Show YEAM of FE TW aff all N V Q 01 z W A i avy itzo COZ J p M 18 ita COUNCIL GROVE OF 7 INDIAN TREATY W by JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN santa po fe trull centen centennial nini eel cel ob ration this fall em the fact that the american southwest Is now nov old enough to Z hove have a past worth while offhand this american southwest Is in about years younger than the american atlantic boust coust of course from another of view the southwest got started considerably sider ably earlier than the atlantic coast it was the coronado expedition of 1540 15 10 42 sent out by viceroy mondoza mendoza of new spain that first explored the country of new mexico and arizona arid and the great plains as far northeast ns as central kansas he nao discovered lie colorado river and the grund grand canyon tucson claims settlement by the spaniards in 1580 santa fe was founded by onate ns its early as 1600 and possibly ten years earlier cartler BL augustine founded in Is probably the he oldest atlantic cast set flety lent jamestown dates from 1607 founded quebec in 1608 the dutch may have got a foothold on manhattan island ns as early corly as 1614 the pilgrims landed on plymouth rock in 1020 and the swedes about the same saine time made a settlement in new jervey jersey so the he american atlantic coast property properly dates from 1007 1607 tho the american southwest may be said property properly to 0 o date from 1800 to be sure st louls louis had been founded in 1708 tut lut the founders were french anti and the spanish were in control until the con of the louisiana I purchase in 1804 the lewis and dark clark expedition of 1804 00 traveled from st louls louis to the mouth of the columbia find and return it was pikes expedition of 1800 that gave americans the first definite Je finite knowledge of new mexico texas and the northern provinces of new spain trade between missouri and new mexico almost immediately sprang up in spate of the hostility f the indian tribes and of the spanish in santa fe purcell an indian trader was taken by pawns to taos a little north of santa fe about 1802 taos was vas the old time market to which the apaches Apa clips took their fur ills his success led william morrison of kaskaskia HI to send a creole lit la lando lande with a consignment of goods la in 1804 ln la lunde lande proved faithless and remained in santa fe mcknight chambers and beard followed pikes route in 1812 they were imprisoned in chi until 1821 A P choteau and julius de munn blunn of st loula louis had worth of furs furg confiscated at santa fe and were imprisoned v with medicos cos winning of her independence pen dence from spain in 1821 2821 santa pes fes attitude toward american trader e was vias reversed that year william becknell of franklin ho mado made a round trip that earned for him the title of father of the santa ft P trull with it pack train lie rented santa fe by way of taos he sold lila his american calicoes cali coes it at 2 and 3 n vura short yard this established the fact that tho the santa fie fe trade was profitable benjamin cooper of le mine river made very profitable trips in 1822 and 1823 in 1824 colonel marmaduke bernard pratte augustus storrs and about eighty other traders joined forces they transported about 30 worth ut of goods over the trackless prairies to the great bend of the arkansas and thence across the dreaded desert directly to santa fe tills caravan used the first wheeled vehicles tile returns were in specie and in furs united states senator thomas S benton of missouri had the vision to see the importance of the santa fe trade and had the influence to secure the passage of an act by congress lr ir 1823 1825 appropriating funds for the survey of a route front from franklin to santa fe the surveyors followed the usual route to the great bend of the arkansas and thence followed the river to taos as the safer way the more during traders however preferred the shorter way across the cimarron Cl marron desert title sixty miles was a Jor tornado nedo del muerto huerto for the unprepared the cimarron Cl marron desert lacked wood and water but its chief bange was from hands bands of nomad indians who had an insatiable desire for horses homes and guns and scalps many were the desperate encounters of the cimarron Cl marron desert the indians might be any one of several tribes the traders did not attempt to dis tinh among them in making booking reprisals fl finally the situation became virtually a war nar of extermination between white man and red bensons bentons Ilen Ben tona tons act of 1825 authorized the appointment of a commis commission slop to treat with the indian regarding safe bate passage for caravans president john quincy adams appointed as an commissioners benjamin H reeves george C sibley rind thomas mn anther aher their first meeting was with celess chiefa of the great and little ganges at an extensive greve grefe of hardwood odd trees where the trail crossed the neosho river ten lays days from the missouri und under er a wide spreading oak tree the usages agreed to give the white man peaceful pa passage esage the consideration was in cash and goods the head dead chiefs signing the treaty were pa huska hus tius ka long hair of the great dosages and oa he ga wa to nogo foolish chief of the latt usages john walker the commissioners guide wrote council grove grov oo on a buffalo hide with a charred stick anaw affixed the skin akin to the council oak biz days latti later the commissions made a similar treaty with the ka anu indians this athla meeting wits ans held rit nt turkey in ili mcpherson county lC bunsas alcansas ansas these treaties les made council grove a safe gathering place for tile unita of a caravan but did not lessen the dangers of the trail beyond at times the indiana of various tribes were so active that the united states government ment sent a miJi military tary escort tills this was done in 1829 1884 1834 and 1843 but our troops might not cross the arkansas american mexican line beyond which the greatest lunger danger lay but nothing could daunt the american pioneer for 85 35 years 1825 1860 the santa fe expedition was an annual event of first importance to st louis after franklin was washed into the missouri the point of departure moved to independence with the advent of regular and re lintle gt steamer entner transportation westport landing kansas city became popular the start was made lo in april over the miles to council grove each party made its own way at council grove a captain and lieutenants were chosen and the force was divided into companies tor for guard duty other trade activities spring up the dent bent brothers and ceran st vrain built posts bents old fort on the arkansas completed in 1832 was the oldest largest and most important of the fur trading posts of the great plains william bent was the first settler bottler of colorado and for long its most important citizen the bents dealt with taos santa fe and tile the northern mexican states for forty years they sent out at least one expedition to st louis from 1830 tor fr many years santa fe was the center of the trading and trapping life of the tha southwest there were organized trading expeditions to chihuahua and sonora and california and trapping expeditions in all directions then came the mexican war in 1840 1843 col stephen W kearny marched from fort leavenworth to santa pe fe and took possession of new mexico then instead of going on into mexico he h turned at alg right ht angles and went on to california which became ours by annexation july 7 of that year it was not until 1840 that the overland stage made tta its appearance on the santa fe trall trail after twenty five years of travel by prairie schooner two stages traveled together for protection against the indians the story of 0 the santa fe trail Is 19 one of pioneer push daring adventure and desperate fighting the largest importance of the santa fe trail Is that it was a tit lit factor in Vrin bringing ging bout about the annexation of texas tb mexican wor war and the conquest of california |