St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-30
Frontier LUe.---ChOlerd on the
Plains.
A NEW ENGLAND woMAN's sToR,

hc ioiioWliS lclttI We llliu III Tie
Boston Transcript of Aug. 20. 1t i. the
most graphic account of the deprivations
and sorrows of frontier life that we have
seen i'll many day:
Fr HARkEI, KANSAS. Aug. II, 60.
We have been suffering for month
from the ravages OF cholera. After pc
ruslng and believing in former years col
umns of fine things concerning the dis
ease, after all the talk about the filth of
crowded cities, it has struck us here on
the far western plains. 1t has ragged at
every post between us and New Mexico
and is now reported to have extended
even to the high table lands of that
healthy territory. 1t appeared first at
this post amohg the negro troops, in tents
outside the garrison, and was TO. some
time confined TO them and the Quarter
masters employees. The whole number
OF deaths in July was something over a
hundred, which is a large per cent OF the
troops here. Last year, from May till
December, there was only one death from
disease at the post, and this year cholera
has ragged rs it does in the vile alleys OF
an unclcan town.
Doctors may As well own first at last
that il battles their skill and that they
know little of It's cause or character. We
admired the tr;lnkness Of an old army
surgeon, who has seen hundreds of cases.
when he replied to our question, "What
is cholera Madame, if | could tell
YOU | should be famous tomorrow morn
ing," The drinking water here has been
analyzed, and the SURGEONS differ as To
its containing hurtful matter: the heavy
rains have been said to cause the scourge,
but there are other places where foul
water is drank and where stagnant pools
are frequent, yet they have no cholera.
OF all the theories advanced there seems
to be only one entitled TO consideration.
and that Is that the mysterious pestilence
is on It's deadly march back TO the Orient.
and has commenced this year exactly
where it lett Oft last.
Six army ladies have died since July
|. OF the four at Fort lIarker two are
left, one has died at Fort Dodge, and
three on the plains, en- route for New
Mexico. There Is nothing Salder than
death at a frontier post, and especially
sucL a death rs cholera precedes-health.
life and strength in the morning, and i
liteless body at night, \ rough collin l.
hastily provided, ana without the care of
loving friends the bod Is robed 10y the
careless hands ot strangers for burial
There are no flowers, no music, no
clergyman prayers are read by some
officer, the coffin Is placed in IN army
wagon, and, followed by half a dozen
ambulcnceS, it moves slowly to lis lonely
prairie grave. We have been used to
saying to ourselves that we should never
care where we were buried. but feeling
Of horror and de>olation crceps over u>
rs We think of a single, sandy mound III
the midst OF the plains, left with no yi>i-
tors but the wolves and other wild beasts
that roam the prarie, and where loving
/ friends will never come TO drop l tear OF
fond regret. There Is something pleas
ant after all i'll the though ht OF a grass
grown grave, where flowers will some
times be laid above u> and the poor dust
will be often remembered, but 10 b.
buried alone on these wild wastes Is al
ding new terror 10 death.
Nobly have the officers at the stricken
posts stood 10y their commands, and il
the lives lost are 4 sorrow 10 uS now, il
will console us hereafter To- think that
they were lost rs bravely as if they had
been given up on the more glorious field OF
battle. Sorrowtul have been the deaths
of those who died on the march. The
party which left us in June lost their
onl Y surgeon and his wife. Ot him, u
Washington friend, who was trayellin.
with the command for health, writes
Il want to speak, although it is of nt
good TO any one now, words OF cOmmen,
dstiOn and respect for DR.. McGill. IIt
devoted himself fearlessly and faithfully
without regard to his own exposure, IL
the care of the colored soldiers under hi:
charge. His death, with that of hi.
wife, is sad enough; but if to his friend:
there is any consolation i'll the reflection
: that he died nobly and herolcally dis
, charging his duty like a soldier and :
christian gentleman, they certainly hav,
that relief to their anguish"
No one can imagine the depression
| which has nearly overpowered us all
/ An epidemic is SO much worse at pos
t than it can be in large city. Here w
, are Obliged to know OF every case an,
every death. The three volleys fire,
q over the dead soldier were finally omit
c ted, that the attention of the survivor
b. might not he directed to the number o
: deaths. by mistake, one morning,
i coffin was left at our back door. and a
: we stumbled over it we felt twinge o
the superstition which we all possess;
seemed as if it had selected US for its oc
c cupant. Shut in here, with no possibl
u news but dying and death, We began t
G appreciate how people can be scared int
disease it requires a stout nerve to pas
d through such scenes and keep entirel
d free from fear.
S During the worst of the disease an
a fright, four blessed sisters of mercy cam
Q from Leavenworth, unasked, to atten
the sick, and to see their quiet, black
d robed figures gliding here and thel
/ where the most suffering was, reassure
It US all. Their tender ministering to I'll
20 comfort of the stricken, in the laundres.
u es' tents, in the soldiers hospital, the
kind care of the poor and squalid wher
a, ever found, and their sanity, peaceful
s fearless faces drew our hearts, if not OF
|, reason, to the great religion which the
lie profess,
j. People often speak to us of becomir
"attached to the West" If the We
as means Western Kansas, it is hopeless