miles of us. On the morning of the 19th we marched up toward Malheur City about twenty-five miles and camped. General Howard asked me if I would be afraid to go with a dispatch to Camp Harney. Camp Harney had not been heard from for some time. A story having the appearance of truth was brought to us that Captain M’Gregor’s company had had a disastrous engagement, and had lost the most of their horses. The news also reached us that the hostiles had abandoned the Stein mountains and gone to Harney Valley, and it was probable that the left column of Captain Bernard’s company had pushed after them.
Later in the evening General Howard and Lieutenant Wilkinson came to us again and said, “Well, Sarah, what do you think about going?” I said, “I am always ready to go anywhere you wish me to go.”
“Do you think you would want an escort?”
I said, “No, Mattie and I will go alone, for no white man can keep up with us. We can go alone quicker than with soldiers.”
But Lieutenant Wilkinson said he would go with us, for they could not let us go alone, as there were bad white men who might harm us, and he would take two soldiers besides.
“Supposing we were to meet the hostiles, and they were to kill me, what would you do?”
Poor Mattie was the first to speak. “Sister and I will throw ourselves on you and they should kill us first, then you.”
This made the officers laugh.
So on the 20th, Sister and I started for Camp Harney with Lieutenant Wilkinson, Aide-de-Camp, Corporal Moffatt and Private Musenheimer. After we had travelled about twenty miles, Sister Mattie’s horse gave out, and Lieutenant Wilkinson took a stage-horse for her. At twelve o’clock we stopped for something to eat, for it
