Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-22

A Cleveland gentleman VINO mas just
made trip across the Plains, Oommuni-
Gates the following interesting sketch Of
life in the far West:
After two months waiting for the In
disns to subsids and give us the "right of
way" We started for the new gold diggings.
We have seen men wrsthy over balf
hours delay Of train, and actually beleh
forth TRADE of abuse against every body
in GET eral, and certain ones in particular,
over q failure Hto make connections and
a consequent half days leisure. Let such
a man try it on for two months We have
a remote idea that it would be healthy ex-
ercise for him
On Wednesday, October 9th, at an early
hour We were off for the mountains-of
in the third stage that left Atchison, after
Uncle Sans boys had put quietus on the
Indian marsuders, right through coun-
try, but few days before made desolate
by the ruthless hand of savage warfare,
hay our pathway. As yet it was all un-
certainty who had control of matters away
out In that wide, uninhabited country cali
cd uthe Plains"
However, with an escort of soldiers and
q good supply of firearms for the passen-
gers. we ventured. Our party consisted
Of Rev Mr.. Hugh, from New York, and
his wife, Mr.. Russell, from Wall street,
two gentlemen from Lake Superior, and
myself. As it had been raining for DAYS
We had good share of that slippery,
sticky mud, that only those who
know by experience something of
the adhesive nature of that pasty
stuff made from the finely
pulverized black dust of our western roads
know how TO appreciate. If any one de-
sires 10 test the qualities of this article, let
him make sure his boots are tight, and
hen as they say out here, let him take Foot
and Walkers line for q quarter of mile,
after good rain, and then look for his
feet and lol they have vanished, been COB
bled up, and IN their stead, he finds him
self Juggling about two mall garden
patches and he may count himself happy,
if his garden patches, by some sudden ex-
psnsion do not extend themselves into
higher lstitudes,
On, on We went, ever the rolling prsiries,
through the frontier settlements, out into
the vast prairie ezpanse beyond; laughing,
talking, discussing everything in general,
and Indians in particular. At length
night drew her sable curtains around US,
and we passed the time in chatting, humping
scheing, fretting, and mapping, till the
first tints of dawn announced the ap-
proach of day. About this time
we began to be impressed with
the idea that riding, night and day with
six persons packed in small hack, was
not Yery romantic, for now after twenty
foufhou continuous riding we found our
selves emphaticslly tired. We however
consoled ourselves with the reflection that
this state of things would not last much
above three weeks, and again after
having taken little breakfast at small
Ranch, fell cheerily to discussing things
past, present and future. At 1ve we took
dinner and supper, changed our little hack
for large coach and again rolled on We
were now nearing the point of danger"
a little farther on and we found ourselves
in the very midst OF the recent Indian
battle grounds. Spots would be pointed to
us where, but few days since, cold blood
ed murders and strocious cruelties had
been committed. At Ulics Station, TWEEN
ty miles above Big Sandy, was stationed
on the top of the stsge with the driver, to
keep guard and be where could use my
my defensive weapons to advantage if an
/ attack should be made.
| Ulics was the point where the Indians
took nearly five hundred oxen from seven
ty men, and while these seventy men were
meditating upon plan to retake them, 10
a coach loaded with passengers comes
bounding over the prairies, with long
file of mounted Indians on each side, rae
ing their ponies at the top Of their speed,
| erdeavoring TO close in ahead of the coach,
In the meantime there was q continual IN
tsrchange of shols between the parties
the passengers, by the sctive use of their
6rearms, prevented the Indians from com
irg very near and thus for time saved
themselves. When the coach got within
shooting distance of the seventy men, the
Indians faced about and skulked to their
hiding places; thereupon the driver Stacked
his team and the passengers resumed
breathing. The seventy concluded TO let
the Indians keep their oxen, seeing they
could not desire any other way to dispose
Of them under existing circumstances So
/ coach passengers and seventy, all were
| forced to beat o retreat TO the settlements.
A little farther on the Indians attacked
two young men who endeavored to run
/ into a small house near by, that they
might be better able to defend themselves.
Just as they were entering one Of them
was filed with arrows anu fell dead on the
floor. The other rnshed through the house
into the long weeds and bushes behind it,
and concealed himself The Indians rode
through the bushes endesvoriDg to
| find him, but failed, although one OF their
ponies actually stepped on his toe while he
was lying concealed in the bushes. The
young man that was killed still sleeps
/ where he fell A little farther on and We
behold the charred ruins of q building
where a whole family had been murdered,
save one young lady who was made a,csp-
tive t. our right stood & cabin where
two men had been shot, and the Indians
finally driven off by firing from an upper
window. The first of these was shot in
msnner very luoidly illustrating the spirit
of Indian warfare an Indian, an old ac-
4udlut1ACo "a III AOAAO1 Q S1l4AG u y III LIS
usual friendly manner, except that he kept
his bow strung, he shook hands with Mr.
Kelly at the door, and entered into
friendly conversation. Several other In
dians were standing sleepily around, when
suddenly, just in moment before Mr..
Kelly could make move to get his re-
volver from his belt or even to jump out
of the way, the Indian drew his bow and
shot an arrow clear through Mr.. Keliy's
body. Many other places We passed where
men had been hewn dowh and scalped,
and where timid maidens hsd been. made
the victims of that wOrse of all calamities
captivity by savage foe. These dan
gerous places are points where thu road
lies on the verge OF S heavily underbFush.
ed timber, from which these lurIiPg In
diGns can spring upon the pssser-by with
out giving him moments warning Of
their approach. There We're, undoubt-