The Life of Hon. William F. Cody | Page 6

great plains--which were then and for years afterwards called the
American Desert--to the Pacific coast. He got ready a complete outfit
and started with quite a party. After proceeding a few miles, all but my
father, and greatly to his disappointment, changed their minds for some
reason and abandoned the enterprise. They all returned home, and soon
afterwards father moved his family out to Walnut Grove Farm, in Scott
county.
[Illustration: YOUTHFUL ADVENTURES.]
While living there I was sent to school, more for the purpose of being
kept out of mischief than to learn anything. Much of my time was spent
in trapping quails, which were very plentiful. I greatly enjoyed studying
the habits of the little birds, and in devising traps to take them in. I was
most successful with the common figure "4" trap which I could build
myself. Thus I think it was that I acquired my love for hunting. I visited
the quail traps twice a day, morning and evening, and as I had now
become quite a good rider I was allowed to have one of the farm horses
to carry me over my route. Many a jolly ride I had and many a boyish

prank was perpetrated after getting well away from and out of the sight
of home with the horse.
There was one event which occurred in my childhood, which I cannot
recall without a feeling of sadness. It was the death of my brother
Samuel, who was accidentally killed in his twelfth year.
My father at the time, being considerable of a politician as well as a
farmer, was attending a political convention; for he was well known in
those days as an old line Whig. He had been a member of the Iowa
legislature, was a Justice of the Peace, and had held other offices. He
was an excellent stump speaker and was often called upon to canvass
the country round about for different candidates. The convention which
he was attending at the time of the accident was being held at a
cross-road tavern called "Sherman's," about a mile away.
Samuel and I had gone out together on horseback for the cows. He rode
a vicious mare, which mother had told him time and again not to ride,
as it had an ugly disposition. We were passing the school house just as
the children were being dismissed, when Samuel undertook to give an
exhibition of his horsemanship, he being a good rider for a boy. The
mare, Betsy, became unmanageable, reared and fell backward upon
him, injuring him internally. He was picked up and carried amid great
excitement to the house of a neighbor.
I at once set out with my horse at the top of his speed for my father, and
informed him of Samuel's mishap. He took the horse and returned
immediately. When I arrived at Mr. Burns' house, where my brother
was, I found my father, mother and sisters there, all weeping bitterly at
Samuel's bedside. A physician, after examining him, pronounced his
injuries to be of a fatal character. He died the next morning.
My brother was a great favorite with everybody, and his death cast a
gloom upon the whole neighborhood. It was a great blow to all of the
family, and especially to father who seemed to be almost heart broken
over it.
Father had been greatly disappointed at the failure of his California

expedition, and still desired to move to some new country. The death of
Samuel no doubt increased this desire, and he determined to emigrate.
Accordingly, early in the spring of 1852, he disposed of his farm, and
late in March we took our departure for Kansas, which was then an
unsettled territory. Our outfit consisted of one carriage, three wagons
and some fine blooded horses. The carriage was occupied by my
mother and sisters. Thus we left our Iowa home.
[Illustration: SAMUEL'S FATAL ACCIDENT.]
Father had a brother, Elijah Cody, living at Weston, Platte county,
Missouri. He was the leading merchant of the place. As the town was
located near the Kansas line father determined to visit him, and thither
our journey was directed. Our route lay across Iowa and Missouri, and
the trip proved of interest to all of us, and especially to me. There was
something new to be seen at nearly every turn of the road. At night the
family generally "put up" at hotels or cross-road taverns along the way.
One day as we were proceeding on our way, we were met by a
horseman who wanted to sell his horse, or trade-him for another. He
said the horse had been captured wild in California; that he was a
runner and a racer; that he had been sold by his different owners on
account of his great desire