KANSAS COLLECTION BOOKS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ W.A. Johnson's "The History of Anderson County, Kansas, From its First Settlement to the Fourth of July, 1876", chapter 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE HISTORY OF ANDERSON COUNTY, KANSAS, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1876, by William G. Cutler, published 1877. This work in progress is being transcribed and edited by Teresa Lindquist for KanColl (The Kansas Collection), in the Early Kansas Imprint Scanners (EKIS) workshop. A fully indexed, HTML version will be available at the KanColl website (http://www.ukans.edu/carrie/kancoll/books/) when it is finished. For more information about KanColl, please visit: http://history.cc.ukans.edu/carrie/kancoll/. For more information about EKIS, please visit: http://history.cc.ukans.edu/carrie/ekis/. For any other questions, please contact Teresa Lindquist (merope@radix.net). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XII. Severity of the Winters of 1855-6 and 1856-7, and Mildness of those of 1857-8 and 1858-9--Prai-- rie Fires--Sac and Fox Indians. THE winters of 1855-6 and 1856-7 were seasons of almost unparalleled severity, which caused many to suppose that it was characteristic of this country; which, however, was a mistaken idea, as shown by the winters of 1857-8 and 1858-9, which were mild and pleasant. the "Leavenworth Journal" of January 15, 1858, says: "Passing through the country a few days since, we were pleased to see the roads filled with summer birds, whose gay plumage and sweet notes indicated anything but winter." No country could exceed the beauty and mildness of the winters of 1858 and 1859; the brilliancy by day, bright moonlight nights, and prairie fires had the appearance of September in Illinois or Wisconsin. The streams were not frozen over during either of the latter winters, nor was the ground covered with snow. Reference is made to these four winters, to show the great difference of seasons in this climate. Since that time the seasons have been more uniform, none being so extreme as those referred to. In the early days of Kansas there were some ter- --------------------------- ANDERSON COUNTY. 137 rible prairie fires, caused by burning the heavy coats of dry grass, and high winds, carrying the fire with great rapidity, often blowing the fire across any stream in its way. When the wind was blowing heavily the rapidity was frightful, outstripping the fleetest horse, doing great damage. Yet the appearance of these fires on a calm night was most gorgeous, as they lighted up the country for miles around. No grander and more beautiful scene could be presented. A painter that could transfer to canvas the enchanting panorama of a prairie on fire would be entitled to have his name registered in the roll of fame for above our most gifted mortals. When the white settlers came to this county the Sac and Fox tribes of Indians were located on a reservation in Franklin and Osage counties, where they remained for about ten or twelve years. Roving bands of these Indians often wandered into different parts of this county, hunting and fishing; and some times two to three hundred of them, with their squaws and ponies, would winter in this county, along the streams, and often became very annoying in setting fire to prairies to drive game out, and in that way often burning the fences and crops of the settlers. And at times they would engage in stealing and driving away the stock of the settlers, and keep it hidden until a reward was offered for its return. They would go begging from house to house, and if one was fed by the settler the whole party must be fed or there would be trouble. These --------------------------- 138 HISTORY OF Indians obtained whisky when they could find it. Rezin Porter, on North Pottowatomie, kept whisky to sell in 1857 and 1858, and the Indians, in passing through, made it a point to camp near his house. In the fall of 1857 a party of them went into camp near Porter's, went to his house and demanded whisky, which Mrs. Porter, in the absence of her husband, refused. So they attempted to break into the house, and failing at the door, which she had fastened, one attempted to enter through a window, when she filled his face and bosom with a shovel full of live coals from the fire place, which caused him to retreat, yelling, with his shirt on fire, and the others followed him. In the winter of 1860 these Indians gave a "war dance" in Garnett, which was novel to our people, who came in large numbers from the country to witness it. It took place at the crossing of Pine street and Sixth avenue. Four of the braves had each nail kegs, covered with opossum skins. Seated on the ground, with sticks they commenced beating their nail kegs, and sung their songs, which furnished the music for the occasion. The squaws seated themselves in a circle, and the braves entered the circle and proceeded to perform the most amusing evolutions, interspersed by short speeches in their dialect, and, with sticks, bludgeons and tomahawks, they showed how they killed and scalped their victims, and drank their blood. It was a fair illustration of --------------------------- ANDERSON COUNTY. 139 their savage cruelty. They also danced the "green corn" dance, and the "snake" dance.