While in Bismarck, North Dakota, the Frontier Travelers went searching for the gravesite of Grant Prince Marsh – probably the best river pilot of them all.
Grant Marsh
Born in 1834, Marsh began his career as a cabin boy and later a first mate on the Mississippi River steamboats. At one time, he was assisted by a young Sam Clemens.
Following the Civil War, Marsh captained the North Alabama, carrying fresh vegetables and other supplies to Fort Buford at the mouth of the Yellowstone River. During the Indian Wars of 1876, Marsh was put in charge of the Far West, accompanying General Alfred Terry and Col. George Custer in their campaign against the Sioux and Cheyenne.
Following Custer’s defeat at the Little Bighorn, Marsh carried the survivors down river to Fort Abraham Lincoln, opposite Bismarck. The Far West’s 54-hour, 710-mile day-and-night dash to Bismarck with more than 50 wounded troopers stands as the most remarkable exploit in the history of Missouri River steamboating.
The last notable event of Marsh’s career took place in April of 1883, when he transported Sitting Bull and his band from Fort Yates to Fort Randall. Following a brief stint in Tennesee, the riverboat captain returned to Bismarck where he died January 1916, in near-poverty. [Click to read more]
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Oregon
The landmark U.S. law that fueled a Western land rush, helped define the American spirit, and inadvertently triggered the Dust Bowl turns 150 next month. And across the West, settler cabins that owe their existence to the 1862 Homestead Act still stand testament to their owners’ luck and perseverance …or hardship and failure. (Images courtesty: USFWS Headquarters)
Several of these historic homesteads are on national wildlife refuges in Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, where visitors can see them and learn about their owners’ travails. [Click to read more]
Federal Troops, Shiloh National Military Park
As part of its commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial and coinciding with events marking the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh, the National Park Service has launched a Civil War themed website * that provides an overview of the war, with special emphasis on the Civil War sites administered and preserved by the National Park Service.
The website features a wide range of richly-illustrated content, including stories of the Civil War, ranging from causes of the conflict to its consequences; biographies of notable individuals associated with the war, both military and civilian; places within the National Park System that interpret the Civil War; and information on the ways in which the National Park Service preserves Civil War battlefields, objects, landscapes and other historic resources. New content will be added regularly, so visitors are encouraged to check back to the site often. [Click to read more]
On April 3, 1860, Johnny Fry galloped out of St. Joseph, Missouri, carrying a satchel of mail and the hopes of a new company—the Pony Express. At the same time , another rider, Billy Hamilton, left Sacramento, California, bringing mail east.
As the Frontier Travelers are natives of St. Joseph, we hold a special place in our hearts for the Pony Express.
On the 1966-mile ride, horses and riders were changed dozens of time. Finally, on April 13, the west-bound rider arrived in Sacramento, beating the east-bound mail by two days.
During its eighteen-month existence, the Pony Express hired about 100 young riders who flocked to ads such as these in local newspapers:
“Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.” [Click to read more]
