MOSES ROSE
The Alamo had been under siege for several days when word arrived that relief would not be coming. It was to be surrender or die. Commander William Travis gathered the men and made an impassioned speech in favor of dying for Texas independence. At the end of the speech, he drew a line on the ground with his sword and asked all who were willing to fight and die to cross the line. All of the defenders, save one, stepped across the line. The only one who did not cross was Louis “Moses” Rose. Rose, a 50-year-old French veteran, had seen his share of war and was not prepared to die yet. That night, he climbed over the wall and escaped through enemy lines. He lived another fourteen years, running a butcher shop.
– maroon 27
BECKWOURTH’S ADOPTION
When James Beckwourth and another trapper first visited the Crow Indians, they were taken captive and threatened with death. The other trapper lied and said Beckwourth was a long lost Crow warrior who had been captured many years earlier in a Cheyenne raid. Since Beckwourth was black, his dark skin color seemed to back the story. An old woman was called upon who had lost her son to a Cheyenne raid. She identified Beckwourth as her son and James and his friend were saved. He was adopted into the tribe and even married a Cheyenne woman.
– maroon 51
BECKWOURTH’S WIFES
After marrying a chief’s daughter, the next day some Indians came in with some white scalps and Beckwourth told his wife not to go to the scalp dance. When she went anyway, he came up to her and bashed her in the head. The Indians were enraged by this and wanted to kill him. The chief intervened, reminding them that Indian husbands had the right to kill their wives for disobedience. The chief even gave Beckwourth a replacement daughter. That night, the first wife crawled into the tipi and begged forgiveness. That is how Beckwourth ended up with two wives.
– maroon 51
A DAY ON THE OREGON TRAIL
The day began at dawn. Night guards shouted to awaken the people. Some went to get the animals, some collected buffalo chips and made coffee. Tents were taken down and wagons prepared. Around 7 A.M., a bugle would signal the start. The “pilot” ranged far ahead. The train was divided into four platoons that changed places during the day to share the dust fairly. The men walked beside the wagons with whips. Women and children walked also. Herds of horses and cows brought up the rear with sweaty herders managing them. They crossed streams at fords marked by the pilot. They would stop near a stream for the “nooning”. They ate a light meal for lunch. Women and kids slept in the wagons as they moved in the afternoon. At night, the wagons were circled. Teamsters drove the herds to their night pasture. Kids gathered buffalo chips for fires. Women prepared the supper of salt meat, fresh-baked bread, and coffee. After supper, men told stories, kids played, and young couple courted. After dark, people went to bed while guards manned their posts.
– maroon 52
SAM HOUSTON’S MARRIAGE
Sam Houston distinguished himself at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend where he was twice wounded leading charges. He became friends with Gen. Andrew Jackson. Jackson once coached him for a duel with Gen. William White. The duel was fought at just five paces because White was near-sighted. White was hit in the groin, but survived. Later, Houston was elected Governor of Tennessee, but he resigned after his marriage collapsed. He had learned that his wife loved another man and had been coerced into marrying Sam by her parents. He went to live with the Cherokee Indians, who called him “The Raven”.
– maroon 53
SAM HOUSTON’S FARMBOY VOTER
When he was running for President of the Lone Star Republic, he visited many farms. At one he met a young man in a field and asked him if he was old enough to vote. The boy responded: “Well, I was 21 last April, but I didn’t bow my head when my pa was saying Grace a few weeks ago, so he set me back two years and now I can’t vote.”
– maroon 54
THE HUMAN TARGET
During the Mexican bombardment of Fort Brown during the Mexican War, Sgt. Weigert was wounded by a cannonball. His body was hit again while on the operating table. When he was laid in his grave, another cannonball hit him and knocked his body out of the hole.
– maroon 54
SAM HOUSTON RUNS AWAY FROM HOME
Houston was 16 when he helped his mother and brothers clear four hundred acres of Tennessee wilderness for farming. And then the farmwork began. All this menial labor was not to his liking. His mother suggested he work in the family store, but that also did not interest him. He preferred reading, especially the Iliad. He memorized one thousand lines and could recite almost the entire poem. One day his older brothers chastised him for reading instead of working. He ran away from home the next day and went to live with the Cherokee Indians. It was several weeks before his family found out where he was. His brothers were sent to get him back and they found him sitting under a tree reading Homer. He told them “he preferred measuring der tracks in the forest to tape and calico in a country store.” He did not return for three years. Years later, when his marriage collapsed, he returned to his Cherokee friends.
– Whitcomb 39
BRIGHAM YOUNG, THE POLYGAMIST
Brigham Young’s first wife was Marion Works. She was his only wife that had his undivided attention. She died shortly after he converted to Mormonism. After he became leader following Joseph Smith’s death, he instituted the belief in polygamy. He ended up with at least 27 wives. Each evening he would put a chalk mark on the door of that night’s lucky winner. He would prepare for the trysts by eating eggs. He ended up having 56 kids, so the eggs must have worked.
– maroon 97
SANTA ANNA – GUM INVENTOR
In 1866, Santa Anna was exiled from Mexico and living in New York City. He hired James Adams to be his interpreter and secretary. Adams noticed that Santa Anna liked to chew on a tropical vegetable. The pieces from the plant were called “chicle”. When he left for Mexico, Adams asked him to leave his supply of chicle. Adams added flavors to the substance and invented chewing gum. The first flavor was licorice and the gum was called Black Jack. It was an immediate hit. He created the Adams Chewing Gum Company and found a ready market for his product. Later, he merged several chewing gum companies into the American Chicle Company. One of his salesmen came up with the idea of wrapping the gum in a hard candy shell and thus was born “Chiclets”.
TAKE IT BACK
After the Mexican War, President Zachary Taylor sent William Sherman to survey what the U.S. had purchased in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Sherman traversed Arizona and New Mexico and returned to Washington. When Taylor asked Sherman for his opinion on the lands the U.S. had acquired, Sherman said: “Between you and me, General, I feel that we’ll have to go to war again.” When Taylor asked why, Sherman responded: “To make ‘em take the darn lands back!”
– maroon 25
PRESIDENT FOR A DAY
David Rice Atchinson was President for one day. When Polk’s term expired, Taylor refused to take the oath of office on a Sunday, so the Senate Pro Tempore was chief executive on that day. He slept most of the day. His gravestone reads: “President of the U.S. for one day”.
– maroon 71
SANTA ANNA TRAVELED IN STYLE
When Santa Anna invaded Texas to put down the rebellion, he arrived at San Antonio with all the things to make the siege of the Alamo a pleasant one. He brought his monogrammed china, crystal decanters with gold stoppers, an extravagant tent, and his silver chamber pot.
– Whitcomb 150
SANTA ANNA CAPTURED
Santa Anna was having a siesta when the Texicans stormed his camp at San Jacinto. His army was quickly routed, but he managed to escape. He exchanged clothes with one of his soldiers and managed to elude searchers for a day. The next day, a patrol of Texans saw him hiding in tall grass. He was captured without a fight, but not recognized as the Mexican dictator. He probably was thinking he might just get away with the impersonation and get repatriated with the rest of the prisoners. However, when he was shoved into the holding area where the other captives were sitting, they rose up and saluted “El Presidente!” The gig was up and Santa Anna was brought to Sam Houston and forced to sign the independence of Texas.
– Whitcomb 15
JOHN COLTER’S RUN
John Colter was a mountain man trapping in the Yellowstone area. He was captured by the hostile Blackfeet Indians. The Indians stripped him naked and pushed him out onto the prairie. Perplexed and relieved that he was not being tortured, Colter started walking. He looked back and saw the Indians stripping down and that’s when he realized they were going to have some fun by chasing and killing him. He took off running with the Indians in hot pursuit. After a while blood began gushing out of his nose covering his chest. Feeling exhausted, he stopped, turned and yelled at the India who was closest to him. The surprised Indian managed to throw a spear, but missed. Colter picked up the spear and killed the Indian and then started running again. He reached a river where he hid in a beaver’s hut while the enraged Indians searched for him. That night he snuck out and floated down the river. He then made a 300 mile trek through the wilderness to reach a fort in eleven days.
– Whitcomb 257-258
THE BLACK MOUNTAIN MAN
James Beckwourth was born a slave in Virginia in 1798. At age 13, he was apprenticed to a blacksmith who took him to St. Louis to work in his shop. His master was abusive, so he ran away at age 18. He travelled as an itinerant blacksmith and met several fur trappers who told him stories of their adventures as mountain men. At age 25, he joined the Rocky Mountain Fur Trading Company. For two years he trapped beaver in the Rockies. When his expedition ended, the decided to stay and live with the Crow Indians. He was popular as a great hunter and warrior. He was adopted as “Bull’s Robe” and took a wife. He fought with them against other tribes and rose to being acclaimed a chief. After twelve years, he returned to civilization, got married and opened a trading post. But he just couldn’t settle down. It was off to Georgia to fight the Seminole Indians. And then to California with John C. Fremont to fight in the rebellion against Mexico. Although Fremont became “The Pathfinder”, it was Beckwourth who scouted out the paths. In 1850, he discovered a pass through the Sierra Nevadas that was named Beckwourth’s Pass. He led the first wagon train through to California. Later, the Western Pacific Railroad went through it. At age 68, he acted as a scout in the Colorado Indian wars, but the atrocities like the Sand Creek Massacre caused him to quit in disgust. He returned to his home near Denver. In his old age, the Crow talked him into visiting. The very first night, he died from a mysterious illness. He might have been poisoned by a Crow enemy.
– Ayres 73-76
JOHN SUTTER’S MILL
John Sutter was born in Switzerland. He fled to Hawaii to avoid debtors prison for all the money he owed. In the process, he abandoned his wife and kids. He moved to California when it was still under Mexican rule. He conned the governor into thinking he was a veteran military leader. He was appointed a militia captain and given almost 50,000 acres to rule. He called his “kingdom” New Helvetia (New Switzerland). He ruled it with an iron hand. He “hired” Indian workers and turned them into serfs. He mistreated them. His private army would kidnap more Indians to work for him. He drank to excess and chased women. He bought more land, which put him in debt. He thought he could get rich by improving his land. He hired a James Marshall to build a saw mill on the American River. One day, Marshall saw something glimmering in the water. He brought some of it to Sutter’s Fort and he and his boss perfumed an experiment to confirm it was gold. And then they swore each other to secrecy. Unfortunately, word got out and in 1849, the Gold Rush began. His workers abandoned him to go to the gold fields. His lands were overrun by 49ers who killed his lifestock and stole anything that was not nailed down. The discovery of gold was the worst thing that could have happened to him. He lost his land and died poor.
– Bathroom I 82-83
WOMEN 49ers
Gold attracted men to California in the Gold Rush. Fleecing the men attracted women. Since it is estimated that 97% of the people in the gold fields were male, this created opportunities for women. Most obviously, “painted ladies” flocked to the area. They provided “horizontal refreshments” in exchange for gold dust. Prostitutes could make a lot of money, but it was a risky profession. However, you didn’t need to be a beauty, although it helped if you pretended to be French. A similar occupation was working in saloons encouraging men to buy you drinks. Some women worked in gambling halls for similar reasons. More respectable money could be made if you had even the slightest talent in acting, singing, and/or dancing. Men would pay to hear the sentimental “Home, Sweet Home”. And then there were the entrepreneurs. One woman baked 1,200 pies per month and accumulated $18,000 in two years. Senora Perez sold tortillas and beans and made $50 per day. That was four times the average amount gold miners made per day.
– Bathroom I 84-85
FACTS ABOUT DAVY CROCKETT
- He was born one of nine kids to a poor farmer and Continental Army veteran. His birthplace was in what is today eastern Tennessee, but at the time was officially North Carolina. Actually, his father and others claimed he was born in the independent republic of Franklin, which was the western part of North Carolina that was trying to secede and become a state.
- He ran away from home at age 13 because his father whipped him for beating up a bully who had been harassing him. He was away for over two years. He did some cattle driving and worked as a teamster, farmhand, and hat maker’s apprentice. (Speaking of which, there is no proof that he ever wore a coonskin cap.)
- In his early adulthood, he had the most success as a professional bear hunter. There is no evidence he killed a b’ar at age 3 (and he never claimed to), but he did claim to have killed 105 bears in a seven month period.
- His reputation as an Indian-fighter was exaggerated. He did fight in the Creek War and was present at the massacre of an Indian village. However, as a Congressman he fought against the Indian Removal Act.
- He was elected to three nonconsecutive terms in Congress. He accomplished nothing in Congress and was absent a lot. He was present when a deranged man tried to assassinate Andrew Jackson at the Capitol. The assassin’s pistols misfired and Crockett helped wrestle him to the ground. His friendship with Jackson did not last. He was defeated for reelection partly due to his opposition to Jackson’s Indian Removal Act. He was a bit of a poor loser, telling his constituents: “You can all go to Hell, I’m going to Texas.”
- By the time he arrived in Texas (leaving his family behind), he was a celebrity based on a play and a book. The play, “The Lion of the West”, was popular. It traveled the country in 1831. Everyone knew the main character Nimrod Wildfire was based on Crockett. He wrote his autobiography A Narrative of the Life of Davy Crockett of the State of Tennessee. It is hard to separate fact from fiction in the book. One of the tales was him killing a bear in the pitch dark with a butcher’s knife to the heart.
- He did not go to Texas to join the rebellion. But once he was there, he willingly joined in. What else could a hero do? The Hollywood version of him dying fighting in the Alamo was probably not accurate. Most likely, he was one of the few Americans who were captured, brought before Santa Anna, and then executed.
https://time.com/4450210/davy-crockett-ballad-factchecking/
https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-davy-crockett
https://www.npr.org/2013/03/02/172956653/born-on-a-mountaintop-or-not-davy-crocketts-legend-lives-on
SANTA ANNA’S LEG
Santa Anna, the self-proclaimed “Napoleon of the West”, was leader of Mexico eleven times between 1833-1855. In 1838, he led troops in the “Pastry War”. The war began after a French baker in Mexico City sued the Mexican government for damages caused by Mexican soldiers who had ransacked his shop. When the Mexican government turned a deaf ear to his complaint, the French got involved in what was officially called the First French Intervention in Mexico. The French navy blockaded Mexican ports and Vera Cruz was captured. Santa Anna led an army to reacquire the port, but he was wounded by grapeshot in a leg. The leg was amputated, but the disability made Santa Anna a wounded hero. Originally buried at his hacienda, he had it exhumed and brought to Mexico City in a carriage when he returned to power. The leg was given an elaborate state funeral. During this stint as ruler, Santa Anna managed to drain the treasury and was forced to flee into exile. The Mexican people were so angry they dug up the leg, dragged it through the city, and cut it into little pieces. In spite of this, Santa Anna was back in power by the time of the Mexican War. During the Battle of Cerro Gordo, he was forced to flee, leaving his artificial leg behind. Members of an Illinois regiment got the leg and brought it back home with them. It is now a priced exhibit at the Illinois State Military Museum in Springfield.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastry_War
https://www.history.com/news/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-santa-anna
– Bath 2 23-26
THE SANDBAR DUEL
James Bowie grew up in Louisiana. As a boy he tamed wild mustangs and rode alligators (you grab their upper jaw and gouge their eyes). He and his brothers made a lot of money in a scam with the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte. Lafitte would smuggle slaves in. The brothers would report the “runaway” slaves to the authorities who would capture them and auction them off. The Bowie brothers would buy them cheaply and then sell them at a huge profit. He also made money on fraudulent land deals. He was a wealthy businessman with his own sawmill and the first steam powered sugar cane press. He made some enemies along the way. He once dueled a foe with both clenching their teeth on a handkerchief. Up close and personal.
The most famous duel involving James Bowie occurred on Sept. 19, 1827 near Alexandria, Lousisiana. The duel was one where he was just supposed to be a witness. Bowie was a bitter enemy of a man named Wright. One day Wright fired a pistol at him in the streets and the bullet hit a silver dollar in Bowie’s pocket, saving his life. Bowie’s pistol misfired and people intervened. Bowie and Wright served as seconds for a duel on a sandbar in a nearby river. The Sandbar Duel took place on an island in the Mississippi River near Natchez, Mississippi. The duelists were Samuel Wells and Dr. Thomas Maddox. They had a long history of disputes. Bowie was there to support Wells. There were at least 16 men supporting either of the two. In the duel, the two men fired twice each, but did not hit. The duel ended with a handshake and the brawl began. What happened next is confused by the contradictory eyewitness accounts, but here is likely scenario.
Gen. Richard Cuny called out Col. Robert Crain and they shot at each other. Crain’s shot missed, but hit Bowie in the thigh. A second shot by each resulted in Crain being hit in arm and Cuny was killed. Bowie got off the ground and charged Crain, but Crain broke his pistol on Bowie’s head and knocked him down. Maj. Norris Wright shot at Bowie, but missed. He then stabbed Bowie with his sword. The sword got stuck in Bowie’s sternum. Bowie grabbed Wright and pulled him down onto his knife, killing him. While still on the ground, Bowie was shot again and stabbed several times. Incredibly, Bowie got to his feet. Carey and Alfred Blanchard shot at Bowie and one hit him in the arm. Bowie took a chunk out of Alfred’s arm with his Bowie knife. Carey fired again and missed. At this point the Blanchards ran and Alfred took a bullet through the arm. The affair was over in 90 seconds.
The newspapers sensationalized the story and Bowie’s knife became legendary. Bowie survived to move to Texas, marry a senorita, lose his family to cholera, and die in the Alamo.
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/sandbar-fight/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbar_Fight
THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS
“The Yellow Rose of Texas” is a song associated with the state of Texas and specifically with Texas independence. In 1836, Santa Anna invaded Texas to put down the rebellion of Americans in Texas. When his army reached San Antonio, where he laid siege to the Alamo, he was in need of female companionship. He focused on the most beautiful maiden in the town, but her Catholic mother insisted on marriage before hanky-panky. So the Mexican dictator had one of his soldiers dress up as a priest and perform the ceremony. And the honeymoon began. After capturing the Alamo, Santa Anna went in pursuit of Sam Houston’s army. When he reached a swollen river, he had his new bride sent back to Mexico in the presidential carriage. Not long after, in the town of Morgan’s Point, a beautiful mulatto girl named Emily West was brought to him for inspection. He approved and Emily accompanied him from there. She was “entertaining” him when his army was surprised by Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto. Santa Anna was distracted from organizing his army for defense and he suffered a crushing defeat. He was captured and forced to concede independence to Texas. Some Texans began the legend that Emily played a major role in Texas independence. It was even claimed that Emily was working for Houston. The song actually goes back to the early 1830’s, but it was revived with new lyrics in 1955 by Mitch Miller. A historian theorized that Emily was the yellow rose. “Yellow” referring to her being a mulatto and “rose” referring to a young woman. Probably no connection, but there apparently was a dark-skinned beauty named Emily who was in Santa Anna’s tent on a fateful day in Texas history.
– Shenkman 72-73
– https://medium.com
FORGOTTEN WAR: The First Sumatran Expedition 1832
The island of Sumatra had some of the best pepper in the world. In 1832, an American merchant ship named Friendship arrived to trade for it. When the crew were ashore, they were attacked by a rival chieftain. Three Americans were murdered and the ship was ransacked. The crew was able to recapture the ship and sail back to America. Their story inflamed public opinion and Pres. Andrew Jackson sent a retaliatory expedition on the USS Potomac. American Marines, with the aid of friendly natives, captured the kingdom that had attacked the Friendship and destroyed its town, along with over 500 of its people. Trading was restored, but when the Potomac sailed away, the Sumatrans went back to attacking ships. Jackson had to send a second expedition to show we meant business. More butt whipping resulted in the end of problems with Sumatra.
https://historycollection.co/nation-war-9-forgotten-american-wars/
THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE
9/11 is remembered for the terrorist attack, but it is also the day of another atrocity motivated by religion. In 1857, the Mormons were settled in Utah, but not getting along with the U.S. government, which controlled the Utah Territory. President Buchanan was sending federal troops to exert control over the area. Brigham Young prepared for opposition. He decided to harass any wagon trains passing through on the way to California. The Mormons would refuse to sell supplies and the local Pauite Indians were encouraged to attack the trains, concentrating on stealing livestock. The Baker-Fancher wagon train was subject to this harassment, but retaliated with supposed acts of revenge like poisoning wells. The emigrants foolishly taunted the Mormons by reminding them of their eviction from Missouri. It all came to a head when the train camped at Mountain Meadows. Members of the Utah Territorial Militia decided to attack the Gentiles. They got the Pauites involved, but they participated disguised as Indians. The initial attack on Sept. 7 caused the emigrants to circle the wagons. They put up a stout defense for five days. The Mormons began to worry that their disguises had been seen through. John D. Lee and the other leaders decided there should be no survivors to tell the tale. On Sept. 11, 1857, Lee came in under a white flag and convinced the party that the Mormons were there to protect them. The Paiutes had agreed to allow the Mormons to escort them out of the area if they gave up their weapons. Lacking water and low on ammunition, the emigrants agreed. The escorting did not last long before the Mormons turned on the defenseless emigrants and slaughtered them. Only 17 young children were spared. Although it was unclear what happened, Buchanan pressured Young to accept army occupation and a Gentile governor. Justice was delayed because of the Civil War, but in 1874 nine militiamen were indicted. Only Lee stood trial and the jury was hung. At this point, Young offered evidence against him in exchange for the U.S. backing off. Lee was found guilty and executed by firing squad at Mountain Meadows.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_Massacre
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/mormons-massacre/
HUGH GLASS
Hugh Glass was the protagonist in the movie “The Revenant”, but how much of his story was true. In 1822, Gen. William Ashley created the Rocky Mountain Fur Company to raise money for a political career. He hired 100 fur trappers, including Hugh. “Ashley’s Hundred” worked the area of Wyoming and Utah. They pretty much depleted the beaver population in the region. Hugh was partnered with John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger. One day Hugh encountered a mother grizzly and her cubs. The protective mother attacked Hugh and before Fitzgerald and Bridger could return to help finish off the bear, Hugh had a broken leg and cuts all over his back and ribs. His partners stayed with him as they waited for him to die. In the middle of digging his grave, they were attacked by hostile Arikara Indians. The duo ran away, figuring Glass was doomed anyway. But Hugh refused to die, partly because he was obsessed with revenge on his comrades. He started his 200 mile trek to Fort Kiowa in terrible shape with the biggest danger being infection from his untreated wounds. He kept gangrene at bay by laying on rotting logs so the maggots could eat his dead skin. He got help from friendly Indians and when he reached the Cheyenne River six weeks later, he built a raft and floated to Fort Kiowa. When he found Bridger, he relented and forgave the young man who was only 19. He tracked down Fitzgerald, but when he learned that he was in the Army, Glass decided the punishment for killing Fitzgerald would be too steep to risk. Glass returned to fur trapping and was killed in 1933 by Arikaras.
FACTS ABOUT THE PONY EXPRESS
- It went from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. It normally took ten days (in comparison to 25 by way of stagecoach). The record was the delivery of Lincoln’s first inaugural address in March, 1861 in 7 days and 17 hours.
- It was the idea of William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William Waddell. It was a branch of their Central Overland California and Pike’s Peak Express Company. They knew it would not be cost effective and were hoping for government contract to make it profitable. They did not get the contract because the government was already anticipating the transcontinental telegraph. Russell, Majors, and Waddell lost about $200,000 dollars in the endeavor.
- The route ran 1,966 miles one way and went through the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California. The first rider was Johnny Fry on his horse Sylph.
- The riders were mostly young men. The recruiting ad said: “Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over 18. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.” They could not weigh more than 125 pounds. They were paid $100-150 per month. They had to take an oath to avoid cursing, drinking, and fighting. The oath was not enforced and was commonly broken.
- Most Americans could not afford to use the service. Originally, it cost $5 to send a letter (equivalent to $138 today). It got lower over time but never got below a dollar. The biggest customer were the newspapers. The mail was carried in a special saddle bag called a mochila (Spanish for “knapsack”) which had four pouches and could hold about 20 pounds.
- Riders rode 10-15 miles before they stopped at one of the 200 relief stations where they exchanged horses. Every 75-100 miles a new rider took over. The riders were in danger from the weather and Indians, but only six riders died in the 19 month history of the Pony Express. It was actually more dangerous to run a relief station because they were so isolated. It is estimated that 16 managers were killed.
- The Pony Express went out of business when the first transcontinental telegraph was completed by Western Union at Salt Lake City on Oct. 24, 1861.
- Despite its name, ponies were not used. Only horses could manage the weight and distance.
https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-pony-express
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/537885/facts-about-pony-express
– Uncle 3 p. 74
THE GOLDEN SPIKE
Here’s the true story of the most famous moment in railroad history. The finishing of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory, Utah was a big event. A huge crowd was gathered, including many railroad and government officials. The last tie was specially made of California laurel. The last spike was $400 worth of gold. The tip was a gold nugget that was later made into rings for Leland Stanford (President of the Central Pacific), Oliver Ames (President of the Union Pacific), President Grant, and Secretary of State William Seward. First, the last tie was placed by Chinese laborers. The photographer was told: “Now’s the time – shoot them!” When the workers heard the word “shoot!”, they ran away thinking Indians were attacking. The crowd, drunk on champagne, got a kick out of that. The Chinese were herded back and then it was time for the climactic moment. The silver-headed hammer was attached to a wire that was connected to all the telegraph keys in the nation. When it hit the spike, the whole country would know. Unfortunately, Stanford swung and missed. The telegraph operator send the message “Dot Dot Dot Done” anyway. The golden spike is still in the Stanford University museum. The tie was destroyed in the San Francisco Earthquake.
– Lawrence
THE CAMEL CORPS
In the 1850’s, the Great Plains was called the Great American Desert. The Army had to patrol and police this inhospitable area using horses, mules, and oxen. None of those animals was optimal for the parched and sparsely vegetated area. Major Henry Wayne submitted a proposal for the use of camels instead. The advantages were they could go days without water, subsist on desert vegetation, cover more ground and were faster than horses, and carry a heavy load. The report got the attention of Sen. Jefferson Davis and when Davis became Secretary of War he got Congress to allocate $30,000 for purchasing the animals in 1855. The USS Supply, commanded by Capt. David Dixon Porter (who later captured New Orleans in the Civil War), made two trips to North Africa and the Middle East to purchase over 70 camels. They were stationed at Camp Verde, Texas. At first, the advantages were overweighed by the smell of the camels (which distracted mules and horses) and the spitting and biting that angered their handlers. A supply trip competition to another post proved their value. A three six-mule wagons carried 1,800 pounds of oats in five days. Six camels carried 3,600 pounds in two days. Later, camels were part of a road surveying expedition to California. The camels proved invaluable and literally saved the expedition in their ability to go without water and even to find water. However, the Civil War brought an end to the corps. Partly because the biggest supporters had been Southerners like Davis and Lee (who had used them on a long-range patrol and lauded them). In 1866, they were sold off. Some ended up in circus giving rides to children, some were used for races, some were purchased by miners. And some were set free to roam the plains.
https://armyhistory.org/the-u-s-armys-camel-corps-experiment/
https://www.army.mil/article/166054/the_history_of_the_army_camel_corps
– The Greatest War Stories Never Told pp. 94-95
JIM BRIDGER
Jim Bridger was one of the most famous mountainmen. He was born in Richmond on March 17, 1804. When he was eight, his family moved to the gateway to the West – St. Louis. At age 13 he was orphaned and apprenticed to a blacksmith. He never learned to read or write. At age 16, he left his future occupation to become an adventurer. He joined a furtrapping expedition led by William Ashley. A few years later, an expedition was ambushed by Arikara Indians and 15 were killed. Later that same year, 19-year-old Bridger volunteered, with John Fitzgerald to stay with the at-death’s-door Hugh Glass until he was buried. Glass had been mauled by a momma grizzly. When Indians appeared in the vicinity (according to the two), they abandoned Glass and when they caught up with the expedition assured the other trappers that he was dead. Glass survived and tracked down Bridger for revenge, but ended up forgiving the contrite young man. (Some historians think Bridger was not involved in this incident. The original story was of a man named “Bridges”.) After that awkward encounter, Bridger went on to a long career of trapping, trail-blazing, and guiding. He was among the first whites to explore Yellowstone and see the geysers. He was the first to see Great Salt Lake. He gave advice to wagon trains. In 1843, he set up a trading post in Utah called Fort Bridger. He played a role in the Donner Party by giving them the bad advice to take the supposedly shorter Hasings Cutoff. It was not shorter. He got a reputation for being a teller of tall tales. Settlers who stopped at the fort to talk to the famous trapper might be told that the petrified forest had petrified birds that sang petrified songs. He told of a lake that had boiling water at the surface, but cold water underneath. If you caught a fish, by the time you reeled it in, it was cooked. He liked to tell the story of once being chased by a hundred Cheyenne Indians and reaching the edge of a box canyon. He would pause at this point and wait for the rube to ask what happened. Bridger: “They killed me.” Things went south when Mormons arrived in Utah and bad blood brewed. When Bridger was away, the Mormons burned his fort to the ground. Bridger got along better with Indians with the Mormons. He married a Flathead, then a Ute, and finally a Shoshone.
https://www.cowboysindians.com/2015/05/jim-bridger/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Bridger
THE DADE MASSACRE
On Dec. 28, 1835, the United States Army suffered one of its worst defeats at the hands of Native Americans. The battle marked the start of the Second Seminole War, the longest and most costly of America’s Indian wars.
In 1821, the U.S. acquired the Florida Territory from Spain. The Seminole Indians were a powerful tribe living in the territory. The government eventually decided that the solution to the Seminole problem was to relocate them in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). Some of the chiefs signed a treaty agreeing to that, but most did not and were determined to fight for their land. Another factor was the Indians gave refuge to runaway slaves.
On Dec. 23, a resupply and reinforcing column left Ft. Brooke on Tampa Bay for Ft. King at present-day Ocala. The 103 soldiers were led by Maj. Francis Dade. He was aware that there might be an Indian attack, but he figured the attack would come at one of the two river crossings or in the thicker woods. When his command had passed those places, he figured the rumor was untrue. He called in his flankers so the double file column could speed up. The Seminoles had been paralleling the Americans from the start. They delayed the attack because they were waiting for Osceola, who was off killing Wiley Thompson, the superintendent for removing the Indians. The Indians eventually got tired of waiting for him and opened the attack. The battle took place in a pine and palmetto forest. The first shot was fired by chief Micanopy and killed Dade. The volley that followed this signal killed about half the soldiers. Those left standing struggled to get their muzzle-loaders out of their coats. Over a few hours, all the whites except three were killed or wounded. The Indians did not do any scalping. They left the area soon after the last shot was fired. At this point, a group of fugitive slaves entered the battle site and killed the wounded and looted the bodies. Only three soldiers survived. They tried to reach Fort King which was 25 miles away. One was tracked down by Indians on horseback. Pvt. Ransom Clark got to the fort and gave the only eye-witness report of the massacre. He died soon after from his wounds. Pvt. Joseph Sprague lived until 1848. The battle initiated Indian raids that hit all but one home in the area. The others were burned. The war lasted four years and there were other small-scale battles. In the end the Seminoles lost and were forced to go to Indian Territory. As far as the title of this anecdote, I used the most common name for the incident. But clearly the Indians were defending their land and it was not a massacre because the losers were not unarmed civilians. It would be better known as the Dade Battle or the Dade Ambush.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dade_battle
https://www.trailoffloridasindianheritage.org/dade-battlefield-state-park/