The National tribune., 1886-10-21

poison" would not have been out Of place.
When we struck the Colorado River eight or
10 miles below Fort Yuma we got a drink Of
water, warm, il is true, though not as warm rs
that we had TO drink on the desert, and with
less skull aud cross bones in IL.
When we left san Francisco our liar (rumor)
came with us, and was chock full Of business
an the time. The trip over the desert had no
more effect on the liar than whisky has on
piece Of gaspipe Fort Yuma is said TO be
THE HOTTEST PLACE IN SUMMER
in the United States The old story about
the soldier who died there and went TO the
warm region. and who came back TO the fort TO
get his blankets. stating that he could do with
out them while az Yuma but had TO have them
in hades, / might have believed If our liar had
not been so active aud not stuck so close 10 us.
During the early part of lS62 companies OF
the 9Th Cal. Inf arrived AZ Fort Yuma hay-
ing come by steamer down the coast and mp
the Gulf of California TO the mouth of the
Colorado River, and then mp the river TO Yuma
by steamboat They brought their liar with
them. About this time we first learned Of the
Column from California" composed of the
18th and 9TH Cal. Inf, list Cal. Cav. five com
panics and Battery A, LIST L. s. Art, commanded
by Brig Gen. James III. Carleton, formerly our
Colonel. Lieut.-COl. J. r. West was then Colo
mel Of our regiment lihe LIST Cav. included),
Mai. Rigg, Lieutenant Colonel, aud Capt. Nc
Mnllin, Co. c, Major.
Orders came for an advance into Arizona. ]
was then in the hospital on the sick, lame
aud lazy" list, and did not go with my COM
pany. i saw the command cross the river. aud
with il peculiar looking outfit that all soldiers
have not seen. Out of respect for science the
boys gave il the classic name of iackass bat
terry. On the backs OF mules mountain howitz-
ers are carried, TO be used in billy or mount
ainous country, one howitzcr on a mule, and
following is another mule carrying the ammuni-
ton, then comes third mule with the howltzer
carriage strapped on his back 1t is in this
combination we have the popularity 1 men
toned. The first view presented was
LIKE A "sIDE-wHEELER,"
and the second being stern or rear view sug-
gested the idea of a miniature steamboat on
pilgrimage for water.
We who were left at Fort Yuma heard but
little from the advancing column until the
capture of Capt. McClane with detachment Of
his company tA}, LIST Cal. Cav, at Maricopas
Wells by the Texas rebels under command Of
Capt. Hunter, through the trcachery of an ex-
Lieutenant of the Il. :. army, who was a de-
serter, in fact. Soon after came n fight with the
advance guard of the Texans at Pecache Mount
aims, 20 miles from Tucson, Arizona. where
Lieut.. Barrett LIST Cal, was killed. Then
there was a fight with the Apache Indians at
Apache LASS Afllona' Inc lnulahs opehcu hio
upon the battalion from the table mountain
commanding the narrow pass, killing some six
or eight Of our men. The "jackass" battery
opened with shell, and did good work, cleaning
them out in a short time. A fort was built
there and called Fort Bowie" after Col.
Bowie, of the 9th Cal. In time we who were
left at Fort Yuma, having recovered from our
disability, were ordered on TO join our CON-
panies j found my company (H) stationed at
La Messlla, New Mexico. on the Rio Grande.-
w. w. KING, Co. III. LIST Cal, Donophin, Mo.