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11

A hypochondrical old major going home to die represented the result of the highest expectation of rank and happiness thus was before a young army officer anyhow in those days. But the exigencies of the present moment left little time for gloomy reflections. The morning light revealed one mule frozen to death and all of the rest trying to arrive at the same conclusion. Major Backus declared he could go no farther but must die there. However I ordered the mules hitched up making one spike team and told the Major he could probably die in the ambulance as easily as there on the ground and had the sergeant any Kinny put him in notwithstanding his contrary orders and prohibitions and then had myself picked up and put in. Thus began some of the hardest miles whipping snow ? for a few miles down the slope until we worked our way out of the deep snow and the sun came up and the wind went down and things began to brighten. We made 25 miles that day with mules nearly broken down but the Major improving. The day following we reached Cuvera?, a small Mexican and indian town with the mules given out entirely. Selecting the best mules for our ambulance on the 6th we pushed on to Ship Spring? and on the 7th day out reached Albuquerque with Major Backus able to sit up manuscript damaged were found several friends some who had preceded manuscript damaged from Fort Defiance. After two or three days manuscript damaged I was taken down to Fort Craig by pleasant stages the weather being delightful. Gordon Granger too care of me and the comforts and spaciousness of the quarters compared with those I had left at Defiance together with the sight of my company again afforded me great satisfaction. The sergeant who had married in Socorro brought his wife and Gregoria