The Red Cloud chief., 1894-02-23

rom o tent comes the voice Of some
"Who the HIS got my
on?" The average government
boot was never troubled with
They we're large enough for
the largest man and small enough for
the smallest boy.
With my saddle I formed q very
attachment. When 1 entered
the service in the summer Of 1861 Il
was very much like a locomotive en-
CINE, with a tender behind. Among
the first things they gave was a Nc
Clelland saddle, and, o, how many
times I wished Mr.. McClellaud had
his old saddle. I would have been
willing to give it to Gen. Pope for
his headquarters IT was made Of
hard wood. cushioned with rawbide
stretched tightly over the surface,
"only this and nothing more" I
have often after q days ride Of two
or three hundred miles, or less, on
that saddle bunting rebels that were
not lost) felt 80 much a part and pas.
eel Of that saddle that l found it very
difficult to part with it. The separ-
alton, il not affectionate, was very
painful, perhaps not TO the saddle.
One day I was relieved Of much
physical suffering Of this nature. !
had purchased = bottle Of whisky to
be used as liniment on my Lorse
which was suffering from rheumatism,
heart disease and chronic d,arrhoea.
I had just %dismounted for the purpose
Of applying a little more Of the rem
edy when my captain came along, and
after confscatiug my medicine Che
said his horse wal troubled with the
same disease) he ordered me to prac-
tios infantry tactics by taking up .
slime Of march in the real Of q bag
gage wagon, one end Of said line being
pitched to the wagon aud the other
tied to me. l should not have mind
ed this so much and could have for.
gave his rudeness to q free born Amer
loan citizen, but II "galled" me to
have that MeClelland saddle taken
from my horse and transferred to my
back, for I was q brave soldier, and
could not bear anything 50 suggestive
Of the rear.
As the years Of the war rolled on
there came q hardness. of feeling be
tween me and my saddle, a callous
feeling, SO to speak, which by the way
served me . good turn Que night after
the war, when the father Of the girl
was counting followed me rather too
closely for comfort as I hastily took
my departure from his homo by the
front door, the result Of my long and
close intimacy with my saddle allevi.
ated in some degree the suffering re-
sulting from = close intimacy with the
boot.
Closely identified with shoots and
saddles" comes that "unwep." union.
ored and unsung hero Of war, the cav.
airy horse, indispensable 10 the pros.
e%cution OF the war, he performed his
his humble work without complaining
and that his sufferiugs were as great
il not greater than hat Of the rider,
and that he laid down his life just MS
willingly when occasion required, is
we'll known to every veteran.
Go back as far in history as We may
We find a note of the noble deeds and
heroic achievements Of horses in war
In . cursory sketch OF this kind We
can only mention Of q few equine
celebrities which have achieved world
wide fame. The Arabian, known rs
"The feet wings Of the DESERT" the
"wild horse Of Tartary," Of circus
fame; the wooden horse" Of ancient
Troy; the sky climbing "Pegassus" Of
tho Arabian Nights, to say nothing Of
the livery horse; the clothes horse;
the saw hsrse, aud "horse-and. horse"
There was . breed known to army con.
tractors as any-kind-of-a.horse, and
this was the animal usually furnished
the cavalry. They were marked with
the contractors initials, "U. s." which
meant "Uagodly Sinner" There was
q horse to be met with ia the Infantry