Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-08-27
BIG GAME HUNTING.
Interesting "Reminiscences From the Ad-
ventrrous Life of Buffalo Bill.

Interesting "Reminiscences From the al
venturous Life of Bu1alo Bill.
One Of the most exciting scenes in
connection with hunting the buffalo
was buffalo stampede" l recall an
exciting incident of this kind. 1t was
while was travelling across the plains
with a bull train outfit, carrying sup
plies for General Albert Sidney john
ston's army that was sent against the
Mormons. A train consisted Of 20 wag-
ons, all in charge Of one man, who was
known as the wagon master. The sec
oud man in command was the assistant
wagon master. There was an extra
hand, the night herder and the cavallard
driver, whose duty it was to drive the
lame and loose cattle. The whole train
was denomiuated "a bull outfit
Everything at that time was called an
outfit, and at the present time the para
phernalia Of the hunter who goes out
on a hunting expedition is called by the
same name.
When the train struck the South
Platte river. we found the country alive
with bufaloes. 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 cut 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 hegd Of bufaloes grazing quietly.
They had been down to the stream for a
drink. AT the same time we observed
party of returned Calfornians 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
stampcded 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
NEIL, frightening both men and oxen.
Some Of the wagons were turned clear
around, and many Of the terrified oxen
attempted to run to the hills with the
heavy wagons attached to them. Others
turned around so short that they broke
the wagon tongues off. Nearly all Of
the teams cot ontangled in their gear
ing and became wild and unruly, so
that the perplexed drivers were unable
10 manage them. The buffaloes, the
wagons and the drivers were 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 in 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 cur train. When they got through
and left rs, our outfit was badly Grip
pied and scattered.
Although, as / have said, buffaIo
hunting is now a thing Of the past l
feel that these references to the subject
will not be without interest, because
they refer TO a phase Of American hunt
ing life which will never be forgotten.
In letter received from General W. 7.
sherman some years ago he speaks thus
Of the disappearance of the buffalo;
"As near as | can estimate there
were in 1865 about 5000, 600 butfaloes
on the plains between the Missouri riv-
er and the 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 were
about l65, 600 Pawnees, Sioux, Chey-
ennes, Kiowas and Arapahoes who de-
pended on these buffaloes for their
yearly food. They, too, are gone and
have-been replaced by twice or thrice
as many white men and women, who
have made the Garth 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 and will 60 on TO the end. "
General Sherman speaks Of the buffalo
period as IAN epoch Of the worlds his
tory. "-Colonel William f. Cody in
New York Independent