Sword and Pen: Ventures and Adventures of Willard GlazierOwens, John Algernon
History
Sword and Pen: Ventures and Adventures of Willard Glazier
Owens, John Algernon
Glazier, Willard W., 1841-1905; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
"Captain Glazier served under Generals Kilpatrick and Custer during
the late war, since which time he has devoted much labor to
writing, and is now making the attempt to cross the continent from
Boston to San Francisco on horseback, for the purpose of collecting
material for another work. He left Boston in the early part of May,
and will endeavor to reach the Sacramento Valley before the fall of
the deep snow. His horse, 'Paul Revere,' is a magnificent animal,
black as a raven, with the exception of four white feet. He was
bred in Kentucky, of Black Hawk stock, has turned a mile in 2.33,
but owing to his inclination to run away on certain occasions, was
not considered a safe horse for the track. The captain, however,
has broke him to the saddle, and also convinced him that running
away is foolish business; consequently he and the captain have
become fast friends, and with 'Paul' for his only companion, the
gallant cavalryman proposes to cross the continent. Success attend
him!"
Having heard at La Salle that he would find no difficulty in securing a
night's lodging at a village named Hollowayville, Captain Glazier pushed
on for that point, but on applying at the only place of accommodation
for travellers, was looked upon suspiciously by the German host and his
_frau_, who politely intimated their belief that he was either a
highwayman or a horse-thief! These latter gentry had for some time
infested that section of Illinois, and Glazier inferred from the manner
of the people that they more than half suspected him to be one of the
James or Younger brothers, whose exploits they had probably read of.
Turning his back on the "Grand Pacific Hotel," he at length succeeded by
dint of much perseverance, in lodging himself and "Paul" at a farm-house
for the night, but not before he had fully satisfied the worthy farmer
and his wife that he had no evil designs in desiring to spend the night
with them.
On the following day, September twenty-fifth, the captain rode through a
rich farming country, replete with "corn-fields, fine stock and oceans
of fruit."
Passed through Wyanet, Annawan, and across the prairie--smiling
corn-fields and ripe orchards occasionally relieving the seemingly
interminable ocean of grass--and arrived at Milan, Illinois, on the
evening of the twenty-seventh, remaining for the night.
Here he met a Mr. Pullman, an old and intelligent miner who had recently
arrived from the Pacific coast, from whom he obtained valuable
information concerning the country between Omaha and Sacramento. He also
found a number of congenial spirits at Milan, chiefly New Yorkers, who
had spent some years in the Far West, and their conversation partook of
a practical nature bearing on his journey.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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