The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-02-26
REyoLurIoNlsTs' sUFFERINos.


The battle OF Arnold ana ms mel
with the wilderness as they struggled
along Dead river and the Chaudiere
furnishes dramatic material for the
third installment Of Justin II. Smiths
'sThe Prologue OF the American Revo-
lution," in Century. The army finally
divided, hoping thus to end more
quickly the sutferings Of the march;
| but
"The 1st Of November dawned upon
famishing army; very few still had
| food, many had already been destitute
| for day or more, and some, deter
| mined to have full meal for once, had
eaten almost Immediately the share
given out in the meadows, trusting
that relief was almost at hand. A kind
Of wrathful despair began to seize the
army. Were they to be defeated, after
all? Impossiblel Like the Old Guard
at Waterloo, they felt sort Of rage
gathering inside them-a still, dumb,
savage fury, the root instinct OF mans
will to live and to conquer. Humanity
stripped bare is terrible; yes, but it is
also magnificent. Some men eating
dog meat offered Thayer and Topham
q share, but they declined it, thinking
that they were more in want of it than
what we were at the time
"The I'd Of November found the
troops one day nearer starvation
Melvin shot squirrel and little bird,
and possibly some others were equally
fortunate; but no one tells us SO. All
the candles had been used up long ago I
to enrich the Cruel, and now scraps
Of shaving soap, lip salve and pomatum
were devoured. A dried squirrel skin
from pocket made meal. Cartridge
pouches, leather breeches, belts and
shoes were boiled and chewed. Some1
of the soldiers knew of eatable roots
that could be found in the sandy /
beaches OF the river; behind each of
the knowing ones followed party,
and as he sprang to dig at a root with i
his fingers, they sprang too, and who
ever secured the prize devoured it in
stantly. More than one man looked at
his gun, thought longingly of the |
death it contained, and said to him
self: Shall ~
"The next morning, when the sol
diers rose they staggered about Like
drunken men; but after little, aiding
themselves with their guns, they got
their footing and set out again. Hour
after hour they marched. 1t began to
'eem wonderful, uncanny. Men gazed !
veirdly at one another Were they
'eally more than human, then, that
hey could march, march, day after
lay, and eat nothing, like the angels?
10, they were not angels; small stick
cross the path was enough to bring |
he stoutest Of them to the ground.
"Now came the most dreadful thing
i all. Men fell, and could not rise
gain. Sitting or lying there. with all
heir life in their eyes, they mutely
'esought aid of each passer-by in turn. :
Fellow soldier, comrade, friend, help
nel' pleaded their long gaze. But
alt could only add another death.
Altered and torn, many barefooted, /
slny bareheaded. pallid, sunken, tot
ering, buried in misery, those who {
ould march marched on, with heads
ent forward, with eyes half closed,
18th brain in dizzy stupor. just able =
wonder how soon the inevitable fall
the last fall would come. BY min
tes and seconds they still lived. BY
DDS, by yards, by feet, by inches, they :
ruggled on; nothing save the very
IRE Of existence left, but that invin-
Bile. Till sky turn black or feet strike
'ot, on, on, on!"