The Porter Story

 Taken from Morton’s History of Nebraska

Writings of James R. Porter

 James Ralson Porter, early pioneer of Nebraska was born near Steubenville, Ohio.  His father, Samuel Porter, was of Revolutionary stock and served in the War of 1812, helping to build the famous fleet of Commodore Oliver Perry.  He married Catherine Boyd of Gettysburg, Penn.  James R. Porter received a common school education, attended College at Richmond, Ohio two and a half years with the ambition of becoming a lawyer, but to earn money joined the 1849 rush to California going by way of Panama.  He landed at San Francisco after a perilous sea voyage, during which the entire company was attacked by scurvy and thirty of the hundred passengers died from cholera.  After spending three years in California he returned to Ohio.  But the call of the west was in his blood, and in the spring of 1856 he started westward again traveling by C.B. & Q. railroad as far as Burlington, Ia. Thence by team over land to the Missouri River, which he crossed opposite the mouth of the Platte by flatboat and landed on Nebraska territory in April.

 After a careful inspection of surrounding country, he concluded that the first trans-continental railroad would follow the Platte River, and become convinced that the U. P. railroad when constructed would choose Plattsmouth as its initial point in Nebraska.  Therefore his first home in Nebraska was established by taking up a preemption at Plattsmouth.

 In 1860 Mr. Porter began freighting across the plains to Denver, Ft. Laramie and Salt lake, and then freighting for the government in Arizona from Prescott to the Salt River.  He continued in this work until 1872 when he returned to his home in Plattsmouth.  The freighting business was started with three yoke of oxen and three farm wagons.  By 1864 Mr. Porter’s equipment had increased to 36 wagons with six yoke of oxen to each wagon and with this outfit he was able to handle government contracts.  In 1865 he bought contracts.  In 1865 he bought 130 government mules in St. Louis and equipped a train of 22 six-mule teams but found the mules profitable only where quick delivery was required.  Sometimes it was necessary to use both the mule and the ox trains to fulfill these government contracts.

 The following report to Gen. Myers shows the spirit in which Mr. Porter struggled to carry out the hazardous work of providing necessary supplies to the army in those days of Indian warfare and adverse weather conditions.

 Plattsmouth, Nebr.

May 7, 1867
 General Wm. Myer
Chief Q. M., Dist. Of the Platte
Omaha City, Nebr.

 Dear General:

 In consequence of my failing to accomplish on time a certain contract that I made with you for February 5^th for delivery of forage to Ft. Phil. Kearney, I have thought that in justice to myself I should make this statement of what I did to relieve those posts, and what effort I made to render that relief at the earliest possible date.

 On the evening of February 5^th I signed the contract with you.  On that night I went home 25 miles and at six o’clock next morning four of my principal men were in my room.  I sub-divided the work, some to get mules and wagons ready, others to hire men and others to get hired, collected and put on the work.  The next day all was landed in Omaha in a terrible cold wind and storm.  On the 9^th we loaded the mules, wagons, loads and men on the train which landed the entire outfit at North Platte on the10th where I unloaded and started the mule train on the 11^th.

 On our way to Ft. Kearney two bad snow storms prevented our arrival at Ft. Laramie till the 27^th, where the mule and ox trains joined forces, and it was necessary that they travel together for self-protection.   On the 28^th a severe snow storm prevailed and increased for days the cold becoming more intense.  Since it was evident I could give no immediate relief to the Forts, because of slow cattle train travel.  I asked of Gen. Palmer, commander at Ft. Laramie, an army escort for my me3n that I might proceed.  Waiting until about March 7^th, receiving no escort and hearing of destitute conditions of public animals at the Forts, also remembering my promise to you that I would do the work if in my power, I proceeded at once without army escort in the fact of terrible, blinding snow storms and intense cold which increased until the mercury congealed.

 The whole face of the land was covered with 1 ½  feet of snow.  No forage for my animals except corn from my wagons and sometimes sagebrush, every day men getting frosted, two of whom are crippled for life.  To keep up my forage I bought 25 sacks of corn on the road, borrowed some more and when two wagons were eaten out I sent them back and bought 60 more sacks of corn to forage their trip back.  These two men, with my brother in charge, were risking their lives every day to forward this work.  This made about 106 thousand pounds of corn from Laramie than I expended in delivery of about 67 thousand from the time I left Platte River to Reno.  On the high divide between the Platte and Yellowstone on the Cheyenne Wind and Powder Rivers I found that it required all the energy of man and hardiness of mule to endure the climate.  The streams were frozen down to the sand and in three cases we were compelled to subsist ourselves and animals for four days and nights without food or water.  When we came near to Fr. Reno I preceded the train to give notice of our arrival.  A herd of buffalo came in sight of the post and I and eight others went after them.  The Indians came upon us, killing three and six escaped.  I then asked of Capt. McCoy that he send an escort to my train which he refused.  My train arrived and unloaded on March 30^th.

 I again asked for an escort on the trip back, that they might reload from my ox train and return with more corn.  At once he gave us ten men and the train started back on the 31^st.  But when they reached the ox train they found that severe weather had compelled the ox train to feed about 1500 bushels of corn and the mule train was forced to go east of Laramie and buy 90 thousand pounds of corn.  When the mule train left Reno I remained to get receipts and arrange with Gen. Dandy for getting additional corn into the country.

 Meanwhile the Powder River had risen very high.  The quartermaster had made a raft to cross the mail party and I embarked with them.  We shoved into the current, but mush ice and cake ice made it impossible for us to land and with a current about 15 miles per hour, we went down about a mile and turned over.  I lost my saddle, blankets, overcoat, pistol, gun and 100 cartridges.  I saved my life on a small ice field in the middle of the river and was dragged to shore by a rope.  This was no doubt good luck for if we had been successful we would have met the up mail about the time and place of their horrible massacre.

 

My next effort to communicate with the train was to come down with Major Vanost and escort when we struck the Platte river on the night of April 28^th.  We were charged in our camp by Indians when all in camp were asleep except the guard.  The Indians fired 25 or 30 shots, which were as freely returned by our guard.  No loss except the Major’s two horses.  But the morning revealed to us many Indians on the hills and in the distance.  We started expecting an attack any moment, but were not interrupted further.  After traveling about ten miles I met my train.  They reported that they had been surrounded by Indians every day and had had two fights and one man killed.  I instructed them to go above the badlands and go to the soldiers while I would go below and see if I could procure aid for them.

 Arriving at Horseshoe on the 30^th I telegraphed you that we could not proceed without escort.  If we did my train would be lost.  I telegraphed the same thing to Gen. Palmer at Laramie but no relief was sent.  Then I started for Omaha to plead in person for help.  At Sedgwick I received a telegram that 97 head of cattle were captured and the train was surrounded by 300 Indians and without aid, must perish.  On May 7^th I arrived in Omaha to report in person.

 Whenever we came to the forts with our frosted blistered, scabbed and sore ears, cheeks, noses, hands and feet, we were met with kindness and surprised as though we had been old Elijah’s ravens and they all spoke in highest terms of our energy, perseverance and success.  Now will the Government reward me in the same liberal manner in which I have expended my property and labor and exposed my life to relieve those who depended on me and to redeem my faithful promise to you?  It was not my bond that caused that trip to be made it was my promise which is more binding than my bond.

 Signed,

 Jas. R. Porter

 

Mr. Porter was successful in getting military troops to go to the rescue of his besieged camp.  He also purchased 90 head of stock to replace the 97 head captured by the Indians, and with new wagons loaded with corn, and with escort he was able to join his other trains in the field and deliver the much needed supplies to Ft. Phil Kearney on May 28, 1867, and except for being somewhat late, he kept his promise and complied with the terms of his government contract signed on February 5^th.

 However 1867 was a year of great hostility from the Indians and Mr. Porter was to suffer depredations.  For it was his wagon train that withstood the attack of some 3,000 Indians under Chief Red Cloud in the famous Wagon-Box fight on August 2, 1867 near Ft. Phil Kearney.  In commemoration of this historic event the state of Wyomi9ng has placed an appropriate marker at the site of this famous battle.

 Mr. Porter had taken a contract to supply the government with wood for Ft. Phil Kearney in Dakota territory located about where Sheridan is today.  The expedition which reached the Fort in the summer of ’67 established a camp on Piney Creek, between two pineries, where they were to cut wood and haul to Ft. Phil Kearney, a distance of about seven miles.  Just at this time Mr. Porter was not at the piney camp since he was in supervision of another train which was hauling 500 bu. Of corn from North Platte Station, Nebraska to the Fort.  During the summer until August the work of cutting and delivering the wood progressed, but there was always more or less trouble form the Blackfeet, Ogallala Dakota and Sioux Tribes which infested the surrounding country.  However, the government had built a block house manned by a lieutenant and ten soldiers, 100 feet from the camp.  In addition to the military defense, the wagon box corral was constructed.  This type of wagon was formed by lifting the boxes from the gearing of the “prairie schooner” type of wagons and placing them in a circle about ninety feet in diameter.  Inside the circle a trench was dug and the dirt used to reinforce the outside circumference of the wagon box circle.  The water wagon, used expressly for hauling water, was so placed that by backing or moving it forward, it could be used as a gate to close or open the entrance of the corral.  For safety all camp equipment was placed inside the circle, and at night the men slept in the wagons.

 The camp averaged delivery of about ten loads of wood per day.  The crew delivering in the afternoon would spend the night at the Fort and would return to the timber the next morning.  On the morning of August 4, about 9:00 o’clock, ten wagons returning from the Fort were cut off both from the Fort and the camp by the Indians.  In the timber there were about 15 men, 120 oxen and escort of 10 soldiers.  All these men were powerless to do anything but escape to the mountains.  All this stock and equipment were lost.  With the division of forces, there was left within the wagon-box fortification Capt. James Powell, Lieut. John C. Jennes, with 23 soldiers and 18 of the camp members.  At 10:30 the first charge of about 50 Indians was met with such force of fire from the whites that the redskins were checked.  But during the five-hour fight the Indians charged again and again, only to be repulsed each time.  It is estimated that the savages made 100 charges during this battle.  With increasing numbers the Indians, 3,000 strong, kept up an incessant fire killing Lieut. Jenness and five soldiers.  At Ft. Phil Kearney, when the wagons from the timber failed to show up on time a scout was sent out and reported trouble.  Maj. Benjamin Smith, with reinforcements, also Mr. Porter, two of his wagon bosses and several other freighters, joined the troops and the Indians were forced to withdraw with a loss of about 300.  The Indians, while mainly armed with bows and arrows, spears and clubs, also had rifles.  The six military men lost were killed by gun-fire.  In fighting the savages wrapped pieces of cotton cloth around the barbs of arrows, deposited powder and placed percussion caps on the point of each barb.  When within range of the corral they would strike the cap with a knife, thus igniting the powder, then they would discharge the burning arrow into the wagon bed covers.  The water wagon was literally punctured like a sieve.

 The teamsters were well armed with repeating guns, the soldiers with Springfield rifles, Another protection which favored the defenders of the camp were the ox-yoke breastworks which they made by placing one yoke upon another and using the holds made for the bows as port holds.

 The estimated loss to Mr. Porter, including 250 head of oxen and other valuable equipment amounted to $34,000.

 Throughout his lifetime Mr. Porter supported the Democratic party and was active in party affairs.  He held the office of county clerk and recorder in Cass County for two terms before political lines were drawn there.  He was in the first Democratic Convention ever held in the territory of Nebraska where as a Douglas Democrat he fought and defeated a resolution to endorse all the acts of Buchanan.  He was Democratic candidate for Governor in 1868, but the vast influence of the Civil War reached out to Nebraska with sufficient force to elect his Republican opponent, David Butler, by a small majority.