GC5. July 27 - Buffalo Soldier Hill Traditional Cache
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GC5. July 27 - Buffalo Soldier Hill
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5 of a series of 11 – SEARCHING FOR WATER
An Educational Tour illustrating the 1877 Buffalo Soldier Expedition route.
After his return to Fort Concho, Lieutenant Charles Cooper wrote a letter to his father describing his experience of the tragic events. This geocache series traces the approximate route taken by the soldiers.
The story unfolds:
Look to the north. A small hill can be seen about a mile away.
Ammo box
Water
Toys
Books
Kleenex
Puzzle
MAIN CHARACTERS
Military: Captain Nolan, Lt. Cooper, and 40 soldiers
Guide: José Tafoya and 8 men leave the troop and take the canteens
Buffalo Hunters: 22 bison hunters
Native Americans: 40 Comanche hunting party, Chief Quanah Parker and the Kwahada (Quahadi) Band
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August 30, 1877
EXCERPT from Lt. Cooper's Letter to His Father written from Ft. Concho - Lt. Cooper describes the pursuit....
After dark, owing to the condition, we made another dry camp on a knoll. (Present day New Mexico) The guide with eight men, with all the canteens, left in search of water with the command, “As soon as water is found, return with the filled canteens.” We never saw them again until we got back to supply camp, August 6. Up until this time we had marched about fifty-five miles under a broiling sun over barren sandy land, knowing the greater part of the country was “as dry as a bone.” We were retarded greatly in endeavoring to keep the men together at a time when everyone was precious to us. We tried to forget in sleep the suffering we all endured….
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In an excerpt from The Border and the Buffalo John R. Cook describes their circumstances, (State House Press, Austin, TX, 1989, Pg. 270)…
“Men were snoring. Some were talking in low tones….
….we were awakened by firing guns. First a shot, then pop! pop! pop! and soon fully one hundred shots had been fired. The muzzles of the guns were pointed upward.
Everyone was soon awake and speculation was rife, the prevailing opinion being that our guide, Hosea [José Tafoya] and the soldiers were returning with water from the Laguna. But we waited and waited and waited…. It was now the darkest part of the night …. all we could do was wait for the coming of day.
When daylight came on, and the water party was nowhere in sight, Nolan told his lieutenant to set his compass for the Double Lakes.”
Quanah Parker had been supplied with army field glasses at Ft. Sill and reportedly, camped with his people, just a few miles south in the sand hills.
**Please proceed to Geocache GC6. July 28 – SEPARATION where the letter continues.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Uvag – Cnpr 30' abegu bs gur zvyr znxre. Zvyr znexre cbyrf perngr gur abegu/fbhgu nyvtazrag, pbapergr funeq.
Jngpu sbe fanxrf
Fnaqoheef
Chyy bss ba fubhyqre bs uvtujnl.Irel fubeg jnyx.
LBH NER VA GUR PBHAGEL!!!!
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