Quivira Notes

Quivira Chapter, SFTA Quivira Notes Don’t June 2011 Forget! The Traveling Trunks Program is Coming to McPherson! Next Program The Traveling Trunks Program is sponsored by The Fort Larned National June 8th Historic Site and the programs are conducted by Park Volunteer David Clapsaddle, Ph.D. Join us as Dr. Clapsaddle reads A Long Way to Santa Program: 7:00pm Fe, the story of Robert Earl, a ten year old lad who accompanies his fa- David Clapsaddle ther’s wagon train from Missouri to Santa Fe in 1850. En route, Robert Presents the experiences the slow monotonous travel of the trade caravan interspersed Traveling Trunks at times with exciting moments of adventure. Dr. Clapsaddle will display the trunk full of artifacts and answer questions from the audience. McPherson Co. Extension Office The program will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the McPherson County Extension 600 W. Woodside Office, 600 W. Woodside. All kids, parents, teachers and anyone else in- McPherson, KS terested are invited to attend. The program is free and open to everyone. For more info The program is hosted by the McPherson County 4H and brought to Call Linda at McPherson by the Quivira Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association. 620-241-8719 Dr. Clapsaddle has created five separate programs, each with a trunk of vintage artifacts accompanied by a story or email: related to the artifacts contained in the trunk. Each [email protected] story relates to the Santa Fe Trail. Dr. Clapsaddle’s presentation includes a reading of the story, a display of the artifacts, and a question/answer period. During the past year, Clapsaddle has presented the program to over 3000 students in Kansas, Colorado and Texas. Membership Information Quivira Chapter Program April 14th Annual Membership in the Quivira Chapter: The Quivira Chapter met in Ellinwood on April 14th for a joint meeting Individual or Family: $10 /yr with the host organization, the Ellinwood Community Historical Society. Annual Membership in the After dinner, Mary Jo Cunningham presented the program: “Calvin Moses SFTA: Dyche: Freighter on the Trail.” Dyche was Mary Jo’s great grandfather Individual: $25/yr and was employed by Alexander Majors before starting his own freighting Family: $30 /yr business. Dyche was also commissioned in the Kansas State Militia and For more information: was sent to the aid of wagon trains besieged by Indians near Cow Creek. Call 620-241-8719 or Mary Jo told stories of her great-grandfather and his life along the Santa Email [email protected] Join us on Facebook! Fe Trail. She also told family stories of the brood he raised and the life of Quivira Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association the large family and the things kids do! The program was attended by nearly 50 people. We appreciate, the great meal, facility and attendance. June 2011 QUIVIRA NOTES PAGE 2 James Aull Pays Visit to the Quivira Chapter Although the original visit in February had to be cancelled because of the weather, James Aull, well- known trader on the Santa Fe Trail, managed to reschedule his visit to Little River on March 19th. James relayed stories of his life and the changes that had occurred in the Lexington area during his life- time and even after his death. James made his one and only trip down the Santa Fe Trail as part of the famous 1846 caravan which included the well-documented trip of Susan Shelby Magoffin. Unfortunately, James made his one trip right during the time of the war with Mexico. James, was drafted into the Traders Battalion and trav- eled on down to Chihuahua. He fought in the Battle of Sacramento and ended up selling his goods in Chihuahua where he died violently along with his partner. James ended up buried in Chihuahua far from the hills of Missouri. The program was attended by 27 Quivira Chapter members and guests. After the program, the other side of James Aull, Santa Fe Trail Association President Roger Slusher discussed the current happen- ings of the Santa Fe Trail Association. He relayed his recent travels to Washington and the activities there by the various trail organizations to acquire funding for the upcoming year. He reiterated the im- portance of keeping track and reporting the minutes and hours spent on Trail activities as it relates to obtaining funding the National Park Service and the SFTA. After the program, we conducted a short business meeting. Elections were held of the Officers and the Board. We also discussed installing signs at the new Santa Fe Trail Park in Great Bend, Ralph’s Ruts, and the Stone Corral area. A geo-caching project was also discussed. Also present at our meeting was Ed Hodgson, Little River native who presented a copy of the one of the famous old oval road signs. Ed has now had replicas of the signs made and Ed urged anyone who is interested in buying one to contact him. If anyone is interested they can contact me and I will put them in contact with Ed. The United Methodist Women who served our meal are to be complimented on the wonderful food they served at the meal preceeding our program. What a great meal! It was so fun to see so many people attend our meeting. My only regret as president is that I did not get a chance to talk to everyone! Election of Officers and Board The Chapter held elections at the March 19th meeting. The 2011 elected officers and board members are: President Linda Colle Vice Pres./Sec. Lorna Nelson Treasurer Maureen Hall Rice Co. Director #1 Pat Hall Rice Co. Director #2 Janel Cook McPherson Co Director #1 Britt Colle McPherson Co. Director #2 John Martin Barton Co. Director #1 Robert Button James Aull addresses the Quivira Chapter Barton Co Director #2 Robert Yarmer June 2011 QUIVIRA NOTES PAGE 3 Part 1: Cholera in Central Kansas in 1867 Excerpts from the Report on Epidemic Cholera and Yellow Fever in the Army of the United States During the Year 1867. War Department, Surgeons General’s Office, Washington D.C. June 10, 1868. Ely McClellan, Assistant Surgeon, and Brevet Major, U.S.A. describes the cholera epidemic in a report written to Brevet Lieutenant Colonel J. C. McKee, Surgeon, U.S.A., Chief Medical Officer, District of New Mexico. McClellan was detached on special duty from the headquarters of the 38th Infantry to ac- company the regiment on a march to New Mexico. The report was made from Fort Craig, New Mexico, November 1, 1867. Assistant Surgeon Ely McClellan arrived June 18, 1867, at Fort Riley, Kansas, and was occupied until the 25th day of the same month in providing for the sick from three detachments of the regiment. On June 22nd, two companies left Fort Riley accompanied by Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Geo. M. McGill. On the same day, an aggravated case of sporadic cholera occurred in a quartermaster's employee. On June 25th, McClellan left Fort Riley with one company of the 38th and arrived at Fort Harker on the morning of the 26th. No sickness of any consequence was reported. McClellan describes the camp in his report as follows: “The regimental camp was made upon a small plateau or bench formed by the first rise of ground from a small creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill fork, and about half a mile to the southwest of the post, and about the same distance from the creek. This plateau, although lower than the ground upon which the post was situated, presented so many natural advantages, that it was selected, after careful consideration, in preference to more elevated positions. The drainage was admirable; the natural slope of the plain was to the southwest; on the north and east large arroyos received the wash from the higher ground, while to the west the fall to the meadow bordering the creek was abrupt. The plain was covered with short prairie grass; the soil was loose and gravelly; the ground had never been occupied for camp purposes. The troops were well clothed, and provided with camp and garrison equipage; the tents were new, of the A pattern, and of a suffi- cient number to prevent any overcrowding. Great care was taken by the commanding officer to observe all sanitary precautions. There was no epidemic or any character at the post, and the tendency to diarrhea, which I had observed prior to my arrival at Harker, seemed to have subsided.” On June 28th, a detachment of the 38th Infantry, consisting of Companies D and F under the command of Brevet Lieutenant Colonel H. C. Merriam, and under the medical charge of Brevet Lieuten- ant Colonel McGill, U. S. A., left the post en route to Fort Union, N. M. Damage to the Union Pacific Railway by the extraordinary June floods of 1867 delayed the medical supplies for this detachment at some point east of Fort Harker. Dr. McGill was forced to start the march with a depleted medical sup- ply. At the start of the march, McClellan assisted Dr. McGill in his inspection of the men of this command, and no indication of latent disease was discovered. This command left Fort Harker and crossed the Smoky Hill about noon on June 28th. McClellan remained at Fort Harker, and shortly after the departure of the 38th Infantry Companies D and F, he was requested by Acting Assistant Surgeon Ira Perry, to see an employee of the beef con- tractor, whom he feared was seized with malignant cholera. McClellan described the visit: “The man was living in a “dug-out," the most miserable form of human habitation, in the immediate vicinity of a filthy slaughter-pen, and about one mile and a half southwest of the camp of the 38th.

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