The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-05-04
FOUND HIS HOME AN ASH HEAP
BUT PRosPEREo
WAS VERY LUCKY HUNTER
Started on Tour with One Load Of
Shot and Hail Bushel OF Meal.
Found Meat When His
Bread Gave Out.


Hanna, and Is one OF the most intelli.
gent men OF his race, was a Coufcd
crate soldier and fought until the
end Of the war. The following vivid
description he gives of the return to
his home tells story of suffering
among the Indians ON account Of the
war that the histories do not suggest
Mr. Gibson says.
Il was then mere boy aud was
one OF the first to return to an ash
bank that had left comfortable
home My brother traded pony and
saddle that he had acquired In the
march home In some way, for team
the old home in the native land. Our
property then consisted OF few old
quilts. mostly holes, ten razorback
hogs, the OK team and wagon and q
shotgun with only one barrel loaded,
the last that was left OF the Confodcr-
acy. our entire stock OF groceries
consisted Of half a bushel of golden
dorn meal. Thus the trip was under
taken. | acted as teamster for the
oxen over the tortuous way. and IL
was many a day before We reached
the hills from which We could view
my old home.
I'VE travelled six days without sos-
ing thing to XIII with our last load
Of shot. On the morning of the sew
euth day We divided our last corn
pone and were facing starvation. 1t
was the last mouthful and thee were
four of IS 1t was d. that tried
the souls of women as w-ll rs men.
Had all our razorbacks been killed
they would not have been enough
grease to oil the lock of our shotgun.
As the day wore on our hunger IN
creased, and - did that of our hogs.
Finally an old SOW broke away from
us aud In chasing her we jumped up
large red squirrel which hoped up
in small tree. My brother refused
TO allow the last load in the gun to be
fired at squirrel so we resorted to
throwing rocks. We were good at
throwing rocks, and goaded on by hun
ger we threw at that squirrel as We
had never thrown before and finally
killed him. 1t meant meat to the
starving men, and how We pounced
upon him when he fell.
While we were trying to get the
squirrel the hogs had strayed away
up a small rayine in search of water
In rounding them up accident1 ~ dis
covered wild turkey sitting on hel
nest. | hurried back to the wagon
aud told my brother to give me that
last load to shoot the turkey or else
give II TO me in my own heart He
gave me the gun and with II crawled
and wormed my way back TO tae
place whore | had seen the turkey aud
with careful aim, | fired the last load
Of the Confederacy, so Tar as we wore
concerned, and II cut the turkeys
/ head of as cleauly as with knife
Under this hen there were nine fresh
eggs. We could now begin to smile,
| for here was meat plenty Of II for one
day, at least. Just as We were round.
/ ing up our hogs bunch of quail We're
seen running from trail with rocks
We crippled one OF the quail and IL
flew into a thicket and fell. We slip
ped up cat-like and with a spring fas
tened the bird down under the brush
with our hands. In doing this the
rush Of wind blew aside the dead
leaves that covered the nest of an
other wild turkey in which there
were fourteen eggs. The eggs we care
| mlly placed in my old Confederate hat
and bore back TO the wagon. All that
day we had been facing starvation.
/ Now we had squirrel, turkey, quail
and eggs, but not a particle OF bread.
/ we drove down to little brook
/ and uLyOked Mike and Mig and were
| preparing for a feast when from the
| opposite hill there came white man
who asked us TO tell him for heavens
sake II we had bite to eat. He said
/ he had not had a bite OF meat for four
| days and we asked him what he had
lived on and he said bread. straight
bread. We asked him how he was
fixed on breadstufr and he replied. 4
am loaded down with bread, but
can get nothing else We then in
formed him that We had everything
but bread.
There on the banks OF that little
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