The National tribune., 1902-09-25

boy about IA years Of age. They were
Choctaws, and l managed by signs to find
out that there was big road 20 miles
away to the southwest. 1 did not linger
here, and after securing a little venison
started out on a trail leading toward the
road they described to me, but the trail
soon turned in direction that i did not
want to go, and again l took to the
woods. l proceeded in this manner
three days and by this time my
provisions became exhausted, but the
wild strawberries were ripening and ate
them as often as l could find them. My
horse was showing signs of fatigue, but
did not suffer from lack of forage, for
there was plenty of nutritious grass, and
| would often wish that 1 could satisfy
my appetite on the same food that my
horse was so fond of. We had to 20
without water, however, for a day and
half, and both the horse and myself suf-
fered severely on this account.
by this time 1 had gone beyond the
point where l had expected to reach the
road, and realized that / was lost; but
my army education had given me a gen.
eral knowledge of the country, and, as
the sequel proved, l was, in the main, cor.
rect IN my conjectures as to the final
course to pursue. / marked out for my
self again general southwest course, be-
Iieving that if | travelled far enough il
would lead me not far from Fort Arbuckle.
On the banks of certain stream or creek
that was on my chart there was described
the cabin of a half-breed Indian who could
be trusted. This point was but a days
travel from the post and the stream and
the country were so minutely described
that 1 felt certain l would recognize the
creek when l came to it. To this stream
therefore l directed my route, being quite
sure that l was not far from it. Two
days travel brought me to a creek resem-
bling that one which l sought, but those
two days travel were the worst that I
had encountered; there was no trail and
my course lay over an exceedingly brok-
en- country, with very little water, and I
had nothing to eat except wild fruit and
a squirrel that l had succeeded in killing
with my revolver, and was becoming very
weak from fatigue and the lack of food
Il at last found the creek and the
cabin of the half-breed, where 1 got a
full meal, rested a couple of hours and,
accompanied by the Indian, continued the
journey. l would have been glad to have
stopped day or two at the cabin of the
Indian, but the latter had heard that EN-
ory had abandoned the fort and was NOV
ing In an unknown direction. 1t became
very important to move rapidly and get
at once on the trail Of the column. We
reached the abandoned post early the next
morning; the half-breed soon found the
direction, and after resting an hour the
ride was resumed. Emory was moving
northward, but not on the route laid down
in the order from Washington. The next
day we found EmOry's camp, and as we
approached, were halted by the picket,
who supposed that we We're both Indi-
ans, and the Corporal of the guard es-
corted US both TO the tent of Col. Emory,
where there were a number Of officers
assembled
"'Col. Emory, I have orders from
Washington for y0u,' l said, as l advanc-
ed to shake the hand Of the commanding
officer.
Who are you' said Emory.
~ am Averell,' I replied, as I turned
toward an officer who had drawn close
to my side. Don't you know me, Stur-
gis?"
Gen. Averell, in relating the story to
the author of this sketch a few months
before he died, said: II was exhausted
by travel, weak, still suffering from the
effects of my New Mexico wound, and
the next thing that remember was when
l was lying with my head on Sam Stur-
gis's legs and he was pouring some kind
of liquid from bottle down my throat"
The next morning the column moved
on. with the Lieutenant in an ambulance,
on the route indicated by orders from
Washington, passing safely through In
dian Territory to Kansas, and was soon
in the great struggle. Nearly
every officer who was with Emory's
column achieved distinction in the war
for the Union, and Averell, as history re-
cords. became a Major General of Vol
unteers and performed the most import
ant services for the country.