The poor ones became wealthy, and nearly all of
the Cheyenne stampeders returned. Following this, some years
afterward, the discovery of silver carbonates in California Gulch,
where Leadville now stands, gave Denver another boom that made the
place the Queen city of the Plains, for good and all.
We reached Fort Kearney before the emigrants had got that far out,
and found Gen. Kearney in command. He was glad to see us, and told
us that if we needed any references to send the parties to him and
he would give us a send-off that would be likely to fix us all
right, and we knew that it would.
"I predict more trouble," said he, "on the plains this summer than
there ever has been in any season previous to this, from the fact
that the northern Sioux are, even at this early date, breaking up
into little bands, and no doubt for the express purpose of
capturing small bands of emigrants crossing the plains the coming
summer."
The first train that came along was from Illinois and Missouri. It
was on the way to California and was composed of sixty-four
wagons. The company was made up of men, women and children, nearly
all of the men having families. They camped about a mile from the
fort, and at near sundown Gen. Kearney proposed that we go over
and see the ladies. So we rode over--the General, Jim Bridger and
I.
Arriving at the camp we were astonished at seeing that the
emigrants had no system whatever in forming their camp or
corralling their wagons and stock, all being scattered here and
there, hodge-podge.
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