Heroes of the Santa Fe Trail, 1821-1900

137 Pages·2005·2.251 MB·English

by  Randy D. Smith

Heroes of the Santa Fe Trail
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BOSON BOOKS 2
Heroes of the Santa Fe Trail
Published by Boson Books
3905 Meadow Field Lane
Raleigh, NC 27606
ISBN: 1-932482-31-8
An imprint of C&M Online Media Inc.
Copyright 2006 Randy D. Smith
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Maps courtesy of the Kansas Heritage Center
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Heroes of the Santa Fe Trail
_____________________________________________
Heroes of the Santa Fe Trail:
1821-1900
by
Randy D. Smith
______________________________________
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Heroes of the Santa Fe Trail
Table of Contents
Foreword
Maps of the Santa Fe Trail
Chapter 1 - Culture of Isolation
For hundreds of years the New Mexicans lived on a knife edge balance of survival, the stability of
power in danger of tilting at any moment.
Chapter 2 - The Trailblazer
William Becknell was not the first to use the Santa Fe Trail but he was the one who made the first
successful trading venture from Missouri to Santa Fe. Ironically, he probably would not have made the
trip if he had not been forced into it.
Chapter 3 - Standoff Along the Cimarron, McKnight-James Santa Fe
Expedition of 1821
While William Becknell blazed the Santa Fe Trail, another group of men attempted an alternative
route. It was a journey that almost ended in disaster.
Chapter 4 - Jornada Crossing
By almost any standard, Jedediah Smith, not John C. Fremont, should be remembered as the West’s
great Pathfinder. Yet, perhaps the irony of history or perhaps simply his bad luck, one of the West’s
greatest explorers was defeated by a 60-mile stretch of the Cimarron Cut-off of the Santa Fe Trail.
Chapter 5 - Tough Night in Taos, the Death of Charles Bent
Together with Ceran St. Vrain, William and Charles Bent established a vast adobe castle on the
banks of the Arkansas River along the mountain branch of the Santa Fe Trail that became the spearhead
of American expansion to the Southwest. The success of the Bent-St.Vrain trading empire, however, was
not gained without a terrible toll.
Chapter 6 - Mexican Traders of Santa Fe
Although generally overlooked by historians, a powerful group of New Mexican natives took advantage
of the Santa Fe Trail and exerted substantial influence upon trade, regulation, government and even justice.
Chapter 7 - With Riley, On the Border
The First Military Escort of the Santa Fe Trail was an adventure of Indian fighting, bravery,
cowardice and endurance.
Chapter 8 - Nathan Boone’s Expedition of the Prairies
Investigating the Chavez murder of 1843, Daniel Boone’s youngest son made a significant trek
through the heart of Indian country as a Captain of Dragoons.
Chapter 9 - Fiasco of the Battalion of Invincibles, The Warfield-Snively
Texas Invasion of the Santa Fe Trail - 1843.
Chapter 10 - Fort Garland’s Tom Tobin
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Heroes of the Santa Fe Trail
Fated to remain in the shadows of men with greater reputations, trapper, scout and Indian fighter,
Tom Tobin was a major figure in the turbulent history of the Southwest.
Chapter 11 - Lucien Maxwell and Rayado Ranch
Destined to become one of the largest and richest landholdings of the frontier, the early years of
settlement of the Rayado Ranch were plagued by hostile encounters with Indians along the Santa Fe Trail.
Chapter 12 - Fort Larned, The Central Anchor
Once a military guardian of the central leg of the Santa Fe Trail, Fort Larned is now a national
historic site. It is the best remaining example of Santa Fe Trail garrisons.
Chapter 13 - Kit Carson & the First Battle of Adobe Walls
An almost-forgotten battle between Indians and whites for control of the Santa Fe Trail demonstrates
the brilliant leadership capabilities of one of the West’s most famous names.
Chapter 14 - Booth & Helliwell’s Race for Life
Throughout the annals of the West, few men experienced such a narrow escape and lived to tell about
it.
Chapter 15 - Early Years of the Mud Fort
Medical records of the early years of Fort Dodge, Kansas are marked with sacrifice, sickness, exposure
and death. The problem was that military engagements against hostiles accounted for a small percentage of
the soldiers’ ailments.
Chapter 16 - The Buffalo Runners
Myths, misunderstanding and legends abound surrounding the American Bison and the men who
hunted it.
Chapter 17 - Battle Canyon and Squaws’ Den
Only the wind sings a sad song of confrontation and survival at the lonely site of Battle Canyon and
Squaws’ Den.
Chapter 18 - The Ranch at Cimarron Crossing
For two years men struggled to maintain a lonely outpost at the Santa Fe Trail Cimarron Crossing of
the Arkansas River. Isolation and the threat of death from Indian raids constantly skewed their lives and
their fortunes.
Chapter 19 - Winter Campaign
While George Custer found glory along the banks of the Washita River during the winter of
1868-69, a force of soldiers left Fort Lyon, Colorado, for a campaign of suffering, near-starvation and
freezing death. Some of the most legendary names in the West were involved in this forgotten saga of
survival.
Chapter 20 - Charlie Rath, Kansas Frontiersman
One act of heroism exemplifies the character and strength of a man who may be one of the most
overlooked figures in the history of the settlement of Kansas.
Chapter 21 - Fort Union, Defender of the Union Southwest
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Heroes of the Santa Fe Trail
An earthen star fort was built to defend the Santa Fe Trail that one officer claimed “All Texas
Cannot Take.” The entire structure was a boondoggle that could be pounded to dust by artillery if the
Confederacy took the mesa to the west.
Chapter 22 - Ham Bell, The Quiet Lawman
An acquaintance of the likes of Pat Garrett, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Bill Tilghman and Pat
Sughrue during Dodge City’s most turbulent era, Hamilton Butler Bell served as a lawman for thirty-six
years, arresting more people for warrants handled than any other western lawman, and never shot a man.
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Foreword
For over a decade I made good wages writing about the Santa Fe Trail for historical
magazines. Since I lived in the Dodge City and Garden City, Kansas, area at that time
and was raised within twenty-eight miles of Fort Larned, I conducted original field studies
on many aspects of the trail and the people who used it. Much of this research came out
of source study for my first print book, The Black Powder Plainsman, and for my Master’s
degree thesis research on historical reenactment as a communication tool. I also spent six
years doing a historical gun column for Old West magazine. Magazine editors and
formats change. Today, it seems to be the gunslinging lawman or wild cowboy that
appeals to editors. That is a pity because the real heroes of the Old West, men such as
Charlie Rath, Ham Bell or Henry Booth are generally minor characters in history who
were only involved in one or two sensational events. Still, I enjoyed this fascinating study
and want to share some of my best material with you. To my knowledge nearly all of the
material that you’ll read in this book was taken from primary sources or from field studies
that I conducted on my own at the locations. Any secondary sources had at least three
collaborative sources to verify accuracy. The stories are presented in a rough
chronological order but are not in the order they were originally written. All of the
previously published stories have been updated with additional research or insights I have
gained since their publication. I have personally visited every site mentioned in the
stories and walked the ground where these occurrences took place. The problem with
this text, however, is that it cannot stand on its own as a scholarly work because I lost all
of my original files and notes in a fire. In fact, I thought I had lost the entire text until I
found a backup disc written in Professional Write 2.2 software of the original manuscripts
during an office move several years later. In spite of this weakness, the stories should be a
valuable base for anyone interested in the history of the Santa Fe Trail. It has been a
fascinating study for me and I hope you enjoy what I’ve learned.
—RDS
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Maps of the Santa Fe Trail
Kansas Heritage Center
Western Part of the Santa Fe Trail
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Heroes of the Santa Fe Trail
Eastern Part of the Santa Fe Trail
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