Arkansas Bend, Saturday, 6th.—Here we stopped last night, after a most exciting day. Herds of buffalo were seen scattered over the plains. The best hunters were picked out to secure as many as possible. The chase was a fine one, 13 were killed by the different companies. I strolled away from camp alone, to one of those mysterious mounds, which occur so frequently to the traveller among these wilds. On ascending it, I enjoyed a most magnificent prospect. It has the appearance of a Fort, but when and for what purpose erected will long remain a matter of uncertainty. I lingered so long that on my return I found that my company had gone forward, but I soon overtook them. To-day we come to Walnut Creek, 6 miles from the mound. I felt stupid and sick; as I was placed on guard last night, on the banks of the Arkansas. I was all alone in the deep midnight, and I sat three long hours, with my musket; looking up and down the stream. I could see a great distance, as the sand on the shore is very white.
7th.—We were preparing to take a buffalo chase, when word was brought that the whole command must be moving. We were much disappointed, for we expected fine sport in the chase. On our route to-day, we passed Ash Creek, and five miles on came to Pawnee Fork. We saw herds of buffalo, and surrounded one, but they made a break towards the road and crossed among the teams. They did no damage, however, nor was much damage done to them. I rode on briskly to overtake a friend, when my horse trod in a hole made by prairie dogs, (a small animal and very numerous here,) and fell with me. I received no injury except a little skin rubbed off my knee. On remounting, my attention was arrested by a horse running at full speed, and dragging something on the ground. When he came closer, I discovered it to be a man whom his horse had thrown. The frightened animal stopped a little ahead of me and I rode up, expecting to see a dead man, but as soon as his foot was extricated from the stirrup, to the surprise of all, he stood up, and said that he was not much hurt. He said he regretted most of all the loss of his clothes, which were torn in shreds from his body. Another man belonging to our company, by the name of Redwine, had a severe fall. He was taken in to camp nearly dead. Chase was made again after buffalo, which appeared in thousands. Many antelopes also appeared, but it requires the fleetest horses to overtake them. Before we encamped we saw near the road side a little mound of stones, on one of which was engraved the name of R. T. Ross. It was supposed to be the grave of a man who was murdered by the Indians in 1840. He is resting in a lonely spot.
8th.—We are now on the banks of the great Arkansas river, after marching many miles through a barren and dreary looking country, almost destitute of grass or herbage. Here there is some improvement in this respect. A heavy rain caused our tents to leak, and drenched the poor soldiers, so that they passed a very uncomfortable night.
9th.—Kept up the river ten miles. A few scattered cotton trees, and cliffs, and sand banks are the only things to be seen. One of Col. Mitchell’s men was near being killed to-day by an Indian. He had chased a buffalo two miles from camp, when an arrow was shot, which pierced his clothes; the poor fellow made all the haste he could to camp with the arrow sticking in his pants. It was well it was not in his skin.
10th.—Last night as soon as we were all snugly fixed, and ready for sleep, there arose a fearful storm of wind and rain, which gave our tents and ourselves a good shaking. Some of the tents were blown down, breaking in their fall the ridgepoles of others, and bringing them down also. In our tent, four of us held on with all our might, for nearly two hours, to keep it standing. To-day we continued our march, travelling 15 miles, on the banks of the river. We saw a large flock of wild geese and tried to get a shot, but without success. They were too wild for us.
11th.—The weather was quite cold this morning, and there was so dense a fog as to prevent us from seeing a hundred yards ahead. There was an antelope killed to-day. The flesh tasted like mutton. We encamped by the side of the river, and an opportunity was afforded us of catching fish, which we accomplished by the novel mode of spearing them with the bayonet. Several dozens were caught, and we found them delicious.
12th.—Resumed our journey through the same scenery 12 miles—many antelopes were seen in herds, and prairie dogs barked at us, in every direction.
Sunday, 13th.—As we proceed, the country assumes a still more dreary aspect, bare of verdure, and broken in ridges of sand. Our horses, enfeebled by their long travel, have very little to subsist on. The men too, for the past three days, have ceased to receive rations of sugar and coffee. When we could not get these articles, we did as they do in France—that is, without them. We had to fry our meat, and a few of us entered upon the funny work of making soup out of pork, buffalo flesh, and fish, boiled up together. It was a rare mess, but we pronounced it first rate.
14th.—After passing over the last 15 miles to-day, we found ourselves at a place called the crossing of the Arkansas. We were then 362 miles from Fort Leavenworth. Our course has been along the margin of the river for 75 miles. At this place are steep bluffs difficult to descend. There are multitudes of fish in the river, many of them were killed by the horses’ feet in crossing. We caught several varieties by spearing. A number of antelopes were killed here.
15th.—This morning I felt very dull from loss of rest. We had to give considerable attention to the cattle, horses, &c., to prevent them from straying. I and seven others were detailed to stand sentinel. I was appointed to the second watch, and to be in readiness at the hour, I spread my blanket down in the prairie to take a nap. In two hours I was awakened, and instructed to arouse the Captain of the Watch at the expiration of three hours more; having no means to measure the time but by my own sad thoughts, and the weary hours being rather tardy, I too soon obeyed the orders, and kept the last watch on duty five hours, to the amusement of all. After breakfast I took a stroll over the sand hills, and found about a dozen of our boys, inspecting the contents of a large basket, something like a hamper in which the merchants pack earthenware. It contained the skeleton of an Indian chief in a sitting posture, wrapped in buffalo robes, with his arrows, belts, beads, cooking utensils, &c. It had fallen from the limb of a tree, on which it had been suspended. Several of the men picked up the beads, and one named Waters carried the lower jaw and skull to camp, the latter he said he intended “to make a soup gourd of.”