The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-08-25
No. $50.

Ihdlan guides, traIlers, and interpreterS Afto
them comes the advance guard-ten trooper,
ied py non-commissioned officer. Then
with the aforesaid space interveninr. come
the commanding officer, Major Emory. and hi
Stah' And then, In regular order, with a Ek
space between each, come the four cavalr
companies, marching by twos, and each led h,
Its captain. In rear of the cavaIcade are III,
centre guard and detachment of pioneers Co
the purpose OF removing Instructions (sboul,
any present themselves) from before the train
Next come the hospital ambulances for tn,
comfort and convenience of the sick, and tn,
private carriages and buggies of the gentlemer
eXcmsionlSts, followed by a long. long stripo O
Government wagons, nearly hundred in nnm
Der and to each of which is attached six mule.
These are followed by the drove of beef cattle
whllS the rear guard bring up the rear. You
involantarily exclaim, Oh, what grand and
imposing procession to be traversing those wild
but quiet old plains, and how well-ordered is
the line of march,"
But you are unwilling to descend into the low
country A cool and balmy breeze fans your
temples and refreshes your energies. and Won
still stand gazing at the passing column. Owino
to numerous little ravnes and chasms runnins
on TO the north and to the south, we are com
PEELED to make very zig-zag road, and as our
long cavalcade and train moves along. it will
not take very great stretch of the imagination
| by you IN your elevated position to imagine
| you see monster serpent in agonizing contor-
uohs making its way to the westward. We
travel over the untrod prairie, but leave a LARGE
and PLAIN road behind US, which will not be ef
faced for years, even if the tide of emigration
| does not flow i'll this channel
Towards the rear Of the train. a huge cloud
OF dust slowly rises, and lazly rolls away to the
northeast, before lazy southwest breeze.
Scattered along the whole length of this i'm
lnehse line, Tor mile or two on either side. YOU
may see sportsmen-oficers not on duty. our
gentlemen of leisure, officers servants and
soldiers with leav0-who hunt as they travel.
and shoot turkeys, prairie chickens. iackass
rabbits, and other small game.
Now descend, and take an easy hand gallon
| until you gain the head of the command. where
you will please to make a more close inspection
OF the command, as it passes you. Tighten
Your relnS when you come opposite the party
OF Indians. The first to attract your attention
IS small, wiry-built man, apparently about
thirty years DID, the blacklist, keenest and
brightest pair of small eyes you ever saw. dance
beneath pair Of heavy and SHAGGY eyebrows
lie wears long black hair hanging over his
shoulders, and IS possessed of REGULAR Furopeal
features, but as black as the ace of SPADES.
Inns Is w lldcat, the son Of celebrated Sem
mole chiel OF The same name, and the principal
guide OF the Antelope Hills Expedition. just
IN rear of him, Indian fashion, is n laroe otb
letic, Olive-colored Delaware. the Indian trailer
who led Major Van Dorm into the Camancbe
camp last fall. He glories in the name of Gen
Jackson, aud takes great delight i'm receivino
and returning military salute. The others.
with the exception of Red Blanket, who is a
very cOmical fellow and full of fun. are bnt
ordinary Indians.
Now, drop back, and let the advance guard
pass you, and, as the commanding officer comes
up, you have good opportunity to note his
hair, aud iafgss" %fiskttss n arEe. square
Some persons, not good judges of color, might
pronounce him red headed.
But, without stopping to study the peculiari-
ties Of the officers, let us pass back, and take a
few notes on the common soldiers. There go
several, with books in their hands, and absorbed
in reading, as they ride along. These are stu
dious men, who never lose q moments time, if
they can avoid it. Their five years in the army
will not be lost time to them, but a means Of
storing their minds with useful knowledge.
Another group of young men are engaged in
an animated conversation. We are now pass
ing over a lovely and beautiful country. Gentle
slopes rccede for half q mile, and meet others,
| thus forming lovely and enchanting wales. The
slopes are numerous, and run in almost every
direction, giving the whole country the appear.
ance of a billowy ocean just subsiding after a
heavy storm Beautiful little belts and spurs
! of fresh and verdant timber add to the beauty
| of the landscape. Our conversing group are
attracted and delighted by the scenery. One
of the party points to the SOUTH whore one OF
| those cool little springs bursts forth from the
| side of the gently-sloping hill, and goes purling
down n murmuring rili, and exclalmS, " See
| there lies my claim; on that elevated point,
accessible to every breeze that blows I'll build
me a lovely cottage, and, just beyond that pretty
grove. I'll build me 'bank-learn and all
necessary out-buildngs. I'll enlarge the spring
and wall it with stone. Down there in the
valley, I'll make basin, an artificial lake, and
that spring will supply it with water On that
beautiful south slope I'll plant an orchard, and
my broad fields shall surround me on all sides
You, gentlemen, can lay claims all around me
The whole country is beautifully and when YOU
desire social chat, good dinner, a drink o
cool water, or fine bath in my artificial lake
YOU can drive Yourself and family over in YOU
own carriage, and stay as long as you please
Another adds his material and skill toward,
fabricating this series of air-castles, and so ON
until they have formed very respectable com
| muIBLy Ol dgIICuiiuidl dtlShOSlaO) III bhC uidS
of the plains. Thus the tedium Of long days.
march is beguiled away.
Look all along the ranks, and you will SCI
youItg men whose eyes are continually opeI
and eagerly Selling every object in view Thes'
are they who can appreciate and love to admire
the quiet and simple beauties of nature. Ihey
are 10th to permit a single feature to pass un
noticed; and, when thus engaged, their minds
arc withdrawn from grovelling subjects, anC
they reve in poetic reveries or dreams of fu
ture happiness.
Bat continue your inspection, and you vii
notice dali, stupid, coarse-looking fellows, will
their blank gaze continually riveted on thu
pommels of their saddles or their horses ears
They see nothing; and if you, years hence
chauce to meet one Of them IN civil life, they
cannot tell you anything of the beauty or pc
cularites of the countries through which the,
have travelled. These are the wrong minded
mole-eyed characters, who 90 stumbling through
the world, and often find themselves in tn
army. They are the malcontent and GROWERS
who are continually striving to alloy the pleas
ures of others. When out campaigning, they ar
continually longing for the flesh pots, the whisk
jng,.. and the brandy bottles Of garrison life
They sheer at everything noble or refined
Plain Government ratious, coarse Democrat
diet, is not good enough for them, although the
never had better before entering the army
Such characters as these it is, be they never s
few. who, when piled with liquor, rendt
themselves most conspicuous, and give civilian
wtong conception of the morale of the arm!
But my pen has been running at randor
ever since | set it in motion, and have prob;
ably not yet led off in a strain that interest
: you.
+ Since the date of nay last, we have travolle
, over a vast scope Of beautiful aud Gnnhablte
country-the best Of farming land-numerou