Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-08-28
BIG GAME HUNTING.
Interesting "Reminiscences From the Adj
yenturous Life of Buffalo Bill.

Interesting "Reminiscences From the Adj
vcnturous Life of Bufnlo Bill.
One of the most exciting scenes III
connection with hunting the buffalo
was Il "buffalo stampede l recall an
exciting incident Of tllis kind. 1t was
while was travelling across the plains
with bull train outfit, carrying sup
niles for General Albert Sidney john
ston's army that WAS sent against the
Mormons. y train consisted OF 20 waS-
ons, all in charge Of one man, who was
known as the wagon master. The sec
ond man in command was the assistant
wagon master There was IN extra
hand, the night herder and the cavallard
driver, whose duty it WAS TO drive the
lame and loose cattle. The whole tram
was denominated "a bull outfit.
Everything at that time was called an
outfit, and at the present time the para
phernalia of the hunter who goes ont
on hunting expedition is called by the
same name.
When the train struck the South
Platte river. we found the country alive
with buffaloes. Vast herds OF these
monarchs of the plains were roaming
all around us, and we lay over one day
for grand hunt The next day we
pulled out of camp and the train was
strung out 4 considerable length along
the road, which ran hear the foot OF the
sand hills, two miles from the river.
Between the road and the river we saw
Il large herd of brtfaloes grazing quietly.
They had been down 70 the stream for
drink. AT the same time we observed q
party OF returned Calfornians coming
from the west. They, TOO, noticed the
buffalo herd, and i'll another moment
they were dashing down upon them
with terrific speed. The butfaloes
sta1npeded at once and broke down the
hills. So hotly were they pursued by
the hunters that several hundreds OF
them rushed through our train pell
nell, frightening both men and oxen.
Some OF the wagons Were turned clear
around, and many OF the terrified oxen
attempted TO ran 10 the hills with the
heavy wagons attached TO them. Others
turned around SO short that they broke
the wagon tcG2Uos OF. Nearly all OF
the teams got entargled i'll their gear
ing and became wild and unruly, so
that the perploXed drivers were unable
10 manage them. The butfaloes, the
wagons and the drivers We're soon run
ming in every direction, and there was
certainly no lack Of excitement. Many
of the cattle broke their yokes and stam-
peded. One big buffalo bull became en-
tangled III one of the heavy wagon
chains. In his desperate efforts to free
himself he not only snapped the strong
chain in two, but broke the OK yoke TO
which twas attached, and the last seen
Of him he was running toward the hills
with the yoke hanging from his horns
\ dozen other remarkable incidents
happened during the short time that the
frantic buffaloeS were playing havoc
with our train. When they got through
and left Us, our outfit was badly Grip
pied and scattered.
Although, as I have said, buffalo
hunting is now thing Of the past,
feel that these references to the subject
will not be without interest, because
they refer TO phase OF American hunt
ing life which will never be forgotten
In letter received from General V. I.
Sherman sonie years ago he speaks thus
of the disappearance OF the buffalo:
LAS near as I can estimate there
were i'll 1868 about 9,5o0, eco butfaloes
Oh the plains between the Missouri riy-
er and tie Rocky mountains. All are
now gone-killed for their meat and
skins and bones. This seems like desc
Grafton, cruelty and murder, yet they
have been replaced by twice as many
meat cattle At that date there We're
about 10000 Pawnees, Sioux, Chey-
ennes, kiowas and Arapahoes who de-
pended on these buifaloes for their
yearly food. They, too, are gore ard
have been replaced by twice Or thrice
as many white men ard women, vino
have made the earth TO blossom as the
rose, and who can be counted, taxed
and governed by the laws of nature and
civilization This change has been salu-
tary ard will 90 on 10 the end. y
General Sherman speaks OF the buffalo
period as AN epoch Of the worlds his
tory. Colonel William f. Cody in
New York independent.