Indeed, on the day the first rider set out on the inaugural ride west, Russell and Majors told the gala crowd that the service was the “precursor” to the construction of a transcontinental railway. When the war started, Fry enlisted in the Union army under General James Blunt. Jay G. Kelley, later a citizen of Denver, was a veteran pony man. BOX 236 • POLLOCK PINES, CA 95726. An outbreak of the Paiute Indians was now in progress, and as the little station was in the midst of the disturbed area, there was plenty of excitement. Once, while dashing past a wagon train of immigrants, a whole fusillade of bullets was fired at Kelley who narrowly escaped with his life. But the superior speed and endurance of his steed soon told; lying flat on the animal’s neck, he quickly distanced his assailants and thundered into Sweetwater, the next station, ahead of schedule. George Thacher Must be expert riders, willing to The soil was soaked with alkali, and as a result, according to Kelley’s story, their feet were swollen so as to resemble “hams.”. The most famous of all the pony riders was William F. Cody, age 19 -known to all as “Bill” who rode the dangerous 76-mile route between Red Buttes and Three Crossings. The water coming down from the mountains, was always icy cold and the current swift, deep, and treacherous. As there was no extra rider available, it fell to young Cody to fill the dead courier’s place until a successor could be procured. But on arriving, his successor, a man named Johnson Richardson, was unable or indisposed to go on with the mail. William Carrigan Keetley’s greatest performance and one of the most remarkable ever achieved in the service was riding from Rock Creek Station in Nebraska to St. Joseph; then back to his starting point and on to Seneca, and from Seneca once more to Rock Creek Station – 340 miles without rest. Historians disagree on whether he was the first rider out of St. Joseph. Pony Express Map. Within a moment he was off on a fresh horse for Rocky Ridge, eighty-five miles away. Furthermore, he had to ford the North Platte River at a point where the stream was half a mile in width and in places twelve feet deep. He made it, too, in spite of lurking Indians, hunger and fatigue, covering the round trip of 280 miles in 14 hours and 46 minutes, an average speed of over 18 miles an hour. They had no particular desire to harm him, but unless he handed over the pouch without delay they would shoot him full of holes, and take it anyhow. One night, while Kelley was on guard his attention, was attracted by the uneasiness of the horses. On two occasions, Rising is said to have maintained a continuous speed of twenty miles an hour while carrying important dispatches between Big Sandy and Rock Creek Station in Nebraska. Another man named Hogan, of whom little is known, rode northwesterly out of Julesburg, Colorado across the Platte River and to Mud Springs, some 80 miles distant. Theodore “Little Yank” Rand Pony Express riders (c. 1860). J. G. McCall, James McDonald Cody entered the Pony Express service just after the line had been organized. At the Sink of the Carson, in Nevada a great depression of the river on its course through the desert, Kelley assisted in building a fort for protecting the line against Indians. Here he found – as so often happened in the history of the express service – that the place had been raided, the keeper slain, and the horses were driven off. Superintendent Marley, who was still present when the daring rider returned, at once raised his bonus from fifty to one hundred dollars. His suspicions were soon confirmed, for on reaching a particularly secluded spot, two highwaymen stepped from concealment, and with leveled rifles compelled the boy to stop, at the same time demanding the letter pouch. The above are random extracts from frontier newspapers, printed while the Pony Express was running. Feb 1, 2020 - Explore Cheryl May's board "pony express riders" on Pinterest. His run was from Box Elder to Julesburg, Colorado 110  miles and he made the entire distance both ways by night. William Boulton was one of the older riders in the service; his age at that time is given at about 35. The long ride Riders covered much of But we soon began stretching our riders and making better time. On one occasion, he traveled from Seneca, Kansas to Big Sandy, Nebraska 50 miles and back, doubling his route twice in one week. Read about some of the most famous pony express riders! “Irish Tom” Grady – The men at Dry Creek Station have all been killed and it is thought those at Robert’s Creek have met with the same fate. Theodore Rand rode the Pony Express during the entire period of its organization. James “Jim” Moore After the Pony Express, Johnny enlisted in the army. Will D. Jenkins “Bob” had no conception of fear, and so he galloped away, after an hour’s rest. A race will decide whether they or stageline owner Drake get the government mail contract. Jim Gilson Because he was an accomplished horseman, Alexander Majors asked him to ride for the Pony Express. At Smith’s Creek, he slept nine hours and then started back with the return mail. NATIONAL PONY EXPRESS ASSOCIATION • P.O. This was about the time when Major Ormsby’s command was killed in the First Battle of Pyramid Lake and Indians everywhere in Nevada were unusually aggressive and dangerous. Every 75 miles, they handed the mail to a new rider. Bob Martin Don C. Rising Pony Bob is buried in Chicago. Dangerous and difficult work - riders needed to be touch and lightweight. https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20000827&slug=4039077, Your email address will not be published. During this same morning, a Mexican pony rider came in, mortally wounded, having been shot by the savages from ambush while passing through a dense thicket in the vicinity known as Quaking Asp Bottom. George Towne Reaching the place without mishap, he changed mounts and hurried on for thirty-seven miles over the alkali wastes and through the sand until he came to Cold Springs. Though small in stature, he was every inch a man. His route crossed the summits of two mountain ridges, lay through the Shoshone Indian country, and was one of the loneliest and most dangerous divisions on the line. On his return trip, he had to pass once more through the aspen thicket where his predecessor had received his death-wound. In fact, the seedbed of this American character, from the days of de Tocqueville through Andrew Jackson, Wyattt Earp, Pony Express riders, pioneers, and cowboys to modern caricatures played by actors such as Tom Mix, Gary Cooper, and John Wayne has aways been the frontier. For some weeks all went well. Nearby lay the corpse of the faithful station-keeper. They were bold-hearted citizen knights to whom is due the honors of uncrowned kings. Then, one day when he reached his terminal at Three Crossings, Cody found that his successor who was to have taken the mail out had been killed the night before. The Pony Pony Express’s most famous rider was Buffalo Bill Cody. About the Article: This article was excerpted from Glenn D. Bradley’s book, The Story of the Pony Express, published by the A. C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, Illinois in 1913. The only satisfaction he could get from them in reply was the repeated assertion, “We thought you was an Indian!” Nor was Kelley the only pony rider who took narrow chances from the guns of excited immigrants. Your email address will not be published. George Spurr So after resting an hour and a half, he resumed the saddle and hurried back along his old trail, over the Sierras to Friday’s Station. Once while “laying off” between trips, a thief made off with his favorite horse. Along the Carson River, tiresome stretches of corduroy road had to be built. The most famous Pony Express ride was the route that carried the news of Lincoln’s election. Although given tender care, the poor fellow died within a few hours after his arrival. Jim McNaughton Kelley, who was the lightest man in the place – he weighed but one hundred pounds – was now ordered by the boss to take the dead man’s place, and go on with the dispatches. Though the current was at times slow, dangers from quicksand were always to be feared on these prairie rivers. He entered the employ of the company at the outset and helped Superintendent Roberts to lay out the route across Nevada. With Charlton Heston, Rhonda Fleming, Jan Sterling, Forrest Tucker. All was in ruins. Notwithstanding the dangers and great fatigue of the trip, Cody rode safely from Three Crossings to his terminal and returned with the eastbound mail, going back over his own division and into Red Buttes without delay or mishap – an aggregate run of three hundred and twenty-two miles. The motion soon ceased, and he galloped onward, unharmed. Knowing there was no livestock in that locality and that wild game rarely abounded there, he sent several shots in the direction of the moving underbrush. Pony Express Riders: Billy Richardson, Johnny Fry, Charles Cliff, Gus Cliff Working for the Pony Express also proved to be a dangerous job, due to the ongoing conflicts between American settlers and Native tribes people – the latter being increasingly subject to Government land seizures and forced resettlement. The Pony Express building at Rock Creek Station, Nebraska by Kathy Weiser-Alexander. While each rider was supposed to average 75 miles a trip, riding from three to seven horses, accidents were likely to occur, and it was not uncommon for a man to lose his way. List of Pony Express Riders by Name: James Alcott Andrew Ole Anderson J.W. The lad was undaunted and anxious for the added responsibility. Cody had an unusually dangerous route between Red Buttes and Three Crossings. He always rode California mustangs, using five of these animals each way. On reaching Cold Springs once more, he found himself in the midst of tragedy. Chrisman was at the time acting as an agent for the express line, and, out of deference to the youth, he hired him temporarily to ride the division then held by a pony man named Trotter. Armed with this letter, young Cody accompanied Simpson’s wagon-train to Laramie and soon found Superintendent Slade. Famous advertisement for riders read: "Wanted: young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Kelley was expecting trouble, and went through like a whirlwind, at the same time holding a repeating rifle in readiness should trouble occur. Johnny was born in Kentucky and moved with his family to Missouri when he was 16 years old. He rode on an eastern division, usually west out of Seneca, Kansas. Later they were sent west to help build stations for the Pony Express. Many of these men were rough and unlettered. It was a short route, one of the shortest on the system, aggregating only forty-five miles, and with three relays of horses each way. We use cookies. Another Eastern Division man was Jack Keetley, who also rode from St. Joseph, Missouri to Seneca, Kansas, alternating at times with Fry and Baughn. William James, always called “Bill” James, was a native of Virginia. Pony Express Monument, St. Joseph, Missouri, photo by Kathy Weiser-Alexander. James’s route lay between Simpson’s Park and Cole Springs, Nevada, in the Smoky Valley range of mountains. On every side were huge clumps of sage-bush which would offer excellent chances for savages to lie in ambush. Nor was this all of Haslam’s great achievement. It was the riders’ skill and fortitude that made the operation of the line possible. Johnny Fry – First Rider of the Pony Express, Pony Express – Fasted Mail Across the West, Pony Express Stations Across the American West. However, before they would be hired, they were required to make this oath to owner and religious man, Alexander Majors: The bones of many lie in unknown graves. Melville Baughn There was nothing to do but drive his tired pony twelve miles further to Ploutz Station, where he got a fresh horse, briefly reported what he had observed, and completed his run without mishap. Sometimes his run took him as far West as Liberty Farm on the Little Blue River. William Boulton Yet, be it always remembered, that in the history of the American nation they played an important part. After a few years, he and his brother were hired by Russell, Majors and Waddell as bullwackers. The Pony Express was no longer needed. While “Dock” made a good record as a courier, his chief fame was gained in a fight at Rock Creek Station, in which Brink and Wild Bill Hickok “cleaned out” the McCanles Gang of outlaws, killing five of their number. He took the first mochila off the boat at Sacramento. They were considered a special class of citizens. The most widely known of all the pony riders is William F. Cody – usually called “Bill,” who in early life resided in Kansas and was raised amid the exciting scenes of frontier life. The pouch containing the currency was hidden under a special saddle blanket. They knew what he carried and they wanted it. Originally, Rand used only 4-5 horses each way, but this number, in keeping with the revised policy of the Company, was afterward doubled, an extra mount being furnished him every 12-15 miles. Charles Becker Is another rider not on the list. The savages were armed with revolvers, and for a few minutes made it lively for the young messenger. The arrival of the telegraph put Pony Express riders like John Blair and his pal Smoky out of work. Whipping out his revolver, he disabled the farther villain; and before the other, who had stooped to recover the supposed mail sack, could straighten up or use a weapon, Cody dug the spurs into his horse, knocked him down, rode over him and was gone. It seems that while Cliff was once freighting with a small train of nine wagons, it was attacked by a party of one hundred Sioux Indians and besieged for three days until a larger train approached and drove the redskins away. James McClatchy, founder of the Sacramento Bee, discovered that General Albert Sidney Johnston, then in charge of the Union’s Army Department of the Pacific, was planning to turn … Pony Express, system of U.S. mail delivery by continuous horse-and-rider relays between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, and from Sacramento to San Francisco, California, by steamer (April 1860–October 1861). Don C. Rising, who afterward settled in Northern Kansas, was born in Painted Post, Steuben County, New York, in 1844, and came West when thirteen years of age. He was friends with Cody. The first trip of the Pony Express was made in ten days - an average of two hundred miles a day. Join the Pony Express Re-Ride! Pony Express riders (c. 1860). That these employees could have performed even the simplest of their duties, without stirring and almost incredible adventures, it is needless to assert. With him and his fellow employees, running down a horse thief was but a trifling incident and an annoyance merely because of the bother and delay which it necessitated. By Glenn D. Bradley, 1913.  Compiled and edited by Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated December 2019. The Express could never have existed on its high plane of efficiency, without an abundance of coolheaded, hardened men; men who knew not fear and who were expert – though sometimes in vain – in all the wonderful arts of self-preservation practiced on the old frontier. He arrived at Sand Springs safely, but here there was to be no rest nor delay. Johnny Fry He rode along the Platte River between Cottonwood Springs, Nebraska and old Julesburg, Colorado and frequently made one hundred miles on a single trip. Charles P. “Cyclone Charlie” Thompson Yet, Bill never took time to think about danger, nor did he ever have any serious trouble. Sam was hired for Bolivar Robert’s division because he knew the territory. He had several dangerous experiences, including a time when it became rumored that a certain Pony Express pouch would be carrying a large amount of money. This sculpture memorializes the Pony Express, which carried mail from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA from April 1860 - March 1861 and from Salt Lake City, UT to Sacramento, CA from March 1861 - November 1861. During the conflict, Cliff received three bullets in his body and twenty-seven in his clothing, but he soon recovered from his injuries and was afterward none the less valuable to the Pony Express service. ポニー・エクスプレス（英: Pony Express ）は、1860年4月3日から1861年10月まで運行されたミズーリ州 セントジョゼフからカリフォルニア州 サクラメントまでの郵便速達サービスである。 その経路はグレートプレーンズからロッキー山脈とシエラネバダ山脈を越えるものだった。 It was the established rule of the West in those days, in case of suspected danger, to shoot first, and make explanations afterward; to do to the other fellow as he would do to you, and do it first! The Indians had been there. After all, someone had to feed those riders and Anderson John Anson Henry Avis Rodney Babbit Lafayette Ball James Banks Jim Baughn He had crossed the plains with his parents in a wagon train when only five years old. The mail was waiting and it must go. In this, his last fight, Fry is said to have killed five of his assailants before being struck down. He rode only sixty miles each way but covered his round trip of 120 miles in just 12 hours, including all stops. Small cheer for a tired horse and rider! Nearby was a cool spring of water, and, thus fortified, they were to remain, in a state of siege, if necessary, until the marauders withdrew from that vicinity. The men often had to carry these timbers in their arms for three hundred yards, while the mosquitoes swarmed so thickly upon their faces and hands as to make their real color and identity hard to determine. Holding up his hands as ordered, Cody began to remonstrate with the thugs for robbing the express, at the same time declaring to them that they would hang for their meanness if they carried out their plans. Haslam watered his steed and pounded ahead without rest or refreshment. One Hundred, eighty-three men rode for the Pony Express, each receiving $100 per month in pay. When the first west bound mail arrived, he carried it from Placerville to Sacramento where he boarded the boat, horse and all, for San Francisco. There were seldom more than three or four men in the little station and it is remarkable that Kelley and his companions were not all killed. He was a native Missourian, weighing less than 125 pounds. On having cleared the thicket, he drew rein on the top of a hill, and, looking back over his course, saw the bushes moving in a suspicious manner. One rider who was well known as “Little Yank” was a boy scarcely out of his teens and weighing barely one hundred pounds. He at first had a lonesome ride of thirty-five miles to the Sink of the Carson. In reply to this, they told Cody that they would take their own chances. James W. Brink, or “Dock” Brink as he was known to his associates, was one of the early riders, entering the employ of the Pony Express Company in April 1860. And, that added to the tragical romance of their daily lives. While history can pay the tribute of preserving some anecdotes and their collective achievements, it must be forever silent as to many of their personal acts of heroism. At Cold Springs, Kelley was appointed assistant station-keeper under Jim McNaughton. Boulton rode for about three months with Jim Beatley. Both riders and hostlers shared the same privations, often being reduced to the necessity of eating wolf meat and drinking foul or brackish water. Dan Westcott After the running of the Pony, he and his brother became freighters. There's no record of a woman ever taking part as a rider, but that doesn't mean women didn't play an important role. Before he had covered half the distance to the next station, darkness was falling. You have seen at least one these actors in most any picture made since the 1930's. Cody, who had been accustomed to the saddle all his young life, had no trouble in following the schedule, but after keeping the run several weeks, the lad was relieved by the regular incumbent, and then went east, to Leavenworth, where he fell in with another old friend, Lewis Simpson, then acting as wagon boss and fitting up at Atchison, Kansas a wagon train of supplies for the old stage line at Fort Laramie, Wyoming and points beyond. Hastily saddling another steed, “Mel” gave pursuit, and though handicapped, because the outlaw had the pick of the stable, Baughn’s superior horsemanship, even on an inferior mount, soon told. By all the rules of the game, Moore should have rested a few hours at this point, but his successor, who would have picked up the pouch and started eastward, had been killed the day before. It happened that Division Superintendent W. C. Marley was at Bucklands when Haslam arrived, and, since Richardson would not go on duty, Marley offered “Pony Bob” fifty dollars bonus if he would take up the route. Finally, after having loosed it, he raised the pouch and hurled it at the head off the nearest outlaw, who dodged, half amused at the young fellow’s spirit. I did not hesitate for a moment to undertake an extra ride of eighty-five miles to Rocky Ridge, and I arrived at the latter place on time. But we soon began stretching our riders and making better time. Jim Beatley He traveled continuously for 31 hours, his entire run being at the rate of eleven miles an hour. That was a lot of money back in 1860. After the Pony Express, he ranched and became involved with the court system in Utah. – Bart Riles, the pony rider, died this morning from wounds received at Cold Springs, May 16. September 22, 2017 Meghan Saar The idea that Pony Express riders wore buckskins can be traced to the popularity of Frederic Remington’s 1901 oil, The Coming and Going of the Pony Express . Besides the excitement which the Three Crossings and an Indian country furnished, Cody’s trail ran through a region that was often frequented by desperadoes. Josh Perkins Johnson Richardson During the last five miles of his journey, he fell asleep in the saddle and in this manner concluded his long trip. Dangerous and difficult work - riders needed to be touch and lightweight. Haslam’s banner performance came about in a matter-of-fact way, as is generally the case with deeds of heroism. With the Central Overland California and In speaking of this performance afterward, Haslam modestly admitted that he was “rather tired,” but that “the excitement of the trip had braced him up to stand the journey.”. Not long afterward, Cody was chased by a band of Sioux Indians while making one of his regular trips. Traveling rapidly and unencumbered, the rider, sunburned and blackened by exposure, must have borne on first glance no little resemblance to an Indian; and especially would the mistake be natural to excited wagon-men who were always in fear of dashing attacks from mounted Indians – attacks in which a single rider would often be deployed to ride past the white men at utmost speed in order to draw their fire. Major Egan filled in when others couldn’t ride. Pony Express Wanted Poster available at Legends General Store. Bart Riles Fry’s division ran from St. Joseph to Seneca, Kansas for 80 miles, which he covered at an average of 12.5 miles an hour, including all stops. The Pony Express reduced that time by more than half, making mail delivery in 10 days or less possible for the first time. Here is an excerpt: Here is an excerpt: On November 7, 1860, a Pony Express rider departed Fort Kearny, Nebraska Territory (the eastern end of the telegraph line) with the election results. H. J. FaustJohn Fisher, William “Billy” Fisher In the morning, many tracks were found about the place. Kelley relates that in constructing this highway willow trees were cut near the stream and the trunks cut into the desired lengths before being laid in place. Required fields are marked *. Some doubtless lie unburied somewhere in the great West, in the winning of which their lives were lost. Charles Cliff Melville Baughn, usually known as “Mel,” had a pony run between Fort Kearny, Nebraska and Thirty-two-mile Creek. Henry Wallace One day when I galloped into Three Crossings, my home station, I found that the rider who was expected to take the trip out on my arrival had got into a drunken row the night before and had been killed; and that there was no one to fill his place. Jim Beatley, whose real name was Foote, was another Virginian, about 25 years of age. Yet, they courted danger and were seldom disappointed, for danger was always near them. After reporting the outrage he had just seen, he advised the station man of his danger, and, after changing horses, induced the latter to accompany him on to the Sink of the Carson, which move doubtless saved the latter’s life. The mail must go, and the schedule must be sustained. He died in Stockton, California. James's route lay between Simpson's Park and Cole Springs, Nevada, in the Smoky Valley range of mountains. Robert “Pony Bob” Haslam He was with the Pioneer Party of 1847 that journeyed to the west to establish a home for the Mormons. As stories about them circulated, their image became … Baughn was afterward hanged for murder at Seneca, Kansas but his services to the Pony Express were above reproach. Without a moment’s delay, he removed his letter pouch and hurried the mail in on foot, where a fresh horse was at once provided and the schedule resumed. Billy came to the United States with his parents as a young boy. 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