Year: 1867

A Terrible Prairie Fire.


The winds, which had been blowing
strongly, increased into gale on Sunday
night, and by Monday morning had
worked themselves into almost irresisti-
BILE fury was writing in my tent about
eleven o'clock, when man put his head
in and told me that my kitchen tent-a
Sibley-was being blown away. / went
out in time to see it rent into ribbons I;
and the kitchen furniture and other ar
ticles striking out over the prairie on
their own hook So occupied was in
recovering my property, that l did not
notice the immense volumes of smoke
coming over the hill, until suffocating
blast made me feel it; and strange to
say, no one else seems to have been pre-
pared for the fire. You can understand
this better when you recollect that we
are in hollow. One glance showed me
the danger; and to rush into the tents
and haul out the women and run them
down to the suffers store (the only COW
cred building) was only the work of a
moment Being officer of the day, | had
to rush back and turn out the guard and
sound the alarm. The fire rolled down
upon us with terrific rapidity, and was
accompanied by immense banks of smoke
that threatened suffocation, before the
raging element reached US. Blinded
and stihed, anything like resistance was
almost impossible; and our feeble at
tempts would have been futile, for the
wind caused the fire to leap fifty yards in
some places | had thrown myself down
on my face to save my eyes, and get a
breath, when the recollection flashed
upon me, that six hundred pounds of
powder were stored in the sutler's; ran
back, and found sitting down
by the corner of the cattle corral, sur.
rounded by the frightened animals, and
shrieking with terror. 1t appears that Maj
K had also recollected about the
powder, and had sent the women down
to the Post, but she and became
separated, and thought that
her sister was lost Providing for her
safety, ran back to the camp. By this
time the whole camp would have been
destroyed, but sudden change in the
wind drove the fire past the flank of the
camp, within five yards of the tent,
jumped the plowed ground around the
hay. stacks, devouring our six hundred
tons of hay (our whole winters supply
struck the corner of the Post, setting fire
to few outer buildings and the corded
wood, dashed up the side of the hill,
and was of on the prairie, de.
stroying the halfbreed camp, burning
men, women, children and animals
leaving us suHfocated with smoke and
cinders, and blinded with the ashes The
whole garrison worked for dear life to
save the post, and the wind providen-
TALLY favored US. To put out what was
on fire was impossible. The flames
burnt almost with white heat, but they
were forced away from the other build
ings by the terrific force of the tornado.
Every thing was destroyed that was set
Fl re to; but the main body of the camp
and post was saved All the rest of the
day was occupied in beating out the rem
nants of the FIRE; and by, night we we're
fain to lay down and rest our wearied
bodies. Every thing was covered with
SCOT, and my loss has been considerable,
but | am thankful we escaped as
we did. But rest was denied us, for
as the sun went down the wind grew
worse and worse. Foreseeing what
would happen, ran the ladies down
again into the store, and the other
officers soon followed my example. In
few minutes a genuine hurricane swept
us, carrying everything before it. Try
ing to get back to my tent for bedding, |
was struck in the eyes, and blinded with
the sand and earth, add carried away
from camp past the nearest corner of
the post, when, by merciful providence, |
| fell over q man, whom | found to be |
the hospital steward. The hospital tents |
had been pitched here, and were filled |
with the burned. The tents we're now |
down and the sufferers covered by the |
fallen poles and canvas. | managed to |
get back to camp, and sent men to their
aid. The fury of the |
storm did not abate until morning, when
the remnants of the camp we're to be |
seen. Nearly every tent was blown |
down or torn into pieces, and property all |
more or less injured. If you could see Us |
now you would imagine we we're sll more |
or less afflicted with opthalmia, for such |
a collection of inaamed eyes / never
saw. Prairie fires of |
the ordinary kind are easily met, but the |
fact of these half breeds being burned,
and their camp destroyed, is proof of
the swiftness and unexpectedness of this
visitation. The Indians who have come
in say they have never seen anything /
like it in their lives. Two halfbreeds
we're bur. ed to death; two women have
died to-day from the effects, aud also an
infant, only seven days old; one squaw,
who is daily expecting confinement, lies
N the hospital very badly burned; an
Did squaw aud an old man in the same
two children Of six or seven
rears frightfully scorched, and others in
, less serious state. They present
horrible spectacle as they lay there with
heir blackensd and swollen faces and
Letter, Oct I.