The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-07-24

The Plains West of fRansas-Interesting Descrfp-
non Of Fort Kearney and Wolf and Buffalo
Hunt.
DESCRIPTION OF Fort KEARNEY.-Fort
Kearney, like most of the forts in the
West, has no Notifications, but is merely
station for troops. It stands on slight
elevation, few miles west from the banks
Of Platte river. The fort consists of FIVE
unpainted wooden houses, two or three
stories high, and about two dozen long,
low, mud buildings. The houses are
built around a large open square or pa
rade ground, while the mud buildings ex-
tend in any and every direction out from
the roads that run along the sides of this
square. Trees have been set out along the
borders of the parade ground, and they are
the only bushes that can be seen in any
direction, except few struggling ones on
the banks of the Platte, several miles dis
tant Intermixed between these imma-
ture trees on the sides of the square, are
sixteen blockhouse guns, two field pieces,
two mountain howitzers and one prairie
piece. These constitute the artillery de-
fences of the post against the Indians.
On the west side of the parade grounds
stands the house of the commanding officer.
1t is large, ill-shaped, unpainted wooden
structure, two stories high, with piazzas
extending across its entire front on both
floors. Within, however, the building is
much hmorerespeetable, being commodious,
comfortable, well finished and neatly fur
niShed.
Directly opposite the commanding Off
GERS house on the other side of the square,
Is the soldiers barracks, seventy feet by
thirty feet, and two stories high. The
barracks was never finished it is now in
bad order; it can accommodate very well
elshty-four men (; there are in it now, be-
tween ninety and one hundred men. The
other wooden buildings are the officers
quarters, the hospital and the suffers
store. These deformed structures do not
present very inviting appearance to the
eye, but they are charming places when
compared to the hideous spectacle of
twenty-four long, winding. broken back
ed, falling down mud houses. Such in
famous buildings are disgrace to any fort,
territory, army, government or nation.
They are far inferior to Indian wigwams.
They can only be rivalled by the mud
novels of the Irish or dirty Asiatics. Yet
1t Is in such buildings that the govern
nent stores are stored, or rather are placed
to rot and be ruined. The government
stores that were condemned in 1867, on
account of no protection being furnished
them by these mud piles, amounted to
nearly S35,O00 But why on earth were
such buildings put up? Because they
are cheap? No, for since 1851 the United
State government has paid out about $50.
Voo in their construction. 0ne of these
adobe" houses, which was built some
ten years ago by volunteers, cost the
United States $4,000. These mud piles
are OF all sizes, the largest one being about
one hundred and forty feet long, forty feet
WIDE and twelve feet high. They are
olllt by piling up sods on the top of each
@her, fcot or more thick, for the sides !;
Imoers are then laid across the top,
Ooa1ds placed over the timbers, and sods,
PROBABLY foot deep, on top of that. The
Hist heavy rain makes fine work with this
worse than clay house. Their utter use-
;ssSnesS Is so apparent that one can hardly
imagine why they were ever used. Their
sellorallzed =" appearance it is impossible
=" 1escnoe; so | will leave them to wash
alG ID rot down at their leisure.
inere are now at Kearney one hundred
sOluiers OF different companies, and about
.Hs hundred other persons, men, women
and children, all told.
capt, j. P. McCown, the commander
~ the post. was despatched there last
Sn. ler ne went up with his company
ns very severe weather. On crossing
sLeam OF water near the fort, the ice
OAe' MS carriage was overturned, he was
S;.S .nwh out, the wheels ran over his arm,
rnn.NIs royIaans It, and severely injuring the
bs' b"s' SO that it will be months before
= lscovers the use of his arm. He ar
NJ. NJ az Fort Kearney on the 5th of
I.' In' and since that time has had tim
h. uaSn, built saw-mili, sawed l6ln-
Sr.sa and built fne bakery; also cut
~. sawed lumber for and framed
oommlssary store. The cost to gov
solS;"u1 lsu1 OF that bakery, net including the
Mo NC wages, was about 500. Captain
tsnSe own Is down on mud houses, and in
m;Is. Is 70 have good substantial wooden
ns A. erected in their place.
thon.rott rott kearney is situated some
ands q, OF feet above the level of the
rs,.e extremely high winds frequently
te,as tn mere. The flagstaff in the CEN
sb;e ne parade ground, like masts in a
svss - : secured e, by ropes from being blown
v;.g There are such severe storms of
bavs ano snow in the winter that men
tbss oesn blown away from the fort by
tooI Two winters ago a man under
t.ns :" 80 to his quarters few yards dis
Be n. n : severe storm, after night when
down away and lost. The next