Step back in time on our auditory trail as we unearth the powerful yet overlooked stories of African American cowboys. Through the unyielding dust of cattle drives and the camaraderie of the trail, we pay homage to trailblazers like Bose Ikard, who navigated the complexities of a post-slavery America to etch their names in the annals of frontier history. Immerse yourself in a narrative that melds bravery with the raw beauty of the Wild West, exploring how these cowboys were instrumental in shaping the cattle industry and, in turn, the fabric of the nation.
Experience the gritty reality of the Goodnight-Loving Trail, where the bond between man and the wild was a matter of survival. Listen to the tales of partnership and perseverance as we recount how Ikard and his peers faced down the elements, wrangled broncs with sheer tenacity, and navigated treacherous encounters. Their odyssey through the unforgiving terrain wasn't just about moving herds; it was about laying down the tracks for future generations, proving that courage and friendship could triumph over the racial barriers of their time.
As the sun sets on our episode, we reflect on the rich tapestry left behind by figures Bose Ikard. His legacies are not just inscriptions on headstones or names in dusty tomes; they are vibrant threads in the American story, urging us to recognize and celebrate the multiplicity of our shared heritage. Join us in this tribute to the African American cowboys whose spirit and stories are as enduring as the landscape they once rode across, forever altering our perception of the legendary American West.
Return of the Great Hunters
Cattle Drives Website
Legends of Dodge City Website
Order Books
Step back in time on our auditory trail as we unearth the powerful yet overlooked stories of African American cowboys. Through the unyielding dust of cattle drives and the camaraderie of the trail, we pay homage to trailblazers like Bose Ikard, who navigated the complexities of a post-slavery America to etch their names in the annals of frontier history. Immerse yourself in a narrative that melds bravery with the raw beauty of the Wild West, exploring how these cowboys were instrumental in shaping the cattle industry and, in turn, the fabric of the nation.
Experience the gritty reality of the Goodnight-Loving Trail, where the bond between man and the wild was a matter of survival. Listen to the tales of partnership and perseverance as we recount how Ikard and his peers faced down the elements, wrangled broncs with sheer tenacity, and navigated treacherous encounters. Their odyssey through the unforgiving terrain wasn't just about moving herds; it was about laying down the tracks for future generations, proving that courage and friendship could triumph over the racial barriers of their time.
As the sun sets on our episode, we reflect on the rich tapestry left behind by figures Bose Ikard. His legacies are not just inscriptions on headstones or names in dusty tomes; they are vibrant threads in the American story, urging us to recognize and celebrate the multiplicity of our shared heritage. Join us in this tribute to the African American cowboys whose spirit and stories are as enduring as the landscape they once rode across, forever altering our perception of the legendary American West.
Return of the Great Hunters
Cattle Drives Website
Legends of Dodge City Website
Order Books
The narrative of the American West is rich and complex, yet one aspect that has been overshadowed is the contribution of black American cowboys. These men, the merging post-Civil War, found autonomy and respect. They contrasted starkly with their lives in the South. Their expertise in cattle management and trailblazing roles were indispensable in expanding the cattle industry. Yet their tales remain largely untold. Roughly one-quarter of the 19th century cowboys were black, which surprises many due to the lack of representation in popular culture. The resilience of these cowboys is evident as we recount the various roles they assumed. Beyond herding cattle, they were multilingual trail cooks and entertainers, and sometimes even served as nurses and bodyguards. This episode sheds light on the discriminatory challenges they faced and the respect and camaraderie they earned from their peers on the trail. As we navigate the history of these cowboys, we also pay tribute to the courage and spirit that characterize their lives. No more exciting characters have ever stood out against the horizon of trail life than the daring and hearty African American cowboys of the remarkable Wild West. By reinforcing the central role that black cowboys played in the narrative of the American West, we can celebrate their legacy, which has long been overdue for recognition. This second episode of the history of the African American Cowboy is a testament to the rich tapestry of American history and the diverse characters who shaped it. It is an invitation to look beyond the stereotypes and acknowledge black cowboys' significant contributions to the West's legacy. Through stories of individuals like Boase Ikard we gain a fuller understanding of the past and a new appreciation for the hidden faces that have shaped our collective history. Wild West Podcast and Western Trails Association proudly present the story of Boase Ikard and the Good Night Loving Trail.
Speaker 1:During the 1800s, feeding the expanding northeastern cities became increasingly problematic. With little room to preserve cattle on the Texas plains, the long drive emerged to market cattle in the north After Joseph McCoy established a railhead market in Abilene, kansas. The long drives began in Texas where cattle roamed freely. It has put together large herds of about 2,500 longhorns to escort or drive cattle over 600 miles to the railheads in Kansas. As the quarantine lines began to change over the years due to tick fever, so did the growth of the railroads, which started to expand into the interior parts of the country during the development of industrialization. This expansion created the foundation for a provocation toward an integrated national food market. Due to the overabundance of cattle in Texas, the price was low. Cattle ranchers in Texas found that the cost would increase considerably if drivers could transport the cattle to Kansas or Missouri. The need for higher priced cattle in the north spurred cattle drives on multiple trails, beginning in the 1860s to the 1890s, where groups of 12 to 15 men transported cattle to the railheads. In Kansas it could take 15 men up to three months to move a typical herd of 2,500 head of cattle to the railroads.
Speaker 1:The work of driving cattle was demanding and devodalizing. Those who worked in this industry came to this work for various reasons. As cowboys they discovered a work culture with robust customs and high expectations. The short era of the renowned cattle drives from the end of the Civil War until the late 1880s was where men could rise above their upbringing and education while gaining financial wealth. The work was difficult, challenging and dangerous. It was a time where men could gain not only financial fortunes but also the respect of their peers. These men underwent unbending times in peril, while overlooking differences in ability, bravery and a man's commitment to their outfits. Like the brief flourishing of the trail drives. Many of these men withered into anonymity after their incredible adventures on the trail. Beaus Eckerd was one of these men. According to Bruce M Shackleford.
Speaker 1:What is known is that Beaus Eckerd was born a slave Sometime in June of 1847 in Noxubee County, mississippi. From various legal documents, beaus Eckerd's mother's name was King, a slave owned by Dr Milton Eckerd His father identifies as Eckerd, most likely a name taken from his owner. Some historians believe that Beaus's father was a doctor. Charles Goodnight, a friend of the Eckerds, was of the same belief, stating that in July of 1847 in Mississippi a legitimate son was born to Dr Milton Eckerd, william Susan Eckerd, with less than a month's age difference. W S Eckerd and Beaus Eckerd grew up together, one a legitimate Dr Son, the other a slave. Thus the two boys lived briefly in the Union Parish in Louisiana before Dr Eckerd moved the family and three other slaves arrived in Texas in 1852.
Speaker 1:The slaves brought to Texas with Beaus were one man and two mulatto women. The family first settled near Honey Grove. Several months later Beaus helped Eckerd's wife, isabella Tub, move the family's belongings in five children to their new home in Lamar County and soon afterward to Parker County. In 1852, parker County was populated mainly by people of European and American ancestry and was at the edge of civilization in North Texas. When they arrived, they must have immediately recognized how the broad expanse of prairie rolled off in every direction in undulating billows of grass until the lower edge of the horizon cut it. The area was hostile then, with Comanche and Kiowa Indian raiders who found the surrounding county's fertile grounds for horse-stealing excursions. Altercations between the contentious natives and their settlers occurred with some frequency.
Speaker 1:When the Ickard family arrived in Parker County they took up the primary business of the area, cattle raising. This took place after Dr Ickard sold one of his mulatto women for $1,000 worth of cattle to a neighboring stockman, oliver Loving. Both, as a young slave, grew to adulthood with his owner's family, learning to farm, ranch and fight Indians as a Civil War junior. During the Civil War, ws Ickard served with Mason's Company, texas Cavalry, texas State Troops and Confederate States of America. He was enthralled in many battles that took place hundreds of miles from the Ickards' Parker County home. This left the remaining few men with the matter of fighting off Indian raids and plundering white renegades around North Texas rather than fighting Yankees. After the war the Ickard slaves were free to leave, but according to history the Ickard slaves remained with the family for some time after the end of the Civil War.
Speaker 1:Evidence of the Ickard slaves along with Bose, working cattle for the Ickard family is provided to us by Texas historian Jay Evits Haley, who details an incident that occurred while Bose was assembling cattle in late 1865 or early 1866. After the war, sam Newberry, bose and some other white men worked cattle in Parker County. They had already gathered some cattle and Milton, my brother, was holding them. The other hands were out hunting more cattle and ran onto an Indian trail. It was raining and they took their trail, but on account of the rain they'd lose the trail every little, while Bose would keep on straight for half a mile or so and would strike it again. They followed it about 15 miles and came upon the Indians near Rock Creek Bluff, milton, my brother, bose and Sam Newberry, delbert Doss and another fellow or two were the only ones who could keep up with the Indians. Bose saw they had one of his own horses and yelled oh yes, damn you, you've got my horse. They went on chasing them and Delbert Doss was killed. Doss held the body across the horse for 15 miles back.
Speaker 1:With numerous Indian raids ensuing over the years, bose Ickard had become acquainted with these dangerous encounters, which would have played a role in molding him as a prospective drover, his standing began to grow among other cattle barons in the area. This is evident when he was approached by his neighbor Oliver Loving during the summer of 1866, to join him and other drovers in forming a new cattle trail. Loving's offer was made shortly after he received a letter of recommendation from WS Ickard, who was impressed by Bose's skills as a cattleman. Oliver Loving was a Kentucky farmer who moved with his family to Brazos River Valley in North Central Texas in 1855. He received 640 acres to farm and for a time ran a country store. By 1857 he had acquired 1,000 acres and begun raising cattle. When Bose first went to work for Loving, they had a bronc they were trying to break. All the other cowboys had tried but were hurled to the ground. They were taunting Bose because he was black and asked him if he could break it. He said sure. Ickard got the horse to stop bucking by biting it on its neck. This deed of biting a horse while on a wild ride established him as a top cowboy.
Speaker 1:On the sixth day of June 1866, while herding cattle with Loving, bose joined the legendary cattleman Charles Goodnight. They pointed the herd west to establish what became known as the Goodnight Loving Trail. This would be the beginning of Bose Icker's entry into the history of the cattle industry. The Goodnight Loving Trail was unlike the earlier trails before the Civil War that led to the North. Instead the trail ran from Young County, texas, southwest to Horsehead Crossing on the Pecos River, up to Fort Sumner, new Mexico, and north to Colorado. Goodnight and Loving reasoned that if the cattle market were down he would graze the cattle on good pasture until the market improved. By heading west to Phantom Hill, then southwest through Buffalo Gap, he avoided trouble in the Indian lands in Oklahoma Territory.
Speaker 1:In the early summer of 1866, bose accompanied Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving while herding their first herd of Longhorn cattle over the Butterfield Overland mail route near Fort Belknap through Castle Gap to Horsehead Crossing. The joining of the Goodnight and Loving herds made 2,000 Longhorn cattle to be driven west. From the hardships of this first cattle drive, bose Icker forged a companionship with Charles Goodnight that would last his lifetime. With them on this new trail to the west was the notorious one-armed Bill Wilson who accompanied the 54-year-old Oliver Loving. The rugged trail through the Texas desert made for extreme working conditions for the cattle and the crew. At one point near Castle Gap, east of the Pagos River, the herd went three days without water. The stretch of the trail near Horsehead Crossing gained a reputation among trail drivers and cowboys as the worst stretch of the trail in Texas. Except for cattle, rattlesnakes were about the only living thing the riders observed along the treacherous stretch of the trail. On the first drive, with all of its difficulties, goodnight never made it to Colorado. When the cattle and crew reached Fort Sumner, new Mexico, the US Army was paying a reasonable price for steers to feed the Navajo and Mescalero Apache Indians, interred at Bosque Rondondo, a deal was made for the Goodnight Loving steers and Goodnight left, in all likelihood with Bose at his side, to return the 700 miles home to Texas. Loving continued to Colorado with his stocked cattle, which he sold near Denver.
Speaker 1:The second trip up the trail in 1867 was fraught with more hardships than the first 1866 journey, and it was about this trip that Goodnight later made his first mention of Bose-Hickard. After an encounter with Indians that resulted in an arrow in the neck of one of the cowboys, a terrific storm blew up on Texas plains above the clear fork of the Brazos River. Some of the herd stampeded running around the slowly moving main herd. Substantial winds blew and by one o'clock in the morning all that could be seen through the blackness was electricity shimmering in the horse's ears. Bose-hickard, considered one of the best night riders that ever worked for Goodnight, drifted with the herd through the stormy night. Toward morning the herd began to settle and Goodnight headed to camp to wake the cook At first light. The herd again stampeded, heading straight for the camp.
Speaker 1:Goodnight told the following story to Jay Evits Haley. By this time it was light enough to see. I kept going up the side of the cattle as fast as possible, wondering why Bose had not turned the front. When I had almost caught up with him he looked back and saw me and immediately his horse shot out like lightning and he threw the leaders around. After we got them circled I asked him why he had not turned them sooner. I tell you, sir, answered the cautious Bose. I wasn't certain who had this herd till I saw you. I thought maybe the Indians had him.
Speaker 1:Other encounters with Peril continued to haunt the 1867 trip up the trail. In late July, when they got underway on the Pecos Trail, the Fort Sumner, loving became apprehensive about others beating them to the fort where they had only an oral agreement with one contractor. Loving suggested that he go ahead and beat the competition. Goodnight tried to dissuade him. He told Loving that the risk of Indian attacks was a danger in the area. Loving tells Goodnight he had decided to ride ahead to forego the herd's late arrival some 250 miles south of Fort Sumner. Loving continues to disagree and after much deliberation of the dangers involved, goodnight finally consents to the plan. Loving departs accompanied by the brave and lucid pioneer of the American West, wj One Arm, bill Wilson.
Speaker 1:The following is WJ Wilson's account of how he was asked to accompany Loving on the trip to Fort Sumner. When I returned from this cowhunt, mr Loving asked me to go to Fort Sumner, new Mexico, with him. We had a verbal contract with the people who were feeding the Indians there and we wanted to hold that contract. The distance to Fort Sumner was about 250 miles and we were supposed to travel at night to lay up in the daytime so the Indians would not attack us. The two travel by night for the first few days, but Loving, 55 years old, becomes unwavering by acknowledging business comes first, resolving to cover more ground and thwarting the potential dangers of horse riding during the day.
Speaker 1:The two lone cowboys proceeded by daylight transit into New Mexico and come to the crossroads of the Black River where it flows from the west to join the Pacos. They are, however, on the west side of the Pacos River. After relaxing and refreshing the horses and themselves on the Black River, they moved north to Fort Sumner Late in the afternoon of the third day. A party of Indians is encountered to the west. They reigned their horses to the east for the crude cover bastion of the river and down the steep bank of a bluff. While the band of Indians was charging, wilson and Loving dismounted from their horses and extracted the guns and saddlebags.
Speaker 1:Wj Wilson provides a narrative of the Indian encounter. As we neared this mountain, we discovered several Indians. They saw us about the same time and we knew we were in for trouble. While we reached the river, all right, and I picked out a little mound next to the river where I could see all around me, except one little spot where the Polcat brush had grown about three feet high and that brush obscured my view of the river for a distance of about 100 yards, I told Mr Loving if he would stay down at that little clump of bushes and keep the Indians from crawling up on us from the river. I would keep them off from above. These Indians had increased their numbers until there was over 100 of the Red Rascals. I think they had been hunting south of the river and were going back to their old ground.
Speaker 1:Instantly, at least four of their horses are seized by the Indians. Then, noticing they are outnumbered, they take shelter in a small cut bank cave at the bluff side, just off the river s edge. Wilson quickly shoots one or two Indians. After a short volley of fire from their concealment, the two cowboys, while downing a few Indians, detect a lull in the skirmish. Loving and Wilson look out from the cave and glimpse the western plains parley. Sign To Loving's relief of detecting some peace between the warring factions, he stands up and reveals himself.
Speaker 1:A shot rings out from the unnoticed Indian concealed from above the bluff. The bullet tears through Loving's left wrist, breaking the bone and blowing a large hole into his left side. The two duck back under cover to take refuge in their little fort where they anticipate a frontal attack from the band of Indians before them. With Loving wounded, the Indians directly endeavor to wriggle through the grass with lances at hand. As they both withdraw deeper into the confines of the cove, wilson upsets a rattlesnake and decides to retreat. Still, as fate would have it, the snake crawls toward Loving and Wilson and passes within several feet of them, both men remaining dormant. The snake eventually passes for the good of everyone, including the snake. Loving is fearful that the wound on his side is fatal and in reality expands to a very high fever.
Speaker 1:The day progresses until the afternoon and the first indications of panic arrive. Loving feels an affliction from his side wound. They both feel the yearning to run and escape. The panic grows stronger into the evening as Wilson's faculty is given way to emotions. Wilson, from Loving's condition worsening, springs up with bravery and decides to leave the confines of their makeshift stronghold. To treat Loving In the dark of night, wilson creeps to the river filling his boots with water and returns to cleanse Loving's face and bathe him. After much dispute, loving persuades Wilson to try to escape during the second night and, if possible, make his way to the trail and intercept good night. It takes considerable persuasion for Wilson to leave Loving, but the boss succeeds. Wilson removes most, if not all, of his clothes and tries to swim with the rifle. Wilson advances in floating down the river a considerable distance away from the scene of the danger of from the Indians. It becomes challenging for him to swim with his good arm and the remains of an arm earlier in life partially amputated. At one point he decides that he must dispose of the rifle and he positions his muzzle down into the bed of the Pagos River with his butt slightly under the surface.
Speaker 1:In the book Trail Drivers of Texas, wj Wilson writes the following narrative of his swim down the river after leaving Loving, leaving with him all of my pistols and my rifle, I took his gun and, with a hand clasp, told him goodbye and started to the river. The river was quite sandy and difficult to swim in, so I had to pull off all my clothes except my hat, shirts and breeches. The gun nearly drowned me and I decided to get along without it, so I got out and leaned it up against the bank of the river under the water, where the Indians would not find it. Then I went down the river about a hundred yards and saw an Indian sitting on his horse out of the river with the water almost over the horse's back. He was sitting there splashing the water with his foot just playing. I got under some smartweeds and drifted by until I got far enough below the Indian where I could get out.
Speaker 1:Wilson's Escape to Safety is a miraculous story of the American West. On his escape trip he finds a teepee pole to aid in walking. William Hagen tells us in his book entitled Charles Goodnight that for three days the barefoot Wilson was reminded that everything in that country has stickers on it. On the last night of this painful journey, wolves followed him. They would awaken him whenever he attempted to rest, snapping and snarling. When he reached there out, the herd must follow. He found a sort of cave and waited until Goodnight and the Cowboys came, with inhaling distance of the grotesque figure he presented, starved, sunburned and barefooted.
Speaker 1:It takes water and food to get Wilson far enough in recovery to make sense of his description of the fight and escape. But Goodnight is soon able to get the details in a location description. Wilson is laced in one of the wagons to speed his recovery and Goodnight and several Cowboys make their way to the fight scene. The Indians are gone and loving is nowhere to be discovered. Following Wilson's betrayal of his getaway through the river, goodnight can retrieve some of their clothes, his pocketknife and Loving's Henry rifle.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile Loving's fever had subsided and it appears that the wound in his side is not as mortal as he initially thought and he makes his way to the river during the cover of darkness of the Fourth Night. He later remarks that possibly the Indians had departed the scene, having become impatient, as they were known to be, or have thought they had killed both occupants of the little cave fort. For several days he travels, leaving his forearm broken and nothing to eat. But he successfully assembles a fire late one afternoon, roasts his leather gloves and chews them for the remaining juices. He makes it an acceptable distance to cross a trail, encounters a group of Mexican farmers and agrees to pay them several hundred dollars if they transport him to Fort Sumner. He arrives and the army immediately begins healing his wounds. The older chief surgeon of the army is away on medical business in Las Vegas and the youngest, post-surgeon, manages Mr Loving's wounds as best as he can. The wound on his side is mending, but the bullet wound in his broken left forearm has begun to cause blood poisoning. The broken bones are set but Loving's infection continues to worsen. Several days later Mr Goodnight and several cowboys arrive ahead of the herd, compelling, solid assertions are made to the young surgeon to attempt amputation to save Loving's life. Finally persuaded, he performs the amputation With this condition failing. Loving acknowledges he is dying and Goodnight knows it. The two men strike an oral understanding for the partnership to be continued after his death until all obligations can be paid in full and Goodnight keeps his agreement for the following two years. On September 25, 1867, oliver Loving passed. In February of 1868, loving's body was exhumed from a Fort Sumner grave and transported the 700 miles back to Weatherford, texas, for conclusive burial Records are unclear but Beausickard is thought to have been among the cowboys that accompanied Loving's body home.
Speaker 1:1869 was the final year of the Goodnight Loving trail for Beausickard. On the trail he excelled as a bronc rider and knight-herder and when needed he cooked meals for the crew. Goodnight returned to the ranch in Colorado, advising Beausick to stay in Weatherford and farm. Beausick desired to return with Goodnight to Colorado but ethnicity finally intervened in the relationship. Most say the sparse black population in the Rocky Mountain area led Goodnight to advise Beausick against resettling in Colorado. Beausickard followed Goodnight's advice and took up farming in Parker County.
Speaker 1:In later years Goodnight would remember his ally on the trail. There was a dignity, a cleanliness and a reliability about him that was wonderful. His behavior was very good in a fight and he was probably the most devoted man to me that I ever had. I have trusted him farther than any living man. He was my detective, banker and everything else in Colorado, new Mexico and the other wild country I was in. We went through some terrible trials during those four years on the trail. While I had a good constitution and endurance, after being in the saddle for several days and nights at a time on various occasions and finding I could stand it no longer, I would ask Beausick if he would take my place, and he never failed to answer me in the most cheerful and willing manner and was the most skilled and trustworthy man I had.
Speaker 1:In 1869, beausickard participated in a running battle with Quanoparker's Comanche's Band, fighting along his former master Milton Nickard. Beaus married Angelina in 1869 or 1870, and they had 15 children. In his later years Beaus attended several cowboy reunions. Good night visited him in Weatherford whenever the opportunity arose and gave him presents of money. Beausickard died in Austin on January 4, 1929. After his burial in Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford, Goodnight brought a grand marker and wrote an epitaph for his old friend Most Ickard served with me four years on the Goodnight Loving Trail, never shirked a duty or disobeyed an order Road with me and many stampedes, participated in three engagements with Comanches Splendid behavior. If the words on the grave marker sound expected, it was because almost word for word with what Captain McCall says about the death of Joshua Dietz.
Speaker 1:It is clear that the character of Joshua Dietz, played so well by Danny Glover and Lonesome Dove, was based on the real Bose Ickard. This tale of the cowboy would only be complete by considering the prominent presence of African Americans on the long drives In cowboy crews in Cattletowns. Black cowboys found themselves in admitting communities that esteemed skill over race. Recently, there has been an inspiration to reclaim and unveil the legacy of black cowboys within the American West. These efforts to reclaim an American lineage and diversify an American icon may help reveal that American history has always been and will always be multiracial. These stories about Nat Love and Bose Ickard placed the grandness of the West in a more expansive cultural arena. As the West was resolved and formed, the exploits of these individuals became folklore and stunning stories about them were passed down to many a campfire. Over time, though, these legends have been overlooked. Now is the juncture to recall again the contributions of these vigilant and courageous African Americans. Nat Love was indeed an American hero, right along with Bose Ickard.
Speaker 1:We hope you enjoy these stories, mike, and I hope these stories will make you ask more questions about what transpired during the proliferation of the West and what influential roles other African Americans played. That's it for now. Remember to check out our Wild West podcast shows on iTunes or WildWestPodcastBusBrowncom. You can also catch us on Facebook at Facebookcom slash Wild West podcast or on our YouTube channel at Wild West podcast Mike King YouTube. So make sure you subscribe to our shows listed at the end of the description text of this podcast to receive notifications on all new episodes. Thanks for listening to our podcast and make sure you check out the Western Cattle Trail Association website at westerncattletrailassociationcom. If you have any comments or want to add to our series, please write us at wildwestpodcastgmailcom. We will share your thoughts as they apply to future episodes. Join us next time as we dig deeper into the history of the Caltowns.
Speaker 2:I ride in old paint, I lead in old ant. I'm off for Montana for to throw the hula hand. They feed in the coolies, they water in the draw. The tails are all maddened and their backs are all raw. Ride around little loogie. Ride around real slow, fiery and snuffy or rare in to go. Goodbye old paint, I'm leaving shy. And Goodbye old paint, I'm off for Montana. My foot's been the stirrup, my pony won't stand. Goodbye old paint, I'm leaving shy and.