This looks to be a very interesting article, too, Tim! Glad your ISP has worked out the problems... so your series can continue. Thank you, Patricia <[email protected]> ListMom TIM I PURDY wrote: > > C.L. Joclyn's memoirs were published in a book called Mostly Alkali. It > has been his experiences in the 1870s while in the military. I have copy > of a portion of the book, about moving the troops from Reno, Nevada to Fort > Bidwell, California, which they walked the entire trip of some 250 miles. > I found quite interesting, and hope others do as well. > > Chapter XII 1872-1873 > Jocelyn's Company commander was Captain Thomas S. Dunn, who held the > brevet trank of lieutenant colonel, having been twice cited for her > meritorious services during the Civil War. Colonel Dunn was now absent > from his company, having committed some indisrection which was under > investigation. This left Jocelyn in command of Company D and as he was not > only devoted to Colonel Dunn, but also admired the Dunn family--which > included two pleasant and intelligent daughters--he regretted the > separation, aside from any question of extra work entailed by being the > only officer with the company. > Company D was ordered to Camp Bidwell in the extreme northeastern corner > of California, among the more or less friendly Paiute Indians. It entailed > a march on foot of about 250 miles from the town Reno, which has sprung up > overnight with the coming of the first railroad to the coast. > If only from the fact that Nevada adopted the sagebrush as is "state > flower" one already acquires some idea of the country through which > Jocelyn's company had to march and why the alkali plans--sagebrush and > alkali going hand in hand--made it a necessity to space marches from > halfway drinkable water to more halfway drinkable water. Water, grass for > pack or wagon animals and sagebrush for fuel were what determined the > camping spots for each night, as was the case all through the West for many > years to come. > A glance at any map of northwestern Nevada even today shows hardly a > village along Jocelyn's line of march. Sheepshead, which in 1872 was > called "Sheep Head" due to the fact that the large skull and horns of a > mountain sheep were reposing near some drinkable water, is the only spot on > modern maps which corresponds to the names of "Itineraries of Routes" as > published by the Military Division of the Pacific in those old days. There > was a garrison called Fort Sage (aptlyenough) forty-six miles north of > Reno. Other picturesque names along the route were Buffalo Meadow, Rotten > Egg, Fish Spring and Tuledad. Along the route Jocelyn discovered some > short cuts which later reduced the distance about fourteen miles and which > were accepted by headquarters at San Francisco. > On the night of the first day five soldiers deserted, evidently not > relishing the seventeen day march to the out-of-the-way post of Camp > Bidwell. Jocelyn sent a guard back to Reno, but the deserters were never > caught. He thought they had probably headed for the then booming mining > town of Virginia City, twenty miles south of Reno. One of the soldiers was > a recruit for a company of the First Calvary, already stationed at Bidwell. > Shortly after reaching Bidwell, Jocelyn wrote home, "I had a rather stupid > march up from Reno, where I last wrote you, as my only companion was a > scientific bore in the shape of a medical officer. His tongue wagged > incessantly and only stopped at night when he failed to get an answer to > his question: "Are you listening?" > > ===== > > Of note, there are news reports at the moment of the Burning Man Festival > on the Black Rock Desert, with some 10,000 participants this weekend. > Jocelyn's journey was only a short distance to the west of that location. > > Part II is Joceyln's actually diary account of the trip. > > Tim Purdy > Susanville, CA > > ==== CA-GOLDRUSH Mailing List ==== > Automatic Administrative Reminder: > Rootsweb.com no longer accepts HTML coding or attachments > on E-Mail files. Your cooperation will help save Rootsweb.com > equipment to serve you another day!