feel rather than see our way.  I fully realized the difficulties and dangers of our situation, but my anxiety was for the nineteen wounded men on the litters.  I told Col.  Bellinger that we must remain together and behind the litter bearers, that I would rather leave my body with our dead comrades in the rocks than to leave behind any of our wounded men.  But we had proceeded but a short distance when the lines crumbled and became mixed up, in fact, an undistinguishable mob.  Under these circumstances, and relying on undisciplined troops, our position was critical in the extreme.  One shot would have precipitated a stampede.  Wheaton, Ross and Miller were somewhere mixed up among the troops, but Bellinger and I stuck to the litter bearers and kept as many of the men behind us as possible.

Donald McKay’s Indians were in the advance, somewhere, but we knew not where.  In this order, or rather disorder, we stumbled along blindly, knowing the waters of the lake were on our right.  The bottom of the bluff was finally reached and word passed back that the Modocs had captured and held the summit.  I stopped as many of the men as possible and asked Col.  Bellinger to remain with the litter bearers and I would go forward and if necessary capture it back.  Reaching the front I found Indians, volunteers and officers all jumbled together without semblance of order.  The Indians were confident the Modocs had killed the guards left there in the morning and held the top of the bluff.  I called for volunteers, but not an Indian would go.  I finally got a few volunteers and began the ascent of the steep, rocky trail.  The climb was tedious in the extreme, and one can imagine my joy when on nearing the crest there came the sharp call, “Who comes there?” I was prompt to reply “friends.”  Learning that all was well, I retraced my steps to the bottom and gave out the welcome news that everything was clear.

Then began a scramble to reach the top.  It was everybody for himself, as it was too dark to even attempt to preserve a semblance of order or discipline.  Going to the rear I found Col.  Bellinger with the wounded men.  Holding as many men as possible we began the ascent.  As the litter bearers gave out others took their places and the tired men slipped away in the darkness.  As we neared the top, Col.  Bellinger and I relieved two worn out bearers and that was the last we saw of them.  In this condition we staggered into camp at 2 o’clock in the morning, more dead than alive.  To add to the discomfort of the situation others had reached our store of provisions ahead of us, and we simply had to do without.  We had now been on the march 24 hours.  Our boot soles were almost cut away on the sharp lava, and we were all but barefooted.  But I had my horse, and though I had nothing to eat, I felt greatly relieved.  A few hours sleep on the frozen ground and we were again astir.  I was holding my horse to graze when Gen. Wheaton’s orderly came to me and stated that the General wanted to see me at his tent.  Handing him the halter strap I walked down to the tent and stepped in.  The General was sitting on the ground with a can of coffee before him.  He said he had a couple of cups of coffee and four crackers and wanted to divide with me.  It required no persuasion on his part to induce me to accept.