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THURSDAY, AUUGST 09 1896.DEATHBode With the Storm.Awful Fate of Brave Ohio Cavalrymen.Exposed to tbe Withering Mountain Bllrxard.Groping: TheirWay Through Narrow Gorgesis the Face of 4 Blast That Ail Bat Frtct the Blood--A Fear, ful Ordeal.The following thrilling story of a High' land county regiment, published in the Cincinnati Enquirer, is from the pen of Frank Weller:On the morning of February meesengers arrived at Ft. Laramie witn the intelligence that a hostile band of Indians were depredating tbe country along the overland stage route in tbe vicinity of Ft. Halleck. The garrison at that place was too small to attempt to drive so large a force of savages back to the mountains, and it was even feared that the savages had designs on the poet. Coionel William O. Collins, ol tbe 11th Ohio Oavalry, commanding the district, with his customary promptness, set out at once to tbe relief of the post at the head of a detachment of 60 men fr Companies A and 0, all that could spared from the garrison at Ft. Laramie. Ft. Halleck was the the southmoat post of tbe chain of military stations built and garrisoned by the Kleventh Ohio Oavalry. It was situated at the base of the Medicine Bow range, now called Elk Mountain, 120 miles southwest from Ft Laramie. The road, which was barely marked by travel, paseed through a barren, mountainous region, croesing the Laramie Range through a deep can yon at tbe foot of Laramie Peak. The weather waa extremely cold, and the ■now laid deep in the ravines and gorges, but the men and horsea had become ac custom ed to cold weather and the hard ■hip# of winter campaigning in the mountains, and no noteworthy incident occurred until the command was within one day’s jonruey of its destination. Its progress hsd been slow, incumbered ss it was with two heavy army wagons, carrying the rations snd forage, and it was not until the 27th that the last camping place was reached, on Rock Greek, about twenty-five miles from Ft. Halleck. During that night the cold in creased, the wind roee to a high pitch and a heavy snow storm set in, and in the morning there waa every indication of the approach of one of those terrible mountain storms, or blizzards, which, when raging at its fullest force, nothing animate can long withstand. Save a few clnmpa of stunted red willows, there was neither shelter nor fnel here, snd realiz ing the dire consequences of being cangbt in such a situation bv one of those devastating storms, Colonel Collins resolved to push on to Ft. Halleck, hoping to reach to reach it before the ~ would overtake them.Gold and bnngry, and nearly exhausted by the fierce and unequal struggle with the driving storm the command reached Medicine Bow Greek about two o'clock in the afternoon. Here a brief halt waa made for reel, and Oolonel Got lina consulted the men on theexpedlen.ij of going into camp until tbe fury of tne atorm was somewhat abated. A thingrowth oi willow and choke cherry bushes lined the margin of the stream, which afforded little or no protection againat the wind and snow, and waa utterly worthless for fuel. The poet waa but eignt or nine milea further on, andhaidln the ho wan ac-to the glm and dsapalr of Thar* waa no abatement of the storm snd the oold waa Increasing, “my of them had grown drowsy and bio. Their benumbed bodies no longer felt the cold, snd when they ceaaed to suffer they objected to moving, and wanted to dismount and rest. But some of the man had enongh Ufa andenergy left to reaUse that they must keep in motion, for to stop meant deathHad they thought only of themaelvea, the number of that littleparty who perished in the awful storm would have been mnch greater. Theae brave and Unselfish fellows rode In advanoe and brought np the rear, pushing the lagging forward and supporting those who could no longer retain their aeeta in tbe aaddle. All idea of the location of the poet had long sines been lost, snd even the strongest and stoniest hearted among them began to despair, whan the faint bla«t of a bogle was borne to their ears upon thewings ol the storm. It was tattoo being sounded at the poet. Hope again sprang into the hearts ol the despondent and (reeling men, and a cheer was attempted, bnt the faint sound was frozen and borne to the rear on the howling tempest. 8oon afterward a shout was heard above tbe roaring ol the wind, which was answered by a shot from a carbine, and in a few momenta they were met by nide and assist them to the poet, which was nots relief party, sent ont to gmai slst them to the poet, which more then a mile from the spot wherethey were fonnd.The men who had gone in advance succeeded with great difilculty in reaching the poet, and the succoring party was dispatched, while the rest of thegarrison hastened the preparations for the comfort of the half famished andfreezing command. Great flree of pine logs blazed in the hnge fire places in thecoffee and smoking pans of bacon anElenty ef soft” bread awaited them, ut it was a night of sorrow and suffering in that little fort. Griffith and Court-right were still breathing when the fort was reached, bnt they were unconscious and soon passed away. Others were so badly frozen that thsir boots, and, in some instances their clothing had to be cut from them. Five more died within a week ; the feet of seven or eight more were so badly frozen that amputation waa necessary, while many more lost parts of their feet, toes, hands, fingers and ears.Tbe wagons, with their guard of eight or ten men, that had not been seen since the command left Rock Creek in the morning, were fortunately stuck in a snowdrift on Medicine Bow, and bad to remain there. The men had plenty of blankets and provlaiona, and, tnrning their horses and mulee loose, slept the storm ont in comparative warmth and security. They were met by the reacning party sent after them next day, walking to the fort.It waa decided that the only aafe course would be to reach it before darknessshould overtake them, and again the weary men threw their benumbed bodies into the saddle and renewed the furious struggle with the raging elements.They could advance but slowly againat the atorm, and every step waa fraught with peril. In crossing the more expos ed elevations the half famiahed and nearly fagged horses would stagger, halt and steady themaelvea against the blast before they could proceed. Marching and counter marching, growing more drowsy and feeble tbe mea struggled on without any definite notion of the location oi the poat. Upon the approach of evening tney stumbled on the tranks of some pine trees that bad fallen from the top of a rocky bluff under which they were paaaing. Several of them dismounted and attempted to start a fire, bnt the ■now laden wind, howling and whirling around and between the rocka, swept away the fire from the lighted prairie match, and all efforts to prevent it aval -ed nothing. Here Colonel Collins, whose fortitude and hopeful words had encouraged and cheered the drooping spirits of nls men, overcome by the lethargy that always precedes death from freezing, sat down upon the ground and declared hit intention of remaining there to ieat. Night waa almost upon them, the post was somewhere near, snd their only hope was to reach it, and to reach it soonhops was to Unhsadingunnssding ms protest and threata ol punishment for insubordination, helifted into bis aaddle by main force, and tbe command again advanced into tbsA fewteeth of tbs fearful tempest, minutes later John Griffith, i young soldier of Company 0, whose home waa in Lancaster Ohio, fall headlong from his hone. He waa ineapable of helping himself, and waa placed upon hia bona, where ha waa supported by a comrade riding on either aide of him. At this juncture three or four of tbe moot resolute and bast mounted of tha party road ahead, to endeavor to find the poat and secure help for thsir despondent and perishing companions. Stooping low in their saddles to avoid tha stinging enow, they urged their Jaded horsea into a feeble troc Hardly had
Newspaper Details
Hillsboro News Herald
Hillsboro, Ohio, US
Thu, Aug 06, 1896
Page 4
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 10 Mar 2024
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