GC8. July 28 - Day Two without Water - 21 Men left Traditional Cache
GC8. July 28 - Day Two without Water - 21 Men left
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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8 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….
MAIN CHARACTERS
Military: Captain Nolan, Lt. Cooper, and 18 soldiers
Buffalo Hunter: 1
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August 30, 1877
EXCERPT from Lt. Cooper's Letter to His Father written from Ft. Concho - Lt. Cooper describes the casualties and the separations....
We had now reduced our party to eighteen men, two officers and one buffalo hunter. We were almost completely used up. Our men had dropped back one by one, unable to keep up with us, their tongues were swollen and they were unable to swallow their saliva – for they like me, had no saliva to swallow. Men were grasping for breath and horses falling dead around us.
The Command were suffering so much for water, they were compelled to drink their own urine and their horses urine, having sugar along, I issued a liberal supply to the men which tended to make the urine palatable.
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**The soldiers and the hunter are becoming disoriented and delusional. The officer’s maintain the military determination to survive.
Four Memorial Markers for the Buffalo Soldier losses nearby.
**Please proceed to Geocache GC9. July 29 – Day Three without Water where the letter continues.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Jurer gur sybjref fubhyq or cynagrq abegu bs gur sbhe zrzbevnyf.