Osage Raiders

THE LEGEND as told by an anonymous source on a local non-treasure hunting forum:

"In 1863, during Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, several banks were robber. In those days there were no uniform currency. Each bank was issuing there own gold currency, commonly known as the territorial dollar. Most banks in Lawrence were franchise banks from Minn., and other areas. As the story goes, a certain bank was robbed during the raid, and there were 213 gold one ounce trade dollars stolen, the gold, according to stories, was taken towards the Texas plains, headed to the Confederate bank in Texas by wagon train, as well as, other loot from Lawrence. The raiders split up in to 5 groups and left Lawrence in 5 difference directions. So, when this wagon trail got close to the seven sister hills, which is in Woodson County, Kansas. They had to avoid the Seventh Cav. at the time in Humbolt, Kansas, so they veered to the west, but also had to avoid the Fort at Buffalo, Kansas. As night fall came they decided to camp in the rolling hills between the two forts which is about 15 miles. This location is in Rose, Kansas, now a ghost town. While camped, a wild band if native Americans raided them and killed all 9 of the raiders and looted the wagons of goods from the Lawrence, raid. Three days later the detachment from Humbolt, came across these dead and gave them burial and reported. The gold was never recovered and to this day the gold has never surfaced. They're worth about $40,000.00 a piece -- $8,520,000.00 in todays dollars. I been down there several times to look for it and no one has found it to this day."

I don't know if the rebels were bank robbers with Quantrill, because parts of the above story appears to be from this following history, and the rebels are described as Confederate recruiting officers:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://books.google.com/books?id=AKoWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA237

The American Indian as participant in the Civil War By Annie Heloise Abel

They had recently done another thing that, at the time of occurrence, the Federals in Kansas deemed highly commendable. They had murderously attacked a group of Confederate recruiting officers, whom they had overtaken or waylaid on the plains. . . Elder's letter to Blunt, May 17, 1863, Official Records, vol. xxii, part ii, 286, amply describe the affair:
(a) "I have just returned to this place from the Grand Council of the Great and Little Osage Indians. I found them feeling decidedly fine over their recent success in destroying a band of nineteen rebels attempting to pass through their country. A band of the Little Osages met them first and demanded their arms and that they should go with them to Humboldt (as we instructed them to do at the Council at Belmont). The rebels refused and shot one of the Osages dead. The Osages then fired on them. They ran and a running fight was kept up for some 15 miles. The rebel guide was killed early in the action. After crossing Lightning Creek, the rebels turned up the creek toward the camp of the Big Hill Camp. The Little Osages had sent a runner to apprise the Big Hills of the presence of the rebels and they were coming down the creek 400 strong, and met the rebels, drove them to the creek and surrounded them. The rebels displayed a white flag but the Indians disregarded it. They killed all of them as they supposed; but afterwards learned that two of them, badly wounded, got down a steep bank of the creek and made their escape down the creek. They scalped them all and cut their heads off. They killed 4 of their horses (which the Indians greatly regretted) and captured 13, about 50 revolvers, most of the rebels having 4 revolvers, a carbine and saber. There were 3 colonels, one lieutenant-colonel, one major and 4 captains. They had full authority to organize enroll and muster into rebel service all the rebels in Colorado and New Mexico where they were doubtless bound. Major Dowdney [Doudna] in command of troops at Humboldt went down with a detachment and buried them and secured the papers, letting the Indians keep all the horses, arms, etc. I have no doubt that this will afford more protection to the frontiers of Kansas than anything that has yet been done and from the frequency and boldness of the raids recently something of the kind was very much needed. The Indians are very much elated over it. I gave them all the encouragement I could, distributed between two and three hundred dollars worth of goods amongst them. There was a representative at the Council from the Osages that have gone South, many of them now in the army. He stated that they were all now very anxious to get back, and wished to know if they should meet the loyal Osages on the hunt on the Plains and come in with them if they could be suffered to stay. I gave him a letter to them promising them if they returned immediately and joined their loyal brethren in protecting the frontiers, running down Bushwhackers, and ridding the country of rebels, they should be protected. I advised them to come immediately to Humboldt and report to Major Dowdney and he would furnish them powder and lead to go on the hunt This seemed to give great satisfaction to all the chiefs as they are exceedingly desirous to have them back and the representative started immediately back with the letter, and the Indians as well as the Fathers of the Mission have do doubt but they will return. If so, it will very materially weaken the rebel force now sorely pressing Col. Phillips' command at Fort Gibson.
"The Osages are now very desirous to make a treaty are willing to sell 25 miles in width by 50 off the east end of their reservation and 20 miles wide off the north side, but I will write more fully of this in a day or two."
Coffin to Dole, June 10, 1863, Indian Office Consolidated Files, Neosho,C299 of 1863.

(b) "It will be remembered that sometime in the month of May last a party consisting of nineteen rebel officers duly commissioned and authorized to organize the Indians and what rebels they might find in Colorado and New Mexico against the Government of the United States while passing through the country of the Great and Little Osages were attacked and the whole party slaughtered by these Indians. As an encouragement to those Indians to continue their friendship and loyalty to our Government, I would respectfully recommend that medals be given to the Head Chief of the combined tribes, White Hair, and the Head Chief of the Little Bear and the chiefs of the Big Hill bands, Clarimore and Beaver, four in all who were chiefly instrumental in the destruction of those emissaries.
"I believe the bestowal of the medals would be a well deserved acknowledgment to those chiefs for an important service rendered and promotive of good." - Coffin to Dole, Indian Office Consolidated Files, Neosho, C 596.
............

map link