The National tribune., 1901-03-14
ROUGH RIDING.
tCon,inssd from first pagc.J

knew of the gold discovery at Pixies Peak
at least a year before Mr.. Simpsons re-
puted discovery.
1T is not pertinent to this article to
give any further account of our expedi-
| ton, which was q severe piece of expert
ence; but at some other time I may as
sist the future historian of Colorado by
detailing some remembrances of those
rough times from 81 to 81, inclusive
There are probably many of my old com
| rades living who can corroborate my
statements in regard to the first discovery
of gold in the Pixies Peak region"
L do not claim the honor of the gold
discovery for myself. or any of our COM
mand. but in the interest of correct his
tory only wish the credit to go to the
proper parties; and it has always seemed
to me that the party of Missourians be-
fore mentioned are justly entitled to the
honor.
THE SITE OF DENVER.
As stated in my letter above quoted, we
camped June 80, 81, at the mouth Of
Cherry Greek twhere the City of Denver
now standsJ, and were mustered for two
months pay, but not paid off. The cere-
mony of mastering for pay has to he gone
| through on the last days of February,
April, June, August, October and Decem-
Der, but we will not receive pay until we
| come in reach of Faymaster.
The country here is wild in the fullest
sense, giving no evidence of the occupa-
tion by white man, except the road we
are travelling, which is well worn by Cali
fornia travel. This California Trail crosses
the river (South Platte) here, and strikes
through the mountains near this camp at
the mouth of Cherry Creek, where we
leave it, as our course will be down the
right bank of the river. The scenery is
beautiful, game abundant, climate de-
I..IRf 81 h. L.,
needs the comforts of civilization to make
it pleasant place to dwell.
Pixies Peak, with its snOw-covered sum
init, towers aloft seemingly very near, but
| am told that it is about 80 miles dis
tant from the mouth of Cherry Creek
During the daytime the air is very warm,
but usually tempered by good breeze
The nights are cool, and one needs to be
covered by a couple of heavy blankets
to sleep comfortably; and in the morning
fellow gets up feeling fresh and frisky.
DOWN THE PLATTE.
July l we resumed our march down
the Platte. Our marches now do not
seem so tedious and monotoBous as on
the plains. The constantly changing seen
cry, and abundance and variety of game
seen on the march among the foothills,
make the time pass more pleasantly. In
stead of the everlasting and tresome
through large bodies of beautiful pine tim
ber. Elk, deer and antelope are in plenty,
and now and then a bear is killed by some
of our scouts or guides.
The road we are on now since leaving
the California Trail seems to have been
travelled but little Our route continues
down the river, and in a few days we
leave the timber and foothills of the noun
tains, and are again on the plains. The
South Platte here is enough like the Ar
kansas, on the other route, to be called its
twin sister.
Shortly after leaving Cherry Creek we
passed, successfully. three old, abandoned
trading posts, or three ruins, rather, as
there is nothing left hut the crumbling
'dObe walls. | am informed by one OF
the old hands that these were formerly oc-
cupied as trading posts, and called, re-
spectively, Fort Lupton, Fort st. Vrain
and Fort Lancaster, after their proprie-
tors.
Within the walls of one of them we
found. half-buried in the crumbling dirt,
with the nHzzle sticking out, small can
non, without carriage, seemingly about
four-pounder. 1t had probably become
disabled, and being useless was left when
the proprietors abandoned the ranch. AS
we had no use for it we left is just as we
found it.
THE TWO COMMANDS UNITED.
On the Fourth of July we laid over at
camp not far below the last of these
old forts, fired National Salute" of u
guns from our two howitzers, and other
wise celebrated the day as best we could.
When the sound of. our last gun died
away we were startled to hear the report
OF an answering gun come booming over
the plains from down the river, and dis
tInctiy counted 81 guns, from the same di-
rection.
ns onu-.o ,,,o ,oo,, oo,,o.rob.,Io1 A..
this was from Col. Summers command,
the other half Of our expedition, and was
the first We had heard from that COM
mand since leaving them at Fort Leayen-
worth, about two months previous.
A messenger was Immediately dis
patched to the Colonel's camp, which was
found to be on the opposite side of the
river about 10 miles below us. When the
messenger returned he brought orders for
us to move down and join Col. Summers
camp in the morning, which we accord
Ingly did.
When we arrived opposite the ColonePs
camp we found 1t rather difficult to ford
the river, as it was somewhat deep in
places and the quicksand very bad. Some
of our horses and some mule teams mired
down in the quicksand in crossing but we
finally got over without losing a man or
animal
A soldier of Col. Summers command by
Tue UaIne OF DOUeFty ndQ Deem drowned
in the river the day before. and a party
were still searching for the body, but with
out success.
We fell into line on the left of the
Colonel's command and established our
camp, the Colonel flying around industri-
ously to settle us as comfortably as pos
sible The old fellow really seemed glad
to see us, and the men were glad to see
the "Old Bull of the Woods" as they ia
miliarly style our old white-haired and
white-bearded Colonel, for he Is always
the soldiers friend, and ever ready to
share with them the hardships and dan
gers of u soldiers life.
Soldiers are, many times, great grum-
blers, growing at the weather, the dust,
heat, cold, rations or anything else they
can think of that needs cursing and growl- |
ing about. When they see that their Of
fcers fix themselves up comfortably, and |
seem careless OF the welfare and comfort |
of their men, which is often the case, they |
grumblc, and with some reasonable |
grounds But when they see that their |
officers are taking their share of the hard
ships and rough fare, they will submit to |
anything without n murmur.
In this respect our Colonel had won |
the love OF his men. They knew that he |
would do all he could to make them COM
Portable, and if there were discomforts |
and hardships to be endured, he would set |
an example to his men by taking his share |
of them and require the officers under him
to do the same. And IL soldier was
abused or oppressed, or otherwise unjust
ly used by his company officers, he was |