804 PBIMAEY MOVEMENTS. 



an old fort, occupied several years since by one Capt. Grant as a tradiny 

 post 



The last of my course, being upon tlie side of the river, was much im- 

 peded by mud; and, although the surface was genei ally bare, travelling 

 was even more tedious than it had been at any time hitherto. 



After a series of sutfering and deprivation so continued and severe, right 

 gladly did I hail the Lone Star banner u])on the opposite shore, as their point 

 of present termination. 



Fording the Arltansas about a mile above tlje Texan encampment, 1 

 found it nearly swimming deep, with a swift and muddy current over a bed 

 of quicksand and gravel. 



My appearance created no little surprise among all present, as tliey had 

 •everal days since numbered me wjtii tliose who iiad volunteered with 

 great readiness, so far as jmrmises were concerned ; but, when ferfokm* 

 ANCEs were required, '■'■came up missiTig," 



I must confess, however, to great disappointment in tlie diminutive force 

 that here met my view, vvbioh consisted ot' only twenty-tour men, includ- 

 ing officers — all told. But several accessions wero expecttd, sufficient tc 

 swell the number to fifty five or sixty. A party of eighty volunteers from 

 the States were to meet us at the " Crossing " of the Arkansas, on the 

 Santa Fe trail, together with a detachment of two hundred and tifty from 

 Texas ; and, witli these reiutorcements, it was conhdently asserted we 

 would be equal to tlie combined force of all New Mexico. 



I immediately reported myself to the commanding officer, and was kindly 

 welcomed, with the remark, 



" Well, sir, you are just in time. Another day and you would liave 

 been too late. We move camp to-morrow morning." 



(A pity it was 1 had not been too late !) 



Withdrawuag from the conference, the lapse of a few moments gave me 

 an opportunity to look around and see among whom I had fallen. 



It would have been hard to scare up a more motley group of humanity in 

 any place tlus side of Mexico. Each individual presented a uniform as 

 varied as the imagination could depict, tiiough tallying well with the gene- 

 ral appearance of the whole company — it was a uniform of rags! 



Still from beneath the dusky visages, halt t-bscured by beards to which 

 the kindly operations o) their razors had been for weeks and even months 

 a stranger, I detected the frank expression indicating the generous- 

 hearted mountaineer, and began to feel at home, notwithstanding the fast^ 

 rising feelings of regret that fortune had thrown me in their way. 



Early in the morning of the following day we were drawn up in line and 

 divided into two detachments, — one consisting of ten, and the other of 

 lourteen men. The first of these, under the command of Cojonel Warfield, 

 were to proceed l-/ ihe Ciosslnij of the Arkansas, and await the arrival 

 of the main army, or otherwise act as circumstances suggested, while the 

 second, headed by a lieutenant, marched up the Rio de las Animas to 

 the Toas trai^ to perform the duties of a corps of observation until further 

 orders. 



It was my lot. to accompany the latter, and we promptly commenced 

 meunamatt 



