The National tribune., 1898-07-21

an Indian, as was also the little child
| We discovered that the savages had scat
tered from this camp in different diyec
tons, and we found on one of the trails
walls for several hundred yards; and q
little further along was a pass, given by
! Mai. LeipeT to a Reserve COmanche of ar
unpronounceablen name
Concluding that this was the right trail
we travelled as fast As our now faded and
| starved horses could go for another two
hours, when night came on, and we en-
camped on the trail, and rested till morn
ing. We were now on the very head
waters of the Big Washita, about $50 miles
north of Fort Belknap. Our horses were
! faded, and we tired and out of provisions
| so that the Captain resolved to abando on
the pursuit, and return to our old camp
on the little Washita.
| Iaveiing leisurely, so as to recruit our
horses, we arrived at our destination, and
found Capt. Knowlin and his company
anxiously awaiting our arrival.
Having performed the duties ASSIGNEE
| to us in that section, we rested two or
three days, and took up our line of march
| for Fort Belknap. Heartily tired of an
exclusively meat diet, our lively imagina.
tons coniured up pictures of bread ard
butter; Tor which our stomachs longcd
with q hunger that could be appeased by
bread and butter alone; and these articles
OF diet constituted the principal topic of
| conversation all the way to Belknap.
At Fort Belknap Capt. Brown received
orders to return to Bolton to muster ont
his men, as they had now accomplished
the purpose Tor which they were mustered
in. We had glorious times in fishing and
hunting all the way back; travelling all
the time just as fancy or caprice dictated
and living OH the best Of everything which
the country afforded
On our arrival at Bolton the people
gave us a nearly welcome, after which
we were hOnorably discharged. tho,,oh
we had to wait Tor our pay till it could be
brought from Washington City to Austin
which consumed several weeks: after
which we received it, at the rate of s16
per month, in gold.
WITH THE RANGERS AGAIN
now occupied my time in tanning wild
horses and hunting, having an occa-
siOnal chase after the Indians, until Win
ter, when operated with Minute Com
pany from Burnett County; our duties
being merely to guard the frontier from
invasion. A Lieut.. Hamilton was in com
mand OF our company, and there was q
chain Of companies of the same ciass
extending along the entire frontier nmn
bering nearly Is men each, under the
command OF Lieutenant. They kent I'm
| a constant patrol across the country rem
dering it exceedingly, unsafe for the In
dams to venture down on the settlements
Nevertheless, the depredations continued
| to be OF frequent occurrence.
The savages would come In nv tho
mountain trails, on the Colorado River
until they would get far down in the
settlements, when they would scatter out
in small parties OF from two to 10, and. by
travelling in the dead hours of the nioht
they would reach points which thew con,
sidered secure; then, by preconcerfed
signal, they would raise havoc in perhane
q dozen different places at the same
time.
This kept the country in a constant
J fever of excitement, and, as is<usuai on
such occasions, no one knew who to trust
Although the Minute Men were ever on
, the alert, and jealous in their duty. still
the Indians were crafty and restless in
their hostility toward the whites; and. of
course, they often succeeded in their pur-
poses; and this gave rise to many com
plants against the Rangers: and they
were charged with being careless i'm the
discharge of their duties.
The two parties already referred to con.
, tinued their contentious without inter
mission, and while the excitement was al
its hight, the official term of Gov. Run.
!, nells expired, and Gen. Sam Houstor
! was inaugurated in his place.
The General was entirely conversan
. with the condition of affairs, and the frs
thing he did was to organize a regiment n
Il
Johnston, an able officer, and experience,
in Indian warfare; and, in addition. h,
had been engaged in the Regulator an.
, Moderator war in Texas, and also in tn
= contest with Mexico where he had take,
part in the storming of Monterey. H
4 soon enlisted fine regiment, which wa
: ably differed; and the Governor an,
? people naturally expected great success +
attend its efforts. Houston's design wa
: to carry the war into the Comanche an
. kiowa country.
y CARRIED OFF BY INDIANS.
n enlisted at Waco under command {
It Capt. j. NJ. Smith, who was likewise a
Il experienced soldier, and well qualified
II do service in an Indian war; Col. Johns
d ton ordered the different companies
rendezvous at Fort Belknap, on the list ,
8 March, 1860. Our company travelled u
n the Brazos River from Waco, where 1t wa
l. recruited, to Fort Belknap, and was til
er first on the ground.
d A few days before We arrived there,
d young woman-Miss Murphy-was ca
lg ried of from Murphy's ranch, near Bell
Of nap. So secretly had the affair bee