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21 - Army Letters from an Officers Wife, 1871-1888 by Frances M. A. Roe · Army Letters from an Officers Wife, 1871-1888

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty one of Army Letters from an Officer's Wife
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  Speaker 1: eighteen seventy one, eighteen eighty eight. This is the LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or a volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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  Speaker 1: by Sue Anderson. Army Letters from an Officer's Wife eighteen
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  Speaker 1: seventy one, eighteen eighty eight by Francis Rowe, Section twenty one,
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  Speaker 1: Letters from eighteen eighty eight, Part two. Camp near Uinta Mountains,
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  Speaker 1: Wyoming Territory, August eighteen eighty eight. To be back in
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  Speaker 1: the mountains and in camp is simply glorious, And to
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  Speaker 1: see soldiers walking around wearing the dear old uniform, just
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  Speaker 1: as we used to see them, makes one feel as
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  Speaker 1: though old days had returned. The two colored men, Chef
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  Speaker 1: and Butler, rather destroy the technique of a military camp,
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  Speaker 1: but they seem to be necessary adjuncts. And besides, we
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  Speaker 1: are not striving for harmony and effect, but for a
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  Speaker 1: fine outing each day to be complete with its own pleasures.
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  Speaker 1: It was a novel experience to come to the mountains
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  Speaker 1: in a private car. The camp is very complete, as
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  Speaker 1: the camp of a department commander should be, and we
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  Speaker 1: have everything for our comfort. We are fourteen miles from
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  Speaker 1: the Union Pacific Railroad and six from Fort Bridger, from
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  Speaker 1: which post our tents and supplies came. Our ice is
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  Speaker 1: sent from there also, and of course the enlisted men
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  Speaker 1: are from that garrison. The party consists of General and
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  Speaker 1: Missus Bork, Missus Hall, Missus Burke's sister, Missus Ord of Omaha,
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  Speaker 1: General Stanley, Paymaster, Captain Reeves, Judge Advocate, both of the
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  Speaker 1: Department staff, Lieutenant Travis Junior, Aide de camp, and myself.
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  Speaker 1: Missus Ord is a pretty woman, always wears dainty gowns
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  Speaker 1: and is a favorite with Omaha society people. I know
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  Speaker 1: her very well. Still I hesitated about wearing my short
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  Speaker 1: skirted outing suit, fearing it would shock her. But a
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  Speaker 1: day or two after we got here, she said to me,
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  Speaker 1: what are we to do about those fish? Missus Ray,
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  Speaker 1: I always catch the most fish wherever I go, but
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  Speaker 1: I hear that you are successful also, so with high spirits,
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  Speaker 1: we started out by ourselves that very morning, everyone laughing
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  Speaker 1: and betting on our number of fish. As we left camp,
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  Speaker 1: I wore the short skirt, but Missus Ord had her
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  Speaker 1: skirts pins so high. I felt that a tuck or
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  Speaker 1: two should be taken in mine to save her from embarrassment.
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  Speaker 1: The fishing is excellent here, and each one had every
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  Speaker 1: confidence in her own good luck, for the morning was
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  Speaker 1: perfect for trout fishing. Once I missed missus Ord, and
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  Speaker 1: pushing some bushes back where I thought she might be,
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  Speaker 1: I saw a most comical sight. Lying flat on the ground,
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  Speaker 1: hat pushed back and eyes peering over the bank of
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  Speaker 1: the stream. Was missus Ord, the society woman. I could
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  Speaker 1: not help laughing. She was so ridiculous in that position,
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  Speaker 1: which the pinned up dress made even more funny. But
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  Speaker 1: she did not like it, and, looking at me most
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  Speaker 1: reproachfully said, you have frightened him away, And I almost
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  Speaker 1: had him. She had been in that position a long time,
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  Speaker 1: she said, waiting for a large trout to take her hook.
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  Speaker 1: The race for honors was about even that day, and
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  Speaker 1: there was no cause for envy on either side, for
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  Speaker 1: neither missus Ord nor I caught one fish. Our camp
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  Speaker 1: is near Smith's Fork of Snake River, and not far
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  Speaker 1: from the camp is another fork that never has fish
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  Speaker 1: in it. So everyone tells us that's scene. So strange,
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  Speaker 1: for both streams have the same water from the stream
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  Speaker 1: above and the same rocky beds. One day I thought
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  Speaker 1: I would try the stream, as Smith's Fork was so
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  Speaker 1: muddy we could not fish in that there had been
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  Speaker 1: a storm up in the mountains that had caused both
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  Speaker 1: streams to rise. So I caught some grasshoppers to bait with,
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  Speaker 1: as it would be useless, of course, to try flies.
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  Speaker 1: I walked along the banks of the swollen stream until
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  Speaker 1: I saw a place where I thought there should be
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  Speaker 1: a trout. And to that little place the grasshopper was cast.
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  Speaker 1: When snap went my leader. I put on another hook
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  Speaker 1: and another grasshopper, but the result was precisely the same,
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  Speaker 1: So I concluded there must be a snag there, although
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  Speaker 1: I had supposed that I knew a fish from a snag.
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  Speaker 1: I tried one or two other places, but there was
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  Speaker 1: no variation, and each time I lost a leader and hook.
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  Speaker 1: In the meantime, a party had come over from Camp
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  Speaker 1: Faye among them, and there had been much good advice
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  Speaker 1: given me, and each one had told me that there
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  Speaker 1: were no fish ever in that stream. Then they went
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  Speaker 1: on up and sat down on the bank under some trees.
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  Speaker 1: I was very cross, for it was not pleasant to
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  Speaker 1: be laughed at, particularly by women who had probably never
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  Speaker 1: had a rod in their hands. And I felt positive
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  Speaker 1: that it had been fish that had carried off my hooks,
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  Speaker 1: and I was determined to ascertain what was the matter.
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  Speaker 1: So I went back to our tent and got a
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  Speaker 1: very long leader, which I doubled a number of times.
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  Speaker 1: I knew that the thickness would not frighten the fish,
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  Speaker 1: as the water was so cloudy. I fixed a strong
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  Speaker 1: hook to that, upon which was a fine grasshopper, and
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  Speaker 1: going to one of the places where my friends said
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  Speaker 1: that I had been snagged, I cast it over and
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  Speaker 1: away it all went, which proved that I had caught
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  Speaker 1: something that could at least act like a fish. I
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  Speaker 1: reeled it in and in time landed the thing a
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  Speaker 1: splendid large trout. My very first thought was of those
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  Speaker 1: disagreeable people who had laughed at me, Faye first of all,
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  Speaker 1: So after them I went carrying the fish, which gained
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  Speaker 1: in weight with every step. Their surprise was great, and
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  Speaker 1: I could see that Fay was delighted. He carried the
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  Speaker 1: trout to camp for me, and I went with him,
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  Speaker 1: for I was very tired. The next morning, I went
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  Speaker 1: to that stream again, taking with me a book of
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  Speaker 1: all sorts of flies and some grasshoppers. The department commander
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  Speaker 1: went over also. He asked me to show him where
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  Speaker 1: I had lost the hooks, but I said, if you
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  Speaker 1: fish in those places, you will be laughed at more
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  Speaker 1: than I was yesterday. He understood and went further down.
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  Speaker 1: The water was much more clear, but still flies could
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  Speaker 1: not be seen, so I used the scorned grasshopper. In
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  Speaker 1: about two hours I caught sixteen beautiful trout, which weighed
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  Speaker 1: in mass a little over twenty five pounds. I cast
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  Speaker 1: in the very places where I had lost hooks, and
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  Speaker 1: almost every time caught a fish, I left them in
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  Speaker 1: the shade in various places along the stream, and Faye
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  Speaker 1: and the soldier brought them to camp. A fine display
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  Speaker 1: they made spread out on the grass, for they seemed
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  Speaker 1: precisely the same size. The General caught two large and
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  Speaker 1: several small trout. Those were all that day. It was
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  Speaker 1: most remarkable that I should have found the only good
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  Speaker 1: places in the stream at a time when the water
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  Speaker 1: was not clear. Not only the right places, but the
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  Speaker 1: one right day, for not one trout has been caught
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  Speaker 1: there since, perhaps with the high water. The fish came
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  Speaker 1: up from Snake River, although trout are supposed to live
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  Speaker 1: in clear water. We can dispose of any number of
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  Speaker 1: birds and fish here, for those that are not needed
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  Speaker 1: for our own large mess can be given to the soldiers,
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  Speaker 1: and we often send chicken and trout to our friends
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  Speaker 1: at Fort Bridger. The further one goes up the stream,
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  Speaker 1: the better the fishing is. That is, the fish are
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  Speaker 1: more plentiful, but not as large as they are here.
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  Speaker 1: About sixteen miles up almost in the mountains was General
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  Speaker 1: Cook's favorite fishing ground, and when he was in command
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  Speaker 1: of the department, he and General Stanley, who is also
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  Speaker 1: an expert fisherman, came here many times. Consequently, General Stanley
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  Speaker 1: is familiar with the country about here. The evening after
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  Speaker 1: my splendid catch, General Stanley said that he would like
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  Speaker 1: to have missus Ord and me go with him up
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  Speaker 1: the stream several miles and asked if I would be
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  Speaker 1: willing to give missus Ord the stream, as she had
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  Speaker 1: never used to fly, adding that she seemed little piquet
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  Speaker 1: because I had caught such fine fish. I said at
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  Speaker 1: once that I would be delighted to give her the lead,
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  Speaker 1: although I knew, of course, that whoever goes second in
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  Speaker 1: a trout stream has very poor sport, but the request
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  Speaker 1: was a compliment, and besides I had caught enough fish
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  Speaker 1: for a while. The next day we made preparations, and
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  Speaker 1: early on the morning of the second we started. The
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  Speaker 1: Department commander had gone to Omaha on official business, so
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  Speaker 1: he was not with us, and Faye did not go,
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  Speaker 1: but the rest of the party went twelve miles and
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  Speaker 1: then established a little camp for the day, and there
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  Speaker 1: we left them. Missus ord and I and General Stanley
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  Speaker 1: with a driver, got on a buckboard drawn by two mules,
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  Speaker 1: and went five miles further up the stream, until in
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  Speaker 1: fact it was impossible for even a buckboard to go
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  Speaker 1: along the rocky trail. There we were expected to take
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  Speaker 1: the stream, and as soon as we left the wagon,
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  Speaker 1: missus Ord an I retired to some bushes to prepare
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  Speaker 1: for the water. I had taken the tuck in my
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  Speaker 1: outing skirt, so there was not much for me to do,
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  Speaker 1: but missus ord pulled up and pinned up her serge
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  Speaker 1: skirt in a way that would have made a small
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  Speaker 1: fortune to a cartoonist. When we came from the bushes,
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  Speaker 1: rods in hand. The soldier driver gave one bewildered stare,
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  Speaker 1: and then almost fell from his seat. He was too
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  Speaker 1: respectful to laugh outright and thus relieve his spasms, but
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  Speaker 1: he would look at us from the slide of his eye,
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  Speaker 1: turn his face from us, and fairly double over. Then
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  Speaker 1: another quick look, and another double down again. Missus ord laughed,
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  Speaker 1: and so did I. She is quite stout, and I
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  Speaker 1: am very thin. And I suppose the soldier did see
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  Speaker 1: funny things about us. We saw them ourselves. I shall
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  Speaker 1: never forget my first step in that water. It was
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  Speaker 1: as chilling as if it had been running over miles
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  Speaker 1: of ice, and by comparison, the august sun seemed fiery.
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  Speaker 1: But these things were soon forgotten, for at once the
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  Speaker 1: excitement of casting a fly began. It is almost as
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  Speaker 1: much pleasure to put a little fly just where you
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  Speaker 1: want it as it is to catch the fish. My
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  Speaker 1: rod and reel were in perfect condition. They had seen
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  Speaker 1: to that, and my book of flies was complete. And
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  Speaker 1: with charming companions and a stream full of trout, a
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  Speaker 1: day of unusual pleasure was assured. We were obliged to
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  Speaker 1: wagh every step, as the banks of the stream had walls,
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  Speaker 1: of bowlders and thick bushes. Most of the stream was
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  Speaker 1: not very deep, but was a foamy, roaring torrent, rushing
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  Speaker 1: over the small rocks and around the large ones, with
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  Speaker 1: little still dark places along the banks ideal homes for
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  Speaker 1: the mountain trout. We found a few deep pools that
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  Speaker 1: looked most harmless, but the current in them was swift
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  Speaker 1: and dangerous to those who could not always keep their balance.
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  Speaker 1: It was most difficult for me to walk on the
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  Speaker 1: slippery stones at first, and I had many a fall,
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  Speaker 1: but missus Ord, being heavy, avoided upsets very nicely. At
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  Speaker 1: times we would be in water above our waists, and
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  Speaker 1: then missus Ord and I would fall back with General
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  Speaker 1: Stanley for protection, who alternately praised and laughed at us
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  Speaker 1: during the whole day. Missus Ord was very quick to
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  Speaker 1: learn where and how to cast a fly, and I
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  Speaker 1: was delighted to let General Stanley see that grasshoppers were
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  Speaker 1: not at all necessary to my success in fishing. We
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  Speaker 1: sat upon a big flat rock at luncheon and were
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  Speaker 1: thankful that General Stanley was a tall man and could
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  Speaker 1: keep the box of sandwiches from getting wet when we
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  Speaker 1: toppled over. He always came to our assistance, so at
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  Speaker 1: times his waiting boots were not of much use to him.
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  Speaker 1: Missus Ord was far ahead of me in numbers fish,
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  Speaker 1: and General Stanley said that I had better keep up
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  Speaker 1: with her if I wished. The stream had broadened out some.
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  Speaker 1: So finally missus Ord whipped the left side, which is
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  Speaker 1: easier casting, and I whipped the right. We waded down
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  Speaker 1: the entire five miles, and missus Ord, who had the
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  Speaker 1: stream most of the time, caught sixty four trout, and
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  Speaker 1: I caught fifty six, and General Stanley picked up fourteen.
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  Speaker 1: After our splashing and frightening away the fish we did
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  Speaker 1: not catch. The trout were small, but wonderfully full of
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  Speaker 1: fight in that cold water. Of course, General Stanley carried
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  Speaker 1: them for us. The driver had been ordered to keep
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  Speaker 1: within call on the trail, as General Stanley thought it
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  Speaker 1: would be impossible for missus Ord and me to wade
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  Speaker 1: the five miles, but the distance seemed short to us.
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  Speaker 1: We never once thought of being tired, and it was
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  Speaker 1: with great regret we reeled in our lines. There was
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  Speaker 1: a beaver dam above the picnic camp, and before we
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  Speaker 1: came to it, I happened to get near the bank
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  Speaker 1: where I saw in the mud the impression of a
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  Speaker 1: huge paw. It was larger than a teaplate, and was
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  Speaker 1: so fresh one could easily see where the nails had been.
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  Speaker 1: I asked General Stanley to look at it, but he
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  Speaker 1: said that, oh, that is only the paw of a cub.
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  Speaker 1: He has been down after fish. At once I discovered
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  Speaker 1: that the middle of the stream was most attractive, and
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  Speaker 1: there I went and carefully remained there the rest of
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  Speaker 1: the way down. If the paw of a mere cub
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  Speaker 1: could be that enormous size, what might not be the
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  Speaker 1: size of an ordinary grown up? Bare paws included. Missus
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  Speaker 1: Ore declared that she rather liked little bears, they were
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  Speaker 1: so cunning and playful, but I noticed she avoided the banks. Also.
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  Speaker 1: We had left dry clothing at the small camp, and
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  Speaker 1: when we returned we found nice little retreats all ready
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  Speaker 1: for us, made of cloaks and things in among the
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  Speaker 1: bowlers and bushes. There were cups of delicious hot tea too.
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  Speaker 1: But we were not cold. And the most astonishing thing
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  Speaker 1: about that whole grand day is we did not feel
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  Speaker 1: stiff or the slightest discomfort in any form. After it,
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: the tramp was long, and the water cold, and my
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  Speaker 1: own baths many. I might have saved myself sometimes from
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  Speaker 1: going all the way down, had I not been afraid
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  Speaker 1: of breaking my rod, which I always held high. When
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  Speaker 1: I fell. The day was one to be remembered by
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  Speaker 1: missus Ord and me. We had thought all the time
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  Speaker 1: that General Stanley was making a great sacrifice by giving
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  Speaker 1: up a day's sport for our amusement, and that it
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  Speaker 1: was so kind of him, for of course he could
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: not be enjoying the day. But it seems that he
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: had sport of which we knew nothing until the following day.
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: In fact, we know nothing about it yet. But he
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: began to tell the most absurd stories of what we did,
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: and we must have done many unusual things, for he
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  Speaker 1: is still entertaining the camp with them. He was very
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  Speaker 1: proud of us, nevertheless, and says so often. The right
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: of twelve miles back to camp seemed endless, for as
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: soon as the excitement of the stream was over, we
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: found that we were tired, awfully tired. We have only
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  Speaker 1: a few weeks more of this delightful life. The hunting
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  Speaker 1: is excellent too, and Faye and Captain Reeves often bring
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: in large bags of mountain grouse and young sage hens.
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: The sage chicken are as tender and delicious as partridge
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: before they begin to feed upon wild sage in the fall,
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: but one short day in the brush makes them different
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: birds and wholly unpalatable. We often send birds and fish
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  Speaker 1: also to friends at Fort Bridger, who were most hospitable
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: the day we arrived, and before coming to camp, I
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: had quite forgot in the wedding yesterday. It was at
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  Speaker 1: Fort Bridger, and the bride, a daughter of the post trader,
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  Speaker 1: is related to several families of social position at Omaha.
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: We put on the very prettiest gowns we had with us,
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  Speaker 1: but the effect was disappointing, for our red faces looked
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  Speaker 1: redder than ever above delicate laces and silks. The ceremony
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: was at noon, was very pretty and everything passed off beautifully.
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: The breakfast was delicious, and we wondered at the dainty
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: dishes served so far from a caterer. The house was
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: not large, and every bit of air had been shut
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: out by darkening the windows, but we were spared the
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: heat and smell of lamps on the hot day by
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: the rooms being lighted by hundreds of candles, each one
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: with a pretty white shade. But some of us felt smothered,
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: and as soon as the affair was over, started immediately
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  Speaker 1: for the camp, where we could have exhilarating mountain air
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: once more. It was really one whole day stolen from
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: our outing. We can always have crowded rooms, receptions and
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: breakfasts whenever we happen to be in the east, but
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: when again will we be in a glorious camp like this?
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  Speaker 1: And our days here are to be so few. From
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  Speaker 1: here we are to go to Salt Lake City for
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: a week or two. End of letter, end of section
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  Speaker 1: twenty one