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Show -3- On October 3rd, the battalion was divided into two divisions, the first containing the strong and able bodied men; these arrived October 9th. The second, contsisting of the sick, and the women, arrived in Santa Fe October 12th. At Santa Fe the officers in command held a meeting. They decided to send the sick men and most of the women back to Pueblo. Uncle Erastus was in this company of eight,-six men and several women .that left under command of Captain James Brown. It was understood that the invalid men with their escorts, the wan.en and children would have the privilege of continuing their journey to the west at government expense. On October 19th, the battalion left Santa Fe for California under command of Captain St. neorge Cokke. Lieutenant A. J. Smith became acting commissary. From Santa Fe fat her had to walk, the team which he had driven had been sent back with the sick detachment. On the journey the men sufferea much on account of fatigue, excessive marches, and short rations. Father hired a Mexican boy to go with him so he could ride the boy's pony to the top of Touse Mountain. This mountain was very thickly timbered and the snow was about one feet deep. When they had traveled at a distance up the mountain they came to a level bench which the boy said was the top. This bench, however, proved to be only about half way up the mountain. They walked on till father and another man vave out. Job Whiteny carried a pile of wood, built a fire, then he went on intending to get some mules and come back f or the two men. When Whitney reached camp at the foot of the mountain, the men told him that it was too steep and slippery for mules to climb the mountain, besides they would not let him have any mules to try. Whitney not being very strong, often having chills and fever,· had to content himself and wait till morning. The two men scraped the snow away; then they broke pine boughs to put under t he blankets. They arranged it so that the wind would blow the blaze over their bed. With their two blankets, on under and the other over, the two men fared as best they could that- extremely cold night. Before morni~g they ran out of wood. The men went a short distance from the fire and found a dry log. Father said if he had been well he could have shouldered the log himself, but it was all they could do to get it to the fire and even then they had to stop and rest several times. The next morning some Spaniards told Mr. tlhi tney that a well man could not live on that mountain during such a night, let alone a sick man. Mr. Whitney finally persuaded t wo or three men to go back with him. Having no shovel, they took an ax to cut boughs to cover the men as every one expected to find them dead. Their surprise was great when they met father and his companion coming down the mountain side. 'rhey had endured that memorable night with only a buiscuit for supper and nothing for breakfast. Many a night it would be ten or eleven o'clock ~efore father reached camp. Whitney |
