It had been almost two weeks since Joshua Kelly rode south from his family home in southeastern Missouri; leading his pack horse he was deep in thought. He had left the only home he had ever known because his father and mother didn't want him to become involved in the Bushwhackers Gang or the great Civil War that was raging across the country. It was especially dangerous to the families living in the border states of Missouri and Kansas.
His father William, his mother Molly, and younger brother Samuel had run off a guerilla band calling themselves the Bushwhackers. Led by John Fogerty, the group had come to their farm looking to recruit Josh into their ranks; recruit wasn't the proper term, force, draft, or kidnap was closer to the truth. That was the whole reason for his trip; his folks also wanted to avoid Josh being drawn into the war because the family wanted to stay neutral in the conflict. For this reason it was decided by his parents that he should head south to stay as far away from the troubles in Kansas as possible.
Josh's final destination was Colorado or Wyoming, he hadn't decided yet. The most direct route was across Missouri northwest to Joplin and then northwest again through Kansas to Colorado City. By riding south through Arkansas he had added many miles to the journey. Time wasn't that important because he was just waiting for the war to end, but avoiding the guerilla gangs, the Jayhawkers in Kansas, and the soldiers from both sides of the war was important; that's why he road south.
He had arrived in Fort Smith, Arkansas two days previously and was now going to the saloon to meet the master of a wagon train of families that was going to travel the Santé Fe Trail across Oklahoma and part of Texas to New Mexico. Josh hoped to catch on with this wagon train as a horse wrangler and/or a guard; but any job would do.
He could have made better time and more miles per day by riding alone but it was a long and dangerous trip. Josh was confident in his ability to take care of himself but there was no need to put himself or his horses at any more risk than he had to; and he wasn't in any hurry. His first night on the trail after leaving home, he had gotten a grim reminder of why it was necessary that he leave.
Josh had to hold up and hide for a night on his trek south; he had caught up to Fogerty and his Bushwhackers who were camped on the road to Neelyville, Missouri. He found a grove of trees and set up a cold camp; Josh had to spend the night and part of the next day waiting for the outlaws to move on.
The group had apparently "recruited" some farm boys recently and Josh watched from hiding as Fogerty indoctrinated these new members into the gang. The indoctrination consisted of beating the hell out of the boys until they would jump when given an order. The next day the guerillas turned north and Josh continued on his way south to Fort Smith.
Josh entered the saloon, walked to the bar, and ordered a beer laying his Henry rifle on the bar next to him. Because he was taller than the average man at 6' 1" with 185 pounds on his big frame, no one questioned if he was old enough to drink in the saloon; Josh had turned 18 on the trail. He had been in town for a couple of days and the way he handled himself with a quiet confidence lead people to believe he was older than he was.
As he waited for Mr. Hobart the wagon master, he reflected on the journey so far. He had made good time without having to use his horses too hard and was pleased that he got to Fort Smith as fast as he did. When he arrived he had sent a short telegram to his parents to let them know where he was and that he was okay so far. In it he promised to post a letter to them before he left Fort Smith with more detail about his trip.
Josh looked up as a man came into the saloon; it could only be Mr. Hobart, he thought. The man was shorter than Josh at about 5' 7" with bowed legs from spending years on the back of a horse. He looked to be about 50 years old with a ruddy, leather like face from being out in the weather and had the beginnings of a pot belly. The man wore a pistol strapped to one hip and a large knife on the other and carried a Spencer Rifle. This was obviously not a store keeper Josh thought.
It wasn't unusual to see a man well armed in Fort Smith. Although it had a population of almost two thousand civilians and was controlled by the Confederate Army, the town's nickname was "Hell on the Border". Most of the men in Fort Smith were armed
"Josh Kelly?" The man inquired walking up to Josh. When Josh nodded he said, "I'm Clint Hobart. I heared you're lookin to sign on with my wagon train, that right?"
"Yes sir, I'm going to Santé Fe too and thought it might be a little safer traveling with a group," Josh responded.
"Afraid to travel alone are you?" Hobart asked looking hard at the youngster; the last thing he needed was a wet behind the ears youngster that was scared to death.
"No sir, but there's no need to be stupid about it. I can make the trip by myself and will if I don't catch on with a wagon train or freight company in the next couple of days. I'm thinkin' it makes more sense to travel with others and maybe make a little money doin' it," Josh explained his reasoning.
Hobart smiled at the young man and offered his hand, "Makes good sense. What can you do? Do you have any skills I can use?"
Josh smiled back and answered, "I'm a better than an average hand with horses and can handle a wagon and team. I'm not afraid of hard work, and I don't drink much. I can promise you a fair day's work for my pay and I will stay with the wagon train until we get to Santé Fe."
"Would you have a problem riding as an armed guard? Can you shoot and will you if necessary, I mean at other men?"
"I'm not braggin but back home I did all the hunting for my family. I usually brought home meat when I went out. As far as shooting at men, I've never had to but don't think it would cause me any worry if it was to defend the wagons," Josh meant what he said.
"Okay son, you've convinced me. The trip will take about 60 days if we can average 15 miles a day. Some days we'll do better but some we'll do worse; depends on the weather and the condition of the trail. I'll pay you $2 dollars a day, $3 dollars a day for every day over 65. I'll provide food, supplies, and a wagon to sleep in if you've a mind to. How's that sound Josh?"
"Sounds fine to me. What's my job?" Josh asked.
"Whatever I tell you," Hobart answered with a grin. "I plan on using you wranglin the horse herd and extra draft animals, and sometimes I'll have you spell the outriders who guard the wagon train; maybe have you help with some huntin a few times. Still want the job?"
"I can handle that but I have one question." Hobart nodded for Josh to go ahead. "Can I switch off to a mount from the remuda once in a while? I aim to head for Colorado when we get to Santa Fe and would like to rest my horses as much as I can," Josh explained.
"Sure can, in fact ride one of the remuda every day if ya want. If you're taking care of them you should be able to use them. Just check with the owners before you ride any horses that don't belong to me. Come out to our camp for supper tonight, get acquainted, and see what supplies you'll need. We pull out day after tomorrow at dawn. See you tonight Josh." With that Hobart stomped out of the saloon and headed to the general store across the way.
That evening he joined Hobart and some of the families for supper. Josh was introduced to several people that evening; there were too many to remember but he would learn their names during the trip. Before supper Hobart took him away from the camp a little ways to show him the animals that Josh would be herding sometimes.
The remuda consisted of riding horses, draft horses, mules, and even four pair of oxen. Josh was surprised at the different type of animals and questioned Hobart about the strange mix.
Hobart scratched his head and chuckled. "The different families in the train got advice from different people on what type of animals they should use to pull their wagons. Some got good advice and some didn't which led to our "Noah's Ark" of draft teams." He laughed a little and continued.
