CHAPTER IV. EARLY EXPLORATIONS.

CORONADO IN 1541—THE BOURGMONT EXPEDITION IN 1724—PERIN DU LAC—LEWIS AND CLARK—FIRST FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION—MAJOR STEPHEN H. LONG—CANTONMENT MARTIN—ISLE¹ AU VACHE—OTHER EXPLORERS—PASCHAL PENSONEAU—THE OLD MILITARY ROAD—THE MORMONS.

Some historians (notably General Simpson) in their studies of the famous march of Coronado in search of the land of Quivira, in 1541, have brought the great Spanish explorer to the Missouri river, in northeastern Kansas. The more recent researches of Hodge, Bandalier and Brower, however, have proven beyond question that Coronado’s line of march through Kansas was north from Clark county to the Great Bend of the Arkansas river, and thence to the region northeastward from McPherson to the Kansas river, between the junction² of its two main forks and Deep creek³, in Riley county, where the long lost province of Quivira was located. Hence, it is no longer even probable that the great Spaniard on this famous march ever saw the Missouri river region in northeastern Kansas, much less to have ever set foot upon the soil of what is now Atchison county, as many have heretofore believed.

The first white men, of whom we have definite record, to visit what is now Atchison county, were those who composed the expedition of Capt. Etienne Vengard de Bourgmont, military commander of the French colony of Louisiana, who, in the summer of 1724, arrived at the Kansa Indian village where Doniphan now stands, crossed what is now Atchison county, and made several encampments on our soil. Leaving the Kansa village at Doniphan on the morning of July 24, en route to the province of the Padoucas, or what is now known as the Comanche tribe of Indians, in north central 32Kansas, Bourgmont and party marched a league and a half along what is now Deer creek, and went into camp, where they spent the day. The next day they passed Stranger creek, or what they designated “a small river,” and stopped on account of rain, until the 26th, when they proceeded a few miles further, and again went into camp. A thunder-storm, lasting⁴ all the afternoon, compelled them to remain encamped here. On the 27th they reached a river, which was doubtless the Grasshopper⁵ or Delaware, about four or five miles below Muscotah, where they again camped, and, on the 28th marched out of Atchison county somewhere along the southwest border, in Kapioma township. This strange procession, besides Bourgmont’s force of white men, consisted of 300 Indian warriors⁶, with two grand chiefs and fourteen war chiefs, 300 Indian squaws, 500 Indian children, and 500 dogs, carrying and dragging provisions and equipments. The object of the expedition was to promote a general peace among, and effect an alliance between, the different tribes inhabitating this region. Shortly after leaving Atchison county, Bourgmont was taken very ill, and was obliged to return to Fort Orleans, on the lower Missouri. He was carried back across Atchison county to the Kansa village, on a hand-barrow, and then transported down the Missouri in a canoe. Upon his recovery he resumed his journey to the Padoucas in the fall of 1724, coming back by way of the Kansa village and Atchison county. No doubt other French explorers, traders and trappers, visited this county at an earlier date than did Bourgmont, but information concerning them is vague and uncertain.

Perin du Lac, a French explorer, set foot upon the soil of Atchison county while on an exploring trip up the Missouri in 1802–03. In his journal, published soon after his return to France, Du Lac mentions that “three miles below the old Kances Indian village they perceived some iron ore.” As the “old Kances village” was the one already referred to as having been at Doniphan, the iron ore discovered by Du Lac must have been in Atchison county, somewhere in the vicinity of Luther Dickerson’s old home, where the rocks are known to be strongly impregnated with iron. Du Lac gathered some specimens⁷ of the Atchison county ore, which he must have lost, for he says in his journal: “I intended to have assayed it on my return, but an accident unfortunately happening prevented me.”

In the summer of 1804 the famous “Louisiana Purchase exploring expedition” of Lewis and Clark passed up the Missouri river, arriving at the southeast corner of Atchison county on July 3. They passed Isle Au Vache, or Cow Island, opposite Oak Mills, stopped at a deserted⁸ trader’s house at or near the 33site of Port William, where they picked up a stray horse (the first recorded mention of a horse in what is now Atchison county) and camped that night somewhere in the vicinity of Walnut⁹ creek. The next morning they announced the “glorious Fourth” with a shot from their gun boat, and there began the first celebration of our Nation’s birthday on Kansas soil. That day they took dinner on the bank of White Clay creek, or what they called “Fourth of July creek.” Here Joe Fields, a member of the party, was bitten by a snake, and Sergeant¹⁰ Floyd, in commemoration of the incident, named the prairie on which Atchison now stands, “Joe Fields’ Snake Prairie.” Above the creek, they state, “was a high mound¹¹, where three Indian paths centered, and from which was a very extensive prospect¹².” This, undoubtedly¹³, was the commanding elevation¹⁴ where the Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home now stands. On the evening of the Fourth they discovered and named Independence creek in honor of the day, and closed the day’s observances with “an evening gun and an additional gill of whiskey to the men.”

A detachment of Maj. Stephen H. Long’s Yellowstone exploring expedition, under command of Capt. Wyley Martin, spent the winter of 1818–19 on Cow Island, which now belongs to Atchison county, and established a post known as Cantonment Martin. This was the first United States military post established above Ft. Osage, and west of Missouri Territory. During that winter Captain Martin’s men killed between 2,000 and 3,000 deer, besides great numbers of bears, turkeys and other game. The troops that established this frontier post were a part of the First Rifle regiment¹⁵, the “crack” organization of the United States army at that time. In July, 1819, Major Long arrived at Cow Island. His steamboats were the first to ascend¹⁶ the Missouri river above Ft. Osage. The next day Colonel Chambers¹⁷ and a detachment of infantry¹⁸ arrived. Thomas Say and his party of naturalists¹⁹, under command of Major Biddle, at about the same time crossed Atchison county en route from the Kansa Indian village where Manhattan now stands, and joined Major Long’s party at Cow Island. Messrs. Say and Jessup, naturalists of the expedition, were taken very ill and had to remain at the island for some time. Col. Henry Atkinson, the founder²⁰ of Ft. Atkinson, and commander of the western department for more than twenty years, arrived at Cow Island shortly after Major Long. Maj. John O’Fallon was sutler of the post and Indian agent for the upper Missouri. On July 4, 1819, the Nation’s birthday was celebrated²¹ on Cow Island. The flags were raised at full mast, guns were fired, and they had “pig with divers²² tarts²³ to grace the table.” On August 24 an important council with the Kansa Indians was 34held on the island. An account of this council will be found in the chapter on Indian history in this volume.

One of the captains who was stationed on Cow Island—Bennett Riley—afterwards became a distinguished²⁴ man in the history of this country. He was the man for whom Ft. Riley was named. He served with gallantry in the Indian country, the Northwest and Florida. In the Florida war he was promoted to colonel. In the war with Mexico he became a major-general, and was subsequently military governor of California. Col. John O’Fallon entered the army from Kentucky and fought in the Battle of Tippecanoe under Harrison, where he was severely²⁵ wounded and carried the scar to his grave. He had a brilliant military record, and afterwards became one of the wealthiest and most public-spirited citizens of St. Louis.

Major Willoughby Morgan assumed command of the Cow Island post April 13, 1819. He was also a distinguished officer. When Cantonment Martin was abandoned in September, 1819, it required a month to transport the troops from there to Council Bluffs²⁶ on the steamboats.

One of these boats, the “Western Engineer,” the first that ever touched the shore of Atchison county, was of unique construction, having been expressly built for the expedition and calculated to impress the Indians. On her bow was the exhaust pipe, made in the form of a huge serpent, with wide open mouth and tongue painted a fiery²⁷ red. The steam, escaping through the mouth, made a loud, wheezing²⁸ noise that could be heard for miles. The Indians recognized in it the power of the great Manitou and were overcome with fear.

Cow Island has been a prominent landmark²⁹ in the West from a very early period. It was discovered by the early French explorers and called by them Isle au Vache, meaning Isle of Cow or Cow Island. It was so named because a stray cow was found wandering about on the island. It is supposed that this cow was stolen by the Indians from one of the early French settlements and placed on this island to prevent her escape. There is a coincidence in the fact that the first horse and the first cow in what is now Atchison county, of which we have any record, were found in the same locality. The stray horse picked up by Lewis and Clark, mention of which is made on a preceding page of this chapter, was found almost opposite the upper end of Cow Island, on the Kansas shore. There is a tradition that the French had a trading post on Cow Island at a very early day.

In 1810, John Bradbury, a renowned³⁰ English botanist³¹, made a trip up the Missouri river, and was the first scientist to make a systematic³² study of 35the plants and geological formations of this region. He touched the shore of what is now Atchison county, and in his book, “Travels in the Interior of America,” speaks about the great fertility of our soil. He shipped the specimens collected on this trip to the botanical gardens of Liverpool, and no doubt many Atchison county specimens were included in these shipments. The next year H. M. Brackenridge, another explorer, came up the Missouri and made some observations along our shore.

Postoffice, Atchison, Kansas

The first permanent white settler of what is now Atchison county was a Frenchman, Paschal Pensoneau, who, about 1839, married a Kickapoo Indian woman and about 1844 settled on the bank of Stranger creek, near the present site of Potter, where he established a trading-house and opened the first farm in Atchison county on land which had been allotted³³ him by the Government for services in the Black Hawk³⁴ and Mexican wars. Pensoneau had long lived among the Kickapoo Indians, following them in their migrations³⁵ from Illinois to Missouri and Kansas, generally pursuing the vocation³⁶ of trader and interpreter. As early as 1833 or 1834 he was established on the Missouri river at the old Kickapoo town, later removing to Stranger creek, as aforestated. He became a very prominent and influential³⁷ man among the Kickapoos. He long held the position of Government interpreter that 36tribe. After the treaty of 1854, diminishing the Kickapoo reserve, Pensoneau moved to the new lands assigned the tribe along the Grasshopper river, where he lived for many years. About 1875 he settled among a band of Kickapoo Indians, near Shawnee, Indian Territory, where he died some years later. He was born at Cahokia, Ill., April 17, 1796, his parents having been among the emigrants³⁸ from Canada to the early French settlements of Illinois.

In 1850 the military road from Ft. Leavenworth to Ft. Laramie was laid out by Colonel Ogden. It crossed Atchison county, and over it passed many important expeditions to the Western plains and mountains, and to Oregon and California. Before this road was laid out as a Government highway, the same route had long been traveled as a trail. It was a great natural highway, being on the “dividing ridge” between the Missouri and Kansas rivers. Charles Augustus Murray, Francis Parkman, Captain Stansbury and other noted³⁹ travelers journeyed over this trail during the thirties and forties, and in the fascinating volumes they have left, we find much of interest pertaining⁴⁰ to the region of which Atchison county is now a part. During the gold excitement in California this old trail swarmed⁴¹ with emigrants seeking a fortune in the West. The Mormons, the soldiers, the overland freighters, the stage drivers, the hundred and one other picturesque⁴² types of character in the early West have helped to make the history of this famous old branch of the “Oregon and California Trail” immortalized by Parkman.

During the days of Mormon emigration a Mormon settlement sprang up a few miles west of Atchison, and immediately east of the present site of Shannon, which became known as “Mormon Grove⁴³.” The settlement was enclosed by trenches⁴⁴, which served as fences to prevent the stock from going astray, and traces of these old ditches may be seen to this day. Many of the Mormons here died of cholera⁴⁵ and were buried near the settlement, but all traces of the old burial ground have been obliterated⁴⁶ by cultivation⁴⁷ of the soil.

1 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

2 junction   

n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站

参考例句：

• There's a bridge at the junction of the two rivers.两河的汇合处有座桥。
• You must give way when you come to this junction.你到了这个路口必须让路。

3 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

4 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

5 grasshopper   

n.蚱蜢，蝗虫，蚂蚱

参考例句：

• He thought he had made an end of the little grasshopper.他以为把那个小蚱蜢干掉了。
• The grasshopper could not find anything to eat.蚱蜢找不到任何吃的东西。

6 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

7 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

9 walnut   

n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色

参考例句：

• Walnut is a local specialty here.核桃是此地的土特产。
• The stool comes in several sizes in walnut or mahogany.凳子有几种尺寸，材质分胡桃木和红木两种。

10 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

11 mound   

n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫

参考例句：

• The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them.勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
• The mound can be used as our screen.这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。

12 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

13 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

14 elevation   

n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高

参考例句：

• The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。
• His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。

15 regiment   

n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制

参考例句：

• As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。
• They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

16 ascend   

vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上

参考例句：

• We watched the airplane ascend higher and higher.我们看着飞机逐渐升高。
• We ascend in the order of time and of development.我们按时间和发展顺序向上溯。

17 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

18 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。

19 naturalists   

n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者

参考例句：

• Naturalists differ much in determining what characters are of generic value. 自然学者对于不同性状决定生物的属的含义上，各有各的见解。 来自辞典例句
• This fact has led naturalists to believe that the Isthmus was formerly open. 使许多自然学者相信这个地蛱在以前原是开通的。 来自辞典例句

20 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

21 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

22 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。

23 tarts   

n.果馅饼( tart的名词复数 )；轻佻的女人；妓女；小妞

参考例句：

• I decided to make some tarts for tea. 我决定做些吃茶点时吃的果馅饼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They ate raspberry tarts and ice cream. 大家吃着木莓馅饼和冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句

24 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

25 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

26 bluffs   

恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁

参考例句：

• Two steep limestone bluffs rise up each side of the narrow inlet. 两座陡峭的石灰石断崖耸立在狭窄的入口两侧。
• He bluffs his way in, pretending initially to be a dishwasher and then later a chef. 他虚张声势的方式，假装最初是一个洗碗机，然后厨师。

27 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

28 wheezing   

v.喘息，发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的现在分词 )；哮鸣

参考例句：

• He was coughing and wheezing all night. 他整夜又咳嗽又喘。
• A barrel-organ was wheezing out an old tune. 一架手摇风琴正在呼哧呼哧地奏着一首古老的曲子。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

29 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

30 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。

31 botanist   

n.植物学家

参考例句：

• The botanist introduced a new species of plant to the region.那位植物学家向该地区引入了一种新植物。
• I had never talked with a botanist before,and I found him fascinating.我从没有接触过植物学那一类的学者，我觉得他说话极有吸引力。

32 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

33 allotted   

分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I completed the test within the time allotted . 我在限定的时间内完成了试验。
• Each passenger slept on the berth allotted to him. 每个旅客都睡在分配给他的铺位上。

34 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

35 migrations   

n.迁移，移居( migration的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It foundered during the turmoils accompanying the Great Migrations. 它在随着民族大迁徙而出现的混乱中崩溃。 来自辞典例句
• Birds also have built-in timepieces which send them off on fall and spring migrations. 鸟类也有天生的时间感应器指导它们秋春迁移。 来自互联网

36 vocation   

n.职业，行业

参考例句：

• She struggled for years to find her true vocation.她多年来苦苦寻找真正适合自己的职业。
• She felt it was her vocation to minister to the sick.她觉得照料病人是她的天职。

37 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

38 emigrants   

n.（从本国移往他国的）移民( emigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At last the emigrants got to their new home. 移民们终于到达了他们的新家。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• 'Truly, a decree for selling the property of emigrants.' “有那么回事，是出售外逃人员财产的法令。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

39 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

40 pertaining   

与…有关系的，附属…的，为…固有的(to)

参考例句：

• Living conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin. 生活条件与他们祖国大不相同。
• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school. 视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。

41 swarmed   

密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去

参考例句：

• When the bell rang, the children swarmed out of the school. 铃声一响，孩子们蜂拥而出离开了学校。
• When the rain started the crowd swarmed back into the hotel. 雨一开始下，人群就蜂拥回了旅社。

42 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

43 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

44 trenches   

深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕

参考例句：

• life in the trenches 第一次世界大战期间的战壕生活
• The troops stormed the enemy's trenches and fanned out across the fields. 部队猛攻敌人的战壕，并在田野上呈扇形散开。

45 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

46 obliterated   

v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭

参考例句：

• The building was completely obliterated by the bomb. 炸弹把那座建筑物彻底摧毁了。
• He began to drink, drank himself to intoxication, till he slept obliterated. 他一直喝，喝到他快要迷糊地睡着了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

47 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。