The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-08-05
FAMOUS LoNo R,pEs.
soldiers and scouts VINO Rode ON rmpera
tive Orders. les


soldiers and Scouts who Rode ON Impers
The recent cowboy race from Chad
,un. Ncb., to Chicago, and the excellent
condition of the horses used by the
elders at the conclusion of the trip.
which goes to prove the stamina and
enduring qualities Of the western bred
horse, and was one of the marvels OF
the race, calling forth as IL did, the ad-
miration of rough riders everywhere
and securing from the agents of the
humane society certificate that. with
few exceptions, the horses were in good
health when they reached this city,
brings to- mind some famous long
distance rides by scouts, soldiers and
dispatch carriers OH the western plains
These riders performed feats with their
horses thwt brought forth encomiums
from generals in the army, and in the
light of recent events are well worth
the relating. All these trips were in
the face of dangers not met with on
the Chadlron race; every man wUs
riding in the performance of duty, and
pluck and endurance were displayed
by both men and horses.
From the nature of things there rave
oeen few long races under conditions
similar to- those of the cowboy contest,
but there have been many splendid ex-
anples OF endurance on the part of
American soldiers and plainsrnen riding
American horses.
A story is current i'm the southwest
that a frpntiersman named Il. X. Au-
brey years ago galloped from Santa Fe
to Independence Mo-, in a few bo,rrs
less than seven days. The distance was
eight hundred and forty miles, and he
had four changes of horses He WON a
wager of one Thousand dollars, but was
SO exhausted that he had to be lifted
from his horse at the end of his journey.
Gen. Phil Sheridan has left record
in his autobiography of ride by Col.
w. F.. Cody (''Buffalo Bill') while car
rying dispatches in Kansas in 1868,
then an unsettled country with hostile
Indians. 1t was in the winter, but
Buffalo Bill" rode three hundred and
fifty miles in less than sixty hours. He
had several changes of horses. While
pony express rider, Col. Cody covered
his own division and that of anothez
rider, who had been killed the night
before by indians. The round trip Of
three hundred and twenty-four miles
was made without stop except fo,
meals and to change horses, and Buell's
History of the Palms, which con
tains the record, says the riders were
scheduled to average fifteen miles pei
hour.
On June 8. 1860, James A. Moore re
ceived an important government dis
patch at Midway station, in Western
Nebraska He carried it to Julesburg
Col, distance of one hundred and forty
miles, and met another government
message coming east The rider wht
should have carried it had been killed
by Indians the day before, and Moor
started on the return trip after restin,
only seven minutes. He made tn,
round trip of two hundred and eight,
miles in fourteen hours and forty-si:
minutes, perhaps the most remarka bl
speed ever made. The west-bound dis
patch, which relieved Johnston iron
the command of the army on the coast
was carried from st. Joseph to Sacra
mento, over nineteen hundred miles, il
| eight days, nine hours and forty min
utes.
On the pony express there were rider
at intervals of seventy-five to one hur
hundred and fifty miles, and the
changed horses every fifteen or twenty
five miles. The distance from st. Jt
seph to San Francisco was ninetee
hundred and ninety-six miles. Th
first trip was made in ten days, til
many others in nine days. The tri
from st. Joseph to Denver, distanc
of six hundred and twenty-five mile
was once made in two days and twenty
one hours.
During the late Indian war near Pin
Ridge Agency, Col. Guy Henry's colore
command rode one hundred and tw
miles and fought two slkirmishes
! thirty and one-half hours. The actu,
| time in the saddle was twenty-tw
hours. These cavalrymen carried exit
. ammunition and blankets weighin
! twenty-five pounds.
III During the Indian troubles of 1s
I that resulted in the Meeker massacr
: Sergeant Murphy rode one hundrs
G and seventy miles lie little less tha
e twenty-four hours to secure relief f
: Colonel Thornburg's command, whis
!. had been surrounded by Indians. II
q record is not explicit, but the presum
o tion is that Murphy could not bret
= through the Indian line with more ths
b one horse. At any rate, considering Il
I mountainous country, poor roads, al
e the night riding, it was a phenomen
performance.
During the Indian troubles of 1s
4 Colonel Stanton rode with irnport&
|, dispatches from Fort Laramie in w
q oming to Fort Robinson in Nebrask
v dlstanca of one Thousand miles,
the twelve hours between noon al
L midnight. lie used but one horse.
:. In 1870 four men of Company III, Fl,
k Cavalry, rode with dispatches frc
d Fort Harney to Fort Warner, one hu
a dred and forty miles, the last twenty
il sand, in twenty-five hours The actu
g marching time was eighteen and OF
@ half hours.
,s General Miles has record of o
g hundred and fifty miles in thirte
hours, stopping only long enon
q to change horses. This was made
a New Mexico in 1885,
= In 1877 Captain Ezra B. Fuller ma
y scout after Chief Joseph in the mou
IS famous country of Montana, and CT
% cred three hundred and fifty miles
five days. A part of his command &C
a tinued the scout, and rode six hundr