Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1896-08-22
A BATTLE OF HORSES.
A FIERCE FIGHT BETWEEN ARMY
STEEDS AND WILD ANIMALS.

Equine Passions That Became Fiendish
When Fully Observation-Disclosures Cavalry
Steeds That Showed the Results of Their
Military Training.
Just at shutdown, and while we were
at supper, drove of wild horses num-
bering SO suddenly emerged from
Thatcher s pass and deployed on the lev
ell ground Of the valley. They had
made use Of the pass to cross from Gil
max valley, where grass and water
might have failed them or horse hunt
ers had appeared to give them fright.
They emerged from the pass in single
file, led by spotted stallion whose
name reached almost to his knees and
whose tail touched the ground when he
was at rest. He wasn't as handsome as
rome of the drove leaders to be met
with in the days of the wild horse, but
he was yet king among horses. Of
the remainder Of the herd about 80
were fine animals. The others would
hardly be worth the catching. Three or
four were recognized as cavalry horses
abandoned on the march, and twice
that number had collar marks to prove
that they had stampeded from some i'm
migrant train.
When clear of the pass, they formed in
line and advanced upon us to within
quarter of a mile. We had rs horses at
the lariat pins, and for half an hour we
had all we could do to prevent STAN
pede. The wild horses were finally
driven down the valley by two mounted
men, but they did not seem to have
much fear Of us. On the contrary, the
leader of the drove exhibited such tenn
per that the men feared they would
have to shoot him. 1t was an hour be-
fore our cavalry horses Gained down in
the slightest. Every animal seemed en-
ragged at the sight Of the free herd, and
the captains Kentucky stallion acted as
If possessed by a fend. He had been
doubly fastened at the beginning of the
excitement, and later on this proved
fortunate thing He made the most tre-
mendous efforts to get free, and when
ut length he realized the futility of fur
Their efforts in that direction he uttered
shrill screams Of rage and dashed out
with his heels till no one dared approach
him. All night long he stood on his feet
paving and snorting, and the camp sem
tinels reported the wild horses as hang
ing about within half mile of us.
Daylight had come, and the sentinels
of the night were coming into camp,
when the wild horses rushed into view
n mile below us. On the instant we
discovered them, and while four fifths
Of the men were yet under their blank
cts the captains horse uttered scream
which must have been taken as sig
hal. He reared up, shook his head like
TN angry lion and freed himself of his
halter. In the same instant every other
horse in the command secured his lib
trty. Some pulled up the pins, some
worked their heads clear of the straps,
ind away went the whole drove down
the valley. 1t was not stampede, as
we naturally feared. Even had our ami
mails desired to join the ranks of the
free they would have been rebuffed.
Our horses were punched, and in SOL
i'd bunch they drove right through the
lines of the wild horses and left four Of
them lying crippled Oh the grass as they
passed The prairie drove retreated up
the valley half a mile and then wheel
ed about in single line. When our
drove halted and turned, there was a
distance of three-quarters Of mile be-
tween the combatants. We were ordered
to fall in, with view of advancing up
on the wild horses and driving them off,
but before we had gotten into line it
was too late.
The sight was wonderful one. The
two leaders advanced as if they meant
to decide the issue by fight between
them, but when within 40 yards of each
other they wheeled and returned to
their respective lines. Then we wit
messed something which only a cavalry
man will credit Our horses fell into
double line and dressed to the right as
perfectly as if trooper had occupied
each saddle, and while we looked the
lines suddenly moved forward on
charge. When they swept past us, the
alignment was absolutely perfect, with
the captains horse on the right and
leading by about 20 feet. The line Of
wild horses bent and wavered, but did
not break until struck. 1t was like strik-
ing drumhead with sledge hammer.
! believe that fully 40 horses went
down under the shock, but all except
four were speedily on their feet again.
From this on it was a melee, the whole
drove circling around, and each horse
biting and kicking and displaying such
ferocity as to astonish US. The mob
fought past us down the valley and
back, and right in front of the camp the
climax came. The battle had been rag
ing half an hour, when the spotted stall
lion hobbled out of it on three legs and
bleeding from half dozen wounds,
and that seemed to take the pluck out
OF his followers. Some ran up the val
ley and some down, but of the SO only
81 got away. When the hottest of it
was over, we dashed in and secured
horse here and there, and in this man
ner we finally got hold of the last one,
which was the captains.
OF the rs only had escaped scot
free. Every one of the others had been
bitten and kicked, and IL of them were
20 crippled as to be worthless. In al
most every instance our horses had kick
cd off both hind shoes, and in some
cases the front ones were gone as we'll.
There We're dead and 80 crippled
horses on that battlefield when hostili-
ties ceased, and of the 81 wild horses
which made their escape many were
imping badly. Before breaking camp
we turned to and mt an end to the snf-