The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-31
1843.

Inc iacts or the expedition TO the salt
plains Of the Northwest in 1915. then but
! little known, were obtained by the writer
from William Davis Drown, who was n
member of the expedition. Mr.. Drown,
during his career Of more than twenty
years as a soldier, has many interesting
things 10 relate Of Incidents long past nut
worthy Of record. Mr.. Drown was born
! In chinatown, n. H., on August II, 1871.
When 20 years of age he Joined the United
States army at New York First dragons,
( commanded by Colonel kearney. Phil
hearney, nephew OF the colonel, was n
second lieutenant Of a company In the reg
iment and for him Fort Phil Kearney was
named many years later. In 1912 the regi-
ment was ordered to Fort Gibson In the
Chickasaw nation, Indian Territory At
this time Colonel Zachary Taylor was at
lort Smith, ArK., and received an order
| from headquarters TO proceed to the Ease
! Nashita river aud there select a place to
build q tort. Colonel Taylor came TO Fort
! GIBSON 10 obtain an escort OF dragons
to accompany MIN on the expedition. SIX
lneu were furnished under the command OF
Corporal Drown. Iney renamed three
weeAs on the site Of Tue future rort Wasli-
! Ia anu tnen repaired TO ort TOW son. cup.
tam Bliss, Tor wnom Fort Bnss IN New
! mexico was afterwards named, was also
OF The party. From Fort IowsoD the es-
coft went 10 some noted springs twenty
siN mnes from ru.t GIBSON, where many
IhuiAh itlues Ntte asstluuled IA councii.
Inc pa pose VI tuis cUulicil VAS 10 nave du
| a. ecLntiit anu prlLcOL aVAie pan IA iesdt d
/ To tuc otMl4vlv luu.ahs, " 40 itdu Just Uvel
! llansteltcu iium r.Diiad, - nnis,cu reset-
| WAGON WAS to ue ass45ueu them Wneie lleJ
! Vou.u I'VE ana hlnt wltnOut uvmS Gu
| c.0N'heu upou or disturbed IA any way py
! O,u,I Guulaub.
iSte, s;,, sr. Drown, he thought Colonel
! las ior Was gong 20 nave trOdolo wan shc
! lh'l"ns. tte uud negro lDan named DeA'
| ms Mnum lie urougdJ n0nl fluIIua, a-id
| the ln4tdns were nl the ndmt % pusIIos
! hllu away from The spring wnen he came
! lor WAGER. DUIOAel Iay4Or tuOk uuuce o.
| this aAu on one occasion When Dennis was
| luueH pusueu BACK ny q gaudIlS IA essct
! lnatau nave, WaKGQ up Hnu kcked Lne
luuian IN tAe lace. Ine cOionei wore Il
AtaN5 pan VI cuNAIy boots ara tne DON
! iaIu tUG lnuIan OCT On ms Odck. Notnlug
! came OF 1t, MOVE, er.
! Lore Was mace from this place to Fort
| G4usJA 1nl Wutu Ap.t tne Ioit tle selal-
/ NOES ,oncuIeu tney Doula solve tne pioo-
] lem themselves as To Where they sAOu'i
/ live alu accordingly packed up ana mos Ell
| out to nuut country OF tner own chuos-
| ing. They were led by Wild Cat, the I
! cn4ef. Two companies of Dragons fol
/ lowed them, but when pressed by the cay.
| alrt the inuians entered dense cane brake
| on the Akarsas river and the soldiers could
not follow them on horseback. The semi
! rolss remained Ia the brake until i've more
/ companies o. mounted men came from fort
/ Lel' enNoi'h, ran, and then the Gale
! brake was surrounded ana set on nre In.s
! dlnte the Indians uuL but instead Of SlF
| rendering To the soldiers they commenced
! swimming the river. The troops were or
! dered to IRE, but 10 aim high so MS not to
| hit any OF them. Two vollevs had the de-
! sired effect aud the chief brought them all
! back ana surrendered.
! In ts43 the government sent out an expo
! dillon to explore the great salt plains ex-
| tending through portions Of Texas and New
| Mexico and 10 make report In regard 70
| them, serenty-hva men composed The. parry
and hey were under the command Of Cap
tnin Nathan Boone. son OF Daniel Boone,
! the famous pioneer Of Kentucky. Inc start
vas made from Fort Gibson and the old
/ Santa Re trail was followed to the big
| Bend" In the Arkansas river when a turn
| was made towards the south across q level
| prairie. There was no road or guide except
! Captain Boone and he had never been there
| before II bad general iden Of the coun-
| try and an Imperfect map. but that was
| all that he needed in crossing this painless
/ yastfE"t connplY lie was a regular path,
finder The lessons uf woo1craft which mad
been taught Hun by his farther took deep
and lasting root and ne was never at fault.
wherbcr threading the intricate way of the
pathlcss forcs, or shaping his course across
/ q trackiess. tree,ess plain.
/ In the PARTY We're L!euteuants Johnson
( and Anderson. Captain Boone was direct
| Ing the course TO he pursued. hat one day
lieutenant johnson was In front and hay
/ lnc q comuass stopped his horse and laid
/ the compass on the butts Of his pistols
/ which hung to the pommel Of the saddle,
and getting the direction Of the needle,
asked CANAAN Boone when he came up
which now was the right course Boone
cast his ewes around little. looked down
then pointed the direction What he saw
or what he went bv 10 determine these
/ thlnrs no ore could tell eNcept those versed
In like manner His Indicated course how
over did NOT CORRESPOND with the lieuten.
! antis compass ana he promptly told the
/ cantoin that This time he was wrong. This
Md Poonc mad
"Get down from that horse" he says,
| "nnd la, Tint commas on the ground You
rcst If on the butts OF vour pistols where
! ~ stoei nttrarfs tho needle and then
Az ~ taIi mo an, wrong g'bp younr
oficer did rs was directed and tho needle
Gov oronnd and polEted south. the same