The National tribune., 1907-01-31

| Arrival AZ Fort Smith.
Some time next day we arrived in the
vicinity of Fort Smith, but Moonlight
thought best to keep us on the north
side of the river, away from the fort, as
the troops at ,theJ fort were living on
quarter rationsr so the situation looked
very gloomy, indeed. But the weather
was fine, SO we could rest and sleep. and
we had chance to hunt, as we were
wagon train loaded with provisions
came in from Fort Scott Those of us
that were barefooted drew army shoes,
and we felt like tramping north again.
We left Fort Smith the last days of
November, on the road to Fort Gibson.
It is 70 miles from Fort Smith to Fort
Gibson. The snow was three or four
inches deep. We arrived at Gibson
about noon Of the third day. The COM
mander of the fort showed us great
kindness; but as soon as we could get
across Grand River we went into camp
in the river bottom. We drew rations
of flour here, the first we had seen for
| utensils with us, we mixed our -four on
rubber blanket and pulled the dough
out in long strips and wrapt 1t around
a sassafras stick and baked 1t before
| the fire.
A Bad Scare.
We had very good weather for sew
eral days after leaving Gibson, and
nothing to frighten us until the night
we camped at Cabin Creek, when a ru
NOR was in circulation that the rebel
Gen. Gano was in the neighborhood try
ing to capture wagon train coming
down from Fort Scott, but 1t proved to
be a false report But the next night,
while encamped near Horse Creek,
while we were sleeping in the woods,
some time in the night the guns began
to crack. The man sleeping next to me
walked me up, hallOoing, "Gano!
Gano!" at the top of his voice. He took
up the Fort Scott road as fast as he
could run, and / after him. We left
our guns. revolvers, blankets and every
thing we had. I ran about two miles
before / got over my fright; then /
turned and went back to camp, ana
found the regiment all asleep except the
guards. / pulled my blanket over me
and was soon sound asleep again, and
as far as I know the men never knew
how cowardly / had acted, but I have
always felt ashamed Of myself for 1t.
North of Horse Creek we took the road
leading up the Neosho River to the
Usage Mission. I never knew why we
went this roundabout way to Fort
Scott. 1t is quite likely they wanted us
to learn to walk, so we would appreciate
Jul HoIScS WHet tIleS dBd1u.
AT any rate, after We got to the Mission
we went back to Fort Scott, arriving
there Dec. Z, 1864, very tired after
tramping thru the snow. We left Fort
Scott the morning of Dec. 10, little
thinking that before night we would
have to face the wbrst blizzard we had
seen since the cold New Years Day al
most one year before. The weather was
quite warm in the morning when we
left Fort Scott, ana continued so until
along in the afternoon, as we were
crossing the High divide between the
Usage and Mound City, when all at once
the air was filed with fine particles of
ice that blew I'M our eyes with such
force as to almost blind us. We man
aged to make 'Modhd City before dark.
and went intoncamp in the little grove
of timber on the north side OF town. IT
was impossible to Sleep any that night,
as we had all we could do to keep from
freezing. 1t got down to 10 below zero
before morning? with the wind blowing
a gale. The morning of the 11th Col.
Moonlight thought we had better try
and make Sugar Creek for the night,
where there was plenty Of timber, as
the prospect for several days of very
cold weather was before us. We thought
we would go into camp for the Winter
at Paola, so We were very anxious TO
arrive there as soon as possible. I will
never forget how that biting wind cut
our faces as we started out to cross that
level prairie, with the snow drifts four
or five feet deep in places. We filed
into the timber on Sugar Creek about
2 o'clock in the afternoon, and soon
had fires going to warm by and cook
our supper. The night was so very cold
(22 degrees below zero) that 1t was ut
terIy impossible for man to lie down
In the snow and sleep with only one
nd 10 cha
want to say right here that in this long,
cold march of more than 1900 miles
We never slept one night in a house or
tent
On the morning of Dec 12 we started
on the road to Paola, 80 miles away,
long before daylight. and arrived there
in the evening very weary, where we
that We left at Westport, Mo-, almost
two months before.
In place of finding snug quarters here
for the Winter. as we expected, the
regiment took up claim by the side
of some logs in the timber, with the
snow foot deep. We thought we would
make other arrangements the next day,
which we did, by being politely inform
ed that we had to go to Fort Riley.
Kan, Immediately. In fact, we found
out afterwards that We were receiving
our marching orders on the installment
plan. We We're getting accustomed to
wading the snow. so we sruck out across
the prairie for Fort Riley via Lawrence
and Topeka
The night we stopt at Lawrence we
camped on the bank of the beautiful
Kaw, and had green sycamore wood to
keep us warm, with the temperature
several degrees below zero. 1t was for
only one night. as the next morning we
took up the river bottom toward Tope-
ka, where we arrived the second day,
and / must say that we Jared some
better here than at Lawrence. In place
of having green sycamore wood to keep
us warm we wound green elm. But all
things come to an end if we only wait
long enough. so the next morning We
crost the river on the ice, and in three
days we arrived at Fort Riley. Here
we thought sure we would stop for the
Winter, but we were politely Informed
that we must cross the plains and that
in the dead of Winter. From certain
actions of quite 4 large number of the
men they thought some of rebelling;
but we stopt at Fort Riley long enough
to draw clothing and mount all of the
regiment that owars on foot Our regi-
ment was divitred here. Col. Moonlight
and all of the regiment except my COM
pany (H) and GO. e crost over and
went up the Platte River to Fort Lara
mie, Wyo., whiieiwe went up the Smoky
Hill River to Rort,Ellsworth, and crost
over to Great'iBeud and went up the
Arkansas River. aand some of us went
nm far Font TLyoD Co1n