The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-27
THE JOURNEY HOME
Incidents En- Route From the
Camp at AdatOn.
FEW MINUTES In A WRECK
Corporal Paul Wienert, and His Work with
the Hotchkiss-Scout Frank Gruoard-
The Army at Pine Ridge.

Home again and glad of it. Since wrote
you last from our camp at Adaton in north
western Nebraska, l have jotted down a
few notes covering all incidents of our re-
turn trip, so here goes. Companies D and
E Sixteenth infantry, Captain Henry
Ward, commanding, pursuant to orders re-
ceived the day before from Major General
Nelson A. Miles at Pine Ridge agency, left
Adaton at $50 o'clock on the morning of
the 18th instant. The morning was pleasant
and the boys tramped the eighteen miles to
Chadrou on the Fremont, Elkhorn &
Missouri Valley railroad by $3.50 O'Clock
that afternoon. Expected to meet Major
j. B. Parke, Sixteenth infantry with com
panjes @ and II of the same regiment, who
was at that hour en- route to Chadron from
Oelrichs S. D., where his command had
been doing escort duty for wagon trains
going to Brooke's and Carr's command I'm
mediately after our arrival we began pitch
ing tents when Major Parke's command
arrived. About o'clock that evening re-
celyeo orders to remain at Chadron until
morning OF the 2lst, SO as to enable the
Union Pacific to provide suitable transpor-
tation. On the Goth four Cheyenne Indian
scouts came into camp. They were pro-
vided with letter from General Miles as
to their identity. A tent was pitched
for them near those of company
q, which company fed them literally
Passed most pleasant hour in the Office of
the Chadron Democrat, The editor, Mr.. c.
w. Allen, is the special correspondent
of the New York Herald and was one of
three newspaper men to be present at and
witness the Wounded Knee battle. He is
genial fellow, a journalistic rustler and
NC &c
been more reliable than any others. His
paper, weekly, is a bright, clean sheet
and is firmly established.
AT $50 o'clock on the morning of the 21st
our special train was ready. 1t consisted
of one box and one baggage car for the
tentage and equipage of the battalion, one
stock car for staff and; field officers mounts,
tve vestlbule colonist chair cars and one
Pullman. 1t was two hours later when
everything and everybody was ready to
Journey homeward. Arrived at Fort Rob
1nson at 10 O'Clock am, stopping only long
enough to take on supply of hard tack as
travel rations and two enlisted men of the
Twenty-hrst infantry, who had been left
by their battalion which pulled out from
Fort Robinson for Fort Douglas the day
before. The country between Chadron and
Grin junction on the Fremont Elkhorn &
Missouri Valley railroad, was indeed most
unlnvltlng, strongly resembling the
country bordering on the Bad Lands.
From Grin junction, over the Cayenne
Northern railroad, we moved snail-like to-
ward Cheyenne. At Wendover, a lyrical
Wyoming village of one house, about thirty.
six miles from the junction above named
coffee had been prepared for the battalion
DID call it coffee? have made grevious
mistake and lift my fur cap apologizing tC
the genuine article. The compound was
something, an imitation and think, judg-
ing from the taste, that salt instead OF
sugar had been used to sweeten it. Evil
IDENTIFY believing the soldiery their prey
the occupants Of this lone dwelling had
hastily made pies to sell u.s. | was a BIZ
hungry myself, so for myself and a COM
panlon purchased two, which upon a care
full examination proved to be a mixture OF
half cooked dough and foul canned berries
To say that my digestion had been impaired
is putting 1t mild. A cathartic was not
needed, was relieved of ii by the emetic
route. Arrived at Cheyenne at midnight
Our chair cars were heated by pipes apc
these were found frozen. The night was
cold indeed, and from Cheyenne to Lara
ME, where we arrived at am. on the
morning of 22nd, we played full COMPANY
game of ''freeze out'' To keep warm an6
drive away the blues occasioned by the cold
the boys sang to the tune of John Brown.
body:
''Blg Foot's body lies Wondering in the grave
As we 90 marching hone.n
Hang Red Cloud to a sour apple tree
AS we go riding home
AT Laramie the snow was on the ground
to the depth of seven inches and falling
fast Had breakfast and much better
cotfee at that place, when at 80 we pulled
out, praying that our engineer would oper
wide his throttle and get US over his divi-
sion to Rawlins in quick time The snow
disappeared when about twenty miles out
When about four miles east of Fort Fred
Steele and twenty-five miles from Raw
Inns, our train came near being dashed Il
pieces. 1t was about u 80 O'Clock D. m
when the train suddenly stopped, foul
shrill whistles told that something was
wrong with the iron monster and upor
going up to the engine my heart stopped
for a moment as | realized that we had beer
Tor the past ten seconds or more in the
very jaws of death. The big six whee
Union Pacific engine 1476 was on the verge
of topping over. The axle of the forward
truck had burned in two, and one of the
little wheels had flown down the embank-
ment at terrific speed. 1t seems the acct
dent occurred when going down a steer
grade and the brave engineer stood by his
throttle expecting to be dashed to death a.
any moment.
The distance run by the disabled engine
was at least mile and that with the throt-
tie reversed. 1t stopped Just in time One
Of the big wheels lacked about one eighth
Of an inch of being of the track. That we
escaped being wrecked and many of us
killed or wounded is miracle. No Grim
inality should be or can be attached II
either engineer or fireman. as both did their
duty in the premises. Many an engineer
would have jumped off in such predica-
ment Upon our arrival at Rawlins wired
The HERALD of our escape from prema
ture death. l spoke OF the engineer as
gritty in standing by his engine and could
not conscientiously wire word To iniure
him. In our opinion he acted nobly Al
$3.50 O'Clock, after three hours of hard WORK
in getting the engine ready for movine
aheac, ola l416, minus two truck wheels
and with her complicated forward work
lngs chained up, pulled US to Fort FREQ
Steele, where we stde-tracked, as did also
the freight close on our heels, TO allow the
the regular passenger and fast mail to pas:
US, when the freight engine pulled us init
Rawlins, arriving there at 4 80 o'clock
Too much praise cannot be given thi:
engineer. His remarks, his pallid counter
ance, all showed plainly the great stres!
upon his mind. ''If had not stopped hel
when l did, we would have all gone dowr
together was his first remark, and / in.
wardly felt for the man as noted the posi-
ton Of his engine. These men are entrusted
with life and property. Silently they holt
their throttle and little do we know OF
realize their feelings. They are heroes
uncrowned kings-aud l for one thank Coz
for the intrepid daring and sterling courag,
OF this man, whose presence of mind avertee
terrible catastrophe in the very nick o.
time. Left Rawlins at o'clock. spen
another night on the freeze out plann anC
arrived in Ogden at o'clock on the morn,
ing of the 23rd. At this juncture
1 think it just to criticise til,
Union Pacific trifle. With frozer
pipes in our cars the entire distnna.