The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-01-24

nuo OF eacapo, Their faithful dogs, Of
course, alarmed the camp. so the best
We could do was 10 make a dash out
wheel and nre as quick as we could.
and KerBhaw with bis faithful bugle
blew the charge Riding quickly
around the village. we made another
little firing al them and sounded the
bugi0 charge again. A repetition Of
this At another point and bnglc
charge threw them Into confusion
stampeded their ponies. prevented
their quick mounting. and while they
went IN one direction bold Kefshaw and
myself were riding 10 another. Natu'
rally, Of course, this gaye the Indians
something 10 think Of In the night
while we got 10 the post and Informed
Colonel Royal Of the location and. with
Major Brown, Captain Bache. LiculeD-
ant Jack Hayes ard q detachment of
cavalry, went on tho trail. which was
followed for two days, and the Indians
were severely punished. With but few
casualties on our side
Getting fresh meat for Fort Sheridan.
wo were greatly annoyed at times on
our buffalo hunt by being jumped by
the Indiana, who IN those days were
generally out with tho same object
Many q hot skiFmlsh OF many run
for II was necessary. Buffalo natural
y were some distance from the fort.
and ! thought Of a trick by which !
could give my red brothers q surprise
In q run for II a few miles from the
fort was hoghack that furnished a
good defenalYe position, aud had
often noticed that Il had long. deep,
bushy Favine. lt was In the nature
almost OF natural fortlaeation. SO !
thought how could get them TO re-
peat their many attacks on me when l
ran TO this particular point, from
which could signal for help TO the
fort With hasty grass Ores aud smoke
that talked" Butfaloes were at the
time plentiful. 10 | secured Kershaw
and about fifteen good marksmen,
with provisions for the trip. and start
"a our before daylight for che hunt
Hiding the soldiers In this rayine, we
procecded on our journey and had not
tho wagons half Oiled before my
striker. BIN white. announced Indians
IN the distance. "and a big band. too"
said BIil, Away We went for the hog
back. and Il was llckety split, With
the Indians gaining on us every min
ute, We reached Il. threw our wagons
into position. packed our buffaks hams
out for breastworks, threw some
straw about and gathered up some
dead grass to make q signal. The In
dlans, seeing H. knew that relief
would come and they hadn't q mo.
ment to lose II they wanted our Bcalps
On they came, dashing around. Ny
self ana ieamsters and i've or six OF
US banging away at them, they cir
cled around and drew OF. as they
COMMONLY did, and at distance OF
about seycnty.nye yards from the am
bush AS usual, they punched togeth
or listening TO the wrangle OF the
chief. Bangl Bangl Bangl Aud the
old Wlnehesters began TO talk from
the ravlne. while Kershaw with bis
bugle blew the charge. the Indians
tumbling here, there and everywhere
out Of their saddles. the rest scattering
with the speed OF Jack rabbits In all
directions Assembling on the distant
hills, they realized that the Jig was
up, particularly when they saw the
cavalry coming In the distance. Some
how or other during the remainder Of
the season they never seemed to mo
lest the butcher wagon with the same
appetite. And the fort always had
fresh meat
A country Of such vast expanse, un.
settled save for few forts as places
Of refuge and succor so comparatively
few In number MS to be, as It were, like
pebbles on the seashore, rendered the
campaign in winter, with the blizzard
conditions, not only hazardous and
dangerous, but even II successfully
combated attended by excruciating suf-
ferlng. This the old army officers and
soldiers Of the early campaigns VIII
never forget. the physical dlscomforts
and mental worrying with climatic
conditions far excelling those that de-
feated Napoleon In his winter cam
palgn In the region about Moscow.
/ relate two or three examples, ON
ono occasion was out with some Of
the Fifth cavalry under the command
Of Lieutenant Bache, descendant of
BENJAMIN Franklin and member Of
well known Philadelphia family aud,
by the way, magnificent young oth-
GER who In various campaigns showed
a bravery aud dash that one would
not associate with his arlstocratic bear
ing and extreme gentillty, A blizzard
arose. Fortunately we were near shell
tor IN the shape Of some bluffs and
scattered wood When the blizzard
was over It was necessary for us to
strike out on the path Of duty, The
thermometer was away below zero and
the wind cutting and sharp.
on coming buck from the lead to con-
suit with Lieutenant Bache ! passed