86 THE PLAINS. 



water. The night was perfectly clear, though dark, 

 and for a few moments he sought in vain for the cause. 

 Hearing a rushing sound towards the stream, he finally 

 noticed that its bed, usually a deep, dark ditch, was 

 bright with what appeared to be running water, and 

 on approaching it he found it to be already more 

 than bank-full, and that he was walking in the water ot 

 an approaching freshet. Discharging his musket he 

 alarmed the camp. The long roll was beaten, everybody 

 tumbled out of bed and, to their astonishment, into the 

 water. All was alarm and commotion. The water rose 

 steadily but with wonderful rapidity, and began to show 

 a considerable current. The men were directed to 

 make their way to the high lands as best they could ; 

 horses were brought, and the ladies, laundresses, and 

 children carried on their bare backs over nearly two 

 miles of water, often up to the horses' bellies, before 

 arriving at the safe high ground. 



Not a thing was saved. Nearly all the command 

 officers, ladies, enlisted men, laundresses, and children 

 were in their night-clothes. Tents, arms, provisions, 

 clothing, everything was carried down the stream 

 and totally lost. The bottom was so wide that 

 the water was nowhere except in the channel more 

 than, two or three feet deep, nor was the current so 

 strong as to be dangerous to a man. Only one life was 

 lost. 



The next morning the thread of a stream, of only 

 the night before, was a mighty river twice as wide as the 

 Mississippi at Memphis. The most remarkable feature 

 of this storm was, that it occurred late in the fall. I 

 do not recollect the exact date, but I know that it was 

 much talked of, not that it was very unusual or won- 

 derful, but out of season. 



In 1873 Company 'F,' 3rd U.S. Cavalry, met with 

 disaster from one of these floods. I append an abstract 

 from the official report of the captain. 



