The National tribune., 1899-10-05

American horses that look sleek and fat.
These troops make a good deal of fun over
our little poor runts of ponies, and taunt
us by telling us we will be coming back
on foot carrying our saddles on our backs
We will see about that later.
June 10.-At Yankton, Capital of Da-
kOta Territory, IS miles above Sioux City.
We have started on omr long ride at last
million, and are now camped OH the Sur.
River. / have traded horses with a ra,
cruit that had one he could not manage.
/ have now snow-white pony. with hoofs,
nostrils, and inside of ears black as tar.
He is good one, little tricky, but can
! run like a deer. Weather fine, roads
| good, grass plenty.
June 17.--At Fort Sully. Marched
| here by easy stages. Horses are gaining
! fast; in fact, some Of them are beginning
to look fat and sleek. We passed through
last white settlement along the Missouri
River; then Fort Randall, Crow Creek
! Agency, and Fort Thompson. Randall
is Il Government fort laid out in regular
order. The others are nothing but log
/ buildings inclosed by a log stockade, and
Company, who have license to trade with
| the Indians. These forts are garrisoned
| by infantry.
| The Both Wis and some ex-ret,el infantry
| are stationed along the river at these diff
| ferent trading posts up to Fort Benton,
Mont Ter, near the foothills of the Rocky
| Mountains.
| At our camp on Snake Creek, above Bon
Homme, my white pony ran away, with
saddle and all my equipments. ! was all
ready to mount and stood beside the pony,
and was wiping my gun, when without
tried to catch and head him off by charging.
mounted. but failed. / then followed on
| foot until dark, without oyertaking him.
He had struck out, going due east towards
Minnesota. lcampcd on the trail hungry
without shelter or fire. Next morning T
hunted for awhile. and gave it up and
returned to the river hungry, tired, and
mad. / took passage on u Government
! boat to Fort Randall. where | got another
horse and saddle. and the mail for our bat
! talon. ! rode all night on their trail, and
overlook the command at Red Lake just as
! they We're starting out for the days march
j reported to the Major the result of my
fruitlcss chase, delivered the mail, and
crawlcd into a wagon, and slept till noon.
June 20.-Still in camp near Fort Sully.
Our command is now all together, but we
hear there is another command under Col
| Thomas coming across the country from
/ Minnesota TO join us further up the river
We are now nearly 500 miles from Sioux
City. We have got down to regular com.
paign life. Weather fine, but no roads to
speak Of, only rs we make them.
We are way beyond settlements or signs
of civilization. Game is plenty. Our
Indian scouts report having seen signs
| of hostile Indians not far from here One
of our recruits, Malone Mcfarland be.
came sick, and WAS sent down the river by
boat to hospital. | secured his horse
saddle, and camp equipments. | have
a good, tough bay pony, and am all right
again.
| June 23.-On the march once more.
Are camped OH the Little Cheyenne River
12O miles from Fort Sully. '~The weather
is warm, and some rain has fallen. No
roads. Grass plenty, but water poor
Along the creeks and streams we find
berries quite plentiful These are called
June berries, are very good to eat, being
somewhat like currants. They are ripe
now.
, Elk. antelope, deer, jack rabbits are seen
each day, and quite often. we pass large
villages OF prairie dogs. While / was in
Cincinnati, on veterans furIougIifI i bought
very fine magazine target rife, n Henry
pattern; had the sights adjusted and fitted
to suit me by Sol Doolittle, our gupsmith,
and have now great sport hunting. Doc
: little is also great hunter and crack shot.
He carries a fine double-barrclcd shotgun.
I AS neither of us have any particular duty.
: and are not subject to military restraint or
discipline, we ride where we haVGqa mind
3 to, and generally accompany our Indian
3 scouts in the advance, and iii that WAY
2 have opportunity to hunt 10 our hearts
content all kinds of game, and we keep our
mess well supplied. ue4......., 49,. -, :
) l shot fine antelope yesterday. and
brought the whole carcass in on my horse
t He was prime and fat The meet tastes
r a good deal like mutton, but is q little
2 coarser. We are having lots of rain lately
Travel across country is slow. Good
t grass, good camps, easy marches, bu
water is poor.
forgot to mention that when our com
r mand left Sioux City we had band OF
: about 200 Sioux Indians with us as pris
oners that were being taken through under
3 military escort, and fed oil U. S. ratfoils, tc
their reservation at Crow Creek Agency