The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-12-04
Horses Finding the Way Homo.

In recent Tribune appears clipping from
the Turf. Field and Farm, giving An account
of party of Surveyors saved by horse y
As an evidence that such intelligence Is not
confined to the "Ihdian ponles," the follow
ing will be interesting to lovers of that noble
beast in general:
In The fall of 1861, we were campaigning
in Southwestern Missouri and. on very
cold evening, it became my duty to relieve
the chain Of pickets in our front. l started
from camp with about seventy mounted men
about an hour before dark; made my circuit
dropping the new men and taking up the old !;
and when all had been relieved 1t had become
quite dark, and slight snow began to Tall
and the wind to increase in force.
We were now about mile and half from
camp, if we were to follow the picket line
till we struck the road, but, IN direct line,
not more than half to three quarters OF a
mile; and, wishing to get into quarters be
fore the storm became severe, concluded to
take short cut for home, which, like many
an attempted short cut, proved very long
one; for, riding long enough to have gone
several time the distance. 1t became appar.
ent that we did not know where we were, and
was forced to acknowledge that was not a
very good leader.
In turn several of my men who thought
tnpv COuIu 10 UCllCI tilCNi W iSaSA va pat oii
TO no purpose 1t was now nearly eleven
o'clock, showing and blowing gale, with a
fair prospect of our having TO remain out all
pight. | mad noticed an unusual frettulness
and ndisposition to submit to my guidance
on the part of my mare, and it flashed upon
my mind like an inspiration: Perhaps she
can take us to camp! We had dismounted
| in little ravine and built fire. | gave the
order to mount and told the boys that | was
going to try Betsy and see if she did not know
more than all of us. We moved out of the
ravine, and after getting well out on thu
prairie gave her the rein. AS soon as sht
realized her freedom, | found her bearing OF
to the left, and in about ten or fifteen minutes
we saw a fire, which ,son nearing it, proveC
to be the one we had just left. She showed
no inclination to 90 into the ravlnc, bu
shrked along the edge until the reached 4;
narrow point. This she lcaped, and sool
struck into br SIX trot; and i'll twenty min
utes more we were safe in camp, much to thu
iov of all, fer it was feared that we had beer
: pushed.
I On several occasions subsequently l tested
Betsy's intelligence, and always with the same
) results. Once having returned at evening
from long scout, found camp had beer
moved, and l could get information only a.
to the direction the regiment had taken. All
ter about three hours brisk ride Betsy brough
me, not only to camp, but to my own com
pany, and never stopped till she stood in from
OF my tent.
t We have frequently heard physicians
!, practicing In an early day, relate how certain
of their horses proved unerrng in their abil
ity to make Decline "a straight line) ovel
the praries for home in the darkest night
Facts illustrating this are too abundant to b.
denied. All horses do not possess this sens
, or power but many of them do. There
nothing improbable or rem arkable about tn
y above narrative.