Bugler's Notes (Page 2)
A Santa Fe Sleigh-Ride.- December 5, 1854 - It commenced snowing last evening about eight o'clock, and this morning there were about ten inches of snow upon the ground. I believe there is but one old thing in the city that goes by the name of sleigh, and whenever an opportunity offers it is sure to be brought into requisition. About eleven o'clock we heard an awful noise of some description coming down the street, and we all rushed out to see from whence the noise proceeded; and what should it turn out to be but the old sleigh with four mules attached to it, with twelve inside and one outside passenger, which was all that could possibly stand up in the old scow - coming down the street charging, accompanied by a band of music (if you could call it music). The instruments which composed the band were one tin pan, one cow-bell, one broken trumpet, and about half a string of sleigh-bells, and all who were not performing on instruments were screeching and yelling like so many savages at the very tops of their voices. The party consisted of four officers of the United States Army and nine citizens, all apparently most gloriously inflated with . . . . . . .
The Buried Burro. - December 6, 1854 - There is a hole in the ground nearly opposite our quarters where mud has been taken out for the purpose of making adobes, but at the present time it is full of snow and nearly level with the street. I looked out in that direction this forenoon, and saw a small pile of wood lying there neatly tied up with ropes, and could not imagine how it came there; but was soon let into the secret when a Mexican, just from the mountains, wrapped closely in a buffalo-robe, appeared and asked me very politely if I could lend him a spade for the purpose of digging out his "burro"! I asked, "Where is your burro/" "Aqui, senor," answered he, pointing to the wood-pile. I soon saw the reason of the wood being there, and furnished him with a spade and some assistance, and between us both we soon freed the poor donkey from his perilous situation, and started him on the road to the Plaza, where he will probably be relieved of his burden.
A Scout with Lieutenant Sturges. - January 14, 1855 (Galestio, daybreak). - A man came running into the quarters in Santa Fe' last night about nine o'clock, singing out to me at the very top of his voice to sound " Boots and saddles!" immediately. I at first though he was joking, but was soon hailed by the First Sergeant to do the same, and then we knew something was up, sure enough. Every man sprang for his saddle and his arms, expecting the trouble was somewhere in the city. We ascertained that a party of Mescalero Apaches had made a descent on a ranche owned by a man named Eaton, near the town of Galestio, about twenty miles from this city. The expressman says the Indians remained at the house several hours (Mr. Eaton being from home at the time), ransacked the house, and shamefully abused the inmates. Towards evening the herders returned with the stock, which the Indians seized and drove off, killing one man and mortally wounding another. Of the stock taken, seventy-five mules belonged to Mr. Beck, a merchant in Santa Fe'. We left Santa Fe' about ten o'clock last evening, and have traveled all night to get thus far. We intend to remain here at the ranche for about three hours, to rest and feed our horses, and then follow the Indians. We have met with very bad luck thus far; but the old saying of " A bad beginning makes a good end" may turn out true in our case. About twelve o'clock last night the pack-mule, on which we had provisions for eighteen men for four days got loose from the man who was leading him, and ran into the woods. The man followed him to catch him, and after doing so as we suppose, was unable to find us, there being no road or trail where we were travelling. As soon as the man and mule were missed, the First Sergeant started to look for him, and we believe that he has got lost also. I expect it is the last we will see of them until our return to Santa Fe', and there is no chance of getting anything to eat here. Still we are determined to follow on the trail without it, our force being now one officer and sixteen men of our detachment, four citizens, and four or five greasers, or wooden men, the latter portion of which I expect we might as well be without. Eight o'clock (evening) - We have followed the trail all day, and have stuck to it like an "advertisement to a town-pump," and have traveled with as much speed as possible. We passed a dead mule on the road to-day that had "given out." There is a large snow-bank just in front of our camp-fires, and we are using that for water, and our horses are doing the same. We intend to be in the saddle as soon as it is daylight. I will now take a bite of cold snow by way of snack, and off to bed.
Strong Canon, January 15, 1855 - We started this morning, as soon as we could see the trail, and have marched a distance (with all of our twisting about) of eighty miles, without food or water; still, we had a great deal of excitement on the route. About ten o'clock we came to the edge of the table-land on which we had been travelling all the morning, which overlooked a vast prairie about one hundred feet below us, extending further than the eye could reach, and not a tree or bush to be seen. The trail of the Indians struck a direction straight across this. It looked more to me like looking out to sea than anything else; still, we were determined to follow on, which we did with new vigor, knowing that if we came across the Indians on this plain we would stand a better chance of a victory over them than we would in the mountains. About one o'clock we had a very amusing charge after Indians that were not Indians. We spied at a distance of about eight miles some animals on a high roll of the prairie, which were pronounced by a citizen with us with a spy-glass, to be mules; and about three miles further on we saw a lake of water, and concluded the Indians were down in a hollow refreshing themselves while the mules were grazing. We immediately turned our horses in that direction, and ordered the Mexicans to keep the trail until they came around to where we were. We let our horses walk about an hour and a half, and then struck the gallop for about four miles, when the animals spoken of started off at a full run, and proved to be antelopes, in place of mules, which we could all see as soon as they turned their white sides to us. We thought it would be policy, as we had left the trail so far, to go a few miles further and water our horses. After arriving at the lake, it proved to be so salt that neither man nor beast could drink it. Before we go on the trail again, we had lost at least fifteen miles. When returning from the lake, and about five miles from it, an express came riding up to us from our Mexicans, and informed us they had seen three spies from the Indians standing on a hill about three miles distant from them, and about eight miles from where we then were. We quickened our pace as much as we dared to do, wishing to save our horses as much as possible; and after striking a trail and travelling about twelve miles, we came to a place where some Indians had been encamped for the last two or three days waiting for this thieving party to return. They had killed a pony and a mule here, and cut the meat from the bones, and had departed. We kept on moving until dark, and are now encamped in a very stony canon, where we have plenty of water, and where there is some scrub-oak in the vicinity, of which we have made a very good fire. One of the Mexicans has a little corn-meal with him on his horse, of which he has given us about a quart, and we are trying to make some gruel of it to stay our stomachs until something better turns up.
