The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-04-19

Notes From the Far west,
Aohesoonn to Denver City.
Editors Intelliqencer :

Editors 1nteIigeneer::
Perhaps there is no single word that
is more suggestive of genial association
and heart memories than the word cor
respondence. =--g
1 am a subscriber for your valuable
paper, the perusal of which never fails
to remind me of old and pleasant asso'
ciations-of home where the sunshine
never faded out and the voices were al
ways sweet. see that you have q
number of correspondents for your pa
per who write on nearly all subjects loi
Interest Ito THE public, but none OF
them give you the news from the. far
| West. Perhaps, therefore, anoccasion-
al word fromilne in reference to men
and things up here may not be unin-
teresting to your readers. Iextend. to
| you, therefore, an invitation to accom-
| pany me in my rnmbles over the Prair-
les and wilds to collate flowers and
gather iehens.t t4la zJsfisF :v5sr =
Acheson, which is situated in the
Northeastern corner of Kansas along
some broken bluffs on the west bank OF
the Missouri river, is 20 miles from
Fort Leavenworth, and is really a
thriving town and like LeaVenworth
the point of departure for much emi-
| grafton and immense trains of supplies
for the mines of Colorado, Idaho, Mon
tana and Utah, us also -9of Holli-
davis great mail and express line to
Denver City, Salt Lake, &c., on
the Platte E5route-and Butterfield's
stage and express, line to Den
yer and Central cities via the
smoky Hill route. at Atchison 1
found mnnyparties like myself fprepar-
ing to cross the plains. Some by But
terfield's and others by the Holidays
line; and being desirous to traverse the
new smoky Hill route on account OF
its being now the generally conceded
route ofthe Great onion Pacific Rail
road, L provided myself with many of
the necessaries, and some of the luSu-
ries of, life, as also n puir of blankets,
overshoes and muller to stand the
storm, and Henry Rifle sixteen re-
peater and Colts revolver 10 face the
'Ingfns.o 50 = rt ~ T. -
/ During the daY51 ascertaincd that my
fellow passengers consisted of u young
well armed, and his commissary stores
amply provided for; young New
Yorker, who made this his second trip
across to Denver, and whose "arma-
ment" consisted of pair of pocket
Derringers, and an ample supply OF
Marion Harlaud's,lnst novels; and the
last, though not least, passenger, was,
creature" and that too in love, say
love- because only woman in love
would brave the trials of a tIip across
the "Great American DESERT to meet
her afIiauced.
A most beautiful morning greeted us
on Sunday, March 9Th, and at s A. NJ:
the overland coach with two splendid
span of blooded horses, called at the
hotel and in very few moments we
were on the road to Denver at fast
gait. EHD-. sgr-EllgI.
Al dark of the first day, we arrived
at n place called Indiunola, where we
took ten, and arranged quarters for the
night,-the Baltimorean and the fair
damsel to have the benefit of the floor
ofthe coach, and we others to do the
best we could on the seats. AT s a. NJ.
we reached Manhattan, having travel
ed one hundred and ten miles in the
preceding twenty-fOur hours, which, l
believe, is considered good staging.
Near noon we passed Fort Riley. 1t
would require u greater expert in mill
tary tactics than your correspondent
to discover where the "defences" of the
SO called Fort are located. Several
miles above the post we found juno
ton City, which is the last city in Kan
sas, and when the Pacific Railroad is
rally be city of much importance as
an Quitting point for the New Mexico
and Colorado trade.
Here we bid farewell to civilization,
and launched upon an almost endless,
unknown and trackless prairie, called
in our Geography, "The Great Ameri-
can Desert.1 inhabited by tribes of hos
tile Indians. Here, for the first time,
we began to feel and realize our lonely
and self-reliant condition. We imme-
diately commenced to devise means
or defense, in c3lse of an attack from
the many prowling bands of redskins
which nre known to intest that route.
NY comrades learning that had once
been soldier, I was unanimously
chosen captain of the expedition, and
took command accordingly. In con-
,sideration of my promotion, the fair
damsel insisted that should share the
floor of the coach with her; as the la
dies, you know, will have their way, 1t
was done, at the same time placing the
Baltimorian on guard to wat ch the In
on the morning of the 9th, we reached
Fort Ellsworth. Here we were initiated
into cooking our breakfast, which we
did in manner worthy of older epptcu-
rians. Here beheld, for the first timei
the vast prairies on fire. The sight was
grand and .behutiful. Large herds OF
butfaloes inhabited this portion of our
route. We did not get near enough to do
them any damage, though we fired
several shots at them, and the New
Yorker insisted that he made one OF
them waglhis tail. s
On the morning of the 18th, we ar
rived at Monument Station-so called
on account of being surrounded by
natural rock in the shape of mbStones
or monuments, presenting natural
phenomena truely wonderIul: When
viewed in the distance one feels that he
is truely approaching the CITY oil the
Dead, they having the appearance of a
vast endless cemetery. Here are
detachment. of the 18th Missouri caVal-
rv.who every anxious to be mustered
ont of the service and return to their
beloved ones. All kinds of horrible
reports were in circulation here IN ref
ference to Indian depredations said to
have been committed on the route be-
tween this point and Denver City.
After enjoying with much relish
n good buffalo steak ana cup OF
coffee, we resumed our journey. we
had not proceeied far, however, before
we met the overland coach No. lS, en-
route for the States. The party occu-
pying this coach had quite an interest
ing story to relate about their encoun-
ter with the "red varInints," as they
call them, ut Smoky Hill Springs, u
short distance back. One OF tnelr par par
ty.was severely wounded, ana many
marks of arrows and bullet holes were
upon the coach. Altogether, they pre-
sented sorry appearance, ana we, !. e.
the other boys, tried TO persuade the
Young damsel 10 return 10 the States,
but she declared that she would not
leave US, that she would share the dan
ger with us; Just like woman was u
5otf Nothing of importance occurred
until we arrived Mt Willow Spring, at
1--WE p. NJ, of The 18th, where we were
startled. by n signal from our driver in
dicaffng that danger was nigh; in mo
ment we were under arms. The coach
halted-the driver leveled his rifle in
in the direction of the danger, we SS1sS ioIk-