The National tribune., 1901-11-07
SOLDERING IN THE SOUTHWEST.
The March From Fort Leavenworth, Kan. to
the Chickasaw Naticn, Indian Territory.


33 years ago, but not having kept diary
| must write from memory, and it Is but
natural that / will make mistakes as to
dates, etc. After the lapse Of so many
years to the old veteran of the civil war,
my narrative will surely seem very mild
and unimportant when compared with
the marches and hardships they had to
contend with but | have no doubt that
it will bring back to some of them the
long ago. when they were i'll Dixie. There
was a difference, however, as, in addition
to lots of fighting, we had quite a differ
ent country TO operate in. The South
was inhabited by intelligent white people;
the country we were in was practically
uninhabited, save by Indians, few white
squattcrs. and bands Of horse-thicves, rob
bers and cut-throats of every description.
1t was then Il safe harbor for all classes
of criminals from the States. Southern
Kansas and the Indian Territory had but
very few dwellings of white people,
new negro settlements and some cattle
ranches when we marched through there
i'll 1861
| will begin my narrative at Newport
Barracks, Ky, at that time general re-
cIuitine station. After one week inside
of the high board fence which mclosed
the garrison, and outside Of which no one
could 90, except members of the company
permanently stationed there, We We're put
in double ranks on the parade grounds
one morning, about Oct. 20, 1867. About
1000 men were in the ranks, when an
officer stepped to the front and said
Each one, as his name is called, step two
PAGES to the front" which we did. After
$50 men had been called, | being one Of
the number. the rest We're dismissed. We
were then marched to the Quartcrmaster
store-hOuSe and drew knapsack, canteen,
haverSaCk and some clothing, then
marched to coOk-hOuSe and received three
days cooked rations and cantccn filled
with coffee. We were marched out on
the parade grounds again and told TO lay
our knapsacks in front of us, opened, for
inspection. After standing there for two
hours, Il tall officer came and inspected
the llnapsackS, then walked to the right
of the line and gave the command, AT
tention. Sling knapsacks," and such a
sling has seldom been seen; some had for
gotten to buckle the flaps, and when they
swung them on their backs shoes, shirts
and pants were spilled. 1t seemed each
one was doing his best to get his KNAPP
sack in place first, and in the struggle
caps We're knocked off. while some were
punched in the nose either with hands or
elbows. The old veterans looked ON with
roars of laughter.
After we had 'hanessed up" rs we
called il, the tall officer gave command
attention. Fours right-haIt.' After
he had MS in fOurs he commanded, For
ward-march' Out through the gates we
went, glad 10 get out of the ''bull-pen,' as
we called it. We then went aboard a
fcrryboat and crossed the Ohio to Gin
cinnati.
We were hustled into old passenger
coaches and soon were on our journey,
but where the journey would end we had
no idea. Sometimes we were hooked TO
freight trains, and it was slow travelling.
After travelling two days and two nights,
at the break Of day we We're side-tracked.
A man came walking along the track.
Some one asked him, What place is
this! We saw it was quite town. He
answered, st. Joe" What StateE'
means the plains for us" the soldier said.
We did not dare leave the cars; the
doors were locked by the officers.
We did not stop long at st. Joe, but
started south to a small station near the
Missouri River opposite Lea Senworth
City. We got off the train, marched down
to the river, crossed on the ferryboat, and
stood on the soil of Kansas. We marched
to the fort, three miles north of the city.
y
stationed there then of either the I'd or
9Th. We watched the men on parade
ground, at guard mount and drill, and
then saw we had great deal to learn
before we We're real soldiers.
After we had been there four or five days
we got orders at retreat rol-call-that is,
at sundown-tO be ready to march early
next morning. Next morning two men Of
our squadron were missing. They did not
like the idea Of hard marching, and had
deserted when they saw what was COM
ing. We never heard of them again.
After breakfast we drew our muskets-
old Springticlds. We then took our KNAPP
sacks and everything out of the barracks
and formed in line. Soon some 20 wagons
came to load our tents ana knapsaclls.
We put them in the wagons, and all were
ready to start. Some of the cavalry came
over to see us start. An old Sergeant
said: Boys, | feel sorry for you. You
are going to have long, hard march.
Part of the Gth Inf. is stationed down i'll
the Indian Territory, and | guess that is
where you are going. | have been there,
and it is a hard place to spend three
years in as a soldier" Soon an officer
came 10 where we were standing. He
rode a fine horse. He was Lieut.. Steel.
We formed fours. and ut the command
Of the officer marched away. South of
the fort we met % more wagons and two
ambulances; that made Il train Of 60 wag-
ons. We marched south through the city
of LeavenwOrth. The inhabitants gave
us bushels Of apples, and cheered us rs
we passed through the streets. The reader
must bear in mind that there were no rail
roads in southern Kansas and Indian Ter
ritory at the time 0S6I. We struck
what was then known as the Old Texas
Trail, and camped on a small creek, after
marching 20 miles.
Next day we marched through a nice
| country. | am not sure, but i think the
first town we came to was Fort Scott, q
small, slcepy-looking place, mostly one
story buildings. 1t was at one time q
military pest and built in a regular square
South of Fort Scott the country was opeI
| prairie, and as far as the eye could reacl
| il was a vast field of half-dried or deaC
grass, with here and there a small hut OF
the homesteader.
| Nothing of interest was seen until We
| came to the town of Lawrence, or where
the town had been, before the Quantrcl
gang burned the place.
| In all directions we could see walls
and chimneys where had stood the tow
| but a few years before. The place looked
| desolate and drcary. There We're some
new buildings, mostly OF burned bricks.
| remember seeing one store.
The inhabitants We're true blue" The.
cheered us heartily. Young ladies an'
old ladies came out with baskets of ap
pies and peaches and other fruit-the ri
1 III H..