Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-02-08
San FRANoIsco, Feb. 30 P. n.
Forenoon Stock TRANSACTIONS.

Ophir. 436 90
Alpha ....i.. .........a...Y $50 90
Confidence So 90
Colonel Bridgcr aud His Sayings.
Almost every n on this coast has
heard OF Colonel Bridger and his famous
fort. We notice in the Fort Kearny Her.
aid, Of January 9Th. q notice of his arrival
there, and = graphic sketch Of this sturdy
pioneer, and incidents connected with his
eventful career as q mountaineer. guide
and Indian hunter. The Herald speaks
thus of the Colonel: ''
Col. Bridger, the hero of Fort Bridger
and Bridger's Pass, 10 sojourning at the
Overland House in this city. The Colo
mel is the oldest American settler Of the
Rocky Mountain region, having left Rich
mond. Virginia, (the place Of his nativity,)
and taken up his abode at the site Of the
present Fort Bridger, in 1870. He built
that famous stone fertilization which was
the stronghold OF about three hundred
trappers, which effective force he led in
very many stealthy surprises against the
willy and crafty Cheyennes, Arapahoes and
Sioux. In 1853 he was driven from
scenes which his successful intrigues
against the blood-thirsty savages, together
with the abundance and variety Of game.
had rendered doubly dear to him, by the
Latter Day Saints" who took entire
possession of all the labor Of this devoted
pioneer. He escaped only with his life,
and sought refuge in Missouri, where he
now owns q farm.
In 1867, when General Albert Sydney
Johnston marched against the Mormons,
he occupied the fort, and In behalf Of the
Government rented it Of Colonel Bridger
for a term Of ten years. As the lease ex-
pires next year, the Colonel expects to re-
turn home and wake up the foes who
cruelty drove him from thence. He is
perhaps sixty years old, fully six feet
high, raw-boned, blue eyes, auburn hair
(now somewhat gray, is very active and
communicative. He has guided numerous
military expeditions against the indiana
and Of these. together with his independ-
ent forays, he relates many interesting and
thrilling incidents.
The expedition Of General Conner last
Summer and Fall was piloted BY him, and
from him we get an account Of that horse
killing campaign. He says that, instead
Of the number Of killed and wounded
savages reaching over a thousand, as the
reports of the different skirmishes sun up,
there were but sixty-three warriors known
to be slain that while General Conner
was engaging the Arapahoes whom he
surprised. the United States Pawnee
scouts thanked the village and took
the scalps of some twenty : FIVE
squaws and papooses. The warriors.
having fought desperately to cover the re-
treat Of their families, kept up a running
fight for thirty-hve miles. By this time
Connor's command was scattered to such
an extent that the sayages would have
entirely annihilated that portion foremost
in the pursuit had not the little mountain
howitzers come to their relief; ; and it was
only by dint Of activity and repeated shots
from the howitzers that the savsges were
kept ct sufficient distance to enable the
troops to retain the position occupied by
the main column. BE says that about 900
horses were captured, though these did not
replace those lost by starvation and chill
ing snow storms 400 horses died during
one afternoon and night.
The Colonel has no faith in mounted ex-
pedi,ions against Indians. He says what
oil fronteirsmen know to be true, that the
Indian ponies can travel steadily for weeks
together and subsist upon cottonwood
bark only, and that their riders will build
fires of the huge piles Of buffalo chips
found where the herd wallows. He thinks
that our mode Of hunting savages with
mounted men and wagon trains is simply
absurd, since isrssults only in heavy loss
Of animals and unnecessary exposure OF
the troops who are compelled to return for
rationsi or halt for their train to overtake
them, which gives the savages exultant
triumph, leaving the warriors smoking
their pipe, whose bowls are %tomahawks
aud the helyes thereof the stems. GE
The Colonel is now en- route for WASH
ington. He says he wants to tell the au-
thorities how to manage the Indiana ; that
ifthey-wm LET him select . party.of men,
ne will follow the Indiana on foot, week
after week, faring a. they do, and will
eventually oysrtake aAd surprise their
village. He ssysthat there 10 now . large
party of Sioux. encamped on the lake just
north otths forks Of the Platte |; that they
are protected from the wind and have good
water aud grass. He 10 OF the opinion
that troops unaccustomed to the frontiers
are stampeded by the yell Of the Indians
when the enemy is in small force. and
might easily be managed By experienced
"Dodsers."" He thinks that the expedi-
itioni now moving against the Sioux is
planned more ssnsibly than any before
A.tsd up instbi, country n thsir wagon
train Is to esAblish temporary base from
which pack mules will supply the troop