Chapter VI

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.