Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-05-18

Vember colonel DUH evacuated the
fort, destroying all the buildings. The
lighthouse was also undermined, and
powder put in with theintention of de-
molishing it, but the work was so
poorly done that it resulted in very
little more damage than the destruction
of a few OF the steps Of the inside
stairway. After the evacuation and re-
moval of the Confederate forces far
Their eastward, the Federals occupied
the fort, pushing an outpost of cavalry
as far up the river as Kinggold Bar
racks, near Rio Grande City, otherwise
known as Rancho Davis, some eighty
miles or more above.
Early in the spring of 1864, Colonel
John s. Ford (6ld Rip, received or
ders from the Confederate Govern
ment to raise brigade of cavalry for
frontier defense. Colonel Ford had
been "front1ersman" from the earli-
est settlement of Texas by English
speaking people, and was noted as an
Indian fighter. It was Colonel Ford
who defeated, in 1859, the attempted
invasion of Texas by the afterward
noted Mexican General Cortina. at
Las Rucias, rancho some distance
above Brownsville. So promptly and
snergetically did he set about the
work that by April ne had organized a
force of some seven hundred men,
composed of Giddings' battalion, COM
manded by Colonel George Fl. Gid
dings; Showatter's regiment, Colonel
J. Showalter in command; and small
force of Mexicans under command of
Con%nc
The American Confederates were
composed of old men who had been
serving east of the Mississippi River
and discharged on account of some
disability, and boys and young mon
Under twenty years of age. Colonel
Ford established his headquarters at
Fort Duncan, near Eagle Pass, and
within few weeks concentrated the
different commands Of his force at that
poin, During the stay at Fort Duncan
the Cosanches made a raid through
the border for plumber and destruc-
ton, which was met and repulsed by q
part Of the force with small loss.
After about fortnight spent in COL
Letting supplies, which mostly came
from Mexico, preparations were made
to move down the river. In order to
be as expeditions as possible, it was
necessary to employ guide to lead
the column by the nearest route to
Ringgold Barracks From Che uncer-
tain condition of things. trustworthy
and competent guides were next to i'm
possible to be had. However, the best
we could find was employed. and he
was so incompetent that for two days
the whole force was lost, and, worst of
all, without water.
10 the reader who is unacquainted
with this "dry belt" of country, it is
best to say that for the greatest part of
the year river and creek beds are dry
and dusty. appearing like geological
transition now in progress. Often for
days the traveller will continue his
journey without seeing either water or
moisture of soil, and any neglect to
provide sufficient water is punished
with intense suffering. The thirst is
more parching on account of the dry
ness Of the atmosphere, for during the
dry season dews are unknown, and
the extreme dryness causes rapid
evaporation of moisture from the sur
face of the body. By changing our
course we again came out to the river,
whose landmarks we continued to fol-
low until near the barracks, when our
approach was made in as cautious a
manner as possible. We found that
the Federal cavalry had been with
drawn to Las Rucias.
Leaving portion Of the force at this