The Wagon Train
Photography and story by Kenneth E. Thompson
MLHS Class of '72
Due to a glitch in my digital camera, I was unable to shoot pictures of the wagon train coming into the pageant grounds, or the circling of the wagons to make camp. Here are a couple of pictures from the 2003 Peace Treaty to get us started.
In these pictures from the 2006 Peace Treaty the wagons are circled to make camp.
The scouts are reporting to the wagon master that they've seen a few indians in the area. Some of the men are discussing the defense of the wagon train, while others are unhitching their teams to rest for the night. In the bottom of the pictures in the center of the row you can see a young settler and his girlfriend, walking out for a picnic under the big old elm tree.
While the men take car of the horses, the women are starting campfires and getting ready to make the evening meal. The men are nervous, keeping an eye out for possible attack by the indians. The Kiowa Indians considered the white man to be stealing their land, and became known as the most defiant of the Plains Indians. They continued to raid white villages, stealing horses and killing whites, up until about 1874 when their leader, Satanta, was arrested and put in prison.
Even though the settlers are tired from traveling by covered wagon all day, this is their social hour. Depending on the terrain and temperature, a wagon train could go anywhere from 5 to 20 miles in a day. Many settlers walked alongside their wagons to get relief from the rough ride caused by the pounding of the wagon wheels against the rocks and dirt. In one of these pictures a group of men sneak out for a game of poker. I hope none of them gets a pair of black 8's! Some of the other people back in the camp start a hoedown.
While the hoedown continues, a few of the scouts spot some indians off in the distance. Soon supper will be ready.
The settlers would also take time for an evening prayer. In these scenes they bow their heads and ask for God's grace and guidance.
One of the scouts spots the indians and yells. The women and children run for cover while the men and boys find a good place to shoot from. The sons will load the rifles while their dads take aim. That way, the marksman always has a loaded rifle ready.
Another scout had gone to tip off the cavalry about the indian attack on the settlers. Fortunately, the cavalry is not that far away, and comes riding to the rescue. Some of the indians will escape, but most of them will be caught and punished for violating the Treaty of Medicine Creek.
The next morning, it's time to break camp and head out for the west. The scouts are already a few miles ahead when the men finally get the teams hitched up and the women load up the cooking equipment. The wagon master gets the wagons together and leads them across the fruited plains to the purple mountain majesties.

This is where the Peace Treaty Pageant ends. More information is available at the official Peace Treaty site at www.peacetreaty.org. The next Peace Treaty will be in September of 2011. Make your plans early because the motels fill up fast.

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Updated 11/11/08