Dr. Carver Kills 160 Buffaloes in One Run

The first shot was fired by Carver at least fifty yards from the herd. A fine young cow jumped into the air, and in an instant, with blood streaming from her mouth and nose, fell headlong on the prairie. As Carver started the run, the two Indians threw off the blankets that enveloped them, and naked, except for buckskin leggins, were close at the heels of their leaders. Just as Carver fired, there was a twang of a bow string and the whiz of an arrow, and as the cow struck the ground, a shaft with the red feathers glistening in the sunlight buried itself in the quivering flesh of the dying buffalo, marking it for Carver. The bang of Carter's rifle, the little puff of blue smoke, the fall of a buffalo and the whiz of arrows through the air marked the race as it continued far out on the prairie. Big Carver, with his red shirt, and long auburn hair flying, mounted on his white horse, "Surprise", made a sight never to be forgotten by all who witnessed the greatest animal shooting match on record, which continued until field glasses had to be used to keep him in sight. Long before Carver had stopped shooting, the followers saw Curly, hopelessly outdistanced from the start, jump from his horse as the poor animal fell. He had ruptured a blood vessel, owing to the rage that possessed Curly when he saw he was beaten, but tried to make the noble animal run beyond his strength. As the judges followed the trail and counted the red-feathered arrows sticking in the sides of the buffaloes, the oldest hunters looked at each other in astonishment. One hundred and ten arrows had been counted, but the trail of dead buffaloes still showed where Carver had run; fifty buffalo tails hanging from the body of Brown-Bear, his marker, told the rest of the story. Carver had killed one hundred and sixty buffaloes, and in the distance, the champion of all hunters could be seen dipping water with his hat from a buffalo wallow, and pouring it over the head of his almost exhausted horse.

 Frontier Girls Race to Meet Dr. Carver

Far away, soldiers, Indians and hunters were coming. Singled out from the rest of the party were two ladies riding like a whirlwind. They seemed to fly over the plain, while cheers from the soldiers urged them to do their best. It was

a race between a thoroughbred racer and "Red Lips", Carver's Indian pony. "Red Lips" never had an equal in a long race. After about two miles run between the two most beautiful girls who ever rode a saddle on the plains, Wild West against Tame East, "Red Lips" and her rider continued to race alone, the lady's red dress moving like a red flame over the plain. This was Eva Raymond, "Paheminnieminsh", "Little Curly Hair" of the Medicine. She was the first to congratulate Dr. Carver on his victory. Soon the crowd had collected, and a mighty cheer went up from that enthusiastic assemblage. Even the hide-hunters, who had lost their money, were willing to give Carver the credit he so richly deserved. But Curly took his defeat very badly, and swore he would kill Carver and every longhaired man on the plains. This threat came near ending his career at once, as such a threat in those days meant a fight, and but for the intervention of Lieut. Schwatka, Carver would have ended his life on the spot.

Buffalo Curly, Alias Jack McCall

He had reason later to regret that he had not done so. A few years later Curly, whose real name was Jack McCall, shot "Wild Bill" in the back of the head, in a saloon in Deadwood, as he sat at a table playing cards. He did not kill all the longhaired men in the West, but he did kill the friend, whose death at the hands of a cowardly assasin, could most deeply wound the loving, sensitive heart of Carver. Curly was later hung for this dastardly deed.

In the Spring of 1873, Buffalo Bill and Texas Jack accompanied by Scott, the Chicago hatter, and Messrs. Overton and Green, the latter Remington's son-in-law from New York, came out to Carver's camp for a buffalo hunt. Owing to a sudden illness, Buffalo Bill was unable to ride. But Carver gave the visitors and the soldiers under Capt. Minholdt with them a real thrill, when he killed nineteen buffalo in crossing a divide of less than half a mile.

A Narrow Escape and the Massacre Canyon Affair

On August 4th, the same year, Carver, after a long day's hunt, was sleeping on the divide between the Stinking Water and the Blackwood, when his horse aroused him. Carver, hearing the sound of rapidly approaching horsemen, followed by his horse, dropped out of sight into a nearby ravine. A few moments later, several hundred Sioux warriors rode over the spot where he had been sleeping. The next day the Sioux cornered the Pawnees in what is now known as Massacre Canyon, between Culbertson and Trenton, and killed one hundred fifty-six men, women and children.

Buffalo Bill's Last Hunt

Carver went back to his camp, where he was hunting with Johnny Nelson and Arthur Roff, and the three men induced the Sioux wives of the two latter to ride up to the Sioux and warn them that the Cavalry under the command of Capt. Luther H. North, which was damped miles away on the Republican, was coming. Old Jenny Nelson and the other squaw convinced the chiefs that they had better go quickly, and that saved the lives of most of the Pawnees. During the winter of 1873-74, Carver killed five thousand seven hundred buffalo for their hides, be­

sides three hundred bulls for their heads, which were shipped East. In July, 1874, Buffalo Bill came out from the East for what proved to be his last buffalo hunt, accompanied by Medley and Warren. Buffalo Bill took Medley in charge and Carver took Warren. Before charging the herd, Carver tightened Warren's saddle girths and his own. As they charged, Carver glanced back over his shoulder just in time to see Buffalo Bill, the noted scout of the plains, slip over his horse's tail. He had forgotten to tighten his saddle girth. Carver killed twelve buffalo, while Warren emptied his two revolvers without visible damage to the herd. A cow with a broken shoulder, one of first shot at by Carver, ran back and Medley killed it, the only fatality except those killed by Carver. Buffalo Bill never killed an animal on this, his last hunt.

Carver Outwits the Indians

Carver had several narrow escapes from the Indians, the worst of which, was his fight with the three Chiefs of the Cut-off band, Whistler, Fat Badger and White Antelope. "Blue Bill" Johnson, big partner, was out on the trap line while Carver was cooking supper when a shadow darkened the doorway and Carver turned to find the three chiefs in full war paint inside the door and between him and his guns which were in the other side of the cabin. Whistler ordered him to proceed with the supper. Then as they sat eating, they planned how they would torture Carver when they were through. When, almost in despair, an inspiration came to Carver. He picked up a long stick of wood and poked up the fire and left one end in the blaze. Suddenly, Carver whirled with the stick in his hand and struck Fat Badger and White Antelope in their faces. Simultaneously landing a twenty-mule power kick in Whistler's stomach he reached his trusty forty-four and shot the three before they had a chance to recover their breath. With the help of his partner, who came on the run when he heard the shooting, they stripped the bodies and dumped them over a bank.

The Trip Abroad, Wild West Show and Final Farewell

In 1876, the year Custer was killed, Carver left the plains for California, and soon began shooting matches with all the renowned shots of the country, and gave exhibitions from California to New York, stopping en route in all the principal cities. Then on to the old world where his exhibitions of rifle shooting created the greatest interest. He shot before four generations of German Royalty and received the following decorations from them. Wilhelm, the first, presented him with a diamond ring valued at $5,000. A pin in the shape of F and V set with rubies and diamonds was given him by Emperor Frederick. The German Eagle was given him by Ex-Kaiser Wilhelm, the second, and double Eagle by the Ex-Crown Prince. Perhaps the most valuable souvenir was given him by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward, the seventh, of England; a pin,

The Sioux Chief Whistler was a leader in the massacre of the Nelson Buck surveying party in 1869. The editor would be glad to secure further information regarding these three Indians who are known to have been active in hostilities against the Whites.

C. N. Dunlap, Old Time Nebraska Cowboy on Watson Ranch. Photo 1888. Butcher Collection  in
Nebraska Slate Historical Museum.

351

the Prince of Wales feathers surrounded by a horseshoe studded with diamonds.

After his return to America in 1883, Carver and Buffalo Bill organized the first Wild West Show and opened in Omaha, Nebraska on May 22nd. After one season, they separated and Carver organized his own Wild West Company, and for a number of years toured the whole world, being the only man to make a complete circle of the globe with a Wild West Show. His record as a shot has never been equaled and he died the undefeated Champion Rifle Shot of the World.

I attended the funeral of Dr. Carver at Winslow, Ill., on Sept. 5th, 1927, where he was laid to rest by the side of his mother. As I saw him lowered to his last resting place, I thought that there was one of the truest and best friends any man ever made and the best friend I had on earth. Shortly before his death, Carver had presented to me some of his dearest mementos of his long and eventful life, including his silver mounted saddle and bridle, decorated with trophies and coins shot in the air for Kings, Emperors and Presidents and ridden by crowned heads of Europe, Governors of Australia and Presidents of America and noted men of all the world and many of the notorious characters of the early West. The eagle feather headdress and pipe, bone breast plate taken from the dead body of Chief Whistler, horns from buffalo, antelope and chamois he had killed. One of the old buffalo guns he used on the plains and a Cal. 44, Model 73 Winchester, the first one used in his six days' shoot at New Haven, Conn. in 1885 when he broke 60,000 balls.

Adios until we meet again.

NOTE. ON DOC MIDDLETON

Doc. Middleton. Strenuous efforts have been made by the editor of this magazine to secure an authentic picture of Doc Middleton and other reliable information. The following letters have been received.

"Douglas, Wyo., May 12th, 1928.

I happened to be sheriff here at the time of Doc Middleton's death, on the 29th day of November, 1913.

On the fifth day of Nov. I arrested him in Orin Junction, Wyo., for operating a blind pig. After his arrest and while he was still in jail here, he took erysipelas and died at the pest house. His two oldest sons were with him at the time.

I have no idea where you could get a picture of him unless it would be around Ardmore, S. D., but I think it very doubtful that he ever had one taken."

Very truly,          

A. W. PEYTON, Sheriff."

"Nebraska State Penitentiary
W. T. Fenton, Warden
D. G. Kavanaugh, Deputy Warden
Lincoln, Nebraska,
May 15, 1928.

Regarding Doc Middleton as per our telephone conversation beg to advise, that we do not have his photograph, as several years ago there was a fire here which destroyed most of the early records at that time. We do have his record which is as follows: Doc Middleton No. 74, from Laramie County, Wyo., Territory, had a 5 year sentence for horse stealing, having been received Sept. 29, 1879; discharged June 18, 1883.

Age 28; Hgt. 5-9 3/4; Comp. Fair; Hair, Lt. Br.; Eyes, Brown; Born, Miss.

Yours very respectfully,

W. T. FENTON, Warden."