The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-01
INKLlNGS FROM THE FRONTIER;
LIFE ON THE PLAINS AND ADVENTURES IN
THE TENTED FIELD

July II, 1859.
To the Editor of the National Era:
To-day, the Antelope Hills expedition, under
command of Major W. H. Emory, of the LIST
cavalry, arrived at its destination, pitched
camp three miles west of the Antelope Hills,
and christened it Camp Van Camp, in honor
of gallant lieutenant of that name, who was
slain last fall while valiantly fighting the Ca.
manches in a gorge of the Washita Mountains.
In the death of Lieutenant Van Camp, the
army lost one of the bravest of her brave. A
young ofhcer OF great promise was cut down Id
the bloom of youth, just as he was about to
enter upon a brilliant career of usefulness.
believe it is the intention of the command.
ing officer to remain in this vicinity until near
the last of September. He will move camp
from one spring to another, as the grass be-
comes exhausted. In this country there are
numerous fine springs of the best, clearest, and
coolest of water, yelling up through beds of
clean, pure, white, and crystal sand, and rum
ming off in merry rivulets, which form beauti-
full and deep pools, often eight or ten feet deep,
from fifteen to thirty feet wide, and sometimes
as much as hundred feet long. These pools
are very convenient for watering the animals,
bathing, &c. These miniature lakes are also
literally full Of fshes-principally trout pike,
and perch, pretty golden sided sun perch.
These fnny tribes who people the waters of the
plains have not yet learned the per6dious wiles
of the crafty angler, and bite with avidity the
L. o,t oI h,< 4 he
sportsman, and the piscivorous land them on
the grassy banks by the bushel
The grass along the margin of these springs
and brooks is of the very best quality, and album
dant in quantity. The horses and mules of
the command are growing fat while they feed
upon it.
But for a correspondent who aims to give
connected account of journey, have rather
unceremoniously brought the expedition with
which / am travelling into summer camp, and
it is but proper that / should now go back
and inform you how we came here, and what
we saw by the way. / believe that my last was
dated July 9th, on Taosoo Creek. A few days
after, the general aspect of the country began
to change. New forms of landscape, new va
rieties of plants, flowers, and grass, change OF
soil, and a change of rocks.
new class of animals, reptiles, and insects,
began to make their appearance. The open
prairies became wider and more extensive, the
belts of timber became narrower, fewer, and
farther between. The better varieties of tim
began to disappear, and leave only the poorer
qualities. The soil, more sandy and loose, is
cut into deep and frightful chasms, sometimes
hundred feet deep, with preciptous walls,
filled with mysterious caverns. The locality
>f az stvo o1o
like ravines, are unknown to the uninitiated
traveller because most Of them cannot be seen
until he approaches within close proximity,
sometimes but a few feet, or yards, at most.
In 1857, knew fine young man to break his
own neck as well as that of his noble steed,
by charging into one of these chasms in broad
daylight! In such a country, civilized troops
have but a poor show to capture their savage
foe.
One night, while sitting with lot of troop
ers, who were spinning yarns around cheerful
camp fire, an old campaigner told me that,
while he was in the mounted rifles, party was
sent out on the scout. They soon struck on
the trail of marauding party of Apaches, and
had not followed it far before they hove in sight
Of their savage game, to whom they gave i'm
mediate chase, and were fast gaining on them,
when all at once the ground seemed to open,
and swallow every redskin. The pursuers in
voluntarily came to dead halt, struck dumb
with establishment. But, on investigating the
seeming mystery, it turned out that those cum
ming Apaches had been making for an acces
sible point of one of those chasms, and had
entered it by several small cuts leading down
to the very bowels of the earth. These ports
of entry have been washed in by the tremen-
dous transforms that often visit this country,
and were very narrow. An Indian with his
little mustang ponies can just squeeze them.
selves through but the American soldier with
his large horse cannot follow. On this occa-
sion the Indians had gained the bottom Of the
chasm, and were out of sight. Hence the rife
men had to give over the chase. !.
AS we progressed along our journey, evi-
dences that we were getting ia the grazing
grounds Of the buffalo, the king of the plains,
began to present themselves numerous paths
running north and south, buffalo grass, thou
sands Of skeletons, skulls, and horns, but no