Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-01-09
WALHALLA, ~. Ga
s;vYEDNRSDAY,gJ gJAN. 20, 1901.
A STORY Of ADVENTURE.

shiB family entered that portion of
the Afexioan territory now called
Arizop !, iii company. With an emil
grant party. of which he was a mem.
Der. Originally the party numbered
some so or 90 nersons. bnt d;saoraa.
1nents had divided them dnrinn the
Journey: Mr.. Oattnan and hia fr;anda
took the Indian ronte from tho Ria
sGrande, with a train consisting Of
eight wag ons and uome 90 persons
After d series Of continued hardships
and disasters thev reached Tucson
entirely destitute Of provisions their
stock broken down. and most of
them unable to proceed.
Mr.. Oatman saw nothinp bnt ntter
dest;tnt;on bofora hin e bo ton.;oa
there and ba wao soro,v on, .rrooooa
what ~ do H;s o+ooL hoa hoa,,
aanced 70 20 noLa &c oou,s ond
ono of oxen ond MOS 90 ;od.a of.o.
The ,ono ;ournav tbat = ,yas not
probable thew wonld hold ont mnob
longer. Nearly 20o Miles Of q desert
country Law between him and Fort
Yuma: and ,hevond the Co,orado
there was still 8 terrible desert 70
nooo hoforo bo could roooh ~ ao,.h
ern connt;es &c California wb;,o
snffer;no tho +orture, &c onx;o+, ond
snsnense with the o,oom;est nros
peot if thev remained aDr T,econnt
who had extensively exnlored tho
Pacific coast arrived from Fort
Yuma. and renorted tho ronta safe
He had seen no hostile Indians and
had heard Of No racent denredot;ona
on tho wav
Encouraged by the information.
Mr.. ,Oatman determined to push for
ward at once for California, and. ac-
cordingly, on the 11th of March he
set out with such slender ontfit Of
provisions as he could procure. Tray
cling for seven days under great
difficulties, his family on the verge of
starvation, his cattle scarcely able to
drag the wagon, he was overtaken
by DR.. Lecount and a Mexican guide.
1t was evident from the exhaustion
of his team that he would be totally
unable to reach Fort Yuma without
assistance. DR.. Lecount agreed to
hurry on as fast as possible and send
back assistance from the fort, which
was still distant about 90 miles.
The first night beyond the Oat-
man camp an attack was made by a
band of Indians upon Lecount and
his guide, and their animals stolen.
Left on foot, without any means of
subsistence, they were compelled to
hurry on or starve. The Mexican
was sent ahead to procure assistance.
1t was 80 miles back to the Oatmans
Lecount saw no alternative but to
rush on after the guide. He left q
card, however, conspicuously fast
ened TO a tree, stating what had oc-
Cured, and warning the emigrant
party behind to be on the lookout
for the Apaches. Although the
Oatmans camped at the same spot
they failed to see the notice; or, as
some suppose, Mr.. Oatman saw it
and concealed it from his family in
order that they might not be use-
lessly alarmed.
On the 18th of March they spent a
dreadful night on little island in
the Gila river. A terrible storm
blew the water up over them; their
scanty supply of provisions was dam
aged, their blankets and clothing
wet through, and the starving ami
mails driven nearly frantic with fear.
1t was a wild and desolate place,
many days. journey from any civil
lied abode. Hitherto, Mr.. Oatman,
naturally man of sanguino tempera-
ment, had borne every disaster and
braved. every danger cheerfully and
without flnchingG but the present
ment Of some terrible doom seemed
to have fallen upon him at this