The following story is based on Volume VII of the Kansas Historical Society 1926 - 1928 collections edited by William Elsey Connelley on the Life of George W. Brown. Prepare to traverse the annals of history as we follow young Jack Stilwell, a 17-year-old scout, through the violent clashes of the Central Plains Indian Wars. Strap in as we chase down war parties with Colonel George A Forsyth and his band of Hardy Frontiersmen, crossing borders and battlefields in a thrilling rollercoaster of historical storytelling.
In part one of the Battle of Beecher Island, George Hoodoo Brown arrived in Hays City on September 29, 1868. George enters a saloon where he meets Jack Stilwell, an army scout at the Battle of Beecher Island. Over a few drinks at the bar, Stilwell describes how he and 50 other scouts participated in a special mission out of Fort Harker. The mission was under the command of Major Forsyth, who received information that Indians had attacked a freighter's train thirteen miles east of Fort Wallace, near the railhead of the Kansas Pacific Railroad. The mission was to counter the Indian attack by trailing and punishing the raiding Party.
In our exploration, we'll also shed light on the grim realities that defined the Kansas expansion, guided by our guest, history enthusiast Michael King. His expert insights into the Indian Depredation claims give a fresh perspective on the settlers' experience. The tales of Jack Stilwell take us through numerous conflicts, heroic encounters, and pivotal moments, such as the Battle of Beecher Island and the Solomon's Fork Battle. This journey will offer an in-depth understanding of the Trials, Forts, Treaties, and Indian Wars that shaped this era. Buckle up for a riveting historical adventure!
Return of the Great Hunters
Cattle Drives Website
Legends of Dodge City Website
Order Books
The following story is based on Volume VII of the Kansas Historical Society 1926 - 1928 collections edited by William Elsey Connelley on the Life of George W. Brown. Prepare to traverse the annals of history as we follow young Jack Stilwell, a 17-year-old scout, through the violent clashes of the Central Plains Indian Wars. Strap in as we chase down war parties with Colonel George A Forsyth and his band of Hardy Frontiersmen, crossing borders and battlefields in a thrilling rollercoaster of historical storytelling.
In part one of the Battle of Beecher Island, George Hoodoo Brown arrived in Hays City on September 29, 1868. George enters a saloon where he meets Jack Stilwell, an army scout at the Battle of Beecher Island. Over a few drinks at the bar, Stilwell describes how he and 50 other scouts participated in a special mission out of Fort Harker. The mission was under the command of Major Forsyth, who received information that Indians had attacked a freighter's train thirteen miles east of Fort Wallace, near the railhead of the Kansas Pacific Railroad. The mission was to counter the Indian attack by trailing and punishing the raiding Party.
In our exploration, we'll also shed light on the grim realities that defined the Kansas expansion, guided by our guest, history enthusiast Michael King. His expert insights into the Indian Depredation claims give a fresh perspective on the settlers' experience. The tales of Jack Stilwell take us through numerous conflicts, heroic encounters, and pivotal moments, such as the Battle of Beecher Island and the Solomon's Fork Battle. This journey will offer an in-depth understanding of the Trials, Forts, Treaties, and Indian Wars that shaped this era. Buckle up for a riveting historical adventure!
Return of the Great Hunters
Cattle Drives Website
Legends of Dodge City Website
Order Books
Wild West Podcast proudly presents Battle of Beecher Island. In the spring and summer of 1868, the southern plains ran red with blood, from the Platte to the Rio Grande, from Council Grove to Denver. The Indians went to war Operating in small bands of 50 to 100 warriors. They swept through the inadequate frontier defense system and spread death and destruction over the land. Comanches and kiosks raided in Texas and New Mexico. Cheyennes and Arapahos struck in Kansas and Colorado. Knowing every waterhole in this arid region, traveling lightly and swiftly from place to place, living off the land, the Indians appeared out of nowhere to pillage and burn and rape and kill, then disappeared with the same enthusiasm when Sheridan's supply laden troopers attended to follow the war parties, the Indians dispersed in all directions, reuniting again at some pre-arranged meeting place a hundred miles distant During the raiding season. With his small and scattered army, sheridan could not hope to cope with the Indians offensively. So he set up an elastic defense. A screen of garrisoned military posts protected the frontier settlements. Mobile cavalry columns moved beyond the forts, attempting to intercept the Indians. This defensive policy was only partially successful. Major George A Forsythes Stand at Beecher's Island on the Ericarii in northeastern Colorado dealt the Indians a heavy blow. Major EA Carr's expedition in the Republican River Country put a flight to a large band of marauding Cheyennes, doubtless saving the frontier settlements from their attention. But despite these and other limited successes, reports from the frontier were discouraging.
Speaker 1:I arrived at Hayes City on September 28, 1868. Like all other towns on the frontier, hayes City was largely composed of roughs. Yet it was full of life. The town was prospering, especially after the railroad arrived. Hayes City had two hotels the Gibbs House and the second built by a man named Boggs. The town had become the central point from which the west and southwest obtained supplies before the Santa Fe Railroad was completed to Dodge City.
Speaker 1:That evening I walked past the Moses and Bloomfield General Store into a newly established frame structure saloon. At this saloon I climbed up on the barstool and sat right next to Jack Stillwell. His real name was Simpson Everett Stillwell. The young Stillwell, 17 at the time, was known as Jack. I was glad to make his acquaintance as I found him to be a man of good principle and a boon companion.
Speaker 1:Jack had become acquainted with the so-called Cimarron Cut-Off of the Santa Fe Trail. Working wagons and hunting buffalo on the southern plains, he made his living on the outer edge of civilization inside what was then the most dangerous territory America had left to offer. Through our growing friendship, he soon disclosed a personal interest. First inquiring where I was working, I told him my life story up to that day. After I had finished, he earnestly asked why not go along with me and be a scout? I can get you a job. Jack said he had been a scout for the Army after joining up. On August 24th of that same year, he told me he had been doing some scouting out of Fort Dodge when Sheridan issued orders for the creation of a special operations unit composed of seasoned scouts. It was at this point in his story that I became interested in becoming a scout myself.
Speaker 1:I leaned over the bar and reached for the half full bottle of whiskey. The night was still young and I poured another shot into our glasses. Well, how'd you get into the scouting business, I asked. Jack raised his shot glass in appreciation for my kindness, as if to toast his next statement to me, a colonel by the name of George A Forsythe was looking for 50 first class Hardy Frontiersmen, each with an intimate knowledge of the Kansas Frontier, to be used as scouts against the hostile Indians. He said.
Speaker 1:Life who was called Sandy, was a colonel on the staff of General Sheridan. Along with him was Lieutenant Beecher, forsythe's aide. Dr John S Moores of Kansas City, a surgeon in the Civil War, was our medical officer and W H H McCall was the first sergeant. Sharp Grover was hired on as our guide, along with Tradell, dick Parr and myself as scouts. He rounded up 30 men at Fort Harker and then Fort Hayes, where he rustled up another 20. Forsythe had assembled the entire troop within a matter of days. I was one of the 20 Forsythe found at Fort Hayes, despite my age, forsythe told me that I possessed precisely the kind of knowledge and skill Sheridan was looking for. We were all Frontiersmen who gladly railed to fight for ranch and town.
Speaker 1:Jack swigged down his drink with one gulp, looked over to me with a glimmer in his eye and began reminiscing to his first adventure. As a scout. Jack said, five days after I was recruited, sheridan dispatched a special operations unit of scouts to Fort Wallace in far western Kansas, about 25 miles from the Colorado border. On September 10th, forsythe and our unit of scouts left Fort Wallace to pursue a war party that had recently attacked a wagon train killing two Mexican Teamsters near the town of Sheridan, kansas, where the Kansas-specific tracks came to an end. Even though we were a small force and few in numbers, every man in our outfit was a skilled marksman. We were well armed with Spencer and Henry repeating rifles and had much ammunition. Our mission was to deal with the Indians who had been conducting raids on the Kansas-specific railroad and the Smoky Hill stage route to Denver. I think I know this place. I said, isn't that near the Eric R E Fork of the Republican River, just across the Colorado border? Yes, you're exactly right, said Jack with excitement in his voice. He poured himself another shot of whiskey and emptied it as soon as the liquid hit the top of his glass.
Speaker 1:We were camped in a little bottom of land on the morning of September 17th, opposite an island. Forsythe had posted centuries around our campsite. While he and I walked the perimeters, he gave orders not only to hobble the horses but directed that every scout be especially careful to see that his horse's lariat was perfectly knotted. During our walk through the camp, forsythe inspected the picket pin to see that it was firmly driven into the ground. This preparation made our unit ready in case of an attack. The order given to us was for each man to seize his horse's lariat as soon as he grasped his rifle and to stand by his horse to prevent a stampede. It must have been cold that evening. I said yes. Jack replied. Although we kept our campfires low this time of year, in western Kansas and Colorado the September days are generally hot, the nights are at times decidedly cool. Jack leaned back in his chair, paused and asked the bartender to bring us a bottle. Jack turned and looked me directly in the eyes while continuing his story.
Speaker 1:At early dawn, general Forsythe and I were standing near one of the outposts, explain Jack. He was closely scanning the skyline between ourselves and the rising ground to our right which lay furthest up the stream. That's when I suddenly caught sight of an object moving stealthily between us and the horizon. At the same moment the Forsythe saw it, we simultaneously cocked our rifles and stood alert, with strained in eyes and listening ears. An instant later, the soft thud of unshotted horses hooves upon the turf came to our ears and, peering just above the crest of the rising ground between us and the horizon, we caught sight of waving feathers crowning the scalp locks of three mounted warriors. Did you shoot him? I asked. How many were there? Now, hold on, george Brown. Jack replied You're getting ahead of my story.
Speaker 1:Jack sat straight up in his chair and stared directly into my eyes. Nothing surprised us more, continued Jack. Those few Indians caused us quite the startle, resulting in the sharp crack of our rifles. It was then that I cried out Indians, a Forsythe. And I ran backwards towards our camp. We fired as we ran, and a group of mounted warriors. The warriors instantly surmounted the hill, where they'd paused for a few seconds, evidently for reinforcements. Then they broke into a gallop and came rushing down on our camp, shouting and beating Indian drums and rattling dried hides in an endeavor to stampede our horses. I looked in our camp direction and witnessed every man in our unit standing with his horses' lariat wrapped around their left arms. All were ready for a shot at the stampede and party as they bore down upon us. A scattering volley from our scouts dropped one of their numbers from his saddle and they sheared off, carrying with them two of our four mules and two horses that had not been securely picketed. Our ready troops had warded off the attempt to stampede our horses by this time in Jack's story.
Speaker 1:My eyes grew weary, my head was wandered around the room in circles. Hey, jack, I need to get off this bar stool and find a stable chair to sit in and table to lean my elbows on. Let's move over there, I said, pointing to an open table across the room. I grabbed the glasses and Jack grabbed another full bottle of whiskey. The first bottle was drunk down to the bottom corners of the bottle. We maneuvered across the room like two old sea captains coming off a long voyage. It was with weak legs. We stumbled to the far end of the saloon, bumping into every customer along the way. When we reached our table, I laughed and sighed with relief as one customer yelled out to Jack You're gonna have to pay me for another drink, buddy, or I'm gonna skin you alive. Jack waved the man over, filled his glass from the bottle he carried over from the bar to our table. Hey, aren't you? Jack's still well? The man asked yes, I am, replied Jack, with a smile.
Speaker 1:I'm about to tell the second part of my story, the story about Beecher's Island. You wanna join us? Sure, he said. The three of us settled into the chairs behind his circular table in the dark corner of the room. Now where were we? Questioned Jack, you were telling me about those Indians trying to get your horses and how the scouts repealed the attack. I replied that's right, exclaimed Jack. We moved an almost solid front to the little island. While we led our horses, a few of our best shots under Beecher, grover and McCall kept up a rapid and steady fire from our flanks to cover our movement. This cover and fire seemed for a few moments to puzzle the Indians. I looked over to the east, down the stream, and the Indians had left the way open for us to escape. But four sides chose to dig in In haste. A few of our scouts to get to the island left behind the remaining pack mules. These mules carried a few leftover rations, including 40 pounds of bacon, plus a pannier of medical supplies.
Speaker 1:Forsyth must have known enough of Indian craft to be certain that the little gourd just around the bend of the stream would be lined with warriors. I stated yes, replied Jack. He knew that once established on the island, there was no direction from which the Indians could take us unaware during daylight. Once we reached the island, we threw ourselves on the ground and entrenched as rapidly as possible, working together in twos. Each man protected each other as we alternately threw up earth to give cover. That was a good move for Forsyth to not retreat down the river, I said. Your entire unit would have been lost.
Speaker 1:So once you were dug in on the island, what happened next, I asked? I can say that Forsyth's plan to occupy the island messed up. The Indians' plan of attack, responded Jack. Scarcely were our horses tied in a circle. When the men threw themselves on the ground, we began firing from beneath the animals. It was at this time when suddenly seemed to dawn upon the savages that they had been out generaled. As we started towards the island, the attack in Indian signaled their comrades on the opposite bank. They fully expected that we would cross the stream. Now they saw their error and realized too late. The mistake they had made in not occupying the island themselves Must have made those Indians mad as hell. I exclaimed yes, laugh, jack. They were apparently infuriated at their blunder.
Speaker 1:The Indians were so infuriated by our move to defend the island that they made a desperate onslaught upon us, replied Jack. Their chiefs rode rapidly around just outside a rifle range, impetuously earning their dismounted warriors to close in upon us on all sides. Many of the mounted Indians sprang from their horses and ran forward lining both banks of the river. The unmounted Indians hid amongst the reeds in long grass while pouring a steady volley of fire upon us. A few of our men had been hit, one killed and several more badly wounded. Our horses were being shot down on all sides. The poor animals plunged in rear at their tethers and added their cries to the wild shouts of the savages. There was a steady crack of the rifles on every side. I was perplexed by the thought of the horses being shot. They shot the horses, I exclaimed. How in the world would you be able to escape? Jack took a breath and continued. Well, after the Indian shot some of our horses and took our pack mules, we used the downed horses for protective cover. It was during the first Indian charge.
Speaker 1:We heard Forsyth yell orders at us. The orders came at the height of this crisis. One of the men shouted Don't just stay here and be shot down like dogs. Will any man try for the opposite bank with me? I will, answered someone from the opposite side of the circle. Stay where you are, men. It's our only chance, shouted Forsyth as he pointed his revolver while he stood in the center of the command. I'll shoot down any man who attempts to leave the island, and so will, I, shouted McCall, you idle-headed fools, have you no sense? Called out Beecher, whose ever shot was carefully and coolly aimed, as though he was shooting at a target? Steady men. Steady now, aim low. Don't throw away a shot, yelled Chauncey Whitney. Sit down to your work, men. Don't shoot unless you have something to hit. Don't throw away your ammunition, for our lives may depend on how we husband it. Just then he paused from his story. He sat back in his chair and smiled back at me. His eyes were lazy, almost as if he was going under from too much drink here in.
Speaker 1:Jack tell about the Indian attack caused a trundle of thought through my brain, like a through train with hopes. He had no intention of stopping as I listened intently, wondering if maybe this might be the end of Jack's story, leaving me the one idea he was not sober enough to continue. I'm at the end of this bottle, said Jack. I'm not sure if I can continue. You must, I replied. I need to know how you escaped and how your surrounded units survived the attack. I reached over, grabbed the whiskey bottle and poured the remaining liquor into Jack's glass. The sight of the whiskey had calmed Jack. He took the glass in his hand and drank rapidly, his head thrown back and his Adam's apple running like a small animal beneath the gray fur of his throat. When he finished the drink, he hunched himself back in his chair and spoke his tale. End of Part One.
Speaker 1:Trails, forts, treaties and Indian wars offers quintessential depictions of the early Kansas Trails from historical accounts and individual experiences.
Speaker 1:The author describes what it was like to travel along the Santa Fe Trail as a bullwacker, indian fighter and freighter.
Speaker 1:The book is complete with ten chapters providing accounts of the early Cheyenne Indian culture and Kansas westward expansion, from the earliest conflicts to establishing military forts along the trails. This book features legendary figures from both sides, including Roman Nose and Jack Stilwell at the Battle of Beecher Island and Private Peck and First Lieutenant JEB Stewart in the Solomon's Fork battle. The essays and short stories are formatted in chronological history, originating in 1857 and ending in 1868, covering the inception of the Central Plains Indian Wars during the Kansas expansion. Michael King relies on primary Kansas Historical Society reference documents to reveal the Indian depredation claims, giving the reader a more extensive understanding of the horrors of Indian incursions, especially when experienced by new settlers to the region. Trails, forts, treaties and Indian wars is based on true accounts in early Kansas history. The book is narrated by Brad Smalley and you can play the audio version of the book by scanning the QR code below each chapter. Trails, forts, treaties and Indian wars is now on sale at Amazoncom.