Campaigning with Crook, and Stories of Army LifeKing, Charles
History
Campaigning with Crook, and Stories of Army Life
King, Charles
Crook, George, 1829-1890; Indians of North America -- Wars -- 1866-1895; United States. Army. Cavalry, 5th
Kellogg, with Company "I," has driven back the attempted turn of our
right, but the Indians keep up their harassing attack from the rear.
Time is precious, and Upham begins to think we are wasting it. Again the
adjutant has come to him from General Carr, and now is riding along the
line to the right, communicating some order to the officers, while
Lieutenant Bishop is doing the same on the left. Just as the skirmishers
cross the next ridge a few cool old shots from each company drop on
hands and knees, and, crawling back to the crest, open a rapid fire on
the pursuers, checking them. Covered by this the main line sweeps down
at a run, crosses the low, boggy ground between them, and toils up the
ridge on which we are stationed. Here they halt, face about, throw
themselves flat on their faces, and the major signals to the outlying
skirmishers to come in; they obey with a rush, and a minute after a mass
of Indians pops over the divide in pursuit. With a ringing hurrah of
exultation our line lets drive a volley, the astonished redskins wheel
about, those who can, lugging with them the dead or wounded who have
fallen, and scatter off under shelter.
"How's that, King?" says the major, with a grin. "Think they've had
enough?" Apparently they have, as none reappear except in distant
groups. Mount is the word. Ranks are formed, the men chat and laugh a
moment, as girths and stirrups are being rearranged, then silence and
attention as they break into column and jog off after Crook's distant
battalions.
The adjutant is jotting down the list of casualties in his note-book.
"What time is it, major?" "Eight o'clock," says Upham, wringing the wet
from his hat. "Eight o'clock here; church-time in Milwaukee."
Who would have thought it was Sunday?
CHAPTER X.
"BUFFALO BILL" AND "BUFFALO CHIPS."
In all these years of campaigning, the Fifth Cavalry has had varied and
interesting experiences with a class of men of whom much has been
written, and whose names, to readers of the dime novel and _New York
Weekly_ style of literature, were familiar as household words; I mean
the "Scouts of the Prairie," as they have been christened. Many a
peace-loving citizen and thousands of our boys have been to see Buffalo
Bill's thrilling representations on the stage of the scenes of his life
of adventure. To such he needs no introduction, and throughout our
cavalry he is better known than any general except Crook.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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