The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-09-14

GhsQnteIhgtnetr:
THIRST.
Thrilling Story from the staked
Plains.
soldiers Suffering Horribly from
Want Of Water.
EreninR Men Alive on the Blood
THIRST.
Keeping Men Alive on the Blood
OF Horses.

VI NOEbeh,
Ser York Tribune, scpt $.
In the early part Of August intelligence
reached this city from Fort Concho, in
Western Texas, that company Of United
States cavalry belonging to the Tenth
Regiment, under the command Of Capt.
Nicholas Nolan and Lieut.. Charles L.
Cooper, while in search Of band Of hos.
tile Indians, had been lost on what are
known as the Staked Plains,-a sandy,
wa,erless region in Northwestern Texas.
Later reports said they had made their
WAY to Double Lake in very exhausted
condition, having been four days without
water. Following those reports, dis
patch wa received from Chicago, Aug.s s,
and derived from "oflicial information
stating that desperate fight h ad taken
place on the Staked Plains between Gov.
rrument troops and Indians, and that the
soldiers, who were much exhausted from
want Of water, had all been killed. 1t
wasiurther added that list OF the killed
consisting OF two officers and thirty.one
men, would be forwarded as soon as re.
ceived. Since that dispatch was published
nothing definite has been 10 the public
prlntj. The Tribune has now been fur.
uished letter from Lieut.. Cooper, one Of
the officers OF the company, and dated
Fort Concho, Texas, Aug, 80, in which be
informs his father, resident OF Brook.
Ign, OF his safety, and gives m interest
Ing account OF the terrible suffering Of
himself and others. The letter is as fol.
lows:
Fort CoNcHo, TEX, Aug. go, 1871.
DEAR FATHER: You can hardly imagine
our astonishment here to learn OF the SEN
.Atlon in the newspaper world our trou.
bes and misfortunes have been the means
cleansing, as can see from the slips you
have sent me that the real circumstances
Of the case are completelymisunderstood,
thought it good idea to furnish you a
brief account OF our trip. Our company
IA, Tenth Cavalry left here on July 10,
With two officers and about sixty men,
!ora two months scout. We were to
make a supply camp at some convenient
point, and maneuvre from there in pur-
suite depredating Indians, "a also to
protect settlers, who are rapidly popula.
ting this region OF the country. Upon,
onr arrival at a place called Bull Creek,
about 40 miles northwest from Concho
We found party Of twenty.eigh. men
,bulllo.hunters) who had lost consider.
able stock on account Of Indian thefts,
and Who were organized into company
for the purpose OF overtaking the Indians
and iegaining their lost property. Capt.
Nolan who commanded our company
thought it best TO establish our supply
camp at this place, and go with the hunt.
era, most OF them being acquainted with
the country, ard they having as aguide
Mexican named Jose, who had been for
Years in the habit OF trading with these
Indians, and had become thoroughly nc.
qlainted with the country, and knew
every "water.hole" and possible camping.
place where Indians might be found.
We left our supply camp with forty
men and two officers on the 10Th Of July.
The hunters had twenty.one men all told,
30 You can zee we had quite party. Al
ter marching for several days land were
from the first experiencing difficulty in
procuring water, on account Of the great
drought this year,, we found ourselves on
the SlSked Plains, at place called
Double Lake, where small quantity Of
aISali water was obtained. Here we rest.
ed, on the 10Th Of July, whilst Jose (the
guide and Il few men went further west
10 Dry Lake, n miles, in search Of wa.
Ter aud .igns OF Indians. At II o'clock
TN, on the 18th, while we were waiting
toT Jose, two OF his men came back hastl-
ly, with the news that though there was
no water there, that forty Indians had
passed that morning at $50 o'clock, and
seFe ,ei'urely going in northweSterly
direction, killing game as they went, and
evidently not suspecting that troops were
IN the country. We saddled up hurriedly,
S.nlered the stock, and started for Dry
Lake, from whence, having arrived about
sunset, We Immediately started on the In.
dian trail. This we followed until it was
20 lark the guide was unable to see it,
and then msde dry camp (camp with
out water for man or beastl. On the 9Th,
Ndaybreak, we took up the trail and fol.
loved it without stop until night, and
again made "dry camp" During the
day tSo OF the men were sunstruCk, and
iSefgean! and few men were left with
them to follow US up as soon as they lad
,,niic,eNtly recovered. As for myself, l
lei! the heat more this day than on any
other during the trip, and owing to the
intense heat and having no water to
dfIHk, at about ) o'clock | came near Civ.
'hSup with sunstroke. In the meantime
We had, to use nautical phrase, "boxed
me compass in following the trail, and
mad wandered all day over a sandy plain,
S'th sometimes fresh indications OF the
Indians having passed recently, and then
again completely at loss to find which
way they had gone, as the trails scattered
IN all directions, Towards night the
guide gave the trail up feeling assured
We could not catch them, and COM
m1enced again TO look around for water.
tie had followed the trail with so much
Perseverance and energy that he had not
ssepi account OF his bearings, and We
'Gand, as consequence, he, a. well as all
oiu', was lost on the Staked Plains, with,
ont vaier and no prospects, OF getting
aany as We did not know which way to &c
.2' 1t, and from our experience, we knew
'Se greater part Of the country was al
Dry as bone"
Ia the meantime our men had beer
cropping from their horses with exhaus
ueI, ~ wehad now been nearly two days
Without water, and we were retarded
greatly in endeavoring to keep the mer
%seIheri this, too, alta time when every
moment was precious to US. We made
mother dry camp after dark, and endea,
'3S'edto forget in Sleep the sulIerings VIC
Ill endured; the guide in the mearwLiio