The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-09-18
BIG GAME HUNTING.

One of the most exciting scenes in connec-
ton with hunting the buffalo wasa buffalo
stampede" | recall an exciting incident of
thisk ind. 1t was while was travelling across
the plains with bull train outfit, carrying
supplies for General Albert Sidney John
sons army that was sent against the Nor
mons. A train consisted of 25 wagons, all
the master. The second man in command
was the assistant master. There was an
extra hand the night herder and the caval-
lard driver whose duty it was to drive the
lame and loose cattle. The whole train
was denominated "a bull outfit" Every
thing at that time was called an outfit, and
at the present time the paraphernalia of
the hunter who goes ont on hunting ex-
petition is called by the same name.
When the train struck the South Platte
river we found the country alive with
butfaloes. 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 considerable length
along the road, which ran near the foot of
the sand hills, two miles from the river.
Between the road and the river we saw a
large herd of buffaloes grazing quietly.
They had been down to the stream for a
drink. At the same time we observed a
party of returned Californians coming from
the west. They, too, noticed the buffalo
herd, and in another moment they were
dashing down upon them with terrific
speed. The buffaloes stampeded 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 around,
and many of the terrified oxen attempted
attacked to them. Others turned arouGd
so short that they broke the wagon tongues
off Nearly all of the teams got cntangled
in their gearing and became wild and
unruly, so that the perpeXed drivers were
unable to manage them. The buffaloes,
the wagons and the drivers were soon run
ming in every direction, and there was GER
tainly no lack of Xc'ement. Many of the
cattle broke their yokes and .tampehtd.
()na hiu huii.ln bnn haaunla untnnulpI !
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 it was attached, and
the last seen of him he was running toward
the hills with the yoke hanging from his
horns. A 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 crippled and
scattered.
Although, as have said, buffalo hunting
is now thing OF the past, feel that these
references to the subject will rot be with
out interest, because they refer to phase
of American hunting life which never will
be forgotten. In letter | resolved from
General W. T. Sherman SONS years ago he
speaks thus of the disappearance of the
buffalo:
''As near as | can estimate there were in
1865 about 9, 500, 600 bufraloes on the plains
between the Missouri river and the Rocky
mountains All are now gone-killed for
their meat and skins and bones. This
seems like dissertation, cruelty and murder,
yet they have been replaced by twice as
many meat cattle. At that date there were
about 165, 900 Pawnees, Sioux, Cheyennes,
kiowas and Arapahoes who depended or
these buffaloes for their yearly food. They,
tso, are gone and have been replaced by
twice or thrice as many wkiks men and
women, who have made the earth to bios.
som as the rose, and who can be counted
taxed and governed by the laws Of nature
and civilization. This change has beer
salutary and will go on to the end"
General Sherman speaks of the buffalo
period as "an epoch of the worlds his
! tory "-Coonel William +. Cody in New
| York Independe t.