CROSSED THE PLAINS
TOGETHER IN 1858.
FORMER COMRADES MEET FOR
FIRST TIME SINCE.
George W. Friend and Ferd Smith
Fought on Opposite Sides in War
and Both Were in Battle
of Lexington.
Curiosity on the part of a young man who desired to witness the meeting of two old soldiers of the same war, but who fought under different flags, last night brought together two men who crossed the plains in company in 1858, but who had not heard of each other since. George W. Friend of Anderson, Mo., and Ferd Smith of 3339 Morrill avenue were the principals in the meeting.
It was in 1858 that the men joined the same train of freighters from Kansas City to Fort Union, N. M., and drove teams of oxen and fought Indians on the plains for ninety days. On the return of the freighters to Kansas City they were disbanded and them men went back to their farms. They lost track of each other until last night.
MEET AT HOSPITAL.
An operation being necessary to save the life of his son, George W. Friend came to Kansas City several days ago and took his son to Wesley hospital. About the same time a nephew of Ferd Smith became ill and went to the hospital. The nephew met Mr. Friend and last night when his uncle called to see him the nephew introduced the old men.
"Smith, Smith. You are not the Smith from Lafayette county, are you?" Mr. Friend asked.
"Yes, I joined the Confederate army at Lexington," Smith replied.
"A man named Smith crossed the plains with me in '58," Friend remarked.
"That's me," Ex-Freighter Smith answered.
"What, are you 'Pudd' Smith?" Friend asked, and when he was told that the old soldier was the same man who crossed the plains with him, he led the way to two chairs on the veranda where there was a great talk-fest.
During the conversation the friends discovered that they were both engaged in the battle at Lexington,, one fighting for the Confederacy and the other on the side of the Union.
TRIED TO KILL EACH OTHER.
"I did my best to kill you, Friend," Smith informed his friend.
"Same here, Pete," was the rejoinder made by Friend.
The old soldiers have arranged to see each other every day while Friend is in town. The first t rip across the plains made by Friend was for Anderson & Hays of Westport, in 1857, and he freighted to Fort Union. Thereafter he crossed the plains twelve times, most of his trips being to Fort Union, although he made one to Santa Fe and another to Denver.
Mr. Friend is 71 years old and his friend of the plains is 72 years old.
