The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-10-30
A Soldier in Ca mp !.
"Reaim Of II. Cloud, Esq

during the late war served with dis
tinction in q volunteer regiment from
Pennsylvania. The scholarly acquire
ments of the writer will be manifest t,
all who read his letter. His many
friends will need no such reminder t.
recall his genial nature and his many
noble and estimable personal qualities
DoMINIoNs OF RED CLOUD, ESQ.
NEAR FORT PHI. KEARNEY, DAKOTA. :
= September IL, 1867.
Ny Dear Friend:
"Wrapt in the solitude of his owr
! imagination, the subscriber ha:
been sitting recalling the friend:
and scenes of other days, ant
as they "pass in review"-to use s
military phrase-he is reminded
of one and another, here and there, his
promises to whom are yet unfultlled
and ameng them, his quondam friend
of the "quill and scissors"
The listless inactivity of camp life
superinduces a corresponding degree o.
mental sloth, and procrastination-
that arrant "thief of time"-
becomes . soldiers second self
Day after day, Micawber-like
"he waits for something to turn
I'D" which will rouse him from his III
tellectual slumber. and furnish some in
teresting topics for epistolary commu'
nications with his friends, forgetting
that the daily loutine of his own life
so irksome to himself, is sne,c to his friend
who has never experienced it, while all
about him, the country, its inhabitants,
their mode of life &c &c. furnishes a
fund of entertainment, when skilfully
dished up, to those who have never
seen for themselves, and mingled with
the wild denizens of the far West. Such
are some of my written thoughts, and
flatter myself that to-day, at least,
"shall not drivel" So here goes, my
friend, for q chat about the realm OF
"R. Cloud, Esq.," (as the leading spirit OF
our noble % red brethren is facetiously
styled, y and the present status of affairs
in his domain, about the center OF which
we now occupy. From Omaha City
our route of travel lies parallel with the
Union Pacific Railroad, for about four
hundred and twenty-five miles, to Pole
Crossing. where it diverges from that
monster piece of American enterprise,
in north westerly direction, by way
of Forts Mitchell, Laramie, Bridgers
Ferry. Philip Kearney and c. f. Smith
toward the gold regions of Montana, in
whose territory the last named Fort is
situated. For miles and miles our route
lay over vast plain, (the valley of the
Platte skirted by high bluffs, whose
naked tops and Jagged outlines give ev-
idence of q oncs mighty volcanic erup-
tion throughout this whole region. On
the highest of these may be found num-
berless specimens of igneous rocks and
pebbles, many of which are beautiful in
variety of color and shape.
Without exaggeration, | may safely
say, that you can travel for a hundred
miles on some parts of this route with
out seeing anything you would dignity
by calling it a tree, so that when on the
plains there is nothing but the bluffs
and deep winding canons to vary the
scenery. For water, our dependence is
mainly on the rivers, creeks and smaller
streams, near which it is always a rule
to encamp, if possible. and the distance
between which generally regulates the
length of a days march. Sometimes,
however, the distance from water to
wa er is too great to be accomplished
in one day, and this occurred with us
once, by the way, when after march of
tw enty eight miles under hot summer
sun, but poorly supplied with that, or
any other liquid, we were obliged to
halt at a pond whose only source OF sup
ply is the falling rains. To add to our
disinclinatiOn to taste its stagnant wa
ters, our "mule-whackers" allowed their
"brevet horses" to run through it and
stir up its hidden medicinal qualities.
As if to compensate for the want OF
the useful (wood and water), nature has
been lavish of the ornamental, ION all
these wide extended plains" On
every hand, almost, you may pluck
specimens of flowers which for beauty
and perfume excel many of the green
house plants of the States. Cactuses OF
beautiful and variegated .colors adorn
the way, while occasionally, the richly
perfumed and delicate lily, and the dai-
sy and violet raise their modest heads.
Indeed, SO thick are cactuses with their
thcrny coats, that one has to be ex-
tremely cautious how he takes seat on
the ground, lest he might be practical
ly reminded of school-boy tricks with
crooked pins. In addition to the fow-
ers you will find in many places the
most exquisite fiower-bearing MOSES,
which make you long for garden that
you might use it for bordering.
:. But when one speaks of the beauty
of the flowers, and the granduer of the
bluffs aud canons, all, that can be, is
said in its praise, and these are not the
points to which our utilitarian procliv-
tiles tend. After seeing it for the ex-
tent of nine hundred miles from Omaha,
nv opinion is that Providence has al.
ready peopled this country as it should
he. NTH Indians and other trild beasts
The scarcity of wood and water will
make il uninhabitable for white people
generally, and it will only be sought by
Indians, Traders and Ranchemen who
expect to make their money here and
afterwards return to the States TO en-
joy it. ooun.r
mean those in human shape-my inter
course so far has been altogether OF
friendly nature, although have seer
many ION the war-path," but as yet
have had no personal difficulty with
these.
1t was my fortune to be present at 8
Council held al Fort Mcpherson, in the
early part of the, summer, and to see 8
village Of fifteen hundred Crows, and
trading conducted with them, at c. F
Smith, during the latter part Of July
After the Council at Mcpherson, ant
great protestations offriendship on theil
part (0gallallas) toward the "pale face,
they were sent on their way rejoicing
with six hundred rations, and befor'
twenty -four hours elapsed they had sto
len twenty five or thirty horses from
tie settlers of that neghborhood.
Treachery and theft seem to be par
of their nature-despitet the nobility will
which they are sometimes accredited.
ANebraska "poio," who seems to hav
been "thar or tharabouts," thus truth
fully parodizes "Lo, the poor Indian :;
/ .ro the moor Indian, whose unscrupulous min
steals our best OK, nor leaves horse behind
Oh no !. his seul was never taught to stray