At　the　close　of　the　final　examination　I　made　no　formal　application
  for　assignment　to　any　particular　arm　of　the　service；　for　I　knew　that
  my　standing　would　not　entitle　me　to　one　of　the　existing　vacancies；
  and　that　I　should　be　obliged　to　take　a　place　among　the　brevet　second
  lieutenants。　　When　the　appointments　were　made　I　therefore　found
  myself　attached　to　the　First　Infantry；　well　pleased　that　I　had
  surmounted　all　the　difficulties　that　confront　the　student　at　our
  national　school；　and　looking　forward　with　pleasant　anticipation　to
  the　life　before　me。
  CHAPTER　II。
  ORDERED　TO　FORT　DUNCAN；　TEXAS〃NORTHERS〃SCOUTING　DUTYHUNTING
  NEARLY　CAUGHT　BY　THE　INDIANSA　PRIMITIVE　HABITATIONA　BRAVE
  DRUMMERBOYS　DEATHA　MEXICAN　BALL。
  On　the　1st　day　of　July；　1853；　I　was　commissioned　a　brevet　second
  lieutenant　in　the　First　Regiment　of　United　States　Infantry；　then
  stationed　in　Texas。　　The　company　to　which　I　was　attached　was
  quartered　at　Fort　Duncan；　a　military　post　on　the　Rio　Grande　opposite
  the　little　town　of　Piedras　Negras；　on　the　boundary　line　between　the
  United　States　and　the　Republic　of　Mexico。
  After　the　usual　leave　of　three　months　following　graduation　from　the
  Military　Academy　I　was　assigned　to　temporary　duty　at　Newport
  Barracks；　a　recruiting　station　and　rendezvous　for　the　assignment　of
  young　officers　preparatory　to　joining　their　regiments。　　Here　I
  remained　from　September；　1853；　to　March；　1854；　when　I　was　ordered　to
  join　my　company　at　Fort　Duncan。　　To　comply　with　this　order　I
  proceeded　by　steamboat　down　the　Ohio　and　Mississippi　rivers　to　New
  Orleans；　thence　by　steamer　across　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　to　Indianola；
  Tex。；　and　after　landing　at　that　place；　continued　in　a　small　schooner
  through　what　is　called　the　inside　channel　on　the　Gulf　coast　to　Corpus
  Christi；　the　headquarters　of　Brigadier…General　Persifer　F。　Smith；　who
  was　commanding　the　Department　of　Texas。　　Here　I　met　some　of　my　old
  friends　from　the　Military　Academy；　among　them　Lieutenant　Alfred
  Gibbs；　who　in　the　last　year　of　the　rebellion　commanded　under　me　a
  brigade　of　cavalry；　and　Lieutenant　Jerome　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　of　the
  Mounted　Rifles；　who　resigned　in　1854　to　accept　service　in　the　French
  Imperial　army；　but　to　most　of　those　about　headquarters　I　was　an
  entire　stranger。　　Among　the　latter　was　Captain　Stewart　Van　Vliet；　of
  the　Quartermaster's　Department；　now　on　the　retired　list。　　With　him　I
  soon　came　in　frequent　contact；　and；　by　reason　of　his　connection　with
  the　Quartermaster's　Department；　the　kindly　interest　he　took　in
  forwarding　my　business　inaugurated　between　usa　lasting　friendship。
  A　day　or　two　after　my　arrival　at　Corpus　Christi　a　train　of　Government
  wagons；　loaded　with　subsistence　stores　and　quartermaster's　supplies；
  started　for　Laredo；　a　small　town　on　the　Rio　Grande　below　Fort　Duncan。
  There　being　no　other　means　of　reaching　my　station　I　put　my　small
  personal　possessions；　consisting　of　a　trunk；　mattress；　two　blankets；
  and　a　pillow　into　one　of　the　heavily　loaded　wagons　and　proceeded　to
  join　it；　sitting　on　the　boxes　or　bags　of　coffee　and　sugar；　as　I　might
  choose。　　The　movement　of　the　train　was　very　slow；　as　the　soil　was
  soft　on　the　newly　made　and　sandy　roads。　　We　progressed　but　a　few
  miles　on　our　first　day's　journey；　and　in　the　evening　parked　our　train
  at　a　point　where　there　was　no　wood；　a　scant　supply　of　waterand　that
  of　bad　qualitybut　an　abundance　of　grass。　　There　being　no
  comfortable　place　to　sleep　in　any　of　the　wagons；　filled　as　they　were
  to　the　bows　with　army　supplies；　I　spread　my　blankets　on　the　ground
  between　the　wheels　of　one　of　them；　and　awoke　in　the　morning　feeling
  as　fresh　and　bright　as　would　have　been　possible　if　all　the　comforts
  of　civilization　had　been　at　my　command。
  It　took　our　lumbering　train　many　days　to　reach　Laredo；　a　distance　of
  about　one　hundred　and　sixty　miles　from　Corpus　Christi。　　Each　march
  was　but　a　repetition　of　the　first　day's　journey；　its　monotony
  occasionally　relieved；　though；　by　the　passage　of　immense　flocks　of
  ducks　and　geese；　and　the　appearance　at　intervals　of　herds　of　deer；
  and　sometimes　droves　of　wild　cattle；　wild　horses　and　mules。　　The
  bands　of　wild　horses　I　noticed　were　sometimes　led　by　mules；　but
  generally　by　stallions　with　long　wavy　manes；　and　flowing　tails　which
  almost　touched　the　ground。
  We　arrived　at　Laredo　during　one　of　those　severe　storms　incident　to
  that　section；　which　are　termed　〃Northers〃　from　the　fact　that　the
  north　winds　culminate　occasionally　in　cold　windstorms；　frequently
  preceded　by　heavy　rains。　　Generally　the　blow　lasts　for　three　days；
  and　the　cold　becomes　intense　and　piercing。　　While　the　sudden
  depression　of　the　temperature　is　most　disagreeable；　and　often　causes
  great　suffering；　it　is　claimed　that　these　〃Northers〃　make　the　climate
  more　healthy　and　endurable。　　They　occur　from　October　to　May；　and　in
  addition　to　the　destruction　which；　through　the　sudden　depression　of
  the　temperature；　they　bring　on　the　herds　in　the　interior；　they　are
  often　of　sufficient　violence　to　greatly　injure　the　harbors　on　the
  coast。
  The　post　near　Laredo　was　called　Fort　McIntosh；　and　at　this　period　the
  troops　stationed　there　consisted　of　eight　companies　of　the　Fifth
  Infantry　and　two　of　the　First；　one　of　the　First　Artillery；　and　three
  of　the　Mounted　Rifles。　　Just　before　the　〃Norther〃　began　these　troops
  had　completed　a　redoubt　for　the　defense　of　the　post；　with　the
  exception　of　the　ditches；　but　as　the　parapet　was　built　of　sandthe
  only　material　about　Laredo　which　could　be　obtained　for　its
  constructionthe　severity　of　the　winds　was　too　much　for　such　a
  shifting　substance；　and　the　work　was　entirely　blown　away　early　in　the
  storm。
  I　was　pleasantly　and　hospitably　welcomed　by　the　officers　at　the　post；
  all　of　whom　were　living　in　tents；　with　no　furniture　except　a　cot　and
  trunk；　and　an　improvised　bed　for　a　stranger；　when　one　happened　to
  come　along。　　After　I　had　been　kindly　taken　in　by　one　of　the　younger
  officers；　I　reported　to　the　commanding　officer；　and　was　informed　by
  him　that　he　would　direct　the　quartermaster　to　furnish　me；　as　soon　as
  convenient；　with　transportation　to　Fort　Duncan；　the　station　of　my
  company。
  In　the　course　of　a　day　or　two；　the　quartermaster　notified　me　that　a
  Government　six…mule　wagon　would　be　placed　at　my　disposal　to　proceed
  to　my　destination。　　No　better　means　offering；　I　concluded　to　set　out
  in　this　conveyance；　and；　since　it　was　also　to　carry　a　quantity　of
  quartermaster's　property　for　Fort　Duncan；　I　managed　to　obtain　room
  enough　for　my　bed　in　the　limited　space　between　the　bows　and　load；
  where　I　could　rest　tolerably　well；　and　under　cover　at　night；　instead
  of　sleeping　on　the　ground　under　the　wagon；　as　I　had　done　on　the　road
  from　Corpus　Christi　to　Laredo。
  I　reached　Fort　Duncan　in　March；　1854。；　and　was　kindly　received　by　the
  commanding　officer　of　the；　regiment；　Lieutenant…Colonel　Thompson
  Morris；and　by　the　captain　of　my　company　（〃D〃）；　Eugene　E。　McLean；　and
  his　charming　wife　the　only　daughter　of　General　E。　V。　Sumner；　who　was
  already　distinguished　in　our　service；　but　much　better　known　in　after
  years　in　the　operations　ofthe　Army　of　the　Potomac；　during　its　early
  campaigns　in　Virginia。　　Shortly　after　joining　company　〃D〃　I　was　sent
  out　on　scouting　duty　with　another　company　of　the　regiment　to　Camp　La
  Pena；　about　sixty　or　seventy　miles　east　of　Fort　Duncan；　in　a　section
  of　country　that　had　for　some　time　past　been　subjected　to　raids　by　the
  Lipan　and　Comanche　Indians。　　Ournoutpost　at　La　Pena　was　intended　as　a
  protection　against　the　predatory　incursions　of　these　savages；　so
  almost　constant　scouting　became　a　daily　occupation。　　This　enabled　me
  soon　to　become　familiar　with　and　make　maps　of　the　surrounding
  country；　and；　through　constant　association　with　our　Mexican　guide；　to
  pick　up　in　a　short　time　quite　a　smattering　of　the　Spanish　language；
  which　was　very　useful　to　one　serving　on　that　frontier。
  At　that　early　day　western　Texas　was　literally　filled　with　game；　and
  the　region　in　the　immediate　vicinity　of　La　Pena　contained　its　full
  proportion　of　deer；　antelope；　and　wild　turkeys。　　The　temptation　to
  hunt　was　therefore　constantly　before　me；　and　a　desire　to　indulge　in
  this　pastime；　whenever　free　from　the　legitimate　duty　of　the　camp；
  soon　took　complete　possession　of　me；　so　expeditions　in　pursuit　of
  game　were　of　frequent　occurrence。　　In　these　expeditions　I　was　always
  accompanied　by　a　soldier　named　Frankman；　belonging　to　〃　D　〃　company；
  who　was　a　fine　sportsman；　and　a　butcher　by　trade。　　In　a　short　period
  I　learned　from　Frankman　how　to　approach　and　secure　the　different
  species　of　game；　and　also　how　to　dress　and　care　for　it　when　killed。
  Almost　every　expedition　we　made　was　rewarded　with　a　good　supply　of
  deer；　antelope；　and　wild　turkeys；　and　we　furnished　the　command　in
  camp　with　such　abundance　that　it　was　relieved　from　the　necessity　of
  drawing　its　beef　ration；　much　to　the　discomfiture　of　the　disgruntled
  beef　contractor。
  The　camp　at　La　Pena　was　on