The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-06-11
HISTORICAL.
Extracts From the Diary of a
Saline County Soldier.
In Gen. Kearny's Expedition to
New Mexico i'm 1916.


The BAzoo published some ex-
tracts in last Sundays issue from an
old diary kept by John Sheridan. a
soldier in the Mexican war. from Sa-
line county. The book contains a
well written account of the daily life
of soldier, and as it was evidently
not written for publication, but for
the authors own amusement and
satisfaction, it is all the more interest
ing from the first to the last page and
the BAzoo has concluded to publish
it in full instead Of making extracts.
The first pages are gone, and thereby
an interesting account of the COM
pany's trip from home to the rende.
vous at Fort Leayenworth is lost, and
the first entry will be the one made
at the Fort
Sa 'urday, June 20.-Received or
ders with Company A of Jackson
county, to march for Santa Fe on
Monday.
Sunday. June 21.-Men all writing
home.
Monday, June 22.-My horse was
appraised at $40 which is $40 less
than the market price. Left Fort
Leavenworth about 10 o'clock, Jack
son county, Company A and our pro-
vision wagon following. At 3 o'clock
We camped on 10-Mile creek, ten
miles from the Fort. Some of the
men took bee tree and Isaac Fur
guson was bitten on the foot by a
snake. 1t swelled up and panied
him very much. The guard was
much alarmed at night by the wolves.
Tuesday 23-Wet morning. Capt.
not paying attention to it and ordered
us to strike our tents and move on.
Most of our horses had their f,et cut
by lariats during the previous night.
The rain increased and we were soak
ed through. Marched ten miles and
went into camp. We were in pref
ty bad fix, our clothes and blankets
all wet as we'll as the wood and every
thing else without means of drying
them. We had to grin and bear it.
La the midst of all our trouble we dis
covered that III. Craig was sick with
the measles. We however, got
little supper and little sleep. train
Ell all night.
Wednesday pr ,ined all day and
we concluded that soldering was
tough business.
Thursday 25-Sun shining and the
day beautiful. Saw the first house
since leaving the fort. 1t belonged
to an Indian. When within two miles
of the upper fork Of the Kansas or
Kaw river we came into the bottom
and struck timber and on account of
the sand it was difficult for our wagons
to get on. We crossed the river about
2 o'clock in two boats kept by the
Indians and Frenchman and char
tered by the government for that pur-
pose. We camped l! miles from the
river and put our blankets out to dry.
We bought some slaughtered beef
from the Indians at 4 cents per pound
and a young steer for SIS, Harrison
caught it by the tail and it carried
him very fast. i have often heard of
"pigtail lightning" if there is such a
thing he went like bulltail lightning.
Dill ran up and caught it by the horns
and Jos. Forjee knocked it down
with an ak.
Friday 26-We remained in camp
nearly al day, some washing, swim
ming and fishing. The Jackson COM
pany campe1 8 miles from us. The
over which we travelled dur
ing this time is the most beautiful
have ever seen. Timber in great
est abundance. Water more plentiful
than it is in Saline. The soil is not
much poorer if any than ours, the
country equally as high and more
level, the grass fine-in fact every
hill, hollow and creek indicates a
good as we'll as beautiful country.
The bad weather prevented us from
enjoying the lovely scenery as much
as We otherwise would. The country
was SO completely hunted by the
Indians that we did not see single
deer, hare, squirrel or bird during our
trip SO far through Kansas Territory.
Some day l think this country will be
settled up when it becomes known
that it is not a desert, but that event
will hardly occur within the next
hundred years as there is too much
good land nearer good markets.
The Indians are allowed to settle
in the bounds. Some of
them have very neat farms and raise
corn, potatoes and all of the necessa-
rles of life. They have great deal