The National tribune., 1909-11-04

pense, and our company's funds We're
soon exhausted. The company tailors
were put to work cutting them up and
making gantlets for the men. We left
Fort Laramie on the morn ng of Jan.
e. 1867 Some days we would make
only four or five miles, because of the
deep ravines drifted full of snow. We
would have to shovel passage thru for
the supply train. Other days, with no
obstructions, we would march 80 miles.
The ground was frozen so hard we
could not drive a tent pin in, so no
tents were put up, and our camp at
might looked like logs scattered about
land covered with the falling or drift nS
Isnow. We reached Fort Phil kearny
in the evening, Jan. 16. 1861. We found
they had been unmolested so far as he
Isiesing the fort was concerned, and they
had gone unmolested four miles to find
and bury their dead. Capt Brown, of
my company, was one of the dead.
At the next post beyond, Fort C. F.
lSmith they were short of supplies, and
the Colonel WAS getting uneasy, fearing
they were besieged. He offered all kinds
of inducements, even commissions, to
get his men to volunteer to carry dis
patches there and back. Some had tried
it, but their hearts failed them, and
they would return to the post. Those
offers had held good from shortly after
the Fetterman massacre, on Dec. Il 10
Jan. 16, when the three companies OF
the 1st Battalion got there. First Serg't I
Grant of Co. L, and First Serg't
Graham, of Co. G. were each promised
commissions to deliver the Dispatches
and they started on the perilous trip
They went thru safely, tho neither of
them had ever been over the ground
before, and with only dim, half-oblit-
Grated trail to follow.
Capt. Kinney. l think his name was,
Icommandant of the post, treated them
to the best he had for their bravery,
and had them rest for day before
their return.
On their return trip they carried a
mailbag and each had good mount.
At sunset on the second day out they
stopped to make coffee in a raw ne with
high bluffs on either side. Graham left
his horse tethered close at hand. while
Grant had left his farther down the
ravine. One of them looked up. and
saw Indians coming up the ravine.
Graham mounted his horse and fled.
Grant, unable to get his horse. crawled
into a creyice, where he could see the
Indians pass by after Graham. Graham
got away, but it killed his horse run
ming over the rocks. Grant came out
of his hiding place about midnight, and
started for home (between 60 and 20
it1iiSS away y Will W E3uiN' it'Aii
but stars and mountain peaks. 1t was
not safe for him to travel in the day
time, so he went on at night. and with
nothing to eat.
Graham got in about daylight in
pretty good condition, and stated that
the Indians had killed Grant and he
had lost the mail pouch. That Same
evening, between and 10 O'Clock,
Grant crawied into the post on his
hands and knees. not able to stand. II s
lungs were frozen; his heels dropped
off to the bone. Our First Lieutenant,
Thomas l.. Brent, went home on leave
| Of absence shortly afterwards, and his
relatives and friends made up pretty
good purse and sent it by him to Grant.
| Regardless Of all the promises. i am
quite sure that was all that either of
them ever got, for / met Graham seven
Iyears afterwards on the Staked Plains
| of Texas, near old Camp Stockton, in
destitute circumstances. After Grant
and Graham got back we three COM
Ipanies, T.. G and b, 1st Battal'o on, con-
Itinued our march as escort to the sup
ply train to Fort C. +. Smith and back,
| and then went into quarters at Fort
Reno until the next Spring, 1868. We
were distributed out in small detach-
ments along the Union Pacific Railroad.
guarding it against the Ind ans.-Wm.
| X Kenney, Color-Sergeant and Quar-
tcrmaster-Sergeant, Co. Z. 18th U. s.,
lScnner. Fla.