The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-04-02

all cbanged-or perhaps ] bad changed.
However II was; felt a melancholy simi.
lar TO that Of Enoch Arden when he re.
turned 10 his old home alter an absence Of
ten years, and found his wife the vile oil
another.
wished again that ! might go over
across the country TO the banks OF the
Wakarusha and watch the endless string
OF wagons containing emigrants and pro-
visions for the forts and country beyond
the Rocky Mountains. | remembered how
in my boyisb love OF the wild and romantic,
| had envied the wagon master, his mule
and Mexican saddle, and long heavy whip,
and large gingling spurs. But oil this bad
passed, and / tried in vain to forget the
past and make the best oil the present.
But have unintentionally drifted into
this channel, and will now take the reader
backIto the camp ut Leavenworth. / am
anxious 10 get onto the plains with those
who will follow me, but we must not leave
Fort Leavenworth without telling Of the
mutiny which occurred here.
fain to paso over this unfortunate &C.
currence, for 1t Is not very pleasant retlec.
ton TO remember that regiment that had
served through nearly five years without q
spot or Flemish to tarnish hard earned
fame should engage in mutiny. But the
circumstances which occasioned- It. was
ample excuse for those who participated.
Our flrst order after getting settled In
camp was to turn .over" our American
horses and draw" ponies. The turning
over process was light job for us Our
horses had been "turned over" 1.-THE
l. Il 81 l.ln nF,k Nha Irat NtY IL
was hard job. The corral, about thirty
acres in extent, contained about one thou.
sand "bronchos." Some were good some
were not so good. They had, many OF
them, been captured or confscated from
the hostile Indians on the plains, and as q
result were not accustomed TO the ways
and manners OF the pale face. They had
to be caught with "lasso."
Indian ponies were better calculated for
the use OF cavalry on the plains than
Americana" horses. His powers oil en-
durance were truly wonderful. never
knew pony to give out He can travel a
greater distance and carry load in a day,
or week, or all the time, for that matter,
and do it on less rations than any other
living animal.
We saw some little scrawny rats out on
the plains which had been in the mail SER
viceior years and seemed to grow fat on it.
During the spring, summer and TALL they
receive no grain at all, but subsist on grass
and wind. ....t
A few days after our arrival we went
over to the corral to pick from the herd.
them proved 10 be fine sport,
especially to the "bullwhackers" and "cow-
boys who lounged around and watched
BUR awkward Efforts at throwing lariette.
But hali.breed Indian who had charge
Of stock, came to the rescue on an old split |
cared pony which seemed to take especial |
delight in chasing and capturing his wild
country cousins. He was brought up in |
The lasso business and knew just when to |
rush in and the exact moment to set down |
and choke the pesky rascal at the other end !
Of the rope. @ ~
By night we had secured enough ponies,
and we returned to camp.
Alter exchanging our old trusty carbine,
Tor seven shooter (Spencer) carbines, and
adding iorty.foot picket rope and iron
pin to our equipage, We were again ready |
Tor business.
Each regiment had assigned for its use a |
mule train Of twenty-seven wagons, six
mules to the wagon. These were for the
transportation Of rations, tents and tools,
and material for the construction OF block
houses and stockades, together with sup.
ply OF forage for mules and. ponies.
During our short encampment here we
were joined by the LIST and 9th Michigan
Cavalry. While lying in camp and making
for long march and hard
winter, an incident occurred which I must
relate to show how naughty the boys acted
on certain occasions Then will give an nc.
count Of the mutiny.
ITO be C0ntinued.)