Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-08-20
BRAVE MISSOURI BOYS.
Tho Longest March os 7Iiltary
Forces Known to History,
Cnparalleled Feat or Missouri Command
During the Mexican War-Outdoiag
Sapoiccn's Veterans and Proud
Hannitais war:icrs.
isnver CITY u. NJ, kn.ertrtse |

were mustered into the sevice of the Unit
Ell States at Fort EeaFenworth, try Cap
tain Allen, on the 7th dav OF June, 1876.
General kcaruey, of the regular army,
commanding the expedition to New Mo2l
CO, had orders from the Government to
fnate the conquest and organize n civil
government for the Territory under the
laws of the United States, and also to CO.
operate with Commodore Stockton on tbs
coast, in doing the same thing in Upper
California. This regiment enlisted for
twelve months, and was composed of some
of the hest young men of Misc couri, in the
prime and vigcr OF their lives, with light
hearts and Iuoyant spirits. They babe
farewell to friends and kindred, and in
view of the fascinating adventures of the
expedition to a foreign country, they
thought little of the Herculean task they
had undertaken. The regiment was COM
posed of ten companies, each of che hun
dred men, and the toilsome march began
over tho broad, uninhaIited plains. hoyS
covered by the great States of Colorado
and Kansas, with nothing but buffalo,
wolves and Indians in all this wide ex
panse, and without solitary human hab-
tation TO greet the eye for distance Of
eight hundred miles. 1t has been forty
long years since that regiment followed
The Santa 70 trail MP tho Arkansas river
mud through the Ratoa mountains. Is IL
possible that any member of that regi-
ment who has not been over that road
since that time, could recognize il if he
saw It to day with It's cultivated fields,
magnificent cities and grand system of
railways? 1t is wonderful change, a
great Improvement, resulting directly
from tic Mexirasa war; Ina States OF Saia~sss
ra 10 au.i Nevrria, the Territories OF New
Mexico and Arizona and tho golden State
of California, have al been carved out of
the conquered territory.
Each private owned his horse and o6tIe
and received forage and pay for the use OF
him. Saddle bags full ofclothing brought
from home was all the supplies they had
in that line during the years service. On
the second days march out from Leaven-
worth the old Santa Fc trail was struck,
and then the regiment was fairly ou its
winding way.
The uTepressiLle march began Ia earnest
and was the order OF the day and tho
Eternal Con to Mexico" was uppermost
in the minds of all. Five hundred regu-
lars of the United States dra-
goons having overtakcn the rcgi-
ment at Las Vegas, tho command,
now fifteen hundred strong, under General
Kearney, marched into Santa Fe without
resistance and took quiet possession, while
the battery fired a few blank cartridges
from the heights on the cast.
The Second Regiment Missouri Voltn7
tcers, under General Price, having arrived
near Santa Fe, Colonel Doniphan's men
pulled out for the land of the Navajoes, n
: l;.f, - 81 4 .I,a
northwest of Santa Fe, under command of
Colonel Gilpin. This was hard cam
paion in mdwin:er, and the volunteers
suffered from the cold, having frequently
to clear away the snow TO make down
their beds at night. Hitherto their suffer
ings had been comparatively ht, but
now tho tug of war had brought them two
thousand miles from holne, and no chance
! fer either rein forccments or supplies. In
deed they bad lost their base and left
their commissary. This STATE of things
necesstated "doublc quick" forced
march hy day and night. Continuous
clouds of sutrocating dust, the scarcity of
water to drink and half rations were II
few of the privations and hardships thsI.
had 10 endure. The first Lattc was fought
at Brazito, fifteen miles below the town Of
4
! The regiment was detained at IL Paso
waiting for the battery, ana as soon as it
arrived the toilsoma march began again.
The route from El Paso lay over vast
sandy deserts and sterile plains with long
stretches from water to water. a mcr-
chants train, consisting of five hundred
wagons laden with a cargo of goods worth
SJ00,O0O, had followed in the rear of tho
I ~.
began TO look squally they found it to their
best interests to keep up close aud leave no
| gap between them aud the commands
lines. The second lattle was fought on
the 29!h of February, lS4T, at the Sacra-
| mento pass, eighteen miles from the city
| of Chihuahua. The merchants train was
tempting prize TO the III MexicanS, and fivo
hundred "ianceras" were detailed for tbe
| purpose of capturing it at all hazards. As
the regiment advanced on the Mexican
lines during the fight the train drove up
and the teamsters seemed to appreciate
the situation. They could see the cloud of
! 'lanceras" on their left, and it made them
feel wild and woolly," and no doubt they
cid the lest driving on that day thcy ever
| did in their lives. The train really suf-
fered more from the enemy's batteries than
the regiment, the cannon balls making a
wreck generally of mules, oxen and
wagons after they had passed through the
| regiments lines. This battle lasted from
two O'Clock in the afternoon until dark.
The material and uTples captured were
ten pieces of moun'e 'ed cannon and a guam
tity of small arms, eighteen carata loads
| of dried beef and fourteen of bread,
several tons OF cigars and cigarettes,
and six large sacks of copper coin (quar-
| tillas), with two hundred head of beef cat.
tie. The ntxt day utter the fight TWO hum
dred men went. into tho plaza at Chihua-
hua and took quarters, after which tho
regiment all maj ched in and Colonel Doni-
phan sent an express to General Taylor,
then camped or the hard-fought field Of
Buena Vista. He ordered the regiment
down there, and from there 10 Now Or
leans TO be discharged as their term Of GU
listment had expired.
The distance this regiment had marched
from the time 1t left Missouri until it was
discharged was net less than $500 miles
the longest march ever made by troops in
any country. We hnd no parallel in
Bonaparte's march TO Moscow, nor in
Hannibal's march across the continent.
General Sherman's march through Geor-
gia 10 the sea ould not cover half the dis
tance, and was smooth travelling and MOI
over rugged slopes and desert Plains in a
foreign country.
a virginian's Numerous Carriers.