, 1873-06-16
| Sudden and Unaccountatle Freshet in
Dlackwood Valley, Mob.
a Camp Of United States Soldiers
Swept Away by the In p
petuous Flood
Loss Of 6 Men and 26 Horses Be-
longing to Company a,
Third Cavalry.

Tho following account Of military dfaastor
has boon received at tho headquarters Of Tho
Military Division Of tho Missouri in this city.
Captain Alexander Moore, commanding Company
a, Third Oavalry, writing from tho field, unicr
date Jnno 0, 1873, to Major Dubois, command
Ing tho regiment at Fort Mcpherson, Mob,
eayH:
have tho honor to report that, in accordance
with instructions, loft Fort Mcpherson May
AZ, 1873, with ono guido, ono wagon-mastor, five
teamaters, and flfty-11o onlIstod mon Of Com
pany T, Third Cavalry, for tho purpose Of pa
trolling Republican Vhlloy. May
81, marched down Dlaokwood Creek about IA
naileB and wont Into camp. About 0 p. m.
TEnn1DLE FREsHET,
without any apparent cauBo, nvopt down tho
valley, carrying everything boforo 1t, mon,
houses, tents. Army wagons wore swept a1ong
like eorks. Tor tlvo days previous no 1sd no
rain, aud whore tho wator oano from 80 auddan-
ly cannot yet understand. Tho Valley Of
Dlaokwood ia about 45 milcs long, aud ! mills to
milo and half wido. Thia ontire stretch Of
country was
ONE RACING TonnENTt
at least from Bi1 to seven foot doep ind how
any man or horse escaped Is marvellous. Tho only
tling. Indeed, that prevented total destruction
| was tho fact that my camp was surrounded by \
belt Of timbor On threo sides, aud Rs tho man
vcro onrried Il by tho ourrent, they were on
ablcd to save, themselves by catching tho lmba
| Of treos. den day broke, On tho morning OF
the lat Juno, It ahowod almost Ill tho mon Of my
company
| IN THE Tors OF TnEEs,
without any covering except remnants OF under.
clothes, md benoath thom tho torrent still
| %1,n1 Lawn . $ntu {fsAt
| tor began to fall, aud fow mon who could
auim got to tho hills. Afterwards tho others,
myao1f among tho number, were got of viii
lfe-lineB. Up to this ti1no nothing was to b.
aenn Of what had been my camp except tho to{
OF an army-wagon. which had stuck to 4 log or
tho ground, and on this wagon we're colleotei
| II mon, who woro thus
SAVED FROM 4 wATEnY GRAVE.
The eottlors at tho mouth of the Dlackroo1
lost almost all their stock snd property. Ths
stocl, however, was almost all recovered whtl
tho flood vent down. Six Of my company wor,
drowned, and twenty six horses lost. I remain
cd at tho scene Of the dianHtor for four days
and recovered five Of the bodios Of tho men, ans
almost all the equipments OF the command.
shall not dwell On tho details Of this calanlit
further. It can only DO underHtood in
ALL ITS DREADFUL MAGNITUDE
by each one taking 1t home to himself, and q
approaching nearer to y 'iuat realization Of it
import. The mon, though almost destitute Q
clothing and ratiope, worked lahoriouhly for fon
days, recovering tho bodies and property, With
out mlrmur.
THE NAMES OF THE MEN DROWNED
were aB followa: Blacksmith. Edward P. Doe
psivates LOWS Cohn, Theodore Troond1o Deni
J. Mahoney, William J. Mars, and Daniel H
Taylor.
June 4. Broke camp ana marched TO Rad wi
lows. Found the creek swollen, and was obligo
to lay over for day TIL the waters Went dowr
and We rebuilt the bridge, which had been chi
ried array. .
am, sit, rory respectfully. your obodiont Sci
want ALEXANDER MOORE,
Captain Third Cavalry, Commanding Company
HEADQUARTERS, Fonr MopnERsoH, Nab, Jun
le39-Rospectfnlly forwarded ,;ta a. to DepartnaeI
, courage Of Capt. Moore and his non-commil
; stoned officers prevented tho Iosa of the sntiz
command. Capt. Moore's life was saved by Ii
trumpeter, N1cuoEan, whom respectfully re
onmond TOR modal Of honor.