CROSSING THE PLAINS THIRTY YEARS AGO. 





gait is much slower than ours and 

 they are all day in making their 

 marches. Many of them look in 

 very poor order and as if badly pre- 

 paied for a march of i2co miles. I 

 am officer of the day, to-night, and 

 am trying to sit up till twelve o'clock 

 in order to visit the sentinels, as it is 

 now necessary to have them well in- 

 structed in their responsible duties, 

 to be ready for the Indian country 

 which we are approaching. For the 

 first time the order is given for the 

 officer of the day to stay with his 

 guard in the rear during the march ; 

 so that I shall have to send my 

 family ahead to-morrow and come 

 on behind with the men. 



" On the Platte, 10 Miles below 

 Kearney, 



"Friday, June 22. 



" I gave Sullivan the reins of my 

 ambulance, while Lieut. D. volunteer- 

 ed to drive Mrs. M. It was hot and 

 dusty, and as I was a good deal de- 

 layed picking up stragglers, I did not 

 reach camp until after one o'clock, 

 more than two hours after the com- 

 mand. It was heavy work and the 

 men suffered a good deal from the 

 heat, dust and sandy roads. I had 

 them take off their shoes and stock- 

 ings and bathe their feet, which help- 

 ed them very much. The march to- 

 day was the longest we have yet made. 

 21% miles. Colonel May* passed 

 camp in the stage on his way to attend 

 a court at Leavenworth. He brought 

 two New York Heralds, and the news 

 of the death of General Jesup and 

 Colonel Plympton. The Heralds 

 gave us the only news of civiliza- 

 tion we have had for the past two 

 weeks, and were appreciated accord- 

 ingly. 



"Yesterday I resumed the reins and 

 drove all day, but at the end of the 

 march was obliged to declare mysell 

 beaten and go to bed. We had no 

 wood last night, but excellent cool 

 water from a well close by our camp. 



*Bvt. Col. Charles May, of Mexican War 

 fame. He was commanding at Fort Kearney. 



Buffalo were again reported within 

 four or five miles of us, In I, 

 herds, and once when at a high point 

 we thought we could sec. at 

 distance, with our glasses, .1 

 number of them on the top oi a hill. 



"We had a cool, pleasant day tor 

 marching, to-day, passing through 

 pretty much the same kind of a high 

 rolling prairie as usual, but without 

 seeing any timber or much w 

 until we struck the valley o( the 

 Platte. The course of the rivi 

 marked out by large timber, am 

 we ascended the hills, bounding tin- 

 valley on the south, a numbei 

 emigrant wagons were seen au,r 

 to the right, winding their way all 

 the road from St. Joseph. As 

 turned off the road low aid the river, 

 to encamp, several dark objei ts v. 

 seen in the distance apparently ap- 

 proaching at speed. These proved 

 to be six buffalo, pursued by Lieut. 

 Villipigue, on a mule. 1 le could 

 however, induce his mule to clos< 

 the chase and soon gave it up. A 

 the buffalo were running directly 

 towards the column, tiny soon had 

 other horsemen after them; but they 

 made their escape, although one was 

 afterwards reported killed by 1 

 the emigrants on the road. The 

 chase was exciting and made me 

 the more anxious for my first ex] 

 ence in buffalo hunting. 



•'We an* camped 011 a fine la 1 

 branch of the Platte, with any 

 quantity of mosquitoes near the 

 bank, but comparatively tew wl 

 our tents are. and nothing but bufl 

 chips for fuel. Two nights ago I 

 undertook to roasl a beef head in the 

 ground, but they did not 1 

 enough, and tin- head had ' 

 brought on to camp la-: ni 

 finish cooking it. and aftei 

 val to-day I opened it an< 

 very good. The skin is left on and 

 tied around the neck 

 the dirt ; the horns 

 and a hole large - n< ugh 1 

 the head is dug near tl 1 

 Inthis afire is built until the earth 

 gets well heated. Thi 

 tiun shovelled out and tin- hi 



