The Most Common Dangers of Cattle Drives

Last month, I told you all about the western cattle drive, from the trails they took to the jobs on the trail. This month, we’re talking about the dangers the young men faced on the drives—and believe me, there were plenty!

Cowboy on Horseback

Riding Accidents

As I’m sure you can imagine, when one lives life on horseback, the potential for accidents is great. Taking a tumble from a horse can leave one with minor scrapes and bruises, more serious broken bones and major cuts, or it can even be deadly. If you’ve watched western movies, you’ve likely seen the old trope of someone falling from his saddle with a foot stuck in the stirrup. Unfortunately for many men, this wasn’t just a trick of the movies to add drama. It was a true hazard of saddle tramps everywhere. To have a foot caught in the stirrup and be dragged by a horse very well could lead to death. Or, if a man fell in the midst of the herd, particularly when the cattle were restless, that could lead to a trampling. I would venture to guess this was, in large part, why the least experienced riders tended to be given duty riding drag (at the back of the herd).

Nature

Of course, another huge threat to the safety of a cattle drive was nature itself. Imagine living your life for months at a time with no structure in which to take shelter. They slept under the stars, rode through rainstorms, and took shelter under their saddles if it began to hail. Should lightning strike, the men would do their best to find cover—but on the open prairie, there wasn’t much. So in those cases, they’d shuck their pistols (which could act as a lightning rod) and lie as low as possible until it passed.

River Crossings

I’m sure you can imagine the peril in trying to get several thousand head of cattle from one side of a deep river to the other. They would have to find the best spot to cross, taking into account the water’s depth, current’s speed, how steep the banks were, and how swollen from rain or snowmelt. Once a suitable crossing was found, the men of the cattle drive would have to lead the cattle into the water, watch to be sure none were swept downstream in the current, and pray they could find solid footing on the bank on the far side to get out of the river again. When cattle did get caught in the current and swept away, someone had to ride along the banks for the river to find the animal, hoping it made it out alive.

If the rivers were swollen, they might choose to delay the crossing until the water levels reached a less-threatening level, but this also presented its difficulties. The cattle trails were busy, and many drives would be traveling the same way. So in delaying a river crossing, you ran the risk of a cattle drive traffic jam, where several herds were stacked up and waiting. This led to the risk of herds becoming intermixed if the cowboys weren’t diligent to keep them separate.

The N Bar crew crossing the Powder River in 1886

Lack of Water

As dangerous as a swollen river could be, even worse was the danger of no water. In seasons of drought, known water holes might have gone dry. Some of the cattle trails had shortcuts and “cut-offs” that would shave days or weeks off the trip and perhaps avoid other dangers, but the difficulty of taking them was often the possibility of less reliable watering spots. Not only was the concern for the men and horses/cattle dying of thirst, but cattle were far more prone to grow irritable without water. This irritability led to the herd being harder to control. Even worse, cattle are purported to be able to smell water from many miles away, and if they’ve gone without a drink for a time, then get the scent of water, the potential for a stampede grew exponentially.

Stampedes

Aside from a water shortage leading a herd to stampede, other things might also rile the herd into panicked flight. Sudden loud sounds like thunder or gunfire, particularly at night, might be the catalyst. Rustlers often used this ploy to break up the herd and steal cattle in the resulting chaos. Even one ornery steer with a mind of its own could lead the herd to follow suit and run.

If a herd stampeded, the men were required to jump to action. They must get on horseback and chase down the herd, then work to turn it. If they could get the herd turned, they’d slow it, and eventually stop the charge. Of course, a night stampede was worse, since the inability to see obstacles or judge the soundness of the ground you’re racing over could lead to falls from horseback, tramplings, horses or cattle breaking legs, etc. And after the stampede was over, then came the work of combing the countryside to find any animals who broke from the main herd. The potential for losses was great in a stampede—both from the deaths of man, horse, or cow, as well as never finding the scattered herd.

Native American father teaching his son to hunt.

Indians

Almost every major cattle trail ran through Indian Territory, or…what we know as modern-day Oklahoma. The likelihood was, each drive would see Indians of one tribe/nation or another. So as they came to the border of Indian Territory, it was expected that the Trail Boss would negotiate to secure safe passage. He paid an agreed-upon price, whether he gave up a few head of cattle or he paid a small dollar amount per head. If the negotiations went well and all agreed to the price, the herd was allowed to pass without incident. But, if the negotiations faltered in any way, there could be trouble—anything from attacks, rustling, stampedes, even the men murdered in their sleep or while on night watch. It paid to have a savvy Trail Boss with lots of negotiation skills.

Rustlers

Just like today, there was always someone looking to profit by ill-gotten means. Rustlers watched the cattle trails and didn’t hesitate to steal as many cattle as they could. As mentioned above, they would often stampede the herds to collect up the strays, then either feast off their stolen spoils or sell it themselves. 

It’s your turn: Of the above dangers, which would you fear most? Least? Why?

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has finaled and won in numerous writing competitions, and been on the ECPA best-seller list several times. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers, Women Writing the West, and is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, college-aged son, and four fur children.

The Cowboys

Taming the west—one heart at a time.

Healing Heart
Lonnie Holt’s external scars remind him of his failures, his internal scars torment him. Genny Collins seeks safety at the ranch once owned by Lonnie’s uncle. When Lonnie and his brother arrive, sparks fly and distrust abounds. While Lonnie and Genny fight the love growing between them, his past haunts him, and her past pays them a visit.

Becoming Brave
When Coy Whittaker stumbles upon a grisly scene littered with bodies, he wants nothing more than to get his boss’s cattle out of Indian Territory. But when a bloodstained Aimee Kaplan draws down on him, his plans—and his heart—screech to a halt.

Trail’s End
Wade Chadwick has no money until his boss’s cattle sell, so he takes a kitchen job at Abby’s Home Cooking. The beautiful and prickly owner adds spice to his workday. Abby Cox hires the down-and-out cowboy even though the word cowboy leaves a bad taste in her mouth. Just as she’s ready to trust Wade with her heart, money starts to disappear … and so does her brother.

Loving a Harvey Girl
Eva Knowles can't imagine why the local preacher doesn't like Harvey Girls—women who work serving tables instead of finding a husband and falling in love. But if Eva can get the handsome and wayward cowboy Cal Stephens to join her in church, maybe the reverend will accept the girls. Or maybe she'll forfeit her job for a husband, hearth, and home!

US Army in Oklahoma--A True Tale of Cowboys and Indians Part 3

Fort Gibson, 1870's Wikipedia, public domain

    

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


Thank you for joining us this month in our discovery of the effects that the different branches of the U.S. military have had on the development of the state of Oklahoma. For the last two months, we have delved into the history of the US Army, up to the end of the War Between the States (WBtS).

This month, we cover the time period after the WBtS going to the land runs/ lotteries.

On the national level, the time period just after the WBtS is known as the reconstruction period. This period is a time of social change and military occupation, particularly in the south. In the Indian Territory, the tribes had split, one side for the United States, the other for the Confederate States.

In 1867, following numerous raids, the Department of the Interior, at the insistence of the newly formed states of Kansas and Nebraska, formed a series of treaties that created the Cheyenne-Arapaho and the Kiowa-Commanche reservations. This helped to frustrate the already closed-in feeling tribes. The plains tribes resisted the move to the reservations, and tensions increased. The army was tasked with being a peace keeping force in the territory. They protected not only the eastern tribes from the plains tribes, but also the white settlers that were moving through the area.

Tensions rose steadily, however, as not all tribes ascribed to the war-like ideals of the plains tribes. In 1874 war broke out in the conflict now known as the Red River War. In one of the first conflicts, Lieutenant Colonel Custer led a raid against Chief Black Kettle’s camp. Tragically, or rather ironically, Black Kettle was known as a “peace chief”.

The Red River War lasted through into 1875, ending in the “Sand Hill Fight” on April 6th 1875. In 1887, the Dawes Severalty Act ended the reservation system in the Indian Territory, and opened up the lands reserved for the tribes, thus leading to the Land Runs, which began in 1889.

There were 5 major land runs, and several smaller ones throughout the next 13 years. The 1st of the major land runs occurred on April 22nd 1889, where the “Unassigned Lands” were opened to settlement. This land run opened up what became Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan and Oklahoma counties. This is what is commonly referred to as the “Oklahoma Land Run”, however it was only the first in the series of them.

The 2nd major land run was in fact 3 smaller land runs occurring between September 22nd and 28th of 1891, and opened up the settlement of what eventually became Lincoln, Pottowatomie, and Seminole counties.

The 3rd was the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation lands, occurring in April 19, 1892, and opened up the lands that would become Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Washita, and Roger Mills counties.

The 4th was the Cherokee Outlet on April 19th 1893--also mistakenly referred to as the Cherokee Strip Land Run--which opened the lands of the entire Cherokee Outlet. This area ranged from essentially lands east of current day Enid, all the way to current day Woodward, thus opening close to 1/8th of what would become the state of Oklahoma.

The 5th and final major land run on May 23rd of 1895, was the opening of the Kickapoo lands, which opened the remainder of current-day eastern Oklahoma and western Pottowatomie counties. After this land run, a critical change was made and, other than several considerably smaller land runs, was the end of the “Land Run Experiment”, and was considered to be an inefficient way to distribute the land.

While it is commonly held that after the Kickapoo land run, the land was distributed by lottery, and bids, there was actually one more minor land run, which allocated land in the current town of Arcadia, Oklahoma. That land run occurred on August 8th 1901.

During each of these land runs, and the settlement directly afterwards, the U.S. Army was tasked with keeping the peace, as well as preventing the “Sooners” from being able to claim jump the most choice lands, and to help keep down theft of the lands for the claimants. Unfortunately, corruption ran a bit rampant, and there are many stories of not only Sooners, but also of claimants being wiped out by claim jumpers.

It was during this time frame that the U.S. Cavalry, and by extension the Army, held ultimate authority of law in the land. There were several U.S. Marshals in the territory, such as Bass Reeves, and Frank Dalton. When the cards were on the table, however, each of these marshals had the authority to call in the cavalry, to put down any insurrections, etc. if it was deemed necessary. Each of the towns had their own marshal, as well as many (like Oklahoma City, Edmond, Guthrie, Stillwater, and Norman) had their own police force enforcing the edicts of the city ordinances.

Join us next month as we explore the history of the U.S. Army, and its effects on the history of this grand state, known as Oklahoma during its statehood, and afterward.

Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Alanna loves the history of the state and relishes in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna lives with her husband and parents in the Edmond area. She is currently working on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Waterloo, Oklahoma. 
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US Army in Oklahoma--A True Tale of Cowboys and Indians

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


Thank you for joining us in our exploration of the history of the grand state of Oklahoma. We wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families during this holiday season. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

This month, we start a new series covering the history of the different branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, and their effects on the history of Oklahoma.

The section of land that became Oklahoma was part of the Louisiana purchase, bought in 1803. By late 1819, the federal government had decided to use the Louisiana Territory as an area for resettlement of the eastern indigenous tribes. It was also decided that non-indigenous citizens could settle west of the Mississippi river.

The first tribesmen to settle in the newly opened area were Cherokee who voluntarily moved west. They settled in what would be later considered western Arkansas and Missouri. After some bloodshed between the Cherokee and the local Osage over hunting rights, the department of the Army decided to found Fort Smith in Arkansas in order to keep the peace.

Fort Smith could be considered the first of the frontier forts that would later govern the Indian Territory, or Oklahoma. It was, in fact, originally part of the Indian Territory, until its transfer to the state of Arkansas in 1905.

After the creation of Fort Smith, the territories of Missouri and Arkansas were established, and the tribes indigenous to the territories were moved west. This established what was referred to as “A Permanent Indian Frontier.” In 1824, the army abandoned Fort Smith. Between 1819 and 1827, a line of seven forts had been built between Minnesota and Louisiana. These forts were presumably created to reassure the frontier settlers, but in fact they served as peacekeepers between the displaced eastern tribesmen and the existing tribes.

In the 1830’s, with the Indian Removal Act and the forced relocation of the eastern tribes to the Indian Territory (the eastern part of Oklahoma), the border forts that had been created served a vital role to the safety and security of both the western border states and the numerous displaced tribes. As a part of the removal act, the Department of the Army was tasked with keeping the peace between the displaced tribes and the indigenous tribes. This is where the official designation of the “Civilized Tribes” comes from. The displaced tribes were considered to be “civilized”, partly due to their exposure to the European settlers and the fact that many of them actually owned slaves. The western tribes were considered uncultured, and in many respects, barbaric.

In response to the demands placed on them by the “Indian Removal Act, the Department of the Army created Forts Gibson, Wayne, Coffee, and Washita. Forts Gibson and Washita remain until today. Fort Coffee, however, was abandoned after Fort Smith was re-commissioned, relocated, and re-manned in 1838. Fort Wayne was abandoned in 1842.

During the time of the Trail of Tears, the Indian Territory became even more contentious. Indians performed numerous raids into the Mexican state of Tejas (until 1836) and the independent country of Texas. With the combination of whiskey runners, gunrunners, and the numerous raids by the tribesmen, the Army had its hands full, keeping the peace, as well as securing the border. That is what prompted the development of military highways connecting the forts. This system of military roads between the different forts that was established formed the backbone of highway transport system in eastern Oklahoma.

This concludes the earliest part of the history of the United States Army in Oklahoma. Next month we will cover the Mexican war and the War Between the States.

Oklahoma History: The Red River War: When the Natives Get Restless

 

A Kiowa ledger drawing possibly depicting the Buffalo Wallow battle in 1874, a fight between Southern Plains Indians and the U.S. Army during the Red River War, Author Unknown, Public Domain

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez



Thank you for joining us this month in the continuing discovery of the rich and diverse history of the great state we call home: Oklahoma. During the research of the “Forts of Oklahoma Series” we identified that there were many socio-political influences that helped to shape the government and historical impact of the Indian Territory. For those of you whom have been following our articles for most of this year, you will have seen several references to the series of events covered in this month’s article. The Red River War was the culmination of decades’ worth of frustration and a breakdown of policy handling by the government of the United States.

Following the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867, the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Comanche, and Kiowa were moved to reservations in the Indian Territory (today Oklahoma). Many of the tribesmen, certainly not all, but many of them complied with the restrictions placed on them by the federal government.

The tribes that were somewhat reluctantly constrained were the Kiowa and the Comanche. They were restrained due to the imprisonment of their chiefs Satanta and Addo-Etta (Big Tree in the native tongue), as well as the capture of 124 Comanche women and children in 1872.

Many of the indigenous tribesmen had found that they could use their reservations as a safe haven, while they committed numerous raids on white settlers to New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, and Texas. They would commit the raid, and be back on the reservation before the authorities were alerted to anything being amiss.

According to the Medicine Lodge treaty, the tribes were promised rations, blankets, trade goods, protection of the vast buffalo herds in Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle (which the tribes believed had been set aside for them as reservation land), and most importantly protection against encroachment of white settlers on their lands, all for abiding by the terms of the treaty. Tensions increased as these promises went unfilled. Much of the meat they received was rotten, the blankets were disease ridden, and rather than helping the tribesmen prevent encroachment, the U.S. Army seemed to spend more time protecting the white settlers from the indigenous tribesmen.

With the emergence of young medicine man Isa-Tai, the tribesmen, believing they were able to become impervious to harm, became increasingly more bold in their raids. The tensions came to a head when the Comanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne led by Isa-Tai, and Quanah Parker attacked a camp of buffalo hunters at the site of Adobe Walls, Texas in 1874. This raid prompted the Indian Bureau to in effect declare war on all native tribesmen off their reservations. They labeled all indigenous tribesmen as either friendly (remaining on the reservation), and hostiles (all others).

General Philip Sheridan ordered 5 columns of troops to converge on the area of the Texas panhandle, mostly in the upper tributaries of the Red River. These troops were intended to deny the indigenous tribesmen of any safe haven, and to force them back to the reservations permanently. The troops included the 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th Cavalry, and the 11th, and 5th Infantry.

As many as 20 engagements were fought over the course of the next year, with the most decisive victory being the battle of Palo Duro Canyon. Intriguingly enough, only 4 indigenous tribesmen were killed. However, over 450 lodges were burned, countless pounds of buffalo meat were destroyed, and more than 1400 horses were captured. Most of the horses that were captured were subsequently put down to deny the indigenous tribesmen from being able to regain the use of their mounts.

The Red River War continued throughout 1874 and into 1875, ending with Quanah Parker surrendering his forces to troops in Fort Sill. This signaled the end of the Southern Plains Tribes involvement in the “Indian Wars” of the 1870’s – 1880’s. We would like to thank you once again for joining us this month in bringing to light some of our beloved Oklahoma history. Please join us next month for an overview of the involvement of the U.S. Cavalry in the shaping of our fair home.

Oklahoma History: Fort Sill: An Enduring Legacy Pt 1

 

Fort Sill, Wikipedia Photo

 

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


Thank you for coming in and joining us for our final fort in “The Forts of Oklahoma Series.” This fort tends to hit a little closer to home, as it is the only fort that is still an active military installation to this day.

The original military occupation of the site is listed as being in 1834, when the 1st US Dragoons established “Camp Comanche” to begin negotiations with local indigenous tribes. In 1852, Captain Marcy arrived to explore the Indian Territory and made the recommendation that the site be considered for a permanent fort. In 1858, Colonel Douglas Cooper also made the same recommendation.

The fort was initially staked out by Major General Philip Sheridan and Colonel George Custer on January 8th 1869. First named Camp Wichita, it was known among the indigenous tribesmen as “The soldier house at Medicine Bluffs.” The installation was later renamed by General Sheridan in honor of his friend Brigadier General Joshua Sill, who was killed during the battle of Stones River, Tennessee, in 1862. The site was staked out as support for the tribal pacification policies enacted by President U.S. Grant in response to increasing raids and massacres just after the War Between the States.

The Indian Territory was quite lawless, particularly after the War Between The States. The only law in the territory was enforced by the U.S. Army including soldiers from the other forts in the Oklahoma/Indian Territory. The policy of pacification was carried out by numerous Indian Agencies that were assigned to different forts throughout the territory, indeed throughout the entirety of the Great Plains.

Some of the more notable visitors to the location were Jefferson Davis, General Henry Leavenworth, Nathan Boone, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, Ben Clark, and Jack Stilwell.

After several months in operation, President U.S. Grant approved agents from the Quaker Indian Agency to be assigned to the Kiowa and Comanche tribes on their reservations just outside of Fort Sill. The army was prevented from taking punitive actions against the indigenous tribesmen who used Fort Sill as a sanctuary. This resulted in the Warren Wagon Train Raid.

General William Tecumseh Sherman arrived from Fort Richardson shortly after the raid and ordered several of the Kiowa chiefs be brought in for questioning. They were delivered to him at the commanding officer’s quarters, known as “Grierson’s Porch”. During the questioning, he ordered the three chiefs arrested, and they attempted to assassinate him. In memory of the event, the Commanding Officer’s quarters were dubbed “The Sherman House.”

The chiefs: Satank, Satanta, and Addo-Etta (Big Tree) were arrested and ordered to be transported to Texas for trial. A mile from the fort, Satank grabbed the carbine of one of the troopers guarding him, and before he could fire it, was hit by several bullets from the other guards. Satank’s body was left leaning against a tree, and the column continued on its mission to deliver the other two chiefs to Fort Richardson, Texas. A marker commemorates the site where Satank fell. He was buried in “Chiefs Knoll” in the Fort Sill Post Cemetery.

Satanta and Addo-Etta were tried and convicted for instigating the raid and sentenced to death by hanging. Their sentences were commuted to life in prison by Texas Governor Edmund Davis. In October, 1873, they were paroled.

In 1874, the Comanche, Kiowa, and Southern Cheyenne engaged in the “Red River War,” which lasted almost a full year. The last chief to surrender was Quanah Parker. His surrender signaled an end to the indigenous tribesmen involvement in the warfare in the southern plains.

At one point during the 1880s, the fort was nearly deserted when a rumor had been spread that gold was found in the Wichita Mountains nearby, as both the enlisted men and the officers left to stake their claims.

During the 1880’s and 1890’s, one of the units that was stationed at the fort was Troop L of the 7th Cavalry. This troop, consisting entirely of indigenous tribesman, was considered to be one of the best in The West. Several of their members are credited with helping the tribes avert the bloody “Ghost Dance Uprising” in which many tribesmen were brutally killed by the Army.

In 1894, the fort received the Chiricahua Apache chiefs as prisoners of war. The most notable name among them was Geronimo. After having been at the fort for some time, the government allowed him to travel with Pawnee Bill’s Wild West show. Geronimo, with a contingent of Apache, was allowed to attend several annual World Expos and Indian Expos during the 1890’s. They were even able to ride in Theodore Roosevelt’s inaugural parade. Geronimo died of pneumonia, as a prisoner of war in 1909.




Being on the fringes of the Indian Territory, Fort Sill had started to lose significance during the later 1880’s throughout the 1890’s, even into the earlier part of the 20th century. In 1901, the last of the indigenous tribes’ lands to be opened to white settlement was located around Fort Sill. The town of Lawton quickly sprang up, becoming one of the larger cities in the new State of Oklahoma.

The first artillery battery arrived in 1902, and the last cavalry regiment departed in 1907, the year Oklahoma became a state. This marked the historic change in roles from being a little-known frontier cavalry fort to an enduring role as a major artillery fort in the US Army.

Join us next month as we share the more recent chronicles of historic Fort Sill: An Enduring Legacy Pt. 2

Oklahoma History: Old Fort Reno: Not Just Another Fort - Pt 1

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


After the War Between the States, the Oklahoma and Indian Territories were a true frontier. The land was ruled by the rough and tumble politics of the gun. The tribes, most of which had supported the Confederacy during the War, were found to be quite fractious. In 1874, the Darlington Agency created what was intended to be a temporary encampment to protect their agents from the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, which were currently staging an uprising. This uprising led directly to the event known as the Red River War. After the conflict ended, the encampment had enough resources and staffing to be re-purposed as a permanent fort, which it was on July 15, 1875. It took its name from General Jesse Reno, whom had been killed during the battle of South Mountain, MD., also known as the Battle of Boonesboro Gap, during the War Between the States.

Commanding Officer's Quaters

The fort is located 3 miles west and 2 miles north of present-day El Reno, Oklahoma. The fort’s staff was originally tasked with keeping the tribes in line with the current policy of peace keeping. After a large number of the Northern Cheyenne died, a group that chiefs Dull Knife and Little Wolf led, fled the reservation and began a precarious trek back to their homeland. This is when two troops of cavalry were tasked with hunting them down and bringing them back to their reservation. There were several contests between the soldiers and Indians, which were the subject of Mari Sandoz’s classic book, Cheyenne Autumn.

Darlington Indian Agency Established 1869

In 1885, President Grover Cleveland ordered reinforcements, along with Generals Sheridan and Miles, in addition to Cheyenne leader Stone Calf to the fort. They found that the disarmament policy was not being enforced as aggressively as had been requested. General Sheridan sent the recommendation to President Cleveland that all leases be terminated, unauthorized persons be removed, and all civilian positions in the Indian Territory be replaced by military personnel.

During the early years of the fort, General Sheridan spent an extended amount of time in a log cabin now referred to as “Sheridan’s Headquarters” or “Sheridan’s Billet”.

During the 1880s, the 9 th Cavalry Buffalo soldiers and Indian Scouts from Fort Reno were tasked with locating and arresting the illegal Boomers in the area before the land runs. During this time, the troops from the fort were tasked with keeping peace along the 89th Meridian, also known as the “Indian Meridian”. This meridian was the division between the tribal lands and the unassigned lands.

 

Officer's Quarters, 1876 & 1936

 

Alongside the troops, there was a group of Indian Scouts. They were made up of the Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribesmen who were living in the area. The scouts would use their own horses, but they were allowed to draw from the commissary to feed their families, and were given a base pay. The enlistments of the scouts would last only three-six months. According to the records, the scouts would spend their free time making goods to be sold to settlers and troops. They also made sketches and drawings in ledgers, several of which are in museums and historical societies across the nation. These drawings would focus mostly on the uniforms, weapons, and horses used by the troops.

 

Guard House, 1887

 
 

Red Brick building on right, Commissary 1885 & 1886
Natural stone building on left, Magazine 1885

 
Troops of the Fifth Cavalry also monitored the opening and signaled the start of the historic Land Run of 1889, opening the Unassigned Lands for settlement, allowing for the creation of notable towns such as Oklahoma City, Edmond, Waterloo, Yukon, El Reno, and Moore. They, alongside the 3 rd Cavalry, also monitored the opening of the other land runs, which opened the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation in 1892 and the Cherokee Outlet in ’93. Prior to the land run in ’92, the “Indian Scouts” were each allocated lands across the reservation, mostly along streams and other waterways. The lands that had not been assigned to those families had been labeled excess and opened up for the land run.

 

Officer's Quarters 1891

  

Fort Reno Cemetery

In 1892, troops from the fort were dispatched to the Choctaw capital of Tuskahoma, in an effort to quell a political dispute between the Five Civilized Tribes. In 1898, virtually all of the fort’s cavalry, and infantry were force-marched away to serve in the Spanish-American war. After the war, the fort was lightly re-garrisoned with the 1st , 6th and 8th Cavalry until 1902. In 1908, the fort was closed as an active military garrison. However, if you think that the history of the fort ends with its role as an active garrison, you would be wrong. Come back next month, and we will finish weaving the tale of one of the most influential forts in the history of the grand state of Oklahoma.





 Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Alanna loves the history of the state and relishes in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna lives with her husband and parents in the Edmond area. She is currently working on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Waterloo, Oklahoma.

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Oklahoma History: Fort Cobb, A Sliver of Oklahoma History

 

Fort Cobb, Photo Courtesy of the OHS Photo Archives

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez



Thank you for tuning in to the next chapter of our Oklahoma Fort series. I’m joined, once again, with my husband for this one. This fort is a rather unknown fort, but helps us understand the rich and complex history of this great state.

Fort Cobb was established in1859 in what is now Caddo County, Oklahoma. It lies approximately 80 miles southwest of current day Oklahoma City. The fort was established to help protect settlers moving westward along the California road against primarily the Comanche raiders that plagued the area. It was founded by Major William Emory after moving most of the garrison at Fort Arbuckle. This was an attempt to get the troops in a better strategic position to be able to manage the unruly Northern Comanche.

Starting in 1855, the more peaceable tribes of the Anadarko, Caddo, Tonkawa, and Penateka Comanche were approved to move to areas where they would not be inundated by the more aggressive tribes of the Northern Comanche. This was also an effort to prevent an outright war between the tribesman and the white settlers of northern Texas, who believed that having “savages” in the area was dangerous. After a council of the tribes met with the agents of the government, a site had been chosen to house the tribes close to Medicine Bluff, just outside current-day Fort Sill Lawton, Oklahoma. After a brief expedition, Superintendent Elias Rector from Fort Smith determined that the site was completely unacceptable, due to malaria outbreaks and heavy rains. The tribes were relocated to the reservations in their current day location some 30 miles north of the original site.

Once Fort Arbuckle was created 80 miles to the east-southeast, the area became more hospitable. As explained in last month’s blog, Fort Arbuckle unfortunately, due to lack of resources, fell into disrepair and almost complete ruin until Major Emory received command of the area and was ordered to place troops closer to the Anadarko tribe. The major had received orders to create a new fort, and thus was the beginning of Fort Cobb. The fort was named in honor of Howell Cobb, then Secretary of the Treasury.

At this point, the Indian Agency, federal troops, and settlers helped increase the surrounding area to a small town.

After the outbreak of the War Between The States, Fort Cobb, just like Forts Arbuckle and Washita, was abandoned and their troops were moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

In August 1861, Albert Pike the Confederate Commissioner for Indian Affairs, signed treaties promising the same protections for the peaceable tribes under the Confederacy that they enjoyed under the Federal Government, in return for their support of the Confederates. The Confederates were garrisoned in the fort from May until August of 1862, where they were guarding mostly abandoned supplies. On October 23rd 1862, an armed party stormed the Indian Agency, killed all members there, and burned the buildings to the ground.

The fort sat abandoned until the conclusion of the war, when it was manned once again by federal troops. In January 1869, the troops permanently left Fort Cobb and were re-stationed to Camp Wichita. Anyone else seeing a pattern of “camps” here? The town remained in place, however, and is still a part of “small town America”. Camp Wichita, on the other hand, is a story for another time. 





Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Alanna loves the history of the state and relishes in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna lives with her husband and parents in the Edmond area. She is currently working on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Waterloo, Oklahoma.

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Oklahoma History: Fort Arbuckle, A Lost Tribute

A drawing of Fort Arbuckle, courtesy of Legends of America

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez

For this blog, I was able to get my history-loving-does-research-better-than-me husband to join me. I hope you enjoy this next installment of Oklahoma Forts.

The 1840’s happened to be a time of westward expansion, wars, gold rushes, and Indian raids. The truth of the matter is, the eastern tribes were unhappy about the Indian Removal Act and the plains tribes were much more than unhappy.

During the 1840’s more and more wagon trains were headed west along the southern California road, going from Fort Smith to the gold mines of California and the silver mines of Nevada. Raiding the wagon trains proved quite lucrative for the plains tribes, and they were able to take many of the supplies they felt were being denied them. The quick slash and grab tactics were preferred by the Comanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne that proved the most deadly. In an effort to keep the tribes from raiding so much, a series of forts was created in the eastern part of the Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma.

Fort Arbuckle was founded by Captain Randolph Marcy in 1852. It was located inside the boundary of the Chickasaw Nation, on the bank of the Washita River, approximately 7 miles west-northwest of the present town of Davis, Oklahoma. The fort and the surrounding mountain range were named posthumously after a frontier general, Matthew Arbuckle, who was instrumental in numerous treaties, forts, and the suppression of uprisings from the 1820’s through the 1840’s.

Fort Arbuckle Marker, courtesy of OklahomaHistory.net

The fort was originally constructed in a rectangular shape, with the barracks on one end and the quartermaster and the commissary facilities at the opposite end. Eventually, there ended up being over thirty buildings located in the complex, including stables, a hospital, and officers quarters. All the buildings were constructed of rough-hewn logs with stone chimneys.

In 1858, Major William Emory of the 1st Dragoons was appointed as the commander of both Forts Washita and Arbuckle. Most of the buildings were in a general state of disrepair, ordnance stores were depleted, and surplus ammunition including gunpowder had to be buried to be protected from the weather. The reason being is that if gunpowder gets wet, it takes four to six days per pound to dry. However even once it dries, it never is the same. It just doesn’t have the same boom. Before the troops could make repairs, orders came to abandon the fort in order to start a new one approximately 90 miles to the west/northwest called Fort Cobb.

Once the War Between The States started, Major Emory ordered the troops manning the three forts under his command to evacuate and head to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The Chickasaws supported the Confederacy, like many of the tribes that were mostly disgruntled with the way they had been treated by the federal government. Given the rough terrain, the lack of supplies in the area, and the lack of strategic positioning, Fort Arbuckle did not play a significant role in the War Between The States. While there were Confederate troops stationed at the fort during the war, there is no record of any battles or even skirmishes in the area. After the war, the fort was once again garrisoned by federal troops of the 6th Infantry and the 10th Cavalry.

Fort Arbuckle was used as a supply depot by General Sheridan during the Comanche campaigns of 1868. It was kept manned until 1869, when it was strategically obsolete since Fort Sill had been constructed further west-northwest. It remained in use, in such condition as it was, until all the supplies had been consumed by troops traveling through from forts further east on their way to Fort Sill, roughly in 1870.
Once the site was permanently abandoned, the elements took their toll within several years and the last of the standing barracks and stables fell. After almost 150 years, the only remaining piece of the fort is a lone chimney in the countryside now on private property—a mute reminder of the historic site which has been largely forgotten. 

Fort Arbuckle Marker, courtesy fortwiki.com

Lucille Mulhall, Wolf Roper & Oklahoma Cowgirl

You’ve heard of Annie Oakley, but have you ever heard of Lucille Mulhall, who at one time was just as famous?

The first rodeo in Oklahoma Territory was held in the mid-1880s, and ironically, Lucille Mulhall was born on her family’s ranch near what would soon be Guthrie, Oklahoma on October 21, 1885. It is said that she could ride before she could walk. The cowboys who rode the plains of the Indian Territories tutored her in the art of lassoing. Her skill at riding, roping, and training horses was evident, and at a young age, she started competing in roping contests.

When Lucille was just ten years old, the mayor of Guthrie invited her to ply her skills and entertain at a cowboy gathering and contest. At age thirteen, she had her first major debut at the St. Louis Fair in 1897, and in a few years, she was performing on the vaudeville stage, entertaining crowds of up to 5,000.

Zach Mulhall, Lucille’s father, organized the Mulhall’s Congress of Rough Riders and Ropers. Lucille was the star of the show, where she met and became friends with Will Rogers and also Teddy Roosevelt, who was then a candidate for the vice-presidency. 

Zach was a proud father and one of Lucille’s greatest fans. He claimed that when his daughter was thirteen, he told her she could keep as many of his steers as she could rope in one day. “Lucille,” he bragged, “didn't quit until she’d lassoed more than 300 cattle!"

In 1900, when her father was roping in El Paso, he bet local cowboys that his daughter could out rope them—and she did. Zach won over $10,000, but Lucille faced a horrible ordeal. The cowboys didn’t believe she was a girl and attacked her, tearing at her clothing to prove she was not a woman. Her brother Charley rescued her just in time.

Later in 1900, Lucille performed at a Cowboy Tournament at a Rough Riders reunion. Teddy Roosevelt was again amazed at her skill. He joined the family for supper, where the topic of conversation centered on the wolves plaguing the area. Lucille offered to get one for Teddy. He agreed, but only if Lucille would rope one. Undaunted by the challenge, she spent the next ten days tracking a wolf pack. One morning, she caught up with them, and as she rode toward them, the pack scattered—all except for a steer-sized wolf she called “loafer”, which ran straight toward her. She roped him, but he gnawed through the rope. She tossed another rope on loafer and tied him to a tree, then cut his throat. She took the wolf to a taxidermist and had it stuffed, then she sent it to Teddy Roosevelt. As a thank you, the Mulhalls and the 101 Wild West Show performed at the McKinley-Roosevelt inaugural parade.

Lucille and her wolf kill made the news across the country, and she was dubbed the Cowpuncher Queen of Oklahoma Territory. Newspaper reported that Lucille was the greatest attraction at the Rough Riders reunion. An article in the Wichita Daily Eagle described her as a little girl who “weighs only ninety pounds can break a bronco, lasso and brand a steer, and shoot a coyote at 500 yards. She can also play Chopin, quote Browning, construe “Virgil” and make mayonnaise dressing.”

1901, Lucille roped five horse simultaneously at a horse show in Iowa. Later, she roped eight at once. The next year, she won a “thousand dollar day championship medal” at the Texas State Fair and Champion Steer Cattlemen’s Convention in Fort Worth. In 1903, Lucille was dubbed “the only lady roper in the world” and won $10,000 when she set a new world record for steer roping.

Lucille married and had a son, but because she left home and returned to performing, her husband, Martin Van Bergen, raised the boy. Van Bergen later divorced Lucille after deciding she would never settle down to domestic life as most women. A second marriage also failed.

Some sources say that Lucille made millions of dollars by performing in silent movies. At one time, she was the most famous horse woman in the world, but she ended up where she began, back on her family’s ranch. She died tragically in a car crash on December 22, 1940.

Lucille performed before European royalty, U.S. presidents, and won the respect of cowboys worldwide for her skill. She became the only female rodeo producer of her time with her show Lucille Mulhall’s Roundup and is well known for opening up the world of rodeo for women. Lucille's popularity was due to her skill, the result of perfect timing with her rope, unusual balance on her horse, and her diminutive size and ladylike demeanor. Most important, she was authentic, coming from a genuine ranch background. She was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1975 and National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1977.

So, tell me. Have you heard of Lucille Mulhall before?

Credits: The Chronicles of Oklahoma, Rodeo in Oklahoma is Women’s Business by Tracey Hanshew.

http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/M/MU006.html

In 2008, I started writing a book called Gabriel’s Atonement, which has stayed on my heart ever since. It was one-third finished when I had to set it aside because I got a contract for another book. I was thrilled, when after several rejections, Gabriel’s Atonement was finally picked up by Barbour Publishing. The book released on January 1, and I’m thrilled to tell you that Gabriel’s Atonement, book 1 in the Land Rush Dreams series received 4 ½ stars from Romantic Times magazine.

Popular historical author Laurie Kingery writes: “This is possibly the best western I've read all year. (2014)”

What it’s about:

Gambler Gabe Coulter is content with his comfortable life—but when a man with a gun confronts him in a dark alley, everything changes. Guilt riddles him for killing Tom Talbot, even though it was self-defense. The dying man said the money he lost to Gabe was meant for his wife and son. The only way Gabe knows to rid himself of the guilt over killing Talbot is to return the money he won to the man’s wife. 

Lara Talbot doesn’t believe Tom had money. She sees Gabe as a charming con artist like her irresponsible husband and wants nothing to do with him. She struggles to feed her family, keep her rebellious sister in line, and care for her young son and sick grandpa. The land rush in the Oklahoma Territory seems the only way for them to get a home, so Lara rides, but her dreams don’t turn out as planned. Could God have a bigger dream for her than she could imagine?

Bestselling author Vickie McDonough grew up wanting to marry a rancher, but instead married a computer geek who is scared of horses. She now lives out her dreams in her fictional stories about ranchers, cowboys, lawmen, and others living in the Old West. Vickie is the award-winning author of thirty-five books and novellas. Her novels include the fun and feisty Texas Boardinghouse Brides series, and End of the Trail, which won the OWFI 2013 Best Fiction Novel. Whispers on the Prairie was a Romantic Times Recommended Inspirational Book for July 2013. She recently tried something different and wrote Rancher Under Fire, a contemporary suspense for Love Inspired. 

Vickie has been married thirty-nine years to Robert. They have four grown sons, one of whom is married, and a precocious eight-year-old granddaughter. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, antiquing, watching movies, and traveling. To learn more about Vickie’s books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit her website: www.vickiemcdonough.com

Frontier Indian Police

Long before the Native Americans were moved to Indian Territory along the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee Nation organized the regulators to curb crimes like horse stealing, robbery, and to protect widows and orphans. Once they’d been moved to Indian Territory, the Five Civilized Tribes: the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole, established a law enforcement system and judicial courts similar to what they had in the East.



In November, 1844, the Cherokee Advocate, published in Tahlequah, reported that the Cherokee National Council had passed a bill authorizing a Lighthorse Company. The bill authorized the Lighthorse to consist of a captain, lieutenant and twenty-four horsemen, and their main duty was to pursue and arrest all fugitives from justice and then turn them over to the Indian courts to be tried and punished. The Lighthorse were named after Revolutionary War hero, General Henry Lee who was called "Lighthorse Harry" because of his rapid cavalry movements during the conflict. Henry Lee was the father of Robert E. Lee. 

Sioux Indian Police

In some circumstances the early Lighthorse had to serve as policemen, judges, and jurors. Their job was eased in 1874 by the construction of a national prison in Tahlequah which was presided over by a high sheriff. The Cherokee Nation had a gallows for execution at Tahlequah. The other Indian nations didn't have a prison and used firing squads for execution.

A condemned man would often be released to his family for a year's time and then return for his execution. Most all Indians honored this tradition except a few who escaped their punishment as the era of the Indian nations moved closer to an end.

In 1874, the federal government ordered the consolidation of the four Indian Agents for the Five Civilized Tribes into one posi. The agent was moved into a new building at Muskogee on January 1, 1876. The new office was called the Union Agency. In February of 1880, Col. John Q. Tufts, United States agent for the Union Agency of Muskogee, Indian Territory, organized a unit of Indian police to operate throughout the Five Civilized Nations. The policemen were recruited from the Lighthorsemen from the various Indian nations. The official title for this group was United States Indian Police or U.S.I.P. It is interesting to note that also in the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw nations they had county or district sheriffs who were appointed by the Indian political leadership. Many of the larger Indian towns also had constables.

The United States Indian Police could travel through all the Five Tribes in pursuit of Indian citizen criminals. The Indian Police and Lighthorse police were also deputized on many occasions by deputy U.S. marshals to serve as federal possemen in pursuit of non-Indian citizens.

One of the first outstanding Indian police officers was the legendary Cherokee, Sam Sixkiller. At the age of nineteen, Sixkiller joined a Union Indian artillery company under the command of his father, 1st Lt. Redbird Sixkiller, during the Civil War. In 1875, Sixkiller was appointed high sheriff of the Cherokee Nation and warden of the National Penitentiary. On February 12, 1880 Sixkiller became the first captain of the United States Indian Police headquartered at Muskogee, Indian Territory. As captain, Sixkiller had forty men under his command. Besides this position, Sixkiller also held a commission as a deputy U.S. marshal and a special agent for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Sixkiller's duties included policing the streets of Muskogee, one of the most dangerous towns in the "Wild West." There were more lawmen killed in a fifty mile radius of Muskogee than anywhere west of the Mississippi River during the frontier era.

Here is an example of early Cherokee justice for the crime of rape: For the first offense, the rapist was punished with fifty lashes upon the bare back and his left ear cropped off close to the head: for the second offense, one hundred lashes and the other ear cut off, for the third offense, death.

Shoshone Indian Police

 Sixkiller most often dealt with the following issues: whiskey bootleggers, cattle thieves, murders, rapists, timber thieves, land squatters, train robbers, card sharks, and prostitutes servicing the railroad towns. During his six years as captain, Sixkiller was wounded only once.

Indian Lands In Oklahoma before statehood

Due to coming statehood, most of the Indian police powers were given to the federal government by 1898; except for the Seminoles, who only disbanded their Lighthorse shortly after the turn of the century.

Many of the Indian tribes in present day Oklahoma have regained full police powers. The Muskogee (Creek) Nation have resurrected the Lighthorse police. The Cherokee Nation has the Cherokee Marshals Service which is the largest with 14 officers. 

Credit: Art T. Burton http://lestweforget.hamptonu.edu/page.cfm?uuid=9FEC4BE4-0CFE-0ACA-15B57C52CED4B765

Gabe Coulter has a successful night gambling, but a drunken cowboy who wants his money back confronts him in a dark alley. Gabe refuses, and a gunfight ensues. The dying man tells Gabe the money was for his wife and son. Though the shooting was self-defense, Gabe wrestles with guilt. The only way he knows to get rid of it is to return the money he fairly won to the man’s wife. Lara Talbot sees Gabe as a derelict like her husband and wants nothing to do with him. But as she struggles to feed her family, she wonders if God might have sent the gambler to help.

Vickie McDonough is the best selling author of 35 books and novellas. Her novels include the fun and feisty Texas Boardinghouse Brides series and the 3rd & 6th books in the Texas Trails series. Her novel, Long Trail Home, won the Inspirational category of the 2012 Booksellers’ Best Awards. Song of the Prairie, the final book in her Pioneer Promises series, set in 1870s Kansas, recently released. Vickie had three Christmas novellas in collections releasing this fall: Westward Christmas Brides, The Christmas Brides Collection, and The 12 Brides of Christmas. To learn more about Vickie, visit her website: www.vickiemcdonough.com