The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-01-15


plains is given in private letter from Cap
tain james H. Dodge OF Mllwaukeei CT1Nj
FoRR LARyED, Kansas, Dec, 4, 1863,
On Saturday morning. November %, We
started from Fort Dyon to Fort Larned, ex-
meeting to make the trip (the distance be
ing three hundred and forty miles) in the
usual time of four and a half days. Our
party numbered six, - e.ae 70
The first day we came 45 miles; at night
made our bed ON the bare ground, aud in
the morning found six or eight inches of
snow covering US and the wind blowing
fearfuly, as it can only blow across the
plains. On Tuesday came another fall? of
snow, and Wednesday we travelled only ID
miles During that whole week we we're
oly able to thaw out our provisions, not
even m aking an effort to cook anything, for
on the whole route tdere are no habita
tions. Until Saturday morning, We were
obliged every little way to shovel the stage
out of the SNOW banks, and finally when we
We're about tifty-two miles from Larncd We
gave up the idea of proceeding further that
way. rHEI1oJ
Hearing that there was small Indian
camp not far from where we were embark
Ell, | concluded to leave the stage and go
on to find it and get some dried buffalo meat
for our supplies were exhausted, as We had
only laid In store iOr five day trip The
Indian camp, however, proved to be fur
ther off than we thought, for walked tif-
teen miles, with the snow up to my knees
nearly all the way, before the huts came 10
sight When within mile or thereabouts
- H., r r. Iii, foo1- n
and reported that the mules had given out
entirely, and he had started to 90 for help.
The camp being close by, | told him to go
on aud get os mething to eat and would
be along. found him there with his hands
and feet badly frozen, 50 told him to stay
there and | would 60 TO the fort myself,
thirty-fve miles. started at three o'clock,
p. NJ. The mule carried me until sundown,
and would not go any further.
had with us, fortunately, "a Buffalo
robe; so taking the saddle for my pillow,
and tucking the robe close about me, laid
down to try and keep awake till morning.
| was then twenty-Seven miles from the
tort and the cold 80 intense that one of the
mules had frozen TO death the night before.
When morning broke was thankful to the
kind providence which kept me from all
harm / had nothing to eat, but saddled
the mule, which had not strayed more than
six rOdS away, aad tartel again. The
poor animal, however, would MT carry me
more than three miles and laid down.
Without hesitating one instant | stripped
him, piled the saddle and robe together, and
IN less than FIVE minutes was wading
through the snow up to my knees. |
knew, probably, would have TO be out an.
other night, but there was no such thing as
turning back, for there Were left behind
six human beings whose lives depended
upon my exertions. When within ten miles
of of the fort had to cross stream and
leave the Arkansas river, striking across a
r,lling prairie The snow was here from
one to three feet deep, and the track en-
tirely filed.
had been over the road but once ex-
cept in covered stage, aud had no partic
ular idea of the direction. only knew
that the fort was on q creek with trees
growing along it, aud the best hoped for
was TO reach the trees that night. [ kept
two objects 10 view SO as to make straight
line 1 walked all day, and just as the sun
was two hours high or so, saw the trees.
Two miles or about that, beyond me l
saw lone tree, and that was the last OBJ
ect had made up my mind to reach, but
when within half a mile or thereabouts of
the tree, saw what thought was the fort,
aud took courage / walked on at the rate
Of mile on hour. Before reached the tree
knew for certainty that ii was the fort
had seen, and saw that a sleigh had started
for me. They were coming on q gallop; l
II sl for liy,cr
up looking toward me-, They were whip
ping their horses, and the snow flying in
all directions; l knew that | was saved, and
my strength gave out;1 could 60 no further
aud sank down in the snow. Whom they
were almost to me-, saw Lieut.. Crocker
driving and heard him say: Good Lord
it is Dodge!"
Dr. Clark jumped out with bottle of
whlskey in one hand and pie in the other,
| was IN no mood 10 refuse either They
bad been looking fer the stage with glass
and saw me as | came over the last roll of
the prairie, and ordered up a team to go
out and help some one, they did not know
whom. aE5tt ..h.-I
In half an hour they had two six mnle
teams and one two-mue team going after
the stage, with refreshments for man and
beast They came back in twenty-four
hours aud say chat / saved their lives
Only two were frozen, one very badly, aud
will probably have to lose his foot; One
mau was with Us who had been in the
country for thirty two years, and in all that
time says he had never seen worse storm,
and that he had made up his mind / could
not DO sibly live through it. Those who
went out after the stage, say they never
saw more rejoiced lot than they when
they lnew of my sifety.
IT, Dsn.nntcL nnnfasnas thai