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Show 108 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN OLD SANTA FE TRAIL HISTORY Owing to this desire for revenge alluded to by Gregg, whenever the Indians came across a small party of traders, who, through CONFLICTS WITH friendship and carelessness or recklessness, attempted to INDIANS cross the plains poorly armed or equipped, they were more than likely to work some hardship or imposition upon the traders, indeed they were lucky if they escaped with their scalps. In 1826, a small party of twelve men camped on the Cimarron, armed with only four serviceable guns. They were visited by a party of Indians, believed to be Arapaho, who at first made strong representations of good will. Observing, condition of the traders, they went away, however, the defenseless but soon returned about thirty strong, each provided with a lazo, and all on foot. then began by informing the Americans that his men walking, and must have horses. Thinking it folly The chief were tired of to offer any resistance, the terrified traders told them that if one animal apiece would satisfy them, to go and catch them. This they soon did; but finding their request so easily complied with, the Indians held COGIC; -auren belt a little parley, which resulted in a demand for more — they must each have two. ‘Well, catch them’’ was the reply, upon which the Savages mounted the horses they had already secured, and swinging their lazos over their heads, plunged among the stock with a furious yell and drove off the entire caballada.7 The town of Franklin, on the Missouri river, opposite Booneville, about one hundred and fifty miles westward from St. Louis, in @on- Junction with several of the neighboring settlements, furnished the majority of the early traders, who sent caravans over the old trail. Later, as has been Stated, the point of starting was moved farther up the Missouri river, and for a long period Independence, now a residential suburb of Kansa s City, Missouri, remained the eastern termi nus 7 of the trail. J., Commerce ment * Gregg, of the trade, ret urn ney across the ' plains wit of the Prairies, y : gn i, p. 26: ‘Since a a the commence1our- h the an ua of their , partly in specie bande wey, in, fare, buffalo rugsproceeds and animals, Cobnaianaliy ‘these 3 stragglin g Nina enterprise ge hice of resolute g a a nae marauding Indians, but if well informed an to let them an » they found very little difficulty in persuading the savages representation 8S unmolested ; for, as Mr. Storrs very justly remarks, 10 his senate. the jae by Colonel Benton, in 1825, to the United States cannot rob alike Gan a 8 willing to compromise when they find that po risk, unless for revenge or in ope verh one warriors, which they hardly eve 109 Oxen were employed by the United States government in transporting the baggage accompanying the escort over the plains in 1829, commanded by Major Riley; these were ORGANIZATION OF THE found to almost equal mules, and subseCARAVANS quent to that period many oxen were used in the caravans. Oftentimes the traders were accustomed to shoe their animals with raw buffalo hide, which performed its purpose very well so long as the weather remained dry, but when wet, they soon wore through. Mules, oftentimes, were driven over the entire trip without being shod at all. The loading of the wagons of the caravans was quite an art; every pre- caution was taken to so stow away the packages that no jolting during the journey disturbed the order in which they were placed in the wagons. The latter, in the earliest times, were brought from Pittsburgh, but later on were manufactured at Independence in many instances. The experiences of the early traders, with large caravans, passing over the old trail, differed only slightly during every year. Fights with Indians, now and then, robberies of live stock by these Arabs of the plains, heavy rains, break-downs, good or poor grazing, the diaries, kept by some of the traders and preserved to this day, all show that each had a similar experience. Dr. Josiah Gregg, in his work, has preserved to us by far the best account of the experiences of the Santa Fé traders of the time. Starting with the caravan from Council Grove,’? in the days of the trail one of its most important stations, having proceeded that far from Independence, Dr. Gregg says: “Catch up! catch up!’ the familiar note of preparation, was now sounded from the captain’s camp, and re-echoed from every * Gregg, J., Commerce of the Prairies, i, pp. 42-44: gana ‘‘Early on the 26th of . 2Y We reached the long-looked for rendezvous of Council Grove; here we Joined the main body of the caravan. Lest this imposing title suggest to the reader a snug and thriving village, it should be observed, that, on the day of our departure from Independence, we passed the last human abode upon °ur route; thenceforth from the borders of Missouri to those of New Mexico not even an Indian settlement greeted our eyes. This point is nearly a hun- dred and fifty miles from Independence, and consisted of a continuous strip of timber nearly half a mile in width, comprising the richest varieties of trees; Such as oak, walnut, ash, elm, hickory, ete., and extending all along the valleys s; 2 small stream known as Couneil Grove ereek, the principal branch of the pee viver, ., missioned by the , Messrs. Reeves, Sibley and Mathers, having been — United States, in the year 1825, to mark a road from the a |
