The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-04-09
BY SERGEANT lloLLlDAY.

A circus show landed at Leavenwortl
city, and after giving an exhibition there
came up to the fort. 1t proved to be al
unlucky place for that show. Our mel
had not been paid off for some months
and OF course were all strapped" but tn
pay rolls had been signed, and we were t,
be paid on the day following.
A delegation Of the boys in camp waitet
upon the manager and asked him 10 defe
uatil the next day. But he could not
was billed for points above, and must go on
The boys determined to have all the fur
possible out Of the thing, and play par
the programme. The menagerie part o.
tue show was a very lame affair, inasmuch
as an old lame elephant and q "happy fam
lily" composed all the features Of the show.
Night came on, and the band played
Johnny Came Marching Home" and
"The Girl I Left Behind Me-" and a large
crowd OF moneyless men gathered upon
the outside OF the canvas. Presently some
one plucked Inc out to one side and point.
ed to large slit in the canvas. 1t waa
enough; we had been there before. Fol.
lowing my venturesome guide, we were
soon under the seats, and patiently waited
for the clown 10 make his appearance.
We had not been enlightened as to what
was going on Just down the road a mile
distant; hence we felt serene and happy.
The show commenced. The grand en-.
try" was Just over. when the clown made
bis appearance with the usual jokes. But
suddenly be stops stops short and seemed
to have lost his place.
The ground trembles, and there ia q
sound as OF distant thunder. Now it CONT
nearer and nearer. Every face is blanched
and every heart stands still. The show.
men look each other in the face, but not q
word escapes the lips oil any one. The old
elephant lashes the ground with his trunk,
and tries to break his chains. The "happy
family" all at once stir up regular family
row, and in an instant monkeys, cats, dogs,
snakes, &C., arc engaged in q dreadful
deadly fight. Now the entire audience
loses their balance and commence to jostle
each other about
All at once the seats come down with n
crash. It was moment oil intense horror.
But only for moment. Now the ground
seems TO shake with greater violence; the
crowd outside are running to and fro; the
strange and awful sound increases. And
all at once the truth dawned upon us, and
the shout goes up, stampede! stampede! y
This intensified the-horror.
had seen stampedes before, and for an
instant felt my head reel and my senses
leave me-only for an instant, and then |
saw stars. The canvas was gone, and we
lay in heaps upon the, ground. Such a
scene cannot be described, or even imag.
ined. The whole occurrence took place in
one minute.
The tent was dragged for some distance,
taking in its folds hOrsea, men in striped
suits, wagons, seats, and carrying them for
some distance. Then it was dropped. and
the frightened herd OF cattle, horses, mules,
ponies, &C., with the old elephant bring.
ing up the rear, dragging his heavy chain
attached to one fore football went pell
NELL down the plain toward the city. This
chain with large post at its end was a
dreadful weapon in the hands OF an ele.
plant, and many were the Mexican steers
and Indian ponies which came within its
utAuly bNocP'
| regret to say that the ticket Office was
upset and robbed OF several hundred dol.
lars, although this was likely done by those
who had nothing to do with the stampede.
Several days were consumed in gathering
up the stock belonging TO the show; in
which search we all joined. With tho ex.
ception OF some broken limbs and many
bruises, no more bodily harm occurred,
although il was regarded as miraculous
that we were not all killed.
The cattle which stampeded belonged to
freight train in camp near the fort, and
destined for Fort Union, New Mexico.
They were started by the use Of buffalo
robes thrown over two or three mounted
mep, who rushed into the herd.
In Justice to the officers in command Il
ia well 10 state that they made IN effort TO
bring the guilty parties to punishment,
but they could not be found, and the en-.
RACED showmen left Fort Leavenworth
swearing eternal vengeance on all the
troops at that place. The showmon made
capital out OF the thing though, for they
went from place 10 place telling that they
had Lost three elephants, four lions, and all
their camels and dromedaries in that STAN.
pede. -. ...-,,
regiments, including the 9th West Vir:
ginia cavalry were paid Of. This proved
40 he a blunder, as the sequel will show.
II will be remembered that the 9th West
Virginia. 3rl Massachusetts,, l4th Pennsyl.
vppia, olst New York, and the lst and 9th
Mirhiean-all cavalry regiments-were in
camp at this time at Fort Leayenworth,
with marching orders for the plains and
Rocky mountains, In the territories Of Ne
braska, Colorado, Dakota, Wyoming, Utah
and Montana.
It was intended that all these regiments
should march through as far as Fort kar.
ney, Nebraska, tog:ther. 1t was evident
that Gen. Whetson was contemplating
trouble, and that the whole command
would refuse 10 move, In fact, II soon
became a fixed fact, and was publicly
talked OF by the troops and understood by
HE officers that the order would not be
obeyed. Then 1t leaked out that secret
meetipes we're being held nightly by some
~ tho regiments haG attended none oil
these meetings up to this time, but ono
evening Sergeant came through camp
GIVING nOtlce tLht every lnhu "Vu'A W ca
pected to meet in the woods, few hun
bred yards distant, that night at 10 o'clock.
Some time after dark the camp became
thinned out, until but few OF US remain
ed. As for myself, l bad determined to
take no stock In the proceedings or it's re-
sults, but had made up my mind to follow
Col. r, L. Fleming, my commanding 9th
Ger, whenever ordered TO go.
However, with view to finding out Just
what grounds the boys had for engaging in
a muiiny, sauntered out to the place o.
rendezvous. Here l found large delega
lion from all the commands. The little
Sergeant, whose name ! do not remember
called the meeting TO order. He was th'
same who had given notice 81 the meeting
| He proceeded to set fourth in flaming tone
he many reasons why We should not b.
sent out over the plains.
First, many OF the men had enlisted o
the breaking out Of the war; had seryet
three months, then three years, then re
enlisted again for three years, or "durinl