San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-03-01
(onroIsAL.)

(onrorsAL.)
A SCOUTING EXPEDITION IN WEST
TEXAS IN 1856.
A Graphic Narrative-A Fugitive Slave
who had Lived Alone In the Wilder
ness for More than q Year-..Returned
to his "Owner" U. 8. Troops.
In the latter part Of November, on 90
count of Indian depreciation In tho neigh
borhood, the commanding officer at Fort
Mason, Major Thomas, determined TO send
out scout vogel was In the corral whom
the packmules were selected and caught
The men had great trouble In catching them.
vogel was always trying to mako himself
useful; no tooka rope. swung II over his head
and sccidently caught the most troublesome
mule In the FIRST throw. Immediately .
man was sent to Lieut. Jenifer, command
or Of the scout with the report that the
green recruit could throw the lasso, and
forth with hs was detailed 90 . member
of the scout with the pacxmulos.
Next day about noon, after some trouble
In getting tho rations and cooking utensils
properly packed aud Il ,tened on the backs
Of half wild mules, they started. Tho And
Cavalry during the war changed 10 9Th
Cavalry was q new regiment tho year pre-
yious organized in Jefferson Barracks, No.,
and with few exceptions, were ignorant
Of scouting ON the frontier. Tho scout
consisted Of Lieut.. Jenifer, John McLAugh-
I'm, q Cherokee Indian a. guide, Corporal
Alba, and privates Ohrissman, Alexander,
Jones, Stone, Flyn, Dolan, Stultz, Shay and
some Others whose nfmes the writor has
forgotten, about II persons all told in
Guiding the Lieutenants servant who was
an enlisted man.
Alexander and Chrissman, the Company
hunters, rode ahead to get supply Of game
ready for them In camp. After riding
about 10 miles west Of the Fort, they found
two deer and several turkeys hanging in q
tree with the hunters awaiting. The pack
mules were unpacked and staked out to
Craze. and everybody went to cooking and
only the choisest pieces were
eaten and the rest thrown on the ground.
The weather was beautiful Indian Sum-
NOR, and the scout travelled In this manner
about five days. 1t was 80 interesting
that Vogel wondered why there was no
more young men from Texas In the q. B.
army.
When the scout came In tho neighbor-
hood of old Fort Terrett, they found an
Indian trail on the south side of the north
fork of the Llano. The trail crossed the
river, and from there the Indians spread
for the sake Of celebrating their trail; and
as the country was broken and rocky,
the guide disinounted and they progressed
OF tho rate of about one half mile an hour
in direction, where none of the party ex.
cept the guide could see even the least
sign of trail. The Lieutenant got inpa-
tent at such progress and asked the guide.
'John! can't you smell where the Indians
went too3" John replied, mo Lieutenant.
me no dog. me no smell where Indian
went to-" and got 80 excited that he lost
the trail; and the scout returned to their
former course.
The Lieutenant WAS descendant Of an
family in Virginia, sparely
built, with long, thin beard, delicate
hands and feet and weighing about Hobs
He was an excellent dog and horse trainer,
and had great reputation for that capacity
in the army and AMONG the sporting men.
But 1t seems he did not distinguish himself
10 the oonfederacy as the other officers of
tho 2ud Cavalry. All the writer ever heard
from him, was that Colonel Jenifer made
himself conspicuous reconoitering the
federal lines at tho battle of Balls Bluff, on
q swift dapple gray horse, and was known
to the federal soldiers as the BOLD Gray
Horse Rider" Perhaps Il was tho same
horse he rode In 1856.
From Fort Terrett they went distance
down the river and crossed over the noun
tains to the south fork of the Llano. John
was in the habit of riding alone in advance.
One day he turned his horse around and
made some gesticulation, showing that he
was in sight of Indians In fact the scout
was within 70 yards of an Indians camp,
but the Indians had fed, leaving behind
their ponies, saddles, part of their arms
and other plurder. But the scout did not
know it. They dismounted and prepared
for fight. Vogel did not think he would
have occasion to use his revolver on the
trip and had neglected to ask for advice
how to load il. Now was no time to lose,
he run to Corporal Alba and received the
instructions to load his revolver, without
The customary explanation Of the seven
motions in loading revolver. according to
Hearney's tactics. But Vogel was not the
for Lieut.. Jenifer took his handkerchief
and had the same tied with great care
around his right hand by his servant, per-
haps for the sake of not bruising his soft
hands With the rough hilt Of the sabre,
when cutting up the Comanches When
the Lieutenant was ready, he mounted his
horse, drew his sabre and ordered
"Charge."
The place was surrounded with cedar
brakes, and il Is easier TO find needle In
. hay-stack, than to catch an Indian In
cedar brake when he has got about 10 min
utes start. Vogel drove the packmules
into the Indian camp and saw that they
had fed in great hurry, their ponies were
staked in the grass and the meat roasted
before the fire. After q few hours the
main scout came back unsuccessful. and
the booty was packed In bundles, They
camped for the night on the spot but in
stead of letting the animals Craze during
the night, they were all tied to stretched
picket line. for II was expected that the In
dams would come back that night and try 10
recover their ponies.
After supper II was ordered that five
men should guard the first and five men
in the latter part of ths night. Vogers
time was In the fore part Of the night
about 10 yards from o thicket on the south
ern end Of the picket line, with instruction,
to FIRE at the s.ght Of an In6'sn. Il was
cold. starry, calm night. but diving his
watch nothing disturbed the calhness of
the night, but an occasional sound Of some
wild animal, IL initiated or real, he did not
know. II was he first guard duty In the
army; and queer as u may seem, he was
posted in the most exposed position for an
attack. When be squatted down on his
noai hehind A hnah and hanrd a afrAnaa