By Cristina Janney
Hays Post
Historic Fort Hays came to life again Saturday with the explosion of cannon fire, the clanging of tins cups and the pounding of hoof beats.
Fort Hays celebrated its 150th anniversary this weekend with a bevy of activities, including reenactors, artillery demonstrations and mounted cavalry maneuvers.
Among the featured performers were Steve Alexander who portrayed Gen. George Armstrong Custer.
Alexander told of Custer’s early difficult life growing up as the son of a justice of the peace and a blacksmith.
He happened to be admitted to the West Point when the person on the admission list ahead of him failed his entrance exams.
Custer, who was noted as the class clown in his West Point class, was constantly a few demerits or “skins” away from being expelled.
Custer made his name during the Civil War, charging into to battles with great gusto.
He was briefly assigned to duty in the south during the reconstruction, but sought the excitement and freedom of the great West.
Custer married his childhood sweetheart Elizabeth Bacon, who followed him on the frontier when she could, being based at forts across Kansas. Custer would ride all day and spend his nights writing 30-page letters to his wife.
Marla Matkin, who portrayed Elizabeth Custer Saturday, talked about her adventures with George Custer and a brief separation when both feared they had been killed.
“A frontier officer’s wife depended on her ability to accept, adapt and stand up unexpected and sometimes dangerous situations,” Matkin said. “She enlisted in the Army the minute she said “I do.”
Custer said he saw native American as free-roaming, free soles, which he admired.
Alexander noted Custer had Native Americans he called friends and did not favor having the Indians restricted to reservations. Custer said he supported the assimilation for the native tribes.
Alexander performing as Custer noted that at one time it was believed that 600 million bison roamed North America. By the time that Custer reached the Great Plains in the 1860s, there were about 60 million head of bison.
He noted taking Russian dignitaries on hunts. However, no one knew at that time the days of seamlessly endless bison herds would come to an end.
As the bison dwindled to as few as 800 individuals, the way of life for the native plains people came to an end.
The fort’s day of celebration also demonstrated the daily life of the common soldiers. This included the Nicodemus Buffalo Soldiers. First Sgt. Barry Tompkins of Ellis told the story of the Buffalo soldier to a crowd who had gathered to watch the Nicodemus Buffalo Soldiers perform mounted maneuvers at the fort’s parade grounds Saturday.
The Native Americans noted Africa-American soldiers’ hair resembled that of their sacred bison, and out of honor, dubbed them Buffalo Soldiers.
The Buffalo Soldiers defended wagon trains as settlers came west and delivered mail after the Pony Express was disbanded.
The Buffalo Soldiers received 23 Congressional Medals of Honor, which is more than any other cavalry regiment in history.
African-American women babysat, cleaned officers’ homes and did laundry at the fort. They received $2 per month per soldier to do laundry. With 22 soldiers each paying for their services, laundry women made $44 per month compared to the soldiers’ $13 month in Army pay.
Although women were not allowed to enlist in the Army, one woman did want to be a Buffalo Soldier. Her name was Cathay Williams. When she went to re-enlist, she switched her name to William Cathay. Despite living in close quarters with men, even sleeping in the same bunks, Cathy’s secret was not reveled until she fell ill and had to be treated at the infirmary.
The fort’s celebration continues on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. with an old-fashioned church service at 10 a.m. and more chances to meet and hear performances from reenactors throughout the day. The event is free and open to the public. Click here for a schedule.