Litchfield enquirer., 1847-06-17
Interesting Narrative. Lisut. PsskG Tour aeroH tho PrairleS.
wAsHrNeros June 8, ls47.

Uf last week an extract from the St. Louis Republican, giving an account of our late journey across the Great Western Prairies. That statement was got up by Col. Cham bers, of the Republican, after conversa> ton with us on the evening of our arrival in St. Louis, and is in many respects erro> neons, and altogether conveys an imperfect idea of our trip. Thinking that a correct statement might not be uninleTestiDg, as serving to illustrate in some degree "the Io> nance of prairie travelling" send you an outline sketch taken from my private jour> nal.
 After the conquest of New Mexico, Lieut.. Albert and myself were ordered by General Kearney to make a reconnaissance of the newly acquired territory-a duty which we had so far accomplished by the 20th of De- cember, that Lieut.. Albert set out for Wash> ington, leaving me to complete it, with or. ders to follow him as soon as I found an opportunity of doing so in the Spring. In compliance with these orders, l left Santa Fe al l2 o'clock on Friday, the 2d of April, in company wish MT. Sandford, Santa Fe
 trader, Lieut.. Rock of the Missouri volun> ,eers, and five others.
 We appeared to have struck vein of ill luck from the very outset. The first few days were cold and stormy, with high
 windS-so that from the bad state of the roads aud scarcity of forage, we had con- sumed ten days before We reached the Mora, which IS only 9l miles this side of Santa Fe. For three days we lay enveloped in snow, near the Cerro de Vegas. without moving a wheel. Al Vegas, MT. Woods and party joined us, swelling our little party ! to twelve in all, and we again moved on, | hoping that our troubles were at an end s But scarcely had we reached the high plains of the Cimmaron country, ere the storms 1 storms again commenced. Our mules were fast yielding under tho influence of hunger and cold, and our progress was proportion ably slow however, by dint Of persever> ence we succeeded in urging them across the Cimmaron desert, where, for l25 miles, not a stick of wood, not even bush, pres sented itself, and on the 25th came in sight of the timber on the Arkansas. All were in joyous spirits, for here we should find grass for our animals and wood for our
 ires--articles we had not seen for a week previous. On the Eth. we passed the Ca. ches, at which place the U. $. Government are constructing depot, aud were advance ing very we'll, when It. Rock and myself, who were ahead of the main party, discov> vh a Xva fs,y lor hon ef Dc fale, but on bringing our spy-glass to bear, found that 1t was large party of Camanche Indians, evidently preparing for an engages ment We immediately rode back 10 camp and caused the wagons @ in number) to be stopped and arranged on the best defensible position, The mules were tied fast to the wheels, Cat least those that we were using) and such other preparations as we could make were urged forward, but ere they were completed, about 90 Indians well mounted precipitated themselves upon our camp with yells and gesticulations that would have " done honor" to SO many imps from the internal regions. Down they bore upon our little band brandishing their lsnces and un> furling their red flag of war, until voIley of rifle balls caused them to yeer from their course and surround us. Six loose aaimals fell into their hands as the fruits of this bold charge. From the bluff and neighboring hill they now opened upon us, to our sur, prise,a discharge of rife balls, and for a few minutes they fell thick and fast amongst us, but fortunately ROt one of aS was serious
 y injured, though several had narrow es- capes, and l received myself slight scratch from fragment of ball that was flattened against my pistol lock, and others had their clothes cut by their missiS. Finding that we were not disposed to give up the rest of our animals, they withdrew about quarter of mile, when we held . council and agreed to fall back to the depo. and await the arrival of a party.th we kaew were immediately behind us, which was affected without further molestation.
 During the day of the 18th. we were busy in putting our Firearms in order, and making other necessary prepar> ations for war; for we expected conf. dently another attacK-nor were we about hundred savages armed, mount> ed and painted as b. fore, charged from neighboring bluff with the same unearh- ly screeches upon our camp. The effect was ali that they could desire--our ani- mus were lHuteUcu-pICkSt plus AeW from their fasieniugs-ropes snapped like cobwebs, and in moment more, our little band of males and horses were far be- yond our reach-they were stampeded. Not satisfied with plunder, they again opened upon us with rife balls, which we returned with in!erest,-but at such long ranges as 10 produce but little effect
 One Indian was tumbled from his horse very severely wounded, and was carried from the field by his comrades, one other was wounded, and when they retreatcd, we fouRd that we had killed one of their horses. One Cf our men Williams ! in ven.uring too far, was charged upon by three savages with lances, at ono of whom he fired his pistol and was immediately transfixed by ihe long lance of another. This wound did not prevent his lodging two other ihrusts from the other two In> dians, by which time we had come to his rescue. With this exception no other ono was seriously injured, though as be> fore. bullets passed through the clothes of two or three.