San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-12-07
written for the Fsss pss",
OF a Texas Veteran.
by O. HRHARp.

After we reached the Cross timbers, then
our main troubles commenced, in fact we
were lost, great difficulties presented them
selves for advance by rough broken coun-
try, and great scarcity of water and provis-
ions. We had TO abandon some wagons
and nearly all tents to facilitate our pro-
gress, Slow and tedious as 1t grew from
our exhausted work oxen, who had. to sub
sist over night on grass and also do without
water for a or 80 hours. There at the
Gross tinbers in the latter part Of July. Mr..
Falconer and Lieutenant Hall Gan English
navy oficer) by use of the quadrant found
out that we were still about 500 miles dis
tant from Santa Fe, somewhat north OF
west Of us, A very unpleasant contempla-
ton when we had nothing to live on but
poor oxen, little game and great risk OF life
to hunt that, on account Of hostile Indians.
We had Mexican servant with us who !
believe honestly thought he knew the section
of country we were in, for he formerly lived
in New Me xico and was often on the plains
buffalo hunting; and as we had many days
ago passed plain old wagon trail that
proved to be q train that had started few
wears ago from st. Louis No., on nearer
route to Chihuahua, rather than 90 over the
plains to Santa Fe down to chihuahua, but
they missed it and were eight months in
going from st. Louis to chihuahua. What
they suffered can imagine, but as we have
no report of it no one can tell.
As was going to state, we were lost,
and depended too much on ourMexican who
we thought knew the country.
We came up to the Wichita river, and
its large branches. which we thought was
the Red River well known to head towards
New Mexico, but it proved that Red River
was at least more. than rs miles north of us;
and here while lost we met great ravines that
we had to avoid and hunt out places that we
could pass and also great scarcity OF water.
In fact here commenced our great troubles
and sufferings
We c,m, in that W:c.itl section, in q
very rugged rough country, our advance
guard could with difficulty find way out
for our wagons, and water was very
scarce.
Once after we had done for more than
twenty-four hours without water, we struck
high, long ridge; down it ran small
stream, to get to which we had to descend a
steep ravine some 800 feet deap. and we
could only go down it with our horses single
file, so narrow was the passage, precipices
on all sides. Willie most of our men and
horses were down there quenching their
thirst on brackish water, we saw all at once
great somke in camp and heard guns
fred. We did not know what to make OF it,
but with all possible speed hastened to camp
to find the high stuble grass burning and
one of our wagons, that contained great
many guns, on fire. which accounted for
the firing. All went to work to put out the
fire with our blankets and after half an hour
we succeeded to save our wagons.
All our musical instruments burned up,
and from that time our march was dreary,
no more revellie or tattoo, or music at
parade.
We would have been in dangerous situa-
ton had we lost our wagons and ammunition
hundreds of miles away from any SETTLE
ment. The fire from camp reached cedar
brake in those deep ravinns and we saw the
smoke for days afterwards,
The next day as soon as we got things in
order, for they we're confused in the effort
to stop the fire, throwing many things out
where we first stopped the fire to the near
est wagon, and the country seemed to
open again, we passed on but there was
still the same scarcity of water and very
brackish, the horses and cattle liked it, but
| it was almost unfit TO drink.
Our Mexican guide who himself became
convinced that he mistook the country and
that it was not the section where he former
ly hunted buffaIoes, became alarmed for
fear the Americans might take vengeance
on him, but there was no danger. He and
an Italian left to retvrn no more to rs. We
saw them afterwards in New Mexico. They
said after incredible suffering for water and
provisions they at last met some Mexican
hunters.