The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1867-10-24
ICE FIELD IN THE DESERT.

The very hot weather reminds me of
an incident which occurred in 1859, DUR
ing hot spell upon the very far frontiers.
1t was while a command of two compa-
MES of the old Second United States dra-
goons, under charge of Captain r. II.
Anderson, of the same regiment, was on
the march from what was then known as
Camp Floyd, Utah Territory, to Fort
! Leavenworth, Kansas. We had struck
our tents at very early hour in the morn
ing, and as the first faint glimmer of day
| light was observed in the east, the COM
mand was ''straightened OUT upon the
road, and prepared for a long days march
under burning July sun, for ''Paci fic
! Springs" had TO be made that night to
camp at, or horrible 10 think Of, there
would be no water. We started out live
| ly and buoyant; both men and horses
thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful cool
morning air, bracing and invigor, ting as it
was. The merry laugh and joke passed
from front to rear, and each man enjoyed
himself, apparently as we'll as soldiers
could, The morning passed, the sun
came out strong and brilliant, and soon
the effects of his mighty heat became ap-
parent. The jokes were passed less fire.
| quently, the laughs became fewer and
shorter, and finally silence reigned among
the bipeds, and nothing was heard but the
tramp, tramp of the quadrupeds, and iing-
ling of the equipments, and as old Sol
rose higher, his piercing rays grew strong
er and stronger, until the very horses grew
languid and dropping We halted to
water and rest at noon, still under the
burning sun, not bush the size of mans
hat was to be seen which would afford US
any shade. After an hours broiling, the
word was given to mount, the 'ffUrward''
was sounded, and we resumed our melting
way for that everlasting Pacific" Spring;
and pacific 1t ought to be, for our tempers
as well as our bodies were sorely tried,
and | am afraid there were more left-hand-
ed prayers said that day than even Parson
Brownlow would approve of. About FIVE
O'Clock P. NJ. we reached the Spr ng, after
twelve hours steady set in the saddle, ten
| of which hours we were under the perpen-
dicular rays of as hot q sun as it was
ever my lot to experience, and l have
been in not few of the hot places Of this
earth. which earnestly hope will be suf-
ficient to keep me out of any of the hot
places of the other world, all things else
being equal.
The train arrived, the tents were pitch
ed, and the order passed along to change
the feeding ground of our animals, which
had been picketed out Immediately when
we unsaddled, in the rear of our line of
tents. About three hundred yards in
front OF our camp there was very beau
tiful strip of fresh-looking grass, and for
this point each man made with his horse.
The first man on the spot struck his
picket pin into the ground, and it imme-
diately rebounded as if it struck against a
rock. Several more tried 1t, and the
same thing happened when one of the
men stopped down, and inserting the point
of his picket pin, turned up a portion OF
the sod, and 10 there was bed of ice
from four to ten inches thick. The new
few like lightning through the command,
and in the excitement created by the cry
of ''ice! ice - everything else in that
camp was forgotten. Every pick, spade
and shovel, and in fact anything that a
, man could dig with, was put into imme.
|
knives and in less time than l write this
the strip of green grass was covered by
anxious. hard-working men, as earnestly
bent upon what they were at as if their
lives depended upon ice. You may res
assured that that ice was a perfect God
send to that party of men, after our long
and weary and dusty march over a coun-
try covered with sand and sage bush, un
, der the rays of as hot sun as l ever fell
in the tropics and that ice was priced a
so much gold. Every empty gnhny ba.
and every blanket was put into use to car
, ry ice, and do not believe that before OF
, since such load of ice ever crossed tn,
Rocky Ridge as there did next day in ou
> train. We all thought it strange, O
course, that we should find ice there, 81.
inches under the surface, in the month O
July; but the philosophy of the circum
. stance was not thought of in the excite
ment and joy of obtaining it.