Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-03
JAMES KING DESCRIBES EARLY DAY
TRAVEL ALONG THE SANTA FE TRAIL

Smith, the unexpected was happening
farther west on the trail. The clear
notes of bugle sounded from the
lookout on the hills overlooking the
river and the fort, and an investiga
ton we We're gladly surprised to learn
that a train of some kind was coming
along the trail from the westward
and soon six government wagons
drawn by six mules each, and two gov
eminent ambulances drawn by -four
mules each, came rolling along the
dusty trail and into the fort.
This outfit proved to be from Fort
Union and was loaded with discharg
ed soldiers from Forts Wingate, Gar
land, Union and some from Fort Bent
and they had cavalry escort of 10C
men. They informed us that they had
come via the Rattoon or mountain
route and that grazing for the stock
all along the Arkansas valley was
good.
The ambulances contained two dis
charged officers and their wives. The
outfit was also blessed with good
army surgeon, who, after ascertaning
Smiths condition, said that he would
not survive the shaking and jolting
of the return trip by stage. TWO
ladies, who were of the military party,
then took the matter in their own
hands and soon a cot was donated by
the genial captain, spoken of as COM
mander at Dodge, and comfortable
home was made in one of the ambu-
lances for Smith who eventually
reached his home in Olathe, Kas., only
to answer the last bugle call few
weeks later.
| Both ladies were dressed in full
oVer-dresses of the finest buckskin
that could be turned out by the nimble
fingers of the Apache squaws, while
gracefully over their shoulders hung
fine beaded capes of the same materi-
ial. Their hair had been cut short
and on their heads they wore the pro-
verbal Mexican sombrero, while from
| their girdles cleaned the familiar
stocks of a Colt 49, One of them bore
an ugly scar on her wrist, received
when the bloody Apaches raided her
| fathers ranch in southern Arizona.
The young lieutenant of the party who
was her husband rescued her from
the Apaches and was very proud Of
her and he described to us some of
her daring adventures and hair-rais-
ing encounters along the Arizona-So-
nora borders and many instances
where she had signally distinguished
herself and said that on more than
one occasion she had saved her hus-
bands company from humiliation at
the hands of the fierce Apaches. The
women had fine Apache horses which
they rode most of the time en- route
and they would alone often ride far
ahead of the troopers. In fact, when
the cavalcade entered FIT. Dodge they
were in advance of the outfit and sit
ting their mounts with as much ease
AS two trained plainsmen.
Thirty-five of the men in our outfit
had seen hard service during the re-
bellion, either under the Stars and
Stripes or under the Stars and Bars,
and we were all expert horsemen and
good shots with any kind of gun
that would make noise. After the
troopers had finished their meal, the
officers and their wives messing (eat-
ing) with the post commander, every
body gathered about the station of the
overland stage company and here the
battle SCARED veterans of the west in
faded blue and the discharged veter-
ans of the north and south mingled
freely in one common brotherhood.
The repairing of wagons and harness
became secondary consideration.
Our business agent had brought with
him good supply of the best maya
zines then on the market and liberal
stock Of Leavenworth and Lawrence
papers and as seven of us were from
n nj To
get the latest home news. The COM
mander of the fort was actually be-
side himself endeavoring to extend
like courtesies to all hands, and to
say that it was a genuine love feast
would be putting the matter in mild
form. Games of all kinds were the
order of the afternoon.
The war was once more fought from
Bull Run to Appomatox Once more
Grants reserves went to the support
of Hooker, battling above the clouds;
Beaureguard failed to water his horse
IN the Tennessee river at Shiloh;
again Pap Thomas stood forth as
the Rock of Chickamauga; the intrep-
id Early made his famous saber
charge again at Winchester and once
more the great campaigner. General
Sherman, drove back the impetuous
Hood, defeated the fiery Johnson and
marched triumphantly to the sea. Thus
we spent the fast fleeting moments in
social revelry and a good time Once
more the murderous Apache swooped
down from his lair and murdered and
burned right and left, and once more
the boys in blue penetrated the in
most recesses of the mountain fast
nesses only to return empty-handed
and with more or less empty saddles
While this was transpiring it re-
manned for dear "Parson' Brownlow
to pull the stunt of the entire pro-
ceedings. He and Stanley called me
into the stage station where we also
invited the captain. The stunt was
agreed upon and soon the Parson and
the old confederate named Zigler
were so perfectly logged out and paint
ed that it would require an expert to
distinguish them from a full-blood In
dian on the warpath.
The lieutenants wife assisted ma
terially in the transformation by TAX
ing personal charge of the perform