Connecticut western news., 1875-01-29
A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

A Fearful Storm of Snow and Sleet Ovcr-
 takes thes Tenth Cavalry oil the Prairie.
 The following account of the terrible experience of a detachment of the Tenth United States Cavalry, ill doing winter duty on the plains, was received at military headquarters, St. Louis, from Lieut.. Orleman, of the Tenth Cavalry, who had charge of the party
 In compliance with orders, with my escort, consisting of eight men, left camp on Sweetwater creek, l.. T., Nov. r. It was very dark and storming heavily, having commenced to sleet about five o'clock ill the afternoon, and this, accompanied by q violent northeast wind, rendered the weather extremely trying Before leaving camp 1 took n bearing with the compass by candlelight, and by observing the direction from which the wind blew, was enabled to de- termine the course. After travelling until about midnight, the storm became so severe, the sleet cutting like knife, and my horses evinclng so decided a disposition to turn back rather than face it, that was compelled to go into camp, of rather halt, about two miles east of Buffalo creek, ill the same hills, between two of which we managed to gain it little shelter from the increased severity of the storm, after having marched about eight cen miles. Owing to the scarcity of wood, there being none in the vicinity, if except short growth of thin oak, entirely coated with ice, we were unable to 8BFiin fire enough to keep warm. The men suffered intensely from the cold, three of them being frost bitten during the night, With no fire, and d scanty supply of covering (there be- ing but two blankets in the whole de- tachment, and one man without an over coat), we waited for morning.
 The storm continued all night, abating nothing i'll violence as day approached, which saw us again c,t- rosete.F The ground by this time was covered with a sheet of ice between four and five inches thick, which, in connection with the thin oak, coated also with ice, ren- dered it very difficult for the horses to travel. q FS e@5 $& @
 Owing to the fearful condition of the road, I found it impossible to go further on this day than thirty eight miles, which brought us to Davidson's creek, where I've encamped about 7 P. M. During the day three of my horses gave out, and l was forced to abandon them. Our pro gress was, of course, by this accident, very much delayed, as the gait of those mounted was necessarily accommodated to that of those on foot.
 The silfferings of the second night were but repetition of those of the first, and, if possible, augmented. Four ad- ditional men were frost bitten, making @ total of seven thus disabled out of the detachment of eight, and but for the fact that they were compelled to move about and exercise themselves continually, 1t is my firm conviction that many of them would have frozen to death.
 The storm continued with unabated severity during the night, but ceased at sunrise ill tie morning.
 At daybreak we were again in the sad dle, making slow progress over the icy prairies, the animals marking the trail with blood at every step, oozing from cuts made by the ice-incrusted thin-oak, and breaking through crust covering the ground. We kept on, however, until twelve o'clock that night, when we en- camped on Carpenters creek, having made but forty miles in eighteen hours. Without food for the men, or forage for the stock, we passed the night without shelter, and exposed to a keen north wind. -@
 At break of day we started again, and with the exception of an hours halt, kept o1l until midnight, which brought us to the head of Cache creek, in the Wichita mountains, where we camped, having marched thirty-five miles. Our progress during the day was very slow and tedious, the exhausted condition of the horses making it necessary fer the men to perform nearly the whole dis tance on foot. Starting at daylight the next morning we arrived at this post about noon, without further incident worthy of note, having marched twenty two miles.
 On leaving the camp of the Fort Sil- column on Sweetwater creek my detach- ment started with one and half days rations and three quarts of corn per ami mal for the whole trip, which were all the supplies they could be furnished with. This fact will serve better than anything can say to demonstrate what my men and horses were compelled to undergo. Without food, without s1lfti- cient covering for two nights, almost without fire, walking the ice-covered prairies for many miles with frost bitten ,. feet, their sufferings surpassed anything of the kind I have ever witnessed. Yet, notwithstanding all these ills, the men behaved admirably.
 In. conclusion, I desire to bear testi- nlony to the good conduct of Sergeant Major Parker, of the Tenth Cavalry, who 1 rendered me invaluable assistance in my i efforts to inspire the men with cheerful spirit, and encouraged them to renewed exertions during the day, as well as keeping them moving during the night to prevent them from freezing. The total distance marched was 150 miles.
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