Show AT rord near tho town of in gray county kau as abo cara pass swiftly westward tho from his plate glass window may look upon the locality of alie buco famous ford of the arkansas river known as the cimarron crossing the two routes to santa fe hero diverged that by ho way of bo crossing waa over the band dehart EO called in tho days of the commerce of the prairies which was relatively do void of water in the times tho osen would frequently drop dead in their yokes from the terrible torture cf thirst the arkansas at the ford ishido and generally but a few inches in depth it was therefore an excellent place to make the passage of the stream the other trail to santa fe followed the arkansas river to bents fort it crossed a spur of ho bocky mountains a much longer but safer journey for the caravans for there was of course always au abundance of water the grass generally good besides some timber existed iu spots on the banks of the fc tream tho boundary line between he united states and new mexico ran north and south through the arkansas river at tho cimarron crossing and that point the american troops changed places with the mexican ahe former returning eastwardly cast in escorting the caravans whilo tho latter made their way back through mexican territory to santa fo cimarron crossing crossi cg was a famous spot for attacks by the indians on alio freight caravans the government trains the overland stage or any outfit passing along aba old santa fe trail in he long ago before the railroad was regarded as a possibility even one of the most unequal iu point of numbers and fierceness of he numerous attacks occurred in the spring of 1805 in which several prominent kansana kansans were participants major rodney smith paymaster united states army who was on one of his periodical trips to pay the troops at ho Siev cral military posts in the department of the missouri that were located on tho arkansas river at the date specified above tho notorious satanta Sa tanta war chief of the kio was and above n thousand ot his blood thuisty followers at cimadon holding his own against anch fearful odds until lis brave little party were rescued by a detachment of cavalry hurriedly sent to his relief ou tho second day of the fight the gallant baud of men who did such remarkable work in defending themselves against the horde of tho worst savage cutthroats cut throats on the plains at that time was composed of the paymaster who was the ranking officer and in command major A P shaw now in topeka john E jones bow in oklahoma jack angle ed doyle tom smith and a small escott of enlisted men of the fifth united states infantry which had been furnished at old fort lyon the last poat in the upper Ai kansas valley having completed his duties at fort i lyon major smith with his compan ions escort and strong box left there oa wednesday morning immediately after a very early breakfast intending to mako fort dodge tho next post on his route chero alie troops acro to bo paid when the party who were in excellent spirits had traveled about 80 miles along tho broad old trail a trapper well known to tho major hailed him and informed him that the were out on tho war pith headed by that incarnate fiend satanta Sa tanta their war chief and advised him to keep a good lookout for an ambuscade or a direct attack aiom the old he devil ho told the major further thui the savages a large band of them had congregated in the sand hills south of the arkansas near cimarron crossing and acro watching for a favorable opportunity to pounce upon some freight caravan government rain the overland coach or any outfit that promised pro mired them plunder and a few scalps tho paymasters little command camped that night under the high bluffs bordering sand creek putting out double guards and exercising every precaution to prevent a surprise but there was i no of any character excepting the usual hideous concert of howling wolves not an indian was seen bor hoard bor were any signs discovered by tho scouts indicating that they had been prowling around tho next morning the journey was resumed every ono bow especially vigilant for tho arst appearance of a savage but everything went along smoothly until they were within a few miles of cimarron crossing of the advance guard who was mounted on a magnificent american horse and who had ridden a few miles farther ahead on the trail came dashing back and 10 ported to major smith that an immense number of indiana nagged out in all their war paraphernalia acro right on the bank of alie and evidently proposed to the command from proceeding any farther ho taid that they had their guns their robes off their lances were poised their bows strung and they were prancing about on their ponies certainly getting ready for a fight upon this intelligence the major closed up his small column and sending his scouts on kept all his force ou tho alert iu momentary expectation of hearing the wild ringing war whoop of the bloodthirsty echo over tho prairie tho savages did not mako their then and tho now little command at arruti crossing long dark going into c imp at be usual spot tho hid ambulances corralled anil every preparation inacia for tho d charge of tho indians tho ottlo outfit was well armed the majority of its with eliat most weapon the martini henry diflo aud equal to tho offer of battle it cobio from even a hundred timed their of dirty savages immediately after ho camp had been established and all was in to civo balanta and lis innumerable scalp hunters a warm reception a couple of were sent out to mako a mccon coif sanco of the condition of affairs in fiant they returned in about an hour having made their way to within a few hundred yards of tho gathering savages they discovered them concentrated in tho sand hills on the south side of ho arkansas numbering more than 1000 warriors according to their best judgment and were evidently aware of alo proximity of tho paymaster and his escort for they aa tho cavalryman had before reported were going through their savage tactics usually preparatory to an attack major smith gave positive orders for no ono to alro a shot at the indians until they committed tho overt act by commencing lie attack ono of abo ridiculous provisions of the so called peace policy inaugurated at washington by the humanitarians in congress was that no officer or enlisted man of the regular army under any circumstance was to shoot at an indian unless the lavago himself commenced hostilities under the penalty of punishment by court martial it is safe topie sume however that the order was better observed in the breach than in its performance for no one was quite fool enough to permit an indian to get tho drop on him not on the plains or in the mountains at least all stood ready however with rifles at a carry to repel the first demonstration of hostile intent they did not have kuwait long with a bloodcurdling yell satanta Sa tanta at the head of his warrior charged furiously on he little camp thinking no dolbt they could rido over it like a herd of buffalo tumbling over a bluff they had a very poor conception however of the of the few determined men icho stood behind that cordon of half a dozen men who were familiar with all their devilish tactics who had encountered the noble more than once on his own heath down aliey came riding like the tornado making the usually quiet spot resound with their unearthly yells cueli yells as only tho plains indian can give to baug bang went their guns aliz z zt lowered alio aarons around the camp one of which stuck right through the lop of the majors ambulance bu lance but their efforts were in vain I 1 they could not malo tewo men waver all of whom had paced eventful lives on the plains and were perfectly at homo to puch warlike demon sti aliens on tho part of poor lo 10 now came the moment for them to act the major gave il e word ai d clearly as ono discharge rang out oin 0 evening air the repeating rifles of ie besieged so effective was tho that the savages as quickly as they ever did in their whole lives threw themselves on the offside of their ponies and scattered mighty lively for the friendly shelter of tho sand dunes out of the reach of the unerring lulls from the magnificent weapons of tho victorious little party it vua give and take tho paymasters handful of men holding tho vicious horde of Sat antas warriors nt bay after repeated charges until ha nest morn 1 ing major smith had dispatched ono of bis trusty to fort dodge to inform the commander of that post of tho situation of affairs at cimarron crossing and requesting aid immediately A company of the unions seventh cavalry austers ousters Ou regiment was ordered out at once and by a forced march leaving the garrison at midnight arrived at the at out the indians having tha slightest idea of their coming the litter full of brilliant hopes were just making ready for one of daybreak charges hat hour in they love well to commit their devilish deeds but as they were in tho act of crawling stealthily toward the watchful little camp some of ners saw the cavalry approaching and the whole band of i adages fled afraid to attack the boys choso whoso flashing fabors had done such effective work among them on more than one occasion so ho besieged party were relieved from their embarras icing situation there is no doubt that if it had not been for tho opportune arrival of the troops tho paymaster and his escort together with his strong bos would leave fallen a prey to such an overwhelming wh elming force of savages their ammunition would havo become exhausted the indians would have continued to annoy them and they would have been obliged to succumb not one left to ell the story of their capture and terrible death by the most refined torture tor tuie kansas city times poor Ill hanl 1 in december of the year says Bige lows life of franklin franklin commenced tho publication of what he styled Poor Almann ck price it attained an astonishing and nt tarco editions were sold within tho month of ais the average suu for 25 years was a yc tr ha was honie times obliged to put in october to pet 11 supply of copies to tho ro moto by tho beginning of tho year it translated into nearly it not quite every language and several different translations of it have been made into the french and tho german it contains somo of the best fun as well as the wisest counsel that ever emanated from his pen |