personal memoirs-1-第4节

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drawing　its　beef　ration；　much　to　the　discomfiture　of　the　disgruntled

beef　contractor。



The　camp　at　La　Pena　was　on　sandy　ground；　unpleasant　for　men　and

animals；　and　by　my　advice　it　was　moved　to　La　Pendencia；　not　far　from

Lake　Espantosa。　　Before　removal　from　our　old　location；　however；　early

one　bright　morning　Frankman　and　I　started　on　one　of　our　customary

expeditions；　going　down　La　Pena　Creek　to　a　small　creek；　at　the　head

of　which　we　had　established　a　hunting　rendezvous。　　After　proceeding

along　the　stream　for　three　or　four　miles　we　saw　a　column　of　smoke　on

the　prairie；　and　supposing　it　arose　from　a　camp　of　Mexican　rancheros

catching　wild　horses　or　wild　cattle；　and　even　wild　mules；　which　were

very　numerous　in　that　section　of　country　along　the　Nueces　River；　we

thought　we　would　join　the　party　and　see　how　much　success　they　were

having；　and　observe　the　methods　employed　in　this　laborious　and

sometimes　dangerous　vocation。　　With　this　object　in　view；　we　continued

on　until　we　found　it　necessary　to　cross　to　the　other　side　of　the

creek　to　reach　the　point　indicated　by　the　smoke。　　Just　before

reaching　the　crossing　I　discovered　moccasin　tracks　near　the　water's

edge；　and　realizing　in　an　instant　that　the　camp　we　were　approaching

might　possibly　be　one　of　hostile　Indiansall　Indians　in　that　country

at　that　time　were　hostileFrankman　and　I　backed　out　silently；　and

made　eager　strides　for　La　Pena；　where　we　had　scarcely　arrived　when

Captain　M。　E。　Van　Buren；　of　the　Mounted　Rifle　regiment；　came　in　with

a　small　command；　and　reported　that　he　was　out　in　pursuit　of　a　band　of

Comanche　Indians；　which　had　been　committing　depredations　up　about

Fort　Clark；　but　that　he　had　lost　the　trail。　　I　immediately　informed

him　of　what　had　occurred　to　me　during　the　morning；　and　that　I　could

put　him　on　the　trail　of　the　Indians　he　was　desirous　of　punishing。



We　hurriedly　supplied　with　rations　his　small　command　of　thirteen；

men；　and　I　then　conducted　him　to　the　point　where　I　had　seen　the

smoke；　and　there　we　found　signs　indicating　it　to　be　the　recently

abandoned　camp　of　the　Indians　he　was　pursuing；　and　we　also　noticed

that　prairie　rats　had　formed　the　principal　article　of　diet　at　the

meal　they　had　just　completed。　　As　they　had　gone；　I　could　do　no　more

than　put　him　on　the　trail　made　in　their　departure；　which　was　well

marked；　for　Indians；　when　in　small　parties；　and　unless　pressed；

usually　follow　each　other　in　single　file。　　Captain　Van　Buren　followed

the　trail　by　Fort　Ewell；　and　well　down　toward　Corpus　Christi；　day　and

night；　until　the　Indians；　exhausted　and　used　up；　halted；　on　an　open

plain；　unsaddled　their　horses；　mounted　bareback；　and　offered　battle。

Their　number　was　double　that　of　Van　Buren's　detachment；　but　he

attacked　them　fearlessly；　and　in　the　fight　was　mortally　wounded　by　an

arrow　which　entered　his　body　in　front；　just　above　the　sword　belt；　and

came　through　the　belt　behind。　　The　principal　chief　of　the　Indians　was

killed；　and　the　rest　fled。　　Captain　Van　Buren's　men　carried　him　to

Corpus　Christi；　where　in　a　few　days　he　died。



After　our　removal　to　La　Pendencia　a　similar　pursuit　of　savages

occurred；　but　with　more　fortunate　results。　　Colonel　John　H。　King；　now

on　the　retired　list；　then　a　captain　in　the　First　Infantry；　came　to

our　camp　in　pursuit　of　a　marauding　band　of　hostile　Indians；　and　I　was

enabled　to　put　him　also　on　the　trail。　　He　soon　overtook　them；　and

killing　two　without　loss　to　himself；　the　band　dispersed　like　a　flock

of　quail　and　left　him　nothing　to　follow。　　He　returned　to　our　camp

shortly　after；　and　the　few　friendly　Indian　scouts　he　had　with　him

held　a　grand　pow…wow　and　dance　over　the　scalps　of　the　fallen　braves。



Around　La　Pendencia；　as　at　La　Pena；　the　country　abounded　in　deer；

antelope；　wild　turkeys；　and　quail；　and　we　killed　enough　to　supply

abundantly　the　whole　command　with　the　meat　portion　of　the　ration。

Some　mornings　Frankman　and　I　would　bring　in　as　many　as　seven　deer；

and　our　hunting　expeditions　made　me　so　familiar　with　the　region

between　our　camp　arid　Fort　Duncan；　the　headquarters　of　the　regiment；

that　I　was　soon　enabled　to　suggest　a　more　direct　route　of

communication　than　the　circuitous　one　then　traversed；　and　in　a　short

time　it　was　established。



Up　to　this　time　I　had　been　on　detached　duty；　but　soon　my　own　company

was　ordered　into　the　field　to　occupy　a　position　on　Turkey　Creek；

about　ten　or　twelve　miles　west　of　the　Nueces　River；　on　the　road　from

San　Antonio　to　Fort　Duncan；　and　I　was　required　to　join　the　company。

Here　constant　work　and　scouting　were　necessary；　as　our　camp　was

specially　located　with　reference　to　protecting　from　Indian　raids　the

road　running　from　San　Antonio　to　Fort　Duncan；　and　on　to　the　interior

of　Mexico。　　In　those　days　this　road　was　the　great　line　of　travel；　and

Mexican　caravans　were　frequently　passing　over　it；　to　and　fro；　in　such

a　disorganized　condition　as　often　to　invite　attack　from　marauding

Comanches　and　Lipans。　　Our　time；　therefore；　was　incessantly　occupied

in　scouting；　but　our　labors　were　much　lightened　because　they　were

directed　with　intelligence　and　justice　by　Captain　McLean；　whose

agreeable　manners　and　upright　methods　are　still　so　impressed　on　my

memory　that　to　this　day　I　look　back　upon　my　service　with　〃D〃　Company

of　the　First　Infantry　as　among　those　events　which　I　remember　with

most　pleasure。



In　this　manner　my　first　summer　of　active　field　duty　passed　rapidly

away；　and　in　the　fall　my　company　returned　to　Fort　Duncan　to　go　into

winter　quarters。　　These　quarters；　when　constructed；　consisted　of　〃A〃

tents　pitched　under　a　shed　improvised　by　the　company。　　With　only

these　accommodations　I　at　first　lived　around　as　best　I　could　until

the　command　was　quartered；　and　then；　requesting　a　detail　of　wagons

from　the　quartermaster；　I　went　out　some　thirty　miles　to　get　poles　to

build　a　more　comfortable　habitation　for　myself。　　In　a　few　days　enough

poles　for　the　construction　of　a　modest　residence　were　secured　and

brought　in；　and　then　the　building　of　my　house　began。　　First；　the

poles　were　cut　the　proper　length；　planted　in　a　trench　around　four

sides　of　a　square　of　very　small　proportions；　and　secured　at　the　top

by　string…pieces　stretched　from　one　angle　to　another；　in　which

half…notches　hack　been　made　at　proper　intervals　to　receive　the

uprights。　　The　poles　were　then　made　rigid　by　strips　nailed　on

half…way　to　the　ground；　giving　the　sides　of　the　structure　firmness；

but　the　interstices　were　large　and　frequent；　still；　with　the　aid　of

some　old　condemned　paulins　obtained　from　the　quartermaster；　the　walls

were　covered　and　the　necessity　for　chinking　obviated。　　This　method　of

covering　the　holes　in　the　side　walls　also　possessed　the　advantage　of

permitting　some　little　light　to　penetrate　to　the　interior　of　the

house；　and　avoided　the　necessity　of　constructing　a　window；　for　which；

by　the　way；　no　glass　could　have　been　obtained。　　Next　a　good　large

fire…place　and　chimney　were　built　in　one　corner　by　means　of　stones

and　mud；　and　then　the　roof　was　put　ona　thatched　one　of　prairie

grass。　　The　floor　was　dirt　compactly　tamped。



My　furniture　was　very　primitive：　a　chair　or　two；　with　about　the　same

number　of　camp　stools；　a　cot；　and　a　rickety　old　bureau　that　I

obtained　in　some　way　not　now　remembered。　　My　washstand　consisted　of　a

board　about　three　feet　long；　resting　on　legs　formed　by　driving　sticks

into　the　ground　until　they　held　it　at　about　the　proper　height　from

the　floor。　　This　washstand　was　the　most　expensive　piece　of　furniture

I　owned；　the　board　having　cost　me　three　dollars；　and　even　then　I

obtained　it　as　a　favor；　for　lumber　on　the　Rio　Grande　was　so　scarce　in

those　days　that　to　possess　even　the　smallest　quantity　was　to　indulge

in　great　luxury。　　Indeed；　about　all　that　reached　the　post　was　what

came　in　the　shape　of　bacon　boxes；　and　the　boards　from　these　were

reserved　for　coffins　in　which　to　bury　our　dead。



In　this　rude　habitation　I　spent　a　happy　winter；　and　was　more

comfortably　off　than　many　of　the　officers；　who　had　built　none；　but

lived　in　tents　and　took　the　chances　of　〃Northers。〃　During　this　period

our　food　was　principally　the　soldier's　ration：　flour；　pickled　pork；

nasty　baconcured　in　the　dust　of　ground　charcoaland　fresh　beef；　of

which　we　had　a　plentiful　supply；　supplemented　with　game　of　various

kinds。　　The　sugar；　coffee；　and　smaller　parts　of　the　ration　were　good；

but　we　had　no　vegetables；　and　the　few　jars　of　preserves　and　some　few

vegetables　kept　by　the　sutler　were　too　expensive　to　be　indulged　in。

So　during　all　the　period　I　lived　at　Fort　Duncan　and　its　sub…camps；

nearly　sixteen　months；　fresh　vegetables　were　practically

unobtainable。　　To　prevent　scurvy　we　used　the　juice　of　the　maguey

plant；　called　pulque；　and　to　obtain　a　supply　of　this　anti…scorbutic　I

was　often　detailed　to　march　the　company　out　about　forty　miles；　cut

the　plant；　load　up　two　or　three　wagons　with　the　stalks；　and　carry

them　to　camp。　　Here　the　juice　was　extracted　by　a　rude　press；　and　put

in　bottles　until　it　fermente