PIONEER HISTORY OF KANSAS
by Adolph Roenigk
APPENDIX
CORRECTION AND ADDITION
Page 202--Since this book was published more has been learned in regard to the roping and shipping of a carload of buffalo at Fossil Creek station in 1868. The promoter of this enterprise was Joseph G. McCoy, one of the McCoy brothers, managers of the Texas cattle market at Abilene; see Chapter 5, contributed by Theophiles Little. A description of the buffalo enterprise has been published by Mr. George Rainey of Enid, Okla., in his book, “The Cherokee Strip,” which, with his permission, I hereby copy:
Mr. Coy advertised his new shipping point (Abilene) extensively in metropolitan newspaper,
and in the summer of 1868 actually captured a carload of wild buffalo bulls on the range near Fossil
Creek Station, then in the buffalo range, and shipped them to Chicago where he staged a show by
having his cowboys, M. A. Withers, Jack Carrol, Tim Johnson, Billy Campbell and two California
Spaniards, show the astonished Chicagoans how they roped the huge animals on the range in western
Kansas. The number of buffalo bulls captured for this enterprise was twenty-four, but they were
able to reach Chicago with only twelve alive and fit for show purposes. The car in which these animals
were shipped to Chicago was lined with planks about three inches thick and buffalos were
loaded into the car from the prairie by means of block and tackle by which, with all feet securely tied
they were dragged up an incline by a rope fastened around their horns. The sides of the car were
covered with broadside of advertisements of the Abilene shipping point.
Page 288--Third paragraph should read: Sargeant Roy might have extended his visit to Lawrence, Kansas, and seen the stuffed remains of the horse, Comanche, the only live thing found on the battlefield of Custer’s last fight on the “Little Big Horn.” A good account is given in Mr. Rainy’s book, page 73, and I hereby copy the following excerpt:
It is a matter of interest to know that this horse was also in the battle of the Washita.
It had been captured in the fall of 1866 on the staked plains of Texas and on request of Captain
Keough it was given to that officer. Comanche proved to be a horse of great endurance and power
and on all hard marches bore the Captain on his back. Captain Keough, of course, perished with the
rest of the command, but Comanche, though badly wounded and nearly famished from thirst, was
found in a gulch some distance from the battlefield, with a jagged arrow in his hip. He was taken
to Fort Lincoln, where he recovered and later taken to Fort Riley, where he died ten years later.
Page 130--A correction is here made to the statement that no more horse stealing expeditions were undertaken by the Pawnee Indians in 1869. One more such horse stealing expedition took place in the fall of that year. As the Indian bureau was then under Quaker influence, these horses (between 30 and 40 head) were returned to the Cheyennes in the Indian territory, going by the way of Fort Harker in July 1870. See statement of Capt. L. H. North in Robert Bruce’s book. Address Nebraska Historical Society, Lincoln, Nebr.
Page 131-359--Not all inhabitants of Colorado sanctioned the massacre of Indians by Major Chivington. Over 150 Indians were killed, of which a large per cent were women and children, it was said the soldiers scalped them and mutilated their bodies and took back to Denver over one hundred scalps which were exhibited in triumph between the acts of a theatrical performance one evening. This was not approved of by many people and and created ill feeling between factions, and the whole affair of Indian trouble was finally investigated by the government. For detail, see Vol. 13, page 71-79, Kansas Historical Collection.
Transcribed and submitted by his Great Grandniece L Ann Bowler
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