James O. Pattie published the book, “The Personal Narrative of James O. Pattie, Of Kentucky,” in 1833. The narrative was an account of his travels across the plains in 1825 with his father, Sylvester.

On the way to the Platte River the traders visited what was known as the Pawnee Republican tribe. At the lodge of the chief, the chief and other leading men formed a circle. Lighting a pipe the chief inhaled, puffing the smoke toward the visitors’ chests and on his own, followed by an upward puff toward the Great Spirit. The chief explained that the ceremony “would bestow upon us plenty of fat buffaloes, and all necessary aid on our way.”

The chief gave the traders a stick painted with curious characters. The traders were cautioned to give the stick to any Pawnee warriors that they encountered, “in which case they would treat us kindly.” The pipe was then

The pipe was then passed around, each trader giving it a light puff or two. They then feasted on fat buffalo. The “hospitable old chief ” willingly gave them council in regard to their future course and provided a man of the village to guide them to the big trader’s camp they hoped to join. Pratte, Choteau, and

Pratte, Choteau, and Company was no small affair with over 300 pack horses and mules tended by 116 men. The morning of Aug. 6, 1825, a great dust cloud marked the line of march as the company, including the Patties, set out along the Platte River toward the village of the Pawnee Loups. The traders remained with the Loups five days feasting and trading. Mr. Pratte bought 600 buffalo skins and several horses.

A war party victoriously returned to the Loup village with four enemy scalps and a child captive. One of the prized scalps was that of the child’s mother.

For three days they danced and celebrated before turning their attention to the child. He was taken to the medicine lodge in preparation for a sacrificial ceremony. When Sylvester Pattie, James Pattie’s father, discovered that the boy was to be burned alive Sylvester tried to buy the captive from the chief. The offer was initially refused but when a bolt of red cloth was produced the negotiations resumed.

In the meantime, Pattie asked to see the child and managed to get him to his own camp. The chief, being very annoyed and astonished, asked, “Do you think you can keep the child by force?” Pattie replied that every man in the company was prepared to die for the child. The bolt of cloth supplemented with a “paper” of scarlet pigment was then accepted.

The child, having barely tasted food for four days seemed more dead than alive, but food and gentle care revived him enough to allow travel when the caravan turned south toward New Mexico on Aug. 11, 1825.

Danger could arise at any time. Late in the day on the 11th, mounted horsemen approached at full speed. By signs a meeting was arranged. When the painted stick given to them by the Pawnee Republican chief was shown they were satisfied that the traders were friends. Even if they had shown the stick to Arikaree Indians seen at a distance on the 20th it would have meant nothing. The Arikaree showered their camp with arrows in the middle of the rainy night of Aug. 21. One man was wounded. The Arickaree were satisfied enough to turn their attention to buffalo hunting.

At the Republican River near the present-day Nebraska and Kansas state line they found two dead white men. Further search led them to the bodies of five dead Indians. Tracks led them to the camp of a Crow raiding party of “20 fires.” Revenging the deaths of the white men the traders staged an early morning attack. Ten warriors were taken captive among 30 lying dead on the field of battle. After warning the prisoners against killing their “white brothers” they were released.

Five days travel brought the trading party to the Solomon River. An Indian camp was a short distance away. At the sight of the little boy that had been rescued from the Pawnees on the Platte River, one of the Indians screamed and pressed into his arms. Kissing the boy and crying at the same time, he fell on his knees and explained “through his signs,” that he was the boy’s father. He had taken two Pawnee scalps for the loss of his wife and child,

The next morning, as the morning star became visible, the traders performed a ceremony. After lying face down for quite some time each one rose to sit around the central fire. A pipe was taken up with each man blowing a puff of smoke toward the rising sun, and another toward heaven. The chief explained that they were thanking the Great Spirit for allowing them to see another day. On this day so long ago, the hand of the Great Spirit must surely have been felt by one and all on The Way West.

“The Cowboy,” Jim Gray is author of the book Desperate Seed: Ellsworth Kansas on the Violent Frontier, Ellsworth, Ks. Contact Kansas Cowboy, 220 21st Road, Geneseo, Kan. Phone: (785) 531-2058 or kansascowboy@kans.com.

After warning the prisoners against killing their ‘white brothers,’ they were released.