Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-31
WITH The DARK NINTH HORSE
A Day Among the Colored Cav airy
at Camp Crook.
REvEILLE AMID THE euTTEs
ReRimental Drill in the Valley of
Soldier Creek-A Crack Com
mand of Tanned Troopers
in Battle Array.

Neb.) August co. Special to The BEE. l.
Day is just breaking in the valley. The grey
streak which lines the bluffs IS broadening
from narrow band into a sheet OF light
which moment by moment increases in
width. AS we throw back the flaps of the
tent and step out yswningly INTO the open
space which divides the officers line from
the company streets In the Ninth cavalry
camp, scarcely sound breaks the stiffness
OF dawn. A colored sentinel with carbine
on shoulder slowly tramps along the path
worn dusty By weeks travel. An occa-
sional stamp from the region of the stable
picket line shows that the troop horses are
there and awake. Seven miles eastward red
pencils of light are touching up the battle
ments of Red Crow Butte and changing its
glowering crags and pinnacles into crests of
living flame which run up and down the
butte's sides and spread along its grizzly
front until the great mass of clay and sand
stone is illuminated with all the changing
colors of the kaleidoscope ard stands re.
vealed in its rosy background like one of
Bierdstadt's great masterpieces of western
scenery. AS the car of Aurora comes rap
idly down the valley with its attendant
nymphs of the hours the dark curtain of
night rolls backward DER the hill ana bluffs
duu OhS SECdo SiiCuO Cuulp opdubo ioNoaiSu III
the first blush of dawn.
Silent for an instant, but then silent no
longer. "
A moments pause, and then the clear
notes of trumpet sound with startling DIS
tinctness from the Eighth infantry line the
opening bars of revelle:
"Ta-ra- tara-ra, " Clara tara-ra''-
~ can't get them up,
II can't get them up,
~ can't get them up in the morning"
A colored trooper before me steps into the
open and repeats the strain, which is taken
up by seven commands, scattered through
the valley, until the entire camp rings and
the bluffs awaken with the rattling meas res
of the opening of official day.
King James bugle, on the shore of Loeb
Katrine, never made such startling meta
morphosis. The great camp turns over in
it's sleep, yawns, stretches and awakens.
Men emerge half-dressed from tents, cooks
busy themselves around camp kettles, there
is sound of axes and of cracking fires and
a gathering of colored troopers in the COM
pany streets On the officers line dozen
tents open, and as Assembly, sounds for
first rollcall and the cavalrymen fall into
line before the first sergeants, one would
find it difficult to comprehend that the busy,
alive, rushing camp which presents itself
was ten minutes ago wrapped IN s lumber.
Stable call rings out, and in few
moments five hundred men are watering,
grooming and feeding their chargers. The
cavalry horse must be fed before his rider
and his care takes up much of the time of the
trooper. In addition to all the duties
of a dismounted soldier, the cavalry
man has his horse and its accoutrements to
look after and sabre and revolver to
hon Ia hna at1n h 10 rhi ha mi n
mounted, he pays dearly for the privilege in
| the added work of "stables" and the in
creased elbow grease needed to keep his
| sabre polished and his revolver clean.
Will the trumpets never stop ringing
changes on their brass tubesa a...s ~.
Sick call has sounded and is followed by
another variation or two, while hurried
| breakfast is being partaken of on officers
| row and in quarters. Colored orderlies are
| now seen saddling up horses as the call of
"Boots and saddles" rings out and mingles
with drill call in other camps of infantry and
| artillery. Out from his tent in the rear Of
| line steps Major Randlett, at present TEN,
porarlly commanding the regiment, booted
| and spurred, with his sabre chains rattling
| and his spurs playing tattoo on the sward.
| His grey souch hat covers the head OF one
| of the best cavalrymen in the army and one
| of the most popular officers in his branch of
the service. The adjutant lieutenant, w.
l.. Finley, is already mounted and dashing
across the "open" Horses led by orderlies
| trot rapidly up to open tents as Captains
Parker, Loud, Cusack, Dimmick, Olmstead,
Hughes, Stedman, Taylor and Garrard,
| commanding troops X, ID, G, II, q, !, +, Is
and A, leap into their saddles and ride
| towards the plain at the east Of the camp,
| where the troops are already forming.
"Prepare to mount!" H-.
Five hundred colored troopers throw their
Jeff feet into stirrups and grasp bride and
name.
| "Mount!w eY'
An equal number of swarthy bodies swing
| INTO the saddles as the command, "Form
| rank" rings out, and the troops move from
the company to the battalion parade
grounds, with sabres rafting and spurs
A moment or two later the battalion ad-
| jutants have turned them over to Captains
Parker, Loud and Cusack, the battalion
commanders, the bays of Captain Cusack on
troop on the left. There is halt, but only
for moment The troops suddenly wheel
to the right and break into column platoons
| as they march to the regimental parade
| grounds and face Major Raudlett and his
adjutant, who are awaiting them on the
crest of the hill, sixty yards distant IL is a
| pretty scene as the nine troops Of colored
| cavarymen, formed in platoon columns,
await the opening command, The only mo-
| tion visible Is from the scarlet and white
guidons which fiutter from the ranks. Five
| hundred bronzed horsemen sit their mounts
like ebony centaurs. The parallel lines Of
/ platO0nS are as evenly spaced as the rows OF
| an Ohio corntield and the horses are as mo-
| tionless There has been hard work by
| troop commanders hard work by men and
| long drill of horses to effect such II result.
Watch the battalions now break into col
umns OF fours and then form in two lines on
the right. The sharp command of the major,
the warning note of the trumpet, the re-
| sponsive orders Of the officers of battaions
and the hoarse calls of the sergeants seem
| almost simultaneous with the swift whirl OF
horses and riders, with changing lines as
straight as II backed by steel rods, with in
terlacing of men ana steeds, which in q
second untangle themselves into symmetry
and grace and orderly progression. How
the yellow striped legs grip the saddles, the
sword arms and bride arms motionlessly in
place. the eye balls cleaning from faces
glistonng with perspiration, each troop
emulously attempting TO surpass it's fellow in
skill ana precision and discipline .itj- F.
Look again The battallons have changed
| formation into columns of fours ana are
| swinging into line from column formation.
How splendidly the men ride With what
| precision the order, "Fours left. Rear bat
talIons left front into line" is executed. The
simultaneous swing, the perfect distances,
the wheeling of fours with the left trooper q
pivot around which the other three appar-
emily revolve for a moment, looks more like
machinery than the brain directed move
ments Of men.
Once more the trumpet calls ring out. The
battalions diverge and spread out over the