Indian War by Charles M. Russell, 1903.
In 1864, during the great Indian scare, every settler left Republic County, Kansas, except Conrad Myers. Raids had been occurring almost from the beginning of the Civil War. However, the situation had not, until this year, seemed sufficiently dangerous for the whole country to warrant an organized armed resistance. In September, however, a mounted and well-armed militia company was formed, composed of the early settlers of Clay, Cloud, Washington, and Republic Counties. It was commanded by Captain Isaac M. Schooly, with headquarters in present-day Clyde, Kansas.
Pawnee Men
The Pawnee Indian tribe was a prominent group that inhabited the White Rock Valley, but they were not the primary source of the majority of the raids and attacks. The settlers had to worry about the Sioux Indians, who were set in their ways and traditions, and did not like that the settlers had begun to create towns west of the Republican River, an area where the government had promised them land. They were not only thirsty for the blood of the newly arrived white settlers, but they would also attack the Pawnee at every opportunity available. The Comanche, Arapaho, and Cheyenne would also make raids into the White Rock Valley, but not as often. The Pawnee were not always innocent and on good terms with the settlers. Like the other tribes, they were also angry about settling upon land west of the Republican River.
Early in April 1867, a small band of Cheyenne Indians found their way into the settlements on White Rock Creek and, under the guise of being friendly Otoe, were admitted into the home of a settler named Ward and given food. One of the Indians noticed a rifle belonging to the host and, taking it down, shot him as he unsuspectingly smoked his pipe. The two Ward boys dashed for their lives, with the Indians firing at and wounding one of them fatally. Mrs. Ward barricaded herself in the house and waited for their next move, who procured an ax, chopped down the door, and looted the house. The confiscated plunder was loaded on two mules, the property of Mr. Ward, and, with Mrs. Ward as a prisoner, the Indians hurriedly left to join their tribe on the Solomon River. The fate of Mrs. Ward was never learned.
In the summer of 1868, the Independent Salt Creek Company of State Militia was organized, composed of the early settlers of Republic County. It numbered about 50 men, with W.P. Peake as First Lieutenant and, afterward, captain, and W.H.H. Riley as First Lieutenant. The same year, a company commanded by R.T. Stanfield was organized in the northern part of the county. This company constructed a fort and made several incursions into the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma).
In August, Gordon Winbigler, who had a claim in Jewell County, was killed within a short distance from the fort. A number of the men were out cutting hay when they were surprised by a band of Indians. They rushed for the camp, and all could have reached it had Winbigler not stopped to pick up his hat, which the wind had blown off. This solicitude cost him his life, an Indian’s lance severing his jugular vein before reaching the camp. Winbigler had a little dog that, after the death of his master, set up a terrible howl. The Indians had a superstition that the spirits of those who are killed take the form of animals. When this little dog set up its mournful howl, they, after several ineffectual attempts to kill it, concluded that it was Winbigler’s spirit and was there to torment them for his death.
White Rock Creek at the old townsite of White Rock, Kansas by Kathy Alexander.
This attack upon the White Rock settlers was made on the same day that others were killed in Cloud County, the attack being simultaneous all along the frontier, from the Saline River to the Republican River, the Indians murdering about 40 men, women, and children indiscriminately.
In May 1869, young Granstadt, a lad of fourteen, son of F.E. Granstadt, was herding some horses with two other boys near the present site of the railroad depot at Scandia when a band of Indians swooped down upon them from the bluffs. Two of the boys reached the colony house, but Granstadt was shot, and seven horses were driven away.
On May 25, 1869, a party of seven hunters from Waterville, with J. McChesney as a guide, were near White Rock Creek near its mouth when they discovered a party of Indians on the divide north of that stream. They playfully fired upon them at long range, knowing that their ammunition would not reach the Indians. The Indians saw their action, disappeared into the lowland, and did not return fire. Although McChesney warned them that their thoughtlessness might lead them into danger, the party thought no more of the affair and went into camp on its western bank instead of taking the precaution to cross the creek.
The following day, just as the hunters were preparing to continue their journey, they were attacked by a party of Indians, who undoubtedly had been in ambush during the night. Two of the party were killed in the creek, one after he had got across, and the others, except McChesney, were butchered in the timber on the west side of the stream. When the attack was first made, McChesney jumped, as if shot, and fell into the water. An Indian pursued him with a spear, but fortunately, at that moment, one of the party, to all appearances unhurt, rushed past the savage into the woods. The Indian’s attention was turned to him, and McChesney crawled down the river and escaped. He reached Scandia safely by secreting himself under an overhanging bank. The fortunate man is an uncle of John W. McChesney, widely known in the newspaper circles of Northwestern Kansas. After 1869, there were no more lives taken in this county, and in 1870 and 1871, immigration was very heavy.
Cheyenne Warriors.
On May 10, 1870, the last recorded Indian raid occurred. A band of Cheyenne Indians made their way to the Bowles’ settlement, where they stole two spans of horses, one owned by Sam Bowles and the other by Peter Tanner.
After this raid at the Bowles’ homestead, Indian raids seemed to become nonexistent. There was also a notable drop in sightings of Indians. Although the attacks seemed to be ending, the settlers still kept a keen eye out for trouble, and they would often “set an extra dinner plate to keep them peaceful in case one happened to stop by.”
The settlers had finally outlasted the Indians with the help of the Independent Company of Salt Creek Militia.
Many had left the area for fear of their lives, but those who stayed and tenaciously fought could now live peacefully.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of Kansas, September 2025.
Also See:
Sources:
Blackmar, Frank W.; Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Vol I; Standard Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1912.
Clark, Terry; White Rock Township and White Rock City, Lost Kansas Communities, Chapman Center for Rural Studies, Kansas State University, Spring 2010.