The Diary of Brownsville Hunter – 1871

The morning of January 10th, 1871, 15 men from Brownsville, Nebraska, loaded their gear into seven wagons and started out on a buffalo hunt that took them across Nebraska and into Kansas on a winter hunt for their meat supply. They hunted along the route as they traveled to their primary destination. The majority of the hunt was between the South Fork of the Solomon and the Prairie Dog fork of the Republican River. We don’t know which of the men actually kept the diary, but the names of the identified 15 men were as follows:

Hugh Baker           H.C. Baker                Rev. Mr. Brookens

John Clark           John Crook               James Coons

John Geiphart     William Morris           George Peabody

Capt. Starry         John Summers         Samuel Summers

Nate Westfall       Nate Westfall, Jr.

We would like to thank Rhonda Frasier who owns the website AllAboutBison.com and who graciously allowed us to use the following diary for this article. If you are interested in information about buffalo, this is the website for you!

The following map is based on information from the diary. Keep in mind it is approximately to scale and is only generally accurate, as they do not provide enough information to accurately locate their various campsites. However, it does provide a general idea of their route. The dates represent their end-of-day locations.

How I wish it was more detailed, especially concerning the teams, wagons, provisions and stories of the daily incidents. It is a wonderful read regardless.

The Diary of the Brownsville Buffalo Hunter

Brownville, Neb., Jan. ‘10 ‘71

This morning seven wagons and fifteen men of us start for a general hunt on the Republican and Solomon rivers. We made the city of Tecumseh the first day, all in good spirits, the weather been very mild and pleasant.¹

Jan. 11. – Rolled out of camp bright and early, and traveled to the third crossing of Yankee Creek² and, taking dinner there, we traveled on to the city of Beatrice, situated on the Big Blue, and camped for the night. The weather began to get colder in the night and near morning it began to snow and increasing, so we concluded to lay by that day. We spent the day in getting up wood in making fires. There were six rabbits and several quail killed while in this camp.³

Jan. 13. – Got up and had our breakfast so as to start by daylight. It was a very disagreeable day to travel, the snow blowing and drifting so that it made it hard on our teams, we finally reached the Little Sandy⁴, a small stream running into the Little Blue River, not stopping at noon to feed. We had plenty of wood, so we had a good comfortable fire.

Jan. 14. – We drove out of camp bright and early, crossed Big Sandy⁵, a very pretty little stream running into the Little Blue River.⁶ We then drove about three miles and passed through the thriving village of Meridian,⁷ situated on the Little Blue River. We then traveled fifteen miles and crossed the Little Blue at Hebron.⁸ We then traveled about four miles and camped on Spring Creek.⁹ On going into camp Samuel Summers killed a fine wild turkey, which we had for supper.

Jan. 15. – Got up at four o’clock and ate our breakfast and started as soon as it was light. Three of the boys, William Morris, Nate Westfall, and Capt. Starry, followed up the stream and succeeded in killing three wild turkeys and some other small game. We then traveled until we came to a small stream by the name of Oak Creek¹⁰, where two of our party had a battle on our fall hunt, about some misunderstanding. We celebrated the event by a speech delivered by the Rev. Mr. Brookens, a colored gent who was along with our party.

Jan. 16. – We rolled out of camp early and traveled up the Republican River¹¹ all day. We passed two stockades on the river, about twelve miles apart; there were eight or ten families at each of them. We also passed several hunting parties going home with fine loads of game. They reported game a good ways off. We drove into camp on the Republican River about four o’clock. Upon making fire it caught in the grass and came very near getting the start of us. It raised quite an excitement in camp, and there was some lively knocking and stamping of fire there for some time. We finally succeeded in extinguishing the fire, and prepared our evening repast.

Jan. 17. – Got underway about 7 o’clock, and drove four miles and tried to cross the river, but did not succeed, the ice not being solid enough to bear our teams. We then drove about ten miles and then unhitched our teams and drew our wagons across by hand. We then drove up the river five or six miles. We found a small gang of turkeys, on driving to camp and killed five. William Moore, Capt. Starry, John Summers and H.C. Baker brought down one each. We saw several deer but did not get a shot.

Jan. 18. – Traveled all day on the dividing ridge between the Republican and the Solomon¹² rivers. Did not stop for dinner. We met several hunting parties who reported game is very scarce unless we would go a long ways. We pitched camp about four o’clock on one of the tributaries of White Rock¹³; wood and water plenty. Capt. Starry killed three turkeys; John Summers and H.C. Baker killed one grouse each.

Jan. 19. – We kept on the divide all day not stopping for dinner. Seen some pretty fresh signs of buffalo, but saw none of the beast themselves. Sam Summers, Capt. Starry and Hugh Baker started out on their ponies hunting, but saw no game except a gang of turkeys of which they killed four. Camped on a small stream running into the Solomon, about ten miles west of what is called the Hay Stack Mound,¹⁴ a very high hill that can be seen some twenty-five or thirty miles off.

Jan. 20. – Drove out of camp early. Three of the boys, Capt. Starry, Sam Summers and John Crook rode out on horseback prospecting for game. About noon one of them came to the teams, reporting a herd of buffalo off about three miles. We drove to a suitable place and stopped, unhitched and prepared to make chase. In the meantime we spied, as we supposed, a much larger herd than the first. So the Captain gave orders to hitch up again and drive for the larger herd, about two miles distant. Some of the boys that had never seen buffalo were very anxious to get after them; so much so that they rode a good ways ahead. Just as we were coming out of a draw on higher ground, so we could have a better view of them, they proved to be a band of Redskins, numbering about one hundred, with their ponies loaded with buffalo meat, and on the travel. It was amusing to see how quick the boys that were on ahead stopped, when the cry of the Indians was raised. We did not make chase after them, that was not the kind of game we wanted to meet. We wheeled around and made chase after the buffalo that we had first seen. After getting as close as we could conveniently with our wagons, we stopped and eight or nine of us started after them; four were mounted; we found we could not get close enough on foot, as they were moving, so the horsemen started on the chase. They run them about a mile and finally got them turned about, and here they came. John Summers, H.C. Baker, John Crook and Hugh Baker, started to head them off, and lay down flat on the ground, near where they supposed the buffalo would pass. Capt. Starry separated two from the herd and drove them toward the footmen, and here came the Captain on the full run, with his long hair flying in the air, driving the buffalo in front and heading them straight for the footmen. When about twenty yards off H.C. Baker and John Summers fired, succeeding in bringing one of them down, and Capt. Starry killed the other one. James Coons also killed one. Several others were crippled but got away. We then dressed our game and drove into camp on the Middle Fork of the Solomon.¹⁵ Some small game was also killed.

Jan. 21. – Left camp about half past seven o’clock and traveled five or six miles when we spied a herd of buffalo off about three miles. After driving down and camping on the South Fork of the Solomon, seven of the boys mounted and gave chase; while the horsemen were chasing the first herd, George Peabody and H.C. Baker started off on foot, and after going four or five miles they found a herd feeding quietly, and crept up to them and fired. H.C. Baker killed a fine cow. Peabody wounded one but did not get it. The horsemen killed eight. Capt. Starry killed four, Samuel Summers two, and Nate Westfall two. H.C. Baker also killed a jack rabbit.

Jan. 22. – Laid over all day and have been hunting. John Summers, H.C. Baker and George Peabody killed one buffalo; John Crook killed one; Capt. Starry, Samuel Summers, and Hugh Baker each killed one. Then they road to camp, took two teams and hauled their game into camp.

Jan. 23. – Laid over all day and run buffalo. Samuel Summers killed two, Capt. Starry five, John Crook three, John Geiphart, Wm. Morris, each killed one. They reported large herds of buffalo south of our camp, about ten miles.

Jan 24. – Got up early and loaded our meat, drove about ten miles and camped on the same stream we left in the morning; killed no game except a couple of prairie dogs.

Jan. 25. – Got up in the morning and found it snowing, it continued until about four o’clock; the snow was about four inches deep on the level. Mr. Brookens, our colored gent amused us most of the day with songs and dances. Hugh Baker and John Crook killed one buffalo. Some grouse were also killed. We decided to start homeward the next day thinking we could finish loading our teams on the road back.

Jan. 26. – Rolled out a camp bright and early; had a very pleasant day after the storm; drove about five miles and Capt. Starry halted the train; he had seen a small herd of buffalo; in company with Sam Summers and Nate Westfall he started after them. Westfall and Starry each killed one; they then came to the teams and H.C. Baker took a pony and started down through the breaks, and succeeded in killing one buffalo. After strapping the quarters on the pony he started for the train and found it in camp on a beautiful little stream running into the Republican river, on the south side, by the name of Prairie Dog¹⁶; wood and water plenty. The timber consisted of cottonwood, elm, ash and also some cedar.

Jan. 27. – We concluded to lay by and hunt turkey, as there were plenty of fresh signs, and we had not killed many. The boys all got ready and started out, except H.C. Baker, he could not go on account of having a lame foot. They had good luck. Samuel Summers killed eight, Capt. Starry nine, John Crook four, James Coons three, John Summers five, William Morris five, Hugh Baker six, Westfall, Jr. three. George Peabody went out after buffalo, and killed one and brought it into camp on his horse. When they all got in and gathered around the campfire the Captain left it to a vote whether we would stay there another day or not. As game was plenty in that vicinity, all voted for staying. So every fellow went to work cleaning and getting his gun in order.

Jan. 28. – All hands that were going hunting rolled out by sun rise. Several turkeys were killed. John Crook went buffalo hunting and killed two.

Jan. 29. – Got underway early. The weather was fair and until about eight o’clock, when a heavy fog came up making it very hard for us to keep our course. We lost our course several times and had to turn back, but we finally got straightened up all right. Seen one herd of buffalo. Starry and Morris gave chase. The teams moved on and went into camp again on Prairie Dog. Starry and Morris got in about eight o’clock at night with three horses packed with buffalo meat. They each killed one.

Jan. 30. – We drove down Prairie Dog until noon, then we fed our teams and drove to the divide between Prairie Dog and Solomon; we kept on that until camping time, then drove to a small stream that flows into the Solomon and camped; water plenty but wood scarce. Capt. Starry killed wild turkeys.

Feb. 1. – Rolled out of camp bright and early; drove on the divide all day, not stopping for dinner. Starry and Coons killed one buffalo and three turkeys. Camped at the head of White Rock; wood and water plenty.

Feb. 2. – Traveled the divide all day again. The wind blew very hard making it disagreeable traveling. We struck the Republican River about six miles above the upper stockade and camped. Capt. Starry killed three turkey.

Feb. 3. – Got up early and crossed the river. One of the party broke the coupling pole¹⁷ of his wagon, delayed us about a half an hour. We then started down the river, passing the two stockades; camped on Beaver Creek¹⁸; wood and water in abundance.

Feb. 4. – Rolled out of camp and traveled until about nine o’clock, when we spied a herd of elk. We drove down to the river and unhitched and prepared to give chase. Samuel Summers, Nate Westfall, John Crook, James Coons, John Clark, William Morris, and Capt. Starry then mounted and chase them about ten miles, succeeding in killing nine. They came to camp and drove out and got them. Then we drove about five mile to Oak Creek and camped for the night.

Feb. 5. – Rolled out of camp before daylight, traveled until about four o’clock, when we reached the Little Blue River at Hebron; we crossed and camped; wood not very plenty. J. Coons killed one elk and brought the hams to camp.

Feb.6. – Traveled all day, passing through Meridian; stopped on Big Sandy for dinner. We then drove to Little Sandy and camped.

Feb. 7. – Drove out of camp before daylight, reached the city of Beatrice stopped there a few minutes, then we drove to Bear Creek,¹⁹ five miles from there and camped; wood very scarce.

Feb. 8. – Got up in the morning and found it snowing, we rolled out however, and drove across an eighteen mile ridge suffering considerably with the cold and ate our dinners and fed our teams. We then drove to the last crossing of Yankee Creek, and camped close to the Wild Irishman’s. By night it cleared up nice, but was very cold. While we were getting supper, the Irishman came to camp and talked a while, wanting us to come and stay in his house, we declined his kind offer on account of having our supper most ready, and had our teams fed. He saw that we were pretty short of wood, and told us if some of us would go with him he would give us some wood, three of the boys went along, he gave them all they could carry, after they had got to camp, we heard a wagon coming, some one remarked that there was a team out pretty late, he drove up to our camp and stopped, and behold it was the Irishman with a load of wood and hay, it was very acceptable. We acknowledged it by giving him several very nice pieces of buffalo meat and a turkey. He certainly was a gentleman in every respect. We can recommend him to anyone traveling that way as a gentleman that has a good place to stop at.

Feb. 9. – Traveled all day hard, and passed through the city of Tecumseh and made home about eight o’clock at night, tired and hungry. The total amount of game killed, was 40 buffalo, 10 elk, 105 wild turkey, 3 jackrabbits, 3 porcupines, and a number of grouse.²⁰

Endnotes:

^1. Distance approximately 28 to 31 miles.

^2. Yankee Creek is a creek in Johnson County, Nebraska. It is located near the town of Tecumseh. I have been unable to identify the “third crossing.”

^3. Distance from Tecumseh to Beatrice is approximately 30 miles.

^4. Little Sandy Creek is located in the northeast corner of Thayer County and northwest corner of Jefferson County and directly west of Beatrice, Nebraska.

^5. The Big Sandy runs through the northeast corner of Nuckolls County, north of the center of Thayer County and empties into the Little Blue River in the vicinity of Powell, Nebraska in Jefferson County.

^6. The Little Blue River forks in the vicinity of Powell, Nebraska with the north fork being the Big Sandy and the south fork remaining the Little Blue River which flows through Jefferson, Thayer, and Nuckolls Counties.

^7. Meridian, Nebraska was initially called “Big Sandy” due to a post office being established there in 1865. In 1870, it was renamed Meridian and continued in operation until 1883, when it was discontinued. According to Wikipedia Meridian is now considered a ghost town. Website: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meridian,_Nebraska

^8. Hebron was founded about 1869, by a colony of Disciples of Christ and was named after the ancient city of Hebron. In 1880, the population was 466. The city is currently the county seat of Thayer County, Nebraska. Website: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebron,_Nebraska

^9. The head of Spring Creek is in the southeast corner of Nuckolls County and it flows through the southwest corner of Thayer County and joins the Little Blue River south of Hebron, Nebraska.

^10. Oak Creek is in Nuckolls County and is a small creek draining into the Little Blue River. It is located between Elk Creek and Turtle Creek and is northwest of Spring Creek. It seems an odd direction to go, but the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad laid their track between Oak Creek and Turtle Creek so it must have been easy traveling. There is another Oak Creek, but it is south of the Republican River and a possible candidate.

_11.  The Republican River enters Nuckolls County, Nebraska from Jewell County, Kansas. It is not clear where they attempted to cross the Republican River because we do not know where they initially struck the river.

^12. The entire length of the Solomon River lies within Kansas. It sometimes referred to as the “Solomon Fork” because it is a tributary of the Smoky Hill River. Other names for the river include Mahkineohe, Riviere de Soucis, Solomon Creek, Wiskapalla River, Solomon Fork and its original name, Nepaholla. The Solomon River is formed by the confluence of the North Fork Solomon River, and the South Fork Solomon River at Waconda Lake in northwestern Mitchell County, Kansas. Both forks originate in the High Plains of northwestern Kansas. From Waconda Lake, the Solomon flows southeast for 184 miles through the Smoky Hills region and joins the Smoky Hill River immediately south of Solomon, Kansas in western Dickinson County. Website: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_River

^13. White Rock Creek is a tributary of the Republican River. In August, 1868, settler Gordon Winbigler was killed by Indians. The mouth of White Rock Creek was the location where a group of six buffalo hunters from Waterville, Kansas were killed by Cheyenne Dog Soldiers in May, 1869. In May, 1869, the Excelsior Colony from New York took claims along White Rock Creek and built a blockhouse north of the present town of Mankato. By June, 1869, all of the settlers had left because of Indian conflicts. Websites: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Rock_Creek_(Kansas), lovewellhistory.com/maps-etc/maps-etc.html

^14. Hay Stack Mound – unable to find any information on this mound or what they may be referring to.

^15. Middle Fork of the Solomon – The North Fork Solomon River originates in northwest Kansas; its source lies in west central Thomas County. It flows generally east-northeast into the Smoky Hills region of north-central Kansas. Southeast of Phillipsburg, Kansas the North Fork of the Solomon joins its tributary – Middle Fork of the Solomon, also known as Bow Creek. The river slows east, turning southeast near Gaylord, Kansas. South of Cawker City, in northwestern Mitchell County, the North Fork Solomon joins the South Fork Solomon  River at Waconda Lake. From Waconda Lake it flows southeast to join the Smoky Hill River. Website: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Fork_Solomon_River

^16. Prairie Dog Creek is a tributary of the Republican River. Its source lies in west-central Thomas County approximately five miles southeast of Brewster, Kansas. It flows generally northeast across northwestern Kansas. Southwest of Norton, Kansas it is dammed to form Keith Sebelius Lake. From the dam it continues northeast to Harlan County in south-central Nebraska where it joins the Republican River. Website: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_Dog_Creek

^17. On the wagons of the day, a coupling pole (sometimes called the reach) is the connecting piece between the front and back axles of a wagon. The pole is often equipped with adjustment plates and pins to allow extending and shortening the pole. This allowed the box/bed to be lengthened or shortened or the box/bed to be removed entirely and poles or logs to be carried on the bolsters and held in place by the stakes with rope or chain securing the load.

^18. Beaver Creek, Nebraska is located in the southwest corner of Nuckolls County. It drains into the Republican River on the north side of the river.

^19. Bear Creek is a tributary of Big Blue River. Bear Creek is located east of Beatrice, Nebraska and drains into the Big Blue River southeast of Beatrice.

^20. The Diary of a Brownsville Hunter – 1871, Nebraska Advisor, Brownsville, Nebraska, 23 February, 1871.