The Leavenworth weekly times., 1878-10-17
THE ITnsAVss

{ THE TJnsaSs.
SuffeFi1gs Of iba Troops Among the
Sand Hilis Of Nebraska.
Especial Dispatch to Chicago Times, ~
An UIIER FAILUKE.
CAN'T ON THE RUNNING WATER. Neb,
Oc.ober 10, via. Camp y I.bi- -on, Neb., Oc-
t,ber 1.-THE Thornburgh expedition
reached here at 10 a. IN. to-day. We are
forty miles northeast of Camp Sheridan.
The expedition will probably be disbanded,
it having thus far resulted in utter failure.
The expedition has been a most remarkable
one. The march has been through . coun-
try which is
A GEOGRAPHICAL BLANK,
and desert untenanted by scarcely a liv-
ing thing. The wagons were abandoned At
the Platte river on Saturday morning, two
of them being
STUCK IN THE SAND.
The men took two DAYS rations on their
saddles and started at four o'clock a. m. on
that day northward toward White Tail
creek, where the scouts reported the sava-
ges encamped. A fog 80 dense that it OBJ
scured objects twenty yards away
BEwILDERED THE SCOUTS.
and before they struck the trail, eight
miles away, twenty miles had been travers-
ed in objectless detours, and
THE sAvAGEs HAD ESCAPED.
Their camp fires were smoldering and their
trail was still fresh. The column pushed
on with scouts supposed to know all about
the country, but they proved their utter ig
norance by leading the column through an
inaccessible country and losing the trail.
THE TRACK OF THE sAvAGEs
was finally discovered by members of
rhornburgh's staff, and the cavalry moved
IN at the highest possible speed. Saturday
night we made dry camp underneath the
hills, where
A SEMI CIRCLE OF RIFLE PITS
had been dug in the sand. We pressed the
-avages so closely that twenty ponies had
been abandoned, and near the rifle pits
there were some with packs on their backs,
all wet with perspiration. Daring the
night Indians were heard around the camp,
hut the scouts were not able TO strike them.
The command was
IN THE SADDLE BEFORE DAYBREAK.
following the trail, which led toward the
south. Seventy-five miles had been trav-
ersed
WITHOUT A DROP OF WATER
The day was hot and dusty, and the men
and animals suffered frigh,fully. A private
of company II Of the All Infantry, dis
mounted by the falling of his horse, was left
ON the road
TO WAIT FOR MAUcK's COMMAND,
which was following twenty miles in our
rear. Two hours after the column passed
out Of sight he was attacked by several
Indians He took refuge in the rihe-pi,s,
and stood them off several hours. The In
dians, circulating around him,
POURED HOT FIRE UPON HIM,
and, although some of their bullets cut his
he escaped unhurt, Msuck's COM
mand appearing In sight Just after the In
iians succeeded in shooting the trigger off
his gun. We reached small creek near
The North Platte river on Sunday morn.
The men were almost unable to articulate
from the effects of
THEIR ToRTURING THIRST.
The wagon train left in the rear. was at
tackled by fifteen Indiana. The guard re-
pelled the assault until relieved BY the ar
rival of Mauck. All the scouts who had
been engaged
DESERTED THE EXPEDITION,
md Col. Thornburg could only push on in
, northern direction in hopes OF striking
he trail. Camp was made Sunday night
1t the head of the Blue Water, thirty-five
niles north Of the river. Rations for the
men and forage for the horses gave out on
sunday, and the men were compelled to
BREAKFAST on FRESH BEEF
which The Times correspondent shot the
light before. On Monday, Oct. Z, we
marched forty-fve miles and struck
THE GREAT SAND HILLS
i Nebraska. The sand was knee-deep to
he horses and was carried by the wind in
binding clouCs. Ceaseless currents Of wind
,iied it up in monstrous castles or whirled
1 up into
DRIFTS LIKE SNOW.
The column marched forty five mikes with
nj water and with no food save a little
lard tack and raw bacon Just as the sun
vas going down our glasses revealed a lake |
n the distance We reached it at O'Clock,
mt found 1t to be bitterly alkaline. Tues |
ay We struck
CARTOONS TRAIL
nd followed it, abandoning all hopes of in |
erceptIng the Indians. The best horses in |
he command we're sent forward bearing
curriers' to ask Cartoons assistance. W.
marched forty miles and passed en- route a |
ry camp made by Cartons men. Horse- |
nd men dropping out of Cartons column |
rom exhaustion came
sTRAGGLING INTO OUR CAMP
ear an alkali lake at all hours during the |
light Wednesday morning the probability |
hat the whole command would
PERISH IN THE SAND
'as generally discussed. New couriers |
ere sent forward, and effort made by the |
officer TO relieve the increas-
lg
DISTRESS OF THE TROOPS.
[e succeeded at 3 o'clock in communicating
ith Carlton. and an hour later We were
,mped on the headwaters of the Snake
yer, where Cartons relief met us.
THE HORSES WERE so THIN
lat the men almost pulled them over in
tempting to mount. The expedition is
,mplete failure 80 far as the capture of
e renegade Cheyennes is concerned it fail
because
lilly FITTED OUT,
mething for which Thornburgh cannot be
I'D responsible. Another cause of the
lure was the unreliable character Of the
outs furnished the expedition. The de-
lrtment of the Platte was Outseneralled
he savages
BAFFLED THE TROOPS
every point and led them into the sand
lis, from which they might never have
merged. Advices from Sheridan by a
urier Just arrived state that no appre-
nsion is felt of
TROUBLE WITH THE SIOUX.
'otted Tail has sent in word that he
,uld arrest and deliver the Cheyenne fu-
tives il they came into his camp. We
nnot ascertain the exact cause of the
,uble with the Sioux, but understand il to
merely a demonstration by few hun 4
ed bucks to secure the fulfllment of thej |
,aty. u,
nother Custom House Investiga.
ton.
rNau vorJ rin,as ~