374 



RECREA TION. 



refer to our late ducking except by 

 laughing over the different incidents. 

 To reach our camping ground we had to 

 ford the Big Blue, a fine bold running 

 stream which it did our hearts good to 

 look upon. We had to go down a pre- 

 cipitous bank where great care was 

 necessary to avoid accidents. Half a 

 dozen held on to a rope behind each 

 carriage ; but we all got down safe, 

 and poor " Mack " was obliged to wade 

 across. Although it was not over his 

 head he did not seem to fancy the idea 

 at first. 



11 The first few days of a march are gen- 

 erally all confusion, and it seems as if 

 things would never get straight, but as the 

 men become skilled in pitching tents 

 and all hands get the hang of matters, 

 everything goes on like clock-work. 



" As we have now been out long 

 enough to have gotten fully under way, 

 I may as well describe the method of 

 pitching camp, for the edification of 

 our friends at home. The ambulances 

 being lighter than the wagons, and trav- 

 elling faster, the families reach camp in 

 front of the baggage. As we are not 

 yet in the Indian country, each officer, 

 with his family, as he drives on to the 

 ground, previously selected by the 

 quartermaster, selects his own camping 

 place and halts his ambulance on it. 

 The mules are at once unhitched and 

 either turned loose or picketed in the 

 grass. The ladies and children remain 

 in their seats until the tents are pitched, 

 or if the weaiher is fine and they feel so 

 inclined, they descend and walk about. 

 As the wagons come in they are directed 

 to the different positions convenient to 

 the camping places. 



" When they halt the drivers unhitch 

 the mules and turn them loose, with 

 long ropes attached to their necks, by 

 which they are afterwards caught. They 

 are then all taken charge of by two or 

 three mounted men and driven to water 

 and grass, where they feed till near 

 night. Then they are driven up, caught 

 and fastened to the wagons, or to 

 picket pins for the night. As soon as 

 the men reach camp they are assigned 

 their positions, and the mounted men, 

 after unsaddling their horses and pick- 

 eting them, are detailed in parties of 

 four or five to pitch the officers' tents, 

 unload the wagons, fetch wood and 

 water, carry in the bedding, etc. In 



this way an hour after the arrival in 

 camp the ladies and children have com- 

 fortable places to retreat to, to wash, 

 dress and rest themselves. As we 

 usually take a lunch about 9 or 10 

 o'clock, there is no hurry about dinner, 

 which we usually take about five. After 

 the tents are pitched and everything in 

 order, I take my gun and dog, and 

 jumping on a pony sally out to see the 

 country and shoot for our table. As 

 yet I have met with but indifferent suc- 

 cess, as game is scarce and out of season, 

 but hope to do better when we get far- 

 ther on our route. We are now in fine 

 working order, and form our houses for 

 a night and strike them down in the 

 morning, as we would say good night 

 and good morning in an ordinary dwell- 

 ing — all as a matter of course. We ar- 

 rive at each new home with pleasure 

 and leave it without regret. F. makes 

 a first-rate soldier, and says she likes it 

 very well as long as it does not rain. I 

 think she is really beginning to enjoy 

 it, as she has a most astonishing appe- 

 tite and is in excellent health, and as 

 for the children, they get along just as 

 well and as happily as if in a settled 

 home. 



"Our party consists of about 150 re- 

 cruits, one-half mounted. Col. Alex- 

 ander is in command as far as Fort 

 Laramie, after which Col, Cooke will 

 have charge. The other officers are 

 Captains Clarke, 4th Artillery ; Bee, 

 Gardner and Tidball, 10th Infantry ; 

 Buford, 2d Dragoons ; Gibbon, 4th Ar- 

 tillery ; Lieutenants Tyler and Robert- 

 son, 2d Dragoons ; Villipique and Jack- 

 son, G 2d Dragoons ; Dudley and Mur- 

 ray, 10th Infantry ; Beach and Miller, 

 4th Artillery, and Dr. J. H. Hull, an 

 employed citizen physician. Our ladies 

 are Mrs. A. and Miss H., her governess; 

 Mrs. B., Mrs. G., Mrs. R. and Miss H., 

 Mrs. G. and Mrs. M.; altogether as 

 pleasant a party as could be brought to- 

 gether. All the married ladies have 

 children, from one to four each. 



"14th. We had reveille later than 

 usual this morning, and did not leave 

 camp until 7, as we only had q or 10 

 miles to go, on account of not being able 

 to get water farther on. F. and I 

 adopted a new plan in the ambulance 

 to-day. She takes lessons in driving, 

 sitting on the front seat with me while 

 I read ' Maud Vaughan ' aloud. If any- 



