The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-07-23
ON THE PLAINS in '65.
A Grand BuHaI, HDnt ia the wind
River Yaliey-LIoW the West Virginia
Boys slew the BeLemoth-A Hard
Trip Through Snow and Axtrcme
C~oId-some OF the Soldiers Die.
BY SERGEANT HOLIDAY.

Entered Hcc0Iding 10 the act Of congress In ID
LibrariAn's 0tice at Warrington, u. c., BY thoRu
thor, George II. Holiday. Of %Irontou, Ohio, In Ii
year l:6.l
About the firstof December our officer
received a telegram from the officer il
command at Three Crossing, one hundred
and twenty miles farther west, stain,
that bufaIoS were pleatifll there and ask
ing them to come up and Join them inl
grand hunt. The temptation was tot
much to Withstand, and, not withstandfni
the extreme cold and bad condition OF the
trail, q purity was organized, and, the
writer, although not a commissioned off
Ger received u polite invitation to accom-.
pany them. OF course he assented, fol
be. was determined to see all there wash
II, and not allow one in that camp to "a
farther than he did. Could we have known
Of half the suffering and trouble OF the
long journey before Us, we would not have
thought once of undertaking. such q wild
goose chase. "A
But we did moi know, and one cold morn
ing found 8 dozen officers and men mount
ed on the best ponies in the camp and with
o four mule gwagoR-an allthe neCessaries
for a hunt, we left Fort Casper amidst the
protests Of our comrades, who maintained
that we would fnd the roads impossible,
and that We would all freeze to death on
the way.
Our party consisted Of Captain NJ. Dona.
hoe, Lieut.. Krouse, Lieut.. Miller. Lient.
H. W. Brazie, 'tscouP' Purdy, "Buze'
Lindsey our friend Finn, and the
writer, besides Others whose names / have
forgotten.
We found the trail barely passable and
rendered so in many places by the use Of
our shovels.
The next station beyond Casper, as
stated, is titty-ivs miles distant. 1t was
not a bad one in the summer time. II
ran parallel with the chain OF mountains,
known'a al the Snowy Range. There is moi
a stick Of wood on the way except along
the foothills OF the mountains several
miles distant from the road. 81 e
We toiled along all day, walking and
riding, anyway TO keep from freezing and
make the best time, and when night came
we had made half the distance TO Sweet
Water. We had some pine wood in our
wagon, and with this We built a fire in a
gulch and went into camp for the night
Our suppers over, We lay down and tried
to sleep, but found that the pile OF robes
and blankets we had with US were Insult,
Ecient, and our little stock OF wood soon
gave out and the fire was reduced to o
mere handful of iembers around which
we huddled covered with blankets. There
was but little wind, but the night was sure.
ly the coolest we had ever seen.
Alto O'clock the last spark Of FIRE was
gone, we were all crouched together in one
shiyeFing mass and our ponies and mules,
although heavily blanketed, shook like
aspen leaves. The situation was q desper:
ate one. and something must be done.
1t wss decided at once that we must
move, and that quickly. In ten minutes
We were struggling through snow which
screached, and ground, under the wheel
Of our wagon, and added q gloom 10 the
situation. l think there was not q man in
that squad but regretted that he had IN.
dertaken the Trip. But we pushed on and
at daylight We sighted tho lille ~blockhouse
standing alone on a barren blut just befurt
US.
1t vas like a sail to shipwrecked sailor
and We raised a glad shout, which aroused
them at the Post who came out and eS.
pressed their Joy, and surprise in various
ways. They mad seen no new faces fol
several weeks, :
We remained here all day and night and
were Joined next day by two men from tbi.
Post.
The remainder OF our march was made
with comparative case, as we found plenty
Of hre-wood for tires, and We camped often.
The Devil seems 10 have had dominion
over this country at n time. At least
so the names OF different curiostties along
the route Iadicate.J ta9
There is the Devils Backbone" q long
ridge OF ragged rocks, resem bling the ius
OF q large fish. Then the Devils Gap,'
a deep cut through the mountain OF rocks.
The Devils Pulpit" which is a pile oil
rocks standing alone on top OF = bluE, re.
sembHng exactly an old fashioned pulpit.
We reach Three Crossing station alter
several days march, and q vast deal OF
suffering from cold and fatigue. Here we
found a. company OF the Eleventh Ohio
cavalry comfortably dxed In their substan.
tial b%lockhouse. They were living on
jerked buffalo meat, and all seemed 10 be
in good health. We saw evidences every
where OF plenty Of this kind OF game, and
our anxiety for the onslaught became I'M
bounded.
The next day after our arrival the hunt
was organized, and we started Tor the field
Of action. Johnny Rubb, q Cincinnati
boy OF the Eleventh Ohio cavalry, a sue.
ceSsfpl boy in the cause, was elected cap.
tain OF the expedition. Our wagon &C
companied US to bring ~ the meat.
We had been told by our young Captain
that when w struck the herd that two mer
must select q bison and stick to him II WI
yoE g him. down, that when wounded be
would leave the herd aad,thens We must
ride onto him and use our revolver. a.
effectively o. possible. Bit There was ont
thing he torgotto tell Us saa that was thai
the bull would dodge from right 20 leitanr
occasionally stop short and 30 would tht
pony and that We would likely go on-heell
over head for some distance. But II John,
nyforRot totell ns, We learned Il from SAD
experience that day. The day vas not DC
intensely cold as theifew days proceeding
and we had gone but six or sight miles whe1
we came to q bluff overlooking, the Lana.
mie Plains, and the Wind River Valley
The scene was grand, but We only had
second to enjoy II, and bad just sighted q
herd OF perhaps 5000 buffalo moving ike q
cloud from the direction Of Wind River
holly pursued by a pair Of Snake Iudians
who lived along this valley, when Just be
low Us not more than two hundred yards
We suddenly discovered Q small herd OIL
young bulls lying down.
GO said Ru0b, in a low and distinct
tone; and we went. So did the bulE. lPell
Et1eioSer bluff down into canyons and
aerossthei wide hottomS through tab sage
brush. Now we were on to them-bans-
bapg-on We plunged, wildly and nadly on,
not needing the holes mada By the prairie
dogs, or the deep chasms over which our
nimble ponies leaped, but on, right up side
by side by side with the great clumsy
creatures, who get over ground faster than
one would suppose, then we plunge into q
great snow drih, and the mad, frightened