Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27
A Memorable Scout, During Which
Men and Beasts Perish From
Thirst-Some Of Them 100
Hours without Water.
From the New York Sun.

dHOeS anu SOmanCne luQldIlS ia NdiSoS'
Colorado and Indian Territory. 1s67-6S-es.
and the campaigns against the Kiowas,
Comanches and C%heyennes in Kansas, Col
orado, Texas and Indian Territory in 1sl4-i5.
In these campaigns. with several others
OF less magnitude, there were many marc,
fought battles and many long. trying and
dangerous rides. No fewer than sixty en-
listed men of the regiment were honoraoiy
mentioned in orders for distinguished gal
lantry during this service. while one re-
ceived a congressional medal and two con-
gressional certificates Of merit; yet Chief
TrumP e Ise1 Thomas nom who %2,t5 5oi IN ahr tine 5es sI
these hardships. says that he recalls no
experience where more suffering was en-
dured by both men and beasts than In the
scouts over the Staked plains in 1907:
The story of one of these trips is thus told
by Lieutenant Bigelow in his sketch OF the
regiment published in the Journal OF the
Military Service Institution.
"On the 10th of July, 1877. Troop A left
/ Fort Concho under OF Captain
Nolan for a scout on the Staked plains.
The command got lost and as a consequence
Captain Nolan, Lieutenant Cooper, Sergeant
Jackson and about ten privates were nine
ty-siX hours without water. Four OF the
men died. Other parties were from twenty
four to thirty-eight hours without water:
The command was found by a party sent
out to search for it."
This brief outline covers a story OF IN.
tense suffering and misfortune that might
be spread out into a volume. The details
which have been presented here nave been
gathered from participants and from others
who were familiar with the country at tnat
time and knew all the circumstances. Es-
pecially may be mentioned Sergeant Thomas
A. Allsup, who has recently been placed
first sergeant Of Troop D since 1871. The
writer met Sergeant Allsup in 1896 when
his troop was engaged in rounding up the
Cree Indians and transporting them to Can;
The troop left Fort Concho. on the Con-
chic river. Western Texas. and aiter es,
tablishing a supply camp on Cow creek ana
upon an expedition after hostile Comanches
over the Staked plains. On the first day
Double x, a confluence Of two small
streams not far from Double mountains.
Here they struck a fresh trail leading west.
ward. They followed the trail until night
overlook them, when. making a dry. camp.
they rested themselves and the horses.
| although the poor animals had no water
canteens, Which they had filed at Double x.
The next morning the march was re.
sumed shortly after daybreak, and kept
up with occasional haits t~hroughout the
imals. and every canteen among the men
was soon emptied. During the course OF
tho day three men gave out and were
abandoned on the trail. About o'clock in
the afternoon the first sergeant and three
men deserted the m and struck out
for Fort Concho. This was a grave mill
| Idry OuSnS6, DuI II "dS WIG SdSSo LAX
Who'll troop. The sergeant arrived at Fort
Concho and reported the condition OF the
men he had left. He was put in arrest,
tried by court-martial, and sentenced to
dishonorable dismissal from the service and
to five years Imprisonment, but was sub
sequently pardoned. One Of the three men
abandoned caught up with the troop during
the night and continued with 1t to the end.
The remains of the other two were found
about two months afterward. entirely nude.
in a depression called Bitter lake, which at
Ill., n Coorf INN ~ 4 H.
though the water is strongly ~impregnated
with alkali. 1t is probable that the poor
men wandered here in search of water,
and, finding none, sank down and died.
On the morning of the third day sixteen
men and two officers drew up in line to be-
gin the march. By 10 o'clock the column
The others were scattered over the plains
for miles. Most of the men had cast away
tho greater part of their clothing. retain
ing only their shirts and rubber blankets.
no further, and made a camp as best they
could under the blazing sun. with no water
to be found About 4 o'clock in the after
noon a cloud passed over. and a tantalizing
shower of about three minutes duration
fell upon the suffering camp. The men who
were able spread out their rubber blanket
they eagerly licked up with their swollen
tongues for some of the mems tongues
were so swollen that they could not close
natural and ghastly. All but twelve OF the
horses were dead or had strayed away.
and Of the ten pack mules that had started
with the troop. only one faithful follower
The strain had been too hard for even a
government mule
That afternoon, while in that forlorn con-
dition, the men sighted the retreating In
dians. but were entirely unable to follow
them. Had the Indians known how feeble
the troopers were they could have turned
| the tables and wiped them out with but
little effort. The soldiers were too weak to
fight or run. The Indians carried water
in skins and were making their way over
soldiers had not been so wise and We're
dying of thirst. Every conceivable expedi-
ent was tried to supply drink for the men
who were dying. Blood and the moisture
resulting in agonizing failures or scarcely
appreciable success.
The manner of men dying from thirst is
peculiar. They seem to be taken with
spasms, and. clutching at vacancy. fall
with a cry to the ground; some even bite
their own flesh with such fierceness as to
presented in one case when a man fell from
his horse and became rigid In the death
struggle, His faithful and affectionate
thirst. turned and licked the face of his
dying rider with the gentleness of a house
dog. The horses overcome by thirst would
be attacked with blind staggers and plunge
headlong or sink down with a groan and
perish as If in despair.
AS the night closing this awful day came
or and the stragglers were coming in, the
officers did all in their power to arouse
the men to make an effort to return to
Fort Concho. This meant a long and weary
march going over the same ground that
they had already Travelled. With what
strength they had they could never have
reached the post. but 1t was the only
thing they could try. Altogether twenty
men had now assembled, and those were
| mostly on foot. the Horses having persisted
| or become too weak to carry their riders.
Lost in the desert. perishing from thirst.
the little band drew I'M in military order.
and started upon what would have been
its death march had not relief come. The
day was dawning as they began their
march, and they journeyed slowly for
about four hours when they saw relief
coming. They had been sighted by Captain
Lee with G troop and several citizens who
Fad been in search of them since the ar
rival of the first sergeant. who deserted.
The troops and citizens were furnished with
supplies. and when they reached the suf-
ferers 1t was like rescuinE them from des-
et graves. Some of them had been 14
hours without water in that hot and dry
climate. Besides Troop G, the adIutant.
with the non-commissioned staff and band.
were also in search of the troops and had
ridden 160 miles within sixty-one hours.
They came up later. Many of the men
never fully recovered from the mental and
physical strain Of this m-starred expedi-
ton. and all who passed through the ex-
per:erce unite in pronouncing II one of the
most trying in the annals Of the plains.