The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-02-01


bright blades, nor ornamental uniforms, to
mark the ''pomp and circumstances OF war"
yot thore was scarce State iu the Union that
had aota representative, though she might
not recognise In thr absence Of gandy insig'
mia her plainly dressed son The weaPons
were also a. various a. the characters Of the
bearers, There was the handsomely noun
ted Eastern ridc whose oxploite had drawn
eu,ipus eyes a. the turkey shooting aud
prize matches" trailing beside the plain long
Mississippi ride; Colts six shooter--the VA
CHER and ~ S," that had each done their
respective duiies IN The way Of thinning on
deer, bear, bunaloos, and even "rud skins"
Then pistols or every fashion and calibro,frpm
The "bosom pop-Run" 10 the oyergro@n nint
locked horse pisiol-irrm Aliens or Colts re-
volyer, 10 the single barrollcd, silyermoun-
ted duelling pistol,
A usJling in the bushes At our right, to
gether with the flash of a distant hrc-light,
cAnsed- elsss rrusrrH-u- hHi--r--Ft upon
the gronndi ten or dleen minutes passed a.
way Incidence; a whispered conference wa,
| then held b., the olliccrA,and the South Fork
boys" we're nqiselesaly detailed on 10 rccni-
noitrc Aitcr short absence they returned.
/ Tho noise was caused by a startled deer,
! while log which had doubtless been burn
, ing for days, accounted for the fire. We then
resumed our march, following a light Indian
traila faint streak ofconing dawn ia the east
marked the approach ofday, and by the time
/ u was fairly light w. had reached the bnttlc
, ground Of the "a inst, which was ON gentle
slope, thinly covered with oaks, the bark Of
which was well piucd with arrow aud bullet
marks On the ground, in several places,
we're the half consumed bones or the slain In.
dians, for they make tia point to burn Mc,e
dcad on the field Of battle,
We cautiously dcsccudv,l toward. the "ran-
chcro,." We could see the huts aud acorn
ricks, hut not moving thing, and closer IN
/ spcction convinced ~ that it was deserted en-
tiroly. Tho ashos of the distinguished camp
fire. showed plainly that the indians had len
the night before taking with them everything
/ of portable nature. Whether they had been
/ Informed OF our intended visit, or whether
/ they acted from what their sagnrity prompted,
knowing los experience the character of the
whites, and judging thcrcfrom, that two-no.
a dozen defeats would not Discourage or drive
/ them from their purpose, am unable To SAY.
but th. much is certain. we were on that g.
vcntlul morning, obliged TO event orr wrath"
on the unrcsi'ting wigwams, in place Of their
Cupprr Color,d ",o,.I,~s,ta. W. ct every
hut ou Gre, aud warmed our hcnumbcd fin
gers hy the blaze. ! should think there were
about tvO hundred bushels of acorns collect
cd there, some in heaps, and the rest in
tricks" these we destroyed, We then divid.
cd into ~" ,sr'irs,' sbJ =f,IitrEvv-i ,.1wIi thc
creek which runs in a northwcstcrly dircc-
tion--our party keeping on the ridge, the
other 10y the stream. Under the bank VIZ
( found the Indians had concealed "A variety of
/ plundcr,among which waN the dagucrrcotypo
! miniAturo OF a young lady doutJIcss thC Keep,
sake of some poor fellow, perhaps murdered.
! We kept ON for four or five miles further,
but finding no fresh traces Of our enemies, we
struck of to the oak valley trail. Nine Of
our Fosters bar company" then took the di-
rect route home. The rest Of rs kept nearer
/ 20 the creek on its western side to visit anoth-
cr "Ranchcro" at the lower end of"oak val.
! Icy" We found that likewise deserted bui
as we had no reason to think its inhabitant,
had share in the late difficulties, we lcf)
their huts and acorn ricks in peace. Salts
fed that il was useless TO pursue the Indian,
further among the muutatuy, VIZ '-Ty0turcJt' r0T
home. How the rest Jared on reaching that
welcome stopping place am not prepared to
say, but do know that when Iarrivcd at the
house of "B. & T." at about q o'clock, i "
the stock of provisions suffered considera.
BILE diminution, for having tasted nothing
since the day before, was furnished with an
appetite that threatened to breed famine il
the land;-bcg pardon, did eat few acorns
which, by the time | had swallowed threa
satisfied me that should have to undergo
several long stages of starvation, before
could acknowledge such an astringent and
bitter production Fl for food. cannot con
ceivc what the next more will be in rcgart
to the Indians They will probably abe easy
for short time, but they say, that "wher
snow comes, and the white men hrc few, they
shall all unite and drive them from the coun.
\ tryl" If they hatter themselves with such
ideas they will find themselves mistaken.
do not believe there will hc nlapy "ranche-
ros' to combine against us. rhesthrce close
to us appear to be all friendly. Isaw an old
hombre to night, who signifed his willingness
to assist against his red brethren of "drcus ei
sdgitia notoriety," either as guide or warrior
II. r. T.
SELECTIONS FROM PUNCH's ALMA
MAC FOR 1851.