The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-08

and F, 9Th d. s. Inf. who died there Of
Asiatic cholera in April. 1866, on the
march from Fort Smith to Arbuckle. The
place was ever after called Camp De-
struction" by our men. Averell omitted to
state that they crossed the Washita River
before reaching the fort, which is just
seven miles west of the stream.
In the Spring Of 1868. while large de-
tail Of us were cutting down the west
bank of the Washita River to make the
hank less steep for the heavy trains to
drive up, we Unexpectedly came upon
| four brass cannon buried in the road bed.
| covered with about three feet Of earth.
These cannon were what was known then
as 25-pounder brass field or light artillery.
I have always been of the opinion that
these gnns were buried there by Maj. EN-
Ory's troops when they were max ing their
escape to Kansas. in April, 1861, after
| burning or dumping the limbers and cais-
sons into the river. This seems very prob
able because that was the only place they
could cross the river. That ford or cross
ing was. as stated above. seven miles due
east Of Arbuckle, and is on the direct road
to Fort Gibson. l. T., and Fort Scott,
Kan. OF this road also have very dis
tinct recollection, having marched over it
from Fort LeavenwOrth. Kan. to Ar
buckle. distance Of over 500 miles.
When the cannon were discovered every
| ppuy "dS ~ see Will lutN lOOheu
like, and we were shoveling sand as
though we had struck a gold mine. when
some one sung out, "Torpedoesr' The
ditch was cleared of everything except
shovels in two seconds: old veterans as
well as greenhorns put in their best ticks
to get ont Of harms way. Dutchman
named Hess. on old veteran. alone re-
manned, and said. "ITarpedoes, H." Ned
Owens looked back at Hess from safe
distance and accosted him thus: "Git ont
ther, We bloody Sourkrouter. II ye tutch
the stirring tied to the tutchhols. it's blow
ye into smithereens." Hess replied. "Yoa
WOOL. did you effer see cannon pail come
frum the sides Of a gannon?" Everybody
had laugh at this, but Owens could not
| be induced to come near till he saw there
was no string to the "tutchhOle," as he
called the vent. These cannOns we took
to the fort. They were set up as posts.
one at each corner of the parade ground
muZzle down, and after the prisoners in
the guard house had polished them as
bright as gold dollar, they made the
parade ground look very attractive.
A brief description of this frontier fort
may be of interest to some of the readers
of The National Tribune, as a great many
of our most distinguished officers had at
some time in the long ago, been there, and
as this was an old place in the COS, when
! saw it for the first time.
| The fort was on a rise or plateau of
perhaps 100 acres. The buildings were in
a regular square around the parade
ground-two barrack on the west side,
two on the east side of the parade ground.
with five or six officers quarters on the
south side and two on the north. The pa
rade ground covered about eight acres and
had gravel walks running through the cen
ter. east and west, north and south.
There was a well of good water in the
| rpptnr tho fnI1 "a ,,,h; ,b
the Stars and Stripes were to be seen
every day the year round, rain or shine
Northwest of the parade ground was the
Commissary building and sutler store, then
kept by Thomas Green, Of Richmond, Va,
and j. s. Evans, Of Philadelphia, Pa.
West OF the fort, just down steep HILL
was the finest spring Of good, pure
, healthy water in that country. 1t was
about eight feet square, with stone wall
around it seven feet high. with a single
/ roof over it. My bunky, Elias Leader
who was stone mason. built the wall. and
{ suppose it is there today, just as it was
long ago.
. Further west was Garrison Creek. and
, north the thick underbrush to Wild Horse
, Greek; east was a small ravine, and be-
/ yOnd high prairie; south were deep ra.
3 vines with some timber, and beyond this
three miles from the fort, was the Indians
! "bathtnb," where We would battle In the
Summer. This pool Of clear spring water
was Is feet deep. A fall Of 40 feet has
caused the water to wear the rocks of
until the pool, within a mass of sole
I red rock is as clear as crystal / omitted
to state that all the buildings in the fort
+ were of hewed oak logs, with shingle
|: roofs. No wall or breastwork surrounded
l them.
A few companies Of the 10th u. 8. Cav
! (Colored troops), were with US at Arbuckle
9 These negro Regulars were mostly from
!. Southern plantations, and it was very
amusing to ses them ct drill When mont