 Pony Express En Route Across The Plains. |
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CHAPTER V. THE OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS.
*The first newspaper pony express was originated by David Hale, a noted New York journalist, about three-quarters of a century ago, but its operations were largely confined to the collection of state news. It was not long afterwards, however, until Hale's idea was adopted and in many respects, much improved upon. In 1830 Richard Haughton, who had already achieved a reputation as editor of the political and election news of the New York Journal of Commerce, and was subsequently the founder of the Boston Atlas, utilized pony expresses to good purpose. By a system he had established, he was enabled, by using horses and the few railroads then operated in Massachusetts, to print the election returns from every town in the state by nine o'clock the morning following the election. Hale's original express was afterwards much improved and enlarged upon by James Watson Webb, so long at the head of the Courier and Enquirer, one of the great New York dailies at that time. Webb was also credited with establishing, as early as 1832, a pony express between New York and Washington, which for the time was a great prestige for his paper. The result was that in 1833 Hale and Hallock started a rival line, greatly improved over the original, and thus were enabled to publish news from the national capital only two days old. For the Journal of Commerce this was a great triumph in journalism. So admirably did the enterprise work that papers published in Norfolk, 229 miles southeast of the capital, copied the Washington news from the Journal of Commerce, received by sea, in advance of its reception by the direct route down the Potomac river. The original line was forced to succumb. It was so far behind the Journal in getting the news that it sold out its line to the Government. |
ROM
events that have from time to time taken place, it seems
almost certain that there is no longer anything "new under
the sun." It is learned from ancient history that old
Genghis Khan, of Tartary and China, originated the pony
express many centuries ago. Through Marco Polo, we are
informed that he had stations every twenty-five miles, and
that a distance of 300 miles a day was now and then covered
by his riders. The same system, considerably less than a
century ago, was said to have been in use through portions
of Europe, and, for aught we know, it may now be--doubtless
is--still in use in parts of that continent. There is little
doubt, however, that it was used in Europe many years before
it was even dreamed of in the western world.* A period of
over forty years has elapsed since the conception of the
enterprise known as the California pony express, in the
latter part of 1859. Few frontier enterprises can in any way
be compared with it, looking at it in the light of a matter
of public importance. No similar undertaking of such
magnitude had ever been attempted in America. The great
enterprise was so quietly and systematically worked up that,
in a little over four
months after the subject was first whispered, the entire line was fully equipped and in successful operation. A half-dozen or more of trusted men were engaged by its wide-awake projector. Ben. Ficklin, Jim Bromley, A. B. Miller, John Scudder--all Western frontiersmen--a man by the name of Clute, and, lastly, the afterwards notorious Jack Slade (who was hung by vigilantes at Virginia City, Mont., for a number of crimes, including murder and defying the laws), were, almost from the first, in some way identified with the important project. All of these persons were capable and efficient stage men. They were possessed of nerve, energy, enterprise, and determination. It was characteristic that the most of them had spent much time between the Missouri river and the great ocean on the West. Their invaluable services were engaged, and each, having a certain duty to perform, assisted very materially in the preliminary plans that soon thereafter resulted in the organization and putting in shape of the gigantic scheme which preceded the daily four-horse Concord overland stage-coach, and opened the way for the telegraph, and, finally, for the first railroad across the continent to the Golden Gate. The "power behind the throne" was the well-known Western overland freighting man of that day, William H. Russell, then one of the leading citizens of Leavenworth, Kan. Leavenworth was the great Missouri river metropolis in Kansas in the later '50's and early '60's. In the "pony" enterprise, while Russell was the leading man, he was greatly assisted by his former partners in the freighting business, Messrs. Majors and Waddell. Col. Alex. Majors was an important personage and member of the firm, and, for many years, was the only one left of this remarkable trio. He passed his fourscore mile-post several years ago, and, up to almost the close of 1899, just before he died, was still quite vigorous for one of his advanced age. At the beginning of this undertaking Russell is said to have furnished the money and paid most of the bills, and, without his encouragement and financial aid, the enterprise might never have been started. When he had fully decided to carry out his pet project, Mr. Russell first bought at Salt Lake, through his agent there, some 200 ponies, besides large numbers in California, Iowa, and Missouri. Horse-flesh in the early '60's--the kind needed for this enterprise-cost a good deal of money, and for many of |
the animals bought as high as $200 each was paid. But Russell all this time was shrewd enough to keep his own counsel. No one not directly interested dreamed of the vast enterprise he was quietly organizing. Every move concerning the working up of the undertaking was made with the utmost secrecy. One of his most important duties was to secure a sufficient number of young men for the hazardous task of express riders. When the various plans had been sufficiently matured and nearly everything was in readiness, the noted pioneer Kansan had an advertisement inserted in the New York Herald--the great "thunderer" of the western hemisphere--and the public was, for the first time, informed that preparations were about completed for delivering dispatches from any city in the Union in San Francisco in eight days. In the East this remarkable announcement appeared in the Herald of March 26, 1860, and in the West in the Missouri Republican, and was as follows:
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Most of the animals bought for the pony enterprise were distributed along the route at intervals of nine to fifteen miles, technically termed "stages," according to the nature of the country. Each rider was supposed to ride three animals in succession, traversing three "stages," and to go at least thirty-three and one-third miles. At times it would be necessary for a rider to cover four or five "stages," changing animals, however, at each. The riders were a hardy set of young men, many of them used to "roughing it" on the plains, and were all capable of standing the exposures and fatigues incident to such a trying occupation. They were selected particularly, also, on account of their light weight. Few, if any, of the chosen ones weighed over 135 pounds. The saddle, bridle and leather pouch used for the purpose were strong and durable, so constructed that the combined weight of the three was only thirteen pounds--considered a light weight for such articles forty years ago. St. Joseph, one of the largest towns on the Missouri river west of St. Louis, was chosen as the point of departure for the pony express. The start proper of the pony was from the original "Pike's Peak" stables, built South of Patee park. In the vicinity of the stable and the Patee House a large crowd of people had gathered to watch the first rider on his fleet animal. The office of the express company was on the north side of Second street, and the signal for starting was the firing of a cannon; and while the sound was echoing through the town and along the river banks the rider was speeding up the street on his way to the office. On reaching the office, the pouch containing the letters and documents was put in the rider's charge; without a moment's delay, he rode onto the ferry-boat, the captain of which anticipated his arrival and was waiting for him at the levee. NOTE.--In the Leavenworth (Kan.) Times of May 28, 1861, after the pony express had been in operation a little more than a year, appeared the following advertisment (sic):
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When the boat steamed across to the Kansas shore, the departure westward of the first pony, mounted by Johnnie Frey, marked an eventful day in the history of St. Joseph, and then began the rapid development of that part of the great West. The jet-black horse with his lithe rider which left the northwestern Missouri metropolis and crossed the "Big Muddy" a little after sunset of that 3d day of April, 1860, was watched by one of the largest crowds of anxious spectators that had ever assembled on the banks of that mighty river. The approaching event had for some time been anticipated, and a portion of the city was in gay holiday attire; flags floated in the breeze; the brass band discoursed appropriate music; and the crowd of men, women and children that had gathered on the levee must have numbered several thousands. The occasion was a proud day for St. Joseph--an epoch that marked the inauguration of a new enterprise that did much to hurry forward the construction of the Pacific telegraph line, and to make way for the road of steel that in 1869 had crossed the mighty mountain ranges of the West and united the Atlantic coast with the Pacific. The schedule time for delivering dispatches in San Francisco that first trip was eight days; for letters, ten days; and the remarkably quick time beat all previous records of the Southern Overland Mail Company by nearly two weeks. At Sacramento the event was celebrated on a more extensive scale than at St. Joseph. San Francisco and Sacramento were the two leading cities on the coast in 1860, and the merchants were making money easily and spending it lavishly. A substantial fund was contributed for celebrating the occasion of inaugurating the novel new enterprise, and the capital city of the "Golden" state was gaily decked with flags and bunting. Thousands of people came in from the fields and neighboring camps, and many joined the busy throng and helped participate in the exercises. Business was suspended and the city specially decorated for the occasion. Across the principal streets floral arches were built; cannons boomed from surrounding hills; brass bands played enlivening music; and earnest speeches from state officials and local orators helped make the event one of the proudest days ever celebrated on the Pacific coast. A pure white steed left Sacramento for the east almost simultaneously with the departure of the black pony from St. Joseph |
for the west. Harry Roff was the rider east. At the appointed hour the signal was given Roff to start. With his leather pouch filled with letters and a few late papers, he went flying out of town with almost the rapidity of a lightning-express train. The first twenty miles, two "stages," were covered in fifty-nine minutes. He changed horses in ten seconds, and changed again at Folsom; then rode on at a rapid gait to Placerville, the end of his run--an old and important mining camp, nestled at the western slope of the Sierra Nevadas. Roff rode a distance of fifty-five miles all together, making the entire run in two hours and forty-nine minutes, notwithstanding he had a number of hills to cross. At Placerville Roff was relieved, and the pouch hurriedly thrown across the saddle of "Boston," the next rider, and almost in a twinkling he was off on a seventy-two-mile stretch. He climbed the western slope of the Sierra Nevadas and kept right on, pushing across the range to Fort Churchill. Then followed another stretch of 120 miles to Smith creek, to cover which it took six relays of horses, but the distance was usually made in from nine to ten hours. The first "express" to reach Salt Lake was from the west, which arrived in the Mormon metropolis on the 7th of April, having left Sacramento on the night of the 3d. The first "pony" out of St. Joseph arrived in the "City of the Saints" on the evening of the 9th. The Mormons were greatly pleased with the establishment of the novel enterprise and there was considerable rejoicing on its arrival, which was mentioned by the Deseret News, the church organ at the time, with the announcement: "Although a telegraph is very desirable, we feel well satisfied with this achievement for the present." The Mormons could hardly realize that such a vast undertaking as the pony express was really in existence. It seemed to them impossible. For the first time Utah was brought within six days' communication with the Missouri river and within seven days of the nation's capital. For years before that time the citizens of Salt Lake City had been accustomed to receiving news from six weeks to three months old. Among the first dispatches transmitted by the pony express was the news of "a bill amendatory of the act organizing the Territory of Utah," about to be introduced into the United States senate. There was much bitter feeling at the time be- |
tween the Federal Government and the Mormons. To forestall the latter, it was contemplated changing the name of the territory from Utah to Nevada, thus passing the political power of the territory from Salt Lake to Carson Valley--in reality taking it out of the hands of the Mormons and giving it to the Gentiles. Nevada at that time was one of the most prosperous territories in the Union, and the excitement over silver mining was up to fever heat. Matters were in due time in some manner amicably adjusted, for nothing afterwards was heard of the proposed bill to wipe from the map and blot out the name of "Utah." The express had been in operation less than a year when the South was on the verge of seceding from the Union. Political movements between the North and South were watched for by the Mormons with intense interest. The entire country, in fact, was apparently trembling from its foundation. The crisis had come, and one by one the states south of Mason and Dixon's line seceded. The most stirring bit of intelligence transmitted by the "pony" from St. Joseph, early in 1861, was that the air was filled with rumors of war. Soon after, news of the declaration of war wag carried through by the fleet pony, and most of the Federal troops in Utah were forthwith ordered to the national capital. The civil war broke out in about a year after the pony express was started. Never was news more anxiously waited for than on the Pacific coast when hostilities were raging between the North and South. The first tidings of the firing on Fort Sumter reached the Pacific metropolis in eight days, fourteen hours. From that time on a bonus was given by the California business, men and public officers to the pony express company, to be distributed among the riders for carrying the war news as fast as Possible. The sum of $300 extra was collected for the riders for bringing a bundle of Chicago papers containing news of the battle of Antietam a day earlier than usual to Sacramento, in 1861. While in operation, a number of really important events were connected with the history of the pony express, not the least among which may be noted the exciting intelligence conveying the news of the election of Abraham Lincoln, in November, 1860; and, less than a month later, the last message of President Buchanan. Both journeys were made in eight days--about as quick time as it was possible to make. |
Among the important documents carried from St. Joseph by the first "pony" was a brief message of congratulation from President Buchanan to the governor of California. The few words were transmitted by wire from the executive mansion to St. Joseph, where they were taken off by the operator. This, with one or two official government communications, together with a small bundle of late New York, Chicago and St. Louis newspapers, a few bank drafts, and some important business letters to prominent bankers and merchants in San Francisco, filled the leather mail-pouch of the rider. A number of remarkably quick trips were made by the fleet "pony," but the quickest one on record was in March, 1861--a little less than a year after the establishment of the novel enterprise--when President Lincoln's first inaugural address was carried through from St. Joseph to Sacramento, 1980 miles, in seven days and seventeen hours; a most extraordinary trip, considering the route and great distance traversed. Another astonishingly quick trip, a year after the enterprise was started, was made the following April, conveying the exciting news of the bombardment of Fort Sumter and the opening of the war of the rebellion. All this was done, it should be remembered, before a mile of railway or telegraph was in operation westward from. the Missouri river in Kansas or Nebraska. On one occasion important dispatches were carried through from St. Joseph to Denver, about 675 miles, in sixty-nine hours; the last ten miles being covered in thirty-one minutes. Originally a few of the "stages" along the pony route were twenty-five miles apart, but subsequently these were shortened into ten and fifteen miles, so the distance could be covered much easier by both pony and rider. The animals employed, while almost invariably referred to as "ponies," really were not ponies, but fleet American horses. A few of the steeds, however, were the small, hardy Mexican animals, very fleet and particularly safe for mountain travel. In making the journey, it was necessary, where the stations were only a few miles apart, for some of the riders to keep their animals on a run almost continuously in order to get through on schedule time. There was not to exceed two minutes' time allowed at any station for a change of pony. When a station was reached, it mattered not at what hour of the day or night, |
the fresh rider would almost invariably be at his post ready to receive the little sack containing the important dispatches and precious missives; then, jumping into the saddle and pushing the spurs into the flanks of his steed, almost in a twinkling be would be off like the wind. The route from St. Joseph, after crossing the Missouri river, lay a little south of west until it struck the old overland military road at Kennekuk, forty-four miles out. Thence it diverged a little northwesterly across the Kickapoo Indian reservation via Granada, Log Chain, Seneca, Ash Point, Guittard's, Marysville, and Hollenberg; up the charming Little Blue valley to Rock Creek, Big Sandy, Liberty Farm, and over the rolling prairies to Thirty-two-mile Creek; thence across the divide and over the prairies and sand-hills to the Platte river and due west up the valley to Fort Kearney. Often the rider was in sight of droves of deer and antelope and vast herds of buffalo. The trail for a distance of over 300 miles was, for the most part, across the rolling prairies. It was one taken by the Mormons in 1847, and afterward by the Argonauts who went overland to California after the gold discoveries in 1848, and by Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston's army of 5000 men, who went from Fort Leavenworth to Salt Lake City in 1857 and 1858. Westward from Fort Kearney the road for 200 miles was along the Platte river, near the south bank of the stream, via Plum Creek, Midway, Cottonwood Springs, Fremont Springs, O'FalIon's Bluffs, Alkali, Beauvais Ranch, and Diamond Springs, to old Julesburg. Here the South Fork was forded, and the pony moved northwesterly and went up Lodge Pole creek, across the country to Thirty-mile Ridge, and along it to Mud Springs; thence to Court-house Rock, past Chimney Rock and Scott's Bluffs, and on to Fort Laramie; thence over to the foot-hills at tile eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, via South Pass, to Fort Bridger, Salt Lake City, Camp Floyd, Ruby Valley, the Humboldt, Carson City, Placerville, Folsom, and Sacramento, where the pony was changed for the steamer to San Francisco. The Pony ride across the continent for a goodly portion of the way was as lonesome and weird as it was long and tiresome. Much of the region traversed was a vast wilderness, and had hardly begun to be settled up. For hundreds of miles it seemed nothing in the way of vegetation would grow. There were -8 |
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© 1999, 2000, 2001 for the NEGenWeb by Pam Rietsch, Ted & Carole Miller