Army

Cost of Wagons for the Mormon Conflict

Wagons, oxen, and equipment were bought wherever they could be found, but prices were hiked 25% or more. When the job was done they had about 1,100 wagons, 15,000 oxen, and some 1,400…

Army Assurance for Pay

Russell had had experience trying to collect losses from the government and was not optimistic. He finally agreed, with the understanding that in the event of loss Captain Brent would assist him in…

Russell’s Freighting Expands

While Majors was expanding his freighting business in the latter 1840’s and early 1850’s Waddell and Russell were reaching out in various directions at Lexington and elsewhere. In 1850 Russell,…

Majors’ Freighting Experience

Among the freighters of civilian goods to Santa Fe in 1848 was Alexander Majors making his first trip over the Santa Fe trail with six wagons loaded with merchandise, 30…

Army Subcontracts Freighting

Probably at the suggestion of Q. M. Capt. L. C. Easton of Fort Leavenworth, the experiment of contract freighting of military supplies was made in 1848. On May 17 he…

Army Freighters to Santa Fe

When the war with Mexico broke out Col. S. W. Kearny was ordered to lead a small army of 1,701 officers and men on a forced march across the Great…

Army Civilian Court

"Almost every day appeals were made to the post for the settlement of disputes, quarrels and bets. We did the best we could, came as near to doing justice in each case as…

Wood for Julesburg

"We were told that we would have to stay at Julesburg over the winter, and that some arrangement would have to be made for winter quarters. The first thing we had to do…

Route Between Fort Laramie and Horse Creek

"That day we marched thirty-seven miles, passing the ranch of Beauvais, five miles from Fort Laramie ; Bordeaux ranch, ten miles from Fort Laramie; the 'First Ruins,'' so called, eighteen miles; and the…

Young Native American Fun

"It now appeared that the condition of the country as to Indian troubles was that the Indians as tribes would not participate in the war, and that the whole Indian strength was not…

Abbrigoins

"They [the Pawnee guides] were not used to hats, and only those having some rank or authority seemed to desire to hold onto them. In addition to this, most of them from time…

Telling Time by Moons

"The time of these conventions was generally set by a formula; the Indians could not go by the days of the month, so the date was fixed for a certain number of…

Accumulation by Conquest

"General Mitchell insisted, as he did before, that the earth belonged to the people on it per capita, and no Indian had any more right to increased acreage than the white brother had. And…

Sand and Alkali

"This report of the eyes is a fact of which I have spoken before. The incessant wind which blew upon the plains, and kept the sand and alkali in circulation, affected the eyes…

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