HEADQUARTERS FORT RICHARDSON, TEXAS, November 29th, 1871.
SPECIAL ORDERS NO. 280
(Extract)
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V. Second Lieutenant R. G. Carter, 4th Cavalry, with a detail consisting of two non commissioned officers and eleven privates of that Regiment, mounted, fully armed and equipped, furnished one day's rations and sixty rounds of ammunition per man, will proceed at Retreat this day, in pursuit of deserters under the verbal instructions of the Commanding Officer of the Post. The A. C. S. will turn over to Lieut Carter, the sum of ($250) Two hundred and fifty dollars, subsistence funds, for the purchase of subsistence for the men of his detail— The A. A. Q. M. will turn over to Lieut Carter, the sum of ($300) three hundred dollars, Quartermaster's funds, for the purchase of forage for the public animals.
By Command of Colonel RANALD S. MACKENZIE,
(Signed) W. J. KYLE,
1st Lieut. 11th Infantry, Post Adjutant.
Lieut R. G. CARTER, 4th Cavalry—
The money was turned over to us by the Post Adjutant—Lawton receiving the same amount—and then turning to both of us—Mackenzie said: "In addition to those orders, I wish to give you special instructions for your guidance in this most important duty you are going on— I shall not expect you to follow them implicitly but to be guided by circumstances arising at the moment—and which, being on the spot, you will know how to deal with better than anybody else—and to use your best judgment and wisest discretion at all times— You are to keep one Corporal with you all the time, taking him into your confidence so far as you may deem it necessary for your success. You are to go in different directions— Lawton is to go on the Decatur road—while you (the writer) are to follow the Weatherford road— You are to cover all of the intermediate settlements near and beyond those towns, seeking at all times the assistance of the Civil authorities and holding out to them the prospect of the Government reward ($30) for the apprehension and delivery to you of each deserter— The towns should only be entered at night and then with a deputy sheriff or other civil officer— It should be systematically and thoroughly searched— Should you find that these deserters have headed for the railroads, and you have traced them that far—and it becomes necessary, drop your detachment, leaving it in charge of one non-commissioned officer, while you take the other with you, continuing the pursuit, even if it leads to Galveston and New Orleans, or, even to New York"—and then, hesitating somewhat—he added—pitching his voice to a high key, and as was his habit—snapping the stumps of his amputated fingers—"I don't want either of you to come back until you have accomplished results— I want these men brought back and punished— Obey the Civil Laws and if they are not violated and you stick to the spirit of your instructions, I will cover all of your acts with a 'blanket order.'" The writer suggested that Lawton and himself, and the Corporals whom we might select to remain with us wherever we went—should go in citizens clothes, since, if we had to "cut loose" from our detachments, we would be able to co-operate more effectively with the Civil Authorities when we might be acting as detectives about the large towns, especially at night— To this Mackenzie readily agreed, saying that it was an excellent and practical suggestion— He included this idea in his instructions— The writer had been at an immense conscript and draft rendezvous during the Civil War—among the worst classes of "substitutes" and "bounty jumpers"—ever known in the history of our Army— They were deserters from every Army and Navy of the world; had come over here for the huge bounties paid under our vicious conscript laws—only to desert—re-enlist and repeat the method again and again— We frequently mingled with them in citizens clothes—got their plans, and either thwarted them or caused their arrest and punishment; On one occasion the execution of two for desertion.
We thought that these instructions were very lucid and certainly were very wide sweeping—enough so to satisfy the most exacting soldier— It looked like a winter's job had been cut out for us—and secretly in our hearts—we wished the trail might lead through the places he named. Visions of Galveston, New Orleans and "Little Old New York" loomed up very large—and alluring, for neither of us had visited those attractive "burgs" and elysiums of pleasure—for a long time—but the conditional, or "If" clause in this interview caused us to dubiously shake our heads—with feeling of hope, it is true, but not of elation—and not unmixed with some dread and apprehension for the future, hardly knowing what was before us in this, to us, most novel frontier adventure— It was now nearly dark, and wishing Mackenzie "Good Night", and stepping out into the gloom of approaching night to face the drizzle of a gathering "Norther," we (Lawton and the writer) shook hands and separated, both busily chewing the cud of reflection, inwardly cursing our reputed Civil War efficiency that had led to our selection for such "beastly" service, and industriously trying to digest and assimilate these most elaborate and elastic, carte blanche instructions the "Old Man" had given us— While we felt that in a measure, we were free lances—all freebooters, with nobody to say "Yea or Nay", our own Commanding officers with no one to disturb our independence of thought and action (and with such limited means of communication at that period and under such conditions, one can easily see that no such limitations could be imposed as are placed to-day), we also realized the terrible responsibility so suddenly thrust upon us, and the great risks we ran in dealing with determined men wrought up to such a desperate pitch as they were by alleged acts of injustice—and hard and fast conditions under which they were serving— All this aided, as we felt these men might be, by other equally bad gun-men—all over and down through that country wherever we might trail them.
I had selected Corporal John B. Charlton of Troop "F" for my civilian companion— I considered him one of the best non-commissioned officers in the regiment— While he had a free, rollicking, reckless, dare devil spirit about him—he was easily controlled, and perfectly amenable to discipline— He was a very handsome, intelligent, active, energetic man of about 24 years of age—and was on his second 5 years enlistment—his first having been in the Fifth Artillery— He was fully six feet—spare, sinewy, straight as an arrow—an athlete—one of the best riders, shots and hunters, and all round soldiers in the regiment— He had a straight nose—strong chin and steel-blue eyes, the glint of which, when he was aroused—looked dangerous when squinting down the sights of our old Spencer Carbines— He reminded me of that free, rollicksome—"devil-may-care" d'Artagnan, one of the "Three Musketeers"— He probably had a past like many other enlisted men who entered the regular army after the Civil War— If so, for obvious reasons, we never pried into that past. He entered into the spirit and novelty of this new adventure with commendable zeal, energy, spirit and enthusiasm— I felt that I knew my man perfectly, and that, under all circumstances, he would prove absolutely loyal to all duty and be faithful to whatever trust I reposed in him—
We were all well mounted, well armed, and had one good, well trained pack mule to carry our grub— We both had guides, the one assigned to the writer being William Rhodes, a rancher, who had been driven in to the shelter of the post by Indians, a very quiet, sturdy, honest and reliable man who knew the country fairly well within a radius of 40 miles, but beyond that his knowledge was no better than my own or any other man in the detachment, besides being one more man to feed and care for after he had got beyond his bailiwick as a post guide— I never took another guide beyond a 50 mile radius.