Chapter 28
The Wagon Train Summer 1875
He joined up with the wagon train just outside of Oshoto along the Little Missouri River. They had twelve Conestoga’s, which had long deep beds so that the contents could not spill out on hills. They were covered with hooped canvas coverings to keep the sun and rain off the women and children and their belongings.
They were fortunate as the weather was beautiful. It was early summer and they traveled down to the settlement of Gillette and then across to Buffalo before crossing the Eastern Grand Teton. After they passed through Ten Sheep and crossed the Big Horn River and entered the Big Horn Basin approaching Cody, the skies opened up. They were caught in one of the heaviest downpours the area had in years. The Sheridan River was swelling and spilling over its banks.
The pain from the beating Yellow Hair took had pretty much left him. He sat on Kodah in the rain, watching the debris racing down the river, huge torn up trees and dead branches among the jagged rocks when Lt. Steckel pulled up next to him.
“I worry about crossing this river as it is very high and the current strong. Not only do we risk losing a wagon, but also some people whose safety we are responsible for,” he said.
Lt. William Steckel was in command. He was a few years older than Yellow Hair and a recent graduate of West Point. They got along well on the last trip and he trusted the decisions Yellow Hair made and he appreciated the confidence the Lieutenant showed in him.
“We could wait a couple of days and let the water recede some before crossing.” he replied.
“We could, but I have to get back to Fort Laramie by the first week in July to pick up a fresh remuda of horses and take them to Fort Kearney. I can’t wait here much longer or I won’t make it back in time,” Steckel said.
“I think we will unhitch the oxen and swim them across first and then float the wagons by themselves, he said, turning to the soldiers behind him.
Corporal Moon found a passable ford near the mouth of the Sheridan.”
Lt. Steckel turned his horse and rode back to the column of soldiers, waiting for the command that would tell them what to do next.
“We are gonna cross. Be prepared for close to fifty yards of swimming water in crossing men. So get ready to put up your boots. Don’t let the oxen drink anything all day. I want them to be thirsty when they reach the water. It will make it easier to drive them into the river.”
That night they bedded the oxen down in some grass about three miles from the river. The next morning it was still raining when they hitched the oxen to the wagons and headed to the mouth of the river. They unhitched the oxen when they got there and Sergeant Milliken yelled.”Those of you who are leading the herd of oxen into the water remove your boots and clothing and give ‘em to the riders in the rear.”
The approach to the river was gradual. The other side had a narrow pass with a steep incline. Since Kodah was a strong swimmer, Yellow Hair was the lead man on the downside of the river. With the Calvary’s saddle horses in the lead, they started to cross the Sheridan River. Kodah swam with the freedom and ease that he knew she would and several times the saddle horses swam so near he could reach out and touch their backs. Yellow Hair noticed Corporal Kujawski crossing the Sheridan about ten yards back when his mount, a big bay gelding, got cramps and sank.
“Help me, I can’t swim. I’m sinking,” Kujawski cried. He went down with his horse.
A moment later, he surfaced and Lt. Steckel caught him by the shirt, “Grab a hold of my horse’s tail Corporal and I’ll pull you across.”
They never did see the horse again.
“Most of these horses are good swimmers but it’s hard for them oxen. They have a tendency to get congested as they emerge from the water and if we let that happen, some of them will drown,” Sergeant Milliken yelled.
“Come on keep ‘em movin’ they’re beginning to back up. Watch that one on the downstream side she looks like she’s about to go under.” Lt. Steckel yelled.
A soldier went down and righted that one and they had no problem with the rest.
Once they got the oxen strung out on the far side of the Sheridan, they turned their attention to floating the twelve wagons across.
“Let’s get them wagons tied together. Run ropes from the back to the front on both sides. Bring the ropes through the wheels and secure the tongues of the wagons.” Milliken screamed over the roar of the raging river.
They forded the river on their horses and once on the other side, they changed to the biggest and strongest horses out of the remuda and dallied their ropes around the pommel of their saddles. The remaining men on the other side of the river pushed the wagons while the horses that crossed the river were pulling them.
Once the wagons were in the river, Lt. Steckel yelled out to the riders “Keep the ropes taut, don’t let the wagons drift too far down stream or they will miss the passage on the other side.”
They got all of the wagons pulled across with no problems but on the last wagon one of the ropes broke loose, causing it to spin. It struck a large rock, breaking off its tongue and tipping it onto its side in the middle of the river.
It was the Dubois’ wagon. Pierre Dubois had died on the way out here and Laura Dubois and her young son, Marcel, were trying to make it on their own. All its contents and both the Dubois were thrown into the current and were being swept downstream. Yellow Hair mounted Kodah and entered the river. He turned Kodah so they would be swimming with the current and it wasn’t long before he overtook Marcel and Laura Dubois. The current was strong and the noise level was high as he reached down and yelled to the young boy “Grab my hand Marcel and swing up onto my horse. Next he came upon Laura who was clutching to a tree trunk. “Hang onto the mane” he told the boy as he jumped into the water. He put his arms around Laura Dubois’ waist and grabbed onto Kodah’s tail.
Unfortunately, Kodah was heading for the wrong side of the river and there was no way he could change her direction. They exited the river about a mile downstream from where the rest of the wagon train had crossed.
They sat down on the bank of the river.
“I need to rest and catch my breath before we ride back and join up with the wagon train.” he said.
“Thank you,” Laura gasped between breaths. “I was so afraid I would lose my boy. I can’t thank you enough.”
“We have lost everything we own. I don’t know what we will do.”
“You are going to make it, Mrs. Dubois. It will be alright. The main thing is that you and Marcel are alive and safe. There are some nice folks you are traveling with and they will make sure you are taken care of.”
He put the Dubois’ on Kodah’s back and led her upstream to where they had forded the river.
Once there, Lt. Steckel sent over Sergeant Milliken and Private Bennett on strong horses to get the Laura and Marcel and take them across the river to join the rest of the wagon train.
“Put them on our mounts,” Sergeant Milliken said.” We’ll grab the tails and let them free swim across.”
When it was all over Yellow Hair sat on Kodah with Lt. Steckel and Sergeant Milliken on each side of him, looking back at the river as it angrily fought its way south.
“Well, Lt. Steckel said, we lost one wagon, an ox and a saddle horse. But all of the people are safe. I think we are lucky that is all we lost. That’s one hell of a river. Let’s go and get them to the Grand Tetons before another front moves in.” He turned his horse around and rode up the embankment to lead the wagon train on the last leg of its journey through the Wyoming Territory.
At least you will make it back in time to pick up your remuda of horses, Yellow Hair thought to himself as he kicked Kodah into a trot and followed Sergeant Milliken behind the lieutenant toward the wagons which were being hooked up to the oxen and being readied to move out.