30 Mar 1847
Page 1
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Newspaper
Wisconsin Argus
Location
Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
Date
Mar 30, 1847
Page
1
An 19th century account describes Macdonald leading 15 000 men over a winter pass named the Splage or Spluge. The army prepared on November 20 with cannons on ships and snow cleared by workers while guides marked the route. An avalanche roared down as darkness and storm struck the mountain.
The narrative recounts Macdonald leading troops through the Splugen pass amid blizzard and avalanches. Several hundred men, mules, and horses perish or are lost, with the survivor columns pressing on toward Lake Como as the storm rages. A drummer survives a fall to beat his tune one last time before perishing.
A fractured narrative blends early western life with a wartime whiskey shortage. It recalls Rangers and old dealers trading barrels for drink, the perils of alcohol, and a comic scene of a Major apprenticed to a shanty keeper as he negotiates for a barrel and a shilling amid dusty frontier lore.
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