aspen  Tunnel.— F.  C.  and  P.  W.  S.j 

NATRONA,  Natrona  County.  '  So  named  because  of 
the  soda   (natron)   deposits  near  there. — A.  J.  M. 

OIL  CITY,  Natrona  County.  So  named  because  of 
the  drilling  for  oil  in  that  vicinity  in  1880  by  S.  A.  Aggers 
who  hailed  from  Oil  City,  Pennsylvania. — A.  J.  M. 

PIEDMONT,  Uinta  County.  Means  "foot  of  the 
mountains"  and  was  taken  from  the  Italian  language. 
—P.  W.  S.  and  M.  C. 

PINEDALE,  Sublette  County.  Named  by  Charles 
Peterson  in  1899,  when  the  first  post  office  was  opened  at 
this  place,  for  the  pines  along  the  stream,  Pine  Creek.  The 
town  was  incorporated  in  1912  and  was  made  the  county 
seat  in  June  1921.— P.  W.  J. 

POWDER  RIVER,  Natrona  County.  Named  for  a 
branch  of  the  Powder  River  which  in  turn  was  named  for 
the  dark  powder-like  quick  sand  that  is  found  along  its 
banks  and  in  the  channel. — A.  J.  M. 

RESHAW,  Natrona  County.  Named  for  John  Re- 
shaw,  a  Frenchman,  who  built  the  first  bridge  across  the 
North  Platte  River  in  central  Wyoming  on  the  Old  Oregon 
Trail.     English  pronunciation  is  Richards. — A.  J.  M. 

RIVERTON,  Fremont  County.  In  1905  Mr.  Fenimore 
Chatterton  found  that  Montana  was  about  to  secure  the 
right  to  divert  all  the  water  of  the  Big  Horn  River  which 
would  leave  no  water  for  reclamation  of  the  300,000  acres 
in  the  ceded  portion  of  the  Shoshone  Indian  Reservation. 
He  immediately  went  to  Washington  and  applied  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  Department  for  a  permit  to 
construct  the  necessary  canals  and  reservoirs  and  to  lay 
out  a  town  site  on  the  one  hundred  sixty  acres  where  the 
town  of  Riverton  is  now  located,  all  work  to  be  done  prior 
to  opening  the  lands  for  settlement.  He  met  with  refusal, 
but  when  the  lands  were  opened,  the  one  hundred  sixty 
acres  designated  by  Mr.  Chatterton  were  set  aside  as  a 
town  site.  On  August  14,  1906,  the  land  was  opened  and 
persons  who  had  previously  located  at  Shoshone  to  await 
the  day  moved  in  and  proceeded  to  survey  and  stake  the 
blocks  and  lots.  A  group  of  Lander  citizens  opposed  to 
the  establishment  of  the  town  tried  to  stop  the  survey; 
not    succeeding    they    induced    the    Indian    Agent    at    Ft. 


WYOMING  PLACE  NAMES  89 

Washakie,  Mr.  Wadsworth,  to  use  U.  S.  Troops  to  run 
people  off  the  town  site.  After  ten  days  Mr.  Chatterton 
had  the  matter  straightened  out  through  telegrams  to 
Wyoming  Senators,  and  the  citizens  returned.  Meanwhile 
the  Lander  group  asked  that  the  town  be  called  Central 
City  and  the  Northwestern  Railroad  named  its  station 
Wadsworth.  Authorities  in  Washington  settled  the  ques- 
tion by  naming  the  post  office  Riverton,  as  being  significant 
of  its  location  on  the  bank  of  the  Wind  River. — F.  C. 

SARATOGA,  Carbon  County.  Here  are  located  the 
medicinal  hot  springs  once  used  by  the  Indians.  In  the 
early  1870's  William  Caldwell  homesteaded  the  land  on 
which  the  springs  are  located,  built  a  two  room  log  cabin 
and  a  two  tub  bath  house  and  became  the  postmaster  of 
"Warm  Springs."  In  1883  Fenimore  Chatterton,  post 
trader  at  Fort  Steele,  established  a  general  store  at  this 
point  and  a  little  later  a  town  site  was  laid  out  on  both 
sides  of  the  North  Platte  River  and  named  Saratoga  after 
Saratoga  Hot  Springs,  New  York,  to  which  the  springs 
bore  a  similarity  and  because  of  the  great  popularity 
of  the  latter.  2— F.  C.  and  H.  O.  B. 

SEMINOLE,  Natrona  County.  Should  be  Seminoe. 
The  name  "Seminoe"  became  attached  to  the  Lajeunesse 
family  from  the  fact  that  Basil  Lajeunesse,  father  of 
Mitchell  and  Noel,  married  a  Snake  Indian  woman,  "Cim- 
inau"  by  name.  The  whites  pronounced  it  Seminoe,  and 
the  Seminoe  mountain  derived  its  name  from  Ciminau- 
Basil  Lajeunesse.  (See  Mokler's  Hi.stori/  of  Fort  Caspar,  1939, 
p.  16).— A.  J.  M. 

SHANNON,  Natrona  County.  Named  for  P.  M.  Shan- 
non, president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Oil  and  Gas  Company, 
the  first  company  to  develop  the  Salt  Creek  oil  field. 
—A.  J.  M. 

SHERIDAN,  Sheridan  County.  Named  after  General 
Philip  A.  Sheridan.— C.  O. 

SNYDER,  Natrona  County.  Named  for  Ora  Snyder, 
first  postmaster  at  that  place. — A.  J.  M. 

SODIUM,  Natrona  County.  Located  at  the  Soda 
Lakes  from  which  it  derives  its  name. — A.  J.  M. 

STORY,  Sheridan  County.  Named  after  C.  P.  Story, 
former  real  estate  man  in  Sheridan  who  several  times  was 
elected  mayor  of  his  city  and  died  in  office  in  1931. — C.  O. 


2.  An  item  in  the  Cheyenne  Daily  Leader  of  June  23,  1882, 
states,  "Mr.  Caldwell  of  Wai'm  Springs  is  in  town  .  .  .  He  says  before 
long  he  intends  to  have  the  Warm  Springs  of  Wyoming  the  Sara- 
toga of  the  West." 


90  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

STROUDS,  Natrona  County.  Named  for  Joshua 
Stroud  who  homesteaded  on  the  land  four  miles  east  of 
Casper  before  the  C.  &  W.  R.  R.  was  built  into  central 
Wyoming. — A.  J.  M. 

SUN,  Natrona  County.  Located  sixty  miles  south- 
west of  Casper  and  named  for  Tom  Sun  who  was  among 
the  first  of  the  pioneers  to  homestead  in  the  Sweetwater 
country. — A.  J.  M. 

SUNRISE,  Platte  County.  Named  by  Lieutenant 
Eaton  of  Fort  Laramie  who,  while  inspecting  copper  de- 
posits with  John  London  and  H.  T.  Miller,  remarked  that 
a  rise  over  which  they  walked  afforded  a  good  view  of  the 
sunrise. — M.  R. 

SWAN,  Carbon  County.  Located  just  north  of  Sara- 
toga and  named  for  Will  Swan,  cattleman.  Now  a  "ghost 
town."— H.  O.  B. 

TENSLEEP,  Washakie  County.  The  name  "Tensleep" 
means  ten  sleeps  from  either  the  Platte  or  Yellowstone 
and  refers  to  ten  days'  travel  by  the  Indians.— C.  O. 

THERMOPOLIS,  Hot  Springs  County.  Named  by  Dr. 
Julious  Shulke  and  Joe  McGill,  the  latter  a  student  of 
languages,  for  its  proximity  to  the  hot  springs  and  taken 
from  the  Greek  words  therme  and  poZis  meaning  "heat 
and  city."— D.  McG. 

UVA,  Platte  County.  Named  for  an  early  brand. 
— M.  R. 

WALTMAN,  Natrona  County.  Named  for  W.  D. 
Waltman. — A.  J.  M. 

WAMSUTTER,  Carbon  County.  Formerly  called  Wash- 
akie Station  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railway,  the  name  was 
changed  in  1885  to  Wamsutter  in  honor  of  an  old  Indian 
chief.  The  change  was  made  because  of  the  errors  arising 
in  the  delivery  of  freight  destined  for  Ft.  Washakie. — 
Taken  from  the  Carbon  County  Journal,  September  5,  1885.3 

WOLTON,  Natrona  County.  Named  from  the  fact 
that  it  was  the  center  of  sheep  shearing  for  this  part  of 
the  state. — A.  J.  M. 


3.     Received  from  Mrs.  Agnes  Wright  Spring. 


9nde^  ^a  AH.itaU.  a^  Qi/i^afnlHCf. 


The  editorial  staff  is  pleased  to  announce  that  the 
"Index  to  the  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  and  Miscellaneous 
Historical  Publications"  is  now  on  the  press  and  will  be 
ready  for  delivery  in  February. 

This  volume  is  a  complete  and  detailed  general  Index 
to  the  Quarterly  Bulletin,  Volumes  1-2,  the  ANNALS  OF 
WYOMING,  Volumes  3-14,  and  includes  the  Wyoming  His- 
torical Collections  of  1897,  Volume  1,  by  Robert  Morris, 
the  Miscellanies  of  1919  and  the  Wyoming  Historical  Col- 
lections of  1920  and  1922.  It  is  a  comprehensive  work 
including  author,  title,  subject  headings  and  subject  mod- 
ifications. A  consistent  and  simple  method  of  abbreviation 
has  been  employed  throughout. 

The  cost  of  the  Index  is  $3.00,  postage  paid.  A  check 
or  money  order  should  accompany  each  order  and  be  made 
payable  to  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 

If  you  lack  any  issues  of  the  ANNALS,  it  is  suggested 
that  you  try  to  secure  them  at  once,  if  you  wish  to  com- 
plete your  files,  as  some  of  the  numbers  are  already  out 
of  print  and  the  supply  of  others  will  soon  be  exhausted. 
Write  to  the  Historical  Department  for  particulars  if 
you  are  interested. 


DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 

The  first  Wyoming  Territorial  conventions  of  the  Re- 
publican and  Democratic  parties  were  held  in  August  1869  ? 
The  Republican  Convention  met  at  Point  of  Rocks  on 
August  12th  when  Laramie  County  sent  seven  delegates, 
Albany  County  six.  Carbon  County  three  and  Carter 
County  six.  W.  W.  Corlett  was  nominated  as  delegate  to 
Congress.  The  Democratic  Convention  met  the  same  week 
at  Rawlins  when  twenty-six  delegates  assembled.  S.  F. 
Nuckolls  was  nominated  as  Congressional  delegate. —  {The 
Cheyenne  Leader,  August  7  and  16,   1869.) 


Callectlojt  and  P^iei^en4Mitla4t 
0^  Wifam.iH(j,  Wga  (leca^di 


The  Wyoming  War  Records  Committee,  with  the  State 
Librarian  and  Historian  as  chairman,  sponsored  by  the 
Wyoming  State  Council  of  Defense  has  been  organized  for 
the  purpose  of  collecting  and  preserving  all  records  con- 
cerning Wyoming's  contributions  to  the  Nation's  war  ef- 
fort, so  that  when  World  War  II  is  over  the  State  will 
have  a  complete  file  for  future  reference,  and  also  that 
some  day  the  story  of  Wyoming's  part  in  this  world  con- 
flict may  be  written.  It  was  found  that  as  soon  as  World 
War  I  was  over  and  the  boys  returned  home,  interest  in 
those  valuable  records  diminished  and  complete  informa- 
tion on  the  part  Wyoming  had  played  was  never  obtained, 
consequently,  much  of  that  portion  of  her  history  is  lost 
to  posterity. 

Since  the  County  Libraries  have  been  designated  by 
the  Office  of  War  Information,  Washington,  D.  C,  as 
"War  Information  Centers"  for  their  individual  communi- 
ties, the  County  Librarians  in  most  instances  have  been 
appointed  to  serve  on  the  Wyoming  War  Records  Com- 
mittee as  County  Directors,  the  State  Librarian  being  the 
State  Director. 

Instructions  and  report  blanks  have  been  sent  out 
from  the  State  Headquarters  and  many  of  the  County  Di- 
rectors report  that  their  organizations  are  completed  and 
the  work  started.  With  this  splendid  assistance  and  co- 
operation, the  conclusion  of  World  War  II  should  find 
Wyoming  with  a  complete  file  covering  its  activities. 

LOCATION  OF  FILES:  Material  collected  in  the  var- 
ious counties  is  to  be  retained  in  the  County  as  long  as 
there  is  need  for  it,  or  for  the  duration,  with  a  definite 
understanding  that  after  this  time  it  is  to  be  transferred 
to  the  "State  File"  which  will  be  maintained  in  the  State 
Historical  Department  at  the  State  Library. 


ACCESSIONS 

to  the 
WYOMING  HISTORICAL  DEPARTMENT 

October  1,  1942  to  December  31,   1942 

Miscellaneous  Gifts 

Bernfeld,  Seymour  S.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — First  official  map  of 
the  United  States  issued  by  the  U.  S.  General  Land  Office,  1868, 
which  showed  the  segragation  of  Wyoming  Territory  from  that 
of  Dakota,  and  the  segment  of  Dakota  to  the  northwest  of  the 
new  territory,  which  later  became  part  of  Idaho.  Six  news- 
papers: Vincennes  Weekly  Courant  and  Patriot,  published  at 
Vincennes,  Indiana,  February  2,  9,  16  and  23,  1856;  St.  Croix 
Union,  published  at  Stillwater,  Minnesota  Territory,  July  7, 
1855;  The  Prairie  State,  published  at  Danville,  Illinois,  June 
25,    1856. 

Henderson,  Harry  B.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Five  programs:  Dedica- 
tion Service  First  Piesbyterian  Church,  March  22-25,  1925;  In- 
auguration Ball,  Gov.  Wm.  A.  Richards,  January  7,  1895;  In- 
auguration Ball,  Gov.  DeForest  Richards,  January  5,  1903;  In- 
auguration Reception  and  Ball,  Gov.  B.  B.  Brooks,  January  1905; 
Dollar  Dinner,  Industrial  Club  of  Cheyenne,  May  14,  1907. 
Pamphlets:  Officers  and  Members  of  Cheyenne  Lodge  No.  1, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  July  1,  1907;  Abstract  of  Reports  of  the  condi- 
tion of  National,  State  and  Private  Banks  in  the  State  of  Wyo- 
ming, January  1,  1908.  Wyoming  Bankers  Association  Pro- 
ceedings of  Conventions  for  the  years  1910,  1912,  1914,  1915. 
1916,  1918,  1919,  1920,  1921,  1922,  1923,  1924,  1925. 

Child,  Doris,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — German  coin,  10  pfenning,  1917. 

Roddes,  Mrs.  Charles,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. — Copy  of  the  Youth's 
Companion,  World's  Fair  Number,  1893;  Duluth  Sunday  News 
Tribune,  September  21,  1919,  containing  the  story  of  General 
John  J.  Pershing. 

Pictures 

Richardson,  Warren,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Thirty-four  pictures  of 
historical  landmarks  in  Wyoming  and  dedication  of  by  the  Land- 
marks Commission. 

Keith,  Dr.  M.  C,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Three  pictures:  two  of  the 
S.S.  "Chief  Washakie"  going  down  the  ways  at  Portland,  Oregon. 
December  24,  1942;  one  of  the  Sponsor's  party  at  the  launching. 

Book — Purchased 

Dale,  Edward  Everett — Cow  Country.     1942. 


Vol.  15  April,  1943  No.  2 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  YELLOWSTONE 

NATIONAL   PARK   101 

By  John  H.  Raftery. 

DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS: 

Trade   and  Intercourse,    1820    133 

Governor  Francis  E.  Warren,  a  Champion  of 

Woman   Suffrage    143 

By  W.  Turrentine  Jackson. 
Letters  1862  Reveal  Indian  Trouble  Along 

The   Overland  Mail-Route    150 

WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK: 

Buildings  in  Cheyenne,  Dakota  Territory,   1867   153 

For  the  First  Time  the  Buildings  of  Cheyenne 

Are  Numbered,   1867   154 

The  Cheyenne  Opera  House,  1882  156 

A    Rare    Publication    159 

The  "Magic  City"  Cheyenne,  Dakota  Territory,  1867  160 

WYOMING   STREAM  NAMES   163 

By  Dee  Linford. 

WYOMING  IN  WORLD  WAR  II  175 

Albany,  Johnson,  Natrona,  Laramie  and  Sheridan  Counties. 

THE   SWEETWATER   STAGE   COMPANY,    1869 177 

RUSSELL  THORP  COLLECTION   181 

ACCESSIONS 186 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

COURT  HOUSE,  1868  Front  Cover 

MUSEUM,    1943    100 

BUILDING  IN  CHEYENNE,   1867   153 

THE  OPERA  HOUSE,   1882  156 

PROGRAM,  OPENING  NIGHT  OF  OPERA  HOUSE,  1882  157 

THE  SWEETWATER  STAGE  COMPANY  ADVERTISEMENT  ....180 

Printed   by   The   Douglas    Enterprise 
Douglas,  "Wyoming 


The  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Historical  Advisory  Board 
and  the  State  Historical  Department  assume  no  responsibility  for  any 
statement  of  fact  or  opinion  expressed  by  contributor?  to  the 
ANNALS  OF  WYOMING. 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Department  invites  the  presenta- 
tion of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manu- 
scripts of  Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observa- 
tions 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 
Wyoming  and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State.  The  historical 
magazine,  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,  is  one  medium  through  which 
the  Department  seeks  to  gain  this  objective.  All  communications 
concerning  the  ANNALS  should  be  addressed  to  Mary  A.  McGrath, 
Wyoming  Historical  Department,   Cheyenne,   Wyoming. 


This  magazine  is  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Historical  Board 
members,  the  State  Historical  Advisory  Board,  Wyoming  County 
Libraries  and  Wyoming  newspapers. 

It  is  published  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Subscription 
price,   $1.50  per  year;    single   copies,   45c. 


Entered    as   .second-class   matter   September   10,    1941,   at  the   Post   Office   in    Cheyenne, 
Wyominpr,    under   the   Act   of   August    24,    1912. 


Copyritrht,   1943,  by  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


STATE  HISTORICAL   BOARD 

Lester  C.  Hunt,  President Governor 

Mart   T.    Christensen Secretary   of    State 

Wm.    "Scotty"   Jack State  Auditor 

Earl  Wright State  Treasurer 

Esther  L.  Anderson     ....     Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
Mary  A.  McGrath,  Secy.  .  State  Librarian  and  Historian  Ex-Officio 


STATE  HISTORICAL  ADVISORY  BOARD 

Mrs.  Mary  Jester  Allen,  Cody  L.  B.  Howard,  Rock  Springs 

Prank  Barrett,  Lusk  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Hunter,  Gillette 

George  Bible,  Rawlins  Mrs.    Joseph    H.    Jacobucci,    Green 
Mrs.  T.  K.  Bishop,  Basin  River 

C.  Watt  Brandon,  Kemmerer  P.  W.  Jenkins,  Big  Piney 
J.  Elmer  Brock,  Kaycee  E.  V.  Knight,  Laramie 
Struthers  Burt,  Moran  W.  C.  Laurence,  Moran 
Mrs.  Elsa  Spear  Byron,  Sheridan  E.  A.  Logan,  Cheyenne 
Mrs.  G.  C.  Call,  Afton  Howard  B.  Lott,  Buffalo 
Oliver  J.  Colyer,  Torrington  Mrs.  Eliza  Lythgoe,  Cowley 
J.  L.  Cook,  Sundance  R.   E.   MacLeod,   Torrington 
Mrs.  Esther  Crook,  Fairview  James  L.  Mcintosh,  Split  Rock 
William  C.  Deming,  Cheyenne  A.  J.  Mokler,   Casper 

Dr.  William  Frackelton,  Sheridan  Mrs.  Elmer  K.  Nelson,  Laramie 

Paul  Prison,  Ten   Sleep  L.  L.  Newton,  Lander 

E.  A.  Gaensslen,  Green  River  R.  I.  dinger,  Newcastle 

Hans  Gautschi,  Lusk  Charles  Oviatt,   Sheridan 

Burt  Griggs,  Buffalo  Mrs.  Minnie  Reitz,  Wheatland 

G.  R.  Hagens,  Casper  E.  B.  Shaffner,  Douglas 

R.  H.  Hall,  Lander  Mrs.  Effie  Shaw,  Cody 

Jack  Haynes,  Yellowstone  Park  Mrs.  Tom  Sun,  Rawlins 

D.  B.  Hilton,  Sundance  John  Charles  Thompson,  Cheyenne 

Russell  Thorp,  Cheyenne 


STAFF  PERSONNEL 

of 

The  Wyoming  Historical  Department 

,  and 

State  Museum 

Mary  A.  McGrath,  Editor    .    State  Librarian  and  Historian  Ex-Officio 
Marie  E.   Erwin,   Co-Editor Assis*"2nt   Historian 


WYOMING  STATE  MUSEUM— 1942 

Housed  in  the  new  Supreme  Court  and  Library  Build- 
ing in  Cheyenne,  with  vault  space  and  fireproof  protection, 
the  Museum  provides  for  the  preservation  and  display  of 
the  prized  possessions  of  Wyoming  pioneers. 

Perpetuate  your  family  name  by  placing  your  historical 
collections  and  relics  in  your  State  Museum,  where  they 
may  be  permanently  preserved  and  enjoyed  by  the  thou- 
sands of  visitors. 

Everything  that  is  presented  to  the  Museum  is  num- 
bered, labeled,  recorded  and  card  indexed,  thus  insuring 
permanent  identification. 


The  U.  S.  Congressional  Documents  constitute  a  vast  source  of 
information  which  touch  every  phase  of  human  efforts.  The  his- 
torical and  political  development  of  every  state  and  territory  will 
be  found  in  these  publications;  they  constitute  the  most,  and  very 
often  the  only,  authentic  source  material,  and  it  is  our  purpose  to 
use  material  from  this  source  for  some  of  the  anecdotes  in  the 
Annals  of  Wyoming. 

This  report  of  the  Yellowstone  Park  includes  the  early  explora- 
tions, history  and  a  beautiful  description  of  the  Park. 

It  does  not  treat  the  legal,  political  or  annexation  history.  It 
wa,s  compiled  by  John  H.  Raftery  under  the  supervision  of  Gen. 
S.  B.  M.  Young,  Superintendent  of  the  Park,  1907. 

For  a  complete  understanding  and  appreciation  of  the 
Yellowstone  National  Park,  whether  as  a  pleasure  ground, 
a  health  resort,  or  a  place  for  scientific  investigation,  per- 
sonal and  repeated  visits  to  it  are  necessary.  The  accounts 
of  its  discovery,  exploration,  and  establishment  as  a  na- 
tional park  have  been  written  with  varying  degrees  of  ac- 
curacy, and  writers  of  vivid  fancy  and  contrasted  literary 
qualifications  have  vied  with  one  another  in  enthusiastic 
word  pictures  of  the  phenomena,  beautiful,  sinister,  or 
scientific,  of  this  premier  wonderland  of  all  the  world.  From 
every  corner  of  the  civilized  world  students  and  savants, 
poets,  painters,  and  practicians  have  come  to  witness,  study, 
and  describe  the  alternating  manifestations  of  nature  in 
spectacles  magnificent  or  monstrous;  and  while  each  has 
contributed  somewhat  to  the  public's  knowledge  of  this 
incomparable  region,  the  aggregate  mass  of  their  descrip- 
tive work  yet  falls  far  short  of  a  complete  and  convincing 
exploitation  of  its  wonders.  Indeed,  the  scope  of  spoken 
or  written  language,  the  range  of  human  imagination,  and 
the  power  of  pigments  spread  upon  the  artist's  canvas  be- 
come feeble,  narrow,  and  almost  impotent  in  the  presence 
of  the  majestic  and  outlandish  marvels  of  Yellowstone  Park. 

Out  of  the  vague,  unwritten  lore  of  Indian  tradition 
come  the  remote  rumors  of  an  enchanted  land  among  the 
mountains  where  the  rivers  boiled,  the  earth  burned  and 
haunted  lakes  tossed  spectral  plumes  of  scalding  steam 
into  the  zenith.     Here  in  cauldrons  of  gypsum  or  jasper 


102  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

or  jade  the  evil  spirits  mixed  their  war  paint,  and  from 
peak  and  promontory,  in  the  valleys,  and  on  the  hills  could 
be  seen  the  spiral  smoke  of  their  bale  fires.  The  nomads 
of  the  Northwest  shunned  it  as  a  land  of  evil  haunt  or 
prowled  about  its  margins  in  awesome  fear  and  reverence. 
Sioux,  Blackfoot,  Crow,  and  Bannock  ventured  to  the  verge 
of  these  demon-haunted  fastnesses,  and  in  timorous  truce 
made  stores  of  arrowheads  from  the  mountain  of  black 
obsidian  which  looms  above  the  river  near  its  golden  gate. 
Beyond  that  portal  was  a  realm  of  mysterious  and  infernal 
portent.  Looking  back  a  full  century  we  find  that  the 
story  of  the  Yellowstone  Park  is  a  sequential  link  in  the 
chain  of  epochal  events  which  commenced  with  the  pur- 
chase by  the  United  States  of  the  then  uncharted  wilder- 
ness called  the  "Louisiana  Territory,"  the  subsequent  ex- 
pedition of  Lewis  and  Clark,  the  discovery  of  gold,  the  con- 
quest of  the  savages,  and  all  the  epic  deeds  which  achieved 
at  last  the  winning  of  the  West. 

Nearly  a  century  ago  (1810)  there  returned  from  the 
wilds  of  the  northwest  one  John  Colter,  a  scout,  trapper, 
and  hunter,  who  had  been  with  Lewis  and  Clark  in  their 
historic  expedition.  It  was  upon  the  return  trip  of  the 
party  that  Colter,  at  his  own  request,  was  discharged  near 
the  confluence  of  the  Yellowstone  River  with  the  Missouri. 
He  had  won  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  commanders, 
who  supplied  him  with  food  and  ammunition  for  his  new 
venture.  With  two  companions  Colter  then  set  out  for  the 
headwaters  of  the  Missouri,  trapping,  hunting,  and  trading 
in  friendly  commerce  with  the  Indians.  Colter  seems  to 
have  been  a  man  of  almost  infinite  endurance,  courage,  and 
perseverance.  The  record  of  his  doings  from  August,  1806, 
when  he  parted  with  Lewis  and  Clark,  until  the  spring  of 
1807,  is  not  extant,  but  early  in  the  latter  year  he  arrived 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Platte  River  in  a  canoe.  There  he  met 
Manuel  Lisa,  the  famous  fur  trader,  who  was  organizing 
a  trapping  and  hunting  expedition  into  the  very  regions 
from  which  Colter  had  come.  So  timely  a  prize  as  the 
services  of  Colter  was  not  to  be  overlooked,  and  he  was 
induced  to  return  into  the  wilderness  with  the  Lisa  party. 
Maj.  Hiram  M.  Chittenden's  book,  "The  Yellowstone,"  in 
many  respects  the  best  that  has  been  v/ritten  about  this 
national  park,  devotes  considerable  space  to  the  activities 
of  Colter,  who  was  unquestionably  the  first  white  discoverer 
of  the  region.  For  it  was  in  1807  that  he  passed  through 
the  Yellowstone  wonderland,  viewing  for  the  first  time  the 
boiling  springs  about  the  lake,  the  tar  springs  at  the  fork 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  103 

of  the  Shoshone,  and  skirting  the  Yellowstone  River  from 
its  source  past  the  upper  and  lower  falls  to  the  ford  above 
Tower  Falls  and  thence  to  Lisa's  fort.  Wounded  in  battle 
between  Crows  and  Blackfeet,  alone,  ill-provided  with  am- 
munition or  food,  the  intrepid  Colter  traversed  on  this 
journey  afoot  hundreds  of  miles  of  the  wildest  and  most 
rugged  country  on  earth.  He  had  hardly  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  his  hardships  when  Lisa  sent  him  back  to 
the  hostile  Blackfeet  for  the  nurpose  of  opening  up  trading 
negotiations  with  them.  Nothing  daunted  b'^''  the  fact  that 
he  had  appeared  with  the  Crows  in  battle  against  them, 
knowing  that  Lewis  had  slain  one  of  their  number,  Colter, 
in  company  with  a  single  conirade  named  Potts,  adven- 
tured back  into  the  hunting  ground  of  the  Indians  on  the 
upper  Missouri.  Paddling  up  the  river  one  morning  the 
two  trappers  were  suddenly  surrounded  by  a  swarm  of  more 
than  500  Blackfeet  warriors,  who  lined  either  shore  and 
bade  the  white  men  land. 

As  they  did  so  an  Indian  seized  Pott's  rifle,  but  Colter, 
who  was  a  mighty  man,  wrenched  the  weapon  from  the 
red  man  and  handed  it  to  Potts.  The  latter  in  panic  leaped 
into  the  canoe  and  pushed  it  out  into  the  stream.  An  arrow 
struck  him,  and  crying  out:  "Colter,  I'm  wounded,"  Potts 
seized  his  rifle  and  shot  his  assailant  dead.  A  shower  of 
arrows  from  the  enraged  savages  ended  the  life  of  Potts 
right  there.  Whether  he  used  his  rifle  to  invite  a  sudden 
death  in  preference  to  the  prolonged  torture  which  he  an- 
ticipated at  the  hands  of  his  captors  will  never  be  known, 
but  his  comrade  was  quickly  disarmed  and  stripped  naked 
as  for  torture.  After  the  Indians  had  conferred  they  asked 
Colter  if  he  was  a  good  runner.  The  chance  of  running 
the  gantlet  or  being  chased  by  500  fleet-footed  savages 
bent  upon  his  murder  gave  him  a  pale  gleam  of  hope,  and 
although  he  was  reputed  one  of  the  speediest  and  most 
enduring  runners  of  the  West,  he  told  the  chief  that  he 
was  both  weary  and  slow.  They  led  him  three  or  four 
hundred  yards  out  upon  the  prairie  and  bade  him  run  for 
his  life.  Barefooted,  nude,  with  half  a  thousand  screaming 
demons  at  his  back,  but  with  the  indomitable  courage  of 
a  man  who  loves  life,  he  ran  as  no  white  man  ever  ran  be- 
fore. His  feet  and  legs  were  pierced  with  hundreds  of  the 
thorns  of  the  prickly  pear,  blood  spurted  from  his  nose 
and  mouth,  and  his  breath  came  only  in  stentorious  gasps 
before  he  ventured  to  look  back. 

He  had  gained  on  all  of  his  pursuers  except  one,  an 


104  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

agile  young  warrior,  who,  with  brandished  spear,  was 
swiftly  closing  down  upon  him.  With  sudden  desperation 
Colter  stood  stock  still.  The  Indian,  in  trying  to  do  like- 
wise, stumbled  and  fell.  The  badly-launched  spear  stuck 
in  the  ground  and  was  broken  off.  The  hunted  white  man 
seized  the  barbed  half,  impaled  his  fallen  foe  to  the  earth, 
and  set  off  with  renewed  vigor  for  the  Jefferson  Fork  of 
the  Missouri,  which  he  now  saw  gleaming  through  the 
trees.  He  had  run  more  than  6  miles.  He  was  covered 
with  blood,  his  feet  were  torturing  him,  but  he  gained  the 
fringe  of  willows  by  the  river,  and  saw  his  enemies  yelling 
and  screaming  about  their  dead  brother.  A  raft  of  drift- 
wood, snags,  and  branches  accumulated  at  the  head  of 
a  sandbar  downstream  from  where  he  stood  caught  Colter's 
eye.  He  dived  into  the  river,  and,  swimming  under  water, 
came  up  within  the  shelter  of  the  drift.  Search  as  they 
would,  the  Indians  could  not  find  him,  and  concluded  he 
was  drowned.  He  kept  his  hiding  place  till  night  had  fallen, 
and  then,  chilled  by  the  icy  water,  footsore,  hungry,  weak- 
ened from  loss  of  blood,  and  stark  naked,  he  struck  bravely 
into  the  forest  for  a  seven  days'  struggle  back  to  Lisa's 
camp.  He  reached  it  after  a  week  of  the  most  exquisite 
agony,  toil,  and  exposure.  Such  was  the  man  and  such 
the  trials  which  give  to  John  Colter  an  enviable  and  en- 
during place  amongst  the  really  great  explorers  of  this 
country.  John  Bradbury,  in  his  "Travels  in  North  Amer- 
ica," is  authority  for  most  of  the  details  here  mentioned, 
and  so  ably  and  accurately  written  was  the  book  of  the 
English  naturalist  that  Washington  Irving  in  his  "Astoria" 
uses  the  Bradbury  text  with  but  few  alterations. 

Coming  back  to  St.  Louis  in  1810,  John  Colter's  tales 
of  almost  incredible  ventures,  discoveries,  and  hardships 
were  scouted  by  most  of  his  hearers,  but  he  won  the  re- 
spectful attention  of  Gen.  William  Clark,  who  knew  him, 
and  of  Henry  M.  Breckenridge,  the  author,  and  John  Brad- 
bury, whose  writings  have  been  subsequently  authenticated 
by  the  explorations  and  researches  of  scores  of  dependable 
authorities.  Colter's  Journey  through  what  is  now  the 
Yellowstone  wonderland  took  him  in  a  generally  northeast 
direction  from  the  southeasterly  corner  of  the  park,  and, 
although  he  saw  the  hot  springs  about  the  Yellowstone 
Lake  and  River,  and  must  have  passed  close  to  both  the 
upper  and  lower  falls,  he  makes  no  mention  of  the  latter, 
nor  did  he  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  great  geysers  of  the  upper 
and  lower  basin,  nor  the  mammoth  hot  springs,  nor  any  of 
the  other  marvels  except  the  tar  springs. 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  105 

In  1880  Col.  p.  W.  Norris,  then  superintendent  of  the 
park,  discovered  what  is  believed  to  be,  after  Colter's,  the 
oldest  record  of  the  presence  of  the  white  man  in  that 
region.  In  a  ravine  about  half  a  mile  above  the  upper  falls 
Colonel  Norris  found  an  ancient  tree  upon  the  bark  of 
which,  partly  over  grown  but  yet  decipherable,  was  the  in- 
scription "J.  O.  R.  Aug.  19,  1819."  Careful  investigation 
of  the  names  and  exploits  of  all  the  early  trappers,  hunters, 
and  scouts  had  failed  to  even  remotely  indicate  the  identity 
of  J.  O.  R.  Although  the  date  of  the  inscription  was  veri- 
fied by  counting  the  annual  rings  upon  an  adjacent  tree, 
and  though  now  nearly  obliterated,  it  remains  a  proof  that 
white  men  visited  the  park  after  Colter  and  fully  fifty 
years  before  its  final  discovery.  In  1878,  in  caches  by 
Beaver  Lake  and  the  Obsidian  Cliff,  Colonel  Norris  found 
marten  traps  of  a  pattern  used  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany a  half  century  previous;  and  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Washburn,  near  the  rim  of  the  Grand  Canyon,  Frederick 
Bottler  found  the  ruins  of  a  block  house  in  incalculable 
antiquity.  The  Washburn-Langford  expedition  of  1870 
found  near  Mud  Geyser,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Yellowstone 
River,  an  old  dismantled  pit  or  trench  which  might  have 
been  used  as  a  place  of  concealment  for  hunters  or  water- 
fowl. 

In  1871  Mrs.  Frances  Fuller  Victor  published  a  book, 
"The  River  of  The  West,"  which  is  a  sort  of  biography  of 
a  pioneer  trapper  named  Joseph  Meek.  In  1829,  when  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  withdrew  from  the  field 
then  dominated  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  Meek,  who 
had  been  in  the  employ  of  the  former  under  Capt.  William 
Sublette,  was  lost  from  his  comrades  and  wandered  for 
several  days  until  he  was  found  starving  and  half  crazed  by 
two  of  his  party.  There  is  no  doubt  that  he  was  at  one 
time  in  the  hot  springs  district  of  the  park,  for  he  de- 
scribes in  his  diary  a  "whole  country  smoking  with  vapor 
from  boiling  springs,  and  burning  with  gases  issuing  from 
small  craters  each  of  which  was  emitting  a  sharp,  whistling 
sound.  *  *  *  Interspersed  among  these  on  the  level  plain 
were  larger  craters,  some  of  them  from  4  to  6  miles  across. 
Out  of  these  craters  issued  blue  flames  and  molten  brim- 
stone." 

Allowing  for  possible  exaggeration,  Meek's  assertion 
that  fire  and  brimstone  issued  from  these  craters  is  not 
wholly  unsubstantiated.  Writing  in  1811,  Henry  M.  Breck- 
enridge  says:  "Mr.  Lisa  informs  me  that  about  60  miles 


106  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

from  his  fort  (at  the  mouth  of  the  Bighorn)  there  is  a 
volcano  that  actually  emits  flames."  Major  Chittenden 
and  others  of  like  sincerity  and  diligence  have  have  con- 
cluded from  this  and  other  earh'  writings  and  traditions 
that  there  was  volcanic  activity  in  the  Rocky  Mountains 
as  late  as  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century.  To 
Warren  Angus  Farris,  a  clerk  for  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany from  1830  to  1840,  Chittenden  gives  the  honor  of  hav- 
ing written  the  first  actual  description  of  the  Firehole  Gey- 
ser Basin.  Returning  from  his  station  in  the  Flathead  coun- 
try in  the  spring  of  1834,  Ferris,  yet  incredulous  of  the 
marvelous  tales  he  had  heard  of  the  boiling  fountains  of 
the  Yellowstone  region,  took  two  Pend  d' Oreille  Indians 
with  him  and  followed  up  the  Firehole  River.  On  May  20, 
1834,  he  woke  in  full  view  of  the  outlandish  phenomena  of 
the  Upper  Geyser  Basin,  convinced  at  last  and  explaining, 
"The  half  has  not  been  told  me."  Ferris'  journal  of  this 
adventure  was  published  in  1842  and  proves  conclusively 
that  the  great  geysers  had  been  seen  and  appreciated  long 
before  1870,  when  the  Washburn-Langford  expedition  made 
the  first  and  ultimately  adequate  exploration  of  the  park, 
an  achievement  which  culminated  in  the  erection  and  pres- 
ervation of  the  most  magnificent,  the  largest,  and  the  most 
eventful  national  pleasure  park  the  world  has  yet  known. 
Father  De  Smet,  the  famous  Jesuit  missionary,  writing  in 
1852,  was  the  first  to  give  an  accurate  geographical  defini- 
tion of  the  geyser  district,  locating  it  then  with  precision 
both  as  to  latitude  and  longitude.  Gunnison,  in  his  "His- 
tory of  the  Mormons,"  published  in  1852,  like  Father  De 
Smet,  drew  much  of  his  information  about  the  Yellowstone 
country  from  Capt.  James  Bridger,  the  famous  frontiers- 
man whose  strange  yarns  of  the  marvels  he  had  there  be- 
held remained  discredited  or  tabooed  by  such  writers  as 
Hayden,  Warren,  Raynolds,  and  others  as  late  as  1860. 
The  first  governmental  expedition  sent  expressly  to  explore 
and  chart  what  is  now  the  Yellowstone  National  Park  set 
out  in  the  early  spring  of  1859  under  command  of  Capt. 
W.  F.  Raynolds,  of  the  corps  of  topographical  engineers 
of  the  United  States  Army.  He  did  not  reach  the  actual 
locality  of  the  park  until  the  summer  of  1860,  nor  did  he 
ever  penetrate  the  valley  of  the  upper  Yellowstone,  so  that 
except  for  a  map  in  which,  as  he  himself  admits,  the  most 
interesting  portion  of  the  region  remains  a  "terra  incog- 
nita," Captain  Raynold's  expedition  yielded  little  of  accur- 
ate information  about  the  central  glories  of  the  Yellow- 
stone  Park.     Immediately  upon   his   return   the   national 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  107 

election  brought  the  country  face  to  face  with  armed  re- 
beUion;  disruption  threatened  the  Union,  peaceful  pursuits 
were  abandoned,  the  military  establishment  was  mustering 
for  war,  and  the  western  wonderland  was  left  to  slumber 
in  the  memories  of  the  few  who  had  seen  it  or  heard 
about  it. 

From  1863  to  1869  the  northwestern  hegira  was  made 
up  of  gold  seekers,  hardy  adventurers,  and  prospectors, 
drawn  thither  by  the  discovery  of  the  great  placer  mines 
of  Montana.  Sometimes  in  pairs,  but  oftener  in  groups, 
they  wandered  into  the  confines  of  what  is  now  the  na- 
tional park;  but  with  their  hearts  set  only  upon  mining 
and  their  minds  feverish  with  the  thirst  for  gold,  they 
gave  but  a  cursory  glance  at  the  stupendous  wonders  which 
then  first  came  within  their  ken.  In  August  and  September 
of  1863  we  find  Walter  W.  De  Lacy  leading  a  band  of  pros- 
pectors into  some  theretofore  unknown  sections  of  the  re- 
gion. They  traversed  the  hot  springs  locality  east  of  Yel- 
lowstone Lake,  camped  at  the  junction  of  the  Snake  and 
Lewis  rivers,  explored  the  Pitchstone  Plateau,  descended 
Moose  Creek  Valley,  discovered  the  true  drainage  of  Sho- 
shone Lake,  passed  through  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin, 
casually  witnessed  the  play  of  the  Great  Fountain  Geyser, 
and  went  out  via  the  junction  of  the  Gibbon  and  Firehole 
rivers.  Finding  but  scant  indications  of  gold,  these,  like 
other  prospectors  who  passed  through  the  park  between 
1863  and  1869,  gave  slight  heed  to  the  scenic  splendors 
through  which  they  passed;  and  yet  their  unavoidable  ref- 
erence to  the  geysers,  springs,  canyons,  and  rivers  served 
in  a  cumulative  way  to  whet  the  interest  and  focus  the 
attention  of  men  in  whom  science,  sentiment,  and  the  pas- 
sion for  adventure  were  already  making  for  the  ultimate 
exploitation  of  the  world's  wonderland.  De  Lacy  in  1863, 
James  Stuart  in  1864,  George  Huston  in  1866,  and  two 
prospecting  parties  in  1867  contributed  much  to  the  waxing 
fame  of  the  paradise  that  had  until  then  been  regarded 
as  remote,  if  not  as  imaginary  as  the  mountains  of  the 
moon  and  the  valleys  of  the  shadows. 

As  early  as  in  1867  prominent  and  practical  men  of 
Montana  had  been  earnestly  considering  an  extensive, 
thorough,  and  scientific  exploration  of  the  region  from 
which  so  many  strange  tales  had  come.  Party  after  party 
was  organized  for  the  venture,  but  the  uprising  of  the 
hostile  Blackfeet  and  the  sporadic  forays  of  other  savage 
tribes  discouraged  and  dismayed  them  all  until  1869.     In 


108  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

that  year  David  E.  Folsom,  a  qualified  surveyor  of  Mon- 
tana, and  C.  W.  Cook,  both  men  of  excellent  education  and 
alert  intelligence,  determined  to  wait  no  longer  upon  the 
doubts  and  fears  of  their  neighbors  of  Montana,  and  on 
September  9,  with  provisions  for  six  weeks,  and  only  one 
man,  William  Peterson,  accompanying  them,  they  set  forth 
from  Diamond  City,  40  miles  from  Helena,  Mont.,  for  an 
expedition  that  first  won  and  commanded  popular  interest 
in  the  new  Eldorado  of  mystical  beauty.  Reaching  the 
Yellowstone  River  near  the  confines  of  the  park  they 
followed  its  eastern  shore  line  and  reached  the  falls  on 
September  21.  They  crossed  the  river  above  the  now 
famous  cataracts,  examined  Sulphur  Mountain  and  the  ad- 
jacent hot  springs,  followed  the  western  margin  of  the 
river  past  Mud  Geyser  and  the  Emerald  Grotto,  recrossed 
the  river  at  the  outlet  of  the  lake  and  skirted  the  eastern 
and  southern  shores  of  the  extreme  western  arm.  Thence 
they  headed  for  Shoshone  Lake,  viewing  in  turn  the  beau- 
ties of  the  Firehole  River  and  the  awesome  spectacle  of 
the  Fountain  and  Excelsior  geysers  in  full  eruption.  For 
the  first  time  also  they  saw  and  recited  the  weird  and 
wraith-like  manifestations  of  Prismatic  Lake  and  the 
scarcely  less  wonderful  cones,  craters,  pools,  and  springs 
which  are  scattered  about  that  formation  in  bewildering 
variety  and  profusion.  Awed  by  the  majestic  sights  which 
they  had  witnessed  and  dazed  by  the  portentous  demon- 
strations of  the  subterranean  inferno  over  which  they  had 
passed  in  trembling  safety,  they  went  out  of  the  country 
through  the  valley  of  the  Madison  River,  bringing  to  the 
outside  world  the  first  sequential  and  convincing  account  of 
the  facts  which  up  to  that  time  had  been  considered  as 
preposterous  and  visionary. 

Returning  to  Helena,  where  their  reputation  for  ver- 
acity was  as  high  as  their  known  courage  amongst  the 
leading  men  of  the  Territory,  both  Folsom  and  Cook  re- 
fused to  risk  their  reputations  by  telling  their  experiences 
to  a  promiscuous  crowd.  Gen.  Henry  D.  Washburn,  -the 
surveyor-general  of  Montana;  Gov.  Samuel  T.  Hauser; 
Truman  C.  Everts,  ex-United  States  assessor  for  Montana; 
Nathaniel  P.  Langford,  who  afterwards  became  first  super- 
intendent of  the  national  park,  all  gave  wondering  heed 
and  credence  to  the  statements  of  the  homecomers.  New 
plans  for  a  larger  and  more  exhaustive  exploration  of  the 
wonderful  region  were  now  made.  General  Sheridan,  who 
visited  Helena  at  that  time,  became  vastly  interested  and 
gave  assurances  of  military  aid  to  the  proposed  expedition. 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  109 

Mr.  Folsom,  who  was  rarely  gifted  as  a  writer  as  well 
as  an  observant  explorer,  then  wrote  a  concise,  logical,  and 
sequential  account  of  the  marvels  which  he  and  Mr.  Cook 
had  witnessed  in  the  Yellowstone  country,  and  sent  it  to 
Harper's  Magazine.  The  editor  of  that  publication,  as- 
tounded by  the  audacious  "imaginings"  of  the  author  and 
wholly  incredulous  as  to  the  statements  made  in  it,  de- 
clined the  article  and  returned  it  to  its  chagrined  author. 
It  finally  gained  publication  in  the  Western  Monthly,  of 
Chicago,  but  not  until  the  copy  reader  had  eliminated  many 
of  the  most  interesting  passages  because  they  were  con- 
sidered "Ultramontane"  in  both  a  literal  and  a  figurative 
sense.  With  the  exception  of  the  publishers'  proof,  which 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Langford,  the  whole  issue  of 
the  magazine  containing  Mr.  Folsom's  story  of  the  Park 
was  destroyed  by  fire.  In  later  years  Mr.  Langford,  at 
his  own  expense,  printed  and  distributed  500  copies  of  the 
narrative  and  donated  the  original  to  the  Montana  His- 
torical Society,  which  yet  retains  it  among  the  treasured 
archives  of  the  State. 

The  plans  of  the  Washburn-Langford  party  took 
tangible  form  in  the  spring  of  1870,  when  Mr.  Langford 
visited  Major-General  Hancock  at  St.  Paul,  outlined  the 
proposed  expedition,  and  secured  from  him  a  promise  of 
a  military  escort.  Samuel  T.  Hauser  also  visited  General 
Hancock  about  that  time,  so  that  on  August  17,  1879, 
when  the  party,  equipped  for  a  journey  of  four  weeks  set 
out  from  Bozeman,  Mont.,  it  was  known  that  orders  had 
already  been  forwarded  to  Fort  Ellis  providing  a  military 
escort  of  one  lieutenant,  one  sergeant,  and  four  enlisted 
men.  Fourteen  civilians,  with  a  train  of  pack  and  saddle 
horses,  adequately  armed  and  equipped  with  the  essential 
scientific  instruments  and  commanded  by  General  Wash- 
burn, was  reinforced  at  Fort  Ellis  by  Lieut.  Gustavus  C. 
Doane,  a  sergeant  and  four  troopers  of  the  Second  United 
States  Cavalry,  and  constituted  the  none  too  formidable 
cavalcade  which  then  rode  into  a  wild  region  infested  with 
hostile  Indians  for  the  first  and  most  consequential  ex- 
ploration of  the  Yellowstone  wonderland.  The  party, 
though  shadowed  by  roving  bands  of  prowling  savages,  ar- 
rived without  mishap  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gardiner  River 
on  August  26,  entering  the  present  domain  of  the  park 
not  far  from  the  northern  gateway,  the  present  site  of  the 
stately  and  magnificent  lava  arch.  Holding  to  the  trail, 
which  led  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Yellowstone,  the  party 
missed  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  altogether,  encountering, 


110  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

first,  the  fascinatingly  beautiful  wonders  of  the  cascades 
and  spires  of  Tower  Falls,  and  coming  upon  the  initial 
apparition  of  the  Grand  Canyon  itself  on  the  eastern  flank 
of  what  was  a  mountain,  soon  named  Mount  Washburn. 
The  eager  spirit  of  their  leader  prompted  General  Wash- 
burn then  to  adventure  from  tne  camp  alone  in  search  of 
signs  that  he  was  leading  his  party  aright.  He  scaled  the 
rugged  sides  of  the  precipitous  mountain,  and,  from  its  bald 
and  rusted  summit  far  above  timber  and  snow,  his  eye  for 
the  first  time  swept  over  that  panorama  which  in  its  mag- 
nificent extent,  variety,  and  Titanic  majesty  has  not  been 
equalled  in  the  known  world.  Perched  upon  the  pinnacle 
rock,  a  central  atom  within  an  incredible  amphitheatre,  he 
looked  in  all  directions  across  the  overmastering  silence 
to  where  the  ragged  peaks  of  the  Grand  Tetons,  the  Ab- 
sarokas,  and  countless  unnamed  mountains  rose  up  against 
the  cloudless  blue  like  the  encincturing  and  crenelated  bat- 
tlements of  an  unknown  kingdom.  He  saw,  too,  far  to  the 
southeast,  the  far-spread,  shining  waters  of  Yellowstone 
Lake,  the  focal  point  of  the  expedition  and,  nearer  yet,  but 
only  as  a  dark  gash  across  the  green  tunic  of  the  valley 
below,  the  winding  outline  of  the  Grand  Canyon.  Across 
through  the  pale  haze  that  hung  above  the  valleys  more 
remote  he  could  descry  the  flaunting  jets  of  steam  uprising 
from  the  geysers,  and  all  about,  on  grassy  upland,  by  the 
lush  brink  of  brook  or  pool,  and  upon  the  rock-strewn  inac- 
cessible promontories,  he  could  see  elk,  deer,  and  mountain 
sheep  like  tiny  specks  of  brown  and  white  upon  the  green. 

The  account  of  that  day's  adventure  heartened  his 
tired  company  to  new  and  zealous  effort.  They  pushed  on 
next  day,  following  the  brink  of  the  deepening  canyon  of 
the  river  to  camp  within  sound  of  the  mighty  falls  of  the 
Yellowstone.  Only  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  tourists 
who  have  witnessed  the  astounding  combination  of  majesty 
and  beauty  accomplished  here  by  nature  can  realize  the 
rapt  astonishment  with  which  these  men  of  the  Washburn- 
Langford  expedition  first  gazed  upon  the  falls  and  canyon 
of  the  Yellowstone.  Some  of  them,  men  who,  for  all  their 
early  nature  had  been  hardened  by  years  of  adventure,  war- 
fare, hardships,  and  disappointment,  sat  for  hours  upon  the 
dizzy  rim  of  the  canyon  gazing  into  its  unearthly  abysses, 
bound  by  the  spell  of  its  indescribable  beauty,  and  choking 
the  sobs  forced  from  their  startled  hearts  by  the  unspeak- 
able and  portentous  wonders  which  their  eyes  saw  but 
their  minds  could  not  encompass. 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  111 

Nor  can  the  extraordinary  emotions  of  these  adven- 
turing men  be  ascribed  in  any  degree  to  their  lack  of 
previous  descriptions;  Folsom's  word  picture  of  the  won- 
ders he  had  witnessed  in  1869  remains  even  now  one  of  the 
most  graphic,  convincing,  and  detailed  accounts  of  his  ex- 
perience, and  the  men  of  the  Washburn  expedition  had  read 
it  or  heard  it  from  his  own  eloquent  lips.  Since  then  the 
world  has  been  widely  and  well  advised  of  what  the  traveler 
may  expect  when  he  shall  gaze  upon  the  strange  sights  of 
the  Yellowstone  National  Park;  the  fancies  of  descriptive 
writers  have  been  wrought  into  fine  frenzies  in  attempts 
to  realize  its  phenomena  for  readers  of  all  tongues  and 
tribes ;  year  after  year  the  painters  come  to  limn  its  baffling 
outlines  and  to  catch  and  fasten  down  forever  the  radiant 
glories  of  its  coloring;  travelers  from  every  corner  of  the 
world  have  come  to  contrast  it  with  the  wonder  places  of 
their  wanderings.  And  all  of  them  have  come  to  know  and 
admit  that  the  language  which  can  tell  its  story  is  unwrit- 
ten and  unspoken  of  man;  that  there  is  no  palette  wide 
enough  to  carry  the  colors,  shades  and  tones  which  nature 
brought  to  its  creation;  that  comparison  becomes  futile 
and  is  forgotten  in  the  presence  of  marvels  without  their 
counterparts  on  the  globe. 

The  party  had  now  followed  the  rim  of  the  canyon 
for  almost  30  miles.  Commencing  its  swift  descent  just 
above  the  upper  falls,  the  descending  chasm  gains  200  feet 
in  depth  where  the  first  waterfall  plunges  to  the  new  level 
of  the  river ;  thence  for  a  half  a  mile,  foaming  over  gigantic 
boulders  and  lashing  the  precipitous  walls  of  the  deepening 
gorge,  it  adds  over  600  feet  to  its  swift  descent,  seeming 
to  pause  for  a  breathless  instant  upon  the  out-thrust  lip 
of  a  level  floor  of  rock,  the  river  plunges  its  mighty  cur- 
rent sheer  into  the  silent  depths  320  feet  below.  Out  of 
the  rainbow-streaked  mist  of  the  lower  falls  the  Yellow- 
stone River  begins  its  tortuous  journey  between  the  walls 
of  that  incredible  canyon  which  towers  more  than  half  a 
vertical  mile  above  the  river,  unfolding  in  sequence  sudden, 
gradual,  and  indescribable,  a  panorama  that  stands  alone 
in  its  mingled  marvels  of  color  and  magnitude,  of  beauty 
and  wildness,  of  tenderness  and  power. 

From  the  falls  of  the  Yellowstone  the  Washburn  ex- 
pedition pushed  on  past  Sulphur  Mountain  with  its  sur- 
rounding wonders  of  boiling  pools  and  springs,  the  stifling 
fumes,  the  crusts  of  lava,  and  the  volcanic  deposits  all  giv- 
ing token  of  the  furious  upheavals  of  some  ancient  time 


112  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

when  the  splendors  of  the  p^rand  canyon  and  the  sinister 
monstrosities  of  the  geyser  regions  of  the  park  sprang 
simultaneous  from  the  tortured  womb  of  the  world.  Here 
for  the  first  time  the  explorers  realized  the  almost  unthink- 
able disparity  of  contrast  in  the  phenomena  which  the  Yel- 
lowstone wonderland  presents,  and  with  the  inspiration 
awakened  by  the  incomparable  beauty  of  the  falls  and  can- 
yon yet  upon  them,  they  came  presently  into  the  presence 
of  the  mud  volcano,  from  whose  hideous  crater  30  feet  in 
depth  and  almost  as  wide,  uprose  an  unclean  fountain  of 
boiling,  living,  paste-like  mud.  The  earth  about  it  trembled 
and  from  its  vile  caverns  uttered  muffled  groans  like  the 
stifled  cadences  of  some  infernal  engine. 

Within  the  wide  circle  of  its  sickening  influence  the 
side  of  the  mountain  was  all  defiled,  the  trees  coated  with 
livid  mud,  and  the  air  noxious  with  the  pungent  fumes  of 
sulphur.  And  yet  the  fascinated  and  horrified  visitor 
will  find  but  a  few  rods  away  from  this  monstrous  mani- 
festation, an  orifice  in  the  same  acclivity  which  is  groined 
and  arched  like  the  entrance  to  some  miniature  temple,  its 
outer  surface  stained  with  a  beautiful  green,  its  rocky  walls 
changing  to  olive,  brown  and  yellow  as  they  recede  and 
converge  within.  And  always  from  out  of  this  little  cavern 
comes  a  pulsating  gush  of  water,  hot,  but  limpid  as  any 
mountain  brook,  projected  out  of  the  darkness  within  as 
by  the  stroke  of  an  unseen  steamer  and  accentuated  by 
the  measured,  rythmic  escapement  from  its  hidden  vent. 
Nearby  there  is  a  spring  of  tartaric  acid,  a  half  mile  away 
one  of  alum,  about  which  the  crystals  are  piled  in  lavish 
beauty. 

Having  crossed  the  river  below  the  outlet,  the  Wash- 
burn party  camped  September  3  on  the  shore  of  Yellow- 
stone Lake,  7,788  feet  above  sea  level,  the  largest  body  of 
water  in  North  America  at  so  great  an  altitude.  Aross 
the  smooth  surface  of  its  shining  waters,  150  square  miles 
in  area,  they  could  see  the  towering  Teton  range  standing 
upon  the  boundary  line  between  Idaho  and  Wyoming,  and 
lifting  their  snow-covered  peaks  14,000  feet  above  the  level 
of  tide  water.  Around  the  forest  girdled  margin  of  this 
great  mountain  lake  they  pushed  their  way  on  the  opposite 
shore  from  where  the  Lake  Hotel  is  now.  On  September 
9  Mr.  Everts  was  lost  from  his  comrades  and  commenced 
those  thirty-seven  days  of  peril  which  is  part  of  the  his- 
tory of  the  park,  and  which  so  nearly  brought  an  awful 
death  to  one  of  its  earliest  and  most  ardent  champions. 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  113 

After  days  of  hopeless  toil  and  incessant  search,  the  party 
gave  him  up  and,  running  short  of  provisions,  struck  out 
across  the  mountains  toward  the  valley  of  the  Madsion. 

The  following  succinct  account  of  Evert's  experience 
is  from  the  pen  of  Lieutenant  Doane,  and  is  in  the  main 
correct;  for  Evert's  own  account  see  Scribner's  Monthly, 
Volume  III,  page  1: 

On  the  first  day  of  his  absence  he  had  left  his  horse 
standing  unfastened,  with  all  his  arms  and  equipments 
strapped  upon  his  saddle;  the  animal  became  frightened, 
ran  away  into  the  woods,  and  he  was  left  without  even  a 
pocketknife  as  a  means  of  defense.  Being  very  nearsighted, 
and  totally  unused  to  traveling  in  a  wild  country  without 
guides,  he  became  completely  bewildered.  He  wandered 
down  to  the  Snake  River  Lake  (Heart  Lake),  where  he 
remained  twelve  days,  sleeping  near  the  hot  springs  to 
keep  from  freezing  at  night,  and  climbing  to  the  summits 
each  day  in  the  endeavor  to  trace  out  his  proper  course. 
Here  he  subsisted  on  thistle  roots  boiled  in  the  springs, 
and  was  kept  up  a  tree  the  greater  part  of  one  night  by  a 
California  lion.  After  gathering  and  cooking  a  supply  of 
thistle  roots,  he  managed  to  strike  the  southwest  point  of 
the  (Yellowstone)  Lake,  and  followed  around  the  north 
side  to  the  (Yellowstone)  River,  finally  reaching  our  (old) 
camp  opposite  the  Grand  Canyon.  He  was  twelve  days 
out  before  he  thought  to  kindle  a  fire  by  using  the  lenses 
of  his  field  glass,  but  afterwards  carried  a  burning  brand 
with  him  in  all  his  wonderings.  Herds  of  game  passed 
by  him  during  the  night,  on  many  occasions  when  he  was 
on  the  verge  of  starvation.  In  addition  to  a  tolerable  sup- 
ply of  thistle  roots,  he  had  nothing  for  over  thirty  days 
but  a  handful  of  minnows  and  a  couple  of  snowbirds.  Twice 
he  went  five  days  without  food,  and  three  days  without 
water,  in  that  country  which  is  a  network  of  streams  and 
springs.  He  was  found  on  the  verge  of  the  great  plateau, 
above  the  mouth  of  Gardiners  River.  A  heavy  snowstorm 
had  extinguished  his  fire;  his  supply  of  thistle  roots  was 
exhausted;  he  was  partially  deranged,  and  perishing  with 
cold.  A  large  lion  was  killed  near  him.  on  the  trail,  which 
he  said  had  followed  him  at  a  short  distance  for  several 
days  previously.  It  was  a  miraculous  escape,  considering 
the  utter  helplessness  of  the  man,  lost  in  a  forest  wilder- 
ness, and  with  the  storms  of  winter  at  hand. 

On  the  thirty-seventh  day  of  his  wanderings  (Sep- 
tember 9  to  October  16)  he  was  discovered  by  Jack  Bar- 


114  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

onett  and  George  A.  Pritchett  near  the  great  trail  on  a 
high  mountain  a  few  miles  west  of  Yancey's.  Baronett 
threw  up  a  mound  of  stones  to  mark  the  spot.  He  car- 
ried Everts  in  his  arms  the  rest  of  that  day,  and  passed 
the  night  on  a  small  tributary  of  Blacktail  Deer  Creek.  The 
next  day  he  was  taken  on  a  saddle  to  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Gardiner. 

Passing  into  the  now  famous  Firehole  Valley,  the  ex- 
plorers emerged  suddenly  upon  that  strange  plateau  of 
which  Charles  T.  Whitmell,  addressing  the  Cardiff  (Wales) 
Naturalists'  Society,  said: 

Nowhere  else,  I  believe,  can  be  seen  on  so  grand  a 
scale  such  clear  evidence  of  dying  volcanic  action.  We 
seem  to  witness  the  death  throes  of  some  great  American 
Enceladus.  Could  Dante  have  seen  this  region  he  might 
have  added  another  terror  to  his  Inferno. 

Here,  within  that  narrow  radius  of  a  mile  which  is 
now  known  as  the  "Upper  Geyser  Basin,"  26  geysers  and 
more  than  400  hot  springs  were  discovered  within  a  few 
hours'  search.  It  was  a  bright  September  day  when  the 
Washburn  party  first  emerged  upon  this  treeless  tract 
and  saw,  scarcely  200  yards  away,  that  great  jet  of  steam 
and  water  tossing  its  roaring  head  150  feet  into  the  air 
which  has  since  become  known  throughout  the  civilized 
world  as  "Old  Faithful  Geyser."  The  sunlight  transfigured 
its  clear  water  to  crystal  showers  and  the  breeze  flaunting 
its  spray  and  vapor  to  diaphanous  banners  colored  with 
all  the  rainbow  tints  and  floating  away  against  the  far 
background  of  green,  combined  with  the  quivering  of  the 
encrusted  earth  and  the  rumbling  tumult  of  subterranean 
forces  to  produce  upon  the  speechless  adventurers  a  sense 
of  glorified  and  yet  timorous  astonishment.  For  centuries 
incalculable,  every  hour,  with  hardly  the  variation  of  five 
minutes,  in  snow  and  rain,  by  day  and  night,  in  winter 
and  in  summer,  with  none  but  the  wild  men  of  the  primeval 
days  or  the  wilder  beasts  of  the  wilderness,  or  with  the 
modern  multitudes  of  tourists  to  witness  its  eruptions,  as 
though  regulated  by  some  superhuman  horologe  and 
energized  by  infinite  power,  Old  Faithful  has  gone  on  with 
its  strange  work. 

Scattered  about  upon  the  surface  of  this  miraculous 
formation  are  geysers  of  every  size  and  craters  of  a  myriad 
form;  fountains  of  varying  degrees  of  heat,  tossing  up- 
ward at  unmeasurable  intervals  and  varying  in  height  from 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  115 

20  to  250  feet.  Some  of  these  pools  and  craters  from  which 
the  geysers  rise  have  periods  of  strange  and  ominous 
quiesence,  some  are  turbulent  and  vocal  with  the  angry 
fires  below,  the  craters  of  some  are  cup-shaped,  some 
oval,  some  fantastically  irregular ;  some  are  fringed,  fretted, 
and  beaded  about  with  petrified  incrustations  of  the  most 
exquisite  and  fragile  beauty;  the  bottoms  of  the  pools  and 
subsided  geysers  disclose  in  turn  the  most  delicate  tints 
of  the  rose  and  of  the  sky,  varying  through  the  scale  of 
the  spectrum  in  red,  blue,  green,  brown,  gray,  ocher  and 
gold. 

Silent  now,  all  scepticism  vanished,  yet  scarcely  grasp- 
ing the  scope  and  significance  of  the  bewildering  wonders 
which  they  had  witnessed,  they  sat  about  their  campfires 
pondering  the  seemingly  omnipotent  versatility  of  nature 
in  producing  such  inconceivable  manifestations  of  awful 
power  as  the  Giant  Geyser,  with  its  towering  fountain 
hurtled  250  feet  into  the  air,  and  yet  placing  but  a  few 
rods  away  the  Morning  Glory  spring  with  its  cone-like 
calix  of  opalescent  crystal,  its  unruffled  surface,  and  its 
waters  limpid  and  blue  as  the  eye  of  a  girl.  They  passed 
through  the  middle  and  lower  geyser  basins  and  saw  the 
ever-varying  wonders  there  unfolded:  Turquoise  Spring, 
Prismatic  Lake,  the  Paint  Pots,  the  contrasted  beauties  of 
the  sylvan  valley  of  the  Firehole  and  the  murmuring  cat- 
aracts of  the  Gibbon  River.  On  September  19,  after  leav- 
ing the  geyser  region,  camped  near  the  Junction  of  the 
Gibbon  and  the  Firehole  rivers,  the  talk  of  the  explorers 
turned  upon  the  material  opportunities  offered  by  the  in- 
comparable and  outlandish  wonders  of  the  country  they 
had  visited.  There  were  thoughts  and  suggestions  of  ac- 
quiring sections  about  the  chief  est  places  so  that  they  might 
be  held  in  profitable  control  as  show  spots  for  travelers, 
and  it  was  in  the  silence  which  followed  these  selfish  sug- 
gestions that  Cornelius  Hedges  gave  utterance  to  the 
lofty  thought  that  under  no  circumstances  should  private 
ownership  of  the  region  be  countenanced,  much  less  en- 
couraged. It  should,  he  said,  be  set  apart  by  the  National 
Government  as  a  place  of  perpetual  instruction  and  pleas- 
ure for  all  the  Deople;  it  should  be  made  at  once  a  park 
and  a  wonderland  for  the  unrestricted  delectation  of  the 
people  and  never  a  field  for  private  speculation  or  mercen- 
ary greed.  This  lofty  view  of  Mr.  Hedges  found  instant 
response  and  approval  with  all  the  party;  and  when  the 
explorers  broke  their  final  camp  in  the  park  and  headed 
for  home  it  was  with  the  unanimous  determination  to  fur- 


116  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ther  and  accomplish  the  plan  for  the  erection  of  the  Yel- 
lowstone wonderland  into  a  national  park,  preserving  by 
one  federal  act  the  beauties,  the  marvels,  the  native  wild- 
ness,  the  unharassed  freedom  of  nature,  living  or  inanimate, 
and  all  the  pristine  glories  and  portents  lavished  upon  this 
region  by  the  unaccountable  hand  of  the  Divinity. 

Filled  with  this  high  idea,  the  men  of  the  Washburn- 
Langford  expedition,  many  of  whom  were  endowed  with 
gifted  minds,  lofty  ideals,  and  much  learning,  soon  gave 
to  their  countrymen  the  first  adequate  and  comprehensive 
idea  of  the  priceless  possession  which  lay  so  long  hidden  in 
the  heart  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Lieutenant  Doane's  splendid  report  made  in  December, 
1870,  was  the  first  official  statement  made  to  the  United 
States  Government  comprising  accurate  descriptions, 
maps,  and  data  of  the  phenomena  of  the  Yellowstone  coun- 
try, and,  supplemented  as  it  was  by  the  writings,  lectures, 
and  incessant  activity  of  General  Washburn,  Langford, 
Hauser,  Hedges,  and  other  enthusiastic  and  patriotic  mem- 
bers of  that  expedition,  the  project  took  definite  form, 
and  in  1871  was  scientifically  advanced  by  the  explorations 
and  reports  of  Doctor  Hayden,  of  the  United  States  Greo- 
logical  Survey.  In  the  autumn  of  1871  William  H.  Clagett, 
who  had  just  been  elected  Delegate  from  Montana  to  Con- 
gress, undertook  the  task  of  introducing  and  advocating 
a  measure  in  accordance  with  the  desires  and  plans  of  its 
originators.  He  was  already  independently  interested  in 
it  and  worked  hard  for  its  success  at  home  and  by  corres- 
pondence. Mr.  Langford  went  to  Washington  with  him, 
and  together  they  drew  the  park  bill,  the  description  of 
boundaries  being  supplied  by  Doctor  Hayden.  The  bill 
was  introduced  in  both  Houses  during  that  session.  Sena- 
tor Pomeroy,  of  Kansas,  bringing  it  before  the  Senate  and 
Delegate  Clagett  before  the  House.  The  camera  had  been 
brought  to  aid  in  the  work,  and  perhaps  no  measure  ever 
offered  to  the  attention  of  Congress  was  better  illustrated 
by  photographs,  maps,  and  argument  than  the  park  bill 
which  created  the  national  park  out  of  that  prodigious  won- 
derland about  the  lake  and  headwaters  of  the  Yellowstone. 

THE  ACT  OF  DEDICATION 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  United  States  of  America  in  Congress  assem- 
bled, That  the  tract  of  land  in  the  Territories  of  Montana 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  117 

and  Wyoming  lying  near  the  headwaters  of  the  Yellow- 
stone River  and  described  as  follows  to  wit,  commencing 
at  the  junction  of  Gardiners  River,  with  the  Yellowstone 
River,  and  running  east  to  the  meridian  passing  10  miles 
to  the  eastward  of  the  most  eastern  point  of  Yellowstone 
Lake;  thence  south  along  said  meridian  to  the  parallel  of 
latitude  passing  10  miles  south  of  the  most  southern  point 
of  Yellowstone  Lake;  thence  west  along  said  parallel  to 
the  meridian  passing  15  miles  west  of  most  western 
point  of  Madison  Lake;  thence  north  along  said  meridian 
to  the  latitude  of  the  junction  of  the  Yellowstone  and 
Gardiners  rivers;  thence  east  to  the  place  of  beginning,  is 
hereby  reserved  and  withdrawn  from  settlement,  occu- 
pancy, or  sale  under  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and 
dedicated  and  set  apart  as  a  public  park  or  pleasuring 
ground  for  the  benefit  and  enjoyment  of  the  people;  and 
all  persons  who  shall  locate,  or  settle  upon,  or  occupy  any 
part  of  the  land  thus  set  apart  as  a  public  park,  except  as 
provided  in  the  following  section,  shall  be  considered  tress- 
passers and  removed  therefrom. 

SEC.  2.  The  said  public  park  shall  be  under  the  ex- 
clusive control  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  whose  duty 
it  shall  be,  as  soon  as  practicable,  to  make  and  publish  such 
rules  and  regulations  as  he  may  deem  necessary  and  proper 
for  the  care  and  management  of  the  same.  Such  regula- 
tions shall  provide  for  the  preservation  from  injury  or 
spoilation  of  all  timber,  mineral  deposits,  natural  curiosities, 
or  wonders  within  said  park  and  their  retention  in  their 
natural  condition. 

The  Secretary  may,  in  his  discretion,  grant  leases  for 
building  purposes,  for  terms  not  exceeding  ten  years,  or 
small  parcels  of  ground,  at  such  places  in  said  park  as 
shall  require  the  erection  of  buildings  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  visitors;  all  the  proceeds  of  said  leases,  and  all 
other  revenues  that  may  be  derived  from  any  source  con- 
nected with  said  park,  to  be  expended  under  his  direction, 
in  the  management  of  the  same,  and  the  construction  of 
roads  and  bridle  paths  therein.  He  shall  provide  against 
the  wanton  destruction  of  the  fish  and  game  found  within 
said  park,  and  against  their  capture  or  destruction  for  the 
purpose  of  merchandise  or  profit.  He  shall  also  cause  all 
persons  trespassing  upon  the  same  after  the  passage  of 
this  act  to  be  removed  therefrom,  and  generally  shall  be 
authorized  to  take  all  such  measures  as  shall  be  necessary 
or  proper  to  fully  carry  out  the  objects  and  purposes  of 
this  act. 


118  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Approved  March  1,  1872. 

For  more  than  twenty  years  after  the  act  of  dedica- 
tion became  a  law  the  Yellowstone  National  Park  became 
a  mecca  for  explorers,  and  not  a  year  has  passed  without 
witnessing  the  presence  of  scientific  parties,  large  and 
small,  seeking  newer  and  more  minute  data  of  the  strange 
things  to  be  found  there.  In  1872  Gen.  John  Gibbon,  U.  S. 
Army,  with  a  considerable  body  of  men  made  a  tour  of 
inspection.  He  tried  to  ascend  the  North  Fork  of  the 
Madison,  but  abandoned  the  effort  after  a  few  days.  His 
name  was  given  to  that  stream.  The  following  year  Capt. 
William  A.  Jones,  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  made  a  more 
extended  and  effective  reconnaissance.  He  succeeded  in 
crossing  the  thitherto  impassable  Absaroka  Range,  verified 
the  tradition  of  Two  Ocean  Lake,  and  discovered  Two-Gwo- 
Tee  Pass  over  the  Continental  Divide.  Prof.  Theodore  B. 
Comstock,  the  geologist  who  accompanied  this  expedition, 
added  much  to  the  value  of  the  report,  which  appeared  in 
1875.  In  1875  Capt.  William  Ludlow,  of  the  Corps  of  En- 
gineers, accompanied  by  Mr.  George  Bird  Grinnell,  a  civil- 
ian who  was  then  and  afterwards  one  of  the  ablest  cham- 
pions of  the  park,  made  an  investigation  and  report  of 
the  country  which  yielded  one  of  the  best  brief  descrip- 
tions of  the  park  extant.  In  that  year  Secretary  of  War 
Belknap,  guided  by  Lieut.  G.  C.  Doane  and  a  large  party, 
made  an  enlarged  tour  of  the  national  pleasure  grounds, 
and  the  story  of  the  trip  was  ably  written  by  Gen.  W.  E. 
Strong,  who  participated.  In  1877  G«n.  W.  T.  Sherman 
and  his  staff  visited  the  principal  scenes,  and  the  report 
of  Gen.  O.  M.  Poe  added  materially  to  the  interest  in  and 
public  appreciation  of  the  place.  That  same  year,  at  war 
with  the  Nez  Perce,  Gen.  O.  O.  Howard  traversed  the  reser- 
vation in  pursuit  of  the  hostile  Indians.  Secretary  of  the 
Interior  Carl  Schurz,  accompanied  by  General  Crook,  made 
an  extensive  exploration,  visiting  many  unknokn  portions. 

Capt.  W.  S.  Stanton,  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  sur- 
veyed the  park  in  1881,  and  Governor  John  W.  Hoyt,  of 
Wyoming,  with  a  large  military  escort  commanded  by  Maj. 
J.  W.  Mason,  U.  S.  Army,  established  a  practical  wagon 
road  entering  from  the  southwest.  General  Sheridan,  in 
1881  and  1882,  made  visits  to  the  reservation  and  was  the 
first  to  give  to  the  public  an  idea  of  the  then  demoralized 
state  of  its  civil  administration.  P.  W.  Norris  and  many 
less  known  explorers  made  frequent,  desultory,  and  unim- 
portant tours  of  the  now  famous  park,  each  adding  some- 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  119 

thing  to  the  Hterature  and  celebrity  of  the  place,  so  that 
the  region  which  is  between  the  forty-fourth  and  forty- 
fifth  parallels  of  latitude  and  the  one  hundred  and  tenth 
and  one  hundred  and  eleventh  meridians  of  longitude  be- 
came the  most  thoroughly  and  scientifically  explored  sec- 
tion of  the  United  States.  The  great  travelers  and  famous 
men  of  many  countries  of  Europe  as  well  as  of  the  United 
States  began  to  visit  it,  so  that  in  1883  a  splendid  expedi- 
tion, including  the  President  of  the  United  States,  the  Sec- 
retary of  War,  a  lieutenant-general  of  the  United  States 
Army,  a  United  States  Senator,  and  an  imposing  cavalcade 
of  soldiers  and  civilians  made  an  extensive  tour;  the  same 
year  there  came  a  justice  and  associate  justice  of  the  Su- 
preme Court,  the  general  and  many  other  distinguished 
officers  of  the  army,  six  United  States  Senators,  one  ter- 
ritorial governor,  the  ministers  from  Great  Britain  and 
Germany,  the  president  of  admiralty  division  of  the  high 
court  of  justice  of  England,  three  members  of  Parliament, 
and  scores  of  men  of  eminence  from  Europe  and  America. 

These  facts  are  recounted  to  show  how  suddenly  and 
how  effectively  came  the  public  attention  which  followed 
the  dedication  of  the  national  park.  The  act  itself  con- 
tributed to  the  quick  fame  of  the  park,  for  it  was  at  that 
time  an  unheard-of  step  among  national  governments,  set- 
ting, as  it  did,  a  precedent  which  has  since  been,  and  will 
hereafter  be,  followed  by  other  states  and  nations.  Already 
this  country  has  added  the  Yosemite,  Sequoia,  Chicka- 
mauga,  and  many  national  battlefields  and  cemeteries  to 
the  growing  list  of  governmental  reservations.  New  York 
and  Canada  have  each  preserved  a  park  about  Niagara 
Falls.  Minnesota  has  segregated  the  headwaters  of  the 
Mississippi  in  Itasca  Park.  New  Zealand  has  made  a  na- 
tional park  of  its  geyser  and  hot  springs  regions.  There 
is  a  plan  afoot  to  create  a  great  game  preserve  in  Africa, 
and  at  this  writing  there  is  pending,  and  unopposed,  a  bill 
in  Congress  of  the  United  States  for  the  creation  of  a  vast 
and  beautiful  scenic  park  in  northern  Montana,  to  be  called 
Glacier  Park.  And  yet  it  is  a  fact  that  no  region  of  like 
size  in  the  known  world  can  compare  with  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park  in  point  of  natural  beauty,  or  magnificence 
of  scenery,  or  the  marvels  of  its  natural  and  yet  outland- 
ish phenomena. 

The  act  of  dedication  was  so  framed  as  to  prevent  the 
destruction  of  the  curiosities,  forests,  and  game  of  the  park; 
it  was  calculated  to  prevent  private  occupancy  and  to  grant 


120  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

only  such  privileges  as  were  necessary  to  the  comfort  and 
pleasure  of  the  public.  But  it  provided  no  specific  laws 
for  the  government  of  the  region,  it  neither  specified  of- 
fenses nor  provided  punishment  or  legal  equipment  for  the 
enforcement  of  such  rules  and  regulations  as  the  Secretary 
of  the  Interior  might  see  fit  to  establish.  For  more  than 
twenty  years  after  the  enactment  of  the  dedication  the 
park  was  frequently  the  scenes  of  wanton  vandalism,  the 
wild  creatures  were  hunted  by  hundreds  of  poachers  and 
trapped  indiscriminately  by  fur-hunting  bands  from  the  ad- 
jacent territories.  The  confines  of  the  park  consisted 
then,  as  now,  only  of  imaginary  lines.  Its  waters  teemed 
with  fish ;  its  caves  and  canyons  were  the  homes  of  myriads 
of  bear.  Buffalo,  elk,  deer,  and  antelope  thronged  its  re- 
mote meadows  and  fattened  upon  the  rich  pastures  of  its 
forests  and  valleys.  Moose,  bighorn  or  mountain  sheep, 
panthers,  and  other  species  of  fur  and  meat  bearing  ani- 
mals, though  not  as  numerous,  were  to  be  found  in  plenty. 
Mink,  beaver,  otter,  ermine,  marten,  sable,  fox  (red,  gray, 
and  black)  abounded  and  were  made  the  easy  and  profit- 
able prey  of  hunters  and  trappers.  The  awe  and  terror  with 
which  the  Indians  regarded  the  place,  its  natural  remote- 
ness from  the  haunts  of  the  first  white  plainsmen  and  ar- 
gonauts, the  impenetrable  wildness  of  its  hills  and  valleys, 
its  forests  and  tablelands,  its  wealth  of  water,  of  foliage, 
of  nutritious  grasses  and  natural  shelters,  made  of  it  from 
the  beginning  a  natural  sanctuary  and  home  for  the  mil- 
lions of  wild  animals  which  frequented  it.  When  these 
facts  became  bruited  among  the  market  hunters  and  fur 
seekers,  they  swarmed  into  the  park  at  all  seasons.  What 
havoc  they  have  wrought  will  never  be  fully  known. 

Thus  for  twenty-two  years  the  original  hope  and  pur- 
pose of  the  promoters  of  the  national  park  were  defeated 
and  the  only  everlasting  and  signal  victory  they  had  gained 
was  in  the  disbarment  of  private  encroachment  by  land 
speculators  and  selfish  squatters.  It  should  be  understood 
also  that  the  first  and  most  unselfish  advocates  of  the  park 
dedication  act  had  conceived  extravagant  ideas  as  to  the 
income  that  it  would  derive  from  the  leases  and  privileges 
that  were  to  be  let  to  hotels,  coach  lines,  and  other  conven- 
iences and  comforts  for  the  travelers  and  tourists.  They 
thought  that  this  revenue  would  fully  cover  the  expense  of 
policing  the  park,  opening  the  driveways,  and  guarding  the 
natural  treasures  of  the  place.  They  overlooked  the  fact 
that  the  average  tourist  would  not  or  could  not  tour  the 
park  as  its  discoverers  and  explorers  had  done;  that  there 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  121 

must  be  highways,  good  hotels,  safety,  and  even  luxuries 
provided  before  the  anticipated  stream  of  travel  would  set 
toward  the  park.  They  forgot  that  the  nearest  railroad 
station  was  500  miles  away  and  that  to  the  outside  world 
of  pleasure  seekers  and  sight-seers  the  Yellowstone  Na- 
tional Park  yet  remained  a  primeval  and  almost  impene- 
trable wilderness. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  long  delay  between  its 
first  discovery  as  a  place  of  unthinkable  beauty  and  won- 
der and  the  final  exploitation  and  fame  of  the  park  was  a 
fortuitous  circumstance.  For  if  it  had  been  disclosed  to 
the  world  earlier  than  the  civil  war,  or  at  any  time  during 
the  progress  of  that  conflict,  the  Federal  Government  would 
not  have  set  it  aside  from  settlement,  and  greedy  specula- 
tors would  certainly  have  intrenched  themselves  within  its 
boundaries.  So,  too,  the  mistaken  hopes  of  its  enthusiastic 
promoters  in  anticipating  adequate  resources  from  the 
leases  operated  had  a  fortunate  consequence ;  for  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  Congress  would  not  have  passed  the  act  of 
dedication  if  it  had  not  believed  that  the  park  would  be 
self-sustaining,  or  that  it  would  become  a  financial  "bur- 
den" to  the  public.  Even  when  the  devastation  and  wanton 
license  of  its  desecrators  became  known.  Congress  for  sev- 
eral years  failed  to  make  any  appropriation  either  for  the 
improvement  or  protection  of  the  national  park. 

The  first  act  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  after  the 
enactment  of  the  dedication  act  was  to  appoint  a  park 
superintendent.  Nathaniel  P.  Langford,  from  the  day  of 
his  return  home  from  the  famous  Washburn-Langford  ex- 
pedition the  chiefest  advocate  of  the  measure,  was  ap- 
pointed first  superintendent  of  the  park.  The  work  was 
to  be  a  labor  of  love  with  him.  Eager,  courageous,  brilliant 
of  mind,  and  prompt  of  action,  passionately  proud  and  fond 
of  the  wonderland  which  he  had  been  so  largely  instru- 
mental in  winning  for  his  countrymen,  Mr.  Langford  was 
the  making  of  an  ideal  manager  and  guardian  of  the  park. 
But  from  the  beginning  he  was  left  without  aid,  encourage- 
ment, or  financial  support.  He  never  asked  nor  expected 
a  salary.  The  region  over  which  he  held  single  sway  is 
larger  than  the  States  of  Delaware  and  Rhode  Island  with 
part  of  Massachusetts  added.  Alone,  without  men  or 
money,  it  is  not  strange  that  his  task  became  not  only  im- 
possible of  accomplishment,  but  that  its  unreasonable  re- 
quirements became  a  source  of  endless  vexation  and  grief 
to  Mr.   Langford.     Meanwhile  the  press   and  the   public 


122  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

abused  him  roundly  for  conditions  of  which  he  could  know 
but  little  and  which  he  was  powerless  to  circumvent. 

Mr.  Langford  was  succeeded  by  Philetus  W.  Norris,  of 
Michigan,  himself  an  enthusiast  and  an  explorer  who  had 
already  accomplished  much  in  the  exploitation  of  the  park. 
He  was  fortunate  to  have  been  in  charge  when  Congress 
appropriated  its  first  item  in  support  of  the  national  park 
and  with  his  administration  began  the  first  effective  im- 
provement in  its  affairs.  Norris  was  an  indefatigable  ex- 
plorer, an  enthusiastic  lover  of  the  wondrous  region  in  his 
charge,  an  untiring  worker,  and  a  man  of  absolute  integrity 
and  patriotism.  His  ceaseless  wanderings  into  every  nook 
and  corner  of  the  park  disclosed  a  thousand  marvels  and 
beauties  that  had  escaped  preceding  explorers,  and  his  in- 
domitable hardihood  and  everlasting  vigilance  put  the  first 
check  upon  the  outlawry  of  the  place. 

After  five  years  of  effective  service,  Norris  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Patrick  A.  Conger,  of  Iowa,  a  man  without  inter- 
est in  the  work,  with  no  conception  of  the  great  respon- 
sibility placed  upon  him.  The  weakness  of  his  adminis- 
tration brought  the  park  to  the  lowest  depths  of  misfor- 
tune, but  the  very  extent  of  its  retrogression  excited  pub- 
lic indignation  and  made  for  permanent  reform  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  famous  pleasure  ground.  It  was  also  dur- 
ing the  Conger  regime  of  neglect  and  mismanagement  that 
even  a  greater  menace  arose.  Thus  far  no  special  leases 
had  been  granted.  Permits  of  occupancy  had  been  granted 
to  a  few,  and  small  and  scattered  houses  of  public  comfort 
had  been  erected.  The  dedication  act  specified  that  "only 
small  parcels"  of  land  be  let  to  private  parties.  But  now 
a  company  bearing  the  name  "Yellowstone  Park  Improve- 
ment Company"  was  formed  for  the  ostensible  purpose  of 
improving  and  safeguarding  the  park  in  a  manner  which 
had  not  been  accomplished  by  the  Government.  The  Assist- 
ant Secretary  of  the  Interior  gave  countenance  to  this 
scheme  and  a  lease  of  4,400  acres,  including  the  principal 
points  of  interest  in  the  park,  was  actually  granted  to  the 
schemers.  The  uproar  which  followed  this  announcement 
came  from  every  section  of  the  United  States.  General 
Sheridan,  who  had  visited  the  park  in  1881,  1882,  and  1883, 
made  the  country  aware  of  the  deplorable  conditions  exist- 
ing and  called  upon  the  sentiment  of  the  people  of  every 
State  to  insist  upon  some  definite  action.  The  governor  of 
Montana  appealed  to  Congress  and  the  powerful  voice  of 
the  press  was  raised  against  the  meditated  stultification 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  123 

of  the  dedication  act  as  a  swindle  and  an  outrage.  The  ef- 
fect was  prompt  and  salutary.  In  1883  the  sundry  civil 
bill  containing  the  annual  appropriation  for  the  park  pro- 
hibited the  leasing  of  more  than  10  acres  to  any  single 
party,  authorized  the  use  of  troops  in  the  reservation,  and 
provided  10  assistant  superintendents  to  police  the  park. 
That  made  an  end  to  the  "improvement"  company  and  gave 
to  the  Government  and  to  the  whole  world  a  new  and  last- 
ing idea  of  how  highly  the  American  people  prized  their 
unique  and  precious  park. 

Up  to  this  time  hunting  and  fishing  had  been  allowed 
without  stint  for  the  "needs"  of  camping  parties.  The 
privilege  had  been  shamefully  abused,  and  the  wild  crea- 
tures had  been  for  years  slaughtered  and  captured  without 
let  or  hindrance.  Now  the  catching  of  fish  except  with 
hook  and  line,  was  absolutely  prohibited  and  the  killing 
of  birds  or  animals  even  for  food  was  rigorously  forbidden. 
But  these  stringent  regulations  were  either  ignored  or  de- 
spised by  the  irrepressible  poachers.  The  funds  approp- 
riated by  Congress  were  still  inadequate,  and  at  last  it 
was  suggested  that  the  Territory  of  Wyoming,  in  which 
the  largest  part  of  the  park  is  contained,  should  take  over 
the  responsibility  and  expense  of  protecting  the  timber, 
game,  fish,  and  natural  curiosities  of  the  national  reserva- 
tion. The  folly  of  this  plan  was  quickly  followed  by  its 
failure,  but  in  1884  the  Wyoming  legislature  passed  an  act 
which  ran  its  desultory  course,  increased  the  prevalent 
evils,  created  new  difficulties  and  was  repealed  after  two 
years  of  utter  failure.  The  withdrawal  of  Wyoming  auth- 
ority proclaimed  the  unguarded  state  of  the  region.  The 
assistant  superintendents  were  worse  than  useless.  They 
were  all  inexperienced  at  the  work  required  and  considered 
their  appointments  as  sinecures,  the  rewards  of  some  po- 
litical activities.  They  peddled  privileges,  and  as  Chitten- 
den wrote,  "made  merchandise  of  the  treasures  they  were 
appointed  to  preserve."  He  says  that  "Under  their  sur- 
veillance, vandalism  was  practically  unchecked,  and  the 
slaughter  of  game  was  carried  on  for  private  profit  almost 
in   sight  of  the   superintendent's   office." 

Conger  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Robert  E. 
Carpenter,  of  Iowa.  This  superintendent  from  the  first 
looked  upon  his  office  as  an  opportunity  for  profit  to  him- 
self and  friends.  He  gave  no  thought  to  the  protection 
or  improvement  of  the  park,  spent  most  of  his  time  in 
Washington  and  there,  in  concert  with  a  member  of  the 


124  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

notorious  improvement  company,  almost  succeeded  in  get- 
ting Congress  to  pass  a  measure  granting  vast  tracts 
within  the  park  to  private  parties  for  commercial  purposes. 
Carpenter  and  his  confederates  were  so  certain  of  success 
that  they  had  themselves  posted  their  names  on  claim  no- 
tices and  located  for  themselves  the  most  desirable  tracts. 
The  scandal  which  followed  the  expose  of  this  plot  caused 
the  dismissal  of  Superintendent  Carpenter. 

Col.  David  W.  Wear,  of  Missouri,  then  assumed  con- 
trol. He  was  a  man  of  rare  ability  and  immediately  set 
out  to  remedy  the  wrong  wrought  by  some  of  his  predeces- 
sors. Energy  and  intelligence  marked  his  first  acts  of 
administration,  but  his  sincerity  and  zeal  could  not  offset 
the  bad  impressions  left  by  the  maladministration  of 
others.  Congress  declined  to  appropriate  further  funds 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  civil  management  of  the  park, 
and  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  was  compelled  to  call 
upon  the  War  Department  for  military  assistance.  In 
August,  1886,  Capt.  Moses  Harris,  of  the  First  United 
States  Cavalry,  took  charge  of  affairs  in  the  national  park. 
He  had  the  ability  and  the  disposition  as  well  as  the  men 
and  the  means  to  estop  many  abuses  at  once.  Trespassers 
soon  learned  that  he  meant  what  he  said  and  that  he  was 
ready  and  able  to  enforce  it. 

The  dilapidated  physical  equipment  of  the  park,  the 
demoralization  of  its  management,  and  the  consequent  con- 
tempt with  which  poachers,  campers,  and  travelers  alike 
regarded  its  lax  restrictions  combined  at  this  time  to  en- 
force an  immediate  though  tardy  action  from  Congress. 
That  body  was  at  last  aware  of  the  deplorable  state  of 
affairs  in  the  park,  not  realizing  that  its  own  failure  to 
appropriate  adequate  funds  was  really  as  much  the  cause 
of  the  bad  conditions  as  the  incapacity,  greed,  indifference, 
or  occasional  obliquity  of  some  of  the  early  superintend- 
ents. There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Langford  would  have 
made  an  ideal  official  if  he  had  had  the  material  and  moral 
support  of  the  Government.  Norris  did  excellent  work  un- 
der similar  difficulties,  and  Wear  demonstrated  his  desire 
and  ability  to  reform  abuses  and  administer  his  office 
well.  It  was  the  refusal  of  Congress  to  appropriate  suf- 
ficient money  for  the  work  that  forced  the  induction  of 
the  military  and  the  appointment  of  an  officer  of  the  army 
as  "acting  superintendent."  At  the  time  and  under  the 
peculiar  conditions  it  was  the  only  alternative  that  could 
be  thought  of. 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  125 

Captain  Harris  took  immediate  steps  to  curtail  or 
estop  all  encroachments.  He  posted  the  rules  and  regula- 
tions, dealt  summarily  with  offenders,  and  gave  the  visitors 
to  understand  that  he  meant  what  he  said.  Meanwhile 
the  question  of  road  construction  had  begun  to  be  solved. 
Capt.  D.  C.  Kingman,  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  had  al- 
ready laid  the  foundation  of  the  present  system,  and  the 
excellent  results  obtained  prompted  Congress  in  1900  to 
place  the  work  definitely  in  the  hands  of  the  Engineer 
Department.  The  code  of  laws  for  the  regulation  of  the 
park  enacted  in  1894  put  a  check  on  abuses  of  leases  and 
privileges.  Tourist  traffic  increased  with  the  erection  and 
maintenance  of  better  transportation  facilities,  more  and 
larger  accommodations,  greater  safety,  and  convenience  in 
and  about  all  the  important  places  of  interest.  The  annual 
summer  incursion  of  visitors  grew  from  hundreds  to  thou- 
sands, and  every  witness  of  the  marvels  and  the  beauties 
of  the  place  became  thenceforth  an  enthusiastic  herald 
of  its  strange  glories.  The  theory  of  the  founders  of  the 
park  commenced  to  be  better  understood  and  appreciated. 
The  world  came  to  realize  the  fact  that  the  Government 
was  in  earnest  in  its  desire  to  maintain,  so  far  as  possible, 
the  wild  and  natural  character  of  the  great  reservation. 
The  place  and  its  possibilities  came  to  be  held  sacred  in 
the  eyes  of  lawmakers  and  administrators  of  its  laws  and 
regulations.  Such  attempts  as  have  been  made  to  circum- 
vent them,  although  continued  even  to  this  day,  became 
more  secret  and  less  bold — adroit  schemes  cunningly  plan- 
ned for  the  aggrandizement  of  private  interests.  At  var- 
ious times  movements  have  been  quietly  but  cunningly  be- 
gun for  the  inbuilding  of -trolly  lines  and  even  steam  rail- 
roads, for  the  harnessing  of  water  power  and  its  conversion 
into  the  business  of  transportation,  lighting,  and  even  man- 
ufacturing. 

In  unfailing  opposition  to  these  selfish  enterprises  the 
Government  continues  to  adhere  to  its  original  policy  of 
maintaining  forever  so  far  as  possible  the  virgin  splendor 
of  the  people's  great  playground.  In  this  it  must  now  and 
always  will  have  the  support  and  approval  of  enlightened 
and  patriotic  people  of  every  nation.  To  this  end  it  is  not 
now  and  will  never  be  necessary  to  gridiron  the  park  with 
carriage  roads  and  highways,  but  only  to  improve  and 
sustain  safe  and  smooth  thoroughfares  to  the  principal 
points  of  attraction.  The  vast  wildernesses  which  surround 
these  can  never  be  improved  beyond  the  magic  handiwork 
which   nature  has   already   lavished   upon   them.     Indeed 


126  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

they  constitute  and  so  should  be  held  the  natural  sanctuary, 
home,  and  refuge  of  the  myriads  of  wild  creatures  that 
contribute  almost  as  much  as  the  inanimate  prodigies  to 
the  primeval  and  noble  attributes  of  this  matchless  park. 

To-day  the  tourist  in  the  Yellowstone  National  Park, 
viewing  the  fringes  of  these  almost  impenetrable  fast- 
nesses, will  not  fail  to  see  almost  by  the  roadside  of  the 
traveled  route  bands  of  antelope  and  deer,  an  occasional 
elk  or  bear  or  Rocky  Mountain  sheep.  They  gaze  with 
placid  interest  at  the  passing  coach  and  go  on  feeding  with 
the  calm  security  of  confidence.  But  they  are  only  the 
outposts,  the  skirmishers  of  vast  armies  of  their  kind  that 
swarm  in  the  silent  fastnesses  of  the  forests  that  must  be 
trailed  in  the  remote  places  to  be  seen  in  all  the  glory  of 
their  safeguarded  freedom. 

The  creation  of  national  forest  reserves  in  Montana, 
Wyoming,  and  Idaho,  around  the  outside  boundaries  of 
the  park,  has  operated  favorably  for  the  peace  and  pro- 
tection of  its  fauna,  and  the  game  laws  of  those  States, 
improved  as  they  are  though  still  open  to  betterment,  have 
gone  far  to  enhance  the  wise  provisions  for  the  permanent 
safety  and  multiplication  of  the  myriads  of  beasts,  birds, 
and  fishes  which  now  make  their  home  within  the  invisible 
boundaries  of  the  great  domain.  With  that  inexplicable 
instinct  with  which  nature  has  endowed  them,  the  wild 
animals  of  the  region  seem  to  know  exactly  the  imagined 
line  which  bounds  the  four  parallel  margins  of  the  reser- 
vation. Their  hegira  from  the  outside  sets  toward  it  with 
the  advent  of  the  hunting  season  and  they  seem  to  know 
that  it  is  their  home.  The  profusion  and  richness  of  its 
pastures,  the  accessibility  of  its  natural  shelters  and  the 
isolation  of  its  trackless  hills  and  forests  must  have  al- 
ways appealed  to  them,  but  since  the  enforcement  of  laws 
for  their  protection,  since  the  elimination  of  the  hunter 
and  the  trapper,  these  beautiful  creatures  appear  to  have 
realized  a  new  assurance  of  contentment  so  that  thousands 
of  them  never  cross  the  boundaries  of  their  paradise. 

The  prodigality  of  the  natural  resources  of  the  park 
has  been  wisely  reinforced  by  the  planting  and  curing  of 
considerable  quantities  of  tame  forage  plants  for  winter 
feeding.  Deer,  antelope,  and  mountain  sheep  come  down 
in  herds  to  the  feeding  grounds  during  winter,  there  to  feed 
and  thrive  upon  the  alfalfa  hay  which  has  been  provided 
for  them.  Thus  more  than  1,000  antelope  and  half  as 
many  deer  now  winter  annually  in  the  valley  of  the  Gard- 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  127 

iner  and  about  the  slopes  of  Mount  Everts  quite  in 
view  of  Fort  Yellowstone  and  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs 
Hotel.  Occassionally  some  of  them  wander  into  the 
streets  of  Gardiner,  which  is  adjacent  to  the  confines  of 
the  park,  but  they  are  so  tame  and  inoffensive  that  the 
sportsmen  is  ashamed  to  shoot  and  even  the  dogs  respect 
them. 

The  number  of  elk  in  the  park  has  been  variously 
estimated.  These  splendid  animals  have  proved  them- 
selves the  most  prolific  and  hardy  of  their  contemporaries, 
and  the  most  conservative  estimates  give  their  numbers 
as  more  than  25,000.  Easy  victims  to  the  gun  and  guile 
of  the  hunter,  for  years  the  native  herds  of  buffalo  were 
decimated  and  disturbed.  Only  since  they  have  been  seg- 
regated within  inclosures,  and  fed  during  rigorous  seasons, 
have  these  noblest  of  typically  American  creatures  gained 
in  physical  and  numerical  conditions.  A  few  of  the  original 
wild  herd  are  yet  at  large  in  the  Madison  and  Mirror 
plateau  and  the  Pelican  and  Hayden  valleys,  but  the  larg- 
est number  is  now  confined  to  the  900  acres  of  splendid 
pasture  lands  fenced  for  them  in  the  Lamar  Valley.  The 
moose,  too,  are  increasing  in  numbers,  frequenting  the 
marshes  and  thickets  of  the  upper  Yellowstone,  the  Bech- 
ler,  and  the  Gallatin  Basin  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
park. 

The  bear,  if  not  the  most  numerous,  is  the  most  fa- 
miliar habitant  of  this  wonderland.  Grizzly,  silvertip, 
black,  and  brown,  he  may  be  seen  at  almost  any  time, 
singly  or  in  groups,  prowling  contentedly  through  the 
brush  or  about  the  garbage  refuse  of  the  hotels.  Tourists 
have  counted  scores  of  them  feeding  at  one  time  in  familiar 
proximity  at  the  park  hostelries,  and  thousands  of  snap- 
shots are  circulating  around  the  world  an  ocular  proof 
of  the  tameness  and  amiability  of  bruin.  At  long  intervals 
some  old  or  invalid  bear  will  betray  signs  of  returning 
ferocity.  Death  is  the  penalty  of  these  seldom  returns  to 
savagery.  Although  the  official  killing  of  mountain  lions 
has  been  discontinued,  there  are  a  few  yet  in  the  park, 
but  their  ravages  are  inconsequential  and  they  are  never 
a  menace  to  mankind. 

Geese,  ducks,  cranes,  pelicans,  gulls,  and  more  than 
70  varieties  of  small  birds  come  yearly  to  rear  their  young 
about  the  lakes  and  rivers  of  the  reservation.  Most  of 
the  song  birds  choose  their  habitats  near  the  places  of 
human  habitation,  and  they  were  from  the  first  so  molested 


128  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  diminished  by  the  forays  of  dogs  and  house  cats  that 
both  of  these  domestic  animals  have  been  banished  from 
the  park.  It  has  been  by  the  preservation  of  the  Uving  as 
well  as  the  inanimate  wonders  of  the  park  that  naturalists 
as  well  as  geologists,  scientists  as  well  as  sight-seers,  have 
come  to  know  it  as  the  world's  largest,  most  varied  and 
most  perfect  wonderland.  It  is  the  only  place  in  the  world 
where  civilization  has  seized  upon  only  to  safeguard  the 
prodigious  manifestations  of  nature's  secrets.  It  is  an 
illustration  of  the  only  incident  in  history  in  which  the 
advent  of  man  has  not  operated  at  variance  with  the  native 
magnificence  of  primeval  beauty.  Its  phenomena  ante- 
date history.  Its  monuments  were  old  when  the  traditions 
of  the  troglodyte  were  new  in  the  caves  of  prehistoric  man. 
Centuries  count  as  but  moments  in  the  variant  con- 
ditions and  activities  of  nature  in  this  wonderland.  The 
energy  which  made  its  marvels  may  have  caprices,  whims, 
vagaries,  but  it  is  yet  dynamic  and  resistless  as  with  an 
infinity  of  power.  Great  geysers  have  subsided  for  a  time 
only  to  burst  forth  unexpectedly  with  new  vigor  and  in- 
describable beauty;  pellucid  pools,  for  centures  unruffled 
in  their  adamantine  beds  have  leaped  without  warning 
into  boiling  fountains.  Yawning  craters,  vacant  for  years, 
have  come  to  utter  groans  as  of  the  labor  of  some  unseen 
and  unclean  monster,  giving  birth  at  last  to  hideous,  living 
jets  of  mud  that  dance  and  wheeze  as  in  some  filthy  frenzy. 
For  every  subsidence  of  fountain  or  geyser  there  is  some 
new  recruit  to  the  bewildering  display.  Only  lately  a 
hitherto  inactive  hot  pool  broke  into  sudden  activity. 
Above  it  had  been  reared  a  tent.  Its  surface  was  covered 
with  a  floor  through  a  trapdoor  in  which  its  hot  water 
was  raised  into  washtubs.  It  was  surmounted  by  the 
laundry  of  Old  Faithful  Inn.  During  the  winter  when 
none  was  there  to  witness  the  eruption  except  the  winter 
people,  the  explosion  came.  He  was  entering  his  green- 
house nearby  when,  with  a  sudden  roar,  the  hiss  of  steam, 
and  the  trembling  of  the  earth  the  laundry  and  all  its 
contents,  floor,  tubs,  boxes,  and  benches,  were  tossed  sky- 
ward at  the  sport  of  a  mighty  fountain  which  had  spurted 
into  life.  The  pool  had  become  a  geyser,  and  with  a  thought 
of  popular  celebrity  the  single  witness  promptly  named 
it  the  Merry  Widow.  During  the  season  of  1908  a  small 
but  curious  eruption  became  evident  a  few  yards  away 
from  the  Merry  Widow.  It  is  neither  a  pool,  a  geyser, 
nor  a  spring.  Yet  from  a  small  central  orifice  in  the 
crust  of  the  formation  there  exudes  a  constant  upheaval 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  129 

of  tiny  hot  crystals.  Glittering  like  diamonds,  insoluble 
in  water,  soon  cooled  and  dried  in  a  circular  pile,  they  can 
be  lifted  in  the  hand,  a  beautiful  evidence  of  one  of  the 
latest  and  least-known  of  the  unclassed  wonders  of  the 
park.  The  most  inveterate  and  observant  habitues  of  the 
reservation  came  in  sight  and  touch  with  the  changes  and 
new  developments  constantly  taking  place.  The  names 
bestowed  at  random  soon  become  part  of  the  unwritten 
nomenclature  of  the  place.  Boiling  springs  cool  or  become 
quiescent  only  to  give  place  to  new  and  turbulent  springs. 
Small  geysers  break  forth  in  remote  places,  there  to  spout 
or  subside  unknown  to  the  thousands  of  visitors  who  cling 
to  the  main  lines  of  travel  and  are  more  than  gratified 
with  the  multitude  of  wonders  which  they  encounter  in 
their  brief  sojourn.  Nor  are  the  hidden  and  undescribed 
attractions  of  this  vast  preserve  confined  to  the  weird 
and  protentous  wonders  and  the  wild  beasts  there  to  be 
encountered.  Hundreds  of  matchless  sylvan  scenes,  val- 
leys voiceless  but  for  the  murmur  of  their  brooks,  cascades 
that  stripe  with  silver  streaks  the  green-walled  fortresses 
of  the  mountains,  caverns  that  are  lair  to  the  fox,  the 
bear,  arid  the  wolf,  things  tender  and  terrible,  unseen  by 
the  eye  and  untouched  by  the  hand  of  man,  can  be  found 
on  every  side  in  the  still  wilderness  of  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park. 

Who,  then,  but  must  hope  for  the  preservation  of 
every  foot  of  the  3,500  square  miles  of  this  incomparable 
possession,  that  its  beauties  may  be  unmarred,  that  its 
wonders  may  be  undefiled,  that  its  myriads  of  living, 
happy,  wild  creatures  may  be  kept  unmolested  in  its  hos- 
pitable solitudes?  The  whole  world  has  come  to  know  and 
value  the  priceless  worth  of  this  pleasure  ground  and  to 
look  to  the  people  of  the  United  States  for  its  fullest  pro- 
tection, peace,  and  prosperity.  Its  welfare  has  become 
something  more  than  the  hope  and  dream  of  its  fore- 
sighted  and  unselfish  explorers  and  projectors.  It  has 
become  a  matter  of  national  pride  and  prudence,  a  sub- 
ject of  admiring  interest  to  all  the  students  and  travelers 
of  the  world. 

The  pleasure-seeking  traveler  and  the  official  inspec- 
tor who  pass  through  or  loiter  in  the  Yellowstone  National 
Park  in  the  summer  time  cannot  realize  the  transformation 
which  occurs  at  the  end  of  September,  intensifies  as  win- 
ter advances,  and  is  maintained  in  almost  arctic  rigor  for 
nearly  nine  months  of  the  year.    The  physical  inequalities 


130  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  imperfections  which  are  evident  in  varying  degrees 
during  the  tourist  season,  both  as  to  the  accommodations 
and  as  to  the  transportation  facihties,  are  directly  trace- 
able to  the  difficulties  and  disasters  that  occur  during  the 
stressful  months  of  winter.  Then  the  roads  are  piled  high 
and  wide  with  incessant  snowdrifts.  The  grand  tour  be- 
comes utterly  impassable  except  by  snowshoes.  The  low- 
lands are  piled  with  undulous  drifts,  and  the  very  trails 
are  obliterated.  The  havoc  wrought  by  these  incredible 
masses  of  snow  begins  late  in  the  spring,  when  with  a 
suddenness  almost  as  unheralded  as  the  descent  of  winter 
the  sun  blazes  with  summer  energy,  the  warm  winds  blow, 
and  the  melting  snow  comes  down  in  resistless  cataracts, 
sweeping  away  roadways,  undermining  viaducts  and 
bridges,  and  undoing  much  of  the  work  of  previous  months. 

During  subsequent  weeks  what  with  mud,  pools, 
washouts,  and  debris  from  the  melted  snowslides  miles 
of  the  main  roads  are  impassable  for  wagons  and  repair 
machines.  The  work  of  reconstruction  with  the  existing 
forces  of  men  and  teams,  tools  and  wagons,  is  necessarily 
slow,  imperfect,  and  temporary  in  many  cases.  Hardly 
one  hundred  full  days  of  work  time  are  at  the  command 
of  those  in  charge  of  mending  the  damaged  thoroughfares, 
extending  the  road-building  plans,  and  improving  the  gen- 
eral conditions  of  the  park.  The  fidelity  and  zeal  of  those 
in  charge  of  these  great  works  can  not  successfully  offset 
the  lack  of  adequate  means  in  money  and  men  or  cope 
with  the  destructive  elements  that  have  warred  against 
them.  The  ultimate  solution  of  this,  one  of  the  gravest 
and  most  apparent  obstacles  to  the  perfect  conduct  of  the 
park's  affairs,  will  come  with  speed  and  certainty  when 
Congress  shall  supply  appropriations  commensurate  with 
the  great  and  growing  needs  of  the  admirable  road  system 
planned  by  the  engineer  department. 

Nor  is  the  isolation  of  the  scattered  hotel  plants  or 
the  annual  devastation  of  roads  the  only  problem  raised 
by  the  long  reign  of  ice  and  snow  and  frigid  weather. 
With  the  cessation  of  travel  and  the  advent  of  the  hunt- 
ing season  the  hardships  of  the  wild  animals  necessarily 
commerce,  and  the  irrepressible  poacher  and  hunter  gets 
busy  around  the  unsentineled  edges  of  the  greatest  game 
preserve  in  the  world. 

The  small  existing  force  of  civilian  scouts  is  an  ad- 
mirable nucleus  about  which  to  upbuild  an  organized  and 
trained  body  that  could  and  would  solve  and  administer 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK  131 

the  few  remaining  Droblems  which  hinder  the  ultimate 
advancements  of  the  best  interests  of  the  wonderland 
which  they  know  like  a  book  and  love  like  a  home.  At 
many  scattered  points  of  vantage  throughout  the  park  log 
huts,  called  snowshoe  cabins,  have  been  erected  for  the 
shelter  of  the  scouts.  In  these  secret  quarters  fuel,  food, 
and  bedding  are  cached  at  the  close  of  each  summer. 
Quickly  they  become  inaccessible  except  by  snowshoes. 
All  winter  long  the  scouts  in  groups  of  two  or  three, 
guided  by  the  most  experienced  of  the  number,  track  across 
the  unmarked  snow  from  cabin  to  cabin  watching  for 
skulking  poachers,  spying  for  the  smoke  of  intruding 
trappers,  and  investigating  the  characters  and  designs 
of  the  many  furtive  hunters  who  camp  conveniently  out- 
side the  confines  of  the  park  ready  to  cross  the  lines  and 
slaughter  the  unsuspecting  game.  These  running  scouts 
travel  lightly  and  rapidly,  skimming  the  snow  on  skis, 
carrying  only  enough  food  for  a  midday  lunch,  depending 
for  warmth  only  upon  the  violent  exertions  which  must 
be  sustained  between  shelters  to  prevent  them  from  freez- 
ing. There  is  no  camping  for  them  until  they  have  reached 
the  far-away  cabin  which  marks  the  end  of  their  day's 
running. 

Indistinguishable  from  private  horsemen,  familiar  with 
the  country,  devoted  to  the  work,  passionately  fond  of  the 
great  wonderland  which  is  their  home,  properly  paid  and 
provided  with  quarters  and  subsistence  for  themselves 
and  their  horses,  it  is  apparent  that  the  work  of  these 
men  in  the  summer  as  well  as  in  the  winter  will  be  found 
unequaled  in  efficiency  and  constancy  by  any  other  method 
of  policing  the  park.  What  with  patrolling  the  park,  ap- 
prehending thoughtless  or  criminal  malefactors,  fighting 
forest  fires  and  regulating  scattered  camps,  feeding  the 
game  in  winter  and  preventing  the  ravages  of  carnivorous 
beasts,  their  duties  and  dangers  are  constant  and  im- 
portant. 

The  police  work  of  the  park  has  been  focused  and 
made  effective  by  the  establishment  of  a  trial  court  pre- 
sided over  by  a  United  States  commissioner  with  head- 
quarters at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs. 

The  enormous  area  of  the  national  park,  its  unspeak- 
able and  awesome  phenomena,  its  indescribable  beauties, 
its  perennial  disclosures  of  new  and  astonishing  things, 
the  amazing  variety  of  its  countless  attractions,  the  alter- 


132  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

nating  contrasts  of  marvels  winsome  and  prodigious,  can 
be  indicated  but  not  appraised  in  these  brief  notes. 

For  the  great  public  of  this  and  other  countries  re- 
peated personal  visits  and  sustained  and  intimate  study  of 
its  lavish  splendors  and  inconceivable  curiosities  are  neces- 
sary to  even  an  approximate  appreciation,  either  of  the 
Yellowstone  wonderland  itself  or  of  the  broad  and  patriotic 
spirit  which  has  made  it  one  of  the  proudest  possessions 
of  the  whole  people  of  the  United  States,  as  it  is  also  the 
open  and  hospitable  pleasuring  ground  of  the  travelers  of 
every  country  on  the  globe  J 


AN  ENCOUNTER: 

" — We  are  informed  that  a  few  days  since  a  party  of 
Indians  placed  sods  upon  the  track  of  the  U.  P.  R.  R.  at  a 
point  between  Pine  Bluffs  and  Antelope  Station.  Some 
men  with  a  hand  car,  coming  up,  chose  to  take  the  chances 
of  encountering  the  sods  rather  than  the  red  devils,  who 
were  near  at  hand,  awaiting  results.  The  car  passed  the 
obstructions  without  harm,  and  the  red  devils  were  foiled." 
—The  Cheyenne  Leader,  October  22,  1867. 


1.     60th  Cong.  2nd  Sess.   S.  Doc.  672;    [Serial  5409.] 


The  interpretation  of  historical  anecdotes  often  present  diffi- 
culties as  to  their  historical  value.  The  following  Documents  with- 
out doubt  establish  a  value  which  assists  in  proving  that  the  Black- 
foot  Indians  were  friends  of  the  white  man.  Due  to  unavoidable 
circumstances,  John  Coulter  who  was  found  by  the  Blackfoot  with 
the  Crows  during  an  engagement  between  the  two  tribes,  helped  to 
undermine  the  confidence  established  by  Lewis  and  Clarke  between 
the  Blackfoot  and  the  whiteman.  This  and  other  similar  encounters 
brought  about  serious  Indian  troubles,  which  without  doubt  retarded 
the  settlement  of  this  part  of  the  country,  a  part  of  which  later 
became  northern  Wyoming,  fully  forty  to  fifty  years. 


16th  Congress  No.  163  1st  Session 

TRADE  AND  INTERCOURSE 
Communicated  to  the  Senate,  February  16,  1820 

Mr.  Leake,  from  the  Committee  on  Indian  Affairs,  to 
whom  was  referred  the  resolution  of  the  Senate  respecting 
the  trade  and  intercourse  with  the  Indian  tribes,  made  the 
following  report: 

The  committee  have  had  that  subject  under  considera- 
tion, and  have  discovered  that  the  trade,  as  it  is  at  present 
conducted  with  the  Indian  tribes,  has  been  productive  of 
serious  injuries,  as  well  to  the  interests  of  the  Indians  as 
to  the  interests  of  the  United  States  in  their  intercourse 
with  them;  that,  instead  of  being  calculated  to  aid  in  the 
civilization,  and  add  to  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  that 
unfortunate  portion  of  the  human  family,  and  to  promote 
the  beneficial  influence  of  the  United  States  over  them, 
the  course  pursued  by  those  who  carry  on  the  Indian  trade 
has  in  most  instances  produced  the  contrary  effect,  as  will 
be  seen  by  referring  to  the  documents  herewith  presented, 
and  marked  A  and  B,  which  have  been  received  in  a  com- 
munication from  the  Secretary  of  War,  made  to  the  com- 
mittee at  their  request,  which  they  beg  leave  to  make  a 
part  of  this  report,  and  which  are  as  follows: 

A. 

Camp  Missouri,  Missouri  River,  October  29,  1819. 
Sir: 

Agreeably  to  your  request,  I  lay  before  you  my  views 
on  the  subject  of  Indian  trade  on  this  river,  the  result  of 


134  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

personal  observation  among  the  Osage,  Kanzas,  Ottoe, 
Missouria,  loway,  Pawnee,  and  Maha  nations,  and  what  I 
have  collected  from  persons  acquainted  with  the  more  re- 
mote tribes. 

The  history  of  this  trade  under  the  Spanish  and 
French  colonial  governments  would  be  the  recital  of  the 
expeditions  of  vagrant  hunters  and  traders,  who  never 
ventured  up  the  river  beyond  a  few  miles  of  this  place. 
The  return  of  Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke,  and  the  favorable 
account  they  brought  with  them  of  the  rich  furs  to  be  ob- 
tained on  the  upper  branches  of  the  Missouri,  and  the  re- 
spectful reception  which  their  admirable  deportment  to- 
wards the  natives  had  gained  for  them,  encouraged  Manual 
Lisa,  one  of  the  most  enterprising  of  these  traders,  to 
venture  up  the  Missouri  with  a  small  trading  equipment 
as  far  as  the  Yellow  Stone  river. 

He  passed  the  winter  of  1807-'08  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Yellow  Stone  and  Big  Horn  rivers.  It  is  an  act  of  justice 
due  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Captain  Lewis,  to  state 
that  the  Blackfeet  Indians  (in  whose  vicinity  Lisa  now 
lives)  were  so  convinced  of  the  propriety  of  his  conduct 
in  the  rencounter  which  took  place  betv/een  him  and  a 
party  of  their  people,  in  which  two  of  them  were  killed, 
that  they  did  not  consider  it  as  cause  of  war  or  hostility 
on  their  part:  this  is  proved,  inasmuch  as  the  first  party 
of  Lisa's  men  that  were  met  by  the  Blackfeet  were  treated 
civilly.  This  circumstance  induced  Lisa  to  despatch  one 
of  his  men  (Coulter)  to  the  forks  of  the  Missouri,  to  en- 
deavor to  find  the  Blackfeet  nation,  and  bring  them  to  his 
establishment  to  trade.  This  messenger  unfortunately  fell 
in  with  a  party  of  the  Crow  nation,  with  v/hom  he  staid 
several  days.  While  with  them,  they  were  attacked  by 
their  enemies  the  Blackfeet.  Coulter,  in  self-defence,  took 
part  with  the  Crows.  He  distinguished  himself  very  much 
in  the  combat;  and  the  Blackfeet  were  defeated,  having 
plainly  observed  a  white  man  fighting  in  the  ranks  of  their 
enemy.  Coulter  returned  to  the  trading-house.  In  travers- 
ing the  same  country,  a  short  time  after,  in  company  with 
another  man,  a  party  of  the  Blackfeet  attempted  to  stop 
them,  without,  however,  evincing  any  hostile  intentions;  a 
rencounter  ensued,  in  which  the  comnanion  of  Coulter  and 
two  Indians  were  killed,  and  Coulter  made  his  escape.  The 
next  time  whites  were  ^)\ei  by  the  Blackfeet,  the  latter  at- 
tacked without  any  parley.  Thus  originated  the  hostility 
which  has  prevented  American  traders  from  penetrating 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  135 

the  fur  country  of  the  Missouri.  Lisa  returned  in  1808 
to  St.  Louis,  and  in  1809  the  Missouri  Fur  Company  was 
formed.  The  objects  of  this  company  appear  to  have  been 
to  monopoHze  the  trade  among  the  lower  tribes  of  the 
Missouri,  who  understand  the  art  of  trapping,  and  to  send 
a  large  party  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri  river 
capable  of  defending  and  trapping  beaver  themselves.  To 
the  latter  object,  however,  the  attention  of  the  company 
was  more  particularly  directed.  In  the  spring  of  1809, 
the  principal  partners  of  this  company  ascended  the  Mis- 
souri at  the  head  of  about  150  men.  They  left  small  trad- 
ing establishments  at  the  Arickara,  Mandan,  and  Gros 
Ventres  villages,  and  the  main  body  of  the  party  wintered 
in  1809-'10  at  the  old  trading  position  of  Manuel  Lisa,  at 
the  junction  of  the  Yellow  Stone  and  Big  Horn  rivers.  In 
the  spring  of  1810,  they  proceeded  to  the  Three  Forks  of 
the  Missouri,  where  they  erected  a  fort,  and  commenced 
trapping.  They  had  every  prospect  of  being  successful, 
until  their  operations  were  interrupted  by  the  hostility  of 
the  Blackfeet  Indians.  With  these  people  they  had  several 
very  severe  conflicts,  in  which  upwards  of  30  of  their 
men  were  killed;  and  the  whole  party  were  finally  com- 
pelled to  leave  that  part  of  the  country.  They  proceeded 
in  a  southwardly  direction,  crossed  the  mountains  near 
the  source  of  the  Yellow  Stone  river,  and  wintered  in 
1810-'ll  on  the  waters  of  the  Columbia.  At  this  position 
they  suffered  much  for  provisions,  and  were  compelled 
to  live  for  some  months  entirely  upon  their  horses.  The 
party  by  this  time  had  become  dispirited,  and  began  to 
separate:  some  returned  into  the  United  States  by  the  way 
of  the  Missouri,  and  others  made  their  way  south,  into  the 
Spanish  settlements,  by  the  way  of  the  Rio  del  Norte.  The 
company  languished  through  1812,  1813,  and  1814,  and 
finally  expired.  Equally  unfortunate,  in  a  commercial 
point  of  view,  was  another  company,  which  embarked  the 
year  preceding  the  one  I  have  described,  having  in  view 
the  same  objects.  It  left  St.  Louis  in  1808,  headed  by 
two  traders,  Messrs.  McClinnon  and  Crooks,  and  consisted 
of  near  eighty  men.  They  met  returning,  near  this  place, 
the  boat  sent  by  the  United  States  to  carry  back  the 
Mandan  chief  brought  into  this  country  by  Captains  Lewis 
and  Clarke.  You  undoubtedly  recollect  that  this  boat  was 
attacked  by  the  Arickaras,  and  compelled  to  make  a  pre- 
cipitate retreat.  This  act  of  hostility  discouraged  Messrs. 
McClinnon  and  Crooks,  and  they  thought  it  prudent  to 
decline  going  on.     Encouraged,  however,  by  the  attempt 


136  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  they  followed  their  boats  in 
the  spring  of  1809.  They  were  met,  however,  by  the  Sconi 
band  of  the  Sioux,  who  refused  to  permit  them  to  pass, 
and  compelled  them  to  remain  among  them.  By  affecting 
to  submit,  and  commencing  to  erect  houses,  the  Indians 
were  thrown  off  their  guard;  and  the  party,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  their  absence  on  a  hunting  excursion,  embarked 
with  their  goods,  and  descended  the  river  to  the  Ottoe 
village,  where  they  passed  the  winter  of  1809-'10.  They 
have  always  attributed  their  detention  by  the  Sioux  to 
the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  or  some  of  its  members,  who, 
to  procure  themselves  a  passage,  informed  the  Sioux  that 
the  boat  coming  up  was  intended  to  trade,  and  that  they 
must  not  permit  her  to  pass.  Considering  the  character 
of  Indian  traders,  when  in  competition,  the  fact  is  very 
far  from  being  improbable.  In  1811,  the  views  of  these 
traders  appear  to  have  changed:  they  added  to  their  as- 
sociation Mr.  Wilson  P.  Hunt,  and  appear  to  have  acted 
under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Astor,  of  New  York.  They 
ascended  the  river  again  in  1811,  and  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia;  but  they  carried  no  goods,  nor  made  any 
attempts  to  trade  or  trap  on  the  Missouri:  whatever  might 
have  been  their  intentions,  they  were  probably  frustrated 
by  the  war  of  1812.  The  dissolution  of  the  Missouri  Fur 
Company,  the  disaster  that  befel  the  United  States'  boat, 
and  the  difficulties  encountered  by  Messrs.  McClinnon  and 
Crooks,  extinguished  the  spirit  of  enterprise  that  had 
promised  to  carry  our  trade  into  the  valuable  fur  country 
of  the  Missouri.  Since  that  period,  two  companies  have 
been  formed,  both  of  which  dissolved  unsuccessfully;  and 
a  third  is  now  in  operation,  independent  of  several  indivi- 
dual traders;  but  no  attempts  have  since  been  made  to 
carry  on  trade  beyond  the  Arickaras;  nor,  in  fact,  do 
traders  often  venture  beyond  the  upper  band  of  the  Sioux. 

The  following  statement  exhibits  the  trade  of  this 
river,  viz: 

The  company  consists  of  Messrs.  Lisa,  Pilcher,  Per- 
kins, Wood,  Carson,  Williams,  and  Tenonee.  They  bought 
out  the  company  of  1817  and  1818  for  $10,000,  and  bought 
about  $7,000  worth  of  goods.  They  trade  with  the  Ottoes, 
Missourias,  loways,  the  Mahas,  Pawnee,  Piankeshaws,  and 
Sioux:  their  principal  trading  establishment  is  near  this 
place;   capital  $17,000 

Seres  and  Francis  Chouteau  trade  with  the  Kanzas 
and  Osage  nations.     They  have  a  trading-house  not  far 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  137 

from  the  mouth  of  the  river  Kanzas,  and  their  capital  is 
about    $4,000 

Legarc,  Chouteau,  and  Brothers,  trade  with  the  Osage 
and  Kanzas  nations,  near  their  village  on  the  Osage  river; 
their  capital  $6,000 

The  United  States  factory  also  trade  with  the  Osages 
and  Kanzas.    This  factory  is  at  Fort  Osage. 

Roberdeau  and  Pepin,  in  partnership  with  Chouteau 
and  Butholl,  of  St.  Louis,  trade  with  the  Ottoes,  loways, 
Missourias,  Pawnees,  Mahas,  Piankeshaws,  and  Sioux. 
Their  principal  establishment  is  at  Nashanotollona ; 
capital    $12,000 

Pratt  and  Vasquer  trade  with  the  same  nations.  Their 
principal  establishment  is  near  the  Mahas  village;  cap- 
ital     $7,000 

Broseau  and  De  Lorion  trade  occasionally  with  the 
Sioux  and  Arickaras:  they  do  not  trade  this  year;  cap- 
ital     $7,000 

It  is  evident,  from  this  statement,  that  the  trade  is 
of  little  importance  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view,  and  that 
various  individuals  having  opposite  interests  trade  with 
the  same  Indians.  These  traders  are  continually  endeavor- 
ing to  lessen  each  other  in  the  eyes  of  the  Indians,  not 
only  by  abusive  words,  but  by  all  sorts  of  low  tricks  and 
maneuvers.  If  a  trader  trusts  an  Indian,  his  opponent 
uses  all  his  endeavors  to  purchase  the  furs  he  may  take, 
or  prevent  in  any  way  his  being  paid.  Each  trader  sup- 
ports his  favorite  chief,  which  produces  not  only  intestine 
commotions  and  divisions  in  the  tribe,  but  destroys  the 
the  influence  of  the  principal  chief,  who  should  always  be 
under  the  control  of  the  Government.  The  introduction 
of  ardent  spirits  is  one  of  the  unhappy  consequences  of 
this  opposition  among  traders.  So  violent  is  the  attach- 
ment of  Indians  for  it,  that  he  who  gives  most  is  sure  to 
obtain  furs;  while,  should  any  one  attempt  to  trade  with- 
out it,  he  is  sure  of  losing  ground  with  his  antogonist; 
no  bargain  is  ever  concluded  without  it,  and  the  law  on 
that  subject  is  evaded  by  their  saying  they  give,  not  sell  it. 
The  traders  being  afraid  to  trust  the  Indians,  they  cannot 
make  distant  hunts :  this,  and  their  attachment  to  whiskey, 
induce  them  to  hang  about  in  the  vicinities  of  trading  es- 
tablishments. As  they  take  furs,  they  sell  them  for 
whiskey;  the  consequence  is,  that  but  few  furs  are  taken, 
as  much  of  the  hunting  season  is  lost  in  intoxication  and 


138  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

indolence.  The  Indians  witnessing  the  efforts  of  these 
people  to  cheat  and  injure  each  other,  and  knowing  no 
other  or  no  more  important  white  men,  they  readily  im- 
bibe the  idea  that  all  white  men  are  alike  bad.  The  im- 
posing appearance  of  arms  and  equipments  of  white  men, 
and  the  novelty  and  convenience  of  their  merchandise, 
had  impr^essed  the  Indians  with  a  high  idea  of  their  power 
and  importance;  but  the  avidity  with  which  beaver  skins 
are  sought  after,  the  tricks  and  wrangling  made  use  of, 
and  the  degradation  submitted  to  in  obtaining  them,  have 
induced  a  belief  that  the  whites  cannot  exist  without  them, 
and  made  a  great  change  in  their  opinion  of  our  import- 
ance, our  justice,  and  our  power. 

Under  the  plea  of  trading  with  the  Indians,  white 
trappers  and  hunters  obtain  a  footing  in  their  country. 
The  old  man  and  his  son  whipped  and  robbed  this  sum- 
mer by  the  Pawnees,  and  the  three  men  killed  about  the 
same  time  by  the  Sioux,  were  persons  of  this  description; 
the  trouble  these  sorts  of  transactions  may  occasion  the 
Government  cannot  be  readily  calculated.  It  will  illustrate 
what  I  have  said  to  narrate  what  happened  on  my  visit 
to  the  Maha  nation,  from  which  I  yesterday  returned.  The 
nation  were  preparing  to  start  on  their  winter  hunt,  and 
endeavoring  to  obtain  guns,  powder,  and  lead,  to  subsist 
themselves  while  trapping:  they  complained  bitterly  that 
they  could  not  procure  enough  of  these  articles ;  the  traders 
were  afraid  to  trust  them;  there  were  two  traders  in  the 
camp,  both  jealous  and  apprehensive  of  each  other;  (in 
conversation  with  the  Indians,  they  invariably  abused  the 
traders,  and  the  traders  abused  each  other.)  The  tribe 
separated  into  small  hunting  bands,  very  much  dissatified, 
and  the  traders  would  send  round  occasionally  to  their 
bands  to  purchase  their  furs.  A  keg  of  whiskey  was  con- 
sidered an  indispensable  equipment  for  such  an  under- 
taking. I  had  found,  on  my  arrival,  most  of  the  principal 
men  drunk.  The  Big  Elk,  who  is  so  much  our  friend, 
and  who  formerly  possessed  unlimited  power  in  his  na- 
tion, was  so  drunk  for  two  days  that  I  could  not  deliver 
your  letter  to  him;  when  I  gave  it,  I  requested  the  inter- 
preter to  inform  him  that  I  had  been  two  days  waiting  to 
deliver  a  letter  from  you,  but  that,  very  much  to  my  sur- 
prise, I  had  found  him  too  drunk  to  transact  business. 
He  appeared  affected  at  what  I  said,  acknowledged  how 
unworthy  it  was  in  him  to  be  in  that  situation,  and  ad- 
mitted he  had  lost  much  power  by  it.  He  blamed  the 
whites  for  bringing  liquor  into  the  country;  said  that  when 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  139 

he  knew  it  was  not  to  be  had,  he  felt  no  inclination  for  it; 
but  that  when  it  was  near  and  attainable,  his  attachment 
for  it  was  irresistable.  Besides,  said  he,  your  traders  come 
among  my  nation,  give  metals,  and  make  chiefs  of  every 
man  who  can  obtain  a  party  to  trap  beaver.  It  is  the 
ambition  of  these  chiefs  that  opposes  me  and  makes  me 
powerless.  I  know  there  are  Mahas  now  alive  as  brave 
and  as  wise  as  I  am.  It  was  fortune  or  chance  that 
placed  me  at  the  head  of  the  nation,  and  I  cannot  control 
my  tribe  while  the  whites  assist  those  who  oppose  me.  Thus 
is  the  influence  of  this  valuable  and  sensible  Indian  lost 
to  his  tribe  and  the  Government,  and  thus  is  a  man  who 
possesses  some  traits  that  do  honor  to  human  nature  de- 
based and  made  a  beast  of;  he  had  not  influence  enough 
to  lead  a  hunting  band.  By  the  establishment  of  military 
posts,  the  Government  expect  to  secure  the  trade  to  Amer- 
ican citizens,  to  obtain  such  an  ascendency  over  them  as 
will  secure  their  assistance  or  pr-event  their  being  em- 
ployed against  us,  and  thereby  to  civilize  them.  The  facil- 
ity with  which  any  man  may  become  nominally  a  citizen 
of  the  United  States  gives  but  little  advantage  to  those 
who  have  really  claims  to  that  character;  and  I  appeal 
to  your  personal  knowledge  of  the  present  traders  to  say 
if  they  are  likely  to  instil  among  the  Indians  favorable 
opinions  of  the  Government,  or  if  the  establishment  of 
an  isolated  military  post  among  the  Indians  is  likely  to 
obtain  such  an  ascendency  over  them  as  will  secure  their 
assistance,  or  prevent  their  being  employed  against  us, 
while  the  real  influence  is  in  the  hands  of  the  description 
of  men  who  now  trade  on  the  Missouri.  Those  traders 
who  reside  near  the  military  posts,  or  who  are  willing  to 
lend  their  influence  to  the  Government,  will  be  the  objects 
of  jealousy  to  their  rivals,  whose  establishments  may  be 
farther  off.  The  readiest  way  of  destroying  the  trade  of 
their  rival  will  be  to  create  such  disturbances  between  the 
tribe  and  the  troops  as  will  prevent  the  Indians  frequent- 
ing the  post.  This  is  not  an  imaginary  apprehension. 
Recollect  that  our  difficulty  last  year  with  the  Kanzas 
nation  arose  from  the  intrigues  of  a  trader,  who,  finding 
that  the  Kanzas  were  trading  at  an  establishment  near  the 
cantonment,  induced  some  of  their  young  men  to  commit 
such  outrages,  (stopping  our  men,  whipping  them,  etc.) 
as  had  nearly  produced  a  war,  and  which  ended  in  whipping 
the  Indians,  and  expelling  them  from  camp.  The  fact  can- 
not be  legally  proved,  but  I  sincerely  believe  it. 


140  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  impossibility  of  civilizing  the  Indians,  when  ex- 
posed to  the  temptations  and  delusions  of  interested  trad- 
ers, needs  no  comment. 

The  establishment  of  a  company  capable  of  monopoliz- 
ing the  trade  would  be  attended  in  this  country  with  in- 
numerable difficulties.  I  will  not  detail  them,  but  submit 
with  great  deference  to  your  better  judgment  my  own 
opinion.  Let  the  Government  take  the  trade  into  their 
own  hands ;  let  their  agents  be  honest,  capable,  and  zealous ; 
let  their  factories  be  established,  not  only  where  the  troops 
may  be  stationed,  but  at  all  points  convenient  for  trading 
with  the  Indians;  let  certain  prices  be  fixed,  and  let  the 
compensation  of  the  factors  depend  upon  the  value  of  the 
furs  they  obtain ;  and  let  their  accounts  be  rigidly  inspected. 

The  Indians  would  then  be  completely  within  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Government;  there  would  then  be  no  dif- 
ficulty in  giving  credit;  because,  if  the  Indian  did  not  pay, 
he  would  find  no  one  else  to  trust  him;  neither  would  it 
be  necessary  to  debauch  the  Indians  with  whiskey.  With 
credits  to  obtain  the  means  of  subsistence,  and  without 
the  incitement  of  whiskey  to  indolence,  they  would  make 
more  furs  than  when  surrounded  by  a  host  of  traders. 

In  short,  sir,  to  my  humble  judgment,  it  appears 
that  in  the  present  state  of  affairs,  at  an  enormous  ex- 
pense, we  obtain  nothing.  By  placing  the  trade  in  the 
hands  of  the  Government,  we  can,  without  the  expense 
of  one  cent,  obtain  every  thing  they  appear  to  desire. 

With  sentiments  of  the  greatest  respect  and  esteem, 
your  obedient  servant, 

Thomas  Biddle. 

To  Col.  H.  Atkinson,  Commanding  9th  Military  Department. 

EXTRACT  OF  A  LETTER  FROM  COLONEL  HENRY  ATKINSON 
TO  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR,  dated 

St.  Louis,  November  23,  1819. 

I  have  no  doubt,  however,  but  all  the  posts  can  be 
established,  and  the  objects  of  Government  attained,  with- 
out hostility  with  the  Indians,  should  the  Indian  trade  be 
properly  regulated  by  law.  But,  under  the  present  system, 
which  is  miserably  defective,  and  most  shamefully  abused 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  141 


by  the  traders,  much  trouble  and  difficulty  may  be  ap- 
prehended. 


St.  Louis,  November  26,  1819. 

Sir: 

I  take  the  liberty  of  submitting  to  you  a  report  made 
by  Major  Biddle,  of  whom  I  required  a  particular  atten- 
tion to  Indian  affairs  whilst  prosecuting  the  expedition 
up  the  Missouri  in  the  summer  and  autumn.  His  oppor- 
tunities were  such  as  to  enable  him  to  form  a  very  correct 
idea  of  the  manner  the  Indian  trade  has  been  carried  on, 
and  of  the  character  of  those  engaged  in  it.  Much  has 
fallen  under  my  own  observation,  and  agrees  with  his 
statements. 

The  conduct  of  the  traders,  generally,  tends  more 
to  distract  and  corrupt  the  Indians  than  to  effect  the  ob- 
jects contemplated  by  the  laws  establishing  the  inter- 
course. Instead  of  carrying  on  a  liberal,  open,  and  fair 
trade  with  the  Indians,  and  impressing  them  with  a  proper 
sense  and  respect  for  the  character  and  views  of  Govern- 
ment, every  thing  is  made  to  bend  to  an  underhand,  back- 
biting policy.  Each  trader  endeavors  to  impress  the  In- 
dians with  the  belief  that  all  other  traders  have  no  ob- 
ject but  to  cheat  and  deceive  them,  and  that  Government 
intend  taking  away  their  lands  by  sending  troops  into 
their  country.  Hence  the  jealousy  and  distrust  of  the 
Indians  towards  Government,  and  the  bad  opinion  they 
have  of  the  whites  for  truth  and  honesty.  So  illiberal 
are  the  traders  in  their  conduct  towards  each  other,  that, 
when  one  of  them  gives  a  credit  to  a  tribe  to  enable  it 
to  send  out  hunting  and  trapping  parties,  another  des- 
patches an  agent,  or  agents,  with  a  supply  of  goods  and 
whiskey  to  dog  the  parties  on  their  excursions,  and,  by 
the  lure  of  a  little  whiskey  and  some  trifling  articles,  rob 
them  of  their  peltries  and  furs  as  soon  as  they  are  taken 
from  the  animal's  back,  and  the  just  creditor  of  his  pay. 
This  sort  of  conduct  has  very  injurious  consequences;  for, 
as  it  is  so  generally  practised,  every  trader  is  afraid  to 
give  such  credits  as  are  necessary  to  enable  the  Indians 
to  provide  such  articles  as  their  women  and  children 
stand  in  need  of;  and  the  dogging  gentry  leave  little  or 
nothing  in  their  hands  at  the  end  of  their  hunts  to  pur- 
chase with.  However,  notwithstanding  the  arts  and  wiles 
practised  by  the  traders  on  the  Indians,   they  have  un- 


142  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

bounded  influence  over  them;  for  trade  is  the  strong  cord 
by  which  they  are  all  bound.  Withhold  their  trade,  and 
you  bring  them  to  any  terms;  afford  it,  and  you  make 
them  do  any  thing.  If  this  be  the  fact,  (and  I  assure  you 
it  is,)  is  it  just  or  proper  that  the  influence  over  the 
Indians  should  be  left  in  such  corrupt  hands?  Their 
friendship,  at  no  time,  while  this  state  of  things  exists, 
can  be  calculated  on.  It  appears  to  be  an  easy  matter  for 
Congress  to  remedy  the  evil;  and  it  would  seem  that  they 
will,  if  they  can  believe  those  who  are  personally  ac- 
quainted with  the  facts.  To  do  it,  all  intercourse  by  in- 
dividual traders  with  the  Indians  should  be  prohibited; 
and  let  Government  take  the  whole  trade  into  their  own 
hands,  or  confide  it  to  a  single  company  with  a  sufficient 
capital.  The  first,  in  my  opinion,  would  be  preferable,  as 
all  the  influence  desirable  might  be  acquired  by  Govern- 
ment over  the  Indians.  Besides,  if  the  factories  were 
well  managed,  the  profits  arising  from  them  would,  prob- 
ably, defray  all  the  expenses  of  the  military  that  might 
be  necessary  to  establish  the  posts  and  protect  the  trade 
in  the  Indian  country.  If  the  latter  should  be  thought 
preferable,  the  individuals  of  a  single  company,  having 
but  one  interest,  would  find  their  account  in  impressing 
the  Indians  with  a  proper  regard  and  respect  for  the 
character  and  views  of  Government. 

The  foregoing  subject  being  so  intimately  connected 
with  your  views  relative  to  the  Missouri  expedition,  and 
deeming  a  change  in  the  system  so  essential  to  the  inter- 
ests and  views  of  Government  in  that  quarter,  I  have 
thought  proper  to  order  Major  Biddle  to  report  in  per- 
son to  you,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  any  further  infor- 
mation on  the  subject  that  might  be  thought  necessary. 

With  the  greatest  respect,  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your 
most  obedient  servant, 

H.  ATKINSON, 

Col.  6th  Inf.  com'g  9th  Mil.  Dep. 

Hon.  John  C.  Calhoun,  Secretary  of  War. 


Note:    The   term   of  United   States   Factory  meant   Government 
trading  posts. 

Exact  copy  of  the  document:    American  State  Papers,  Vol.  VI, 
pp.  201-204. 


GOVERNOR  FRANCIS  E.  WARREN,  A  CHAMPION 
OF  WOMAN  SUFFRAGE 

Letters  in  The  National  Archives 
By  W.  Turrentine  Jackson* 


The  first  legislature  of  the  Wyoming  Territory,  meet- 
ing in  Cheyenne  during  December,  1869,  conferred  upon 
the  women  of  the  territory  the  right  to  vote  in  all  elec- 
tions.' Two  years  later  members  of  the  second  legisla- 
tive assembly  unsuccessfully  endeavored  to  repeal  the  law, 
and  this  was  the  last  significant  attempt  to  deny  to  the 
women  of  Wyoming  political  equality  with  men.  The  ter- 
ritory had  thus  launched  at  its  very  beginning  a  pioneer 
experiment  in  the  field  of  politics.  Although  the  national 
leaders  of  the  movement  for  equal  suffrage  were  encourag- 
ed by  the  Wyoming  enactment,  they  undoubtedly  con- 
sidered it  a  temporary  experiment  in  a  frontier  commun- 
ity. Nevertheless,  the  women  of  Wyoming  enjoyed  the 
privileges  of  political  equality  for  a  half  century  before 
woman  suffrage  was  sanctioned  by  the  federal  constitution. 

In  the  two  decades  of  territorial  existence  constant 
inquiries  were  received  by  the  territorial  governors  rela- 
tive to  the  success  of  woman  suffrage.  A  few  indivi- 
duals wrote  to  criticize,  but  the  majority  were  interested 
in  the  results  of  the  experiment.     Letters  were  often  re- 


*BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH: — W.  Turrentine  Jackson,  born 
April  5,  1915,  at  Ruston,  Louisiana,  is  the  son  of  Brice  H.  Jackson 
and  Luther  Turrentine  Jackson.  He  is  an  Ensign,  USNE.  is  now 
on  active  duty  in  the  office  of  the  Chief  of  Naval  Operations  in 
Washington,  D.  C.  He  was  formerly  employed  as  a  research  analyst 
by  the  United  States  Navy,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  history 
faculty  at  the  University  of  California,  Montana  State  University, 
and  at  Iowa  State  College. 

Mr.  Jackson  received  the  Ph.  D.  degree  from  the  University  of 
Texas  in  1940,  his  doctoral  dissertation  being  written  on  "The  Early 
Exploration  and  Founding  of  Yellowstone  National  Park."  Jack- 
son's research  interest  has  continued  to  be  the  trans-Mississippi 
west,  and  he  has  published  several  studies  in  the  Pacific  Historical 
Review,  the  Pacific  Northwest  Quarterly,  and  the  Mississippi  Valley 
Historical  Review. 

Mr.  Jackson  was  married  in  1942,  to  Barbara  Kone  of  Austin, 
Texas.     Is  affiliated  with  the  Methodist  church. 


1.     Compiled  Laws  of  Wyoming,   (Cheyenne,  1876),  343. 


144  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ceived  inquiring  as  to  the  percentage  of  women  voting  in 
elections,  the  method  by  which  they  quahfied  to  vote, 
and  the  offices  in  the  territory  to  which  they  might  be 
elected.  Men  outside  the  territory  were  concerned  about 
the  refining  influence  that  the  presence  of  women  would 
have  at  the  polls,  and  feared  that  they  would  ignore  po- 
litical groups  and  vote  for  candidates  on  the  basis  of  their 
personal  morals.  A  large  percentage  of  the  letters  among 
the  Executive  Proceedings  of  the  territory  came  from 
nearby  Colorado  and  from  Kansas,  Missouri,  and  Illinois. 
These  evidence  an  unusual  interest  throughout  those 
states  in  the  success  of  the  institution. ^ 

The  official  correspondence  of  the  governors  of  Wy- 
oming show  that  Francis  E.  Warren  was  the  greatest 
champion  of  woman  suffrage  among  the  territorial  gov- 
ernors. In  his  first  annual  report  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior  he  commended  the  measure  giving  women  the 
vote  by  saying,  "without  argument,  the  facts  show  that 
the  men  of  Wyoming  are  favorable  to  woman  suffrage, 
as  the  women  surely  are  ...  it  can  be  asserted  without 
fear  of  contradiction  that  Wyoming  appreciates,  believes 
in,  and  indorses  woman  suffrage. "^  Warren  wrote  many 
letters  relative  to  the  suffrage  question  during  his  first 
administration  of  1885-86.  The  files  of  his  correspondence 
in  the  National  Archives  contain  answers  to  several  ques- 
tionnaires on  the  success  of  woman  suffrage.  His  re- 
sponses, although  terse  and  factual,  display  his  approval 
and  enthusiasm  for  equal  political  rights.  At  the  close  of 
his  term  he  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  "Woman 
suffrage  continues  as  popular  as  when  first  permitted, 
fifteen  years  ago.  The  women  nearly  all  vote,  and  neither 
political  party  objects."'* 

In  1889  during  his  second  term  as  territorial  gov- 
ernor, Wyoming  was  making  formal  preparation  to  be- 
come a  state  in  the  Union.  When  the  constitutional  con- 
vention endorsed  the  equal  suffrage  experiment  by  pro- 


2.  Correspondence  of  Governors  John  M.  Thayer,  John  W.  Hoyt, 
Wilham  Hale,  Francis  E.  Warren,  and  Thomas  Moonhght,  Executive 
Proceedings  of  the  Territory  of  Wyoming,  1878-1889,  Records  of  the 
Department  of  the  Interior,  The  National  Archives. 

3.  Francis  E.  Warren,  "Annal  Report  of  the  Governor  of  Wyo- 
ming," Report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  for  the  Fiscal  Year 
Ending  June  30,  1885,  II,  1202. 

4.  Warren,  "Annual  Report  of  the  Governor  of  Wyoming,"  Re- 
port of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  for  the  Fiscal  Year  Ending  June 
30,   1886,   II,    1034. 


WARREN,   CHAMPION  OF  WOMAN  SUFFRAGE  145 

viding  for  its  continuance  in  the  proposed  state  constitu- 
tion, Warren  wrote  the  Secretary,  "No  one  will  deny  that 
woman's  influence  in  voting  has  always  been  on  the  side 
of  good  government.  The  people  favor  its  continuance, 
.  .  .  The  constitutional  convention,  composed  of  men  from 
both  parties,  adopted  almost  unanimously  the  following 
provision : 

The  right  of  citizens  of  the  State  of  Wyoming 
to  vote  and  hold  office  shall  not  be  denied  or  abridged 
on  account  of  sex.  Both  male  and  female  citizens 
shall  enjoy  all  civil,  political,  and  religious  rights  and 
privileges.  5 

When  it  appeared  likely  that  Wyoming  would  be- 
come the  first  state  in  the  Union  constitutionally  approv- 
ing equal  rights  for  women,  several  organized  groups  of 
feminists  became  interested  in  the  trend  of  events  in 
Wyoming.  The  president  of  the  Equal  Suffrage  Associa- 
tion of  Illinois  and  the  president  of  the  Equal  Suffrage 
Convention  meeting  in  Wichita,  Kansas,  were  among  those 
sending  congratulations  to  Wyoming.  Governor  War- 
ren's telegrams  of  acknowledgment  display  his  pride  over 
the  provisions  in  the  constitution  granting  civil  and  re- 
ligious equality  to  women  as  well  as  political  rights.^  In 
November,  1889,  the  people  of  Wyoming  approved  this  con- 
stitution endorsing  equality. 

The  following  letters,  culled  from  the  voluminous  cor- 
respondence of  Francis  E.  Warren  in  The  National  Arch- 
ives, contain  statements  which  perhaps  explain  more 
clearly  the  historical  development  of  woman  suffrage  in 
Wyoming.  The  questions  which  prompted  these  replies 
point  out  the  complete  lack  of  information  on  the  subject 
and  the  extent  to  which  Wyoming  was  pioneering  by  grant- 
ing political  equality  to  women. 

Washington,  D.  C. 

Francis  E.  Warren  to  G.  A.  Hege  of  Halstead,  Kansas, 
February  3,  1886. 

I  have  your  communication  of  the  29th  ult.  and  will 


5.  Warren,  "Annual  Report  of  the  Governor  of  Wyoming."  Re- 
port of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  for  the  Fiscal  Year  Ending  June 
30,  1889,  III,  597-98. 

6.  Warren  to  Mary  E.  Holmes,  November  8.  1889;  Warren  to 
Laura  M.  Johns,  October  5,  1889.  Warren  Correspondence,  Executive 
Proceedings  of  Territory  of  Wyoming,  Records  of  the  Department 
of  the  Interior,  The  National  Archives. 


146  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

reply  to  the  questions  in  the  order  given. 

Q.      (1)     Do  the  majority  of  the  women  of  Wyoming 
exercise  their  right  at  the  polls  ? 
A.     Yes. 

Q.  (2)  Does  the  fact  that  women  vote  in  opposi- 
tion to  their  husbands  frequently  cause  family  troubles 
and  destroy  harmony? 

A.     No. 

Q.  (3)  Are  the  women  treated  respectfully  at  the 
polls? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.      (4)     Does  the  presence  of  women  exercise  a  re- 
fining influence  on  the  public? 
A.     Yes. 

Q.  (5)  Does  your  law  require  women  to  pay  a  poll 
tax?    If  so,  do  they  work  on  the  roads  if  they  choose? 

A,  Pay  poll  tax  of  $2  each  which  goes  to  school  fund. 
Our  road  tax  in  Wyoming  is  payable  in  money  not  work. 

Q.     (6)     Is  it  not  a  fact  that  women  generally  sup- 
port the  most  moral  candidate  regardless  of  party? 
A.     Yes. 

Q.      (7)     Is  it  not  a  fact  that  most  women  support 
all  questions  of  moral  advancement? 
A.     Yes. 

Q.  (8)  Please  name  a  few  offices  in  which  women 
have  served  satisfactorily. 

A.  School  Superintendents  often.  In  one  case  Justice 
of  the  Peace.     Formerly  on  Jury  but  not  now. 

Francis  E.  Warren  to  M.  L.  Pussell  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
August  6,  1886. 

Replying  to  your  letter  of  24th  ult.  I  take  up  your 
questions  in  detail. 

1st.  How  long  has  the  privilege  to  vote  existed  for 
women  ? 

A.     Since  December  10th,  1869. 

2nd.     What  class  of  women  avail  themselves  of  it? 

A.     All  classes. 

3rd.  What  influence  have  they  if  any  upon  the  poli- 
tics of  your  territory? 

A.  Their  influence  is  to  purify.  Voting  for  men  and 
morals  rather  than  politics. 


WARREN,   CHAMPION  OF  WOMAN  SUFFRAGE  147 

4th.  Does  their  presence  at  the  polls  affect  the  con- 
duct of  the  male  voters — as  regards  drinking  and  the  var- 
ious means  of  obtaining  votes,  I  mean? 

A.  Their  presence  affects  favorably  the  conduct  of 
men  at  the  polls.  The  polls  where  women  vote  resembling 
the  entrance  to  some  public  entertainment  where  gentle- 
men and  ladies  go  together,  alone,  or  in  parties. 

5th.  Has  there  ever  a  case  been  publicly  known  of 
a  woman  receiving  a  bribe  for  her  influence  in  any  measure  ? 

A.  No.  Although  it  must  be  expected  that  base 
women  may  be  as  corrupt  as  base  men  though  not  so 
numerous  in  numbers. 

6th.  Do  your  Judges  compel  women  to  jury  service, 
and  if  so  is  that  done  regardless  of  the  character  of  the 
case? 

A.  No.  Women  have  served  on  juries  and  very  sat- 
isfactorily, but  they  have  not  been  summoned  to  do  jury 
duty  for  some  years  past  on  account  of  the  hardships  of 
such  service. 

7th.  What  provision  is  made  in  case  a  mixed  jury  is 
retained  under  the  sheriff's  guard  all  night? 

A.  When  women  served  on  jury,  connecting  rooms 
were  given  in  order  that  ladies  could  occupy  one  in  a  sort 
of  semi-privacy. 

8th.  What  offices  are  at  present  held  by  women  in 
your  Ter.? 

A.  I  believe  County  School  Superintendencies  and 
other  educational  offices  are  about  the  only  positions  at 
present  held  by  ladies. 

9th.  Your  Territory  has  given  the  movement  a  fair 
trial:  do  your  best  male  citizens  recognize  it  as  advisable, 
or  is  there  still  a  marked  prejudice  against  it? 

A.  Our  best  people  and  in  fact  all  classes  are  almost 
universally  in  favor  of  women  suffrage.  A  few  women 
and  a  few  men  still  entertain  prejudice  against  it  but  I 
know  of  no  argument  having  been  offered  to  show  its  ill 
effects  in  Wyoming. 

10th.  Do  the  women  of  the  greatest  intelligence  and 
best  social  standing  make  a  practice  of  voting  at  all  elec- 
tions ? 

A.  Yes.  But  their  strong  effort  and  best  vote  is 
brought  out  at  school  elections,  elections  for  legislature, 
etc. 


148  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Having  answered  all  your  questions  I  also  forward 
you  in  this  mail,  under  another  cover,  copy  of  my  Report 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  of  1885. 

I  also  enclose  herewith,  copy  of  the  law  Granting  the 
right  of  suffrage  to  women. 

Francis  E.  Warren  to  B.  O.  Hanby,  Publisher,  of  Kankakee, 
Illinois,  September  22,  1886. 

Your  letter  of  late  date  asking  my  opinion  of  woman 
suffrage  is  received. 

I  send  you  in  this  mail  copy  of  my  report  for  1885 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  with  page  turned  down 
to  an  article  on  this  subject.  Replying  to  your  specific 
questions: — Yes,  I  think  women  are  benefited  [sic]  by 
voting  and  that  they  benefit  others  by  so  doing.  The 
vote  of  women  in  the  territory  is  not  large  because  in 
Wyoming  as  in  other  far  western  points  the  proportion 
of  women  to  the  number  of  men  is  small. 

We  have  no  laws  in  Wyoming  restricting  the  sale 
of  intoxicating  liquors  except  license  laws.  High  licenses 
are  exacted  in  cities  and  towns  and  in  addition  thereto 
a  county  license  of  $300.  is  also  assessed.  The  women 
therefore  have  no  opportunity  to  vote  directly  for  or 
against  whiskey.  Their  influence  and  votes  are  almost 
invariably  cast  on  the  side  of  sobriety  and  morality.  Of 
course  there  are  bad  women  as  well  as  bad  men,  but  the 
proportion  is  very  much  smaller. 


Francis  E.  Warren  to  Laura  M.  Johns,  President,  Kansas 
Equal  Suffrage  Convention,  Wichita,  Kansas, 
October  5,  1889. 

Your  very  kind  telegram  of  October  3rd  congratulat- 
ing Wyoming  because  its  proposed  Constitution  gives 
equal  suffrage  to  all  its  citizens  is  received. 

Permit  me  for  myself  and  in  behalf  of  Wyoming 
Territory,  to  thank  you  for  the  consideration  and 
thoughtfulness  that  prompts  your  valued  communication. 

Enclosed  herein  I  forward  you  a  copy  of  the  Con- 
stitution. 


WARREN,   CHAMPION  OF  WOMAN  SUFFRAGE  149 

Francis  E.  Warren  to  Mary  E.  Holmes,  President,  Illinois 
Equal  Suffrage  Association,  Joliet,  Illinois,  No- 
vember 8,  1889. 

Thanks  for  kind  sentiments  from  Illinois  Equal 
Suffrage  Association.  Wyoming  adopted  Constitution 
Tuesday,  containing  equal  rights  for  men  and  women.  We 
trust  Congress  will  generously  approve  our  work  by  grant- 
ing enabling  act  and  admission. 


Francis  E.   Warren  to   Kathrina  Parsons   of   Cambridge, 
Massachusetts,  April  10,  1890. 

Your  esteemed  favor  of  the  3rd  inst.  is  received.  I 
think  you  are  laboring  under  a  mistake  regarding  the 
status  of  women's  suffrage  in  Wyoming.  The  Matter  is 
not  before  the  legislature  of  this  Territory.  The  legisla- 
ture in  1869  extended  the  right  of  suffrage  to  women  and 
it  has  since  prevailed — women  enjoying  the  same  privileges 
as  men.  Wyoming  Territory  now  asks  admission  as  a 
State  and  has  adopted  a  constitution  which  provides  for 
women's  suffrage  as  it  now  exists  in  the  Territory.  The 
bill  for  admission  is  before  Congress,  having  passed  the 
House  of  Representatives  it  is  now  in  the  U.  S.  Senate, 
where  it  will  doubtless  pass.  We  have  experienced  no 
evil  effects  in  Wyoming  from  women's  suffrage  and  it  is 
not  as  you  fear  "a  source  of  disturbance  in  the  marital 
relations  and  has  in  some  cases  broken  up  marriages." 
After  a  trial  of  more  than  20  years  a  majority  of  the  men 
and  women  of  Wyoming  believe  in  women's  suffrage. 


U.  P.  R.  K.  TRACK: 

The  track  of  the  U.  P.  R.  R.  is  finished  to  within  about 
fifty-five  miles  of  Cheyenne,  and  it  is  expected  that  it  will 
be  completed  to  this  point  about  the  middle  of  October. 
—The  Cheyenne  Leader,  Vol.  1,  No.  1,  Sept.  19,  1867. 


LETTERS  OF  1862  REVEAL  INDIAN  TROUBLE 
ALONG  THE  OVERLAND  MAIL  -  ROUTE 

On  April  16,  1862,  during  those  early  trying  days  of 
the  Civil  War,  Brigadier-General  S.  D.  Sturgis,  in  Com- 
mand of  the  District  of  Kansas,  issued  the  following  Gen- 
eral Orders  No.  6,  from  headquarters.  Fort  Leavenworth: 
General  Orders,)        Headquarters   District   of   Kansas 

) 
No,  6  )  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kans., 

April  16,  1862. 

I.  Brig.  Gen.  James  Craig,  having  reported  to  these 
headquarters  for  duty,  is  assigned  to  the  command  of  all 
troops  in  the  vicinity  of  the  overland  Mail-Route  from  its 
eastern  termination  to  the  western  boundary  of  this  dis- 
trict. 

II.  As  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  over- 
land mail  should  be  uninterrupted,  General  Craig  will  enter 
at  once  upon  his  duties,  and  will  take  such  measures  as 
will  insure  ample  protection  to  said  mail  company  and 
their  property  against  Indians  or  other  depredators.  He 
will  establish  his  headquarters  at  Fort  Kearny  or  Fort 
Laramie,  as  he  may  hereafter  judge  most  expedient  for 
carrying  out  the  requirements  of  this  order. 

By  order  of  Brig.  Gen.  S.  D.  Sturgis: 

THOS.   MOONLIGHT, 
Captain,  Light  Artillery,  Kans.  Vols.,  and  A.A.A.G. 


Major-General  James  J.  Blunt  on  May  5,  1862,  assumed 
command  of  the  District  of  Kansas,  Brigadier-General  S. 
D.  Sturgis  relinquished  command  of  the  District. 

From  the  following  letter  it  is  evident  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral Craig  selected  Fort  Laramie  for  his  headquarters  and 
not  Fort  Kearny, 

Headquarters, 
Fort  Laramie,  July  11,  1862. 
General  James  G.  Blunt,  Fort  Leavenworth: 

GENERAL:  I  am  in  receipt  to-day  of  a  dispatch  in- 
forming me  that  the  Postmaster-General  has  ordered  the 
Overland  Mail  Company  to  abandon  the  North  Platte  and 
Sweet  Water  portion  of  the  route  and  remove  their  stages 
and  stock  to  a  route  south  of  this  running  through  Bridger 
Pass.  As  I  feel  uncertain  as  to  my  duty,  and  as  the  stages 
and  stock  are  now  being  concentrated  preparatory  to  re- 
moval, I  have  thought  proper  to  send  Lieutenant  Wilcox, 


LETTERS  OF  1862  REVEAL  INDIAN  TROUBLE  151 

Fourth  U.  S.  Cavalry,  to  you  with  this  letter.  My  in- 
structions require  me  to  protect  the  overland  mail  along 
the  telegraph  line,  and  the  emigration  not  being  men- 
tioned, I  have  up  to  this  time  directed  my  attention  to  the 
safety  of  all  these.  My  recollection  of  the  act  of  Con- 
gress is  that  the  mail  company  are  not  confined  to  any 
particular  pass  or  route,  but  are  to  run  from  the  Missouri 
River  to  a  point  in  California  daily,  supplying  Denver  City 
and  Salt  Lake  City  twice  a  week.  On  the  application  of 
agents  I  have  to-day  ordered  two  small  escorts,  one  of 
25,  the  other  of  30,  men,  to  accompany  the  stages  and 
protect  them  to  the  new  route,  and  until  I  receive  your 
orders  I  will  retain  upon  the  present  route  the  larger 
portion  of  the  troops  to  protect  the  telegraph  line  and 
the  emigration,  at  least  until  the  emigration,  which  con- 
sists principally  of  family  trains,  has  passed  through  my 
district.  I  do  this  because  the  Indians  evince  a  disposi- 
tion to  rob  the  trains  and  destroy  the  wires.  Indeed  I 
am  satisfied  that  unless  the  Government  is  ready  to  aban- 
don this  route  both  for  mails  and  emigrants  an  Indian 
war  is  inevitable.  All  the  tribes  in  these  mountains,  except 
perhaps  one  of  the  Lenox  bands,  are  in  bad  humor ;  charge 
the  Government  with  bad  faith  and  breaches  of  promise 
in  failing  to  send  them  an  agent  and  presents.  They  have 
come  in  by  hundreds  from  the  Upper  Missouri,  attacked 
and  robbed  emigrant  trains  and  mail  stations  and  in  one 
instant  last  week  they  robbed  a  mail  station  within  two 
hours  after  a  detachment  of  Colonel  Collins'  troops  had 
passed,  and  carried  the  herdsman  away  with  them  to  pre- 
vent him  from  notifying  the  troops  for  successful  pur- 
suit. That  renegade  white  men  are  with  them  I  have  no 
doubt.  I  have  a  white  man  in  the  guard-house,  who  was 
found  in  possession  of  pocket-book,  money,  and  papers 
of  an  emigrant,  who  is  missing  and  believed  to  have  been 
murdered.  I  am  satisfied  that  the  mail  company  and  the 
Government  would  both  be  benefited  by  the  change  of 
routes  at  a  proper  time,  and  so  wrote  the  Postmaster- 
General  some  weeks  since.  Then  everything  was  quiet. 
Since  that  time  the  Indians  have  made  hostile  demonstra- 
tions, and  I  fear  if  the  mail  and  all  the  troops  leave  this 
route  the  Indians  will  suppose  they  were  frightened  away, 
and  will  destroy  the  telegraph  line  and  probably  rob  and 
murder  such  small  parties  as  are  not  able  to  defend  them- 
selves. I  have  directed  all  the  officers  on  the  line  to 
urge  upon  the  emigrants  the  necessity  of  forming  strong 
companies  and  exercising  vigilance.     In  obedience  to  your 


152  ANNALS  OP  WYOMING 

order  and  the  urgent  calls  of  the  mail  company  I  sent 
the  Utah  troops  to  Bridger  to  guard  the  line  from  that 
post  to  Salt  Lake,  which  leaves  me  only  Colonel  Collins' 
Sixth  Ohio  Cavalry,  about  300  strong,  and  two  skeleton 
companies  of  Fourth  Regiment  Cavalry,  about  60  men, 
mounted  upon  horses  purchased  seven  years  ago,  to  pro- 
tect the  400  miles  intervening  between  this  post  and  Fort 
Bridger.  I  need  not  say  that  this  force  cannot  protect 
a  line  of  such  length  unless  the  Indians  are  willing  to  be- 
have well.  I  think  I  am  doing  all  that  can  be  done  with 
so  small  a  force  mounted  as  they  are  and  without  any 
grain  forage.  My  scouts  inform  me  that  a  portion  of  the 
stolen  property  is  now  in  an  Indian  village  on  Beaver 
Creek  but  little  more  than  100  miles  south  of  this  post. 
It  consists  of  1,000  lodges,  say  3,000  fighting  men.  I 
suppose  I  could  whip  these  Indians  if  I  could  concentrate 
my  command  and  go  against  them;  but  in  the  first  place 
my  troops  are  distributed  along  a  line  of  500  miles,  and 
in  the  second  place  if  I  take  the  troops  all  away  from  the 
line  the  mail  stock,  telegraph  line,  and  emigrants  would 
be  almost  certain  to  suffer.  I  am  therefore  compelled  to 
await  re-enforcements,  or  at  least  until  the  emigration  is 
out  of  danger.  If  a  regiment  of  mounted  troops  could 
be  sent  by  boat  to  Fort  Pierre,  which  is  only  300  miles 
north  of  this  post,  a  joint  campaign  could  be  made  against 
those  tribes,  which  I  think  would  result  in  giving  peace 
to  this  region  for  years  to  come.  Presuming  it  to  be  the 
intention  of  the  Government  to  keep  the  troops  somewhere 
in  this  region  during  the  coming  winter,  I  beg  to  urge 
the  necessity  of  sending  authority  to  procure  hay  for  the 
animals,  and  also  to  send  grain,  or  authority  to  purchase 
it,  in  Colorado.  Unless  the  hay  contract  is  let  soon  it 
will  be  difficult  to  procure  it  within  reasonable  distance. 
Parties  here  are  anxious  to  furnish  it  at  less  figures  than 
it  cost  last  year.  I  omitted  to  say  above  that  under  your 
telegraphic  order  I  have  kept  at  this  post  the  escort  fur- 
nished by  you  to  the  Governor  of  Utah.  I  also  sent  to 
Denver  City  to  inquire  the  number  and  description  of 
troops  in  that  vicinity,  and  received  for  answer  that  there 
were  4  officers  and  6  privates  all  told.  The  troops  ordered 
from  California  on  this  line  have  probably  not  started. 
They  have  not  got  as  far  east  as  Carson  Valley. 

This  letter  is  already  too  long.     I  leave  Lieutenant 
Wilcox  to  explain  anything  I  have  omitted. 

I  am,  general,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

JAS.  CRAIG. 


^4f04nifUj,  Sc^apM-QjoJz 


BUILDINGS  IN  CHEYENNE,  DAKOTA  TERRITORY,  1867 


The  buildings  included  in  the  sketch  above,  built  in 
1867,  were  the  first  to  be  built  on  the  northeast  corner  of 
Seventeenth  street  and  Carey  avenue  (Carey  ave.  was 
then  Ferguson  street) ;  today  Garlett's  Drug  Store  and 
Newberry's  occupy  these  locations. 

FIRST   BUILDING 

Manning  and  Post,  Commission  Merchants,  were  the  own- 
ers of  this  22x60  two  story  building  which  cost  $6,000. 
They  occupied  the  first  floor. 

The  Daily  Rocky  Mountain  Star  which  occupied  a  part  of 
the  second  story  was  first  published  in  Cheyenne,  Decem- 
ber 7,  1867.  It  was  Republican  in  politics,  published  by 
O.  T.  B.  Freeman.     The  Star  lasted  about  one  year. 

The  Argus  made  its  debut  in  Cheyenne  October  24,  1867, 
occupying  part  of  the  second  story;  it  was  Democratic  in 
politics;  published  by  L.  L.  Redell  for  about  two  years, 
later  for  a  few  weeks,  by  Stanton  and  Richardson. 


154  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

SECOND  BUILDING 

George  Tritch  and  Co.,  was  the  owner  of  this  two  story 
building  22x60  which  cost  about  $6,000.  The  first  floor 
was  occupied  by  Cooper  and  Preshaw,  a  storage  and  com- 
mission house. 

The  Masonic  Hall  occupied  the  second  floor.  On  Feb- 
ruary 29,  1868,  the  Cheyenne  Lodge  No.  1  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
met  for  the  first  time  in  this  building. 

THIRD  BUILDING 

Gallatin  c&  Gallup,  saddlers,  were  the  owners  and  occu- 
pants of  this  one  and  a  half  story  frame  building,  20x40, 
which  cost  $1,700. 

FOURTH  BUILDING 

Jones  and  Gray,  grocers,  were  the  owners  and  occupants 
of  this  20x40,  one  and  a  half  story  frame  building,  which 
cost  $4,000.' 


1.     The  Cheyenne  Leader,   December  24,   1867. 

« 

FOR  THE  FIRST  TIME  THE  BUILDINGS  OF 
CHEYENNE  ARE  NUMBERED 

An  Ordinance,  October  15,  1867. 

Be  it  ordained  by  the  City  Council  of  the  City  of 
Cheyenne : 

Sec.  1 — That  the  houses  and  buildings  in  the  city  of 
Cheyenne  shall  be  numbered,  as  soon  as  may  be  conven- 
ient, and  there  shall  be  one  hundred  numbers  allowed  be- 
tween each  of  the  principal  streets — fifty  on  each  side. 

Sec.  2 — That  on  the  streets  running  north  and  south 
the  numbers  shall  commence  at  First  street,  and  from 
First  to  Second  streets  shall  run  from  one  hundred  to 
two  hundred,  and  from  Second  to  Third  streets  from  two 
hundred  to  three  hundred,  and  so  on  to  the  northern  limits 
of  the  city. 

Sec.  3 — That  on  the  streets  running  east  and  west 
the  numbers  shall  commence  at  Eddy  street,  and  extend 
in  both  directions,  to  the  eastern  and  western  limits  of  the 
one  hundred  numbers  being  allowed  to  each  square,  as 
before,  the  numbers  on  the  east  side  of  Eddy  street  being 
designated  by  the  word  "east"  as  "No.  —  East  Seventeenth 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  155 

street;"  and  those  on  the  west  side  of  Eddy  street  by  the 
word  "west"  as  "No.  —  West  Seventeenth  street." 

Sec.  4 — That  the  buildings  on  the  east  side  of  the 
streets  running  north  and  south,  and  on  the  north  side  of 
those  running  east  and  west,  shall  be  numbered  with  odd 
numbers,  and  the  buildings  on  the  west  side  of  the  streets 
running  north  and  south,  and  on  the  south  side  of  those 
running  east  and  west,  shall  be  numbered  with  even 
numbers. 

Sec.  5 — That  whenever  it  becomes  necessary  to  make 
any  change  in  the  numbering  of  the  block,  such  change 
shall  be  confined  to  the  block  in  which  it  is  made,  and  shall 
not  extend  to  nor  effect  other  numbers  beyond  said  block. 

Sec.  6 — This  ordinance  shall  take  effect  from  and 
after  its  passage. 


Attest : 


Thos.  E.  McLeland,  H.  M.  Hook, 

City  Clerk.  Mayor 

Oct.  15-lt. 


The  Cheyenne  Leader,  October  15,  1867. 


THE  POSTOFFICE; 

The  postoffice  is  now  located  in  friend  Robinson's 
frame  building,  on  O'Neill  street.  Conspicuous  letters, 
"Paint  Shop,"  apprise  one  of  the  locality. — The  Cheyenne 
Leader,  Vol.  1,  No.  1,  Sept.  19,  1867. 


156 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


'A      HOUSE. 

THE  CHEYENNE  OPERA  HOUSE — 1882 

The  Cheyenne  Opera  House  opened  its  doors  for  the 
first  time  to  a  happy  enthusiastic  audience  composed  of 
people  from  all  over  the  Territory,  Denver,  and  neighbor- 
ing Colorado  towns,  and  Cheyenne,  on  May  25,  1882. 

After  the  audience  had  assembled  and  the  orchestra 
had  completed  its  overture,  the  curtain  was  lowered 
"amidst  the  patting  of  hands  and  murmers  of  admiration."' 

Joseph  M.  Carey  was  called  upon  for  an  address,  in 
which  he  gave  the  history  of  the  City  as  marked  by  the 
public  buildings;  he  named  the  new  opera  house  as  the 
"third  step  in  an  era  of  progress,  a  building  in  which  all 
the  stone  used  was  quarried  in  our  own  County  (Laramie) 
the  brick  made  in  our  own  City  (Cheyenne)  and  the  wood- 
work carvings  and  all  from  the  shops  of  our  fellow  towns- 
man, Mr.  Weybrecht."2  Mr.  Carey  then  mentioned  what 
was  to  be  the  fourth  step  in  Cheyenne's  progress,  stat- 


1.  The   Cheyenne  Daily  Leader,   May  26,   1882. 

2.  Ibid. 

Words  in  parenthesis  are  inserts. 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK 


157 


ing  that  in  his  office  safe  he  had  the  contract  for  all  the 
material  for  a  thorough  water  works  system.  This  news 
was  received  with  great  applause. 

The  formal  dedication  of  the  opera  house  was  re- 
served for  the  celebrated  Comley-Barton  Opera  Company 
which  was  enjoyed  for  three  nights  and  one  matinee. 

Their  opening  performance  was  the  charming  French 
comic  opera  "Olivette";  the  programs  were  of  perfumed 
white  satin  with  bright  blue  print. 


V!"\\    i  U'^   p  \    111)1 


OOMLEY-PW -ON  P^'NATION  * 


V.^     I — »    1       \ 


There  was  great  display  of  taste  and  elegance  in 
dress  of  the  audience;  silks  and  satins  appeared  in  every 
fashionable  shade  and  color;  large  hats  and  bonnets  were 
substituted  for  small  bonnets,  for  it  was  a  gala  event. 

The  Opera  House  was  situated  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  Hill  (Capitol  Ave.)  and  17th  street.  The  build- 
ing was,   as  it  is  today,  three  stories  high.     The  Opera 


158  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

House  occupied  the  entire  height  of  the  three  floors.  No 
particular  style  of  architecture  was  followed,  several 
types  being  combined,  which  included  Queen  Anne,  Gothic, 
Norman  and  French  roof. 

The  entrance  to  the  front  of  the  building  was  on  17th 
street;  to  the  right  of  this  entrance  were  two  large  rooms, 
which  were  used  for  the  Territorial  Library.  The  main  en- 
trance to  the  Opera  House  and  the  second  floor  was  on 
Hill  street  (Capitol  Ave.).  Inside  the  Hill  street  entrance 
was  the  ticket  office.  A  large  open  stairway  built  of  ash 
and  black  walnut,  lead  to  the  balcony  on  the  second  floor. 

The  third  floor  was  divided  into  12  rooms,  which  were 
occupied  by  the  telephone  exchange  and  different  lodges. 

The  theatre  proper,  consisted  of  the  parquette,  dress 
circle,  gallery  or  family  circle,  "proscenium  boxes,"  in- 
clined stage,  orchestra  pit,  etc.  Four  fine  boxes  adorned 
either  side  of  the  stage;  the  parquette,  with  an  inclined 
floor,  was  in  the  form  of  a  half  circle;  the  dress  circle 
was  in  the  rear  of  the  parquette;  above  this  was  the  gal- 
lery or  family  circle.  The  seats  were  of  the  latest  pat- 
tern of  opera  folding  chairs.  The  Theatre  seated  860  per- 
sons and  1,000  could  be  comfortably  handled.  It  was 
heated  by  two  large  furnaces  and  lighted  with  gas.  An 
immense  52  light  chandelier  hung  from  the  ceiling  with 
a  large  glass  mirror  reflector;  single  lights  with  glass 
globe  shades  were  placed  about  the  walls;  there  were  two 
large  lights  outside  of  the  two  entrances.  "By  using  gas 
the  stage  can  be  darkened  at  pleasure,  something  new, 
by  the  way  in  the  history  of  Cheyenne."^ 

The  Architects  were  Messrs.  Cooper  and  Anderson  of 
Cheyenne  and  Pueblo  (Colorado).  J.  S.  Matthews,  their 
chief  draftsman,  supervised  the  construction. 

The  interior  of  the  Opera  House  was  one  of  magnifi- 
cence and  splendor,  the  plain  white  walls  were  relieved 
on  the  east  side  by  three  large  ornamental  windows  set 
with  cathedral  glass,  600  panes  being  used  in  the  work. 
All  through  the  theatre  the  woodwork  was  of  maple  finish. 
The  parquette  and  dress  circle  were  separated  by  a  rail 
upholstered  with  red  siik  phish,  the  front  of  the  balcony 
was  protected  by  a  wire  screen,  a  guard  rail,  also  orna- 
mented with  red  silk  plush.  On  either  side  of  the  stage  were 
four  boxes,  each  guarded  by  a  heavy  bronze  rail,  which 
in    keeping   with    the    other    upholstering    was    of   heavy 

3.     Ibid. 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  159 

red  silk  piiish;  the  archs  of  these  boxes  were  draped  with 
dark  red  curtains  ornamented  with  deep  fringe  and  in 
the  rear  hung  long  heavy  white  lace  curtains. 

The  drop  curtain  was  a  scene  from  the  celebrated 
Chariot  Races  by  Gerome. 

The  Cheyenne  Opera  House  and  Library  Company  was 
incorporated  April  18th,  1881.  The  company  was  com- 
posed of  the  prominent  men  of  Cheyenne  and  vicinity. 
Officers  being  J.  M.  Carey,  President;  Thomas  Sturgis, 
Vice  President;  Isaac  Bergman,  Secretary  and  Henry  G. 
Hay,  Treasurer.  The  management  of  the  opera  house  was 
under  the  control  of  D.  C.  Rhodes,  Lessee  and  Manager, 
and  G.  A.  Guertin,  Assistant  Manager.  There  were  eleven 
sets  of  scenery  and  numerous  extras.  Charles  S.  King, 
stage  carpenter,  installed  the  stage  machinery  and  scenes. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  number  of  famous  actors 
and  actresses  who  performed  in  the  Cheyenne  Opera 
House  in  those  early  days.  A  few  of  the  most  noted  ones, 
were  Edwin  Booth,  in  "Hamlet,"  April  18,  1887;  Sarah 
Bernhardt  in  "Fedora,"  June  2,  1887;  Lily  Langtry  in  "A 
Wife's  Peril,"  June  11,  1887;  Madame  Modjeska  in  "Much 
Ado  About  Nothing,"  July  6,  1889;  Richard  Mansfield  in 
"Beau  Brummel,"  June  22,  1893,  and  many  others  equally 
famous,  too  numerous  to  mention. 

The  doors  of  the  Cheyenne  Opera  House  were  open 
for  twenty  years.  May  25,  1882  to  December  7,  1902,  when 
the  interior  of  the  Opera  House  was  destroyed  by  fire. 


A  RARE  PUBLICATION 

The  History  of  Cheyenne,  Business  and  General  Direc- 
tory by  Saltiel  &  Barnett,  published  April  27,  1868,  was 
greatly  advertised  for  several  months  in  the  Cheyenne 
Leader,  prior  to  its  publication.  In  the  January  27,  1868. 
issue  and  other  issues  of  above  mentioned  paper,  appeared 
such  advertisements  as:  ^ 

"History  of  Cheyenne,  Business  and  General 
Directory  will  be  used  on  or  before  the  15th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1868.  Sent  by  mail  to  any  address  on  receipt 
of  $1.25.  Delivered  in  the  City  of  Cheyenne,  D.  T. 
at   $1.00.      Saltiel   &   Barnett,    Publishers,    corner   of 


160  ANNALS  OP  WYOMING 

Twentieth  and  O'Neil  streets,  Cheyenne,  Dakota  Ter- 
ritory." 

However  it  was  not  until  April  27,  1868,  that  we  find 
in  the  Cheyenne  Leader  the  following: 

"The  long  expected  and  anxiously  looked  for 
Cheyenne  Directory  compiled  by  Messrs.  Saltiel  & 
Barnett,  of  this  city,  has  at  length  arrived.  The  typo- 
graphical execution  of  the  book  is  handsome  indeed 
and  reflects  much  credit  upon  the  skill  of  the  printer, 
St.  A.  D.  Balcombe,  of  the  Omaha  Republican  office. 
The  compendium  of  useful  information  relative  to  this 
city  and  county  is  complete  indeed,  and  the  book  is 
bound  to  meet  with  a  large  sale.  It  will  be  the  means 
of  benefiting  the  city  very  much  and  is  of  more  real 
value  in  that  particular  than  any  similar  enterprise 
that  has  been  orginated  here.  All  businessmen  should 
purchase  several  copies  each,  for  sending  to  various 
points  in  the  east." 

The  only  copy,  which  the  Wyoming  Historical  De- 
partment knows  of  is  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  William  R. 
Coe,'  of  Cody,  Wyoming  and  of  Oyster  Bay,  New  York. 


1.     McMurtrie,  D.  C.  letter,  May  4,  1943. 


THE  "MAGIC  CITY"  CHEYENNE,  DAKOTA 
TERRITORY— 1867 

The  Cheyenne  Leader,  December  1867  and  January 
1868,  published  a  series  of  articles,  Business  and  Financial 
Statistics  of  the  "Magic  City"  Cheyenne  which  we  plan 
to  include  in  the  new  section  Wyoming  scrapbook  in  the 
ANNALS  OF  WYOMING.  These  articles  give  the  size,  cost, 
owner  and  use  of  building  along  the  main  streets  of  Chey- 
enne. It  is  to  be  regretted  this  work  was  not  completed, 
as  it  gives  us  a  vivid  description  of  the  newly  born  City 
which  was  destined  to  be  the  Capitol  of  our  State. 

Seventeenth  street,  south  side,  from  O'Neil  east  to 
Ferguson  street  (now  Carey)  three  blocks  or  squares  as 
they  were  then  called. 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  161 

Between  O'Neil  and  Eddy  streets. 

One  story  frame,  30x100 — addition,  10x60,  Harper, 
Steel  &  Co.,  Hardware  dealers,  owners  and  occupants — 
entire  cost,  $4,000. 

One  story  concrete,  25x60,  P.  Fales,  owner — Elinger 
&  Co.,  Clothiers,  and  W.  H.  Parpe,  Watchmaker  and 
Jeweller,  Occupants — cost,  $2,800. 

Two  story,  Fire-proof  Stone  building,  22x94;  walls 
36  inches;  windows  to  be  furnished  with  Iron  Shutters — 
Wholesale  &  Retail  Dry  Goods  &  Grocery  Establishment, 
S.  F.  Nuckolls,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $8,000. 

One  story  brick,  22x50,  Dr.  Scott  owner — Sheffer  & 
Co.,  Wholesale  and  retail  grocers,  occupants — cost,  — 

One  story  frame,  16x24,  Saloon,  D.  Cunningham, 
owner  and  occupant — cost,   $175. 

One  story  frame,  24x80,  Keg  House  and  Restaurant, 
S.  L.  Lord,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $2,500. 

One  story  frame,  6x16,  Wm.  Downard,  owner — H.  B. 
Forbes,  Boot  and  Shoemaker,  occupant — cost,  $50. 

One  story  frame,  22x44,  Restaurant,  Wm.  Downard, 
owner  and  occupant — cost,  $2,000. 

One  story  frame,  20x75,  Bowling  Alley,  Crowley  & 
Medcalf,  owner  and  occupants — cost,  $1,600. 

One  story  frame,  8x18,  Cash  &  Cook,  Tailors,  owners 
and  occupants — cost  $300. 

One  story  frame,  16x20,  unfinished,  J.  Thomas,  owner 
—cost,  $500. 

One  story  frame,  13x16,  canvass  roof.  Soda  Water 
depot,  J.  Molsen,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $150. 

Two  story  and  a  half  frame,  26x66 — addition,  20x60, 
Wyoming  House,  Holliday  &  Thompson,  owners  and  oc- 
cupants— one  of  the  most  imposing  and  popular  hotels  in 
Cheyenne — cost,  $10,000. 

One  story  frame,  22x41,  Keg  House,  Champion  & 
Fetter,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $3,500. 

One  story  frame,  14x40,  Andrews  &  Brown,  Grocers, 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $1,400. 

One  story  frame,  8x20,  Stationery  &  Variety  store, 
Scudder  &  Beyer,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $200. 


162  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

One  story  frame,  22x40,  Cheyenne  Meat  Market,  Iliff 
&  Co.,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $2,000. 

One  story  frame,  22x39,  California  Restaurant,  Cowell 
&  Tracy,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $1,500. 

One  story  frame,  22x86,  Wholesale  &  Retail  Grocery, 
Gallagher  &  Megeath,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $3,000. 

One  story  frame,  24x72,  Cornforth  Bro's.,  Wholesale 
&  Retail  Grocers  and  Commission  Merchants,  owners  and 
occupants — also  occupied  by  Parks  &  Co.,  Jewellers — 
cost,  $5,000. 

Between  Eddy  and  Ferguson  streets. 

Two  story  frame,  18x40 — unoccupied — further  partic- 
ulars unknown. 

One  story  frame,  12x20,  J.  Bennester,  owner — H.  Ditt- 
mar,  Barber,  and  D.  Winfield,  Tailor,  occupants — cost,  $350. 

One  story  frame,  size  and  cost  unknown;  also  owner 
— U.  S.  Examining  Surgeon,  U.P.R.R.  Surgeon,  and  Sur- 
geon of  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  occupants. 

One  story  abode,  36x50,  G.  Adams  &  Co.,  Grocers, 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  unknown. 

One  story  log,  18x24,  Thatcher  &  Bryant,  Grocers, 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $450. 

One  story  frame,  20x36,  Postoffice,  Thos.  E.  M'Leland, 
P.  M.  and  City  Clerk,  owner  and  occupant — also  occupied 
by  R.  M.  Beers  &  Co.,  Stationers,  Tobacconists,  etc. — 
cost,  $3,000. 

This  completes  this  side  of  the  street,  going  eastward. 


Note:  The  only  change  made  in  copying  these  articles  for  the 
ANNALS  is  that  the  side  of  each  street  described  is  <5bmpleted,  and 
not  carried  over  in  the  next  article,  as  in  the  Cheyenne  Leader. 


Wif04ftUu^  Bt/i^<s^tn  NoHie^l 


By  Dee  Linford* 


Place  names  are  always  fascinating,  and  in  the  nomen- 
clature of  Wyoming  creeks  and  rivers  is  a  wealth  of  early 
western  lore. 

Wyoming  is  a  region  of  headwaters,  a  mother  of 
great  rivers.  Her  streams  are  numerous,  but  too  small 
and  too  swift-running  to  have  served  in  the  usual  historic 
role  of  American  rivers — as  trunklines  of  transportation 
and  communication  along  which  civilization  advanced  into 
the  wilderness,  spreading  out  from  the  vital  arteries  to 
take  root  in  the  earth  body.  White  men's  civilization  as 
a  result  did  not  reach  Wyoming  until  the  transcontinental 
railroad  "opened  the  country  up,"  and  the  first  important 
settlements  mushroomed — not  along  the  rivers  in  accepted 
American  tradition — but  along  the  gleaming  rails  which 
Union  Pacific  laid  across  the  State  without  regard  for 
our  waterways.  Many  Wyoming  streams  were  large 
enough  to  accommodate  the  small  water  craft  of  the  early 
trapper  and  trader,  however,  and  therein  lies  the  historical 
interest  of  their  names. 

The  ranchers  and  farmers  and  shopkeepers  who  fol- 
lowed the  rails  into  the  Wyoming  area  were  for  the  most 
part  literate,  articulate.  Coming  west  to  resume  as 
quickly   as   possible   the   existence   they   had   interrupted 


*BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH:— Dee  Linford,  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Joe  E.  Linford  of  Afton,  Wyoming,  was  born  in  the  Star  Valley  in 
1915.  He  studied  English  and  history  at  the  Utah  State  Agricultural 
College  and  Wyoming  University,  did  newspaper  work  in  Laramie 
for  several  years,  and  during  1938  and  1940  was  State  Editor  of 
the  Wyoming  Writer's  Project  which  produced  the  book,  Wyoming — ■ 
A  Guide  to  its  History,  Highways,  and  People  (1941),  as  a  part  of 
the  American  Guide  Series  of  WPA.  Since  1939,  he  has  edited 
Wyoming  Wild  Life,  official  publication  of  the  Wyoming  Game  and 
Fish  Commission,  and  since  1938  has  contributed  numerous  adven- 
ture stories  to  the  popular,  all-fiction  magazines. 

Linford's  maternal  great-grandfather,  a  member  of  the  ill-fated 
"Willy's  Handcart  Company"  of  Mormon  immigrants,  lies  buried 
near  South  Pass  in  a  common  grave  with  fourteen  other  members 
of  the  handcart  company  who  succumbed  to  the  rigors  of  the  trail 
in  1856.  His  maternal  great-grandfather  was  a  Mormon  polygamist, 
his  maternal  grandfather  the  eldest  of  65  children. 

Note:  From  Wyoming  Wild  Life  magazine. 


164  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

elsewhere,  they  brought  their  churches  and  schools  and 
newspapers  with  them.  Their  desire  was  to  attract  as 
many  others  as  possible  to  the  New  America,  and  in  most 
cases  they  left  copious  contemporary  records  behind  them. 

In  prerailroad  Wyoming,  the  situation  was  different. 
With  the  exception  of  the  non-stop  emigrants  who  left 
no  mark  on  the  country  deeper  than  a  wagon  track,  the 
only  white  men  in  Wyoming  in  appreciable  numbers  be- 
fore the  laying  of  the  rails  were  the  nomadic  fur  trap- 
pers and  traders.  These,  generally,  were  illiterate  and 
unaware  of  their  historical  significance,  or  were  jealous 
of  their  wilderness  and  wise  enough  to  know  that  publicity 
would  attract  others.  As  a  result,  records  of  Wyoming 
during  the  prerailroad  era  are  few  and  inconclusive.  But 
in  the  names  they  ascribe  to  their  Whitewater  canoe  trails, 
these  wanderers  left  a  supplementary  record  of  their  time 
• — a  key  to  an  alluring  chapter  in  western  history  which 
has  never  been  fully  explored.  The  tragedy  is  that  this 
record  is  not  clearer. 

Not  All  Wyoming  stream  names  have  historical  signif- 
icance. Perhaps  this  is  as  well,  because  repetition  in  the 
roster  would  discourage  any  effort  to  ascribe  importance 
■ — historical  or  otherwise — to  them  all.  A  catalogue  of 
Wyoming  streams  compiled  recently  by  Stream  Survey 
of  the  Wyoming  Game  and  Fish  Department  lists  38 
Spring  Creeks,  30  Cottonwood  Creeks,  29  Beaver  Creeks, 
28  Willow  Creeks,  25  Bear  Creeks,  23  Dry  Creeks,  21  Horse 
Creeks,  18  Sand  Creeks,  17  Rock  and  Sheep  Creeks,  as 
well  as  numerous  claimants  to  the  appellations  Clear, 
Brush,  Cabin,  Lost,  Canyon,  Rawhide,  Pass,  Teepee, 
Cedar,  Deep,  Muddy,  Soldier,  Jim,  Elk,  Trout,  Muskrat, 
Crow,  Owl,  Fox,  Porcupine,  Buffalo,  Mink,  etc. 

Such  designations  are  sometimes  descriptive  of  the 
stream  itself  or  of  the  topography  or  wild  life  of  the 
surrounding  area,  or  else  have  reference  to  some  event 
associated  with  the  stream  in  the  mind  of  the  party  be- 
stowing the  name.  Indeed  one  officially  accepted  creek 
name  in  Sweetwater  County  is  so  descriptive  of  the  water's 
quality  as  to  be  quite  unprintable.  But  usually  stream 
names  lack  even  descriptive  significance.  The  methods 
by  which  they  become  established  follow  no  pattern,  ob- 
serve no  logic.  Most  often,  like  Topsy — and  other  types 
of  place  names — stream  names  just  grow. 

A  horse  dies  of  poison  along  a  creek,  and  the  stream 


WYOMING   STREAM  NAMES  165 

may  be  known  thereafter  as  Dead  Horse  Creek,  Poison 
Creek,  Hard  Luck  Creek,  or  just  plain  Horse  Creek — all 
according  to  the  temper  and  first  reaction  of  the  human 
being  involved.  A  stream  may  be  called  Pine  or  Cedar 
or  Aspen  because  such  trees  grow  in  profusion  along  its 
banks,  or  because  of  a  single  such  representative,  con- 
spicuous by  reason  of  its  isolation.  There  are  no  cotton- 
woods  on  or  even  near  Cottonwood  Lake  in  the  moun- 
tains east  of  Star  Valley.  The  cottonwoods  are  on  Cot- 
tonwood Creek,  the  lake  outlet,  and  there  only  in  the 
valley,  several  miles  from  the  lake! 

Similar  examples  could  be  cited  from  every  locale 
in  the  State.  One  need  not  therefore  probe  too  deeply 
into  the  significance  of  such  arresting  names  as  Hell, 
Damfino,  Savage  Run,  Flame,  Separation,  Robbers'  Gulch, 
Butchers  Draw,  Bald  Hornet,  Killpecker,  Slippery  Jim, 
Pipestone,  Big  and  Little  Twin,  Hot  Foot,  Half  turn,  Full- 
turn,  Sourmoose,  Pilgrim,  Crazy,  Tough,  Joy,  Nameit, 
Warhouse,  Pagoda,  Baby  Wagon,  Medicine  Lodge,  Little 
Passup,  Hidden  Water,  Gloom,  Broken  Back,  Fool  Pin- 
head,  Balm  of  Gilead,  Seven  Brothers,  Bossy,  Hanging 
Woman,  Crying,  etc.,  all  of  which  apply  officially  to 
streams  in  Wyoming. 

Each  name  undoubtedly  has  its  legend,  or  lengends 
— some  of  which  can  be  verified,  most  of  which  cannot. 
Few  such  names,  however,  have  even  local  importance. 
They  are  the  concern  of  the  poet,  not  the  historian.*  But 
there  are  many  streams  in  the  State  whose  names  do  merit 
the  attention  of  persons  interested  in  Wyoming  history 
and  some  of  these  will  be  noted  here. 

There  is  not  yet  an  official  Wyoming  place-name  lexi- 
con, and  since  most  important  stream  names  were  assigned 
before  the  coming  of  the  railroad,  their  histories  for  rea- 
sons noted  are  generally  more  vague  and  contradictory 
than  those  of  names  ascribed  to  landmarks  since  1868. 
Napoleon  is  credited  with  having  defined  history  as  "fable 
agreed  upon."  But  his  definition  offers  little  comfort  in 
this  instance.  For  fable,  as  regards  Wyoming  Stream 
names,   almost  never  agrees. 

There  is  no  better  example  of  the  confusion  and  con- 
tradiction in  our  stream  name  history  than  that  which 
surrounds  the  naming  of  Snake  River,  chief  tributary  of 
the  Columbia,  whose  main  fork  heads  in  Wyoming  just 
below   Yellowstone    National    Park.      Some    local    sources 


*To  neither  distinction  does  the  writer  lay  claim. 


166  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

say  it  is  called  Snake  because  of  its  serpentine  course, 
some  because  its  waters  were  once  presumed  to  contain 
especially  large  numbers  of  such  reptiles,  while  others 
hold  it  was  named  for  the  Indians  who  lived  along  its 
banks. 

The  latter  theory  seems  the  most  plausible.  But  the 
vagueness  of  the  term  as  applied  loosely  to  the  Shoshone, 
Bannock,  and  Paiute  tribes  complicates  the  picture  still 
further.  Idaho — A  Guide  in  Word  and  Picture  (1937) 
states  that  one  authority  "says  the  name  (Snake)  means 
inland;  a  priest  has  declared  the  Indians  were  so  named 
because,  like  reptiles,  they  dug  food  from  the  earth;  and 
a  third  says  these  Indians  ate  serpents.  A  fourth  de- 
clares that  when  such  an  Indian  was  asked  the  name  of 
his  tribe,  he  made  a  serpentine  movement,  intended  to 
suggest  not  snakes  but  basketweaving.  The  last  seems 
the  most  probable.  The  Shoshonis  themselves  called  the 
river  Yam-pa-pah,  the  stream  where  the  yampa  grows; 
though  later,  after  the  Oregon  Trail  followed  it,  they 
called  it  Po-og-way,  meaning  River  Road." 

With  regard  to  the  appellation  "Yam-pa-pah,  the 
stream  where  the  yampa  grows,"  it  is  curious  to  note  that 
a  Yampa  River  occurs  in  Colorado,  tributary  to  the  Green, 
and  that  a  branch  of  the  Yampa  is  called  Little  Snake 
River  (a  section  of  which  lies  in  southern  Wyoming). 
Since  stream  names  qualified  by  the  word  "little"  gener- 
ally duplicate  the  title  of  the  stream  into  which  they  flow 
(i.e.,  Missouri,  Little  Missouri;  Wind  River,  Little  Wind 
River,  etc.),  it  would  seem  possible  that  the  Little  Snake 
River  might  have  been  "Little  Yampa"  to  the  Utes  who 
lived  along  it.  It  may  also  be  significant  that  the  Utes  too 
were  of  Shoshonean  or  Snake  linguistic  stock,  though  why 
the  words  "Snake"  and  "Yampa"  should  be  associated 
in  this  case  also  is  not  clear.  Even  in  the  case  of  Snake 
River,  the  words  have  no  apparent  derivative  relationship 
— unless  the  roots  of  the  Yampa  plant  were  somehow  as- 
sociated with  snakes  in  the  Indian  mind. 

"La  Maudite  Riviere  Enragee  (the  accursed  mad 
river)  was  the  name  given  to  the  Snake  by  French  voy- 
ageurs  after  they  had  come  to  grief  upon  its  falls  and 
cascades,"  the  Idaho  Guide  Book  says  in  another  place. 
But  Wilson  Price  Hunt,  Astor  associate,  who  traveled 
overland  from  St.  Louis  to  Astoria  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia  in  1811-12,  says  in  his  journal  (as  reproduced 
in  Nouvelles  Annales  des  Voyages  in  Paris  in  1821,  re- 
printed in  Rollins'  Discovery  of  the  Oregon  Trail,   1935) 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  167 

"Americans  have  named  it  Mad  River,  because  of  its 
swiftness."  About  the  only  Americans  believed  to  have 
had  boating  experience  on  the  river  prior  to  1811  were 
those  of  Andrew  Henry's  Missouri  Fur  Company  brigade, 
and  Rollins  suggests  that  the  name  might  have  been  be- 
stowed by  Henry's  men  in  1810.  Since  Henry's  "Amer- 
icans" included  a  number  of  French-Canadian  rivermen, 
as  did  Hunt's  party,  both  statements  might  be  correct. 

The  name  Mad  River,  however,  seems  to  have  been 
applied  only  to  the  South  or  Wyoming  Fork  of  the  Snake. 
Hunt  himself  named  the  North  Fork  (sometimes  called 
Henry's  Fork  for  Andrew  Henry)  and  the  main  channel  of 
the  Snake  below  the  juncture  of  the  North  and  South 
Forks  "Canoe  River."  The  name  did  not  become  estab- 
lished, however,  possibly  because  Hunt's  disasters  in  try- 
ing to  negotiate  it  by  boat  proved  it  was  NOT  a  canoe 
river.  It  is  significant  that  Robert  Stuart,  another  Astor 
partner  who  reached  Astoria  aboard  the  illfated  ship  Ton- 
quin  and  who  led  Hunt's  overland  party  back  to  St.  Louis 
the  next  year,  does  not  use  Hunt's  name,  "Canoe  River," 
with  reference  to  the  Snake. 

"It  is  the  main  branch  of  the  right-hand  fork  of  Lewis 
River,"  Stuart  noted  in  his  journal  (Rollins,  p  80),  "called 
by  Lewis  and  Clark  Kimooenem,  by  some  Indians  Ki-eye- 
min,  by  the  Snakes  Bio-paw,  and  by  the  generality  of 
whites  the  Snake  River." 

Stuart  thus  records  another  name  sometimes  applied 
to  the  Snakes  in  early  times,  i.e.,  Lewis  River,*  for  Cap- 
tain Meriwether  Lewis  of  Lewis  and  Clark — the  Snake 
proper  being  the  south  or  "right-hand  fork,"  the  Salmon 
River  in  Idaho  the  north  or  "left-hand  fork."  A  lake 
and  stream  tributary  to  the  Snake  in  Yellowstone  Park 
still  bear  the  name  Lewis,  possibly  because  of  this  earlier 
styling  of  the  River.  But  more  important  than  the  listing 
of  that  name  is  Stuart's  early  use  of  the  title  "Snake" 
(1812). 

Other  names  which  Rollins  lists  in  a  footnote  as  hav- 
ing been  applied  to  the  river  at  one  time  or  another  in- 
clude Shoshone  (further  evidence  that  the  stream's  present 
accepted  name  referred  to  the  Snake  or  Shoshone  Indians 
who  dwelled  along  it),  Saptin,  Sahaptin,  Nez  Perce,  Chop- 
unnish,  and — through  Granville  Stuart — Po-ho-gwa,  mean- 
ing Sagebrush  River,  "because  the  upper  and  larger  part 

*Name  applied  by  Clark  in   1805. 


168  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

of  its  immense  valley  was  a  sagebrush  plain."  Granville 
Stuart's  "Po-ho-gwa"  undoubtedly  has  reference  to  the 
phonetic  sequence  rendered  "Po-og-way"  and  translated 
"River  Road"  in  the  Idaho  Guide,  indicating  that  one  or  the 
other  is  probably  wrong.  It  illustrates  also  that  arbitrary 
white  translations  of  Indian  words  and  phrases  often  miss 
the  Indian's  meaning  completely,  and  that  such  transla- 
tions, generally,  should  be  taken  with  reserve. 

It  also  seems  strange  at  first  glance  that  so  many 
Indian  names  of  different  meanings  should  be  assigned 
to  one  stream  by  people  of  the  same  linguistic  stock.  But 
Rollins  makes  the  point  that  "Indians  were  not  so  much 
disposed  to  bestow  a  single  name  on  a  stream  in  its  en- 
tirety as  they  were  to  allot  particular  names  to  the  several 
salient  portions  of  it."  The  same  might  be  said,  with 
qualifications,  of  the  early  whites,  as  witness  the  case  of 
the  Wind-Big  Horn  River  in  Wyoming.  Often,  too,  early 
explorers  and  travelers  failed  to  discern  which  of  two 
affluent  streams  constituted  the  main  channel  and  which 
the  tributary,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Green  and  Colorado 
Rivers — the  Green  being,  in  the  opinion  of  many  geograph- 
ers, not  a  tributary  but  the  main  channel  of  the  upper 
Colorado.  Similarly,  Hunt  accepted  the  name  Mad  River 
as  applying  to  the  present  day  South  Fork  of  Snake 
River,  but  retained  the  name  Canoe  River,  which  he  or- 
iginally applied  to  the  lesser  North  Fork,  after  reaching 
the  confluence  of  the  two  branches.  Stuart  followed  him 
partially,  in  that  he  spoke  of  the  main  stream  as  Snake 
River,  but  retained  Hunt's  designation  "Mad  River"  as 
applying  to  the  South  Fork — evidently  thinking  of  it  as 
a  tributary. 

Original  application  of  the  name  Snake  thus  is  ob- 
scure. Stuart's  statement  indicates  that  it  was  in  general 
use  among  whites  by  1812,  but  no  occurrence  of  the  name 
in  literature  earlier  than  Stuart's  reference  has  come  to 
the  attention  of  this  writer. 

The  South  Fork  of  Snake  River  receives  six  import- 
ant tributaries  in  Wyoming  before  turning  west  into  Idaho 
to  begin  its  torturous  journey  to  the  sea.  Of  these.  Pacific 
Creek  is  aptly  named,  being  the  west  branch  of  Two  Ocean 
Creek,  a  high  mountain  stream  which  forks  on  the  Con- 
tinental Divide  in  Wyoming  and  sends  a  branch  to  both 
oceans  bordering  the  continent  (see  WYOMING  WILD 
LIFE.  October  1942).  The  Buffalo  Fork  undoubtedly  was 
named  for  a  mountain  variety  of  that  species  of  animal; 
and  the  Gros  Ventre  (usually  pronounced  Gro-vont)  takes 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  169 

its  designation  from  the  mountain  range  of  the  same  name, 
in  which  it  heads.  Both  Rolhns  and  Chittenden  (1902)  say 
the  mountains  were  named  from  the  fact  that  the  war- 
Kke  Atsina  Blackfeet  (sometimes  called  Gros  Ventres  of 
the  Prairie)  skirted  the  range  on  frequent  pilgrimages 
from  their  home  range  in  present  Montana  to  visit  with 
southern  Arapaho  friends  on  the  South  Platte  River. 
Whites  seem  to  have  applied  the  term  Gros  Ventre 
(French,  big  stomach)  to  the  Atsina  arbitrarily,  and  for 
no  particular  reason.  At  least  there  is  no  record  that  the 
Atsina  digestive  cavity  was  oversize,  and  it  certainly  was 
not  so  large  as  to  interfere  with  the  prowess  of  this  people 
in  battle.  The  Atsina  were  feared  above  all  other  tribes 
by  early  whites  in  the  Northwest. 

The  Hoback  River  which  flows  into  the  Snake  from 
the  Southeast,  through  a  long  canyon  bearing  the  same 
name,  was  clearly  named  for  the  Astorian  John  Hoback 
— also  spelled  Hobaugh,  Hobough,  Hubbough,  Hauberk 
Rollins,  p.  ci).  Hoback,  a  Kentuckian,  came  west  with 
Andrew  Henry's  Missouri  Fur  trappers,  in  1809.  Driven 
from  the  Three  Forks  area  (Montana)  by  the  implacably 
hostile  Atsina,  Henry  led  his  brigade  south  to  the  North 
Fork  of  Snake  River  where  in  the  autumn  of  1810  he 
erected  a  temporary  winter  shelter  which  came  to  be 
known  as  Henry's  Fort,  near  present  St.  Anthony  in  Idaho. 
After  the  fort's  abandonment  in  the  spring  of  1811,  the 
brigade  disintegrated  and  Hoback  with  two  Kentuckian 
companions — Edward  Robinson  and  Jacob  Reznor — set  out 
for  St.  Louis.  Fearing  the  hostility  of  the  Upper  Missouri 
tribes,  they  took  a  southern  route  across  what  is  now 
north-western  Wyoming,  rather  going  directly  north  to 
the  Yellowstone  and  Missouri.  Near  the  mouth  of  the 
Niobrara  River,  on  the  Missouri,  they  encountered  Hunt's 
out-bound  Astorians,  and  their  account  of  Indian  hostiles 
along  the  river  ahead  dissuaded  Hunt  from  his  original 
plan  to  follow  the  Lewis  and  Clark  route  through  present- 
day  Montana  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Columbia.  Con- 
sequently, Hunt  engaged  the  three  adventurers  to  guide 
him  back  across  the  route  they  had  followed  from  Fort 
Henry. 

Hoback  and  his  companions  guided  the  Astorians 
across  northern  Wyoming,  over  Union  Pass  and  the  upper 
Green  River  Valley,  down  Hoback's  fork  to  the  Snake, 
and  thence  over  Teton  Pass.  At  Fort  Henry  that  fall, 
the  trio — no  longer  being  of  value  as  guides — engaged  to 
remain  behind  and  trap  for  Hunt  in  the  area.     Misfortune 


170  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

befell  them,  and  Robert  Stuart  rescued  them  the  next  sum- 
mer, while  leading  the  overland  Astor  party  back  to  St. 
Louis.  Once  again,  after  this  rescue,  the  three  declined 
an  opportunity  to  return  to  civilization,  "in  their  present 
ragged  condition"  as  Stuart  noted,  and  engaged  to  trap 
for  the  company  for  two  more  years  in  the  sector  of  their 
earlier  trials.  All  three  were  killed  by  Indians  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Boise  River  in  Idaho  (1814). 

Members  of  the  Astorian  party  apparently  named  the 
river  in  question  for  Hoback.  Hunt's  journal  as  it  ap- 
pears in  Nouvelles  Annales  refers  to  the  stream  only  as 
a  "small  river,"  but  Robert  Stuart,  retracing  Hunt's  route 
through  the  Jackson  region  in  1812,  calls  it  "Hoback 
River" — first  known  application  of  the  name. 

OF  THE  ORIGIN  of  the  name  Grey's  River,  largest 
tributary  received  by  the  Snake  in  Wyoming,  the  record  is 
not  so  specific.  Early  maps  identify  this  stream  as  "John 
Day's  River" — commemorating  another  member  of  the  As- 
torian party.  The  name  was  changed  to  "Grey's"  in  more 
recent  years,  possibly  because  of  an  objection  advanced 
by  Chittenden,  who  wrote,  in  1902,  "It  is  unfortunate  that 
modern  geography  has  made  a  mistake  in  perpetuating 
the  name  of  this  stream  (John  Day's).  It  should  be  John 
Gray.  There  was  a  John  Gray  in  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany Service  under  Alexander  Ross,  and  a  person  by  the 
same  name,  but  whether  the  same  individual  or  not  is  un- 
certain, in  the  American  Fur  Company's  service  between 
1830  and  1835.  Both  John  Grays,  if  different  individuals, 
were  distinguished  hunters,  and  from  one  of  them  came 
the  name  Gray's  Hole  as  applied  to  a  valley  on  the  stream 
which  is  now  called  John  Day.  The  hunter  who  bore  the 
latter  name  was  never  near  this  stream." 

However,  Washington  Irving,  chronicler  of  Astor's 
costly  venture  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  reports  in  Astoria 
(1836)  that  Day  was  one  of  three  men  sent  by  Hunt  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Hoback  River  in  1811  to  investigate  the 
navigability  of  the  Snake's  south  fork.  And  Hunt's  Journal 
reports  that  the  three  "set  out  downstream  to  explore 
it  for  a  distance  of  four  days'  march."  Since  the  extent 
between  the  mouths  of  the  Hoback' s  Fork  and  Grey's  or 
John  Day's  River  is  hardly  25  miles,  and  since  the  ex- 
plorers were  gone  for  three  of  their  allotted  four  days,  it 
aDDears  likely  that  Day  at  this  time  was  at  least  "near" 
if  he  did  not  actually  reach  the  mouth  of  the  river  which 
once  bore  his  name.  Rollins  also  reports  that  Day  (who 
started    east    with    Robert    Stuart's    returning    Astorians 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  171 

but  went  insane  and  was  returned  to  the  Astor  post)  re- 
covered— despite  Irving' s  statement  to  the  contrary — and 
spent  the  remaining  years  of  his  Hfe  "on  the  upper  reaches 
of  the  Snake  River's  Valley"  before  succumbing  in  1820 
in  the  Salmon  River  Mountains  in  Idaho.  Rollins'  "upper 
reaches  of  Snake  River's  Valley"  might  well  have  included 
the  Snake  River  Tributary  in  questsion. 

This  confusion  of  identities  is  involved  further  by  the 
occurrence  of  a  "Gray's  Lake"  in  Idaho,  about  30  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  Grey's  River  in  Wyoming.  This  lake 
was  known  to  early  settlers  as  Day's  Lake  or  John  Day's 
Lake,  the  valley  surrounding  it  as  John  Day's  Hole,  fur- 
ther evidence  that  Day  at  some  time  was  in  the  vicinity. 
This  valley  may  possibly  be  the  "Gray's  Hole"  mentioned 
by  Chittenden.  (It  is  not  on  Grey's  or  Day's  River,  as 
Chittenden  locates  his  "Gray's  Hole,"  but  no  such  "hole" 
is  known  along  Grey's  River  today).  Old  timers  of  the 
Gray's  Lake  area  report  that  when  their  post  office  was 
established  in  the  1880's,  Day's  Lake  was  the  name  sug- 
gested in  their  petition  for  postal  service,  but  that  Federal 
authorities  designated  the  post  office  as  Gray's  Lake,  to 
avoid  confusion  with  another  Idaho  community  which  then 
bore  the  name  of  Day.  Gray's  Lake  thus  was  the  name 
adopted  for  the  town  originally  called  Day,  and  in  time 
the  appellation  was  extended  to  apply  to  the  lake  itself. 
The  spelling,  however,  differs  from  that  of  the  now-ac- 
cepted river  name — Grey's — in  the  use  of  "a"  for  "e". 
Chittenden,  it  will  be  noted,  also  favors  the  "a"  spelling 
in  the  name  of  the  man  for  whom  he  thought  the  stream 
should  have  been  named. 

So  much  for  the  riddle  of  John  Day  or  John  Gray  or 
John  Grey,  and  the  river  which  now  bears  his  name.  Cir- 
cumstances accounting  for  the  designation  of  the  last  im- 
portant tributary  acquired  by  the  Snake  in  Wyoming,  the 
Salt  River,  are  not  so  controversial.  According  to  Gran- 
ville Stuart  (not  to  be  confused  with  Astorian  Robert 
Stuart),  the  Snake  Indians  interchangeably  called  the  Salt 
River  "To-sa  car-nel"  meaning  "white  lodges"  and  taking 
note  of  a  number  of  small  white  gyserite  cones  left  along 
its  course  by  extinct  mineral  springs,  and  "0-na-bit-a  pah," 
which  he  translated  to  mean  "salt  water,"  and  which  re- 
ferred of  course  to  the  salt  ledges  and  saline  springs  which 
occur  along  its  principal  tributaries,  the  Crow  and  Stump 
or  Stumph  Creeks.  Tradition  says  that  Indians  in  pre- 
historic times  traveled  great  distances  to  secure  salt  from 
deposits  along  these  two  streams,  and  Stump  Creek  bears 


172  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

the  name  of  Emil  Stumph  who  with  a  partner  named  Wil- 
ham  White  operated  a  salt  works  in  the  1860's  along  the 
stream,  then  known  as  Smoking  Creek,  for  the  mountains 
in  which  it  heads.  The  partners  hauled  their  refined 
product  by  ox  team  to  mining  camps  of  Idaho  and  Montana. 

Original  application  of  the  name  "Salt"  to  this  stream 
is  not  evident.  Robert  Stuart,  who  apparently  followed 
it  the  length  of  Star  Valley  while  wandering,  lost,  through 
the  area  in  1812,  refers  to  it  only  as  "another  stream." 
But  Irving,  retracing  the  routes  of  both  Hunt  and  Stuart 
from  their  original  journals  some  twenty  years  later, 
uses  the  name  to  designate  the  stream,  and  this  is  prob- 
ably its  first  appearance  in  literature   (1836). 

The  Teton  River,  most  important  affluent  of  the 
Snake's  north  fork  to  rise  in  Wyoming,  takes  its  name 
from  the  Teton  Mountains,  the  west  slope  of  which  pro- 
vides its  headwaters.  According  to  Granville  Stuart,  early 
voyageurs  called  the  three  dominating  peaks  in  this  range 
Le  Trois  Tetons  (the  three  breasts)  because  of  their  con- 
ical shape,  and  in  time  the  name  came  to  be  applied  to 
the  entire  range.  There  is  confusion,  however,  between 
this  word  "teton"  as  applied  to  the  mountain  range  and 
as  used  to  designate  an  important  division  of  the  Sioux 
Indian  nation.  There  undoubtedly  is  no  connection  what- 
soever between  the  two  terms,  since  the  Teton  Sioux  lived 
far  east  of  these  mountains.  Rollins  points  out  that  the 
word  "Teton"  as  used  in  reference  to  the  Sioux  division 
was  probably  a  corruption  of  "Titonwan,"  an  Indian  word 
meaning   "prairie-dwellers." 

"Each  of  two  inconsistent  traditions  seeks  another 
origin  for  the  name,"  Rollins  elaborates  (p.  361).  "One 
of  them  gives  derivation  from  an  alleged  merger  of  two 
Dakotan  words,  'tinta'  meaning  'prairie'  and  'tonwon' 
meaning  'village' — hence  'prairie  village.'  According  to 
the  second  tradition,  a  chief  having  seceded  from  a  main 
camp  and  having  been  later  joined  by  other  apostates,  it 
became  usual  to  say  'Tetona?' — an  elliptical  form  for  the 
question  signifying  'How  many  tepees  has  he?'  " 

The  Teton  River  was  formerly  known  as  Pierre's 
River,  for  one  Pierre  (Vieux  Pierre  or  Old  Pierre),  an 
Iroquois  Indian  who  entered  the  region  in  1824  while 
scouting  for  Alexander  Ross  of  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 
Similarly  Teton  Basin,  the  broad  valley  drained  by  the 
river,  was  formerly  known  as  Pierre's  Hole,  'for  the  same 
Indian. 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  173 

Leigh  Creek,  an  important  afluent  of  the  Teton  which 
heads  in  Wyoming,  undoubtedly  bears,  the  name  of  "Beaver 
Dick"  Leigh,  Hayden's  guide  and  early  Jackson  Hole 
pioneer  whose  name  was  also  given  to  Leigh  Lake  and 
Beaver  Dick  Lake  (now  String  Lake)  in  Jackson  Hole. 
The  name  of  another  Teton  tributary.  Bitch  Creek,  is  ac- 
cording to  the  Idaho  Guide,  "an  unhappy  corruption  of 
Biche  Creek.     The  latter  French  word  means  doe." 

The  name  "Bear  River"  as  applied  to  the  most  im- 
portant stream  in  the  Great  Salt  Lake  Basin,  a  portion 
of  which  lies  in  Wyoming,  dates  back  to  early  times.  The 
Great  Basin  area  was  coveted  by  all  the  great  fur  com- 
panies during  the  storied  "buckskin  decades,"  and  its  larg- 
est and  longest  river  was  undoubtedly  named  by  one  of 
the  early  fur-gatherers  who  plumbed  the  lush  recesses  of 
the  Rockies  sometime  prior  to  1820.  Chittenden  (1902) 
says  that  Bear  Lake  which  is  drained  by  Bear  River  was 
first  known  as  Black  Bear  Lake,  and  cites  a  letter  written 
in  1819  from  "Black  Bear  Lake"  by  Donald  McKenzie  of 
the  Northwest  Fur  Company. 

"To  Ashley's  men,"  Chittenden  continues,  "in  1826, 
it  was  known  as  Little  Lake,  in  distinction  from  the  great 
(Salt)  lake  further  west.  At  that  time.  Bear  River  was 
spoken  of  by  Ashley  as  a  'water  of  the  Pacific  Ocean'." 

The  Idaho  Guide  Book  says  definitely  that  Bear  Lake 
was  named  by  McKenzie  in  1818,  though  it  does  not  elab- 
orate on  circumstances  accounting  for  the  designation. 
"The  river  under  this  name,"  the  text  continues,  "was  first 
called  Miller,  but  Indians  called  it  Quee-yaw-pah,  meaning 
the  stream  along  which  the  tobacco  root  grew." 

The  Miller  for  whom  the  stream  was  first  named  was 
Joseph  Miller,  ex-soldier  and  Astor  partner  who  accom- 
panied Astorian  Wilson  Price  Hunt  west  from  St.  Louis 
on  his  overland  trek  to  Astoria  in  1810-11.  At  Henry's 
Fort  on  the  Snake  River  in  the  autumn  of  1811,  Miller 
became  disgruntled,  resigned  his  share  in  the  Astor-con- 
trolled  Pacific  Fur  Company,  and  joined  John  Hoback's 
trappers  who  remained  in  the  area  to  trap  for  Hunt.  Dur- 
ing the  months  which  elapsed  before  the  party  was  con- 
tacted by  Robert  Stuart's  returning  Astorians,  Miller  and 
his  companions  wandered  south  and  spent  the  winter  on 
what  is  now  called  Bear  River,  becoming  the  first  known 
white  man  to. see  the  stream.  Robbed  of  their  catch  and 
belongings  by  Indians,  the  trappers  set  out  for  Astoria 
early  in  the  spring  of  1812,  and  encountered  Stuart's  east- 
bound  party  on  the  Snake  River. 


174  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

An  Indian  guide  previously  had  told  Stuart  of  a 
"shorter  trace  to  the  South" — undoubtedly  referring  to 
South  Pass  in  Wyoming,  which  the  party  later  negotiated 
— and  when  the  Astorian  heard  of  the  new  river  to  the 
south,  he  decided  "after  very  urgent  persuasions"  to  fol- 
low a  southerly  route  to  this  "shorter  trace,"  thus  to  avoid 
the  difficulties  Hunt's  party  had  encountered  in  descend- 
ing the  Snake  River  a  year  earlier.  Hoback  and  his  com- 
panions were  re-outfitted  by  Stuart  and  remained  on  the 
Snake  to  trap,  as  previously  noted,  but  Miller — his  "cur- 
iosity and  desire  of  travelling  thro'  the  Indian  country 
being  fully  satisfied"  decided  to  accompany  the  Astorians 
to  St.  Louis.  He  subsequently  guided  the  group  south  to 
the  river  in  whose  discovery  he  had  shared,  and  Stuart 
came  to  speak  of  it  as  "Miller's  River." 

The  name  seems  never  to  have  become  established, 
although  it  appears  on  a  map  published  in  conjunction 
with  the  Astorian  journals  in  Nouvelles  Annales  in  1821 
(Rollins,  p.  270).  Stuart  supposed,  as  did  Ashley  24  years 
later,  that  the  stream  must  discharge  itself  into  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  but  the  early  map  noted  above  shows  it  ending 
in  a  lake  in  the  approximate  location  of  Great  Salt  Lake — 
thus  casting  doubt  on  the  generally  accepted  theory  that 
Jim  Bridger  was  the  first  white  man  to  view  the  Salt  Lake, 
later  in  the  1820's. 

Bear  River  may  have  taken  its  present  designation 
from  the  lake  McKenzie  named,  or  McKenzie  may  have 
applied  the  name  Bear  or  "Black  Bear"  to  the  stream  as 
well  as  to  the  lake. 

Thomas'  Fork,  one  of  the  more  important  Bear  River 
tributaries  to  head  in  Wyoming,  was  originally  called 
Thompson's  Fork,  according  to  Chittenden,  for  a  member 
of  General  William  H.  Ashley's  trapper  brigade  which 
spread  over  western  Wyoming  early  in  the  1820's.  Chit- 
tenden also  advances  the  supposition  that  Smith's  Fork, 
another  Wyoming  Bear  River  affluent,  commemorates 
Jedediah  S.  Smith,  a  more  prominent  Ashley  associate  who 
was  later  a  partner  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company, 
and,  still  later,  a  distinguished  trader-explorer  in  the 
Southwest. 

(To  be  continued) 


WtfomUuf.  9*1  WaM.  Wa^  II 

Just  one  and  a  half  years  ago  the  American  people 
found  themselves  engulfed  in  World  War  Two.  That 
Wyoming  has  and  is  doing  her  part  is  shown  by  the  fol- 
lowing list  of  her  heroes  who  have  made  the  supreme 
sacrifice. 

We  are  also  listing  those  missing  in  action  and  it  is 
only  the  lack  of  space  which  prevents  us  from  including 
the  Wyoming  men  in  service.  The  county  lists  included 
here  are  as  of  May  15,  1943.  We  plan  to  include  the  same 
of  different  counties  in  ensuing  issues. 


ALBANY  COUNTY 

Killed  in  action 

Raphael  Richard  McGauran  Delbert  Ray  Fisher 
Charles  Edward  Thero  George  Hanson 

Leslie  P.  Jacobs  Raymond  Fry 

Missing  in  action 

Elmer  Erie  Brown  Carl  F.  Gunnerson 

Arnold   Sureson  Maxwell  Mariette 

Arthur  H.  Varphal  Lester  Lee  Throckmorten 
Howard  C.  Corsberg 


NATRONA  COUNTY 

Killed  in  action 
Jack  A.  Spaulding 

Missing  in  action 

Joe  E.  Carrillo  Jack  McDowell 

Thomas  L.  Cotner  Robert  L.  McLaughlin 

Joe  L.  Cotter  Quentin  D.  Miller 

John  C.  Cook  Robert  Allen  Montgomery 

Truman  Marion  Dickeson  Roy  Musfelt 

Donald  Bruce  Forsythe  John  Sinadin 

Richard  Huffsmith  James  Henry  Small 

Claude  W,.  Herron  Kenneth  L.  Vesey 
Ronald  Wayne  Losey 


176 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Albert  M.  Hart 


JOHNSON  COUNTY 

Killed  in  action 

Elmer  Christensen 


Missing  in  action 
Thomas  Hushbeck  Patrick  Taylor 


Franklin  Dennick 
Philip  Bacon 
Leo  Good 
Frank  Harmon 
Edward  Lane 


LARAMIE  COUNTY 

Killed  in  action 

Robert  Milatzo 
Newton  Simpson 
Charles  Stafford 
Charles  Steele 
Walter  Stein 


Oscar  Brevdy 
William  Calder 
Raymond  Lawson 
Elmer  Schliske 


Missing  in  action 

J.  Clinton  Asher 
John  McFarland,  Jr. 
James  Orr 
Raymond  Osborn 


SHERIDAN  COUNTY 


L.  A.  Ponath 
M.  Jack  Barton 
A.  L.  Piasecki 
Herman  Schmidt 
George  J.  Wolney 
Arthur  K.  Perry 


Killed  in  action 

Albert  Morgenweck 
George  Eisele 
Billy  Powers 
Paul  W.  Byrtus 
Harold  G.  Phillips 


Missing  in  action 
Frank  Houx 


The  completion  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  did 
wonders  for  this  once  remote  part  of  the  country;  it 
brought  about  the  creation  of  Wyoming  Territory,  gave  a 
new  impetus  to  the  development  of  the  valuable  coal  and 
mineral  resources  of  the  new  Territory,  as  well  as  to  other 
industries;  stage  lines  north  and  south  of  the  U.  P.  R.  R., 
were  established  connecting  a  vast  isolated  interior  with 
the  railroad  running  east  and  west. 

The  Sweetwater  Stage  Company,  established  by  Alex 
Benham  in  May  1869,  was  one  of  the  many  Stage  lines 
organized;  it  connected  the  Sweetwater  mining  district 
with  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  and  the  outside  world. 
Mr.  Benham  ran  a  daily  line  of  four  horse  Concord  Coaches, 
which  were  splendidly  equipped,  between  Bryan  and  South 
Pass  City,  a  distance  of  ninety-five  miles;  Atlantic  City 
and  Miner's  Delight,  a  distance  of  four  and  eight  miles 
respectively  from  South  Pass  City.  The  fare  from  Bryan 
to  South  Pass  City  was  twenty  dollars  ($20.00)  the  time 
less  than  fifteen  hours.  The  route  ran  over  a  well 
watered  and  verdant  country;  the  company  carried  the 
Wells  Fargo  Co.'s  express  and  secured  a  contract  to  carry 
the  U.  S.  Mail  from  Bryan  to  South  Pass  and  Atlantic 
City,  receiving  $64,000  per  year. 

A.  Benham  continued  the  Bryan  route  to  South  Pass 
City  until  1871,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  C.  C.  Huntley 
&  Co.,  who  in  1872  changed  the  route  from  Bryan  to  Green 
River  and  extended  the  line  from  Green  River  to  Lander. 

The  Railroad  reached  Bryan  in  September,  1868;  it 
was  an  important  town  for  a  few  years,  being  a  railroad 
terminus,  Government  freight  depot,  and  a  stage  depot; 
its  importance  lasted  but  a  few  years  for  when  the  Union 
Pacific  straightened  its  tracks,  Bryan  was  left  to  one  side 
to  be  known  as  a  "ghost  town." 

In  1870  Mr.  Benham  put  in  a  line  of  coaches  on  the 
Point  of  Rocks  route  from  Point  of  Rocks  to  South  Pass 
City;  William  Larimer  also  ran  a  daily  line  of  coaches 
from  the  same  points  for  one  season,  when  this  route  was 
entirely  abandoned. 


178  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  mines  of  the  Sweetwater  district  attracted  con- 
siderable attention  as  early  as  1867,  but  it  seemed  im- 
possible to  collect  reliable  information  before  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  to  Bryan  was  an 
established  fact. 

The  early  history  of  the  Sweetwater  mines  is  com- 
paratively unknown.  These  mines  were  located  in  Fre- 
mont County  on  the  Sweetwater  River  and  its  tributaries 
in  about  latitude  421/^"  north  and  longitude  109°  west  of 
Greenwich. 

In  the  "Sweetwater  Miner"  March  24,  1869,  a  news- 
paper published  by  M.  E.  A.  Slack,'  is  an  article  which 
contains  all  the  information  known  about  the  discovery 
and  very  early  history  of  this  district.  It  has  been  used 
by  several  geologists  and  historians,  apparently  the  only 
available  early  history  of  these  mines. 

R.  W.  Raymond^  also  included  this  article  in  "Stat- 
istics of  Mines  and  Mining  in  the  States  and  Territories  "^ 
1870: 

"Gold  in  the  Sweetwater  district  was  first  dis- 
covered in  1842  by  a  Georgian,  who  came  here  with 
the  American  Fur  Company  for  the  recovery  of  his 
health.  After  remaining  a  year  he  started  for  home, 
intending  to  organize  a  company  and  bring  them  to 
work  the  mines.  He  never  reached  his  home,  how- 
ever, and  was  suiDposed  to  have  been  killed  by  In- 
dians. Thirteen  years  elapsed,  when  a  party  of  forty 
men  arrived  here.  They  prospected  the  whole  length 
of  the  Sweetwater,  found  gold  everywhere  in  the 
river  as  well  as  in  all  its  tributaries,  and  turned  the 
main  stream  from  its  channel  for  400  yards.  A  small 
shaft,  eight  feet  deep,  from  which  they  took  from 
two  to  ten  cents  worth  of  gold  per  pan,  was  sunk 
and  worked  for  some  time.  Winter  approaching, 
they  abandoned  their  enterprise  to  winter  at  Fort 
Laramie,  where  they  intended  to  provision  them- 
selves for  a  year  and  get  a  supply  of  necessary  tools 
in  the  spring.     This  done  they  started,  but  when  on 


1.  Knight,  W.  C.  "Sweetwater  Mining  District"  1901,  Bull.  p.  8. 
Coutant.  C.  G.  "History  of  Wyoming"  1890,  p.  637.  R.  W.  Raymond 
also  names  Charles  J.  Hazard  as  editor  of  the  "Sweetwater  Mines," 
41st  Cong.  H.  R.  Ex.  Doc.  No.  207 — p.  9. 

2.  R.  W.  Raymond  was  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Mining  Statistics 
in  1870. 

3.  41st  Cong.  2nd  Sess.  H.  R.  Ex»  Doc.  No.  207,  pp.  327-328 
[Serial  1424.] 


SWEETWATER  STAGE  COMPANY—]  869  179 

their  way  two  days  they  were  overtaken  by  United 
States  dragoons,  and  brought  back  to  the  fort;  the 
leader  was  sent  to  prison  for  some  imaginary  of- 
fense, and  the  property  of  the  company  was  con- 
fiscated. In  1858  the  leader  returned  to  this  region, 
but  did  no  mining  until  the  summer  of  1860,  when 
he  and  eight  others  commenced  mining  on  Straw- 
berry Creek.  Their  rotton  sluices,  rockers,  and  tons 
remain  there  to  the  present  day.  During  1861  mining 
was  abandoned,  because  men  could  make  more  money 
putting  up  hay,  delivering  telegraph  poles,  etc.,  for 
the  Overland  Stage  Company.  In  the  fall  of  1860, 
however,  fifty-two  men  had  collected  at  South  Pass 
City  ready  to  commence  mining  in  the  early  spring 
of  1862.  Their  locations  were  selected,  and  prospects 
were  promising,  when,  like  a  thunderbolt,  the  Sho- 
shone Indians  broke  down  on  them,  robbed  them  of 
everything  and  drove  them  off.  This  put  a  stop  to 
mining  operations  until  the  fall  of  1866,  when  a  party, 
led  by  the  same  man  who  guided  all  the  former  ex- 
peditions, came  down  from  Virginia  City,  Montana. 
They  wintered  on  the  Sweetwater,  and  June  8,  1867, 
the  Cariso  lode  was  discovered  by  H.  S.  Reedall."*  A 
mining  district  was  organized  and  called  Shoshone 
district.  Mining  laws  were  agreed  upon  and  regula- 
tions entered  into  by  the  pioneers. 

Reedall  and  his  party  commenced  working  the 
Cariso  lode  when  they  were  attacked  by  Indians,  who 
killed  three  of  them  and  drove  off  the  remainder. 
The  survivors  returned  to  the  mines  July  28,  and 
remained  over  winter.  They  succeeded  in  extracting: 
from  the  croppings  of  the  lode,  which  they  crushed 
in  a  hand-mortar,  $1,600  in  gold.  Seven  thousand 
dollars  more  they  washed  out  of  the  detritus  in  the 
gulch  below  the  vein.  The  news  of  this  success 
spread  rapidly  and  was  greatly  exaggerated.  A  great 
rush  commenced  from  the  neighboring  territories,  but 
the  majority  of  the  adventurers,  not  findins:  the  facts 
to  bear  out  the  reports,  left  very  soon.  Only  about 
five  hundred  remained  and  went  to  work.  Their 
labor  was  well  rewarded,  and  s^radually  more  popula- 
tion was  attracted,  so  that  in  July,  1869,  2,000  people 


4.  Bancroft,  H.  W.  The  Works  of  H.  W.  Bancroft  Vol.  25,  p. 
731,  claims  Noyes  Baldwin  discovered  the  Carissa  lode.  He  also 
calls  this  lode  Cariso.  P.  V.  Hayden,  W.  C.  Knight,  R.  W.  Raymond 
and  several  others  call  it  Carissa  which  is  no  doubt  correct. 


180 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


had  settled  here.  They  were  doing  well  and  appar- 
ently satisfied  with  the  results  already  reached,  and 
their  future  prospects.  Although  all  those  persons 
came  to  the  district  poor  they  had  three  mills  with 
twenty-six  stamps  running,  and  several  arrastras 
were  in  operation." 

While  we  are  principally  interested  in  the  Sweetwater 
Stage  Company,  we  cannot  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  one 
of  the  main  reasons  for  the  establishment  of  this  and 
other  stage  lines  through  this  region  was  the  gold  discov- 
ery in  the  Sweetwater  District,  and  a  little  of  its  early 
history  does  not  go  amiss. 


Tilt:  .swi-:ETir,%Tf:s5 


STAGE  COMPANY 


Hiive  e.stablKht't}    n   <i;iilv  liuf  of    < 'ou'.-ori! 


i  Bryan  and  South  Pass  Gitj^ 

ATLANTIC  CITY 

f  ZSiii3.ei*'s  T)eliii*lit 


ACCESSIONS 

to  the 
WYOMING  HISTORICAL  DEPARTMENT 

January   1,    1943   to   June   1,    1943 

Miscellaneous   Gifts 

Lutz,  Mr.  J.  B.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — The  Magic  City — photos,  1890. 

Doetsch,  Mr.  L.  J.,  Carpenter,  Wyoming — Indian  artifact — hammer — 
shows  much  use.     Picked  up  near  Carpenter,  Wyoming. 

Atwood,  J.  G.,  Rawlins,  Wyoming — Turilla  from  the  DeLaney  Rim, 
Carbon  County. 

Shelton,  Warren  D.,  State  Mineral  Supervisor — Shealite  ore,  source 
of  tungsten.  Prom  Copper  Mountain  District  northwest  of 
Bonneville,  Fremont  County.  This  is  a  new  important  mineral 
development  in  Wyoming. 

Treasury  Department,  War  Savings  Staff,  United  States  Treasury 
Department.  "Liberty  Brick"  an  original  brick  from  the  walls 
of  Independence  Hall  in  Philadhlphia. 

Rice,  Robert,  500  C.  A.  Johnson  Building,  17th  and  Glenarm  Sts., 
Denver,  Colorado.  Donor  of  a  Hotel  Register  of  the  Metropolitan 
Hotel,   Cheyenne,   1884-1885. 

Webster,  Olvier  V.,  1811  East  Ocean  Blvd.,  Long  Beach,  California, 
Author  and  donor  of  a  poem,  "The  Ballad  of  Jim  Bridger." 

Shaffner,  E.  B.,  Douglas,  Wyoming,  donor  of  a  photograph  of  Major 
J.  W.  Powell  and  John   "Portugee"  Phillips. 

Bowder,  Henry  L.,  1766  Ponce  De  Leon  Ave.,  N.  E.,  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
donor  of  several  pieces  of  paper  Confederate  money  issued  by 
the  state  of  Georgia  during  the  Civil  war. 

Thorp,  Russell,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming.  Loaned  a  collection  of  65  pieces 
of  the  Black  Hills  Stage  Coach  Days. 

Rooks  Purchased 

Spring,  Anges  Wright,  70  Years  Cow  Country. 

Bieber,  Ralph  P.  and  Hafen,  LeRoy  R.,  The  Southwest  Historical 
Series,  Analytical  Index. 

Books — Gifts 

Shoemaker,  Floyd  C,  Missouri  Day  by  Day. 


182  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

RUSSELL  THORP  COLLECTION 

A  letter  written  by  Mr.  Russell  Thorp  with  reference 
to  a  loan  made  by  him  to  the  State  Historical  Department. 
State  Historical  Department, 

Supreme  Court  Building, 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 

Dear  Mrs.  Erwin: 

It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  the  State  of  Wyoming 
has  provided  space  in  the  Supreme  Court  Building  for  the 
preservation  and  display  of  historical  relics. 

It  is  with  considerable  more  than  passing  interest  that 
I  loaned  to  the  State  of  Wyoming  my  personal  collection 
of  historical  items  that  I  have  preserved  these  many  years 
from  the  Cheyenne-Black  Hills  Stage  and  Express  Line 
that  extended  from  Cheyenne  to  Deadwood,  more  than 
three  hundred  miles,  back  during  the  Black  Hills  gold  rush 
commencing  in  1876.  This  line  was  at  one  time  owned 
and  operated  by  my  father. 

The  steel  treasure  boxes,  guns,  whips,  shotgun,  mes- 
senger's arms  and  many  other  items,  I  am  sure  could  not 
be  replaced,  and  I  hope  that  this  collection  will  be  of  edu- 
cational value  to  those  who  visit  our  State  Historical  De- 
partment. 

Sincerely  yours, 
RUSSELL  THORP. 

0  Billiard  ball  from  first  billiard  set  west  of  Missouri 
River.  From  the  Officer's  Club,  Old  Bedlam,  Fort 
Laramie.    Presented  by  John  Hunton. 

00  Extract  of  log  wood  from  which  ink  was  made  by 
early  day  military  expeditions  and  pioneers. 

1  Shoshone  Indian  drum,  1905. 

2  Handmade  Hudson's  Bay  bucket.  Blackfeet  Indians. 
Montana. 

3  Stone  hammer.  Originally  Scott  Davis  Collection. 

4  Buffalo  skinning  knife.  Home  made  from  a  horse 
shoeing  rasp,  1860.    Originally  Scott  Davis  collection. 

7  Brass  bucket  traded  to  Blackfeet  Indians  by  Hud- 
son Bay  Company. 

8  Rawhide  covered  Indian  squaw  travois  saddle  tree. 


RUSSELL  THORP  COLLECTION  183 

Found  by  George  Lathrop  in  the  vicinity  of  Rawhide 
Buttes,  1899. 

10  Canteen  used  on  the  stage  coaches  in  early  days. 

11  Gold  pan  purchased  in  Denver,  Colorado,  June  3, 
1859,  by  Luke  Voorhees  who  used  it  in  the  gold 
diggings  at  Gregory  Gulch  on  Clear  Creek,  Colorado, 
1859,  Alder  Gulch,  Montana,  1863,  and  in  discovery 
of  the  Kootenai  Diggings,  British  Columbia,  April 
4,  1864.  Presented  to  Russell  Thorp  by  H.  Clay 
Kienzel,  May  8,  1937. 

12  Beer  bottle  from  Old  Sutler  store.  Fort  Laramie. 
According  to  check-up  verified  by  Schlitz  Brewing 
Company,  the  label  was  used  in  1883. 

13  Rough  lock  used  on  stage  coaches.  Last  used  on 
Laramie-Centennial  Rambler  Stage  Line  in  1903. 
Presented  by  Mrs.  G.  L.  Wright. 

14  Handmade  14  plat  buckskin  six  horse  whiplash,  14 
feet  long,  tapered  in  silk.  Used  by  stage  drivers 
Last  used  in  Yellowstone  National  Park.  (Very  fine). 

15  Handmade  buckskin  stage  driver's  whip  lash.  Used 
by  Russell  Thorp,  Sr. 

16  Buckskin  Winchester  four  horse  whip  lash.  Used 
by  stage  drivers, 

17  Four  horse  whip  with  hickory  stock,  buckskin  lash 
and  hand  worked  silk  between  ferrules.  Presented 
to  Russell  Thorp  by  John  S.  Collins  (leading  har- 
ness maker,  Cheyenne)   1884. 

18  Whalebone  stock,  buckskin  lash  stage  driver's  whip. 
Presented  by  J.  Elmer  Brock. 

19  Hand  wrought  treasure  box  used  on  Cheyenne  and 
Black  Hills  Stage  Line  to  transport  gold  from  Dead- 
wood  to  Cheyenne.  Prior  to  1876,  used  on  Nevada 
and  California  Stage  Lines.  Gilmer,  Salsbury  and 
Patrick. 

21  Bolt  action  rifle  carried  by  Quick  Shot  (Scott) 
Davis,  captain  of  messengers,  on  Old  Black  Hills 
Stage  Line,  later  carried  by  him  on  range  as  live- 
stock detective  during  invasion,  1892. 

22  Double  barreled  shotgun  carried  by  Quick  Shot 
(Scott)  Davis,  shotgun  messenger  on  Old  Black  Hills 
Stage  Line. 

23  First  model  repeating  44  Winchester  Henry  Rifle 
issued  to  shotgun  messengers  to  guard  gold,  Dead- 


184  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

wood  to  Cheyenne,  on  Cheyenne  and  Black  Hills 
Stage  &  Express  Company  line.  Jointed  ramrod 
carried  in  butt  of  rifle  showing  7  notches  indicating 
number  of  men  and  Indians  killed  with  this  gun. 

24  Belts   and   rifle   ammunition   worn   by   Scott   Davis. 

25  Ammunition  vest  and  buckshot  shells  worn  by  Scott 
Davis. 

26  Binoculars  used  by  Scott  Davis  to  locate  road  agents 
and  cattle  rustlers. 

27  Leg  irons  used  on  prisoners  carried  on  stage  lines. 

28  Hand  cuffs  carried  by  shotgun  messengers  on  Chey- 
enne and  Black  Hills  Stage  &  Express  Company  line. 

29  Bracket  and  telegraph  line  insulator  on  first  tele- 
graph line  built  north  from  Cheyenne. 

30  Telegraph  lightening  arrester  from  Rawhide  Buttes. 
First  telegraph  line  built  north  of  Cheyenne. 

31  Telegraph  instrument  from  Rawhide  Buttes.  First 
telegraph  line  built  north  of  Cheyenne.  Cheyenne- 
Black  Hills  Telegraph  Line,  1876.  Used  by  Ed.  L. 
Patrick,  Sr. 

32  Set  of  whip  stock  ferrals  made  by  George  Lathrop 
and  presented  by  him  to  Russell  Thorp,  Jr. 

34  Stage  driver's  whip  socket  used  on  stage  coaches  to 
hold  whip  when  not  in  use. 

35  Bridle  that  belonged  to  Quick  Shot  (Scott)  Davis. 
Used  in  Johnson  County  War. 

37-38  Hame  bells  used  on  leaders  of  string  team  freight 
outfits  both  for  decorative  purposes  and  to  enable 
approaching  teams  to  hear  them  on  mountain  roads. 
Used  in  Nevada.  Last  used  in  Yellowstone  National 
Park  prior  to  the  use  of  trucks. 

39  Mule  skinner's  shot-loaded  blacksnake  whip. 

44  Center  rings  used  to  hold  inside  check  lines  to  keep 
them  from  spreading.     Six  horse  stage  harness. 

45  Single  center  rings  used  on  stage  harness. 

46  Complete  set  of  rings  for  six  horse  stage  team 
harness. 

47  Inside  spreaders  used  sometimes  on  six  horse  stage 
harness. 


RUSSELL  THORP  COLLECTION  185 

48  Off  and  near   terrets   used   on  wheel  bridles.     Six 
horse  stage  harness. 

52  Sioux  Indian  war  bonnet,  1892,  Worn  by  sub-chief. 
Presented  to  R.  Thorp,  Jr.,  by  Stinking  Bear. 

53  Pair  of  tees  and  toggles  from  Concord  harness  used 
to  hook  traces  into  Concord  stage  coach  single-trees. 

102  Sioux  Indian  beaded  moccasins.     Sewn  with  sinews. 
Worn  by  Russell  Thorp,  1886. 

103  Sioux  Indian  beaded  moccasins.  Sewn  with  sinews, 
1888. 

104  Indian  made  buckskin  gloves.     Shoshoni,  1906. 

105  Arapahoe  Sun  Dance  whistle  made  from  the  wing 
bone  of  an  eagle. 

106  Wampum  used  in  lieu  of  money  by  Fox  Indians  of 
Wisconsin,  1840.  Handed  down  by  J.  P.  Brooks, 
grandfather  of  Russell  Thorp. 

107  Steel  spearhead  used  by  plains  Indians. 

108  Steel  arrowhead.     Sioux  Indians. 

109  Iron  hatchet  used  by  Mountain  men  and  in  trade 
with  the  Indians. 

110  Hatchet  used  in  trade  with  the  Indians  by  Hudson's 
Bay  Company.     Ploughed  up  near  Rawhide  Buttes. 

111  Skinning  knife  ploughed  up  near  Rawhide  Buttes. 

112  French  fencing  foil.  Found  by  a  sheepherder  in 
vicinity  of  the  Green  River  rendezvous  of  the  Moun- 
tain men  and  fur  traders. 

113  Sioux  Indian  peace  pipe,  1888. 

114  Cheyenne  and  Black  Hills  Stage  &  Express  Com- 
pany express  seal. 

115  Original  passenger  way  bills.  Douglas  Short  Line, 
1888. 

116  Stage  driver's  way  pocket  in  which  they  carried  way 
bills  and  special  messages.  Cheyenne  and  Black 
hills  Stage  &  Express  Co. 

126  Insulator  from  original  overland  telegraph  line.  Con- 
structed by  Count  Edward  A.  Creighton.  Presented 
by  Clark  Bishop. 

127  Six  horse  stage  whip  used  by  Al  Patrick  of  firm  of 
Gilmore,  Salsbury  and  Patrick  who  established  Chey- 
enne and  Black  Hills  Stage  &  Express  Company  1876. 


186  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Luke  Voorhees,  Manager.  Patrick  established  the 
famous  P.  K.  ranch  near  Sheridan,  Wyoming.  Pre- 
sented by  his  nephew,  John  Patrick,  Jan.  1942. 

129  Bullwhacker's  whip  used  on  ox  team  in  overland 
freighting. 

130  English  Military  buckle  found  near  Spanish  Diggings 
in  1937.  Latin  inscription  "God  and  My  Right." 
Evidently  lost  by  early-day  explorer. 

131  Peruvian  bridle  decorations  secured  by  Russell 
Thorp  in  Peru.     Spanish  coins  dating  1807-1867. 

132  Pair  of  handmade  andirons  made  by  blacksmiths 
with  Jenney's  Expedition  at  Jenney's  Stockade. 
Later  used  at  Jenney's  Stockade  Stage  Station. 
Cheyenne-Black  Hills  stage  line.  Presented  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  P.  S.  Jackson. 

133  Handmade  door  bolt  from  station  on  Black  Hills 
stage  line. 

135  Stub  of  Telegraph  pole,  first  telegraph  line  north  of 
Cheyenne  and  to  Deadwood.  Set  in  1876  and  dug 
up  in  1936.  Presented  by  Charles  Meyers,  Fort 
Laramie. 

136  Sole  leather  trunk,  used  by  R.  Thorp,  Sr.,  in  early 
days.  Leather  trunks  were  discarded  when  staging 
was  discontinued.  They  were  especially  designed  to 
carry  on  stage  coaches. 


Note:     These  numbers  correspond  to  loaner's  numbers. 


U.  S.  COMMISSIONER: 

We  had  the  pleasure  of  a  call  yesterday  morning  from 
Judge  J.  P.  Bartlett,  United  States  Commissioner,  who  has 
just  arrived  here  from  Omaha.  Judge  B.  informs  us  that 
he  will  open  court  for  the  dispatch  of  business  forthwith. 
He  is  a  young  man  of  fine  legal  abilities  and  social  worth, 
and  his  advent  here  is  welcomed  by  all  order  loving  people. 
—The  Cheyenne  Leader,  Vol.  1,  No.  2,  Sept.  24,  1867. 


Vol.  15  July,  1943  No.  3 

Page 

THE  OLD  TRAIL  TO  AN  EMPIRE   191 

By  William   A.   Riner 

DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS: 

Investigation  as  to  Causes  of  Indian  Hostilities 

West  of  the  Missouri  River,  1824  198 

Bonneville's  Expeditions  to  Rocky  Mountains 

1832-'33-'34-'35-'36     220 

By  Gouveneur  K.  Warren. 

Historic  Document  Tells  Early  Day  Drama  of  the  West  229 

By   Amanda   Z.   Archambault. 

CHEYENNE  INDIAN  PORTRAITS— Painted  by  George  Catlin....234 
By  Marie  H.   Erwin. 

WYOMING    SCRAPBOOK: 

Sites  Famous  in  History  of  Laramie  City 

Marked   During   Jubilee    242 

Neikok,  Indian  Interpreter  246 

Wyoming   Sheriffs    247 

An  Incident  on  the  Plains,  1870  249 

The  "Magic  City"  Cheyenne,  Dakota  Territory,  1867  (Con't.)..250 

WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES    (Con't.)    254 

By  Dee  Linford. 

EASTERN  RECORDS  OP  EARLY  WYOMING  NEWSPAPERS. ...271 
By  Douglas  C.  McMurtrie. 

IN   MEMORIAM—John    Eugene    Osborne,    1858-1943    279 

EARLY  HISTORY  OP  CARBON  COUNTY  280 

By  John   C.   Friend. 

AN  EXCERPT  FROM   THE   JOURNAL   OF 

E.    WILLARD    SMITH,    1839-1840    287 

WYOMING  IN  WORLD  WAR  II  298 

Senator  Joseph  C.  O'Mahoney. 

ACCESSIONS    307 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

SHERMAN  STATION  Front  Cover 

MUSEUM      190 

CHEYENNE  INDIAN  CHIEB"  239 

CHEYENNE  INDIAN  WOMAN  240 

AN  INCIDENT  ON  THE  PLAINS,   1870  249 

STATE  SEAL  ON  BACK  COVER 

Printed  by  The   Douglas  Enterprise, 
Dou.tflas,   Wyomin.o: 


The  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Historical  Advisory  Board 
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  presenta- 
tion of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manu- 
scripts of  Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observa- 
tions 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 
Wyoming  and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State.  The  historical 
magazine,  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,  is  one  medium  through  which 
the  Department  seeks  to  gain  this  objective.  All  communications 
concerning  the  ANNALS  should  be  addressed  to  Mary  A.  McGrath, 
Wyoming  Historical  Department,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 


This  magazine  is  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Historical  Board 
members,  the  State  Historical  Advisory  Board,  Wyoming  County 
Libraries  and  Wyoming  newspapers. 

It  is  published  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Subscription 
price,  $1.50  per  year;   single  copies,  45c. 


Entered   as   second-class   matter   Sertember   10,    1941,   at  the   Post    Office   in   Cheyenne, 
Wyoming,  under  the  Act  of  August  24,  1912. 


CopyriRht,   194.3,  by  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


STATE  HISTORICAL  BOARD 

Lester  C.  Hunt,  President Governor 

Mart  T.  Christensen ,      Secretary  of  State 

Wm.   "Scotty"  Jack State   Auditor 

Earl  Wright State  Treasurer 

Esther  L.  Anderson     ....     Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
Mary  A.  McGrath,  Secy.     .     State  Librarian  and  Historian  Ex-Officio 


STATE  HISTORICAL  ADVISORY  BOARD 


Mrs.  Mary  Jester  Allen,  Cody 
Frank   Barrett,   Lusk 
George  Bible,  Rawlins 
Mrs.  T.  K.  Bishop,  Basin 

C.  Watt  Brandon,  Kemmerer 
J.  Elmer  Brock,   Kaycee 
Struthers  Burt,  Moran 

Mrs.  Elsa  Spear  Byron,  Sheridan 

Mrs.  G.  C.  Call,  Afton 

Oliver  J.  Colyer,  Torrington 

J.  L.  Cook,  Sundance 

Mrs.  Esther  Crook,  Fairview 

William  C.  Deming,  Cheyenne 

Dr.  William   Frackelton,  Sheridan 

Paul  Frison,  Ten  Sleep 

E.  A.  Gaensslen,  Green  River 

Hans  Gautschi,   Lusk 

Burt  Griggs,   Buffalo 

Jack  Haynes,  Yellowstone  Park 

D.  B.  Hilton,  Sundance 

L.  B.  Howard,  Rock  Springs 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Hunter,  Gillette 


Mrs.    Joseph    H.    Jacobucci,    Green 

River 
P.  W.  Jenkins,  Big  Piney 
E.  V.  Knight,  Laramie 
W.  C.  Laurence,  Moran 
E.  A.  Logan,  Cheyenne 
Howard  B.  Lott,  Buffalo 
Mrs.  Eliza  Lythgoe,  Cowley 
R.  E.  MacLeod,  Torrington 
James  L.  Mcintosh,  Split  Rock 
A.  J.  Mokler,   Casper 
Mrs.   Elmer  K.  Nelson,  Laramie 
L.  L.  Newton,  Lander 
R.  I.  dinger,  Newcastle 
Charles  Oviatt,   Sheridan 
Mrs.  Minnie  Reitz,  Wheatland 
E.   B.   Shaffner,   Douglas 
Mrs.  Effie  Shaw,  Cody 
Mrs.   Tom   Sun,   Rawlins 
John  Charles  Thompson,  Cheyenne 
Russell    Thorp,    Cheyenne 


STAFF  PERSONNEL 

of 

The  Wyoming  Historical  Department 

and 

State  Museum 

Mary  A.  McGrath.  Editor   .    State  Librarian  and  Historian  Ex-Officio 
Marie  H.  Erwin,   Co-Editor Assistant  Historian 


WYOMING  STATE  MUSEUM 

Housed  in  the  new  Supreme  Court  and  Library  Build- 
ing in  Cheyenne,  with  vault  space  and  fireproof  protection, 
the  Museum  provides  for  the  preservation  and  display  of 
the  prized  possessions  of  Wyoming  pioneers. 

Perpetuate  your  family  name  by  placing  your  historical 
collections  and  relics  in  your  State  Museum,  where  they 
may  be  permanently  preserved  and  enjoyed  by  the  thou- 
sands of  visitors. 

Everything  that  is  presented  to  the  Museum  is  num- 
bered, labeled,  recorded  and  card  indexed,  thus  insuring 
permanent  identification. 


^^e  Old  ^^ixul  ta  An  ZinfiiAje 

By  William  A.  Riner* 

Justice,  Wyoming  Supreme  Court 

At  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  July  4,  1920,  a 
Masonic  meeting  was  held  in  a  depression  on  top  of  In- 
dependence Rock  in  Natrona  County,  fifty-five  miles 
southwest  of  Casper.  The  place  where  the  meeting  was 
held  is  located  about  170  feet  above  the  surrounding  plain 
and,  so  far  as  could  be  ascertained,  was  the  identical  place 
where  a  Masonic  meeting  was  held  on  July  4,  1862  by  about 
twenty  members  of  the  Order  who  were  there  on  that  date 
as  part  of  a  covered  wagon  train  which  was  traveling  west 
on  the  Old  Oregon  Trail. 

The  altar  used  on  this  occasion  was  similar  to  the 
altar  used  by  the  men  who  held  that  first  meeting  being 
composed  of  thirteen  large  stones  emblematical  of  the 
thirteen  original  colonies.  The  same  Bible  was  used  in 
1920  as  had  been  used  at  the  meeting  fifty-eight  years 
before.  This  volume  had  been  presented  to  the  Masonic 
Grand  Lodge  of  Wyoming  in  1875  by  the  gentleman  who 
acted  as  presiding  officer  at  that  first  meeting  on  the 
Rock.  The  Bible  had  been  carried  to  the  Pacific  Coast, 
then  taken  East,  and  finally,  as  stated  above,  was  placed 
in  the  possession  of  the  ■Masonic  Order  of  the  then  Terri- 
tory of  Wyoming. 

At  the  meeting  in  1920,  many  of  the  states  in  the 
Union  were  represented.  There  were  several  members  of 
the  Order  from  Scotland,  one  from  the  Philippine  Islands, 
and  one  from  Alaska.  In  all,  there  were  some  200  mem- 
bers of  the  Masonic  Order  present,  and  they  with  their 
families  made  a  gathering  of  in  the  neighborhood  of  700 
people. 

On  this  occasion,  after  the  Lodge  meeting  had  been 
held  at  the  northern  end  of  the  Rock,  ceremonies  were 
held  in  commemoration  of  the  Old  Oregon  Trail  which  did 
so  much  in  the  task  of  peopling  the  Northwest  territory 
and  retaining  its  vast  and  valuable  expanse  for  the  Amer- 
ican Union.  On  that  occasion  the  following  address  was 
presented. 

The  spread  of  civilization  to  a  new  land  is   always 

*For  biography  see  Annals  of  Wyoming,  vol.  12,  No.  4,  p.  302. 


192  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

fraught  with  the  deepest  interest.  It  is  the  estabhshment 
of  a  milestone  for  humanity.  The  means  whereby  this  is 
accomphshed,  oftimes  is  memorialized  in  song  and  story. 
From  childhood  we  have  heard  of  the  Mayflower  and 
Longfellow's  verses  about  "the  Old  Colony  days  in  Ply- 
mouth, the  land  of  the  Pilgrims."  The  prose  of  Hawthorne 
has  woven  into  our  lives  the  spell  of  that  'lock  bound 
coast."  Who,  then,  shall  be  the  poet  who  shall  sing  to  us 
of  the  gaining  for  our  nation  a  realm  more  than  four 
times  larger  than  all  the  six  New  England  states?  Who 
shall  delight  our  children's  children  with  the  romantic 
history  of  the  Old  Oregon  Trail?  It  is  a  histcry  worthy 
to  minister  to  the  imagination  and  idealism  of  the  best 
youth  our  nation  shall  ever  produce.  The  heroism  of  days 
to  come  which  they  will  need  must  grow  out  of  the  heroism 
of  the  days  that  have  been.  The  incentive  to  do  and  dare 
noble  deeds  tomorrow  will  spring  mightily  from  the 
aroused  memory  of  such  yesterdays.  Let  me  tell  you, 
therefore,  briefly  of  this  old  northwest  Trail  which 
beckoned  ever  toward  the  setting  sun,  and  the  land  of 
promise  which  lay  beyond. 

There  is  no  single  name  or  date  or  event  that  we 
can  select  and  say  "Here  begins  the  history  of  the  road 
to  Oregon."  In  the  main  it  was  a  natural  highway  fol- 
lowing the  easy  grades  of  the  water  courses.  The  fords 
of  the  rivers,  the  passes  through  the  mountains;  the 
quickest  and  easiest  paths  between  water  holes  on  desert 
stretches — these  were  first  found  and  traveled  by  deer, 
elk,  buffalo  and  other  creatures  of  the  wild.  The  paths 
made  by  them  were  worn  deeper  by  the  moccasined  feet 
of  Indians.  Next  came  the  fur  trappers  and  traders,  the 
real  forerunners  of  civilization.  After  them  appeared  mis- 
sionaries and  the  adventurous  van  guard  of  homeseekers. 
Forts  Laramie  and  Bridger  sprang  up  along  the  road  and 
many  another  post  whose  name  is  historic. 

Thus  the  trail  grew  and  became  a  highway  as  easy 
to  follow  as  a  country  road.  Along  it  surged  for  years  the 
advance  tide  of  a  nation's  migrating  host.  Men  of  all 
classes  forsook  their  customary  vocations  and  joined  the 
hegira  to  the  new  western  lands,  forgetful  or  careless  of 
the  pathless  distances,  the  unavoidable  hardships,  and  the 
inevitable  perils  of  the  wilderness.  With  good  luck  the 
journey  could  be  made  in  four  months  and  with  bad  luck 
six  months  hardly  sufficed.  Children  were  born;  men  and 
women  sickened,  died  and  were  buried  but  the  great  pro- 
cession hastened  ever  westward. 


THE  OLD  TRAIL  TO  AN  EMPIRE  193 

The  Oregon  Trail  started  at  Independence,  Missouri, 
and  for  forty-one  miles  was  identical  with  the  older  Santa 
Fe  Trail.  Where  the  town  of  Gardner,  Kansas,  now  stands 
a  sign  board  indicated  a  deep  worn  highway  turning  off 
to  the  northwest.  Laconically  inscribed  thereon  were  the 
words  "Road  to  Oregon".  Thence  the  direction  of  the 
Kansas  and  Little  Blue  rivers  was  followed  to  the  Platte 
near  Grand  Island.  From  there  the  road  swept  along  the 
Platte  and  Sweetwater  rivers  for  six  hundred  and  fifty 
miles.  Independence  Rock,  the  register  of  the  wilderness 
with  its  rudely  carved  names,  marked  the  entrance  into 
the  Sweetwater  district.  Its  massive  granite  bulk  rear- 
ing itself  out  of  the  plain  made  known  to  the  travellers 
they  were  nearing  the  Devil's  Gate  and  the  crossing  of 
the  Continental  Divide  at  South  Pass.  It  told  them,  too, 
that  the  first  half  of  the  journey  was  nearly  done.  The 
road  then  bore  away  across  Green  River  and  wound  on- 
ward toward  the  Pacific  Coast,  finally  terminating  at  Fort 
Vancouver  its  more  than  two  thousand  miles  of  length. 

Over  this  highway  Brigham  Young  led  the  Mormons 
on  their  pilgrimage  to  their  Zion.  The  days  of  '49  saw 
it  used  by  countless  thousands  of  seekers  after  wealth  in 
their  mad  rush  to  the  gold  fields  of  California.  But  the 
Oregon  Trail  more  than  any  other  road  of  the  nation  mav 
be  characterized  "The  Path  of  Empire."  For  by  it  came 
the  pioneers  who  saved  Washington,  Oregon,  Idaho  and 
parts  of  Wyoming  and  Montana,  to  the  American  Union. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  the  last  century  little  was 
known  of  the  country  west  of  the  Missouri.  Even  as  late 
as  January,  1843,  it  was  asserted  in  the  United  States 
Senate  that  for  agricultural  purposes  the  whole  Oregon 
Territory  was  "not  worth  a  pinch  of  snuff".  One  Senator 
piously  thanked  God  "for  his  mercy  in  placing  the  Rocky 
Mountains  there"  as  an  impassable  barrier.  The  same 
year  the  Edinburgh  Review  declared  that  the  region  be- 
tween the  western  border  of  Missouri  and  the  Rocky 
Mountains  was  "incapable,  probably  forever,  of  fixed  set- 
tlement" while  west  of  that  range  "only  a  very  small  por- 
tion of  the  land  is  susceptible  of  cultivation."  Even  Daniel 
Webster  said  to  his  fellow  senators  concerning  the  Oregon 
country  "What  do  we  want  with  the  vast  worthless  area, 
this  region  of  savages  and  wild  beasts,  of  deserts,  of 
shifting  sands  and  whirlwinds  of  dust,  of  cactus  and 
prairie  dogs?  Mr.  President,  I  will  never  vote  one  cent 
from  the  public  treasury  to  place  the  Pacific  Coast  one 
inch  nearer  to  Boston  than  it  is  now." 


194  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

But  these  erroneous  ideas  were  not  long  to  stand. 
The  American  people  themselves  revised  the  notions  of 
their  legal  representatives.  Even  as  the  great  orator's 
words  were  being  uttered,  forces  were  in  motion  to  save 
that  broad  expanse  of  wonderful  territory  to  the  Union. 
Over  this  pathway  of  the  wilderness  was  commencing  to 
pour  such  a  stream  of  determined  men  from  the  East  that 
soon  they  outnumbered  the  British  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany there.  With  characteristic  firmness  they  seized  and 
held  the  land.  From  their  number  came  that  man  of 
heroic  mould,  Marcus  Whitman.  None  can  forget  the  story 
of  his  terrible  journey  across  the  continent,  in  the  face  of 
obstacles  well  nigh  insurmountable,  to  appear  before  Pres- 
ident Tyler  and  plead  for  the  retention  of  the  Oregon  ter- 
ritory. No  one  but  a  Whitman  could  have  convinced  the 
President's  skeptical  Secretary  of  State,  Daniel  Webster. 
When  the  latter  sarcastically  inquired  of  what  use  was  a 
land  to  which  no  road  led.  Whitman's  response  was  instant 
and  crushing:  "There  is  a  road.  I,  myself,  have- traveled 
over  it."  And  so  it  came  about  that  in  August,  1845,  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  accepted  the  protection  of  the  Ore- 
gon provisional  government  and  paid  taxes  to  its  officers. 
The  following  year  the  title  of  the  United  States  was  for- 
mally recognized  by  treaty.  England  had  abandoned  the 
region  below  the  49th  parallel  and  the  Trail  had  done  the 
work  assigned  it.    It  had  won  Oregon. 

More  romance  attaches  to  this  old  highway  than  to 
any  other  thoroughfare  on  this  continent.  Though  not 
much  more  than  half  a  century  has  fled  sinnce  the  last 
of  the  huge  wagon  caravans  fared  out  across  the  plains, 
the  memory  of  the  great  trail  they  traversed  is  almost  a 
tradition.  Only  now  and  then  in  spaces  still  untenanted 
may  its  former  course  be  traced.  Here  in  Wyoming  along 
the  Platte  and  Sweetwater  rivers  in  a  solitude  almost  as 
profound  as  when  the  first  white  pioneers  passed  this  way 
the  road  remains  as  of  old,  a  deep  ineffaceable  scar  across 
the  plateau.  Miles  and  miles  of  it  are  worn  so  deep  that 
decades  of  storm  will  not  efface  it.  Generations  may  pass 
and  the  origin  of  the  trail  become  a  legend,  but  the  marks 
will  be  there  and  amaze  the  wondering  eyes  of  centuries 
still  unborn.  Even  we  marvel  to  see  it  worn  fifty  feet 
wide  and  three  feet  deep,  where  the  tramp  of  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  men  and  women,  the  hoofs  of  millions 
of  animals  and  the  wheels  of  untold  numbers  of  vehicles 
have  loosened  the  soil  and  the  fierce  winds  have  torn  it 
away.    On  the  solid  rock,  ruts  are  found  worn  a  foot  deep. 


THE  OLD  TRAIL  TO  AN  EMPIRE  195 

Standing  here  we  can  look  back  along  the  Trail  and 
out  of  the  dim  distance  for  us  in  fancy's  eye  appears  again 
the  slowly  moving  train ;  the  wagons  with  their  once  white, 
but  now  stained  and  battered  tops;  the  patient  beasts  of 
burden  measuring  their  tired  steps;  men,  travel-worn  and 
bronzed  by  exposure;  women  with  mingled  hope  and  care 
appearing  on  their  anxious  faces;  and  children  huddled 
in  the  rattling  and  rocking  abodes,  whose  questioning  eyes 
ask  ever  when  their  discomforts  will  cease.  These  are 
the  pioneers  of  the  Oregon  Trail.  Days  slip  by  into  weeks 
and  weeks  into  months;  yet  tirelessly  the  toilsome  march 
is  resumed.  Sometimes  the  way  is  beset  with  Indian 
scares  and  fights;  unbridged  streams  must  be  forded; 
rugged  ascents  and  steep  declivities  occur;  teams  become 
useless  and  equipment  fails;  but  finally  when  the  year 
has  glided  into  the  golden  tints  of  autumn,  the  long  looked 
for  end  of  the  journey  comes.  Such  is  the  story  many  of 
those  travellers  would  tell  us;  some  could  tell  us  more. 
And  there  were  those  who  looked  back  with  heavy  hearts 
and  remembered  where  they  had  left  the  wild  winds  to 
chant  their  funeral  requiem  over  a  lonely  and  deserted 
grave.  For  many  sank  beneath  the  ravages  of  the  dread 
cholera  augmented  by  the  unnatural  mode  of  life,  the 
hurry  and  the  hardships.  It  is  estimated  that  in  one  year 
alone,  more  than  five  thousand  laid  down  their  lives  a 
sacrifice  to  the  peopling  of  the  Pacific  Coast  States.  The 
roll  call  was  never  had.  Their  unknown  and  unmarked 
last  resting  places  have  passed  into  oblivion,  though  they 
line  the  way. 

The  journey  was  one  which  sounded  the  heights  and 
depths  of  human  emotion  from  the  oftimes  amusing  in- 
cidents of  camp  life  down  through  the  wearisome  daily 
marches  and  dull  night  watches,  to  the  solemn  tragedy 
of  the  death  of  loved  ones.  Yet,  withal,  there  was  much 
of  happiness  and  joyous  hope  in  the  hearts  of  many  who 
formed  that  mighty  caravan.  Though  they  were  leaving 
childhood's  homes  and  friends  behind,  many  forever,  they 
were  going,  confident  of  winning  new  homes  and  new 
friends  in  a  new  land.  We  should  reverence  with  lofty 
pride  this  dusty,  grey  battle  field  far  flung  over  prairies 
and  mountains  on  which  thousands  of  precious  lives  were 
laid  down  that  this  great  victory  of  peace,  this  great  con- 
quest over  nature,  this  great  invasion  of  American  home- 
seekers  by  American  of  a  former  generation  for  Ameri- 
cans in  the  ages  to  come  might  be  accomplished. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  this  result  was  wrought.   For 


196  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

over  the  trail  there  passed  descendants  of  men  who  left 
the  quiet  lanes  and  hedgerows  of  old  England  for  homes 
beyond  the  sea;  who  had  fought  against  King  Philip;  who 
marched  with  Boone  through  Cumberland  Gap;  who  were 
with  Harrison  at  Tippecanoe  when  American  arms  over- 
whelmed British  and  Indian  alike  and  made  secure  to  our 
country  the  old  Northwest  Territory  east  of  the  Missouri. 
Over  this  trail,  too,  passed  both  the  humble  and  the  hon- 
ored members  of  our  beloved  Masonic  Order,  then  as  al- 
ways in  the  van  of  those  who  lead  mankind  to  greater 
fields,  to  loftier  achievements. 

So  that  they  may  not  be  forgotten  we  keep  this  me- 
morial occasion.  It  is  very  fitting  we  should  do  them 
honor  on  this,  the  nation's  Independence  Day.  Fifty- 
eight  years  ago  on  this  very  Independence  Rock  they  held 
their  lodge.  The  noble  pile  of  granite,  nature's  own  monu- 
ment to  the  great  Trail,  looked  down  upon  them  then  and 
listened  to  their  ritual  in  solemn,  silent  grandeur.  It  has 
enshrined  the  recollection  of .  their  meeting  well.  Its  un- 
yielding mass  majestically  typifies  the  eternal  foundation 
of  our  Order-Truth.  As  it  shall  endure  for  ages  hence, 
so  do  we  think  will  the  work  the  great  procession  of  which 
they  were  a  part  achieved. 

No  more  will  this  great  Rock  behold  the  wild  troops 
of  savages,  bedecked  with  paint  and  war  plumes,  flutter- 
ing trophies,  bows,  arrows,  lances  and  shields;  no  more 
will  it  mark  for  weary  migrating  hosts  a  spot  of  solace 
and  of  rest;  for  it  forever,  probably,  will  remain  only  the 
quiet  solitude  of  a  lonely  place,  peopled  solely  by  the 
memories  of  sunshine  and  shadow  from  days  that  are  no 
more.  But  as  the  soft  whispering  winds  of  summer  play 
about  its  massive  flanks  let  us  believe  they  bring  to  it 
a  message  to  mingle  with  those  memories;  let  us  believe 
they  re-echo  to  it  as  they  pass  the  Song  of  the  West  which 
tells  to  us  all: 

"At  first  'twas  the  lure  of  the  metals, 

the  dull-red  stream  borne  gold. 
When  the  weaklings  died  by  the  roadside, 

when  the  slid  snows  buried  the  bold. 
And  then  'twas  the  lure  of  the  ranges,  the 

miles  of  unbroken  sod, 
Where  the  herder  spread  his  blankets  'neath 

the  scintillant  stars  of  God. 
But  now  'tis  the  song  of  the  water 

flooding  the  thirsty  soil ; 


THE  OLD  TRAIL  TO  AN  EMPIRE  197 

The  gride  of  the  stamps,  quartz  crushing,  the 

gush  of  the  spouting  oil. 
The  crash  of  the  faUing  timber,  the  murmuring 

fields  of  grain 
The  hum  of  the  blooming  orchards, 

the  roar  of  the  laboring  train." 


CHEYENNE  CITY  COUNCIL 

Cheyenne,  D.  T.,  Sept.  18,  1867 

The  Common  Council  of  Cheyenne  met  at  the  City 
Hall  this  evening  at  7  o'clock. 

Present,  Mayor  Hook,  Councilmen  Talpey,  Preshaw, 
Willis,  Thompson  and  Harlow. 

A  memorial  from  John  Kenyon  praying  that  so  much 
of  a  fine  imposed  upon  him  by  Police  Magistrate  Larimer, 
as  subjects  him  to  a  forfeiture  of  his  license,  be  remitted. 
Granted. 

A  petition  from  a  number  of  citizens  requesting  the 
Council  to  submit  the  question  of  allowing  the  games  of 
keno  and  rondo  to  be  conducted  under  proper  restrictions, 
to  the  voters  of  the  city.  Referred  to  the  Committee  on 
Licenses. 

A  number  of  applications  for  License  to  carry  on  dif- 
ferent branches  of  business  in  the  city  were  received  by 
the  Council,  and  on  motion,  Licenses  were  granted  to  the 
applicants. 

The  Committee  appointed  at  a  previous  meeting  for 
the  purpose  of  securing  a  suitable  Hall  for  the  use  of  the 
city,  reported  that  they  had  rented  the  second  story  of 
Mr.  J.  R.  Whitehead's  new  building  on  Eddy  street.  The 
report  of  the  Committee  was  received,  the  city  to  take 
possession  of  the  Hall  as  soon  as  completed,  at  the  month- 
ly rent  of  $125. 

The  Committee  appointed  to  secure  a  piece  of  ground 
to  be  used  as  a  City  Cemetery,  reported  through  its  chair- 
man, Mr.  Preshaw,  that  they  had  conferred  with  Gen. 
Stephenson  on  the  subject  and  he  had  consented  to  set 
off  40  acres  from  the  east  end  of  the  Military  Reservation, 
to  be  used  by  the  city  and  also  by  the  troops  at  Ft.  Russell. 

On  motion  the  City  Clerk  was  requested  to  furnish 
a  synopsis  of  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting  to  the  Editor 
of  the  Cheyenne  Leader,  who  kindly  offers  to  publish  the 
same  free  of  charge. 

On  motion,  the  Council  adjourned  to  meet  on  Thurs- 
day the  27th  at  7  o'clock  p.  m. —  (The  Cheyenne  Leader, 
Sept.  19,  1867.) 


jboc4/i4m4iil  atijA  Jietten^ 


INVESTIGATIONS  AS  TO  CAUSES  OF  INDIAN 
HOSTILITIES  WEST  OF  THE  MISSOURI  RIVER,  1824 

These  documents  which  deal  with  Indian  affairs,  ap- 
parently along  the  Missouri,  included  territory  which  ex- 
tended far  into  the  country  reaching  the  Rockies  to  the 
west  and  to  the  south  into  what  is  Texas  today.  The 
tribes  included  here  inhabited  that  part  of  the  unorganized 
territory,  which  later  became  Wyoming  and  these  docu- 
ments reveal  many  of  the  causes  which  gradually  led  to 
serious  Indian  troubles  in  this  portion  of  the  territory, 
which  finally  culminated  in  the  late  '60s,  with  the  final 
quelling  of  major  Indian  warfare  in  this  section. 

These  documents  also  reveal  the  attitude  of  the  British 
who  without  doubt  instigated  the  Indians  to  an  unfriendly 
attitude  toward  the  Americans. 

Washington  City,  February  10,   1824. 
Sir: 

I  have  the  honor  to  enclose  to  you  the  answers  to 
the  questions  put  to  me  by  the  Committee  of  the  Senate 
on  Indian  Affairs.  A  part  of  these  answers  are  made 
from  my  own  knowledge  and  observations,  and  a  part 
from  the  recollection  of  conversations  with  persons  con- 
versant with  Indian  affairs  on  the  Missouri,  and  on  whose 
opinions  and  judgment  I  have  great  reliance. 

Respectfully,  yours, 

R.  GRAHAM,  United  States  Indian  Agent. 

Hon.  Thos,  H.  Benton,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Indian  Affairs. 

Question  1.  Have  you  had  opportunities  of  becoming 
acquainted  personally,  or  by  information  to  be  relied  upon, 
with  the  Indian  tribes  beyond  the  Mississippi? 

Answer.  I  became  acquainted  with  several  tribes  re- 
siding on  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi,  personally;  and 
with  the  character  of  other  tribes  residing  high  up  the 
Missouri,  by  information  from  persons  on  whom  I  could 
rely. 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  199 

Ques.  2.  Have  you  known  or  heard  of  any  hostilities 
between  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  and  the  Black- 
foot  Indians?     If  so,  state  the  instances. 

Ans.  I  have.  About  the  year  1809  or  1810,  a  com- 
pany was  formed  in  St.  Louis,  for  the  purpose  of  trading 
with,  and  trapping  among,  the  Indians  residing  on  the 
waters  of  the  Missouri  river.  A  party  from  this  company 
were  sent  to  the  mountains  to  trap;  they  built  their  post, 
I  believe,  on  the  Yellow  Stone,  and  commenced  their  trap- 
ping in  that  country  over  which  the  Blackfoot  Indians 
range.  A  party  of  these  Indians  discovered  one  of  the 
trapping  parties,  waylaid,  and  killed  some  of  them;  rein- 
forcements were  obtained  from  the  post,  or  some  of  the 
trappers  near  at  hand;  they  pursued,  overtook,  and  had  a 
battle  with  the  Indians,  in  which  several  Indians  were 
killed,  and  I  believe  one  or  two  white  men.  The  hostility 
of  these  Indians  presented  such  obstacles  to  the  party, 
that,  after  several  losses,  by  robbery  of  their  traps,  &c., 
they  were  compelled  to  retire  from  the  country. 

Ques.  3.  Are  the  Blackfeet  a  wandering  or  stationary 
tribe  ? 

Ans.  They  are  a  wandering  tribe,  and  have  no  fixed 
habitation;  raising  no  corn,  and  depending  entirely  upon 
the  chase. 

Ques.  4.    Over  what  district  of  country  do  they  range? 

Ans.  Over  that  country  which  lies  between  the  Yel- 
low Stone  river,  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  as  far  north 
as  the  Saska-tche-wine  river;  seldom  or  never  wandering 
on  the  Missouri  below  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow  Stone  river, 
but  sometimes  crossing  that  river,  and  extending  their 
war  or  hunting  parties  as  far  as  the  Arkansas.  The 
Arrepahas,  who  inhabit  the  country  south  of  the  Yellow 
Stone,  and  who  are  also  erratic,  and  depend  entirely  upon 
the  chase,  are  a  band  of  the  tribe  of  Blackfoot  Indians; 
making  the  range  of  these  Indians  along  the  base  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  from  the  Rio  del  Norte  to  the  Saska- 
tche-wine. 

Ques.  5.  Do  you  know,  or  have  you  heard,  of  any 
citizens  of  the  United  States  hunting  or  trapping  in  this 
district?     If  so,  state  the  particulars. 

Ans.  The  answer  to  the  second  query  furnishes  the 
first  instance  that  I  have  heard  of.  Some  time  after  this, 
a  party  hunting  south  of  the  Yellow  Stone  were  taken 


200  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

prisoners  by  the  Spaniards,  and  carried  into  Santa  Fe. 
The  party  of  Ashley  and  Henry,  of  recent  date,  and  some 
of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  furnish  the  only  instances 
of  parties  hunting  or  trapping  within  that  district  of 
country.  The  traders  from  Missouri  to  Sante  Fe  occasion- 
ally trap  on  the  waters  of  the  Arkansas  and  head  waters 
of  the  Rie  del  Norte;  these  traders  meet  with  the  Ar- 
repahas,  but,  as  yet,  I  have  not  heard  of  any  mischief 
done  by  them,  though  I  hear  of  their  threats. 

Ques.  6.     With  whom  do  the  Blackfeet  trade? 

Ans.  Formerly,  I  believe,  through  the  Assinaboins, 
with  the  British  establishments  on  Moose  river*  at  pres- 
ent, with  that  establishment,  and  others  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  extending  on  as  far  as  the  waters  of  the 
Columbia  river. 

Ques.  7.  Have  you  known  or  heard  of  any  hostilities 
between  the  Arickara  Indians  and  citizens  of  the  United 
States?    If  so,  state  the  circumstances  of  each  case. 

Ans.  The  first  instance  was  in  the  case  of  the  Man- 
dan  chief,  who  was  returning  home,  under  the  protection 
of  the  United  States;  for  the  particulars  of  which,  I  refer 
to  the  official  reports. 

Within  the  last  twelve  months,  after  inviting,  as  I 
understood,  the  Missouri  Fur  Company  to  send  traders 
among  them  with  such  articles  as  they  wanted,  they 
treacherously  attacked  the  company's  post,  in  which  at- 
tack the  Indians  lost  two  men;  they  also  attacked  General 
Ashley,  with  his  party  of  trappers,  on  their  way  to  the 
mountains  in  June  last,  and  killed  and  wounded  twenty- 
six  men.    For  the  particulars,  I  refer  to  the  official  report. 

Ques.  8.  Are  the  Arickaras  a  stationary  or  wander- 
ing tribe? 

Ans.  Stationary.  They  raise  abundance  of  corn, 
pumpkins,  peas,  and  beans;  live  in  two  villages,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Missouri,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
below  the  Mandans,  and  which  they  have  fortified;  they 
seldom  or  never  extend  their  hunting  excursions  beyond 
forty  or  fifty  miles  from  their  village.  Buffaloes,  on  which 
they  principally  depend,  are  found  in  immense  herds  within 
that  distance. 

Ques.  9.  Do  you  know,  or  have  you  heard,  that  any 
American  citizens  have  hunted  or  trapped  on  the  grounds 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  201 

belonging  to  the  Arickaras?  Do  you  know  of  a  letter, 
purporting  to  be  written  by  an  Indian  agent  at  St.  Louis, 
and  published  in  the  Atlantic  papers,  ascribing  their  hos- 
tility to  this  cause? 

Ans.  Never.  I  have  always  understood  that  beaver 
and  otter  are  found  but  in  small  quantities  in  this  country. 
American  citizens,  who  go  into  the  Indian  country  for  the 
purpose  of  trapping,  always  go  where  they  believe  the 
most  beaver  is  to  be  taken;  distance  and  difficulties  pre- 
sent no  obstacles  to  them.  In  passing  through  the  Arickara 
country,  they  kill  of  the  buffalo  a  sufficiency  for  their  daily 
subsistence.  I  know  nothing  of  the  letter  written  by  an 
Indian  agent  at  St.  Louis,  ascribing  their  hostility  to  the 
trapping  on  the  Arickaras'  ground;  nor  do  I  believe  such 
a  letter  could  be  written  by  an  Indian  agent. 

Ques.  10.  Do  you  know  of  any  cause  which  led  to 
the  attack  upon  General  Ashley's  party? 

Ans.  I  have  understood  the  cause  which  led  to  Gen- 
eral Ashley's  attack  was  a  demand  made  on  him  for  com- 
pensation for  the  two  Arickaras  killed  by  the  Missouri  Fur 
Company,  which  was  refused  by  General  Ashley.  After 
failing  in  their  various  efforts  to  induce  him  to  pay  for 
the  Indians  who  were  killed  by  the  Missouri  Fur  Com- 
pany, they  consented  to  open  a  trade  for  some  of  their 
horses,  which  General  Ashley  was  much  in  want  of;  the 
trade  progressed,  and  finished  satisfactorily  to  both  parties. 
In  the  course  of  the  evening,  General  Ashley  was  notified, 
by  a  chief,  of  the  intention  of  the  villages  to  attack  him 
that  night,  or  very  early  the  next  morning,  and  advised 
him  to  take  his  horses  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river. 
Circumstances  that  then  looked  suspicious  induced  Gen- 
eral Ashley  to  believe  it  was  rather  the  intention  of  this 
chief  to  steal  the  horses,  by  his  urging  him  to  remove 
them  across  the  river,  as  small  parties  of  Indians  were 
occasionally  seen  on  the  opposite  side.  He,  however, 
strengthened  his  guard,  and  paid  no  further  attention  to 
the  chief,  who  continued  urging  him  to  move  to  the  op- 
posite side.  Early  in  the  morning,  the  party  were  alarmed 
by  the  firing  which  they  heard,  and  soon  discovered  that 
their  guard  had  not  only  been  attacked,  but  nearly  all 
killed  and  wounded. 

Ques.  11.  Have  you  any  reason  to  believe  that  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  excited  the  Arickaras  to  that 
attack  ? 


202  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Ans.     I  have  no  reason  to  believe  they  did. 

Ques.  12.  Do  you  know,  or  have  you  heard,  of  any 
hostihties  between  the  Assinaboins  and  citizens  of  the 
United  States? 

Ans.     I  have  not  heard  of  any. 

Ques.  13.  Are  the  Assinaboins  stationary  or  wander- 
ing? 

Ans.  I  know  very  little  of  the  habits  of  those  In- 
dians. I  know  of  no  traders,  other  than  British,  who 
go  among  them.  They  are  numerous,  and  are  the  nearest 
Indians  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  establishment  on  Red  river 
and  its  waters. 

Ques.  14.  Where  is  the  richest  fur  region  beyond  the 
Mississippi  ? 

Ans.  I  have  always  understood  the  northern  branches 
of  the  Missouri,  above  the  junction  of  the  Yellow  Stone, 
contained  more  beaver  than  any  known  country. 

Ques.  15.  Can  the  fur  trade  of  this  region  be  secured 
to  the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  without  the  aid  of 
a  military  post  at  or  beyond  the  Mandan  villages? 

Ans.  I  think  it  cannot.  If  the  hand  of  Government 
were  extended  to  the  protection  of  the  fur  trade  of  this 
country,  it  would  be  a  source  of  immense  wealth  to  the 
nation;  but,  without  the  protection  of  a  military  post 
above  the  Mandans,  our  traders  will  be  compelled  to 
withdraw  themselves,  and  the  whole  of  that  rich  fur 
region  will  be  occupied  by  those  from  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  and  our  traders  cut  off  from  any  participation 
of  it  above  the  Mandans;  below  this  point,  the  fur  trade 
will  be  of  no  value  or  profit  in  a  few  years. 

Ques.  16.  Can  corn,  for  the  supply  of  a  post,  be 
raised  or  purchased? 

Ans.  Corn  can  be  raised  at  the  most  northern  points 
of  the  Missouri.  The  Mandans  and  Arickaras  raise  large 
supplies;  but  I  would  suppose  a  dependance  upon  an  In- 
dian supply  would  be  precarious. 

Ques.  17.  Is  there  a  trade  carried  on  between  Missouri 
and  New  Mexico?  And  what  articles  are  carried  out,  and 
brought  back  in  return? 

Ans.     There  is  a  small  trade  at  present,  the  continu- 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  203 

ance  of  which  will  very  much  depend  upon  the  capacity  of 
the  Spaniards  at  Santa  Fe  to  support  it.  They  are  miser- 
ably poor,  and  give  in  exchange,  for  British  and  domestic 
goods,  which  our  traders  take  to  them,  jacks  and  mules, 
which  they  get  from  St.  Antoine,  and  some  little  silver 
and  furs  caught  by  the  Indians  in  that  quarter.  Combined 
with  this  trade  is  the  trapping  carried  on  by  our  citizens, 
who,  for  that  purpose,  spend  some  time  on  the  waters 
of  the  Rio  del  Norte  and  Arkansas.  Though  I  have  gen- 
erally been  informed  by  the  parties  returning  from  that 
trade  that  it  was  not  worth  carrying  on,  yet  they  continue 
the  trade.  If  these  parties,  trading  to  Santa  Fe,  were  less 
liable  to  interruption  in  their  trade  by  depredations  of 
the  different  Indian  tribes  through  which  they  are  com- 
pelled to  pass,  I  believe  the  trade  would  be  carried  on  to 
a  greater  extent,  and  the  enterprise  of  our  hardy  citizens 
would  push  it  to  the  more  wealthy  city  of  Mexico. 

Ques.  18.  Is  it  subject  to  be  interrupted  by  Indians 
on  the  waters  of  the  Arkansas? 

Ans.  It  is.  The  Camanches,  Arrepahas,  Pawnees, 
and  Osages,  all  cross  the  Santa  Fe  trail  in  their  hunting  or 
war  parties;  consequently,  are  liable  to  fall  in  with  parties 
going  to  or  coming  from  Santa  Fe,  and  are  very  apt  to 
steal  their  horses.  A  part  of  their  route  runs  through  the 
Osage  country.  One  of  the  articles  of  a  treaty  with  that 
nation  provides  that  no  white  man  shall  pass  through  their 
country  without  their  permission.  They  complain  of  the 
violation  of  this  article  of  the  treaty.  The  chiefs  say  it 
is  impossible  for  them  to  keep  their  young  men  from  steal- 
ing from  those  parties.  The  assent  of  the  different  Indian 
tribes,  through  whose  country  our  traders  pass,  would, 
I  think,  facilitate  the  trade. 

Ques.  19.  Would  a  military  post,  some  distance  higher 
up  the  Arkansas  than  Fort  Smith,  contribute  to  protect 
the  citizens  engaged  in  this  trade? 

Ans.  I  am  of  opinion  that  a  post  established  at  or 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Arkansas  would  greatly  con- 
tribute to  the  protection  of  the  trade  to  Santa  Fe.  Any 
position  below  that  point  would  be  so  far  from  the  track 
travelled,  that  but  little  protection  could  be  extended  to 
those  who  carried  on  the  trade. 

Ques.  20.  What  is  the  temper  of  the  tribes  which 
have  an  intercourse  with  the  British  towards  the  citizens 
of  the  United  States? 


204  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Ans.  Generally  unfriendly.  I  have  always  found  those 
Indians  within  our  territories  who  visit  British  posts  more 
unfriendly  to  us,  and  more  difficult  to  control. 

Ques.  21.  What  is  the  temper  of  the  tribes  which  have 
no  intercourse  with  the  British  traders  towards  the  citi- 
zens of  the  United  States? 

Ans.  With  those  tribes  within  my  own  knowledge, 
very  friendly;  and  generally  so,  so  far  as  I  have  under- 
stood of  others. 

Ques.  22.  How  near  do  the  British  trading  estab- 
lishments approach  the  territories  of  the  United  States? 

Ans.  Those  on  Red  river  border  immediately  on  our 
territories,  and  some  of  them,  I  believe,  are  within  it. 
There  are  some  situated  within  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  of  the  Great  North  Bend  of  Missouri. 

Ques.  23.  Is  it  to  the  benefit,  or  injury,  of  the  fur 
traders,  to  have  hostilities  with  the  Indians? 

Ans.  By  no  means  to  the  benefit,  but  to  the  great 
injury  of  the  traders.  The  very  existence  of  the  trade 
depends  upon  peace  with  the  different  Indians,  both 
with  the  white  people  and  among  themselves. 

Ques.  24.  Has  the  abolition  of  the  factory  system 
been  the  cause  of  any  Indian  hostilities  beyond  the 
Mississippi  ? 

Ans.     In  no  one  instance,  within  my  knowledge. 

Ques.  25.  What  is  your  opinion  of  the  good  or  bad 
effects  of  hunting  and  trapping  on  Indian  lands  by  Amer- 
ican citizens? 

Ans.  I  am  decidedly  of  opinion  that  the  hunting  and 
trapping  on  Indian  lands  by  American  citizens  produces 
the  most  unhappy  effects  upon  the  mind  of  the  Indians. 
They  look  upon  their  game  as  we  do  upon  our  domestic 
animals,  and  hold  them  in  the  same  estimation.  It  is 
their  means  of  support:  they  have  nothing  else  to  depend 
upon  for  subsistence.  It  is  not,  therefore,  unreasonable 
to  suppose  that  they  will  not  only  steal  from,  but  mur- 
der, those  who  are  depriving  them  of  their  only  means  of 
subsistence.  One  of  the  means  of  putting  a  stop  to  this 
would  be,  to  locate  the  traders  at  suitable  positions  within 
the  Indian  countries,  and  not  to  permit  them  to  attend 
the  Indians  on  their  hunting  parties,  as  they  at  present 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  205 

do,  many  of  them  carrying  with  them  their  traps.  They 
should  be  placed  at  such  points  as  the  agent  might  desig- 
nate; and  the  Indian  would  then  know  that  every  white 
man  found  on  his  lands,  at  any  other  place  than  the  trad- 
ing establishment,  was  a  trespasser,  and  might  be  taken 
up  and  brought  to  the  agent. 


Mr.  Pilcher's  answers  to  questions  put  to  him  by  the 
Committee  of  the  Senate  on  Indian  Affairs. 

Question  1.  Have  you  had  an  opportunity  of  becom- 
ing acquainted  personally,  or  by  information  to  be  relied 
upon,  with  the  Indian  tribes  beyond  the  Mississippi? 

Answer.  Having  been  engaged  in  the  Indian  trade 
for  the  last  four  years  on  the  Missouri  river  and  its  tribu- 
tary waters,  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  becoming  ac- 
quainted personally,  and  by  information  to  be  relied  upon, 
with  most  of  the  Indian  tribes  in  all  that  region  beyond 
the  State  of  Missouri  as  far  as  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The 
tribes  personally  known  to  me,  and  with  most  of  whom 
an  extensive  trade  has  been  carried  on,  as  well  by  the 
Missouri  Fur  Company  (to  which  I  belong)  as  other  com- 
panies of  St.  Louis,  are  the  followinng:  The  Kanzas,  whose 
permanent  residence  is  on  the  Kanzas  river;  the  Ottoes 
and  Missourias,  two  small  tribes  who  have  villages  on  the 
river  Platte,  a  short  distance  from  the  Council  Bluffs; 
the  Pawnees,  a  very  numerous  tribe,  whose  villages  are 
also  on  the  river  Platte,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  Council  Bluffs;  the  Mahas,  residing  a  little 
west  of  the  Council  Bluffs,  on  the  Elk  Horn,  a  branch 
of  the  river  Platte — say  from  four  to  five  hundred  men; 
the  Poncas,  a  small,  and,  at  present,  a  wandering  tribe, 
who  generally  range  through  the  country  on  the  I'Eau- 
qui-cours,  as  far  west  as  the  mountains  in  which  that 
river  takes  its  rise;  and  with  the  different  bands  of  Sioux, 
neither  of  which  have  any  fixed  residence,  but  wander 
over  a  vast  section  of  country  on  the  right  and  left  banks 
of  the  Missouri  river — on  the  right,  from  the  Big  Sioux 
river  to  the  sources  of  Jacques  river,  the  St.  P.eter's,  and 
Red  river;  and  on  the  opposite  side,  they  range  through 
all  the  country  watered  by  the  I'Eau-qui-cours,  White 
river,  and  the  river  Cheyenne,  as  far  as  the  Black  Moun- 
tains, in  which  some  of  those  streams  rise,  and  frequently 
as  far  north  as  the  heads  of  the  Little  Missouri,  above  the 
Mandans. 


206  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

At  or  near  the  Big  Bend  of  Missouri,  a  trade  is  car- 
ried on  with  these  several  tribes,  which  are  as  follows: 
The  Yanctons,  Teetons,  Siouones,  Ogallallas,  Hunkapas, 
and  Yanctonas;  amounting  in  all,  I  should  judge,  from 
their  own  accounts,  and  from  my  own  observation,  to 
ten  or  twelve  thousand  souls,  and  perhaps  more.  A  small 
band  of  the  Cheyenne  Indians,  another  wandering  tribe, 
sometimes  visit  those  establishments  for  the  purpose  of 
trading. 

I  have  also  a  personal  knowledge  of  the  Arickaras, 
Mandans,  and  Minatares,  (sometimes  called  Gros  Ventres;) 
these  tribes  reside  permanently  on  the  banks  of  the  Mis- 
souri. The  Arickaras  are  from  four  hundred  and  fifty  to 
six  hundred  warriors  strong;  the  Mandans  and  Minatares, 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  each,  from  their  own  ac- 
counts, and  reside  near  the  same  point,  in  different  vil- 
lages. These  are  the  only  three  tribes  of  Indians  above 
the  Council  Bluffs,  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  who 
have  any  fixed  residence,  or  depend  on  any  thing  but  the 
chase  for  subsistence. 

The  foregoing  tribes  are  the  only  Indians  of  whom 
I  have  any  personal  knowledge.  There  are  several  wan- 
dering tribes  south  of  the  Yellow  Stone  river,  known  only 
by  the  information  of  persons  on  whom  I  can  rely,  who 
have  been  sent  into  that  country  with  a  view  of  ascer- 
taining the  prospect  of  opening  a  trade  with  those  tribes, 
and  for  the  purpose  of  trapping  beaver.  The  Cheyenne,  Rap- 
pahos,  (supposed  to  be  a  band  of  the  Blackfeet,)  Kayawas, 
and  Crows,  are  separate  tribes,  who  range  through  the 
country  south  of  the  Yellow  Stone  river,  from  its  conflu- 
ence with  the  Missouri,  through  the  Rocky  Mountains,  on 
the  waters  of  the  rivers  Platte  and  Arkansas,  and  as  far 
as  the  Spanish  settlements.  I  have  no  accurate  informa- 
tion respecting  the  numbers  of  the  three  former  tribes. 
The  Crows,  by  their  own  accounts,  have  about  one  thou- 
sand five  hundred  men;  but,  from  the  information  of  per- 
sons who  have  spent  several  winters  amongst  them,  and 
taken  some  pains  to  ascertain  their  actual  strength,  I 
should  judge  they  fall  short  of  that  number.  The  Black- 
feet,  numerous  and  powerful;  and  the  Assinaboins,  also 
numerous. 

Ques.  2.  Have  you  heard  of  any  hostilities  between 
the  Blackfoot  Indians  and  citizens  of  the  United  States? 

Ans.     The  Blackfoot  Indians  have  uniformily  mani- 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  207 

fested  a  hostile  disposition  to  all  American  citizens  who 
have  visited  their  country,  from  the  time  of  its  discovery 
by  Messrs.  Lewis  and  Clarke,  up  to  the  present  day.  It 
will  be  recollected  that  Captain  Lewis,  when  returning 
from  the  Columbia,  met  with  a  party  of  those  Indians 
on  Maria's  river,  or  with  a  party  called  Minatares,  of 
Fort  de  Prairie,  who  were  the  associates  of  the  Blackfoot 
Indians,  and  probably  a  band  of  that  nation.  This  party, 
after  the  most  liberal  and  friendly  treatment  on  the  part 
of  Captain  Lewis,  attempted  to  rob  him  and  his  men. 
which  produced  a  skirmish,  and  some  two  or  three  of 
the  Indians  were  killed.  Between  the  years  1808  add 
1810,  a  company  was  formed  in  St.  Louis,  by  a  number 
of  respectable  citizens,  as  well  for  the  purpose  of  hunting 
and  trapping  beaver,  as  to  open  a  friendly  intercourse  and 
trade  with  those  and  other  Indians  in  that  country.  Sev- 
eral members  of  this  company  headed  an  expedition,  and 
penetrated  as  far  as  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Missouri.  I 
believe  nothing  was  omitted  which  it  was  thought  would 
tend  to  bring  about  a  friendly  interview  with  those  In- 
dians, as  a  friendly  understanding  with  them  could  alone 
insure  a  successful  result  to  the  adventure.  This  obiect 
could  not  be  accomplished;  the  Indians  attacked  them  at 
all  points;  and,  in  a  short  time,  they  were  compelled  to 
abandon  the  country,  with  the  loss  of  many  men  and 
some  property.  Since  that  time,  no  American  citizens 
have  visited  the  country,  until  the  spring  of  1823.  In  the 
summer  of  1822,  our  company  fitted  out  an  expedition, 
under  the  direction  of  Messrs.  Immell  and  Jones,  the  ob- 
ject of  which  was  to  extend  our  business  to  the  sources 
of  the  Missouri,  as  well  for  the  purpose  of  trapping  beaver, 
as  to  ascertain  the  prospect  of  introducing  our  trade 
among  the  Blackfoot  Indians,  and  any  other  tribes  in 
that  country.  This  party  wintered  on  the  Yellow  Stone 
River,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Horn,  at  Fort  Benton, 
a  post  established  in  the  winter  of  1821,  for  the  trade  of 
the  Crow  Indians,  and  as  a  depot  for  a  party  of  trappers. 
In  the  spring  of  1823,  the  partv  (then  consisting  of  thirty 
men)  left  this  post,  and  penetrated  as  far  as  the  Three 
Forks  of  the  Missouri.  I  had  instructed  the  heads  of 
this  party  to  use  every  effort  to  obtain  a  friendly  inter- 
view with  the  Blackfoot  Indians,  and  to  incur  anv  reason- 
able expense  for  the  accomplishment  of  that  object:  and 
to  impress  them  with  the  friendly  disposition  of  American 
citizens  towards  them,  and  with  the  true  object  of  their 
visiting  the  country.     The  party  continued  in  the  country, 


208  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

without  meeting  with  any  Blackfoot  Indians,  until  about 
the  middle  of  May;  having  extended  their  operations  to 
the  sources  of  Jefferson's  Fork,  when  they  concluded  to 
return  to  the  Yellow  Stone.  While  descending  the  Jef- 
ferson river,  on  their  return,  they  met,  for  the  first  time, 
with  a  party  of  Blackfoot  Indians,  consisting  of  thirty- 
eight  men.  Aware  of  the  hostile  spirit  formerly  mani- 
fested by  them,  they  were  not  permitted  to  approach 
without  some  precaution  on  the  part  of  the  whites;  fin- 
ally, one  of  the  Indians  exhibited  a  letter,  when  they  were 
immediately  invited  to  approach.  The  bearer  presented 
the  letter  to  Mr.  Immell,  which  was  not  directed  to  any 
person,  but  was  superscribed,  in  the  English  language, 
"God  save  the  King."  The  paper  contained  a  recommendation 
of  the  Indian,  stating  that  he  was  one  of  the  principal 
chiefs  of  his  nation,  well  disposed  towards  whites,  and 
had  a  large  quantity  of  furs,  &c.  The  letter  was  not 
signed;  it  was  written  on  the  leaf  of  an  account  book, 
which  seems  to  have  been  headed,  before  it  was  taken 
from  the  book,  "Mountain  Post,  1823;"  it  was  dated  at 
the  bottom,  "1820."  The  Indians  were  invited  to  remain 
with  the  party  for  the  night,  and  did  so,  making  many 
professions  of  friendship,  and  appeared  much  gratified 
at  the  proposition  to  establish  trading-houses  in  the  coun- 
try; and  pointed  out  the  mouth  of  Maria's  river,  seventy 
or  eighty  miles  below  the  falls  of  Missouri,  as  the  most 
desirable  spot;  stating  that  they  had  understood  such 
to  be  the  objects  of  the  company,  &c.  This  was  the  fact, 
but  how  they  got  the  information  I  am  unable  to  divine. 
They  were  also  in  possession  of  all  the  information  relative 
to  an  establishment  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow  Stone, 
made  the  preceding  fall  by  Messrs.  Ashley  and  Henry; 
their  views  respecting  trapping,  hunting,  &c.  In  the 
morning,  the  Indians  received  a  number  of  articles  as 
presents,  and  left  the  party  apparently  well  satisfied. 

The  suspicious  appearances  of  the  above-mentioned 
letter,  a  good  knowledge  of  the  Indian  character,  and 
particularly  of  the  treacherous  disposition  of  that  nation, 
induced  the  heads  of  the  party  to  move  with  all  possible 
expedition,  and  to  use  every  precaution.  Thev  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  Yellow  Stone  river,  and  had  descended 
it  for  some  distance  below  the  mountains,  and  began  to 
consider  themselves  secure,  having  met  with  several  hunt- 
ing parties  of  Crow  Indians,  who  were  known  to  them, 
and  well  disposed.  But  the  Blackfeet  had  assembled,  to 
the    number    of   three    or    four    hundred   warriors,    inter- 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  209 

cepted  the  party,  and  selected  a  favorable  position,  where 
they  attacked  and  defeated  them.  The  result  was,  the 
loss  of  Messrs.  Immell  and  Jones,  and  five  other  men.  and 
the  entire  loss  of  all  the  property  in  their  possession, 
amounting  to  $15,000  or  $16,000.  The  chief  who  bore 
the  letter  before  mentioned  was  recognized  amonsrst  the 
party  as  one  of  the  leaders.  About  the  time  these  cir- 
cumstances occurred,  a  party  of  Blackfoot  Indians  at- 
tacked a  party  of  trappers  headed  bv  Maior  Henrv.  at 
some  point  between  the  Missouri  and  Yellow  Stone,  killed 
four  or  five  of  his  men,  and  drove  them  from  the  countrv. 

Ques.  3.  Are  the  Blackfoot  Indians  wandering  or 
stationary  ? 

Ans.    The  Blackfoot  Indians  are  a  wandering  tribe. 

Ques.  4.    Over  what  section  of  country  do  they  range? 

Ans.  They  range  through  the  country  north  of  the 
Missouri,  from  the  Saska-tche-wine  to  Maria  s  river,  over 
all  the  country  watered  by  that  river:  through  the  Rockv 
Mountains,  on  the  different  tributaries  of  the  Missoi^ri, 
to  the  heads  of  Gallatin's  Fork,  and  to  the  sources  of  the 
Yellow  Stone,  Platte,  and  7^rkansas  rivers;  and.  from,  nil 
the  information  I  have  been  ab^e  to  collect,  the  mouth  of 
Maria's  river  is  the  most  central  point  of  the  countrv 
through  which  they  wander.  But  it  is  difficult  to  Point 
out  the  exact  limits  of  any  of  those  wandering  tribes,  be- 
cause thev  observe  none  themselves.  Both  the  Crow 
Indians  and  Blackfeet  ( parti cularlv  the  latter)  frequentlv 
range  west  of  the  mountains,  particularlv  on  war  excur- 
sions against  the  Shoshones,  Snakes,  Flatheads.  and  other 
tribes  on  the  Columbia  river. 

Ques.  5.  Do  you  know,  or  have  vou  heard,  of  anv 
citizens  of  the  United  States  having-  hunted  or  trapped 
in  this  district?     If  so,  sta,te  the  particulars. 

Ans.  The  committee  will  find  an  answer  to  this  in- 
terogatory  in  my  reply  to  those  preceding  it. 

Ques.  6.    With  whom  do  the  Blackfoot  Indians  trade? 

Ans.  There  is  no  doubt  but  the  Blackfoot  Indians 
trade  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  They  are  well 
supplied  with  arms,  ammunition,  traps,  blankets,  stroud- 
ings,  chiefs'  coats,  hats,  and  all  other  articles  of  mer- 
chandise, used  by  the  different  tribes  of  Indians,  who 
trade  in  British  manufactured  goods;   and  at  all  the  old 


210  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Indian  encampments  about  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Mis- 
souri are  to  be  found  small  rum  kegs,  and  the  heads  of 
kegs,  branded  with  the  marks  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  and 
Northwest  Companies.  The  Indians  themselves  say  they 
procure  those  articles  from  the  British  living  to  the  north. 
It  is  well  known  that  they  derive  nothing  of  the  kind  from 
the  Spanish  settlements,  and  that  there  never  has  been 
any  trade  between  them  and  American  citizens.  It  is 
known  that  those  Indians  were  in  the  habit  of  trading 
with  those  companies  many  years  ago;  and  all  the  cir- 
cumstances combined  can  leave  no  doubt  that  that  inter- 
course is  continued. 

Ques.  7.  Have  you  known  or  heard  of  any  hostilities 
between  the  Arickara  Indians,  and  citizens  of  the  United 
States?    If  so,  state  the  circumstances  of  each  case. 

Ans.  In  relation  to  the  hostile  disposition  of  the 
Arickara  Indians  towards  American  citizens,  I  would  ob- 
serve, that  a  minute  detail  of  each  case  would  occupy  more 
time  than  be  spared  to  its  recital.  I  will  therefore  only 
state  some  of  the  most  prominent  cases  which  have  come 
to  my  knowledge.  It  is  known  to  some  of  the  committee, 
that  the  Arickara  nation  attacked  and  defeated  Lieuten- 
ants Chouteau  and  Pryor,  about  the  year  1808,  while 
ascending  the  Missouri  river,  under  the  American  flag, 
with  one  of  the  Mandan  chiefs  and  his  family,  who  ac- 
'companied  Messrs.  Lewis  and  Clarke  to  the  United  States 
on  their  return  from  the  Columbia.  I  know  that  the 
Arickaras  killed  a  man  about  the  year  1816  or  1817,  a 
little  above  the  Big  Bend  of  the  Missouri  River,  in  the 
Sioux  country,  who  was  in  the  employment  of  some  one 
of  the  fur  traders  of  St.  Louis.  I  know  that  a  war  party 
of  Arickaras,  amounting  to  eighty  or  ninety  men,  came 
down  to  that  country  (Sioux  country)  in  the  month  of 
April,  1820,  and  robbed  two  trading-houses  established 
by  the  Missouri  Fur  Company  for  the  trade  of  the  Sioux 
Indians — one  above,  and  the  other  below,  the  Big  Bend 
of  Missouri;  beat  and  abused  the  men  in  charge  of  the 
houses;  and  that  the  same  party  continued  down  the  Mis- 
souri still  further,  to  the  trading-houses  of  another  com- 
pany, and  robbed  them  of  a  considerable  amount  of  mer- 
chandise— from  the  owners'  account,  not  less  than  $1,600 
or  $1,700. 

In  September,  1822,  I  visited  the  Arickara  villages 
myself,  for  the  first  time.  I  was  going  to  the  Mandans 
and  Minatares,   for  the  purpose   of  establishing  trading- 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  211 

houses  for  these  Indians.  I  was  deceived  in  the  Arickaras 
in  different  ways.  From  their  former  disposition,  I  had 
anticipated  difficulties  with  them.  But  they  received  me 
well;  and  their  conduct  was  so  different  from  what  I  had 
expected,  that  I  made  them  large  presents,  and  received, 
in  return,  many  professions  of  friendship,  and  promises 
to  commit  no  further  depredations.  I  left,  by  their  own 
request,  a  clerk  in  their  villages,  with  merchandise  amply 
sufficient  for  their  trade.  I  was  then  acting  as  special 
sub-agent,  having  received  that  appointment  from  Manor 
O'Fallon,  United  States  agent  for  the  Missouri  river;  and, 
from  the  peculiar  good  conduct  of  those  Indians  on  that 
occasion,  I  wrote  him  a  very  favorable  letter  respecting 
them,  and  the  prospect  of  their  future  good  behavior.  The 
friendly  disposition  manifested  on  that  occasion,  however, 
was  not  of  long  duration.  I  know  that  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal and  leading  chiefs  of  that  nation,  after  visiting  me 
at  the  Mandans,  and  ascertaining  the  time  I  intended  to 
descend  the  river,  returned  home,  raised  a  party,  and 
waylaid  the  river,  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  my  boat. 
I  know  that  some  of  the  principal  braves  of  that  nation 
attempted,  during  the  last  winter,  to  rob  my  clerk,  while 
in  their  own  villages,  and  committed  violence  upon  him. 
In  the  month  of  March  last,  after  this  clerk  left  their 
villages,  and  descended  the  Missouri,  to  one  of  our  prin- 
cipal Sioux  trading-houses,  about  two  hundred  miles  be- 
low the  Arickaras,  a  party  of  that  nation,  consisting  of 
about  eighty  men,  came  down  to  the  neighborhood  of  this 
house,  met  six  of  our  voyagers  a  few  miles  from  it,  who 
were  employed  in  collecting  the  furs  and  peltries  traded 
from  the  Sioux  Indians  at  different  points  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  house,  stripped  them  naked  in  the  prairie,  robbed 
them  of  their  clothes,  stole  two  or  three  horses  or  mules, 
beat  each  of  the  men  severely,  and  left  them  naked  in 
the  prairie.  The  same  party  came  that  night  and  fired 
on  the  house,  stole  another  horse,  and  went  off. 

A  day  or  two  subsequent  to  these  outrages,  another 
party,  amounting  to  about  one  hundred  and  fifteen  men, 
came,  in  daylight,  and  attacked  this  house.  Mr.  McDonald, 
one  of  my  partners,  his  clerks,  and  eight  or  ten  voyagers, 
defended  themselves  and  the  house,  which  contained  a 
large  amount  of  property.  In  this  affair,  the  Arickaras 
lost  two  men  killed,  and  probably  three  or  four  wounded. 

Ques.  8.  Are  the  Arickara  Indians  a  stationary  or 
wandering  tribe? 


212  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Ans.  It  will  be  seen,  from  my  answer  to  preceding 
questions,  that  they  are  stationary. 

Ques.  9.  Do  you  know,  or  have  you  heard,  that  any 
American  citizens  have  hunted  or  trapped  on  the  grounds 
belonging  to  the  Arickaras?  Do  you  know  of  a  letter 
written  by  an  Indian  agent  at  St.  Louis,  and  printed  in 
the  Atlantic  papers,  attributing  their  hostility  to  this 
cause  ? 

Ans.  No  party  of  American  citizens,  authorized  to 
pass  through  the  Indian  country,  have  ever  been  in  the 
habit  of  trapping  on  the  Arickara  grounds,  to  my  knowl- 
edge. The  country  affords  but  very  little  fur;  nor  do  I 
know  of  any  hunting  in  the  Arickara  country,  other  than 
what  is  necessary  for  the  subsistence  of  persons  passing 
through. 

The  letter  referred  to  by  the  committee,  purporting  to 
have  been  written  by  an  Indian  agent  at  St.  Louis,  at- 
tributing the  attack  upon  General  Ashley  to  this  cause, 
accidentally  fell  into  my  hands  a  day  or  two  before  I 
left  St.  Louis,  in  December  last.  It  was  published  in  some 
one  of  the  Atlantic  papers.  I  have  no  knowledge  of  the 
author  of  said  letter.  I  am  personally  acquainted  with 
the  different  Indian  agents  and  officers  of  the  Indian  De- 
partment on  that  station,  and  feel  satisfied  that  it  is  not 
the  production  of  either  of  them.  Major  O'Fallon,  with 
whom  I  conversed  about  it,  was  indignant  at  its  contents, 
and  concurred  with  me  in  the  opinion  that  it  was  a  fabri- 
cation. Major  Graham,  whom  I  have  seen  at  this  place, 
is  ignorant  of  the  writer  of  this  letter;  and  he  and  Major 
O'Fallon  are  the  only  agents  on  the  Missouri  river. 

Ques.  10.  Do  you  know  of  any  cause  which  led  to 
the  attack  upon  General  Ashley's  party? 

Ans.  I  do  not  positively  know  the  cause  of  attack 
upon  Genera^  Ashley.  I  think  the  remote  causes  may 
very  readily  be  traced  to  their  uniform  hostility  to  Amer- 
icans, and  disposition  to  commit  all  sorts  of  depredations; 
but,  from  my  views  and  knowledge  of  the  Indian  character, 
I  think  it  highly  probable  that  the  immediate  cause  or- 
ginated  in  a  spirit  of  revenge  for  the  loss  sustained  in  the 
attack  upon  our  house.  Indians  are  not  governed  by  the 
principles  of  right  and  wrong  in  such  cases,  or  in  the  habit 
of  inquiring  where  the  fault  lies.  When  the  blood  of  an 
Indian  is  split,  his  relations  are  apt  to  revenge  it  the  first 
opportunity.     But,   as  so  many  contradictory  statements 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  213 

have  been  made  in  relation  to  the  commencement  of  this 
war,  I  hope  the  honorable  committee  will  not  think  it  amiss 
in  me  to  remark,  that  an  investigation  upon  that  particular 
point  would  be  met  with  some  satisfaction. 

Ques.  11.  Have  you  any  reason  to  believe  that  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  excited  the  Indians  to  that  attack? 

Ans.  I  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  excited  the  Arickaras  to  that  attack.  On 
the  Contrary,  I  am  convinced  they  did  not.  The  influence 
of  that  company  does  not  extend  as  low  as  the  Arickaras: 
nor  do  I  believe  they  have  any  intercourse  with  them  at 
present.  The  Arickaras  make  nothing,  to  induce  a  wish 
on  the  part  of  that  company  to  acquire  influence  amonsrst 
them. 

Ques.  12.  Do  you  know,  or  have  you  heard,  of  anv 
hostilities  between  the  Assinaboin  Indians  and  citizens  of 
the  United  States? 

Ans.  The  only  late  hostilities,  of  which  I  have  any 
knowledge,  on  the  part  of  the  Assinaboins  towards  Amer- 
ican citizens,  are  the  following:  They  committed  a  robbery 
upon  Major  Henry,  in  the  month  of  August,  1822,  a  little 
above  the  Mandan  villages.  He  was  ascending  the  Missouri 
at  the  head  of  an  expedition,  fitted  out  by  Messrs.  Ashley 
and  Henry,  for  the  purDOse  of  trapping  heaver.  Major  Henry 
was  on  board  his  boat,  and  had  a  party  of  men  going  by 
land,  with  some  forty  or  fifty  horses.  They  met  a  large 
party  of  those  Indians,  who,  by  their  address,  got  posses- 
sion of  the  horses,  and  rode  them  off.  Another  party  of 
those  Indians  came  to  our  fort  at  the  Mandan  villages, 
in  the  month  of  January  last,  and,  I  think  I  understood 
from  Mr.  Vanderburgh,  fired  on  the  fort:  after  which,  they 
stole  one  or  two  mules,  and  retired.  This  was  done  in 
the  night. 

Ques.  13.  Are  the  Assinaboins  stationary  or  wander- 
ing? 

Ans.  The  Assinaboins  are  a  wandering  tribe;  and. 
I  believe,  are  a  band  of  the  Sioux  Indians.  They  speak 
the  same  language;  and,  from  the  vast  region  through 
which  they  range,  must  be  very  numerous.  The  principal 
hunting  grounds  and  country  most  frequented  by  such 
of  those  Indians  as  I  have  any  correct  knowledge  of  lies 
on  the  Assinaboin  river,  and  left  of  the  Missouri,  above 
the  Mandans,  on  the  different  streams  coming  in  from  the 


214  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

north,  as  high  as  Milk  river ;  and  I  beheve  they  range  as  far 
as  Maria's  river.  They  are  frequently  found  on  the  Mis- 
souri, between  the  Mandans  and  Yellow  Stone  river;  and 
I  believe  their  principal  trade  is  carried  on  at  those  British 
establishments  on  the  Assinaboin  river,  about  one  hundred 
and  seventy  miles  from  the  Mandans.  American  citizens 
have  had  no  friendly  intercourse  with  them  in  that  section 
of  the  country,  to  my  knowledge. 

Ques.  14.  Where  is  the  richest  fur  region  beyond  the 
Mississippi  ? 

Ans.  The  richest  fur  region,  of  which  I  have  any 
knowledge,  is  that  through  which  the  Blackfoot  Indians 
range, 

Ques.  15.  Can  the  fur  trade  of  this  region  be  secured 
to  citizens  of  the  United  States  without  the  aid  of  a  mili- 
tary post  at  or  beyond  the  Mandan  villages? 

Ans.  The  fur  trade  of  that  country,  and  the  country 
lying  north  of  the  Missouri  river,  below,  as  far  as  the 
Mandans,  cannot  be  secured  to  American  citizens  until  the 
causes  which  now  and  have  ever  prevented  them  from  par- 
ticipating in  it  are  removed;  unless  they  are  protected  in 
extending  their  business  into  these  remote  regions,  until 
such  time  as  they  acquire  an  influence  sufficient  to  coun- 
teract that  of  British  trading  companies.  The  committee 
will  observe,  that  those  companies  have  no  intercourse  or 
influence  with  any  of  the  tribes  heretofore  mentioned,  with 
the  exception  of  those  which  range  through  the  country 
in  question.  If  all  trade  and  intercourse  between  those 
tribes  and  British  traders  can  be  cut  off,  and  the  Amer- 
ican trade  introduced,  it  would  very  soon  protect  itself. 
Most  Indians,  who  have  long  been  accustomed  to  inter- 
course with  whites,  become  dependent  on  them  for  the 
supply  of  particular  articles,  without  which  they  cannot 
well  live,  once  having  acquired  a  knowledge  of  their  use. 
It  is  not  my  opinion  that  the  Mandans  are  sufficiently 
near  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  make  it  a  point  for  protect- 
ing the  trade  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Missouri  river. 
The  falls  of  Missouri,  or  Maria's,  or  the  Yellow  Stone  river, 
would  each  be  preferable  to  it;  particularly  either  of  the 
former  points,  and  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  named. 
A  large  post  is  now  not  necessary  at  the  Council  Bluffs. 
A  small  garrison  there,  one  at  or  near  the  Big  Bend, 
one  at  the  Mandans,  and  the  principal  one  at  or  beyond 
the  Yellowstone,  are,  in  my  opinion,  so  indispensably  nee- 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  215 

essary  for  the  preservation  of  the  fur  trade  on  the  Upper 
Missouri,  that,  without  them,  the  most  valuable  part  of 
that  trade  may  be  considered  as  lost  to  American  citi- 
zens, and  surrendered  to  the  British. 

Ques.  16.  Can  corn  for  the  supply  of  a  post  be  raised 
or  purchased  from  the  Indians  at  or  beyond  the  Mandan 
villages  ? 

Ans.  The  Mandans  and  Minatares  raise  considerable 
quantities  of  corn,  and  frequently  supply  traders  and 
wandering  tribes  of  Indians  who  visit  them.  In  the  fall 
season,  a  good  deal  may  be  purchased  from  them;  but 
still  I  think  it  would  be  a  precarious  dependence  for  the 
supply  of  a  post.  The  article,  however,  can  as  well  be 
raised  by  whites  as  Indians.  From  the  same  soil,  and 
with  sufficient  inducements,  the  Indians  would  doubtless 
raise  much  more  than  they  now  do. 

Ques.  17.  Is  there  a  trade  carried  on  between  Mis- 
souri and  New  Mexico?  and  what  articles  are  carried 
out,  and  brought  back  in  return? 

Ans.  I  know  there  is  a  trade  carried  on  between  the 
citizens  of  Missouri  and  New  Mexico,  but  I  am  not  suf- 
ficiently informed  upon  the  subject  to  enable  me  fully  to 
answer  the  question.  I  believe,  however,  the  only  articles 
brought  back,  in  return  for  those  taken  out,  are  mules, 
specie,  and  furs. 

Ques.  18.  Is  it  subject  to  be  interrupted  by  Indians 
on  the  Arkansas? 

Ans.  I  have  understood  that  some  of  those  trad- 
ing parties  have  been  interfered  with  by  Indians  on  the 
Arkansas,  and  several  robberies  committed,  and  some 
murders. 

Ques.  19.  Would  a  military  post,  some  distance  higher 
up  the  Arkansas  than  Fort  Smith,  contribute  to  protect  the 
citizens   engaged   in   that  trade? 

Ans.  I  am  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  that 
country  to  justify  me  in  giving  information  respecting 
the  effect  of  a  military  post  above  Fort  Smith,  on  the 
Arkansas;  but  think  it  obviously  true  that  such  a  post 
would  be  a  great  protection  to  the  trade  between  Missouri 
and  Mexico. 

Ques.  20.    What  is  the  temper  of  the  tribes  who  have 


216  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

no  intercourse  with  British  traders  towards  the  citizens 
of  the  United  States? 

Ans.  The  disposition  of  such  of  the  Indian  tribes  on 
the  Missouri  as  are  personally  kn6wn  to  me,  which  have 
no  intercourse  with  British  traders,  (excepting  the  Aric- 
karas)  has  generally  been  friendly,  since  I  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  them.  But  where  there  are  so  many  dif- 
ferent tribes  and  bands  of  Indians,  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  keep  them  all  at  peace  with  each  other.  Parties  of  war 
are  continually  roving  through  all  sections  of  the  coun- 
try, and,  while  on  these  excursions,  have  frequently  com- 
mitted some  slight  depredations,  which  come  within  my 
knowledge;  but  such  things  do  not  originate  in  a  general 
spirit  of  hostility  on  the  part  of  their  nation.  Amongst 
those  who  are  ignorant  of  the  character  of  whites,  having 
but  little  intercourse  with  them,  such  depredations  are 
more  frequent,  because  there  is  a  greater  spirit  of  hos- 
tility existing  amongst  those  remote  tribes  towards  each 
other,  than  those  who  have  long  had  intercourse  with  the 
whites,  and  such  parties  are  more  numerous. 

Ques.  21.  What  is  the  temper  of  the  tribes  which 
have  an  intercourse  with  British  traders  towards  Amer- 
ican citizens? 

Ans.  It  will  be  seen,  from  my  answer  to  preceding 
questions,  that  the  disposition  of  such  tribes  of  Indians 
as  have  intercourse  with  British  traders,  particularly  the 
Blackfeet,  has  been  uniformly  hostile  towards  American 
citizens,  in  so  much  that  they  have  had  no  intercourse 
with  any  of  those  tribes,  with  the  exception  of  the  Man- 
dans  and  Minatares.  It  has  not  been  long  since  British 
traders  had  intercourse  with  these  tribes;  but  they  have 
been  so  reduced  by  war  and  pestilence,  the  quantity  of 
hirs  obtained  from  them  at  present  is  so  small,  and  the 
American  trade  having  been  introduced  amongst  them, 
that  there  has  been  no  intercourse,  to  my  knowledge,  for 
the  last  two  or  three  years. 

Ques.  22.  How  near  do  the  British  trading  establish- 
ments approach  the  territory  of  the  United  States? 

Ans.  The  establishments  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany now  stretch  entirely  across  the  continent,  bordering 
upon  the  American  territory,  and  at  some  places,  perhaps, 
are  within  it.  If  the  country  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
in  the  latitude  of  the  Columbia,  belongs  to  the  United 
States,  they  have  four  establishments  on  American  terri- 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  217 

tory;  one  at  the  mouth  of  that  river,  one  near  its  junction 
with  Lewis'  river,  one  near  the  mountains  convenient  to 
the  Flathead  Indians,  and  one  other  higher  up.  Fort  de 
Prairie  is  a  very  celebrated  establishment,  and  I  think 
it  is  situated  high  up  on  the  Assinaboin  river.  This  river 
is  lined  with  establishments;  one  very  large  at  the  mouth 
of  Moose  river,  one  hundred  and  seventy  miles  from  the 
Mandan  villages;  another  on  the  river  Capel,  a  southern 
branch  of  the  Assinaboin:  both  of  which  must  be  either 
within  the  American  boundary,  or  near  to  it.  The  Saska- 
tche-wine  river,  which  runs  parallel  to  the  Missouri,  and 
but  a  short  distance  from  it,  rising  in  the  same  chain  of 
mountains,  and  flowing  into  Lake  Winnipeg,  is  also  lined 
with  British  establishments;  and,  from  Indian  informa- 
tion, I  have  reason  to  believe  that  they  have  an  estab- 
lishment on  Maria's  river,  a  branch  of  the  Missouri.  It 
is  from  these  establishments,  on  the  Assinaboin  and  Saska- 
tche-wine  rivers,  that  the  Blackfeet  and  Assinaboins,  both 
numerous  and  powerful  nations,  get  their  supplies  of  mer- 
chandise, arms,  and  ammunition,  and  come  across  to  at- 
tack the  American  traders  on  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Missouri;  and  the  furs  robbed  from  American  citizens 
are  doubtless  carried  to  these  establishments  to  trade. 

Ques.  23.  Is  it  to  the  benefit,  or  injury,  of  fur  trad- 
ers, to  have  hostilities  with  the  Indians? 

Ans.  So  far  from  being  to  the  benefit  of  persons 
engaged  in  the  fur  trade  to  have  hostilities  with  the  In- 
dians, the  very  existence  of  such  a  trade  depends  on  their 
pacific  disposition;  and  both  the  interest  and  safety  of 
persons  engaged  in  that  business  require  that  they  should 
not  only  preserve  a  friendly  understanding  with  the  In- 
dians themselves,  but,  so  far  as  possible,  keep  the  dif- 
ferent Indian  tribes  at  peace  with  each  other,  in  order 
that  their  property  and  men  may  not  be  exposed  to 
roving  war  parties,  who,  particularly  amongst  those  re- 
mote wandering  tribes,  are  always  disposed  to  mischief 
when  on  such  excursions. 

Ques.  24.  Has  the  abolition  of  the  factory  system 
been  the  cause  of  any  Indian  hostilities  beyond  the  Mis- 
sissippi ? 

Ans.  I  know  of  no  hostilities  on  the  part  of  the  In- 
dians originating  in  the  abolition  of  the  factory  system. 
I  know  but  little  of  the  operation  of  influence  of  these 
establishments,   having   been   removed   far   beyond   them. 


218  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

It  is  hardly  probable  that  the  abolition  of  this  system 
excited  the  Arickaras  and  blackfoot  Indians  to  hostilities, 
neither  of  those  tribes  ever  having  heard  of  a  factory  or  a 
factor,  removed,  as  they  were,  from  twelve  hundred  to 
three  thousand  miles  from  the  range  of  their  operations. 

Ques.  25.  What  is  your  opinion  of  the  good  or  bad 
effects  of  hunting  or  trapping  on  Indian  lands  by  Ameri- 
can citizens? 

Ans.  The  tribes  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Council 
Bluffs  have  complained  of  it,  and  are  greatly  opposed  to 
it.  The  Crow  Indians  have  never  objected  to  it,  although 
they  have  seen  it  with  their  own  eyes,  by  parties  in  the 
employment  of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company  for  two  years. 
These  parties  have  carried  it  on  during  all  that  time, 
without  the  least  interruption  of  friendly  intercourse, 
probably  because  they  also  traded  with  the  Indians  for 
all  they  could  take.  But  I  consider  the  case  of  the  Crows 
an  exception,  and  that  the  practice  must  lead  to  bad  con- 
sequences. But  no  Indians,  that  I  have  heard  of,  ever 
objected  to  traders,  travellers,  or  others,  killing  what  was 
necessary  for  their  subsistence.  That  comes  under  the 
notion  of  hospitality.  The  trapping  done  by  the  men  of 
our  company  was  in  conformity  with  the  practice,  and 
not  under  any  license;  the  one  which  we  receive  from  the 
Government  is  to  trade. 

Ques.  26.  Have  any  other  companies,  besides  Gen- 
eral Ashley's  and  the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  hunted  or 
trapped  in  the  Indian  country? 

Ans.  Messrs.  Berthold,  Chouteau,  and  Pratte,  of  St. 
Louis,  who  have  been  largely  engaged  in  the  Indian  trade, 
and  the  principal  competitors  of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company 
in  that  business,  have  also  been,  and  are  still,  largely  en- 
gaged in  the  trapping  business. 

The  numerous  inquiries  of  the  committee  being 
answered,  I  must  beg  to  be  indulged  in  a  few  observations 
relative  to  the  system  of  trade  and  intercourse  with  the 
Indians;  which  are  most  respectfully  submitted  to  the 
consideration  of  the  committee. 

It  is  now,  and  has  long  been  my  opinion,  that  the 
present  system  of  trade  and  intercourse  with  the  Indians, 
so  far  as  it  applies  to  the  Missouri  river,  is  defective  in 
several  particulars.  I  believe  that  certain  points  should  be 
fixed  for  trading  establishments,   and  that  every  person 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  219 

engaged  in  that  business  should  be  strictly  prohibited 
from  carrying  on  any  trade  out  of  those  trading-houses, 
either  in  a  direct  or  indirect  manner,  or  accompanying 
Indians  on  their  hunting  excursions  for  any  purpose  what- 
soever; and  that  no  white  man  or  half-breed,  who  has 
been  raised  amongst  whites,  and  is  considered  a  citizen, 
and  who  is  not  authorized  by  license  or  otherwise,  or  in 
the  employ  of  some  licensed  person,  should  be  permitted 
to  live  in  the  Indian  country,  or  among  the  Indians,  under 
any  manner  of  excuse  or  pretence  whatsoever;  that  the 
points  for  the  trading  establishments '  should  be  selected 
by  the  Indian  agent  or  agents,  or  the  person  exercising 
their  duties;  and  that  it  should  be  the  duty  of  said  agents 
frequently  to  visit  each  and  ever  of  such  establishments 
in  their  agency,  provided  they  can  be  furnished  with  a 
competent  escort  to  make  themselves  respected  as  the 
representatives  of  their  Government,  particularly  when 
visiting  such  tribes  within  their  agency  as  are  far  removed 
from  civilization. 

It  would  not  be  proper  in  me  to  trouble  the  committee 
with  any  reasoning  upon  this  subject.  Suffice  it  to  sav, 
that  these  were  my  original  views  upon  the  subject,  and 
that  every  day's  experience  has  impressed  me  more  fully 
with  their  correctness,  and  convinced  me  that  such  a 
system,  while  it  contributed  must  to  the  benefit  of  the 
Indians  in  a  pecuniary  way,  would  have  a  tendency  to 
impress  them  with  something  like  a  regular  system  of 
business;  teach  them  the  true  character  of  the  whites. 
and  impress  them  with  a  degree  of  respect  for  American 
citizens,  which  the  present  mode  of  roving  about  is  not 
calculated  to  do;  and,  at  the  same  time,  would  contribute 
greatly  to  the  safety  and  convenience  of  those  engaged  in 
the  business,  without  depriving  either  of  any  single  benefit 
derived  from  the  present  system. 

I  would  further  beg  to  be  indulged  in  making  a  few 
statements,  to  impress  the  committee  with  an  idea  of  the 
value  of  the  Indian  trade  to  the  United  States.  The  re- 
turns of  licenses  show  that  upwards  of  $600,000  was  em- 
barked last  year  in  the  trade;  and,  if  extended  into  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  I  should  suppose  that  it  would  employ 
a  capital  of  three  times  the  amount  now  employed  in  thnt 
trade,  for  an  indefinite  term  of  years  to  come.  Almost 
the  whole  of  the  articles  necessary  for  this  trade  can  be 
made  in  the  United  States.  They  consist  of  hardware, 
comprehending   light   guns,   knives,   hatchets,   axes,   hoes, 


220  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

lances,  battle-axes,  and  beaver  traps;  cottons,  compre- 
hending checks,  stripes,  coarse  calicoes,  handkerchiefs, 
&c. ;  woolens,  comprehending  coarse  cloths,  blankets,  and 
flannels;  to  which  may  be  added,  tobacco,  powder,  lead, 
and  many  other  articles  of  smaller  value.  The  company 
of  which  I  am  a  member  has  always  kept  several  black- 
smiths' shops  in  operation  on  the  Missouri,  for  the  manu- 
facture of  some  of  the  above-mentioned  articles;  and,  at 
the  time  of  the  commencement  of  the  late  hostilities, 
had  one  at  the  Mandans,  one  at  the  Big  Bend  of  the  Mis- 
souri, and  two  forges  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Council 
Bluffs.  The  woolen  and  cotton  goods,  particularly,  can 
be  made  by  American  manufacturers  of  a  quality  equally 
as  well  suited  to  the  Indian  trade  as  British  goods,  with 
which  the  Indians  are  at  present  supplied. 

With  much  respect,  I  am  your  obedient  servant, 

JOSHUA  PILCHER. 


BONNEVILLE'S  EXPEDITION  TO 
ROCKY  MOUNTAINS 

1832-'33,  -'34,  -'35,  -'36 

By  Gouverneur  K.  Warren* 

The  narraitve  I  have  perused  is  entitled  "The  Rocky  Moun- 
tains; or,  Scenes,  Incidents,  and  Adventures  in  the  Far  West; 
digested  from  the  Journal  of  Captain  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville,  of  the 
army  of  the  United  States,  and  illustrated  from  various  other  sources. 
By  Washington  Irving.  In  two  volumes.  Philadelphia: 
Carey,  Lea  &  Blanchard. — 1837."  This  is  accompanied  by 
two  maps :  one  on  a  scale  of  twenty-three  miles  to  an  inch, 
showing  the  sources  of  the  Missouri,  Yellowstone,  Platte, 
Green,  Bear,  Snake,  and  Salmon  rivers,  and  a  portion  of 
Lake  Bonneville,  (Great  Salt  Lake;)  the  other,  on  a  scale 
of  fifty  miles  to  an  inch,  giving  the  country  from  the 
Rocky  mountains  to  the  Pacific,  between  the  parallels  of 
38°  and  49°  north  latitude. 

Captain  Bonneville's  explorations  were  made  in  pros- 


*First  Lieutenant,  Corps  of  Topographical  Eng:ineers,  U.  S.  A. 
From  his  Memoirs  giving  a  brief  account  of  the  exploring  expedi- 
tions, from  1800  to  1857.  33d  Cong.  2d  sess.  H.  R.  Ex.  Doc.  No. 
91,  p.  31.   [Serial  801]. 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  221 

ecution  oof  the  fur  trade,  which  was  his  principal  object, 
and  very  great  accuracy  in  the  map  is  not,  therefore,  to 
be  expected.  His  letter  of  instructions,  from  Major  Gen- 
eral Macomb,  dated  Washington,  August  3,  1831,  contains 
the  following  directions:  "The  leave  of  absence  which  vou 
have  asked,  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  you  to  carry  into 
execution  your  design  of  exploring  the  country  to  the 
Rocky  mountains  and  beyond,  *  *  *  *  has  been  duly  con- 
sidered and  submitted  to  the  War  Department  for  ap- 
proval, and  has  been  sanctioned.  You  are,  therefore, 
authorized  to  be  absent  from  the  army  till  October.  1833. 
It  is  understood  that  the  government  is  to  be  at  no  ex- 
pense in  reference  to  your  proposed  expedition,  it  having 
originated  with  yourself.  *  *  *  *  You  will,  naturallv,  in 
preparing  yourself  for  the  expedition,  provide  suitable  in- 
struments." 

On  the  1st  of  Mav,  1832,  Captain  Bonneville,  with  a 
train  of  wagons,  took  his  departure  from  Fort  Osa2:e.  and 
proceeded  up  the  Missouri  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas. 
Crossing  this  stream,  he  followed  very  nearly  the  present 
travelled  road  to  the  Platte,  thence  along  this  river  to 
the  forks,  and  up  the  South  Fork  for  two  days.  Here 
ferrying  his  party  over,  he  struck  across  the  North  Fork. 
followed  it  to  the  Sweetwater,  and  thence  up  that  stream 
to  its  source  in  the  South  Pass.  From  this  point  he  pro- 
ceeded northwesterly  to  Green  river,  where  he  established 
his  grand  depot,  near  the  mouth  of  Horse  creek,  and 
abandoned  his  wagons.*  Having  oi^ganized  several  hunt- 
ing parties,  he  proceeded  towards  the  northwest  alons: 
the  upper  sources  of  Green  and  Snake  rivers,  unti^  he 
reached  Salmon  river.  The  winter  was  passed  on  the 
upper  portion  of  this  stream  and  in  travelling  over  the 
Great  Lava  plain  or  Shoshonee  valley  between  it  and  the 
Snake  river.  In  the  spring  a  grand  rendezvous  was  held 
at  the  caches,  in  the  Green  River  valley.  Having  made 
his  arrangements  for  the  year,  he  visited  the  Great  Salt 
lake,  and  saw  its  northern  portions.  "To  have  this  lake 
properly  explored  and  all  its  secrets  revealed  was  the 
grand  scheme  of  the  captain  for  the  present  year.  *  *  *  * 
This  momentous  undertaking:  he  confided  to  Mr.  Walker, 
in  whose  experience  and  ability  he  had  great  confidence." 


*There  were  at  this  time  two  rival  companies  trading  in  this 
region — the  American  Fur  Company  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur 
Company — both  having  their  principal  rendezrv'cus  at  "Pierre's 
Hole,"  in  the  valley  of  Pierre's  river,  an  affluent  of  Snake  or 
Lewis'  river. 


222  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

"He  instructed  him  to  keep  along  the  shores  of  the  lake, 
and  trap  in  all  the  streams  on  his  route.  He  was  also 
to  keep  a  journal  and  minutely  to  record  the  events  of 
his  journey  and  everything  curious  or  interesting,  and 
make  maps  or  charts  of  his  route  and  of  the  surrounding 
country."  No  pains  nor  expense  were  spared  in  fitting 
out  this  party,  which  was  composed  of  forty  men,  they  had 
complete  supplies  for  a  year,  and  were  to  meet  Captain 
Bonneville  in  the  ensuing  summer  in  the  valley  of  Bear 
river,  the  largest  tributary  of  Salt  Lake. 

This  party  endeavored  to  proceed  south  over  the 
great  barren  salt  plain  lying  to  the  west  of  the  lake,  but 
their  sufferings  became  so  great,  and  the  danger  of  perish- 
ing so  imminent  that  they  abandoned  the  proposed  route, 
and  struck  to  the  northwest  for  some  snowy  mountains 
in  the  distance.  Thus  they  came  upon  Ogden's  (Hum- 
boldt) river,  and  followed  down  it  to  the  "sinks,"  or  place 
where  it  loses  itself  in  the  sand.  Continuing  on,  they 
crossed  the  Sierra  Nevada,  in  which  they  were  entangled 
for  23  days,  suffering  very  much  from  hunger,  and  finally 
reached  the  waters  of  the  Sacramento;  thence  turning 
south  they  stopped  at  the  Mission  of  Monterey.  After 
a  considerable  sojourn  the  party  started  to  return.  In- 
stead of  retracing  their  steps  through  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
they  passed  round  its  southern  extremity,  and  crossing 
a  range  of  low  hills  found  themselves  in  the  sandy  plains 
south  of  Ogden's  river,  where  they  again  suffered  griev- 
iously  from  want  of  water.  On  this  journey  they  encount- 
ered some  Mexicans,  two  of  whom  accompanied  them  to 
the  rendezvous  appointed  by  Captain  Bonneville.  The  re- 
turn route  of  this  party  probably  was  nearly  that  taken 
by  Captain  Fremont  in  1842,  and  known  as  the  Santa  Fe 
trail  to  California.  They  thus  travelled  quite  around  the 
Great  Basin  system. 

While  this  expedition  was  in  progress.  Captain  Bonne- 
ville made  an  excursion  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Yellow- 
stone. Leaving  Green  river  he  moved  east  to  the  sources 
of  the  Sweetwater,  so  as  to  turn  the  Wind  River  moun- 
tains at  their  southeast  extremity;  thence,  striking  the 
head  of  the  Popo  Agie,  he  passed  down  it  to  Wind  river, 
which  he  followed  through  the  gap  of  the  Little  Horn 
mountains,  and  through  the  Big  Horn  range.  Below  these 
mountains  the  river  becomes  navigable  for  canoes,  and 
takes  the  name  of  the  Big  Horn  river.  From  this  point 
he   returned  to  Wind  river   and   attempted  to   cross   the 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  223 

Wind  River  mountains  direct  to  his  caches  on  Green  river. 
In  this  he  was  foiled  by  the  chasms  and  precipices  and 
compelled  to  take  his  former  route  around  their  south- 
eastern extremity.  From  the  depot  he  went  up  to  the 
sources  of  Green  river,  crossed  the  mountains  between  its 
source  and  that  of  Wind  river,  and  again  returned  to 
Green  river  by  the  Sweetwater.  He  then  passed  over  the 
mountains  to  the  Bear  River  valley,  and  thence  to  the 
Port  Neuf  river,  where  he  established  his  winter  quarters. 

During  the  winter  he  started  to  visit  the  Columbia, 
passing  down  the  Snake  River  valley,  through  the  Grand 
Ronde  and  over  the  Blue  mountains,  to  Walla-Walla.  He 
returned  to  Bear  river  in  the  succeeding  June.  On  the 
3d  of  July,  1834,  he  made  a  second  visit  to  the  Columbia, 
and  returned  to  spend  the  winter  on  Bear  river.  In  1835 
he  returned  home*  by  way  of  the  Platte  river. 

Captain  Bonneville's  maps,  which  accompany  the 
edition  of  Irving's  work,  published  by  Carey,  Lea  &  Blan- 
chard,  in  1837,  (the  later  editions  generally  do  not  give 
the  original  maps,)  are  the  first  to  correctly  represent  the 
hydrography  of  this  region  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains. 
Although  the  geographical  positions  are  not  accurate,  yet 
the  existence  of  the  great  interior  basins,  with  outlets 
to  the  ocean,  of  Great  Sale  lake,  of  Mary's  or  Ogden's 
river,  (named  afterwards  Humboldt  by  Captain  Fremont,) 
of  the  Mud  lakes,  and  of  Sevier  river  and  lake,  urns  deter- 
mined by  Captain  Bonneville's  maps,  and  they  proved  the 
non-existence  of  the  Rio  Buenaventura  and  of  other  hy- 
pothetical rivers.  They  reduced  the  Wallamuth  or  Mul- 
tonomah  (Willamette)  river  to  its  proper  length,  and 
fixed  approximately  its  source,  and  determined  the  gen- 
eral extent  and  direction  of  the  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin  rivers.  The  map  of  the  sources  of  the  Yellowstone 
is  still  the  best  original  one  of  that  region. 

As  there  is  no  name  on  the  published  map  to  show  by 
whom  it  was  constructed,  I  wrote  to  Colonel  Bonneville 
in  relation  thereof,  enclosing  him  a  copy  of  the  map.  I 
make  the  following  extracts  from  his  reply: 


*Captain  Bonneville's  long-continued  absence  after  the  expira- 
tion of  his  leave,  during  which  time  no  news  was  received  from  him 
at  the  War  Department,  led  to  his  name  being  dropped  from  the 
Army  Register.  He  was,  however,  restored,  and  now  holds  the 
commission  of  colonel  of  the  third  infantry. 


224  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

"GILA  RIVER,  N.  M.,  August    24,  1857. 

"DEAR  SIR:  I  thank  you  for  your  desire  to  do  me 
justice  as  regards  my  map  and  explorations  in  the  Rocky 
mountains.  I  started  for  the  mountains  in  1832.  *  *  *  i 
left  the  mountains  in  July,  1836,  and  reached  Fort  Leaven- 
worth, Missouri,  the  6th  of  August  following.  During  all 
this  time  I  kept  good  account  of  the  course  and  distances, 
with  occasional  observations  with  my  quadrant  and  Dol- 
land's  reflecting  telescope.  *  *  *  *  j  plotted  my  work, 
found  it  proved,  and  made  it  into  three  parts :  one  a  map  of 
the  waters  running  east  to  the  Missouri  State  line;  a 
second  of  the  mountain  region  itself;  and  a  third,  which 
appears  to  be  the  one  you  have  sent  me,  of  the  waters 
running  west.  On  the  map  you  send  I  recognize  my  names 
of  rivers,  of  Indian  tribes,  observations,  Mary's  or  Maria's 
river,  running  southwest,  ending  in  a  long  chain  of  flat 
lakes,  never  before  on  any  map,  and  the  record  of  the 
battle  between  my  party  and  the  Indians,  when  twenty- 
five  were  killed.  This  party  clambered  over  the  California 
range,  were  lost  in  it  for  twenty  days,  and  entered  the 
open  locality  to  the  west,  not  far  from  Monterey,  where 
they  wintered.  In  the  spring  they  went  south  from  Mon- 
terey, and  turned  the  southern  point  of  the  California 
range  to  enter  the  Great  Western  Basin.  On  all  the  maps 
of  those  days  the  Great  Salt  lake  had  two  great  outlets 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean:  one  of  these  was  the  Buenaventura 
river,  which  was  supposed  to  head  there;  the  name  of  the 
other  I  do  not  recollect.  It  was  from  my  explorations 
and  those  of  my  party  alone  that  it  was  ascertained  that 
this  lake  had  no  outlet;  that  the  California  range  basined 
all  the  waters  of  its  eastern  slope  without  further  outlet; 
that  the  Buenaventura  and  all  other  California  streams 
drained  only  the  western  slope.  It  was  for  this  reason 
that  Mr.  W.  Irving  named  the  salt  lake  after  me,  and  he 
believed  I  was  fairly  entitled  to  it.  The  Great  Lava  plain 
was  never  known  as  such;  until  my  report  drew  attention 
to  its  character,  it  was  even  confidently  asserted  that  there 
was  no  prismatic  basalt  columns  in  that  region.  I  saw  it 
perfectly  formed  once  only,  and  this  on  Snake  river,  below 
Gun  creek.  The  Three  Buttes  have  often  been  my  camping 
ground.  I  wintered  once  on  Salmon  river,  by  my  observa- 
tion 45°  50'  24"  north  latitude.  It  was  from  my  observa- 
tions and  plotting  that  the  headwaters  of  Snake  river,  of 
the  Columbia,  Muscle  Shell,  and  Yellowstone;  headwaters 
of  the  Missouri  and  Sweetwater,  of  the  Platte,  and  those 
of  the  Colorado  of  the  West,  were  brought  together  in  one 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  225 

view,  as  reported  in  my  journal;  before  this  these  heads 
of  rivers  were  scattered  far  and  wide.  I  gave  Mr.  Wash- 
ington Irving  the  three  maps  I  mention;  and  as  the  pub- 
lication was  by  Carey,  Lea  &  Blanchard,  the  originals 
may,  perhaps,  be  found  with  them.  The  earliest  editions 
have  maps  of  my  making.  The  one  you  refer  to  me  I  have 
no  doubt  is  one  of  the  three  maps  I  made. 

"Yours,  &c., 

"B.   L.   E.   Bonneville, 

"Colonel   3d  Infantry. 

"Lieut.  G.  K.  Warren,    Topographical   Engineers." 

A  reduced  copy  of  the  map  of  the  Great  Basin  and 
sources  of  the  YeFowstone  are  given  with  this  memoir. 
Application  was  made  to  Mr.  Irving  and  to  the  publishers 
of  the  work  to  obtain,  if  possible,  the  original  maps,  but 
they  could  not  be  found,  as  so  considerable  a  period  had 
elapsed  that  they  had  been  lost  or  mislaid. 

Colonel  Benton,  in  his  "Thirty  Years'  View,"  page 
580,  says  of  Fremont's  second  expedition:  "He  was  at 
Fort  Vancouver,  guest  of  the  hospitable  Dr.  McLaughlin, 
governor  of  the  British  Hudson  Bay  Fur  Company,  and 
obtained  from  him  all  possible  information  upon  his  in- 
tended line  of  return,  faithfully  given,  but  which  proved 
to  be  disastrously  erroneous  in  its  leading  and  governing 
feature."  *  *  *  *  '^A\\  maps  up  to  that  time  had  shown 
this  region  traversed  from  east  to  west,  from  the  base 
of  the  Rocky  mountains  to  the  bay  of  San  Francisco, 
by  a  great  river  called  the  Buenaventura,  which  may  be 
translated  the  good  chance.  Fremont  believed  in  it,  and  his 
plan  was  to  reach  it  before  the  dead  of  winter,  and  then 
hibernate  upon  it." 

It  is  evident  that  Colonel  Benton  had  never  seen 
Captain  Bonneville's  map,  or  he  would  not  have  written 
this  paragraph. 


EARLY  DISCOVERIES   IN  THE  GREAT  BASIN 

The  exploration  of  the  Great  Salt  lake  was  a  favorite 
object  with  Captain  Bonneville;  though  called  Lake  Bonne- 
ville by  Mr.  Irving,  its  existence  was  well  known  to  the 
traders  and  trappers  on  his  arrival  in  that  country,  as 
was  also  that  of  the  Ogden's  or  Mary's  river.     A  short 


226  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

account  of  the  first  discoveries  in  this  region  may  not  be 
inappropriate  in  this  place. 

In  Captain  Stansbury's  report,  page  151,  he  says: 
"The  existence  of  a  large  lake  of  salt  water,  somewhere 
amid  the  wilds  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  seems  to 
have  been  known,  vaguely,  as  long  as  150  years  since.  As 
early  as  1689  the  Baron  la  Hontan  *  *  *  wrote  an  ac- 
count of  discoveries  in  this  region,  which  was  published 
in  the  English  language  in  1735."  This  narrative  of  La 
Hontan  of  his  journey  up  "La  Riviere  Longue,"  flowing 
into  the  Mississippi  from  the  west,  has  for  more  than  a 
century  been  considered  fabulous.  It  is  spoken  of  even 
by  Captain  Stansbury  as  an  "imaginative  voyage  up  this 
most  imaginary  river,"  up  which  La  Hontan  claims  to 
have  sailed  for  six  weeks  without  reaching  the  source. 
During  this  voyage  he  learned  from  four  Mozeemlek  slaves 
belonging  to  the  Indians  living  on  the  river  "that,  at  the 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  from  the  place 
he  then  was,  their  principal  river  empties  itself  into  a 
salt  lake  of  300  leagues  in  circumference,  the  mouth  of 
which  is  two  leagues  broad;  that  the  lower  part  of  that 
river  is  adorned  with  six  noble  cities,  surrounded  with 
stone  cemented  with  fat  earth;  that  the  houses  of  these 
cities  have  no  roofs,  but  are  open  above,  like  a  platform, 
as  you  see  them  drawn  on  the  map;  that,  besides  the 
above-mentioned  cities,  there  are  above  a  hundred  towns, 
great  and  small,  round  that  sort  of  sea,  upon  which  they 
navigate  with  such  boats  as  you  see  drawn  on  the  map," 
&c. 

Now,  this  description  does  not,  in  any  particular, 
correspond  with  the  Great  Salt  lake;  and,  if  it  was  told 
by  the  savages  to  the  Baron,  might,  with  as  much  if  not 
far  greater  propriety,  be  considered  as  referring  to  the 
Pacific  ocean,  with  the  Columbia  flowing  into  it. 

The  story  of  La  Hontan  excited  much  speculation 
and  received  various  additions  in  his  day;  and  the  lake 
finally  became  represented  on  the  published  English  maps 
of  as  late  date  as  1826  (see  Plate  III)  as  being  the  source 
of  two  great  navigable  rivers  flowing  into  the  South  Sea. 
Here  it  was  that  historians  supposed  the  Aztecs  were 
located  before  their  migration  to  Mexico. 

Father  Escalante,  in  1776,  travelled  from  near  Santa 
Fe,  New  Mexico,  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  to  the  Great 
Colorado.     After  crossing  it  and  passing  to  the  southwest 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  227 

through  the  country  near  its  western  bank,  he  turned 
again  to  the  southeast,  recrossed  the  stream,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Gila,  during  his  journey  he  probably  was  in 
the  vicinity  of  Utah  lake.  He  there  met  with  Indians  who 
told  him  of  a  lake  to  the  north  whose  waters  produced  a 
burning  sensation  when  they  touched  the  skin.*  This 
lake  was  perhaps  the  Great  Salt  lake;  and  its  property 
of  making  a  burning  sensation  when  applied  to  the  skin 
was  probably  the  effect  of  the  strong  solution  of  salt 
which  it  contains.  This  lake  was  not  visited  by  Father 
Escalante;  and  that  which  he  represents  on  his  map,  and 
which  is  copied  on  Humboldt's  New  Spain  as  Lake  Tim- 
panogos,  was  probably  what  is  now  called  Lake  Utah, 
into  which  a  stream  flows  called  by  the  Indians  Tim- 
panogos  river. 

Being  convinced  that,  down  to  the  days  of  the  Amer- 
ican trappers,  the  Great  Salt  lake  had  never  been  seen 
by  white  men,  nor  definite  knowledge  about  it  obtained, 
I  addressed  a  letter  to  Robert  Campbell,  esq.,  of  St.  Louis, 
a  gentlemen  well  known  for  his  acquaintance  with  the 
early  Rocky  mountain  fur  trade.  The  following  is  his 
reply: 

"St.  Louis,    April  4,  1857. 

"DEAR  SIR:  Your  favor  of  the  25th  ultimo  reached 
me  at  a  very  fortunate  period  to  enable  me  to  give  you 
a  satisfactory  reply  to  your  inquiry  as  to  who  was  the 
first  discoverer  of  the  Great  Salt  lake.  It  happened  that 
James  Bridger  and  Samuel  Tullock  both  met  at  my  count- 
ing-room after  a  separation  of  eighteen  years,  and  were 
bringing  up  reminiscences  of  the  past  when  your  letter 
reached  me.  I  read  it  to  them,  and  elicited  the  following 
facts : 

"A  party  of  beaver  trappers  who  had  ascended  the 
Missouri  with  Henry  and  Ashley  found  themselves  in 
pursuit  of  their  occupation  on  Bear  river,  in  Cache  (or 
Willow)  valley,  where  they  wintered  in  the  winter  of  1824 
and  1825;  and  in  descending  the  course  which  Bear  river 
ran,  a  bet  was  made  between  two  of  the  party,  and  James 
Bridger  was  selected  to  follow  the  course  of  the  river 
and  determine  the  bet.  This  took  him  to  where  the  river 
passes  through  the  mountains,   and  there  he   discovered 

*I  have,  by  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Moreno,  of  the  Spanish  lega- 
tion, examined  a  manuscript  narrative  of  his  journey  of  Escalante, 
now  in  Colonel  Force's  library. 


228  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

the  Great  Salt  lake.  He  went  to  its  margin  and  tasted 
the  water,  and  on  his  return  reported  his  discovery.  The 
fact  of  the  water  being  salt  induced  the  belief  that  it 
was  an  arm  of  the  Pacific  ocean;  but,  in  the  spring  of 
1826,  four  men  went  in  skin  boats  around  it  to  discover 
if  any  streams  containing  beaver  were  to  be  found  empty- 
ing into  it,  but  returned  with  indifferent  success. 

"I  went  to  the  Willow  or  Cache  valley  in  the  spring 
of  1826,  and  found  the  party  just  returned  from  their  ex- 
ploration of  the  lake,  and  recollect  their  report  that  it 
was  without  any  outlet. 

"Mr.  Tullock  corroborates .  in  every  respect  the  state- 
ment of  James  Bridger,  and  both  are  men  of  the  strictest 
integrity  and  truthfulness.  I  have  known  both  since  1826. 
James  Bridger  was  the  first  discoverer  of  Great  Salt  Lake. 

"I  am  happy  in  being  able  to  give  you  the  informa- 
tion and  of  the  character  that  you  wished  for. 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"ROBERT  CAMPBBELL. 

"Lieut.  G.  K.  Warren, 

"Topographical  Engineers,  Washington  City. 

"P.  S. — A  party  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  trap- 
pers came  to  the  same  place  in  the  summer  of  1825,  and 
met  the  party  that  had  discovered  the  Salt  lake  that 
season." 

"R.  C." 

The  party  of  trappers  from  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany, referred  to  in  the  postscript  to  Mr.  Campbell's  let- 
ter, was  under  the  enterprising  leader,  Mr.  Peter  Ogden, 
who  discovered  the  Ogden's  or  Mary's  river  in  1825.  One 
of  Mr.  Ogden's  party  took  a  woman  for  his  wife  from 
among  the  Indians  found  on  this  river,  to  whom  the  name 
of  Mary  was  given.  From  this  circumstance  the  stream 
came  to  be  called  Mary's  river.  It  is  also  called  Ogden's 
river,  after  its  discoverer. 

A  portion  of  the  Great  Basin  system  was  visited  by 
Father  Font  as  early  as  1777,  near  the  Mojave  river, 
(which  he  called  Rio  del  los  Mortires.)  He  followed  its 
course  to  the  place  where  it  sinks,  and  then  travelled  east, 
crossing  the  Colorado  at  the  Mojave  valleys,  and  kept 
on  as  far  as  the  Moquis  villages.  A  copy  of  his  map  was 
procured  in  California  by  Captain  Ord,  U.  S.  A.,  and  is 
now  on  file  in  the  Topographical  Bureau. 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  229 

HISTORIC  DOCUMENT  TELLS  EARLY  DAY 
DRAMA  OF  WEST 

The  death  this  week  of  the  eldest  member  of  the 
Loretto  Heights  college  community,  Sister  M.  Aurelia, 
brings  to  light  an  historic  document,  before  unpublished, 
that  recounts  the  early  days  of  Wyoming  settlers  on  the 
Sweetwater  river.  The  document  forms  the  recollections 
of  Amanda  Z.  Archambault,  the  mother  of  the  deceased 
Lorettine,  and  was  prepared  and  signed  by  her  in  1907. 
It  now  is  in  the  possession  of  Leon  Archambault,  grand- 
son of  the  writer  and  a  nephew  of  Sister  Aurelia. 

On  the  day  of  Sister  Aurellia's  death,  Mr.  Archam- 
bault took  the  manuscript  to  Loretto  Heights  college.  In 
discussing  its  contents  with  the  sisters,  he  recalled  that 
his  grandmother  had  often  told  him  of  pioneer  days  in 
Wyoming  and  also  that  Sister  Aurelia  had  frequently  told 
her  nephew  how,  when  she  was  a  little  girl  at  the  trading 
post,  traders  would  often  fill  her  apron  with  gold  nuggets 
— so  many  that  the  cloth  would  finally  break. 

The  following  account  contains  excerpts  from  this 
authentic  and  historic  document.  The  children  referred 
to  in  the  article  are  Sadie  Archambault,  the  recently  de- 
ceased Sister  Aurelia,  and  her  two  oldest  brothers,  Ed- 
ward and  Charles.  A  third  brother,  Leon,  father  of  the 
surviving  nephews  and  niece,  was  born  in  Nebraska  City, 
Nebr.,  and  a  sister  and  brother,  Blanche  and  Alfred,  were 
born  in  Florissant,  Mo.,  to  which  village  the  family  fin- 
ally returned. 

Alfred  A.  Archambault  (a  French  Canadian,  but  a 
naturalized  citizen  of  the  United  States)  established  a 
trading  post  in  Wyoming  on  the  Sweetwater  river  in  1853, 
one  mile  from  Independent  rock,  where  he  erected  build- 
ings consisting  of  a  residence  for  his  family,  a  store  (a 
general  Indian  trading  post),  a  house  for  the  Indians 
in  which  to  trade,  and  a  house  for  his  employes,  i.e.,  the 
cattle  herders,  etc.  He  also  built  a  bridge  over  the  Sweet- 
water river,  which  cost  him  several  thousand  dollars. 

Instead  of  having  to  ford  the  river,  all  the  emigrant 
trains,  etc.,  going  and  coming  to  California  and  the  West 
passed  over  on  this  bridge,  to  their  great  satisfaction 
and  for  which  privilege  they  willingly  paid  a  toll  of  $3 
for  each  vehicle. 

After    said    Alfred    A.    Archambault    conducted    this 


230  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

trading  post  and  met  with  great  success  for  about  three 
years,  the  Indian  war  broke  out,  but  said  party  did  not 
leave  at  once  as  the  Indians  were  his  friends,  called  him 
in  their  language  "fair  trader,"  and  he  felt  no  fear.  Be- 
sides, he  had  recently  returned  from  St.  Louis  with  a 
wagon  train  of  goods  for  his  store,  amounting  to  thou- 
sands of  dollars,  and  he  hoped  .  .  .  that  the  war  would 
be  of  short  duration  and  that  he  would  weather  the  storm, 
as  he  claimed  he  required  only  one  more  year's  business 
to  be  independently  wealthy. 

AN  ARROW  AS  A  WARNING 

But  the  war  grew  worse  and  the  Sioux  Indians  from 
Powder  river  (about  a  mile  distant)  came  over  one  night, 
shot  his  cattle  with  poisoned  arrows,  ran  off  50  head  of 
horses,  and  left  an  arrow  at  the  door  as  a  warning  that 
the  trader  and  his  family  must  leave.  About  this  time 
Capt.  or  Lt.  Johnson  came  up  from  Fort  Laramie,  which 
was  the  nearest  military  post,  and  took  an  inventorv  of 
the  fort,  etc.,  valuing  the  bridge  at  $3,000,  and  the  store, 
contents,  buildings,  cattle,  and  stock  at  many  thousand 
dollars.  Alfred  A.  Archambault  had  the  original  paper 
of  this  inventory  and  the  understanding  was  that  the  copy 
held  by  Capt.  Johnson  was  to  be  placed  on  file  in  Wash- 
ington. 

On  Oct.  2,  1856,  Alfred  A.  Archambault  (after  mak- 
ing caches  and  burying  such  goods  as  was  possible,  which 
were  promptly  dup  up  and  carried  away  by  the  Indians 
who  had  watched  the  performance  from  mountain  peaks) 
left  his  fort  with  his  family  and  several  wagons  loaded 
with  stocks  for  Nebraska  City,  Neb,,  •  where  they  did  not 
arrive  until  40  days  later  after  enduring  untold  hardships 
and  privations,  which  were  experienced  by  his  wife  (a 
Philadelphia  woman — a  relative  of  Gen.  Robert  Schenck, 
former  minister  to  England),  their  baby,  and  two  little 
children.  The  travelers  were  nearly  frozen  to  death, 
with  snow  everywhere.  The  stock  gave  out  and  wagons  load- 
ed with  goods  had  to  be  left  on  the  prairie,  and  many  nar- 
row escapes  were  made  from  the  Indians.  The  party  arrived 
in  Nebraska  City  on  Thanksgiving  eve  with  but  one  wagon 
and  seven  head  of  horses.  Before  taking  his  wife  to  the 
Indian  trading  post,  said  Alfred  A.  Archambault  had  spent 
several  years  there,  building  up  a  fine  trade  with  the 
Indians  and  laying  the  foundation  for  what  promised  to 
be   a  very   large   fortune.     When   the   spring   emigration 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  231 

opened,  one  morning  before  breakfast  he  collected  $1,500 
in  gold  in  tolls  over  the  bridge. 

The  following  spring  Alfred  A.  Archambault  attempted 
to  return  to  his  trading  post,  but  the  Indian  war  continued 
and  he  was  obliged  to  go  back  to  Nebraska  City,  where 
he  had  left  his  family.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
war,  Alfred  A.  Archambault  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Vet- 
eran Volunteers  of  Iowa,  and  was  wounded  in  the  Battle 
of  Spanish  Fort.  He  was  honorably  discharged  and  died 
on  Aug.  15,  1879,  in  Oakland,  Calif.,  leaving  a  wife  and 
six  children. 

Linvingston  and  Kinkaid  (spelling  not  positive)  had  a 
large  general  store  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  passed  the  Fort 
in  going  and  coming  between  St.  Louis  and  Salt  Lake 
City.  They  made  their  purchases  in  the  former  city.  The 
only  wagon  road  to  California  and  the  West  was  that  by 
the  fort.  The  railroad  had  not  been  built  or  hardly  thought 
of  at  that  period. 

SURVIVES  HORRIBLE  ORDEAL 

In  the  year — I  think  it  was  1855 — Mr.  Kinkaid,  while 
on  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  with  the  view  of  making  pur- 
chases for  his  store  (he  had  $11,000  in  silver  in  his  pos- 
session) ,  was  attacked  while  a  passenger  on  the  Salt  Lake 
City  mail  coach  ("The  Brigham  Young")  between  said 
fort  of  Alfred  A.  Archambault  and  Fort  Laramie,  by  the 
Sioux  Indians.  All  the  passengers  were  killed  (the  coach 
was  burned)  and  Mr.  Kinkaid  was  left  for  dead,  having 
been  shot  by  seven  poisoned  arrows.  But  after  the  In- 
dians left  he  regained  consciousness,  and  crept  over  the 
prairie  (being  unable  to  walk)  for  several  miles  until  he 
reached  the  cabin  of  "Old  Drip,"  a  half  breed,  who  did 
what  he  could  to  relieve  Kinkaid's  sufferings.  In  the 
meanwhile  a  rescue  party  was  sent  out  on  hearing  of  the 
Indians'  depredation,  and  Mr.  Kinkaid  was  taken  to  Fort 
Laramie  for  treatment  and  later  to  St.  Louis. 

A  short  time  afterwards,  a  band  of  Indians  came  to 
the  fort,  desiring  to  make  a  trade  for  horses.  The  chief 
and  "big  men"  of  the  tribe  had  strings  of  the  American 
silver  dollars  (that  had  belonged  to  Mr.  Kinkaid),  through 
which  they  had  made  holes.  One  end  of  the  string  was 
attached  to  the  headdress  of  feathers,  etc.,  and  the  other 
swept  the  ground.  Understanding  from  the  reports  that 
had  been  brought  in  from  the  "runners"  and  emigrants 


232  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

that  this  money  had  belonged  to  Mr.  Kinkaid,  Mrs.  Arch- 
ambault  felt  so  indignant  as  the  Indians  proudly  strutted 
about  dragging  their  strings  of  silver  that  she  told  her 
husband  that  she  was  going  to  tramp  on  the  end  and 
see  if  she  could  break  it.  But  he  cautioned  her  that  it 
might  result  in  the  murdering  of  their  family  and  the 
burning  of  the  fort. 

Over  a  year  later  Mr.  Kinkaid  stopped  again  at  the 
fort  on  his  way  to  Salt  Lake  City,  having  a  wagon  train 
of  merchandise.  Mrs.  Archambault  could  hardly  recog- 
nize him  because  he  was  so  changed  from  the  severe  ill- 
ness that  resulted  from  the  attack  by  the  Indians.  He 
had  to  have  a  silver  tube  in  his  throat  to  assist  him  in 
breathing — he  had  been  shot  through  the  front  of  his 
throat.  He  related  in  detail  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Archambault 
the  terrible  ordeal  through  which  he  had  gone  when  the 
coach  was  attacked  by  the  Indians  and  his  frightful  suf- 
ferings caused  by  the  poison  from  the  arrows  permeating 
his  entire  system." 

Among  the  guests  at  the  fort  was  Major  Oldman 
(I  am  not  sure  about  the  spelling  but  that  is  the  way  it 
sounds),  the  Indian  agent,  who  came  directly  from  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  (when  the  trouble  first  began),  and  had 
his  men  with  him.  He  had  been  among  the  Indians  in 
the  interest  of  the  U.  S.  government  and  he  strongly 
urged  Mr.  Archambault  to  leave  for  the  States,  as  he  ad- 
vised that  "there  is  trouble  ahead" — referring  to  the  In- 
dians. As  his  carriage  drove  off,  he  called  to  Mrs.  Arch- 
ambault, who  was  standing  in  the  doorway:  "Take  care  of 
the  top  of  your  head!" 

The  first  contention  was  brought  about  by  the  In- 
dians killing  a  cow  belonging  to  some  emigrants.  After 
a  complaint  was  made,  36  sildiers  were  sent  from  Fort 
Laramie  (the  nearest  military  post).  As  a  bluff  they 
attempted  to  fire  over  the  Indians'  lodge,  but  unfortun- 
ately their  aim  was  too  low  and  they  shot  dead  the  In- 
dian chief  in  his  tent.  The  fury  of  the  Indians  knew  no 
bounds  and  only  one  soldier  escaped.  The  Indians  then 
pulled  off  the  boots  of  all  the  soldiers  and  put  them  in 
the  cannon,  which  they  threw  into  the  Platte  river.  All 
the  soldiers  were  buried  in  one  grave,  on  the  top  of  which 
sat  the  baby  daughter  of  Alfred  A.  Archambault  whilst 
the  family  was  on  its  way  to  the  United  States. 

The   Bannacks   were   the   good   Indians    and    did    all 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  233 

they  could  to  protect  the  fort  of  Alfred  A.  Archambault. 
When  they  ran  across  them,  they  brought  in  cattle  or 
horses  that  had  strayed  or  had  been  stolen.  All  stock 
had  its  owner's  initial  burned  on  it.  The  Bannacks  also 
acted  as  "runners,"  keeping  the  family  informed  as  to 
the  maneuvers  of  the  other  Indians. 

Another  tribe  of  Indians  had  all  its  arrows  topped 
with  gold  when  the  braves  would  come  to  trade  at  the 
fort.  They  called  Alfred  A.  Archambault  something  that 
sounded  like  "Tchupechee"  (Fair  Trader)  and  told  him 
in  their  dialect  (he  spoke  the  Indian  languages)  that  be- 
cause he  was  so  just  in  his  dealings  with  them,  if  he 
would  come  they  would  show  him  where  they  had  a  moun- 
tain of  this  gold,  and  he  could  have  all  he  wanted.  But 
his  wife  would  not  permit  him  to  go. 

Sister  Mary  Aurelia  Archambault,  the  oldest  member 
of  the  Loretto  Heights  community,  died  in  St.  Joseph's 
hospital,  Denver,  Tuesday  morning,  March  2,  1943,  after 
an  illness  of  more  than  a  month's  duration. 

Sister  Aurelia,  who  would  have  been  90  years  old 
on  her  next  birthday,  was  born,  Aug.  2,  1853,  near  In- 
dependence Rock,  Wyo.,  on  the  fur-trading  post  owned 
by  her  father,  Alfred  Archambault,  a  native  of  Montreal, 
Canada,  but  a  naturalized  citizen  of  the  United  States. 
Her  mother  was  Amanda  Zerviah  Schellinger,  daughter 
of  a  German  immigrant  family  of  Philadelphia.  When  the 
little  girl,  Sadie,  was  three  years  old  the  Archambault 
family  was  forced  to  leave  his  trading  post  because  of 
the  Indian  wars.  After  spending  some  time  in  Nebraska 
City,  Nebr.,  they  went  to  Florissant,  Mo.,  where  they  es- 
tablished their  home. 

The  famous  old  Loretto  academy  in  Florissant  was 
the  convent  in  which  Sister  Aurelia  was  educated.  In 
1870,  at  the  age  of  16,  she  entered  the  Sisters  of  Loretto, 
and  was  clothed  in  the  religious  vesture  on  the  Feast  of 
the  Assumption  in  that  year.  After  a  long  illness  she 
passed  away  on  Feb.  23,  1943.  Interment  is  at  Loretto 
Heights  Cemetery,  Denver,  Colorado. 

Sister  Aurelia  is  survived  by  one  sister,  Mrs.  James 
Hartford,  and  two  nephews,  Leon  and  Pierre  Archam- 
bault, all  residents  of  Denver. 


PcUnied  liif  QeMx^e  GcUlin 

By  Marie  H.  Erwin 

We  are  including  in  this  number  of  the  ANNALS  a  brief  history 
of  the  migration  of  the  Cheyenne  Indians  and  of  how  George  Catlin 
happened  to  paint  portraits  of  some  of  the  members  of  the  western- 
most tribe  of  the  Algonkin  family,  who  claimed  and  inhabited  at 
that  time  the  greater  part  of  what  later  became  Wyoming,  as  their 
hunting   grounds. 

The  Crows  and  Blackfeet  tribes  also  inhabited  a  part  of  this 
country  about  the  same  time,  and  we  plan  to  treat  them  in  a  similar 
manner  in  following  issues. 

The  two  photographs  with  this  article  and  those  to  be  included 
in  the  ensuing  issues  of  the  ANNALS,  are  from  the  original  paintings 
by  George  Catlin  in  the  United  States  National  Museum,  Smith- 
sonian Institution. 

They  are  a  gift  to  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department  from 
Mr.  A.  Wetmore,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  United  States  National 
Museum,    Smithsonian   Institution. 

The  early  history  of  the  Cheyenne  Indians,  a  plains 
tribe  of  the  Algonkin  family,  is  as  vague  as  that  of  their 
neighboring  tribes.  The  Algonkin  family  which  included 
numerous  related  tribes  were,  as  early  as  the  seven- 
teenth century,  "the  largest  family  of  North  American 
Indians  within  the  present  limits  of  the  United  States"' 
and  "were  at  this  period  at  the  height  of  their  prosper- 
ity."2  The  earliest  authenticated  habitat  "of  this  widely 
extended  group  was  somewhere  between  the  St.  Lawrence 
River  and  Hudson  Bay,"^  before  the  year  1700.  In  the 
seventeenth  century  they  inhabited  the  country  between 
New  Foundland  and  the  Mississippi  and  from  the  Ohio 
to  Hudson  Bay  and  Lake  Winnipeg.-*  Before  the  year 
1700  their  habitat  was  that  part  of  Minnesota  between 
the  Mississippi,  Minnesota  and  upper  Red  Rivers. ^ 

It  seems  to  be  an  established  fact  that  the  course 


1.  Jackson,  William  H.  Miscellaneous  Publication  No.  9,  United 
States  Geological  Survey  of  the  Territories  1877,  quoted  in  Annual 
Report,  Board  of  Regents,  Smithsonian  Institution,  1885,  pt.  V,  p.  91, 
which  is  The  George  Catlin  Indian  Gallery,  by  Thomas  Donaldson. 

2.  Brinton,  Daniel  G.,  The  Lenape  and  their  Legends,  1885, 
quoted  in  Annual  Report,  Board  of  Regents,  Smithsonian  Institution 
1885,  pt.  V,  p.  89. 

3.  Brinton,  Daniel  G.,  Races  and  Peoples,  Philadelphia,  David 
McKay,  1901,  p.  253. 

4.  Jackson,  W.  H.,  op.  eit.,  p.  91. 

5.  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  Bull.  30,  p.  251. 


CHEYENNE  INDIAN  PORTRAITS  235 

of  migration  of  the  Indians  was  westward  and  southward; 
this  tradition  is  especially  true  of  the  great  Algonkin 
family. 

In  around  1700  the  Cheyennes  drifted  from  Minnesota 
toward  the  Missouri  and  roamed  north  and  west  of  the 
Black  Hills. ^  This  tribe  while  living  in  that  part  of  the 
country  which  later  became  the  state  of  Minnesota,  and 
along  the  Missouri  River,  had  established  villages,  made 
pottery  and  were  engaged  in  agriculture ;  but  they  lost  their 
arts  upon  being  driven  from  their  permanent  villages  and 
migrating  to  the  plains,  where  necessity  for  existence  made 
them  a  roving  buffalo  hunting  people. "^ 

In  1804  they  were  found  by  those  enterprising  ex- 
plorers Lewis  and  Clarke,  "west  across  the  Missouri  River. "^ 
in  the  Cheyenne  River  Valley  and  along  the  Black  Hills. 
They  then  numbered  about  1500. 

Major  T.  E.  Long  in  his  first  expedition  1819-20,  re- 
ported having  seen  a  small  band  of  Cheyennes  who  seemed 
to  have  been  separated  from  their  tribe  on  the  Missouri, 
joined  the  Arapahoes,  and  were  wandering  about  the 
"Platte  and  the  Arkansas. "^ 

In  1825  a  commission,  including  Brigadier  General 
Henry  Atkinson,  of  the  United  States  Army  and  Major 
Benjamin  O'Fallon,  Indian  agent,  was  appointed  by  Pres- 
ident John  Quincy  Adams,  with  full  powers  and  authority 
to  hold  treaties  of  trade  and  friendship  with  the  Indian 
tribes  "beyond  the  Mississippi." '° 

On  June  23,  1825,  the  commission  and  escort  left 
Fort  Lookout,  and  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Teeton  River 
on  June  30th,  where  there  was  an  establishment  of  the 
American  Fur  Company  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river. 
The  commission  waited  here  for  the  Cheyennes  to  come 
in  from  the  plains  for  several  days,  they  finally  arrived 
July  5th;  a  council  was  held  July  6th,  with  the  Cheyenne 


Note:    Port  Lookout  was  40  miles  below  old  Fort  Pierre,   now 
in  South  Dakota. 

6.  Wissler,    Clark,    Curator   Emeritus,    The    American    Museum 
of  Natural  History.  New  York  City,  Letter  to  Author,  July  13,  1943. 

7.  American  Bureau  of  Ethnoiogy,  Bull.  30,  p.  251. 

8.  Jackson,  W.  H.,  op.  cit.,  p.  91. 

9.  Ibid.,    p.    91. 

10.  American    State   papers,    vol.    VI,    Indian   Affairs,    vol.    11, 
p.  605. 


236  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Chiefs,  Headmen  and  Warriors, '^  and  the  first'^  treaty 
between  the  United  States  Government  and  the  Cheyennes 
was  signed  on  that  date.  This  Treaty  was  submitted  by 
the  President  to  the  United  States  Senate  for  consider- 
ation January  9,  1826;  was  ratified  February  6,  1826.13 

Those  who  signed  this  first  Treaty  between  the  United 
States  Government  and  the  Cheyenne  Indians  were. 

Commissioners : 

Henry  Atkinson,  Brig.  Gen.  United  States  Army. 
Benjamin   O'Fallon,  United   States  Agent  Indian 
Affairs. 

Cheyenne  Chiefs: 

Sho-che-new-e-to-chaw-ca-we-wah-ca-to-we,  or  the 

wolf  with  the  high  back. 
We-ch-ga-pa,   or  the  Httle  moon. 
Ta-ton-ca-pa,    or   the   buffalo    head. 
J-a-pu,  or  the  one  who  talks  against  the  others. 

Warriors : 

Nine  warriors.'^ 

On  November  7,  1825,  H.  Atkinson  and  Benjamin 
O'Fallon  reported  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  Hon.  James 
Barbour,    the   following : 

The  Chayennes  are  a  tribe  of  Indians  driven  by 
the  Sioux  some  years  since  from  the  Red  river  coun- 
try across  the  Missouri,  and  now  inhabit  the  coun- 
try on  the  Chayenne  river,  from  near  its  mouth  back 
to  the  Black  Hills.  Their  habits,  pursuits,  and  means 
of  subsistence,  and  manner  of  dress,  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  Sioux.  Like  them,  they  live  in  leather 
lodges,  and  rove  at  pleasure,  according  to  the  direc- 
tion in  which  buffalo  are  to  be  found;  use  the  bow 
and  quiver,  but  are  very  well  armed  with  fuses,  and 
have  an  abundance  of  horses  and  mules.  They  are 
very  friendly  to  the  whites,  and  at  peace  with  the 
Ogallalas,  Siounes  (branches  of  the  Sioux)  and 
Arickaras.  They  are  estimated  at  three  thousand 
souls,  of  which  from  five  hundred  and  fifty  to  six 
hundred  are  warriors.  Their  principal  rendezvous  is 
towards   the   Black   Hills,    and   their   trading   ground 


11.  Ibid. 

12.  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  Bull.  30,  p.  251. 

13.  United   States   Statutes,   7   Stat.   255-256. 

14.  Ibid.   7  Stat.  256. 


CHEYENNE  INDIAN  PORTRAITS  237 

at  the  mouth  of  Cherry  river,  a  branch  of  the  Chay- 
enne,  forty  miles  above  its  mouth.  They  have  had 
but  Httle  intercourse,  heretofore,  with  traders.  Their 
articles  of  traffic  are  robes  and  some  beaver. '^ 

From  Lieutenant  G.  K.  Warren's  map  of  North  America 
Including  all  the  Recent  Geographical  Discoveries,  i826}^  the 
Shiennes  were  west  of  the  Missouri  and  between  its 
branches,  the  SMenne  and  Sarwaccarno  Rivers,  as  far  west 
as  the  Tongue,  a  branch  of  the  Yellow  Stone  River,  and 
through  the  Black  Hills. 

From  George  Catlhl's  mar).  Outline  Map  of  Indian  Loca- 
tions in  1833,'^''  we  find  the  SMennes  as  far  south  as  the  North 
Platte,  and  more  in  that  part  of  the  country,  which  is  to- 
day Wyoming,  and  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Bent's  Fort  was  built  on  the  upper  Arkansas,  (Colo- 
rado) in  1832,  where  a  large  number  of  Chevennes  de- 
cided to  establish  permanent  headquarters,  while  the  bal- 
ance remained  along  the  waters  of  the  North  Platte, 
which  later  became  a  part  of  Wyoming.  Those  remaining 
in  this  part  of  the  country  are  known  as  the  Northern 
Cheyennes,  and  those  migrating  to  the  Arkansas,  the 
Southern  Cheyennes.  The  onlv  difference  being  geographi- 
cal, as  they  visited  back  and  forth  and  continued  tribal 
relations. 

In  a  general  way  the  habitat  of  the  Cheyenne  Indians 
has  been  traced  to  1832,  establishing  the  fact  that  they 
were  living  in  that  part  of  the  Indian  countrv,  which  later 
became  Wyoming,  at  the  time  George  Catlin,  the  noted 
artist  whose  paintings  of  Indians  of  North  and  South 
America  are  in  the  Museum  of  Natural  Historv.  Smith- 
sonian Institution,  Washington,  D.  C,  iourneyed  up  the 
Missouri  River  from  St.  Louis  to  Fort  Union,  a  distance 
of  over  2,000  miles,  traveling  in  the  most  primitive  way 
"to  rescue  from  oblivion"  the  primitive  looks  and  customs 
of  the  North  American  Indian,  in  color  and  pen,  and  to 
preserve  in  picture  these  interesting  but  declining  and 
some  destined  to  be  extinct  peoples. 

Catlin  left  St.  Louis  early  in  the  spring  of  1832,  made 


15.  American  State  papers,  op.  cit.,  p.  606.  (Words  in  paren- 
thesis inserted  by  the  writer). 

16.  33d  Cong.  2d  Sess.  H.  R.  Ex.  Doc.  No.  91,  p.  30.  [serial  801]. 

17.  Donaldson,  Thomas,  The  George  Catlin  Indian  Gallery,  p. 
422,  which  is  pt.  V  of  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Board  of  Regents, 
Smithsonian  Institution  1885. 


238  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

the  journey  up  the  Missouri  in  the  steamer  Yellow  Stone,  and 
after  many  delays  and  difficulties  arrived  about  three 
months  later,  June  26,  at  Fort  Union,  an  American  Fur 
Company  post,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone  River  on 
the  north  bank  of  the  Missouri  River. 

Mr.  Catlin  painted  many  Indians,  scenes,  animal  life 
on  the  plains,  etc.,  while  at  this  post,  but  it  was  not  until 
on  his  homeward  journey  in  the  fall  of  1832  when  he 
stopped  at  Laidlaw's  Fort  (Old  Fort  Pierre)  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Teton  River  that  he  encountered  a  party  of  Chey- 
ennes  who  were  "on  a  friendly  visit  to  the  Sioux." '^ 

He  relates  that  on  his  downward  voyage  to  St.  Louis 
and  during  his  stay  at  the  mouth  of  the  Teton,  at  Laid- 
law's Fort,  while  painting  his  portraits  amongst  the  Sioux, 
he  painted  a  "noble  SMenne  Chief  by  the  name  of  Nee-hee- 
o-ee-woo-tis  (the  wolf  on  the  hill).  The  Chief  of  a  party 
of  that  tribe  on  a  friendly  visit  to  the  Sioux,"2o  and 
of  the  Chief's  wife,  a  Cheyenne  woman,  Tis-see-woo-na-tis, 
(She  who  bathes  her  knees).  The  Chief  "was  clothed  in 
a  handsome  dress  of  deer  skins,  very  neatly  garnished 
with  broad  bands  of  porcupine  quill  work  down  the  sleeves 
of  his  shirt  and  his  leggings,  and  all  the  way  fringed  with 
scalp-locks.  His  hair  was  very  profuse,  and  flowing  over 
his  shoulders;  and  in  his  hand  he  held  a  beautiful  Sioux 
pipe,  which  had  just  been  presented  to  him  by  Mr.  K'Ken- 
zie,  the  Trader.  This  was  one  of  the  finest  looking  and 
most  dignified  men  that  I  have  met  in  the  Indian  coun- 


Note:  Laidlaw's  Fort  (Old  Fort  Pierre)  was  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant and  productive  of  the  American  Fur  Company's  post. 
Laidlaw  was  another  Scotchman  and  a  member  as  well  as  agent 
of  the  American  Fur  Company,  who  with  M'Kenzie  had  the  agency 
of  the  Fur  Company's  transactions  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
upper  Missouri  region. 21 


Note:  Fort  Union  v>^as  built  in  1829  by  Kenneth  M'Kenzie 
(Makenzie  in  Patrick  Gass's  Lewis  and  Clarke's  Journal  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains^  18/^7)  a  Scotchman  born  in  the  Highlands,  who  came 
to  America  in  the  employ  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  In  1820 
he  left  the  services  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  established 
business  of  his  own.  "In  1829  he  crossed  to  the  upper  Missouri  and 
established  Fort  Union"; is  he  became  a  member  and  agent  of  the 
American  Fur  Company;  had  control  of  all  the  service  connected 
with  northwestern  fur  trade  until  1939,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved 
to  St.  Louis. 

18.  Donaldson,  Thomas,  op.  cit.  P.  432  (f.n.) 

19.  Catlin,  Georfie  North  American  Indians,  Philadelphia,  Leary 
Stuart  and  Company,  1913.     Vol.  2,  p.  2. 

20.  Ibid. 

21.  Ibid.  Vol.  1,  p.  233. 


CHEYENNE  INDIAN  PORTRAITS 


239 


Ne-hee-o-ee-woo-tis,    (wolf  on   the  hill)    Cheyenne   Chief, 
original  painting  by  George  Catlin,  1832. 


From 


try;  and  from  the  account  given  of  him  by  the  Traders, 
a  man  of  honour  and  strictest  integrity. "22  He  was  con- 
sidered a  rich  Indian,  owning  over  100  head  of  horses. 

The  Cheyenne  Indian  woman,  Tis-see-woo-na-tis,  pos- 
sessed all  the  savage  beauty  any  of  these  daughters  of 
the  earth  could  ask  for;  she  was  beautifully  dressed,  "her 

22.    Ibid,  vol.  2,  p.  2. 


240 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Tis-see-woo-na-tis,    (she  who  bathes  her  knees.)      Cheyenne  woman, 

wife  of  the  Cheyenne  Chief.     From  original  painting  by 

George  Catlin,   1832. 

dress  being  made  of  mountain-sheep  skins,  tastefully  or- 
namented with  quills  and  beads,  and  her  long  black  hair 
plaited  in  large  braids  that  hung  down  on  her  breast/'^s 

Catlin  found  the  Cheyennes  to  be  a  small  tribe   of 
about  3,000,  who  lived  as  neighbors  to  the  Sioux  on  the 

23.    Ibid. 


CHEYENNE  INDIAN  PORTRAITS  241 

west  of  them,  and  between  the  Black  Hills  and  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  He  claimed  that  "there  is  no  finer  race  of 
men  in  North  America,  and  none  were  superior  in  stature, 
except  the  Osages;  scarcely  a  man  in  the  tribe,  full  grown, 
was  less  than  six  feet  in  height. "^^  At  that  time  the 
Cheyennes  were  undoubtedly  the  richest  in  horses  of  any 
tribe  on  the  Continent.  This  can  be  accounted  for  in  that 
living  in  a  country  as  they  did  where  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  wild  horses  were  grazing  on  the  prairies,  they 
caught  them  in  great  numbers  and  sold  them  to  the  Sioux, 
Mandans  and  other  tribes,  as  well  as  to  the  Fur  Traders. 

With  wars,  pestilence  and  the  advance  of  civilization 
through  the  years,  the  Cheyenne  tribe  was  greatly  re- 
duced and  was  gradually  subdued.  In  1878-79  the  Gov- 
ernment attempted  to  colonize  the  Northern  Cheyennes 
with  the  Southern  branch,  but  this  had  disastrous  results. 
a  great  number  of  their  Chiefs  and  warriors  being  killed. 
In  1884,  by  the  President's  Proclamation,  they  v/ere  as- 
signed to  the  Tongue  River  Agency,  Montana,  where  they 
are  still  residing.  25 

The  fate  of  these  sons  of  the  earth  was  that  of  other 
peoples,  fighting  for  what  they  believed  to  be  rightfully 
theirs.  These  original  tenants  of  the  soil,  who  became 
fugitives  from  the  civilized  man,  were  forced  to  leave 
their  earliest  habitat,  and  become  a  people  of  the  vast 
treeless  plains,  "desolate  fields  of  silence",  until  another 
day,  when  again  they  were  forced  to  accept  a  conclusion, 
which  was  inevitable.  It  was  "the  survival  of  the  fittest" 
then,  as  it  will  be  at  the  end  of  the  conflict  of  today. 


24.  Ibid. 

25.  General  Data  Concerning  Indian  Reservations,  1929.  Dept. 
of  the  Interior,  Office  of  Indian  Affairs,  U.  S.  Government  Printing 
Office,  Washington,  D.  C. 


SITES  FAMOUS  IN  HISTORY  OF  LARAMIE  CITY 
MARKED  DURING  JUBILEE* 

Laramie  Anniversary  in  Full  Swing;  Old  Pony 
Express  Rides  Again 

A  merry,  laughing  troop  of  D.  A.  R.  members  and 
Old-Timers  retraced  the  trail  of  history  this  morning  as 
they  posted  placards  on  the  sites  of  a  score  of  historic 
buildings  in  Laramie. 

The  ceremony  was  the  central  feature  of  the  second 
day's  program  of  the  sixteenth  anniversary  Pioneer  Jub- 
ilee. 

The  party  left  the  library  a  few  minutes  after  10 
o'clock  and  by  11:55  had  marked  20  places.  One  carried 
a  small  hammer  and  a  box  of  tacks,  others  the  large 
cards.  Some  wore  shawls  and  other  garments  having 
historic  interest. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  "expedition"  Mrs.  Mary  G. 
Bellamy  was  the  final  court  of  appeal  in  all  cases  of  doulbt, 
but  shortly  afterward,  W.  O.  Owen,  who  is  visiting  here, 
and  Jim  Cordiner,  both  cronies  from  boyhood,  joined  the 
group  and  added  their  knowledge  of  earlier  days  to  that 
of  Mrs.  Bellamy. 

Three  of  the  sites  marked  had  to  do  with  the  first 
efforts  at  beautification  made  in  Laramie.  One  was  the 
Finfrock  home  next  to  the  Catholic  church,  where  the 
first  flower  garden  was  grown.  A  placard  was  posted 
in  the  window  of  the  Rex  Billiard  Parlor  on  Ivinson  avenue, 
stating  that  it  had  been  the  site  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Montgom- 
ery's home.  It  was  she  who  planted  the  first  tree.  J.  W. 
Meldrum,  now  U.  S.  commissioner  in  Yellowstone  park, 
was  credited,  on  a  placard  posted  on  his  former  house 
here,  with  planting  the  first  lawn.  Mr.  Owen  and  Mr. 
Cordiner  laughed  at  this  and  reminded  themselves  that 
Mr.  Meldrum  afterward  had  a  fountain  with  a  statue 
of  a  nude  woman  in  his  yard,  which  was  stolen  by  the 

'^The  Republican-Boomerang ,  July  2,  1928. 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  243 

University  students,  taken  to  the  University,  painted  red 
and  dressed  in  a  light  skirt. 

ROOT  REMINISCES 

When  the  party  posted  a  card  on  the  Opera  House 
stating  that  back  of  the  lobby  stood  the  original  school 
house,  C.  B.  Root  came  out  of  his  store  and  entertained 
members  of  the  party  for  a  few  minutes  with  stories  of 
the  first  theatrical  ventures  here. 

"A  bov  who  was  going  in  to  see  the  program  one 
time,"  he  related,  "asked  me  if  there  was  going  to  be  any 
shoooting  in  the  show.  I  told  him,  'Well,  you  go  on  in 
and  if  there  isn't  anybody  shot  you  ask  Mrs.  Root  for 
your  money  back  when  you  come  out'." 

The  card  for  the  First  Sunday  school  was  posted  in 
the  Clippinger  Floral  store  window. 

The  approximate  site  of  the  first  newspaper,  the 
Laramie  Sentinel,  J.  H.  Hayford,  editor,  was  marked  with 
a  card  in  the  window  of  the  Wyoming  Pool  hall  on  First 
street. 

The  G.  W.  Story  home  at  213  Fremont  street,  orig- 
inally the  First  Presbyterian  church,  was  marked,  as 
was  also  the  Second  street  site  of  the  First  Methodist 
church,  now  occupied  by  the  Marinello  Beauty  parlor.  The 
building  itself  has  since  been  moved  across  the  street, 
northwest,  and  remodeled  to  form  the  present  Moose  hall. 

The  school  maintained  by  the  Catholic  church,  built  in 
1874,  formerly  stood  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the 
Quality  Chevrolet  company  on  Second,  and  a  card  was 
placed  in  the  window. 

FORTY  LIARS  RECALLED 

On  the  alley  beside  the  postoffice,  on  Ivinson,  the 
party  stopped  and  tacked  a  card  to  a  telephone  pole  an- 
nouncing that  here  stood  the  blacksmith  shop  in  which 
the  story  telling  club  made  famous  by  Bill  Nye  as  the 
"Forty  Liars"  had  met  and  swapped  yarns.  Mrs.  Bellamy 
reminded  the  party  that  the  "Forty  Liars"  had  also  been 
in  the  habit  of  assembling  around  a  stove  in  LeRoy's 
hardware  store,  where  the  First  State  Bank  now  stands. 

Across  the  street  from  the  postoffice  the  party  en- 
tered the  Svenson  studio  and  handed  Henning  Svenson  a 


244  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

card  bearing  the  information  that  this  was  the  site  of 
the  first  jail,  M.  H.  Murphy  being  the  jailer.  Mr.  Sven- 
son  smiled  boardly  and  remarked  that  some  members  of 
the  party  looked  as  if  Jailer  Murphy  had  just  given  them 
their  freedom. 

The  home  of  the  Wyoming  National  bank,  originally 
Edward  Ivinson,  banker,  was  marked  with  a  sign  in  the 
window  of  the  Baby  shop  on  Second  street,  stating  that 
the  bank  building  had  been  erected  in  1869. 

The  first  grocery  store,  opened  by  Edward  Ivinson 
in  1868,  called  for  a  card  in  the  window  of  the  Metz 
Brothers  store.  This  was  afterward  the  first  drug  store, 
operated  by  Otto  Gramm,  and  later  the  dress-making 
shop  of  Mrs.  Caira  May  Simpson. 

To  C.  D.  Spalding  was  handed  a  window  card  for 
the  Albany  National  bank  stating  that  on  this  site  one 
of  the  first  buildings  stood,  a  structure  of  railroad  ties 
stood  on  end,  covered  by  a  canvass  roof. 

OLD    V^EDDING   GOVHST    SHOWN 

At  the  Kepp-Baertsch  store,  the  women  of  the  party 
stopped  to  view  an  old-fashioned  wedding  gown  which 
belonged  to  a  Laramie  woman. 

On  the  rear  of  the  long  metal  buildine  housing  the 
wholesale  division  of  the  Laramie  grocery,  signs  were 
posted  announcing  that  the  Trabing  grocery  and  the  first 
theatre  occupied  the  building  there  known  as  the  "Old 
Blue  Front."  Here  also  the  first  women's  jury  met,  and 
the  first  court  was  held,  the  case  being  that  of  Mike 
Caroll,  who,  when  his  mules  were  stolen,  traced  the  alleged 
thief  to  Green  River  and  brought  him  back  himself. 

In  the  window  of  the  Holliday  store  a  placard  was 
placed  stating  that  the  Frontier  hotel,  one  of  the  first 
if  not  the  first,  occupied  the  site  and  had  been  made  of 
logs. 

A  window  of  the  Holliday  store  which  had  been  filled 
with  a  liberal  display  of  pictures  and  mementos,  and 
featured  by  two  old-time  high  wheeled  bicycles  and  a  huge 
chair  formerly  used  by  Bill  Nye,  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  party  for  a  time. 

A  short  distance  up  Garfield,  at  the  Quality  bakery, 
a  card  was  placed  in  the  window  stating  that  a  stable 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  245 

had  occupied  the  place,  and  over  it,  Bill  Nye  had  pub- 
lished the  Boomerang.  In  approximately  the  same  place 
as  this  card  had  been  Nye's  sign,  "Twist  the  Tail  of  the 
Iron  Gray  Mule  and  Take  the  Elevator." 

Mr.  Owen  related  that  one  of  Bill's  favorite  displays 
was  a  stuffed  freak  he  used  to  keep  on  his  desk,  a  bird 
with  a  duck's  body  and  a  hawk's  head.  "I've  seen  it  in 
there  many  a  time,"  said  Mr.  Owen. 

BOSW^ELL   HOUSE   MARKED 

The  N.  K.  Boswell  house  and  the  John  W.  Donnel- 
lan  residence  were  marked  with  placards  announcing  that 
these  buildings  had  been  moved  in  from  Fort  Sanders, 
Mr.  Donnellan  was  cashier  of  the  Laramie  National  bank 
and  served  two  or  three  terms  as  treasurer  of  Albany 
county. 

As  the  party  broke  up,  Mr.  Owen  and  Mr.  Cordiner 
found  cause  for  friendly  disagreement  over  the  site  of 
the  John  Kane  log  house  on  Second  street  where  three 
gamblers  had  been  hanged  one  night,  but  on  walking  to 
the  disputed  places,  reached  a  tentative  agreement  that 
it  was  on  Kearney  and  Second,  where  Mr.  Cordiner  in- 
sisted it  had  been.  Here  Mr.  Owen  recounted  the  tale, 
as  he  told  it  in  the  Republican-Boomerang  Saturday,  with 
a  few  additional  details.  The  three  men  h.id  been  sus- 
pended from  a  log  prop  against  the  house,  he  said. 

Tribute  was  paid  Laramie's  pioneers  in  every  Laramie 
church  yesterday,  with  appropriate  services. 

The  Pioneer  headquarters  in  the  Elks  building  con- 
tinued to  be  the  mecca  today  for  old-timers,  and  the 
"golden"  and  "pioneer"  registers  grew  steadily  longer. 

CARAVAN   TOUR   TUESDAY 

The  great  Pioneer  caravan  which  is  to  visit  the  Ames 
monument,  witness  the  return  of  the  Pony  Express  and 
its  attack,  and  participate  in  a  free  barbecue  at  Centen- 
nial, will  form  in  front  of  the  Elks'  home  on  Second  street 
tomorrow  morning  between  8:30  o'clock  and  9,  leaving 
promptly  at  9.  Cars  of  all  sizes,  makes  and  descriptions 
will  be  needed  for  those  who  have  none,  for  the  commit- 
tee in  charge  wants  everyone  to  go  who  wishes. 

A  historic  address  of  importance  will  be  delivered  at 


246  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

the  Ames  monument  by  N.   H.   Loomis,   general   counsel 
for  the  Union  Pacific  railroad. 

At  noon  a  basket  lunch  will  be  served  at  Dale  Creek, 
and.  at  1:30  the  party  will  witness  the  start  of  the  Pony 
Express  over  the  route  of  the  old  Overland  Trail  near  the 
Colorado-Wyoming  line.  The  caravan  will  then  journey 
back  to  witness  the  finish  of  the  Pony  Express  ride  12 
miles  from  town  on  the  Laramie-Centennial  highway. 
Here  an  Indian  attack  will  be  staged  on  the  Pony  Express 
rider. 

Continuing  on  to  Centennial,  the  members  of  the  car- 
avan will  be  treated  to  a  free  barbecue  at  6  o'clock. 

As  will  be  the  case  tonight,  a  free  band  concert  will 
be  given  down  town  by  the  Union  Pacific  musicians  at  7 
o'clock,  followed  by  carnival  dancing  on  Ivinson  at  8:30 
and  a  Pioneer  ball  at  9  o'clock  in  the  Elks'  home. 


NEIKOK,  INDIAN  INTERPRETER 

Neikok,  a  Shoshone  Indian  interpreter  spoke  three 
languages,  French,  English  and  Shoshone. 

Respected  highly  by  the  whites,  Neikok,  whose  name 
meant  Black  Hawk,  was  the  son  of  a  French  trader, 
Baptiste;  his  mother,  according  to  historians,  was  a  Ute 
squaw  who  was  captured  by  the  Shoshones  in  a  raid  when 
she  was  a  child.  It  was  comparatively  easy  for  Neikok 
to  translate  during  the  course  of  negotations,  having  his 
father  to  assist  him. 

His  word  was  never  doubted  by  those  who  came  in 
contact  with  him.  This  was  considered  important  as  he 
was  the  official  interpreter  of  all  the  Shoshones  and  every- 
thing said  by  the  Shoshones  in  council  with  the  whites 
or  in  a  case  before  the  courts,  and  both  sides  had  to  be 
heard  by  Neikok  and  his  translation  was   law. 

He  was  so  honest  in  his  desire  to  translate  properly 
that  more  than  once,  according  to  The  Indian  Guide,  pub- 
lished at  the  Shoshone  agency  in  1896,  he  would  stop  and 
ask  questions  before  proceeding  with  the  translation.  The 
paper  quoted  him  upon  one  such  instance  as  follows: 

"I  don't  think  I  know  that  word,"  or  "I  can't  tell 
that  right." 


•       WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  247 

And  he  would  not  go  until  he  fully  knew  what  it  was 
that  he  was  to  translate.  He  never  was  afraid  to  tell 
exactly  what  both  sides  said  while  a  younger  man  might 
fear  of  giving  offense  if  he  spoke  the  exact  truth. 

Neikok  succumbed  to  paralysis  in  November,  1896. 
As  was  the  custom  among  his  tribe,  his  body  was  wrapped 
in  a  number  of  expensive  blankets  of  beautiful  colors  and 
his  body  deposited  in  a  grave  on  Sage  creek,  dug  by  sor- 
rowing friends.  In  the  grave  were  placed  his  various 
trinkets  and  articles  of  daily  use,  without  a  coffin  to  en- 
close his  remains. 

Neikok  was  a  reputed  brave  in  every  sense  of  the 
word.  He  was  engaged  in  skirmishes  with  the  Arapahoes 
and  Sioux  during  the  days  of  Indian  warfare. 

A  parting  tribute  was  paid  Neikok  at  the  time  of  his 
death  by  the  agency  publication.     It  follows: 

"A  very  prominent  and  useful  Shoshone  Indian  died 
at  this  home  near  the  Washakie  Hot  Springs  on  last 
Thanksgiving  day.  This  man  was  called  'Norkok'  by  the 
whites,  but  his  Shoshone  name  was  Neikok,  which  means 
Black  Hawk.  He  was  about  70  years  old.  The  Shoshones 
as  a  rule  keep  no  account  of  time  and  do  not  know  their 
own  age  or  their  children's  after  they  become  a  few  years 
old.  He  was  stricken  with  paralysis  *  *  *  .  He  was  buried 
on  Sage  creek  among  his  relatives  who  preceded  him  *  *  *  . 
Simply  lying  in  his  blankets  and  embraced  in  the  arms 
of  mother  earth,  he  awaits  the  final  end  of  time." 


WYOMING  SHERIFFS 

No  history  of  Wyoming  nor  any  sidelights  thereof 
is  more  colorful  than  that  of  the  peace  officers  of  the 
early  days  of  the  state  and  territory — sterling  men   all. 

Among  them  was  Thomas  Jefferson  Carr,  better 
known  as  Jeff,  who  was  city  marshal  of  Cheyenne,  later 
sheriff  of  Laramie  county  and  then  in  1885  United  States 
marshal  for  the  territory  of  Wyoming,  to  which  he  was 
appointed  by  President  Cleveland. 

Carr,  a  man  over  six  feet  tall  and  weighing  about  225 
pounds,  had  a  red  beard  several  inches  long,  but  no  mus- 
tache. His  beard  brought  him  the  appelation  of  "Red 
Cloud." 


248  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING       ' 

Will  Schnitger,  also  a  Cheyenne  marshal,  succeeded 
Carr  as  United  States  marshal.  Then  there  was  Nick 
O'Brien,  an  early-day  sheriff,  who  was  one  of  the  most 
popular  and  genial  of  peace  officers  of  his  time. 

Frank  Canton  and  Red  Angus  were  early-day  sheriffs 
of  Johnson  county.  N.  K.  Boswell,  Louis  Miller  and  Jack 
Brophy  each  served  as  sheriff  of  Laramie  when  the  uni- 
versity town  was  a  cowtown  lighted  by  kerosene. 

The  circle  of  prominent  Wyoming  peace  officers  would 
not  be  complete  without  mentioning  Malcolm  Campbell,  the 
first  sheriff  of  Converse  county  and  later  marshal  of 
Douglas.  At  the  age  of  90  his  mind  was  replete  with  in- 
teresting stories  concerning  his  adventures  of  the  "good 
old  days."  He  collaborated  with  Bob  David  in  Casper  in 
publishing  a  book  of  his  life,  in  which  space  was  also  de- 
voted to  Mr.  Campbell's  recollection  of  the  famous  John- 
son county  invasion.  And  there  was  the  late  Frank  Had- 
sell,  one  time  sheriff  of  Carbon  county,  who  died  at  Raw- 
lins while  warden  of  the  state  penitentiary.  He,  too,  served 
Wyoming  as  United  States  marshal,  as  did  many  of  the 
old  time  officers. 

Others  include  John  \^ard,  several  times  sheriff  of 
Uinta  county;  John  Williarfis,  sheriff  of  Converse  county; 
Larry  Fee,  Billy  Lykens  and  Johnny  Owens. 

Fremont  county,  organized  in  1884,  had  as  its  first 
sheriff  B.  F.  Lowe,  who  was  elected  April  22  of  that  year. 
He  was  succeeded  by  J.  J.  Atkins.  In  earlier  territorial 
days,  John  R.  Murphy  was  sheriff. 

In  Sheridan  county,  when  its  government  was  formed 
in  1888,  Thomas  J.  Keesee  was  elected  its  first  sheriff  at 
the  election  that  year. 

In  Carbon  county,  Jim  Rankin,  brother  of  Joe  Rankin, 
who  made  his  famous  ride  to  Rawlins  to  obtain  relief  for 
army  troops  in  the  Meeker  massacre,  was  an  early  day 
sheriff.  Joe  Rankin  rode  40  hours  carrying  news  to  Gen- 
eral Merritt  of  the  massacre  and  subsequent  relief  to 
troops  cut  off  by  Indians.  William  Hawley  was  first 
sheriff  of  the  county. 

At  the  first  county  election  held  at  Sundance,  Jim 
Ryan  was  named  sheriff  of  Crook  county.  George  W. 
Laney  was  his  deputy. 

There  were  many  others,  who  filled  their  places  in 
the  development  of  the  new  frontier  state. 


250  AJSTNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Notwithstanding  the  plaintive  assertion  of  the  Indian 
chiefs  that  their  tribes  want  peace,  and  that  on  the  with- 
drawal of  the  United  States  regulars  from  certain  local- 
ities, and  the  removal  of  certain  forts,  they  will  give 
themselves  entirely  to  agricultural  pursuits,  such  inci- 
dents as  the  one  we  have  illustrated  will  do  more  toward 
preventing  the  consummation  of  their  wishes  than  any 
promises  to  the  contrary. 

A  passenger  train  bound  east  from  Cheyenne,  Wyo- 
ming Territory,  on  the  evening  of  June  14th,  was  as- 
saulted by  a  squad  of  mounted  Indians,  who  fired  upon 
the  travelers  through  the  windows.  No  persons  were  in- 
jured, neither  was  the  train  damaged.  Sixteen  horses 
belonging  to  the  party  were  killed,  and  a  large  amount  of 
robes,  bows,  arrows,  etc.,  scattered  along  the  track.  These 
cases  of  lawlessness  fully  justify  the  presence  of  well- 
armed  and  mounted  soldiers;  for  common  humanity,  no 
less  than  the  demands  of  business,  requires  the  safe  pas- 
sage of  every  train  from  Omaha  westward. 


THE  "MAGIC  CITY"  CHEYENNE,  DAKOTA 
TERRITORY,  1867 

(Continued) 

Seventeenth  street,  north  side,  from  O'Neil  to  Hill 
street,  four  squares. 

One  story  frame,  32x90,  George  Tritch  &  Co.,  hard- 
ware dealers,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $6,000. 

One  story  frame,  16x30,  saloon,  J.  E.  Meyers,  owner 
and  occupant — cost,  $1,200. 

One  story  frame,  17x42,  corral  49x90,  N.  H.  Heath 
&  Co.,  Auction  and  Commission  merchants  and  coal  deal- 
ers, owners  and  occupants — cost,  $3,000. 

One  story  frame,  Theatre — particulars  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  12x28,  Photograph  Gallery,  M.  Sorn- 
lerger,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $500. 

One  story  and  half  frame,  19x30 — addition,  16x26 — 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  251 

Boarding  House  and  saloon,  J.  N.  Slaughter,  owner  and 
occupant — cost,  $1,400. 

Two  story  frame,  20x40,  Saloon,  Carpenter  &  Welch, 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $3,000. 

One  story  frame,  12x26,  Meat  Market,  Solomon  &  Co., 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $350. 

One  story  frame,  22x40,  dry  goods  house,  Lieut.  Mc- 
Donald owner,  to  be  occupied  by  firm  from  Denver,  name 
unknown — cost,   $2,500. 

One  story  frame,  18x50,  Grocery  &  Dry  Goods  House, 
J,  N.  Orchard,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $2,000. 

One  story  frame,  unfinished,  particulars  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  ditto,  as  above. 

One  story  frame,  61/2x16,  Variety  Store,  E.  H.  Brown, 
owner   and   occupant — cost,   $250. 

One  story  frame,  16x24,  Saloon,  H.  T.  Smith,  owner 
and  occupant — cost,  $700. 

One  story  frame,  8x40,  Keg  House,  J.  Venine,  owner 
and  occupant — cost,   $460. 

One  story  frame,  Rogers  &  Co.,  bankers — particulars 
unknown. 

One  story  frame,  20x40,  Clothing  House,  H.  Frieden- 
berg,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $3,000. 

One  story  frame — ^unfinished,   particulars  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  6x24,  law  office,  J.  S.  Ohord,  owner 
and  occupant — cost,   $250. 

One  story  frame,  15x30,  Central  Drug  Store,  Farrar 
&  Brennan,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $1,200. 

One  story  frame,  15x40,  Saloon,  R,  H.  Underwood, 
owner  and  occupant — also  occupied  by  L.  N.  Greenleaf  & 
Cos.,  Variety  Store— cost,  $2,000. 

One  story  frame,  22x72,  Restaurant,  Lt.  Murran.  own- 
er, Parker  &  Co.,  occupants — cost,  $4,000. 

One  story  frame,  19x29,  Tobacco  and  Cigar  depot,  H. 
J.  Bendingham.  (absent  at  present)  owner  and  occupant 
— cost,  not  ascertained. 


252  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

One  story  frame,  22x60,  International  Restaurant — • 
Pioneer  of  Cheyenne — Lt.  Murren,  owner,  Bailey  &  Wil- 
liams, occupants — cost,  $1,700. 

Two  story  frame,  24x60,  tobacco  house,  Owens  &  Co., 
owners,  M.  Steinberger,  occupant — cost,  $7,500. 

One  story  frame,  16x20,  Star  Bakery,  Heissing  & 
Co.,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $900. 

One  story  frame,  12x52,  restaurant,  Fogg,  owner,  H.  D. 
Wood,  occupant— cost,  $600. 

One  story  concrete,  16x30,  addition  one  story  and  a 
half,  16x22,  Cassels  &  Gayler,  owners,  occupants  and 
proprietors  of  the  Enterprise  Bakery,  in  the  building,  also 
occupied  by,  Weldon,  grocer — cost,  $2,000. 

One  story  frame,  26x70,  Billiard  Plall,  Stimpson  &  Co., 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $7,000. 

One  story  frame,  20x30,  unfinished,  E.  S.  Oppenheimer, 
owner — to  be  occupied  as  a  clothing  depot — cost,  $1,500. 

One  story  frame  18x35,  Wm.  Rotton  &  Co.,  Gunsmiths, 
owners  and  occupants,  also  occupied  by  Camp  &  Co.,  Drug- 
gists— cost,  $1,300. 

One  story  frame,  unfinished,  particulars  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  18x36,  Jones  &  Gray,  owners,  J.  P. 
Ward,  Grocer,  occupant — cost,  unknown. 

One  story  concrete,  brick  front,  unfinished,  particulars 
unknown. 

One  story  frame,  saloon,  particulars  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  20x50,  Occidental  Restaurant,  Curie 
&  Williams,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $1,500. 

One  story  frame,  20x30,  Resident,  Judge  McLaughlin, 
owner  and  occupant — cost,  $1,200. 

Two  story  frame,  22x60,  Storage  &  Commission  house, 
Manning  &  Post,  owners  and  occupants — upper  story  oc- 
cupied by  the  Star  and  Argus  printing  offices — cost,  $6,000. 

Two  story  frame,  22x60,  Storage  &  Commission  house, 
Geo.  Tritch  &  Co.,  owners.  Cooper  &  Preshaw,  occupants 
— cost,  unknown. 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  253 

One  story  and  a  half  frame,  20x40,  Gallatin  &  Gallup, 
Saddlers,   owners   and   occupants — cost,    $1,700. 

One  story  frame,  22x50,  Jones  &  Gray,  Grocers,  own- 
ers and  occupants — cost,  $4,000. 

Two  story  frame,  22x50,  Tremont  House,  Wm.  Bots- 
ford,  owner  and  occupant- — cost,  $4,000. 

One  story  frame,  16x32,  Residence  M.  Taylor,  owner 
and  occupant — cost,   $800. 

One  story  log.  Residence,  particulars  unknown. 

One  story  and  a  half  frame.  Residence,  ditto,  as  above. 

One  story  frame,  16x24.  Sheppard  &  Smith,  owners, 
J.  S.  Riley,  occupant — cost,  $1,000. 


CHEYENNE  CITY  COUNCIL 

Cheyenne,  D.  T.,  Sept.  26,  1867 

The  City  Council  met  at  City  Hall,  at  7  o'clock,  p.  m. 
Present,  Mayor  Hook,  Councilmen  Talpey,  Preshaw.  Har- 
low, Beckwith  and  Willis. 

An  application  from  Joshua  Felton,  for  the  ar>point- 
ment  as  city  jailer,  was,  on  motion  laid  on  the  table  until 
the  next  meeting". 

Sundry  applications  for  licenses  were  presented  and 
upon  the  recommendation  of  the  License  Committee,  were 
granted. 

The   Committee   on   streets   and   alleys   reported   that 
they  had  contracted  for  the  digging  of  a  Dublic  well  on 
the  corner  of  17th  and  Thoraes  streets,  the  contractor  to 
dig  and  curb  the  same  for  $5.00  per  foot. 

The  citv  physician's  bill  of  prices  for  taking  care  of 
the  sick  in  hospital,  was  presented  and  laid  over  until  the 
next  meeting. 

On  motion,  the  City  Clerk  was  directed  to  issue  a 
warrant  on  the  Treasurer  for  $75.00,  payable  to  Dr.  Irwin, 
city  Dhysician,  to  be  char)?ed  to  him  on  account. 

The  Fire  Warden,  Mr.  Preshaw,  reported  having 
visited  all  the  houses  in  the  citv.  and  that  he  had  directed 
the  owners  of  the  same  to  construct  their  chimnevs,  flues 
and  pipes  in  accordance  with  the  ordinance  concerning 
the  same. 

On  motion  Mr.  Munday  was  appointed  Policeman,  his 
appointment  to  date  back  to  the  time  of  his  enterins;  upon 
the  duties  of  the  office  bv  order  of  the  City  Marshal. 

Messrs.  Talpey,  Beckwith  and  Harlow  were  appointed 
committee  on  Police. —  (The  Cheyenne  Leader,  Sept.  28, 
1867.) 


Dee  Linford 

Note:  Here  is  presented  the  second  of  a  series  of 
articles  on  Wyoming  stream  names.  From  Wyoming  Wild 
Life  Magazine. 

(Continued) 

THE  GREEN  RIVER  principal  fork  of  the  Colorado 
which  heads  in  the  Wind  River  Mountains  in  western  Wyo- 
ming and  flows  southward  to  drain  all  of  the  state  between 
the  Divide  Basin  and  the  Bear  River,  figures  prominently 
in  the  early  history  of  the  region.  American  trappers  held 
their  annual  mountain  rendezvous  along  the  Green  regu- 
larly for  almost  20  years,  and  the  stream  was  an  import- 
ant landmark  to  emigrants  later  on  the  Oregon  and  Over- 
land Trails.  But  the  circumstances  of  its  naming  are  as 
controversial  and  as  contradictory  as  those  which  surround 
the  naming  of  the  Snake  and  Bear. 

First  direct  reference  to  the  river  in  available  his- 
torical records  appears  to  be  that  of  Father  Escalante, 
one  of  two  Spanish  Catholic  churchmen  who  set  out  from 
Santa  Fe  in  1776  to  find  a  route  to  Monterey.  The  two 
apparently  wandered  as  far  north  as  Utah  Lake  in  the 
State  of  the  same  name,  and  Father  Escalante's  account 
of  the  journey  describes  a  "River  San  Buenaventura" 
which  undoubtedly  was  the  Green.  But  among  other  early 
Spaniards  the  Green-Colorado  River  seems  to  have  been 
known,  along  with  the  Rio  Grande,  as  the  "Rio  del  Norte" 
— River  of  the  North.  This  name  appears  on  several  early 
maps,  applied  indiscriminately  to  both  streams,  and  was 
used  in  this  ambiguous  context  by  President  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson in  1803. 

Jefferson,  in  a  letter  of  final  instruction  to  Captain 
Meriwether  Lewis  who  was  about  to  depart  on  the  memor- 
able mission  of  exploration  which  has  become  known  as 
the  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition,  wrote  (see  History  of 
the  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition,  Elliot  Coues,  1893) :  "Al- 
though your  route  will  be  along  the  channel  of  the  Mis- 
souri, yet  you  will  endeavor  to  inform  yourself,  by  inquiry, 
of  the  character  and  extent  of  the  country  watered  by 
its   branches,   and   especially   on   its   southern  side.     The 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  255 

North  River,  or  Rio  Bravo  (Rio  Grande  del  Norte),  which 
runs  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  the  North  River,  or  Rio 
Colorado,  which  runs  into  the  Gulf  of  California,  are  un- 
derstood to  be  the  principal  streams  heading  opposite  to 
the  waters  of  the  Missouri  and  running  south westwardly." 

This  reference  is  clearly  to  the  Colorado  River,  of 
which  the  Green  now  is  generally  shown  as  a  branch;  but 
most  cartographers  agree  that  the  Green  itself  forms  the 
upper  main  channel  of  the  Colorado,  and  in  early  times 
both  streams  were  more  accurately  called  by  the  same 
name.  Lewis  and  Clark  did  inform  themselves  of  this 
river  *'by  inquiry,"  and  both  included  it  on  their  maps  of 
the  Northwest.  Lewis'  map  styles  it  "River  Colorado" 
while  Clark  prefers  the  Spanish  for  North  River,  "Rio 
del  Norte." 

The  journal  of  Wilson  Price  Hunt  who  reached  the 
head  of  Green  River  in  1810,  four  years  after  Lewis  and 
Clark  passed  through  the  country  to  the  north,  contains 
the  entry,  "Halt  was  made  beside  the  Spanish  River,  a 
large  stream  on  the  banks  of  which,  according  to  Indian 
report,  the  Spaniards  live.  It  flows  toward  the  west  and 
empties  supposedly  into  the  Gulf  of  California."  (Rollins,  p. 
286).  \ 


Hunt  and  his  companions  are  the  first  Americans 
known  positively  to  h^ve  reached  the  Green  proper  (though 
it  is  generally  believeiji  that  Ezekial  Williams'  "Lost  Trap- 
pers" may  have  preceded  them  by  a  few  months).  Hunt's 
words,  however,  suggest  that  the  name  "Spanish  River" 
as  applied  to  the  Green-Colorado  was  already  established 
in  1810,  and  the  designation  recurs  frequently  in  later 
records,  although  it  is  sometimes  applied  as  well  to  the 
Arkansas  River. 

The  Green,  Rollins  adds  in  a  supplementary  note  (p. 
172),  "was  the  'Rio  Verde'  of  the  Spaniards,  the  'Spanish 
River'  of  other  early  voyageurs,  and  the  'Colorado  of  the 
West'  of  Bonneville  in  1837.  The  Snake  Indians  who  fre- 
quented it  termed  it,  so  Granville  Stuart  states.  'Can-na-ra 
o-gwa,'  meaning  'Poor  River';  this  because  the  soil  ad- 
jacent to  much  of  its  course  was  such  as  not  to  support 
either  trees  or  grass.  Nevertheless,  Gebow,  p.  10,  has 
these  same  Indians  term  it  'Pe-ah-o-goie.'  Fremont  avers 
that  its  Absarokan  (Crow)  name  was  'Seeds-ke-dee-agie.' 
meaning  'Prairie  Hen  River'  and  applied  because  of  the 


256  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


prevalence  of  that  bird,  Tetrao  urophasianus,  in  the  river's  val- 
ley." 

Chittenden,  who  maintains  with  others  that  the  Green 
River  forms  the  main  upper  channel  of  the  Colorado,  says, 
"For  a  time  the  name  (Colorado)  applied  to  the  whole 
river,  but  now  only  to  that  portion  below  the  junction  of 
the  Green  and  Grand  (now  Colorado).  That  part  of  the 
stream  now  called  the  Green  River  was  very  commonly 
known,  down  to  1840,  as  the  Seeds-ke-dee,  or  Prairie  Hen 
River.  It  generally  so  appears  in  the  literature  and  cor- 
respondence of  the  time.  The  name  Green  River  began  to 
come  into  general  use  about  1833,  although  it  dates  back  as 
far  as  1824.  Its  origin  is  uncertain.  Bancroft  (and  Cout- 
ant)  says  it  was  given  for  one  of  Ashley's  men,  but  it 
certainly  was  in  use  before  Ashley  was  in  the  country, 
for  William  Becknell  has  left  a  narrative  of  a  trip  he 
made  from  Santa  Fe  to  Green  River  in  1824,  and  the  name 
was  evidently  a  fixture  at  that  time  among  the  Spanish. 
Fremont  says  it  was  the  'Rio  Verde  of  the  Spaniards' 
and  adds  that  the  refreshing  appearance  of  the  broad 
river,  with  its  timbered  shores  and  green  wooded  islands,  in 
contrast  to  its  dry  sandy  plains,  probably  obtained  for  it 
the  name  of  Green  River.  This  does  not  seem  unreason- 
able (it  certainly  cannot  be  conciliated  with  Granville 
Stuart's  'Poor  River'),  although  some  who  are  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  characteristics  of  the  river  are  more 
inclined  to  attribute  the  name  to  the  appearance  of  the 
water,  which  is  a  very  pronounced  green  than  to  the 
foliage  of  the  valley,  which  is  in  no  marked  degree  dif- 
ferent from  that  along  other  streams  in  this  locality," 

Charles  Larpenteur's  journal  (Coues,  1898)  refers  to 
the  Green  in  1833  as  the  "Ques  qui  di  River."  Elliot  Coues, 
late  distinguished  American  historian  and  curator  of  his- 
torical materials  who  formerly  had  edited  and  published 
the  Lewis  and  Clark  Journals,  says,  in  a  footnote  to  Lar- 
penteur's entry:  "The  author's  'Quesquidi'  is  .  .  ,  the  prin- 
cipal fork  of  the  Colorado;  the  Crow  Indian  name  has  un- 
counted variants  in  spelling,  among  which  I  have  noticed 
Siskadee,  Sisedepazzeah,  Sheetskadee,  and  Seedskedeeagie ; 
the  word  is  said  to  mean  Prairie-hen  River,  with  reference 
to  the  sage  grouse,  Centrocercus  urophasianus.  Our  name. 
Green  River,  translates  Rio  Verde  of  the  Spanish,  who 
came  to  it  somewhere  about  1818  and  were  struck  by  the 
color  of  its  water." 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  257 

Such  is  the  record  of  the  naming — and  the  names — 
of  the  Green.  Circumstances  accounting  for  the  designa- 
tion of  most  of  its  tributaries  are  less  controversial,  but 
most  are  similarly  vague.  Origin  of  the  name  New  Fork, 
for  instance,  appears  to  be  lost  completely.  Horse  Creek 
(of  the  Green),  according  to  Chittenden,  "received  its 
name  from  the  circumstances  that  Thomas  Fitzpatrick 
(Ashley  associate)  was  robbed  of  his  horses  there  by  the 
Crow  Indians,  in  1824." 

LaBarge  Creek,  according  to  the  same  source,  was 
named  (presumably  by  Ashley)  for  the  father  of  Cap- 
tain Joseph  LaBarge,  well-known  Missouri  River  pilot 
and  boat  owner,  and  a  good  friend  of  Ashley.  Fontennelle 
Creek  undoubtedly  took  its  name  from  Lucien  Fontennelle, 
long  prominently  associated  with  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany in  the  mountains.  The  Sandy  Forks,  Chittenden 
points  out,  were  named  for  the  character  of  the  country 
through  which  they  flow,  as  undoubtedly  was  Slate  Creek. 

Clark's  map  of  the  Northwest,  published  in  1814,  iden- 
tifies the  Big  Sandy  as  "Colter's  River,"  for  John  Colter 
■ — Lewis  and  Clark  expeditionary  who  at  the  Mandan  Vil- 
lages on  the  return  trip  in  1806  secured  a  discharge  from 
the  company  and  remained  behind  to  trap  with  two  com- 
panions on  the  Yellowstone.  It  was  the  next  year,  in 
1807,  that  Colter  made  his  celebrated  journey  which  car- 
ried him  into  present  Wyoming — becoming  the  first  known 
white  man  to  set  foot  on  territory  now  included  in  the 
State.  Clark,  in  tracing  Colter's  1807  route  after  con- 
versing with  him — subsequent  to  Colter's  return  to  St. 
Louis — takes  this  solitary  explorer  to  the  head  of  the 
present  Big  Sandy  and  New  Fork  Rivers,  in  crossing  from 
the  Yellowstone  to  the  Bighorn  River.  Like  Clark's  styl- 
ing of  the  Snake  as  Lewis  River  for  his  companion  on 
their  memorable  journey,  his  designation  of  this  stream 
for  John  Colter,  unfortunately,  was  not  adopted.  There 
is  evidence  that  the  name  "Sandy  River"  was  given  the 
stream  by  Ashley  in  1825. 

The  names  Black's  Fork  and  Ham's  Fork,  other  Wyo- 
ming tributaries  of  the  Green,  date,  according  to  Chit- 
tenden, from  Ashley's  time,  though  it  is  uncertain  for 
whom  they  were  bestowed.  Henry's  Fork,  he  continues, 
is  believed  named  for  Andrew  Henry,  who  was  associated 
with  Ashley  after  the  dissolution  of  his  partnership  with 
Manual  Lisa  in  the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  in  which 
capacity  he  (Henry)  first  came  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 


258 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


The  Little  Snake  River  which  heads  in  the  Sierra 
Madre  Mountains  in  Colorado  and  swings  northward  into 
Wyoming,  is  also  tributary  to  the  Green,  via  the  Yampa 
River  of  Colorado.  Conjecture  as  to  the  significance  of 
the  title  "Little  Snake"  was  made  under  the  earlier  dis- 
cussion of  the  naming  of  Snake  River  proper.  Battle 
Creek  (and  Battle  Lake),  tributary  to  the  Little  Snake, 
was  named  from  the  fact  that  Henry  Fraeb  or  Frapp, 
trapper  and  partner  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company, 
was  killed  near  by  with  four  others  of  his  brigade  when 
attacked  by  Indians  in  1841. 

The  Missouri  River,  which  receives  its  headwaters 
from  Wyoming,  is  the  longest  river  on  the  North  Amer- 
ican continent  and  fifth  longest  stream  in  the  world. 

Hammond's  World  Atlas  and  Gazettler  (1942)  lists 
the  earth's  longest  rivers  as  follows:  Nile  4,000  miles, 
Amazon  3,700  miles,  Ob-Irtish  (Siberia)  3,200  miles, 
Yangtze    (China)    3,100  miles,  Missouri  2,945  miles. 

Other  major  world  rivers  listed  by  Hammond's  Atlas, 
in  order  of  their  length,  are: 

Miles 

Amur    (Asia)    2,900 

Congo    (Africa)    2,900 

Lena    (Siberia)    2,860 

Yenisei    (Siberia)     2,800 

Hwang     (China)     2,700 

Niger    (Africa)     2,600 

Mackenzie    (Canada)    2,525 

Mekong    (Asia)    2,500 

Mississippi    2,486 

Parana    (S.   A.) 2,450 

Murray    (Australia)    2,310 

Volga    (Russia)    2,300 

Yukon    (Alaska)    2,300 

Maderia    (S.   A.)    2,000 

Colorado     2,000 

St.    Lawrence    1,900 

Sao  Francisco   (S.  A.)    1,800 

Salween     (Burma)     1,750 

Danube    1,725 

Euphrates    (Ii^aq)    1,700 

Indus    (India)    1,700 

Orinoco    (S.    A.)     1,700 

Syr   Darya    (Turkestan)    ..1,700 
Brahmaputra    (India)     1,680 


Miles 

Nelson     (Canada)     1,660 

Rio   Grande   1,650 

Si    (China)     1,650 

Zambezi    (Africa)    1,600 

Ganges    (India)    1,540 

Paraguay    (S.  A.)    1,500 

Amu  Darya  (Turkestan)  ..1,500 

Arkansas    1,460 

Dnieper    (Russia)    1,400 

Rio  Negro    (S.  A.)    1,400 

Ural    (Russia)    1,400 

Orange     (Africa)     1,300 

Ohio     1,283 

Red    1,275 

Columbia    1,270 

Irrawaddy    (Burma)     1,250 

Saskatchewan    (Canada)    ..1,205 

Darling    (Australia)    1,160 

Tigris    (Iraq)    1,150 

Sungari    (Asia)    1,130 

Don    (Russia)    1,100 

Pease    (Canada)    1,065 

Platte    1,030 

Churchill    (Canada)    1,000 


Actually,  however,  the  Missouri  arises  farther  from 
the  sea  than  any  other  stream  on  the  globe.  Chittenden 
gives  the  distance  from  the  head  of  Red  Rock  Creek,  upper 
channel  of  the  Jefferson  Fork,  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  as 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  259 

4,221  miles — of  which  "398  miles  is  above  the  mouth  of 
the  Jefferson,  2,547  miles  is  in  the  Missouri  proper  from 
Three  Forks  to  the  mouth,  and  1,276  miles  is  in  the  Miss- 
issippi." Thus,  taken  together,  the  Missouri-Mississippi 
waterway  is  the  longest  river  system  in  the  world. 

Chittenden  also  shows  the  Missouri  as  draining  an 
expanse  more  than  double  the  watershed  area  of  any  other 
stream  of  the  western  United  States:  Missouri  System 
above  Independence  (Mo.),  490,000  square  miles;  Colorado 
system,  248,000  square  miles;  Columbia  system  within  the 
United  States,  220,000  square  miles;  the  Arkansas  and 
Canadian  above  their  junction,  146,000  square  miles;  the 
Rio  Grande  above  El  Paso,  42,000  square  miles;  the  Great 
Basin  (area  drained  by  Great  Salt  Lake)  215,000  square 
miles. 

As  the  Missouri  eclipses  all  other  western  American 
rivers  in  geographic  and  economic  importance,  so  it  far 
surpasses  all  other  western  streams  in  historical  interest 
and  significance.  It  was  for  decades  the  great  thorough- 
fare which  linked  American  civilization  with  the  wilder- 
ness outpost,  by  canoe  and  steamboat,  and  records  show 
it  was  known  to  white  explorers  hardly  50  years  after 
the  Pilgrim  Landing  at  Plymouth. 

First  known  reference  to  the  stream,  according  to 
Chittenden,  was  by  the  French  explorer  Marquette,  "who 
saw  it  in  1673.  Upon  a  crude  sketch  which  he  made  of 
the  country  through  which  he  passed,  the  Missouri  system 
appears  under  the  name  of  Pekittanoui.  In  the  region 
whence  it  was  supposed  to  flow  were  noted  the  names  of 
several  tribes  of  Indians  and  among  them  the  Oumessourit 
tribe  which  lived  nearest  the  mouth,  though  some  dis- 
tance from  it.  From  this  tribe,  at  an  early  date,  the  river 
came  to  be  known.  The  name  passed  through  nearly 
every  combination  of  its  letters  which  the  eccentricity  of 
orthographers  could  devise,  but  had  settled  down  to  its 
present  form  before  the  close  of  the  18th  century.  The 
word  seems  indubitably  to  have  meant,  as  applied  to  the 
Indian  tribe,  'Living  at  the  Mouth  of  the  Waters.'  Their 
own  name  for  their  tribe  was  Ne-o-ta-cha  (Say)  and  had 
the  same  signification.  The  most  probable  theory  is  that 
the  word  Missouri  or  Oumessourit  was  the  equivalent  or 
translation  of  this  name  by  some  other  tribe  or  nation, 
probably  the  Illinois,  from  whom  it  passed  to  the  French. 
There  seems  to  be  no  foundation  for  the  popular  notion 


260  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

that  the  name  is  characteristic,  and  means  simply  'Muddy 
Water'." 

Actually,  no  part  of  the  Missouri  proper  lies  within 
the  boundaries  of  Wyoming,  but  two  of  its  famous  Three 
Forks — the  Madison  and  the  Gallatin — head  in  Yellowstone 
Park  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  State.  In  ad- 
dition, five  other  major  Missouri  tributaries  receive  head- 
waters in  Wyoming,  and  these,  together  with  their  innum- 
erable affluent  streams,  drain  roughly  three-fourths  of 
the  State's  area.  Thus,  the  Missouri  River  may  well  be 
thought  of  as  arising  in  Wyoming. 

Of  the  naming  of  the  Madison  and  Gallatin  Rivers 
the  record  is,  by  contrast  with  the  nomenclature  of  most 
Missouri  tributaries  heading  in  Wyoming,  definite  and  in- 
disputable. The  names  were  bestowed  in  1805  by  Lewis 
and  Clark,  and,  unlike  many  other  designations  bestowed 
by  the  explorers  on  their  famous  trek,  these  two  river 
titles  have  endured. 

On  reaching  the  Three  Forks  on  the  outbound  journey, 
the  explorers  according  to  their  journals  (Coues)  paused 
first  at  the  easternmost  fork,  which  "in  honor  of  the  Sec- 
retary of  War  (Albert  Gallatin),  we  called  Gallatin's 
River."  They  then  followed  the  main  branch  of  the  Mis- 
souri until  it  forked  again,  and  "on  examining  the  two 
streams,  it  became  difficult  to  decide  which  was  the  larger 
or  the  real  (continuation  of  the)  Missouri.  We  were  there- 
fore induced  to  discontinue  the  name  of  Missouri  and  gave 
to  the  southwest  branch  the  name  of  Jefferson,  in  honor 
of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  the  projector 
of  the  enterprise.  We  called  the  middle  branch  Madison, 
after  James  Madison,  Secretary  of  State  (later  President 
of  the  United  States)." 

Of  the  five  major  Missouri  River  tributaries  which 
receive  headwaters  in  Wyoming — the  Platte,  Niobrara, 
Cheyenne,  Little  Missouri,  and  Yellowstone — the  Platte  is 
the  longest,  the  most  interesting  historically,  and  in  other 
ways  the  most  remarkable. 

The  Platte's  broad,  shallow  channel  and  shifting  sand 
bars  rendered  it  unnavigable  to  the  small  river  steamers 
that  plied  the  Missouri  for  50  years  prior  to  the  building 
of  the  western  railroads,  but  its  early  history  is  bound 
irrevocably  with  that  of  the  larger  parent  stream.  Its 
mouth  was  the  accepted  landmark  which  divided  the  lat- 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  261 

ter  river  into  the  "Upper"  and  the  "Lower"  Missouri,  and 
here  on  the  Missouri  riverboats,  it  was  regular  procedure 
to  subject  the  uninitiated  to  the  mock  rituals  of  practical 
jokes  familiar  to  shipboard  passengers  on  the  high  seas  as 
incident  to  "crossing  the  line." 

Because  of  its  character,  the  rivermen  regarded  the 
Platte  with  the  kindly,  affectionate  contempt  in  which 
men  often  hold  things  which  are  friendly  and  harmless, 
but  of  no  particular  use.  And  the  stream  at  one  time  was 
probably  the  most  maligned  of  all  American  rivers.  This 
very  fact  gave  the  Platte  wide  publicity,  however,  when 
the  vast  country  it  drains  was  comparatively  unknown; 
and  even  during  the  riverboat  era,  the  Platte  was  known 
almost  as  widely  as  the  Missouri  itself. 

Disgusted  navigators  described  it  as  "a  thousand 
miles  long  and  six  inches  deep."  Washington  Irving,  with 
the  detachment  of  a  commentator  who  had  never  come  to 
grief  on  its  shoals,  characterized  it  as  "the  most  magnifi- 
cent and  most  useless  of  rivers."  Another  early  traveler, 
apparently  lacking  Irving's  disinterested  viewpoint,  pic- 
tured it  as  "a  dirty,  uninviting  stream  .  .  .  three  inches  of 
fluid,  running  on  top  of  several  feet  of  moving  quicksand 
.  .  .  too  yellow  to  wash  in,  too  pale  to  paint  with  ..." 

But  because  of  this  same  flat,  indolent  character 
which  the  rivermen  deplored  the  Platte  was  destined  to 
eclipse  and  eventually  to  replace  the  Missouri  completely 
as  the  Highway  to  the  West.  For  when  the  western  mi- 
gration of  civilization  began  in  earnest,  the  wagon  was 
substituted  for  the  boat  of  the  fur  trader,  and  it  was 
the  much-maligned  "Flat  River"  which  marked  the  easiest 
wagon  route  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Indeed,  so  far  did 
it  displace  the  Missouri  as  the  route  to  the  mountains  that 
travelers  bound  for  the  Upper  Missouri  country  in  1860.'s 
and  '70's  followed  the  Platte  westward  a  thousand  miles; 
then  in  present  Wyoming,  they  turned  northward  toward 
their  ultimate  destination — intruding  on  hitherto  undis- 
turbed Indian  domain  in  so  doing,  and  precipitating  the 
longest  and  bloodiest  Indian  war  in  the  history  of  the 
Northwest. 

Record  of  the  naming  of  the  Platte  is  relatively  speci- 
fic. To  quote  from  Chittenden,  "The  name  Platte  (French, 
Plate — flat)  is  characteristic  and  arises  from  the  extreme 
shallow  character  of  the  stream.  Its  use  dates  from  1739. 
In  that  year,  two  brothers,  Mallet,  with  six  companions 


262  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

undertook  to  reach  Santa  Fe  from  a  point  on  the  Missouri 
somewhere  near  the  present  site  of  Sioux  City  (Iowa), 
They  left  the  river  on  the  29th  day  of  May  and  arrived 
on  the  Platte  on  June  2.  (Le  2  Juin,  ils  tomberent  sur 
une  riviere  qu'ils  nommerent  la  Riviere  Plate — De  Margry). 
(On  June  2,  they  came  upon  a  river  which  they  named  the 
Flat  River.)  The  party  ascended  the  main  stream  and  the 
South  Fork  to  the  mountains  and  reached  Santa  Fe  on  the 
22nd  of  July." 

It  would  thus  appear  that  there  exists  a  clear-cut  and 
indisputable  record  of  the  circumstances  surrounding  the 
naming  of  at  least  one  major  Wyoming  river.  However, 
the  name  appears  on  maps  supposedly  drawn  before  1739. 
(Beard's  History  of  Wyoming,  1933,  contains  a  reproduc- 
tion of  a  "Paris"  map  of  1720  which  charts  and  iden- 
tifies the  "Riviere  Platte,"  together  with  its  south  fork, 
"R.  Platte  du  Sud.")  But  these  purported  early  chartings 
may  not  be  significant,  as  the  practice  of  antedating  maps 
appears  not  to  have  been  altogether  unusual. 

The  North  Platte — and  to  a  lesser  degree  the  South 
Platte  also — was  once  known  to  some  cartographers  as 
the  Paduca  River  or  Paduca's  Fork  (also  Padouca,  Pa- 
duka,  Padouka,  etc.,)  perpetuating  an  ancient  Indian  ethnic 
term  of  vague  application  which  seems  to  have  been  ap- 
plied as  well  to  the  Kansas  River.  Pike  identified  the 
Paducas  with  the  Comanche  tribes,  but  most  authorities 
take  the  view  that  the  name  was  once  applied  collectively 
to  all  nations  located  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Platte  and 
Kansas  Rivers  —  tribes  later  separated  as  Arapahoes, 
Kiowas,  etc.  Lewis'  map  of  the  Northwest  identifies  the 
North  Platte  as  "Padoucas  Fork,"  the  South  Platte  simply 
as  the  "South  Fork."  Clark  shows  no  division  of  the 
river  at  all,  uses  the  name  "Piatt." 

With  regard  to  the  South  Platte,  which  receives  tribu- 
taries from  Wyoming,  Chittenden  offers  the  interesting 
note  that  the  Arapaho  tribe  at  one  time  held  a  series  of 
trading  fairs  on  the  banks  of  the  stream,  acting  as  middle- 
men in  exchanging  articles  received  from  the  Spaniards 
to  the  south  for  goods  from  the  British  and  the  Indian 
tribes  to  the  north,  and  that  from  these  gatherings  the 
South  Platte  was  once  known  as  "Grand  Encampment 
River."  In  this  connection,  the  same  authority  repeats 
the  theory  that  the  term  "Arapaho"  signifies  "He  who 
buys  or  trades,"  celebrating  this  early  Arapaho  custom. 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  263 

Other  names  applied  to  the  Platte  in  the  past  include 
Nebraska  and  Flatwater;  the  latter  term,  according  to 
some  authorities,  translates  the  former  Indian  work. 

THE  NORTH  PLATTE  River  receives  its  first  head- 
waters in  Colorado,  flows  north  into  Wyoming  where  it 
annexes  numerous  tributaries  from  the  Medicine  Bow  and 
Laramie  Mountains,  then  turns  east  into  Nebraska — hav- 
ing drained  roughly  the  southeastern  quarter  of  Wyoming. 

The  first  major  Platte  River  tributary  acquired  in 
Wyoming  is  the  Encampment  River,  which  heads  in  the 
rugged  Sierra  Madre  Mountains.  The  book,  Wyoming — 
A    Guide   to   the   People ^   Highways   and   History    (1941),    records 

cords  that  this  stream  was  originally  called  the  Grand  En- 
campment River,  for  a  trapper's  rendezvous  held  on  its 
banks  in  1851.  The  name,  however,  would  appear  to  be 
much  older  than  this.  Chittenden's  statement  concerning 
the  application  of  the  same  title  to  the  South  Platte  River 
at  one  time  (see  WYOMING  WILD  LIFE,  April,  1943) 
suggests  that  the  Encampment  River  also  may  have  been 
named  to  commemorate  the  Arapaho  trading  fairs  held 
in  the  region  before  the  coming  of  the  whites. 

Of  the  name  "Medicine  Bow",  as  applied  to  the  second 
important  tributary  received  by  the  North  Platte  in  Wyo- 
ming, there  is  a  generally  accepted  tradition  that  mountain 
birch  and  ash — both  admirably  suited  to  the  making  of 
bows — once  grew  in  profusion  along  the  stream's  course. 
Various  tribes  are  said  to  have  traveled  long  distances  to 
secure  the  "good  medicine  wood,"  and  battles  are  sup- 
posed to  have  been  fought  in  the  vicinity,  when  hostile 
peoples  collided.  The  name  appears  on  Fremont's  map 
of  1842,  as  applying  to  both  the  stream  and  the  mountain 
range  to  the  south. 

The  Sweetwater,  third  important  Platte  River  af- 
fluent received  in  Wyoming,  is  almost  as  well  known  as 
the  Platte  itself,  historically.  The  Oregon  Trail  followed 
the  "Flat  River"  west  from  its  confluence  with  the  Mis- 
souri to  the  point  in  present  Wyoming  where  the  Platte 
turns  south  in  a  wide  oxbow,  toward  the  Saratoga-En- 
campment Valley  and  the  Colorado  State  line.  At  this 
point,  near  Independence  Rock,  west-bound  emigrants 
veered  west  by  north  along  the  Sweetwater  and  followed 
it  to  its  source  in  South  Pass — finding  its  water  a  delight- 
ful change  from  that  of  the  turgid  Platte. 

The   quality   of   its   water   undoubtedly   inspired   the 


264  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

river's  designation,  but  the  actual  circumstance  of  its 
naming  is  controversial.  According  to  Rollins,  it  was 
known  to  some  early  travelers  as  the  "Eau  Sucre",  or 
"Eau  Sucree"  (Sugar  Water),  and  as  the  "Riviere  de  I'Eau- 
douce"  (River  of  Sweet  Water).  Father  DeSmet  called 
it  the  Sugar  River,  accounting  for  the  name  by  citing  the 
water's  natural  purity  and  good  taste,  as  contrasted  with 
the  alkaline  condition  of  other  streams  in  the  region. 
Granville  Stewart,  however,  reports  that  "this  stream 
takes  its  name  from  its  beautiful  clear  cold  waters,  having 
a  sweetish  taste  caused  by  the  alkali  held  in  solution  in 
its  waters,  not  enough,  however,  to  cause  any  apparent 
injurious  effects."  Chittenden,  adding  another  version, 
quotes  an  American  Fur  Company  clerk  as  saying  the 
name  "Eau  Sucre"  was  given  the  stream  because  a  trad- 
er's sugar-laden  pack  mule  once  fell  and  was  lost  with 
its  pack  in  the  current. 

Muddy  Creek,  chief  affluent  of  the  Sweetwater,  was 
the  "Deep  Ravine  Creek"  and  "Steep  Ravine  Creek"  of 
some  early  travelers  (Rollins).  Principal  tributary  of  the 
Muddy  is  Whiskey  Gap  Creek,  so  called  from  the  circum- 
stance that  a  Major  O'Fallon  encamped  there  with  a  trooD 
of  cavalry  in  1862  found  whiskey  in  camp  and  poured  it 
out  upon  the  ground,  near  a  spring.  The  spring  assumed 
a  distinct  "bourbon"  flavor,  and  thirsty  soldiers  congre- 
gated around  it  with  canteens  and  mess  kits.  One  intox- 
icated dragoon  is  said  to  have  accosted  his  officer  to  re- 
port the  phenomenal  spring,  averring  that  it  produced  the 
finest  water  he'd  ever  tasted. 

Lost  Soldier  Creek,  near  by,  derives  its  name  not 
from  the  fact  that  it  actually  is  a  "lost  creek,"  i.e.,  evap- 
orating and  vanishing  before  it  reaches  an  affluent,  but 
from,  the  circumstance  that  a  soldier  from  Rawlins  be- 
came lost  in  the  region  in  early  days,  and  wandered  to 
the  ranch  of  Tom  Sun,  prominent  Sweetwater  valley  ranch- 
er. Sun  was  away  from  his  premises  at  the  time,  but  the 
latch  string  was  out — in  accordance  with  honored  western 
custom.  'The  soldier  did  not  discover  this,  and  removed 
a  window  to  gain  entrance  to  the  ranch  dwelling.  Sun, 
in  reporting  the  incident,  observed  that  "man  lacking  sense 
to  enter  another's  house  by  the  unlocked  door  would  get 
lost  anywhere." 

Bates  Creek,  a  Platte  River  tributary  received  from 
the  northern  tip  of  the  Laramie  Mountains,  was  "Poison 
Creek"   to   some   early   cartographers;    Fremont   called   it 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  265 

Carson  Creek,  to  honor  his  famous  guide,  Kit  Carson,  but 
the  name  did  not  become  estabhshed.  Origin  of  its  present 
designation  is  obscure.  Source  of  the  name  Poison  Spider 
Creek  hkewise  is  uncertain;  some  early  maps  call  the 
stream  simply  "Spider  Creek."  Stansbury  refers  to  it  as 
Red  Spring  Creek. 

Casper  Creek  bears  the  name  of  Lieutenant  Caspar 
Collins,  youthful  Indian  fighter  of  the  1860's,  who  died 
a  hero  during  the  Platte  Bridge  Fight  (Spring,  1927).  His 
name  was  also  given  to  a  mountain,  a  frontier  military 
post,   and  to  Wyoming's  second  city. 

Boxelder  Creek  is  so  called,  according  to  Rollins,  for 
the  box-elder,  the  common  western  term  for  the  ash- 
leaved  maple,  Negundo  accroides,  which  grows  in  the  vicin- 
ity. "This  stream,"  Rollins  elaborates,  "was  the  'Mikes- 
head  Creek'  of  Joel  Palmer  .  .  .  the  'Box  Creek'  of  Cly- 
man,  the  'R.  Boisse'  (Wooded  River)  of  St'iusbury,  the 
'Fourche  Boise'  (Wooded  Fork)  of  Delano,  the  'Fourche 
Boisse'  of  Fremont  and  of  Preuss,  the  'Fourch  Bois'  of 
Keller,  the  'Boisee  Creek'  of  Jefferson,  the  'Fourche  de 
Bois  River'  of  Shepherd." 

Of  LaPrele  Creek,  Rollins  says,  "(the)  name  unless 
possibly  perpetuating  that  of  some  French  vuyageur,  was 
due  to  the  presence  of  preie,  the  common  scouring  rush, 
E'liequisetum  hyemale/'  LaBonte  Creek,  according  to  local 
cal  tradition,  bears  the  name  of  a  French  trapper  who 
frequented  the  stream  in  the  1830's,  and  who  was  killed 
in  later  years  by  Indians,  in  present  Utah. 

The  Laramie  River,  largest  tributary  received  by  the 
North  Platte  in  Wyoming,  commemorates  a  French-Can- 
adian employe  of  the  Northwest  Fur  Company,  Jacques 
Laramie,  believed  killed  by  Indians  during  the  1820's  some- 
where along  the  stream  which  bears  his  name.  Also  named 
for  him  are  a  range  of  mountains,  a  mountain  peak,  a  sec- 
tion of  plains,  a  frontier  military  post  (now  a  national 
monument),  a  city,  and  a  county,  all  in  Wyoming.  Spell- 
ing of  his  name  is  rendered  variously  Larama,  Lorimier, 
La  Ramee,  La  Ramie,  and  de  la  Rame. 

Of  the  more  important  Laramie  River  tributaries,  the 
Chugwater  was  named — according  to  a  generally  accepted 
legend — from  an  early  Indian  custom  of  stampeding  buf- 
falo over  the  brown  chalk  cliffs  bordering  the  stream; 
because  of  the  sound  the  bodies  made,  plunging  down,  the 
creek  is  reputed  to  have  been  known  among  these  tribes- 


266  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

men  as  the  "Water-at-the-place-where-the-Buffaloes-chug." 

The  Sybille,  local  sources  say,  perpetuates  the  name 
of  a  French  associate  in  the  Adams  Mercantile  Company, 
which  did  business  at  Fort  Laramie  and  on  the  Chugwater 
in  early  days. 

The  name  Horse  Creek,  as  applied  to  the  long  Platte 
River  tributary  which  heads  in  the  Laramie  Mountains 
northwest  of  the  City  of  Cheyenne,  dates  back  to  Fre- 
mont's time,  but  the  circumstances  for  which  it  was  be- 
stowed do  not  appear.  According  to  Rollins,  Nathaniel 
Wyeth  referred  to  the  stream  in  the  1830' s  as  "Wild 
Horse  Creek." 

The  Niobrara  River,  which  heads  in  east-central  Wy- 
oming and  parallels  the  Platte  River  across  Nebraska  to 
unite  with  the  Missouri  in  the  northeastern  corner  of  that 
State,  was  formerly  known  interchangeably  aa  the  "Rapid 
River,"  the  "Rapid  Water  River,"  the  "Running  Water," 
and  the  "Running  Water  River."  Its  French  form,  "L'eau 
qui  Court"  or  "Riviere  qui  Court"  (literally,  water  or  river 
which  runs),  appears  on  many  early  maps,  and  is  cor- 
rupted variously  into  "Qui  Court,"  "Quicurre,"  "Quicourre," 
"Quicure,"  "Quecure,"  "Ka-cure,"  and  even — evidently  by 
misprint — "Quicum." 

It  is  not  recorded  when  or  by  whom  the  name  was 
bestowed.  However,  the  designation  is  known  to  predate 
Lewis  and  Clark,  who  passed  the  river's  mouth  in  ascend- 
ing the  Missouri  in  1804,  and  the  following  L.  &  C.  entry 
gives  a  clue  to  the  reason  for  this  early  styling  of  the 
stream : 

"This  river  empties  into  the  Missouri  in  a  course 
S.  W.  by  W.,  and  is  152  yards  wide  and  four  feet  deep 
at  the  confluence.  It  rises  in  the  Black  Mountains  (an 
error)  and  passes  through  hilly  country,  with  a  poor  soil. 
Captain  Clark  ascended  (it)  three  miles  to  a  beautiful 
plain  on  the  upper  side,  where  the  Pawnees  once  had  a 
village;  he  found  the  river  widened  above  its  mouth  and 
much  divided  by  sands  and  islands,  which,  joined  to  the 
great  rapidity  of  the  current,  makes  navigation  very  dif- 
ficult, even  for  small  boats.  Like  the  Platte,  its  waters 
are  of  a  light  color;  like  that  river,  too,  it  throws  out  into 
the  Missouri  great  quantities  of  sand,  coarser  even  than 
that  of  the  Platte,  which  forms  sand  bars  and  shoals  near 
its  mouth." 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  267 

The  entry  likewise  gives  a  clue  to  the  reason  for  an- 
other name  applied  to  the  stream  in  earlier  times,  i.e., 
the  "Spreading  Water,"  which  term  seems  to  translate 
the  Indian  word,  Niobrara.  Some  authorities  give  both 
Niobrara  and  Nebraska  as  Indian  words  for  "Flat  Water" 
— equivalents  of  the  French,  Platte.  Lewis'  map  of  1806 
identifies  the  Niobrara  as  the  "Quicurre  or  Rapid  River," 
Clark's  simply  as  the  "Quicouree." 

The  Cheyenne  River  heads  in  Wyoming  north  of  the 
Niobrara's  point  of  origin,  and,  with  its  numerous  tribu- 
taries, it  drains  the  entire  Black  Hills  region.  It  undoubt- 
edly was  named  for  the  Indian  nation  bearing  that  desig- 
nation, although  it  is  unknown  in  this  case  also  when  or 
by  whom  the  title  was  given.  That  it  was  established  by 
the  time  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  however,  is  indicated  by  the 
following  L.  &  C.  entry: 

"This  river  has  occasionally  been  called  Dog  River, 
under  a  mistaken  opinion  that  its  French  name  was  Chien 
(dog)  ;  but  its  true  appellation  is  Chayemie  (rendered 
also  Schain,  Shayen,  Chaguyenne,  Chaguiene,  etc.).  and 
it  derives  this  title  from  the  Chayenne  Indians.  Their 
history  is  the  short  and  melancholy  relation  of  the  ca- am- 
ities of  almost  all  Indians.  They  were  a  numerous  people 
and  lived  on  the  Chayenne,  a  branch  of  the  Red  River 
or  Lake  Winnipeg.  The  invasion  of  the  Sioux  drove  them 
westward;  in  their  progress  they  halted  on  the  southern 
side  of  the  Missouri  below  the  Warrconne,  where  their 
ancient  fortifications  still  exist;  but  the  same  impulse 
again  drove  them  to  the  head  of  the  Chayenne,  where  they 
now  rove  and  occasionally  visit  the  Ricaras.  They  are 
now  reduced,  but  still  number  300  men." 

In  a  footnote,  Coues  introduces  evidence  that  the  In- 
dian name  for  the  Cheyenne  was  Wasteg  or  Wakpa  Washte, 
meaning  "Good  River,"  bestowed  in  antithesis  to  the 
Chicha  or  Shisha  Wakpa,  meaning  "Bad  River,"  which 
stream  Lewis  and  Clark  renamed  Teton  River  (in  present 
Montana),  for  the  Sioux  Indians  who  lived  along  it. 

Largest  tributary  of  the  Cheyenne  to  head  in  Wyo- 
ming is  the  Belle  Fourche  (French,  beautiful  fork),  ap- 
parently named  by  early  voyageurs.  Indeed,  the  two 
streams  are  so  near  of  a  size  that  the  Belle  Fourche  is 
shown  on  some  recent  maps  as  the  "North  Fork  of  the 
Cheyenne,"  the  Cheyenne's  main  channel  being  identified 
as  the  "South  Fork."     Lewis'  map  of  1806  goes  further 


268  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  charts  the  Belle  Fourche  as  the  main  channel  of  the 
Cheyenne,  the  Cheyenne  proper  as  the  "South  Fork."  Both 
Lewis  and  Clark  give  "Sharha"  or  "Shar-ha,"  as  a  primi- 
tive alternative  word  for  Cheyenne.  Lewis  identifies  the 
stream  in  question  as  the  "Sar  ha  or  Chyenne  River." 

Most  of  the  other  numerous  tributaries  acquired  by 
the  Cheyenne  from  Wyoming  bear  names  which  are  de- 
scriptive of  the  streams  themselves,  of  the  surrounding 
terrain,  the  wild  life,  or  other  natural  phenomena  associated 
with  the  streams  in  the  minds  of  those  anonymous  per- 
sons who  bestow  most  place  names:  Dry,  Spring,  Sand, 
Lodgepole,  Willow,  Beaver,  Porcupine,  Antelope,  Thunder, 
Lightning,  Little  Lightning,  etc.  Stockade  Creek,  also 
known  as  Stockade  Beaver  Creek,  takes  its  name  from 
the  circumstance  that  a  government  expedition  dispatched 
to  the  Black  Hills  to  investigate  the  presence  of  gold  in 
the  early  1870's,  encamped  on  the  stream  and  erected  a 
temporary  shelter  or  "stockade  cabin"  on  its  banks.  Leader 
of  the  expedition  was  one  Walter  P.  Jenney*,  a  geologist. 
The  shelter  subsequently  became  known  as  Jenney's  Stock- 
ade. 

Old  Woman,  Young  Woman,  and  Crazy  Woman,  as 
applied  to  Cheyenne  tributaries,  appear  to  be  white  trans- 
lations of  Indian  names.  Salt  Creek  is  said  to  have  been 
named  for  a  number  of  salt  furnaces  located  on  its  banks 
in  early  times  (Clough), 

Inyan  Kara  Creek,  tributary  to  the  Belle  Fourche, 
takes  its  name  from  Inyan  Kara  Mountain,  near  which  it 
heads.  The  term  undoubtedly  is  Indian,  and  according  to 
Clough  it  appears  on  maps  dating  back  to  1860.  It  is 
translated  both  as  "stone-made"  and  as  "mount ain-within- 
a-mountain," 

The  Little  Missouri  River,  which  rises  between  the 
Cheyenne  and  Yellowstone  drainages  in  northeastern  Wyo- 
ming, takes  its  designation  of  course  from  the  larger, 
parent  stream  which  it  joins  in  North  Dakota  after  weav- 
ing a  serpentine  course  through  Montana  and  South  Da- 
kota. Here  again,  circumstances  of  the  naming  are  lost, 
but  this  stream  title  also  was  established  by  the  time  of 
Lewis  and  Clark.  The  following  entry  in  the  Expedition 
Journals  reveals  the  reason  for  the  appellation: 

"In  its  color,  the  nature  of  its  bed,  and  its  general  ap- 
pearance, it  resembles  so  much  the  Missouri  as  to  induce 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  269 

a  belief  that  the  countries  they  water  are  similar  in  point 
of  soil." 

Coues,  in  a  foot  note,  says  one  Indian  name  for  the 
Little  Missouri  was  Wakpa  Chan  Shoka,  meaning  "heav- 
ily wooded  river." 

The  Yellowstone  River,  principal  fork  of  the  Mis- 
souri, is  the  largest  and  probably  the  most  widely  known 
of  the  many  streams  which  find  headwaters  in  Wyoming. 
Arising  along  the  Continental  Divide  in  the  rugged  Ab- 
saroka  Mountains  just  south  of  Yellowstone  Park — to 
which  area  the  river  gives  its  name — the  Yellowstone 
flows  north  through  the  park,  drains  Yellowstone  Lake 
and  most  of  the  park  region,  then  continues  north  into 
Montana.  In  Montana,  it  turns  gradually  east  by  north, 
bisects  that  State  diagonally,  and  unites  with  the  Missouri 
just  over  the  State-line  in  North  Dakota. 

Actually,  less  than  50  miles  of  this  stream's  700-mile 
course  lie  within  Wyoming.  But  its  numerous  tributaries 
drain  almost  a  third  of  the  State's  area,  and  it  is  prob- 
ably more  important  to  Wyoming,  geographically,  than 
any  other  stream. 

The  name  "Yellowstone"  is  old,  as  age  is  reckoned 
in  the  West.  According  to  Thwaite  (Clough),  the  term 
was  used  as  early  as  1798  by  the  English  fur  factor, 
David  Thompson.  But  both  the  name  and  the  river  ap- 
pear to  have  been  unknown  to  Americans  until  1805,  when 
Lewis  and  Clark  came  upon  the  stream's  mouth  in  their 
outbound  journey  of  exploration  up  the  Missouri.  Anony- 
mous French  voyageurs  seem  to  have  preceded  the  ex- 
plorers to  the  Upper  Missouri  country,  and  the  following 
Lewis  and  Clark  Journal  entry  (Coues,  p.  283)  suggests 
that  the  name  originated  with  these  French  rivermen — 
possibly  predating  Thompson: 

"This  river  which  has  been  known  to  the  French  as 
the  Roche  Jaune  (Yellow  Rock),  or,  as  we  have  it.  Yel- 
lowstone, rises  according  to  Indian  information  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  ...  It  may  be  navigated  in  canoes  al- 
most to  its  head." 

Coues  adds,  in  a  footnote  to  the  entry,  "The  text  reads 
as  if  the  translation  of  the  French  was  first  made  by 
Lewis  and  Clark,  and  in  this  passage.  They  (Lewis  and 
Clark)  doubtless  are  the  real  authors  of  the  word." 

In  a  letter  to  President  Thomas  Jefferson  after  the 
expedition's  return  to  St.  Louis,  Lewis  uses  a  literal  trans- 


270  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

lation  of  the  French — "Yellow  Rock  River."  And  in  the 
original  journals,  this  French  form  ranges  from  "Roghe- 
jone"  and  "Rejone"  through  "Rejhone,  Rochejone,  Roche- 
john,  Roche jhone,"  etc.,  to  its  proper  spelling,  "Roche 
Jaune." 

Patrick  Gass,  a  sergeant  with  the  expedition  whose 
personal  papers  were  published  in  1807,  seven  years  before 
the  appearance  of  the  official  Lewis  and  Clark  Journals, 
uses  the  form  "Yellow  Stone"  and  also  "River  Jaune"  or 
Yellow  River  in  speaking  of  the  stream.  It  is  generally 
conceded  that  the  river  was  named  originally  for  the  color 
of  the  soil  in  the  country  in  which  it  heads,  i.e.,  in  the 
region  now  embraced  principally  in  the  Yellowstone  Na- 
tional Park.  But  another  possibility  is  suggested  by  a 
Coues  statement  to  the  effect  that  the  Missouri  itself  was 
at  one  time  known  to  the  French  as  "la  Riviere  Jaune" 
or  Yellow  River.  This  prompts  speculation  as  to  whether 
the  name  Yellowstone  might  have  been  bestowed  on  the 
tributary  simply  as  a  variation  of  the  term  applied  to  the 
parent  stream. 

Clark's  map  of  the  Northwest  shows  the  Yellowstone 
River  heading  in  a  large  body  of  water  in  the  approximate 
position  of  Yellowstone  Lake.  This  lake  is  nowhere  men- 
tioned in  the  text  of  the  journals,  however;  and  since 
Lewis'  map  does  not  chart  it  and  since  Clark's  map  was 
not  published  until  1814,  it  appears  likely  that  Clark  lo- 
cated the  large  upland  lake  from  conversations  with  John 
Colter,  first  known  white  man  to  view  it,  in  1807.  The 
lake  is  identified  on  Clark's  map  as  Lake  Eustis — a  name 
undoubtedly  originated  by  Clark  himself  to  honor  a  Wil- 
liam Eustis  who  was  Secretary  of  War  in  1811,  when  Clark 
was  reappointed  "Brigadier  General  of  the  Militia  of 
Louisiana"  by  President  Madison.  At  this  time,  Clark  was 
preparing  his  map  for  publication  along  with  the  manu- 
script of  the  L.  &  C.  Journals. 

Like  so  many  names  bestowed  by  the  explorers,  how- 
ever, this  one  did  not  become  established,  and  the  lake 
later  took  its  name  from  the  river  which  feeds  it  and 
drains  it.  The  term  as  applied  to  the  lake  owes  its  exis- 
tence to  an  accident  of  nature,  since  the  lake  at  the  be- 
ginning was  drained  by  Snake  River;  a  prehistoric  terres- 
tial  upheaval  changed  the  course  of  the  latter  stream,  and 
sent  the  lake's  waters  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean  rather  than 
to  the  Pacific,  as  they  at  first  flowed. 

(To  be  continued) 


By  Douglas  C.  Murtrie* 

Men  who  are  making  history  are  seldom  cognizant  of 
the  importance  of  recording  it.  Yet  contemporary  record 
in  writing  or  in  print  is  the  only  source  on  which  we  can 
confidently  depend.  While  pioneer  editors  in  Wyoming 
were  busy  getting  out  daily  or  weekly  issues  under  various 
handicaps  incident  to  work  on  a  new  frontier,  it  is  for- 
tunate that  one  agency  in  the  east  was  compiling  and  pub- 
lishing each  year  a  record  of  their  activities. 

George  P.  Rowell,  who  conducted  in  New  York  one 
of  the  first  advertising  agencies,  had  carefully  compiled 
and  published  annually  the  American  Newspaper  Directory. 
This  publication  recorded  the  salient  facts  regarding  every 
newspaper  in  the  United  States.  Complete  files  of  this 
valuable  publication  are  very  rare.  The  result  is  that 
few  historians  of  western  publishing  have  consulted 
Rowell's  record. 

This  record  was,  by  the  way,  conscientiously  pre- 
pared. The  editor  insisted  on  basing  his  listing  each  year 
on  a  current  issue  of  the  paper.  He  would  write  several 
times  to  the  editor  of  each  paper  believed  to  be  in  existence. 
If  no  reply  was  received,  he  did  not  draw  on  his  imagina- 
tion for  a  listing;  he  simply  noted  "No  report."  The 
editorial  standards  of  the  Directory  made  it  far  more 
dependable  as  a  reference  work  than  most  publications  of 
similar  kind. 

Since  exact  knowledge  regarding  Wyoming's  early 
newspapers  is  none  too  plentiful,  I  have  transcribed  the 
data  relating  to  local  newspapers  from  each  annual  vol- 
ume of  the  American  Newspaper  Directory,  from  its  first 
issue  of  1869  through  the  volume  for  1880,  and  present 
the  listings  herewith  for  the  benefit  of  local  historians.  I 
gave  the  data  exactly  as  printed  without  effort  to  edit 
it  in  any  way. 

*For  biography  see  ANNALS   OF  W^YOMING,   Vol.    13.   No.   4. 
p  347. 


272  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


1869 


CHEYENNE  Argus:  every  morning  except  Monday,  and 
weekly;  democratic;  four  pages;  size  24  x  36;  sub- 
scription— weekly  $5;  Bedell  &  Garbanti,  editors  and 
publisher. 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  evening  except  Sunday,  and 
Wyoming  Weekly  Leader,  Saturdays;  republican; 
daily  four  pages,  weekly  eight  pages;  size — daily  25  x 
32;  weekly  25  x  38;  subscription — daily  $20;  weekly 
$5;   N.  A.  Baker,  editor  and  publisher. 

1870 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  evening  except  Sunday,  and 
Wyoming  Leader,  Saturdays;  republican;  four  pages; 
size — daily  24  x  36,  weekly  26  x  40;  subscription — 
daily  $20,  weekly  $4;  N.  A.  Baker,  editor  and  pub- 
lisher; circulation — daily  about  500,  weekly  about  800. 

CHEYENNE  Wyoming  Tribune:  Saturdays;  republican; 
four  pages;  size  27  x  40;  subscription  $5;  established 
1869;  S.  Allan  Bristol,  editor  and  publisher;  claims 
500  circulation;  largest  paper  and  largest  circulation 
in  the  Territory. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Sentinel:  every  evening  except  Sunday; 
republican ;  four  pages ;  size  19  x  24 ;  subscription  $20 ; 
established  1869;  N.  A.  Baker,  editor  and  publisher; 
J.  H.  Hayford,  associate  editor;  claims  288  circulation. 

SOUTH  PASS  CITY  News:  semi-weekly;  Wednesdays  and 
Saturdays;  four  pages;  size  16  x  22;  subscription 
$15;  established  1869;  S.  W.  Russell,  editor  and  pub- 
lisher; circulation  about  400. 

1871 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  evening  except  Sunday,  and 
Wyoming  Leader,  Saturdays;  republican;  four  pages; 
size — daily,  24  x  36,  weekly  26  x  40;  subscription — 
daily  $20,  weekly  $2;  N.  A.  Baker,  editor  and  pub- 
lisher; circulation — daily  about  500,  weekly  about  800. 

CHEYENNE,  Wyoming  News:  every  morning  except  Mon- 
day; democratic;  four  pages;  size  24  x  36;  subscrip- 
tion $20;  estabhshed  1870;  W.  Richardson,  editor;  H. 
A.  Pierce,  publisher;  circulation  about  400. 

CHEYENNE,   Wyoming  Tribune:    Saturdays;   republican; 


EARLY  WYOMING  NEWSPAPERS  273 

four  pages;  size  27  x  40;  subscription  $3;  established 
1869;  Church  &  Bristol,  editors  and  publishers;  claims 
648   circulation. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Sentinel:  every  evening  except  Sunday; 
republican;  four  pages;  size  19  x  26;  subscription  $20; 
established  1869;  Hayford  &  Gates,  editors  and  pub- 
lishers; claims  288  circulation. 

1872 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  evening  except  Sunday,  and 
Wyoming  Leader,  Saturdays;  republican;  four  pages; 
size — daily  22  x  32,  weekly  24  x  36;  subscription — 
daily  $16,  weekly  $2.50;  H.  Glafcke,  editor;  Baker  & 
Co.,  publishers;  circulation — daily  about  500,  weekly 
about  800. 

CHEYENNE,  Wyoming  Tribune:  Saturdays;  republican; 
four  pages;  size  27  x  40;  subscription  $3;  established 
1869;  Geo.  W.  Corey,  editor;  Geo.  W.  Corey  &  Co., 
publishers;   circulation  600;   co-operative. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Independent:  every  evening  except  Sun- 
day; four  pages;  size  21  x  28;  subscription  $10;  es- 
tablished 1872;  E.  A.  Slack,  editor;  Slack  &  Webster, 
publishers;  circulation  about  280;  largest  circulation 
of  any  daily  in  the  Territory,  and  subscription  con- 
stantly increasing. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Sentinel:  every  moi;ning  except  Sunday; 
republican;  four  pages;  size  24  x  36;  subscription  $10; 
established  1869;  Hayford  &  Gates,  editors  and  pub- 
lishers; claims  436  circulation. 

1873 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  morning  except  Sunday,  and 
Wyoming  Leader,  Saturdays;  republican;  four  pages; 
size — daily  22  x  32,  weekly  24  x  36;  subscription — 
daily  $16,  weekly  $2.50;  H.  Glafcke,  editor  and  pub- 
lisher; circulation — daily  280,  weekly  310;  pioneer 
newspaper  of  Wyoming;  the  only  newspaper  in  Wyo- 
ming sold  on  the  cars  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
for  over  500  miles;  official  paper  of  United  States, 
territorial,  county,  and  municipal  government;  circu- 
lates in  Wyoming,  Colorado,  Utah,  California  and  Ne- 
braska. 

CHEYENNE,  Wyoming  Tribune:    Saturdays;   republican; 


274  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

four  pages;  size  27  x  40;  subscription  $3;  established 
1869;  Geo.  W.  Corey,  editor;  George  W.  Corey  &  Co., 
publishers;  circulation  520,  estimated. 

EVANSTON  Age:  Fridays;  four  pages;  size  26  x  40;  sub- 
scription $3;  established  1873;  W.  R.  Vaughn,  editor 
and  publisher;  circulation  480,  estimated. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Independent:  every  evening  except  Sun- 
day; four  pages;  size  20  x  26;  subscription  $10;  es- 
tabhshed  1871;  E.  A.  Slack,  editor;  Slack  &  Webster, 
publishers;    circulation    300,    estimated. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Sentinel:  every  evening  except  Sunday; 
republican;  four  pages;  size  24  x  36;  subscription 
$10;  established  1869;  J.  H.  Hayford,  editor;  Hay- 
ford  &  Gates,  publishers;   circulation  350,  estimated. 

1874 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  morning  except  Sunday,  and 
Wyoming  Leader,  Saturdays;  republican;  four  pages; 
size  24  X  36;  subscription — daily  $16,  weekly  $2.50; 
H,  Glafcke,  editor  and  publisher;  circulation — daily 
300,  weekly  340,  estimated. 

EVANSTON  Age:  Fridays;  four  pages;  size  26  x  40;  sub- 
scription $3;  established  1873;  M.  C.  Hopkins,  editor; 
Wm.  E.  Wheeler,  publisher,  circulation  504;  co-opera- 
tive. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Independent:  every  evening  except  Sun- 
day; four  pages;  size  20  x  28;  subscription  $10;  es- 
tablished 1871;  E.  A.  Slack,  editor;  Slack  &  Webster, 
publishers;  circulation  342. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Sentinel:  every  evening  except  Sunday; 
republican;  four  pages;  size  24  x  36;  subscription 
$10;  established  1869;  J.  H.  Hayford,  editor;  Hay- 
ford  &  Gates,  publishers;  circulation  325,  estimated. 

1875 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  morning  except  Sunday,  and 
Wyoming  Leader,  Saturdays;  republican;  four  pages; 
size  22  X  32;  subscription — daily  $16,  weekly  $2.50; 
established  1867;  H.  Glafcke,  editor  and  publisher; 
circulation — daily  260,  weekly  300,  estimated. 

EVANSTON  Age:  every  day  except  Sunday,  and  weekly 
Fridays;  four  pages;  size — daily  18  x  26,  weekly  26  x 


EARLY  WYOMING  NEWSPAPERS  275 

40;  subscription — daily  $10,  weekly  $3;  established — 
daily  1874,  weekly  1872;  William  E.  Wheeler,  editor 
and  publisher;  circulation — weekly  439;  weekly  co- 
operative; sample  copies  free;  the  Weekly  has  the 
largest  circulation  in  the  Territory;  also  has  a  large 
circulation  in  Southern  Idaho. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Sentinel;  every  evening  except  Sunday; 
republican;  four  pages;  size  24  x  36;  subscription  $10; 
established  1869;  J.  H.  Hayford,  editor;  Hayford  & 
Gates,  publishers;   circulation  453. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Sun:  every  evening  except  Sunday;  four 
pages;  size  24  x  36;  subscription  $10;  established 
1871;  Slack  and  Bramel,  editors  and  publishers;  cir- 
culation 280,  estimated;  contains  more  reading  mat- 
ter than  any  other  daily  in  the  Territory. 

1877* 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  morning  except  Monday  and 
weekly,  Thursdays;  republican;  daily;  four  pages, 
weekly,  eight  pages;  size — daily  24  x  36,  weekly  30 
X  44;  subscription — daily  $10;  weekly  $2.50;  estab- 
lished 1867;  H.  Glafcke,  editor  and  publisher;  cir- 
culation— daily  517,  weekly  897;  official  paper  of  city, 
county,  Territory  and  United  States;  the  "Leader" 
reaches  all  the  mining  camps  in  the  Black  Hills  of 
Wyoming  and  Dakota. 

CHEYENNE  Sun:  every  morning  except  Sunday;  repub- 
lican; four  pages;  size  24  x  36;  subscription  $10;  es- 
tablished 1876;  E.  A.  Slack,  editor  and  publisher; 
circulation  700,  estimated. 

EVANSTON  Age:  tri-weekly,  Tuesdays,  Thursdays,  and 
Saturdays;  independent;  four  pages;  size  24  x  36; 
subscription  $5 ;  established  1874 ;  William  E.  Wheeler, 
editor  and  publisher;  circulation  344;  the  "Age"  is 
the  only  paper  published  in  western  Wyoming;  is  the 
official  paper  of  Uintah  and  Sweetwater  counties,  and 
has  a  circulation  in  every  city,  town,  station  and  min- 
ing camp  in  the  Territory;  advertising  contracts  made 
with  responsible  parties,  or  through  Geo.  P.  Rowell 


*There  was  no  regular  volume  published  in  1876.  Instead  was 
issued  a  pamphlet  comprising  brief  listings  of  all  United  States 
newspapers  exhibited  by  Rowell  at  the  Centennial  Exposition  held 
that  year  in  Philadelphia. 


276  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

&  Co.,  at  low  rates;  send  ten  cents  for  sample  copy. 
Postal  card  orders  "don't  go". 

LARAMIE  CITY  Laramie  Chronicle:  every  evening  except 
Sunday;  independent;  four  pages;  size  22  x  32;  sub- 
scription $10;  established  1876;  C.  W.  Bramel,  editor; 
Webster,  Johnson  and  Garrett,  publishers. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Laramie  Sentinel:  every  morning,  and 
weekly,  Mondays;  republican;  four  pages;  size  24  x 
36;  subscription — daily  $10,  weekly  $3;  established 
1869;  J.  H.  Hayford,  editor;  Hayford  &  Gates,  pub- 
lishers; circulation — daily  800,  weekly  400,  estimated. 

1878 

CHEYENNE  Gazette:  every  morning  except  Sunday; 
democratic;  four  pages;  size  22  x  32;  subscription  $10; 
established  1877;  Webster,  Johnson  &  Garrett,  edit- 
ors and  publishers. 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  morning  except  Monday,  and 
weekly,  Thursdays;  republican;  daily  four  pages, 
weekly  eight  pages;  size — daily  24  x  36,  weekly  30  x 
44;  subscription — daily  $10,  weekly  $2.50;  established 
1867;  H.  Glafcke,  editor  and  publisher;  circulation — 
daily  517,  weekly  897. 

CHEYENNE  Sun:  every  morning  except  Sunday;  repub- 
lican; four  pages;  size  24  x  36;  subscription  $10;  es- 
tablished 1876;  E.  A.  Slack,  editor  and  publisher;  cir- 
culation 700,  estimated. 

EVANSTON  Age:  tri-weekly,  Tuesdays,  Thursdays,  and 
Saturdays;  independent;  four  pages;  size  24  x  36; 
subscription  $5;  established  1874;  William  E.  Wheeler, 
editor  and  publisher;  circulation  344. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Laramie  Sentinel:  every  morning,  and 
weekly,  Mondays;  republican;  four  pages;  size  24  x 
36;  subscription — daily  $10,  weekly  $3;  established 
1869;  J.  H.  Hayford,  editor;  Hayford  &  Gates,  pub- 
lishers; circulation — daily  700,  weekly  400,  estimated, 

1879 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  morning  except  Monday,  and 
weekly,  Thursdays;  republican;  daily  four  pages, 
weekly  eight  pages;  size — daily  26  x  40;  weekly  30 
x  44;  subscription  daily  $10,  weekly  $2.50;  established 
1867;   H.  Glafcke,   editor;   Leader  Printing  Co.,  pub- 


EARLY  WYOMING  NEWSPAPERS  277 

lishers;   circulation — daily  exceeding  500,  weekly  not 
exceeding  1000, 

CHEYENNE  Sun:  every  evening  except  Sunday  and 
weekly,  Saturdays;  four  pages;  size — daily  24  x  36; 
weekly  28  x  44;  subscription — daily  $10,  weekly  $2.50; 
established— daily  1876,  weekly  1877;  E.  A.  Slack, 
editor  and  publisher;  circulation,  daily  not  exceeding 
500. 

EVANSTON  Age:  Saturdays;  independent;  four  pages; 
size  26  x  40 ;  subscription  $3 ;  established  1874 ;  Shaffer 
&  Wheeler,  editors  and  puMishers;  circulation  exceed- 
ing 500. 

GREEN  RIVER  CITY  Rocky  Mountain  Courier:  Thurs- 
days; four  pages;  size  26  x  40;  subscription  $3;  es- 
tablished 1878;  Shaffer  &  Wheeler,  editors  and  pub- 
lishers. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Laramie  Sentinel:  every  morning,  and 
weekly,  Mondays;  republican;  four  pages;  size  24  x 
36;  subscription — daily  $10,  weekly  $3;  established 
1869;  J.  H.  Hayford,  editor;  Hayford  &  Gates,  pub- 
lishers; circulation — daily  exceeding  ,500,  weekly  not 
exceeding  500. 

RAWLINS  Carbon  County  News:  Saturdays;  four  pages; 
size  26  X  40;  subscription  $3;  established  1878;  Shaf- 
fer &  Wheeler,  editors  and  publishers. 

1880 

CHEYENNE  Leader:  every  morning  except  Monday  and 
weekly,  Thursdays;  republican;  daily  four  pages; 
weekly  eight  pages;  size — daily  26  x  40,  weekly  30  x 
44;  subscription  daily  $10,  weekly  $2.50;  estalDlished 
1867;  H.  Glafcke,  editor;  Leader  Printing  Co.,  pub- 
lishers; circulation — daily  exceeding  500,  weekly  not 
exceeding  1000. 

CHEYENNE  Sun:  every  morning  except  Monday,  and 
weekly,  Saturdays;  four  pages;  size — daily  26  x  40, 
weekly  28  x  44;  subscription — daily  $10,  weekly  $2.50; 
established— daily  1878,  weekly  1877;  E.  A.  Slack, 
editor  and  publisher;  circulation — daily  not  exceed- 
ing 500,  weekly  not  exceeding  1000. 

EVANSTON  Age:  Saturdays;  independent;  four  pages, 
size  26  x  40;  subscription  $3;  established  1874;  W.  E. 


278  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Wheeler,  editor  and  publisher;  circulation  not  exceed- 
ing 500. 

EVANSTON  Uinta  Chieftain:  Saturdays;  four  pages;  size 
26  X  40;  subscription  $3;  estabhshed  1879;  Wilham  T. 
Shaffer,  editor  and  publisher;  circulation  not  exceed- 
ing 500. 

GREEN  RIVER  CITY  Rocky  Mountain  Courier:  Thurs- 
days; four  pages;  size  26  x  40;  subscription  $3;  es- 
tablished 1878;  W.  E.  Wheeler,  editor  and  publisher; 
circulation  not  exceeding  500. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Times:  every  afternoon  except  Sunday; 
four  pages;  size  24  x  34;  subscription  $10;  established 
1879;  L.  D.  Pease,  editor  and  publisher;  circulation 
not  exceeding  500. 

LARAMIE  CITY  Laramie  Sentinel:  Fridays;  republican; 
four  pages;  size  24  x  36;  subscription  $3;  established 
1869;  J.  H.  Hayford,  editor;  Hayford  &  Gates;  pub- 
lishers; circulation  not  exceeding  500. 

RAWLINS  Carbon  County  Journal :  Saturdays ;  four  pages ; 
size  24  X  36;  subscription  $3;  established  1879;  John 
C.  Friend,  editor;  Rawlins  Printing  Co.,  publishers. 

RAWLINS  Carbon  County  News:  Saturdays;  four  pages; 
size  26  X  40;  subscription  $3;  established  1878;  W.  E. 
Wheeler,  editor  and  publisher;  circulation  not  exceed- 
ing 500. 


CHEYENNE'S  FIRST  THEATRICAL  ENTERTAINMENT 

Mr.  Wm.  H.  King,  and  Mr.  Metcalf,  of  the  theatre  of 
Julesburg,  are  making  preparations  to  offer  the  Cheyenne- 
ites  first  class  entertainments  in  the  histrionic  art.  They 
will  open  soon,  and  we  shall  be  pleased  to  note  a  splendid 
success  to  their  endeavors,  which  we  know  they  must  re- 
ceive.—(The  Cheyenne  Leader,  Sept.  28,  1867.) 


9n   Meifuo^iain 

JOHN  EUGENE  OSBORNE 

1858  - 1943 

John  Eugene  Osborne  was  born  in  Westport,  Essex 
County,  New  York,  June  19,  1858;  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Vermont  in  1880,  where  he  studied  medi- 
cine; came  to  Rawhns,  Wyoming,  in  the  early  '80's;  ap- 
pointed surgeon  for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  at  Raw- 
lins ;  established  a  wholesale  and  retail  drug  house  in  1882 ; 
he  entered  the  livestock  industry  in  1884,  and  in  a  few 
years  had  the  reputation  of  being  the  largest  individual 
sheep  owner  in  the  Territory;  elected  to  the  House  of 
the  Territorial  Assembly  in  1883,  but  resigned,  as  cir- 
cumstances took  him  out  of  the  Territory;  chairman  of 
the  Territorial  Penitentiary  Commission  in  1888;  elected 
second  mayor  of  Rawlins  in  1888;  alternate  Democratic 
National  Convention  in  1892;  elected  governor  of  Wyo- 
ming, 1893-95,  renominated  in  1896  but  declined;  dele- 
gate to  the  Democratic  National  Convention  in  1896; 
elected  to  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the 
Fifty-fifth  Congress  in  1896;  unsuccessful  candidate  for 
the  United  States  Senate  in  1898;  member  of  the  Demo- 
cratic National  Committee,  1900-1920;  soon  after  the  in- 
auguration of  the  Wilson  Administration  he  was  appointed 
First  Assistant  Secretary  of  State,  an  office  he  held  from 
April  21,  1913,  to  December  14,  1915;  in  1918  received  the 
nomination  in  the  Democratic  primaries  for  the  United 
States  Senate,  defeated  at  the  general  election;  chairman 
of  the  board  of  the  Rawlins  National  Bank;  a  resident  of 
Rawlins  for  over  60  years.  Died  April  24,  1943  at  Raw- 
lins. Interment  at  Princeton  Kentucky,  where  Mrs.  Os- 
borne is  at  rest. 

Married  1907  to  Miss  Selina  Smith  of  Princeton,  Ken- 
tucky, daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  P.  Smith.  One 
daughter  was  born  to  this  union,  Jean  Curtis  (Mrs.  John 
W.  Todd,  of  San  Antonio,  Texas)  at  Princeton,  Kentucky, 
December  6,  1908. 

John  Eugene  Osborne  served  his  adopted  state  well; 
the  betterment  of  Wyoming  being  his  one  thought. 


By  John  C.  Friend* 

The  building  of  the  Union  Pacific  up  the  eastern  slope 
of  the  Continental  Divide,  during  the  summer  of  1868, 
marked  the  first  permanent  settlement  on  the  site  of  what 
is  now  the  most  prosperous  and  active  commercial  center 
in  Wyoming. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1868,  the  graders  reached  this 
point  and  established  their  camp  at  the  old  springs  a 
half  mile  west  of  town  which  at  that  time  flowed  a  large  vol- 
ume of  water.  These  springs  were  called  Rawlins'  Springs, 
after  an  early  time  hunter  and  trapper  in  this  section. 
The  postoffice  which  was  established  during  the  summer 
and  the  railroad  station  that  was  located  when  the  track- 
layers reached  this  point  in  July,  1868  also  appropriated 
the  name.  Subsequently  the  name  of  the  station  was 
changed  to  Rawlins,  in  honor  of  General  John  A,  Rawlins, 
then  secretary  of  war. 


*John  C.  Friend,  born  at  Chandlerville,  Cass  County,  Illinois, 
July  16,  1847,  was  the  son  of  Leah  and  Ezekial  Friend,  of  Illinois. 
He  spent  his  early  life  on  the  home  farm  in  Illinois;  when  sixteen 
he  enlisted  at  Benton  Barracks  in  1863  as  a  member  of  Company 
G,  Eleventh  Ohio  Cavalry,  with  which  he  served  three  years;  his 
regiment  was  sent  to  Wyoming  in  1865  to  help  quell  Indian  troubles; 
was  the  last  of  the  Civil  War  veterans  of  Carbon  County.  In  1869 
he  settled  in  Rawlins;  became  very  active  in  all  activities " for  the 
betterment  of  Rawlins  and  Carbon  County.  He  served  in  the  sec- 
ond, third  and  fifth  Territorial  Assemblies,  first  representing  Carbon 
County  as  a  member  of  the  House  in  1871;  represented  Carbon  and 
Sweetwater  counties  as  a  member  of  the  Council  in  1873;  and  as 
member  of  the  House  for  Carbon  County,  in  1875.  He  with  others 
opened  the  Rawlins  paint  mines;  was  identified  with  mining  interests 
for  many  years;  established,  with  associates,  the  Rawlins  Metallic 
Paint  Company;  in  1874  sold  one  carload  of  paint  to  the  president 
of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  and  this  was  the  first  paint  used  on 
the  Brooklyn  bridge.  With  W.  L.  Shaffer  he  published  the  first 
paper  in  Carbon  County,  1878,  called  the  Carbon  County  News.  In 
1879  he  purchased  the  Carbon  County  Journal,  of  which  he  was 
editor  and  manager  until  1892.  In  1893  he  went  to  Casper  and  was 
manager  and  editor  of  the  Derrick  for  three  months;  returned  to 
Rawlins  where  he  was  employed  by  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  from 
1897  to  1903;  held  a  number  of  county  offices;  was  in  the  insurance 
business  for  many  years.  Married  Miss  Leah  Welch  of  Ogden,  Utah; 
they  had  five  children.  Died  January  18,  1922.  Interment  at  Raw- 
lins, Wyoming.  John  C.  Friend  holds  an  outstanding  place  in  cen- 
tral Wyoming  history. 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  CARBON  COUNTY  281 

RAWLINS  MADE  A  DIVISION  POINT 

In  August  of  the  same  year  it  was  announced  that 
Rawhns  would  be  made  a  division  point.  Large  quantities 
of  material  for  the  depot  building,  shops  and  hotel  began 
to  arrive.  Men  were  employed  to  get  out  rock  for  founda- 
tion and  the  shops.  Business  houses  from  Benton  and 
other  points  were  moved  to  the  new  town,  and  Rawlins 
became  a  lively,  bustling  hive  of  industry.  The  new-com- 
ers refused  to  purchase  lots,  having  been  fooled  too  often, 
some  having  paid  as  much  as  a  thousand  dollars  for  lots 
at  Benton.  They  pitched  their  tents  and  erected  their 
temporary  shacks  along  the  creek  on  the  south  side  of 
the  track. 

Smith  and  Wills  were  given  a  contract  to  cut  fifty 
thousand  cords  of  wood.  Nearly  all  the  locomotives  then 
in  the  Union  Pacific  service  being  wood  burners.  Hun- 
dreds of  men  were  employed  to  chop  cord  wood.  The 
hills  north  of  town  were  stripped  of  cedars  and  all  the 
small  canyons  south  for  twenty  miles  which  would  afford 
a  few  cords  of  quaking  aspen  were  occupied  by  wood 
choppers.  Wert  P.  Noble  now  a  well  known  business 
man  of  Lander  and  Salt  Lake,  was  book-keeper  for  the 
contractors.  Only  a  small  portion  of  the  wood  was  ever 
delivered,  as  the  mining  of  coal  at  Carbon  and  Rock 
Springs  furnished  the  railroad  company  with  all  neces- 
sary fuel. 

SOME  OF  THE  PIONEERS 

Among  the  early  settlers  who  have  resided  here  since 
1868,  are  P.  L.  Smith  and  wife,  John  F.  Foote  and  wife, 
Mrs.  L.  Hays,  and  Frank  Blake,  the  latter  having  served 
as  foreman  of  the  car  repair  shop  during  his  long  resi- 
dence here. 

Of  the  '69ers  left  are:  Ex-Mayor  I.  C.  Miller,  Hon. 
J.  P.  Keller,  who  is  now  serving  as  quartermaster's  agent 
for  the  department  of  the  Platte,  Jno.  C.  Friend,  and  Mrs. 
Mae  Franklin,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  F.  Foote,  the 
first  white  child  born  in  the  town. 

The  early  part  of  the  winter  of  1868  was  an  open  one 
and  track  laying  progressed  rapidly,  passing  Bryan,  13 
miles  west  of  what  is  now  the  town  of  Green,  before 
spring.  Bitter  Creek,  75  miles  west  of  Rawlins,  was  made 
another  freight  division  point,  but  has  since  been  aban- 


282  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

doned.     Mr.   Timothy   O.   Baily,   lately   deceased,   was  the 
first  master  mechanic  at  that  point. 

As  in  all  new  western  towns  there  were  several  shoot- 
ing scrapes  in  Rawlins  during  the  winter  of  '68-9,  but  no 
one  was  ever  arrested  or  tried  for  murder.  The  victims 
were  generally  quietly  buried  on  the  hill  just  south  of 
the   Snake  river  road  near  the   springs. 

Heavy  snows  fell  in  February  and  March,  1869.  Some- 
thing like  a  thousand  men  were  employed  between  Bitter 
Creek  and  this  point  to  keep  the  track  open.  The  rail- 
road company  had  no  snow  plows  that  were  of  any  use, 
the  cuts  were  narrow  and  the  sand  and  snow  had  to  be 
shoveled  out  to  keep  the  line  open. 

The  railroad  hotel  was  opened  early  in  the  spring 
of  1869  by  Swain  &  Co.,  who  failed  in  less  than  a  year. 
Mr.  Swain  was  one  of  the  members  of  the  first  board  of 
county  commissioners. 

Indians  were  more  or  less  troublesome.  In  the  fall 
of  1868  Lieuts.  Young  and  Spence  followed  up  a  party 
which  had  made  a  raid  on  the  government  stock  at  Fort 
Steel  and  overtook  them  at  what  is  now  known  as  Young's 
pass,  in  the  Ferris  range,  where  they  had  a  sharp  en- 
gagement lasting  several  hours.  They  recaptured  some 
of  the  government  stock,  the  Indians,  however,  managing 
to  get  away  with  the  larger  portion.  Several  soldiers  were 
slightly  wounded, 

FIRST  BUILDING  NORTH  OF  THE  TRACK 

In  the  spring  of  1869,  H.  C.  Hall  &  Co.  erected  the 
building  now  known  as  the  Brunswick  House.  It  was  lo- 
cated on  the  lot  where  the  France  stone  block  now  stands, 
and  was  the  first  building  erected  by  a  business  firm  on 
the  north  side  of  the  track.  The  business  houses  in  town 
at  that  time  were:  H.  C.  Hall  &  Co.,  general  merchandise 
and  liquors;  Jerry  Sheehan,  general  merchandise  and  li- 
quors. Sheehan  occupied  the  building  where  Magor's  sa- 
loon is  now  located.  Hunt  &  Smith,  meat  market  and 
coal;  J.  Dyer,  stationery,  tobacco  and  cigars.  Mr.  Dyer 
was  also  the  first  postmaster.  His  place  of  business  was 
a  small  frame  building  just  south  of  the  track  and  in 
front  of  Magor's  store.  Dawson  Bros.,  liquors,  Wm.  Baker, 
manager;  M.  T.  Lockridge,  saloon,  billiards  and  barber 
shop;    Donnelly    &   Brennan,    saloon;    Larry   Hayes,    res- 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  CARBON  COUNTY  283 

taurant;    Chas.    Good,    shoemaker;    John    O'Brien,    saloon 
and  Fenian  headquarters. 

Mr.  E.  Hunt  of  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Hunt,  conceived 
the  idea  that  there  were  miUions  in  raising  hogs  and 
fattening  them  upon  game.  He  sent  east  for  several 
carloads  of  hogs,  hired  hunters  and  started  out  to  range 
them  about  the  country,  similar  to  the  way  sheep  are 
now  handled.  Antelope,  deer  and  elk  were  plentiful,  so 
he  found  no  difficulty  in  securing  hog  food.  The  enter- 
prise was,  however,  not  a  success  and  was  abandoned 
after  a  couple  of  years. 

The  first  church  erected  was  the  Morris  Presbyterian 
which  stood  upon  the  ground  the  handsome  stone  edifice 
now  occupies.  It  was  erected  during  the  winter  of  1869 
and  dedicated  in  March  1870  by  Rev.  Sheldon  Jackson. 

"^  FIRST  TERM  OF  COURT 

The  first  term  of  court  held  in  this  county  was  in 
June,  1870,  in  a  large  tent  that  stood  in  the  street  just 
west  of  Magor's  warehouse.  Justice  J.  W.  Kingman  pre- 
siding; Smith  Foote,  sheriff;  Chas.  E.  Wilson,  prosecut- 
ing attorney,  and  Frank  B.  Edmunds,  clerk.  Frank,  bv 
the  way,  was  the  "Poobah"  of  the  county  as  he  also  held 
the  office  of  county  c^erk,  treasurer,  probate  judge,  iustice 
of  the  peace.  United  States  court  commissioner  and  dep- 
uty United  States  revenue  assessor.  No  important  cases 
were  ever  tried. 

THE  INDIAN  RAID  IN  '70 

During  the  summer  of  '70,  Capt.  Thos.  B.  Dewees' 
company  of  the  second  cavalry  were  stationed  here.  They 
were  camped  just  west  of  town  about  where  Magor's 
blacksmith  shop  now  stands.  Earlv  in  April  1870  a  party 
of  a  half  dozen  Indians  made  a  raid  around  by  the  slaugh- 
ter pens  and  up  through  the  bottom  on  the  other  side 
of  the  creek,  shot  into  John  Foote's  house  near  the 
springs  and  attempted  to  drive  off  Walter  Towse's  cows. 
Towse  then  lived  where  the  Starzell  mansion  stands.  Wal- 
ter mounted  his  old  gray  horse  and  started  through  the 
cut,  recaptured  his  cows  and  succeeded  in  killing  one  of 
the  Indians  which  he  brought  down  and  threw  on  the 
depot  platform.  Every  man,  woman,  and  child  went  to 
see  that  Indian  during  the  afternoon.     Towse  afterward 


284  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

scalped,  threw  the  body  up  on  a  coal  car  and  sent  it  down 
to  the  post  surgeon  at  Fort  Steele, 

Along  in  the  summer  Sam  Parkin  and  several  others 
came  in  one  Sunday  saying  they  had  been  attacked  by 
Indians  near  Bull  canyon.  Lieut.  Young  with  the  soldiers 
and  several  citizens  started  out  after  the  Indians.  They 
overtook  them  out  on  Sage  creek.  After  a  day's  desult- 
ory fighting  the  Indians  during  the  night  made  their  es- 
cape over  the  range,  going  south.  They  were  thought  to 
be  Ute  for  this  reason.  There  were  numerous  alarms 
during  the  season  but  fortunately  no  whites  were  killed. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  CARBON  COUNTY 

Carbon  County  was  segregated  from  Laramie  by  the 
legislature  during  the  session  in  the  winter  of  1869  and 
organized  as  a  separate  county.  Wm.  M.  Masi  made  the 
first  assessment  of  the  county  in  1870.  In  September 
the  first  county  election  was  held.  The  campaign  was  a 
hot  one.  Judge  Wm.  Jones  was  the  Republican  candidate 
for  delegate  to  Congress  and  Stephen  F.  Nuckols  the 
Democratic  candidate.  The  Democratic  county  ticket  with 
the  exception  of  one  commissioner  was  elected,  as  follows: 
Peter  Lemon,  sheriff;  E.  B.  Martin,  treasurer,  and  pro- 
bate judge;  J.  P.  Keller,  clerk;  Frank  Blake,  M.  Mooney 
and  Chas.  G.  Bingham,  (Republican)  county  commission- 
ers; Chas.  E.  Wilson,  prosecuting  attorney;  Robt.  W.  Bax- 
ter, superintendent  of  schools.  The  new  board  of  com- 
missioners organized  by  the  election  of  Frank  Blake  chair- 
man. 

SECOND  TERM  OF  COURT 

Early  in  the  winter  of  '70  another  term  of  court  was 
held.  Judge  J.  W.  Kingman  again  presiding.  Lockeridge's 
billiard  hall  was  secured,  the  bar  and  billiard  tables  being 
moved  out.  The  building  consisted  of  two  rooms,  between 
which  there  was  a  single  board  partition,  with  cracks  be- 
tween the  board  through  which  you  could  have  run  your 
fingers  if  a  sheet  of  thin  muslin  had  no^  been  tacked  over 
the  partition.  This  too  prevented  a  person  from  looking 
through  and  seeing  what  was  going  on  in  the  next  room. 
Early  in  the  term  a  jury  was  secured  in  a  felony  case, 
wherein  the  defendant  was  charged  with  assaulting  the 
prosecuting  witness,  hitting  him  over  the  head  with  a 
revolver   and   threatening   to    kill   him.      About   noon   the 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  CARBON  COUNTY  285 

case  was  given  to  the  jury  and  they  retired  to  their  room. 
Several  ballots  were  taken  and  the  case  iully  argued, 
without  being  able  to  arrive  at  a  conclusion,  the  jury 
being  nearly  equally  divided  as  to  the  guilt  or  innocence 
of  the  defendant.  There  were  several  card  tables  in  the 
jury  room,  in  the  drawers  of  which  were  cards  and  checks. 
Uncle  Bobby  Reid,  an  honest-heatred,  sturdy  old  Scotch- 
man was  the  foreman  of  the  jury  and  first  to  discover 
the  cards.  Being  very  fond  of  the  game  of  cards  known 
as  "Old  Sledge"  he  exclaimed:  "Come,  boys,  bide  a  bit 
wid  the  voting;  we  will  have  a  game  of  cards."  The 
judge's  chair  set  close  to  the  partition  between  the  court 
and  jury  rooms,  which  enabled  him  to  hear  everything 
that  was  said  in  the  jury  room.  Card  playing  went  on 
continuously  during  the  afternoon  with  an  occasional  in- 
terruption when  a  ballot  was  taken — with  Uncle  Bobby's 
usual  objection:  "Bide  a  wee  till  game's  out."  In  his 
broad  Scotch  accent  he  would  invariably  claim  "High,  low, 
jock,"  and  "Sammy  Parkins,  de'il  take  ye,  ye  stole  the 
jock,  gi'e  me  low."  There  was  but  little  business  in  the 
court  room  that  afternoon.  The  judge,  however,  did  not 
leave  his  seat.  About  half  past  six  in  the  evening  the 
sheriff  was  ordered  to  bring  in  the  jury.  They  filed  into 
the  court  room  and  answered  to  their  names,  when  the 
judge  without  asking  them  if  they  had  agreed,  turned 
to  Hon.  L.  D.  Pease,  of  Laramie,  the  clerk,  saying:  "Mr. 
Clerk,  enter  up  a  fine  of  two  dollars  each  against  this 
jury  for  trying  to  arrive  at  a  verdict  by  playing  cards. 
Mr.  Sheriff  they  will  stand  committed  until  the  fine  is 
paid.  This  court  stands  adjourned  until  ten  o'clock  tomor- 
row morning."  He  then  clapped  on  his  hat  and  was  out 
of  the  court  room  in  three  strides.  (The  writer  was  one 
of  the  victims).  The  case  was  continued  and  subsequently 
dismissed. 

A  man  named  Kelly  was  tried  at  this  term  charged 
with  murdering  a  man  at  Benton  a  couple  of  years  before. 
Tom  Street,  of  Cheyenne,  assisted  in  the  prosecution.  W. 
H.  Miller,  W.  R.  Steele  and  W.  W.  Corlett,  of  Cheyenne 
were  for  the  defenjge.     Kelly  was  acquitted. 

The  building  on  the  south  side  of  the  track  known 
as  the  old  court  house  was  built  in  the  fall  of  '70  by  John 
Doty  who  opened  it  up  as  a  saloon  and  billiard  room.  The 
next  summer  it  was  purchased  by  the  county  commission- 
ers for  a  court  house. 


286  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

DISCOVERY  OF  SEMINOE 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1871  Lieut.  R.  H.  Young  of 
Fort  Steele,  had  an  assay  made  of  a  piece  of  galena  ore 
which  a  couple  of  prospectors  had  given  him  some  time 
before.  It  was  known  that  the  specimens  came  from 
the  Ferris  range  of  mountains.  The  returns  from  the  as- 
say was  a  great  surprise  to  everyone,  showing  over  4,000 
ounces  per  ton  in  silver  and  a  good  percentage  in  lead. 
There  was  great  excitement  at  Fort  Steele  and  this  place 
over  the  discovery.  It  was,  however,  dangerous  on  ac- 
count of  Indians  for  small  parties  to  go  out  to  prospect 
for  the  new  Eldorado.  A  military  expedition  was  organ- 
ized at  Fort  Steele  consisting  of  two  troups  of  cavalry 
under  Capt.  Thos.  B.  Dewees  and  Major  Burt,  Gen'l.  Thos. 
J.  M.  Thayer  of  Nebraska,  subsequently  governor  of  Wy- 
oming territory,  and  later  governor  of  Nebraska,  Frank 
and  Boney  Ernest.  Several  Nebraska  and  Upper  Platte 
people  accompanied  the  expedition. 

Mr.  Friend  wrote  the  above  article  for  the  Republican  Bulletin, 
Carbon  County  newspaper;  it  was  published  June  9,  1927. 


CHEYENNE'S  FIRST  BANKER 

A  want  much  felt  by  business  men  of  this  place  is  now 
supplied  by  H.  J.  Rogers,  esq.,  of  Denver,  who  has  opened 
a  temporary  office,  at  Cornforth  Brothers'  place,  on  Eddy 
street,  for  the  transaction  of  the  banking  busmess  here. 
Mr.  R.  informs  us  that  he  will  immediately  commence 
the  erection  of  a  fine  bank  building  on  the  corner  of  Six- 
teenth and  Eddy  Streets.— (The  Cheyenne  Leader,  Sept. 
28,  1867.) 


£.  Ti/iUand  B*nUU,  1S39-1SU0  * 


By  J.  Nielson  Barry 

August  6th,  1839  the  party  started  from  Independ- 
ence, consisting  of  32  persons,  four  more  joined  on  the 
16th.  The  leaders  were  Vasquez  and  Sublette.  With  them 
was  a  Mr.  Thompson  who  had  a  trading  post  on  the  west- 
ern 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  com- 
panion of  Lewis.  He  had  received  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  de- 
scriptions usual  in  such  journals  are  omitted.)  "We  stand 
guard  by  turns,  each  one  being  on  duty  three  hours.  We 
had  several  moonlight  nights  to   cheer  the   guard." 

August  21st,  (Began  to  see  buffalo,  with  much  de- 
scription of  hunting). 

August  23d.  "We  passed  a  great  number  of  buffaloes, 
the  prairie  being  actuallv  alive  with  them.  They  extended 
probably  four  miles,  and  numbered  nearly  two  hundred 
thousand." 

August  26th.  "Encamped  on  the  banks  of  the  Ar- 
kansas."    We  shall  continue  to  travel  along  the  Arkansas 

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

Note:  For  J.  Nielson  Barry's  Autobiography  see  ANNALS  OF 
WYOMING,   Vol.   10,   No.   3,   pp.   117-118. 


288  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

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  where  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  trad- 
er, 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  with  us  to- 
day as  well  as  last  night.  He  is  trying  to  keep  in  com- 
pany 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 
Arkansas." 

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  Commanche  Indians. 

September  4th.  "To  day  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  moun- 
tains, which  have  a  very  fine  appearance.  The  peak  is 
very  high." 

September  7th.  "We  ate  our  dinner  beside  a  stream 
called  Fontaine  qui  bouille,  boiling  spring,  called  so  on  ac- 
count of  the  manner  in  which   it  boils   from  the  moun- 


JOURNAL  OF  E.  WILLARD  SMITH  289 

tains."     "The  traders  have  houses  here  for  trading  in  win- 
ter," with  the  Arapahoes  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 
httle  more  than  an  hour  later,  "We  reached  the  fort  of 
Messrs.  Sublette  and  Vasquez,  the  place  of  our  destina- 
tion." "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  belonged  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." 

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 
traveling  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  surrounded  by  high  hills,  with  mountains  in  the 
background."     "There  is  a  large  stream  flowing  through 


290  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

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  23rd.  "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  bourses, 
killed  in  the  fight.  The  Whites  had  thrown  up  a  breast- 
work 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.) 

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) 
"Encamped  by  a  small  lake  in  a  valley.  My  pleasure  can 
easily  be  imagined.  They  were  just  eating  breakfast  of 
which  I  partook  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 
particulars  of  the  fight  at  the  breastworks  at  Snake 
River."     (Seven  men  and  two  squaws  went  from  Brown's 


JOURNAL  OF  E.   WILLARD   SMITH  291 

Hole  and  were  drying  buffalo  meat  when  they  were  at- 
tacked 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  strengthen  a  horse- 
pen  they  had  made  of  logs,  to  form  it  into  a  breastwork. 
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  dis- 
tance, he  fell  back  behind  some  trees,  and  gave  the  signal 
to  his  companions,  who  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  buf- 
falo and  dried  the  meat,  also  killed  six  grizzly  bears  qufte 
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  over  to  Fort  Hall,  belonging 
to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  stole  several  horses 
from  that  company,  notwithstanding  they  had  been  well 
treated  by  the  man  who  had  charge  of  the  fort.  On  their 
return  they  stopped  at  a  small  encampment  of  Snake  In- 
dians, 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 


292  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

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  dis- 
tance to  a  log  cabin,  built  by  some  young  man,  who  had 
come  to  the  mountains  last  spring,  intending  to  remain 
there   until   the   following   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  hundred  miles  long  from  north  to  south 
and  thirty  miles  wide  .  .  .  There  are  several  fresh  water 
streams  running  into  this  lake,  one  of  which  is  Great 
Bear  River  .  .  .  Near  the  headwaters  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  segun 
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  head- 
waters of  the  Yellowstone,  a  tributary  of  the  Missouri, 
abounds  in  natural  curiosities.  There  are  volcanoes,  vol- 
canic productions  and  carbonated  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  rock  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  the  Colorado  of  the  West, 
to  California.  They  will  be  led  by  Mr.  Walker  who  was 
with  Bonneville  in  the  mountains.  They  intend  trapping 
for  beaver  on  the  way." 


JOURNAL  OF  E.  WILLARD  SMITH  293 

"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,  w.'io  lost  their 
chief  in  an  encounter  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  con- 
sisted of  twenty  persons,  fourteen  men,  four  squaws,  wives 
of  the  trappers,  and  two  children.  There  wert  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  27th,  1840.  "We  arrived  at  Snake  River 
and  remained  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  cany  the  load 
any  farther.  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  ob- 
liged to  remove  to  one  of  the  others  to  prevent  being 
frozen.  We  started  with  thirty-nine  horses  and  mules, 
all  in  good  order.  Some  of  them  were  now  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  prov- 
isions were  being  exhausted,  we  were  obliged  to  eat  the 
horses  as  they  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  suffered  greatly  from  want  of  wood. 
We  were  obliged  to  burn  a  shrub  called  sage  .  .  .  We  ob- 
tained no  water  except  by  melting  snow.  During  this 
time  we  had  some  very  severe  storms  of  wind  and  snow 


294  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

.  .  .  We  were  obliged  to  make  a  scaffold  of  some  trees 
which  we  found,  and  leave  our  beaver  skins  on  it,  with  all 
the  furs  we  had  collected."  (All  the  horses  died)  except 
two,  and  they  were  so  weak  as  to  be  almost  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  buf- 
falo, 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  two  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  fue":  for  a  fire.)  "We 
were  very  wet,  having  traveled  through  the  snow  all  dav. 
We  were  obliged  to  lie  down  on  the  bare  .\iound,  with 
only  a  blanket  aDiece  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  verv  fatiguing.  Notwithstanding  the 
difficulty  we  traveled  fifteen  miles  that  day.  At  sun- 
down v/e  came  in  sight  of  a  stream,  the  banks  of  which 
were  covered  with  timber."  (They  saw  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  ap- 
pearing, 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  disappointed  to  see 
us  return." 


JOURNAL  OF  E.   WILLARD  SMITH  295 

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 
themselves  abundantly  with  provisions."  (Transposed) 
"When  Mr.  Biggs  started  for  the  fort  .  .  .  we  built  a  fort 
of  logs  on  the  Platte  to  protect  us  from  Indians."  "On 
the  forty-second  day  from  the  time  of  his  starting."  "Mr. 
Biggs  and  Mr.  Vasquez  arrived,  bringing  with  them 
horses  sufficient  to  carry  the  furs,  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  travelling  six  miles  we  ar- 
rived 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  un- 
load 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." 


296  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

May  13th.  "We  arrived  at  the  camp  .  .  .  of  Shian  In- 
dians .  .  .  They  were  headed  by  a  chief  called  the  Yellow 
Wolf.  His  brother  was  of  the  party  having  a  name  Many 
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  some- 
times traveled  fifty  miles  a  day." 

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

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 
fifteen  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  River  Platte  .  .  .  We 
went  to  the  missionary  houses  .  .  .  and  were  much  dis- 
appointed at  finding  them  deserted,  the  missionaries  hav- 
ing removed  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  settle- 
ment, 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 
thousand  miles  from  the  mountains  in  sixty-nine  days." 

CHARBONEAU 

There  is  a  mention  in  an  appendix-note,  of  "Mr.  Sha- 
benare"  being  with  the  party  in  the  mackinaw  boat,  which 
indicates  his  movements  from  August  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,  edition  1847,  page  206,  tells  of  meet- 
ing a  party  in  the  employ  of  Bent  and  St.  Vrain,  August 


JOURNAL  OF  E.  WILLARD  SMITH  297 

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  en- 
riched by  extensive  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  shrewd- 
ness in  his  conversation,  so  garbled  with  intelligence  and 
perspicuity,  that  he  at  once  insinuated  himself  into  the 
good  graces  of  listeners,  and  commanded  their  admiration 
and  respect." 


EARLY  DAY  USE  OF  ADOBE  BRICKS 

The  most  prevalent  mode  of  finishing  buildings  for 
winter  occupancy  in  Cheyenne  is  to  wall  up  the  spaces  be- 
tween the  studding  with  adobes,  or  sun  dried  brick,  follow- 
ing this  by  a  coat  of  plastering.  These  buildings  must 
prove  to  be  very  comfortable. — The  Cheyenne  Leader,  Sept. 
28,  1867.) 


WifOmUtq.  9*1  'k/<vtU  Wa^  II 


According  to  a  report  compiled  from  official  sources 
by  Wyoming's  U.  S.  Senator  Joseph  C.  O'Mahoney,  217 
Wyoming  men  have  been  reported  killed,  injured,  captured, 
or  missing  during  American  operations  on  foreign  fronts 
before  the  Sicilian  invasion   (July,  1943). 

This  report  includes  a  complete  list,  and  shows  where 
the  men  are  from,  as  well  as  the  branch  of  the  service 
they  belong. 

According  to  the  Senator's  report  10  army  men  and 
33  navy  and  marine  corps  personnel  are  dead,  43  army 
men  and  18  navy  and  marine  corps  men  are  prisoners,  16 
army  and  33  of  the  navy  and  marine  corps  are  missing, 
14  army  men  and  24  of  the  marine  and  navy  personnel 
are  wounded. 

In  addition  seven  civilians  are  missing  and  18  are 
reported  as  internees. 

Dead 

Bandemer,  Harold  William,  Seaman,  first  class,  USN, 
Lingle 

Bauer,  Victor  C,  Corporal,  USMC,  Garland 

Benson,  Robert  Gerald,  Signalman,  third  class,  USN, 
Rawlins 

Buckner,  Albert  D.,  assistant  cook,  USMC,  Lander 

Carlson,   John  A.,   Private,   USMC,   Casper 

Chase,  Guy  Laverne,  Seaman,  second  class,  USN,  Cas- 
per 

Christensen,  Elmer  Emil,  Machinist's  Mate,  second 
class,  USN,  Buffalo 

Davis,  James  Bradley,  Fireman,  first  class,  USN, 
Wheatland 

Button,  William  C,  Sergeant,  USMC,  Cody 

Eisele,  George  Raymond,  Seaman,  second  class,  USNR, 
Sheridan 


WYOMING  IN  WORLD  WAR  II  299 

Fisher,  Delbert  Ray,  Seaman,  first  class,  USN,  Laramie 

Hanson,  George,  Machinist's  Mate,  first  class,  USN, 
Laramie 

Harmon   Frank   Subert,    seaman   second   class,    USN, 
Cheyenne 

Japp,    Edwin   Henry,    Seaman,    second    class,    USNR, 
Upton 

Jones,  Charles  William,  Metalsmith,  second  class,  USN, 
Casper 

Jones,    Irvin    Eugene,    Seaman,    second    class,    USN, 
Byron 

Lane,  Edward  Wallace,  Coxswain,  USN,  Cheyenne 

Larson,    Joseph   Ernest,    Fireman,    first    class,    USN, 
Douglas 

Linton,  George  Edward,  Fireman,  second  class,  USN, 
Wheatland 

McGauran,  Raphael  R.,  Sergeant,  USMC,  Laramie 

Moore,  Ray  A.,  Private,  first  class,  USMC,  Powell 

Morgareidge,    James    Orries,    Fireman,    second    class, 
USN,  Ten  Sleep 

Murphy,  John,  Jr.,  Private,  first  class,  USMC,  Worland 

Musgrave,  Francis  Dewey,  Seaman,  first  class,  USN, 
Sinclair 

Offenbacher,  R.  L.,  Second  Lieutenant,  USMC,  Casper 

Phillips,    Harold   Gordon,    Seaman,    first    class,    USN, 
Sheridan 

Schmidt,  Herman,   Gunner's  Mate,  third  class,  USN, 
Sheridan 

Steele,  Charles  Aron,  Ship's  Cook,  second  class,  USN, 
Cheyenne 

Stein,  Walter  Claud,  Seaman,  first  class,  USN,  Chey- 
enne 

Thompson,    John    Scott,    Aviation    Radioman,    third 
class,  USN,  Worland 


300  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Wallenstein,    Richard    Henry,     Seaman,    first    class, 
USN,  Rawlins 

Wolney,  George  James,  Coxswain,  USN,  Monarch 

Wood,    Jack    S.,    Private,    first    class,    USMC,    Rock 
Springs 

Wounded 

Byrd,  Robert  G.,  Private,  USMC,  Laramie 

Chaney,  Clarence  C,  Private,  USMC,  Casper 

Davis,    Clenroe    Willard,    Seaman,    first    class,    USN, 
Laramie 

Davis,  James  O.,  Private,  first  class,  USMC,  Casper 

Edwards,  Billy  R.,  Private,  USMC,  Rawlins 

Fraley,  Harold  D.,  Jr.,  Private,  USMC,   Casper 

Gill,  Glenn  G.,  Private,  USMC,  Moorcroft 

Gillespie,    Albert    Calloway,    Shipfitter,    second   class, 
USN,  Rock  River 

Grovum,  Elden  F.,  Private,  USMC,  Casper 

Hardee,  Charles  S.,  Corporal,  USMC,  Casper 

Hoel,  Gene  D.,  Private,  USMC,  Gillette 

Manias,  Theodore  J.,  Private,  first  class,  USMC,  Cas- 
per 

Merrill,    Arthur    Curtis,    Aviation    Radioman,    second 
class,   USNR,   Lovell 

McCarthy,  Daniel  P.,  Private,  USMC,  Casper 

Myers,  Roy  Alfred,  Gunner's  Mate,  third  class,  USNR, 
Powell 

Myhre,  Leonard  Marvin,  Seaman,  second  class,  USNR, 
Kaycee 

Nichols,  Frank  Wilson,  Electrician's  Mate,  third  class, 
USN,  Encampment 

Sheltren,   Walter  Allen,   Chief  Firecontrolman,   USN, 
Evanston 


WYOMING  IN  WORLD  WAR  II  301 

Smith,  Arthur  Loran  Jr.,  Radioman,  first  class,  USN, 
Worland 

Stewart,  Jesse  L.,  Technical  Sergeant,  USMC,  Green 
River 

Trujillo,    Joe   H.,    Private,    first    class,    USMC,    Rock 
Springs 

Tyrelle,  Elwood  Lee,  Private,  USMC,  Gillette 

Vanderpas,   Charles  W.,   Private,   first   class,   USMC, 
Greybull 

Vesey,  William  K.,  Corporal,  USMC,  Casper 

Missing 

Clark,   Jesse   Neilson,   Boatswain's   Mate,   first   class, 
USN,  Mountain  View 

Corsberg,  Howard  C,  Private,  first  class,  USMC,  Lar- 
amie 

Cusack,   Ralph   Roger,   Radioman,   third   class,   USN, 
Greybull 

Davis,    Howard    Earl,    Yeoman,    second    class,    USN, 
Gillette 

Dicken,   Marion  Upton,   Seaman,   second   class,   USN, 
Torrington 

Dugger,  Harold  Wayne,  Seaman,  second  class,  USNR, 
Powell 

Flesher,   Stanley   Russell,   Seaman,   first   class,   USN, 
Story 

Gunnerson,  Carl  Fredrick,  Fireman,  second  class,  USN, 
Laramie 

Harrison,    Morse    Grant,    Aviation    Radioman,    third 
class,  USN,  Wamsutter 

Henetz,    Michael,    Private,    first    class,    USMC,    Rock 
Springs 

Hunter,    John    Stevenson,    Torpedoman,    first    class, 
USN,  Kemmerer 

Kinnison,  Willis  Leroy,  Seaman,  second  class,  USNR, 
Cheyenne 


302  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Lawson,  Raymond  Paul,  Chief  Machinist,  USN,  Chey- 
enne 

Lindsey,  Kenneth  C,  Private,  first  class,  USMC,  Gil- 
lette 

Marceau,    Wilfrid    Louis,    Seaman,    first    class,    USN, 
Winton 

Mariette,  Maxwell  Albert,  Pharmacist's  Mate,  second 
Class,  USN,  Foxpark 

McFarland,   John  Arthur,   Seaman,   first   class,   USN, 
Cheyenne 

Miller,    Fred   James,    apprentice   seaman,   USN,    Rock 
Springs 

Montgomery,  Robert  Allen,  radioman,  first  class,  USN, 
Casper 

Nebel,  Alma  Rex,  Corporal,  USMC,  Lovell 

Oelke,  Clayton  Lavelle,  machinist's  mate,  second  class, 
USN,   Sheridan 

Osborn,    Arthur    Raymond,    radioman,    second    class, 
USN,  Pine  Bluffs 

Piasecki,  Alexander  L.,  Corporal,  USMC,  Acme 

Robertson,  Robert  Nehls,  fireman,   first  class,  USN, 
Thermopolis 

Smith,  Raymond  E.,  mess  sergeant,  USMC,  Recluse 

Stetz,    Frank    Charles,    apprentice    seaman,    USNR, 
Sheridan 

Stout,  Roy  Albert,  signalman,  third  class,  USN,  Farson 

Valhusky,    Arthur    John,    aviation    machinist's    mate, 
second  class,  USN,  Hudson 

Vesey,  Kenneth  L.,  Private,  USMC,  Casper 

Vospahl,  Arthur  Henry,  Lieutenant,  USN,  Laramie 

Walker,  Harry  Orville,   Coxswain,  USN,   Sheridan 

Whitehead,  Wallace  Albert,  storekeeper,  second  class, 

USN 

Wollam,  J.  P.,  Private,  USMC,  Powell 


WYOMING  IN  WORLD  WAR  II  303 

Prisoners  of  War 

Basye,  Frank  David,  Chief  Quartermastei ,  CJSN,  Jask- 
son 

Bissett,  Everett  A.,  Private,  USMC,  Casper 

Christensen,    Alfred    Bennett,     Private,     first    class, 
USMC,  Kaycee 

Dickeson,    Truman    M.,    Private,    first    class,    USMC, 
Thermopolis 

Dillman,  Frank  H.,  Corporal,  USMC,  Lander 

Frost,  Lynn  Wm.,  Private,  first  class,  USMC,  Casper 

McCoy,    Clarence    William,    Boatswain's    mate,    first 
class,  USN,  Newcastle 

McDowell,   Jack  W.,   Sergeant,   USMC,   Casper 

McVay,  William  A.,  Private,  first  class,  USMC,  Ther- 
mopolis 

Miller,    Jack   "Z",   Private,   first   class,   USMC,   Rock 
Springs 

Murphy,   Robert   Bruce,    Private,   first   class,    USMC, 
Thermopolis 

Reed,  Clifford  Milton,  Private,  first  class,  USMC,  Story 

Salsbury,   Richard  LeRoy,   Pharmacist's   mate,   USN, 
Cheyenne 

Sohn,  Rosse  E.,   Field  music   corporal,   USMC,   Rock 
Springs 

WinterhoUer,  John,  First  Lieutentnt,  USMC,  Lovell 

Stewart,  Jesse  L.,  Tech.  Sgt.,  USMC,  Green  River 

Kirkpatrick,  Edward  L.,  Private,   first  class,  USMC, 
Sheridan 

Crichton,   Clint   Millard,   Private,   first   class,   USMC, 
Burlington 

Civilian  Internees 

Ft.  Warren — Ritenour,  Charles 

The  following  twenty-five  men  were  employed  at  Walje, 
Guam  and  Cavite,  by  Pacific  naval  air  base  contractors, 


304  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

at  the  time  of  Japanese  occupation  of  those  areas: 

Casper — Fisher,  Marvin  C,  interned,  and  Unger,  Lewis 
O.,  missing 

Cheyenne — Bainster,  Raymond  E.,  internee 

Cody — Christler,  Elmer  J.,  internee;  Cooper,  Robert 
P.,  internee;  Fenex,  Jack  A.,  (also  of  Glenrock),  missing; 
Freestone,  Wm.  F.,  missing;  Jernberg,  Andrew  D.,  internee; 
McDonald,  Jos.  T.,  internee;  Murphy,  Gerald  L.,  internee; 
Patterson,  Howard  C,  internee 

Douglas — Esmay,  Wayne  E.,  missing 

Fox  Park — Herndon,  Pat  H.,  internee 

Jackson — Johnson,   Lee,   Jr.,   internee 

Lovell — Schmidt,  Henry  J.,   internee 

Manderson — Johnson,   Axel  R.,   internee;   Robertson, 
Chas.  B.,  internee 

Midwest — Pease,  Gordon  H.,  missing 

Rock  Springs — McTee,  John  R.,  internee 

Sheridan — Scott,  Lawrence  R.,  internee 

Sundance — Graham,  Lyle  E.,  missing 

Wapiti — Simpers,  Wm.  T.,  missing 

Worland — Groshart,  Jay  A.,  internee;  O'Neal,  John  H., 
missing 

Wheatland — Nelson,    Edward   A.,    internee 

Army  Personnel 

Adon — Christenson,  Alvin  C,  Pvt.,  prisoner 

Afton — Hale  Blair,  2nd  Lt.,  missing 

Aladdin — Giachino,  Martin,  Pvt.,  prisoner 

Bairoil — Hamilton,  Duke  L.,  Jr.,  Tech.  Sgt.,  missing 

Basin — Rosenberry,  Harry,  Cpl.,  prisoner;  and  Rus- 
sell, Roland  W.,  2nd  Lt.,  wounded 

Buffalo — Scott,  Richard,  Pvt.,  prisoner 

Byron — Johnson,  Keith  E.  Staff  Sgt.,  prisoner 


WYOMING  IN  WORLD  WAR  II  305 

Carpenter — Schliske,  Elmer  E.,  Cpl.,  prisoner 

Casper — Barhaug,  Raganar,  2nd  Lt.,  missing;  For- 
sythe,  Donald  B.,  Pvt.,  prisoner;  Goldtrap,  John  C,  Maj., 
prisoner;  Helton,  Virgil  M.,  Pfc,  wounded;  Musfelt,  Roy 
W.,  Pfc,  prisoner;  Spalding,  Jack  A.,  1st  Lt.,  dead. 

Cheyenne — Brevdy,  Oscar  L.,  Sgt.,  prisoner;  Calder, 
Wm.  H.,  Pfc,  prisoner;  Colvin,  Wayne  W.,  Pfc,  prisoner; 
Defreese,  Norman  E.,  1st  Lt.,  dead;  Hill,  Allen  S.,  Staff 
Sgt.,  wounded;  Holsteda,  Robert  E.,  1st  Lt.,  wounded; 
King,  Garrett  C,  1st  Lt.,  dead;  Kline,  Allan  T.,  Pvt., 
wounded;  Kozel,  Walter,  2nd  Lt.,  missing;  McSorley,  Ray- 
mond A.,  2nd  Lt.,  missing;  Orr,  James  S.,  2nd  Lt.,  dead; 
Schmidt,  John  J.,  Pfc,  prisoner;  True,  Joe  W.,  Staff  Sgt., 
prisoner;  Weppner,  John  J.,  1st  Lt.,  wounded;  Yonkoff, 
John,  Tech.  5th  Grade,  wounded;  Zubiri,  Leslie  B.,  2nd 
Lt.,  missing 

Clearmont — Vaughn,   Floyd  N.,   Sgt.,  wounded 

Divide — Moore,  Carol  C,  Cpl.,  prisoner 

Dixon — Pacheco,  Reginald,  A.,  Pvt.,  prisoner 

Douglas — Mitchell,  Leland  E.,  Pfc,  prisoner;  Schilling, 
Wm.,  Pfc,  prisoner 

Dwyer — Bowman,   Joseph  N.,   Jr.,   dead 

Fort  Washakie — Burnett,  Finn  G.,  Tech.  Sgt.,  missing 

Foxpark — Suazo,  Tito  C,  Pvt.,  wounded 

Gillette — Birdsall,  Robert  B.,  Tech.  Sgt.,  prisoner 

Greybull — Hankin,  Howard  H.,  Pfc,  prisoner;  Hoover, 
Chester  L.,  2nd  Lt.,  missing 

Keeline — Deitchler,   Floyd  J.,   Pfc,   wounded 

Laramie — Brown,  Elmer  B.,  Sgt.,  missing 

Lovell — Hessenthaler,  Chas.  F.,  Tecii  5th  Grade, 
wounded;  Leach,  Albert  L.,  Sgt.,  prisoner 

Lyman — Slagowski,  Clyde  L.,   Staff  Sgt.,  missing 

Manville — Cramer,  Bruce  O.,  Pvt.,  prisoner 

Monarch — Perry,  Arthur  Jr.,  1st  Lt.,  dead 

Piedmont — Degman,   John   Thos.,    2nd   Lt.,    missing 


306  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Powell — Dawson,  Stanley  W.,  Pfc,  prisoner;  McDon- 
ald, Jas.  Samuel,  Capt.,  prisoner;  Roney,  Donald  R.,  Pvt., 
wounded;  Young,  Jas.  M.,  Pfc,  missing 

Reliance — Telk,  John  F,,  Pvt.,  missing 

Riverton — Beedle,  Clyde  E.,  Sgt.,  prisoner;  Clements, 
Robert  R,,  Pfc,  dead;  Griebel,  Robert  E.,  missing;  Logan, 
Malcolm  H.,  Tech.,  Sgt.,  prisoner 

Rock  Springs — Cornford,  Russell  V.,  dead 

Sheridan — Bolinger,  Fred  J.,  Pfc,  prisoner;  Boyle, 
Albert  W.,  Pfc,  prisoner;  Jesser,  Robert  E.,  Pvt.,  prisoner; 
Kelly,  Gerald  F.,  Pvt.,  prisoner;  Livingston,  Raymond  P., 
Pvt.,  prisoner;  Wall,  James  R.,  Pvt.,  prisoner;  Olson,  Mar- 
vin J.,  Staff  Sgt.,  prisoner 

Story — Chalfant,  Rex  C,  Pvt.,  wounded 

Superior — Sampi,  Kenneth  C,  Pvt.,  prisoner 

Ten  Sleep — Rosetti,  Louie,  Tech.  Sgt.,  missing;  Yost, 
Clifford  H.,  Tech.  Sgt.,  prisoner 

Thermopolis — Brunk,  Willis  L.,  Cpl.,  wounded;  Stan- 
ley, James  W.,  Pfc,  prisoner;  Todd,  Roy  A.,  Master  Sgt., 
died  in  Japanese  prison  camp 

Torrington — Kieffer,  Warren  J.,  Pfc,  prisoner;  Sharp, 
Gerald  W.,  Pfc,  prisoner 

Veteran — Anderson,  Marly n  B.,  Pfc,  dead 

Wendover — Miller,  Rolland  E.,  Pfc,  prisoner 

Wheatland — Randall,  Chas.  E.,  Sgt.,  prisoner;  Wilson, 
Francis  E.,  2nd.  Lt.,  missing 

Worland — Bower,  Rodger  D.,  Capt.,  missing;  Chen- 
oweth,  Rolland  E.,  Pvt.,  prisoner;  Johnson,  Jas.  S.,  1st 
Lt.,  missing. 


ACCESSIONS 

to  the 

Wyoming   Historical   Department 

June  1,  1943  to  August  1,  1943 

Miscellaneous  Gifts 

Gordon,  Thomas,  420  E.  20th  St.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming- 
donor  of  Railroad  Pass,  Union  Pacific  System,  issued 
to  Thomas  Gordon  and  wife,  October  6,  1897. 

Stanley,  Mrs.  S.  J.,  2713  Ames  Court,  Cheyenne,  Wyo- 
ming— donor  of  an  Edison  Phonograph,  horn,  seven 
disk  records,  and  other  accessories. 

Hart,  Merril  F.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — donor  of  "Wyo- 
ming:  Bibliographical  List." 

Spaulding,  Payson  W.,  Evanston,  Wyoming — donor  of  "A 
Statement  supported  by  Proofs  and  Affidavits,  1877." 

Todd,  Jean  Osborne,  donor  of  the  John  Eugene  Osborne 
Collection,  Letters  and  Manuscripts — 60. 

Deming,  W.  C,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — donor  of  Picture 
of  "Cowboy  Reception  to  Dr.  Crane;"  "History  of 
Lincoln  Highway,"  Manuscript  by  E.  Emery. 

Wetmore,  A.,  Assistant  Secretary,  U.  S.  National  Museum, 
Smithsonian  Institution,  Washington,  D.  C,  donor  of 
seven  photographs:  one  of  Fort  John,  Laramie  River 
near  the  Platte  1844 ;  six  of  Indians  taken  from  George 
Catlin's  original  paintings  in  the  U.  S.  National  Mu- 
seum. 

Baker,  A.,  Casper,  Wyoming,  donor  of  a  map.  Territory  of 
Wyoming,  1876;  Father  De  Smet  map,  1851. 

Purchase 

Life  Magazine,  July  5,  1943. 


308  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

JOHN  EUGENE  OSBORNE  COLLECTION 

This  collection  consists  of  letters,  newspaper  clippings, 
photographs,  manuscripts,  etc.,  as  listed  below,  which  were 
donated  to  the  State  Historical  Museum,  by  Mr.  Osborne's 
daughter,  Mrs.  Jean  Osborne  Todd. 

Letters  to  Mr.  Osborne  from: 

Number 

Woodrow  Wilson   4 

Thos.  R.  Marshall  1 

John  C.   Gale   1 

Franklin  Delano  Roosevelt,  N.  Y.  Gov 1 

Robert   Lansing   1 

Frank  Polk   1 

W.  F.  McCombe  1 

D.  R.  Tillman  1 

William  C.  Liller  1 

Charles  C.  McChord  1 

Comptroller  of  the  Currency,  Washington  1 

(Name  not  discernable) 

A.   S.  Burleasm,   Postmaster  General  Washington  1 
Treasury  Department,  Office  of  Commissioner 

of  Internal  Revenue   1 

(Name  not  discernable) 

John  Burke,  Treasurer  of  the  United  States  1 

C.   C.   Hamlin   1 

Including  two  manuscripts: 

Sugar  Tariff  by  Trueman  G.  Palmer  1 

Sugar  Beet  Industry  in  the  United 

States,  Tariff,  etc 1 

Warren   G.   Harding   1 

W.  J.  Bryan  12 

Roger  C.   Sullivan   1 

Washington  G.  Valentine  1 

Copies  of  Letters  from  Mr.  Osborn  to: 

The  President,  The  White  House  1 

Woodrow  Wilson   1 

Letters  to  Hon.  William  J.  Bryan  from: 

Woodrow  Wilson   2 


JOHN  EUGENE  OSBORNE  COLLECTION  309 

Miscellaneous  Letters: 

Democratic  National  Committee,  Rawlin,  Wyo., 
November  20,  1912.  Unsigned  letter  in- 
cluding list  of  members  of  the  Democratic 
National   Committee    1 

Letter  to: 

Mr.  William  F.  McCombe   (Unsigned  letter)   1 

Photographs : 

Andrew  Jackson,  with  autograph   1 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  J.  Bryan  1 

Home  of  Bryan  1 

"Big  Nose  George"  One  photo  with  negative 2 

"Big  Nose  George"  Two  views  of  the  death  Mash..  2 

"Big  Nose  George"  With  shoes  2 

Speech  of  Hon.  Robert  L.  Owen  1 

Invitations : 

President  and  Mrs.  McKinley  request  company 

of  Hon.  J.  E.  Osborne  to  receptions  3 

Certificate  of  Election,  State  of  Wyoming,  Execu- 
tive Department,  John  E.  Osborne  1 

Telegrams : 

John  E.  Osborne  from  Emiliano  Chamorsro, 

Presidente  De  Nacaragua   1 

John  E.  Osborne  from  Josephus  Daniels  1 

Public  Papers,  Message  and  Proclamation 
Hon.  John  E.  Osborne,  Governor  of 

Wyoming,  1893-4  1 

Newspaper  Clippings: 

Osborne  quits  Post  as  aid  to  Lansing  1 

Department  of  State,  Press  Release  for  Publication 1 


Vol.  15  October,  1943  No.  4 

Page 
STATISTICAL  REPORTS  ON  THE  SICKNESS  AND 

MORTALITY  OF  THE  U.  S.  ARMY,  1819-1860 315 

Compiled  by  Marie  H.  Erwin. 

WYOMING    PIONEER    ASSOCIATION 376 

DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS: 

Reminiscences  of  Civil  War  Days 377 

By  Judge  Gibson  Clark. 

Letter  to  W.  E.  Chaplin  from  Henry  Wagner 386 

RAWLINS  FIRST   SCHOOL  BUILDING 390 

REVIEW  OF  LARAMIE  CITY  FOR  1868-1869 391 

Laramie  Weekly  Sentinel,  May  5,  1883 396 

WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK: 

Red  Cloud's  Prayer 403 

By  Judge  Gibson  Clark. 

The  "Magic  City",  Cheyenne,  Dakota  Territory, 

1867,     (Concluded) 405 

WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES    (Con't.) 413 

By  Dee  Linford. 

ACCESSIONS    417 

INDEX  for  Vol.  15 419 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

LANDER  Front  Cover 

MAP,    1849-1858    375 

WYOMING  PIONEERS 376 

J.  Abney  and  F.  G.  Burnett. 

RAWLINS  FIRST   SCHOOL  BUILDING 390 

Printed  by  The  Douglas  Enterprise, 
Douglas,  Wyoming 


The  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Historical  Advisory  Board 
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  presenta- 
tion of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manu- 
scripts of  Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observa- 
tions 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 
Wyoming  and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State.  The  historical 
magazine,  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,  is  one  medium  through  which 
the  Department  seeks  to  gain  this  objective.  All  communications 
concerning  the  ANNALS  should  be  addressed  to  Mary  A.  McGrath, 
Wyoming  Historical  Department,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 


This  magazine  is  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Historical  Board 
members,  the  State  Historical  Advisory  Board,  Wyoming  County 
Libraries  and  Wyoming  newspapers. 

It  is  published  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Subscription 
price,  $1.50  per  year;   single  copies,  45c. 


Entered   as   second-class   matter   September   10,    1941,   at  the  Post   Office  in   Cheyenne, 
Wyoming,  under  the  Act  of  August   i.i,  191.2. 


Copyright,  1943,  by  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


STATE  HISTORICAL  BOARD 

Lester  C.  Hunt,  President Governor 

Mart  T.  Christensen Secretary  of  State 

Wm.   "Scotty"  Jack State  Auditor 

Earl  Wright State  Treasurer 

Esther  L.  Anderson     ....     Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
Mary  A.  McGrath,  Secy.     .     State  Librarian  and  Historian  Ex-Officio 


STATE  HISTORICAL  ADVISORY  BOARD 


Mrs.  Mary  Jester  Allen,  Cody 
Frank  Barrett,   Lusk 
George  Bible,  Rawlins 
Mrs.  T.  K.  Bishop,  Basin 

C.  Watt  Brandon,  Kemmerer 
J.  Elmer  Brock,  Kaycee 
Struthers  Burt,  Moran 

Mrs.  Elsa  Spear  Byron,  Sheridan 

Mrs.  G.  C.  Call,  Afton 

Oliver  J.  Colyer,  Torrington 

J.  L.  Cook,  Sundance 

Mrs.  Esther  Crook,  Fairview 

William  C.  Deming,  Cheyenne 

Dr.  William  Frackelton,  Sheridan 

Paul  Frison,  Ten  Sleep 

E.  A.  Gaensslen,  Green  River 

Hans  Gautschi,  Lusk 

Burt  Giiggs,   Buffalo 

Jack  Haynes,  Yellowstone  Park 

D.  B.  Hilton,  Sundance 

L.  B.  Howard,  Rock  Springs 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Hunter,  Gillette 


Mrs.   Joseph   H.    Jacobucci,    Green 

River 
P.  W.  Jenkins,  Big  Piney 
E.  V.  Knight,  Laramie 
W.  C.  Laurence,  Moran 
E.  A.  Logan,  Cheyenne 
Howard  B.  Lott,  Buffalo 
Mrs.  Eliza  Lythgoe,  Cowley 
R.  E.  MacLeod,  Torrington 
James  L.  Mcintosh,  Split  Rock 
A.  J.  Mokler,  Casper 
Mrs.  Elmer  K.  Nelson,  Laramie 
L.  L.  Newton,  Lander 
R.  I.  dinger,  Newcastle 
Charles  Oviatt,   Sheridan 
Mrs.  Minnie  Reitz,  Wheatland 
E.   B.   Shaffner,  Douglas 
Mrs.  Effie  Shaw,  Cody 
Mrs.   Tom  Sun,  Rawlins 
John  Charles  Thompson,  Cheyenne 
Russell    Thorp,    Cheyenne 


STAFF  PERSONNEL 

of 

The  Wyoming  Historical  Department 

and 

State  Museum 

Mary  A.  McGrath,  Editor   .    State  Librarian  and  Historian  Ex-Officio 
Marie  H.  Erwin,  Co-Editor Assistant  Historian 


WYOMING  STATE   MUSEUM 

Housed  in  the  new  Supreme  Court  and  Library  Build- 
ing in  Cheyenne,  with  vault  space  and  fireproof  protection, 
the  Museum  provides  for  the  preservation  and  display  of 
the  prized  possessions  of  Wyoming  pioneers. 

Perpetuate  your  family  name  by  placing  your  historical 
collections  and  relics  in  your  State  Museum,  where  they 
may  be  permanently  preserved  and  enjoyed  by  the  thou- 
sands of  visitors. 

Everything  that  is  presented  to  the  Museum  is  num- 
bered, labeled,  recorded  and  card  indexed,  thus  insuring 
permanent  identification. 


Hed^  and  Afo^tcUitif.  0^  tUe  An.4ftif. 
01  the  United  Stated,  1819-1860  * 

Compiled  by  Marie  H.  Erwin 


According  to  the  requirements  of  medical  regulations, 
medical  officers  were  required  to  prepare  a  paper  on  the 
medical  history  of  their  respective  posts.  They  were  re- 
quested to  describe  the  geographical  position  of  their  re- 
spective posts,  the  physical  aspect  of  the  surrounding 
country;  the  geological  formations;  its  flora;  its  fauna, 
(the  animals,  trees,  and  plants  belonging  to  it) ;  the 
characteristics  of  climate;  the  nature  and  causes  of  the 
diseases  prevailing  at  the  posts  and  their  vicinity,  and 
how  far  these  diseases  could  be  traced  to  general  and  local 
causes;  how  far  to  habits  and  modes  of  life,  to  water, 
diet,  etc.  They  were  also  requested  to  collect  as  many 
facts  as  possible  concerning  the  vital  statistics  of  the  in- 
habitants in  the  vicinity  of  their  respective  posts,  particu- 
larly of  the  Indian  tribes;  to  give  a  brief  but  clear  account 
of  their  several  diseases,  etc.,  embracing  all  types  of  in- 
formation calculated  to  prove  useful  or  interesting  to  the 
War  Department  and  the  medical  world. 

Statistical  reports  on  the  sickness  and  mortality  of 
the  United  States  Army  were  compiled  by  the  Surgeon 
General  of  the  United  States  Army  from  the  reports  made 
by  the  medical  officers;  the  reports  in  compliance  with 
resolutions  of  the  Senate  of  the  Congress  in  which  these 
reports  appeared  were  printed. 

The  military  posts  of  tne  United  States  were  arranged 
in  geographical  divisions  and  these  divisions  into  regions, 
thereby  rendering  greater  convenience  and  accuracy  in 
securing  statistical  and  topographical  details  of  the  mili- 
tary posts  in  geographical  divisions  and  regions  having 
similar  climatological  features. 

*This  article  is  compiled  from  various  reports  made  by  the 
Surgeon  General  of  the  United  States  Army,  contained  in  the  United 
States   Congressional    Documents. 


316  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  first  "Statistical  Report  on  Sickness  and  Mor- 
tality in  the  Army  of  the  United  States"  covered  a  period 
of  twenty  years,  from  January  1819  to  January  1838,  and 
was  published  in  1840.  There  were  no  military  posts  in 
that  part  of  the  Northern  Division  from  which  Wyoming 
was  carved  at  the  time  this  report  was  made. 

SECOND  REPORT 

The  Second  Report  embraced  a  period  of  sixteen  years, 
from  January  1839  to  January  1855,  compiled  under  the 
direction  of  the  Surgeon  General  of  the  United  States 
Army,  was  published  in  1856,  by  order  of  the  United  States 
Senate. 

Fort  Laramie  was  the  only  military  post  in  that  part 
of  the  Northern  Division  from  which  Wyoming  was  carved 
when  this  report  was  made.  This  Division  included  all 
that  part  of  the  United  States  north  of  the  40°  N.  Latitude 
and  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Second  Report  on  the  Sickness  and  Mortality  Among 
the  Troops  at  Fort  Laramie,  1839-1855.* 

In  the  absence  of  any  special  topographical  report 
respecting  this  military  station  the  following  brief  state- 
ment has  been  collated  from  Captain  Howard  Stans- 
bury's  report  of  his  "Exploration  of  the  Valley  of  the  Great 
Salt  Lake"  in  1849-1850. 

"Fort  Laramie,  formerly  known  as  Fort  John,  was 
one  of  the  posts  established  by  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany for  the  protection  of  their  trade.  Its  walls  are  built 
in  the  usual  style  of  such  structures,  of  adobe  or  unburnt 
brick.  The  soil  in  the  vicinity  appears  to  be  sterile,  owing, 
no  doubt,  to  the  extreme  dryness  of  the  air  and  almost 
total  absence  of  dews.  The  great  quantity  of  coarse  con- 
glomerate, too,  which,  by  its  disintegration,  leaves  the 
surface  covered  with  gravel,  must  operate  as  a  great  im- 
pediment to  cultivation.  The  rocks,  however,  contain  the 
elements  of  fertility,  being  composed  of  limestone,  clay, 
and  sand ;  and,  with  the  aid  of  irrigation,  the  bottom  lands 
of  Laramie  creek  might  be  made  to  produce  most  abund- 
ant crops.  Hay  is  cut,  about  eight  miles  up  the  stream, 
in  quantity  sufficient  for  the  wants  of  the  garrison." 

According  to  Assistant  Surgeon  G.  K.  Wood,  the  fort 


*U.    S.    Congressional  Documents,   34th  Cong.   1st  Sess.   S.  Ex. 
Doc.  No.  96,  pp.  75,  77,  78,  79,  80,  81,  82.   [Serial  827.] 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  317 

is  elevated  about  twenty  feet  above  the  plain  immediately 
surrounding  it,  which  is  enclosed  by  hills  at  a  distance  of 
about  a  mile,  except  on  the  north  and  southwest.  The 
latter  direction  is  occupied  by  the  valley  of  the  Laramie 
river,  through  which  the  wind  sweeps  almost  constantly 
with  great  violence;  in  summer,  raising  clouds  of  dust  so 
dense  as  to  obscure  vision  for  hours;  and  in  winter,  the 
snow,  perfectly  dry,  is  similarly  raised;  and  lives  are  fre- 
quently lost  on  the  plains  about  the  post,  from  the  inability 
of  the  traveller  to  discover  the  direction  to  pursue. 

As  regards  the  geographical  position  of  Fort  Laramie, 
it  is  in  latitude  42°  12'  38",  longitude  104°  31'  26",  as  de- 
termined by  Captain  Stansbury.  Its  altitude,  4,519  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  is  50°. 6,  having  an  ex- 
treme range  of  123°;  rising  in  summer  to  102°,  and  falling 
in  winter  to  -21°.  The  mean  annual  precipitation  is  19.98 
inches. 

The  only  military  stations  in  this  region  visited  by 
cholera  were  Forts  Kearney  and  Laramie.  It  is  well  known 
that  in  the  summer  of  1849  the  emigrants  crossing  the 
western  plains  suffered  with  this  disease.  The  garrisons 
at  the  above  mentioned  posts,  on  the  line  of  emigration, 
escaped;  but  two  cases  being  reported — one  at  each  post. 
Assistant  Surgeon  William  Hammond,  jr.,  at  Fort  Kearny, 
states  that  the  case  of  cholera,  included  in  his  report  for 
the  quarter  ending  June  30th,  1849,  was  brought  to  that 
post.  No  case  originated  there.  The  case  included  in  the 
report  for  Fort  Laramie,  really  occurred  on  the  march  to 
that  post  from  Fort  Leavenworth. 

Taking  the  quarterly  reports  from  Fort  Kearney  in 
due  order,  it  is  found  that  in  June,  1850,  Assistant  Sur- 
geon Wm.  Hammond,  jr.,  reports  the  health  of  the  troops 
good,  but  adds  that  "the  California  emigrants,  between 
Forts  Leavenworth  and  Laramie,  have  suffered  a  good 
deal  from  a  disease  called  by  them  cholera,  and  which, 
in  its  sometimes  rapid  and  fatal  course,  very  much  re- 
sembled that  malady;  but  which  was  nothing  more  than 
an  acute  form  of  diarrhoea,  brought  on  by  excessive  im- 
prudence in  diet,  and  exposure  to  many  hardships  on  the 
plains,  to  which  they  were  entirely  unaccustomed  at  home. 
The  universal  use  of  quack  nostrums,  called  cholera  mix- 
tures, composed  principally  of  brandy  and  Cayenne  pepper, 
has  tended  to  aggravate  the  disease  when  formed.    I  have 


318  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

seen  a  great  many  cases  among  the  emigrants,  all  of  which, 
when  fairly  treated  with  calomel,  opium,  and  astringents, 
have  readily  yielded.  I  do  not  think  there  has  been  any 
true  Asiatic  cholera  upon  the  plains  this  summer." 

The  quarterly  report  of  this  officer  for  June,  1851, 
contains  the  following  remarks:  "The  case  of  cholera  re- 
ported above  occurred  in  a  recruit,  just  arrived  from  Fort 
Leavenworth,  who  had  been  suffering  with  diarrhoea  sev- 
eral days  before  reaching  this  post.  When  brought  to  the 
hospital,  at  11  o'clock  A.  M.,  June  28,  he  had  all  the  symp- 
toms of  Asiatic  cholera — constant  and  profuse  rice-water 
discharges  from  the  stomach  and  bowels;  violent  cramps 
in  all  the  limbs;  pulse  almost  imperceptible;  skin  cool  and 
shrunken.  Gave  calomel,  15  grains;  opium,  I  grain;  and 
applied  blister  to  abdomen.  At  1  o'clock  P.  M.  gave  cal- 
omel, 30  grains;  soon  after  which,  vomiting  and  purging 
became  less  frequent,  and  ceased  about  midnight,  at  which 
time  the  pulse  had  increased  in  volume,  and  the  skin  was 
slightly  warm."     This  patient  recovered. 

In  transmitting  his  report  for  the  quarter  ending 
June  30th,  1852,  Assistant  Surgeon  Hammond  makes  the 
following  statement:  "The  two  cases  of  cholera  reported 
in  June  are  the  first  that  have  occurred  among  the  troops 
stationed  at  this  post.  The  men  had  been  on  detached  service 
at  the  village  of  the  Pawnee  Indians,  on  the  Platte  river, 
about  thirty  miles  from  the  State  line.  One  of  them  was 
drunk  several  times  on  the  road.  They  both  had  diarrhoea 
while  absent,  which  continued  after  their  return  to  Fort 
Kearny,  but  did  not  report  sick  until  the  rice-water  dis- 
charges and  cramps  of  cholera  announced  the  gravity  of 
their  complaints.  When  I  first  sav/  them,  all  the  violent 
symptoms  of  cholera  were  present,  large  and  repeated 
doses  of  calomel  were  immediately  resorted  to,  and  prompt- 
ly arrested  the  disease.  I  have  seen  some  five  or  six  cases 
of  Asiatic  cholera  among  the  emigrants ;  all  of  which  proved 
fatal.  In  these  cases,  there  had  been  premonitory 
diarrhoea  of  several  days,  and  even  weeks'  standing.  I 
have  had  frequent  occasion  to  treat  this  diarrhoea,  and 
found  it  to  yield  readily  under  the  use  of  calomel  with  a 
very  small  portion  of  opium.  The  treatment  which  I  have 
found  most  beneficial,  in  fully  developed  cholera,  was  large 
and  repeated  doses  of  calomel.  This  remedy  has  seldom 
failed  to  produce  a  prompt  and  decided  alleviation  of  the 
symptoms,  when  given  in  doses  of  from  20  to  60  grains, 
before  the  total  prostration  of  the  state  of  collapse." 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  319 

The  reports  from  Fort  Kearny  for  June  and  Septem- 
ber, 1854,  show,  that  while  the  troops  continued  healthy, 
cholera  prevailed  among  the  emigrants.  The  reports  for 
the  summer  of  1853  make  no  mention  of  this  disease. 

The  case  of  cholera  reported  in  the  abstract  for  the 
second  quarter  of  1850,  and  the  thirty  cases  in  the  third 
quarter  of  that  year,  occurred  at  Fort  Laramie.  Respect- 
ing this  disease,  Surgeon  S.  P.  Moore  makes  the  follow- 
ing remarks,  in  transmitting  his  report  of  sick  at  that 
post,  for  the  third  quarter  of  1850: 

"The  Asiatic  cholera,  one  of  the  most  formidable  and 
destructive  pestilences  the  world  has  even  known,  made  its 
appearance  at  this  post  during  the  past  season.  I  do 
not  intend  to  give  more  than  a  brief  sketch  of  the  epidemic, 
and  to  trace  its 'progress  to  this  station.  In  the  spring  of 
1849,  the  cholera  appeared  among  the  emigrants,  in  their 
encampments  at  or  near  the  towns  on  the  frontier,  from 
whence  they  took  their  departure  for  California  and  Ore- 
gon; the  prevalence  of  the  disease  hastened  the  departure 
of  many  companies,  they  believing  the  extensive  and 
healthy  prairies  would  dissipate  all  traces  of  the  de- 
stroyer; but  for  a  time  they  were  mistaken,  for  cases  of 
cholera  continued  to  occur  to  within  fifty  miles  of  this 
post.  Three  soldiers,  forming  an  escort  from  Fort  Kearny, 
arrived  here  in  July,  1849;  one  was  attacked  with  cholera 
about  the  end  of  the  same  month,  and  another  the  first 
of  August,  as  will  be  seen  by  my  quarterly  report  for  that 
period.  These  were  the  only  cases  at  the  post.  This  year, 
the  progress  of  the  disease  has  been  somewhat  different; 
it  attacked  the  emigrants  after  they  had  left  the  frontier 
towns.  The  disease  was  prevailing,  however,  on  the 
Missouri  river,  and  may  have  prevailed  among  the  emi- 
grants before  they  took  up  the  line  of  march  for  the  land 
of  promised  riches.  The  emigrants  were  healthy  when 
they  left;  it  was  after  the  emigration  had  been  on  the 
route  many  days  that  the  disease  appeared,  about  the  Big 
Blue,  thirty  miles  from  Fort  Kearny;  from  this  point  to 
the  upper  crossing  of  the  Platte  river,  a  distance  of  about 
four  hundred  and  seventy  miles,  the  emigrants  suffered 
severely.  Beyond  the  crossing,  the  disease  disapoeared. 
Recruits  for  this  post  left  Fort  Leavenworth  last  spring, 
perfectly  healthy,  and  continued  so  until  their  road  met 
the  one  from  Independence  on  one  side,  and  the  St.  Joseph's 
on  the  other,  and  then  they  were  in  the  midst  of  the 
emigration;  on  the  Big  Blue  the  cholera  broke  out  among 


320  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

the  men.  This  fort  is  one  mile  south  of  the  road  to  Cah- 
fornia  and  Oregon,  and  overrun  by  the  emigration.  The 
first  case  of  cholera  was  on  the  21st  of  June.  From  the 
healthy  state  of  the  troops,  I  had  hoped  we  should  escaiDe. 
It  was  not  so;  diarrhoea  became  quite  prevalent,  showing 
some  atmospheric  influence  at  work;  and  on  the  4th  of 
July  another  case  occurred;  the  last  case  was  on  the  20th 
of  the  same  month.  Much  has  been  written  as  to  whether 
this  disease  is  communicated  from  the  sick  to  the  healthy, 
in  the  manner  of  a  contagion,  or  not.  From  the  foregoing 
short  description,  it  appears  to  depend  upon  a  peculiar 
condition  of  the  atmosphere;  that  all  are  liable  to  it, 
when  under  its  influence,  and  in  this  way  predisposed  to 
the  disease.  The  cholera  was  confined  to  the  road,  and 
among  the  emio-rants.  Many  Indians  remained  on  the  road 
through  curiosity,  and  for  the  purpose  of  begging;  they 
paid  a  terrible  penalty.  Other  bands  of  Indians,  wiser 
than  the  above,  left  the  road  so  soon  as  they  learned  there 
was  disease  among  the  whites,  and  escaped.  Of  the  thirty 
cases  in  July,  nine  only  were  of  the  soldiers,  who  had 
arrived  here  the  previous  year;  the  other  cases  were  from 
the  recruits  just  joined,  and  who  had  journeyed  with  the 
emigration,  and  consequently  were  subjected  to  the  cholera 
atmospheric  influence.  The  hospital  at  this  post  is  very 
small;  all  the  patients  were  sent  to  it;  yet  in  no  instance 
did  it  attack  those  attached  to  the  hospital,  or  the  other 
patients.  The  two  cases  that  occurred  in  July  and  August, 
1849,  were  alone;  the  command  continued  healthy.  Not 
a  single  case  of  cholera  occurred  at  the  post;  but  many 
persons  were  necessarily  exposed,  and,  if  the  disease  is 
contagious,  it  is  incredible  that  so  great  a  number  of 
persons  exposed  should  escape.  It  appears  difficult  to 
account  for  all  the  phenomena  connected  with  the  spread 
of  this  disease,  without  the  existence  of  another  agency 
than  contagion.  Many  hypotheses  have  been  raised  to 
explain  this  influence,  but  they  do  not  rest  on  facts,  and 
we  must  admit  our  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  this  agency. 
If  epidemic  influenza  is  contagious,  so  is  Asiatic  cholera. 

"With  regard  to  the  meteorological  phenomena  of  the 
past  quarter,  there  was  nothing  to  be  observed.  The  post 
was  kept  in  good  and  strict  police;  the  diet  consisting 
principally  of  fresh  meat  and  rice,  I  presume  I  saw  and 
prescribed  for  every  sick  emigrant  passing  the  fort,  and 
many  were  necessarily  left  under  my  charge.  Stimulat- 
ing emetics,  in  the  forming  stage,  were  prescribed  with 
the  happiest  effect.     It  is  known  that  active  vomiting  ex- 


ARMY   SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  321 

cites  the  action  of  the  heart  and  arteries,  and  impels  the 
blood  from  the  central  vessels  to  the  surface,  and  should 
give  a  health}^  impulse  to  the  circulation  in  this  disease. 
In  the  stage  c»f  collapse,  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  the 
ordinary  rem(;dies  of  the  materia  medica  are  not  suffic- 
iently powerful;  the  patient  may  be  considered  as  lost; 
the  remedy  is  yet  to  be  discovered;  and  I  have  nothing  to 
offer  which  can  elucidate  the  treatment  of  this  disease. 
More  extensive  trials  should  be  given  to  the  inhalation 
of  chloroform  and  oxygen  gas." 

Respecting  this  disease,  as  it  prevailed  in  the  vicinity 
of  Fort  Laramie  in  1852,  Assistant  Surgeon  G.  K.  Wood 
makes  the  following  statement:  "In  the  summer  of  1852, 
the  number  of  emigrants  crossing  the  plains  from  the 
Missouri  to  California  was  very  large,  and  cholera  ap- 
peared among  them  from  the  commencement  of  their 
march.  About  one  thousand  deaths  occurred  on  the 
Platte  river.  The  disease,  although  affecting  all  classes 
of  the  emigrants — those  furnished  with  every  possible 
comfort,  as  well  as  the  mendicant  begging  his  way  to  El 
Dorado — was  not  in  a  single  instance  communicated  to 
those  living  in  the  country,  or  returning  on  the  road  from 
California.  At  Fort  Laramie,  the  military  hospital  was 
constantly  crowded  with  the  sick;  they  were  lying  about 
the  garrison  and  in  tents  in  the  surrounding  country;  were 
waited  upon  by  the  hospital  attendants,  visited  by  the 
soldiers,  and  treated  by  the  medical  officer  on  duty.  Al- 
most all  had  the  disease  severely;  nearly  all  died;  yet,  not 
in  a  single  instance  was  the  disease  communicated  even 
to  those  of  the  garrison  in  most  immediate  contact  with 
the  sick." 

With  reference  to  the  diseases  of  the  respiratory  sys- 
tem at  Fort  Laramie,  Assistant  Surgeon  G.  K.  Wood  sub- 
mits the  following  remarks: 

"The  climate  of  those  broad  and  elevated  table-lands 
which  skirt  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  on  the  east, 
is  especially  beneficial  to  persons  suffering  from  pul- 
monary disease,  or  with  a  scrofulous  diathesis.  This  has 
been  known  to  the  French  inhabitants  of  the  upper  Mis- 
sissippi and  Missouri  for  many  years;  and  it  has  been 
their  custom,  since  the  settlement  of  that  portion  of  the 
county,  to  send  the  younger  members  of  their  families, 
who  showed  any  tendency  to  diseases  of  the  lungs,  to  pass 
their  youth  among  the  trappers  of  the  plains  and  moun- 
tains.    The  beneficial  result  of  this  course,  no  doubt,  de- 


322  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

pends,  in  a  great  measure,  upon  the  mode  of  life  led  by 
these  persons — their  regular  habits,  constant  exercise  in 
the  open  air,  and  the  absence  of  the  enervating  influences 
incident  to  life  in  cities;  but  that  more  is  due  to  the  cli- 
mate itself,  is  shown  by  the  fact,  that  among  the  troops 
stationed  in  this  region  (whose  habits  are  much  the  same 
everywhere),  this  class  of  disease  is  of  very  rare  occur- 
rence. The  reports  from  the  line  of  posts  stretching  from 
the  upper  Platte,  through  New  Mexico,  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
give  a  smaller  proportion  of  cases  of  pulmonary  disease 
than  those  from  any  other  portion  of  the  United  States. 
The  air  in  this  region  is  almost  devoid  of  moisture;  there 
are  no  sudden  changes  of  temperature;  the  depressing 
heats  of  the  eastern  summers  are  never  felt;  and,  although 
in  the  north  the  winters  are  extremely  cold,  a  stimulant 
and  tonic  effect  is  the  only  result  of  exposure  in  the 
open  air.     *     *     *     * 

SCURVY. — This  disease  manifested  itself  among  the 
troops  at  Forts  Kearny  and  Laramie  in  the  first  and  sec- 
ond quarters  of  1849  and  1850.  Surgeon  S.  P.  Moore's 
report  for  the  first  quarter  of  1850  has  the  following  re- 
marks : 

"The  scurvy  has  increased  to  a  much  greater  degree 
than  was  anticipated.  Thirteen  of  the  cases  were  very 
severe,  attended  by  great  lassitude;  stiffness  of  the  knees 
and  feet;  respiration  difficult  upon  the  slightest  exer- 
tion ;  the  countenance  exhibiting  a  pale,  sallow,  and  bloated 
appearance;  maculae  first  on  the  legs,  then  thighs  and 
arms;  oedematous  swelling  of  the  legs,  and  extensive 
anasarcous  effusions;  the  gums  spongy  and  tender,  and 
apt  to  bleed  on  the  slightest  touch;  the  urine  turbid  and 
dark  colored;  the  muscular  power  much  prostrated;  the 
blood  dissolved.  Indurations  of  the  muscles,  and  severe 
pain  in  the  thighs,  back,  and  knees,  were  frequent.  In 
some  of  the  cases,  pain  in  the  intestines,  and  constipation; 
extensive  sub-cuticular  extravasations  of  blood  on  the 
extremities  and  other  parts  of  the  body;  passive  haemorrh- 
ages from  the  gums  and  nose,  the  gums  separating  from 
the  teeth,  and  the  teeth  becoming  loose  in  their  sockets. 
In  the  fatal  case,  extreme  prostration  occurred,  with 
anxious  and  oppressed  respiration,  dysenteric  discharges, 
and  convulsions.  The  habitual  use  of  salt  and  unwhole- 
some food,  conjoined  with  fatiguing  labor,  were  the  excit- 
ing causes  of  the  disease.  In  treating  the  disease,  the 
causes  have  been  removed  as  much  as  possible;  fresh  ani- 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  323 

mal  food  was  given  in  conjunction  with  vegetable  acid 
drinks.  During  convalescence  much  benefit  was  derived 
from  tonics,  particularly  the  mineral  acids.  The  solution 
of  nitrate  of  potash  in  vinegar,  so  highly  spoken  of,  failed 
to  produce  any  beneficial  results;  on  the  contrary,  it 
caused  pain  in  the  intestines  and  diarrhoea."  In  a  sub- 
sequent report.  Surgeon  Moore  observes  that  the  almost 
entire  exemption  of  the  troops  from  scurvy  is  due  to  the 
liberal  supply  of  anti-scorbutics  furnished  by  the  Sub- 
sistence Department. 

THIRD   REPORT 

The  third  report  embracing  a  period  of  five  years, 
from  January  1855  to  January  1860,  was  published  in 
June  1860.  This  report  includes  forts  and  camps  in  the 
Northern  Division  and  the  Division  of  Utah. 

The  Northern  Division  was  subdivided  into  regions; 
the  region  we  are  interested  in  was  the  Northern  Interior 
Region,  which  included  all  that  portion  of  the  United 
States  between  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Rocky  Mountains 
and  north  of  the  40°  N.  Latitude.  Fort  Laiamie,  Camps 
Platte  Bridge  and  Walbach,  were  in  this  region.  The 
Division  of  Utah  included  Fort  Bridger  and  Camp  Scott. 

Third  Report  on  the  Sickness  and  Mortality  of  the 
Troops  at  Fort  Laramie,  Camps  Walbach  and  Platte  Bridge 
in  the  Northern  Division,  and  Fort  Bridger  and  Camp 
Scott  in  the  Division  of  Utah,  1855-1860. 

NORTHERN   DIVISION 

SANITARY  REPORT,   FORT  LARAMIE* 

Assistant  Surgeon  E.  W.  Johns:  December,  1858 

There  is  but  little  of  interest  to  report,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  what  relates  to  scorbutic  disease,  the  tendency 
to  and  practical  development  of  which  was  observed  last 
quarter.  The  condition  of  the  entire  command  during  this 
quarter  was  scorbutic,  although  only  fourteen  fully  develop- 
ed cases  were  recorded  on  the  report.  So  strongly  pro- 
nounced was  the  scorbutic  condition  that  I  deemed  it  ad- 
visable to  recommend  to  the  commanding  officer  the  ad- 
ministration to  the  command  not  on  the  sick  report  of 
the  same  preparation  of  the  cactus  used  in  the  hospital. 

*U.  S.  Cong.  Docs.  36th  Cong.  1st  Sess.  S.  Ex.  Doc.  No.  52,  pp. 
45-47.    [Serial  1035.] 


324  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  desiccated  vegetables  seemed  unavailing,  though 
most  useful  otherwise  as  additions  to  the  food  of  the  men; 
no  other  vegetables  could  now  be  provided,  and  a  long 
winter  was  to  be  passed  through. 

For  the  information  of  the  department,  and  to  show 
what  measures  I  have  taken  and  recommt^nded,  I  re- 
spectfully inclose  the  following  copies  of  communications 
made  by  me  to  the  adjutant's  office  of  this  post. 

With  respect  to  the  use  of  the  juice  of  the  cactus, 
(made  by  cutting  the  leaves  in  slices  after  slightly  cook- 
ing the  outside  by  holding  them  a  brief  period  over  fire, 
and  then  steeping  the  pieces  in  water  until  a  thick  green- 
ish-brown mucilaginous  mixture  is  obtained,)  I  would  re- 
mark that  great  benefit  has  attended  its  administration, 
as  at  the  end  of  the  quarter  all  the  cases  were  convales- 
cent. No  other  remedy  appeared  to  have  the  slightest 
effect  upon  the  disease. 

I  have  long  since  ceased  to  place  any  reliance  on 
citric  acid,  and  have  seen  no  good  results  from  the  pre- 
parations of  potash.  All  the  cases  were  proceeding  from 
bad  to  worse,  until  I  commenced  the  use  of  the  cactus, 
which  I  had  previously  employed  in  Texas. 

But  amendment  was  soon  apparent  under  the  use 
of  the  cactus,  though  not  so  rapid  as  was  desirable;  still, 
in  the  abscence  of  the  potato,  (the  best  antiscorbutic,) 
the  cactus  was  most  useful. 

In  consequence  of  my  recommendation,  the  command- 
ing officer  caused  to  be  procured  also,  in  the  last  week 
in  December,  a  supply  of  wild  celery,  growing  twelve  miles 
from  this  post,  superintending  the  search  for  it  himself. 
It  is  contemplated  to  make  the  celery  a  regular  article 
of  diet  for  the  companies  during  the  winter,  should  it  be 
found  in  sufficient  quantities  for  the  purpose.  In  the 
hospital  I  intend  using  both  the  juice  of  the  cactus  and 
celery,  and  look  for  good  results.  I  have  omitted  to  men- 
tion that  the  dose  of  the  juice  of  the  cactus  is  nearly  a 
tumblerful  mixed  with  half  a  gill  of  whisky,  (bought 
from  the  commissary  department  out  of  hospital  funds, 
as  the  hospital  liquors  would  otherwise  be  expended,)  and 
flavored  with  extract  of  lemon. 

My  observation  of  scorbutus  leads  me  to  conclude: 

I.  That  the  primary  cause  of  scurvy  is  the  absence  of 
material  furnished  to  the  blood  by  fresh  vegetable  matter. 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  325 

II.  That  from  the  primary  cause  the  disease  is  developed 

by, 

1.  Depression   from   exposure   to    cold,    particularly 

during  guard  duty  at  night,  and  the  long  continued  cold 
of  winter. 

2.  Depression  from  fatigue. 

3.  Insufficient  ventilation,  and  crowding  a  number  of 
men  in  a  restricted  place,  whether  in  company  quarters 
or  on  shipboard. 

4.  Too  great  a  preponderance  of  salted  food. 

III.  With  respect  to  prevention  and  treatment. 

1.  That  citric  acid  alone  has  but  little  effect  upon 
the  disease,  and  the  same  with  respect  to  potash. 

2.  That  the  first  step  is  to  procure  fresh  vegetable 
matter. 

3.  To  issue  stimulant  and  tonic  remedies. 

4.  To  supply  a  sufficient  number  of  cubic  feet  of 
pure  air  for  respiration,  and  the  avoidance  of  the  radiated 
and  confined  heat  and  air  of  rooms  heated  by  stoves. 

5.  The  diet  should  be  full,  nutritious,  digestible,  and 
chiefly  of  fresh  meat,  and  boiled  meat,  if  possible. 

6.  To  encourage  amusements  and  counteract  the 
mental  depression  attendant  upon  the  disease. 

In  conclusion,  officers  do  not  have  the  disease  de- 
veloped, because  they  have  more  pure  air  to  breathe, 
much  less  exposure,  better  diet  and  clothing. 

The  mountain  men  of  this  country  do  not  have  scurvy, 
because  they  are  not  crowded,  have  plenty  of  fresh  air, 
are  subjected  to  no  continued  labor  or  exposure,  being 
strongly  inclined  to  lead  a  lazy  Indian  life,  and  live  chiefly 
on  unsalted  fresh  meat. 

The  quartermaster's  employes  do  not  have  scurvy, 
because  they  are  not  exposed  to  night  duty;  their  pay 
being  better  than  that  of  the  soldiers,  they  can  afford 
more  luxuries  in  the  way  of  diet,  and  their  daily  duty  and 
exposure  are  not  excessive. 

On  the  other  hand,  I  have  seen  a  command  liberally 
supplied  with  fresh  venison,  and  saving  their  meat  ration, 
yet  have  scurvy  badly,  vegetables  being  entirely  wanting; 


326  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

I  have  also  seen  a  bad  case  of  scurvy  occurring  in  the  hme 
groves  of  Florida,  though  it  was  the  only  one. 

After  nearly  two  years'  observation  of  scurvy,  I 
have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  scurvy  is  a  blood  dis- 
ease with  certain  alteration  of  tissue,  consequent,  depend- 
ant primarily  upon  the  absence  of  certain  principles  (to 
me  unknown,  nor  does  any  writer  seem  to  be  particularly 
clear  on  this  point)  furnished  by  fresh  vegetable  matter. 
That  this  disease  exhibits  different  grades,  from  a  positive 
development  to  what  might  be  called  only,  apparently,  a 
tendency,  or  rather  a  scorbutic  condition  or  predisposi- 
tion. That  the  primary  condition  may  proceed  at  once 
to  full  development,  but  that  ordinarily  it  receives  its  most 
rapid  and  favorable  development  from  the  circumstances 
mentioned  above,  and  principally  from  bad  ventilation  and 
insufficient  respiration,  exposure  to  long  continued  and 
depressing  cold,  depressing  fatigue,  and  loss  of  regular 
nightly  rest,  and  insufficient  and  badly-cooked  food. 

The  communications  referred  to  by  Assistant  Surgeon 
Johns  are  two  in  number,  dated  November  27  and  Decem- 
ber 29,  1858.  In  the  first,  he  reports  the  presence  of 
scurvy  among  the  troops,  and  recommends  the  daily  issue 
of  desiccated  vegetables;  the  issue  four  times  in  each  week 
of  pickles,  dried  apples,  molasses,  and  vinegar;  attention 
to  ventilation  of  the  men's  quarters,  especially  at  night; 
personal  cleanliness  of  the  men;  good  cooking;  and  mental 
and  physical  amusements  and  recreations. 

In  the  second.  Assistant  Surgeon  Johns  recommends, 
in  addition  to  the  measures  above  stated,  the  daily  admin- 
istration of  the  juice  of  the  cactus  to  all  the  companies, 
and  the  use  of  watercresses.  He  also  expresses  the  opinion 
that  desiccated  vegetables  will  not  remove  or  cure  scurvy, 
and  that  to  prevent  it,  they  should  be  issued  daily  and  in 
much  larger  quantities  than  at  present.  Assistant  Sur- 
geon Johns  also  animadverts  upon  the  action  of  the  Com- 
missary General  of  Subsistence  in  declining  to  furnish 
the  potatoes  called  for  by  the  commanding  officer  at  Fort 
Laramie,  and  states  that  they  were  brought  to  that  post 
by  private  individuals  after  the  time  when  it  was  deemed 
impossible  to  do  so  by  the  Subsistence  Department. 

This  report  was  referred  to  the  Commissary  General, 
with  the  following  abstract  of  the  cases  of  scurvy  that 
had  occurred  among  the  troops  stationed  at  Fort  Laramie, 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY 


327 


Camp  Walbach,   at  Platte  Bridge,   and  in  Utah,   in   1857 
and  1858: 

Abstract  of  cases  of  sickness  from  "scorbutus,"  in 
Utah  forces,  Fort  Laramie,  Camps  Walbach,  and  Platte 
Bridge,  in  1857  and  1858. 


UTAH  FORCES 


°^ 

Month  w  > 

<D   U 

m  3 
05  o 
OM 

1857,  November    2 

December     3 

1858,  January    3 

February    3 

March  6 

November    1 

December     2 

CAMP   WALBACH 

1858,  November    4 

December     0 


w  oU 
1,624 
2,069 
1,838 
1,887 
1,723 
3,387 
3,387 


97 
95 


FORT  LARAMIE 


o  >> 

Month  w  > 

m  3 

OW 

1857,  November      0 

December    2 

1858,  January     6 

February     13 

March    21 

November     4 

December    6 

PLATTE   BRIDGE 

1858,  November  0 

December    2 


M  oU 
343 
329 
324 
318 
316 
223 
216 


75 

77 


SANITARY  REPORT— FORT  LARAMIE* 
Assistant  Surgeon  E.  W.  Johns:  March,  1859 

The  health  of  the  command,  as  contrasted  with  its 
state  in  the  preceding  quarter,  shows  a  marked  improve- 
ment, and  is  now,  at  the  end  of  the  quarter,  remarkably 
good.  The  measures  detailed  in  my  last  report  as  adopted 
to  redeem  the  command  from  the  scorbutic  condition  in 
which  it  had  fallen,  were  attended  with  success.  The  ef- 
fect of  remedies  was  most  marked  and  satisfactory. 

The  juice  of  the  cactus  leaf,  as  prepared  for  the  cases 
of  scurvey,  proved  particularly  well  adapted  to  their 
treatment,  as,  under  its  use,  the  first  set  of  scorbutic 
patients  were  convalescing  before  other  remedies  were  ad- 
ditionally employed.  Afterwards,  in  consequence  of  my 
recommendation  to  that  effect,  the  commanding  officer 
caused,  weekly,  six  or  eight  barrels  of  water-cresses  (im- 
properly called  here  wild  celery)  to  be  obtained  from  a 
point  twelve  miles  from  the  post.  These  were  put  in 
charge  of  an  officer,  and  issued  to  the  companies  as  part 
of  their  daily  food. 


*Ibid.  pp.  47-51. 


328  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

In  most  cases  it  was  relished  by  the  men,  and  its  use 
in  this  way  (although  the  cases  in  hospital  were  all  con- 
valescing under  the  use  of  the  cactus,  before  the  cresses 
were  obtained)  prevented  the  development  of  further  gen- 
eral scorbutic  diathesis  in  the  command.  Individual  cases 
of  slight  importance,  particularly  towards  the  end  of  the 
quarter,  occurred;  but  in  each  instance  the  disease  was 
the  result  of  the  carelessness  of  the  patient  to  his  own  in- 
terests, in  the  neglect  of  the  vegetable  matter  thus  pro- 
vided for  him. 

These  cases  rapidly  recovered  under  the  combined 
effect  of  the  cactus  treatment,  cress  diet,  and  exhortations 
to  do  all  duty  they  could  find  to  do. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  remark  upon  the  satisfaction 
felt  from  the  readiness  of  the  Colonel  commanding  to 
listen  to,  and  act  in  general  accordance  with,  the  official 
and  professional  suggestions  made  with  regard  to  meas- 
ures to  be  adopted  for  the  removal  of  the  scorbutic  dis- 
ease so  prevalent  last  quarter.  In  addition  to  other  means, 
two  new  wards  have  been  added  to  the  hospital.  These 
are  worthy  of  remark  from  the  excellent  working  of  the 
arrangement  for  ventilation  which  I  requested  might  be 
made,  and  which  are  exceedingly  simple,  believing,  with 
Mr.  Calvert  Vaux,  architect,  "that  one  quarter  of  the  whole 
secret  (of  ventilation)  lies  in  the  hole  in  the  bottom,  and 
the  remaining  three  quarters  in  the  hole  in  the  top." 

Into  these  new  wards  fresh  air  is  introduced  by  a 
wooden  pipe,  six  inches  square  in  capacity,  carried  from 
the  outside  of  the  building,  under  the  floor,  to  the  side 
of  the  chimney,  from  which  it  enters  the  roorn  just  above 
the  floor,  the  bottom  of  the  opening  resting  on  the  floor. 

This  inner  opening  of  the  pipe  can  be  reduced  to  an 
inch  in  diameter  when  a  wind  storm  on  that  side  of  the 
building  renders  it  necessary. 

In  the  center  of  the  ceiling  of  each  ward  another 
wooden  pipe  of  the  same  capacity  springs  up  and  projects 
through  the  roof  several  feet.  There  is  an  arrangement 
at  the  top  by  which  the  wind,  striking  a  slanting  surface, 
according  to  its  direction,  pumps,  as  it  were,  the  air  from 
the  room  below. 

The  opening  in  the  ceiling  is  never  contracted,  and 
there  is  always  a  sufficient  upward  draft  to  carry  up  any 
light  object  placed  at  the  opening,  while  there  are  no  ob- 


ARMY   SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  329 

jectionable    drafts    with    respect    to    the    results    of    this 
ventilation. 

The  difference  between  the  old  and  new  wards  is 
most  marked.  In  the  new  wards  there  is  a  total  absence 
in  the  morning  of  that  indescribable,  stale,  matutinal  odor 
which  neither  care  nor  cleanliness  will  prevent,  when,  as 
is  the  case  with  the  old  wards,  there  is  no  proper  ven- 
tilating apparatus. 

In  speaking  of  these  means  of  ventilation,  as  to  their 
manner  of  working,  it  should  be  understood  that  the 
period  just  after  the  completion  of  the  new  wards  is  the 
one  referred  to,  as  at  that  time  the  walls  and  windows 
were  much  more  impervious  to  external  air  than  at  the 
present,  when,  from  the  shrinking  of  green  timber,  addi- 
tional ventilation  is  obtained,  and  more  than  is  desirable. 
There  was  not  the  proper  material  for  filling  in  the  walls, 
which,  at  present,  are  only  composed  of  the  frame-work, 
boarded  and  battened  externally. 

As  soon  as  the  season  shall  be  sufficiently  advanced,  it 
it  proposed  to  finish  the  walls  by  filling  in  with  adobes. 

Surgeon  General's  Office, 

March  23,   1859. 

Sir:  I  am  instructed  by  the  Surgeon  General  to  in- 
form you  that  your  sanitary  report  for  the  fourth  quarter 
of  1858  has  received  his  special  attention,  and  has  been 
referred  to  the  Commissary  General,  a  copy  of  whose  re- 
ply is  herewith  transmitted  for  your  perusal. 

While  the  Surgeon  General  approves  and  commends 
your  official  course  in  relation  to  the  prevalence  of  scurvy 
among  the  troops  at  Fort  Laramie,  he  directs  me  to  in- 
vite your  attention  to  a  few  points  connected  with  the  de- 
velopment of  that  disease,  concerning  which  more  specific 
and  detailed  information  is  desirable  to  give  completeness 
to  your  report.  Your  report  states  that  the  officers  and 
quartermaster's  men  at  the  post,  and  the  mountain  men 
of  the  adjacent  country,  are  exempt  from  scurvy.  Mak- 
ing due  allowance  for  the  different  conditions,  as  to  diet, 
clothing,  &c.,  &c.,  of  officers  and  enlisted  men,  and  con- 
fining the  comparison  to  the  three  classes,  mountain  men, 
quartermaster's  men,  and  soldiers,  the  conclusion,  from 
the  data  in  this  office,  is  that  in  all  respects,  except 
fresh  air,  and  perhaps  the  mode  of  cooking  food,  the  soldiers 
should  be  the  least  liable  to  scurvy;  that  is,  provided  they 


330  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

used  the  means  which  the  officers  could  command  for 
them.  It  is  usually  the  case  that  quartermaster's  men, 
at  military  posts,  have  harder  work,  and  are  more  con- 
stantly exposed  in  the  open  air  than  the  soldiers,  and 
that  they  dwell  in  tents,  while  the  troops  are  comfortably 
housed.  The  only  duty  of  the  soldier  in  garrison  which 
would  constitute  an  exception  to  this  rule,  is  guard  duty  at 
night.  On  referring  to  the  commissary's  abstract  of  is- 
sues to  the  troops  at  Laramie  for  the  fourth  quarter, 
1848,  it  is  ascertained  that  the  issues  of  fresh  meat  to 
quartermaster's  men,  was  much  less  in  proportion  than 
to  the  troops,  and  that  while  desiccated  potatoes  and 
mixed  vegetables  were  issued  to  the  soldiers,  in  what 
might  be  considered  large  proportions,  none  were  issued 
to  the  quartermaster's  men. 

Your  report  states  that  the  mountain  men  subsist 
"chiefly  on  unsalted  fresh  meat."  If  they  do  not  eat  the 
"wild  celery,"  or  pulp  of  cactus,  or  other  vegetable  food, 
how  is  their  condition,  as  regards  scurvy,  better  than  that 
of  the  troops  at  a  post  where  the  commissariat  had  526 
head  of  beef  cattle;  7,138  rations  of  mixed  desiccated 
vegetables;  8,706  rations  of  desiccated  potatoes,  and  large 
quantities  of  dried  apples,  pickles,  vinegar,  sugar,  and 
molasses  ? 

The  impression  left  by  a  careful  perusual  of  your  re- 
port is,  that  the  scurvy  at  Laramie  is  due  chiefly  to  the 
following  causes: 

1.  To  want  of  sufficient  ventilation  of  the  quarters 
allotted  to  the  troops. 

2.  To  want  of  a  due  proportion  of  regular  exercise 
in  the  open  air. 

3.  To  the  manner  in  which  their  food  is  cooked. 

These  impressions  may  be  erroneous.  You,  however, 
have  the  opportunity  for  stating  facts  of  much  value  in 
relation  to  the  tiology  of  scurvy,  and  it  is  expected  that 
you  will  cheerfully  respond  to  this  call  for  information. 
You  are,  therefore,  requested  to  report  upon  the  follow- 
ing subjects: 

1.  The  kind  of  buildings  occupied  by  the  troops  at 
Laramie;  the  dimensions  of  their  dormitories;  the  num- 
ber of  men  occupying  them;  the  mode  of  heating  those 
rooms;  the  manner  of  cleaning  them,  whether  by  scrub- 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  331 

bing  with  much  or  Httle  water,  or  with  dry  sand;  how 
often  cleaned;  the  provision  made  for  ventilation,  and  if 
the  ventilators  can  be  or  are  closed  by  the  soldiers  at 
night. 

2.  The  manner  of  cooking  the  food;  whether  the 
fresh  beef  is  ever  broiled,  roasted,  or  baked;  whether  the 
desiccated  vegetables  are  first  soaked  in  cold  water,  and 
then  slowly  boiled  in  the  same  water. 

3.  The  duties  of  the  troops;  the  average  period  of 
guard  duty  for  each  soldier;  the  length  of  time  on  post 
at  night.  Is  coffee  saved  from  the  company  kitchens,  and 
served  to  the  guard  at  night? 

4.  The  duties  of  the  quartermaster's  men;  their 
habits  as  to  clothing,  exercise,  food;  whether  living  in 
tents  or  in  quarters;  if  the  latter,  the  size  of  the  rooms 
and  the  same  particulars  as  requested  concerning  the 
dormitories  of  the  soldiers.  Do  the  quartermaster's  men 
live  upon  their  rations,  or  do  they  habitually  buy  other 
kinds  of  food? 

The  object  of  these  inquiries  is  to  arrive,  if  possible, 
at  the  true  cause  or  causes  of  this  disease  in  troops  at 
Laramie,  for  there  would  seem  to  be  some  local  cause 
operating  to  produce  scurvy  at  that  post.  In  five  months, 
from  November  1,  1857,  to  March,  31,  1858,  there  were 
only  seventeen  cases  of  scurvy  reported  in  the  army  in 
Utah,  averaging  1,800  officers  and  men,  while  during  the 
same  period  forty-two  cases  are  reported  at  Fort  Laramie 
in  a  command  averaging  325  officers  and  men.  During 
that  time  the  troops  in  Utah  were  much  exposed  in  tents, 
were  without  vegetables,  and  did  not  have  some  of  the 
component  parts  of  the  regular  ration  with  which  the 
commissariat  at  Laramie  was  fully  supplied. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  C.  WOOD. 

Surgeon  U.  S.  Army. 
Dr.  E.  W.  Johns, 

Assistant  Surgeon  U.  S.  Army,  Fort  Laramie,  Nebraska. 

OFFICE    COMMISSARY    GENERAL    SUBSISTENCE, 
Washington,  February  19,  1859. 

Sir:  Herewith  are  returned  Assistant  Surgeon  John's 
sanitary  report  from  Fort  Laramie  for  the  fourth  quarter, 
1858,  and  the  abstract  of  sickness  from  "scorbutus"  in  the 


332  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Utah   forces,   Fort   Laramie,    Camps   Walbach   and   Platte 
Bridge. 

Inclosed,  also,  is  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  this  office 
to  Brevet  Major  Waggaman,  declining  to  send  potatoes  to 
Fort  Laramie,  in  compliance  with  a  requisition  from  Lieu- 
tenant Mendenhall,  acting  assistant  commissary  subsis- 
tence, at  that  point.  The  date  of  Lieutenant  Mendenhall's 
requisition  is  unknown  at  this  office. 

The  comparison  of  the  number  of  cases  of  scurvy 
in  the  Utah  forces  and  Fort  Laramie  in  the  winter  of 
1857  and  1858  presents  a  remarkable  contrast,  and  when 
taken  in  connection  with  the  far  greater  exposure  of  the 
Utah  forces,  and  their  want  of  several  of  the  articles  of 
food  furnished  by  the  commissariat  at  Fort  Laramie, 
would  lead  to  the  belief  that  other  causes  than  exposure 
and  want  of  fresh  vegetable  food  had  produced  so  much 
of  this  disease  at  Fort  Laramie. 

The  fact  that  the  mountain  men,  officers,  and  quarter- 
master's employes  at  the  post  have  been  free  from  scurvy, 
would  go  far  to  show  that  the  use  of  fresh  potatoes  was 
not  essential  to  prevent  scurvy,  and  if  closely  examined 
into  might  perhaps  point  out  a  mode  of  life  by  which  this 
disease  among  the  troops  could  be  prevented. 

When  the  approach  of  this  disease  was  seen  at  an 
early  period  of  the  autumn,  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  re- 
course was  not  sooner  had  to  the  fresh  vegetables  around 
the  post,  and  which  could  have  been  procured  at  so  little 
expense,  viz:  the  wild  celery,  cactus,  and  perhaps  other 
plants;  and  the  use  of  fresh  meats  instead  of  salted  pro- 
visions, with  other  attention  to  the  ventilation,  &c.,  as 
pointed  out  in  Assistant  Surgeon  John's  communications 
to  the  commanding  officer,  of  December  29,  1858. 

Attempts  have  on  several  occasions  been  made  by 
this  department  to  forward  potatoes  (fresh)  to  Fort 
Laramie  from  Fort  Leavenworth,  but  the  loss  and  decay 
has  been  so  great  as  to  make  the  expense  for  the  benefit 
conferred,  very  heavy.  On  this  occasion  it  was  deemed 
the  less  necessary,  as  that  post  was  liberally  supplied  with 
desiccated  mixed  vegetables,   and  desiccated  potatoes. 

Herewith  is  also  inclosed  a  list  of  stores  on  hand  on 
the  last  of  December,  1858,  at  Fort  Laramie,  which  will 
show  the  varieties  of  food  at  that  post. 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  333 

Very  respectfully,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

J.  F.  TAYLOR, 

Acting   Commissary   General  Subsistence. 

Brevet  Brigadier  General  T.  Lawson, 

Surgeon   General. 

OFFICE  OF  COMMISSARY  GENERAL  SUBSISTENCE, 

Washington,  August  31,  1858. 

MAJOR:  Yours  of  the  27th  instant,  transmitting  a 
requisition  of  Lieutenant  Mendenhall,  fourth  artillery,  act- 
ing commissary  subsistence  at  Fort  Laramie,  upon  the 
commissary  of  subsistence  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  for  po- 
tatoes, is  received. 

Under  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  particularly  the 
fact  that  it  will  be  almost  an  impracticability  to  furnish  the 
matured  potato  at  Fort  Laramie,  except  in  a  frosted  con- 
dition, and  that  an  ample  supply  of  desiccated  vegetables 
are  at  that  post,  it  is  deemed  unadvisable  to  comply  with 
this  requisition. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

A.  E.  SHIR  AS, 

Captain,  Acting  Commissary  General  Subsistence. 

Major  G.  G.  Waggaman, 

Commissary  Subsistence,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
Return  of  provisions  on  hand  at  Fort  Laramie,  Nebraska  Territory, 

December  31,  1858. 

Beef  cattle  number  526  Candles     pounds  2,916 

Bacon    pounds  85,543  Soap    pounds  15,560 

Bacon  hams   pounds  9,588  Salt     bushels  454 

Flour     pounds  185,254  Vinegar    gallons  3,587 

Hard  bread  pounds  271,561  Coffee     pounds  20,073 

Tea    pounds  737  Sugar    pounds  53,170 

Rice     pounds  5,928  Molasses    gallons  653 

Beans     bushels  624  Pickles   gallons  110 

Whisky    gallons  203  Apples    pounds  12,462 

DESICCATED  VEGETABLES 

Mixed,    rations    7,138 

Potatoes,  rations  8,706 

SANITARY  REPORT— FORT  LARAMIE* 
Assistant  Surgeon  E.  W.  Johns:  December,  1859. 

The  reinforcement  of  the  command  at  this  post  by 
the  two  companies  from  Cheyenne  Pass  and  the  two  com- 

*Ibid.   pp.   51-59. 


334  ANIMALS  OF  WYOMING 

panies  from  Platte  Bridge,  ordered  here  upon  the  breaking 
up  of  the  posts  at  those  points,  brought  to  my  hospital  an 
additional  number  of  cases  of  scurvy:  eight  cases  from 
Camp  Walbach  and  six  cases  from  camp  at  Platte  Bridge. 
A  new  command,  with  the  exception  of  one  company,  was 
also  to  form  the  garrison  during  the  coming  winter,  and  new 
circumstances  in  the  history  of  scurvy  might  arise  to 
throw  light  upon  some  of  the  perplexities  attending  the 
subject.  It  therefore  seems  proper  to  have  deferred  re- 
porting until  the  result  of  these  additional  cases  should 
be  known,  in  order  that  further  information,  if  any  of 
interest  should  be  developed,  might  be  obtained.  The 
last  two  cases,  nearly  recovered  for  duty,  left  the  post 
with  their  companies,  which  was  one  of  the  four  companies 
en  route  for  Fort  Randall,  under  Colonel  Monroe's  com- 
mand. 

Before  particularizing  the  points  upon  which  I  am 
directed  to  report,  I  would  premise  that  in  the  comparison 
between  the  three  classes,  mountain  men,  quartermaster's 
men,  and  soldiers,  that,  while  the  gravest  point  of  dis- 
tinction in  the  commemorative  circumstances  of  soldiers 
and  of  quartermaster's  employes  is  the  guard  duty  of  the 
soldier  at  night,  there  is  also,  I  think,  another  derived 
from  the  guard  duty  during  the  day;  and  this  opinion  is 
formed  from  an  analysis  of  guard  duty  and  its  influences, 
physical  and  mental,  and  from  contrasting  it  with  the 
mental  and  physical  conditions  of  the  quartermaster's  men. 

In  the  topography  of  a  sentinel's  post  the  chief 
characteristic  is  the  "bee  line."  This  is  the  straight  and 
narrow  path — from  it  there  is  turning  neither  to  the  right 
hand  nor  to  the  left.  Longitudinally  "thus  far  and  no 
further"  is  the  fiat;  and  thus,  for  two  mortal  hours,  or 
any  given  more  or  less  mortal  time,  according  to  the 
exigencies  of  the  service  or  thermometer,  the  military 
pendulum  vibrates  his  monotonous  existence  until  the 
twice-blessed  "relief"  releases  him  from  the  effort  to  keep 
his  falx  cerebri  in  and  parallel  to  the  same  plane  of  direc- 
tion as  that  of  his  post. 

Thus,  there  is  necessarily  a  monotony  of  mental  ac- 
tion, depressing  in  its  character,  too,  from  this  very  mo- 
notony affording  no  stimulus  to  resist  the  morbific  ef- 
fect of  exposure.  Of  course,  I  particularly  refer  to  the 
garrison  duty  of  a  peace  establishment,  when  there  is 
little   to   put   the   soldier   on   the  qui  vive    of   mental   and 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  335 

physical  vivacity — and  in  ten  years  I  have  never  known 
a  sentinel  but  twice  to  have  a  good  excuse  even  to  cry 
"fire." 

Now,  add  to  this  hopeless  mental  monotony  the  ef- 
fects of  depressing  cold,  particularly  at  night,  after  a 
day  of  monotonous  penduiisUc  fatigue,  and  it  would  seem 
that  no  better  reagent  could  be  desired  for  either  produc- 
ing diseases  characterized  by  debility,  or  for  developing 
such  a  disease  from  a  germ  derived  from  other  causes. 
This  is,  of  course,  as  before  remarked,  more  noticeable  as 
connected  with  guard  duty  at  night,  but  the  same  causes 
of  mental  monotony,  physical  monotony,  fatigue  monotony, 
are  also  at  work  in  the  day-time,  though  in  a  less  degree. 

The  same  holds  good  as  to  the  other  duties  of  the 
soldier.  Drill  is  also  another  effort  to  keep  the  falx  in 
the  plane  of  certain  directions  and  to  produce  panto- 
graphic  results  with  bodies,  limbs,  and  muskets  or  other 
weapons.  Police  duty  is  a  daily  funeral  procession  around 
the  garrison  with  twig  brushes  instead  of  cypress  boughs 
for  the  mourners. 

And  so  with  the  individual  action  of  the  soldier,  when 
left  to  himself,  after  the  various  processes  above  have 
been  duly  gone  through  with.  Little  temptation  does  he 
seem  to  feel  to  do  aught  but  vegetate  in  his  bunk,  with 
some  occasional  spasmodic  effort  at  foot-ball  or  other 
game — possibly  to  hunt  or  fish  a  little;  when,  perhaps, 
there  is  additional  inducement  in  the  shape  of  a  cask  in 
the  bushes  somewhere  near  his  garrison,  whereby,  he  super- 
adds to  any  other  bad  physical  and  mental  influences 
those  derived  from  the  depression  attendant  upon  alcoholic 
stimulants  most  villainously  adulterated. 

The  labor  of  quartermaster's  employes  is  theoretically 
greater  than  that  of  the  soldier,  but  it  is  regular.  It  is 
not  attended  by  that  monotonous  routine  and  confine- 
ment which  the  soldier  is  subjected  to  in  the  performance 
of  his  duties.  Each  quartermaster's  man  is  an  mdividiua, 
under  general  supervision,  indeed,  but  exercising  his 
powers,  mental  and  physical,  according  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  particular  work  he  may  have  to  do.  Does 
he  drive  a  team?  He  does  not  drive  it  up  and  down  over 
a  distance  geometrically  described  as  being  the  shortest 
between  two  given  points,  but  he  has  the  management  of 
his  animals  and  varied  scenery  to  employ  his  thoughts. 
If  he  is  a  carpenter,  wheelwright,  or  blacksmith,  his  mental 


336  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

motives  and  physical  employment  are  those  of  2in  individual 
working  with  forecast,  and  not  by  rote.  Add  to  these  in- 
fluences, good  pay  and  regular  nightly  rest,  and  the 
wholesome  conviction  that  his  employment  depends  upon 
his  restraint,  to  at  least  a  great  degree,  of  whatever 
vicious  tendencies  he  may  have,  and  the  sum  shows  a 
balance  greatly  in  favor  of  the  quartermaster's  man. 

The  mountain  men  of  the  country  are  even  in  still 
better  commemorative  circumstances.  They  are  not  at 
all  crowded  in  their  accommodations;  have  plenty  of  fresh 
air;  do  but  little  labor;  and  just  enough  to  give  them 
wholesome,  but  not  fatiguing  exercise,  and  to  enable  them 
to  provide  for  their  families.  They  have  generally  domestic 
relations,  of  not  very  elevated  degree,  indeed,  but  regular 
domestic  connections  with  the  Indian  women,  recognized 
throughout  the  country.  It  is  true  that  their  diet  is 
chiefly  unsalted  meat,  but  it  is  easy  for  them  to  procure, 
and  many  of  them  do  procure  from  the  trading  stores, 
many  comfortable  additions  to  this  diet.  And  I  am  credibly 
informed  that  they  have  used  the  cactus  and  whatever 
greens  they  can  or  are  not  too  lazy  to  get.  They  can  even 
obtain  desiccated  vegetables  from  the  stores,  and  have 
been  seen  to  purchase  them.  Onions  are  also  brought  by 
traders  occasionally  from  New  Mexico. 

The  mountain  men  then  have  this  favorable  conjunc- 
tion of  circumstances.  They  live  a  free,  open  Indian  life, 
crowded  neither  as  to  quarters  nor  as  to  communities. 
They  have  a  sufficiently  good  diet  apparently;  also  suf- 
ficiently mixed  and  varied.  Their  employments  are  such 
as  not  to  fatigue  them  particularly,  nor  to  expose  them, 
except  occasionally,  to  severe  weather,  for  they  love  a 
lodge  fire  as  much  as  an  Indian,  and  when  they  are  ex- 
posed they  are  well  protected  by  clothing  of  furs,  buck- 
skin, blankets,  or  ready-made  clothing. 

With  respect  to  the  apparent  advantages  of  the  post 
over  the  mountain  men,  as  to  the  items  of  526  head  of 
cattle  and  the  abundant  supply  of  desiccated  vegetables, 
the  reality  is  this :  that  the  post  cattle  (tough  and  stringy 
as  they  are)  are  more  than  overbalanced  by  the  unnum- 
bered deer  and  antelope  furnished  from  nature's  com- 
missariat. It  has  also  been  seen  that  the  mountain  men 
can  and  do  procure  vegetable  matter  fresh  and  desiccated. 
In  addition,  the  desiccated  vegetables  in  the  commissary 
department  were  next  to  being  useless,  from  the  very 
limited  quantities  allowed  to  be  issued.     "To  be  of  any  use 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  337 

the  desiccated  vegetables  should  be  used  in  large  quan- 
tities, of  daily  issue,  as  prophylactics.  Carefully  stored 
up  in  boxes  and  issued  homeopathically  the  vegetables 
can,  and  my  observation  has  taught  me  to,  exercise  not 
the  slightest  effect  in  raising  a  command  from  a  scor- 
butic condition.  They  would  be  most  valuable  as  agents 
for  varying  the  diet  of  men,  which,  physiologically,  is 
almost  as  important  as  the  most  substantial  parts  of  food. 
It  would  not  seem  good  policy  to  store  up  material  until 
the  time  in  which  it  could  be  advantageously  used  shall 
have  passed  and  the  good  effect  be  negatived  by  the  ex- 
ceedingly diminutive  "portions"  issued.  The  other  articles 
of  the  commissariat,  dried  apples,  pickles,  vinegar,  sugar, 
molasses,  &c.,  can  all  be  obtained  in  the  country  at  trad- 
ing stores;  and,  although  the  diet  of  the  mountain  men 
is  "chiefly  unsalted  fresh  meat,"  it  is  also  possible,  and, 
indeed,  easy  for  them  to  obtain  other  additional  varieties 
to  their  food,  while,  also,  it  has  been  shown  that  even 
leaving  out  of  consideration  these  additions  to  their  food, 
they  are  still  in  a  better  case  than  soldiers,  on  account  of 
differing  and  superior  conditions,  mental  and  domestic. 
Thus,  the  condition  of  the  soldier  shows  little,  if  any, 
superiority  over  that  of  the  mountain  men  as  to  the 
desiccated  vegetables,  while  at  the  same  time  the  superiority 
as  to  the  meat  is  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  mountain  man 
by  as  much  as  the  difference  is  between  wholesome,  fat, 
rich,  wild,  venison,  supported  by  jerked  buffalo  flesh; 
and  tough,  stringy,  indigestible  beef,  followed  up  with  a 
due  proportion  of  the  salt  provision,  furnished  by  deci- 
mated multitudes  of  the  species  "sus  scrofa." 

As  to  this  point  of  difference,  the  comparative  value  of 
dried  mesit  of  the  Indian  or  voyageur  (jerked  meat)  and 
the  dried  meat  of  the  soldier,  (salt  meat,)  it  should  be 
observed  that  the  jerked  meat  loses  merely  the  watery 
portions,  while,  in  meat  dried  by  salt  or  in  salt  brine, 
in  the  words  of  Dr.  Ure,  "it  happens  that,  as  kreatine 
is  soluble  in  brine,  but  little  of  this  valuable  element  re- 
mains in  the  contracted  and  solidified  mass  known  as 
salt  junk,  which  may  either  be  of  beef  or  pork,  and  em- 
ployed as  food  upon  much  the  same  principle  as  that  as- 
cribed to  alligators,  who  swallow  stones  to  appease  the 
cravings  of  an  empty  stomach. 

"Kreatine  has  evidently  a  singular  connection  with 
muscular  energy,  as  it  exists  in  greatest  quantities  in  the 
flesh   of   animals   most   remarkable   for   muscular   power 


338  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  activity.  To  exclude  it,  therefore,  is  to  introduce 
an  element  of  weakness  in  the  dietary  of  our  seamen  that 
cannot  fail,  in  the  long  run,  to  show  itself,  and  hence  the 
enormous  prostration  of  strength  which  accompanies  the 
sea-scurvy." 

In  the  Encylopaedia  of  Chemistry  by  Booth  and  Mor- 
fit  it  is  very  judiciously  observed  that  "the  brine  of  salted 
meat  abstracts  and  retains  all  the  phosphates,  acids, 
kreatine,  &c.,  necessary  to  the  formation  of  blood,  and 
hence  its  scorbutic  action,  owing  to  a  partial  reduction 
by  this  process  to  a  mere  supporter  of  respiration;  and 
hence,  also,  its  inability  to  effect  the  perfect  replacement 
of  the  wasted  organism," 

And  the  same  and  more  with  respect  to  "land-scurvy," 
which  is  the  same  thing,  with  this  shade  of  difference, 
that  land-scurvy  is  said  to  be,  by  Dr.  Wood,  (page  243, 
vol.  2,)  "more  obstinate  under  treatment,  probably,  be- 
cause the  constitutional  tendency  must  be  stronger  to 
have  led  to  the  disease  under  circumstances  so  much  less 
favorable."  And  again,  "when  the  causes  upon  land  are 
as  powerful  as  at  sea  (and  there  is  great  approximation 
to  these  in  garrison)  the  ravages  of  the  complaint  are 
not  less  fearful." 

The  conflicting  commemorative  circumstances  in  the 
history  of  scurvy  seem  to  me  to  be  better  understood  by 
regarding  this  disease  as  being  a  blood  disease,  dependent 
upon  both  lesion  of  nutrition  and  lesion  of  respiration,  re- 
sulting from  imperfect  supply,  in  a  natural  or  recent  state, 
of  the  nitrogenous  compounds  of  the  starch  group,  and 
of  the  saline  and  earthy  m^atters  entering  into  the  tissues 
of  the  body  and  rejected  by  various  outlets. 

This  imperfection  of  supply  is  not  only  with  respect 
to  quantity,  but  also  to  the  ratio  of  the  supply  afforded 
by  the  components  derived  from  each  class. 

Two  great  divisions  of  the  kingdom  of  nature,  the 
animal  and  the  vegetable,  furnish,  in  their  respective 
quotas  of  food-material,  components  analogous,  if  not 
identical;  as,  for  instance,  gluten  corresponding  with 
coagulated  albumen;  vegetable  albumen  with  albumen  of 
the  egg;  casein  with  avenaceous  and  leguminous  forms  of 
vegetable  casein.  Both  supply  nitrogenous  food,  and  it 
is  by  many  physiologists  thought  that  both  furnish  ma- 
terial for  respiration,  "that  the  carbon  given  off  is  partly 
derived  from  the  gluten  or  flesh  of  the  food  as  well  as 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  339 

from  the  starch  or  fat."  (Johnson's  Elmts.  Ag.  Chemistry, 
p.  340.) 

The  way  in  which  food  furnished  from  the  animal 
kingdom  in,  as  it  were,  a  preserved  state,  by  salt  or  other- 
wise, is  insufficient  for  the  purpose  of  renewal  of  tissue, 
and  thus  tends  to  the  development  of  scurvy,  has  been 
already  indicated. 

Food  furnished  by  vegetables  in  the  winter  season  is 
also  more  or  less  prepared  vegetable  food  destitute,  to  a 
great  degree,  of  what  the  human  organism  evidently  needs 
to  repair  its  waste  and  rebuild  tissue.  That  is  to  say, 
that  while  the  main  principles  of  sustenance  are  furnished 
some  of  the  components  of  vegetable  food  in  its  natural 
state  are  necessarily,  from  the  course  of  preparation,  lost; 
as,  for  instance,  in  the  desiccation  of  vegetables,  the  ex- 
tracting of  lime-juice  from  the  fruit,  the  alteration  from 
fresh  to  dried  peas,  beans,  apples,  or  other  fruits.  Then 
the  way  in  which  the  food  is  presented  seems  all  important. 
It  may  seem  to  some  very  practicable  to  arrive  at  such 
a  pitch  of  knowledge  as  to  be  able  to  extract  proximate 
principles  to  meet  certain  supposed  conditions;  but  why 
should  death  ever  put  a  term  to  existence,  animal  or  vege- 
table, or  to  such  reasonings?  The  human  organism  is 
not  alone  a  crucible  for  producing  purely  chemical  results; 
nor,  as  Surgeon  Tripler  justly  remarks,  in  his  pamphlet 
on  scurvy,  is  lemon-juice  all  citric  acid;  nor  are  potatoes 
all  potash.  And  Dr.  Carpenter,  with  equal  justice  and 
great  delicacy,  suggests,  with  reference  to  Dr.  Garrod's 
theory  for  the  cure  of  scurvy  by  the  use  of  alkaline  rem- 
edies alone,  that  "a,  much  larger  induction  is  necessary 
for  the  establishment  of  this  position." 

Thirty-six  parts  of  carbon  by  weight,  with  forty-five 
of  water,  ought  apparently  to  form  one  and  the  same  sub- 
stance; yet,  how  different  are  the  starches,  cellulose, 
gums,  mucilages,  and  sugars  from  each  other,  though  be- 
longing to  the  same  group,  and,  in  composition,  identical. 
And  in  household  chemistry  every  matron  knows,  though 
not  able,  perhaps,  to  explain  why,  that  given  certain 
cupfuls  of  this  and  tablespoonfuls  of  that,  it  will  not  do 
to  mix  them  indiscriminately,  but  it  is  necessary  to  be 
"sure"  and  first  "beat  up"  and  then  "ad"  and  then  "stir", 
as  the  case  may  be,  in  a  certain  definite  order  of  sequence ; 
sometimes  even  carrying  this  particularity  of  prescrip- 
tion to  the  apparently  superfluous  direction  of  "serve 
while  hot." 


340  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

I  believe  that  were  animal  and  vegetable  food  re- 
solved into  their  ultimate  components,  and  these  applied 
individually,  or  even  in  combination  of  many  of  them,  to 
produce  results  such  as  are  aimed  at  in  attempting  to 
remove  scurvy,  or  any  disease  depending  upon  lesion  of 
nutrition  whether  respiratory  or  digestive,  that  nothing 
satisfactory  would  be  established. 

Potash  may  be  given;  I  and  others  have  found  it  not 
to  be  depended  upon;  "larger  induction"  is  still  necessary. 
Citric  acid  may  be  prescribed;  and,  as  far  as  experience 
for  several  years  in  Texas  and  at  this  post  has  enabled 
me  to  observe,  it  has  not  the  slightest  value.  Even  vege- 
table matter  restricted  to  one  form  may  not  prevent  scurvy ; 
as  in  the  case  of  scurvy  I  saw  occurring  amongst  the  lime 
groves  at  Fort  Dallas,  Florida,  where  the  parade  was 
covered  with  lemons,  limes  and  oranges.  With  reference 
to  this  case,  however,  as  well  as  my  recollection  now 
serves  me,  the  troops  at  that  time  at  Fort  Dallas  were 
without  fresh  beef,  and  the  flour  was  bad. 

It  is  food  in  its  most  perfect  adaptation  as  to  quan- 
tity, quality,  and  the  proper  ratio  of  the  components — 
in  other  words,  food  afforded  in  its  most  natural  state 
— that  is  needed  in  scurvy  and  to  prevent  it. 

And  herein  appears  to  consist  in  great  measure  the 
superiority  of  the  potato  in  its  natural  state — ^that  is, 
undesiccated.  The  covering  of  the  potato  is  cork,  and  it 
is  by  this  protected  in  a  much  greater  degree  from  changes 
that  take  place  in  most  other  vegetable  substances  put 
away  for  winter  use. 

Now,  the  imperfection  which  causes  scurvy  would 
seem  to  be  found  in  insufficient  ratio  of  fresh  vegetable 
matter  to  the  other  constituents  of  blood  and  tissue- 
forming  substances.  Not  that  deficiency  in  other  depart- 
ments of  food  is  not  of  great  importance;  but,  primarily, 
scurvy  would  seem  to  result  from  this  imperfect  ratio 
of  fresh  vegetable  matter  to  the  rest  of  the  diet,  much  in 
the  same  way  that  the  excess  of  albuminous  components 
favors  the  arthritic  diathesis,  and  the  excess  of  farinaceous 
matters  tends  to  the  production  of  the  rheumatic  dia- 
thesis.     (Carpenter's  Physiology,   page  383.) 

I  am  not  certain  whether  I  so  express  myself  as  to 
make  my  meaning  clear,  but  the  view  of  the  subject  that 
seems  to  approach  nearest  the  truth  is,  that  food  presented 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  341 

to  the  human  economy  in  its  most  perfect  adaptation  to 
the  latter  in  supply,  kind,  and  proportion,  is  necessary  to 
prevent  scurvy;  but  the  point  de  depart  of  the  disease  is 
primarily  to  be  found  in  the  deficiency  of  the  vegetable 
components,  and  with  respect  to  these,  not  only  of  the 
materials  considered  as  so  many  items  which  they  should 
furnish  the  blood  and  tissues,  but  of  the  vegetable  ad- 
mixture as  a  whole,  combined,  in  all  its  parts,  in  a  fresh, 
natural,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  recent  state. 

This  I  take  as  the  rule.  But  it  no  more  follows,  given 
the  primary  condition  of  the  disease  that  scurvy  should 
always  result,  than  that  an  individual  living  in  a  malarious 
district  should  have  periodical  fever,  or  exposed  to  the 
poison  of  yellow  fever  be  attacked  by  it,  or  unprotected 
by  vaccination  be  necessarily  obnoxious  to  small-pox  when 
within  the  sphere  of  contagion. 

Thus,  generally,  nothing  further  is  necessary  to  pro- 
duce the  disease  than  these  primary  conditions;  but  the 
apparently  anomalous  non-occurence  of  scurvy  when  they 
are  present  in  force,  seems  to  me  to  be  explained  by  the 
existence  of  developing  causes  additional.  Where  these 
are  most  noticeable,  is  in  the  comparison  of  the  classes 
of  persons  affected  with  respect  to  the  commemorative 
circumstances  in  which  they  respectively  stand;  and  also 
in  other  cases  where  scurvy  apparently  ought  to  follow, 
but  does  not.  In  these,  the  conditions  primary  of  the 
disease  exist;  but  they  are  either  counteracted  by  other 
influences,  or  the  developing  circumstances  are  wanting 
— as  in  the  case  of  officers,  of  quartermaster's  men,  of 
the  troops  in  Utah.  The  first  two  classes  have  already 
been  referred  to;  yet  I  may  remark  in  connection,  that 
even  officers  may  sometimes  have  scurvy,  and  I  have  often 
seen  among  them  a  scorbutic  tendency,  showing  that  the 
primary  conditions  of  the  disease  were  acting  to  a  certain 
extent,  and  only  needed  the  developing  causes  to  make 
them  fully  apparent.  And  it  has  been  seen  at  this  post 
that  where  the  primary  causes,  which  failed  to  produce 
any  result  as  to  the  quartermaster's  men  in  the  early 
and  middle  parts  of  last  winter,  had  become  sufficiently 
intensified  by  long  continuance  that  several  cases  of  scurvy 
occurred  amongst  them  late  in  the  spring.  These  cases 
did  not  increase  in  number,  as  just  about  the  same  time 
the  wild  onion  began  to  make  its  appearance. 

In  accounting  for  the  absence  of  scurvy  in  the  troops 
in  Utah,  mental  influence  may  well  be  taken  into  consider- 
ation.   These  troops  went  into  winter  quarters  in  vigorous 


342  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

health  from  the  wholesome  march  across  the  plains.  As 
to  the  circumstances  going  to  favor  their  morale,  they  were 
in  a  state  of  excited  expectancy;  to  vary  the  dull  drudging 
of  a  peace  establishment,  with  its  attendant  and  harassing 
Indian  police  duty,  they  had  actually  the  prospect  of 
something  like  real  war  in  the  land  of  the  saints,  just 
over  the  mountain.  They  seem  to  have  been  cheerful;  and 
if  the  songs  (as  songs  are  said  to  show  the  animus  of  a 
people)  which  the  muse  of  the  expedition  prompted  are 
to  be  taken  as  indications,  they  appear  to  have  fully 
adopted  Mark  Tapley's  philosophy,  and  even  to  have  been 
"jolly."  In  the  history  of  all  armies  in  all  times,  their 
safety  and  exemption  from  disease  and  defeat  have  largely 
depended  upon  their  morale,  and  under  no  circumstances 
are  mental  influence  of  greater  importance  than  in  the 
prevention  and  cure  of  scurvy. 

I  have  now  the  honor  to  report  upon  points  indicated 
in  the  communication  from  the  Surgeon  General's  Office, 
of  March  23,  1859,  and  in  the  order  in  which  they  occur 
in  that  paper: 

I.  "The  kind  of  buildings  occupied  by  the  troops  at 
Laramie,  &c."  These  are  substantial,  but  in  my  opinion, 
too  small.  For  the  better  information  of  the  department, 
the  following  plans  are  given,  as  they  will  show  at  a 
glance  the  dimensions  of  the  rooms.  The  quarters  were 
cleaned  by  scrubbing  with  a  moderate  supply  of  water, 
and  generally  once  a  week.  No  provision  is  made  for 
ventilation,  except  in  the  adobe  buildings,  which  have  the 
windows  arranged  so  as  to  admit  air  at  the  top  if  desired. 
These  were,  however,  seldom  or  never  opened,  and  only, 
perhaps,  a  window  occasionally,  in  fine  warm  weather, 
so  that  the  ventilation  practically  amounted  to  nothing. 

II.  "The  manner  of  cooking,  &c."  This  was  by  cooks 
detailed  in  turn  from  their  companies,  entirely  ignorant 
of  M.  Soyer  and  his  principles.  The  fresh  beef  was  al- 
ways boiled  and  never  cooked  otherwise,  as  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  ascertain.  The  desiccated  vegetables  were 
first  soaked  in  cold  water  and  then  boiled,  whether  slowly 
or  not,  I  cannot  ascertain. 

III.  "The  duties  of  the  troops"  were  the  usual  duties 
of  the  soldier,  guard,  police,  and  when  the  weather  per- 
mitted, drill.  The  following  official  statement  from  the 
Adjutant's  office  will  show  the  average  period  of  guard 
duty  for  each  soldier,  and  the  length  of  time  on  post : 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  343 

Statement  of  the  number  of  guards  performed  by  each  private  of 
tlie  companies  of  the  fourth  artillery  stationed  at  Fort  Laramie, 
Neibrfaska  Territory ,  from  the  1st  of  September,  1858,  to  the  31st 
May,    1859. 

s^         Months  «  >> S  31  Si,     e         b*"  ^        Si,*" 


<a5      <^    <^^B   z^^     <a 


1858,  September     64  11  5  8  5 

October    64  14  6  8  4 

November   59  14  7  8  3 

December    45  14  9  8  2 

1859,  January     50  14  8  8  3 

February     64  14  7  8  3 

March    67  14  6  8  4 

April    84  14  5  8  5 

May    138  18  4  8  6 

*Each  relief  of  the  guard  remained  two  hours  on  post  and  four  off. 

H.  A.  HASCALL, 

Second  Lieutenant  Fourth  Artillery,  Post  Adjutant. 

I  am  unable  to  state  whether  coffee  was  served  habit- 
ually to  the  guard  at  night. 

IV.  "The  duties  of  the  quartermaster's  men"  were 
such  as  are  usual  in  a  quartermaster's  depot.  Some  pf 
the  men  were  employed  in  the  carpenter's  shop  and  in 
the  blacksmith's  shop,  others  as  teamsters  and  herders. 
All  were  well  protected  from  the  weather,  and  none  liable 
to  injury  from  excess  of  fatigue.  They  had  quarters  in 
garrison,  not  as  well  furnished  as  those  of  the  soldiers, 
but  affording  adequate  shelter.  A  large  new  building 
was  erected  for  them  in  the  course  of  the  winter.  Small 
parties  may  occasionally  have  been  in  tents  while  on 
temporary  duties,  such  as  hauling  wood  or  hay,  though  I 
am  not  aware  of  the  fact.  Their  position  with  respect  to 
shelter  was  no  worse  than  that  of  the  soldiers,  while  it 
was  much  better  as  regards  their  food  and  duties.  They 
not  only  had  their  rations  and  quarters,  but,  their  pay 
being  much  better  than  that  of  the  soldier,  they  were  en- 
abled to   avail  themselves   of  other  diet  which  could  be 


344  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

purchased;  and  I  am  informed  by  the  sutler  that  they 
bought  largely  and  habitually  of  fresh  can  fruits,  oysters, 
and  other  luxuries. 

They  had  a  Mormon  woman  to  cook  for  their  mess 
a  great  part  of  the  time.  Their  clothing  was  good,  though 
albeit  not  of  the  most  fashionable  cut.  In  the  matter  of 
exercise  they  had  decidedly,  in  my  opinion,  the  advantage 
over  the  soldiers.  I  never  observed  that  any  of  them 
seemed  likely  to  injure  themselves  by  overwork;  and  the 
more  favorable  nature  of  their  employment  as  to  mental 
influences  I  have  already  commented  upon.  The  great- 
est and  most  overbalancing  point  in  their  favor  in  com- 
paring their  circumstances  with  those  of  soldier's  is  found 
in  their  exemption  from  guard  or  any  duty  at  night. 
Good,  wholesome,  unbroken  nocturnal  rest,  with  better 
pay,  better  food,  and  practically  as  good  clothing  and 
quarters  make  the  sum  of  circumstances  in  their  favor, 
circumstances  all  tending  to  prevent  or  retard  the  develop- 
men  of  scorbutic  disease.  It  has  already  been  observed 
that  later  towards  spring  a  very  few  cases  occurred 
amongst  the  quartermaster's  men. 

During  the  past  quarter  nothing  new  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  disease  has  been  observed,  and  the  same  meas- 
ures and  treatment  for  its  prevention  and  cure  were 
adopted  as  hitherto.  There  is  one  point  in  the  history 
of  scurvy  this  winter,  however,  of  interest.  It  is,  that 
the  disease  was  entirely  confined  to  the  two  companies 
(D  and  F)  of  second  dragoons,  while  the  infantry  en- 
tirely escaped. 

These  two  dragoon  companies  suffered  greatly  from 
scurvy  last  winter,  the  one  at  Fort  Bridger  and  the  other 
at  this  post,  and  have  had  no  further  benefit  from  fresh 
vegetables  than  the  wild  onions  could  afford. 

The  infantry  came  here  in  good  vegetable  health,  hav- 
ing had  the  benefit  of  fine  gardens  at  Fort  Randall,  so 
that  their  previous  good  health,  together  with  the  means 
adopted  in  the  fall  and  through  the  winter,  have  been 
sufficient  to  repress,  thus  far,  the  development  of  scor- 
butic disease. 

The  troops  have  not  been  so  crowded  as  in  last  winter 
— F  company,  second  dragoons,  occupying  a  new  set  of 
quarters — and  the  guard  duty  this  winter  has  been  lighter 
as  to  the  period  of  time  on  post,  the  sentinels  having  been 
relieved  every  half  hour  in  severe  weather  at  night,  and 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  345 

when  the  mercury  was  much  below  zero  the  sentinels  were 
taken  off  entirely  and  patrols  substituted. 

In  the  third  quarter  of  1859  I  recommended  to  the 
commanding  officer  that  the  companies  should  take  daily 
the  cactus  juice,  prepared  as  in  hospital.  And  to  obviate 
the  difficulty  and  impossibility  of  getting  the  men  (as 
was  the  case  the  autumn  before)  to  take  the  cactus  juice, 
I  recommended  that  whisky  should  be  given  with  it,  liter- 
ally, as  a  placebo.  The  cactus  juice  thus  went  down  in  more 
senses  than  one,  and  to  this  early  supply  of  fresh  vege- 
tables matter  I  ascribe  the  immunity  of  the  infantry, 
their  previous  good  health  largely  assisting  to  prevent 
the  development  of  the  disease.  In  the  case  of  the  dra- 
goons the  scorbutic  tendency  was  too  strongly  pronounced 
to  be  repressed.  It  required  a  more  certain  antiscorbutic. 
Potatoes  would  have  afforded  adequate  means,  I  believe 
from  experience,  for  the  preservation  of  these  companies 
from  scorbutic  disease. 

During  the  past  quarter  the  cases  in  hospital  have 
been  treated  entirely  with  the  wild  cress  given  at  meal 
time  as  a  salad,  and  by  half  a  tumbler  full  of  cactus  juice, 
flavored  with  citric  acid  and  sugar.  Whisky  was  added 
when  it  could  be  obtained  without  making  a  draft  upon 
the  hospital  liquors. 

The  cases  are  all  convalescent,  and  unless  the  supply 
of  cress  fails,  the  sick  report  bids  fair  soon  to  be  nearly 
a  blank. 

The  companies  have  had  every  week  also  a  supply  of 
the  above  fresh  vegetable  matter  issued  to  them. 

But  there  is  difficulty  to  be  apprehended  from  the 
probable  failure  of  this  supply,  as  it  is  even  now  obtained 
with  difficulty.  Last  year  I  did  not  commence  using  the 
cress  until  the  middle  of  winter,  and  the  supply  gave  out 
before  the  onions  came. 

And  in  this  connection,  before  concluding,  I  am  led 
to  a  consideration  of  the  communication  of  the  Acting 
Commissary  General  of  Subsistence  in  his  letter  to  the 
Surgeon  General,  dated  February  10,  1859,  wherein  he 
regrets  that  recourse  was  not  had  earlier  in  the  autumn 
(of  1858)  to  the  cactus  and. wild  celery. 

An  acquaintance  with  the  resources  of  this  post  as 
to  the  supply  of  this  vegetable  matter  will  show  this  to 


346  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

have  been  impracticable.  It  was  impossible  to  get  the 
companies,  as  such,  to  use  the  cactus  juice.  I  had  no 
power  to  control  this  matter  in  the  company,  and  all  I 
could  do  was  to  administer  it  when  the  men  became  sick 
and  came  on  my  report.  It  was  then  only  a  remedy,  not 
a  preventive.  And  this  year  it  was  only  practicable  to 
get  the  men  in  their  companies,  not  on  the  sick  report,  to 
take  the  cactus  juice  when  mixed  with  whisky.  Unfor- 
tunately the  whisky  gave  out,  and  so  yielding  up  the  cac- 
tus except  for  hospital,  I  commenced  upon  the  cress,  or 
celery  as  it  is  locally  called,  which  I  had  held  in  reserve 
for  fear  that  there  would  not  be  enough  fresh  vegetable 
matter  to  last  until  spring. 

Now  the  celery  was  exhausted  last  year  before  spring, 
when  I  did  not  commence  using  it  until  about  Christmas,  and 
this  winter  being  compelled  to  use  it  earlier,  the  supply 
is  reported  to  be  nearly  exhausted;  and  I  fear  that  al- 
though now  my  sick  list  is  rapidly  decreasing,  before  the 
onions  can  be  had  in  the  spring,  scurvy  will  again  increase, 
and  will  probably  not  be  confined  to  the  dragoons,  but 
may  extend  to  the  infantry.  Now  had  we  a  full  supply 
of  potatoes  for  winter  use,  I  believe  that  my  sick  report 
would  exhibit  a  very  happy  exoneration  from  scorbutic 
disease,  and  would  show  but  few  other  cases,  as  the  cli- 
mate being  naturally  very  healthy,  and  the  scorbutic 
condition  removed,  the  men  would  be  seldom  sick. 

It  would  seem,  at  least  so  it  appears  to  me,  that  it 
would  be  less  expensive,  and  indeed  better  policy,  to  af- 
ford to  frontier  posts,  such  as  this,  a  sufficient  supply 
of  such  an  undoubted  antiscorbutic  as  is  the  potato,  when 
it  is  taken  into  consideration  that,  being  in  the  heart  of 
an  Indian  country,  the  troops  at  such  a  post  are  liable 
any  year  to  engage  in  expeditions  against  the  Indians. 
Now  by  just  so  much  as  they  are  affected  with  a  scorbutic 
condition  throughout  the  winter,  will  they  be  less  able 
to  do  efficient  service.  They  are  liable,  I  believe,  even 
in  the  summer  war-path,  to  have  scurvy  developed  if  their 
physique  has  been  impaired  during  the  winter  from  this 
cause,  and  the  difficulty  in  obtaining  vegetable  food  in 
the  wilderness  remaining  about  the  same  as  in  winter. 
Thus  an  expedition  can  be  hampered  with  a  large  sick 
report,  and  for  the  want  of  a  thousand  or  two  bushels  of 
potatoes  may  be  shorn  of  the  best  results,  when,  perhaps, 
thousands  of  dollars  may  have  otherwise  been  expended 
in  preparinng  it.     I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  scurvy  re- 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  347 

suits  from  a  want  of  potatoes  only,  or  that  nothing^  else 
than  potatoes  will  prevent  and  cure  scurvy;  but  I  desire 
to  be  understood  as  meaning  that  scurvy  results  primarily 
from  the  imperfect  supply  of  fresh  vegetable  matter  to 
the  human  system,  although  developing  conditions  may  be 
necessary  to  establish  the  disease;  and  the  best,  the  most 
reliable,  and  eventually  the  cheapest  form  in  which  to  ob- 
tain this  vegetable  matter,  is  the  potato. 

Towards  the  latter  part  of  last  October,  being  on 
detached  service  at  Fort  Kearny,  I  purchased  and  sent 
up  for  my  family  several  bushels  (at  $1.50  per  bushel) 
of  potatoes  from  the  market  wagons  which  were  frequent- 
ly coming  into  that  post  with  potatoes,  apples,  onions, 
and  other  vegetables.  These  potatoes,  without  the  loss 
of  a  single  potato  from  freezing  or  otherwise,  reached 
Fort  Laramie  very  early  in  November,  being  on  the  road 
at  a  time  when  the  cold  was  so  severe  that  the  Platte 
was  frozen  over,  as  I  found  it  when  I  crossed  it.  Potatoes 
also  purchased  and  sent  to  officers  and  some  by  the  sutler 
were  transported  at  the  same  time  from  Kearny  in  an 
ox-train,  and  they  reached  Fort  Laramie  in  good  condition, 
and  with  only  a  few  of  the  outside  ones  frosted. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  respectfully  remark,  that  I 
hold  the  proposition  to  be  true  that  scurvy  results  pri- 
marily from  imperfect  supply  and  ratio  of  supply  of  the 
three  kinds  of  material  for  the  body,  azotized,  non-nitro- 
genous, and  earthy — the  point  de  depart  being  the  want  of 
fresh  vegetable  matter;  I  believe,  also,  that  the  greatest 
developing  cause,  in  the  case  of  the  soldier,  is  guard  duty  at 

night. 

UTAH  DIVISION 

In  the  summer  of  1857,  a  portion  of  the  army  that 
had  been  previously  concentrated  at  Fort  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  commenced  its  long  march  of  over  twelve  hun- 
dred miles  across  the  prairies  for  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 
Territory.  This  army  corps  passed  the  winter  of  1857 
and  1858  at  Camp  Scott  and  at  Fort  Bridger,  in  Utah, 
and  in  the  spring  moved  on  to  Salt  Lake  City,  beyond  which 
it  finally  encamped  at  a  point  which  became  known  as 
Camp  Floyd. 

In  the  summer  of  1858,  the  troops  in  Utah  were 
largely  reinforced  by  commands  moving  from  Fort  Leav- 
enworth across  the  plains. 


348  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

SANITARY  REPORT— CAMP  SCOTT* 
Assistant  Surgeon  Roberts  Bartholow:   December,   1857 

Camp  Scott  lies  along  Black's  fork,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Fort  Bridger.  This  camp  is  the  winter  quarters  of  the 
army  of  Utah. 

Black's  fork,  a  tributary  of  Green  river,  is  a  rapid 
mountain  stream  of  inconsiderable  size,  but  whose  water 
of  crystal  clearness  and  purity  is  immensely  valuable  in 
this  arid  and  thirsty  region.  The  valley  has  an  average 
width  of  about  one  mile,  and  is  separated  from  the  higher 
table-land  by  a  range  of  irregular  sand  hills.  The  creek 
is  winding,  with  numerous  channels,  which  at  the  annual 
rise  are  overflowed,  inundating  the  whole  valley.  The  soil 
of  the  valley  is  a  mixture  of  sand,  aluvium,  and  vegetable 
loam,  having  but  little  depth,  and  interspersed  by  immense 
quantities  of  rubble  stone;  sand  predominates.  In  the 
vicinity  of  the  camp,  upon  the  banks  of  the  stream,  mag- 
nesian  limestone  (dolomite)  and  slate-rock  crop  out,  A  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  valley  is  covered  by  a  thick 
growth  of  a  species  of  willow,  fSaiix  herbacea,)  with  here 
and  there  a  grove  of  cottonwood,  fPopuius  canadensis,)  and 
that  miserable  shrub,  the  artemisia.  The  valley  during 
spring  and  summer  is  covered  with  an  abundant  herbage, 
and  offers  a  most  striking  contrast  to  the  barren  waste 
on  either  side.  Cultivation,  however,  has  not  produced 
very  great  results  to  Mormon  enterprise.  Besides  the  po- 
tato and  some  of  the  most  common  of  the  leguminiferae 
and  cruciferae,  I  am  not  aware  that  this  people  have  suc- 
ceeded in  their  agricultural  attempts,  and  consequently 
the  colony  established  at  Fort  Bridger  procurred  their 
principal  supplies  in  the  Salt  Lake  valley.  This  region, 
as  well  as  the  Great  Plains,  like  the  Steppes  of  Tartary, 
is  adapted  only  to  herds  and  grazing,  and  a  nomadic  pop- 
ulation of  savages  or  Indian  traders,  with  their  squaws 
and  cattle,  or  Mormon  freebooters;  it  can  never  become 
a  nursery  of  civilized  heroes;  and  thus  in  the  New  World, 
may  be  revived,  in  somewhat  the  same  form,  the  ancient 
patriarchal  life,  now  almost  extinct  in  the  Old.  From 
the  very  necessity  of  their  position,  the  wretched  inhabit- 
ants must  prey  upon  the  rest  of  mankind,  and  procure 
by  violence  and  rapine  that  subsistence  not  to  be  wrung 
from  the  unwilling  soil. 

Exclusive  of  the  Mormon  population,  now  gone  into 


*Ibid.  pp.  288-293. 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  349 

Salt  Lake  valley,  there  are  two  classes  of  inhabitants 
— Indians  and  traders — of  whom  the  former  are  infin- 
itely more  respectable,  humane,  and  gentle.  Two  tribes 
belong  to  this  country;  the  Utah  and  the  Snake  Indians, 
long  at  animosity,  but  between  whom  during  the  present 
winter  some  sort  of  peace  has  been  made.  There  are 
no  special  differences  in  these  two  tribes  in  habits  or 
character,  nor  do  they  differ  in  physical  development.  I 
was  unprepared  to  witness  in  mountain  tribes,  remote  from 
civilization,  so  many  evidences  of  decay.  In  stature  they 
are  low,  square  built,  and  without  symmetry,  ungainly 
in  gait,  and  having  an  appearance  of  premature  age.  The 
face  is  triangular,  mouth  large,  cheek  bones  prominent, 
forehead  low  and  retreating,  hair  black,  coarse,  and  very 
thick.  As  a  rule,  the  squaws  are  more  athletic  and  vigor- 
ous than  the  men,  but  are  far  from  approaching  any 
elevated  standard  of  beauty.  Both  these  tribes,  so  far 
as  my  observation  extends,  are  very  debased,  having  none 
of  the  refined  sentiments  attributed  to  Indian  heroes  in 
Hiawatha.  In  fact,  the  Indian  races  are  yielding  to  a 
destiny,  not  the  result  of  contact  with  a  more  vigorous 
race  but  an  immutable  law  of  nature.  Having  served 
their  purpose  in  the  social  economy  of  humanity,  they 
are  made  subject  to  a  process  of  change,  impressed  not 
only  upon  the  earth,  but  its  various  nations  and  empires. 

The  class  of  traders,  of  whom  not  a  few  reside  in 
this  valley  and  the  neighboring  valleys  of  Smith's  fork, 
Henry's  fork,  and  Green  river,  are  a  peculiar  people. 
Having,  early  in  life,  fallen  out  with  the  restraints  of 
civilized  society,  or  exiled  by  crime,  they  quickly  adapted 
themselves  to  a  careless  and  indolent  life  in  the  mountains. 
They  commence  their  career  by  taking,  in  Indian  fash- 
ion, a  squaw  or  two,  who  perform  all  the  labor,  whilst 
they  hunt  game,  rob  upon  the  public  highway,  steal  cattle, 
or  trade  in  whisky  and  tobacco  with  the  Indians.  When 
not  engaged  in  these  delectable  employments  they  sit  in 
listless  indolence  around  the  wigwam  fire  smoking  a  pipe, 
or  lay  outstretched  upon  the  ground  basking  in  the  sun. 
They  manifest  extraordinary  activity,  notwithstanding 
their  native  indolence,  at  any  prospect  of  pecuniary  gain, 
undergoing,  with  great  intrepidity,  danger,  suffering,  and 
even  facing  death  itself,  where  the  reward  is  commen- 
surate. Their  principal  talent  lies  in  romancing,  in  which 
they  greatly  excel,  very  much  to  the  prejudice  of  a  char- 
acter for  veracity.  By  long  association  with  the  Indian 
tribes,  they  have  learned  much  craftiness,  and  the  are  of 


350  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

lying  with  so  unmoved  a  countenance  that  it  seems  more 
natural  than  the  truth.  The  Indian  wives  of  the  traders 
are  models  of  industry,  perform  all  the  manual  labor, 
and  are  very  attentive  to  the  wants  and  wishes  of  their 
lazy  lords.  Usually  exceedingly  prolific,  around  every 
wigwam  may  be  seen  crowds  of  dirty  half-breed  children 
playing  as  noisily  and  in  somewhat  the  same  mode  as 
civilized  children  everywhere.  A  case  of  novelty  to  the 
Indians  is  the  twin  offspring  of  a  traders'  squaw,  now 
wintering  at  Camp  Scott.  These  twins  excite  the  as- 
tonishment of  the  most  stoical  Indian.  A  similar  case 
having  never  occurred  among  them,  they  attribute  some 
supernatural  virtue  to  the  trader,  and  style  him,  in  their 
language  of  compliment,  "a  medicine  man."  The  squaws 
manifest  as  much  affection  for  their  offspring  as  the  most 
devoted  of  civilized  mothers — an  affection  tender,  sympa- 
thizing, and  indulgent.  If  we  form  an  opinion  of  the 
mountain  men  from  the  reports  of  poetic  explorers  we 
would  probably  accord  them  many  virtues — integrity, 
steady  friendship,  a  noble  sense  of  justice,  and  high  per- 
sonal bearing.  I  did  not  find  the  original  of  this  descrip- 
tion in  real  life.  They  have  some  of  the  good  qualities  of 
the  Bedouin  Arab,  many  vices  to  which  he  is  a  stranger, 
but  not  many  of  the  virtues  of  a  good  citizen.  A  country 
like  the  Great  Plains,  which  has  its  analogue  in  the 
deserts  of  the  East,  would  be  incomplete  without  that 
other  characteristic — a  wandering  people  having  a  strong 
thirst   for   plunder,    and   acknowledging   no   law   but   the 

lex    talionis. 

My  observations  upon  the  climatology  of  this  coun- 
try have  had  but  a  limited  scope,  extending  through  the 
fall  to  mid-winter.  I  have  been  very  agreeably  impressed, 
thus  far,  with  the  comparative  mildness  of  the  climate. 
Minus  18°  Fahrenheit  is  the  lowest  degree  to  which  the 
mercury  has  yet  fallen,  and  that  was  during  the  month 
of  November;  a  degree  of  cold  not  since  experienced. 

The  greater  part  of  the  month  of  October,  during 
which  the  army  was  encamped  upon  Ham's  fork,  the 
atmosphere  had  that  peculiar  softness  and  haziness  char- 
acteristic of  the  Indian  summer.  At  the  close  of  the 
month  snow  fell  to  the  depth  of  four  inches,  but,  under 
a  warm  sun,  disappeared  in  a  few  days.  From  the  1st 
to  the  20th  November  the  cold  became  severe  and  snow- 
storms were  frequent;  but  from  this  time  to  the  termina- 
tion of  the  month  many  of  the  days  were  warm  and 
pleasant.     The  month  of  December  was  characterized  by 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  351 

several  snow-storms,  not  severe  or  protracted.  These 
storms  were  remarkable  for  their  regularity,  both  as  to 
recurrence  and  duration.  They  continued  usually  about 
forty-eight  hours,  and  the  fall  of  snow  but  seldom  ex- 
ceeded two  inches.  Higher  up  within  the  mountain  ranges 
snow-storms  prevail  almost  daily,  and  the  snow  has  al- 
ready fallen  to  very  great  depths,  blocking  up  the  passes, 
and  rendering  communication  with  the  States  extremely 
difficult  if  not  impossible.  Looking  up  into  the  moun- 
tains from  the  valley,  some  of  the  most  magnificent  ex- 
hibitions may  be  daily  witnessed.  Whilst  the  sun  shines 
warmly  upon  the  creek  bottom,  the  snow -clouds  drift 
along  the  mountain  tops,  discharging  their  fleecy  showers. 
Anon,  the  clouds  float  away,  and  the  mountain  peaks 
glisten  in  the  bright  sunshine  like  burnished  silver,  con- 
trasting beautifully  with  the  dark  green  of  the  pine- 
covered  hills  far  below. 

One  distinguishing  feature  of  this  climate  is  its 
equability  and  dryness.  No  sudden  transitions  have  been 
observed,  and  during  the  winter  proper,  whilst  the  cold 
has  at  no  time  been  severe,  the  thermometer  has  rarely 
risen  above  the  freezing  point.  The  absence  of  moisture 
is  well  shown  by  the  dryness  and  contraction  of  all  kinds 
of  woodwork,  and  the  freedom  of  surgical  instruments 
and  arms  from  the  slightest  traces  of  rust. 

Before  going  into  winter  quarters  the  arrangement 
of  proper  hospital  accommodations  was  a  frequent  sub- 
ject of  anxiety.  Our  anticipations  of  severe  weather  were 
heightened  by  reports  of  the  extraordinary  severity  of  the 
two  preceding  winters.  Timber  not  being  sufficiently 
abundant  for  building  purposes,  the  ordinary  hospital  tent 
had  to  be  arranged  for  the  winter.  I  was  much  surprised 
as  well  as  gratified  at  the  results  produced  by  the  means 
at  my  disposal.  With  an  ordinary  sheet-iron  stove  at 
one  extremity,  an  adobe  chimney  at  the  other,  and  a 
flooring  of  hides,  the  hospital  of  the  volunteer  battalion 
has  a  degree  of  comfort  quite  beyond  expectation.  Thus 
far,  as  singular  as  it  may  appear,  no  difficulty  has  been 
experienced  in  maintaining  a  sufficiently  high  and  equable 
temperature.  Wintering  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  with 
no  other  protection  from  the  cold  and  storms  than  an 
ordinary  canvas  tent,  would  excite  the  incredulity  of  any 
one  unacquainted  with  the  country  except  by  the  reports 
of  imaginative  travelers.  Granting  that  life  might  be 
maintained   under  such   circumstances,   most   men   would 


352  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

be  ready  to  assert  that  such  an  existence  would  be  in- 
tolerable. I  do  not  find  that  the  army  of  Utah  suffer  any 
extraordinary  hardships.  Many  of  the  officers  live  in 
wall  tents,  variously  arranged,  according  to  individual 
peculiarities  of  tastes  and  habits,  and  heated  by  sheet- 
iron  stoves  to  a  very  agreeable  temperature;  some  of 
them  in  a  combination  of  the  wall  and  Sibley  tent.  Some 
burrow  in  the  ground;  others  hide  within  the  ample  co- 
verts of  the  thick  growing  willow.  A  great  many  in- 
genious appliances  to  comfort  have  been  contrived,  not 
only  as  regards  interior  use  and  decoration,  but  as  a 
protection  externally  against  storms. 

Curiously  wrought  chimneys,  unexpected  stoves,  and 
marvelous  chairs  and  tables,  demonstrate  how  great  a 
virtue  may  be  made  of  necessity.  The  enlisted  men  are 
quartered  in  Sibley  tents,  an  invention  suggested  by  the 
wigwam  of  the  Sioux,  and  now  for  the  first  time  used 
in  the  military  service.  They  are  decidedly  well  adapted 
to  the  use  for  which  they  are  designed  by  the  inventor, 
which  the  severe  test  they  have  been  subjected  to  dur- 
ing the  present  winter  sufficiently  demonstrates.  Twenty 
men  may  be  accommodated  in  each  tent,  but  if  proper 
regard  be  paid  to  comfort  and  convenience,  sixteen  is 
a  large  enough  number. 

The  company  kitchens  are,  I  believe,  without  excep- 
tion, built  of  logs,  and  have  adobe  chimneys,  are  cleanly 
kept  and  well  arranged. 

Some  of  the  trains  containing  supplies  for  the  army 
having  been  stopped  by  the  approach  of  winter,  a  neces- 
sity arose  for  the  reduction  of  the  rations,  and  for  a 
limitation  to  the  same  standard  of  the  sales  to  officers. 
It  is  a  favorite  theory  with  chemical  physiologists  that 
to  maintain  the  animal  heat  in  high  and  cold  latitudes  re- 
quires an  increase  in  the  amount  of  carbon  consumed,  and 
this  theory  is  found  to  be  correct  both  by  observation  and 
experiment.  It  became  necessary,  however,  to  diminish, 
in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  winter,  an  amount  of  nutri- 
ment not  considered  superabundant  in  less  rigorous  cli- 
mates. With  what  result?  Those  who  have  been  accus- 
tomed, habitually,  to  consume  much  larger  quantities  of 
food  found  that  the  ration,  as  reduced,  by  proper  care, 
was  sufficient  to  sustain  the  body  in  a  state  of  active  and 
vigorous  health,  even  under  considerable  fatigue  and  ex- 
posure. I  find  no  one,  except  some  civil  functionaires, 
who   carry   any   superfluous   fat   in   the   cellular   tissues; 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  353 

consequently,  I  opine,  none  of  the  military  have  a  super- 
abundance of  food  and  leisure  to  favor  such  deposit.  The 
deprivation  of  salt,  at  first,  more  than  any  other  article, 
excited  bitter  complaints,  but  gradually  the  desire  for  its 
use  wore  off,  and  when  a  supply  of  what  before  was 
considered  a  sine  qua  non  arrived  it  did  not  arouse  so  great 
an  interest  as  might  be  imagined.  Entire  abstinence  from 
salt  is  not  incompatible  with  the  most  perfect  health,  of 
which  numerous  examples  are  afforded  by  the  mountain- 
eers, traders,  and  others,  who,  though  accustomed  to  its 
use  early  in  life,  lose,  eventually,  all  inclination  for  it. 
Notwithstanding  these  apparent  privations,  the  army  does 
not  suffer  from  any  important  diseases.  Military  duties 
are  sufficiently  numerous  to  prevent  the  vices  attendant 
upon  idleness,  and  various  amusements  have  been  judic- 
iously introduced  to  give  zest  and  variety  to  a  life  which 
might  otherwise  prove  irksome.  Balls,  concerts,  and  thea- 
trical entertainments,  though  not  properly  subjects  for 
a  medical  report,  are,  nevertheless,  deserving  of  mention 
as  means  of  employing  leisure  which  an  idle  soldiery  might 
expend  in  various  acts  prejudicial  to  health. 

From  all  the  foregoing  statements  I  conclude  that, 
how  deficient  soever  this  region  may  be  in  the  moi;e 
humanizing  influences,  it  has  at  least  the  great  merit  of 
being  extremely  favorable  to  health  and  longevity.  There 
are  two  diseases  which  occasionally  prevail — erysipelas, 
in  an  epidemic  form,  and  mountain  fever,  of  which  I 
shall  have  something  to  say  in  a  subsequent  part  of  this 
report.  As  spring  is  the  season  at  which  the  erysipelas 
prevails,  I  have  had  no  opportunity  of  observing  it.  Be- 
sides these,  I  know  of  no  disease  which  may  be  said 
to  have  characters  peculiar  to  this  country.  Small-pox 
and  syphilis  make  great  ravages  amongst  the  Indian  tribes, 
but  they  do  not  differ  from  the  same  diseases  elsewhere. 

A  question  well  worthy  of  consideration:  Is  this  cli- 
mate adapted  to  the  amelioration  and  cure  of  the  tuber- 
cular diathesis?  As  phthisis  is  annually  on  the  increase 
in  the  United  States,  and  as  the  subject  of  its  hygienic 
management  proves  to  be  more  important  than  the  treat- 
ment by  medicaments,  the  consideration  of  the  climate  is, 
necessarily,  of  the  first  consequence.  In  my  report  for 
the  third  quarter  I  remarked  the  beneficial  influence  of 
the  journey  over  the  plains  upon  those  in  whom  "a  phthis- 
ical tendency  was  marked  and  imminent."  The  purity 
of  the  atmosphere  and  the  equability  and  dryness  of  the 


354  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

climate  are  conditions  highly  favorable  to  such  improve- 
ment. The  entire  immunity  of  the  mountaineers  from  all 
forms  of  pulmonary  disease  indicates  tke  healthfulness 
of  the  country  in  this  particular.  Moreover,  the  various 
commands  stationed  at  Fort  Laramie  have  been  remark- 
ably free  from  all  forms  of  pulmonary  disease,  and  all 
such  as  came  thither  laboring  under  the  incipient  or  well- 
established  symptoms  of  consumption  speedily  improved. 
Assistant  Surgeon  G.  K.  Wood,  in  a  report  from  that  post 
upon  this  subject  remarks: 

"The  climate  of  those  broad  and  elevated  table-lands, 
which  skirt  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  on  the  east, 
is  especially  beneficial  to  persons  suffering  from  pulmonary 
disease,  or  with  a  scrofulous  diathesis;  *  *  *  *  that 
more  is  due  to  the  climate  itself,  is  shown  by  the  tact, 
that  among  troops  stationed  in  this  region  (whose  habits 
are  much  the  same  everywhere)  this  class  of  disease  is 
of  very  rare  occurrence." 

The  present  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  for  the 
Territory  of  Utah,  (Dr.  Forney)  assures  me  that  the  jour- 
ney over  the  plains  and  residence  at  Camp  Scott  has  re- 
lieved him  almost  entirely  from  certain  alarming  symp- 
toms of  phthisis  with  which  he  set  out.  To  an  improved 
hygiene,  inseparable  from  a  life  upon  the  plains,  may  be 
attributed  much  of  the  benefit  experienced  in  these  cases; 
to  the  dryness  and  equability  of  the  climate  much  more. 
This  is  no  doubt  a  part,  but  not  the  whole  of  the  truth. 
In  my  recent  examination  before  the  Army  Medical  Board, 
this  question  was  propounded  by  Surgeon  McDougall: 
What  influence  has  elevation  upon  respiration  and  pul- 
monary disease?  To  the  latter  part  of  the  question,  I 
replied,  that  the  improvement  in  pulmonary  disease,  was, 
in  my  opinion,  due  to  improved  hygiene;  but,  as  the  ex- 
aminer remarked,  this  did  not  express  the  whole  truth, 
since  at  considerable  elevations,  determination  took  place 
to  the  surface,  thereby  relieving  internal  congestions — 
a  consideration  of  much  importance,  and  quite  as  obvious 
as  important.  From  these  facts  it  appears  to  me  evident, 
that  to  the  subject  of  an  hereditary  or  acquired  predis- 
position to  consumption,  the  Great  Plains  and  the  moun- 
tains offer  more  certain  relief  than  any  other  climate  in 
our  country.  A  journey  over  the  plains  is  not  so  for- 
midable an  enterprise  as  a  few  years  since;  it  can  be 
made  now  both  with  safety  and  celerity.  As  the  over- 
land route  to  California,  the  main  roads  are  being  con- 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  355 

stantly  traveised  by  parties  going  and  returning,  so  that 
the  invahd  would  have  no  difficulty  in  availing  himself 
of  the  protection  afforded  by  these. 

I  conclude  my  present  report  with  an  account  of  an 
epidemic  of  periodical  fever,  mentioned  in  my  report  for 
the  third  quarter,  as  having  commenced  soon  after  our 
arrival  upon  Ham's  fork.  To  the  unusual  fatigue  which 
the  Tenth  Infantry  had  undergone  in  a  highly  rarified 
atmosphere,  I  was  disposed  to  attribute  a  predisposing  in- 
fluence. Several  cases  had  happened  upon  the  march 
along  the  Platte  valley  but  from  Fort  Laramie  to  Ham's 
fork,  the  poison,  if  it  existed  among  the  command,  was 
in  abeyance.  I  also  remarked  that  if  we  can  predicate 
the  occurrence  of  malarial  diseases  upon  peculairities  of 
soil,  temperature,  and  productions,  then  may  the  Platte 
valley  be  considered  a  settled  habitat  of  malaria.  The 
valley  of  Ham's  fork,  is  in  many  respects  similar  to  the 
Platte  valley;  the  soil  consisting  of  sand  intermingled  with 
an  alluvial  deposit  and  vegetable  loam;  the  banks  of  the 
stream  fringed  with  the  willow  and  cottonwood,  and  be- 
ing subjected  to  periodical  overflow.  It  differs,  however, 
in  a  material  respect — in  elevation. 

After  the  termination  of  the  third  quarter,  we  con- 
tinued for  some  time  upon  Ham's  fork,  moving  occas- 
ionally a  few  miles  for  better  grazing.  For  the  first  half 
of  the  month  of  October,  the  weather  was  warm,  and  the 
atmosphere  had  all  those  peculiarities  which  unite  to  con- 
stitute "Indian  summer."  It  was  during  this  period  that 
the  Tenth  Infantry  suffered  so  severely  from  the  inter- 
mittent and  remittent  fevers.  The  intermittents,  if  not 
quickly  controlled  by  the  heroic  administration  of  quinine, 
passed  into  the  remittent,  whilst  the  remittents  tended  to 
assume  the  typhoid  type.  These  fevers  differed  in  no 
respect  from  the  same  forms  of  disease  in  the  low  coun- 
try, if  I  may  except  this  adynamic  tendency.  The  type 
of  the  fever  was  usually  quotidian,  the  remission  occur- 
ring in  the  morning.  A  large  proportion  of  the  cases 
commenced  by  a  severe  rigor,  variable  in  duration.  Dur- 
ing the  exacerbation  the  pulse  was  full,  soft,  and  some- 
times dicrotic;  skin  hot  and  dry;  tongue  heavily  furred 
in  the  centre,  red  and  dry  at  the  tip  and  edges;  no  sordes 
accumulated.  There  were  present,  also,  intense  cephal- 
algia; severe  aching  in  the  back  and  limbs;  suffusion  of 
the  eyes;  loathing  of  food;  and  sometimes  nausea  and 
vomiting.    At  the  acme  of  the  exacerbation  in  some  cases, 


356  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

I  observed  delirium,  sometimes  noisy  and  violent.  In  the 
remission  the  debility  was  considerable,  accompanied  by 
listlessness  and  indisposition  to  the  slightest  exertion; 
countenance  dull  and  tinged  a  peculiar  dirty  yellow;  pulse 
small,  quick,  and  feeble.  Diarrhoea  was  in  all  cases  a 
persistent  symptom,  requiring  astringents.  The  stools 
were  thin,  dark  brown,  greenish,  or  black,  and  very  of- 
fensive in  odor.  Large  doses  of  quinine  were  not  only 
borne  with  impunity,  but  absolutely  required;  and  I  had 
the  most  satisfactory  evidence  of  the  power  of  the  anti- 
periodic  in  jugulating  the  febrile  action.  Ten,  fifteen,  or 
twenty  grains  administered  at  a  single  dose  during  the 
remission,  manifested  all  the  antidotal  power  observed 
in  malarial  regions,  except  in  a  few  cases,  which,  uncon- 
trolled, passed  into  that  adynamic  condition,  by  common 
consent  denominated  typhoid — a  state  characterized  by 
extreme  muscular  debility,  low  muttering  delirium,  subsul- 
tus  tendinum,  &c.  Two  of  the  cases  thus  protracted  prov- 
ed fatal. 

These  are  the  facts:  Intermittent  and  remittent  fevers 
occurring  at  an  altitude  of  6,240  feet  above  the  sea  mani- 
festing all  the  phenomena  of  similar  or  identical  forms 
of  disease  in  low  countries  and  controlled  by  the  same 
remedy.  In  the  consideration  of  these  facts  three  ques- 
tions arise: 

Is  this  periodical  fever  a  distinct  and  peculiar  dis- 
ease, to  be  properly  designated  as  mountain  fever? 

Is  the  poison  malarial  in  origin  and  brought  into  the 
mountains  in  a  state  of  incubation  and  there  developed 
by  a  process  of  zymosis? 

Is  malaria  a  product  of  this  region? 

A  remittent  febrile  affection,  denominated  the  "moun- 
tain fever,"  is  described  by  Dr.   Ewing,  in  the    St.  Louis 

Medical  and  Surgical   Journal,  for    March,    1855,    as    a    disease 

peculiar  to  the  elevated  regions  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
He  considers  it  as  totally  distinct  from  the  fever  of  ma- 
larial origin,  but  it  seems  to  me  upon  insufficient  grounds. 
He  founds  his  differential  diagnosis  upon  the  accident  of 
situation  and  the  absence  of  nausea  in  the  mountain  fever. 
Upon  a  careful  consideration  of  his  description,  I  do  not 
find  that  the  mountain  fever  differs  very  materially  from 
the  febrile  disease  herein  described,  and  I  make  no  doubt 
what  Dr.  Ewing  saw  was  precisely  what  it  has  happened 
to  me  to  see.     We  differ  as  to  nomenclature  and  as  to 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  357 

cause.  The  term  "mountain  fever"  is  in  common  use 
among  the  hunters  and  trappers;  but,  certainly,  rarity 
of  air  cannot  be  considered  as  a  cause  of  disease,  as  Dr. 
Ewing  intimates,  in  those  who  have  been  long  halDituated 
to  it;  nor  has  this  cause  in  any  other  mountainous  re- 
gion, as  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  produced  similar  effects. 
Moreover,  the  coincident  occurrence  of  intermittent  fever 
evidently  indicates  a  different  origin.  The  cause  must, 
in  my  opinion,  be  sought  elsewhere  than  in  rarified  air. 

A  certain  fact  with  regard  to  the  behavior  of  malaria, 
long  known,  may  be  adduced  in  explanation  of  this  ap- 
parent anomaly.  It  is  well  ascertained  that  the  poison 
may  be  conveyed  from  a  low  country,  where  the  usual 
developments  may  or  may  not  have  occurred,  to  a  high, 
salubrious,  and  mountainous  region,  where  all  the  phen- 
omena of  this  species  of  poisoning  are  made  manifest. 
This  circumstance  has  not  unfrequently  occurred,  it  is 
not  a  matter  of  opinion,  and  may  explain  the  occurrence 
of  the  epidemic  herein  recorded;  but  not  with  absolute 
certainty.  Upon  inquiring  into  the  previous  history  of 
the  cases  of  fever,  I  find  some  who  have  been  living  in 
malarial  regions;  some  residents  of  the  northern  States, 
where  malaria  is  unknown;  all,  however,  transiently  ex- 
posed to  it  at  Camp  Walbach,  on  the  Missouri,  and  along 
the  valley  of  the  Platte. 

The  third  inquiry — Is  malaria  a  product  of  this  re- 
gion?— may  be  considered  as  an  altogether  absurd  in- 
quiry, so  antagonistic  is  it  to  the  commonly  received  doc- 
trines upon  this  subject.  I  have  already  intimated  my 
opinion  that  many  of  the  conditions  usually  considered 
necessary  to  its  elaboration  exist  in  these  mountain  val- 
leys. The  constitution  of  the  soil,  productions,  periodical 
inundations,  &c.,  render  the  similarity  between  them  and 
the  low  malarial  countries  striking.  Having  these  con- 
ditions, let  it  be  supposed  that  there  prevail  for  several 
months  a  continuously,  high  temperature — not  improb- 
able either — might  not  the  peculiar  aerial  substance  known 
as  malaria  become  developed?  Not,  it  may  be,  constantly 
at  the  ordinary  season,  but  capriciously  at  long  intervals, 
when,  as  it  may  but  seldom  happen,  various  coincident 
circumstances  conspire  to  develop  it.  At  all  events,  the 
subject  is  deserving  of  some  attention. 

The  second  inquiry,  according  to  present  received 
doctrines,  explains  most  satisfactorily  the  occurrence  of 
periodical    fever   in    the    elevated   regions    of   the    Rocky 


358  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Mountains;  but  if  we  deny  that  malaria  can  be  here  ela- 
borated, many  anomalous  circumstances  remain  unex- 
plained. Notwithstanding  there  is  much  known  with  cer- 
tainty upon  this  subject,  more  continues  obscure,  and  we 
are  consequently  continually  surprised  by  new  phases 
and  unexpected  developments. 

I  have  been  thus  particular  in  recording  in  this  and 
a  preceding  report  the  history  of  this  epidemic,  not  in  the 
vain  expectation  of  adding  any  new  facts  to  medical 
science,  but  the  rather  of  exhibiting  old  facts  under  some- 
what novel  and  extraordinary  circumstances. 

SANITARY  REPORT— CAMP  SCOTT* 
Assistant  Surgeon  John  Moore:    December,   1857. 

Camp   Scott,   the  wintering   place   of   the   armp   of   Utah,   is   in 

latitude  41°  18'  12"  No.,  longitude  110°  32'  23"  W.  from 
Greenwich;  this  is  on  the  authority  of  observations  made 
by  Captain  Stansbury,  in  1849,  1850,  at  Bridger's  Fort, 
an  Indian  trading  post  near  our  camp,  and  now  used  as 
a  public  storehouse.  The  altitude  of  our  present  posi- 
tion, as  near  as  can  be  ascertained  from  geognostic  pro- 
files, made,  I  think,  by  Captain  Beckwith  in  his  railroad 
survey,  is  about  7,800  feet.  Distance  from  Fort  Laramie, 
by  the  emigrant  road,  over  the  South  Pass  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  440  miles;  and  from  Great  Salt  Lake  City 
in  a  northeast  direction,  124  miles. 

Our  encampment  is  in  the  valley  of  Black's  fork  of 
Green  river,  a  tributary  of  the  Colorado  of  the  West. 
The  average  width  of  the  valley  is  from  one  to  two  miles, 
with  a  depression  below  the  surrounding  plains  of  eighty 
to  one  hundred  feet.  The  strata  in  the  surrounding  hills, 
so  far  as  they  can  be  seen,  are  nearly  horizontal,  consist- 
ing of  magnesian  limestone,  clayey  and  slaty  shales,  and 
sandstone.  The  soil  is  made  up  of  the  detritus  of  the 
surrounding  rocks  intermingled  with  some  vegetable  mould. 
The  stream  is  one  of  considerable  size,  water  excellent, 
with  a  rapid  current  over  a  bed  of  small  boulders,  com- 
posed principally  of  metamorphic  sandstone.  It  has  its 
source  in  the  Uintah  Mountains,  a  lofty  chain  some  fifty 
or  sixty  miles  to  the  south,  and  whose  summits — in  plain 
view  from  our  camp — reach  the  altitude  of  perpetual  snow. 

Clumps  of  Cottonwood,  willow,  hawthorn,  black  and 
white   currant,    fringe    the    borders    of    the   stream,    and 

*Ibid.  pp.  293-297. 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  359 

scrubby  cedars  grow  on  the  escarpments  of  the  hills,  some 
three  or  four  miles  distant.  It  is  said  that  coal  has  been 
found  in  the  neighborhood,  but  none  has  been  seen  since 
our  arrival.  It  is  not  improbable,  however,  that  it  exists, 
as  the  red  sandstone  of  the  carboniferous  period,  has  been 
seen  cropping  out  within  a  day's  march  of  this  place.  The 
plains  in  our  vicinity  are  in  no  respect  different  from 
those  extending  for  hundreds  of  miles  on  every  side 
of  us.  They  are  utterly  barren;  covered  with  artemisia, 
(Artemisia  tridentata,)  asters,  and  cacti,  interspersed  with 
occasional  clumps  of  grass. 

Our  arrival  here  was  in  the  midst  of  winter:  and  as 
the  ground  has  been  almost  constantly  covered  with  snow, 
but  limited  opportunities  have  been  afforded  for  geological 
investigations.  No  chemical  analysis  of  the  soil  has  been 
made,  because  of  the  want  of  necessary  chemicals. 

In  the  absence  of  topographical  details,  some  observa- 
tions of  a  more  general  character  may  not  be  without  in- 
terest. We  are  encamped  in  the  midst  of  the  "Great 
Basin"  of  Fremont;  in  speaking  of  which,  it  is  perhaps  not 
generally  known  that  the  term  "Great  Basin,"  is  applied 
to  one  of  the  most  remarkable  plateaus  on  the  surface  of 
the  globe;  being  greater  in  area  and  almost  if  not  equal 
in  altitude  to  the  table-lands  of  Mexico.  In  a  direction 
east  and  west,  it  extends  from  Fort  Laramie,  which  is 
at  an  altitude  of  5,300  feet,  to  the  Wahsatch  range  of 
mountains  some  fifty  miles  to  the  west  of  our  camp;  and 
in  a  course  north  and  south,  from  the  thirty-fourth  to  the 
forty-fifth  parallels  of  latitude. 

From  Fort  Laramie  to  the  South  Pass,  there  is  a 
gradual  but  constant  swelling  of  the  ground  to  the  "divor- 
tia  aquarum,"  or  culminating  ridge,  where  it  attains  an 
altitude  of  7,490  feet.  The  distance  between  these  two 
points  is  about  300  miles.  Although  this  is  an  elevation 
greater  than  that  of  the  famous  passes  of  the  Simplon, 
(6,576,)  of  the  St.  Gothard,  (6,865,)  and  but  little  short 
of  that  of  the  Great  San  Bernard,  yet  the  ascent  is  so 
gentle  as  to  be  scarcely  perceptible,  and,  without  artificial 
improvement,  to  afford  a  beautiful  road  for  every  descrip- 
tion of  wheeled  carriage.  In  thus  offering  an  easy  com- 
munication between  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  and  the 
growing  States  on  the  Pacific,  it  exerts  an  important  in- 
fluence on  the  social  progress  of  the  country,  and  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  a  region  so  elevated  and  so  ex- 
tensive   in    length,    corresponding    to    the    distance    from 


360  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Maine  to  Georgia,  and  in  altitude  varying  from  5,000  to 
8,000  feet,  must  exert  an  important  climatic  influence 
on  the  portions  of  the  continent  to  the  east  and  south  of  it. 

FLORA. — Of  the  botany  of  this  locality  I  am  unable 
to  add  anything  to  the  few  specimens  already  mentioned 
as  skirting  the  stream  or  covering  the  plains. 

FAUNA. — Animals,  with  the  exception  of  the  large 
and  small  prairie  wolf,  rabbits,  and  hares,  are  not  numer- 
ous during  the  winter.  The  black  and  grizzly  bear  are 
occasionally  met  with  in  the  mountains.  In  the  more  pro- 
tected valleys  to  the  north  and  south  of  us  the  common 
and  black-tailed  deer,  elk,  and  antelope  are  found.  The 
following,  though  not  abundant,  are  sometimes  seen,  viz: 
Rocky  mountain  sheep,  red  fox,  grey  fox,  mink,  ermine, 
badger,  muskrat,  beaver,  prairie  squirrel.  Few  birds  have 
been  seen  since  our  arrival,  except  the  crows,  ravens,  and 
turkey-buzzards  attracted  by  the  offal  of  the  slaughter- 
ing pens  around  the  camp;  but  in  summer  I  am  told  that 
wild  geese  and  ducks  of  various  kinds,  among  which  are 
the  mallard  and  the  greenwinged  teal,  with  other  migra- 
tory birds,  are  numerous. 

Any  attempt  to  enumerate  either  the  flora  or  fauna, 
from  such  limited  observations  as  could  be  made  in  a  few 
weeks  in  the  rigor  of  winter,  must  necessarily  be  incom- 
plete. Any  ommissions  in  this  respect  can  be  supplied 
by  some  future  observer,  as  measures  are  being  taken 
to  establish  a  permanent  military  post  in  this  neighborhood. 

From  the  old  hunters  I  learn  that  the  buffalo 
fBos  americanufi)  has  not  been  seen  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  within  the  last  thirty  years,  although,  prev- 
ious to  that  time,  this  country  was  one  of  his  favorite 
feeding  grounds.  This  is  attested  by  the  numerous  skulls 
and  other  portions  of  his  skeleton  found  bleaching  on  the 
prairie  in  every  direction  over  the  valley  included  between 
the  Rocky  and  Sierra  Nevada  mountains.  The  fact  is 
familiar,  that  he  has  retreated  before  the  advancing  set- 
tlements from  Virginia  and  Kentucky,  to  his  present 
habitat  on  the  plains  of  the  Missouri  and  Arkansas  rivers. 
But  it  would  be  interesting  to  know  why  he  has  aban- 
doned the  plains  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  advance 
of  civilization.  The  only  explanation  I  have  heard  of  a 
phenomenon  so  singular,  is,  that  about  thirty  years  ago 
they  were  all  killed  by  an  unusually  sever  winter,  and 
that  subsequent  to  that  time  they  have  never  been  seen 
here. 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  361 

INDIANS. — When  Bridger's  Fort  was  used  as  a  trad- 
ing post,  it  was  frequented  by  the  Shoshones  or  Snakes, 
whose  wintering  place  is  some  hundred  miles  to  the  north 
of  our  camp;  and  by  the  Uintahs  and  Utahs,  about  the 
same  distance  to  the  south.  Owing  to  the  scarcity  of 
provisions,  they  have  not  been  encouraged  to  visit  us; 
in  consequence  I  have  rarely  seen  them,  and  so  know  little 
of  their  customs  or  diseases.  In  regard  to  the  Snakes, 
I  have  been  assured  by  old  hunters,  who  have  spent  a 
considerable  portion  of  their  lives  among  them,  that 
within  thirty  years  past,  they  have  been  reduced  by  epi- 
demics of  small-pox,  from  900  lodges  to  a  fourth  of  that 
number.  Their  treatment  for  this  as  for  almost  every 
other  disease,  consists  of  hot  vapor  baths,  foPowed  im- 
mediately by  plunging  into  cold  water.  The  result  in  al- 
most every  case  was  fatal.  They  believe  that  the  disease  was 
designedly  introduced  among  them  by  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company.  Syphilis  is  a  very  common  and  destructive 
disease  among  them;  but  whether  of  domestic  origin  or 
foreign  importation,  seems  uncertain. 

From  these  same  hunters  I  learn  another  interesting 
ethnological  fact,  which  is,  that  their  language  is  iden- 
tical with  that  of  the  Camanches,  inhabiting  Northern 
Texas,  except  in  reference  to  the  names  of  such  animals 
or  implements,  as  have  been  introduced  among  them  since 
their  contact  with  the  white  man.  Thus  proving  beyond 
question,  that  prior  to  this  event,  these  two  tribes,  now 
so  far  removed  from  each  other,  with  other  tribes  in- 
tervening, were  one  and  the  same. 

I  have  seen  it  somewhere  stated,  that  the  Camanches 
have  a  tradition  that  some  four  or  five  centuries  since, 
their  ancestors  emigrated  from  South  America;  whether 
the  Snake  have  a  similar  tradition,  I  have  not  been  able 
to  learn.  It  is  not  improbable,  that  this  similaritv  of 
language  between  tribes  so  remote  from  each  other,  may 
be  well  known;  but  being  new  to  me,  I  thought  it  of  suf- 
ficient interest  to  be  mentioned. 

I  will  now  speak  more  immediately  of  that  portion  of 
the  command,  with  which  I  am  serving.  From  the  first 
of  the  present  quarter  to  its  close,  the  Tenth  Infantry 
in  common  with  the  Fifth,  have  been  exposed  to  more 
than  the  usual  hardships  of  active  service  in  the  field,  in 
a  winter  climate  of  unusual  severity;  and  during  the  first 
part  of  the  quarter,  many  of  the  men  were  poorly  clad, 
and  furnished  with  a  very  limited  supply  of  blankets. 


362  ANNALS  OP  WYOMING 

The  vigilance  required  for  the  protection  of  long 
trains  of  wagons,  and  large  herds  of  animals,  from  the 
marauding  attacks  of  Mormons,  who  were  daily  seen  in 
our  neighborhood,  made  it  necessary  to  mount  large 
guards,  for  a  time  only  allowing  the  men  two  or  three 
nights  in  bed  in  the  week.  For  several  days,  during  the 
early  part  of  October,  the  thermometer  ranged  in  the 
hottest  part  of  the  day,  from  80°  to  90°  in  the  shade,  the 
nights  at  the  same  being  below  32°.  The  regiment  was 
then  encamped  on  Ham's  fork  of  Green  river,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  about  6,000  feet.  An  encampment  of  ten  days 
was  made  here.  During  this  time  two  companies  were 
on  guard  nightly,  and  the  whole  command  drilled  three 
or  four  hours  daily.  The  great  alternations  of  tempera- 
ture experienced  during  these  hot  day,  told  on  the  health 
of  the  men.  Fifteen  of  the  twenty  cases  of  malarial  fever, 
and  two-thirds  of  cases  of  diarrhoea,  reported  for  the 
quarter,  occurred  here.  From  the  previous  history  of 
those  attacked  with  remittent  and  intermittent  fever,  to- 
gether with  the  nature  of  the  locality  in  which  it  occurred, 
I  am  convinced  it  was  due  to  exposure  on  the  Missouri 
or  other  miasmatic  regions,  before  leaving  Fort  Leaven- 
worth. From  men  who  have  lived  for  fifteen  or  twenty 
years  in  this  country,  I  learn  that  fever  and  ague  is  en- 
tirely unknown  as  an  indigenous  disease. 

Between  the  20th  of  October  and  the  10th  of  November, 
while  on  the  march,  we  had  four  or  five  falls  of  snow, 
each  varying  from  two  to  five  inches  in  depth.  About 
the  latter  date,  the  arrival  of  a  large  train  with  clothing, 
tents,  &c.,  afforded  the  means  of  making  the  men  much 
more  comfortable  than  they  had  been  previously.  The 
conical  or  Sibley  tent  was  issued  to  the  whole  command 
in  place  of  the  one  before  used,  the  common  bell  tent. 
This  new  tent,  in  cold  weather,  will  very  comfortably  ac- 
commodate twelve  or  fifteen  men;  and  having  an  aper- 
ture at  the  top  for  the  escape  of  smoke,  a  cheerful  fire 
may  be  built  in  the  centre,  either  on  the  ground,  or  in 
a  pot,  or  in  any  other  method  that  ingenuity  can  devise. 

In  a  climate  like  this,  where  men  are  to  winter  un- 
der canvas,  the  Sibley  tent  I  think  a  great  improvement 
over  any  heretofore  in  use  in  our  service. 

From  the  10th  to  the  15th  of  November,  the  ther- 
mometer, at  7  A.  M.,  ranged  from  -4°  to  -16°.  Some  ten 
or  twelve  men,  while  on  guard  or  picket,  had  their  feet 
and  toes  more  or  less  frozen.     All  recovered  without  loss 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  363 

of  substance,  except  one.  In  this  the  last  phalanx  of  the 
four  lesser  toes  sloughed  off.  In  addition  to  the  remedies 
usually  employed,  the  fresh  gall  of  the  ox  was  used  v/ith 
great  benefit  in  all  cases  where  the  injury  was  superficial. 
It  was  applied  as  a  liniment,  or  by  pieces  of  lint  sat- 
urated with  it. 

On  the  20th  of  November  the  whole  body  of  the  com- 
mand had  reached  this  camp,  having  been  sixteen  days 
in  making  the  last  fifteen  miles.  The  weather  was  ex- 
cessively cold,  and  the  Tenth  Infantry  coming  up  in  sev- 
eral detachments,  as  escorts  to  ox  trains,  were  often  de- 
tained until  midnight  on  the  road,  and  when,  half  frozen, 
they  reached  the  camp,  had  to  pitch  their  tents  on  the 
snow,  and  seek  that  rest  so  necessary  after  the  dav's 
fatigue,  and  which  only  the  weary  can  know.  As  an  in- 
dication of  the  severity  of  the  weather  on  this  last  part 
of  the  march,  it  may  be  stated  that  in  makina:  the  last 
sixteen  miles  before  reaching  this  camp,  more  than  two 
thousand  of  our  animals  died  from  cold  and  starvation. 
Notwithstanding  all  this  exposure,  the  number  of  sick 
was  much  less  than  during  the  warm  weather  in  the  early 
part  of  October.  Since  the  arrival  of  the  regiment  at  this 
camp,  the  soldiers  have  been  as  comfortable  as  it  is  pos- 
sible for  men  to  be  in  tents.  They  are  not  required  to  go 
on  guard  oftener  than  once  a  week;  but  as  all  our  ani- 
mals have  been  sent  to  a  distant  grazing  ground,  our  wood 
has  to  be  hauled  by  the  soldiers  from  a  cottonwood 
grove  two  or  three  miles  distant.  This,  with  drilling  and 
the  ordinary  police  dutv  of  the  camp,  keeps  them  for  the 
greater  portion  of  each  day  in  the  open  air.  As  the 
weather,  although  cold,  has  iDeen  dry,  bracing,  and  spark- 
ling, this  outdoor  exercise  has,  without  doubt,  been  of 
great  advantage. 

No  new  cases  of  scurvy  have  occurred  during  the 
present  quarter,  and  all  those  reported  in  the  previous 
one  are  either  well  or  recovering.  This  immunitv,  I  think, 
is  probably  due,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the  desiccated 
vegetables  supplied  by  the  commissary  department,  in 
praise  of  which,  as  a  wholesome  and  agreeable  addition 
to  the  ration,  too  much  cannot  be  said.  In  consequence 
of  the  limited  supplies  on  hand,  the  entire  ration  has  been 
reduced  one  fourth,  with  the  exception  of  beef;  this  has 
been  increased  to  two  pounds.  It  is,  however,  of  a  very 
inferior  quality,  being  the  flesh  of  the  oxen  that  was  used 
in  drawing  our  train  from  Fort  Leavenworth,  a  distance 


364  ANNALS  OP  WYOMING 

of  one  thousand  miles.  For  nearly  two  months  past  no 
salt  has  been  issued;  but  up  to  this  time  I  have  seen  no 
bad  effects  from  this  reduction  of  the  ration.  If  scurvy 
should  not  make  its  appearance  in  the  spring,  the  exemp- 
tion will  be  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  the  history  of 
the  army. 

For  hospital,  I  have  one  hospital  tent  and  three  Sib- 
ley tents.  The  Sibley  tents  I  have  floored  with  dry  beef- 
hides,  which  keeps  the  bedding  from  the  dirt  and  damp- 
ness of  the  ground,  as  well  as  adding  materially  to  its 
warmth.  In  one  of  these  tents  six  or  seven  men  can  be 
made  more  comfortable  than  in  any  other  method  here- 
tofore adopted  in  the  field. 

SANITARY  REPORT— CAMP  SCOTT* 
Assistant  Surgeon  Aquila  T.  Ridgely:   January,  1858. 

In  accordance  with  existing  regulations,  I  have  the 
honor  to  submit  the  following  remarks,  to  accompany  my 
quarterly  report  of  sick  and  wounded  for  the  fourth  quarter 
of  1857: 

During  the  whole  of  the  quarter  now  ended,  the  Fifth 
Infantry  has  been  engaged  in  military  operations  within 
the  Territory  of  Utah.  Until  November  17  they  were 
actively  employed  in  the  field.  The  almost  constant 
presence  of  the  enemy,  who  hovered  about  our  flanks  in 
small  bodies,  endeavoring  to  cut  off  stragglers  from  the 
command  and  seize  upon  animals,  caused  the  duty  of  the 
men  to  be  excessively  arduous,  and  entailed  upon  them 
much  exposure  to  the  elements.  In  consequence  of  there 
being  no  mounted  force  with  our  army,  until  after  the 
2d  of  November,  the  Mormons,  who  were  upon  good 
horses,  were  very  bold,  and  could  only  be  kept  beyond 
the  range  of  our  small  arms.  This  rendered  it  necessary 
to  have  large  guards  with  the  mules  and  oxen,  and  to 
post  pickets  upon  commanding  heights  by  night  as  well 
as  by  day,  in  cold  weather  as  well  as  in  warm.  The  scar- 
city of  grass  and  the  consequently  large  range  required, 
made  the  duty  doubly  onerous.  The  long  line  of  our  ox 
trains  likewise  demanded  protection,  and  frequently  sev- 
eral companies  would  not  reach  their  tents  until  after  the 
night  was  far  advanced.  Occasionally  the  morning  would 
find  them  absent  from  the  camp,  and  more  than  once,  I 
believe,  they  have  passed  two  consecutive  nights  upon  the 

*Ibid.  pp.  297-299. 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  365 

road.     All  this  has  been  performed  when  the  thermometer 
indicated   a  temperature   considerably   below   zero. 

Since  the  arrival  of  the  command  at  its  site  for  a 
winter  encampment,  its  condition  has  been  much  amelior- 
ated. Nevertheless,  its  task  continues  to  be  a  hard  one. 
The  sustaining  of  out-posts  and  pickets,  the  maintenance 
of  a  strong  guard,  and  the  procurement  of  fuel,  tax  all 
the  energies  and  almost  all  the  time  of  the  soldier. 

The  climate  of  this  region  is  certainly  a  cold  one. 
Never  have  I  seen  such  severe  weather,  at  the  same  period 
of  the  year,  as  we  experienced  in  October  and  early  in 
November.  Upon  the  morning  of  October  19  the  mer- 
cury stood  at  4°  Fahrenheit;  upon  November  5  the  mer- 
cury was  at  Y2°  Fahrenheit;  upon  the  mornings  of  No- 
vember 12  and  14  the  mercury  stood  at  -17°  and  -13° 
Fahrenheit.  It  may  be  stated,  in  general  terms,  that  the 
cold  was  extreme  and  unseasonable  during  the  month  of 
October  and  a  large  part  of  November,  during  which  time 
we  were  upon  the  march. 

The  snow  commenced  to  fall  early  in  October,  and 
was  frequently  repeated  during  the  campaign. 

Upon  the  night  of  October  17  it  covered  the  earth 
to  the  depth  of  about  one  foot  in  and  around  our  camp. 
Sometimes  it  was  accompanied  with  drifting  particles  and 
a  strong  cold  wind,  which  were  difficult  to  face;  but  the 
necessities  of  our  situation  admitted  no  delay,  and  we 
were  compelled  to  move  onward. 

Since  our  arrival  at  Camp  Scott,  contrary  to  all  ex- 
pectation based  upon  the  past,  the  winter,  though  regu- 
larly cold,  has  been  moderately  so.  The  mercury  has  not, 
I  think,  been  lower  than  -12°  Fahrenheit,  although  fre- 
quently it  is  but  little  above  zero  or  somewhat  below  it. 

The  troops  are  quartered  in  the  Sibley  tents.  These, 
as  they  admit  of  a  fire  within  them,  around  which  their 
occupants  can  sit  and  keep  warm,  and  thus  forget  the 
storm  without,  are  vastly  more  comfortable  than  the  tents 
previously  furnished.  Those  officers  who  possess  stoves, 
with  an  adequate  supply  of  stovepipe,  almost  universally 
prefer  the  wall  tent  for  their  own  residence,  but,  as  sol- 
diers are  seldom  in  enjoyment  of  such  luxuries,  I  deem 
the  introduction  of  the  Sibley  tent  the  greatest  boon  which 
has,  of  late  years,  been  conferred  upon  them.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  with  its  ac- 


366  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

customed  liberality,  will,  at  an  early  date,  authorize  the 
issue  of  these  tents  to  laundresses  and  the  servants  of 
officers,  as  the  health  of  these  individuals  is  surely  en- 
titled to  some  consideration. 

The  hospital  accommodations  of  the  regiment  con- 
sist, at  present,  of  one  hospital  tent  and  three  Sibley  tents, 
but  will  doubtless  be  enlarged  should  the  number  of  sick 
render  it  desirable. 

The  clothing  of  the  men  has  been  sufficient,  so  far  as 
my  knowledge  extends. 

The  cleanliness  of  their  persons  has  not  been  remark- 
able, in  consequence,  I  suppose,  of  the  difficulties  attend- 
ing the  performance  of  ablutions. 

They  have  usually  been  temperate,  as  they  seldom  ob- 
tained the  means  of  intoxication. 

Notwithstanding  the  hardships  and  exposure  to  which 
the  men  have  been  subjected,  the  health  of  the  command 
has  been  good.  The  ratio  of  sickness  is  not  large,  and 
of  those  reported  a  very  considerable  proportion  are 
classed  under  the  heads  of  "wounds  and  injuries." 

Of  the  202  persons  taken  sick,  no  less  than  twenty- 
one  suffered  from  frost-bite,  or  almost  ten  per  cent  of  the 
total  number  treated.  The  frequent  occurrence  of  di- 
arrhoea during  the  months  of  October  and  November,  I 
attribute  principally  to  the  deprivation  of  the  men  from 
the  use  of  common  salt  as  a  condiment,  and  to  the  fact 
of  the  meat  ration  consisting  chiefly  of  fresh  beef.  The 
alimentary  canal  having  been  accustomed  to  the  stimulus 
of  salt,  probably  required  its  presence  for  a  due  enerva- 
tion of  the  tissues  concerned,  and  its  withdrawal  was 
followed  by  a  consequent  relaxation.  By  the  month  of 
December  the  system  had  become  reconciled  to  the  new 
order  of  things,  and  upon  that  month  the  number  of  those 
affected  was  only  one  half  as  great  as  upon  the  previous 
month. 

The  fewness  of  the  cases  of  serious  thoracic  diseases 
may  be  among  the  good  effects  resulting  from  the  em- 
ployment of  the  Sibley  tent.  This  tent,  being  open  at  the 
top,  permits  the  free  escape  of  heated  air,  the  place  of 
which  must  be  supplied  from  without.  This  produces  a 
constant  though  imperceptible  current  of  air  through  the 
apartment,  and,  by  preventing  it  from  becoming  unduly 
heated,  renders  the  change  less  great  to  one  upon  emerg- 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  367 

ing  from  it  into  the  open  atmosphere.  It  may  be,  too, 
that  the  perpetual  renewal  of  oxygen  imparts  to  the  lungs 
a  healthy  tone,  which  renders  them  less  impressible  to 
vicissitudes  of  temperature  and  other  disturbing  causes. 
The  absence  of  scorbutus  is  a  gratifying  feature  in  the 
accompanying  report.  I  have  seen  a  few  symptoms  of 
this  disease  among  those  who  were  sick  from  other  com- 
plaints, but  it  has  chiefly  been  in  the  persons  of  employes 
of  the  staff  departments.  This  immunity  is  probably 
the  result  of  the  occasional  issue  of  desiccated  vegetables 
to  the  men.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  subsequent  experience 
will  confirm  this  opinion. 

Camp  Scott  is  situated  upon  Black's  fork  of  Green 
river,  one  and  three  quarter  miles  above  Bridger's  Fort, 
and  about  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  from  the  city  of  the 
Great  Salt  Lake.  The  stream  is  a  mountain  torrent,  and 
has  a  fall  of  many  feet  per  mile.  The  water  is  pure  and 
pleasant  to  the  taste.  The  banks  are  skirted  with  a  wide 
growth  of  willow  bushes,  with  here  and  there  a  grove 
of  the  bitter  cottonwood,  interspersed  with  a  few  stunted 
box-elders.  The  neighboring  hills  have,  in  places  dense 
groves  of  cedar  within  their  ravines  and  upon  their  slopes. 
The  distant  mountains  are  also  partially  covered  with 
heavy  growths  of  timber.  I  have  not  been  to  them,  but 
I  imagine  that  the  pine  and  fir  predominate. 

The  valley  of  Black's  fork  at  this  point  does  not  ex- 
ceed half  a  mile  in  width,  and,  owing  to  the  tortuous 
course  of  the  stream,  we  are,  to  a  great  extent,  sheltered 
from  the  winds  by  the  high  hills  or  bluffs  which  arise 
immediately  from  the  valley.  Beyond  these,  to  the  south- 
ward and  to  the  westward,  may  be  seen  the  lofty  peaks 
and  elevated  ridges  of  the  Wahsatch  mountains,  nowhere, 
probably  less  than  twelve  miles  from  our  camp. 

The  dazzling  whiteness  of  their  summits,  compared 
with  the  dark  green  of  the  forests  below,  forms  a  beau- 
tiful and  pleasing  contrast.  Owing  to  the  presence  of 
the  snow  and  the  inclemency  of  the  season,  I  have  not 
been  able  to  investigate  the  geological  peculiarities  of  the 
vicinity. 

Magnesian  limestone  has  been  found  in  abundance  in 
the  neighborhood. 


368  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

SANITARY  REPORT— FORT  BRIDGER* 
Assistant   Surgeon  Roberts  Bartholow:    March,    1859. 

HISTORY. — For  many  years  past  Fort  Bridger  has 
enjoyed  some  celebrity  as  a  trading  station,  occupied  by 
James  Bridger,  a  famous  mountaineer.  The  fort  origin- 
ally consisted  of  an  irregular  collection  of  log  houses,  sur- 
rounded by  a  stockade,  arranged  in  part  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  strength- 
ened 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  when  they  could  no 
longer  maintain  possession. 

The  erection  of  the  necessary  quarters  for  a  garrison 
of  five  companies  commenced  immediately  after  the  ad- 
vance of  the  army  in  June,  1858;  but,  owing  to  the  scar- 
city of  the  indispensable  materials,  the  buildmgs,  though 
in  a  state  of  considerable  forwardness,  are,  as  yet,  un- 
completed. The  hospital  was  so  far  advanced  toward  Qom- 
pletion  as  to  be  considered  habitible  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  man- 
ner of  logs.  The  work  of  completing  them  is  still  going 
on  as  vigorously  as  the  coldness  of  the  weather  will  per- 
mit: they  make  haste  slowly. 

MEDICAL  TOPOGRAPHY,  &c.— For  Bridger  lies  in 
latitude  41°  18'  12"  N.,  and  longitude  110°  32'  38"  W.,  and 
in  the  valley  of  Black's  fork,  a  mountain  stream  tribu- 
tary to  Green  river.  The  valley  of  Black's  fork  has  an 
average  width  of  about  one  thousand  yards;  wider  at 
this  point  than  elsewhere.  The  transition  from  the  valley 
to  the  table-lands  is  much  more  gradual  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  fort  than  at  any  other  point,  and  consequently  this 
part  of  the  valley  is  more  exposed  to  the  prevalent  high 
winds.  The  bluffs  which  bound  the  valley  consist  of 
sand,  conglomerate,  and  shale,  and,  in  some  situations, 
magnesian  limestone,  (dolomite.)  The  soil  of  the  valley 
is  a  sandy  alluvium,  light,  porous,  and  superficial  in  depth, 
and  incapable  of  sustaining  a  luxuriant  vegetation.     Un- 

*Ibid.   pp.   306-310. 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  ^  369 

der  the  soil  lies  a  stratum  of  sand  and  rubble  stone  of 
great  thickness,  through  which  the  water  constantly  per- 
colates. Numerous  ravines  and  mounds  of  exposed  rubble 
stone  attest  that  the  valley  is  overflowed  when  the  melt- 
ing snows  swell  the  stream. 

The  herbage  of  the  valley  is  sufficiently  luxuriant 
to  contrast  strongly  with  the  barren  table-lands  covered 
with  the  wild  sage,  (Artemisia  tridentata. )  The  cottonwood 
(Popultis  angustifoiia)  and  an  herbaceous  willow  are  the  only 
trees  which  grow  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  post. 
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  quad- 
rangle, 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. 

CLIMATOLOGY.— The  mean  height  of  the  barometer 
for  the  five  months  during  which  observations  have  been 
taken  at  this  post,  is  23.48  inches.  By  a  recent  calcula- 
tion, I  determine  the  elevation  to  be  6,646  feet.  Accord- 
ingly, at  an  elevation  so  great  as  this,  and  at  the  forty- 
first  parellel  of  north  latitude,  the  climate  of  Fort  Bridger 
properly  belongs  to  the  "upper  or  cold  regions"  of  meteor- 
logical  writers.  The  mean  height  of  the  thermometer  for 
eight  months,  commencing  in  July  last,  is  39.22°.  The 
proportion  of  summer  months  in  this  estimate  is  too  large 
for  the  mean  of  the  year,  which  would  be  lower.  The 
lowest  degree  of  the  thermometer  since  the  occupation 
of  this  post  was  -22°  Fahrenheit.  Extreme  cold  is  less 
appreciable  to  the  senses,  owing  to  the  dryness  of  the 
atmosphere;  and  a  less  amount  of  clothing  is  necessary 
than  will  suffice  in  latitudes  warmer  but  moist.  The 
most  annoying,  as  the  most  prominent,  feature  of  this 
climate  is  the  almost  constant  prevalence  of  high  winds. 
This  prevailing  wind  is  from  the  southwest.  Few  days 
are  without  it;  and  Fort  Bridger,  unprotected  by  bluffs, 
is  fully  exposed.  Snow-storms  are  frequent;  in  fact,  no 
month  in  the  year  is  exempt  from  such  visitations  or 
greater  or  less  intensity.  A  few  miles  up  the  stream,  on 
the  summit  of  the  Uintah,  the  domain  of  "perpetual 
snow"  is  reached;  there  great  fields  of  snow  lie  all  summer. 

The  barometer,  as  a  weather  indicator,  may  be  con- 
fidently relied  upon  at  this  post.  A  considerable  fall  of 
the  mercury  constantly  portends  high  winda  and  a  snow- 


370  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

storm,  whilst  a  rise,  no  matter  how  threatening  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  clouds,  as  constantly  indicates  fair  weather 
and  calm. 

HYGIENE. — The  foregoing  observations,  with  great 
propriety,,  introduce  the  subject  of  hygiene.  I  include, 
under  this  designation,  air,  exercise,  food,  clothing,  habits, 
and  the  duties  and  employments  of  the  troops  in  so  far 
as  these  influence  their  sanitary  condition. 

From  the  preceding  account  of  the  situation  and  cli- 
mate of  Fort  Bridger,  it  will  be  at  once  perceived  that  due 
ventilation  has  been  secured  by  the  location  and  plan  of 
that  post.  The  Company  quarters  now  occupied  are  much 
too  small  for  the  full  standard  of  strength;  consequently 
additional  buildings  are  in  process  of  construction.  By 
crowding  the  men  into  too  confined  a  space,  sufficient  re- 
gard has  not  been  paid  to  cleanliness.  This  is  more  es- 
pecially the  case  with  the  dragoons,  who,  by  reason  of 
their  employments,  are  more  exposed  to  filth,  yet  are, 
personally,  less  regardful  of  appearances. 

The  hospital,  built  in  all  respects  like  the  other  quar- 
ters, is  sufficiently  commodious,  but  sadly  defective  in 
arrangement.  I  desire  to  record  that  I  am  in  no  respect 
responsible  for  the  plan  of  this  building.  I  was  not  con- 
sulted by  the  architect,  and,  of  course,  abstained  from 
making  suggestions  which  would  have  met  with  no  at- 
tention. 

Since  the  arrival  of  the  present  garrison  at  this  post, 
a  large  portion  of  it  has  been  engaged  in  the  labor  of 
building,  and  of  the  necessary  police.  These  employments 
have  not  influenced  the  health  of  the  command,  except 
by  the  occurrence  of  such  injuries  as  happen  from  the 
use  of  cutting  tools  by  unskillful  hands. 

The  water  supplied  by  the  branch  of  Black's  fork, 
which  runs  through  the  parade,  is  clear  and  tree  from 
visible  impurities.  If  this  were  the  only  beverage  used 
by  men  in  this  command,  my  professional  duties  were 
the  lighter.  A  vile  concoction,  known  as  whisky,  has  been 
from  time  to  time  surreptitiously  sold  to  the  troops,  not- 
withstanding prohibitory  orders  from  the  commanding  of- 
ficer. Manufactured  by  traders  from  alcohol,  tobacco, 
and  other  narcotics,  this  liquor  has,  in  one  instance,  pro- 
duced an  immediately  fatal  effect,  and  more  or  less  alarm- 
ing symptoms  in  various  instances.  The  only  death  during 
the  present  quarter  was   from   this   cause;    a  private   of 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  371 

company  F,  Seventh  Infantry,  having  swallowed  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  this  liquor,  died  in  a  few  minutes, 
and  before  relief  could  be  obtained. 

DISEASES. — I  arrange  these  into  two  classes: 

I.  Ubiquitous  diseases,  which  occur  under  all  cir- 
cumstances of  climate  and  local  conditions,  including 
fevers,  inflammations,  and  specific  diseases. 

II.  The  diseases  belonging  more  especially  to  this 
region,  including  scorbutus,  neuralgia,  rheumatism,  and  a 
certain  febrile  state,  known  as  "mountain  fever."  Cer- 
tain surgical  diseases  and  injuries  may  be  considered  un- 
der this  head. 

It  has  happened  me  not  to  meet  at  Fort  Bridger  many 
of  the  diseases  included  in  the  first  class.  During  the 
past  fall  I  had  under  treatment  in  the  hospital  several 
cases  of  common  continued  fever,  (typhoid.)  Its  behavior 
at  this  elevated  position  was,  in  many  respects,  anomalous, 
and  deserving  of  consideration.  This  continued  fever  con- 
stantly assumed  the  periodical  form,  and  was  not  easily 
distinguished  from  the  ''mountain  fever,"  a  periodical  af- 
fection, which  as  constantly  determined  toward  the  con- 
tinued type.  In  two  instances  only  was  a  hesitating  di- 
agnosis confirmed  by  the  discovery  of  the  characteristic 
"rose  spots."  In  all  were  absent,  to  a  great  degree,  those 
external  symptoms,  pathognomonic  of  typhoid  fever: 
coma,  subsultus  tendinum,  low  muttering  delirium,  floc- 
citatio.  The  nature  of  the  fever  was  recognized  by  its 
duration,  by  the  impossibility  of  arresting  it  by  the  heroic 
use  of  quinine,  by  the  mental  disturbance  and  stupor,  by 
the  epistaxis  and  cophosis,  by  the  gurgling  on  pressure 
over  the  ileo-caecal  valve,  and  the  peculiar,  greenish- 
colored  stools.  The  only  instance  of  death  in  the  hosDital 
from  this  cause  disclosed  a  lesion  so  peculiar  as  to  justify 
the  insertion  of  the  note  of  a  post  mortem  examination. 

Private  Hilt,  of  company  "I,"  Second  Dragoons,  died 
on  the  10th  of  November,  1858:  autopsy,  twelve  hours  af- 
ter death. 

Body  much  emaciated;  numerous  bed-sores  over  the 
sacrum,  trochanters,  scapula,  and  left  ribs.  Left  nipple 
and  mammary  gland  inflamed,  and  containing  pus. 

Thorax. — Cavity  of  pleura  contained  about  six  ounces 
of  serum.  Lung  healthy,  except  post-morten  congestion 
in  dependent  portions;  sack  of  pericardium  contained  one 


372  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ounce  serum;  heart  normal  in  size  and  healthy,  and  upon 
section  about  one  ounce  of  dark  fluid  blood,  flowed  out. 

Abdomen.— Liiver  healthy,  weighing  four  pounds  and 
fifteen  ounces;  spleen  friable  and  enlarged,  weighing  four- 
teen and  a  half  ounces;  stomach  healthy,  of  normal  size, 
and  containing  a  small  amount  of  ingesta;  not  fat  in  the 
omentum  ma  jus,  very  transparent;  upper  portion  of  small 
intestine  healthy,  and  distended  by  some  gaseous  accumu- 
lation; some  dark  points  of  congestion  near  i^.eo-caecal 
valve;  Peyer's  patches  thickened,  indurated,  and  in  some 
places  ulcerated,  in  other  healing;  large  intestine,  healthy, 
except  a  general  diminution  of  caliber;  in  some  places  di- 
lated into  pouches  containing  scybala;  left  kidney,  friable, 
enlarged,  and  upon  pressure  drops  of  pus  exude  from  the 
cut  surface;  left  suprarenal  capsule,  disorganized,  pulpy, 
diffluent;  right  kidney  in  great  part  disorganized,  and 
occupied  by  a  large  abscess,  containing  about  sixteen 
ounces    of    thick,    creamy    pus;    bladder,    healthy;    urine 

clear,  amber-colored,  normal. 

Brain. — Frontal  sinuses  very  healthy  —  dura  mater 
healthy;  small  quantity  of  fluid  (serum)  in  lateral  ven- 
tricles; sub-arachnoid  space  filled  with  serum;  substance 
of  verebrum,  healthy;  left  lobe  of  cerebellum  softened 
and  pulpy;  medulla  oblongata,  healthy. 

There  had  been  no  symptom  in  this  case  to  indicate 
so  serious  a  lesion  of  the  kidney.  Beside  the  lateritious 
sediment  common  in  typhoid  fever,  the  urine  afforded  no 
evidence  of  disease.  A  deposit  similar  in  character  and 
amount,  was  observed  in  the  other  cases  which  proceeded 
to  a  favorable  termination. 

This  command  has  been  singularly  free  from  the  in- 
flammations; common  inflammations  as  opposed  to  spe- 
cific. The  tendency  in  high  latitudes  and  considerable 
elevations,  is  said  to  be,  to  thoracic  inflammations:  mani- 
festly an  error  as  regards  this  region.  No  cases  of  idio- 
pathic pneumonia  or  pleuritis,  have  fallen  under  my  ob- 
servation, and  but  few  cases  of  catarrh.  The  most  inter- 
esting fact,  however,  with  regard  to  the  influence  of  this 
climate  upon  the  thoracic  affections,  is  the  amelioration 
and  cure  of  the  pulmonary  tubercular  disease.  Not  a 
single  case  of  phthisis  has  occurred  at  this  post,  and  those 
who  came  hither,  laboring  under  the  symptoms  more  or 
less  advanced,  notably  improved.  How  this  change  is 
accomplished,  other  than  by  the  increased  expansion  of 
the  lungs  in  consequence  of  diminished  barometric  pres- 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY  373 

sure,  by  the  determination  to  the  surface,  and  by  the 
purity  of  the  respired  atmosphere,  does  not  appear.  The 
same  facts  are  true  and  apposite  with  respect  to  other 
inflammations,  except  the  rheumatic. 

The  exanthemata  prevail  occasionally  as  epidemics, 
modified,  as  typhoid  fever,  by  the  conditions  consequent 
upon  elevation.  Large  numbers  of  Indians  were  formerly 
carried  off  by  variola.  Syphilitic  affections  rapidly  im- 
proved; at  least,  the  secondary  symptoms,  which,  only, 
I  have  observed. 

Again,  certain  diseases  manifest  for  this  climate  an 
aptitude,  whose  invariability  amounts  to  a  special  affinity. 
The  neuralgic  and  rheumatic  affections  only,  belong  prop- 
erly to  this  class.  Whilst  scorbutus  is  an  ubiquitous  dis- 
ease, it  may  be  said  to  have  a  special  affinity  for  this  re- 
gion. Ten  cases  are,  at  present,  under  treatment  in  the 
hospital. 

Most  usually,  the  first  symptom  of  an  attack  of  scor- 
butus, is  a  pain  in  the  popliteal  space  or  calf,  with  lame- 
ness of  the  muscles.  This  pain  persists  for  some  days, 
before  the  appearance  of  the  discoloration  and  swelling. 
The  discoloration  is  peculiar;  like  the  discoloration  of  a 
bruise,  yet  in  reverse  order,  the  yellowness  preceding  in- 
stead of  following  the  dark  brown,  dark  blue,  or  black 
hues.  A  general  anaemic  condition,  with  sponginess  of 
the  gums,  fetor  of  breath,  and  hemorrhages  follow  the 
pain  and  discoloration. 

At  the  head  of  the  causes  of  this  disease,  I  place 
drunkenness.  Filth,  despondency,  ennui,  and  an  unvaried 
diet  from  which  vegetables  are  absent,  are  next  in  fre- 
quency the  producing  causes. 

The  treatment  I  have  finally  adopted,  consists  of  cer- 
tain hygienic  means;  cleanlinesss,  regularity  of  habits, 
such  mental  amusements  as  may  relieve  the  tedium  of 
confinement,  and  the  use  of  an  exclusive  vegetable  diet. 
In  but  few  cases  are  medicaments  administered.  The  first 
cases  of  scorbutis  it  happened  me  to  treat,  I  put  in  prac- 
tice the  various  methods  of  cure  by  medicinal  agents,  but 
with  a  less  satisfactory  result  than  the  plan  here  ad- 
verted to. 

Having,  in  former  reports,  discussed  the  question  of 
"mountain  fever,"  it  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  add  any- 
thing further,  except  to  declare  my  unaltered  conviction, 


374  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

that  this  febrile  disease,  is  a  modified  form  of  periodical 
or  malarial  fever. 

The  surgical  diseases  included  under  the  class  of  dis- 
eases belonging  to  this  region,  are,  the  affections  result- 
ing from  the  application  of  cold. 

PHENOMENA  OF  FROST  BITE.— Exposed  to  cold, 
a  greater  or  less  period  according  to  intensity,  the  parts; 
usually  the  feet  or  hands,  lose  sensibility;  become,  in  com- 
mon parlance,  benumbed.  If  examined  at  this  stage,  the 
integument  is  found  to  be  white,  bloodless,  shrunken,  and 
insensible  to  irritants;  but  yet  capable,  by  very  gradually 
applied  warmth,  of  being  restored  to  health.  The  return 
of  circulation  under  the  proper  manipulation,  is  announced 
by  severe  "stinging  pains"  in  the  bitten  part,  and  a  gen- 
erally diffused  blush  or  redness.  If,  however,  whilst 
frozen,  the  hands  and  feet  are  thrust  before  the  fire,  as 
is  usually  the  case  with  teamsters  and  soldiers,  the  reac- 
tion induced  is  excessive,  and  passes  sufficiently  beyond 
the  healthy  condition  to  constitute  inflammation.  Under 
these  circumstances,  the  parts  become  covered  with  large 
vesicles,  filled  with  brownish-yellow  serum,  and  turn  blu- 
ish-black. Sensibility  for  a  time  is  excessive  (hyper- 
aesthesia) ;  severe  nocturnal  pains  harass  the  patient,  and 
prevent  sleep;  but  these  soon  subside,  and  deep  incisions 
may  then  be  made,  with  but  little  appreciation  on  the 
part  of  the  patient.  The  parts,  then  gradually  turn  black, 
and  shrink,  and  the  line  of  demarkation  is  established. 
Where  the  vis  vitae  is  accomplishing  the  separation  of  the 
dead  from  the  living  parts  a  disagreeable  odor  is  exhaled, 
but  the. mortified  parts  are  dry  and  free  from  odor. 

TREATMENT. — When  a  frozen  part  is  seen  before 
reaction  has  commenced,  it  should  be  rubbed  diligently 
with  snow,  and  if  this  is  not  at  hand,  should  be  immersed 
in  cold  water,  in  a  room  without  fire,  until  the  pains  and 
redness  indicate  a  restoration  of  the  circulation.  If  these 
means  have  not  been  resorted  to,  and  the  part  is  covered 
with  vesicles,  I  evacuate  the  fluid  and  direct  the  parts 
to  be  covered  with  lint,  moistened  with  the  following:  01, 
terebinthinae,  alcoholis,  tinct.  camphorae,  aa.  oz.  1.  De- 
pletion by  blood-letting  or  purging,  is  necessary.  When 
the  sloughs  form,  use  polutices  of  flax-seed  and  elm  to 
favor  separation.  The  most  important  question  with  re- 
gard to  the  treatment,  is  the  question  of  amputation.  I 
have  acted  upon  this  plan:  wait  until  the  line  of  demarka- 
tion is  established;   if  the  separation  proceed  favorably, 


ARMY  SICKNESS  AND  MORTALITY 


375 


no  interference  is  necessary,  except  the  section  of  the 
bones  and  tendons,  or  disarticulation,  if  the  line  of  sep- 
aration is  in  the  vicinity  of  joints.  After  the  sloughs  are 
entirely  detached,  use  water-dressings,  until  the  healing 
process  is  completed.  Under  this  treatment,  the  formation 
of  pus  is  prevented,  and  granulations  are  never  exuberant. 


The  "Wyomins'  Pioneer  Association"  first  met  as  "Old  Timers  Meeting"  in  1914, 
during   the    10th    Session   of   the   Wyoming   State   Fair   at   Douglas. 

The  above  picture  of  two  of  Wyoming's  oldest  pioneers  was  taken  in  front  of 
the  fire  place  in  the  Wyoming  Pioneer  Association's  building,  at  Douglas.  The  build- 
ing is  of  logs  in  keeping  with  pioneer  days,  and  is  located  at  the  State  Fair  grounds. 

James  Abney  located  in  Cheyenne  on  his  arrival  in  what  was  then  Dakota  Ter- 
ritory, later  located  in  Converse  County.  He  was  a  member  of  the  House  of  the 
First  Territorial   Legislative  Assembly,   1868. 

Finelius  G.  Burnett  came  to  Fort  Laramie,  then  Dakota  Territory,  in  1865  ;  later 
located  at  Fort  Washakie.  He  was  present  at  the  hanging  of  the  three  Indian  chiefs 
at  Fort  Laramie  in  186.5,  when  Chiefs  Little  Thunder,  Walks-under-the-ground,  and 
Two  Face  were  hung  by  order  of  General  Patrick  Edward  Connor,  in  command  of 
the   Powder  River  Expedition. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  CIVIL  WAR  DAYS 
By  Judge  Gibson  Clark* 

In  reply  to  your  request  that  I  give  you  my  military 
history,  I  have  to  state,  that  I  was  born  at  Millwood, 
Clarke  Countj^  Virginia,  on  December  5,  1844,  the  son 
of  James  H.  and  Jane  A.  Gregory  Clark.  On  June  21st, 
1863  I  joined  as  a  private  soldier,  Parker's  Battery,  Alex- 
ander's Artillery  Battalion,  Longstreet's  Corps,  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  with  which  command  I  served  until  the 
surrender  at  Appomattox  C.  H.,  April  9th,  1865.  On  July 
2d  and  3d,  1863  I  participated  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
my  battery  becoming  engaged  about  three  o'clock  p.  m., 
on  the  2d  continuing  so  until  about  eight  o'clock  p.  m.,  of 
that  day,  and  again  becoming  engaged  just  at  dawn  on  the 
3d  and  with  some  few  intermissions,  so  continuing  under 
fire  until  night  fall;  the  gun  at  which  I  served  retiring 
from  the  field  by  its  own  recoil,  having  fired  over  300 
rounds.    Our  battalion  loss  in  this  battle  was  144  men  out 


*Upon  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  Gibson  Clark  returned  to 
Virginia,  where  he  remained  but  a  short  time;  in  1866  moved  to 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  during  that  same  year  left  for  Fort  Laramie, 
arriving  December  4,  1866.  He  was  employed  as  a  clerk  and 
bookkeeper  in  the  post  trader's  store  until  1872;  was  a  member  of 
the  Democratic  Party;  elected  to  the  house  of  representatives  of  the 
Territorial  Legislative  Assembly  in  1871;  engaged  in  mining  from 
1872  to  1883  in  Nevada  and  Utah;  while  in  Utah  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar;  moved  to  Fort  Collins,  Colorado  in  1883,  where  he 
practiced  law^  until  1886,  when  he  moved  to  Cheyenne  and  established 
a  law  practice.  In  November  1892  elected  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  serving  until  September  1894,  when  he  resigned  to  accept 
the  appointment  of  United  States  Attorney  for  the  District  of 
Wyoming;  his  term  of  office  expired  1898;  he  continued  in  the 
practice  of  law  until  his  death,  his  successive  partners  being  Robert 
W.  Breckons,  William  A.  Riner,  and  his  son,  John  D.  Clark,  and 
later  Clark  and  Clark.  He  served  many  years  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  Cheyenne  school  district,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  University  Board  of  Trustees,  and  a  member  of  the  vestry 
of  St.  Mark's  Episcopal  Church  in  Cheyenne. 

Gibson  Clark  was  a  very  public  spirited  citizen;  one  of  the 
finest  grade  schools  of  Cheyenne,  the  Gibson  Clark  School,  was 
named  in  his  honor  for  the  loyal  service  he  rendered  to  the  Chey- 
enne   schools. 

Married  Miss  Frances  Johnston  of  Iowa,  in  1881;  to  this  union 
was  born  four  sons,  James  H.,  Francis  G.,  John  D.,  and  Robert  G. 

Judge  Clark  passed  away  December  14,  1914,  in  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming,  where  he  was  laid  to  rest. 


378  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

of  a  total  strength  entering  the  fight  of  about  300,  of  this 
loss  139  were  killed  and  wounded  and  5  missing. 

In  September  1863  the  battalion  accompanied  Hood's 
&  McLaw's  Divisions  of  Longstreet's  Corps  to  Tennessee 
to  assist  Bragg' s  Army  in  opposing  the  advance  of  Rose- 
cranz's  Union  Army.  We  arrived  at  the  field  of  Chica- 
mauga  one  day  after  that  battle,  and  soon  took  position 
on  the  extreme  top  of  Lookout  Mountain  (  overlooking  the 
city  of  Chattanooga,  around  which  was  gathered  the  Union 
Army,  still  under  the  command  of  General  Rosecranz. 
From  this  position  we  were  frequently  engaged  in  shell- 
ing the  Union  lines  around  Chattanooga.  We  remained 
in  this  position  until  about  the  middle  of  November,  1863, 
when  our  Corps  was  sent  to  Knoxville,  Tennessee;  on  our 
way  there  my  battery  was  engaged  in  sharp  skirmishes 
at  Concord  station  and  Lenoir  station,  and  upon  arriving 
in  front  of  Knoxville  about  November  22d,  1863  was 
engaged  in  its  siege  for  four  or  five  days;  about  the  27th 
or  28th  of  November  the  siege  of  Knoxville  was  raised 
because  of  the  advance  from  Chattanooga  of  a  large  fed- 
eral force  under  the  command  of  General  W.  T.  Sherman, 
and  we  passed  around  the  city  and  proceeded  eastward 
toward  Virginia.  In  this  section  of  east  Tennessee  during 
the  winter  of  1863-64,  we  engaged  in  a  desultory  sort  of 
campaign  advancing  upon  and  retiring  from  the  enemy. 
Early  in  December  1863,  we  had  a  sharp  fight  with  the 
federal  troops  at  Bean's  station  in  which  my  battery  was 
engaged.  The  winter  was  exceedingly  severe.  I  recol- 
lect that  January  1st,  1864,  was  the  coldest  day  I  ever 
experienced,  and  that  a  few  days  before  in  marching  to 
Morristown,  Tennessee,  there  were  four  or  five  inches  of 
snow  on  the  ground  and  to  get  through  it,  I  had  a  shoe 
on  one  foot  and  rags  bound  around  the  other,  they  were 
good  rags  and  enough  of  them,  so  I  have  no  recollection 
of  leaving  any  bloody  tracks  in  the  well  beaten  snow. 
Until  about  the  15th  of  January,  1864,  we  were  practically 
cut  off  from  all  communication  with  the  south  and  hence 
had  to  live  off  the  surrounding  country,  and  often  were 
without  rations,  on  one  occasion  for  a  week  at  least  we 
lived  on  parched  corn  and  a  little  bacon,  2  to  4  ounces 
per  day,  this  we  would  put  in  a  skillet  with  the  corn  when 
parching  it.  In  those  days  I  thought  a  good  quantity  of 
parched  corn  flavored  with  bacon  and  a  cup  of  parched 
corn  coffee  sweetened  with  sorghum  made  a  very  appe- 
tizing menu.  During  this  time  I  was  made  a  corporal; 
the  highest  rank  I  obtained. 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  379 

About  the  middle  of  January,  1864,  we  moved  from 
Morristown  to  Dandridge,  Tennessee,  on  the  French  Broad 
River,  and  there  we  were  almost  in  paradise,  with  abund- 
ance of  food  about  us  and  obtainable;  we  had  plenty  of 
splendid  fat  chickens,  eggs,  pork  and  vegetables,  words 
would  fail  me  were  I  to  attempt  to  describe  our  delight. 
Early  in  March  1864,  we  again  moved,  this  time  to  near 
the  Virginia  line  within  a  few  miles  of  Bristol  Tennessee. 
Here  I  reenlisted  for  the  war  and  was  fortunate  enough 
to  draw  the  prize  of  a  thirty  days  furlough  which  was  is- 
sued to  me  on  April  15th,  1864.  I  spent  a  few  days  of 
the  time  at  Abingdon  and  Marion,  Virginia,  with  relatives, 
and  part  of  the  time  at  New  Market  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley  not  being  able  to  get  nearer  my  home  at  Millwood, 
because  of  the  occupation  of  the  country  n">rth  of  New 
Market  by  the  enemy's  forces.  My  father  came  to  New 
Market  to  see  me.  I  enjoyed  being  with  him  verv  much 
and  indeed  my  whole  stay  at  New  Market.  On  May  5th, 
1864,  I  learned  that  Grant  had  crossed  the  Rapidan  and 
opened  the  campaign.  Although  my  furlough  had  not 
expired  by  ten  days,  I  at  once  started  back  to  rejoin  my 
command  which  I  reached  on  the  7th  or  8th  of  May  on 
the  road  between  the  Wilderness  and  Spottsylvania  Court 
House.  At  Spottsylvania  we  were  placed  on  the  line  at 
a  point  about  half  a  mile  north  of  what  was  called  the 
Block  House,  as  I  now  remember.  Here  we  threw  up 
breast  works  and  remained  for  five  or  six  days  almost 
continuously  under  fire  of  more  or  less  severity.  One 
afternoon  between  the  9th  and  13th  of  May  the  portion 
of  the  line  we  occupied  was  charged  by  the  enemy  in  great 
force,  three  or  four  heavy  lines  of  battle  advancing  upon 
us.  It  so  happened  that  several  guns  of  our  battalion 
were  so  placed  that  when  the  enemy  reached  a  point 
about  50  yards  in  front  of  our  infantry,  in  breast  works 
extending  for  a  mile  or  so  to  the  left  of  our  battalion, 
we  of  the  artillery,  had  an  enfilading  fire  straight  down 
their  line;  we  waited  until  they  reached  this  point  and 
then  opened  with  our  guns  double  shotted  with  canister; 
the  slaughter  was  terrible,  but  they  were  brave  men.  for 
they  were  American  soldiers  of  the  famous  Sixth  Corps 
and  on  they  came  line  after  line  but  not  a  man  ever  got 
nearer  our  breast  works,  than  the  point  reached  by  their 
first  line  of  battle,  and  where  it  had  been  swept  out  of 
existence.  After  their  repulse,  I  went  over  the  field  in 
front  of  our  works,  and  it  seemed  to  me  when  I  got  to 
the  point  reached  by  the  enemy's  lines  of  battle,  that  I 
could  step  from  dead  man  to  dead  man  for  more  than  a 


380  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

mile  without  once  touching  the  ground.     It  was  appalling, 
but  such  is  glorious  war. 

We  remained  at  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Spottsylvania 
until  about  the  20th  day  of  May,  1864,  when  Grant  re- 
suming his  famous  swinging  movement  from  his  right  to 
the  left,  we  entered  upon  a  race  with  him  for  the  North 
Anna  River  and  beat  him  in  it.  We  crossed  this  river 
on  what  I  now  remember  was  called  the  Telegraph  Road 
Bridge,  at  the  north  end  of  which  was  a  small  fortifica- 
tion occupied  I  think  by  a  regiment  of  Mississippians,  as 
gallant  men  as  ever  heard  the  shriek  of  a  shell  or  the 
whistle  of  a  bullet;  after  crossing  the  river,  we  filed  off 
to  the  left  taking  position  on  the  line  of  bluffs  situate 
about  one  hundred  yards  south  of  the  river  and  awaited 
the  approach  of  the  enemy.  In  a  few  hours  they  appeared, 
debouching  from  a  heavy  body  of  woods  situate  about  a 
thousand  yards  north  of  the  river  and  of  the  fortifica- 
tion mentioned,  and  advancing  upon  it.  The  men  in  the 
fort,  and  our  artillery  consisting  of  25  or  more  guns 
opened  upon  them  and  drove  them  back  into  the  woods, 
this  happened  three  or  four  times,  finally  they  came 
again,  and  some  general  officer  attended  by  a  numerous 
staff  galloped  around  the  left  of  his  line,  seized  a  regi- 
mental flag,  and  holding  it  aloft,  with  its  bright  stripes 
gracefully  swinging  to  the  breeze,  galloped  straight  up 
to  the  earthwork,  and  upon  the  embankment,  and  there 
drove  the  staff  down  into  the  sand;  of  course  his  men 
followed  him,  what  else  could  they  do?  And  our  men 
scampered  out  of  the  work,  ran  across  the  bridge  and 
set  it  on  fire,  as  they  were  ordered  to  do.  While  we  fired 
upon  them  as  they  advanced,  as  soon  as  we  saw  our  men 
leave  the  works  and  that  the  man  with  the  flag  intended 
to  and  would  take  them,  we  stopped  firing,  took  off  our 
hats,  waved  them  and  cheered  him  until  he  and  his  men 
were  over  and  into  the  fortification;  as  I  then  thought 
and  still  think,  a  beautiful  and  soldierly  tribute  from  the 
gallant  Americans  of  the  South,  to  the  gallant  Americans 
of  the  North,  Americans  all  and  soldiers  every  inch  of 
them. 

From  North  Anna  River,  Grant  resumed  his  swing- 
ing movement  and  we  next  found  ourselves  in  front  of 
him  at  Cold  Harbor,  within  a  few  miles  of  Richmond. 
Here,  on  I  think,  June  1st,  1864,  he  met  with  a  disastrous 
repulse,  losing  12,000  men  while  our  loss  was  less  than 
2,000.      He   simply   sent   his   men   into   a   slaughter   pen, 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  381 

against  the  protest  of  his  corps  commanders.  We  con- 
fronted him  at  Cold  Harbor  and  White  Oak  swamp  until 
the  15th  to  20th  of  June,  1864,  when  he  moved  to  the 
James  River,  crossed  it  at  City  point  and  advanced  upon 
Petersburg  where  he  again  found  General  Lee  in  his 
front;  my  command  with  Pickett's  Division  was  not  taken 
as  far  as  Petersburg,  but  placed  on  the  line  between  the 
James  and  Appomattox  Rivers,  in  front  of  Bermuda 
Hundreds,  my  battery  being  a  few  hundred  yards  in  front 
of  an  old  church  building  and  about  a  mile  south  of  the 
Howlett  house,  at  this  point  we  remained  until  the  night 
of  the  2d  of  April  1865.  During  the  first  few  months  of 
our  stay  at  this  point  picket  firing  was  steadily  kept  up  so 
that  the  exposure  of  one's  head  above  the  breast  work 
always  brought  a  shot,  and  the  shriek  of  shells  and  the 
zip-zip  of  rifle  balls  became  very  familiar  music.  During 
the  fall  of  1864,  while  we  were  at  this  point  a  great  wave 
of  religious  fervor  swept  over  the  army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia; chapels  made  of  logs  capable  of  seating  300  to  500 
men  were  built  along  the  whole  line,  extending  over  a 
distance  of  forty  miles,  and  services  frequently  held;  the 
most  eminent  clergymen  of  the  south  giving  their  serv- 
ices towards  the  uplifting  and  comforting  of  men  who 
were  in  sorrow  and  distress.  The  outlook  was  bad,  hope 
had  bade  farewell  to  many  hearts,  it  was  apparent  to  all 
of  us  that  the  cause  for  which  we  had  fought  so  long  and 
so  hard  and  suffered  so  much  and  which  was  still  so 
dear  to  us  was  in  desperate  straits,  and  the  future  was  full 
of  gloom,  and  we  all  felt  that  our  only  hope  was  in  God's 
tender  mercy,  and  our  only  consolation  was  in  the  belief 
that  He  would  be  a  present  help  in  our  troubles.  Among 
the  clergymen  rendering  us  this  service,  I  particularly 
remember,  Philip  F.  August,  of  the  Methodist  Church,  full 
of  eloquence  and  devoted  to  his  calling,  a  genuine  prophet 
of  God,  and  Dr.  Jos.  C.  Stiles  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
a  profound  logician  and  a  most  earnest  disciple  of  his 
Master.  A  series  of  sermons  by  the  former  from  that 
wonderful  55th  Chapter  of  Isaiah,  and  particularlv  from 
the  verse  "Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way  and  the  un- 
righteous men  his  thought,"  etc.,  and  by  the  latter  on 
the  "Doctrine  of  the  Atonement,"  so  impressed  me  that 
they  have  remained  with  me  to  this  day.  I  remember  on 
one  occasion  that  Dr.  Stiles  in  speaking  of  the  patriotism 
and  piety  of  a  confederate  officer  in  our  Western  army, 
suddenly  held  himself  erect,  with  head  thrown  back  and 
hands  held  aloft,  exclaimed  "Patriotism  and  Piety,  the 
one  brings  the  whole  power  of  man  and  the   other  the 


382  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

whole  power  of  God,  to  the  accomplishment  of  worthy 
ends."  The  scene  was  about  as  dramatic  and  the  ex- 
pression as  epigrammatic,  as  I  have  ever  witnessed  or 
heard. 

We  remained  at  this  place  throughout  the  winter 
1864-65,  with  little  either  to  eat  or  wear,  but  upheld  by 
the  consciousness  that  we  were  doing  our  duty  as  best 
we  could. 

On  the  morning  of  April  2d,  1865,  we  were  quite 
heavily  attacked,  but  succeeded  in  repulsing  the  enemy, 
capturing  several  hundred  of  them;  these  prisoners  were 
brought  within  our  lines,  passing  through  our  battery, 
as  they  passed  by  my  gun  I  stopped  one  of  them  who 
was  well  dressed  wearing  a  good  felt  hat,  asked  him 
to  exchange  it  for  my  ragged  worn  out  cap,  which  he  did, 
I  then  asked  him  if  he  had  any  money,  he  responded  by 
handing  me  about  75  cents  in  silver,  which  I  took  and 
he  passed  on  with  his  comrades  to  what  we  called  the 
bull  pen,  the  place  where  we  kept  prisoners  of  war  under 
guard.  His  face  remained  imprinted  upon  my  mind,  as 
it  is  to  this  day,  and  I  began  to  think  about  the  transac- 
tion, and  began  to  find  excuses  for  it  in  my  own  sad 
plight.  I  was  ragged,  almost  shoeless,  dirty,  hungry,  pen- 
niless and  exposed  to  the  storms,  my  necessities  were  al- 
most overwhelming  but  the  more  I  attempted  to  justify 
my  conduct  the  more  ashamed  I  became,  my  excuses 
turned  into  bitter  accusations,  so  that  early  in  the  after- 
noon I  could  stand  it  no  longer.  I  felt  not  only  ashamed 
and  humiliated,  but  also  that  we  could  expect  no  help 
from  God  for  our  cause,  if  we  the  soldiers  of  the  South 
did  such  wicked  things.  I  posted  off  to  the  Bull  pen, 
found  my  friend  of  the  morning,  told  him  how  much 
ashamed  of  myself  I  was,  most  humbly  begged  his  par- 
don, made  all  the  reparation  I  could,  gave  him  back  his 
hat  and  money,  which  he  begged  me  to  keep  saying  that 
as  a  prisoner,  he  could  easily  do  without  either  the  hat 
or  money,  while  he  knew  from  my  appearance  that  I 
needed  them  more  than  he,  and  he  not  only  was  willing 
but  wanted  me  to  keep  the  hat  and  money,  the  hat  es- 
pecially. But  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  do  so.  I  left 
this  man,  the  only  man  I  ever  so  wronged,  with  a  warm 
spot  in  my  heart  for  him  which  still  remains  with  me. 
This  I  can  assure  you  my  dear  madam  and  through  you 
the  ladies  of  your  chapter,  was  the  only  case  of  highway 
robbery  in  which  I  ever  participated.  After  the  repulse 
of  the  enemy  at  this  point,  we  lay  quietly  in  our  breast 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  383 

works  the  rest  of  the  day,  Hstening  to  the  roar  of  musk- 
erty  and  artillery  at  Petersburg,  a  few  miles  to  our  right, 
and  to  the  deafening  explosions  of  fifteen  inch  shells  from 
the  Federal  gun  boats  on  the  James  River  about  a  mile 
to  our  left.  During  the  early  hours  of  that  night,  I  lay 
upon  the  ground  watching  with  intense  interest,  the 
flight  through  the  air  of  the  gun  boat  shells  with  fuses 
aflame  and  their  brilliant  explosions  high  in  the  air  light- 
ening up  the  surrounding  space,  but  doing  no  special  dam- 
age, further  than  making  us  who  were  in  their  line  of 
fire  slightly  uneasy,  as  the  pieces  of  exploded  shells  flew 
around  carelessly  like.  It  was  the  most  wonderful  and 
interesting  pyrotechnic  display  I  have  ever  witnessed. 
About  9  or  10  o'clock  on  that  Sunday  night  we  withdrew 
from  the  lines  so  long  held  by  us,  and  the  retreat  to  Ap- 
pomattox began.  We  marched  all  night  and  reached 
Amelia  Court  House  about  noon  the  next  day  April  3d, 
1865.  Here  we  expected  to  find  rations  of  which  we  were 
sadly  in  need,  but  I  learned  that  through  the  stupid 
blunder  of  some  officers  of  the  Commissary  or  Quarter 
Masters'  Department  a  train  load  of  provisions  which  our 
Grand  Commander,  Robert  E.  Lee,  had  ordered  to  be  sent 
to  Amelia  Court  House  for  his  army  had  been  sent  on 
through  that  place  to  Richmond  where  it  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Union  troops,  who  did  not  need  them,  very 
much  to  the  discomfort  of  us  who  did  need  them;  so  we 
continued  our  fast  which  had  commenced  the  previous 
morning.  At  Amelia  Court  House,  our  battery  was  di- 
vided, two  guns  in  charge  of  Lieut.  Brown  continuing  the 
retreat  and  going  by  a  southern  route  through  Farmville 
and  by  way  of  Sailors  Creek,  and  the  other  two  guns  in 
charge  of  Captain  Parker  going  by  a  parallel  route,  but 
some  miles  north  of  the  first  mentioned  route.  Nothing 
of  interest  occurred  with  our  part  of  the  army  during  the 
next  four  or  five  days  of  the  retreat;  conditions  were 
very  unpleasant  owing  to  the  rain,  mud  and  lack  of  pro- 
visions. On  the  night  of  the  8th  we  approached  Appo- 
mattox Court  House  and  rejoined  the  other  part  of  our 
command,  with  the  exception  of  that  part  of  our  battery 
from  which  we  separated  at  Amelia  Court  House,  it  with 
all  its  men  and  officers  having  been  captured  at  Sailors 
Creek;  on  this  night  rations  were  issued  to  us  consisting 
of  a  little  flour  to  each  man.  I  recollect  mixing  mine  up 
into  a  dough  and  cooking  it  on  a  spade.  It  probably 
when  cooked  in  such  fashion  was  not  the  kind  of  bread 
which  a  connoissieur  would  consider  good  bread  in  these 


384  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

days,  but  I  am  sure  that  I  found  it  very  palatable  and  felt 
very  grateful  for  it. 

The  next  morning,  that  fateful  Sunday  morning  of 
April  9th,  1865,  we  were  formed  with  the  rest  of  our  corps 
in  line  of  battle.  The  outlook  was  not  encouraging  for 
it  was  plainly  evident  that  the  enemy  were  all  around  us, 
to  paraphrase  Tennyson's  lines: 

There  were  Yankees  in  front  of  us. 

Yankees  to  the  right  of  us, 

Yankees  to  the  left  of  us, 

Yankees  all  around  us. 

As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  in  every  direction, 

There  they  were. 

Standards  on  standards. 

Men  on  men. 

In  slow  succession  still. 

But  so  far  as  I  could  perceive,  every  man  of  us  was 
ready  for  the  fray,  and  the  thought  of  surrender  was  in 
no  man's  mind.  About  nine  or  ten  o'clock  one  of  our 
men,  named  John  Glenn,  who  had  the  happy  faculty  of 
finding  out  everything  that  happened,  and  who  had  been 
rustling  around  for  something  to  eat  came  to  the  bat- 
tery, and  told  us  that  General  Lee  has  surrendered  the 
army.  I  recollect  going  up  to  him  and  telling  him  in 
language  more  forcible  than  polite  that  his  statement  was 
not  true,  adding  very  grandiloquently  like  a  true  son  of 
the  South,  that  there  were  not  enough  Yankees  on  earth 
to  make  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia  surrender  Sir: 
and  that  he  would  not  be  allowed  to  come  on  that  line 
and  say  such  things,  he  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  himself. 
But  it  soon  transpired  that  John's  report  was  true,  and 
we  were  dumbfounded  for  what  we  deemed  impossible 
had  happened.  In  a  little  while  General  Lee  mounted  on 
Traveller,  rode  down  the  lines  and  such  greetings  of  love 
and  affection  and  confidence  from  the  soldiers  of  a  sur- 
rendered army  to  its  commander,  the  world  never  saw, 
they  crowded  around  him  with  tears  streaming  from  their 
eyes  simply  trying  to  touch  the  hem  of  his  garments  and 
with  expressions  of  "God  bless  you  General  Lee,  lead  us, 
lead  us,  lead  us  against  the  enemy  and  we  will  cut  our 
way  through,"  they  cried,  but  he  simply  waved  his  hand 
and  shook  his  head,  for  he  knew  that  further  blood  shed 
would  be  wicked  because  it  would  be  useless,  and  Robert 
E.  Lee  was  made  of  that  stuff  that  made  him  believe 
in  his  very  soul,  that  duty  was  the  sublimest  word  in  our 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  385 

language,  and  he  always  dared  to  do  it.  Then,  Robert  E. 
Lee  the  pages  of  all  history  record  the  name  of  no  man 
who  stood  more  erect  before  his  God,  and  before  his  fel- 
lowmen. 

Then  followed  the  saddest  day  I  ever  have  exper- 
ienced, it  seemed  to  me  that  everything  making  life  worth 
living  or  even  endurable  was  blotted  out  of  existence. 
Henceforth  I  would  no  longer  be  a  free  man,  for  free- 
dom with  a  shriek  of  despair  had  bade  the  world  fare- 
well, and  liberty  was  gone.  During  the  afternoon  the 
chaplains  of  the  various  commands  held  religious  serv- 
ices, which  were  well  attended;  at  one  of  them  I  saw 
strong  war  worn,  smoke  begrimed,  powder  burnt  men  who 
had  faced  death  without  a  tremor  upon  a  hundred  battle 
fields,  lying  upon  the  ground  with  tears  streaming  from 
their  eyes  and  crying  like  little  children  and  praying  God 
for  help  in  this  their  hour  of  great  distress.  Later  in 
the  afternoon  I  took  my  bible  and  left  our  camp  seeking 
a  quiet  secluded  place  where  I  could  be  alone  with  myself 
and  my  Heavenly  Father.  I  found  it  in  the  bed  of  a 
small  stream,  beneath  the  frame  work  of  an  old  dismantled 
saw  mill,  there  I  read  my  bible  and  prayed  for  help  and 
that  God  would  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  living 
death,  for  young  as  I  was  I  was  in  the  depths  of  despair 
and  I  hoped  that  some  of  the  heavy  timbers  hanging 
down  and  above  me,  would  fall  upon  me  and  end  my 
suffering.  I  returned  to  the  camp  about  sun  down  and 
soon  after  the  Union  soldiers  came  among  us  and  talked 
to  us.  I  now  want  to  record  the  fact  that  I  never  once 
saw  the  slightest  sign  of  exultation  upon  the  face  of  one 
of  them,  I  never  once  heard  an  expression  of  exultation 
from  one  of  them,  there  was  not  even  an  intimation  of 
boasting,  they  were  soldiers  and  they  were  full  of  sol- 
dierly sympathy  for  us,  and  they  unhesitatingly  expressed 
it,  constantly  assuring  us  that  while  they  rejoiced  in  their 
success,  the  war  was  over,  the  country  was  reunited  and 
henceforth  we  and  they  would  be  fellow  citizens,  of  a 
common  country,  and  that  they,  the  soldiers  of  the  Union 
would  see  to  it  that  our  rights  as  their  fellow  country- 
men were  fully  preserved,  and  this  they  did  after  a  long 
struggle,  for  with  few  exceptions  it  was  not  the  soldiers 
we  met  upon  the  battlefield  who  were  engaged  in  the 
horrible  doings  of  the  reconstruction  days,  the  perpetra- 
tors of  those  deeds  were  those  patriots  who  never  bared 
their  breasts  to  the  storm  of  war,  men  who  were  valiant 
in  peace  but  were  laggards  in  war. 


386  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

About  dark,  rations  were  issued  to  us,  kindly  fur- 
nished by  General  Grant,  at  the  request  of  General  Lee, 
and  before  we  went  to  sleep  we  learned  of  the  mag- 
nanimous and  generous  terms  agreed  upon  between  Gen- 
eral Grant  and  General  Lee  as  to  the  conditions  of  the 
surrender  of  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia,  an  army 
whose  heroic  deeds  and  steadfast  devotion  to  duty  are 
written  in  imperishable  words  upon  the  everlasting  pages 
of  the  World's  History.  Those  terms  simply  were  that 
we  should  go  to  our  homes  and  there  remain  undisturbed 
so  long  as  we  observed  the  laws  of  the  land.  I  must 
confess  that  before  I  went  to  sleep  that  night,  because  of 
the  soldierly  sympathy  of  the  Union  soldiers  visiting  our 
camps,  coupled  with  the  generous  terms  of  our  surren- 
der, and  the  rations  (don't  forget  the  rations)  so  kindly 
furnished  us,  I  began  to  regard  my  future  with  very 
different  eyes  from  those  through  which  I  viewed  it  in 
the  afternoon  when  I  kneeled  full  of  despair  beneath  the 
hanging  timbers  of  the  old  saw  mill.  And  now  more 
than  forty  seven  years  after  that  sad  day  I  thank  God 
that  I  and  my  children  and  my  people  are  citizens  of 
this  great  Union,  the  proudest  and  freest  and  best  gov- 
ernment that  exists  or  ever  existed  on  God's  footstool; 
and  I  earnestly  pray  that  we  soldiers  of  the  Union  and 
Confederate  armies  who  still  survive  and  our  children 
and  their  children  after  us  will  follow  old  Glory  the  flag 
of  a  reunited  country,  and  love,  cherish  and  protect  and 
hand  down  in  all  their  purity,  the  things  it  stands  for 
as  faithfully,  as  devotedly,  as  conscientiously,  and  with 
as  high  a  sense  of  duty  as  the  men  of  the  South  and  the 
North  followed  their  flag  during  the  troubleous  days  of 
1861  to  1865. 


422  South  Penn. 

Denver,    Colo. 

Oct.  5,  1924. 
Mr.  W.  E.  Chaplin, 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 

My  Dear  Sir: — 

Today  while  looking  over  the  Wyoming  Historical 
Collections  I  noticed  your  statement  about  Bill  Nye.  I 
wish  you  to  correct  the  statement  made.  I  arrived  in 
Laramie  City,  Dakota,  in  January,   1868.     CAPT.   O'Neil 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  387 

sold  the  town  lots.  In  February,  1868,  I  bought  the  corner 
lot  where  Trabing  Bros,  later  built  their  store,  opposite 
J.  W.  Connor's  log  building,  and  started  a  store,  in  cloth- 
ing, hats,  caps,  etc.  Then,  later  in  fall  of  1871,  I  erected 
a  two-story  frame  building  next  to  Brennan  &  Smith's 
saloon  and  in  1872  put  in  the  first  stock  of  dry  goods 
in  the  building  you  called  the  Kidd  Building.  The  upstairs 
I  rented  to  Albany  County  for  Court  and  also  for  a  meet- 
ing place  for  the  County  Commissioners.  Gov.  Campbell 
appointed  L.  T.  Wilcox,  T.  D.  Abbott  and  Henry  Wagner, 
County  Commissioners  when  the  Territory  of  Wyoming 
was  organized.  Every  second  Sunday  the  upstairs  was 
used  by  the  Rev.  Father  Kelley  of  the  Catholic  Church  for 
services. 

I  corresponded  with  E.  A.  Slack,  then  editing  a  paper 
in  Sweetwater  County,  and  made  him  a  proposition  to 
come  to  Laramie  and  start  a  daily  paper,  guaranteeing 
him  one  thousand  dollars  in  advertising.  I  also  got  other 
merchants  to  pledge  support.  He  moved  here  and  I  gave 
him  the  use  of  the  old  building  that  I  vacated  for  his  paper 
free  of  rent.  Later  the  Cheyenne  people  made  him  a 
better  offer,  so  he  moved  to  Cheyenne.  After  that  I  had 
erected  the  first  two-story  brick  building  on  the  lot  I 
purchased  of  Tom  Dillion,  next  to  A.  T.  Williams  and 
moved  in  it,  and  sold  the  two-story  building  to  Mr.  Kidd 
afterwards  known  as  the  Kidd  Building.  If  you  look  at 
the  Albany  County  records  you  will  find  I  am  correct. 

Bill  Nye  was  working  for  the  Weekly  Sentinel,  started 
by  Mr.  N.  A.  Baker  of  Denver.  I  see  him  often;  he  is 
still  alive.  He  put  Dr.  J.  H.  Hayford  in  charge.  I  was 
President  of  the  Board  of  Trade  and  one  day  asked  him 
— this  was  early  in  the  morning — to  write  up  Laramie 
City  and  its  resources  and  have  it  published  in  southern 
papers  and  I  would  give  him  $10.00  for  every  paper  he 
produced  with  his  letter.  He  took  up  my  offer.  In  a  very 
short  time  he  brought  me  ten  papers.  I  called  a  meeting 
of  the  Board  of  Trade  and  gave  him  a  check  for  $100. 
The  next  time  he  brought  me  15  papers  and  got  a  check 
for  $150.  Then  I  called  a  halt.  One  day  he  came  in  my 
store  and  asked  me  for  an  ad.  I  said"None  to-day."  I 
was  very  angry,  so  he  passed  through.  I  was  piling  up 
pants.  He  went  to  the  dry  goods  department  and  when 
he  came  back  he  said,  *T  have  a  local".  I  said,  "What 
is  it?"  He  would  not  tell,  but  when  the  Sentinel  came 
out  the  local  was  "Wagner's  Pants  are  Down."  One  morn- 
ing early  he  came  into  my  office.    We  had  a  chat;  I  said, 


388  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

"Bill  Nye,  how  would  you  like  to  start  a  daily  paper?"  He 
remarked  "That  would  suit  me."  This  was  about  9  o'clock. 
I  said,  "Come  in  at  two  O'clock  and  I  will  let  you  know." 
By  that  time  I  had  called  on  A.  S.  Peabody,  Robt.  Marsh, 
Trabing  Bros.,  Will  Holliday,  and  others  and  had  raised 
$3,000.  I  asked  him  what  he  was  going  to  call  the  paper. 
He  said,  "I  will  call  it  after  my  pet  mule.  Boomerang." 
When  the  press  came  I  gave  the  upstairs  over  the  clothing 
store  adjoining  the  Wyoming  National  Bank.  It  proved 
a  grand  success.  Bill  Nye's  health  failed  him  and  he  left 
for  Greeley,  Colorado. 

He  got  the  most  of  his  book  in  my  store  as  every 
day  after  closing  up  we  had  Bill  Nye,  Bill  Root,  Buck 
Bramel,  my  brother,  Charles  Wagner,  and  Charles  Bra- 
mel  telling  jokes  sitting  around  a  big  base  burner  stove 
with  a  large  sawdust  box  around.  Bill  Nye  would  take 
down  in  his  book.  Before  he  got  married  h^  would  get 
drunk  Saturdays  and  several  times  I  took  him  in  the 
store  to  sober  up.  He  married  a  Miss  Smith  of  Cheyenne, 
a  telegraph  operator.  After  that  he  braced  up.  When 
he  became  prosperous  he  had  a  beautiful  home  on  Staten 
Island.  My  wife  and  children  spent  the  summer  at  his 
home,  after  his  death,  on  his  farm  at  Ashville,  North 
Carolina.  The  bank  that  he  had  his  funds  in  failed  and 
his  widow  lost  all.  She  died  shortly  after  his  death.  His 
son,  the  last  I  heard  of  him,  was  employed  on  the  Kansas 
City  Star.  I  do  not  know  what  became  of  his  two  daugh- 
ters. My  wife  and  I  often  played  whist  at  his  home  in 
Laramie  and  he  and  his  wife  at  my  house. 

I  arrived  in  Cheyenne,  Dakota,  July  3,  1867,  the  day 
they  sold  lots,  and  opened  a  store  there.  Mr.  A.  R.  Con- 
verse was  in  business  in  Omaha  next  to  my  place  of  bus- 
iness. 

He  came  into  my  office  and  said,  "Wagner,  let  us 
pack  up  and  go  to  Cheyenne"  which  we  did.  I  sent  my 
wife  and  children  to  DeSota,  Missouri.  Converse  was  en- 
gaged in  the  china  and  glassware  business  and  prospered 
there.  He  started  the  First  National  Bank.  He  went 
East  and  hired  F.  E.  Warren  at  Brockton,  Mass.,  at  $125.00 
per  month  to  come  to  Cheyenne  and  give  him  charge 
of  the  mercantile  business.  After  Mr.  Converse's  death 
his  widow  married  his  cashier  in  the  Bank,  Mr.  Hicks.  I 
could  write  a  great  deal  more  of  the  early  days.  I  was 
one  of  the  leaders  of  the  G.O.P.  was  chairman  of  Albany 
County  Convention.     Was  Chairman  of  Territory  of  Wy- 


DOCUMENTS  AND  LETTERS  389 

oming  Convention  at  Point  of  Rocks,  when  W.  W.  Cor- 
lett,  Judge  W.  T.  Jones,  and  Col.  J.  W.  Donnellan  were 
aspiring  for  the  nomination  for  Delegate  to  Congress; 
Church  Howe  was  U.  S.  Marshal.  Col.  Donnellan  came 
to  me  and  whispered,  "Harry,  take  a  recess  for  15  min- 
utes," which  I  did.  When  out.  Church  Howe  took  me  by 
the  arm  and  said,  "Mr.  Wagner,  here  is  $500.00  vote  for 
me."  I  said,  "Church  Howe,  I  would  not  sell  my  vote 
for  five  thousand  dollars."  He  said  "For  God's  sake, 
don't  give  me  away."  In  these  prosperous  days  I  had 
political  influence  as  I  had  three  thousand  in  my  employ. 
I  had  a  U.  S.  Government  contract  to  carry  10,000,000 
lbs.  of  freight  from  Rock  Creek  to  Ft.  Fetterman,  and 
McKinney;  also  contract  from  Rawlins,  Wyoming  to  Fort 
Washakie.  General  Crook  and  I  rode  over  the  road  from 
Rawlins  with  an  odometer  to  measure  the  distance,  125 
miles.  Had  a  contract  from  Rawlins  to  Meeker,  Colorado. 
I  could  not  haul  the  Indian  supplies  to  Meeker  on  account 
of  the  heavy  snow,  so  wired  General  Crook  at  Omaha. 
He  wired  back  to  turn  the  Indians  in  and  feed  them  that 
winter.  I  also  had  a  contract  at  Fort  Laramie  to  put 
in  3,000  cords  of  wood  and  1,800  bushels  of  charcoal  and 
the  contract  for  building  the  Sisters'  Hospital  and  the 
public  school.  Had  Peter  Gumry  attending  to  that  part. 
I  also  had  14  stores  on  the  line  of  the  U.  P.  at  Cheyenne, 
Laramie,  Fort  Steele,  etc.  We  were  ordered  away  so 
moved  to  Benton,  now  called  Rawlins,  Rock  Springs,  Car- 
bon, Green  River,  Wasatch,  Evanston,  Bryan,  and  Cor- 
rinne,  Utah.  Pardon  for  writing  at  this  length,  but  con- 
sider me  a  pioneer  of  Dakota  and  Wyoming,  I  also  had 
a  bank,  Wagner  &  Dunbar,  in  Laramie.  He  was  drowned 
in  Hutton  Lake.  On  my  return  from  the  East,  J.  R.  Brophy, 
conductor  over  the  hill  from  Cheyenne  to  Laramie,  told 
me  that  Clarence  Dunbar  was  drowned.  As  I  had  too  many 
irons  in  the  fire,  I  gave  up  the  banking  business. 

Again  pardon  me  for  this  long  epistle. 

Yours  truly, 

(Sgd.)  Henry  Wagner. 


390 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Rawlins  first  school  building.  It  is  interesting  to  con- 
trast the  present  large  school  buildings  in  the  city  with  this 
school  building  of  the  pioneer  days.  Old  timers  in  the  city 
say  that  this  building  was  situated  on  the  edge  of  town 
and  that  the  children  were  afraid  many  times  to  attend 
classes  on  account  of  the  Indians  in  the  vicinity.  Mrs. 
Lillie  Heath  Nelson,  Lillie  Jungquist,  Homer  A.  France, 
Forest  D.  Burnfield  and  Harry  B.  Jennings,  who  graduated 
from  this  school  in  1888,  are  all  living. 


Review  of  Laramie  City  for  1868-1869* 

Ever  as  the  years  roll  around,  and  ever  as  the  first 
of  May  comes  and  adds  another  to  the  volumes  of  the 
SENTINEL — the  pioneer  paper  of  Laramie — our  minds  nat- 
urally revert  to  the  past  and  we  desire  to  review  it  as 
we  plant  another  milestone  in  the  onward  march  of  our 
city. 

With  this  issue  we  commence  Volume  XV  of  the 
SENTINEL.  In  this  rapidly  moving  country  and  age,  and 
especially  in  the  continuous  mutations  of  a  frontier  city, 
this  seems  almost  an  age.  The  present  editors  and  pro- 
prietors of  this  paper  have  been  its  sponsors  from  the 
day  of  its  birth — fourteen  years  ago.  The  little  boys  and 
girls  who  were  running  around  our  city  ragged  and  bare- 
foot, but  many  of  whose  names  we  find  from  month  to 
month  upon  the  "roll  of  honor"  in  our  report  of  the  pub- 
lic schools,  have  now  come  to  be  our  business  men,  our 
law  makers  and  officials,  our  staid  matrons  with  flocks  of 
children,  the  very  pillars  of  the  church  and  state. 

And  so  it  seems  as  though  we  had  been  in  Laramie 
through  a  whole  generation.  A  boy — a  son  of  the  editor — 
now  sets  type  in  the  office  and  distributes  the  SENTINEL 
to  our  subscribers,  whose  mother  came  to  this  country 
a  joyous,  light-hearted  girl,  years  after  we  had  been  pub- 
lishing this  paper.  And  during  all  these  years  the  same 
names  have  stood  at  the  head  of  our  columns.  No  other 
newspaper  in  this  territory,  not  one  west  of  the  Missouri 
river,  so  far  as  we  know,  can  boast  such  a  record.  It 
has  long  been  the  custom  of  our  contemporaries — half  in 
earnest,  half  in  jest — to  apply  to  us  the  honorable  sobri- 
quet of  Father  of  Laramie.  This  cognomen  is  nothing  to  be 
ashamed  of,  surely.  It  is  a  healthy,  promising  child,  of 
which  any  father  might  feel  proud. 

This  year  as  the  first  of  May  drew  near  we  conceived 
the  idea  of  making  a  brief  review  of  the  past  history  of 
Laramie.  We  thought  we  would,  in  a  column  article,  refer 
to  its  past  growth  and  prosperity  and  cast  the  horoscope 

*Laramie  V^eekly  Sentinel,  May  5,  1883.     Vol.  XV  No.  1. 


392  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

of  its  future.  As  we  began  to  look  over  our  back  files 
with  this  object  in  view,  we  found  so  much  of  interest 
that  the  undertaking  grew  upon  our  hands.  We  con- 
cluded we  would  devote  several  columns  to  it;  then  we 
assigned  a  full  page  to  this  object,  and  finally  the  matter 
became  so  ponderous  that  we  found  a  full  page  would 
scarce  suffice  to  review  the  record  of  a  single  year,  and 
at  last  we  decided  to  run  this  review  serially,  and  try 
to  summarize  the  history  of  each  year  of  the  past  for 
each  issue  of  the  paper  until  we  caught  up  with  the  pres- 
ent time. 

We  find  even  this  a  Herculean  task.  A  great  deal 
occurs  in  a  year.  The  historical  events  which  we  review 
in  this  first  issue  are,  from  the  broken  condition  of  our 
files  somewhat  imperfect  and  incomplete.  For  the  bal- 
ance of  the  years  our  files  are  perfect,  and  the  review 
will  be  more  in  detail.  From  it  everyone  in  Laramie  can 
correct  his  family  record.  In  this  number  we  confine  ourself 
mainly  to  prominent  General  Events,  and  with  this  intro- 
duction we  enter  upon  our  task: 


HISTORICAL 


The  survey  of  the  Town  of  Laramie  City  was  made  in 
the  fall  of  1867.  Its  location  upon  the  banks  of  the  Big 
Laramie  river,  with  the  large  spring  brook  running  through 
it,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  fertile  Laramie  plains — the  rich- 
est and  most  productive  portion  of  the  territory — sur- 
rounded by  mountains  on  all  sides  rich  in  mineral  and 
timber,  furnished  an  aggregation  of  natural  advantages 
unequalled  anywhere  upon  the  line  of  the  great  trans- 
continental railroad. 

The  following  spring,  on  the  20th  day  of  April,  1868, 
the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  company  commenced  the  sale 
of  town  lots.  Several  hundred  people  had  already  located 
here  beneath  their  tents  and  wagon  covers,  and  were  only 
waiting  to  obtain  title  to  lots  to  commence  erecting  their 
future  homes.  Within  the  first  week  over  400  lots  were 
sold,  and  in  less  than  two  weeks  200  or  300  buildings 
had  been  commenced,  the  material  for  many  of  which  was 
nothing  more  than  rough  logs,  or  condemned  ties,  from 
which  the  walls  were  constructed,  and  which  were  cov- 
ered with  canvas  or  cotton  cloth. 


LARAMIE  CITY  393 

On  the  9th  of  May,  1868,  the  rails  were  laid  to  and 
through  the  town,  and  on  the  10th  of  May  the  first  train 
of  cars  came  into  Laramie,  loaded  with  freight,  consisting 
mainly  of  railroad  ties,  plows,  scrapers,  tents,  shanties 
and  lumber,  which  had  been  brought  from  Julesburg  and 
Cheyenne,  together  with  groceries,  provisions,  peddlers 
with  their  packs,  stores,  crockery,  etc.,  wines  and  liquors 
of  all  kind  and  varieties,  on  top  of  which,  riding  on  open 
flat  cars  was  piled  a  motley  crowd  of  men,  women  and 
children.  Within  three  months  from  the  time  the  rails 
reached  Laramie,  it  was  estimated  that  the  population 
of  the  place  aggregated  five  thousand  souls.  Half  of 
these  people  were  employees,  directly  or  indirectly,  of  t^ie 
railroad  company;  the  other  half  were  largely  composed 
of  adventurers,  fully  fifty  per  cent  of  which  were  made 
up  of  desperate  men  and  disreputable  women,  gamblers, 
thieves,  robbers  and  cut  throats,  who  lived  by  preying  upon 
the  community  and  who  depended  for  their  success  upon 
robbing  the  employees  of  the  company. 

LOCAL   GOVERNMENT 

Alarmed  at  the  character  of  this  mass  of  depraved 
humanity,  the  better  element  took  steps  to  organize  some 
system  of  government  which  would  secure  them  protection 
against  the  desperate  characters  who  flocked  in  here  in 
such   immense   hordes. 

On  the  8th  of  May  there  was  posted  up  a  call  for  a 
mass  meeting  of  the  citizens  for  the  purpose  of  organiz- 
ing a  provisional  local  government.  This  meeting  was 
held  at  Tivoli  Hall,  and  M.  C.  Brown  was  named  for  mayor ; 
John  Guerrelle,  for  marshal;  E.  Nagle,  J.  C.  Crissman,  G. 
P.  Drake  and  M.  Townsley,  for  Trustees,  and  P.  H.  Tooley, 
for  clerk.  An  election  was  held  on  the  12th  day  of  May — 
at  which  over  900  votes  were  polled  —  and  the  above- 
named  gentlemen  were  declared  elected.  It  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that,  at  this  time,  Wyoming  Territory  was  not  even 
organized,  nor  was  there  any  county  or  municipal  organ- 
ization by  authority  of  which  any  local  government  could 
be  established.  These  gentlemen,  however,  made  a  vig- 
orous effort  to  put  in  motion  the  machinery  of  this  pro- 
visional government,  but  backed  by  no  legislative  authority 
they  found  it  impossible  to  stem  the  current,  and  three 
weeks  after  Judge  Brown,  the  mayor,  resigned  his  posi- 
tion and  declined  to  head  any  further  effort  in  that  direc- 
tion. For  some  weeks  anarchy  ran  riot,  murder  and  rob- 
bery were  common,  and  neither  life  nor  property  were  safe. 


394  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

THE   VIGILANTES 

This  condition  of  things  gave  rise  to  a  general  feel- 
ing of  insecurity  and  steps  were  soon  taken  to  organize 
a  vigilance  committee.  The  first  organization  of  this 
kind  was  effected  in  August,  but  not  more  than  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  men  were  engaged  in  it.  It  was  not  num- 
erous nor  strong  enough,  nor  composed  of  a  sufficient 
number  of  resolute  men  to  meet  the  emergency.  The  only 
fruits  of  this  organization  was  the  hanging,  on  the  27th 
of  August,  of  a  young  man  known  as  the  "Kid",  who  was 
hung  in  a  partially  completed  building  belonging  to  John 
Keane.  The  death  of  this  insignificant  individual  merely 
sufficed  to  arouse  the  ire  of  the  worst  element  among  the 
roughs,  and  they  at  once  organized  a  counter  association, 
with  the  avowed  purpose  of  avenging  his  death.  This  or- 
ganization was  turbulent  and  defiant,  and  was  headed  by 
some  of  the  worst  desperadoes  in  the  country,  among  whom 
were  Con  Wagon,  Asa  Moore,  Big  Ned,  Sam  Dugan,  Tiger 
Bill,  Morris  Kohn  and  Dave  Mullen.  For  a  time  it  ruled 
the  town  and  by  its  acts  of  outlawry  struck  terror  into 
the  hearts  of  all  respectable  citizens.  Robberies  were  com- 
mitted in  the  open  streets  and  in  broad  daylight,  and  no- 
body dared  to  interfere.  But  this  condition  of  things  could 
not  long  exist.  The  law-abiding  element  of  the  community, 
in  which  were  included  the  railroad  employees,  formed  a 
defensive  alliance  and  organized  a  vigilance  committee — 
numbering  from  400  to  500  men.  The  organization  was 
very  thorough  and  perfect  in  its  details,  headed  and  con- 
trolled by  resolute  and  cool-headed  men.  An  attack  was 
planned  upon  several  of  the  dens  of  infamy,  which  was 
to  take  place  on  the  night  of  October  18,  1868.  This  com- 
mittee of  safety  met  on  that  night  at  the  round  house, 
arranged  all  the  details,  divided  up  into  several  squads, 
and  silently  proceeded  to  the  localities  where  these  des- 
peradoes had  their  haunts.  It  was  supposed  that  the  ar- 
rangements and  plans  were  perfect,  and  at  a  given  signal 
the  attack  upon  all  these  places  was  to  have  been  made 
simultaneously,  but  for  some  reason  the  company  de- 
tailed to  capture  a  notorious  dance  house  known  as  the 
"Belle  of  the  West,"  after  surrounding  the  place,  gave  the 
signal  by  the  firing  of  a  pistol,  before  the  other  compan- 
ies were  ready  for  the  attack,  and  the  scheme  in  a  meas- 
ure miscarried.  But  the  company  sent  to  the  Belle  of 
the  West  found  that  place  filled  with  gamblers,  pimps 
and  prostitutes  and  made  their  attack  as  agreed  upon  and 
a   regular   pitched   battle   ensued,    the   inmates   being   all 


LARAMIE  CITY  395 

well  armed,  and  hundreds  of  shots  were  fired  on  both 
sides.  The  desperadoes  fought  Hke  wild  beasts,  and  above 
the  din  of  arms  was  heard  the  curses  of  men  and  the 
shrieks  of  women.  This  battle  lasted  for  about  fifteen 
minutes,  when  the  place  was  carried  by  storm.  Con  Wagon, 
Asa  Moore,  and  Big  Ned  were  taken  from  the  place  and 
hurriedly  conducted  to  the  same  building  where  the  "Kid" 
was  hung  and  summarily  executed  by  being  hung  to  the 
projecting  beams  of  the  building.  In  the  fight  three  men 
were  killed,  one  of  them  a  member  of  the  vigilance  com- 
mittee, one  a  musician  of  the  hall  and  the  third  one  of 
the  desperadoes.  Fifteen  men  were  wounded,  some  quite 
severely.  The  next  morning  another  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  gang  known  as  "Big  Steve"  was  captured  and  hung 
to  the  telegraph  pole  opposite  the  railroad  house.  This 
summary  proceeding  struck  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the 
desperadoes  and  many  of  them  fled  from  the  town.  There 
was  still  however,  a  strong  element  of  this  class  left, 
and  for  some  time  it  was  a  question  as  to  whether  they 
or  the  law-abiding  citizens  were  to  control  the  destinies 
of  Laramie.  An  effort  was  then  again  made  to  organize 
a  provisional  government  and  L.  B.  Chase  was  elected 
mayor,  with  a  full  corps  of  other  city  officers. 

ANOTHER  FAILURE 

Thomas  D.  Sears  was  acting  as  deputy  sheriff  for 
Laramie  county  and  in  that  capacity  arrested  a  young 
man  by  the  name  of  Moritz,  and  committed  him  to  the 
city  calaboose,  which  consisted  of  a  little  pen  made  of 
telegraph  poles  and  ties  driven  into  the  ground  and  cov- 
ered with  cross  ties  and  dirt.  This  young  man  was  charg- 
ed with  being  guilty  of  theft  up  in  the  Bitter  Creek  coun- 
try— whether  truly  or  not,  is  not  known.  The  vigilance 
committee  went  and  took  him  from  this  pen  and  hung 
him.  The  committee  had  by  this  time  degenerated  both 
in  numbers  and  character,  many  of  the  desperadoes  hav- 
ing joined  it,  partially  to  divert  suspicion  from  themselves 
and  partly  to  use  it  as  a  means  to  revenge  themselves 
upon  their  personal  enemies,  and  the  hanging  of  this 
man  Moritz  can  scarcely  be  justified  even  by  the  emerg- 
encies of  the  time.  One  Lee  Griswold  was  at  that  time 
acting  in  the  capacity  of  city  marshal,  and  he  was  the 
one  who  led  the  attack  which  took  Moritz  from  jail  and 
hung  him,  and  it  is  some  satisfaction  to  know  that  he  was 
afterwards  shot  and  killed  by  an  officer  in  Denver  while 
attempting  to  escape  from  jail  in  that  city,  where  he  was 
confined  on  a  charge  of  murder. 


396  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

In  December,  1868,  the  legislature  of  Dakota  organ- 
ized the  county  of  Albany,  and  framed  and  passed  a  bill 
incorporating  a  city  government  for  Laramie,  and  filling 
the  various  offices,  temporarily  appointing  M.  C.  Page 
as  mayor,  N.  K.  Boswell,  sheriff,  L.  T.  Wilson  and  T,  D. 
Abbott,  county  commissioners,  and  Dr.  J.  H.  Finfrock 
probate  judge  and  treasurer.  This  is  the  first  effort  at 
anything  approximating  a  legal  government,  and  it  was 
scarcely  more  successful  or  effective  than  its  predecessors. 
Some  idea  of  its  character  may  be  formed  from  the  fact 
that  the  city  police  one  time  organized  and  conducted  an 
attack  upon  their  own  jail  in  March,  1869,  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  out  of  the  jail  and  hanging  one  George  Hays, 
who  had  been  imprisoned  that  day  for  drunkenness.  It 
is  said  that  this  act  was  undertaken  for  the  purpose  of 
gratifying  the  personal  spite  of  two  members  of  the  po- 
lice— Douglas  and  Rodapouche.  A  man  by  the  name  of 
Irwin  and  M.  H.  Murphy  were  in  the  jail  as  guards,  and 
during  the  attack  Irwin  was  killed  and  Murphy  severely 
wounded.  Hays  made  his  escape  in  the  melee.  Hays  was 
a  tie  cutter  and  only  temporarily  visiting  the  town,  and 
threats  were  made  by  his  friends,  the  tie  cutters,  and  ser- 
ious fears  entertained  that  they  would  be  carried  into  ef- 
fect, to  come  in  and  burn  the  whole  town  in  revenge  for 
the  indignity  offered  to  their  comrade.  This  affair,  headed 
and  conducted  by  the  ostensible  guardians  of  the  peace, 
under  the  city  government,  brought  it  into  such  disrepute 
that  its  usefullness  was  thereby  practically  ended. 

GOVERNMENT  AT  LAST 

About  this  time  an  organization  of  the  territory  of 
Wyoming  was  perfected  by  the  appointment  of  Federal 
officers,  and  the  governor  and  other  officials  reached  the 
territory  in  May,  1869,  and  immediately  proceeded  to  put 
in  motion  the  machinery  of  government  for  the  new  ter- 
ritory. They  appointed  county  officers  and  instituted 
courts,  and  the  first  regular  term  of  a  court  was  held 
in  Albany  county,  in  June,  1869,  Judge  William  T.  Jones, 
associate  justice  of  the  supreme  court,  presiding,  with 
N.  K.  Boswell  as  sheriff  of  the  county.  This  term  of  court 
was  effectual  in  establishing  law  and  order  and  gave  to 
long  harassed  people  a  feeling  of  safety  and  security. 

THE  FIRST  PAPER 

The  Laramie  SENTINEL  was  started  in  this  city  by 
N.  A.  Baker,  of  Cheyenne,  proprietor,  with  J.  H.  Hayford 


LARAMIE  CITY  397 

as  editor  and  business  manager.  The  first  number  was 
issued  on  the  first  day  of  May,  1869.  It  was  a  small, 
five  column  folio  paper,  printed  one  page  at  a  time  on  a 
half -medium  Gordon  press.  Prior  to  that  time,  in  the 
winter  of  1867-68,  the  Frontier  Index,  a  nomadic  little 
sheet  which  was  following  the  construction  gang  across 
the  continent,  was  printed  at  Fort  Sanders  as  a  weekly. 
In  May,  1868,  it  was  moved  into  Laramie  where  it  was 
printed  for  a  while  and  shortly  afterward  moved  on  with 
the  road  to  Benton,  and  soon  after  from  there  to  Bear 
river,  where  it  was  destroyed  by  a  mob,  and  its  editor, 
Fred  K.  Freeman,  narrowly  escaped  being  lynched.  This 
sheet  was  never  located  here  permanently,  but  had  been 
following  the  construction  train  from  Omaha  west.  Thus 
the  LARAMIE  SENTINEL  may  justly  claim  to  be  the 
pioneer  paper  of  Laramie  city.  Our  files  of  the  SENTINEL 
for  first  year  of  its  existence  have  been  badlv  scattered 
or  destroyed,  and  very  few  of  them  can  be  obtained.  At 
the  end  of  the  first  year  of  the  existence  of  the  paper. 
May  1st,  1870,  it  was  purchased  by  Hayford  &  Gates,  the 
present  proprietors,  and  since  that  time  complete  files 
have  been  preserved  and  bound.  We  are  enabled,  how- 
ever, to  gather  from  the  remains  of  the  files  of  the  first 
year  many  historical  events  of  public  interest,  but  we 
cannot  give  as  detailed  a  statement  of  all  the  personal 
events  of  Laramie,  such  as  births,  marriages,  deaths,  etc., 
as  we  would  wish,  and  hence  or  chronology  of  that  date 
must  be  confined  mainly  to  the  leading  events  in  the  his- 
tory of  our  city,  while  the  subsequent  narrative  will  be 
complete  in  all  those  little  matters  of  personal  interest  to 
the  old  pioneers. 

CHRONOLOGICAL 

The  first  white  child  born  in  Laramie  was  Patrick 
S.  Keane,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Keane,  born  June  21,  1868. 

The  first  substantial  building  erected  in  Laramie, 
was  the  small  stone  block  of  Dawson  Brothers,  on  South 
A  street,  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Charles  Kuster,  and 
cost  at  that  time  about  $5,000.  It  was  built  in  the  spring 
of  1869.  The  next  erected,  during  the  summer  of  1869, 
was  the  present  Wyoming  National  bank  building,  by  Col- 
onel J.  W.  Donnellan,  of  the  firm  of  H.  K.  Rogers  &  Co., 
and  cost  about  $10,000.  The  third  substantial  building 
was  the  fine  stone  block  on  Second  street,  erected  by  M.  G. 
Tonn,  for  a  drygoods  and  clothing  house,  and  costing  about 
$16,000.     The   erection   of   these   buildings   was   regarded 


398  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

as  of  great  interest  to  the  city,  and  were  the  first  events 
which  inspired  the  people  with  confidence  in  the  substan- 
tial permanency  and  future  growth  of  our  city. 

In  August,  1869,  Captain  W.  J.  Mclntyre,  clerk  for 
Superintendent  Fillmore,  was  voluntairly  tendered  and  ac- 
cepted a  first-class  appointment  in  the  treasury  depart- 
ment by  Secretary  Boutwell.  We  chronicle  this  event  be- 
cause it  was  the  first,  and,  so  far  as  we  know,  the  last 
appointment  ever  rendered  to  a  citizen  of  Wyoming  in  any 
department  of  the  government  at  Washington. 

The  first  public  school  ever  opened  in  Laramie  was 
organized  and  put  in  operation,  February  15,  1869,  by  Miss 
Eliza  Stewart,  now  Mrs.  E.  S.  Boyd. 

The  first  religious  services  were  instituted  by  Mrs. 
E.  Ivinson,  Mrs.  C.  A.  Wright  and  Miss  Jennie  Wright, 
who  started  a  Sabbath  school,  July  15,  1868. 

CHURCHES 

The  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Joseph 
C.  Cook,  of  Cheyenne,  October  2,  1868.  This  was  the  first 
church  organization  in  our  city.  Rev.  J.  W.  Cornell  was 
its  first  rector,  and  commenced  his  ministrations  on  the 
21st  of  February,  1869.  The  church  building  had  been 
completed,  costing  $4,000,  and  was  dedicated  on  that  day 
by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Randall,  of  Colorado,  as  St.  Matthew's 
Episcopal  church. 

The  Methodist  church  of  this  city  was  organized  by 
Rev.  G.  F.  Hilton,  in  the  spring  of  1869,  the  exact  date  of 
which  we  have  not  the  means  of  ascertaining. 

The  Roman  Catholic  church  was  organized  here  in 
the  spring  of  1869,  by  Rev.  Father  Kelly,  u  missionary 
priest  from  Omaha.  Colonel  J.  W.  Donnellan,  Henry  Wag- 
ner and  J.  W.  Connor  were  the  first  trustees.  They  com- 
menced the  erection  of  their  fine  stone  edifice  in  May, 
1869,  but  it  was  not  completed  until  the  fall  of  1871.  Rev. 
Father  Cusson  was  the  first  pastor  of  this  church.  It  cost 
about  $7,000. 

The  Baptist  church  was  organized  on  the  8th  day  of 
January,  1869,  by  Rev.  George  W.  Freeman,  superintend- 
ent of  Baptist  home  missions.  Their  present  church  build- 
ing was  erected  the  following  summer  at  a  cost  of  about 
$5,500.     Rev.  D.  J.  Pierce  was  the  first  pastor. 


LARAMIE  CITY  399 

Laramie  Lodge,  No.  18,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  was  organized 
under  a  dispensation  issued  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Colo- 
rado, February  14,  1870,  with  J.  H,  Hayford  as  its  first 
master,  and  J.  E.  Gates,  as  Secretary. 

The  first  lodge  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  was  instituted  in  June, 
1869. 

POLITICAL 

Immediately  upon  his  arrival  here,  our  first  governor, 
John  A.  Campbell,  proceeded  to  district  the  territory  into 
legislative  districts,  and  issued  a  proclamation  for  the  elec- 
tion of  a  legislature.  This  legislature  convened  in  Chey- 
enne in  November,  1869,  and  remained  in  session  for 
sixty  days,  and  provided  the  territory  with  a  general  code 
of  laws  for  its  government.  This  legislature  was  composed 
exclusively  of  democrats  in  both  branches,  so  that  there 
was  no  opportunity  for  any  political  squabbles  or  con- 
tentions during  its  lengthy  session.  As  might  have  been 
expected,  while  it  was  composed  of  men  of  good,  sound 
sense,  they  were  nevertheless  generally  inexperinced  in 
law-making,  and  many  of  its  acts  were  necessarily  crude 
and  ambiguous. 

WOMAN'S   SUFFRAGE 

Among  the  most  important  of  the  acts  passed  at  that 
session,  was  the  one  conferring  political  rights  upon  the 
women  of  Wyoming  territory.  This  act  was  exceedingly 
simple  and  brief,  occupying  but  half  a  dozen  of  lines  in 
our  statute  book,  and  simply  provided  that  women  who 
were  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  Territory 
of  Wyoming,  or  had  declared  their  intention  to  become 
such,  were  hereby  invested  with  all  the  political  rights, 
duties,  franchises,  and  responsibilities  of  male  citizens. 
This  act  was  approved  December  10,  1869.  There  was 
not,  so  far  as  we  know,  at  that  time  in  all  Wyoming  Ter- 
ritory a  single  aggressive  advocate  of  women's  rights, 
either  man  or  woman.  The  motives  which  prompted  the 
legislature  to  lay  aside  its  conservatism  and  take  this 
new  departure  were,  so  far  as  can  be  judged,  an  ambition 
to  immortalize  themselves  and  out  Herod-Herod  with  the 
spectacle  of  a  democratic  legislature  manifesting  more 
progressiveness  and  liberality  than  any  republican  body 
could  boast;  and  secondly  they  were  influenced  by  the 
idea  that  this  act  would  materially  serve  to  advertise  our 
young  territory,  and  bring  it  into  notoriety  abroad.     Sub- 


400  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

sequent  events  demonstrated  their  wisdom  and  foresight, 
at  least  so  far  as  the  second  motive  was  concerned, 

WOMAN  JURIES 

The  first  opportunity  that  occurred,  for  practically 
testing  the  experiment  of  women  suffrage  was  at  the 
session  of  the  court  following  its  enactment  and  probably 
no  court  in  the  history  of  Laramie  awakened  so  much  local 
interest  and  excitement  or  created  such  a  sensation 
throughout  all  the  country  as  this.  Inasmuch  as  Wyo- 
ming had  consented  to  be  the  first  among  all  the  states 
and  territories  to  try  the  much  talked  of  experiment  of 
woman  suffrage,  the  SENTINEL  took  pronounced  ground 
in  favor  of  giving  the  experiment  a  fair  and  thorough  test. 
Many  had  regarded  the  passage  of  the  act  as  a  mere 
joke,  as  something  which  would  remain  as  a  dead  letter 
on  our  statutes  but  the  county  commissioners  were  fin- 
ally induced,  in  selecting  the  names  of  jurors,  to  select 
from  both  sexes,  and  the  first  knowledge  the  community 
had  of  the  fact  was  when  the  SENTINEL  came  out  with 
the  names  of  the  jurors  drawn  for  the  coming  court,  in 
which  list  appeared  the  names  of  some  twenty  of  the 
most  prominent  ladies  of  Laramie  City. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  at  this  remote 
period  the  excitement  which  this  event  created,  and  the 
fact  was  telegraphed,  not  only  throughout  the  country, 
but  over  the  whole  civilized  world.  The  following  are  the 
names  of  the  lady  jurors  selected  for  that  term  of  court: 

GRAND  JURY 

Sarah  W.  Pease  Eliza  Stewart 

Agnes  Baker  Mrs.  G.  F.  Hilton 

Mary  Mackle 

PETIT   JURORS 

Nettie  Hazen,  Retta  J,  Burnham,  Jennie  Lancaster, 
Mary  Wilcox,  Lizzie  A.  Spooner,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Hayford,  Mrs, 
Rowena  Hutton. 

In  addition  to  this  regular  panel  several  were  sum- 
moned during  the  term  as  talesmen.  Some  three  or  four 
weeks  were  to  intervene  after  the  selection  of  the  jury  be- 
fore the  term  commenced  and  the  SENTINEL  and  its 
editor  used  all  their  influence  to  induce  the  ladies  named 
to  serve,  and  to  educate  public  sentiment  up  to  the  point 


LARAMIE  CITY  401 

of  regarding  the  innovation  with  favor,  and  endeavoring 
to  give  the  experiment  a  fair  trial.  In  this  we  were  ma- 
terially aided  by  a  letter  from  Chief  Justice  Howe,  who 
was  to  preside  at  the  term  of  court,  and  who,  in  this  letter 
pledged  to  the  ladies,  all  the  support,  aid  and  encourage- 
ment which  the  court  could  give  them  in  the  discharge 
of  these  new  and  novel  duties  of  citizenship.  A  reluctant 
consent  was  at  last  obtained  from  the  ladies  to  discharge 
their  duties  as  jurors.  In  view  of  this  interesting  event. 
Sheriff  Boswell  had  made  special  exertions  to  fit  up  the 
rough,  primitive  court  house  and  jury  room  with  neatness 
and  taste,  in  honor  of  our  lady  jurors. 

On  the  morning  when  this  court  convened,  the  jurors 
selected  and  summoned  were  all  present  and  without  any- 
one demurring  or  objecting  they  were  duly  sworn  and 
charged  as  a  grand  jury,  and  empanelled  as  a  petit  jury. 
In  order  that  the  legality  of  the  question  might  be  tested 
and  settled  Colonel  Downey  moved  to  quash  the  panel 
upon  the  ground  that  the  jurors  sworn  were  not  all  male 
citizens,  which  motion  was  argued  by  Colonel  Downey 
for,  and  W.  R.  Steel  and  T.  J.  Street  attorneys,  in  op- 
position. The  court  overruled  the  motion,  Associate  Jus- 
tice J.  W.  Kingman,  sitting  on  the  bench  concurring.  This 
settled  the  validity  of  the  law,  so  far  as  it  could  be  done 
by  the  courts  of  Wyoming  territory.  It  will  readily  be 
believed  that  this  term  of  court  was  largely  attended  by 
the  citizens  of  Laramie,  who  watched  the  novel  scenes 
with  intense  interest. 

THE  RESULT 

If  we  had  the  space  to  review  more  minutely  the 
history  of  this  term  of  court  at  Laramie,  the  details  would 
be  of  great  interest,  particularly  to  the  old  citizens  of 
that  time,  but  we  have  only  room  to  briefly  summarize 
it.  The  court  was  a  lengthy  term,  and  very  many  im- 
portant cases,  both  civil  and  criminal  were  tried,  in  all 
of  which  we  believe  women  served  as  jurors.  At  the 
close  of  the  term  the  universal  verdict  was  that  even- 
handed  and  exact  justice  had  been  done  in  every  instance; 
law  and  order  established;  crime  punished;  persons  and 
property  protected,  and  rights  enforced  effectually,  hon- 
estly and  impartially. 

Some  idea  of  the  interest  which  this  event  awakened 
abroad  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  when  this 
jury  was  empannelled,  and  sworn  and  charged  by  Judge 


402  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Howe,  all  the  material  facts  together  with  the  judge's 
charge,  were  telegraphed  throughout  the  country  by  the 
associated  press,  and  also  by  cable  to  all  the  civilized 
countries  abroad,  and  within  twenty-four  hours  after- 
wards King  William  of  Prussia,  sent  a  congratulatory  dis- 
patch to  President  Grant,  upon  this  evidence  of  progress, 
enlightenment  and  civil  liberty  in  America. 

OUR  BUSINESS  MEN 

We  recall  to  mind  the  following  names  of  several  of 
the  business  men  of  that  early  period.  It  does  not  em- 
brace all  of  the  pioneer  business  men  of  Laramie.  We 
select  some  of  them  mentioned  because  they  have  died  or 
left  the  country  and  many  of  them  are  forgotten,  and 
we  select  others  because  they  staid  with  us,  continued  in 
business  and  most  of  them  acquired  a  competence  or  in- 
dependence. 

Lawyers — Hurlburt  &  Brown,  M.  C.  Page  and  L.  P. 
Casey. 

Physicians — J.  H.  Finfrock,  H.  Latham  and  G.  F. 
Hilton. 

Dentist — J.  J,  Clark. 

Dry  Goods — McMurray  Brothers. 

Clothing — Silversten  Brothers  and  Frank  &  Appel. 

Ladies'  Goods — Mrs.  A.  Hatcher. 

Groceries — Brown  &  Pattan,  E.  Ivinson,  and  Lay- 
cock  &  Co. 

General  Merchandise — Freeman  &  Wright,  M.  G.  Tonn, 
C.  A.  Wright  and  L.  T.  Wilcox. 

Restaurant — S.  A.  Rice  and  J.  B.  Wands. 

Hardware — Schuler  &  Spindler,  and  C.  R.  Leroy. 

Tobaccos  and  Cigars — Altman  &  Co. 

Liquors — Dawson  Brothers  and  Tom  Dillon. 

Guns  and  Ammunition — Freund  Brothers. 

Builder — James  Vine. 

Bakery  and  Confectionery — A.  T,  Williams. 

Lumber— N.  T.  Weber  and  W.  H.  Holliday. 


RED  CLOUD'S  PRAYER 

Written  by  Judge  Gibson  Clark, 

For  the   Wyoming   Churchman,  January,    1912. 

On  the  5th  day  of  October  1870,  at  Fort  Laramie, 
Wyoming  Territory,  a  Council  or  Conference  was  held  be- 
tween the  United  States  Indian  Peace  Commission,  repre- 
sented by  Mr.  Felix  R.  Brunot  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  Mr. 
Robert  Campbell  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  a  large  delega- 
tion of  Sioux  Indians  headed  by  Red  Cloud  (Makh-pi-ah- 
lu-tah)  and  as  I  now  remember,  by  Spotted  Tail  (Scintey 
Tegeliska),  for  the  purpose  of  making  arrangements  for 
the  concentration  of  the  Indians  on  a  temporary  reser- 
vation situated  on  the  North  Platte  River,  at  or  near  the 
east  boundary  of  Wyoming.  At  this  council,  which  was 
held  in  a  large  hall,  a  half  breed  French-Canadian  and 
Sioux,  named  Baptiste  Pourier,  was  one  of  the  interpret- 
ers. The  writer,  at  the  time,  was  the  book-keeper  for 
Seth  E.  Ward,  then,  and  for  many  years  before,  the  Post 
Sutler  at  Fort  Laramie.  The  Council  convened  in  the 
morning  of  the  day  stated,  with  Messrs.  Brunot  and  Camp- 
bell and  their  Secretary  and  other  assistants  and  advisers 
sitting  behind  a  long  table  at  one  end  of  the  room,  while 
the  Indian  Head  Men  were  ranged  around  the  other  three 
sides  of  the  room.  Red  Cloud  being  at  the  end  of  the 
room  opposite  Messrs.  Brunot  and  Campbell,  others  of  the 
more  influential  Head  Men  being  arranged  on  either  side 
of  him. 

About  an  hour  or  an  hour  and  a  half  after  the  open- 
ing of  the  Council,  Baptiste  Pourier,  the  interpreter,  came 
into  the  office  of  the  store  where  I  was  engaged  in  con- 
versation with  Lieutenant  Edward  L.  Bailey  of  the  4th 
U.  S.  Infantry,  and  told  us  this  story: 

That  upon  the  assembling  of  the  Council,  Mr.  Brunot. 
who  was  a  very  devout  churchman,  arose  and  in  a  brief 
prayer  invoked  the  blessing  and  guidance  of  Providence, 
and  finishing  stated  to  the  assembly,  and  particularly 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  Commission,  that  the  council  was 
opened  and  ready  to  proceed  with  its  business. 


404  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Thereupon  Red  Cloud  arose  and  standing  erect  and 
holding  his  arm  and  hand  aloft,  fully  extended,  exclaimed, 
"No!  No!!  the  White  Man  has  prayed  to  the  Great  Spirit, 
now  the  Red  Man  will  pray  to  Him  for  His  help" — and 
then  earnestly,  solemnly,  reverently,  trustfully  and  hope- 
fully offered  up  the  following  prayer: 

"O!  Great  Spirit!  I  pray  You  to  look  at  us.  We  are 
Your  children  and  You  placed  us  first  in  this  land.  We 
pray  You  to  look  down  upon  us  so  that  nothing  but  the 
truth  will  be  spoken  in  this  Council.  We  don't  ask  for 
anything  but  what  is  right  and  just.  When  You  made 
Your  red  children,  O,  Great  Spirit!  You  make  them  to 
have  mercy  upon  them ;  now  we  are  before  You  today  pray- 
ing You  to  look  down  on  us  and  take  pity  upon  Your  poor 
red  children.  I  pray  You  to  have  nothing  but  the  truth 
spoken  here.  You  are  the  protector  of  the  people  born 
with  bows  and  arrows  as  well  as  the  people  born  with 
hats  and  garments,  and  I  hope  we  don't  pray  You  in  vain. 
We  are  poor  and  ignorant.  Our  forefathers  told  us  we 
would  not  be  in  misery,  if  we  would  ask  for  Your  assist- 
ance, O,  Great  Spirit!  look  down  on  Your  red  children 
and  take  pity  upon  them." 

After  hearing  Fourier's  recital  of  the  story,  it  oc- 
cured  to  Bailey  and  me  that  the  prayer  was  worth  pre- 
serving, and  we  got  Fourier  to  carefully  repeat  it  to  us 
while  we  took  it  down  in  writing,  and  as  above  given  it 
is  taken  verbatim  from  the  written  statement  taken  down 
at  the  time,  by  Lieut.  Bailey,  in  my  presence,  which  is 
now  and  ever  since  October  5th,  1870,  has  been  in  my 
possession. 

Of  course  the  prayer  uttered  by  Red  Cloud  was  in 
his  own  language  and  of  course  no  stenographic  notes 
were  made  at  the  time,  but  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  above 
is  an  accurate  and  correct  translation  of  it  as  uttered. 
My  experience  of  six  or  seven  years  with  such  unlettered 
men  as  Fourier,  induces  me  to  believe  that  the  memories 
of  unlettered  men  as  in  those  days,  when  they  trained 
themselves  to  rely,  in  their  most  important  affairs,  upon 
their  recollection,  were  very  accurate  and  correct. 

Red  Cloud  was  a  very  handsome  man,  about  forty- 
five  years  of  age,  at  this  time,  nearly  six  feet  tall,  splend- 
idly proportioned,  with  a  massive,  high,  broad,  protuberant 
forehead;  clear,  bright,  large  eyes,  finely  chiseled  nose 
and  mouth,   and  a  chin  showing  great  decision   of  char- 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  405 

acter;  mentally  of  great  acuteness  and  ability,  a  splendid 
orator  and  faithful  and  devoted  to  his  people  and  to  their 
interests. 

Now,  when  my  mind  goes  back  to  the  days  of  which 
I  have  written,  and  I  realize  now  as  I  did  not  then,  that 
in  those  days  I  was  brought  daily  into  contact  with  a 
dying  people,  this  prayer  of  the  wild  Indian  of  the  Plains, 
seems  to  me  to  be  full  of  pathos  and  beauty;  its  simple 
eloquence,  its  reverence,  its  trustfulness,  its  truthfulness, 
all  impress  me  with  the  belief  that  when  Red  Cloud  thus 
poured  out  the  deepest  longings  of  his  soul,  he  felt  and  be- 
lieved that  he  was  looking  up  into  the  very  face  of  Him 
whom  men  for  nineteen  hundred  years  have  called  "Our 
Father,"  into  the  face  of  his  and  his  peoples'  God,  the 
ever  present  Ruler  of  the  Universe. 


THE  "MAGIC  CITY"  CHEYENNE,  DAKOTA 
TERRITORY,  1867 

(Continued) 

Sixteenth  street,  north  side,  west  from  Hill  street 
(Capitol  Ave.)  to  Benton  street,  (Bent)  five  squares. 

Between  Hill  to  Eddy  streets,  two  squares: 

One  story  frame,  24x60,  billiard  hall,  Tilton  &  Co., 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $3,400. 

One  story  frame,  18x30,  wholesale  wine  and  liquor  de- 
pot, F.  L,  Tilton,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $1,000. 

One  story  frame,  22x50,  furniture  house,  A.  R,  Con- 
verse, owner  and  occupant — also  occupied  by  E.  A.  Allen 
&  Co.,  druggist — cost,  $1,500. 

One  story  frame,  2IV2X6O,  A.  R.  Converse,  produce 
dealer,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $1,500. 

One  story  frame,  22x60,  hardware  and  crockery,  A.  R, 
Converse,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $1,500. 

One  story  frame,  24x105,  dry  goods  and  groceries, 
Glenn  &  Talpey,  owners  and  occupants — cost  about  $8,000. 

One  story  brick,  unfinished;  particulars  unknown,  ex- 
cept that  it  is  to  be  occupied  by  Lowe  &  Poole,  Druggists. 


406  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

One  story  concrete,  22x40,  clothing  house,  S.  Bloom, 
occupant, — Baylies  owner — cost,  $3,500. 

One  story  concrete,  30x40,  clothing  house,  B.  &  I.  Hell- 
man,  owner  and  occupants — cost,  $2,500. 

One  story  adobe,  20x40,  Temple  of  Fashion,  A.  B.  More, 
owner  and  occupant — cost  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  20x30,  keg  house,  G.  J.  Dozier,  oc- 
cupant, B.  Ellinger,  owner — cost,  $2,000. 

Two  story  frame,  24x40,  Saloon,  C.  N.  Greer,  owner 
and  occupant — cost,  $5,000. 

One  story  frame,  14x32,  F.  School  field.  Gunsmith,  own- 
er and  occupant — also  occupied  by  H.  Schoolfield,  Watch- 
maker— cost,  $1,200. 

One  story  frame,  8x20,  Keg  House — Bunker,  occupant 
— F.  Schoolfield,  owner — cost,  $100. 

Two  story  frame,  44x132,  Rollins  House,  J.  Q.  A.  Rol- 
lins &  Bro.,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $20,000.  This 
is  one  of  our  largest  buildings. 

Two  story  frame,  24x50,  first  floor,  saloon,  Wm.  Lind- 
enmier,  owner  and  occupant  —  upper  story  occupied  by 
Chas.  Alter's  Daguerrean  Gallery — cost,  $4,000. 

One  story  frame,  22x36,  clothing  house,  Ruth  &  Co., 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $1,500. 

Between  Eddy  and  Benton  streets,  three  squares: 

One  story  frame,  22x44,  ceiling  12  feet  high,  Kountze, 
Bro's  &  Co.,  bankers,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $4,000. 

One  story  frame,  24x44,  ceiling  13  feet  high,  Rogers 
&  Co.,  bankers,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $5,000. 

One  story  frame,  12x24,  news,  stationery,  and  notion 
depot,  L.  B.  Josephs,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $600. 

One  story  frame,  16x24,  Mr.  Corlett,  owner,  Lowe  & 
Poole,  druggists,  occupants — cost,  , 

One  story  concrete,  22V2x85,  Coburn  owner,  J.  H. 
Voorhies  &  Co.,  auction  and  commission,  occupants — cost. 


One  story  concrete,  22x60,  J.  N.  Voorhies  owner,  Wil- 
liam Wise,  proprietor  of  the  U.  S.  Restaurant,  occupant — 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  407 

one  of  the  finest  and  most  popular  restaurants  in  the  city 
—cost,  $2,000. 

Two  story  concrete,  44x60,  J.  S.  Galbraith,  owner  and 
occupant  of  first  floor — saloon — first  floor  also  occupied 
by  Sternberger,  tobacconist — first  floor  also  occupied  by 
Lidell,  Robertson  &  Brown — cost,  $12,500. 

One  story  and  a  half,  size  unknown,  Holman  House, 
John  R.  Waller,  owner,  O.  B.  Holman,  occupant — cost, . 

One  story  frame,  20x45,  Clothing  House,  William  Lee, 
owner,  J.  P.  Frank,  occupant — cost,  $3,000. 

Two  story  frame,  24x80,  unoccupied,  E.  C.  Beauvais, 
owner — cost,  $6,000. 

One  story  frame,  22x80,  Restaurant,  Wolff  &  Davis, 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $3,000. 

One  story  frame,  20x40,  additions,  16x24  lumber  of- 
fice; A.  L.  Wait,  lumber  dealer,  owner  and  occupant — en- 
tire cost,  $3,300. 

One  story  frame,  residence,  further  particulars  un- 
known. 

This  completes  the  north  side  of  Sixteenth  street,  go- 
ing westward. 

Sixteenth  Street,  South  side  going  east  from  Reed  to 
Hill  streets,  five  and  a  half  squares: 

Between  Reed  and  Ferguson  streets,  four  and  a  half 
squares. 

One  story  log,  20x20,  City  Jail,  City,  owner — occupied 
by  blacklegs— cost,  $1,770. 

One  story  frame,  12x20,  Residence,  E.  Mclanger,  City 
Marshal,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $500. 

One  story  frame,  20x40,  Grocery,  O.  C.  McDonald, 
owner  and  occupant — cost,  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  20x40,  Lodging  House,  Sergt.  Mc- 
Donald, owner — W.  S.  Belknap,  occupant — cost,  $2,100. 

One  story  frame,  22x32,  unfinished,  McDonald  & 
Heenan,  owners — cost,  $1,500. 

One  story  frame,  24x50,  Saloon,  McDonald  &  Heenan, 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $3,000. 


408  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

One  story  and  a  half  log,  24x41,  unfinished,  Mallally 
&  Granger,  owners — cost,  $4,000. 

One  story  frame,  20x40,  Boarding  House,  L.  Hays, 
owner  and  occupant — cost,  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  25x25,  Dexter  House,  Wm.  Nuttell, 
owner  and  occupant — cost, . 

Two  story  frame,  25x40,  Wines,  Liquors,  Tobacco,  etc., 
— Code,  owner — T.  A.  Kent  &  Co.,  occupants — cost,  $6,000. 

Two  story  frame,  unfinished,  further  particulars,  un- 
known. 

One  story  frame,  12x20,  Office  of  Judge  J.  P.  Bart- 
lett,  U.  S.  Commissioner,  owner — cost,  $700. 

Two  story  frame.  24x72,  Saloon,  Stevenson  &  Co., 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $4,500. 

One  story  frame,  15x24,  J.  W.  Turril,  Druggist,  own- 
er and  occupant — cost,  $1,000. 

One  story  frame,  12 1/2x24,  Barber  Shop,  Dougherty 
&  Smith,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $726. 

One  story  and  a  half  log,  20x36,  Saloon,  Chas.  Brown, 
owner — G.  Singleton,  occupant — cost,  . 

One  story  frame,  61/2x191/2,  H.  S.  Coburn,  owner — 
Ryan  &  Co.,  Tobacconists,  occupants — cost,  $250. 

One  story  frame,  16x48,  Saloon,  S.  Deon,  owner — J, 
G.  Walker,  occupant — cost,  . 

Two  story  frame,  unfinished,  Ford  &  Co.,  owners,  fur- 
ther particulars,  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  25x100,  Restaurant,  one  of  the  larg- 
est and  finest  in  the  city;  B.  L.  Ford  &  Co.,  owners  and 
occupants — cost,  . 

One  story  frame,  further  particulars  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  ditto  as  above. 

One  story  frame,  15x15,  canvass  covered,  Barber  Shop, 
Jno.  Bannister,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $130. 

One  story  frame,  20x45,  Boot  &  Shoe  Shop,  C.  H.  Ed- 
wards, owner  and  occupant — cost,  $1,200. 

Between  Ferguson  to  Hill  streets,  one  square. 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  409 

One  story  frame,  size  (?),  J,  H.  Creighton,  County 
Recorder,  owner  and  occupant — also  occupied  by  telegraph 
office — cost,  $3,500. 

One  story  and  a  half  log,  20x40,  Willis  &  Co.,  grocers, 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $2,500. 

One  story  frame,  14x13,  canvass  covered,  lunch  house, 
Smith  &  Kentner,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $100. 

Ferguson  street,  east  side,  going  north  from  Fifteenth 
street  to  Nineteenth  street — four  squares. 

One  story  frame,  22x40,  lunch  house,  Cline,  owner,  P. 
S.  Reed,  occupant — cost,  $2,500. 

One  story  frame,  14x37,  saloon,  L.  Bresnahen,  owner 
and  occupant — cost,  $4,000. 

One  story  frame,  unfinished,  further  particulars  un- 
known. 

One  story  adobe,  12x14,  Restaurant,  Coburn  owner — 
Charles  Siebert,  occupant — cost,  . 

One  story  adobe,  20x40,  Clothing  House,  Day  &  Co., 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  . 

One  story  frame,  16x48,  Bakery,  J.  Majewski  owner 
and  occupant — cost,  $3,500. 

One  story  frame,  20x22,  Carpenter  Shop,  Kratz  & 
Crookshank  owners  and  occupants — rear  addition,  14x20, 
residence,  Kratz  owner  and  occupant — entire  cost,  $600. 

One  story  frame,  residence,  further  particulars  un- 
known. 

One  story  frame,  ditto  as  above. 

One  story  and  a  half  adobe,  18x36,  Restaurant,  Castle 
&  Co.,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $2,100. 

One  story  frame,  16x20,  Boot  and  Shoe  Shop,  J.  Borges 
owner  and  occupant — cost,  $1,000. 

One  and  a  half  story  frame,  23x34,  Union  Hotel,  J. 
Borges  owner,  B.  Eppler  occupant — cost,  $4,000. 

One  story  frame.  Residence,  further  particulars  un- 
known. 

Ferguson  street,  west  side,  going  south  to  Fifteenth 
street — two  squares  from  Seventeenth. 


410  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

One  story  frame,  12x16,  meat  market,  Heisselberg  & 
Co.,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $450. 

One  story  log,  16x18,  boarding  house  with  two  addi- 
tions in  the  rear,  the  first  a  one  story  log,  16x16,  the  sec- 
ond a  one  story  frame,  12x16,  owned  and  occupied  by  J. 
Victor — entire  cost,  $1,400. 

One  story  frame,  9x18,  rear  addition  frame  of  same 
height,  14x16,  storerooms,  Heisselberg  &  Co.,  owners — en- 
tire cost,  $400. 

One  story  frame,  16x33,  Boarding  House,  J.  G.  Shoef- 
fer,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $1,200. 

One  story  frame,  16x24,  Grocery,  Marks  &  Fanger, 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $800. 

One  story  frame,  16x24,  Bakery  and  Grocery,  Wei- 
gold  &  Co.,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $1,200. 

One  story  frame,  10x16,  office  of  Drs.  Irwin  &  Gra- 
ham, owners  and  occupants — two  story  frame,  24x34,  in 
the  rear.  Public  and  Private  Hospital,  Drs.  Irwin  &  Gra- 
ham owners — cost,  $2,500. 

One  story  frame,  unoccupied,  further  particulars  un- 
known. 

One  story  and  a  half  frame,  18x32,  unfinished,  P. 
Syme,  owner — cost,  $1,000  when  completed. 

One  story  frame,  8x19,  Grocery,  Lorenze  &  Kulkopf, 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $250. 

One  story  frame,  20x32,  Boarding  House,  O.  Hinne- 
man,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $700. 

One  story  frame,  12x14,  residence,  Mrs.  Mitchell,  own- 
er and  occupant — cost,  $250. 

One  story  frame,  16x48,  Sherman  House,  Jas.  Dolan, 
owner  and  occupant — cost,  unknown. 

One  story  and  a  half  frame,  Valley  Hotel,  further  par- 
ticulars unknown. 

One  story  frame,  further  particulars  unknown. 

One  story  frame.  Keg  House,  further  particulars  un- 
known. 

One  story  and  a  half,  18x24,  Grocery,  V.  Cordelia, 
owner  and  occupant — cost,  $1,000. 


WYOMING  SCRAPBOOK  411 

Eddy  street,  east  side,  going  north  to  Seventeenth, 
two  squares,  from  Fifteenth  street. 

One  story  adobe,  25x38,  unfinished,  owner  refused  to 
give  further  particulars. 

One  story  frame,  20x20,  Shoe  Shop,  S.  Bon,  owner 
and  occupant,  also  occupied  by  Drs.  Bedel  &  Veirs — cost, 
$900. 

One  story  frame,  16x35,  Tobacco,  Liquors  and  Wines, 
Dawson  &  Bro.,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $2,000. 

One  story  and  a  half  frame,  16x24,  Grocery,  L.  Quaint- 
ance,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $800. 

One  story  adobe,  16x24,  Clothing  Store  and  Pawn- 
broker's Shop,  M.  J.  Doherty,  owner  and  occupant — cost, 
$2,000. 

One  story  frame,  15x25,  J.  Strauss,  Boot  and  Shoe 
Store,  owner  and  occupant — cost,  $1,325. 

One  story  frame,  20x30,  Residence,  further  particulars 
unknown. 

One  story  frame,  16x40,  Saloon,  G.  Schneider,  owner 
and   occupant — cost,   $1,600. 

One  story  frame,  I8V2X29V2,  Pacific  Coffee  House, 
Grubb  &  Blythe,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $1,800. 

One  story  frame,  12x20,  Clothing  House,  Harris  & 
Wagner,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $600. 

One  story  frame,  16x34,  Champion  Saloon,  Riley  & 
Co.,  owners  and  occupants — cost,  $1,500. 

One  story  frame,  further  particulars  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  16x24,  H.  M.  Cohen,  Pawn  Broker, 
owner  and  occupant — cost,  $1,500. 

One  story  frame,  18x50,  Clothing  House,  William  Ruth, 
owner  and  occupant — cost,  $3,000. 

One  story  frame,  22x65,  Freund  &  Bro.,  Gunsmiths, 
part  owners  and  occupants — Picard  &  Co.,  Hardware,  part 
owners  and  occupants — also  occupied  by  John  Kupfer  & 
Co.— cost,  $5,000. 

One  story  frame,  16x44,  City  Saloon,  Copeland,  owner 
and  occupant — also  occupied  by  P.  H.  Lee,  as  residence 
— cost,  . 


412  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

One  story  log,  further  particulars  unknown. 

One  story  frame,  22x66,  Restaurant,  Cook  &  Bro., 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $2,500. 

One  story  frame,  further  particulars  unknown. 

One  frame  building,  20x66,  not  yet  entirely  completed 
— addition  on  the  south  side,  12x40, — addition  on  the  north 
side,  18x40.  This  building  is  occupied  as  an  Art  Museum, 
Prof.  J.  McDaniels,  owner  and  proprietor.  It  has  cost  thus 
far,  $10,000.  It  is  finely  furnished  inside  with  two  elegant 
bars,  and  is  the  most  popular  place  of  amusement  in  the 
city. 

One  story  frame,  20x30,  Keg  House,  A.  C.  Harvey 
owner  and  occupant — cost,  $750. 

One  story  frame,  12x18,  Paint  Shop,  J.  Masterson 
owner,  Ayers  &  Cavalli,  occupants,  cost  unkonwn. 

One  story  frame,  12x30,  City  Bakery,  Boswell  &  Black, 
owners  and  occupants — cost,  $650. 


ADOBES  AND  IRRIGATION  IN  UTAH,  1858 

The  "Army  of  Utah"  upon  reaching  its  destination 
in  September  1858,  located  upon  a  site  designated  for 
the  permanent  camp,  which  was  known  as  Camp  Floyd, 
named  so  in  honor  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  John  B.  Floyd. 

Adjoining  the  camp  was  a  small  Mormon  settlement. 
Near  the  head  of  a  stream  adjacent  to  this  settlement, 
the  Mormons  had  built  an  acequai,  and  by  means  of  many 
small  ditches,  they  irrigated  their  lands.  Upon  their  ar- 
rival the  troops  found  about  1,600,000  adobe  bricks,  made 
and  laid  out  on  the  outskirts  of  the  camp;  these  adobes, 
and  many  others,  were  furnished  to  the  troops  by  the 
Mormons,  and  used  in  the  construction  of  many  of  the 
camp  buildings.     [U.  S.  Cong.  Doc.  serial  1035,  p.  299.] 


WifMfUnXf,  Stnexim  J\lawje4. 


Dee  Linford 

(Continued) 

For  record  of  the  nomenclature  of  streams  in  the  Yel- 
lowstone River  system,  the  student  of  place  names  must 
rely  almost  entirely  on  the  journals  of  Lewis  and  Clark.  It  is 
therefore  especially  unfortunate  that  those  portions  of  the 
journals  which  deal  with  the  Yellowstone  are  disappoint- 
ingly brief  and  inadequate. 

Lewis  and  Clark  did  not  explore  the  Yellowstone  on 
the  outbound  journey,  beyond  dispatching  a  single  ob- 
server to  a  distance  of  eight  miles  above  the  mouth.  On 
the  return  journey  from  the  Pacific  in  1806,  however,  the 
explorers  separated  near  the  present  Montana-Idaho  State- 
line,  Lewis  retracing  the  expedition's  west-bound  route  of 
the  year  before  to  investigate  tributaries  entering  the  Mis- 
souri from  the  north,  Clark  turning  southeast  to  find  the 
upper  course  of  the  Yellowstone  and  to  follow  the  stream 
to  its  mouth. 

Clark  on  this  side-trek  reconnoitered  the  Bitterroot 
and  the  Big  Hole  regions,  then  struck  southeast  from  the 
Three  Forks,  encountering  the  Yellowstone  near  the  point 
where  Livingston,  Montana,  now  stands.  Here  his  party 
was  as  near  to  present  Wyoming  as  the  expedition  was  to 
come.  Strangely  enough,  however,  the  explorer  did  not 
ascend  the  river  in  an  effort  to  chart  its  headwaters,  but 
turned  immediately  downstream  toward  its  confluence  with 
the  Missouri,  where  a  reunion  with  Lewis'  party  had  been 
arranged. 

In  light  of  Clark's  earlier  zeal  to  explore  lesser  im- 
portant streams  to  their  sources,  his  apparent  lack  of  in- 
terest in  the  principal  fork  of  the  Missouri  is  difficult  to 
understand.  He  seems  throughout  the  entire  reconnais- 
sance to  have  been  impatient  to  rejoin  Lewis  and  to  con- 
tinue the  homeward  journey.  At  any  rate,  he  neglected 
to  name  many  important  landmarks  discovered  by  his 
party,  and  his  journal  entries  from  the  time  he  left  the 
Three  Forks  are  casual  and  fragmentary  in  the  extreme. 


414  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Record  of  the  names  and  naming  of  streams  in  the 
Yellowstone  system  suffers  accordingly,  and  much  his- 
torical information  seemingly  possessed  by  the  explorer 
is  not  now  known. 

Circumstances  accounting  for  the  naming  of  one  trib- 
utary only — the  Clark's  Fork — are  reported  specifically, 
albeit  casually  and  indirectly.  "This  stream  we  supposed 
to  be  the  Bighorn,"  the  journal  records,  "but  afterward, 
when  the  Bighorn  was  found,  the  name  of  Clark's  Fork 
was  given  this  stream" — undoubtedly  to  commemorate  its 
discoverer.  Later  cartographers,  however,  have  varied 
the  title  into  "Clarke's,  Clarck's  and  Clake's"  Fork  or  river. 

The  name  Big  Horn,  as  applied  to  the  Yellowstone's 
largest  and  most  important  tributary,  also  makes  its  first 
appearance  in  American  literature  in  the  record  of  this 
reconnaissance.  However,  evidence  indicates  the  name  did 
not  originate  with  Clark. 

"This  is  the  river,"  the  journal  reports,  "which  has 
been  described  by  Indians  as  arising  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, near  the  Yellowstone  and  the  source  of  the  Platte 
...  In  its  long  course,  it  receives  two  large  rivers,  one 
from  the  north  and  the  other  from  the  south  (probably 
Wind  River  and  the  Popo  Agie)  ...  It  is  inhabited  by  bea- 
ver and  numerous  other  animals,  among  them  those  from 
which  it  derives  the  name  of  Bighorn." 

The  wording  of  the  above  entry  and  of  the  notation 
concerning  Clark's  Fork  (i.e.,  "this  river  we  supposed  to 
be  the  Bighorn")  suggests  that  Clark  in  listing  the  name 
"Bighorn"  accepted  and  continued  a  term  already  estab- 
lished— probably  among  the  Indians  who  described  the 
stream  to  him. 

The  Indian  name  for  the  big-horn  sheep  was  rendered 
"arsata"  by  Lewis  and  Clark  and  "ahsata"  by  Irving,  while 
Raynolds  reports  the  river  title  was  derived  from  the  Ab- 
sarokian  "Ets-p-ot-agie" — "Ets-Pot"  meaning  sheep,  "agie" 
river.  Lewis'  map  of  the  Northwest  lists  the  stream  as 
the  "Arsata  or  Big  Horn  River,"  Clark's  map  simply  as 
the  "Big  Horn  R." 

Clark's  map  interesting  shows  the  Big  Horn  arising 
in  a  "Lake  Biddle"  below  his  "Lake  Eustis"  (see  previous 
installments  of  this  article),  in  the  approximate  position 
of  Jackson  Lake.  No  such  lake  is  mentioned  in  the  jour- 
nal   text,    however,    and    since    John    Colter    is    generally 


WYOMING  STREAM  NAMES  415 

credited  with  having  discovered  Jackson  Lake,  in  1807, 
it  appears  that  Clark  must  have  added  the  lake  to  his 
map  after  conversations  with  the  former  Lewis  and  Clark 
expeditionary  after  Colter's  return  to  civilization.  Colter, 
it  must  be  concluded,  supposed  that  the  upper  Big  Horn 
(Wind  River)   headed  in  present  Jackson  Lake. 

Clark,  in  naming  the  lake,  appears  to  have  wished  to 
honor  one  Nicholas  Biddle,  Philadelphia  lawyer  and  a  close 
friend  of  the  explorer,  who  assumed  the  initiative  in  hav- 
ing the  Lewis  and  Clark  papers  published,  after  the  death 
of  Meriwether  Lewis  by  murder  or  suicide  in  1809. 

There  has  been  some  dispute  as  to  whether  Clark 
did  not  err  in  tracing  origin  of  the  Big  Horn  Rivrr's  name 
directly  to  the  mountain  sheep.  Some  take  the  view  that 
the  river  must  have  been  named  for  the  Big  Horn  Moun- 
tains which  border  the  river  to  the  east — the  mountains 
having  previously  been  named  for  the  sheep.  These  auth- 
orities contend  in  favor  of  their  argument  that  mountain 
sheep  would  have  been  more  likely  to  have  ranged  the 
mountains  than  the  banks  of  the  river.  There  is,  however, 
little  evidence  to  support  the  view.  Most  early  western 
journals  of  exploration  and  travel  report  the  presence  of 
mountain  sheep  in  the  lowlands  and  valleys,  and  the  Lewis 
and  Clark  papers  contain  repeated  observations  of  big- 
horns along  the  shores  of  various  streams  in  the  Rocky 
Mountain  region. 

It  thus  appears  reasonable  to  assume  that  Clark's 
report  is  correct,  that  the  river  was  .lamed  for  the  ani- 
mal, and  the  mountains  for  the  river.  Indeed,  since  rivers 
naturally  received  the  first  attention  of  explorers  and 
travelers,  their  titles  were  almost  always  bestowed  before 
surrounding  mountains  were  named.  And,  in  cases  where 
streams  and  mountain  ranges  bear  identical  names,  the 
mountains  in  most  cases  took  their  styling  from  the  rivers 
(e.g.,  Laramie  River,  Laramie  Mountains:  Snake  River, 
Snake  River  Mountains,  etc.). 

Unimportant  but  interesting  variations  of  the  name 
Big  Horn  occur  in  several  early  works  dealing  with  the 
West.  According  to  Coues  (1898),  the  term  "Big  Horse 
River"  ran  through  several  early  editions  of  Irving's  Astoria, 
apparently  by  misprint;  and  in  the  manuscript  of  David 
Thompson  the  stream  is  called  "River  of  Large  Corn" — 
evidently  mistranslating  the  French,  Grosse  Corne  (Big 
Horn). 


416  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

A  vexing  riddle  of  the  Big  Horn  is  the  styHng  of  its 
upper  channel  the  "Wind  River."  It  is  not,  ibr  one  thing, 
clear  just  where  Wind  River  becomes  the  Big  Horn.  Some 
geographers  have  the  Big  Horn  formed  by  the  union  of 
the  Wind  and  Popo  Agie  Rivers,  near  present  Riverton. 
Others  identify  the  Popo  Agie  as  a  tributary  of  Wind 
River;  these  have  the  latter  stream  continue  north  and 
enter  rock-ribbed  Wind  River  canyon  as  the  "Wind," 
emerging  as  the  "Big  Horn."  Still  others  designate  a 
definite  point  in  the  canyon  where  the  Wind  is  supposed 
to  change  its  name,  and  call  the  point  the  "Wedding  of 
the  Waters."  This  term  also  is  confusing,  since  it  implies 
a  coming  together,  and  no  tributary  joins  the  Wind  River 
at  this  point. 

Origin  of  the  name  "Wind  River"  itself  is  obscure.  It 
does  not  appear  in  any  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark  papers, 
and  Clark  does  not  use  the  term  on  his  map  of  1814.  Yet, 
when  Wilson  Price  Hunt  encountered  the  stream,  three 
years  before  Clark's  map  was  published,  he  wrote  as  if 
the  name  and  the  peculiar  division  of  the  river  were  al- 
ready established: 

"We  reached  (today)  the  banks  of  the  Big  Horn, 
here  called  Wind  River  because  in  winter  the  wind  blows 
so  constantly  that  it  prevents  the  snow  from  lying  on 
the  ground." 

Washington  Irving  followed  Hunt's  use  of  the  term 
in  recounting  the  latter's  adventures  in  Astoria  (1836), 
and  the  name  has  since  appeared  consistently  in  the  lit- 
erature of  the  West. 

(To  be  continued) 


ACCESSIONS 

to  the 
Wyoming  Historical  Department 
August  2,  1943  to  October  1,  1943 

Miscellaneous  Gifts 

Hodge,  Wallace  B.,  West  Plains,  Missouri — donor  of  a 
sheet  of  music,  "2d  Cowboy  Cavalry  March,"  written 
and  dedicated  to  Col.  J.  L.  Torrey  by  F.  A.  Thole  in 
1892,  with  the  original  envelope.  Two  letters  and  one 
telegram  to  Col.  J.  L.  Torrey.  Copy  of  a  bill  intro- 
duced by  Senator  F.  E.  Warren  March  1898,  55th 
Cong.  2d  Sess.  S.  4296.  "To  provide  for  the  organ- 
ization of  a  regiment  of  mounted  rangers,  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  public  safety."  A  note  in  favor  of  this 
bill  from  General  Alger  is  attached  to  this  bill.  Re- 
ceived September  1943. 

Erwin,  Marie  H.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming  —  donor  of  six 
photostats  of  an  1864  map  showing  Nebraska,  Da- 
kota, Montana  and  Kansas. 

State  of  Wyoming,  Visitors'  Register  of  "Wonderful 
Wyoming  Exhibition,"  International  Exposition,  Gold- 
en Gate,  San  Francisco,  June  1939. 

Thomas,  Lewis  C,  President  of  Wyott  Manufacturing  Co., 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming — donor  of  a  program  of  the  Pre- 
sentation of  the  Army-Navy  "E"  to  the  Wyott  Man- 
ufacturing Co.,  the  first  War  Plant  in  Wyoming  to 
receive  this  honor. 

Christensen,  Mart  T.,  Secretary  of  State,  Cheyenne,  Wyo- 
ming— donor  of  a  typed  copy  of  an  extract  from  the 
"Exploration  and  Survey  of  the  Valley  of  the  Great 
Salt  Lake  of  Utah  including  a  Reconnaissance  of  a 
New  Route  Through  the  Rocky  Mountains." 

Brosnan,  Dominic  A.,  East  Natick,  Massachusetts — donor 
of  a  magazine  of  Philately  "Stamps"  which  contains 
a  very  interesting  article  "The  Utah  Expedition  1857- 
1858"  by  Mr.  Brosnan. 


Books  Purchased 

Sandos,  Mari — Crazy  Horse.  New  York.  Knopf,  c  1942. 
$2.41. 

McMurtrie,  Douglas — Early  Printing  in  Wyoming  and  the 
Black  Hills.  Hattiesburg,  Mississippi,  Book  Farm, 
1943.     $3.00. 


Books — Gifts 

Iktomi — America  Needs  Indians — donor  J.  O.  Burdette, 
Denver,  Colorado.     Bradford-Robinson,  c  1937. 

Morris,  Robert  C,  Collection  of  the  Wyoming  Historical 
Society,  volume  I — donor  Horace  Jenkins,  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming.     Sun-Leader  Publishing  House.     1897. 

Roddis,  Mrs.  Charles,  1725  Central  Ave.,  Cheyenne,  Wyo- 
ming— donor  of  Swinton's  Word  Primer.  Ivison, 
Blakeman,  Taylor  &  Co.,  New  York  &  Chicago,  1878. 
James  Montieth's  Elementary  Geography.  A.  S. 
Barnes  &  Co.,  New  York,  Chicago  and  New  Orleans. 
1876. 


Miscellaneous  Purchase 

Photograph  of  Members  of  the  1897  Rawlins  Cycling  Club 
Purchased  from  Mr.  Myers,  photographer  at  Rawlins. 


PART  I 
ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 
Volume  15 


15:3:221, 
257,     264, 


Abbott,  T.  D.,  15:4:396 

Abney,   James,   15:4:376 

Accessions.  See  in  each  issue  of  An- 
nals under  this  title  or  15:1:93; 
15:2:181;  15:3:307;  15:4:417-418 

Actors  and  Actresses,  Cheyenne 
Opera  House,   15:2:159 

Adobes  and  Irrigation  in  Utah,  1858, 
15:4:412 

Adobes,  15:3:297 

Albany  County  Organized,   15:4:396 

Algonkin  Indians,  15:3:234 

American  Fur  Company, 
235  (f.n.),  238  (f.n.), 
295;  15:4:317;  15:2:106,  170,  178 

Archambault,  Z.,  15:3:229-233;  Sadie, 
229,  233;  Alfred  A.,  229,  230,  231, 
232,  233;  Leon,  Edward,  Charles, 
Alfred   and   Blanche,   229 

Argus,  The,   15:2:153 

Arickara  Indians,  hostilities  and 
causes,  15:3:201,  210-214;  range, 
200 

Arnold,  C.  P.,  15:1:69 

Arrepaha  Indians,  15:3:199,  200 

Ashley,  General,  15:3:200,  201,  212, 
213,  218,  227,  256,  257;  15:2:173, 
174 

Assessed  valuation  of  Wyoming  Ter- 
ritory, 1884,  15:1:69 

Assinaboin  Indians,  trade  with  Brit- 
ish, 15:3:202;  hostilities,  213; 
range,  202,  213-214 

Astor,  15:2:136,  166,  167,  170,  171, 
173 

Atkinson,  Brigadier  General  Henry, 
15:3:235.  236;  Colonel,  15:2:140, 
142 

Aurelia,  Sister  Mary,  15:3:229,  233 

Averell,   Jim,    15:1:49 

Ayer,   Charles   E.,    15:1:18,   19 


Baggs  Ranches  (L7),  15:1:15-19; 
Maggie  Baggs,  16-18 ;  George 
Baggs,  9,  16,  19 


Bailey,    Lieut.    Edward    L. 
404 


15:4:403, 


Baily,   Timothy  O.,   15:3:282 

Baker,  N.  A.,  15:4:386;  William,  15: 
3:282 

Baird,  John  C,  15:1:40,  41 

Baldwin,  Noyes,  15:2:179    (f.n.; 

Barry,  Nelson,  An  Excerpt  From  the 
Journal  of  E.  Willard  Smith,  1839- 
1840,   15:3:287-297 

Bartlett,  Judge  J.  P.,  15:2:186 

"Beaver  Dick"  Leigh,  15:2:173;  15: 
1:81    (f.n.)    83 

Belknap,  Secretary  of  War,  15:2:118 

Benham,   Alex,   15:2:177 

Bent  &  St.  Vrain,  15:3:293,  296 

Benton,  Colonel,  15:3:225;  Honorable 
Thomas   H.,    15:3:198,   225 

Berthol,   15:2:136,   137 

Bevins,  Bill,  outlaw,   15:1:60 

Bible,    15:3:193 

Biddle,  Thomas,  15:2:140,  141,  142; 
Nicholas,  15:4:415;  Lake,  413 

Big  Elk,   15:2:138 

Biggs,  Mr.,   15:3:293-295 

Blackfoot  Indians,  range,  15:3:199, 
209;  trade,  200,  209-210;  hostilities, 
199,  200,  206,  207-209 

Blair,  Jacob  B.,  15:1:39,  40,  41,  43, 
44,  45 

Blake,  J.  W.,  15:1:44;  Frank,  15: 
3:281 

Blunt,  Major  General  James  J.,  15: 
2:150 

Bonneville's  Expedition  to  Rocky 
Mou7itains,  1832-'33.  '34,  '35.  '36.  by 
Gouveneur  K.  Warren,  15:3:220- 
228;  G.  K.  Warren  (f.n.)  220; 
"Pierre's  Hole",  (f.n.)  221;  Amer- 
ican Fur  Company  and  Rocky 
Mountain  Fur  Company  (f.n.)  221; 
Captain  Bonneville  departs  from 
Ft.  Osage.  1832.  221;  Bonneville's 
maps.  223.  225.  226.  228;  Humboldt 
River,  222-223;  Rio  Benuaventura, 
223.  224,  225;  Bonneville's  letter  to 
G.  K.  Warren.  224-225;  Lake  Bon- 
neville, later  Great  Salt  Lake,  224, 


420 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


225;  Colonel  Benton,  198,  225;  Cap- 
tain Stansbury,  226;  Bonneville's 
absence,  223  (f.n.),  Fremont,  222, 
225;  Great  Salt  Lake,  discovery, 
etc.,  221,  222,  223,  224,  225,  226, 
227;  Baron  La  Hontau,  226;  Father 
Escalante,  226,  227;  Robert  Camp- 
bell letter  to.  Lake  Timpanogos, 
227;  G.  K.  Warren,  227-228;  James 
Bridger,  Samuel  Tullock,  227,  228; 
Henry  &  Ashley,  227;  J.  Bridger 
discovers  Great  Salt  Lake,  228; 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  trappers, 
228;  Peter  Ogden,  228;  Ogden  and 
Mary's  Rivers  named,  228;  Father 
Font,   228 

Boomerang,   15:4:388 

Boswell,  N.  K.,  15:3:245;  15:3:248; 
15:4:396 

Bramel,  Nick,  15:4:388;  Charles,  15: 
4:388 

Brands,    (L7)    15:1:31-35 

Brayer,  Herbert  O.,  The  L7  Ranches, 
15:1:5-37;    H.    O.    Brayer's   biog.    5 

Breckons,    Bob,    15:1:41 

Bridger,  James,  15:3:227,  228;  15: 
2:106,   174 

British  Establishments,  15:3:200,  210, 
216-217 

Brock,  J.  Elmer,  Timely  Arrival,  15: 
1:63,  67 

Brophy,  Jack,  15:3:248;  J.  R.  15:4: 
389 

Broseau,    15:2:136,   137 

Brown's  Hole,  15:3:289,  290,  293 

Brown,   M.  C,   15:4:392,   402 

Brunot,  Felix  R.,  15:4:403 

Bryan,   15:2:177-178 

Buenaventura,  Rio,  15:3:223,  224,  225 

Burnett,   F.  J.,   15:4:376 

Burnfield,  Forest  D.,  15:4:390 

Burt,   Major,   15:3:286 

Buildings  at  Fort  Bridger,  15:4:368, 
370;  Fort  Laramie,  316,  330,  342; 
Camp  Scott,  351,  352 

Buildings  in  Cheyenne,  Dakota  Ter- 
ritory, 1867,  15:2:153-154;  Man- 
ning and  Post,  153;  The  Daily 
Rocky  Mountain  Star,  The  Argus, 
153,  George  Tritch  &  Company, 
The  Masonic  Hall,  Gallatin  &  Gal- 
lup, Jones  &  Gray,  154 

Buildings  in  Cheyenne  are  numbered, 
1867,  15:2:154-155 


Campbell,  A.  C,  Judge,  Fading  Mem- 
ories, 15:1:38-49;  Robert,  15:4:403; 
15:3:227,   228 


Carbon  County,  Early  History  of,  15: 
3:280-286 

Carson,  Kit,  15:3:265,  290-291;  15:2: 
136 

Carter  County,  Wyoming,   15:1:67 

Catholic  Hospital  (Laramie)  15:4: 
389;  church,  15:4:387;  school,  15: 
3:243 

Catlin,  George,  15:3:234,  237,  238, 
240,    1941 

Champion,  Nate,  15:1:48 

Charboneau  ( Sharbenare ) ,  15:3:287, 
296,  297 

Cheyenne  City  Council,  Dakota  Ter- 
ritory, Sept.  18  and  26,  1867,  15: 
3:197,  253;  Council  Hall,  197,  City 
Cemetery,  197;  Public  Well  on  17th 
and  Thomas,  253;  Members,  197, 
City  Hall,  197 

Cheyenne  First  Bank,   1867,   15:3:286 

Cheyenne  Indians,  Migration  of,  15: 
3:234,   235,   236,   237 

Cheyenne  Indian  Portraits,  Painted 
by  George  Catlin  in  1832,  by  Marie 
H.  Erwin,  15:3:234-241;  Algonkin 
Indians,  234;  Lewis  &  Clarke,  235; 
Migration  of  Cheyenne  Indians,  234, 
235,  236,  237;  Major  T.  E.  Long, 
235;  Brigadier  General  Henry  At- 
kinson, 235,  236;  Major  Benjamin 
O'Fallon,  Indian  Agent,  235,  236; 
First  Treaty  between  Cheyennes 
and  United  States  Government,  235, 
236;  Forts  Lookout  and  Pierre,  235, 
and  (f.n.);  American  Fur  Co.,  235; 
Report  on  the  Cheyennes  by  the 
Commission  in  1825,  236,  237;  Ref- 
erence to  Maps,  G.  K.  Warren, 
1826;  George  Catlin,  1833,  234,  237, 
238,  240,  241;  Bent's  Fort,  237; 
Laidlaw's  Fort  (Old  Fort  Pierre), 
Fort  Union,  237,  238  (f.n.);  Catlin 
encounters  Cheyenne  Indians  and 
paints,  238  (f.n.);  Nee-hee-o-ee- 
woo-tis,  (Wolf  on  the  hill),  15:3: 
238-239;  Tis-see-woo-na-tis,  (she 
who  bathes  her  knees),  15:3:240 

Cheyenne  Opera  House,  1882,  15:2: 
156-159;  opens,  156;  Water  Works 
System  for  Cheyenne,  157;  Terri- 
torial Library,  158;  Telephone  Ex- 
change, 148;  Actors  and  Actresses 
at,  159;  closed,  159;  Cheyenne 
Opera  House  and  Library  Com- 
pany,   159 

Chinese  Riot,  Rock  Springs,  1885, 
15:1:47 

Cholera  at  Forts  Kearney  and  Lar- 
amie,  15:4:317-323 


INDEX  TO  VOLUME  15,   1943 


421 


Chouteau,    Francis,    15:2: 136-137 ; 

Seres,   136-137;    Lieut.,   15:3:210 
Clark,  Judge  Gibson,  Reminiscence  of 

Civil  War  Days,  15:4:377-386;  Red 

Cloud's  Prayer,  15:4:403-405;  Biog- 
raphy,  15:4:374;   15:1:41;   Clarence 

D.,    15:1:37,   45 
Coad,  Mark,  15:1:61 
Collection  and  Preservation  of   Wyo- 

niing  War  Records,  15:1:92 
Collins,  Colonel,  15:2:151-152 
Colter,    John,    15:2:102-104;    Coulter, 

John,  134;   15:3:257,  270;  15:4:414, 

415 
Comstock,   Prof.   Theodore,   15:3:118 
Connor,     T.     W.,     15:4:387;     General 

Patrick  Edward,  376 
Converse,  A.  R.,  15:4:388 
Cook,  C.  W.,  15:2:108 
Corlett,  W.  W.,   15:4:389 
Council    between    United    States    and 

Sioux,  at  Laramie  1870,  15:4:403 
Counties  in  Wyoming  in   1884,   15:1: 

69 
Court   House,    Cheyenne,    1867,    15:2: 

Inside   Cover 
Cow  Creek  Ranch,  "'71",  15:1:13-14 
Cowpunchers'    Attire,    15:1: 19-20 
Craig,  Brigadier  General,  James,  15: 

2:150,    151,    152 
Craig's  Trading  Fort,  15:3:289 
Crisman,  J.  C,  15:4:393 
Curry,     George,      (flat-nose     George) 

15:1:64-67 

D 

Daily  Rocky  Mountain  Star,  The,  15: 
3:153 

Daley,  Frank,  15:1:56,  57,  59 

Dawson  Brothers,  15:3:282 

Day,   John,   15:2:170,   171 

Day's  Hole,  15:2:170,  171 

De  Lacy,  Walter  W.,  15:2:107 

De  Lorion,  15:2:136,  137 

Democratic  Convention,  First  in  Wyo- 
ming, 15:1:91 

De  Smet,  Father,  15:2:106;   15:3:264 

Dewees,  Thomas  B.,  15:3:286 

Dillon,   Tom,   15:4:388 

Directory,  Business  and  General,  by 
Saltiel  &  Barnett  1868,  15:2:159-160 

Donnellan,  Colonel  J.  W.,  15:3:245; 
15:4:389 

Donnelly  &  Bennau,  15:3:282 

Doty,   John,   15:3:284 

Drake,  G.  P.,  15:4:393 

Dramatic  Performance  in  Wyoming 
1864,   15:1:84 

Doane,  Lieut.  Gustavus,  15:3:109, 
114,  116,  118 


Dunbar,   Clarence,   15:4:389 
Dyer,  J.,  15:3:282 

E 

Early  History  of  Carbon  County,  by 
John  C.  Friend,  15:3:280-286;  biog- 
raphy of  J.  C.  Friend,  280;  Rawlins, 
280;  Pioneers  of  Carbon  County, 
281,  282,  283,  284,  286;  Wert  P. 
Noble,  P.  L.  Smith,  John  F.  Foote, 
Mrs.  L.  Hays,  Frank  Blake,  I.  C. 
Miller,  J.  P.  Keller,  John  C,  Friend, 
Mrs.  Mae  Franklin,  281;  Timothy 
O.  Baily,  H.  C.  Hall,  Jerry  Sheehan, 
E.  Hunt,  J.  Dyer,  Dawson  Brothers, 
William  Baker,  M.  T.  Lockridge, 
Donnelly  and  B  r  e  n  n  a  n,  Larry 
Hayes,  282;  Charles  Good,  John 
O'Brien,  283;  First  Church,  283; 
First  term  of  court,  283;  Carbon 
County  organized,  284;  county  offi- 
cers elected,  284;  second  term  of 
court,  284;  old  court  house,  1870, 
284;  John  Doty,  284;  silver  and  lead 
discovered  at  Ferris  Range,  1871, 
286;  Captain  Thomas  B.  Dewees, 
Major  Burt,  General  J.  M.  Thayer 
(later  Governor  of  Wyoming  Ter- 
ritory), Frank  and  Boney  Ernest, 
286 
Eastern  Records  of  Early  Wyoming 
Newspapers,  by  Douglas  C.  Mc- 
Murtrie,  1869-1880,  15:3:271,  278; 
American  Newspaper  Directory, 
271;  George  P.  Powell,  271 
Ell  Seven  Cattle  Company,  15:1:8-9 
Ellis,     Mrs.     Charles,     Robert    Foote, 

15:1:50,  Mrs.  Ellis,  biography,  50 
Encounter,  An,  1867,  15:2:132 
Ernest,  Frank  and  Boney,  15:3:286 
Erwin,    Marie    H.,    Cheyenne    Indian 
Portraits  Painted  by  George  Catlin, 
1832,   15:3:234-241;    Statistical   Re- 
port on  the  Sickness  and  Mortality 
of  the  Army  of  the  United  States, 
1819-1860,  15:4:315-375 
Escalante,  Father,   15:3:226,  227,  254 
Eustis,    William.    15:3:270;    lake,    270 
Everts,  Truman  C,  15:2:108.  112-114 
Excerpt  From  the  Journal  of  E.  Wil- 
lard  Smith,  1839-1840.  by  J.  Neilson 
Barry.    15:3:287-297:    Biography  of 
E.   W.   Smith,    287;    Mr.   Thompson, 
287,   289;    Messrs.   Vasquez  &   Sub- 
lette.   287,    288.    289,    293.    295.    296; 
Mr.  Sharbenare   (Charboneau)    287. 
296.     297;     two    hundred    thousand 
buffalo,     287 ;     Arkansas    River 
boundary  line  between  Mexico  and 
Missouri    Territory,    287.    288;    Mr. 


422 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Lupton,  288,  Lupton's  Fort,  289; 
Bent's  Fort,  288;  Spanish  Fort, 
288;  Fort  of  Messrs.  Sublette  & 
Vasquez,  289;  Mr.  Craig,  289; 
Thompson  and  Craig's  Trading 
fort,  289;  Brown's  Hole,  289,  290; 
Mr.  Spillers,  291;  Kit  Carson,  290- 
291;  Fort  Hall,  291;  Hudson's  Bay- 
Company,  291;  Petrified  buffalo, 
292;  Mr.  Walker,  292;  Mr.  Biggs, 
293-295;  Mr.  Baker,  293;  American 
Fur  Company,  295;  Fort  Laramie, 
295;  Yellow  Wolf,  Many  Crows, 
296;  Missionary  Station,  296; 
Messrs.  Bent  and  St.  Vrain,  296 

F 

Fading  Memories,  by  Judge  A.  C. 
Campbell,  15:1:38-49;  Bill  Nye,  39; 
James  B.  Sener,  39;  Jacob  B.  Blair, 

39,  40,  41,  43,  44,  45;  Samuel  C. 
Parks,  39,  40;  Lawyers  (Chey- 
enne), 40,  Territory,  41-42;  Joseph 
W.  Fisher,  40,  41;  Gibson  Clark, 
41;  John  C.  Baird,  40,  41;  Bob 
Breckons,  41;   William  Ware  Peck, 

40,  42;  Judges,  Territorial  Supreme 
and  District  Courts,  42,  43,  44,  45; 
Ben  Holliday's  Pony  Express,  46; 
Chinese  trouble.  Rock  Springs,  47; 
cases  tried  by  A.  C.  Campbell,  47, 
48,  49;  Ella  Watson  (Cattle  Kate), 
49;   Jim  Averell,   49 

Ferris,  W^arren  Angus,  15:2:106 

Finfrock,  Dr.  J.  H.,  15:3:242;  15:4: 
396 

First  County  Library  Law  in  United 
States,   15:1:84 

First  Superintendent  of  Yellowstone 
National  Park,  15:2:121 

First  Term  of  Court,  Buffalo,  Wyo- 
ming,  15:1:45 

First  Treaty  between  Cheyenne  In- 
dians and  United  States  Govern- 
ment,  15:3:235,   236 

Fisher,    Joseph   W.,    15:1:40,    41 

Fitzpatrick,    Thomas,    15:3:257 

"Flat  Nose  George",  George  Curry, 
15:1:64 

Folsom,  David  E.,  15:2:108-109,  111 

Font,   Father,   15:3:228 

Fontennelle,  Lucien,  15:3:257 

Foote,   John  F.,   15:3:281 

Foote,  Robert,  by  Mrs.  Charles  Ellis, 
15:1:50-62;  Mrs.  Ellis'  biography, 
50;  Herman  Haas,  51;  horse  steal- 
ing, 51;  Colonel  Moonlight  (f.n.) 
55;  Fort  Laramie  and  Fort  Halleck 
post  trader,  55;  Rockdale  Stage 
Station,  56;  Bill  Bevins,  outlaw,  60; 


Mosgrove,  outlaw,  61;   Mark  Coad, 
woodtrain    owner,    61 ;    Norrls, 
Amanda,    (Mrs.  R.  Foote),  60,  62 
Forney,  Dr.,  (Indian  Agent),  15:4:375 
Forts  and  Camps: 
Bent's,    15:3:237,   288 
Benton,   15:3:207 
Bridger,    15:1:69;    15:2:152;    15:4: 

268-375 
Craig's  Trading,  15:3:289;   Thomp- 
son &  Craig's,  15:3:289 
de  Prairie,   15:3:207 
Ellis,    15:2:109 
Fetterman,  15:4:389 
Hall,   15:3:291;   15:1:75,  76,  83 
Halleck,   15:1:55,  56,  58,  59,  61,  62 
Henry,   15:2:169 
In  Wyoming,  1884,  15:1:69 
Laidlaw's,    15:3:238    (f.n.) 
Laramie,    15:1:51,    55,    59,    69;    15: 

3:231,     232,     295;     15:4:316-323, 

323-347,  389,  376,  403 
Lookout,   15:3:235    (f.n.) 
Lupton's,  15:3:289 
McKinney,    15:1:69;    15:4:389 
Pierre,    15:2:152;    15:3:235     (f.n.), 

238 
Platte  Bridge,  Camp,  15:4:323,  327, 

332,  334 
Randall,  15:4:344 
Russell,    15:1:69 
Scott,     Camp,     15:4:348-358;     358- 

364,    364-367 
Smith,  15:3:203,  215 
Spanish,   15:3:288 
Steele,   15:1:61,   69;   15:4:389 
Sublette  &  Vasquez,  15:3:289 
Union,   15:3:237,   238    (f.n.) 
Walbach,  Camp,  15:4:323,  327,  332, 

334 
Washakie,  15:1:69 
Franklin,  Mrs.  Mae,  15:3:281 
Friend,    John    C,    Early    History    of 
Carbon  County,  15:3:280-286;  Biog- 
raphy of,  280 
Frontier  Index,  15:4:397 
Fryxell,    F  r  i  t  i  o  f ,    Thomas  Moran's 
Journey  to  Tetons,  by,   15:1:71-84; 
Fryxell's    biography,    "71;     (f.n.    on 
Thomas  Moran,   71-72) 
Fur  Trade,    15:3:214;   region,   202 

G 

Gallatin   &  Gallup,   15:2:154 

Gas,  Patrick,  15:3:270 

Gibbon,  General  John,  15:2:118 

Gold   first   discovered   in   Sweetwater 

district,  15:2:178 
Good,   Charles,   15:3:283 
Governor  Francis  E.  Warren  A  Cham,- 


INDEX  TO  VOLUME  15,   1943 


423 


pion  of  Woman  Suffrage,  by  W.  T. 
Jackson,     15:2:143-149;     biography 
of   W.    T.    Jackson,    143;    letters   to 
and  answers  from  Francis  E.  War- 
ren,   145-149 
Graham,    R.,    15:3:198,    212 
Gray,  or  Grey,  John,  15:2:170,  171 
Gray's  or  Grey's  Hole,  15:2:170,  171 
Green,  Emmet  C,  15:1:9 
Grinnell,   George  Bird,   15:2:118 
Guerrelle,  John,   15:4:393 
Gumry,   Peter,    15:4:389 

H 

Haas,   Herman,   15:1:51 

Hall,   H.  C,   15:3:282 

Hat  Ranch,   (L7),  15:1:11-13 

Hauser,  Samuel  T.,  15:2:108 

Hayes,  Larry,  15:3:282 

Hayford,   J.   H.,   15:4:388 

Hays,  Mrs.  L.,  15:3:281 

Hazen,  Joe,  15:1:66 

Hedges,   Cornelius,   15:2:115,   116 

Henderson,  Harry  B.,  Sr.,  Looking 
Backward,  15:1:68-70 

Henry  and  Ashley,  15:3:209;  and 
Ashley,  15:3:208,  213,  227,  255 

Henry's,  Andrew,  Missouri  Fur  Co., 
15:2:167,  169 

Hicks,  Mr.,  15:4:387 

Historic  Document  Tells  Early  Day 
Drama  of  West,  by  Amanda  Z. 
Archambault,  15:3:229-233;  Sister 
Mary  Aurelia,  Sadie  Archambault, 
229,  biography,  233;  Alfred  A. 
Archambault,  229,  230,  231,  232, 
233;  Leon,  Edward,  Charles,  Alfred 
and  Blanche  Archambault,  229; 
trading  post  of  Sweetwater  in  1853, 
229,  230,  231;  toll  bridge  over 
Sweetwater  River,  1854,  229,  230, 
231;  Sioux  Indian  War,  230,  231, 
232;  Captain  Johnson,  230;  Mr. 
Livingston,  231;  Mr.  Kinkaid  sur- 
vives horrible  ordeal,  231,  232;  mail 
coach,  "Brigham  Young",  231; 
"Old  Drip",  231;  stock  branded, 
1853,  233;  Fort  Laramie,  231,  232; 
Indians  kill  cow,  causes  disaster, 
232;  Indian  arrows  topped  with 
gold,  233;  Sister  M.  Aurelia  born 
1853,  near  Independence  Rock 
(Wyoming),  233 

Historical  Sketch  of  Yellowstone  Na- 
tional  Park,  compiled  by  John  H. 
Raftery,  15:2:101-132;  John  Colter, 
102-104,  105;  Potts.  103;  "J.  O.  R. 
Aug.  19,  1819",  105;  Warren  Angus 
Ferris,  106;  Rocky  Mountain  Fur 
Company,  105;  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 


pany, 105;  Father  De  Smet,  Cap- 
tain W.  F.  Raynolds,  106;  Walter 
W.  DeLacy,  James  Stuart,  George 
Huston,  107;  David  E.  Folsom,  108- 
109,  111;  C.  W.  Cook,  108;  Wash- 
burn-Langford  Party,  and  expedi- 
tion, 109-116;  Lieut.  Gustavus  C. 
Doane,  109,  113,  116,  118;  General 
Henry  D.  Washburn,  108;  Samuel 
L.  Hauser,  108;  Truman  C.  Everts, 
108,  112-114;  Cornelius  Hedges, 
115,  116;  first  idea  for  a  National 
Park,  115-116;  Act  of  Dedication, 
116-118;  General  John  Gibbon, 
U.  S.  A.,  William  A.  Jones,  Prof. 
Theodore  Comstock,  Captain  Wil- 
liam Ludlow,  George  Bird  Grin- 
nell, Secretary  of  War  Belknap, 
General  W.  E.  Strong,  General  W. 
T.  Sherman,  General  O.  M.  Poe, 
General  O.  O.  Howard,  Secretary 
of  Interior  Carl  Schurz,  General 
Crook,  118;  Two-Gwo-Tee  Pass, 
118;  General  John  W.  Hoyt,  Major 
J.  W.  Mason,  U.  S.'  A.,  General 
Sheridan,  118;  Presidential  expedi- 
tion, 1883,  119;  Nathaniel  P.  Lang- 
ford,  first  superintendent,  121;  sup- 
erintendents of  the  Park,  122-124; 
Park  Administration,  121-125;  Wy- 
oming Territory  assumed  protection 
of  Park,  123;  Wilf  life,  126-128; 
Geological  descriptions,    128-132 

Hoback,  John,  15:2:169-170,  173,  174 

Hole-in-the-wall,   15:1:64,   65 

Holliday,   Will,    15:4:388 

Holliday's  Ben,  Pony  Express,  15:1:46 

Hook,  H.  M.,  15:2:155 

Hospital,  Sisters  (Catholic),  Laramie, 
15:4:389 

Howard,  General  O.  O.,  15:2:115,  116 

Howe,   Church,   15:4:389 

Hoyt,    Governor  John   W.,    15:2:118 

Hudson's  Bay  Company,  15:2:105, 
170,  172;  15:3:200,  201,  209,  210, 
213,  215,  216,  217,  225,  228,  238 
(f.n.),   291;    15:4:361 

Humboldt   River,    15:3:222-223 

Hunt,  Wilson  P.,  15:2:136,  166.  167, 
168,  169,  170,  172,  173,  174;  15:3: 
255"  15:4:416 

Hunter,  John,  15:1:51,  52.  53,  55 

Huntley,  C.  C,  15:2:177 

Huston,  George,  15:2:107 


Immel  &  Jones,  15:3:207,  208,  209 
Incident    in    the    Economic    Develop- 
ment of  the  Western  Cattle  Indus- 


424 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


try,  An,  (The  L7  Ranch),  by  H.  O. 
Brayer,  15:1:5-37 

Incident  on  the  Plains,  An,  from 
Frank  Leslie's  Illustrated  News- 
paper July  9,  1870,  15:3:249-250; 
Indian  attack  on  U.  P.  train,  250 

Index  to  Annals  of  Wyoming,  15:1:91 

Indian  Attack  Overland  Stage  Road, 
1865,  15:1:57 

Indian  Portraits,  Cheyenne,  15:3:234- 
241 

Investigation  as  to  the  Causes  of  In- 
dian Hostilities  West  of  the  Mis- 
souri River,  1824,  15:3:198-220; 
Blackfeet,  range,  199,  209,  trade, 
200,  209-210,  hostilities,  199,  200, 
206,  207-209,  hunters,  prisoners  of 
Spaniards,  199-200;  Arickaras,  hos- 
tilities, causes,  201,  210-213,  range, 
200;  Messrs.  Ashley  &  Henry,  208, 
213;  Assinaboins,  trade  with  Brit- 
ish, 202,  hostilities,  213,  range,  202, 
213-214;  Indian  tribes  on  the  Ar- 
kansas River,  203;  Arrepaha  In- 
dians, 199,  200;  General  Ashley  at- 
tacked, 200,  201;  Hon.  Thomas  H. 
Benton,  198,  225;  Minatare  Indians, 
215,  216;  Missouri  Fur  Company, 
200,  201,  205-210,  218;  British  es- 
tablishments, 200,  204,  210,  216- 
217;  Messrs.  Lewis  &  Clarke,  207, 
210;  Fort  de  Prairie,  207;  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  200,  201,  209,  210, 
213,  215,  216-217;  Lieut.  Chouteau, 
210;  Indian  Agent  letter,  201; 
Lieut.  Pryor,  210;  richest  fur  re- 
gion, 202;  Mandans,  200,  202,  213, 
215,  216;  Spanish  trade,  203;  Fort 
Smith,  203,  215;  British  cause  hos- 
tilities, 215,  216,  217;  trade  between 
Missouri  and  New  Mexico,  202-203; 
British  traders,  216-217;  Major  R. 
Graham,  198,  212;  Joshua  Pilcher, 
205-220;  Indian  tribes  beyond  the 
Mississippi  River,  their  habitats 
and  trade,  205-206;  Messrs.  Immell 
and  Jones,  207,  2Q8,  209;  Fort  Ben- 
ton, 207;  Major  O'Fallon,  211,  212, 
Mr.  Vandenburg,  213;  Fur  trade 
for  U.  S.,  214;  trade  and  inter- 
course with  Indians,  218-220;  Mr. 
McDonald,  211;  Messrs.  Berthold, 
Chouteau,  Pratte,  competitors  of 
Missouri  Fur  Company,   218 


Jackson,  W.  Turrentine,  Governor 
Francis  E.  Warren,  A  Champion  of 
Woman  Suffrage,  15:2:143-149;  Mr. 
Jackson's  biography,   143 


Jennings,  Harry  B.,  15:4:390 

Johnson,   Captain,    15:3:230 

Jones,  William  A.,  15:2:118;  W.  T. 
15:4:389 

Jones  &  Gray,   15:2:154 

Judges,  Territorial  Supreme  and  Dis- 
trict Courts,   15:1:42,  43,   44,  45 

Jundquist,  Lillie,  15:4:390 

K 

Keller,  J.  P.,  15:3:281 
Kidd,  Mr.,  15:4:388 
Kinkaid,    Mr.,    survives    horrible    or- 
deal,  15:3:231,   232 


La  Hontan,  Baron,   15 : 3 :  226 

Lake  Bonneville,  later  Great  Salt 
Lake    15:3*224    225 

Langford,  Nathaniel  P.,  15:2:105,  106, 
108,  109,  110,  116,  121,  122 

Laramie  City,  Review  of,  from  1868- 
1869,  from  Laramie  Weekly  Sen- 
tinel May  5,   1883,   15:4:391-402 

Laramie,    Jacques,    15:3:265 

Larimer,  William,   15:2:177 

Lawyers,  Cheyenne,  15:1:40-41;  Ter- 
ritory,  41,   42 

Legarc,   15:2:137 

Letters  of  1862  Reveal  Indian  Trouble 
Along  the  Overland  Mail  Route, 
North  Platte  and  Sweetwater 
routes,  15:2:150-152,  (From  Official 
Records  of  the  War  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, series  I,  vol.  13,  pp.  362,  468- 
469) ;  Brigadier  General  S.  D.  Stur- 
gis,  150;  Brigadier  General  James 
Craig,  150,  151,  152;  protection  of 
the  Overland  Mail-Route,  150-151; 
Captain  Thomas  Moonlight,  150; 
Major-General  James  J.  Blunt,  150; 
Colonel  Collins  151-152;  Indian  de- 
predations, 151;  Forts  Pierre  and 
Bridger,   152 

Lewis  and  Clarke,  Messrs.,  15:2:167, 
168,  169;  15:3:207,  210,  235,  266, 
267,  269,  270;  15:4:413,  414,  415, 
416 

Library,  First,  County,  in  Wyoming, 
15:1:67;  Laws,  15:1:84;  Territorial, 
15:2:158 

Linf ord.  Dee,  W  j/  o  min g  Stream 
Names,  15:2:163-174;  15:3:254-270; 
15:4:413-416;    biography,   15:2:163 

Lisa,  Manuel,  15:2:102,  103,  134,  135, 
136;   15:3:257 

Little  Thunder,  Chief,   15:4:376 

Livingston,  Mr.,   15:3:231,  232 


INDEX  TO  VOLUME  15,   1943 


425 


Logan  &  Lonabaugh  (outlaws),  15: 
1:66 

Long,  Major  T.  E.,  15:3:235 

Looking  Backward,  by  Harry  B.  Hen- 
derson, Sr.,  15:1:68;  First  herd  of 
cattle  north  of  Platte  River,  68; 
Military  Forts  in  Wyoming  in  1884, 
69;  counties  in  Territory  of  Wyo- 
ming in  1884,  69;  assessed  valuation 
1884,  69;  oil  drilling,  69;  ranches, 
70 

Lupton,   Mr.,   15:3:289 


M 


Magic    City,    The,    Cheyenne,   Dakota 

Territory,    1867,    15:2:160-162;    15: 

3:250-253;   15:4:405-412 
Mail  Coach  "Brigham  Young",  15:3: 

231 
Mandan   Indians,    15:3:200,    203,    213, 

215,   216 
Manning  &  Post,  15:2:153 
Many  Crows,  15:3:296 
Marsh,    Robert,    15:4:388 
Mason,  Major  J.  W.,  U.  S.  A.,  15:2: 

118 
Masonic  Hall,  1867,  15:2:154 
Masonic   Meeting,    July   4,    1920,    15: 

3:191 
Maxwell,  Tom,  15:1:51 
McClinnon-Crook,   15:2:135,  136 
McDonald,  Mr.,  15:3:211 
McKenzie,   (Mackenzie)   Kenneth,  15: 

3:238;   Donald,   15:2:173 
McLeland,  Thomas  E.,  15:2:155 
Meek,  Joseph,  15:2:105 
Meldrum,  John  M.,  15:1:44,  45 
Miller,  I.  C,  15:3:281;  Joseph,  15:2: 

173,    174 
Minatare  Indians,  15:3:215,  216 
Missouri     Fur     Company,     15:2:135, 

136;     Andrew     Henry's,     15:2:167, 

169;    15:3:200,    201,    205,    210,    218, 

257 
Moonlight,    Colonel,    15:1:55    (f.n.) 
Mosgrove    (outlaw),   15:1:61 

N 

Nagle,  E.,  15:4:393 

Nelson,  Mrs.  L.  H.,  15:4:390 

Noble,  Wert  P.,  15:3:281 

Norris,     Amanda,      (Mrs.     Robert 

Foote),   15:1:60,   62 
Northwest   Fur   Company,    15:2:173; 

15:3:265 
Nye,  Bill,  15:3:243,  245;  15:4:387,  388 

O 
O'Brien,    John,    15:3:283 


O'Fallon,  Major  Benjamin,  15:1:211, 
212,    235,    236,    264 

Ogden,  Peter,   15:3:228 

Old  Oregon  Trail,  15:3:191-197 

"Old  Pierre",  15:2:172 

Old  Trail  to  An  Empire,  The,  by  Wil- 
liam A.  Riner,  15:3:191-197;  Ma- 
sonic Meeting,  July  4,  1920,  181; 
Altar,  191;  Bible,  Oregon  Trail 
started,  193;  Marcus  Whitman,  194; 
Cholera,  195;  Song  of  the  West, 
196,   197;   Daniel  Webster,   193,   194 

Osborne,   John  Eugene,   15:3:308-309 

Overland  Stage,  Indian  Attack,  1865, 
15:1:57 


Pacific  Fur  Company,   15:2:173 

Parks,  Judge,  15:1:39,  40 

Peabody,  A.  S.,  15:4:388 

Peck,   William  Ware,   15:1:40,   42,   43 

Pepin,  15:2:137 

Performance,  Dramatic,  in  Wyoming, 

1864,   15:1:84 
Perkins,   15:2:136 
Petrified  buffalo,  Indian  Legend,  15: 

3:292 
"Pierre's   Hole",    15:3:221    (f.n.);    15: 

1:75 
Pilcher,    Joshua,    15:2:136;    15:3:205- 

220 
Place  Names,   Wyoming,   15:1:85-90 
Poe,   O.   M.,   15:2:118 
Pony  Express,   Ben  Holliday's,   15:1: 

46 
Post     Office,     O'Neil     street,     (Chey- 
enne),  15:2:155 
Post  sutler.  Fort  Laramie,   1870,   15: 

4:403 
Post   trader,    Fort   Laramie,    15:1:55, 

Fort  Halleck,   55 
Pourier,   Baptiste,    15:4:403 
Pratt,    15:2:137 
Prior,  Lieut,  15:3:210 

R 

Raftery,  John  H.,  Historical  Sketch 
of  Yellowstone  National  Park,  15: 
2:101-132 

Rawlins  First  School  Building,  15: 
4:390 

Raymond,    R.   W.,    15:2:178 

Raynolds,  Captain  W.  F.,  15:2:106; 
15:4:414 

Red  Cloud's  Prayer,  by  Judge  Gibson 
Clark,  15:4:403-405;  Council  be- 
tween United  States  and  Sioux  In- 
dians, 1870,  403;  Felix  R.  Brvmot, 
403;     Robert    Campbell,    403;     Red 


426 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Cloud,  403,  404,  405;  Spotted  Tail, 
403;  Baptiste  Fourier,  403,  404; 
Gibson  Clark,  403,  404;  Seth  E. 
Ward,  403;  Lieut.  Edward  L.  Bail- 
ey, 403,  404;  Red  Cloud's  Prayer, 
404;  Post  sutler,  Fort  Laramie,  403 

Reminiscence  of  Civil  War  Days,  by 
Judge  Gibson  Clark,  15:4:377-386; 
Gibson  Clark's  biography,  15:4:377 

Republican  Convention,  First  in  Wy- 
oming,  15:1:91 

Review  of  Laramie  City,  from  1868- 
1869,  from  Laramie  Weekly  Sen- 
tinel May  5,  1883,  15:4:391-399; 
Laramie  City  first  surveyed,  392; 
Union  Pacific  Railroad  sells  town 
lots,  392,  393;  first  building,  393, 
397;  Union  Pacific  Rails  reach  Lar- 
amie City,  393;  provisional  govern- 
ment, 393;  M.  C.  Brown,  John 
Guerrelle,  E.  Nagle,  J.  C.  Crisman, 
G.  P.  Drake,  M.  Townsley,  P.  H. 
Tooley,  393;  Vigilantes,  394-395; 
Albany  County  organized,  Laramie 
County  seat,  396;  N.  K.  Boswell, 
L.  T.  Wilson,  T.  D.  Abbott,  Dr. 
J.  H.  Finfrock,  396;  Wyoming  Ter- 
ritory organized,  396;  Wyoming 
Territory,  Government,  396;  first 
regular  term  of  court,  396;  first 
newspaper,  396,  397;  Frontier  In- 
dex, 397;  Laramie  Sentinel,  397; 
first  white  child  born  in  Laramie, 
397;  first  substantial  buildings, 
397;  first  public  school,  398; 
churches,  and  lodges,  398-399;  Ter- 
ritorial Politics,  399;  Woman's  Suf- 
frage, 399;  Woman  Juries,  400-402; 
Woman  Jurors  of  the  first  term  of 
Court,  400;  business  men  of,  402 

Reznor,   Jacob,   15:2:169 

Roberdeau,    15:2:137 

Robinson,   Edward,   15:2:169 

Rockdale  Stage  Station,  15:1:56 

Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company,  15:3: 
221    (f.n.),  258;   15:2:105,  174 

Root,  Bill,  15:4:388 

Ross,   Alexander,   15:2:172 


Schurz,  Carl,  15:2:118 
Sener,  James  B.,   15:1:39 
Sheehan,  Jerry,  15:3:282 
Sheridan,   General  Phil,   15:2:118 
Sherman  Station,  1869,  Union  Pacific 

Railroad,  15:3:inside  cover 
Sherman,   General  W.   T.,    15:2:118 
Sites  Famous  in  History  of  Laramie 
City  Marked  During  Jubilee,  from 
The    Republican    Boomerang,    July 


2,  1928,  15:3:242-246;  Finfrock 
home,  242;  Sarah  Montgomery 
home,  242;  Opera  House,  original 
school  house,  site  of  first  news- 
paper. First  Presbyterian  Church, 
First  Methodist  Church,  Catholic 
School,  "Forty  Liars"  Club,  Bill 
Nye,  243;  first  jail,  first  grocery 
store,  first  drug  store,  first  build- 
ing, Trabing  grocery,  first  theatre, 
first  women's  jury  met,  first  court. 
Frontier  Hotel,  244;  Bill  Nye's  sign 
"Twist  the  Tail  of  the  Iron  Gray 
Mule  and  Take  the  Elevator", 
Home  of  the  Boomerang;  N.  K. 
Boswell  and  John  W.  Donnellan 
residence;  John  Kane  log  house,  245 
Sioux  Indian  War,  15:3:230,  231,  232 
Slack,  M.  E.  A.,  15:2:178;  15:4:387 
Smelter,  first  in  State,  15:1:37 
Smith,    Jedediah    S.,    15:2:174;    Wil- 

lard,  15:3:288;  P.  L.,  15:3:281 
Snake    River   Cattle    Company    (L7), 

15:1:9,  11 
Song  of  the  West,  15:3:196-197 
Stansbury,  Captain,  15:3:226 
Statistical  Report  on  the  Sickness 
and  Mortality  of  the  Army  of  the 
United  States,  1819-1860,  compiled 
by  Marie  H.  Erwin,  15:4:315-375; 
First  report,  1819-1838,  316;  Sec- 
ond report,  1839-1855;  Fort  Lara- 
mie, 316-323;  Am.erican  Fur  Com- 
pany, 317;  cholera  at  Forts  Kearny 
and  Laramie,  317-323;  scurvy,  322- 
323.  Third  report,  1855-1860,  323- 
375;  Northern  Division  includes. 
Fort  Laramie,  Camps  Walbach  and 
Platte  Bridge,  323-347;  Utah  Divi- 
sion includes  Fort  Bridger  and 
Camp  Scott,  347-375;  Camps  Wal- 
bach and  Platte  Bridge,  323,  327, 
332,  334;  Fort  Laramie,  December 
1858,  323-327;  March,  1859,  327- 
333;  December  1859,  333-347;  Camp 
Scott,  December  1857,  348-358;  De- 
cember     1857,      358-364;      January 

1858,  364-367;  Fort  Bridger,  March 

1859,  368-375;  scorbutic  diseases 
treated  with  cactus  juice,  wild  veg- 
etables, etc.,  324-327,  328,  332,  345, 
346;  two  new  wards  added  to  Fort 
Laramie,  328;  buildings  at  Fort 
Laramie,  1849-1859,  317,  330,  342, 
343;  at  Fort  Bridger,  368,  370; 
breaking  up  of  Camps  Platte 
Bridge  and  Walbach,  1859,  (Chey- 
enne Pass),  333-334;  Fort  Randall, 
1859,  344;  Camp  Scott,  winter 
quarters    of    the    Army    of    Utah, 


INDEX  TO  VOLUME  15,   1943 


427 


1857,  348;  hospital  at,  351,  364,  366; 
canvas  tents  at,  351;  wall  tents 
at,  352;  Sibley  tents  at,  352,  362, 
365,  366;  entertainments  at,  353; 
Dr.  Forney,  354;  small  pox  at  Fort 
Bridger,  1857,  361;  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  361;  dried  beef  hides  for 
hospital  flooring,  364;  winter  quar- 
ters, 365;  Fort  Bridger,  quadrangu- 
lar wall,  368;  mountain  fever,  371 

Strong,  General  W.  E.,  15:2:118 

Stuart,    Robert,    15:2:167,    170,    172, 
173,  174;  James,  107 

Sturgis,  Brigadier  General  S.  B.,  15: 
2:150 

St.  Vrain,   15:3:293,   296 

Sublette    &    Vasquez,    15:3:289;    Wil- 
liam,  15:2:105 

Superintendents    of    Yellowstone    Na- 
tional Park,  15:2:121-125 

Swan  Land  and  Cattle  Company,  15: 
1:12 

Swan,    William   Franklin,    biography, 
15:1:6-8 

"Sweetwater   Miner",    15:2:178 

Sweetwater  Stage  Company,  The, 
1869,  15:2:177-180;  Alex  Benham 
177;  Wells  Fargo  Company,  177 
C.  C.  Huntley,  177;  Bryan,  177-178 
M.  E.  A.  Slack,  178;  William  Lar- 
imer, 177;  gold  in  Sweetwater  dis- 
trict first  discovered  in  1842,  178, 
179,  180;  American  Fur  Company, 
178;  H.  S.  Reedall,  179;  Noyes 
Baldwin,  179  (f.n.),  R.  W.  Ray- 
mond, 178;  "Sweetwater  Miner", 
178 

T 

Telephone     Exchange,     1882,     (Chey- 
enne), 15:2:158 

Tenonee,    15:2:136 

Tents,    canvas,    15:4:351;    wall,    352; 
Sibley,  352,  362,  365,  366 

Thayer,   General  J.  M.,   15:3:286 

Thomas  Moran's   Journey   to   Tetons, 
by    Fritiof    Fryxell,    15:1:71-84;    F. 
Fryxell    biography,    71;    foot   notes 
on  Thomas  Moran,  71-72,  73-74,  75 
"Beaver  Dick"  Leigh,  81,  83   (f.n.) 
excerpt     Moran's     Journal,     76-84 
Mount  Leidy,  73    (f.n.);   Fort  Hall, 
15:1:75,   77    (f.n.) 

Thompson  and  Craig's  Trading  Fort, 
15:3:287,   289 
Thompson,  David,  15:3:269 

Thorp,    Russell    Collection,    15:2:182- 
186 

Timely     Arrival,     A,     by     J.     Elmer 
Brock,  15:1:63-67;   Mr.  Brock's  bi- 


ography, 63;  George  Curry,  "Flat 
Nose  George",  64-67;  Wilcox  train 
robbery,  66;  Joe  Hazen,  66;  Logan 
&  Lonabaugh,  outlaws,  66;  Hole- 
in-the-wall,  64,  65;  Walt  Monett, 
66  (f.n.),  Barbara  Curry,  64 
Toll     bridge     over     the     Sweetwater 

River,  15:3:229,  230,  231 
Tooley,  P.  H.,  15:4:393 
Trabing  Brothers,  15:4:397,  388 
Trade  and  Intercourse,  Indian  Af- 
fairs, Missouri  River,  1820,  15:2: 
133-142;  Manuel  Lisa,  134,  135,  136; 
John  Coulter  (Colter),  134;  Mis- 
souri Fur  Company,  135,  136; 
Blackfeet  Indians,  134,  135;  Mc- 
Clinnon  -  Crooks,  135-136;  United 
States  boats  carrying  Mandan  Chief 
attacked  by  Arickaras,  135;  Wilson 
P.  Hunt,  136;  Astor,  136;  Trade  of 
Missouri  River,  136,  137;  Indian 
tribes  and  traders,  136-137;  Indians 
mistrust  whites,  138-139;  Big  Elk, 
138-139;  whiskey  given  to  Indians, 
137,  138,  139;  placing  Indian  trade 
in  hands  of  the  government,  140; 
Colonel  Henry  Atkinson,  140,  142; 
Major  Thomas  Biddle,  140,  141,  142; 
traders,  List,  Pilcher,  Perkins, 
Wood,  Carson,  Williams,  Tenonee, 
Seres  and  Francis  Chouteau,  Leg- 
arc,  Roberdeau,  Pepin,  Buthol, 
Pratt,  Vasquez,  Broseau,  De  Lor- 
ion,  136,  137;  Indian  tribes  trading 
at  or  near  Missouri  River,  1819; 
Ottoes,  Missourias,  loways,  Mahas, 
Pawnees,  Piankeshaws  and  Sioux; 
on  the  Osage  River,  Osages  and 
Kanzas  Nations,  136,  137;  United 
States  Factory  (trading  post)  137; 
conduct  of  traders,  138,  139,  141, 
142;  Government  control  of  Indian 
trade,  137,  138,  139,  140,  141,  142 
Trading   Post    on    Sweetwater    River, 

1853,    15:3:229,    230,    231 
Tritch  &  Company,  George,  15:2:154 
Tullock,   Samuel,   15:3:227.   228 
Two   Face,    Chief,    15:4:376 

U 

Union   Pacific   Railroad   tracks,   1867, 

15:2:149 
United       States       Factory       (trading 

posts),    15:2:137 

V 

Vanderburgh,  Mr..  15:3:213 
Vasquez,    15:3:228,    289,   293 


428 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


W 

Wagner,  Henry,  letter  to  W.  E.  Chap- 
lin, 15:4:386-389;  Bill  Nye,  Captain 
O'Neil,  Trabing  Brothers,  J.  W. 
Connor,  L.  T.  Wilcox,  T.  D.  Abbott, 

E.  A.  Slack,  387;  Albany  County 
court  room,  387;  Catholic  Church, 
387;  Tom  Dillon,  A.  T.  Williams, 
Mr.  Kidd,  Bill  Nye,  N.  A.  Baker, 
J.  H.  Hayford,  A.  S.  Peabody, 
Robert  Marsh,  Trabing  Brothers, 
Will  Holliday,  388;  Weekly  Senti- 
nel, 387;  daily  paper,  388;  Boomer- 
ang, 388;  Bill  Nye,  Bill  Root,  Buck 
Bramel,  Charles  Wagner,  Charles 
Bramel,   389;   A.   R.  Converse,   388 

F.  E.  Warren,  388;  Mr.  Hicks,  388 
Convention  at  Point  of  Rocks,  389 
W.  W.  Corlett,  Judge  W.  T.  Jones, 
Colonel  J.  W.  Donnellan,  Church 
Howe,  389;  United  States  Govern- 
ment Contracts,  389;  Sisters'  Hos- 
pital, Public  School,  Peter  Gumry, 
389;  Bankers,  Wagner  &  Dunbar, 
389;  J.  R.  Brophy,  Clarence  Dun- 
bar,   389 

Walks-under-the-ground,  Chief,  15:4: 
376 

Ward.    Seth   E.,    15:4:403 

War  Records,  Collection  and  Preser- 
vation of  Wyoming,  15:1:92 

Warren,  Governor  Francis  E.,  A 
Champion  of  Woman  Suffrage,  15: 
2:143-149 

Warren,  Gouveneur  K.,  Bonneville's 
Expedition  to  Rocky  Mountains, 
1832-'33,  -'Slf,  -'35,  -'36,  15:3:220- 
228,    220    (f.n.) 

Washburn-Langford,  15:2:105,  106, 
109-116,   121;   General  D.,   108 

Water  Works  System  (Cheyenne) 
1882,    15:2:157 

Watson,   Ella    (Cattle  Kate),   15:1:49 

Woman,  juries,  15:4:400-402;  jurors, 
15:4:400;  suffrage,  15:2:143-149; 
15 '4 '399 

Wyoming  in  World  War  H,  15:2:175- 
176,  by  Senator  J.  C.  O'Mahoney, 
15:3:298-306 

Wyoming  Place  Names,  15:1:85-90 

Wyoming  Sheriffs,  15:3:247-248; 
Thomas  J.  Carr,  247;  Will  Schnit- 
ger,  Nick  O'Brien,  Frank  Canton, 
Red  Angus,  N.  K.  Boswell,  Louis 
Miller,  Jack  Brophy,  Malcolm 
Campbell,  John  Ward,  John  Wil- 
liams, Larry  Fee,  Billy  Lykens, 
Johnny  Owens,  B.  F.  Lowe,  J.  J. 
Atkins,    John   R.    Murphy,    Thomas 


J.  Keesee,  Jim  Rankin,  Joe  Ran- 
kin, William  Hawley,  Jim  Ryan, 
George  W.   Laney,   248 

Wyoming  Stock  Growers  Association. 
15:1:7 

Wyoming  Stream  Names,  by  Dee  Lin- 
ford,  15:2:163-174;  D.  Linford's  bi- 
ography, 163;  catalogue  of  Wyo- 
ming Streams,  164;  interesting 
stream  names,  165;  Snake  River, 
165-168;  Yampa  "Yam-pa-pah" 
River,  166;  Pacific  Creek,  168;  Two 
Ocean  Creek,  168;  Hoback  River, 
169;  John  Hoback,  173,  174;  Ed- 
ward Robinson,  Jacob  Reznor,  169- 
170;  Wilson  P.  Hunt,  166,  167,  168, 
169,  170,  172,  173,  174;  Astor,  166, 
167,  173;  Andrew  Henry's  Missouri 
Fur  Company,  167,  169;  Grey's 
River,  John  Gray,  170-171;  Robert 
Stuart,  167,  170,  171,  172,  173,  174; 
Salt  River,  171,  172;  Ashley,  173, 
174;  Lewis  and  Clark,  167,  169; 
Teton  River,  172;  "Beaver  Dick" 
Leigh,  173;  Bear  River,  173,  174; 
Donald  McKenzie  of  the  Northwest 
Fur  Company,  173,  174;  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  170,  172;  American 
Fur  Company,  170;  Thomas  Fork, 
174 

15:3:254-270,  Green  River,  254-257; 
La  Barge  Creek,  257;  Fontennelle, 
257;  Big  Sandy,  Black's  Fork  and 
Ham's  Fork,  Henry's  Fork,  257; 
Little  Snake,  Battle  Creek,  258; 
List  of  major  world  rivers  as  list- 
ed in  Hammond's  Atlas,  258;  Mis- 
souri, Mississippi  water-way,  259; 
Missouri  River,  259,  260;  Madison 
and  Gallatin  Rivers,  260;  Platte 
River,  260-262;  North  Platte,  South 
Platte,  262-263 ;  Encampment 
River,  Medicine  Bow  River,  263; 
Sweetwater  River,  263-264;  Muddy 
Creek,  Lost  Soldier  Creek,  264; 
Bates  Creek,  264,  265;  Casper 
Creek,  Boxelder  Creek,  LaPrele 
Creek,  LaBonte,  Laramie  River, 
265;  Chugwater,  265-266;  Sybille, 
Horse  Creek,  266;  Niobrara  River, 
266-267;  Cheyenne  River,  267,  268; 
tributaries  of  the  Cheyenne,  268; 
Old  Woman,  Crazy  Woman,  Inyan 
Kara  Creek,  Belle  Fourche,  268; 
Little  Missouri,  268-269;  Yellow- 
stone River,  269-270;  Lake  Eustis, 
270 

15:4: 413-416 ;  Yellowstone  River 
System,  413;  Clark's  Fork,  413,  414; 
Big  Horn,  414;  Jackson  Lake,  415; 


INDEX  TO  VOLUME  15,   1943  429 

Lake  Biddle,  414,  415;  Wind  River,  Y 

414,    416;    Lewis    and    Clark,    413, 

414,  415,  416;  Wilson  P.  Hunt,  416;  Yellowstone    National    Park,    Histor- 

W.  F.  Raynolds,   414;   John  Colter,  ical    Sketch    of,    compiled    by   Jolin 

414,   415  H.   Raftery,   15:2:101-132;    15:3:270