The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-09

IL
ing. not a white person remained. The
valley here, as along the whole dis
tance from Wyoming to TiOga. and be-
yOnd, excited the astonishment and ad-
miratiOn of the soldiers. Though FAM
iliarity causes us to forget at times,
we know the beauties of this valley Of
ours and all it's mountain setting. We
can imagine what 1t must have been at
that season of the year, its river pure
as the best of our springs, its primeval
forests fresh from a month Of rains,
and it need not surprise us that some
wrote of 1t as the most beautiful and
fertile they had ever seen while 9TH
ers compared it to it's advantage. with
their homes in other states or with old
world scenes. The intervals were many
of them cleared, as here, and In places
the grass grew upon the mountain sides
to their tops. l hesitate to tell you of
grass six to ten feet high. and yet that
is what one describes. Another speaks
of timothy as high as his head, and a
third of timothy five feet high in the
woods. One of the good chaplains
speaks specially of the grasses here.
Walnut trees fourteen feet through and
buttonwoods nineteen-seem pretty
large but those are figures given. The
river is described as being ''as clear as
can he" and abounding with fish. men,
ticn being made of salmon, trout, COM
mon trout, suckers. bass shad, pickerel
and pike. There were deer, wild tur-
keys and snakes in abundance, besides
bear wolves, etc. IS '
That third of August was doubtless a
fair day. for the wet July was fol-
lowed by two months of generally
pleasant weather, and the statements
of the journals warrant the infer
ence. Had we been here, and in sight
Of the river. we might perhaps have
first noticed, coming up. four light
boats, each manned by>a trusty officer
and twelve armed soldiers. The scouts
and guides We're a little in advance of
them on this side the river, and Cen
eral Hands brigade, advancing in col
umn of regiments by the flank. we
know the plan of formation for the
march and that it was adhered to as
closely as the nature of the ground per-
mitted. When some old coins were
found in Eaton few years ago two
of the Tunkhannock papers had con-
troversay as to on which side OF the
river the army marched. This was set
at rest by a letter from Steuben Jen-
kins to the Democrat, from which !
make this extract: August I'd,
marched east of Falls mountain cross
ing Buttermilk Falls creek, above the
upper falls and coming down Avery
mountain about mile up Tunkhan-
mock creek, marched down the creek
and encamped at the springs at the
tannery the boats and a proper guard
in the meantime following the course
of the river The army did not cross
to the west side of the river until 1t
Sl,nc In,
After the passage of General Hands
troops, and about an hour later, we
should have heard the horns from the
fleet of 12O boats, but the boats were
late this day and did not get up until
about o'clock. The horns were di-
rected to be blown SO as to advise
the main army of their progress the
intent being to keep the army abreast
the boats. Following a mile behind
General Hands brigade came the main
army-in the center the artillery, the
ZOO pack horses and 700 cattle; on the
right flank General Poor's brigade, and
on the left General MaXwelrs, while
two regiments brought up the rear.
Fortunately for us Chaplain Rogers
wrote somewhat at length In his jour
nal that afternoon. He says, "Over the
side of 1t as far as we could see, wild
grass had grown in abundance. Some
places, owing to the heritage, emitted
a most fragrant smell. and we fire.
quently had the pleasure of viewing
flowers of various hues. Hazlenuts
We're ripening for a long tract of
country in amazing quantities, and be-
yond a doubt nature has been equally
kind in causing these wilds to abound
with other things delicious to the
taste" The orders prevented the firing
at game. but here a large fawn was
surrounded and taken without a
wound, "affOrding great amusement
to the soldiers and an agreeable Wand
to the several officers" Wild turkeys
We're also taken here in the same way.
This place is remarkable for deer,
bears and turkeys, several of which
gum"
The encampment is said to have been
near WOrtman's." 1t would be inter-
esting to identify this If possible, from
the old deed records. Another speaks
of the site as IAN old field" We should
perhaps not have noticed on the Eaton
shore little company of 60 men COM
manded by a captain who marched
with the utmost caution abreast of the
first boats to prevent surprise from
that side of the river, and for whose
protection these boats We're provided.
Two Indians We're discovered by them
on the Eaton side this day and the
detachment spent the night on that
side. At daybreak the reveille sound
ed. At five o'clock the general reveille
sounded and tents We're struck, and
General Hands advance guard march,
ed Assembly was sounded at $50, and
at a single gun gave the signal for
the main army to march. Their course
was w the beach to leagues creek.
Their uniform was short rifle frock,
vest, tow trowsers, shoes, stockings and
blankets. At Easton, each man was
equipped with two pairs of "overalls. "
Returning they came less regularly.
The sick and other favored ones went
ahead to Wyoming. The cattle had been
put to good use weeks before. and some
of the pack horses had been killed by
falling in passing narrOws, while others
We're SO worn out they were left be-.
hind. They had gained over two hum
dred boats by General Clinton, and a
considerable part of the army came by
boat. The principal part encamped
again at Tunkhannock. October 6,
reaching here little after dark. OF
the large number of pack horses taken
less than 800 were brought back. Many
were killed in the narrows, others worn
out and some strayed. The loss of
about 100 in a narrOws gave the name
to the place now known as Horse
heads
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