Montgomery County sentinel., 1882-06-23

Win the ofhcers and men, and went ~
little while to the Sioux encampmeni
but us there was no interpreter presen
we could do but little but shake hand
and look around. Taken altogether the
were the best looking Indians VIC INC
with on the trip. We saw some of thi
same tribe away back as far as tho Mis-
sions. of which | have spoken, Ate
looking around the Fort, which as it oc
Cured to me was very poor protoctio
against any tolerable force of hostile In
dians, and after mailing our letters, W
went back to our train and made q shor
drive that evening
Before we reached California we hear,
OF the massacre Of this whole garrisol
by this very tribe Of Indians, some 0
them it may he the very red devils tina
frightened us so. For tilis massacre the,
suffered severely afterwards when tli,
Government sent out u. force agains
them under Gen, Harney, who slaugh
tered fivo hundred of them at Ash Hol
low.
After drive Of day or so we were
fairly into the famous Black Hills coun.
try--why thus called am not aware. -
| do not rccollect that the appearance o.
the soil was any other than that o.
any poor. sandy land. mixed in man,
places with alkali, or salaratus, which
gave the soil rather white appearance
But my memory serves me very poorly
as to the nature Of the country from Lar.
annie to the South Pass of the Rock,
Mountains. know that generally it was
pretty hilly and rough, and that on either
hand noted peaks, such as tRese of Lar.
annie. Fremonts, Pixies and Bridges
Peaks were much in sight. The hills to
the north of US, and on their northern
slopes, were covered with timber, and
the peaks spoken of snow capped, and
everywhere on our way, except parts oil
it running prrallel with the Sweet Water
river, very rocky. We also saw on
this part OF our journey many natural
curiosities-Pyramid Rocks, Ash Hol-
low, Scott's Bluffs, several Hot Springs,
among them the celebrated Steamboat
Hot Spring, called so because of the
noise, resembling the puff of steam en-
gine; it makes also the equally wonder
ful Soda Springs, the water of which
when put into tumbler or vessel with
lemon or any other kind of syrup makes
a delicious drink
Now am not positive that all the
above-named curiosities were met with
on our journey just along here, some of
them we may not have seen until after
leaving the South Pass, for the truth is
it was not until having reached and trav-
eled over this part of our trip, we began
to realize the terrible nature of tho jour-
ney we had undertaken--the immense
amount of toll, vexation and distress in
volved therein, and which none but those
who have tried it could possibly know
utterly indisposing us, even if we had
the time to do so, to notice, much more
critically examine, the numerous objects
of wonder met with by us along here
and the desert and mountainous country
subsequently traversed by US from Sail
Lake city to the western foot of the 81.
ezra Nevada Mountains, in California
Imagine party of only fifteen per-
sons, (reduced to twelve before getting
through, tramping on behind about fouI
hundred CATTLE many of them sore-footcd
and unfit to travel, even after having
been shod with sole-lcather, drought
along for that purpose, a tedious, ugly
job of itself, but one frequently done
over a road almost always stony now and
very often rocky, but nevertheless inces.
sanity dusty-the dust of light, impal.
pable kind, rolling back upon us in such
a cloud all tho time as TO prevent our see.
ing but few feet ahead, and choking
men, horses and cattle, 30 that il was
almost uncomfortable by either, especially y
when away from water, us sometimes wc
were for whole day, the trail all the
while perccptibly on the rise, and ut the
same time in many places dipping sud.
denly down some horribly precipitous
rock-obstructed gorge or canon, (pro.
nounced canyon) requiring often the use
of rope and cable to tow and check the
wagons safely down and out Of them, and
at the foot landing us not into valley OF
level way, Except occasionally but 10
the rise Of another hill or mountain, as.
cending TO the summit of which only
brought us to the rise of still another
and a higher aud rougher one, aud yet on
neither hand Except ut great distance
of) giving indication that we were then
actually into. ascending. and at last, on
the 4th day of July. (thc day of our
reaching the great South Pass, on the
summit Of the great chain Of mountains
that in our school-going days we imag-
incd high barrier Of huge, barren rocks
beyond which no one might hope to go
or see for thousand years at least.
Laborious and wearisome enough
this experience, am sure the reader
will agree, but when add thereto that
instead of lying down at night to rest
aud recruit our weary bodies and brain
M previous to joining our cattle train we
had been accustomed 10 do. we had 10
in the hard ordeal Of standing
sentinel over the train, not every night
to be sure, but in any locality where
there was danger Of the Indians depre-
dating upon US, MS they had already done
upon other trains, by first stampeding
the stock and getting it scattered and
lost amongst the surrounding hills, and
then after we had hunted them up in
vain, and passed on, gathering up their
booty.
II was said these thieying bands were
led by white men, chiefly MorDoDs. and
| believe il from tho fact that they di.
rccted their efforts 10 procure horses and
mules rather than cattle. We saw small
parties Of these Indians very often look
ing at us from distance. sometimes along
the trail and sometimes visiting our camp,
and this kept the Boss on the alert and
caused Us 10 keep watch at least three OF
the party, on a relief, very many nights,
and when we were already so worn oui
as to need every moments rest we could
get
The roOues never troubled us but once