Editor Lincoln Republican:

In the Lincoln Republican, of Dec. 6, 1906, you republish the historical sketch written by Washington Smith in 1876 and at your request we will try and correct some of the errors in the article. Although some corrections were made by R.B. Clark in the Lincoln Repbulican of Oct. 18, 1901, we think. But we see the corrections were overlooked. Washington Smith said after giving the names of the Colorado Boys, "in the early springtime of 1866 came the following settlers with their families in the order mentioned, Geo. Green, nativity Massachusetss, and his family; W.T. Wild, nativity England, and his family; Washington Smith, nativity Kentucky, and his family; John Dart, nativity Connecticut, and his family; and two youths from Ohio, J.J. Peate and William Gaskell. These were the first settlers of Lincoln County." We do not agree with Washington Smith in the order mentioned. It should read George Green and family; Washington Smith and family; J.J. Peate, William Gaskell and John Dart and family. See article of R.B. Clark.

Again the article reads: "During the years 1867, 68 and 69 the Indians were alarmingly dangerous." There was no Indian trouble in 1867 in this county. The three women captured by the Indians, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Bacon and Miss Foster, were captured Aug. 11, 1868. It was Col. Benteens troop of the 7th Cav. that no doubt saved the settlers from massacre when the Indian raids were made on the Saline river Aug. 13, 1868, and the two little girls found near the mouth of the Spillman creek were found Saturday, Aug. 15, 1868. Again in giving the names of the men from Lincoln county that joined Col. Forsyth’s command and were in fight on the Arickaree river, he omits the name of Fletcher Vilott. We think that the names E.E. Johnson, D.C. Skinner and J.J. Peate should be added, they belonged to the command, it was no fault of theirs that they were not there. Now in this connection we think it best to give the names of the men from the Saline river who joined this command, although they lived in Ottawa and Salina counties at that time. Men from those counties came to our aid manfully during the Indian war of 1868 and ’69. G.W. Culver killed at the Battle of Beechers Island, town of Culver [Ottawa County] named for him. Frank Herington, Howard Morton, H.H. Tucker, G.B. Clark and A.J. Eutsler were in the fight, 60 percent of the men from the Saline Valley were either killed or wounded, while but 40 percent of the entire number engaged met death or suffered from wounds. E.E. Tozier, R.R. Tozier, Thomas Boyles [Boyle?], William Stubbs and J.E. Green also from this river were members of this comnand but were not in the fight.

In speaking of the Indian raid of 1869 he said, "On this same Sunday eveing Mrs. Olderdice ..." It should be Mrs. Alderdice. The son of Mrs. Alderdice who was found wounded was Willis Daly [sic; actualy Daily], a son by a former marriage. Washington Smith was too modest to state that he assisted Phil Lance in extracting the arrow from the Daly [Daily} boy. The arrow head is still in the county.

Some may ask why 30 years were allowed to pass before we corrected this article. Soon after it was published in 1876 the old settlers talked of the corrections that should be made but that is as far as they went. You know that the makers of history seldom write it.

Bill and Diana Sowers, Lincoln County Coordinators
Tracee Hamilton, Lincoln County Coordinator