THE MARCH TO THE “TA” RANCH--INCIDENTS BY THE WAY--PREPARING FOR A
SIEGE.
After the killing of Champion the cattlemen joined the supply wagons
that had arrived on the creek in sight of the smoking ruins of Nolan’s
ranch house, and the cooks served a hearty meal to the hungry men. Dr.
Penrose, the company’s surgeon, and Ed Towse, the special reporter sent
along with the mob by the Cheyenne Sun, reported themselves sick at
Tisdale’s ranch and deserted. Supper being over, the order to mount was
given and a start was made direct for Buffalo, sixty miles away. The
ride of thirty miles to the Western Union Beef Company’s headquarters
was made in five hours, according to several different reports, the
object of the forced march being to reach Buffalo before daylight,
surprise and capture the town, killing Angus and a long list of others
before the people were notified of danger by Jack Flagg. Shonsy, the
foreman of the Western Union Beef Company, of which George W. Baxter
is general manager, who was with the gang, had about a hundred head of
grain-fed horses in the stables ready for the men, and a change was
quickly made. With these spirited animals, specially fed for weeks,
in anticipation of this emergency, the men dashed off at a rattling
pace for what they were pleased to call the “doomed city of the
plains.” Near Carr’s ranch, on Crazy Woman, a camp fire was seen in the
road ahead, and the accidental discharge of a gun gave alarm to the
invaders, who supposing it a party of rustlers, on vengeance bent, cut
the wire of Carr’s pasture fence and made a long detour, reaching the
Buffalo road at a safe distance beyond the camp fire.
At two o’clock they were at the 28 ranch, twenty-two miles from
Buffalo, having ridden thirty-eight miles since leaving the K. C. ruins
at sundown, beside losing about an hour’s time and covering four or
five extra miles. At this ranch coffee was served and two hours’ rest
taken. At 4 o’clock the march was resumed. When well on the road toward
Buffalo a horseman appeared and informed the leaders that there were
two hundred excited citizens under arms as a Sheriff’s posse, in the
town, and strongly advised against an attack being made. He said the
arrangements made for the assassination of Angus and his deputies the
night before had failed by reason of Angus hearing of the killing of
Champion and his organization of a posse and departure for Powder River
to head off the mob.
This information caused a change of tactics, and orders were given to
march to the TA ranch and fortify for a strong defense. About this time
James Dudley, alias Gus Green, was reported with a broken leg from an
accidental discharge of his gun, caused by his horse bucking. He died
later on at the military post.
The TA ranch was reached shortly after noon and all hands put to work
strengthening the position. The following plan was furnished the
Daily Leader by a correspondent on the ground during the siege, and
is believed to be substantially correct. The buildings are located in
a bend of Crazy Woman Creek, twelve miles from Buffalo. The house and
ice house (marked in the cut) are built of hewed logs, 6×8 inches. The
stable is also constructed of logs closely fitted together. Log breast
works were built on two sides of the house and earthworks inside of
the fort. Loop holes were cut, and altogether the position was able
to stand off a rifle siege almost indefinitely, did the provisions
hold out. In this respect, however, the situation was not encouraging,
for the three heavily loaded four-horse wagons of supplies had been
captured by the rustlers early in the day, and the sole dependence was
the small store at the ranch for the cowboys’ use. The supply wagons
were found to contain not only provisions, but fuse, giant powder and
poison.
Still the “white caps,” as the rustlers styled the block house party,
were in good spirits, because they had faith in the promises of their
“Cheyenne friends” to protect them in the event of an emergency. The
emergency had come and their faith was to make them whole.