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Omaha
Under Martial Law
The
Unwritten History of
The Nebraska Volunteers
of the sixties...
Those
were perilous days of
1862 for Omaha, when
word was brought by
carrier who had made
a forced march from
down the river, bearing
the startling news that
the Confederates were
coming this way, determined
to secure possession
of a large amount of
money that had been
hurriedly taken out
of the banks of St.
Joseph and shipped overland
in a armoured wagon
to Omaha, to be placed
in Kounize Bros. Bank
to keep it from falling
into unlawful hands.
It
is only the old-timers
who can tell of these
events and how the antique
hair trunk that contained
the money arrived in
Omaha one night, just
at sundown with its
precious burden of gold,
accompanied by the tale
of the man who brought
it, who said that St.
Joseph had been sacked
and robbed of everything
of value.
Already
a military company had
been organized in Omaha
and drilled ready for
whatever came. Mr.
B. E. B. Kennedy was
then mayor of Omaha
and Alvin Saunders Governor
of the State. Martin
Dunham, for many years
president of the Nebraska
State Fair Association,
and like Mr. Kennedy
yet a resident of Omaha,
was one of the moving
factors of the military
organization. He
herd the words of warning
and when
additional carriers
came in from the south
with other tales of
the atrocities being
perpetrated by the guerrillas
he hastened to see Governor
Saunders and apprise
him of the condition
of affairs. The
governor and Mayor Kennedy
held a conference and
it was decided that
Omaha must be protected
at all costs. The
church and school bells
were rung and the little
body of militia soon
gathered at the armory,
where
everything was explained
to it .
Mr.
Durham was a lieutenant
of the military organization
and was the means of
having a guard thrown
around the city. Everybody
in those days was armed
and a more determined
lot of men could not
be found.
"Boys,"
said Lieutenant Dunham,
the captain being absent,
"we have work ahead
of us and I want every
man to feel that he
is a whole army himself.
There are not
many of us, but what
there are I know the
women and children of
Omaha can depend upon
to protect them"
By
midnight of the day
of the first alarm pickets
were thrown around the
city in all directions
and not one who could
not give a good account
of himself was allowed
to either go out or
come in. The picket
line began at the river
front below where the
Union Pacific Bridge
now stands. From
there it verged off
west and north in a
semi circle, and finally
joined the river again
at the old ferry landing,
above the present location
of the Union Pacific
shops. At the
capitol, which stood
on the hill where the
High School building
now stands, an extra
guard or two were thrown
in for good measure,
and Omaha slept that
night in a fitful mood.
Nor
did the precautions
end with the posting
of the pickets. Every
available bell was brought
out and swung high in
mid-air, attached to
a rope,to be rang violently
on the first intimation
that the enemy had invaded
the city.
For
several days and nights
few people slept in
Omaha and women and
little children gathered
in the center of the
town and waited for
the worst. The
second night a picket
accidentally fired off
his gun and soon a rumor
spread over the town
that the "bushwhackers"
had come. Those
more timid than the
rest, who had places
of concealment, hid
themselves away, taking
the women and children
of their households
along,
but the alarm was a
false one and an hour
later a town crier proclaimed
the fact.
Finally
the excitement were
away and as the Confederates
did not arrive fear
gave place to a feeling
of security.
Thus
did Omaha, in her infant
days, prepate to meet
a contingency that might
have cost the lives
of many innocent ones
who had come here in
the pioneer days to
make Omaha their home.
Following
the St. Joseph incident
they were organized
on call of Governor
Saunders and his successor
many military organizations
throughout the then
thinly populated districts
of Territorial Nebraska
and strange as
it may seen the records
at Washington do not
contain an account of
these organizations,
nor bear the names of
hundreds of brave men
who later risked their
lives in the defense
of the settlers on the
frontier against whom
the Indians waged a
relentless warfare.
Nebraska's
first military organization
was perfected in 1862
in Omaha, with Charles
Goodrich as captain,
Martin Dunham first
lieutenant and G. W.
Rust, a newspaper man,
second lieutenant. This
organization was later
regularly enrolled in
the service, but it,
too, was never officially
recognized.
There
had been many times
between 1861 and 1864
that the Nebraska Volunteers
had been sent into the Indian country to drive
back the Indians but
it remained for November
of the latter year to
give to company A, First
Regiment, First Brigade,
Nebraska Volunteers,
mounted, to make one
of the hardest forced
marches, under trying
difficulties, that has
ever been made.
The
report came that a party
of United States Surveyors
had been hemmed in down
on the Republican River,
eighty miles south of
the Platte, and would
be killed unless assistance
was sent them. Governor Saunders called for
the militia and ordered
Lieutenant Dunham to
"draft" 100
good riding horses by
midnight and be ready
with them to move at
daylight.
There
were tears and heartaches
that early morning when
company A rode away
fifty five strong, with
Captain John R. Porter
as their head.
All
day long the command
faced westward and at
night encountered a
number of settlers coming
in with their families.
From them it was
hard to get a correct
statement of the trouble.
All they knew
was that there had been
shooting off to the
south and a horseman
had ridden down the
valley, like Paul Revere,
warning them to fly
if they desired to save
their lives.
"It
looks like business,
boys," said Captain
Porter, "and the
sooner we get to the
scene of action the
better."
A
short halt was made
on the banks of the
Platte and then animals
given half an hour to
crop a bit of grass
while the soldiers ate
a hearty supper. Then
it was up and on again,
until what is now Butler
County was reached.
A mile above where
a halt was made a swarm
of Indians could be
seen plunging into the
river and when once
across to ride away
as fast as they could.
Then another settler
came by and said they
were Sioux and were
killing and burning
everything in their
path.
The
command of scouts had
begun to move on up
the river when they
saw a second mass of
moving humanity plunging
into the river, to gain
the northern side. Instead
of swinging off to the
north they came down
toward where the little
company of militiamen
was and escape being
out of the question,
Captain Porter arranged
his men so as to give
them a warm reception
as possible.
As
they came closer and
closer the scouts tightened
their belts and looked
closely at their arms,
for they had determined
to save their lives
dearly. But the
conflict never came.
When close enough
to discern who the Indians
were they were found
to be friendly Omaha's.
An explanation
followed and from the
Indians it was learned
that they had had an
awful battle with the
Sioux and had been whipped
and lost many warriors.
The
battle had taken place
on the south side of
the Platte River and
the Omaha's were trying
to escape to their our
territory on the north
and east.
Still,
as there were the surveyors
to look after, the captain
lost no unnecessary
time in getting the
scouts in motion. Crossing
the Platte River they
started south and west
and after riding eighty
miles they went into
camp during the late
hours of the evening
on the banks of the
Republican River. Nothing
of the Sioux has been
seen but the men felt
that they could not
be far away, because
so many crows and buzzards
were constantly flying
about in the air. Next
morning the command
was up early and went
on down the river and
located the place where
the surveyors had been
camped. No dead
were found and it was
seen that they had gotten
away. Nor were
traces of the Sioux
found, but had the soldiers
only knew they would
have perhaps slept less
sound the previous night,
for less then a mile
up the river were encamped
3,000 warriors, and
every one of them has
on paint and feathers
of the eagle, with a
black cross over their
foreheads, which denoted
that no quarter was
to be shown an enemy.
Years afterwards
a chief of the Sioux
said to Martin Dunham:
"Had
we known that you were
so close to us we would
have eaten you all alive."
After
the discovery was made
that the surveyors had
escaped. Captain Porter
headed for the north.
Scouts were sent
out and the Sioux discovered
and as some of them
started down the river
it was thought that
an attack was intended.
Hardships
of the Month
Eighty
miles to the north lay
the Platte River and
to reach it a ride was
necessary that would
be trying alike to man
and beast. But
the men of the command
were hardy fellows and
equal to the emergency.
They know full
well that death in a
terrible form lay in
the wake and liberty
and loved ones in front.
They were not
running away, but were
merely using good sense
in keeping out of dangers
way -- fifty five men
against 3,000 merciless
Sioux, who were never
known to show mercy
to a white man when
on the warpath.
Fifteen
out of Fifty Five
All
that day the soldiers
rode, famished for water
and weak for food. In
the afternoon they cam
to where Holdrege now
stands, and so great
was the desire for water
that the men tried to
dig to it with their
sabers, little knowing
that the fluid was 250
feet deep in the earth.
Then they pushed
on and at nightfall,
when the Platte River
was reached, a ride
of eighty miles, only
fifteen of the fifty
five answered roll call.
Two
miles below was Fort
Kearney and there succor
was found. The
commandant sent out
three ambulances and
two army wagons which
went back over the trail
and picked up the men
that had fallen by the
wayside, and when taps
were sounded all had
been safely housed in
the fort.
This
is only one of the incidents
that the volunteer companies
of Nebraska early days
went through, yet for
some unknown reason
their hardships and
services have never
been made a part of
the records at Washington.
Of
the entire membership
of company A, so far
as known, only these
are alive. yet there
may be others:
Martin
Dunham, Omaha
Frank
Winship, Omaha
Henry
Astman, South Omaha
Henry
Nye, Emerson, Nebraska
Charles
S. Smith, Anaconda,
Montana
Pardon
Marshall, Norfolk, Nebraska
A.
G. Murphy, Philadelphia
Another
foray in which company
A participated was that
which occurred near
Lexington. A number
of government hay cutters
had been run in by the
Indians and company
A was sent out by Governor
Saunders to quell the
disturbance. Before
they got there, however,
the hay cutters had
organized and attacked
the Indians, killing
seven of them and wounding
many others. At
that time Martin Dunham
was quartermaster for
the government and says
that he bought hay at
5 cents per pound, with
which to feed army mules.
Company
A was mustered out August
13, 1864, by W. H. H.
Hughes, territorial
adjutant. Mr.
Hughes is now connected
in an official capacity
with the Nebraska National
Bank of Omaha.
The
hardships that company
A went through with
are only those endured
by nearly all of the
volunteer company of
the '60's, which did
so much to lay the foundation
for what has been aptly
termed the "hemisphere
of the plains."
That
someone neglected to
perform their duty when
the volunteer militia
companies of Nebraska
were mustered out of
the service of the service
by failing to send proper
records to the department
at Washington, is apparent,
and, except for the
roster of Nebraska volunteers,
issued by the adjutant
general of Nebraska,
no record of their service
would be exlante.
In
order to set the record
right the writer has
compiled from such records
as obtainable the names
of all of the companies
which did military duty,
of which there is nothing
to show at Washington.
The
first was Company A,
First Regiment, First
Brigade, Mounted Infantry,
mustered in at Omaha,
August 13, 1864, and
mustered out at Omaha,
November 12, 1864. This
company, however, had
been organized in 1861.
The
officers were:
John
R. Porter, Captain
Allen
T. Riley, First Lieutenant
Martin
Dunham, Second Lieutenant
Following
will be found in regular
order the additional
militia companies which
did duty on the frontier,
yet are not officially
recorded:
First
Regiment, Second Brigade,
Company A:
Thomas
B. Stevenson, Captain
Francis
J. Brenner, First Lieutenant
Robert
R. Andrews, Second Lieutenant
Mustered
in at Nebraska City,
August 18, 1864, mustered
out December 21, 1864.
First
Regiment, Second Brigade,
Company B :
Isaac
Wiles, Captain
Henry
J. Streight, First Lieutenant
Leslie
C. Johnson, Second Lieutenant
Mustered
in at Plattsmouth, September
9, 1864; mustered out,
February 13, 1865.
First
Regiment, Second Brigade,
Company C:
Alvin
G. White, Captain
William
B. Raper, First Lieutenant
Levi
Anthony, Second Lieutenant
Mustered
in at Pawnee City, September
22, 1864; mustered out,
February 6, 1865.
Artillery
Detachment Nebraska
Militia:
Edward
P. Child, Captain
James
M. Johnson, First Lieutenant
Mustered
in at Omaha, August
30, 1864; mustered out,
November 12, 1864.
First
Regiment, Cavalry Nebraska
Militia, Company A:
John
R. Brown, Captain
Samuel
J. Alexander, First
Lieutenant
George
M. Humphrey, Second
Lieutenant
Mustered
into service at Big
Sandy, Nebraska, August
13, 1867; mustered out
November 15, 1867.
First
Regiment, Cavalry, Nebraska
Militia, Company A:
John
R. Brown, Captain
Samuel
J. Alexander, First
Lieutenant
Andrew
D. Butler, Second Lieutenant
Mustered
in at Meridan, Nebraska,
June 1, 1869; mustered
out, November 1, 1869.
These
records are not complete
as it is known there
were other companies
mustered into service
for frontier work of
which no report was
ever made.
E.
O. Mayfield
Omaha
World Herald - December
1, 1901
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