American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-09-16
CITY OF LANCAsTER.
rHursday NTOrning, Sept. I0, 1883

California Train on the Steaked Plain.
Z McCollaugh's California train. consis-
ting ofll wagons Al yoke ofoxsn, heard
dPecan Bayou, and 1900 head Of cattle,
left Dallas in Texas bound to California on
the 18th Of April last. They were 90
days In reaching Franklin, opposite Fl Pa
so on the Rio Grandes. They struck the
edge OF Staked Plain near the Coucho
River. From thence they struck across
-she desert aiming to strike the Pecos about
Horse Head crossing. but they missed the
road the irst night. The third day out in
the moruipg they started with. the herd
ahead Of the train. The cattle were now
nearly famished. At midnight the hoard
got fresh breeze and travelled furiously
to the North along an Indian trail. The
men fought them ahead to keep them in
line. From letter to- the Dallas Herald
we make the following extracts descriptive
ofthe adventures Of the train:
AT dayhreak we struck che Belknap
road, Is miles fromithe well known Sand
Hills, where we succeeded 10 turning the
cattle on the road. Here one OF our men
J. Ramsey. was pitched on BY = large steer
his horse throwing him. His head was
partially scalped, his collerhone broken.
and otherwise badly bruised. Six shots
had to be fired before the cnraged animal
fell. AS soou as the heard reached the
road they pitched off aud ran eight miles.
and then left the road again, turning north
into deep driftsd sand. Here we had q
desperate struggle to save the heard. fight
ing :hem back for four long hours. they
pressing us hard. and all fighting mad.
At last one file Of the most furious steers
led out again, when we set 10 and succeed
ed ia heading them towards the road.
which they soon struck, and BY four o.
clock we arrived 10 the Sand Hills. where
we found many ponds of week alkali water
and saved the lives Of the famishing men
and cattle. The hesrd had no water for
seventy six hours. and travelled l30 miles;
t,e herdsmen were without water or nour-
ishmeu thirty hours There exercise was
very hard riding and haIlowing to che
cattle, and was calculvted to bring on thirst
soon. The men suffered extremely for the
want of water and sleep; many sho,
down the famishing bullocks on the road
stuck them, pulled off their shoes or boots
caught the thiuk hot blood and drank il
freely. and BY so doing saved their lives
The cattle were all very much s,cited
and any Of them would fight. and the meu
were compelled to shoot many.
We went into the Sand hills with 1900
head Of cattle, or struck the sand with
that number, and left with about 1860
much of the missing having died for tb'
want Of water. On arriving the men wer'
oil excited and hardly knew their comrades
Dan Murray, Whatley, Kelton and Collie
would never have got to water had no
some of the hsrdsmen been sent on sfte
water and returned to them, They ha'
stopped side the road. We had no pro
visions but fresh b, of Tor three days, ami
became very much reduced, and none Q
US were able to serve. Ours was the frs
train that arrived in the Sand hills thi
year.
The oxen Of the train becsme wild an
immanaReable, so the men unyoked tber
thirty miles from the Sand hills and s.arts
them on the heard trail, but they becam
alarmed for their sGety on account cf thirt
fatigue. &c., and returned 10 camp. th
oxen followed the trail. When they struc
the road they scattered, and only twelv
got in, the balance being lost; eighty hea
Of good work oxen were lost. AZ soon
possible. communication waS opened be
tween the heard and train, which wa
KEEP. up day and night for nine days. Tn
train was rationsd to one pint Of water pc
day. In the meantime the women an
children were brought into the hear
camps. The loss Of our oxen rendered U
nearly helpless: the few that were aliV
only recovered in part from their grei
fatigue and thirst. We are under yer
great obligations to the Sherman train ft