American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-09-19
A Frontier "Reminiscences.

THE recent arrival of ex-Vice- Presi-
dent ColfaX in Denver recalls to mind a
halfforgotten but never published Incl
dent growing out of his famous trip
across the plains in 1864 or 1865. At
that time Capt. Humphreville's Company
X, of the Eleventh Ohio Cavalry, Nolun-
teers, was stationed in garrison at Fort
Halleck, a small log fortress on the Over
land Stage Line, near the base of Medi-
cine Bow Mountain. This fort has long
since been abandoned as military post,
the Pacific Railroad having rendered
military protection to stage-coaches I'M
necessary. When ColfaX and his Con
gressional party passed through Fort
Halleck, the writer happened to be one
of the detail of four soldiers ordered
out as a special escort or scout to follow
the iilustrious party to Bridger Pass,
after which we were instructed to return.
Our mission was performed faithfully.
We saw the coach with its load of nota-
bles go dashing down the other side of
the range, and with merry hearts and
gleeful voices turned our horses for n
gallop back to the fort. As we moved
rapidly along through the sage-brush
and greasewood in the valley between
Medicine Bow and the Elk Mountains a
drove of sage-hens attracted our atten-
ton and separated our party. Fatal
temptation! We little thought of the
danger then so near US, and the horrible
fate awaiting the bravest and bOldest of
the party-poor George Bodine. He had
just emptied his carbine at sage-hen or
grouse, when, with chorus of horrible
whoops and yells, party of Sioux rode
up out of a ravine which, with the sage
brush, had concealed them from obser-
walton, and after discharging a
cloud of arrows, mingled with slugs
and bullets, at us at long range
galloped away toward Bodine, who
was, by this vancouver, completely
cut of from US. We counted sixteen or
seventeen of the blood-thirsty devils,
and opened fire upon them from friendly
clump of brush in which we sought
shelter. Poor George! He realized his
danger in a moment; his only hope of
safety was in flight. His horse, though
tired from its long gallop after the stage
coach, was still able to distance the
scrubby ponies of the Sioux, and if he
could reach the ferry at North Platte he
would be safe. Alas! for the bravest of
comrades, the pride of proud mother
and ,ather, who to this day mourn his
horrible death. His horse, frightened by
the yells of the red demons in pursuit,
and evidently maddened by an arrow or
two which had struck it, became unman-
ageable, and in a fatal moment the bride
rein broke from one side of the bit. The
terrified and now unrestrained brute
turned toward us. To reach us it must
come in contact with the Sioux. 1t was
an exciting race, but Il hopeless one for
the poor young soldier. We dashed out
to meet him in his fatal race. He came
closer to his circling foes. His carbine
he threw away and drew his Remington
revolver. This he emptied at the Sioux
at close range, and two fell @headlong
from their saddles. We observed him
crouch down forward upon his saddle, rs
if to avoid the coming blows. But it
was not for that he crouched. 1t was
the fatal coils of the lariat or lasso,
which the next instant dropped over him,
and we heard his heart piercing shrek as
he was dragged backward from his horse,
which galloped past us in safety. How
poor George suffered while being hacked
to pieces by the fifteen red tiends none
can tell. As we galloped away we heard
his horrible cries for mercy while his
scalp was being torn from his head, and
to this day, when thinking of that horrid
incident, those screams of agony ring
upon the air-Coiorado Democrat.