The Portland daily press., 1892-02-23

cd and, walking some distance away,
the mules took fright at fapping tar
paelin on another wagon and dashed
through the line and out among the
grazing horses. In a moment pande-
moniurn reigned supreme. Other mule
teams started through the bivouac.
Bunch after bunch of company horses
became panic-stricken and away they
scampered at full speed on the back
track. Officers and men were yelling
commands and imprecations, mules
braying in sheer fright and all
the confusion and panic of stam-
pede were experienced in their
worst form. Over 500 horses had
ioined the stampeders and were run
ming wild over the prairie, dragging
lariat ropes and picket-pins, and be-
fore order enough could be brought out
of the confusion to mount details of
pursuers the flying animals were sew
eral miles away. 1t had required the
utmost exertion of the entire command
to prevent a general stampede. AS it
was one-half. the horses were gone.
Some of the companies had lost half
their animals, others from five to twen-,
ty, and but one troop escaped without
some loss.
The pursslers followed the runaways
for many miles, some of them remain
ing out two or three days without a
mouthful of food, except the game
they killed, and one party of seven
men and lieutenant were lost and suf
fered untold misery, having their feet,
hands, ears and noses frozen to such
an extent that several of them were
crippled for life. They were finally
found and brought in by scouts sent out
after them. With all this effort only.
about 200 of the horses were recovered,
the remainder becoming scattered
among the hills and ravines of that
broken country, and for years after
ward pioneer settlers were reported to
have taken up and utilized valuable
horses bearing the U. S. brand.
Thus magnifcently mounted and
equipped cavalry regiment, through no
fault Of its own, became almost nom
effective for the duty required Of it, suf-
fering from an experience unknown by
any command during the civil war.
Neither did the miscries of the regi-,
ment end here, for they wandered five
or six days longer, before they were
finally found by scouts sent out by Gen.
Sheridan. For two and half days
after the stampede, the men absolutely
lived upon hackberries and jack-rab-
bits, and had little of these, when a
hunting party sent out in the morning
succeeded in killing four buffalo, that
had been caught by the blizzard in a
canyon, and were SO chilled and cowed
that they did not make an effort to es-'
cape and were shot down with revol-
vers. This meat was duly issued to the
several companies, and lasted until
their difficulties ended, being eaten.
raw by the men, in most instances.
During the last days Of the march the
wagons and regimental forge were
abandoned, and the dismounted men
were finally left in a temporary camp,
and the colonel pressed forward with
his mounted men, finally meeting the
scouts mentioned above, and the di-
lapidated command was guided to Camp
Supply, where it was received with
great rejoicing by the regulars. Gen.
Sheridan was naturally disappointed
over the condition of the regiment, the
loss of horses and mules and the un-j
serviceable condition of most of the an
imals saved, but the regiment subse-
quently did good service and aided in
the capture of the villages of all the
hostile tribes, with their women, chill
dren, ,sponies and supplies. This forced
the warriors to come in and surrender.
though Gen. Sheridan had to confne
Sa-tan-ta, Lone Wolf and Tim
Der Mountain in guard house
for some days and threaten to
hang them before peace was finally
concluded. The closing expedition of
the campaign was made under Gen.
Custer against a band Of Kiowas who
had some white icaptives, and held out
longer than the rest urder hope for
ransom. They were followed by the
Seventh cavalry and Nineteenth Kan
sas for fifteen days, but at last were
corraled, and Mrs. Morgan and Miss
White, who were captured eight
months before in the Republican val
ley, were recovered.
This is the true history of the misfor-
tunes of the Nineteenth Kansas cavai-
ry and the cause of that inef1iciency re-
ferred to by recent writer, an expert
ence without parallel in the history
of the United States army.
GEORGE 8. JENNEss.