Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1847-09-11
From the st. Louis Union.
FROM THE PLAINS.
Cow CREEK, $50 Miles from FIJI
Leavcnworth, July 3lst, l847.

\
Leavenwor,h, July 3lst, 1915
Dear SIR: The detachment Of the Isl
Regiment Illinois Volunteers, consisting OF
the companies commanded by Capis. Gun.
bingham, Turner and Hook, under the com
mand Of Lieut.. Col. Boyakin, reached this
place today, an encamped near fine sup.
ply OF running water for the night. We
are all in fine condition SO far as our
health is concerned. We are daily mprov
ing ia discipline and all that distinguishes
the soldier from the citizen. We are in
the midst of the Pawnee Indians, and on
the ground we now occupy and upon which
sleeps near three hundred lllinosans, that
treacherous nation OF highway robbers have
given kind OF running battle to more thar
one tain of our people. However, see no
evidences Of it.
We are constantly in expectation Of an
attack from them. We never sleep for a
moment wthou, sufficient guard having
been previously detailed and posted. But
we have nothing to fear from them, further
than the loss of our cattle--and as our
stores of all kinds are drawn by them, you
may fully rely upon the truth Of what !
say when assure you that our Illinois boys
would do up some good fighting rather than
abandon their rations. Yesterday we
marched 25 miles, and escorted OK wagons
without water for either man or OK. The
The labor OF marching is not so great on
account Of the distance OF our marches, as
on account OF the cOnstancy OF our move.
ments. The tread is ceaseless, but slow
that we may at all times have our train un-
der the protection Of our muskets.
We have reached the country inhabited
by the Buffalo. We have not seen many
OF them, but from the signs left by them we
shall in few days see large herds. Some
of our hunters came up to one on yester-
day and wounded it, bu. on account of their
being mounted on very poor horses they
could not secure it. We hope, however, in
a few days to be able to ST, down to an
evening repast Of coffee, made Without ,Cooa
fire, hard bread, baked years ago, Yankee
beans, and good Buffalo beef. Over this
about three hundred Illinois hearts would
send their most hearty thanks from this in
,erminable plain. We have been marching
for the last 90 miles in sight Of the sand
bank bluffs of the main branch of the Ar.
kansas river, and about or O miles distant
l he llIle VI OuT I1ldICI lot ABOUT Que nun
dred miles will lie along parallel with that
stream. Sometimes nearer than we now
are encamped, and sometimes little more
distant.
The sand banks of the Arkansas at thi:
point are pretty well described to you
when ! say that they very much resemble
those mounds Of sand on the outskirts o.
the American bottom, between ST. Loui:
and Bellevile, save that these here are
higher, whittier and more continuous-they
seeming to run all the way up the bottom
The plain adjacent to, quite up TO the banks
Of that and all the streams out here, are des
titu,e of timber. This is altogether ster.
lie. frui,less country.
should write more but | am now de.
tanning one Of the returning Missouri Vol,
un,eers-who is anxious to be in motion
for the object Of all his prayers--his wife
in her Goth year. You will pardon him
do. wish to Heaven l could once more
get the sight OF newspaper.
Yours, &c. B. P. II.