.OTAy.NTY4Mzk

16.

their overcoats which were mostly kept rolled, was an affair of shreds and tatters. The main thing was all there however--the ability to fight. They had humiliated the powerful and defiant Cheyenne tribe on their own chosen battle grounds. Colonel Sumner looked the ideal cavalry colonel, grizzled, erect, ? and always on duty. I never heard of his being "stumped" but once by a subordinate and that was by Lieut Owen Chapman who was now with us. Some years before Chapman was serving at a post commanded by Col. Sumner who always appeared in uniform coat buttoned to throat at reveilles to receive the reports of his officers. One morning Chapman did not appear and the colonel sent his orderly for him. Chapman came forth in a hurry buttoning his coat as he hastened along, approached the colonel and saluted. Said the commanding officer "Mr. Chapman you were absent from reveille" "Yes" replied the Lieutenant "I slept over it." [[margin note: (paragraph sign these)]] "No excuse Sir" said the colonel. "I did not offer it as an excuse Colonel but as a reason." "It's no reason Sir" said the irrascible colonel. "Well it's a fact by God" says Chapman. After a moments hesitation the colonel said "Well, Sir, don't let it occur again."

We reached the "Kaw" (Kansas) river on the 15th about eighty miles from Leavenworth and were two days and nights crossing that stream by means of a rope? ferry