The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-08-22
TROOPS ON FRONTIER

fighter to Post reporter the other
day, General Crooks command, to
which belonged, being q member of
Company c, Fourteenth Infantry, dur
ing the march north in pursuit Of the
Sioux, struck the Powder River 'coun-
try In the midst of drenching rain.
In fact, 1t had been raining for sew
eral days prior to our arrival on the
banks of this stream, and the down
pour continued for several days after
we entered what "a far weather Is
one of the most beautiful sections of
the west.
"The usual results followed in
that the low bottom and prairie lands
along either side of this stream be-
came inundated, driving thousands OF
prairie rattlesnakes to seek refuge
from the waters on higher land. This
fact did not, however, attract our at
tention until some days after we reach
ed the Powder River valley, and then
our notice was drawn TO II in a very
st,dden and striking manner. We
marched along in this rain, every man
drenched to the skin, slept I'M it, and
lived just as miserably as 1t was pos
sible for human beings to live until
the third day after reaching this valley
when, after crossing the Powder River,
the sun came out strong and brilliant,
just as the command reached the sum
nit of divide, coming in sight Of
three beautiful wooded knplls scatter
ed about over the high plateau coun-
try that rose in gradual slope from
the river.
| "Seeing the condition We were in
General Crook gave orders to proceed
TO the finest knoll of the three to halt
tor sleep and rest for day and a night.
Every soldier in the command was
worm out, fatigued and d.sheartened
He also gave orders to us to hang ont
our blankets and clothing, every stitch
of which was soaking wet from Il
rain and water through which W
had been plodding for, three days, and
nights. .-.....s.
"The knoll that General Crook had
selected for our camp was covered with
a growth or virgin timber. There was
also considerable underground Of
sedge grass, vines and other vegeta-
tion; and as the region in question
had never been burnt over the success
i've crops of vines and grass that had
grown up and died down for centuries
had formed mat over the surface of
the knoll that, l dare say, must have
been fully foot in thickness. The Or
der to halt had scarcely died away on
the breeze when every man in the COM
pany was startled by an ominous
br-r-r-r-r-r-r-, first on one side then
on the other, then all around him.
Before we could even realize that the
place was literally alive with rattle
snakes, which, driven from their holes
and habitations in the low grounds
bordering the Powder River by the rls-
ing waters of that stream, had sought
shelter and refuge from the inundation
in the thick mat of underground en-
this, the highest point of land in the
region, before we had time even Ito
stack arms or discount, IL men and 2S
horses were bittencby these snakes.
There was no such thing as fleeing
from the place or beating hasty re
treat, for the danger was upon US. and
thel men, realizing their peril, drew
forth their ramrods and went Ito work
killing snakes. This may sound funny
and after 1t was over we even laugh 3,
at 1t ourselves, but for full Az min
Iutes after the first man was bitten ";
neyer saw a lot of men work and fight
any harder than we did in killing those
snakes. Not a word was spoken, moi
an order given, but from General
Crook down to the mule drivers
every man fought for his life against
the myriad of reptiles that as fart as
one was killed dozen seemed tc
spring forth in its place, and which
seemed to fairly swarm forth from
out the ground itself.
, 1.-THE mat of decayed vegetation was
/ too wet to burn, otherwise we would
have driven them out by fire. and as
the case stood we simply had to fiehI
for our lives. Drs. McGillicuddy an
Pachski had their hands full for Q
/, good two hours. for as soon as a mar
or horse was bitten he was take n t,
, the physicians whose names / just
mentioned, and who had all they coult
do to save the lives of those whom
the reptiles had bitten. Fortunately
!, we lost neither man nor horse, al
: though several Of the former becam,
very sick, and for a time 1t was thought
that the snake BITES they had received
8 would prove fatal.
3 We'll. when finally we finished tn,
i job we had piles Of raIttlesnakes lyin,
a hOuE all tha Wav from ONO III thr