The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-12-18
KILLING WILD TURKEYS.
RARE SPORT IN THE INDIAN
TERRITORY.
General Sheridan's Diplomatic Ambuscade and
Its Magnificent Results-Fun Only
for the Oflcers-Troops Camped
In a Turkey s'Roost.''

turkey 10 employ a slang phrase
for the wild turkey makes it's haunts
in the timber-the woods were full of
them. During the winter expedition
against the Indians in 1869, writes
Major Inman, portions of the com mand,
particularly those companies which
escorted General Sheridan on his mis-
sion to Fort Sill, lived for days on
them, and shooting them by moonlight
afforded an immense amount of sport
to the officers, in which the general
INDUCED largely.
On the North Fork of the Canadian,
is place still known as sSheridan's
Roost." The general was an old
sportsman. After going into camp
at this place, on the evening of the
9th of December. the command found
themselves in turkey roost.''
Sheridan had himself made the dis
covery, and he Immediately gave Or
ders that no one, either officer or
man, should leave the camp without
his permission, because, if anyone
commenced to prowl around, the birds
whould not come back to their &C
custom ed resting place at night. Just
as the last rays of the setting sun sunk
behind the low mountains on the west
OF the camp, the general and about sew
en- officers, whom he had selected as
com panions, left their fire and wandered
slowly into thick woods where he had
discovered early in the afternoon
the coveted birds we're in the habit of
| congregating to roost. Each of the
officers, at the suggestion OF the gen
eral, took position on the ground to
watch until the time should arrive for
the, birds to seek their sleeping place.
They did not have long to wait, as
before it had grown fairly dark, two
or three magnificent focks came walk
ing down the ravines leading to the
valley. At the head of each flock, as
they unsuspectingly advanced, was a.
fine male bird, upon whose bronze
plumage the moonlight glinted as it
sifted through the interstices of the
trees. When he had arrived at the
place at which the flock under his
charge had been accustomed to roost,
he stopped, glanced all around for a
few seconds and then, apparently salts
fed that everything was all right, he
gave signal-a sharp, quick, shrill
whistle. At that instant every bird in
the flock with one accord raised with
tremendous futtering of their wings
and alighted in the tops of the tallest
trees. At this juncture, all the various
fiocks having become settled in their
several roosting places, the general
gave the word and every man COM
menced to fire on his own account
The turkeys fell like the leaves in the
fall, but did not seem to have sense
enough to get away from their doom;
they flew from tree to tree at every
shot, but persistently remained in the
immediate vicinity of their "roost''
with all the characteristic idiocy of a
sage hen, which appears, according to
my observation, to have less sense
than any bird that flies.
It was time that all honest men,
whether Gin camp or court" we're in
bed before the general and his party
left the ground, SO exciting was the
rare sport. After counting the num-
Der of birds that had fallen, it Was
discovered that they had bagged near
~ 100, of which the general had killed
the lions share. The now historic
spot was called ''Sheridan's Roost, :"
which name is retained to this day.
! Another turkey shooting occurred
previous to the one above referred to,
in which the whole of General Custer's
command took part. 1t was about
eighteen days after the terrible battle
of the Washita, and Custer was chas-
| ing the fugitive savages towards Fort
| Cobb. The weather had been very
| disagreeable-cold, snow and furious
wind. The troops had been wading
| through about a foot of snow. and the
horses were nearly starved, because it
was impossible to get at the grass ly-
ing so deep under the snow. That
night the command went into camp on
the Washita, and it was soon discov-
cred that accidentally they had
pitched upon an immense turkey
roost. It was not yet shutdown when
| the picket line was stretched and pre-
para,ions for the mems scanty supper
begun. Eagerly expecting that the
birds would come to their haunts at
the usual hour, the cooks were a little
perfunctory, anticipating that the bill
OF fare would. that night, vary ma
terially from the customary sow-belly
and hard-tack.
So sure enough, just about shutdown,
the turkeys began to return from their
search for food, and it was a most re-
markable sight to watch the evident
surprise of the birds as they approach
ed their roost to discover that their
ground had been usurped Several
f1Ocks tsrOun1ad mn, in fill riouy ne ri,