The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-10-21
A RUGGED JOURNEY.


FROM NaWlins to the Ute reservation
In CAMP ON WILLIAMS FORK BKAI
RIVER, Oct. live pursued our marcel
through the Wyoming wilderness OF
the 9Th to Snake river, about twenty
four miles from Soldiers springs. We
found near that stream, which is deep
a well-constructed ranch, owned by &
gentleman named Baggs, who possesse.
the quality of pluck to a great degree
The Utes ran off eighty-six of his horse:
and fired an outlying ranch, but he re.
fused to stir, and his wife and family
stood right by him. The lady was very
intelligent, and said she had been in
the country many years. She had been
as far a. the Ute agency.
what kind of a country is it aheadP''
inquired the colonel.
sit is fair enough" she replied, sun.
til you pass Fertilization creek. After
that it begins to tighten up"
"What do you mean by thatp"
II mean that it forms into cahons,
which have steep walls on both sides,
where your soldiers would be entirely
at the mercy Of the Indians"
"No matter, madam" said the colo
mel, 1--WE must go through at all risk"
Take care, then, you don't go
through like poor Maj. Thornburgh,"
said she, with an ambiguous smile.
The Snake river valley is rather narrow,
but passably fertile, and capable of feed
ing a large amount Of stock. 1t is not
in the Ute reservation, but trenches 80
closely upon that territory that it is an
object of jealousy to the natives, be-
cause it has been we'll settled up recent
ly. Our camp IN the Snake was quite
tolerable, although the weather grew
very cold during the night, and now
fakes fell plentifully. The prospect of
a winter campaign is certainly not a
pleasant one. 1 can stand a great deal
of heat-on that account the hereafter
has not the terror for me it might have
otherwise-but I abhor cold. 1 think
the extremity Of human misery wal
reached in the campaign of Moscow.
In this connection IL may be well to
say that the soldiers are very poorly
provided with clothing for cold weat-
her, the poor fellows having had to
march at an hours notice in most cases.
The officers are hardly better of. This
makes the approach Of winter a very
serious consideration. But nobody
knows where this campaign may wind
up; perhaps on the Rio Grande, if the
Indians conclude to go south.
The 9th was. ushered in clear and
beautiful, after the snow, and we were
moving toward Fertilization creek,
which is in the state of Colorado, with
the Uinta mountains. rugged and snow
capped, rising on our left flank and in
front. We had n good t~wenty-four
miles between us and Lieut.. Prices
camp. Before noon the weather be-
came chilly and disagreeable. Lieut..
Chase, in advance, sighted a couple of
horsemen, probably struggling Indians,
who ran away with great agility. Half
a dozen soldiers pursued, but the ponies,
as usual, showed a clean pair of heels,
leaving the heavy American horses
nowhere. We were not sufficiently
scared by the appearance-and mysteri-
Gus disappearance-of the two strang-
ers to turn back. We concluded they
couldn't surround us, and SO kept on.
The country grew more difficult and
slightly less barren as we approached
Fertilization creek-a small stream of
bright spring water. We found Prices
redoubt garrisoned by a colored cor
poral of the 9th cavalry and seven color
ed privates. Capt. Dodge and Lieut..
Hughes, with the rest of the company,
having heard Of Payne's pickle, gallant
ly resolved to aid him, I'VE before Mer-
rift arrived. They had gone forward,
leaving the eight soldiers to guard the
baggage. Price was subsequently pick
ed up by Gen. Merritt, which left the
poor darkies in an awkward plight,
should any hostile, appear. Col. Henry
solved the problem by picking up the
Zulus and their baggage and taking
them along, whereat the colored troops
exceedingly rejoiced.
We marched three miles down the
creek and went into an excellent camp.
The infantry followed US right up, hay
ing made their twenty-four miles in
spanking style. The creek takes its
name not from Prices redoubt, but
from a peculiar formation Of rocks on
some of the hills, which resemble the
battered walls of a stormed fortress.
In this, as in all our camps, except