AC. They Ravished The Women Insensible: Cheyennes Capture Sarah White and Anna Morgan in Kansas, 1868

They Ravished The Women Insensible: Cheyennes Capture Sarah White and Anna Morgan in Kansas, 1868

today we have some more actual history about the settlements of the American West following the US Civil War we will be reading about the state of war that overtook Kansas and Nebraska in 1868 and 1869 when shyenne Indians began raiding settlements and committing outrages against the settlers these events follow our recent episode on the Union Pacific train line that was attacked in August of 1867 by Chief Roman noos this same Chief Roman NOS would be behind many of the depredations that we will read about today we will be reading from the spring

1962 issue of Arizona and the West an article titled the shyenne barrier on the Kansas Frontier written by Lonnie J White and published by Journal of the Southwest so here is the story of the open war on the Kansas Frontier between shyen Indians and American settlers and the US Army for the Indians the year between June of 1868 and June of 1869 was critical in this period the red men made their greatest effort to drive the white Intruders from the Buffalo Plains of Western Kansas as the civil war came to an end the federal Administration sought

to establish a permanent peace on the Kansas Frontier by negotiating with the tribes of the Southern Plains reservations were assigned in 1865 in the Treaty of the little Arkansas but this agreement was defective because many bands of participating trib did not consent to its terms at Medicine Lodge Creek in 1867 Federal Commissioners concluded another General treaty under which the cheyen and arapahos were to accept reservations in the Indian Territory and receive annually from the government the food clothing and other items necessary

for their sustenance the Indians were also given the exclusive right to hunt on all Land South of the Arkansas River these terms were generous and upon the signing of the Medicine Lodge treaty a welcomes calm settled over the Kansas Prairie but when spring came in 1868 the cheyen and the arapahos most of whom were congregated on the pony River and on Walnut Creek became restive they declared that the peace Commissioners had promised arms and ammunition which had not arrived although the Medicine Lodge treaty had not been ratified by

the United States Senate Indian agent ew wi coup believed it would be possible to keep the Indians contented but to the commanding officer of the department of the Missouri General Philip H Sheridan the situation appeared less auspicious Sheridan who had just completed an inspection of forts lned and Dodge saw the younger Braves chafing and turbulence and feared that hostilities would accompany the summer buffalo hunt when the complaining Chiefs asked for a counsel Sheridan had to decline for as he said the whole matter was still in

the hands of the peace Commissioners widespread destitution soon prevailed among the tribes the rapid de ammunition of game was everywhere apparent the annuities at best offered only partial relief and Congress made the situation intolerable by providing funds only irregularly three times during the Spring of 1868 the commissioner of Indian Affairs prodded Congress but that body instead of appropriating the $1 million which had been requested made available in July only one half this sum and that was to be spent by the war

department rather than by the Indian Bureau the promise suppes had not yet arrived when about 400 Restless young cheyen and a small number of Arapaho and kaiwa warriors under the Cheyenne Chiefs tall Bull and little robe decided to raid the neighboring reservation of the peaceful cause in Morris County they left their lodges and on June 2nd approached that part of the reservation near Council Grove the cause Having learned of their coming quickly assembled about 200 Warriors to repulse the attack the battle raged indecisively

for 3 hours before tall bull sounded retreat in the late evening on returning to their Camp the Cheyenne Renegades Rock considerable Havoc all along the way they rode through the streets of Council Grove yelling firing and terrifying the inhabitants several of the Braves attacked and violated a black woman a mile down the road they entered and ransacked William Perard’s home for several miles they pillaged every Farmhouse and killed livestock at the time of the C and Council Grove raids annuity Goods including arms and

ammunition were in route to Fort lned for the Indians before the goods arrived however the commission of Indian Affairs learned of the recent hostility and ordered wi coup not to issue the arms and ammunition when the shipment reached the agency wi coup was obliged to explain to the Indians why he could not release to them the promised annuities the agent reported that the Indians were greatly dissatisfied and beli that their white brothers were pulling away from them the hand they had given to them at Medicine Lodge Creek fearing an

immediate Outbreak on the Southern Plains the commissioner modified his order and telegraphed wico if you were satisfied that the issue of arms and ammunition is necessary to preserve the peace and that no evil will result from their delivery let the Indians have them this concession was welcomed by wi coup who immediately distributed the arms and ammunition to his charges on August 3rd a party of 240 cheyen at under black cuddle left their Camp above the forks of Walnut Creek and proceeded North they crossed the Smoky

Hill near Fort Hayes and at that post they spent the evening of August 7th smoking the peace pipe Black Kettle loves his white Soldier brothers and his heart feels glad when he meets them and shakes their hands in Friendship Post Trader Hill P Wilson reported the Cheyenne leader is saying the chief further stated the white soldiers ought to be glad all the time because their Ponies are so big and so strong and because they have so many guns and so much to eat all other Indians may take the war Trail but Black Kettle will

forever keep friendship with his White Brothers upon leaving Fort Hayes the cheyen moved Eastward toward the settlements and camped the first night on the sine near the mouth of spilman Creek that evening two of the Indians rode up to a house in the neighborhood and captured and violated the lady occupants the next day black Kett band began vicious raids in that vicinity professing friendship they visited farmhouses and asked for food knowing that the Indians liked coffee several women in the spilman creek settlements

prepared it for them pretending to be indignant because it was served to them in 10 cups sharidan later wrote they threw the hot contents in the women’s faces and then first making prisoners of the men they won after another ravish the women insensible at each Farm the Indians ran off the stock and burned to the cabin they either killed or carried away every white person they found on spilman Creek the Marauders then headed toward the South Fork of the Solomon where the settlers not knowing of the recent depredations received them kindly

and gave them food this kindness said Sheridan was requited with murder and pillage and worse from the South Fork of the Solomon Black Kettle band rode to the North Fork where they received a warm welcome a group of settlers having been warned of their hostility opened fire when the Raiders came into range but the Indians evidently wanting no part of an even fight circled the frontiersmen for a time and then moved away in their Retreat the Warriors killed one settler as they swept on through the settlements they killed

three men and one woman and they took two little girls named Belle Prisoners the party then turned South toward the saline leaving in their Wake On the Solomon 15 dead and many destroyed houses in addition to the Bell girls They Carried with them as captives Mrs Annie Morgan and Miss Sarah white meanwhile in response to the plea of the settlers for help the commander at Fort Harker dispatched a troop of Cavalry to the area the soldiers found the Indians as they were storming the house of Alonzo shermerhorn where a few Pioneers

had gathered for defense hearing the gunshots the Cavalry men came over the hills at a gallop and the Renegades fled in every direction as usual they scattered in such a way as to leave no Trail that could easily be followed alluding their pursuers the Indians made rendevu on the saline and here they separated into small parties some returned to their Villages but others continued on the war Trail they killed two whites on the Republican struck the Smoky Hill stage routs raided on paon Creek and demolished a hay camp near

Fort Dodge reports of the Cheyenne atrocities now poured into the capital at Topeka Governor Samuel J Crawford Desiring to see the evidence of the Indian depr ations Made A hurried inspection of the ravaged area when he returned to his office on August 17th Crawford sent a request to President Andrew Johnson for federal help to suppress the uprising he informed the president that the settlements covering a space 60 miles wide and reaching from the saline to the Republican were driven in the country laid in ashes and the

soil drenched in blood as the agitant general of Kansas subsequently stated The Wretched conditions of the s in the Valley can only be comprehended by an eyewitness there too upon receiving Crawford’s message President Johnson authorized General William T Sherman commanding the division of the Missouri to accept the service of one Regiment of volunteer Cavalry from the state of Kansas for 6 months in addition General Sheridan was ordered to utilize his entire commands in putting down the uprising of the shyen on August 22nd

Sherman wrote the assistant agitant general in Washington that he had instructed Sheridan to compel their removal south of the Kansas line for he deemed further forbearance with these Indians impossible to expedite the operations Sheridan established his headquarters at Fort Hayes these were steps well taken for on October 7th wi coup wrote to his Superior that all of the Indians of the upper Arkansas were engaged in the struggle at Fort Hayes Sheran made preparations to Halt the Indian disturbance once and for all the

only remedy he believed was to subjugate the Savages immediately engaged in the foray by forcing the several tribes to settle down on the reservations set apart by the Treaty of Medicine Lodge by late Autumn the general had 2600 men in his command in addition to a Kansas volunteer regiment under Colonel Crawford who had resigned his office as Governor to participate in the campaign it was decided to postpone the Expedition until after the Autumn hunts for then the hostiles would be congregated in their winter villages in

the Indian Territory and their horses would be weak from a shortage of grass to patrol the frontier until the winter campaign could began Sheridan was authorized by Congress to employ 50 experienced plainsmen as Scouts major George a foresight of the ninth Cavalry was put in command of this Force which was soon sent to investigate reports of several minor raids against stage stations near Fort Wallace the scouts had just arrived at the Fort when news came that a Cheyenne War party had attacked a wagon train in the vicinity

of Sheridan after killing two teamsters and securing their stock the Indians had burned the train which had consisted of 40 wagons foresight’s little command rode immediately to the scene of the attack and there picked up a fresh Trail which soon widened to indicate that other bands were joining the party realizing that he was pressing close upon a large body of Indians fory finally ordered his tired Scouts to Halt for a night’s rest on the South Bank of of the erery fork of the Republican River in eastern Colorado opposite their

bivouak in the nearly dry bed of the Republican River lay an oblong strip of Sandy ground covered with low brush an island so to speak when the erery was in flood at dawn the following morning on September 17th 1868 six Indians dashed into the sleeping camp and attempted to Stampede the horses foresight and his men quickly retreated to the island and a few minutes later hundreds of Cheyenne and Sue were riding to the attack armed with a new type Spencer repeating carbin the scouts were able to repulse the mounted

charges of the Warriors but could not discourage them Time After Time the Indians returned that day and the next two days foresight and his second in command Lieutenant Frederick H beer soon realized that the only hope of survival was to obtain Aid and four men two on the first night and two on the third volunteered to try reach Fort Wallace 90 Mi away after the third day there was no more fighting and from the sixth day no more Indians were seen on the ninth day Captain Louie H Carpenters company of all black 10th Cavalry summoned from the

fort by two of the scouts arrived and rescued forth’s men among the several dead were lieutenant beeer and Dr John H MERS and fory was among the wounded the major reported over 30 Indians killed one of whom was the noted shyenne Warrior Roman knows but subsequently a young Chief told fory that the Indians had suffered even greater casualties although for’s pursuit of the Indians to the erery may have diminished their confidence it did not curtail their activities a band of shyen Braves in the early fall attacked a wagon train

coming into Kansas from New Mexico every Teamster was killed the wagons burned all the horses and mules stolen and Mrs Clara Blen and her 2-year-old son were taken into captivity on October 13th a large party swept through the Solomon Valley leaving a trail of death and plunder four settlers were killed and two more wounded it was truly a time as one Pioneer declared when one would not be surprised to wake up and find himself dead and scalped The Raid through the Solomon Valley was the last reported during the fall of

1868 for with the coming of Colder Weather the Warriors retired to their winter haunts meanwhile while Sheridan Was preparing his troops for Action never before had the military attempted to strike the Southern Plains Indians in their winter quarters to prevent the slaughter of peaceful bands General Sherman ordered a concentration of all friendlies on the Canadian river south of the Arkansas this done Sheridan’s Army began its deadly work his plan provided that the main Force the seventh Cavalry under Lieutenant Colonel George a kuster would

March from Fort Hayes by way of camp Supply into the Indian Territory two smaller columns were to support this movement one entering the Indian Territory from New Mexico and the other coming from Fort Lion in Colorado kuster’s command comprising 11 of 12 companies of his regiments reached camp supply ahead of the other columns and on November 23rd left the post to follow a fresh Indian Trail which led toward the wasta river falling snow slowed the March Before Dawn on Thanksgiving morning November 27th kuster Scouts

discovered in the Valley of the Wasa a large shyen Camp belonging to Black Kettle orders were passed to surround the village quickly and silently despite the intense cold the troopers were not permitted to stamp their feet to keep warm at Daybreak custard ordered the band to strike up the regimental song Gary Owen and amid bugle calls and cheers the seventh Cavalry stormed the sleeping Village for several hours A desperate fight raged up and down the Ravine with Indians everywhere seeking cover only to be prodded out again

kuster’s men killed more than 100 Warriors including Black Kettle and captured more than 50 squa and children The Lodges were torn down and burned together with large quantities of food and buffalo robes and the entire Pony herd was destroyed as the day advanced Custer learned that the Cheyenne Village was only one the last in line of a group that extended for 50 15 miles along the Wasa his losses had been slight but a general engagement with thousands of Indians would be disastrous thus kuster ordered a cautious withdrawal and 1 hour

before nightfall the regiments marched out of the valley and back on the trail toward camp supply on December 3rd the seventh Cavalry marched triumphantly into the post and marched in review before General Sheridan it was the decisive stroke on the Wasa that broke the power of the Hostile Indians on the Kansas Frontier as Sheridan wrote kuster’s blow was a most effective one which fortunately fell on one of the most villainous bands that without provocation whatever had perpetrated the massacres on the saline and Solomon and

whose hands were still red from their bloody work during the rest of the winter Sheridan’s Army remained in the vicinity of Fort Cobb Gathering the remnants of the tribes onto reservations the cheyen and the arapahos subsequently were settled on the upper Waters of the Wasa near the valley of their defeat although Sheridan’s winter campaign had punished the Indians severely raids broke out again in Western Kansas in the spring of 1869 these foray however could not be blamed upon the Renegades whom Sheridan had chastised rather they were the work

of a large band of Cheyenne dog soldiers under tallbull who after spending the winter on Powder River had furtively moved along the South slope of the Rockies and into Northwestern can Kansas in May some of tall Bull’s Braves attacked four Hunters who were camping on Covert Creek in Osborne County the men managed to escape in the tall grass and heavy underbrush along the creek Banks later in the month another party of dog soldiers rode up on seven workers who were laying track for the Kansas Pacific Railroad 2 miles west of Fossil

Creek Station the Indians killed two laborers and wounded four others before the crew could reach the shelter of the station the Raiders then tore up a section of track which subsequently caused a westbound train to be ditched tall Bull’s Warriors then directed much of their hostility toward the settlements in a desperate effort to drive the whites from their old hunting ranges during the month of May they killed six men and one woman and captured two boys in a raid on White Rock Creek in Republic County and on

Spillman Creek and on the saline they murdered several settlers and took captive Mrs Susan Alder Dice and her baby and Mrs Maria W by the end of May the Cheyenne dog soldiers were reported roaming at will in Northwestern Kansas a report from the little town of Waterville stated that the Indians were scouring the country north and west of the Republican and that on the little blue they were attacking small parties of hunters sporadic raiding continued through June four citizens who are inspecting Farmland at the head of White

Rock Creek on June 3rd were set upon and brutally murdered and mutilated a few days later six Hunters were massacred at the mouth of the same Creek and on June 9th at Scandia a man and a little boy were killed by this time however the settlers were generally well-armed and apprehensive of more trouble and consequently the number of foray decreased a skirmish took place some 15 mies West of Sheridan on June 19th when about 50 cheyen attacked a party of surveyors the whites were armed and repelled the assault killing four

Indians while sustaining two casualties to protect the outlying settlements against further depredations the agitant general of Kansas WS Morehouse now stationed militia at strategic points on Plum Creek fiser creek spilman creek the saline Beaver Creek the Republican and Turkey Creek near the little Arkansas although the state government made some effort to defend the frontier it was again the United States Army that carried the war into the Indian country when he received the news of the dog Soldier raids General Sheridan

instructed the commandants at all posts in his jurisdiction to send detachments of Cavalry to scout the Disturbed area and locate the camps of the hostiles in compliance with this order major Eugene a Carr left Fort mcferson Nebraska on June 7th 1869 with eight companies of the fifth Cavalry and three companies of pony Scouts under major Frank North Carr’s mission was to search the headquarters of the Republic Republican River above the mouth of dog Creek following the Republican Westward has Troopers covered

the country for 10 miles or more on both sides of the river on July 11th after having marched nearly 300 miles Carr discovered tall Bull’s dog soldiers encamped with someu in a valley on the South Fork of the plat in northeastern Colorado the Cavalry men attacked at once in a mounted charge sweeping through the village before the surprised Indians could secure their weapons and ponies 52 War including tallbull were killed and 17 women and children were taken Prisoners the few who managed to flee the camp were pursued to a distance

of 4 miles and car sent out Troopers in every direction to drive in stray animals and to gather up any Indian property that might be found all articles which the Troopers could not carry away they burned the Republican River expedition brought to a successful and dramatic close The Campaign which General Sheridan had undertaken a year early to Red Western Kansas of marauding Indians with the cheyen now severely chastised the Kansas Frontier was open at last to settlements on a large scale and the Southern Plains were generally

free of Indian deportations until the kamanchi Kwa uprising of 1874 in 1870 as one Canen later wrote there was a rush to the state that eclipsed all previous immigrations and within 2 years the settlements reached the Colorado line thus the federal action against the Indians who ravaged the Kansas Prairie in 1868 and 1869 had not only punished the Raiders but had served to advertise the potential of that vast fertile region to those heading west so that is the end of this article by Lonnie J whites the shyen barrier on

the Kansas Frontier 1868 through 1869 this was published by Journal of the Southwest back in 19 62 this article gave an overview of this war with the shy ends and we will probably cover some of the incidents mentioned in further detail in future episodes on this channel particularly the story of Clara Blen we also heard about the capture of Sarah white and Anna Morgan but this article did not provide any details about what happened to them afterwards so now I’m going to read an article that was published in the April 1st 1945

issue of the Arizona Republic it is titled winter war against the Indians this article is centered on the Captivity of Miss White and Mrs Morgan winter campaigns have always been fraught with Peril the first battle between whites and Indians fought in the Frozen months when blizzard swept over the Prairies was no exception one of the most thrilling chapters in Pioneer history The Story begins with the capture of Sarah whites a girl of 17 she was snatched from her father’s Homestead in Kansas on an August day in 18 68

Sarah’s father Benjamin white was one of the first settlers to take up a homestead in Buffalo Township where he established a home for his wife and 10 children they had migrated from Wisconsin and lived on a log cabin on granny Creek Savage cheyen swooped down on Benjamin and his son jack when the two men had left their home to cut hay along the Republican River Bottom before they could race to a nearby Stockade they were felled by shyen arrows and lances Sarah new nothing of the Fate that had befallen her father and brother

when she looked up from her work to see sick shyen Indians outlined in the open door of the cabin she was frightened but calmed her fears when her mother calmly invited the Indians to enter and prepared a meal for them professing friendship they ate ravenously then they filed out silently suddenly one of them Whirled and seized Sarah she screamed and fought as he ran outdoors with her another Indian leaped to his Pony and Sarah was handed up to him him they rode away like the wind and Sarah looking back saw her mother running after her

with outstretched arms screaming and stumbling the Indians did not stop until they reached the Cheyenne camp on Buffalo Creek by that time Sarah was faint with fear and hunger toward evening another band of the same tribe came to the camp leading her father’s team they had killed her father then and her brother Jack probably her mother too and all her family the Indians fearing Pursuit suit camped but a few hours and Sarah soon found herself on the trail again she had found an old newspaper which she hid in her dress and as they

rode along heading Westward she secretly tore off small bits and Scattered them hoping to leave a trail that might be followed as they rode on day after day Sarah lost all sense of time and Direction except that she knew by the Sun that they were going west she had become so numb with fatigue and fear that she took no count of the days when they came in sight of the mountain peak she knew that they were far from home still the Indians kept doggedly on though winter had come it was bitterly cold and Sarah shivered in her tattered

remnants of clothing 3 months had passed and food grew scarce the Indians killed and ate their dogs some of the children stolen by other bands were left to freeze on the trail one day Sarah found another white girl in Camp the cheyen had traded some ponies for her Sarah’s first question question to her was what day of the week is it and what month the girl shook her head she had been a bride of a month when she had been captured in the Solomon Valley not far from Sarah’s home in that same raid only 2 years older

than Sarah her blue eyes were wide with grief and Terror her thick yellow hair hung unkempt about her shoulders the Indians made slaves of the girls forcing them to carry water and chop wood until their hands were calloused the jealous squa beat them cruy in time their backs became rutted like Buffalo tracks with only Buckskin moccasins for protection their feet were badly Frozen blizzards swept from the north on the open and unsheltered prairies but the Indians kept on across the plains of Texas Brave and resourceful Sarah formulated a plan

to escape she had come to understand the Indian dialect and from the bits of gural talk she heard she thought they were south of the Arkansas River and that Fort Dodge was just across the river that night she and Anna Morgan stole away from the camp in the bitter cold through heavy drifts they made their way to the river only a strip of ice separated them from the fort garrisoned by soldiers but the Indians had discovered their escape the girls were recaptured taken back to camp and severely punished during the time the

Cheyenne Warriors had been raiding Kansas and Colorado most of the squa and Children of the tribe stayed in a string of Tepe villages in the sheltered Valley of the was to River near the Western border of the Indian Territory here the warrior bands took the two girls and went into winter quarters we will never be rescued now said Anna staring into the white waist with a strange unseeing look yes we will declared Sarah sturdily she could not know of the plans even then being made to rescue them of the great drama of courage and heroism that

was being enacted about them not till long afterward did she learn that Governor Crawford of Kansas had petitioned president Johnson for help to punish the Indians and rescue her and Anna Morgan she did not give up hope even though she did not know that General Sheridan was in Pursuit with the seventh Cavalry and the famous volunteer Kansas regiment under General kuster they were already at camp supply 100 miles north of Fort Dodge here Sheridan determined to carry out the winter campaign against the Indians although

such a thing had never been done before hither to the Indians had made their raids in the Summers and in the winter lived on the Bounty of the whites now Governor Crawford recruited the 19th Kansas volunteer Cavalry and joined Sheran at camp supply Sheridan sent kuster with the famous Scout California Joe to swing to the Northwest and try to locate the Indians 4 days later on November 27th California Joe cited the Indian village from the summit of a hill overlooking the Wasa dividing his command into four columns kuster waited

for Dawn it was below zero over a foot of snow lay on the ground and a fierce north wind was blowing kuster ordered his men to wait until the bugle sounded the advance at the first faint streaks of dawn to the mingled challenge of the bugle and the strains of Gary Owen struck up by the regimental bands the charge swept down upon the surprised Camp Warriors and squa fought together but when the Battle of Wasa ended 103 Indians lay dead and the rest of the Warriors had fled custard still Advanced until the middle of the afternoon

although he knew that far down the river were other villages with 2,000 Warriors far exceeding his commands at nightfall he retired to camp supply although temporarily Victorious it was bitterly disappointing to kuster and his command to learn that Sarah white and Mrs Morgan were not there Sheridan moved down the Wasa in pursuit of the escaping Indians bent on rescuing Sarah white and Mrs Morgan on the present side of Fort S the indan Chiefs Satanta Lone Wolf and Little Raven surrendered with their bands but 1200 cheyen holding the two

white girls had fled Westward Sheridan sent kuster with the seventh Cavalry and the 19th volunteer regiment in Pursuit with orders to rescue the captives alive if possible for two weeks over a Barren desert in below zero weather and on shortened rations they followed the trail but always they found the Indians a day or two ahead it was an inspiring Saga of Courage heroism and Stark suffering that crusade in the March Blizzards for the protection of Kansas homes kuster caught up with them at last on the banks of the Sweetwater in what

is now Wheeler County Texas the Indians raised the white flag and demanded a powwow on the banks of the Frozen River the shyen 1200 strong and the American soldiers numbering 1,000 stood their ground kuster sent for the Chiefs Dull Knife fat bear big head and Medicine Arrow and demanded the surrender of the captives sullenly the Chiefs protested that no white women were in their camp or near it kuster Arrested them and declared that he would hang all four unless the two girls were delivered safe and well by Sunset the next day early

the following morning the indian warriors armed and angry galloped around the camp of the white soldiers making dire threats and demanding the surrender of their Chiefs they still denied that the white girls were with them deliver the captives was C ultimatum or your Chiefs will hang at sunsets suddenly just as the sun was about to sink an Indian Scout was seen outlined on the top of the nearest Bluff sitting motionless on His Pony he waved a signal to a farther Bluff Beyond and a second Scout appeared he in turn waved to a

third Scout outlined on a bluff still farther away this kept on each Scout seeming to summon another from Beyond the purple Mists last of all and furthest away appeared a pony on which sat two figures in a group Beyond the Valley the Indians halted while 1,000 soldiers waited the two Riders of the pony slipped to the ground their hair Sarah’s black and Anna Morgan’s golden hung in braids Indian fashion they were clad only in thin flower sacks Buckskin moccasins and leggings old beyond their years Sade eyed and Haggard they came

forward in a close Embrace quickly the officers wrapped their coats about them escorted by Colonel Horus Moore of Kansas who had succeeded Governor Crawford they moved toward General kuster the soldier standing with uncovered heads and as the sun went down the seventh Cavalry band played softly home sweet home it seemed to Sarah in the sunset of that March day as unreal as her dreams back on granny Creek the two girls walking in a days as if they were Sleepwalkers were put into an ambulance taken to Fort Dodge and

restored to their families back in the old familiar surroundings Sarah tried to erase from her mind the horrors of her captivity she closed the door to her memory to it completely as one shuts out a nightmare still things would never be the same even granny Creek Rippling through the valley bore another name now it had been renamed White Creek in memory of her father who had been killed on that fateful August morning Sarah herself had changed she was no longer a fresh cheed dreamy girl she was done with dreams she wanted work activity

anything to make her forget she worked feverishly fighting Prairie fires foring swollen streams to carry Aid to the sick taking water to dry and burning Fields you never stopped to rest her mother said but Sarah felt that she must keep busy or she would lose her mind she put the thought of her captivity behind her so resolutely that it came to seem unreal in the peace and security of the present each year it became easier to forget cheerful calm mm smiling she seemed somehow to radiate courage that winter she taught school and then a year

after her rescue she married EO Brooks a young Civil War veteran so the years passed and Sarah reared eight children she lived to be 88 and spent 70 years within a mile of the tragic events that had after all a happy ending she lived see the Log Cabin from which she was captured crumble away its sight marked only by a few straggly current bushes and to view from her window the white spires of a church above the rise where her father lay buried no longer a dreamy girl Sarah White and her sturdy plainness was typical of the Statue of the pioneer

mother on the grounds of the State House in Kansas the high Resolute courage that made up the sum of her living went with her to the last toward the end she dozed and dreamed a great deal perhaps she dreamed of her childhood in the Wisconsin Woods or of the red ears among the yellow corn at husk bees perhaps she heard the bugles of the seventh Cavalry and the band playing home sweet home and so she died on May 11th 1939 as quietly and courageously as she had lived there is no Monument on the spot that marks one of the most

thrilling events of pioneer history but Sarah needs none her story is still heard in the murmur of white Creek as it ripples through the valley and in the rustle of the wild blue stem hay along the Republican her children and grandchild children tell it around their firesides and proudly recall the memory of the Kansas heroine who did her part in the settlement of the West so that’s it for this episode about the war with the shy ends in the late 1860s that spanned Kansas Nebraska Colorado Oklahoma and the Texas

Panhandle this follows up a recent episode we did on this channel about the attack by Roman NOS on the Union Pacific Railroad in 1867 in this story we heard about another attack by shyen dog soldiers on the Kansas Pacific Railroad most of the attacks we heard about early in this story were made by bands of the Southern Cheyenne the dog soldiers were a separate band of cheyen Indians who occupied lands between the northern and southern tribes they fiercely resisted the encroachments of American settlers onto their lands and they were often at

odds with bands of the cheyen who wanted peace this is a recently published book I came across titled captured the true accounts of Sarah whites and the shyen by Beth Lenn whites this book was just published in 2023 the author is distantly related to Sarah whites Sarah’s father was bethlen White’s great great uncle we usually read from old books on this channel but if you are looking to read more about Sarah White’s captivity and you’d like to support a living author then consider adding this book to your personal

Library this this channel is called unworthy history because we cover actual history that has been cast aside as unworthy to discuss on so-called History Channels on TV those channels have largely abandoned their mission and they rarely cover actual history but here on this channel we keep actual History Alive by reading directly from the source if you’d like to support our mission to keep actual history alive then consider joining our patreon page or becoming a YouTube channel member me MERS will have access to our membersonly